Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Anaheim Ducks @ 3:05 ET - John Gibson is expected to get the start between the pipes for the Ducks this afternoon. I know the Sabres have not been scoring a lot of goals but they are off a 3-2 win over the Rangers and that was preceded by a game in which they rallied for 3 goals in the 3rd period. In other words, Buffalo has scored 6 goals in their last 4 periods of hockey and I expect them to take advantage of a netminder whom has struggled on the road this season. Gibson has won just 6 of his 22 road starts this season as he has compiled a 3.27 GAA away from Anaheim. The Ducks netminder has allowed 4 or more goals in 6 of his last 9 road starts. As for Buffalo, they remain without their #1 goalie as Linus Ullmark is currently out with an injury. I know Carter Hutton performed well in the win over the Rangers but he is facing a scrappy Ducks team this afternoon. Anaheim has been on a surge on this road trip and even getting strong contributions all the way down to its fourth line. The Ducks have scored an average of 3 goals per game in regulation time of their past 6 games. Anaheim has earned at least a point in all 4 games so far on this 5-game road trip. With this total at only 5.5 goals and the over available at even money, this is a great value spot. Hutton allowed 5 goals in his most recent home start and has allowed 4 or more goals in 8 of his last 12 starts. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Sunday 8* Detroit Red Wings Puck Line +1.5 goals +105 vs Boston Bruins @ 12:35 ET - This is a tough spot for Boston. They are playing the 2nd game of a back to back and it is a very early game Sunday. I don't trust Detroit to necessarily pull off the outright upset here but they have been playing very scrappy of late and I expect them to be in this game all the way with a definite shot at the big upset too. That is why I am grabbing the +1.5 goals with the Red Wings on the puck line. Note that the Bruins have won 4 of their past 7 road games but only 1 of those 4 Boston wins came by more than a goal. That means Boston, if you laid 1.5 goals in each game, has gone just 1-6 in its last 7 road games. As for Detroit, they have allowed a total of just 9 goals in their last 4 games. One was a win, one was a loss by a single goal, and another game would have been another loss by just a single goal had the Red Wings not given up a goal with less than a minute and a half to go. From a situational standpoint, this game has great potential to be a shocker and I expect the Bruins to struggle just to win this game let alone to win it by more than a single goal. Boston has lost 4 of their last 7 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and 2 of the 3 wins came by just a single goal. That's right, just once in the last seven times have the Bruins won the 2nd game of a back to back by a multiple goal margin. I know the Red Wings make for an "ugly dog" but this is the perfect spot to play against Boston. 8* DETROIT Puck Line +1.5 goals +105

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #75 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers off an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Golden Knights. The Penguins off a tough 4-2 loss to the Lightning. The set up here is perfect for a very aggressive and determined effort from each team in terms of finding the back of the net. These are two of the most potent and dangerous hockey clubs in the league when it comes to potting goals. Both Florida and Pittsburgh are in full-on bounce-back mode here after they were each held to just 2 goals in their most recent game. With this total posted at 6.5 goals we just need to get each team to 3 goals and then we're a guaranteed effort. That said, I like my chances given the high-scoring ways of both these clubs. Also, in terms of the goalie match-up the Penguins are likely going with Tristan Jarry here and he has allowed 3 goals in 7 of his last 8 starts! As for the Panthers, they are likely to go with Sergei Bobrovsky. He has allowed at least 3 goals in 5 of his last 6 starts. Also, the Florida front lines are expected to get a boost with Aleksander Barkov expected to return to the ice tonight. The over is 9-2 this season when Florida is off a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals in their prior game. Also, the Panthers are 16-5 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Penguins game at Tampa Bay stayed just under the total Thursday but Pittsburgh entered that game on a 7-3 run to the over. The high-scoring trending resumes here. 10* OVER the total in Florida

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Ottawa Senators @ 2:05 ET - Jets could be lacking in defensive intensity here for a non-conference game against one of the Eastern Conference's worst teams. This is particularly true after Winnipeg just knocked off divisional foe (and Stanley Cup Champion) St Louis on Thursday night. Since this is an early Saturday game following a Thursday night road game, the Jets are alternating goalies and going back to Lauren Brossoit for this one. Though he had a strong start in his most recent outing, Brossoit entered that one having allowed an average of 5 goals per start in his last 3 starts. The Senators are off a dismal performance at home against the Avalanche and will be ready to test Brossoit early and often in this one. The issue for Ottawa is their own goalie situation as they continue to be without Anders Nilsson and then lost Chris Driedger to injury. Nilsson was their #1 and now Marcus Hogberg is likely getting this start. Hogberg has allowed 4 goals in 2 of his last 3 starts and the Jets enter this one off a game in which they scored 4 goals and that was on the road. In their most recent home game they scored 5 goals. Look for plenty of scoring in this one as the Sens catch the Jets at the right time for an upset but I expect the host will answer them goal for goal in this one which sends it flying over the total. 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #62 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Puck Line -1.5 goals (+145) vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:35 ET - The Stars lost to the Wild 7-0 in the final game before the All Star break. That is the kind of beatdown a hockey club does not forget - it was recent and it was ugly. Yes, I know the Stars have a game at St Louis tomorrow night but there is no way they're overlooking this game. Also, Dallas has a scheduling edge considering they have been off each of the last two days while Minnesota was hosting Vancouver last night. Alex Stalock was between the pipes yesterday which means Devan Dubnyk is likely to get the start here. Dubnyk is off a game in which he allowed 6 goals to the Bruins. Also, in his most recent road start he allowed 7 goals to the Penguins. Dubnyk is going to face a barrage of shots from an angry revenge-minded Stars team in this one. The fact Dallas also lost the final game of their road trip Tuesday on Long Island also has the Stars fired up for this game. Of course all of the above is a key reason as to why Dallas is a big money line favorite in this game. As long-time followers know, I don't lay big prices and that is why I am betting the puck line in this one. By laying the 1.5 goals we get about a +145 return on the Stars. Note that 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams (including 4 Dallas wins) have all come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Also, 6 of Minnesota's last 9 losses overall have come by 2+ goals. Look for another one here as the Stars get their revenge in a big way. 10* DALLAS Puck Line -1.5 goals

Situational Slaughter Total - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres used rookie goalie Jonas Johansson last night because Linus Ullmark is still out with an injury. That means Carter Hutton is likely to get the start tonight and he has been horrible on the road this season. Just 2 wins in 9 road decisions for Hutton this season. He has a 3.91 GAA in road starts. The Sabres should rally with a little momentum after scoring 3 third period goals to earn a point in last night's home ice shootout loss versus the Red Wings. However, Buffalo's struggles between the pipes continue and that means plenty of goals in this one. The Sabres will get theirs but they won't be able to stop the Rangers. New York has been on a run as they have won 7 of 11 games thanks in part to improved play in the offensive zone. Going further back, 14 of the Rangers last 22 games have totaled 7 or more goals. They tend to get involved in some wild, high-scoring games. In fact, in 13 of their last 20 games either the Rangers or their opponent have had 5 goals. That is why I love the over here at 6.5 goals and with no juice on the over. It is a solid value considering how wild Rangers games have been and how determined the Sabres will be in the offensive zone here battling for their playoff lives. The issue, again, for Buffalo is between the pipes and the Rangers will certainly show no mercy in the offensive zone either. The last two meetings between these teams have each totaled 8 goals and I expect this one will too! 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers 

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Thursday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Canucks are 14-4-1 their last 19 games but are off a disappointing road loss at Boston. Vancouver lost to the Bruins 4-0 on Tuesday. Note that the Canucks are a perfect 3-0 this season when they are coming off a shutout loss. They catch the Wild off a key divisional win, 3-2, in overtime over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. That really helps the set up here as, keep in in mind, Minnesota had lost 8 of 12 games prior to that OT win versus Chicago. This is a classic case of two teams that are off disparate results and had been trending in opposite directions. It is the perfect spot for the Canucks to bounce back off a loss. The Wild have are in a divisional sandwich as they have another big game, at Dallas, on deck. Yes Minnesota has revenge here but they Wild are 5-10 this season when playing with home loss revenge! Also, when off a divisional game Minnesota is 4-10 this season! Canucks are 8-4 this season when off a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less and I expect them to add another W to their perfect season record in games that follow a shutout loss! 10* VANCOUVER

Top Shelf - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:35 ET - The Avalanche are off a 6-1 win at Buffalo Tuesday. It was the 12th time in 16 contests that their game has totaled at least 7 goals. Colorado has been red hot since mid-January as they have scored an average of 4.8 goals per game during a stretch that has seen them win 4 of 5 games. The Senators, unlike the Avs, certainly aren't known for being high-scoring but they have been stronger on home ice of late. Ottawa has scored an average of 3.3 goals per game in their last 4 games on home ice and have earned at least 1 point in 3 of those 4 games. Look for the Sens to hang tough with the Avalanche in this one but, to do so, they'll have to score a few goals. The result should be a typical, high-scoring non-conference battle. There tends to be less defensive intensity in games like this match-up and I'll take advantage as I fully expect 7 or more goals in this one and we've got a total of 6.5 posted here. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa 

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The Bruins are off a big 4-0 shutout win last night while the Blackhawks fell short 3-2 in overtime at Minnesota. Back to back situations have a tendency to stress the goalie position and I expect that to work in our favor for a nice over in this match-up. Chicago is likely going to turn to Robin Lehner tonight. Though the netminder had been playing well, he is very likely to be rusty here as he has not been in between the pipes since prior to the All Star break two weeks ago! For Boston, since Tuukka Rask was in goal last night, the Bruins are expected to turn to Jaroslav Halak here. The back-up netminder was strong in his most recent road start. However, that was preceded by a trio of road starts in which he allowed an average of 4 goals per game! Halak is likely to see the road struggles resume here as the Blackhawks had been very hot prior to last night's road loss. Chicago had won 6 of 7 games prior to the loss to the Wild. Also, the Blackhawks averaged 4 goals per game during this 7-game stretch. Speaking of hot scoring, the Bruins have averaged 3.7 goals per game in their past 6 games and have scored 10 goals in their past two games. They have had a fire lit under them since returning from the All Star break and they also have revenge against the Blackhawks here from a home loss earlier this season. 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled at least 6 goals. The average total in those 4 games was 8.3 goals and I am expecting at least 7 in this one given the situation. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are off 5-3 losses Monday but the current goalie situation is much better for the Rangers than it is for the Leafs in my opinion. New York, prior to struggles Monday, had been getting great goaltending work from all 3 of their netminders. Now on Wednesday they go back to red hot rookie Igor Shesterkin. He is 3-1 with a 2.51 GAA and a .927 save percentage in his 4 appearances. Shesterkin has allowed only 2 goals in each of his last two starts. For the Leafs, they lost Frederik Andersen to injury in Monday's defeat. That means Michael Hutchinson gets the start here and he allowed 3 goals on just 13 shots in relief of Andersen Monday. Also, Hutchinson has been a complete disaster in road games this season. He is 1-6 with a 4.73 GAA in 7 games (6 starts) away from home this season. More of the same expected here and I am happy to grab the home dog in this one. Keep in mind, the Rangers had won 6 of 8 home games before the loss to Dallas Monday. The Maple Leafs have lost 6 of their past 10 games and are still licking their wounds from a key divisional loss to Florida on Monday. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks are rolling as they have won 6 of their last 7 games. They are off a rare low-scoring win but that had a lot to do with playing at Arizona. The Coyotes are known for lower scoring games. Look for normalcy to return with a bit of a "wild" one here against the Wild on Tuesday. Chicago, prior to the SO win at Arizona, had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their 6 prior games. The posted total on this game is only 6 goals and I am certainly looking for Minnesota to bounce back after getting blasted by the Bruins 6-1 in their most recent game. The Wild are in limbo in terms of playoff aspirations so they must respond here on home ice and I expect them to do just that. 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled 7 or more goals and I look for that trend to continue here. Minnesota, prior to scoring just 1 goal against Boston, had scored 3 or more goals in 5 straight games. I see every reason to believe each team gets to at least 3 goals in this one and that would, of course, guarantee us of at least a 4-3 game at the very least. Look for 7 or more goals in total here as the Wild have seen their last 6 games average 7.33 goals per game. Only 1 of the 6 games finished with less than 6 goals. In divisional games this season for the Wild only 4 of 14 have stayed under the total. That trend continues here. Minny responds off a home loss and scores well here but the Blackhawks match them goal for goal in a barn burner! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - The situation here sets up perfectly for the Islanders. They have had two days off since a home loss to Vancouver on Saturday. Yes, New York lost that game but it was their first game back after the All Star break. The Islanders worked the rust off and lost in overtime despite a 37-24 edge in shots on goal for the game. While the Isles are rested, they catch the Stars in a tough back to back spot. Dallas is playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Yes, they defeated the Rangers last night but that was the Stars first win in regulation in nearly 4 weeks! Also, the Islanders have revenge on their minds here. They lost 3 to 1 at Dallas in the first meeting between these teams this season. Also, the most recent time they hosted the Stars they were embarrassed 6 to 2. It is payback time here and the timing/situation is ideal. On deck for the Islanders is another non-conference game against the worst team in the Western Conference, the Kings. The Isles will certainly be fully focused here. As for the Stars, they have a home game against a divisional foe, Minnesota, on deck and the Wild beat them 7-0 just a couple weeks ago. Definitely a possible lookahead for Dallas in this one. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Yes I know this total may look a little pricey in a divisional game with a total at 6.5 with many spots charging extra juice on the over. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am against the public perception here. The over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these division rivals. The last two meetings EACH totaled a DOZEN goals! I love the set up here too as Florida is off a shutout loss in their first game back after the All Star break. The Panthers have worked off the rust and will be ready to go here. However, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is likely to struggle again as he an .877 save percentage on the road this season. He'll be opposed by Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen whom allowed 3 goals in his most recent start. Also, in 3 of his 4 appearances leading into the All Star break, Anderson allowed 4 or more goals! That included an ugly effort against the Panthers. The fact is that Anderson has allowed at least 4 goals 3 of the last 4 times he has faced Florida. Both these teams are loaded with firepower up front and both have shaky goaltending in my opinion. I am aware of the injury to Aleksander Barkov for the Panthers but, even if he does not play, they bounce back off the shutout loss here. The over is 8-2-1 this season when Florida is off a game in which they lost by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Maple Leafs are playing with revenge from the ugly loss at Florida earlier this season and they are 17-7-1 to the over this season when playing with revenge. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #68 Monday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the line value as the Stars road record is no better than the Rangers home record and yet overall market perception has Dallas price in the -140 range on this one. This is offering great home dog value to New York in this one. Keep in mind the Stars are on a 7-game streak in which they have NOT won a single game in regulation. The fact is that Dallas has won just 3 of its past 7 games and all 3 of those wins came AFTER regulation time. They have been far from dominant to say the least. Now the Stars are taking on a surging Rangers team whose confidence is building with each win. New York has won 6 of its past 9 games and their 6 wins have come by an average margin of 2.2 goals per game. None of those 6 Rangers wins have come in the overtime or shootout. In other words, unlike Dallas, New York has been taking care of business in regulation time of their games. Also, the Rangers are getting solid goalie play from 3 different netminders. All the different competition seems to be bringing out the best in all 3 goalies. Lundqvist, Georgiev, and Shesterkin have all been getting the job done between the pipes. Look for that to continue here and I'll go with the home dog in this one as they continue their push to get into the playoff race. The Rangers have won 6 of their past 8 home games and have scored an average of 5.2 goals per game in those 6 victories as a host! Dallas is 0 for 14 on the power play in their last 5 games. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs Vancouver Canucks @ 2:05 ET - The Canucks continue red hot in terms of scoring goals but they're going to need that goal-scoring today in this back-to-back situation. I know that Thatcher Demko, back-up goalie, has played well of late but that's because those games were at home where he has been superb this season. Demko, on the road, has allowed 8 goals on 65 shots in his last two appearances. I expect him to be between the pipes here because Jacob Markstrom was in goal for yesterday's Canucks win over the Islanders. Vancouver has now scored 3 or more goals in all 7 of its wins during its current 7-1 run. In fact, the Canucks have averaged 4 goals per game in those 7 victories. Vancouver is facing a desperate Carolina team here and I expect the Hurricanes to battle hard. But the point is the red-hot Canucks are rolling with confidence right now and should match the Canes goal for goal in this one. Carolina is off a 4-3 loss to Vegas but that was the first time in 7 home games that the Hurricanes didn't earn at least a point in the standings. They've scored 7 goals in their past two games and will be ready to attack the Canucks here. Look for them to enjoy plenty of success in the offensive zone in doing so but, again, I don't foresee them shutting down a Vancouver team that has won 14 of 17 games. Take advantage of the low total of 5.5 posted on this game. 10* OVER the total in Carolina

