Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - Each team could get some firepower back on the ice tonight and already a high-scoring game was expected here so players coming back is simply an added boost. Why were plenty of goals expected here? The Maple Leafs are in the second game of a back to back and that means back-up goalie Michael Hutchinson is expected to get the start here for Toronto. Hutchinson has gone 0-5-1 with an ugly 4.55 goals against average and poor .876 save percentage in seven games this season. He'll be facing a high-flying Avalanche team that is among the top scoring teams in the league even as they have battled through some injury issues. Toronto will be very hungry here after a late collapse against the Flyers as the game was much closer than the 6-1 final would indicate. However, though the Maple Leafs will battle back and should have a strong game in the offensive zone here (especially with Mitch Marner expected back) tonight, the problem for Toronto will be keeping the puck out of their own net. The Leafs have allowed 4 or more goals in 7 of their past 11 games. Prior to last night's loss the Maple Leafs had won 4 of 5 and scored an average of 4 goals per game. You can see why it would not be a surprise to see each team get to 4 goals in this one and yet all we need is each team to get to 3 goals apiece and we're in good shape here as the game would have to end with at least 7 goals - a 4-3 final. The Avalanche have won 8 of 11 games and have averaged scoring 4.4 goals per game during this hot streak. When these teams met in Colorado a week and a half ago a total of 8 goals were scored and I expect a similar result tonight. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #26 Tuesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Canadiens were up going to the 3rd period at Boston on Sunday but then lost 3-1. Montreal is hungry to get back on track on home ice and we're getting line value here because many will look to back the red-hot Islanders as an underdog in this spot. I am going contrarian and backing the Habs here because this is a tough spot for the Isles. They were at Detroit last night and got a win over the Red Wings. Varlamov was in goal for that one and had a strong game. That means Greiss is available tonight but he left his last start with dizziness and was not feeling well. That makes this not only a back to back spot for the Islanders but also a situation in their goaltending situation is not exactly ideal. I would not be surprised to see New York have some struggles in the crease tonight and the Canadiens are so desperate for a win here I just do not seem them being denied on home ice in this one. The Habs have endured a recent losing streak but it is no mistake that they are favored here on home ice by the odds makers. In other words, lay the small price and look for the Islanders to lose for the 4th time in their past 5 road games. The Canadiens have won 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams. 10* MONTREAL

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Tough goaltending situation for each team here because they are in a back to back and they are extenuating circumstances with the back to back for each team. The Devils had to use both goalies last night because their starter was so ineffective that tonight's planned starter MacKenzie Blackwood had to come in to try and salvage the night. As it was New Jersey still got crushed last night and now their in a situation where they used both netminders last night. As for the Golden Knights, Marc-Andre Fleury's return to the team is imminent but their prized netminder is mourning the loss of his father and that is why he has had time away from the team. Malcolm Subban was in goal last night and that means options tonight would be a mourning Fleury, a tired Subban, or Garrett Sparks. Note that the latter netminder has struggled but could be called upon here and you can see why all three options are concerning for the Golden Knights. I like the over here because I am sure that the Devils will respond on home ice here after the 7-1 shellacking they took last night but I am also sure that the Golden Knights are going to score plenty following their 4-1 win over the Rangers in New York last night. That said, there should be plenty of goals tonight with both teams likely to struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. Vegas has scored 4 goals in each of its past two road games. The Devils have scored an average of 5 goals per game in their past 3 games against the Golden Knights. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Long-time Original Six rivalry and divisional match-up. I look for the Habs to get the upset win here. This is a revenge game for Montreal as they got blasted 8 to 1 at home last week versus the Bruins despite having a 37-24 edge in shots on goal. The Canadiens actually have outshot Boston 68 to 49 in their two meetings this season. Montreal won the first match-up between these teams and that was north of the border. Even though this game is in Boston note that the road teams (early November meeting notwithstanding) have dominated recent meetings. The road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings and those 5 away wins have come by an average victory margin of 3.2 goals per game. Boston has lost 13 of their past 23 Sunday games and that has cost their backers $11,500 at $1,000 a game. The Canadiens have won 6 of 10 games against teams with a winning record this season so despite some struggles this season they tend to be at their best when facing a challenge. However, that 8-1 loss last week versus the Bruins was a rare exception and the Habs most certainly haven't forgotten about the beatdown and now it is payback time. By the way, Boston has lost 5 of its last 12 games plus 2 of the 7 wins came after regulation. With just 5 regulation wins in their past dozen games, the Bruins have not been dominant like they were in the first month of the season. Even though the Canadiens are enduring a losing streak and have struggled of late they have only 3 regulation losses in 11 road games this season. They'll be in this game all the way and an upset is what I am forecasting as they seek revenge here. 8* MONTREAL 

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Puck Line (-1.5 goals +105) vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs lost 6-4 at Buffalo yesterday but Toronto had been heating up since their coaching change while the Sabres have been slumping and have had an awful November. After Buffalo got the win yesterday I look for Toronto to bounce back with a huge win on home ice today. Of course the Leafs are a pricey favorite here so the way to play this one is on the puck line. By laying the 1.5 goals with Toronto we don't even have to lay any juice here. I like the set up here because the Sabres used Ullmark in goal yesterday and that means Hutton gets the start today. Hutton has allowed 4 or more goals in 4 straight games! As for the Maple Leafs they started their back-up goalie yesterday and he struggled but now Andersen gets the start here. The Maple Leafs have NOT won a game this season with a back-up goalie between the pipes. All 12 wins have come with Frederik Andersen in the crease and I expect another big win here. Prior to yesterday the Leafs had been dominating recent match-ups with Buffalo. Also, the Sabres power play has been horrible. Payback time today for the Maple Leafs. 10* TORONTO Puck Line -1.5 goals

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 3:05 ET - Too much value to pass up on here. Yes it is a back to back situation for the Flyers but no team in the NHL has earned more points in the standings in the month of November than Philadelphia has. They entered this game playing very strong hockey and off a dominating 6-1 win over the Red Wings yesterday. The Flyers are getting solid goaltending from their tandem of Hart and Elliott. Conversely, both Price and Kincaid are struggling for the Canadiens. Also, Montreal enters this game on a lengthy losing streak and they have allowed 6 or more goals in 3 straight games! All were losses for the struggling Habs and the red hot Flyers won't show any mercy here. Montreal has beaten Philly just twice in their last 8 meetings. Also, the Canadiens penalty kill has been a major weakness this season while it has been a strength for the Flyers. Yes it is a back to back for Philly but they are a sizable underdog here and are 4-0-1 their last 5 games while the Habs are 0-4-2 their last 6 games. Philly is playing solid hockey on both ends of the ice while Montreal continues to be plagued by defensive breakdowns and sub-par goaltending. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vegas Golden Knights vs Arizona Coyotes @ 6:05 ET - The Coyotes have a well-deserved reputation for playing tight, low-scoring games. However, that is leading to value in a spot like this because the Golden Knights are still without goalie Marc-Andre Fleury as he is dealing with an illness in the family and is currently in Montreal. Note that Malcom Subban will be in goal here with Garrett Sparks as his back-up and, simply put, that means the Vegas goaltending is a weakness in this game. Subban has been consistently allowing 3 to 4 goals in all of his recent starts and this total is only 5.5 goals. I love the value we're getting here because Vegas also is coming off a huge win at Nashville where they scored the tying goal in the final second and then won the game in OT. That is the type of win that can really spark a team and Vegas had been looking for a positive after recent struggles. The Knights have allowed 3 or more goals in 7 of their last 10 games. 11 of the last 13 home games for Vegas have totaled 6 or more goals! The Coyotes have scored 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 games. Considering the goaltending situation and the fact that the Golden Knights have scored an average of 3.4 goals per game at home this season I expect each team to get to 3 goals here and am anticipating a 4-3 type final. Plenty of value with the low total here. 10* OVER the total in Vegas

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Friday NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line -1.5 goals (+) vs Detroit Red Wings @ 4:05 ET - The Red Wings want to fix things but wanting to do it and actually doing it are two very different things and Philadelphia holds a huge edge in this match-up in terms of who is hot and who is not. The Flyers enter this game on a 4-game points streak as they are 3-0-1 their last 4 games. The Red Wings are 0-5-2 their last 7 games as they haven't won a game in over two weeks! Also, Detroit's last 3 losses have come by a combined score of 13 to 1. They are lined up to get blasted again here as they Flyers have had just 1 regulation loss in their dozen home games this season and they are rolling with momentum after knocking off the Blue Jackets at Columbus on Wednesday. Detroit has scored just 1 goal in their last 3 games combined! The Flyers have allowed an average of just 2 goals per game in their last 4 games. 14 of the Red Wings 20 losses this season have come by 2 or more goals and that 70% trend continues here! 10* PHILADELPHIA Puck Line -1.5 goals

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens are off an 8-1 home loss to the Bruins. They have had a dozen games this season in which they have allowed 4 or more goals and when off a game like that they have had just 4 unders in 12 games. That ugly loss to Boston marked the 5th over in the last 6 games for Montreal and all 5 of those games totaled at least 7 goals. Look for this one to as well. The Devils visit Montreal on Thanksgiving Thursday and they won the earlier match-up here this season and it went over the total. New Jersey has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games against the Habs. The Devils enter this game off a tight loss and have won just once in their last 4 games. They scored 5 goals in that victory and have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in the 3 losses. I feel we've got great value with this total at only 6 goals but note that the total is moving to 6.5 in quite a few shops as of early game day morning. Both teams have struggled on the penalty kill this season and dealt with bouts of inconsistent play between the pipes. In fact Devils goalie Cory Schneider is now in the minors. The Canadiens have allowed an average of 5 goals per game during their 5-game losing streak. Both teams come into this one hungry for a win but also struggling to keep the puck out of their own net. That means we can expect plenty of goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #10 Wednesday 7* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - The fact that Steven Stamkos is doubtful for tonight has certainly made headlines and this money line is dropping. Certainly Stamkos is a fantastic player but he had a dreadful performance against the Blues when these teams met last week. He ended up with a -2 rating and lost 85% of his face-offs! The point is that I am putting a lot of weight on many other factors rather than Stamkos missing this game. The Lightning are red hot ever since the loss to St Louis as they have won 3 straight games and the victories have come by an average margin of 5-2. As for the Blues, they have been struggling. They are off back to back losses to the division rival Predators and St Louis has just 2 wins in their past 7 games. Keep in mind last season the Blues were in last place in the NHL standings with the fewest points as of January 3rd but went on to win the Stanley Cup. The Lightning, on the other hand, ended up with the most points in the regular season last year but then got swept out of the playoffs in the first round by the Blue Jackets. The point is that this game does carry a little extra meaning for the Bolts and this is particularly true after they lost at St Louis last week by a count of 3-1. It is payback time here and that is why I am willing to lay more of a price than I usually do in money line sports. With this game in the -150 range, I'll reduce my rating to 7* and invest here as I just can't pass up on this situation. 7* TAMPA BAY