Afternoon Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Sunday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 2:05 ET - The Blue Jackets will have Elvis Merzlikins back between the pipes for this one. Merzlikins is 5-0 in his last 5 starts and has allowed a total of only 5 goals during this stretch. Overall, ever since Joonas Korpisalo got hurt, Merzlikins has been phenomenal between the pipes. The Blue Jackets used Matiss Kivlenieks in yesterday's OT loss at Buffalo. While Columbus will have a red hot goalie between the pipes for this one, the situation is expected to be much different for the Canadiens. Their red hot goalie is Carey Price and he was between the pipes in yesterday's 4-0 shutout win over Florida. That means Charlie Lindgren is likely to be in the crease tonight for Montreal. The Habs back-up netminder is 0-3 this season and has allowed 4 goals in each of his last two starts. In his only start last season Lindgren allowed 5 goals. The season before that was the only season in which Lindgren saw significant NHL action. He lost 10 of 14 starts and compiled a 3.03 GAA. The point is that he is a significant step down from Price between the pipes. Should the Canadiens decide to use Price here it would be a tough back to back spot for him. That said, look for it to be Lindgren and look for Merzlikins to win this battle! The Canadiens are off back to back wins but they had lost 10 of 14 previously. Also, the Habs have not won 3 straight games since early December. Montreal is 0-3 the last 3 times they have entered a game off back to back wins. The Blue Jackets are off that OT loss yesterday and are 3-0 the last 3 times they entered a game off a defeat. Also, prior to that loss Columbus had won 15 of 19 games. This the perfect spot to get plus money with a red hot Blue Jackets team in bounce back mode. 10* COLUMBUS

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - Both teams coming off a loss yesterday. The Jets are playing this game with big-time revenge. Not only did Winnipeg get knocked out of the playoffs by St Louis last year, the Blues also have won both meetings this season. That included an OT win here at Winnipeg too. The Jets are seeking payback and I like the goalie situation here. Connor Hellebuyck was saved for this start and the Winnipeg netminder has great numbers against the Blues in his career. Jordan Binnington gets the start for St Louis here and he has allowed 4 goals in each of his last 3 starts! One of those he was chased in the 2nd period and, overall, he has saved just 55 of the last 67 shots he has faced - an ugly .821 save percentage. I am aware that the Jets are on a losing streak but the Blues have won just 1 of their past 7 road games and I also liked what I saw from Winnipeg in their tight loss versus the Bruins last night. That said, the Jets are offering tremendous home dog line value here in this one Saturday. 10* WINNIPEG

Blowout Total - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - Teams can be a little sloppy in their first game after the All Star break and that can lead to turning the puck over, odd man rushes, and overall strong scoring opportunities. That said, this is the first game since the break for the Avalanche and I expect their goalie could struggle with rust too. Look for the Flyers to take advantage as they already have a game under the belt as they got back in action last night at Pittsburgh. That ended up being a 4-3 loss in overtime for the Flyers but they can take advantage of early of some Avs rust in this one. However, I look for Colorado to also rally back and enjoy plenty of success in the offensive zone once they get their skating legs back under them. They are one of the most dangerous teams in the NHL when it comes to their skilled forwards. They'll take advantage of facing Philadelphia during a time when they're dealing with a tough goalie situation. Carter Hart is still out with an injury and Brian Elliott started last night at Pittsburgh. That means little-used Alex Lyon gets the start here. He allowed 4 goals in his only other start this season. He has allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of his last 5 NHL appearances. The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 games. The Avalanche have scored an average of 5 goals per game during their current 3-game winning streak! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia 

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Friday 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Puck Line +1.5 goals vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Capitals are looking to bounce back off a loss. However, Alexander Ovechkin and Company also have a huge game on deck for early Sunday against Sidney Crosby and Company. Indeed it may be hard for the Caps to maintain focus here against a Senators team which they've dominated in recent meetings when you consider that they do have the mighty Penguins on deck. That could prove to be dangerous here for Washington because Ottawa has been much more competitive since an embarrassing 6-1 loss in DC a few weeks ago. First off the Capitals are only 3-3 in their last 6 road games and one of those wins came by a single goal. Now lets talk about what the revenge-minded Sens have done since that embarrassing loss versus the Caps. The Senators have only failed to earn a point ONCE in their past SEVEN games since that ugly defeat. The Sens have had two shootout losses, two overtime losses, and two outright wins during this stretch. That means only 1 loss by more than a single goal in their past 7 games. I love the value here with the scrappy Sens getting +1.5 goals at a reasonable price (-140 range) in this one. The Senators will be in this one throughout and I would not be surprised to see yet another Sens game that goes past regulation time to decide the winner. 10* OTTAWA Puck Line +1.5 goals

Divisional Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers held the Penguins to just 19 shots on goal in a 3-0 shutout win in Philly on Tuesday prior to the All Star break. This game will play out entirely different! The Penguins are at home, both teams have been off for a week and a half, and Pittsburgh will be very aggressive here. Clubs have had a tendency to be a little sloppy after the layoff and I don't expect this situation to be any different in this match-up. That means some turnovers and odd man rushes which lead to great scoring chances plus the goalies are likely to be rusty. The Penguins are angry after the shutout loss and scored 7 goals the last time they hosted the Flyers. Of course Philadelphia is still without #1 goalie Carter Hart and the Flyers have a home game versus Colorado on deck tomorrow. That exasperates this situation for Philly in terms of the goalie duties. The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 11 games. The Penguins are favored with good reason and I expect them to match Philly goal for goal. Of course a game can not end 3-3 so look for 7 or more in this one. I like the value here because the total has been held lower due to what happened in the meeting before the break. This game will play out much differently. The Penguins have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 7 home games and I expect them to get at least that here. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - First off, an excerpt from yesterday's write-up involving Nashville: "The media often sensationalizes things and I keep reading about Nashville being done for this season, etc. First off, those writing that nonsense need to check their math skills too. Even AFTER the loss to Toronto Monday (by the way Maple Leafs are a good team), the Predators are still only 6 points out of a wild card spot and there is a "kicker" to this too! Nashville has FOUR games in hand on the team currently in the final wild card spot. Those FOUR games are worth EIGHT points fellas. Anyway, enough of that but the point is that the Preds are far from done and will keep fighting." Sure enough, as expected, the Predators showed plenty of fight in battling back for a 5-4 win at Washington last night. Now, even though this is a back to back spot, I am expecting Pekka Rinne to be back between the pipes for the Preds since Juuse Saros started last night's game. Rinne is a fierce competitor and showed rust against the Maple Leafs Monday in his first start after the All Star break. He'll bounce back here and had allowed 2 or less goals in 3 of his 5 prior starts as he continues to alternate good and bad starts. I look for that pattern to continue here and another big key to this play is that Nashville is truly fighting hard and will ride the momentum of last night's win over the Capitals. New Jersey has announced Mackenzie Blackwood as the starter here. He allowed "only" 3 goals in his most recent start but that was against Ottawa. Blackwood faces a much tougher task here plus he entered that start against the Senators having allowed 4 or more goals in EACH of his 3 preceding starts. Nashville is the better team with the better goalie and they are fully focused on this road trip as a great opportunity to make a major move in the standings. Last night's win at Washington started it and they will continue it with a win at New Jersey (losers of 6 of 8 prior to win over Sens). Note that the Predators have won 7 of their past 11 road games. 10* NASHVILLE

Divisional Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Great spot for an over. Both teams off a disappointing first game after the All Star break. The Canadiens managed just 2 goals in a home loss to the Capitals. The Sabres managed just 2 goals in a home loss to the Senators. Buffalo knows they must turn it around in the offensive zone and that is even more important now because they just lost their top goalie, Linus Ullmark, to injury toward the end of the loss to Ottawa. Note that the last 5 games between these teams have averaged a total of 8.6 goals scored per game! The over went 4-1 in those 5 contests and I am expected another over in this one. Considering Ullmark is out, we've got great value with this total posted at a 6. The Sabres are hell-bent on getting back on track on home ice and will pepper the Habs Carey Price with shots. Note that Price has allowed 10 goals in his last two starts against Buffalo. Also, Price has allowed 7 goals in his last two starts. The Sabres should enjoy success against Price but they'll need every bit of it because Carter Hutton is going to get the start here due to the Ullmark injury. Note that Hutton started this season red-hot but hasn't won a game in 3 months! He is 0-7-4 with an .867 save percentage in his dozen appearances since the red hot start. Also, Hutton has allowed 4 or more goals in 7 of his last 8 starts. Those are amazingly poor numbers and in 6 of those 7 ugly starts he actually allowed 5 or more goals. With this game meaning so much to each hockey club coupled with the fact struggling goalies are involved I am expecting a very high-scoring divisional battle in this one. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs are off a dominating 5-2 win at Nashville Monday. The Stars are off a hard-fought OT home win over the Lightning Monday. The set up here is a good one for Toronto as they catch Dallas off an upset win over a Tampa Bay team that is absolutely one of the best teams in the NHL. Note that the Stars scored just two goals in regulation of that game and have averaged scoring just 1.6 goals per game their past 7 games! In fact, Dallas has been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time in each of their last 5 games! As for the Maple Leafs, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and they enter this game having scored an average of 4.3 goals per game their past 20 games! Incredibly, the Leafs have scored 4 or more goals in 15 of their last 20 games. You can see that these two teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of goal-scoring and that includes the recent downturn in that department for the Stars as well. That said, and given the fierce battle that Dallas just had with the Bolts, I look for the Leafs to complete the 2-0 road trip sweep as they pull away as this game goes on. 10* TORONTO