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Wednesday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Flames will be without head coach Bill Peters for this game as he is under investigation for an incident that occurred about a decade ago in the American Hockey League. Calgary has been struggling but actually played a solid game in earning a point in an OT loss at Pittsburgh Monday. Keep in mind, even with the news about Peters the Flames have been a popular choice among smart bettors today. The reason for that is the anticipiation that Calgary will respond well on the ice to assistant coach Geoff Ward whom will take over head coaching duties behind the bench tonight. I fully expect this to be a positive situation for the Flames as well as they rally around this situation. Certainly Calgary is facing the right team to rally against. The Flames are facing a Sabres team that has lost 10 of its past 12 games. There is a reason a Calgary team that has won just 5 of 16 road games this season is favored over a Buffalo team that has a 6-3-2 record on home ice this season. In other words, jump on the Flames in this one just like the sharp bettors are. The Flames have won 3 of 4 this season after playing 3 consecutive road games. The Sabres have lost 45 of 63 when off a divisional game. 10* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Ironically it was the Devils with a goalie issue in their most recent game and now that is the case for the Wild. For New Jersey, they were in the 2nd game of a back to back and had recently released Cory Schneider so Louis Dominique got his first start of the season. As is usually the case when a team knows it really needs to play strong in front of its goalie, the Devils allowed just 19 shots in that game and won 5-1. Now it is Minnesota that is playing the 2nd night of a back to back and with goalie Devan Dubnyk out and Alex Stalock having played last night, Kaapo Kahkonen will be making his NHL debut. He has been playing great in the American Hockey League and look for the Wild, hungry off back to back OT losses, to play a very strong game in front of him and limit shots on goal. Minnesota is desperate for a win here and has two off days after this game so they will go all out in this one. New Jersey is having a tough season and had been outscored 9-2 in their two prior games before getting that big win over a bad Red Wings team. Now the Devils face a much tougher challenge here and the Wild had won 5 of 8 before back to back OT losses. Minnesota will bounce back big here. Home ice has NOT mattered in this series as the road team has won each of the last 5 meetings. I look for that trend to continue here. 10* MINNESOTA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Monday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are off a tough loss in the shootout while the Canucks are off a huge shootout win over the 2018 Stanley Cup champion Capitals on Saturday. That sets this one up well plus Vancouver's next game is at another perennial cup contender in Pittsburgh. The point is that this could be a "flat spot" in the road trip for the Canucks and I am sure the Flyers are going to come out flying all over the ice. Philadelphia gave up a late goal to Calgary on Saturday when the Flames pulled their goalie and the the Flyers went on to lose in the shootout. It was another tough loss in a string of them but Philly had been solid on home ice this season and they are determined to earn the two points tonight on Monday. They're catching Vancouver off the upset win of the Caps so it is the perfect time for Philadelphia to play their game and impose their will. The Canucks could still be without a key penalty killer in Jay Beagle and are dealing with a couple other injuries as well while the Flyers are arguably as healthy as they have been all season. The Canucks had been having a tough time this month until they got rare back to back wins and they still have lost 28 of their past 41 November games. The Flyers get back on track here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Beast of the East - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Look for the Red Wings to score much better on home ice after being held to just 1 goal yesterday. Detroit entered that game having scored at least 3 goals in 6 of 7 games. The Red Wings problems continue in their own zone too as they have allowed 14 goals in their last 3 games and they are allowing 4 goals per game on the season! That said, and considering the fact this is a back to back for both teams involved and that it involves the high powered Hurricanes, I love the value with this total posted at 6 goals. There is some 6.5 out there too so grab ahold of the value with an even 6 goals with this total but certainly I am looking for 7 or more. Carolina is off a 4-2 win yesterday which was their fifth win in six games. The Canes have scored an average of 4.7 goals per game during this hot streak! More of the same expected here and look for the game to fly over the total as a result. Each of Carolina's last 6 games have totaled 6 or more goals and that streak is on tap to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Saturday 8* OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:05 ET - The Devils are in the 2nd night of a back to back which stresses an already tenuous goaltending situation. New Jersey's Cory Schneider was so ineffective in the crease this season that he was released earlier this week. The Devils Mackenzie Blackwood got pulled in the 3rd period of last night's game at Pittsburgh. That brought in Louis Dominque who saved the only 5 shots he faced but he came into a 4-1 game that was already decided at that point. Now it is likely he'll be making his first NHL start since late March since Blackwood made the start last night against the Penguins. I like the over a ton here because I know the Devils are going to respond after being held to just 1 goal last night. But their issue, just like the Red Wings issue, is they can't keep the puck out of their own net this season. Each of these teams is allowing an average of just under 4 goals per game this season! Detroit has allowed exactly 4 goals per game in the month of November and they are off a 5-4 loss at Columbus. The good news for Red Wings fans is that this was the 6th time in 7 games that Detroit has scored at least 3 goals. I am looking for each team to get to at least 3 goals in this one and of course the game can't end 3-3 so we're looking at least a 4-3 final but, more likely, a 5-4 type game the way these two teams have been struggling in goal! 8* OVER the total in New Jersey

Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers game at Ottawa was 4-1 last night just 3 minutes past the mid-way point of the game and yet didn't go over the total. I lost with the over right here and now I will get payback with the Rangers over today. New York will respond after being held to just 1 goal last night but they're facing a Canadiens team that will be flying all over the ice tonight. Montreal is fired up after their 2-1 OT loss at home against Ottawa on Wednesday. They have had two full off days to stew about and get ready for this game. Now it is time to do something about it. I look for the Habs to score early, often, and throughout this contest as they look to take advantage of a Rangers team playing the 2nd night of a back to back. Last season the 3 meetings between these clubs averaged 7 goals per game and none of the 3 resulted in an under. Look for another over here in this one. Both clubs have respectable power play units and both have been weak on the penalty kill this season. Two of the worst in the league in that regard. 8* OVER the total in Montreal

Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - So why is a team that has won 4 of 11 on the road priced at pick'em against a team that has won 6 of 9 at home this season? Exactly! Don't be fooled by the line here. The road team is the play in this one. The Maple Leafs began the post-Mike Babcock era with a huge 3-1 win against the stingy Coyotes at Arizona. That was an impressive win and this is a team that is looking to go on a tear after their head coach became the first casualty of this NHL season. The Leafs are using this as a spark and motivation and, the only trouble is, after this game Toronto has 3 full days off. The Maple Leafs don't play again until Wednesday. They are well aware of this and this is a team that is hungry and wants to build a streak now. The last thing they want here is a loss and then to sit around for 3 days lamenting that defeat. So look for the Leafs to take advantage of a short-handed Colorado team here and make it two straight. The Avalanche are a very good hockey club but they are certainly not the same team when they are missing not only one but two of their best players. Yes, the Avs still have one of the best in the game with Nathan MacKinnon on the ice but the current absence of Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen are big losses for this Avalanche team. The Maple Leafs played without their captain John Tavares earlier this season but he is back and this is a hungry team that is also loaded with firepower. I don't see them being denied here and it is also apparent that other sharp bettors in the markets are seeing what I am as well. That is why this line is a pick'em. Again the Avs are not the same team right now without those key players and the Maple Leafs are a talented bunch that are going to be a team to keep an eye on for quite awhile now. 10* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Friday 8* OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - Perfect set up for an over. Both the Senators and Rangers are off upset wins in which they allowed just 1 goal. The Rangers beat the Capitals and the Senators beat the Canadiens on Thursday. Neither team will be able to match the intensity they had in the D zone in those games and those upset wins were also against division rivals. The over is 3-1 this season when New York is off a divisional game. Also, the Rangers are 4-2 to the over this season in games against teams with a losing record. It is Friday Night Hockey in Canada and the Senators are 14-6-1 to the over their last 21 Friday night games. Rangers power play has been strong this season but their penalty kill has ranked among the worst. Don't be surprised if special teams end up playing a role in this game going over the total as well. The Sens power play has struggled this season but facing the Rangers penalty kill would certainly help in that regard. Rangers had allowed 4 or more goals in 3 of 4 before the win over the Caps. Senators had allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game in their 5 games preceding the upset win at Montreal. 8* OVER the total in Ottawa

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - You know where the sharp money is on this game. The Blues opened up at nearly a -160 favorite and yet are down to nearly a -130 price in morning market trading on game day. That is sharp money folks because the Flames are on a 0-4-1 streak and the Blues are on an 8-1-2 run. Why are people backing Calgary here? For one thing the Blues just put together a very strong game and battled hard for the full sixty to knock off the team that was the #1 team in the regular season last year. After that big win over Tampa Bay, St Louis might end up a little flat in this game. As for Calgary, they are off a tight 3-2 home loss and they are fired up. They are hungry and viewing this road trip as a chance to get back on track. What better way to prove they are ready to make positive headway than by knocking off the defending Stanley Cup champs. In my opinion, the set-up is perfect for them to do just that. 10* CALGARY

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are in the 2nd game of a back to back and both teams used their preferred goalies last night and yet each game totaled 7 goals. That said, I look for another high scoring one here as both teams will struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. Craig Anderson gets the start for the Senators here and even though he is the official starter for Ottawa he has been clearly outplayed by Anders Nilsson whom was in goal last night. Anderson is 1-5 with a poor .871 save percentage on the road this season. Keith Kincaid is expected to get the start for the Canadiens here. The Montreal netminder has horrible numbers but when a guy has seen little action it is important to look deeper into that and make sure a few bad starts aren't skewing the stats. In the case of Kincaid, that most certainly is NOT the case as he has allowed 4 or more goals in all 4 of his starts this season! With Ottawa continuing to win some games and, as a result, playing with more confidence of late, the Sens should fare very well against the struggling Kincaid. However, even though Montreal is dealing with some injuries, the Habs also are likely to enjoy plenty of success against Anderson and the Senators here as they bounce right back from a 5-2 loss yesterday. Keep in mind the Canadiens have scored 5 goals in each of their last 3 meetings with the Senators and the over is also a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 games between these division rivals. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - I am not going to pass up on the opportunity to take the Flyers at plus money here considering they are off 3 straight tight losses and just suffered a brutally tough loss on home ice. Philadelphia blew a 3-0 third period lead at home against the Islanders on Saturday and then lost in the shootout. Philly has had to wait two days off to now get back on the ice for a game and they're going to be flying all over the ice against the Panthers tonight. Philadelphia has been getting much better goaltending this season than Florida has and I look for that to be the difference in this one. Also, while the Flyers have come up just short in 3 straight games, the Panthers are off a home win in their most recent game. Florida has lost 7 of 11 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Before their collapse against the Isles, the Flyers had allowed 2 or less goals in 6 straight games! Comparatively, the Panthers have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their past 4 games. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - I am aware of the injuries that the Sabres have but so too are the odds makers. You think they are throwing these numbers out there without knowing what is going on? The fact is they opened up this total at a 6 with good reason and yet it has now dropped to a 5.5 which is great value the way I see it. For one thing, a lot of the Buffalo forwards that are out are lower line guys. Yes, this is testing the depth of the Sabres but they still have plenty of top tier guys that can produce in the offensive zone and certainly this includes Jack Eichel who scored 5 goals over the weekend! However, he had the lone goal in Sunday's loss on the road and that means a determined and focused effort from Buffalo here on Tuesday now that they are back home. Watch them "rally the troops" because some of their teammates are currently out and you are going to see a huge effort here from the Sabres. However, Buffalo has been struggling to stop the opposition of late and the Wild have been potting plenty of goals so that is why I am expecting Minnesota to match the Sabres goal for goal in this one. The Wild have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 7 games. Also, Minnesota's most recent low-scoring road loss was preceded by the Wild scoring 4 or more goals in 3 straight road games! The Sabres most recent game was a 4-1 loss that stayed under the total but their 3 prior games total an average of 7.7 goals per game. This one gets to 7 or 8 in my opinion as well and, if I am wrong, I am thinking 6 at a minimum and that still gets us into the win column here thanks to the market move. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Monday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Puck Line +1.5 goals @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals are off to a fantastic start this season but this is the perfect spot to fade them. Not only are the Caps off a big road win at Boston in the shootout Saturday, they are now back home where they have surprisingly played worse than on the road this season. Washington has won just 5 of their 10 home games this season. Also, the Capitals have seen 5 of their last 8 wins come by just a single goal. That said, I really like the value being offered here with the Ducks at +1.5 goals. If you had played against the Caps with a line of +1.5 in each of Washington's last 11 games you would have won 8 bets and lost just 3. Anaheim enters this game with some momentum after knocking off the 2019 Stanley Cup champs in St Louis. Now they look to do the same with the 2018 Stanley Cup champs in Washington. In 21 games this season the Ducks have only lost a game by a multiple goal margin 6 times. That means if you had Anaheim at +1.5 goals all season long you've won 71% of the time. I like the value here with only a -130 price range on the Ducks here given the strong odds of a loss coming by only 1 goal. Anaheim has a great shot at the upset here and I like the added insurance of the +1.5 goals given all of the above factors. In the past two weeks Washington has only 1 win by more than a single goal. 10* ANAHEIM +1.5 goals Puck Line