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Nashville Predators @ 7:35 ET - The media often sensationalizes things and I keep reading about Nashville being done for this season, etc. First off, those writing that nonsense need to check their math skills too. Even AFTER the loss to Toronto Monday (by the way Maple Leafs are a good team), the Predators are still only 6 points out of a wild card spot and there is a "kicker" to this too! Nashville has FOUR games in hand on the team currently in the final wild card spot. Those FOUR games are worth EIGHT points fellas. Anyway, enough of that but the point is that the Preds are far from done and will keep fighting. This looks like a great spot for them to score some goals as they catch the Capitals off an Eastern Conference battle at Montreal and this is the type of non-conference battle that tends to be a little more lax in terms of defense. You see that a lot and the Caps are off a gritty effort Monday and have another Eastern Conference road game on deck. Note that the Capitals will have Alexander Ovechkin back tonight and Washington enters this game having scored an average of 3.8 goals per game their last 11 games! The Predators two most recent road games were low-scoring battles but, prior to that, Nashville actually has been scoring much better on the road with a ton of goals. In fact, even including their two most recent road contests, the Predators are scoring an average of 4 goals per game in their past 11 away from home. Sometimes, when a team is pressing too much with the puck they actually are better off being away from the pressures of home. Don't be surprised if they bounce back big tonight but I expect the high-powered Capitals to match them goal for goal which means we're in for a very high-scoring game here. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #83 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - The Senators are in the 2nd night of a back to back and are still without their top goalie Anders Nilsson. That means Craig Anderson is likely to be in goal tonight. He is having a horrible season and also has allowed 4 or more goals in EACH of his last FIVE starts! The Sabres are expected to get a boost with the return of Jeff Skinner tonight. Buffalo wants to make a big push right out of the gate here after the All Star break. Look for them to score early and often in this one as they pepper Anderson with shots. However, Ottawa does have one edge here and that is the fact they played last night and were able to work off the "rust" from the All Star break. Don't be surprised if their skaters, as a result, are able to generate some quality scoring chances early in this game as a result. As strong as Linus Ullmark has been between the pipes this season for the Sabres, he certainly could be a little rusty here after the layoff. As a result. don't be surprised if the Senators again score 3 goals just like they did in last night's shootout loss to the Devils. Ullmark has allowed at least 2 goals in each of his last 8 home starts. Also, he has allowed 11 goals in his last 4 games on home ice. So certainly he is solid but it is not like he has been an impenetrable wall and the layoff could hurt him here early before he settles back in. That said, with the Sens quite likely to get 2 or 3 goals here and the Sabres quite likely to win this game by a margin of 2 or more goals, you can see why I am very comfortable pounding an over that is set at 6 goals. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #77 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - Both hockey clubs coming off extended breaks as they had the All Star break off plus a few days off prior to that. This situation sets up very well for the revenge-minded Bolts. Tampa Bay lost at home in overtime against Dallas last month despite a 48-20 edge in shots on goal. It was truly a "bad beat" loss for Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning but they responded immediately and have never looked back! Tampa Bay entered the All Star break having won 12 of 14 games and Vasilevskiy has won 10 straight starts since the loss to the Stars. As for Dallas, they lost 3 of 4 games prior to the break and that included an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Minnesota. The Lightning are off an embarrassing game too but they were on the right end of it as it was a 7-1 win at Winnipeg! Tampa is a perfect 5-0 this season when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Keep in mind the Bolts did win both meetings with Dallas last season and those victories came by a combined score of 8 to 0. The Stars enter this game having scored an average of 1.5 goals per game in regulation time their last 6 games. The Lightning have scored an average of 4 goals per game in regulation time their 14 games. These two teams have been trending opposite directions and the revenge angle as well as the fair price (since TB is on the road) has me elevating this play to my highest level - a top play rating. 10* TAMPA BAY

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Detroit Red Wings @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are angry after a 5-4 loss to the Panthers on Monday. Minnesota was up 4-3 but then allowed the tying goal with about 4 minutes to go and then gave up the winning goal on a double-deflection with just 6 seconds left. To not even earn a point (didn't go to OT) in a hard-fought effort like that has left the Wild with plenty of motivation for this game. I look for them to push hard all game long in the offensive zone and to keep piling up goals no matter the score. Minnesota does not want a repeat of what happened Monday. The Red Wings goal-tending woes are likely to continue as Jonathan Bernier is still out and Jimmy Howard has had a very disappointing season. As for the Wild, they have allowed 4 or more goals in 6 of their past 11 games. Also, Minnesota has scored 14 goals in the first 3 games of this homestand. The Red Wings have allowed an average of 5 goals per game during their current 5-game losing streak. I know Detroit doesn't score a lot but they did manage 3 goals at Colorado and, in the final game before the All Star break, look for the Red Wings to give a relentless effort here. That should lead to some goals for the big road dog in this game but, again, they won't be able to keep the puck out of their own net. The result should be a high-scoring Wild win in this one. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Early Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:35 ET - This total has dropped from a 6 to a 5.5 and, of course, that has a lot do with how hot Elvis Merzlikins has been between the pipes for the Blue Jackets. However, the Columbus netminder allowed 4 goals when he faced the Jets at Winnipeg earlier this season. Also, will he lose a little bit of his "edge" here after having not played since Saturday? The Jackets had rookie Matiss Kivlenieks in between the pipes making his NHL debut Sunday. Then Columbus was off Monday and Tuesday. I am expecting a desperate Winnipeg team to pepper Merzlikins with shots on goal in this one and am expecting him to get tripped up again like he did in the first meeting. The issue for the Jets of late is they can't keep the puck out of their own net and those struggles are likely to continue here. Connor Hellebuyck made the start last night for Winnipeg and that means back-up Laurent Brossoit is expected to make the start here. He has having a very rough season and has particularly struggled the last two months. Also, Brossoit has a poor history in starts versus the Blue Jackets and, right now, this is a team that is feeling it plus recently welcomed back a couple of key offensive cogs from injury that are immediately contributing. More of the same expected tonight so take advantage of the downward line move here. 8* OVER the total in Columbus

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - Penguins off huge comeback win over last season's Eastern Conference Champs, the Bruins. After rallying from a 3-0 deficit to knock off Boston, Pittsburgh may not have enough left in the tank to get by revenge-minded Philadelphia. The Flyers got embarrassed 7-1 early this season at Pittsburgh. Keep in mind Philly was still adjusting to their new head coach and they are a much different team since then and also a much different team on home ice where they are 16-4-4 this season. The Flyers bring plenty of momentum into this game off a dominating 4-1 win versus Los Angeles and have a rest edge too because that game was Saturday. Note that the Pens just had their battle with the Bruins on Sunday. Pittsburgh will be playing their 4th game in 6 nights and all 4 games have been in a different city. The Flyers, prior to the embarrassing October loss to the Penguins, had won 3 of 4 games. Pittsburgh has lost 9 of their past 15 road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Flyers strong season-long play on home ice continues here. Grab the value with a hungry home dog that is getting their first shot on home ice this season against their hated in-state rivals. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Tuukka Rask has been out for the Bruins and, if he does come back tonight, there will be rust. But there is a chance he misses again tonight. As for the Golden Knights, Marc-Andre Fleury might be out tonight too. He has to serve a one game suspension for skipping the All-Star game and that means he is either out tonight or in the first game after the break. Even if Fleury plays tonight he has been struggling this month. As for back-up Malcolm Subban, he has allowed 9 goals in his last two starts. Fleury's numbers have gotten worse month over month this season and he has a 3.41 GAA and an .879 save percentage in January. As for Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak, he has a 3.34 GAA and an .878 save percentage this month. No matter which of these 4 goalies is in net tonight you can see why I am expecting some struggles in the crease. Boston has been shutout once in their last 7 games but in the other 6 games the Bruins averaged 4.3 goals per game. The Golden Knights have scored 4 goals in each of their two games since Pete DeBoer took over for the fired Gerard Gallant as the new head coach in Vegas. Both these teams are very potent on the power play and the over is 8-2-2 in the Knights last dozen games. That's right just 2 unders in 12 games! As for the Bruins, the over is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games against Western Conference opponents. That's right just 3 unders in 13 games! Also, the Bruins are fired up after sitting on a 3-0 lead against Pittsburgh and then paying for it in a 4-3 loss to the Penguins. They'll never stop pushing in this one no matter the score! 10* OVER the total in Boston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The Panthers will be a popular choice here since they enter this game on a winning streak of 4 games. Also, Florida has won each of its last two road games. However, lets not forget that the Panthers had previously lost 5 of 7 road games and still have an overall losing record away from home this season. Not only is Minnesota 13-5-4 at home this season, the Wild also are 10-0-2 in their last dozen games against the Panthers. Like the Panthers, the Wild come into this game with plenty of momentum too. Minnesota is off back to back wins against two very strong teams - the Lightning and the Stars. We're getting line value here with the Wild available at a pick'em price at home. Minnesota has one more game before the All Star break but that one is coming up Wednesday. The Panthers situation is tougher as they have a game tomorrow night at red-hot Chicago. That said, Florida's goalie situation is tougher too as Chris Driedger got hurt and is out. That means Sergei Bobrovsky could rest tonight to be saved for tomorrow and that would mean Sam Montembeault would be between the pipes. I'll challenge Florida here either way as Bobrovsky had been struggling prior to his injury and I am not going to overemphasize just one quality start against the worst team in the NHL. So whether he gets the call or it is Montembeault in the crease, the Wild are going to do some damage here. At the same time, I expect the Minnesota netminders to remain hot. The Wild have allowed 2 or less goals in 4 of last 7 games. Look for the long-term home dominance in this series to continue. 10* MINNESOTA

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings @ 3:05 ET - Letdowns are bound to happen from time to time in a season. This is one of those times for the Avalanche. I am not saying Colorado will lose this game. However, I am saying that I expect a bit of a letdown defensively as they go from facing (and defeating) the Stanley Cup Champion Blues to now facing a Red Wings team that is the worst club in the NHL so far this season. Don't be surprised if Detroit pots a few early goals in this one and forces the Avalanche to come roaring back. About the roaring back part, I fully expect the high-powered Avs to enjoy plenty of success in the offensive zone in this one. Detroit is still without goalie Jonathan Bernier. That means Jimmy Howard is likely to get the start and he is having a very rough season and has particularly struggled away from home. Howard's road games this season have seen him compile an ugly .855 save percentage. The over has gone 6-2-1 in his 9 road starts this season. Howard has a 4.06 GAA this season and the dangerous Avalanche forwards will be testing him early and often. As potent as the Avs offensive production is, do note that on the other end of the ice they have allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of their past 5 games. I am looking for a 5-3 type game here and we just need 7 to cash this ticket. Given the situation I expect 8 or more in a bit of a wild one at the Pepsi Center Monday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs New York  Islanders @ 5:05 ET - As a result of the Islanders long-term reputation for lower-scoring games and the fact that the Hurricanes have not been scoring many goals recently, we've got a low total to work with here and I love the value with this total posted at 5.5 goals. The Islanders are likely to start Thomas Greiss in this one since Semyon Varlamov was in goal last night. Greiss is off a strong start in his most recent game but that was against a bad Red Wings team. He faces a much tougher test here and note that he allowed 3 or more goals in each of his 4 prior starts. During this 4 start stretch he was chased from games twice and compiled a poor .854 save percentage. Greiss will face an onslaught of shots here from an angry Hurricanes team and I expect him to struggle. Speaking of struggles between the pipes, BOTH of the Canes options in the crease for this game are guys whom have struggled in divisional action this season. Peter Mrazek has an .867 save percentage in divisional games and James Reimer has an .871 save percentage against divisional foes. The Islanders are in a back to back and blew a big lead to lose 6-4 versus Capitals yesterday. The Isles have seen 4 of their last 6 games total at least 7 goals! The Hurricanes are now without Dougie Hamilton but could get a boost with Justin Williams expected back tonight. Carolina is fired up to get back on track in the offensive zone and the Islanders have been struggling in their own end so this is a good match-up for the Canes. The Hurricanes have won each of the last 3 meetings by an identical score of 5-2 each game! Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in the Canes last 7 divisional games. 10* OVER the total in Carolina