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - Perfect spot for an over as both teams were in action yesterday. Back to backs have a tendency to put stress on the defense and netminding. Also, the Blackhawks come into this game red hot as they won 7-2 yesterday and have now scored 5 or more goals in 4 of their past 5 games. The Sabres got a big boost with the much needed 4-2 win at home yesterday. Buffalo will have to score plenty to keep in this game and I look for another big game from Jack Eichel here. Certainly he is feeling it after scoring 4 goals in yesterday's win! The problem for Buffalo Sunday will be trying to keep the puck out of their own net. Not only did have they allowed 6 or more goals in 2 of their last 3 road games, their two games prior to yesterday's win saw them allow a total of ten goals even though both of those were at home. The Blackhawks also have scored 5 goals in each of their last 3 home games. One could argue that this total should be a 7 so I am happy to grab the 6.5 in this one and look for an absolute barn burner. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - Perhaps looking ahead to this divisional revenge opportunity, the Flyers were a bit lackluster in last night's 2-1 loss at Ottawa. Yet, even with an "off night", Philadelphia still outshot the Senators in the disappointing defeat. Look for Philly to respond in a big way. I am well aware of the fact that the Islanders have been playing very well but they also have benefited from a home-heavy schedule and that is about to change. Also, they enter this game with a home and home set up next against the Penguins plus the Islanders are talking about how hot the Capitals have been and how they're still up there at the top of the division. The point is that the Isles are thinking more about their great record and getting ready for a B2B battle with the Pens and battling it out with the Caps early this season for the divisional top spot. The Islanders are overlooking the Flyers here and that will prove to be a mistake. The Flyers were 5-0-2 their 7 games (no regulation losses) prior to last night's loss. Also, Philly will have Brian Elliott in goal here and he has just 1 regulation loss in 15 career decisions against the Isles. Additionally, the Flyers have just 1 regulation loss in their 9 games as a host this season and they have been performing better in OT and SO situations should either of those arise tonight. The fact is that the Isles have played just 5 road games so far this season and they are a great team but they are a little overvalued here by the betting markets. The Flyers opened up as a -120 fave but the betting markets have flipped the fave here and I am happy to grab the hungry revenge-minded home dog in this one given all of the above. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #71 Friday 7* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers tied their game in the 3rd period versus a tough Washington team Wednesday but then lost in the shootout. The Senators tied their game in the 3rd period in New Jersey against the struggling Devils and then rallied even further for the 4-2 win. In other words, the set up here is perfect. Philadelphia won the most recent game between these teams and though that was on home ice, note that the road team had won each of the 4 prior meetings. Of course the above is all part of the reason that Philly is a moderately priced favorite in this match-up but really I like the odds with them here and have reduced my rating accordingly. Instead of a 10* top play or even an 8* regular play rating, I have dropped it to a 7* since the price is in the 140 range here. I always am mindful of risk in money line sports and, as long-time followers have seen first-hand, I play a lot of money line dogs. In this case the edges are strong for the favorite including the better penalty kill and much stronger power play so far this season. Also note that the Flyers are 4-1 the last 5 times they have been off a game in which they were held to 2 or less goals in regulation. Ottawa has lost 7 of its 8 games this season against teams with a winning record. Also, the Senators are 0-5 this season when off a win by a multiple goal margin. After beating the Devils 4-2 Wednesday, look for the Sens to drop to 0-6 on the season when in that situation of being off a victory by a margin of 2 or more goals! 7* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Situations don't get much better than this. The Jets are off an embarrassing 4-0 home shutout loss. Prior to that Winnipeg had won 4 of its last 5 games and the only loss had come in a shootout. The Panthers are off a huge 5-4 shootout victory at Boston! Not only is that a key win over a division rival, Florida rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win it! How improbable was that? It was the first time ever in franchise history that the Panthers had come back from a deficit of more than 3 goals to win a game! The fact it came against a division leader and last year's Eastern Conference champs make it even that much more improbable. In other words, this is now the perfect "flat spot" in which to fade Florida. Keep in mind, that win over the Bruins was the 3rd time in 4 games that the Panthers have allowed at least 4 goals. The Panthers have lost 3 of their past 5 home games and have allowed at least 4 goals in 3 of their past 5 games as a host. Conversely the Jets have actually been solid on the road this season and Connor Hellebuyck is having a strong season between the pipes. This money line is offering phenomenal line value given the situation. I respect the Panthers and coach Joel Quenneville but this is a very tough spot for Florida and I expect a tremendous game from the road dog Jets here! 10* WINNIPEG

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - I can't pass up on the underdog line value here. We can get +150 and fade a team that has won only 2 of its 8 home games this season! Granted the Senators have struggled this season too but the Devils have won just 25% of their home games and yet because of Ottawa's struggles on the season, New Jersey is a pricey favorite here. I like the value in this one because the Senators are off an embarrassing 8-2 loss at Carolina. Note that this was preceded by a solid recent stretch for the Sens though as they had been playing their best hockey of the season. As for the Devils, they are off a 2-1 win at Vancouver but that followed back to back ugly losses and now New Jersey is back home where they have struggled so badly this season at protecting leads. Also, the first game back after a trip out west often tends to be very tough on East Coast teams. Look for the Senators to respond after the beating they just took as they get the upset win here at a great price as a road dog. 8* OTTAWA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins have some injury issues but this is still a team loaded with offensive firepower and they showed that again when they rallied to earn a point against the Flyers by sending the game to OT on Saturday. Also, one of the newest injuries is a key defenseman as Torey Krug is out for this game. That will impact Boston in their defensive zone and the Panthers will take advantage. Florida comes into this one flying high after a 6-5 shootout win over the Rangers at New York. The Panthers have trended toward higher-scoring games all season long as 11 of their 17 games have totaled at least 7 goals. A lot of this has to do with the struggles of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky as he has a poor 3.39 GAA on the season. Speaking of struggles between the pipes, Tuukka Rask is suddenly struggling for the Bruins now too as he has allowed 8 goals in his last two games. That holds significance here as he faces a confident Panthers bunch that will put the pressure on him early and often and take advantage of the Bruins missing some players. But the Bruins should answer the Panthers goal for goal as Boston has yet to lose a game in regulation on home ice this season. Also, Florida is expected to be down a defenseman here as MacKenzie Weegar got hurt in the most recent game. These potent offenses take advantage of missing D-men and also shaky recent goaltending from these two netminders. 10* OVER the total in Boston

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Monday 10* Top Play Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The NHL is no exception. On any given night in any of the big 4 professional sports leagues, any team can rise up for the win because these are professionals and they play with a lot of pride. In this case you have an Arizona team that is a scrappy hard-nosed team that is entering this game off 3 straight losses. They are taking on a Capitals team that is the hottest team in the NHL this season. Washington is on home ice here too and yet they opened up as low as a -165 favorite in this one. The odds makers are sharp folks. They know what they are doing. Of course that looked easy to take the Caps and the line got driven up nearly -200 on Washington. It has since settled back down as some sharp money is now coming in on the underdog Coyotes in this one. Why? Hungry teams when games in a situation like this and this one is set up perfect for an upset. Arizona comes in very hungry and viewing this game as a chance to knock off the 2018 Stanley Cup champs on their own ice. The Capitals come into this game rather complacent as they are off a huge win versus the Golden Knights Saturday in a game that was a rematch of those 2018 Stanley Cup finals. Also, Washington has a big divisional game on deck against the upstart Flyers. That said, this is looks like a flat spot for the Caps while the fact is the Yotes are going to bring their A game here. Twice they had a 2-goal lead in their home loss to Minnesota and yet they let the game slip away. They are fired up here and are very dangerous dog as, Saturday notwithstanding, they are generally very tough to come back on once they get the lead on you and I look for the Coyotes to get an early jump in this one. 10* ARIZONA

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 goals -125 @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins are banged up and struggling. Yes the Flyers are in a back to back spot right now but they're riding the momentum of another win last night and they have a pair of off days on deck after this one. Plus Philadelphia used Brian Elliott between the pipes last night and that means #1 goalie Carter Hart gets the start here. The Bruins #1 goalie Tuukka Rask is struggling so Boston will likely go with their #2 netminder Jaroslav Halak. So by taking the Flyers at +1.5 goals we also get added value here should this game be decided by a single goal. A one-goal game would not surprise here considering that 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games have been tied at the end of regulation! Certainly the Bruins have a potent offense and are looking to bounce back but the best way to stifle a strong offense is a goalie that is capable of putting up a stone wall when he is "on" and Carter Hart is in another one of his "on" cycles for the Flyers. He has won his last 3 starts and is ready to go here. Again, the Bruins a little dinged up and though their most recent win was by a 2-goal margin over Pittsburgh they actually trailed that game 4-3 in the 3rd and it was a crazy finish that resulted in it ending 6-4. Plus, since that time, Boston has lost two straight games. The Flyers have a great shot at the upset here and if they do fall short don't be surprised if it is by just a single goal and that puts us into the win column here. Note that in the last 7 meetings between these teams the road team has had ONE loss that came by more than single goal. 10* PHILADELPHIA +1.5 goals

Contrarian Crusher – Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7 ET – This is a contrarian play because about 2/3 of the tickets are coming in on the Maple Leafs but I am betting the Flyers. Why? First lets talk about where the sharp money is going in this one. Even though the Leafs are getting most of the bets the bigger money is coming in on Philadelphia. We know this because the money line on Toronto has been dropping all morning. This is a revenge game for the Flyers too because they lost at home against the Maple Leafs last Saturday. That was a tight defeat in an 11-round shootout so Philly is hungry for revenge here. Both teams enter this game off wins Thursday night but the Leafs allowed a lot of shots on goal in their win over Vegas while Philadelphia dominated shots on goal in their win over Montreal. If not for Canadiens goalie Carey Price having a huge game the Flyers would have won the game easily rather than having to win it in OT. In any event, Philadelphia continued their season long trend of outshooting foes by a wide margin and I expect that to continue here. The Flyers are very hard on the puck and the hard work and strong skating is paying off as they also have outscored opponents 23-13 in the 3rd period. They wear them down as games go on and I expect that to be the case again here and am grabbing the big dog value with the road team in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA 

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 2:05 ET @ Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden - The change of scenery is exactly what the Sabres needed. Losers of 3 straight and scoring just 3 goals combined in those defeats, Buffalo needs a spark. The Sabres will get that spark in Sweden as no less than 6 players on the Buffalo roster are Sweden natives. However, there is a reason the Lightning are a pricey favorite in this one. I don't see the Sabres slowing down the powerful Bolts. Tampa Bay is also looking for a breakout game here after a 2-3-1 stretch and Victor Hedman (the lone native of Sweden on the Lightning roster) has been upgraded to probable for this game. The Sabres are considered the home team in the 1st game of this global series showdown. Buffalo is 20-13 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the Sabres are 9-4 to the over when entering a game with 3 or more days of rest. The Lightning are 6-3 to the over this season in a road game with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, Tampa Bay is 24-10 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Tampa has allowed an average of 5 goals per game so far on this road trip. On offense though they remain one of the most dangerous teams in the league as they have lethal scorers on their roster. The lamp gets lit early and often in this one as a result. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo (game played in Sweden)

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are off divisional wins but the Canadiens victory was a true rivalry win. The Habs and Bruins are both Original Six teams and they have a rivalry that dates back many decades. Also, Boston was in the Stanley Cup Finals last season and Montreal getting the win on Tuesday was a huge victory for the Canadiens. The key to the value here in my opinion is that the Habs were sloppy in that game and yet got away with it and a lot of that had to do with the Bruins being off a hard-fought crazy win over the Penguins the night before. Montreal is catching the Flyers in a much different situation here and plus the Canadiens are on the road for this one. Not only have the Habs lost half their road games this season, Philadelphia is a solid 5-1-1 on home ice this season! The Canadiens are a quality team no doubt but this is a classic flat spot (perfect to fade them) as they are off a hard-fought late-game win over their fiercest rivals. As for the Flyers, this is the finale of a 3-game homestand and they want to make the most of it. For the Canadiens, this is their only road game between the 2nd and 15th of this month as they go back home for a pair of games after this one. I could easily see Montreal having trouble getting going in this one and the Flyers will take advantage. The Canadiens have lost 37 of 60 when off a division game and have also lost 34 of 57 after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game. Look for the Flyers to improve to 5-1 on the season when in a home game where the total is posted at 6 or more goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Oilers vs St Louis Blues @ 8:35 ET - The odds maker had to set this total low because they know how the markets will perceive this game. The Blues tend to get involved in low-scoring games and the Oilers have been trending under of late. However, the situation here strongly favors the over and that is where the sharp money will end up on this game. First off, since it is a back to back and Blues star goalie Jordan Binnington was in between the pipes last night in Vancouver, we are likely to see Jake Allen get the start here. Allen has struggled in all 3 starts this season and has an .855 save percentage and a 3.72 GAA. These are bad numbers folks. If Binnington does start (which I doubt), back to back situations are tough on goalies. How are they on skaters? They can be tough but they are certainly not as tough when the team had back to back off days before the back to back. St Louis, prior to last night's game, hadn't played since Saturday. Also, it is a short flight from Vancouver to Edmonton. That said, the Blues skaters will be ready to go. As for the Oilers, they are off a low-scoring loss to Arizona that stayed under the total but the Coyotes always play low-scoring games. The fact is low-scoring games have been a rarity for Edmonton at home this season. Their recent stretch of unders included mostly road games. Prior to their 3-2 home loss to Arizona, the Oilers home games this season had averaged 7 goals per game in regulation. Tonight we have a total of 5.5 on this one and, again, I understand the low number but you know Edmonton is going to "bring it" tonight as they face not only the Stanley Cup Champs but a Blues team that is also the other division leader out west. The Oilers are currently leading the Pacific division and St Louis is tops in the West. Look for plenty of offense in this one because the Blues have big bodies to grind out goals by the net and I also don't see the Oilers being denied on home ice in terms of goal-scoring particularly if Allen is in goal for the Blues. But, again, if Binnington starts it is the 2nd of a B2B for him and that would not be good as he faced a ton of shots last night against the Canucks. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Hurricanes got off to a fast start out of the gates this season as they won 5 straight. However, the Canes have since lost 5 of 9 games and they are over-valued in this spot in my opinion. Keep in mind, the 4 wins Carolina has in their past 9 games have included 3 against struggling teams (Chi, LA, Det) whom have a combined 13 wins in 43 games this season! The Hurricanes have won just half their road games and have lost 3 of their 5 divisional games this season. You can see why I am liking the home dog Flyers in this one. They are off a tough shootout loss to the Maple Leafs on Saturday but this is a Philly team that entered that game having won 4 of 6 games overall. Also, the Flyers are 4-1-1 in home games this season. Coming off a loss and available at a value price here, Philly is offering super value in this spot. I rate this teams about equal in my power ratings and that means that getting the home team and not having to lay juice is a strong value. Look for Carolina to drop to 0-3 this season when they enter a game after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game. As for the Flyers, they have one of the best shots on goal differentials in the league. Look for Philly to improve to 3-1 this season in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - Both teams have some positive energy going right now and I expect that to translate to a very high-scoring game on the ice tonight. The Rangers are off back to back wins and feeling confident after knocking off the Lightning and Predators in their last two games. While the Rangers are going for 3 straight wins, the Senators are off a 5-2 loss at Boston. However, that followed an early season "bye week" for Ottawa and, as a result, they have fresh legs here. They are anxious to get back on the ice as this will be just their 2nd game in 8 days and I expect a spirited effort from the Sens here. However, Ottawa's issue is that they can't keep the puck out of their own goal. The Senators have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in road games this season. I do like the fact that the Sens have scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games overall. Also, the Rangers have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 4 games and 3 of those were victories. The over is 35-25 in Ottawa's road games with posted total of 6 or more goals. The first meeting between these teams stayed under the total but the over has since gone 4-1 in the Rangers last 5 games against Eastern Conference foes. In fact, New York has averaged 3.7 goals per game Eastern Conference games this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - Revenge game for the Flames as they lost at home to the Capitals less than two weeks ago. That actually marked the 3rd time in the last 4 meetings that the road team has won and that is what I am forecasting here at a very attractive plus money price. Calgary is in a back to back spot here, 3-0 shutout at Columbus last night, but they have won 41 of 69 when off a non-conference game. Also, the Flames have won 16 of their last 21 Sunday games. The Capitals penalty kill has been strong this season but Calgary's has been even stronger! The Flames big rally for a 6-5 win at Nashville Thursday has lit a fire under this team and it continued to burn bright in their 3-0 shutout win over the Blue Jackets. Other than the high-scoring win over the Predators, the other 3 Flames games on the first 4 games of this road trip have seen Calgary allow an average of just 1.3 goals per game! As for the Capitals, they are off a big 6-1 win over Buffalo but previously allowed 3 or more goals in 11 of 13 games! The Caps allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their 4 games prior to the win over the Sabres. Look for the stingy Flames to hold the Capitals high-powered offense in check and that will be the difference in this one as Washington's struggles in its own zone resume here and the road dog takes advantage and stays hot. I know the Capitals have a great season record and are off a big win but the value is with the road dog in this one as they will again hold a team "in check" for the 4th time in 5 games on this road trip. 10* CALGARY

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are off a hard fought win at New Jersey last night. With that 4-3 win in the shootout over the Devils, Philadelphia games continue their high-scoring trend. We have to lay some extra juice here with Saturday's total set at 6.5 goals but it absolutely should prove well worth it. The fact is that yesterday's game was the 4th straight Flyers game to end with a total of 7 or more. In fact, the average total in the Flyers last 8 games is 7.6 and there is certainly nothing "average" about that. The high-scoring trend is very likely to continue with the Maple Leafs in town. Toronto has also been trending over. 5 of the Maple Leafs last 7 games have totaled 7 or more. Also, the Maple Leafs have Dave Hakstol as an assistant coach. Of course he knows a thing or two about these Flyers as he was fired as their head coach last season. The point is that Toronto's high-powered offense will find holes in this Flyers team but I also expect the Maple Leafs to continue to struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. The Leafs have allowed 4 or more goals in 5 of their past 7 games. The Flyers have allowed an average of 4.8 goals per game in their past 5 games! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Friday 8* Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres have been waiting for this one. It has been a long wait since they blew a 2-goal lead and lost on home ice against the Coyotes on Monday. Buffalo lost that game in the shootout and when you lose a tough one like that you absolutely can't wait to get back on the ice and make up for it. That said, the Sabres have been chomping at the bit for this game and they'll come out flying. Buffalo is catching the Capitals at the perfect time for an upset too because the Caps rallied against the Leafs on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and got the win in overtime. With the type of win that Washington is off of and the type of loss that Buffalo is off of, it really sets this one up perfectly for a play on the big underdog. Both these hockey clubs are off to strong starts this season but the Capitals have won just 2 of their 5 games on home ice and the Sabres (a solid 9-2-2 on the season) offer tremendous underdog value in this spot. There is no way I would pass this one up in this situation. 8* BUFFALO

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are angry off back to back ugly losses as they lost to the Islanders 5-3 and then the Penguins 7-1. Considering Philly now gets to take on a Devils team that has won just 2 of 10 games this season (no team has fewer than the 7 points New Jersey has), I have no hesitation in grabbing the Flyers at a value price here. Philadelphia already beat the Devils this season about 3 weeks ago at home. In their most recent trip to New Jersey the Flyers also won and the combined score of these 2 Philly victories was 10-3. Philadelphia already made some early season roster changes meant to deliver a wake-up call to everyone on this team and I expect them to respond very well on Friday night after getting thoroughly embarrassed by the Penguins on Tuesday night. The Devils have allowed 12 goals in their last 2 games and are hoping to turn things around this month. However, New Jersey actually has lost 44 of 72 games (including 5 of 6 this season) when they are off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Also, the Devils have lost 19 of 29 November games the past two seasons combined. Both teams in bounce back mode here but the Flyers are the better team early this season and that shows up again on the ice on Friday evening. Play PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday NHL 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Flames blew a 3rd period lead and then lost at Carolina Tuesday. This was the 2nd straight tight loss for Calgary after having won 4 of 6 games. The difference was that the Flames felt like they let the game against the Hurricanes get away as they did not play that well and were especially outplayed in the 3rd period. That is the type of game teams respond to in their next game and, particularly coming off back to back losses, the Calgary will be bring a huge effort at Nashville tonight. They are catching the Predators at the right time for an upset. The Predators are on a winning streak and feeling a little too good about themselves at the moment. This is the type of situation when another team that is a quality club but coming off tight losses can absolutely sneak up on you for the upset win. Nashville is off a shutout in over a struggling Blackhawks team. The Predators lost 11 of 20 (-$6,200) when off a shutout in the past 2 two seasons before getting a win in that role for the first time this season against the Lightning on Saturday. In other words, off a shutout win, the Preds generally make for a good play against spot! Known for solid starts in recent seasons, the Flames are actually 24-16 (+$9,000) when playing against a team with a winning record in the first half of the season. The big road dog also has a huge edge in the penalty killing department so far this season. The Flames will prove to be the hungrier team in this match-up and will be relentless as they bounce back to avoid what would be their longest losing streak of the season. 10* CALGARY