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Sunday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 12:35 ET - Revenge game for the Penguins after losing to Jaroslav Halak and the Bruins on Thursday. Entering that game Halak had allowed 11 goals in his last 3 starts against the Pens. Overall in recent seasons Halak has struggled against them and this will be a much tougher test for him since the rematch is at Pittsburgh. The Penguins Sidney Crosby has scored a goal in each of his 3 games since his return. I look for another strong game from here and the Pens got a boost of momentum after bouncing back from their loss at Boston to get a win at Detroit Friday. They played better in that game then the 2-1 OT win would lead you to believe and Pittsburgh will carry momentum from that game right into this one. Also, the Penguins have won 10 of their past 13 home games while the Bruins have lost 6 of their past 10 road games. Considering all of the above factors, a low price available on the Penguins at home is a great value in this spot. Prior to the loss at Boston Thursday, the Pens had scored 4 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Bruins. The Penguins have won 15 of 23 this season when playing with revenge and also have won 17 of their 25 home games this season. 10* PITTSBURGH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #68 Saturday 10* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - When do you lay -150 with a team? As you guys know, I do not do this frequently. But when I feel my team has a 75 percent chance of winning it certainly makes sense to lay a price in which you only have to win 60 percent of the time to break even. First off, the Flyers money line has dropped from as high as a -185 down to a -150. That is part of the value here. Yes, I know Philadelphia has in-state rival Pittsburgh on deck BUT that game is not until Tuesday. Also, after a big upset win over the Blues, the Flyers then were completely flat and got drilled by the Canadiens on Thursday night. That is noteworthy here as Philadelphia, when at home and off a loss, has won 5 straight games! This a perfect situation (5-0 L5) for Philly and the Kings have lost 20 of 27 road games this season. Also, goalie Brian Elliott will be back between the pipes for this one and he and the Flyers have revenge for a 5-3 loss at Los Angeles earlier this season. In that game Elliott was pulled after allowing 4 goals. He hasn't forgotten and it is payback time for him and for the Flyers. Also, Philly highly motivated after laying an egg against the Habs. Prior to that game the Flyers had scored 3 or more goals in 11 of 15 games. That is worthy of note here as the Kings often struggle to score goals. Before scoring late goals in a 4-3 loss at Florida Thursday, Los Angeles had been held to 2 or less goals in 9 of 12 games. I don't see the Flyers being denied and look for them to send the Kings to their 11th loss in their last 14 games. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Pacific Div Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Oilers vs Arizona Coyotes @ 3:05 ET - The Oilers have two choices at goalie here. Mikko Koskinen has an .863 save percentage in his last 4 games. Mike Smith has an .862 save percentage in his 7 divisional games this season. The Coyotes have been dealing with injury issues at goalie. Darcy Keumper has been out so Anti Raanta had been getting the call but then he go hurt. Raanta might be back this afternoon but the last time he tried to come back from this injury he gave up 3 goals in 2 periods and then had to exit the game. That means it could be Adin Hill between the pipes for this one and he is Arizona's #3 goalie for a reason. In other words, look for plenty of goals here. I know the Coyotes like to play lower-scoring grinder type games but they are not the only team on the ice here of course and Edmonton will push the pace here. The Oilers have seen 9 of their past 11 games total 6 or more goals and we've got a total of just 5.5 posted on this game. Keep in mind, Edmonton has scored an average of 4.3 goals per game in their last 7 games. The Coyotes are off a low-scoring loss but previously had scored 3 or more goals in 6 of their last 8 games. Also, Arizona has allowed at least 3 goals in each of their last 5 games. You can see why I am expecting EACH team to get to at least 3 goals here and, of course, that means this one ends with 7 or more goals and we only need 6 to put us in the winners circle. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - Though I rarely lay prices in money line sports, this is a fantastic situation that is worth the risk of laying a -140 price range for a top play. As of early game day morning, this line is in the -140 range on the Lightning and this is a fantastic spot for Tampa Bay. Yes, I know the Bolts are in a back to back spot but they saved #1 (and red hot) goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for this game. Also, the fact they are off a loss last night strengthens their resolve here. Adding to their "hunger factor" here, Tampa Bay does not play again until the 27th as their All Star break starts a little bit early. This is the Bolts final game until after the break. Last, but certainly not least, this is also a revenge game for the Lightning as they lost at home to the Jets earlier this season. Note that Winnipeg hasn't been as dominant at home this season and actually they have more losses than wins on home ice thus far! As for Tampa Bay, they had won 13 of 22 road games prior to last night's disappointing loss at Minnesota. Look for the Lightning to bounce right back and make the most of this final opportunity before their break. The last thing the high-powered Bolts want to do is to go into the break on a losing streak. Look for a huge effort here and note that Winnipeg is off a shutout win over Vancouver but this was preceded by a stretch that saw the Jets lose 7 of 10 games! Remember Tampa Bay had won 11 of 12 games before their loss last night. The Lightning get one final win before their break. Lay it! 10* TAMPA BAY

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - The Penguins have Sidney Crosby back on the ice in recent games and he scored 24 seconds into last night's game at Boston. Inexplicably however, that ended up being the only goal for Pittsburgh in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins. The Pens will make up for that performance here as they take advantage of a Red Wings team that is allowing an average of 4 goals per game this season. The key to the value here with the over is that Matt Murray will be back between the pipes for the Penguins tonight since Tristan Jarry started last night. Murray has a poor .875 save percentage on the road this season. Pittsburgh has allowed at least 3 goals in 5 straight games. Prior to last night's loss, the Penguins had won 4 straight games and scored an average of 4.3 goals per game in regulation of those 4 games. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Bruins #1 goalie Tuukka Rask is out with a concussion. Boston's #2 goalie Jaroslav Halak has an .866 save percentage in his last 4 games (3 starts) as he has struggled. The Penguins, boosted by the return of Sidney Crosby, are off a 7-3 home win versus Minnesota. Now Pittsburgh will take advantage of a slumping Bruins team and a slumping goalie. However, I feel strongly that the Bruins are going to bounce back in the offensive zone in this one after they ran into a red-hot goalie in Columbus and lost 3-0. Boston simply has too much firepower to be shutdown in back to back games. Now, back on home ice, the Bruins kicks their offensive production back into high gear. Keep in mind, prior to being shutout by the Blue Jackets, the Bruins had scored 5 goals in a shootout loss at Philly. The last 3 games between Boston and the Pens have averaged a total of 8 goals scored and I expect a similar result here. So much firepower for each of these teams in the offensive zone. Also, Penguins games have totaled 7 or more goals in 4 straight! 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Thursday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The situation is ideal for an upset win for the Habs in this one. Montreal got embarrassed 4-1 on home ice last night. The Flyers are off a huge OT win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blues in St Louis. Situations don't get much better than this because the goalie situation also strongly favors the Canadiens. They used back up Charlie Lindgren last night so they could save Carey Price for this game. Price has a .935 save percentage this month and has allowed a total of only 1 goal in his past 2 starts combined! As for the Flyers, #1 goalie Carter Hart - so strong at home - is currently out with an injury and that is why Brian Elliott started last night. Note that Elliott hung on for the win last night but was not overly impressive and has been in an extended stretch of struggles. Now Philadelphia is either forced to go with him again in the 2nd night of a back to back or use Alex Lyon whom was just called up from the minors. Neither option is a good one truly and the Flyers will be dealing with an angry Canadiens team that has been better on the road than on home ice this season. 10* MONTREAL

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 8:05 ET - Flyers goalie Carter Hart left practice early yesterday due to a lower body injury. While his status is still up in the air as of early this morning, the fact is that this is NOT a good situation for Philadelphia's netminders no matter how you look at it. Even if Hart played he is coming off a disastrous game at home against the Bruins. Now he would be on the road nursing an injury and he has struggled badly on the road this season plus he'd be facing the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blues. The fact is that St Louis is on fire right now and going for 10 straight home wins and the Blues have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their past 15 games. They'll likely be facing a struggling Brian Elliott in goal for the Flyers in this one. The back-up netminder has struggled badly in 5 of his last 6 appearances! As for the Blues it will likely be Jordan Binnington back between the pipes since Jake Allen was in the crease in their most recent game. Though Binnington is a very strong goal-tender, the Flyers are a very scrappy team that does a great job of generating shots on goal. Philly has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 13 games and won more than half of those games. 7 of Philadelphia's last 8 road games have totaled 7 or more goals and the average has been 8 goals in these 8 games away from home! That said, a total of 5.5 here is offering great line value and I won't hesitate to go to my highest level on this total given the situation. 10* OVER the total in St Louis

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are in the 2nd game of a back to back and that means it is likely Corey Crawford will be between the pipes. He has a 7-13-2 mark this season with a 3.09 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage thus far. Crawford is likely to struggle on the road at Montreal. The Canadiens are playing with more confidence now off back to back wins and they'll look to pressure Chicago early and often as they try to catch the Blackhawks a little road-weary after last night's OT win at Ottawa. The Canadiens might use back-up goalie Charlie Lindgren tonight in this non-conference match-up and save Carey Price for the Eastern Conference match-up at Philadelphia tomorrow night. That is certainly noteworthy as Lindgren has allowed 11 goals in his last 3 NHL starts. The Habs are off back to back low-scoring wins but had allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in their 8 previous games. They'll have their hands full trying to stop a talented Blackhawks team that has so much firepower up front. Chicago has won 8 of its past 12 games and has scored an average of 4 goals per game in its last 9 wins. 8* OVER the total in Montreal

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Kings almost always struggle to score goals. A rare exception was their recent 5-2 win at Vegas. Other than that LA seems to fall somewhere between 0 and 2 goals scored most every game. The bad news for Los Angeles is they're going to be facing Andrei Vasilevskiy in this one. He is an incredible 8-0 with a .946 save percentage in his last 8 outings. In other words, things could get worse for the Kings before they get better! Exasperating this situation for Los Angeles is the fact that they will be facing an angry Tampa Bay team. The Lightning just had their 10 game winning streak snapped at New Jersey on Monday. Curtis McElhinney got the start in that one (back to back spot) for the Bolts but Vasilevskiy should be back in the crease here. Not only is TB hungry to bounce back here after that loss, this is also their final home game until early February. In other words, the Lightning are wanting to make the most of this opportunity and I don't foresee them being denied. Prior to a 1-0 win at Philadelphia which made it 10 straight wins for Tampa, they had scored 4.7 goals per game in the first 9 wins of that streak. Keep in mind the Kings have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 9 of their past 11 games. That is why I am expecting the Bolts to win this game by 3 or 4 goals and of course a win by 2 or more puts in the winners circle. Look for a home blowout here! 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Puck Line -1.5 goals 

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - The Knights are looking to bounce back off a home shutout loss to the Blue Jackets on Saturday. Prior to that defeat, Vegas had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their preceding 6 games. The issue for the Golden Knights of late has been as it relates to keeping the puck out of their own net. The Knights have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. Now the face a Sabres team that has been involved in plenty of high-scoring games on home ice and I look for a real barn-burner here given the situation. Buffalo's last 15 non-road games have averaged a total of 7 goals per game. That said, I like the value we're getting here with this total at a flat 6 goals per game rather than a 6.5 as one might expect. The Knights Marc-Andre Fleury has seen Vegas concede 15 goals in his last 4 starts. The one start Malcolm Subban had during this stretch saw the Golden Knights allow 5 goals. In fact, prior to their 3-0 home loss to Columbus, the Knights preceding 8 games featured 7 games that all totaled 7 or more goals. This one will too! Buffalo is off a big 5-1 win at Detroit and this was preceded by the Sabres allowing an average of 4.2 goals per game in their 5 preceding games. The O/U is 3-0-1 this season when Vegas enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The O/U is 7-3 this season when the Sabres are off a win by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #66 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Home dog value too strong to ignore. The Flyers are off a tough 1-0 home loss to the red-hot Lightning. Carter Hart continued his phenomenal home ice play between the pipes. That loss, as you can see 1-0, was no fault of his and Hart entered that game 12-1-2 with a 1.52 GAA and a .945 save percentage on home ice this season! I expect to see him between the pipes again here as then the Flyers have a back to back coming up and that is when Brian Elliott would likely be between the pipes again. That said, and with Boston off a tight OT win and the Flyers off a tough 1-0 home loss, I like Philly on home ice here. The Bruins are in the front end of a back to back here so the scheduling situation certainly favors the Flyers. I am aware of the injury situation with Braun and Gostisbehere for the Philadelphia blue line but the Flyers have been solid in their D zone and that strong play continues here. The Bruins will drop to 4-7 this season when playing with home loss revenge (by the way they have another revenger on deck at Columbus tomorrow). As for Philly, they improve to 9-2 in their last 11 home games as they bounce back off a rare home loss. The Flyers had one 3-game home ice losing streak this season. Other than that they have NEVER lost back to back games on home ice. They'll respond tonight after a rare home shutout Saturday that came at the hands of the hottest team in the league. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - These are two of the highest scoring teams in the league. The last time they met there were a combined 12 goals scored. The over is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings! The Maple Leafs enter this game with 8 of their last 11 games having totaled 7 or more goals. In fact, Toronto's last 15 games have seen them average scoring 4.5 goals per game! For the Panthers, 8 of their past 12 games have totaled 7 or more goals. Florida has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last dozen games. One could actually argue, based on the above, that 8.5 goals could be expected here and that the total should be more like a 7 or 7.5 that is posted on this game. However, we're getting a 6.5 on this one and I know it is a divisional game but there is simply too much firepower for both of these hockey clubs in the offensive zone. The goaltending simply can not keep up here and we should see a barrage of shots on goal from both clubs in this one. Even including their 5-2 win over Vancouver Thursday, the Panthers have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their past 5 home games. As for the Maple Leafs, they have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game their past 8 games. Keep in mind goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is listed as questionable for this game by the Panthers as he was unable to complete Saturday's practice. Even if he plays am all over this play but if he does not (or is not 100%) that makes it even stronger. Great value here with this total below a 7 in my opinion! 10* OVER the total in Florida 