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Wednesday 8* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - This is a great value spot to back the Wild. Yes, it is true that Minnesota has struggled on the road this season and they are in a back to back spot, but there is a lot to like in this match-up including a +160 return price on the Wild. Note that Minnesota was up 3-0 last night at Dallas before the Stars got a goal late in the 2nd period that changed the complexion of the game. Dallas then was able to rally in the 3rd period and, of course, that strengthens the hunger of the Wild for tonight's game as they are very hungry to end their road woes. Note that Devan Dubnyk is expected to be between the pipes tonight since Alex Stalock was in the crease last night. That is noteworthy here as Dubnyk is the #1 netminder for Minnesota and he went 3-0 with a 1.32 GAA versus St Louis last season. The Blues are short-handed tonight too and off a 5-4 OT win at Detroit Sunday that could leave them a bit flat here. Goalie Jordan Binnington was not impressive in that start and now St Louis is taking on the Wild without Vladimir Tarasenko. The Blues star is one of the best players in the NHL and could miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury. Additionally, St Louis is dealing with injuries to Alexander Steen and Sammy Blais. Teams are always gunning for NHL champs and with the success Dubnyk and the Wild have had against them recently as well as all the injury issues the Blues are dealing with (especially Tarasenko being a major loss), an upset is quite possible tonight. Minnesota is ready to bounce back after letting a 3-0 lead slip away last night and the Wild offer tremendous value in the +160 money line range for this one. 8* MINNESOTA

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:35 ET - The over is a perfect 3-0 in the Blue Jackets last 3 games and they have allowed 3.5 goals per game on the season. Columbus has scored 4 goals in each of its last 3 games but has struggled quite often to keep the puck out of their own net this season. That struggle will come to the forefront on Wednesday as the Blue Jackets host an angry Edmonton club. The Oilers underestimated a Red Wings team on an 8-game losing streak and, as a result, Edmonton lost at Detroit 3-1 last night. This followed an uninspired performance on Sunday afternoon when the Oilers got drilled 6-2 by Florida. In other words, Edmonton enters this game off back to back losses and unacceptable performances. This is the type of game when the "big guns" step up and the fact is that Edmonton is known for it's top line scoring but having trouble getting much from secondary options. In this particular case that means everyone is going hard in this game and I fully expect big games from McDavid, Draisaitl, and Neal. The issue for the Oilers is they have allowed at least 3 goals in 6 of their past 8 games. I fully expect this game to get to see each team get to 3 goals and that means the game can't end with anything less than a 4-3 final and that would put this over into the win column. When off a loss in which they were held to 1 goal or less and facing an Eastern Conference foe, the Oilers are 2-0 to the over this season and those games totaled an average of 8 goals. A similar result expected here. Both teams have displayed some struggles in their own zone recently and are allowing too many scoring chances. That continues here and they are a lot of big scorers from both clubs that will take advantage in this match-up. Edmonton has scored an average of 4.5 goals per game in its last 4 games against Columbus. That said, I also look for the Blue Jackets (angry off the embarrassing loss to the Flyers) to respond and answer the Oilers goal for goal in this one. The end result? A very high-scoring game. 10* OVER the total in Columbus

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The road team has won 8 of the last 9 meetings between these divisional in-state rivals. Included in that run is the fact that Philadelphia has won each of its last four visits to Pittsburgh! The Penguins come into this game off a win but they had previously lost 3 straight games. Also, the Pens just returned from a 3-game road trip and often the first game back home is the toughest. While Pittsburgh is off a win, Philly is off an ugly loss to a red hot Islanders team. Though the Flyers Carter Hart again struggled in goal in that game, it is likely that the surging Brian Elliott gets the start in this one and he has been fantastic between the pipes for Philadelphia. Also, in regulation time this season, the Penguins have been held to 2 or less goals in 5 of their 7 home games! Overall, the Pens enter this game having averaged just 1.7 goals per game in their last 4 games. As for the Flyers last 4 games, they have won 3 of them and Philadelphia has averaged scoring 5 goals per game in those 4 contests. The Flyers production on offense has been the much more impressive of these two hockey clubs. Considering that as well as the road dominance in this series and there is no way I am passing up on a +140 price being offered to the Flyers here. I know the Penguins are getting a little healthier but they still have a ways to go and it takes guys awhile to get back to 100% even when they do get back on the ice in game situations and they have to get back to being a cohesive unit with the other guys on their line, etc. Look for Philly to make it 5 in a row at Pittsburgh with another solid road victory. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Monday 8* Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - Similar to other sports, NHL wagering also involves an understanding of line theory to be successful long-term. That said, nothing is fool-proof nor does it work 100% of the time but the angle I have here is something that works more often than not. In this case we're talking about the "too easy" angle. In this match-up it looks "too easy" to take the Sabres on home ice laying a very short price. Even though the Coyotes are off to a solid start this season too, Buffalo has been even stronger and is leading the Eastern Conference standings and also a perfect 5-0 at home! That said, the odds makers know all this too and the reason Buffalo was set as such a short priced home favorite is because Arizona absolutely has a great shot at the upset win here. Long-term Arizona has won 23 of 40 (including 3 of 4 this season) when off a win by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Sabres are also off a big win but Buffalo has lost 24 of 33 after a win by 2 goals or more. Also, though the Sabres are off a win they had lost 2 of their 5 prior games and had allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their 3 previous games. The Coyotes are allowing just 2.2 goals per game on the season and they enter this game having won 4 of their past 5 games. 8* ARIZONA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The over is 7-1 in the 8 meetings between these teams the past two seasons. Yes I know this is a divisional game and both teams want to limit their opponents chances and play a tight, defensive minded game. However, the fact is that the road teams scored 4 or more goals in each match-up last season. Don't be surprised if the red hot Flyers have another big game here finding the back of the net often. However, they could struggle again to prevent goals. Yesterday they allowed 4 goals with Brian Elliott between the pipes and now Carter Hart gets the start tonight. Certainly I like his game overall but Hart has struggled in each of his last two appearances as he has given up 7 goals on just 29 shots. That said, he now will be playing after a full week off and could show a little rust too. Look for the Islanders to cash in early and often as a result as the over improves to 8-1 in the last 9 meetings between these teams. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Saturday 7* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - This is about the upper limit of the money line range that I will go into. Note that as a result I dropped the rating down a little on this one (to a 7*) to help mitigate the risk in terms of laying a moderate money line price on this one. Even though both the Blue Jackets and Flyers come into this game having won consecutive games, Philadelphia has been the much more dominant team. Their last two wins came by a combined score of 10-3. Also, prior to this they outhshot their previous two opponents by a combined 91 to 38 in shots on goal. At the other end of the spectrum, Columbus has played 8 consecutive 1-goal games including 4 straight that were decided post-regulation. The Flyers also have revenge on their side here as they were swept by the Jackets last season. Look for Philly to make the most of this opportunity on home ice after building up plenty of momentum with back to back dominating wins including the most recent one on the road. 7* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 6:05 ET - The value is incredible here and that is why I have no qualms about going contrarian and releasing a top play in this spot. The markets are funny sometimes as this line opened up at a -135 with the odds makers fully aware of the fact Mikko Rantanen got hurt in the Avs game Tuesday and that he would miss this game. However, the betting markets still have pounced all over the Golden Knights here and driven this line up all the way to a -165 as of very early game day morning. It is Nevada Day today here in Vegas where I reside and that is why we have a special start time here with this one as it starts at 3 PT locally. The fact is that the Golden Knights were fortunate to rally for the tie and notch a shootout win at Chicago earlier this week. Keep in mind this was preceded by Vegas getting blasted in Philadelphia by the Flyers. In their most recent home game it was also a victory that came after regulation and that was against Ottawa. The Senators are considered by many to be the worst team in the NHL. So the point is that the Golden Knights have not been that impressive of late and yet their laying a very sizable price here against an Avalanche team that just suffered its very first regulation loss of the entire season! I'll gladly grab the big dog value here with a Colorado team that is one of the best in the NHL even without Rantanen on the ice. The Avalanche are particularly hungry coming off a loss and they've had to wait a few days to erase the taste of defeat. They'll be flying all over the ice in this one as a result! 10* COLORADO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - Many will be backing the Blackhawks here as it is their lone shot at revenge against the Flyers this season after Chicago lost to Philadelphia in Prague, Czech Republic earlier this month. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am backing Philly in this one. The Flyers have been playing better than their record shows. They finally got what they deserved with a dominating win over Vegas in their most recent game. It was what they deserved because Philadelphia had outshot their prior two opponents 91 to 38 but come up short on the scoreboard in both games. The fact is the Flyers are playing better than their record would indicate early this season. Also, Philadelphia is getting strong goaltending from Brian Elliott and he'll be back between the pipes tonight. That is a luxury for the Flyers to have a strong veteran presence in addition to the young phenom Carter Hart. That said, it comes as no surprise that head coach Alain Vigneault is riding the hot hand here! As for the Blackhawks, goalie Corey Crawford is struggling this season as he is 1-3 with a 3.58 GAA. If Chicago chooses to start Robin Lehner, he has a 3.01 GAA in his 10 career starts against the Flyers. In fact he and Crawford have a combined record of 6-13 versus Philadelphia! Additionally Connor Murphy had been moved to the top defensive pairing for Chicago as he was next to Duncan Keith. However, Murphy now got hurt and the Blackhawks had to recall a defenseman from the AHL. Chicago is off a disheartening loss to Vegas Tuesday as they gave up a late tying goal and then lost in the shootout. The Blackhawks slump continues here as I am forecasting them to lose for the 6th time in 8 games this season while the Flyers continue dominating in shots on goal differential (+9 per game is #2 in NHL!) and get the win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #62 Wednesday 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Money Line (-) vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - Tough spot for the Red Wings as they are in a back to back situation. Making matters worse is how they lost last night's game on home ice. Detroit entered the 3rd period up 2-0. The final score of the game was 5-2 and the Red Wings were on the wrong end of that as they gave up 5 goals to the Canucks in the 3rd period. Those are the type of defeats that are very tough to bounce back from and this is particularly true when you're facing a rested team that is also desperate for a win. The Senators on home ice will be ready to go here and they have the fresher legs. Also, Detroit could be a little short-handed in this one as they lost Danny Dekeyser to injury in last night's game versus Vancouver. Since this is a back to back, it is expected that Jonathan Bernier will get the start in between the pipes for the Red Wings. He has made 4 starts this season and continues a pattern of alternating good starts with bad starts. For what its worth he is off a good start so you know what is likely here. Keep in mind he lost 23 of his 32 decisions last season and compiled a 3.16 GAA. This season Bernier has a 3.02 GAA and he'll likely be opposed by Senators red hot goalie Anders Nilsson whom has stopped 93 of 97 shots he has faced in his last two starts. Detroit has lost 47 of 66 when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. The Red Wings also have lost 17 of 27 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. In a road game with a total posted at 6 or more goals, Detroit has lost 28 of 41. The home team has won 7 of the last 10 meetings and that trend continues here. Lay the short price! 10* OTTAWA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Tuesday 10* Top Play Vegas Golden Knights Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - I successfully went against Vegas last night as they used a #3 goalie and the desperate Flyers (had outshot each of their last two opponents by huge margins but lost both games) were in a great spot for a big home win. Philly got the big home win and sent the Golden Knights out of town with plenty of motivation for their next game. The Knights had defeated the Penguins Saturday in Pittsburgh and they want to finish with a successful road trip. To do so they'll have to get the W tonight at Chicago. Even though this is a back to back spot for Vegas they will have Marc-Andre Fleury back between the pipes for this one. Also, their only prior back to back situation this season saw the Golden Knights win the 2nd game of the back to back and that one was on enemy ice as well as it was at Los Angeles. The Knights have a big edge in special teams as, last night notwithstanding, they have been great this season. As for the Blackhawks, they have struggled with the man advantage and on the penalty kill this season. Look for the Golden Knights to improve to 3-0 this season when off a game which they lost by a margin of 2 or more goals. Chicago has lost 55 of its last 85 games against teams with a winning record and they are hosting the Knights at the absolutely wrong time (off ugly loss) and that leads to another defeat for the Blackhawks when facing a quality team. 10* VEGAS

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #34 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers hit a tough stretch after opening up the season 2-0. A trip to western Canada did not go well but Philadelphia did outshoot Edmonton 52-22 in the road trip finale. The Flyers then followed that up by outshooting Dallas 39-16 on Saturday night in their first game back on home ice after the road trip. Inexplicably Philly lost BOTH these games despite a combined 91-38 edge in shots on goal. These types of things happen but they are head-scratchers for sure and look for the Flyers to finally be rewarded for their efforts tonight. On Monday, Philadelphia catches Vegas off a shutout win over Pittsburgh Saturday. Vegas is 6-3 this season and off B2B wins but they have yet to win 3 straight this season as they are 0-2 both times they entered a game off B2B wins. Also, extending back to last season (and including their first round playoff exit at the hands of the Sharks), the Golden Knights have lost 8 of their past 12 road games! Superb home dog value here as the Flyers next home game is not until Saturday and they have a road game against a Western Conference foe on deck for Thursday. In other words, there is no way they are overlooking the Golden Knights and they also have revenge for a 1-0 home shutout to the Knights last October. Philadelphia held the edge in shots on goal in that game. Prior to that one the Flyers had won 2 of their 3 prior meetings with Vegas and Monday night they will get right back into the win column against the Golden Knights. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Montreal Canadiens @ 5:05 ET - My first inclination here was to take the Wild at home over a Canadiens team playing the 2nd game of a back to back. However, I can not trust Minnesota goalie Devan Dubnyk. So far this season the Wild netminder has a 4.44 GAA and .867 save percentage in his five starts. That has led me to the over in this match-up because you know the Wild are also hungry to respond after losing 4-0 at Montreal on Thursday. This is a chance for them to get immediate revenge as this is their first game since then. I expect Minnesota to take advantage of catching the Habs in a back to back because that means it is likely Keith Kinkaid will get the start here since Carey Price was between the pipes yesterday. Kinkaid had a 3.36 GAA with the Devils last season and then struggled and allowed 5 goals in his only start this season. He'll also likely be rusty since this is just his 2nd start of the season! Kinkaid also took a puck off the hand in practice and may not be 100% here. All factors considered, we should see plenty of goals given the situational factors with this match-up. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - This one is in the upper limits of my typical price range as I shy away from going above -150 when laying a price in money line sports. In this case, I'll absolutely lay this price range as the situation is so strong. While the Flyers have been off since Wednesday, and that was a game they lost despite registering 52 shots on goal, the Stars will now be playing their 3rd game in 4 days as they played Wednesday and then also played last night at Pittsburgh. Tonight Dallas will become the first team to play a 10th game this NHL season and yet they have but 1 win on the season thus far which ties them for worst in the NHL. Now the Stars have to play a back to back and their playing a Flyers team that is officially 2-0 at home on the season (though one "home" game was in Czech Republic). The fact is that Philly will be extra hungry here after a disappointing road trip to western Canada. The Flyers have been waiting two days to get back on home ice and they're going to make the most of this opportunity. Phenom goalie Carter Hart was pulled in the game at Edmonton and he is a native of Alberta so was particularly disappointed in that performance and he can't wait to redeem himself here. The last time he was on home ice Hart delivered a shutout win. Also, he got the win and allowed just 1 goal in his lone career home start versus the Stars. When these teams most recently met (in Dallas), the Flyers lost 6-2 however and now it is payback time here in the absolute ideal situation favoring a home team in terms of tremendous scheduling edge. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Stars are off a tight 3-2 loss at Columbus Wednesday and are a much better hockey club than their early season record would indicate. The Penguins are a off a tight OT win over Colorado where they won on a short-handed goal. Give Pittsburgh credit for sure but it was an unlikely win and I love the value we're getting with underdog Dallas here as this has a lot to do with their early season record that, as noted above, does not come anywhere close to being a true measurement of this hockey club. When on a losing streak of 3 or more games, the Stars have won 75 of 128. Pittsburgh, when on a winning streak of 3 or more games, is actually just 13-13 and that has cost Penguins backers $6,300 at a dime per game when in that role. The Stars end their losing streak and, in the process, put an end to the Pens streak! Penguins have been able to get it done without the injured Evgeni Malkin but the determined and hungry road dog will be the more intense team in this one. The Stars have dealt with a number of tight losses and are so much better than their record shows. Grab the underdog value here. 10* DALLAS

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Thursday 8* UNDER the total in New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers are expected to start Alexandar Georgiev in the first game of this back to back situation. The New York netminder, unlike Henrik Lundqvist, was great in his first start this season. He'll be facing a Devils team that is desperate to get into the win column. New Jersey is the only NHL team that has yet to taste victory this season. That said, I am looking for the Devils to play very well in their own zone here and for this to be a tight divisional battle. Considering this total is a 6.5, that means we're getting excellent line value with the under in this match-up! I am aware of the fact this series has a recent history of high-scoring games but this one is all about the situation. The Rangers are off a 4-1 loss to the Oilers on Saturday and are certainly looking to clean things up in their own zone. The Devils have had issues with too many goals allowed as well but, like New York, they also come into this game well-rested and ready for a divisional battle that will have an emphasis on limiting opponents scoring chances. When the Devils are playing a home game with a total of 6 goals or more, only 40 of the last 106 games have resulted in an over. Look for a fierce divisional battle here with a 3-2 type of game the ultimate result. 8* UNDER the total in New Jersey 