Early Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #52 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Nashville Predators @ 2:05 ET - The Predators are going to try and get going and build momentum again after the coaching change. They got it started with a big win at Chicago Thursday. However, this is not the place for Nashville to maintain momentum. They are on the road and facing a Jets team that has beaten them 4 straight times. Also, Winnipeg comes in angry off a loss at Boston Thursday. The Jets will be in bounce back mode here. Broissoit got the start in goal against the Bruins but now it will be Hellebuyck back in the crease for this one. He has looked very sharp in his last two starts and is having a strong season overall. Additionally he has been fantastic in his recent starts against the Predators. Overall, Hellebuyck and the Jets have had the Preds number of late and I see that continuing here and won't pass up on the great line value being offered for this one. 10* WINNIPEG

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Saturday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - Two struggling teams in this one but there is a reason the Habs are favored in the -140 range on the road despite having lost 8 straight games. The fact is that the Senators are in a horrible spot here. Ottawa is in a back to back and lost in the shootout last night at Detroit. That makes this a very tough spot for the Sens as they finally got some better goaltending and yet still ended up losing. The Senators have now lost 6 straight games and it is their goaltending that is a big concern particularly in this back to back spot. Ever since they lost goalie Anders Nilsson to a concussion they have not been the same team. Ottawa entered last night's game against the Red Wings having allowed an average of 5 goals per game in regulation time of their preceding 5 games. Look for more of the same here as the Canadiens, though also enduring losing, have been getting the better goaltending and they hold a key rest edge in this match-up. Since the price is a little moderate for my tastes I am NOT going with a top play here but this is a must play situation for me. 8* MONTREAL

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 9:05 ET - On the surface this may seem like a great spot to back the Avalanche off back to back losses and fade the Penguins off a huge road win at Vegas. However, Colorado has been struggling for an extended stretch and has been getting shaky goaltending from both of their netminders. Conversely, the Penguins are getting great work between the pipes from Tristan Jarry and certainly enter this game as the much hotter team. Additionally, Sidney Crosby has been practicing again with the team which, in and of itself, is already a boost to team morale. However, more than just a morale boost, here is a chance he will be back in game action tonight. Either way though, even if he does not play in this game, Crosby's Penguins are simply offering far too much value to pass up on here. Again, they are the team getting solid goaltending for weeks on end and they also have won 12 of their past 16 games. As for the Avalanche, they have lost 7 of their past 10 games! Even at home Colorado has lost 4 of its last 5 games and the Avs have allowed 5.3 goals per game their past 4 on home ice! Pittsburgh has allowed just 2.3 goals per game in going 3-0 in their past 3 road games. More of the same on tap here and I like the big dog value being offered with the Pens. I'll take it! 10* PITTSBURGH

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars @ 10:05 ET - I lost with the Dallas Over last night but won't hesitate to come right back with it here. Considering that Anton Khudobin was between the pipes for the Stars last night, I am expecting Ben Bishop to get the start tonight. Though he has been stronger in his last two starts that was preceded by allowing 10 goals in his two prior starts which includes his most recent road start. Overall, on the road this season, Bishop has an .895 save percentage and a 3.31 GAA. He has been much stronger at home than on the road. Now, at Anaheim, I am looking for quite the "barn-burner" tonight. The Ducks last 8 games have featured 7 that totaled 6 or more goals. In fact, those 7 games have averaged 7.6 goals per game and the total on tonight's game is just a 5 in many books. That puts this was well into "play on" range and also is why I am going to my highest level rating for this play. Look for the recent over trending of the Ducks to continue tonight in this one. 10* OVER the total in Anaheim

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Thursday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Oilers do have a revenge game against their provincial rival, the Flames, in Calgary on Saturday. However, Edmonton is taking on a Canadiens team mired in a losing streak and the Oilers are playing with plenty of confidence right now. They are 3-0-1 their last 4 games and their goaltender Smith has been playing well between the pipes. Montreal feels a ton of pressure here because the losing is taking a toll on them and, when playing at home in hockey-crazed Quebec, the pressure is even more intense! Montreal has lost 7 straight games and also 4 straight games on home ice. Of course the Habs get some shading here by the odds makers because they are on home ice but, the point is, it really is not justified given the way they have been playing. Montreal has averaged just 1.8 goals per game their past 5 games. The Canadiens have allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game their past 7 games. The Oilers have averaged scoring 4.8 goals per game their past 4 games. Also, in meetings between these teams th Oilers have taken 4 of the last 5. More of the same on tap here! 10* EDMONTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Kings vs Dallas Stars @ 10:05 ET - This total (has dropped to 5 goals) and that means we have excellent value with a low number here. I fully understand the long-term reputation of these two teams but the Stars have won 3 straight games and have scored 4 or more goals in all 3 of those. Overall, Dallas has scored 4 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 wins. The Stars have allowed an average of 6 goals per game in their last two losses. Each of the last games for Dallas have totaled at least 5 goals. As for Los Angeles, each of their last 11 games have totaled at least 5 goals. You can see the value of having a key number (5) on this total. The Kings have allowed at least 3 goals in 4 straight games. LA has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in its last 4 victories. I trust the Kings at home to find the back of the net a few times as they are hungry off back to back losses. The thing is that the Stars are favored for a reason and I look for their relatively high-scoring ways to continue here as well. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Kings

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers used Brian Elliott in goal in last night's 5-4 OT loss at Carolina. That means Carter Hart is expected to get the start in goal for the Flyers tonight. He has struggled all season on the road but Hart has been stellar at home where he has an 11-1-2 record on the season! Look for another strong effort from here and I like the fact that the Capitals are also in a back to back spot but off a 6-1 win over Ottawa. Look for the Flyers to be the hungrier team here as they have endured a recent tough stretch and also have revenge from a 2-1 shootout loss to the Capitals in Philadelphia earlier this season. The Caps have lost 3 of their past 5 road games and the 3 defeats have come by an average margin of 3 goals per game and there is certainly nothing "average" about that. Look for the hungry, revenge-minded Flyers to deliver a huge win in this one on home ice. This is Philly's first home game since Christmas Eve and they are sure to make the most of it. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are on a 3-game losing streak but are 3-1 the last 4 times they have entered a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Ironically the last time they faced the Hurricanes was at Carolina and Philadelphia was on a losing streak and yet won 5-3. The Flyers have won both games with the Canes this season by a combined score of 9-4. I like the way they have bounced back in this type of situation this season and Philly is happy to be back on the east coast even though they are not quite yet back at home. They do begin a 3-game homestand tomorrow. After struggling out west (as they so often do), the Flyers will be better back east and they offer great value in this spot! The Hurricanes are over-priced when you consider that they have lost 5 of their past 7 games. Grab the big dog value. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders made me look like a fool last night (and that happens from time to time in this business) but I had the over and the game ended up a 1-0 defensive battle. The difference tonight is Thomas Greiss will be in the crease for the Isles. He has allowed 11 goals in his last 3 appearances and his ice time in those we was equivalent to only 2 games. In other words, Greiss has been struggling badly between the pipes. I know the Islanders do like to a play more of a methodical style of hockey and that is why lower totals tend to be available on their games. However, the Devils will push the pace at home here and I also like the "Greiss factor" in this one as well. As for New Jersey, the over is 6-2 in their past 8 games. Those 6 overs have averaged nearly 8 goals per game so it is not as if they were just "squeaking by" either. The Islanders play this game with home loss revenge and the over is 4-1 this season when they are in that situation. Look for that trend, and the Devils recent over trend, to continue in this one and we'll take advantage of the low total posted on this one. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Monday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Great line value here because the Jets are on the road and the early line move has been toward Montreal. Note that these teams met two weeks ago at Winnipeg and the Jets were thoroughly embarrassed by the Canadiens. The Habs have now won 3 straight meetings and Winnipeg is ready for payback here after getting embarrassed 6-2 on home ice. The Jets were thoroughly outplayed in that game and it is the kind of defeat teams don't forget. Winnipeg will be ready to go here and I like the big plus money being offered. Both teams have endured a recent tough stretch. That said, it is hard to justify Montreal being favored this much on home ice. This is particularly true when you consider the revenge factor. Additionally, the road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings so home ice is not worth anything close to the way it is being favored by the betting markets in this match-up. Grab the underdog. 10* WINNIPEG

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Islanders tend to get involved in lower scoring games but New York has scored 4 or more goals in 4 of their last 5 games against the Avalanche. Note that 4 of those 5 games did total at least 6 goals and the total posted on this game is a low as 5.5 in some books as of very early east coast time on Monday. Also, the Avs continue to trend toward high-scoring games. Colorado's games have totaled at least 7 goals in 6 of their past 7 contests. The last 7 Avalanche games have totaled an average of nearly 9 goals and, of course, there is nothing "average" about that. Not only has Colorado been trending over lately, note that their match-ups against the Islanders played at New York are on a perfect 9-0 run to the over! Look for the Islanders to respond at home off a shutout loss on the road. However, the Isles won't be able to slow down the high-powered Avs either. As a result, plenty of goals expected in this one. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Flames are off a 3-game homestand in which they allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game. Calgary has scored 3.5 goals per game in its past 4 games. Having been shutout at Minnesota about two weeks ago, the Flames make up for that here but they won't be able to stop the Wild either! Minnesota scored 3.5 goals per game in their past two games against Calgary. The Wild are known for playing tighter low-scoring games but still have allowed an average of 3.4 goals per game their past 7 games. Minnesota has averaged scoring 3.4 goals per game their past 11 games. One could argue this total should be at least 6.5 goals as 7 goals scored seems likely here. However, we get shading toward a lower total (6 goals) because of the long-term reputation of the Wild. I love the value here with the over as a result. The over is on a 15-8 run in January games for Calgary. The last 11 times Minnesota was off a win in which they allowed 2 or less goals, their next game has totaled 6 or more goals in all but 2 of 11 games! 8 of those 9 games totaled at least 7 goals and I am forecasting that this one will too! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Sunday 8* San Jose Sharks Puck Line +1.5 goals -130 @ Washington Capitals @ 12:35 ET - This is a back to back spot for the Sharks but they have been getting strong goaltending from both of their goalies in recent games. Most recently that has helped lead the way to a 3-1 run for San Jose including last night's win at Columbus. This is a great spot as the Sharks are catching the Capitals off a huge win. Washington won at Carolina on Friday and that was a huge revenge game for the Caps. They could be a little slow out of the gate in this one as a result and San Jose enters this game starting to "feel it" and play with extra confidence. This spot is the perfect one for an upset but I still have plenty of respect for Washington and they could find a way to pull this one out very late or even in OT or the shootout should regulation time end in a tie in this one. That said, I am happy to lay the very fair price (currently -130 range) to have the +1.5 goals on the puck line in this one. 8* SAN JOSE Puck Line +1.5 goals 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 8:05 ET - The Flyers are very hungry for a win as this road trip out west has not gone well at all for them. I feel they are catching the Coyotes at the perfect time for an upset win on the road. Arizona is off a divisional win over Anaheim and that was preceded by a huge win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion St Louis Blues. This is the perfect spot to fade the Coyotes as a result. Philadelphia will be treating this game like a playoff game in terms of intensity and determination. Arizona, on the other hand, could get caught resting on their laurels a bit too much as they have had multiple consecutive big game wins. The Flyers had won 3 straight meetings between these teams but then lost at home to the Coyotes last month. It is payback time here. Philly had a 29-18 edge in shots on goal in that defeat last month. Arizona has lost 10 of 14 this season when off a divisional game. More of the same expected here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #75 Friday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Perfect set up here. The Capitals are off a home loss to the Islanders while the Hurricanes are off a home win versus the Canadiens. Not only that, Washington has lost both games to Carolina this season and this was after getting knocked out of the post-season in the first-round by the Canes in April. In other words, the Caps have probably never been more ready for a game this season than this very strong revenge spot here. Washington is hungry, motivated, and offering line value here since this game is at Carolina. Ironically the Hurricanes have the two wins against the Capitals but are 1-8 against the rest of the division. The Capitals have the two losses against the Canes but have a winning record against the rest of the division. Washington also has won 16 of 22 road games this season. I look for the Capitals to finally get the big revenge win over the Hurricanes in their 3rd meeting this season. The set up for this one is ideal. The Caps have won 9 of 12 this season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Also, the Capitals have won 8 of 9 Friday games this season. The Hurricanes are off back to back wins including a big win at Washington a week ago but, prior to that, had lost 3 straight games. Capitals get back on track here. 10* WASHINGTON

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - This one sets up well for plenty of goals. The Jets are off a huge 7-4 win at Colorado on Tuesday. As impressive as that win was, it also marked the 6th time in the last 7 games that the Jets have allowed 4 or more goals. The good news for Winnipeg fans is that the Jets have been scoring well. They have now averaged 3.8 goals per game their past 10 games. However, Winnipeg is struggling to keep the puck out of their own net and now faces one of the top scoring teams in the league. The Maple Leafs are averaging 3.6 goals per game and enter this game having won 9 of their past 11 games. Toronto has averaged scoring 4.6 goals per game during this red hot stretch. Look for more of the same here and this one should easily get to 7 goals or more the way these two hockey clubs have been trending. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #58 Thursday 8* Boston Bruins Puck Line -1.5 goals (+120) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins are ready for a blowout win over the Blue Jackets. Yes this is a revenge game for Columbus as the Bruins knocked them out of the playoffs last year. However, Boston comes in angry off a loss which followed 3 straight wins. Also, Columbus is currently without their #1 goalie. I know that Elvis Merzlikins got a win over the Panthers at home but he was winless in his first 8 decisions this season as he has struggled on the road all season long. There is a reason he is the back-up to Joonas Korpisalo. The Bruins have the better penalty kill and the much better power play. 5 of Boston's last 6 wins have come by 2 or more goals. Of course I won't lay the -200 on the money line but I am happy to grab the +120 range odds by taking the Bruins on the puck line here. Look for a home blowout in this one. 8* BOSTON Puck Line -1.5 goals +120

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 6:05 ET - We're getting a low total here (6) because the Wild are involved. I say that because the Maple Leafs continue to get involved in one high scoring after another. As for Minnesota, they did deliver a recent home shutout but in their other two recent home games they allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game. Also, the Wild were on the wrong end of a recent home shutout but in their other 4 recent home games they have averaged a respectable 3.5 goals per game. Minnesota should score their fair share again in this one too because Toronto gives up goals in bunches. The Maple Leafs can score with the best teams in the league but they certainly struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. The Leafs have allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of their past 6 games. The Leafs have also allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their past 3 games. But how about Toronto's offensive production? The Maple Leafs have been red hot in the offensive zone. The Leafs have scored an average of 5 goals per game in their past 7 games. You can see exactly why I am liking the over here as 6 goals should not be a problem given the recent trending. In fact, Toronto's last 6 games have seen 5 total at least 8 goals! More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:35 ET - The Flyers didn't just lose yesterday at San Jose, they ended up getting embarrassed 6-1 when things fell apart in the 3rd period. Keep in mind, Philadelphia had been hot and won 4 in a row before that embarrassing loss. As for the Ducks, they are off a big win over Vegas 4-3 on Friday. They also have another game with those same division rival Golden Knights on deck. for Tuesday. That said, this is the ideal "flat spot" situation in which you would to fade Anahiem. Fading the Ducks makes even more sense when you consider that this is a team that lost 16 of 22 games prior to that rare win over the Knights. With the Flyers chomping at the bit to get on the ice and shake off that loss and the Ducks in a perfect fade spot, the road team at a pick'em price is offering fantastic line value here. Look for Philly to improve to 10-5 this season when off a non-conference game. Look for Anaheim to drop to 2-8 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Also, the Ducks are 0-6 in Sunday games this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Annihilation Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks lost again last night! Not only does that make this a back to back spot for them, it also means that San Jose has lost 10 of its last 11 games. Conversely, the Flyers come into this game well rested and they have won 4 straight games. The Sharks have been held to 2 or less goals in 9 of those 10 losses! The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 10 of their last 13 games. You can see, based on those stats alone, why it is highly probable that Philly outscores San Jose here. Also though the fact is that Philadelphia is highly motivated here. The Flyers have lost 3 straight match-ups with the Sharks including an embarrassing 8-3 loss in Philly last season. It is payback time here and this is a very fair price to lay on Philadelphia. I am looking for the Flyers to improve to 13-7 this season when facing a team with a losing record. Look for the Sharks to drop to 5-13 this season when facing a team with a winning record as the scoring struggles for San Jose continue in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Divisional Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #46 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues won the Stanley Cup last season and knocked off the Jets in the first round of the playoffs on the way to doing so. St Louis has carried momentum from last season's huge finish to the regular season and huge post-season by now getting off to a red hot start this season as well. However, teams are now coming from the Christmas break and, for a team that has won 6 straight, the last thing you want is a break. But that is the situation here with St Louis. They had won 6 straight games prior the Christmas break. Now they make their return in a very tough situation and tough locale. Winnipeg is tough on home ice and you know they're going to bring their "A game" and then some in this big time playoff revenge spot. I am riding with the Jets on home ice as I fully expect them to avenge their first round playoff exit that occurred in April. It is payback time here. 10* WINNIPEG

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - These divisional foes have played lower scoring games in recent match-ups but the situation here has to be considered and that situation is pointing toward a high-scoring game in this one. First off these teams are coming back from the Christmas break. Teams (and the goalies) often aren't as crisp in the first game back after a layoff. You'll see some turnovers with the puck and this often leads to odd man rushes and/or great scoring chances. Additionally, the goalies just tend to not be quite so sharp in the first game back. Considering those factors as well as the low total of 5.5 goals posted on this one. Boston has been great on the power play this season and Buffalo has struggled on the penalty kill this season. The Bruins have scored an average of 3.8 goals per game in their last 5 games. Boston has allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game in their past 10 games. The key for the Sabres here is home ice as they score much better as a host. In home games this season Buffalo is averaging 3.7 goals per game. The over is 10-5 when the Sabres are playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. The over is 5-1 this season when Boston enters a game off of 3 or more consecutive home games. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) vs Calgary Flames @ 5:05 ET - The Wild are off a 6-0 home blasting they took at the hands of Winnipeg on Saturday. The Flames are off a huge upset win by a 5-1 count at Dallas yesterday! That means the set up here is perfect. Calgary is in a back to back spot and off an upset win while the Wild are rested and at home and off one of their worst games of the season. That means all signs point to a huge home win for Minnesota in this one. The Wild, prior to their loss to the Jets, were a fantastic 9-1-3 at home this season. The Flames had lost 3 straight by a combined score of 12 to 4 before the big win over the Stars last night. Calgary's next game is also against their provincial rival Edmonton so this is a bad situation all the way around for the Flames. Look for the Wild to resume their home dominance after being embarrassed in front of their home fans Saturday. 10* MINNESOTA

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - The Flames have lost 3 straight games but this was preceded by a 7 game winning streak. Look for them to get back on track now that they are back on the road. Not only has Calgary won 3 straight road games, the road team is on a solid 5-1 run in Flames games. Additionally, in meetings between Calgary and Dallas, the road team has won 3 straight. Dallas enters this game having lost 7 of its last 12 games. The Stars have lost 3 of past 6 home games and I like the underdog money line value being offered here with Calgary. The Flames have won 16 of their past 23 Sunday games. The Stars have lost 14 of 18 Sunday games including all 3 games on Sundays this season. More of the same expected here. 10* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Anaheim Ducks @ 12:35 ET - The Ducks are off a high-scoring upset win in the shootout last night at New York against the Islanders. Now they face a Rangers team that has been getting involved in one high-scoring game after another. The over is a perfect 4-0 in the Rangers last 4 games. All 4 of those games totaled at least 7 goals and, in fact, averaged 8 goals. This total is only 5.5 goals and I understand that based on the Ducks long-term numbers but Anaheim is "feeling it" after last night's win and the Rangers have been trending to high-scoring games for an extended stretch. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in the New York Rangers

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Saturday NHL 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. The Capitals are in a back to back as they were at New Jersey last night where they got a big win. The Lightning are rested and coming off a very tough OT loss to Dallas Thursday as they lost despite a huge edge in shots on goal. The Stars goalie won that game for them and Tampa Bay can't wait to get on the ice after that unfortunate result in a game in which they actually played very well but only ended up with 1 point to show for it. A big key here too is that Washington beat the Bolts at Tampa Bay last week. This is a revenge game for the Lightning and they are one of the best teams in the NHL and they're catching the Caps at the perfect time to exact revenge. At the same time, since this game is at DC, great line value here because that is why the Lightning are in the -110 price range for this one. I'll take it! 10* TAMPA BAY

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - I had the Stars last night and will be the first to admit I got a fortunate win. After scoring the first goal Dallas fell behind 3-1 but got to 3-2 in 2nd and 3-3 in 3rd and then won in OT despite being at a huge disadvantage for the game in shots on goal. The set-up here is perfect. Dallas is in a back to back and off a huge upset win at Tampa Bay plus on the road again tonight. The Panthers, on the other hand, are well-rested as they have been off since 16th and have been at home and this is their final home game until the 28th. In other words, they put a lot of energy and focus into this game. This is made even more true by the fact that the Stars swept the Panthers last season. Florida is out for revenge. Remember Dallas just beat a team last night that had swept them last season including a home ice shutout. The Panthers now are the team in that advantageous revenge situation as they lost both games to the Stars last season including a home ice shutout here in Florida. Time for payback tonight. Dallas has lost 18 of 28 games when on the road in a game with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Panthers have won 44 of 75 home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Stars had lost 3 of last 4 road games prior to last night's win. The Panthers have enjoyed the luxury of playing at home the past 3 weeks! 10* FLORIDA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Nashville Predators @ 7:35 ET - While it may seem that the Predators could fall flat after scoring a ridiculous 7 goals in their upset win at New York against the Islanders Tuesday, I feel the opposite will be true. Nashville is playing with a ton of momentum right now and they are facing a Senators back-end that has been ravaged by injuries. The Preds will take advantage and they circled this road trip on their calendars as a chance to make some real progress and they are skating hard and playing very aggressively in the offensive zone. Nashville has scored 13 goals in the first two games of this 4-game road trip. The Predators allowed 3 goals to the Islanders and they entered this road trip having allowed 4 goals in 3 of their 4 preceding games. I expect the Senators to do some damage on home ice here. Ottawa has seen 7 of their last 8 games total 7 or more goals. We've got great value with this total still available at 6 goals in plenty of shops as of early game day morning. The Sens have scored 4 or more goals in 8 of their past 13 home games and are off B2B wins on home ice in which each game totaled 7 or more. We've got great value here with this total because I foresee Nashville staying red hot in the offensive zone but I don't see the Senators laying down on home ice in this one. In other words, a very entering high-scoring non-conference match-up. 6 of the last 8 meetings between these teams have totaled at least 6 goals and 5 of those 6 totaled 7 or more goals! That is what I am expecting here as well. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - Hockey is really no different than the other sports when it comes to analyzing line movement. In this specific case we have a game that opened up with Tampa Bay at about a 180 price and it is now down to as low as 155 as of game day morning despite the vast majority of tickets begin written on the Lightning. What does that tell you? The sharp money and bigger bets are coming in on the Stars here! I love this situation for Dallas. The Stars are off a loss on Monday so they are ready to respond and they are well rested. Note that Dallas entered that game having won 18 of their last 25 games! As for the Lightning, they are off a win versus Ottawa and it took OT. Not a very impressive win for sure and Tampa Bay's prior game was a 5-2 loss to the rival Capitals. Guess what is on deck for the Bolts? That's right, a trip to Washington. You know TB can't help but to be thinking about that revenge match-up with the Caps. Speaking of revenge, the Stars were embarrassed by a combined score of 8-0 in their two games against Tampa Bay last season. Dallas outshot the Lightning by 20 shots on goal in those two games. Deceiving results to say the least and I love backing the Stars as a big dog in this spot. The Bolts had lost 5 of their last 7 home games prior to barely getting by the Senators in Tampa on Tuesday. 10* DALLAS

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Puck Line -1.5 goals +160 @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - Great set up here. The Avalanche are off a loss that got away from them versus the Blues in a 5-2 defeat at St Louis Monday. The Blackhawks are coming off a big win over the Wild 5-3 on Sunday. I don't like to lay prices in money line sports so even though the Avalanche are available at a moderate price (-150 range) on the money line, I like going for the big payback here with the puck line. At -1.5 goals, the Avs are available at a great comeback price (+160 range). Note that 16 of Colorado's 21 wins this season have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Also, the Avalanche had earned points in 9 straight games (8-0-1 run) prior to the loss to the Blues and 7 of those 8 wins came by 2 or more goals! The Blackhawks, prior to their win versus Minnesota, had lost 10 of 13 games! 7 of those 10 losses for the Hawks came by a margin of 2 or more goals. In fact 11 of Chicago's last 16 defeats have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Avs have won 8 of the past 12 meetings with the Hawks and EACH of the last 7 Colorado wins have come by 2 or more goals. In two meetings this season the Avalanche have won those games by a combined score of 12 to 5. The last 5 times the Avs were off a loss they won 4 of them. 3 of the 4 victories came by a margin of 2 or more goals. They are angry after what happened at St Louis and they'll make the Blackhawks pay in this one. 10* COLORADO Puck Line -1.5 goals +160