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - After feeling a beat cheated by last night's Toronto total (over 6 was 4-1 after 2 periods but ended up a tough push), I'll come right back with the Maple Leafs over tonight. Toronto certainly has a lot of offensive firepower and they are averaging scoring 4 goals per game this season. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby is struggling badly to open up this season and, of course, Washington wants him to work through it. That said, he's likely to get the start tonight. However, even if the Caps turn to 22 year old rookie Ilya Samsonov, I still like my chances here. He has been strong this season but Samsonov would be facing a very tough challenge in the form of the Maple Leafs and lets not forget he is still a rookie. He is going to have his first NHL moments where he gets "rattled" and Toronto can certainly test him early and often in that regard. The Capitals may very well go with Holtby between the pipes and I don't see him snapping his skid against a very tough team. As for the Leafs, we are likely to see their back-up goalie between the pipes because Frederik Andersen was in the crease last night. #2 Maple Leafs goalie Michael Hutchinson allowed 5 goals in his lone start this season. The Capitals have scored 15 goals in their past 4 games so you can see why I am expecting both teams to light the lamp early and often in this one. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Calgary Flames @ 9:05 ET - The Flames are off back to back losses and, in regulation time, Calgary has totaled just 5 goals in its last 3 games! The Flames have given up a total of 9 goals in its past two games, both losses, and now takes on a Flyers team that is fired up after their first loss of the season. While Philadelphia has had plenty of rest early this season (only 3 games thus far), Calgary is in a 3 games in 4 nights situation here after visiting Vegas Saturday and San Jose Sunday. The Flyers have announced they will start top goalie Carter Hart in Edmonton on Wednesday. That means the back-up, Brian Ellliott, will get the start here. However, Elliott is certainly not a big drop-off between the pipes. The veteran netminder is 127-68-22 in his NHL career with a 2.41 GAA and a .915 save percentage. I liked what I saw him from in the preseason too! The Flyers special teams work has been excellent early this season and, off a shootout loss, Philly is going to be highly motivated after having the past two days off. They want to get right back into the win column and continue their hot start to the season. Their puck possession and overall structured game has looked great early this season.  The road team has won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and the Flyers offer strong underdog value in this spot. Calgary has lost 22 of 38 when off a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - The Wild played back-up goalie Alex Stalock yesterday and finally got their first win of the season and it was a surprising shutout. Stalock is unlikely to play the 2nd game of a back to back and, if he does, I wouldn't expect good results as that is not something he has done a lot of in his career. The more likely netminder tonight is Devan Dubnyk and he is 0-4 this season with a 4.56 GAA and an .862 save percentage. Those are ugly numbers and facing a very talented Maple Leafs team is unlikely to help matters. The Leafs are off a 5-2 win over the Red Wings Saturday. Toronto is averaging 4 goals per game this season but also had allowed an average of 4 goals per game this season prior to the win over Detroit. That is why I am fully expect both clubs to have plenty of success finding the back of the net in this non-conference match-up Tuesday! Last season both meetings between these teams totaled at least 7 goals and I expected a total of 6.5 to be posted on this game. Getting a 6 is offering great value here. The Maple Leafs, when playing against a team with a losing record in the first half of the season, are 27-15 to the over. More of the same expected here. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Minnesota Wild @ 1:05 ET - The Wild are the only NHL team without a point in the standings this season. Minnesota is not only win-less on the season, all 4 of their losses have come in regulation. That said, this spot certainly looks like a great one to back the Wild for getting their first victory and that is why they're favored on the road in this game at Ottawa. The Senators entered the season expected to be one of the worst teams in the league and also the Sens are off a rare big win as they upset Tampa Bay on Saturday. However, the reason I am playing the over here rather than Minny is because I simply can't trust the Wild defense as I consider the way they've been playing in their own zone including struggles between the pipes. Minnesota has allowed an average of 5.25 goals per game on the season. As for the Senators, they had allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their first 3 games this season prior to holding the Lightning to just 2 goals in Saturday's win. That said, this one looks like the perfect spot for a high-scoring game. The Sens scored 4 goals Saturday and have some confidence in terms of putting pucks in the back of the net after winning a game like that over a solid Lightning hockey club. You also know the Wild are going to come out strong here as they look for that elusive first victory of the season. That should lead to a high-scoring barn-burner in this early non-conference match-up Monday. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #85 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Jets and Penguins were both in action yesterday. Each used their #1 goalie as Winnipeg started Conner Hellebuyck and Pittsburgh started Matt Murray. That sets this one up well as it is a back to back likely involving back-up goalies. Additionally, these teams met earlier in the week in Pittsburgh and the game was 4 to 1 in the 2nd period but ended up staying under the total. Considering that as well as the fact the Penguins game yesterday totaled 11 goals and the Jets defense (young and inexperienced) is still somewhat of a concern, I like the odds of a high-scoring game Sunday evening. Pens are 44-28 to the over after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game. The Jets are known for scoring a lot of goals particularly on home ice. This will be just their 2nd home game of the season and the Jets will look to make the most of it and they are flying high after yesterday's OT win at Chicago. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Value Smash Pass - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #81 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Vancouver Canucks @ 10:05 ET - The Flyers have been playing very well early this season and also have fresh legs as this will be just their third game of the new campaign. They played even better in their season opener than the 4-3 final score shows and then were very strong again in their 4-0 win over the Devils in their 2nd game of the season. Now they take on a Canucks team off a massive 8-2 win. That huge home win leads to a little extra line value here because one should not forget that Vancouver lost their first two games of the season and scored only 2 goals in those 2 games.  The Canucks have lost 34 of 52 when they are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Also, that was a divisional game and Vancouver has lost 41 of 59 games when they're coming off a divisional match-up. The Flyers are a different team with the new coaching regime (Alain Vigneault and assistants combining for NHL leading tenure in experience) and I look for the road team to continue their rock solid start to the season tonight in British Columbia. Look for Carter Hart to have another superb game between the pipes tonight as he has been "in the zone" early this season as evidenced by his shutout (including unbelievable save) against the Devils in the big win over New Jersey. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Friday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - This is simply way too much value to pass up on. Yes the Hurricanes are 4-0 on the season but EACH of their first THREE wins came AFTER regulation! Now, finally off their first truly impressive win of the season (6-3 at Florida), the Canes take on a revenge minded Islanders team fully capable of an upset road win here. Last spring in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, Carolina swept the Isles right out of the play-offs. Keep in mind the Islanders are coached by Barry Trotz. Yes, the same Trotz whom led the Capitals to the Stanley Cup Championship over the Golden Knights the season before! The Isles probably got caught looking ahead to this game as they are off their worst game of this young season as they lost 5-2 to Edmonton. New York is known for being stingy when it comes to allowing goals. That said, the fact the Oilers got 5 on them isn't sitting well with the Isles. So here you have a situation where you get a huge underdog price on a quality team that is playing with revenge and off a bad game and facing a team that is off their best game of the young season and definitely over-valued at this point. I'll grab the dog in this type of situation every single time and note that Carolina also just lost Jordan Martinook to injury. Not only is he a solid right-winger he also is an alternate captain. His loss will be felt and he is out for 8 weeks or so most likely. Payback time here for an undervalued angry road dog ready for revenge. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Jets are off a 4-1 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday but Winnipeg allowed the Penguins to generate 38 shots on goal. The Jets got a huge game from goalie Connor Hellebuyck in that one but lets not forget the Jets had allowed a ton of goals in the first 3 games this season. Winnipeg is very young in terms of the defense this season and it is showing. That said, facing a Wild team that has been a nemesis for them is unlikely to do them any favors. Also, Minnesota comes into this game extra hungry as they are winless in their first two games this season. The key for the Jets to finally get past the Wild is to put plenty of pressure with their talent up front. That should lead to plenty of scoring changes and Winnipeg is scoring very well early this season. Also, this is the Jets home opener so I am expecting a great effort from them. As a result, look for plenty of goals in this one as the Wild tallied at least 3 goals in each of their 5 meetings last season. As for the Jets this season, they have tallied at least 4 goals in 3 of 4 games this season. Look for a 4-3 or 5-4 type game here. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers are well rested as this will be just their 2nd game of the season. Of course that is because their first game was played in Prague, Czech Republic and the fact it was on Friday means they have had plenty of time to adjust since returning to Philadelphia. The Flyers certainly weren't perfect in their season opener but they did look quite sharp and easily could have won the game by more than a single goal. Carter Hart looked sharp in goal and Philly really skated well in the game. I expect more of the same here and I expect Philadelphia to take advantage of a divisional foe that is off to a shaky start this season. After blowing a 4-goal lead and losing their season opener 5-4 to Winnipeg, the Devils then preceded to get blasted 7-2 at Buffalo. Unlike Philly, New Jersey has early season issues between the pipes as the Flyers certainly hold the edge in goal with Hart in the crease! This is Philadelphia's home opener and their only game on home ice until Saturday the 19th when they host the Stars! In other words, the Flyers surely want to make the most of this opportunity and I fully expect they will do just that. Both the Devils and Flyers are expected to be improved teams this season but, early on, it is the latter that is looking like they have gelled more quickly coming out of training camp. That said, the Flyers are the play here at a very reasonable price on home ice. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs San Jose Sharks @ 8:05 ET - The Sharks are 0-3 on the season and desperate for a win. The Sharks have not been scoring well at all so most will be looking at the under here. However, in typical contrarian fashion, I am looking the other way in this one. San Jose will have to score plenty to get their first win. That's because they have allowed an average of 4 goals per game on the season and now they take on a Predators team that has already tallied an average of 4 goals per game on the young season. While the Sharks have struggled to score goals they did face revenge-minded Vegas twice early this season. Also, San Jose should get a boost with the return of Evander Kane from his 3-game suspension tonight. The Predators did allow 5 goals in their most recent game, a loss versus Detroit, so the Sharks will surprise many by ending their early-season goal-scoring slump with a big game tonight. The past two seasons the over went 10-5 when San Jose entered a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 games between these hockey clubs. All 5 games totaled at least 6 goals and the 5 games averaged 8 goals per game. Look for the over to improve to 3-0 in Predators games this season as the high-scoring trends continue. 10* OVER the total in Nashville

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Capitals get Evgeny Kuznetsov back from his suspension tonight. However, I am also well aware that each of these teams has been involved in 1-goal games for each of their first 3 games of the season and yet the results are much different! Washington is 2-0-1 as they have yet to lose in regulation. Dallas is 0-3 as they have yet to even earn a point despite being involved in tight games in each of their first 3. I feel this has led to great underdog line value here with a Stars team that is much better than their record shows. You can also bank on them playing with a lot of emotion here as they are hungry to snap their winless skid that has opened this season. They have never even started a season with 3 consecutive regulation losses since over 20 years ago when the franchise was the Minnesota North Stars! Keep in mind, this is a team that is a top Stanley Cup contender this season. The Stars have had to battle with Boston and St Louis (whom battled for the Cup in June) and so an 0-2 start was not out of the question. However, Dallas is particularly fired up after Sunday's loss at Detroit to the upstart Red Wings and now the Stars, in my opinion, will play with plenty of "fire on ice" in this one! Grab the tremendous underdog line value here. 10* DALLAS

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #84 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - The situation here is set up perfectly. The Maple Leafs are off a home loss to the Canadiens on Saturday in which Toronto let a 4-1 third period lead slip away. The Leafs were playing the 2nd night of a back to back and it showed. Now, having had Sunday off with a day to rest physically and recharge mentally, the Maple Leafs will come out with plenty of fire tonight as they look to knock off the Stanley Cup Champs. This money line has dropped to the -120 range as of very early game day morning. I understand the move as the Blues are the defending champions and people witnessed the Toronto collapse versus Montreal on Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada. However, did you know that coming into this season the Leafs are projected to finish with more points in the season standings than St Louis. The fact is that Toronto is a legit Stanley Cup contender this season while the Blues are down a few steps from last season's team where everything clicked. Don't get me wrong as St Louis is still a great team but with them off a win and now facing a Maple Leafs team that will be very determined off a frustrating loss, I see this one going to the home team in a big way! The Leafs have won 37 of 60 non-conference games the past two seasons but the Blues have held the upper hand in this series. That said, the motivation is "off the charts" for the home team in this one and they have the talent and skill to finally "get over the hump" when it comes to knocking off St Louis. That said, lay the short price. 10* TORONTO

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #80 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - Unlike the Jets, the Islanders actually play a little defense. However, it is the Islanders that sit winless on the season (they have played just 1 game) as they lost their season opener to the Capitals. As for Winnipeg, after allowing 6 goals in their season opener (and looking soft in their own zone in that one), the Jets proceeded to then fall into a 4-0 deficit at New Jersey in their next game. However, in one of the most miraculous comebacks you will ever see, the Jets took advantage of the Devils goalie leaving with an injury and overall questionable play by a NJ club that has some young players, and Winnipeg rallied for the win. The Jets rallied to tie it in regulation and then won in the shootout. I love backing the Islanders here off a tough, hard-nosed 2-1 loss and facing a Jets team that is very fortunate to be 1-1 on the season as they are allowing an average of 5 goals per game. The stingy Islanders aren't going to allow the Jets to move so freely in the offensive zone. At the same time, Winnipeg's struggles in their own zone continue and the result here is a dominating home win. Lay the very fair home ice price in this one. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Big problems in New Jersey. Cory Schneider got hurt in last night's game. The #1 netminder for the Devils was relieved by a Scott Blackwood in a game that had been led by NJ by a 4-0 count. When Schneider came out of the game (4-2 at the time), the Devils fell apart. They ended up blowing a 4 goal lead in the game and losing in the shootout. Keep in mind, all of last season New Jersey never blew a 4-goal lead. That said, Schneider might not even travel to Buffalo for this game and Blackwood is likely to start in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Devils may have to call up a back-up netminder from the minors. You can see why I am fully questioning the NJ situation in their own zone right now given all the question marks in goal and the shakiness in their own zone last night as they blew a late game 4-goal lead on home ice! As for the Sabres, they are off a huge upset win at Pittsburgh on Thursday. That was a low-scoring 3-1 win over the Penguins. As a result of that game totaling only 4 goals there has been a big push toward the under in this game. The total has gone from a 6.5 to a 5.5 and this is offering up great line value on the over in this match-up. Watch Buffalo be overconfident after knocking off the Pens and the Devils are extra hungry after letting last night's game slip away. As a result you should see a strong push from NJ in this one and they pot a few goals but the Sabres will most certainly end up responding in what is their home opener. As a result, plenty of goals here. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #26 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks in Prague, Czech Republic @ 2:05 ET - Season opener for both clubs take place across the pond. Both already played a preseason contest in Europe to gear up for this game. The Blackhawks are known for their top line but there is quite a drop off from the top line to the remainder of the units. The Flyers also have a strong top line but there is less drop off to the #2 line from the #1 line. Philadelphia also has a goalie edge with Hart over Crawford and/or Lehner in my opinion. Coaching edge also goes to the Flyers with a veteran bench boss in Alain Vigneault giving them the edge over Jeremey Colliton. Considering these factors as well as the low price available on the Flyers, I won't hesitate to grab Philly here. The Flyers have not only won each of the last 3 meetings between these clubs, they have won those games by a combined score of 10 to 2. Look for another big win here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - Sure these teams each made changes over the off-season but, even with all that, the Jets are projected to earn more points in the standings than the Rangers this season. Also, in terms of this non-conference match-up, lets talk about some home/road facts that also equate so solid value here. Only one team in the entire Eastern Conference had fewer home wins than the Rangers (18) last season. Also, only one team in the entire Western Conference had more road wins than the Jets (22) last season. That said, you have one of the top road teams going against one of the worst home teams and you're also getting plus money here. This is an opportunity I absolutely will take advantage of every time it comes up. In this case too I like the fact that New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist is coming off a tough season and I have the better overall team in this match-up. Winnipeg has won 37 of their past 65 non-conference games. The Rangers have lost 35 of their past 60 non-conference games. In terms of head to head match-ups, the Jets have won each of the past 3 meetings and have generated an average of 9 more shots on goal per game in their last 4 meetings. More of the same expected here. 10* WINNIPEG