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Wednesday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Ducks are in a back to back spot but off a 4-1 loss. The Devils are rested and off a 2-1 win. I like Anaheim to bounce back here as New Jersey also recently dealt Taylor Hall to the Coyotes. The Devils are in a full-on rebuild mode and yet they are off a rare win. Anaheim has been scratching and clawing for wins and yet they ran into a very determined Flyers hockey club last night that was desperate for a win after 3 straight losses. That said, the Ducks ran into a buzzsaw last night but they'll bounce back tonight. The Devils had lost 7 straight games prior to the win at Arizona Saturday. The Ducks had won 3 of 6 before the loss at Philly last night. Anaheim has won 3 straight over New Jersey. The Ducks have won 4 of 6 this season when off a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less. The Devils have lost 9 of 11 games this season when facing a team with a losing record. 10* ANAHEIM

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Tuesday 10* Top Play Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - Perfect set up here from a situational perspective. The Blue Jackets are off an upset win (3-0) over the Capitals last night. Prior to that huge divisional shutout win, Columbus had lost 6 of 7 games. However, because the Red Wings have such an ugly record on the season, the Jackets are a sizable road favorite in this Tuesday clash. Not only is this a tough back to back spot for Columbus, it is Detroit that is in the perfect bounce back spot too. They had won back to back games by a combined score of 7-3 before getting throttled on home ice by the LA Kings on Sunday. That stinging 4-2 defeat saw the Red Wings trailing by 4 goals at one point in the 3rd period of that game. Detroit is determined to bounce back here and they are catching the Blue Jackets at the right time to get right back on track. The Red Wings had been starting to build a little momentum and this is their only game between Sunday and Saturday. In other words, Detroit is going to "leave it all on the ice" in this one! The Blue Jackets have lost 4 of 5 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. The Red Wings have revenge from a 5-4 loss at Columbus a month ago. They'll get it as a nice home dog here! 10* DETROIT

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Monday 8* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets are off an OT loss at Ottawa Saturday. The Capitals are off a huge win at Tampa Bay on Saturday. The set up here is perfect with Columbus off a disappointing loss and Washington off a huge win over last season's Presidents Cup winner (most points in standings in regular season). Not only do we get a good situational set up here we also get the Blue Jackets on home ice and with a nice comeback price! The Blue Jackets have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these clubs and they always seem to be the more motivated team when these clubs have squared off recently. Why? It is because Columbus was up 2 games to none on the Capitals in the first round of the 2018 NHL Playoffs. The Caps went on to win 4 straight games though to knock the Blue Jackets out of the post-season while Washington went on to win the Stanley Cup two months later. The Jackets haven't forgotten and the situation here is perfect to grab the home dog as they look to make it 5 out of 6 over the Capitals. 8* COLUMBUS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Monday 8* OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers are fired up after a 4-2 home loss to the Bruins on Saturday. Florida is one of the highest scoring teams in the league but they've recently been bottled up by facing a "murderers row" of opponents. The Panthers last 3 games have seen them score a total of only 4 goals due to facing the Lightning, Islanders and Bruins. Those are all tough teams. I look for Florida now to take advantage of a step down in level of opponent as they host the Senators Monday. While Ottawa has been scrappy and playing better but they still allow a lot of goals. In fact the Sens have seen 5 of their 6 games this month go over the total. All 5 of those totaled at least 7 goals and this one will too. Florida entered this long homestand they are currently enjoying having seen 6 straight home games result in a total of 7 or more goals. Even though things have quieted down for the Panthers in their last 3 games, that has had a lot to do with the opposition they were facing. In a recent 17-game stretch through November 21st Florida had scored 4 or more goals in 13 of 17 games! Look for them to again breakout on offense in this one given the situation they are in after facing three tough opponents. Look for the Senators to match them goal for goal though much of the way in this one. Ottawa has scored an average of 3.8 goals per game in its past 5 games. 8* OVER the total in Florida 

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Sunday 8* Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - This one is all about the line value. The Golden Knights are simply over-priced here. Yes this is a back to back for the Canucks but they have actually won 2 of 3 this season when the 2nd game of their back to back was on the road. Also, Vegas actually has more losses than wins on home ice this season. Vancouver had won 3 of its last 5 road games before a loss at San Jose last night. With the Golden Knights home ice simply not being what it use to be in terms of an edge for Vegas, the betting markets have been slow to catch up to this fact. It offers unique opportunities just like this one that are filled with line value. This is the 5th back to back for the Canucks this season and only one time have they lost both games of the back to back and, again, when that 2nd game was on the road they've actually won 2 of 3. Also, last night's loss came by 2 goals for Vancouver and they are 3-0-1 the last 4 times they have entered a game off a loss by a multiple goal margin. Vegas could be flat after their OT win at Dallas as the Stars are one of the better teams in the league and the Golden Knights got the upset win there. The Golden Knights entered that game with just 5 wins in their past 11 games. Keep in mine Vegas started the season with 6 wins in 9 games. That means they entered their win at Dallas having lost 15 of 25 games. The recent losses can't be blamed on Fleury either as Subban actually played well between the pipes. The fact is this Knights team is not what it used to be and they are priced too high here. I am taking a shot with the big dog. 8* VANCOUVER

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Sunday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 5:05 ET - This is a rally the troop game for the Flyers. There is also an old adage that has come into play here and it is an expression that has a strong tendency to hold true. It is the wounded dog that bites the hardest. Philadelphia is dealing with injuries, in a back to back spot, off a 2nd straight road loss last night, and wants to avoid a winless road trip before heading back home. That said, look for a very strong effort from the Flyers as they leave it all on the ice for this one. Certainly I respect the Jets but the 5-2 loss that Winnipeg just had at Detroit as they allowed the Red Wings to end a 12-game losing streak could leave the home team a little lacking in the confidence department. One puck to bounce the Flyers way and, just like we saw with some fortunate bounces for the Red Wings against the Jets, the upset will be on the way once again. Look for Philly to improve to 8-4 this season when off a non-conference game. The Jets have lost half their dozen home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals this season. Value with the money line dog here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arizona Coyotes vs New Jersey Devils @ 8:05 ET - I lost with an over involving the Devils last night but the teams combined for 75 shots on goal and it was simply just "one of those nights" where the goalies stood tall. That said, I won't hesitate in coming right back with the over here. New Jersey used both Blackwood and Domingue in goal last night. Note that the latter of the two is struggling bad. He allowed 2 goals in limited action yesterday and this was after also allowing 11 goals in his two most recent appearances. So if the Devils turn to Domingue it could be a rough night. However, it will likely be Blackwood between the pipes and his last back to back spot saw him allow 4 goals in the 2nd game of the B2B. Those situations simply are not easy on goalies. As for the Coyotes, though generally known for lower-scoring games, they have been getting involved in plenty of high-scoring games of late. Arizona's last 3 games have all totaled 7 or more. Also, going further back, the Coyotes have seen 7 of their last 10 games total 6 or more. That said, I like the value with the low total of 5.5 posted on this game. Arizona, of course, knows the Devils are in a back to back and I expected the rested Coyotes to push hard here and try to quickly wear down New Jersey in this back-to-back spot. The result is a higher scoring game than many are expecting. 10* OVER the total in Arizona 

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - Both teams dealing with injuries and the Flyers injury situation certainly a little more significant than that of the Wild. However, I am still backing Philadelphia here because they played very well in their loss on Wednesday night and that was at Colorado. The Avalanche are one of the best teams in the league and the Flyers outshot them 33-27 in their own barn. Philadelphia entered that game having won 6 of 7 and they are a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times when off a loss. As for the Wild, they hung on for a 6-5 win over Edmonton but Minnesota truly hasn't been playing all that well of late. That was preceded by a game in which the Wild fell behind 2-0 and were fortunate to even earn a point. Minnesota has allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game their past 4 games. Conversely, the Flyers have allowed an average of only 2.1 goals per game their past 8 games! Grab the hungry road dog here off a loss and playing with a rest edge too (Wild were in action Thursday). 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs New Jersey Devils @ 9:05 ET - The Avalanche are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and the Devils are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to preventing goals. Couple that with the fact that each team is coming off a game that stayed well under the total and you have great value with Friday's total now available as low as a 6 in some spots. The Avalanche have averaged 4.1 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Devils, though struggling, have shown some spark here and there since the coaching change. Also, New Jersey is getting back 3rd leading scorer Nico Hischier for this game after he missed some contests with an illness. Prior to their 2-0 loss at Dallas, the Devils 5 previous road games had averaged a total of 8 goals per game. Look for that type of high-scoring action to resume here in this non-conference match-up and with New Jersey off a shutout loss. The Avalanche are healthier than they have been a long time and they have so much firepower with their top-six especially after they shuffled the lines a bit in their win over the Flyers Wednesday. The over is 6-2-1 this season when New Jersey is off a game in which they were held to one goal or less. Colorado's Friday night games are on a 19-10-1 run to the over. Also, in Avalanche home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals this season, they have had 11 of them and only 3 resulted in an under. Look for the high-scoring trend to resume here. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Thursday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Oilers are off a disappointing homestand but have actually been better on the road than at home this season. I like the fact too that Edmonton battled back to tie Buffalo and earn a point in their 3-2 OT loss Sunday and then on Tuesday they battled back to tie the Hurricanes after a falling into a 3-0 hole. Carolina then on to win the game 6-3 with 3 very late goals but that final score was not indicative of how the game really played out. Look for the Oilers to avoid an early hole here and get revenge for a 3-0 loss at Minnesota in their most recent meeting two months ago. It is payback time here and, unlike Edmonton, the Wild are coming off earning a very fortunate point in their most recent game. They got a point in the shootout loss against Anaheim Tuesday but Minnesota dug a 2-0 hole and was outshot 14-1 early on and really never recovered. The Wild simply did not play well but got away with it and still earned a point they really didn't deserve. I like fading teams when they're off a game like that and Edmonton also is extra hungry here plus motivated by revenge. Look for a strong road win for the determined Oilers in this one. Edmonton has the edge on the penalty kill and also a huge edge on the power play in comparison with Minnesota. The Wild had lost 4 of last 6 to the Oilers before the big win in mid-October. Edmonton is off back to back losses but is a PERFECT 4-0 this season when off consecutive defeats! Conversely, Minnesota has already had a 4-game losing streak and 3-game losing streak. The Wild enter this game off B2B losses as well. The Oilers are 8-2 this season when off a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. 10* EDMONTON

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Both teams off low-scoring games but the last 3 meetings between these clubs have gone 3-0 to the over. Those 3 games all totaled 7 or more goals and, in fact, two of the three totaled 9 goals! The Bruins are starting #1 netminder Tuuka Rask here as they used back-up goalie Juroslav Halak yesterday. However, that may not be such a good thing as Rask actually has allowed a total of 7 goals in his last two starts. Also, Rask has allowed 13 goals in his last 3 starts against the Lightning! As for Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, he is off a great start at Florida. However, prior to that start, he had allowed 4 or more goals in 3 of his last 5 starts. The hungry Bruins enter this game on a losing streak and will pepper him with shots in this one. Vasilevskiy has allowed 7 goals on 54 shots in his last two starts against the Bruins. The Lightning saw their game with the Panthers total just 3 goals but their 3 prior games totaled 23 goals! Look for a lot of scoring (again in this match-up) as when Boston and the Bolts get together we have seen plenty of success in the offensive zone for each club. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Wednesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - I like the value here with the underdog Bruins. Of course the early line move was on the Capitals as everyone sees them on home ice and laying a short price and that is what attracts peoples attention. Keep in mind these are two of the best teams in the NHL and I love having the underdog in a spot like this. I am aware of that the Bruins have a game with the Lightning on deck for tomorrow night but there is no way they're overlooking this match-up with Ovechkin and the Capitals. Keep in mind it was Washington that handed the Bruins a rare home ice loss in their first meeting this season. In that game the Capitals rallied to tie the game with just a minute remaining and then went on to win in the shootout. Boston has not forgotten that defeat and I love the revenge angle here as they look to return the favor in DC. Note that the Capitals have a strong reputation on home ice but have actually won only 8 of 15 games there this season. The Bruins, prior to their loss at Ottawa, were 8-3-1 on the road this season so they have certainly been strong on enemy ice this season. The road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and I look for that trend to continue here as the road team makes it 4 in a row. The fact that the Bruins will have Patrice Bergeron back (he was on the ice and scored a goal against Ottawa in his first game back Monday) is also a big plus for the road team here. Grab the underdog value here. 10* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - This line is right around a pick'em. Some may be surprised to not see Florida as a sizable favorite considering they are at home and they catch the Bolts in the 2nd game of a back to back. However, the Lightning (even without Tyler Johnson) are loaded with firepower and have plenty of motivation here. Tampa Bay is fired up off a 5-1 loss last night, they saved #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for this game, and they're catching Florida off a rare event. The Panthers have actually allowed 2 goals or less in each of their last two games for the first time this season! That was very unlikely and I look for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and company to come back down to earth in this game. I know Florida is a solid team but Tampa was the #1 team in the league in the regular season last year and I feel the Bolts are going to continue a resurgence this season after last year's early 1st round playoff sweep exit. Tampa Bay is a determined team ready to respond against a division rival here. The Bolts have won 53 of their last 71 divisional games and also are a perfect 5-0 this season when off a loss by a multiple goal margin. Long term the Lightning have won 32 of 42 when off a loss by multiple goals and also have won 26 of their last 31 December games. The Panthers have lost 5 of 7 this season when off a win by a multiple goal margin. Look for the above trending to hold true tonight and the hungry road team gets revenge by notching a solid enemy ice victory in this one. 10* TAMPA BAY

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins scored 5 goals the last time they faced the Canadiens. That was an ugly loss for Montreal but the Habs had scored a total of 9 goals in their two most recent meetings with Pittsburgh preceding that one against the Pens. Motnreal's power play has been respectable this season but their penalty kill has struggled. Look for Pittsburgh, even though still without Sidney Crosby, to take advantage. The Penguins are off a 5-3 win and that was on the road. In terms of recent home games, they are on a 7-0-1 run and scored an average of 4 goals per game in regulation of those 8 games. Montreal is off a tight low-scoring win but they entered that one having lost 9 of their past 10 games. The Canadiens allowed an average of 4 goals per game in regulation of those 10 games. The Penguins are likely to have another big game on home ice here in the offensive zone but I expected well-rested Montreal (off since Friday) to be skating well in this one and generating plenty of chances. The Canadiens have played 14 games against teams with a winning record and only 4 of the 14 resulted in an under! The Penguins are on an 18-8 run to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. More of the same expected here. Look for plenty of goals in this one. I am aware that Pens goalie Tristan Jarry has played well and Matt Murray has not. Even though it is likely Jarry will play tonight he has still been hit or miss with two of his last four appearances not going well. Now he hasn't played since Friday as Murray got the last start. Carey Price likely to start for the Canadiens here and he struggled the last time he faced the high-powered Pens. The Habs only other option between the pipes is rookie Cayden Primeau and the 20 years old just made his first NHL start last week. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - The Bruins will be hungry to bounce back off a 4-1 home loss to the streaking Avalanche. However, Ottawa is also in bounce back mode and happy to be back home after a long road trip that wrapped up with a 4-3 loss at Philadelphia. The Senators will struggle to stop high-powered Boston here but I do like the Sens to find the back of the net quite often too now that they are back on home ice. Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson is dealing with a groin injury and the Bruins could have Patrice Bergeron back for tonight's game too. Either way, the fact that Bergeron is so close to returning and has been back on the ice in practice again is going to boost the spirits of a Boston team looking to bounce back after some tough sledding recently. They have not been playing quite as sharp of late and I look for the Bruins to push hard tonight and that means plenty of Boston goals in this one. The Bruins most recent road game was at Ottawa and was a surprisingly low-scoring 2-1 win. However, prior to that Boston had scored an average of 5 goals per game in their preceding 6 road games! Also, the Bruins enter this game having allowed 4 goals in back to back games. The Senators have allowed an average of 4.2 goals per game in their past 5 games. Ottawa, prior to losing their most recent home game to Boston, had won 6 of their 7 preceding home games and averaged scoring 3.8 goals per game in those 6 wins. Look for a much different game than the 2-1 type game we saw the last time these teams met here. The set up leading into this one is much different! 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Monday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Puck Line +1.5 goals -130 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - You have to lay about a 130 price to have the Blue Jackets +1.5 goals but I feel strongly that having the goal and a half is well worth that price. Prior to an ugly 4-1 loss at Florida on Saturday, Columbus last 26 games had featured 11 wins, 9 losses by a single goal and just 6 defeats by a margin of 2 or more markers. The point is that if you had the Blue Jackets at +1.5 goals throughout this stretch you cashed in 20 of 26 times which is nearly an 80% win rate. Columbus is fired up after the 4-1 loss to the Panthers and I feel they're catching Washington at a great time to spring the upset here. The Capitals just got back from a long road trip out west which included a very rare sweep of the California teams. The first game back east after a lengthy road trip out west tends to be very tough on teams and Washington is feeling a little too good about themselves right now too. That said, the Blue Jackets are going to prove to be the hungrier and scrappier team in this one and I see them hanging around throughout this game. If Columbus does fall short look for the defeat to come by just a single goal. As strong as Washington has been this season note that they have only won 7 of their past 20 games by a margin of 2 or more goals. That's right, since late October the Capitals have won a game by 2 or more goals just 35% of the time. On the season Washington has played 14 home games and only 5 of the 14 have resulted in a win by two or more goals. Given the above as well as the situation, back the road dog here. 10* COLUMBUS +1.5 goals on the Puck Line

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vegas Golden Knights vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - I know that both of these teams have been trending under recently but I love the over in this spot. The Golden Knights still have an unsettled goalie situation. Marc-Andre Fleury is back with the team but still mourning the passing of his father. Malcolm Subban has played well and might get the call again here but he is off a loss and whether it is Subban or Fleuery that gets the call here I am expect them to face a barrage of shots. When these teams met recently in New York, the Golden Knights jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and were up 4-1 after two periods. The Rangers want to turn the tables on the Knights in this one and duplicate that feat with a strong road effort of their own in this one. As a result, I look for New York to be very aggressive in this game and they should put a few past the Vegas netminder early. But the difference here, unlike the game in New York, is that the home team will answer the road team goal for goal. The Rangers have been getting better goaltending from Georgiev and he may get the call again here because Lundqvist has been struggling. But whomever is in net for the Rangers is going to face a fired up Vegas team hungry to bounce back off a loss. Speaking of bouncing back off losses, the Rangers are off a 2-1 loss and New York is 5-0 and has scored an average of 4.8 goals per game the last 5 times they were off a loss in which they were held to 2 or less goals. The Golden Knights had scored 4 goals in back to back games before losing 3-2 to the Islanders Thursday. Both teams erupt here. 10* OVER the total in Vegas

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Sunday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 5:05 ET - I like the set up here to result in a road dog win! The Sharks are off an embarrassing 7-1 loss at Tampa Bay and are fired up to get their first win of December. Keep in mind they wrapped up November having won 11 of their past 13 games. Now, after hitting a tough stretch and running into a very tough Lightning team, San Jose responds big at Florida tonight. The Panthers are off a huge win versus Columbus yesterday. That was the first game for former Blue Jackets netminder Sergei Bobrovsky against his prior team. That means if he plays tonight I would not be surprised to see him struggle in between the pipes after such an emotional win last night. If he doesn't play the Panthers are likely to got with Chris Driedger in the crease and he has only 5 games (2 starts) of NHL experience. The set up here is perfect for the Panthers off a satisfying 4-1 win to fall flat against a Sharks team fired up off a 7-1 loss. Adding to the value here in my opinion is the fact that the Sharks were swept by the Panthers last season. The road dog is going to be flying all over the ice in this one and I don't see them being denied. 10* SAN JOSE

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Saturday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - If you play with fire long enough, you're eventually going to get burned. That is what finally happened to the Bruins Thursday as they went to the 3rd period down 3-0 on home ice but rallied to tie it only to then fall short in OT. Still it kept Boston as the only NHL team without a regulation loss on home ice. I am predicting that will change on Saturday but, of course, keep in mind we don't have to win in regulation to win our bet and the Bruins have already lost 5 home games post-regulation this season. Boston is still without Patrice Bergeron while the red hot Avalanche are healthier again with all key players back in the lineup. Colorado was already surging but now the Avs are even more dangerous than ever because they played very well even when missing key players and now those guys are back! That is why I won't pass up this opportunity to have one of the best teams in the NHL, and the healthier team in this match-up, at a +135 underdog price. The price makes sense because the Bruins are a very good hockey team. But, without a doubt, the Avalanche are playing even better hockey than Boston right now. Keep in mind the Bruins only scored 2 goals in their most recent home win. Also, the game prior to that they were down 1-0 in the 3rd period before rallying for that win. The Bruins won't find it so easy to rally against a team like the Avalanche and the Avs already beat them 4-2 in Colorado earlier this season too. The Avalanche are viewing this game as an opportunity for a statement road win against one of the top teams in the East. Look for the Avs to make that statement loud and clear behind MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landeskog in this one. 10* COLORADO

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vancouver Canucks vs Buffalo Sabres @ 4:05 ET - 5 of Buffalo's last 7 games have totaled 7 or more goals. 8 of the Canucks last 11 games have totaled 6 or more goals. Of those 8 high scoring games 7 totaled 7 or more. You can see why I like this game to get to at least the posted total of 6 goals. Truly the odds favor 7 or more and this is a non-conference match-up which also tends to play out with less defensive intensity than what you'll see in divisional games for example. With the recent trending of high-scoring games for these team and with both teams having fresh legs from being off in recent days, this one sets up very well. The Sabres have played just once the past four days and the Canucks enter this game having been off each of the past three days. Buffalo is 6-3 to the over this season when off a non-conference game. Vancouver is 8-2-1 to the over when the Canucks are off a non-conference game. 10* OVER the total in Vancouver

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line -1.5 goals +125 vs Ottawa Senators @ 1 ET - This is a perfect set up to back the home team. The Senators are off a road trip to western Canada which was capped off with a big 5-2 win at Edmonton Wednesday. However, prior to that big win Ottawa had lost 5 straight games and each of their last 3 on the road by a combined count of 15 to 5. Not only that, the Senators have big divisional games on deck with Boston and Montreal after this game. As for the Flyers, they are coming off a rare home loss here. It was just the 2nd loss in regulation on home ice for Philly this season. Philadelphia, after this game, is off until Wednesday and also note that their next home game is not until a week from Tuesday! In other words, this is a VERY important bounce back home game for the Flyers and I look for that to show up in the way they play here too! Philadelphia's last two home wins each came by a score of 6 to 1 and another big home win is likely for the Flyers here. Of course I would never lay 2 to 1 money line odds here but, rather, the value here is with the puck line at -1.5 goals which gets us a payback in the +125 range! 8* PHILADELPHIA puck line -1.5 goals

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Friday 7* New Jersey Devils Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - Nice set up here. The Devils are hungry off a 4-3 loss versus Vegas on Wednesday so they were off yesterday. The Blackhawks are off a huge upset win in OT at Boston last night. You have the ideal scenario here of a team playing without rest (drained physically) and off a big upset in OT (drained mentally) and now on the road again facing a rested and hungry home team. It has been a frustrating season for New Jersey but look for them to respond after the firing of head coach John Hynes. Already the Devils played better in their first game after the coaching change but they ran into a red hot Golden Knights team. Interim head coach Alain Nasreddine leads the way tonight and New Jersey should get back into the win column. Prior to their win last night, the Blackhawks had lost 6 of 7. I am reducing my rating here since there is a bit of a price to lay with the Devils but they should prove well worth it given the situation. 7* NEW JERSEY

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - This one sets up perfectly. While both teams were in action last night, the Rangers enjoyed a 3-2 upset win at Columbus while the Canadiens are off a home loss to a streaking Avalanche hockey club that is getting healthier. There is no shame in losing to Colorado considering how they have been playing as well as how healthy they are again now. However, there is shame in blowing a 4-0 lead on home ice and losing 6-5 and that is what happened to Montreal when they hosted the Rangers last month. That said, it is now payback time and I look for the Habs to avenge that loss tonight. The Canadiens had endured a long losing streak but they snapped that the game before the tight loss to the Avs last night and they have looked a little better on the ice lately. For the Rangers this is a standalone home game prior to a West Coast road trip and coming off an upset win of the Blue Jackets the night before. I could see the Bluehshirts being flat in this game and the Habs are hell bent on revenge here. Look for them to get it in a big way! 10* MONTREAL

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - I know this is the 2nd night of a back to back for the Avalanche but they are off a 3-1 win last night at Toronto and continue to look extremely sharp on both ends of the ice. Not only that, the Avs are getting healthier too and could get a couple more players back tonight as well. Last but not least, back-up goalie Pavel Francouz has been great between the pipes and has allowed only 4 goals the last 89 shots he has faced! Now Colorado faces a Montreal team that finally got back into the win column Tuesday but just barely. The Canadiens had to hang on for dear life in their 4-2 win over the suddenly struggling Islanders. The Habs go from facing an inconsistent team to one that is playing with a ton of confidence plus getting healthier and absolutely looks like one of the best teams in the league especially as their health returns. As for Montreal, they had lost 8 straight games prior to their win over the Isles. Keep in mind the Canadiens have lost 9 of 16 home games this season. The Avs are a stellar 9-5-1 on the road this season. On a 4 game winning streak and facing a team that has lost 8 of 9, the Avalanche are a great value here as we can grab the superior team and not even lay juice in this one! 10* COLORADO