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 goals -110 vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - Yes it was only preseason but a couple interesting facts from that. The Senators beat the Maple Leafs in both preseason meetings but that was early on. What I like about Toronto here in terms of momentum here is they finished the preseason very strong with 4 straight wins. Also, as a host, their only loss was to Ottawa as the Leafs then won 3 straight as a host and the victories came by a combined score of 11-0. The Sens are now coached by DJ Smith and he was an assistant coach under Toronto's head coach Mike Babcock. Rest assured the veteran coach doesn't want to lose the home opener to his understudy and the Maple Leafs have plenty of motivation here as the Senators are known for giving them problems. Ottawa is projected to be the worst team in the NHL this season while Toronto is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. I do feel the Sens will be scrappy and will eventually be a little better than most are projecting. However, that is not going to happen early in the season as, with all the changes, Ottawa is going to suffer some breakdowns on defense and some poor positioning of players in certain situations too. This is going to lead to odd man rushes for the opponent and, of course, the Maple Leafs are absolutely stacked with high-skilled forwards. This is why the Leafs opened up as 3 to 1 favorites on the money line in this game. Where the value is, in my opinion, is with the puck line available at a pick'em price as a home rout ensues and the Maple Leafs win this game by 2 or more goals. TORONTO puck line -1.5 goals

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - History favors the Bruins since they have home ice in Game 7 of this Stanley Cup Final. However, history truly doesn't decide games and the road team has won 4 of the last 5 games in this series. In fact, throughout this entire post-season, the road team in Blues playoff games has won 16 of 25 games! That is 64% winners for the road team and, as always, the line is shaded heavily for home ice. The result is huge value for the team that is playing on enemy ice. In this case we get St Louis in a +150 range which is a huge value when you consider that the Blues had won 3 of the last 4 games in this series before the Game 6 loss. Also, St Louis is 23-7 the last 30 times they were off a loss. The Blues are an incredible 9-1 the last 10 times they have been on the road off a loss! St Louis is also 23-10 this season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. When tied in a playoff series, Boston is a long-term 18-22 (DOWN $14,300). Truly they are over-priced in this spot when you consider how strong the Blues and goalie Jordan Binnington have been when coming off a loss. I am grabbing the big dog value in this one. 10* ST LOUIS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:20 ET - The Bruins lost Game 5 on home ice and everybody is ready to hand the Stanley Cup to St Louis now. But Boston actually outshot the Blues 39 to 21 in that game. Certainly St Louis goalie Jordan Binnington was a key to the win but it is not as if Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask played poorly. In fact, in the last 3 games Rask has allowed a total of only 7 goals while Binnington has allowed 8 goals. The Bruins did not get what they deserved in Game 5 but I expect them to bring the same all-out effort in Game 6 and this time it translates to a win. Keep in mind that the road team is 15-9 in the Blues 24 games thus far in the post-season. Home ice is always factored into the lines but having the home ice edge has been anything but an edge during the Blues run toward trying to notch a Stanley Cup Championship! The Bruins are 11-2 this season when they are off a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less. Boston is also a perfect 4-0 in this post-season when the Bruins are trailing in a playoff series. Look for St Louis to drop to 2-5 on the season when they are on home ice in a game with a posted total of 5 goals or less. Since February 1st, Boston has lost 3 straight games only 1 time. Entering this game off undeserved back to back losses, the odds certainly favor the Bruins avoiding seeing their season end on a 3-game losing streak. 10* BOSTON

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - With injury issues to the Bruins defense, I am happy to grab the big plus money available on the over 5.5 in this one. I know Boston is going to respond on home ice and there is a chance they will go with just 5 defensemen in this one. Already without Kevan Miller, the Bruins Zdeno Chara is unlikely to play in Game 5 and Matt Grzelcyk is also listed as questionable. These injuries coupled with the fact that this game is in Boston and the Bruins are off a loss means I expect a big response here with plenty of emphasis on the attack in the offensive zone. Boston is going to bring tremendous pressure on Blues goalie Jordan Binnington in this one while, at the same time, I have no doubt that St Louis (full of momentum right now) can continue their "attack mode" on Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. With wins in 2 of the last 3 games the Blues confidence is growing with each victory over Rask and let us not forget that St Louis has proven to have a "road warrior" mentality throughout this post-season. The Blues are 8-3 in their 11 road games in this post-season and St Louis has scored an average of 3.4 goals per game in their last 10 games away from home. The Bruins, prior to their Game 4 loss, had won 9 of their last 10 games and Boston scored an average of 4.1 goals per game in those 10 games. You can see, per the above, why I am expecting a 4-3 type game here. The over is 4-1 in the Blues last 5 games. Boston's most recent home game stayed under the total but that ended a streak that saw the Bruins go 4-0 in their last 4 home games. That trending resumes here as the over improves to 4-1 in these Stanley Cup Finals. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #8 Monday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - After getting demolished by the Bruins 7-2 on Saturday, the Blues would seemingly have no chance here. However, keep in mind, Boston went 4 for 4 on the power play in that game. Getting into the penalty box too often and also then not killing off the penalties led to a snowball effect that St Louis could not recover from. The key factor in Game 4 is that we have seen this Blues team respond after a loss throughout this post-season. When they won Game 2 in Boston, even though it took OT, they truly dominated that game even though it took extra time for the win. St Louis started Game 3 very strong in front of the home fans but then the collapse began and Boston stole the momentum. The Blues won't be so easily discouraged here in Game 4. I have seen the resiliency in this St Louis hockey club throughout the 2nd half of the season and into the post-season as well. Note that the Blues are 4-0 in this post-season when trailing in a playoff series. Going further back, St Louis is 10-2 the last dozen times they've entered a game off a loss. Boston has a losing record and down $3,000 the past 3 seasons combined when they enter a game leading in a playoff series. We saw what happened in Game 2 when the Blues were off a loss and now Game 4 is a similar situation plus St Louis will have the home fans behind them in this one. After allowing 4 or more goals, the Blues are 22-10 this season and Jordan Binnington and company will bounce back big in this one to, once again, even this series up. 10* ST LOUIS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:00 ET - Bad news for the Blues is that they have the home ice "disadvantage" here. All kidding aside, the fact is that road ice has been the "edge" for St Louis in this post-season. The same holds true for Boston as the Bruins are 6-2 on the road in this post-season including a perfect 4-0 their last 4 away from home. The suspension of Oskar Sundqvist also is more impacting than it may seem on the surface. Yes he is on the 4th line but that 4th line has been a key contributing factor to the Blues success in this post-season and he will miss this game. He also is key part of the penalty-killing unit for St Louis. The Bruins are 33-14 including 15-7 this season when they enter a game with two days of rest between games. St Louis is only 6-5 this season with two days of rest between contests. Keep in mind, the Blues also really tilted the ice in their favor after an embarrassing performance in the final two periods of Game 1. Now it is the Bruins turn as they got embarrassed in the Game 2 loss on home ice. Yes it was only a 3-2 loss and it came in overtime but Boston was thoroughly out-played. This was evident in the shots on goal stats as, after those heavily favored the Bruins in Game 1 those stats were heavily tilted in favor of the Blues in Game 2. The Bruins are 7-3 the last 10 times they were off a loss and I expect a huge response here and the price is right for backing them too. Since they are on the road, we have no juice factor here with the road team! 10* BOSTON

Playoff Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are now already left for dead by many because they lost Game 1 of this series. What seems to be forgotten is that Boston was on home ice and they were supposed to win Game 1. After all, the Bruins have now won 8 straight games and were a significant money line favorite in Game 1 and the same holds true in Game 2. However, one should not forget that St Louis entered this series having won 7 of their 9 post-season road games. The Blues have not lost back to back road games this entire post-season. St Louis was solid in the first period of Game 1 and then gave themselves a nice 2-goal lead early in the 2nd period. However, the Blues did not look the same after that and after the Bruins swung momentum by finally getting their first goal it was an ugly game for St Louis. They'll be much better in Game 2. Goalie Jordan Binnington played very well in Game 1 for the Blues. As for Boston goalie Tuukka Rask, he was hardly tested. That changes in Game 2. When the betting masses have already made a decision about a series that is when I like to be on the other side. The point is the Bruins played a great game after being down 2-0 on Monday. As a result, the betting market is already penciling in Boston as the Stanley Cup Champs. I am certainly not saying that won't happen but I look for a much different game Wednesday and I expect the Blues to find a way to even this series up. In recent seasons, when leading in a playoff series, Boston is only 6-6. Over the same time period, St Louis is 5-2 when trailing in a playoff series and that includes a perfect 3-0 in this post-season! The Blues are also 21-10 after a game in which they allowed 4 goals or more. Give me the big dog for a big play here and this game will surprise many! 10* ST LOUIS

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The fact this total has dropped to a 5 in some books gives us even more value. That means we only need each team to get to two goals and we can't lose this pick as the game would have to end 3-2 at the very least. There has been a very long layoff for the Bruins here and also a long layoff for the Blues. When that happens teams tend to not be as crisp with their passing and this often results in turning the puck over which then leads to odd man rushes going the other way. The point is I look for a bit of a craziness in this game one as the goalies (whom have played so well by the way) also may not be quite as crisp early on after all the time off. As a result we've got a lot of value with this low total. The over is 4-0-1 this season in Blues road games with a posted total of 5 or less goals. The over is 6-3-2 this season when St Louis is playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. The over is 6-3-1 this season when Boston is off a shutout win in their prior game. Now, about that magic number of getting to 2 goals for each team. The Blues have scored 2 or more goals in 29 of their last 31 games! The Bruins have scored 2 or more goals in 30 of their last 34 games. Boston enters this game on a 7 game winning streak and they have scored an average of 4 goals per game during this hot streak. St Louis has been incredible on the road throughout this post-season and the Blues have scored an average of 3.6 goals per game in their last 8 road games. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Playoff Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs San Jose Sharks @ 8:05 ET - The Sharks are going to respond here after being held to a total of just one goal in the last two games in this series. Yes, San Jose is banged up. But I have seen this type of situation many times before in the past and it is going to bring out the best in the Sharks here and that means we're going to see a lot more scoring from San Jose in this one. They have to get back to what they were doing early in the series when the Sharks scored 13 goals in 3 games. They can do it again here. All the pressure is on the Blues and rookie goalie Jordan Binnington. I am well aware of the fact that he has been playing great but it is not like he has stone walled the Sharks throughout this series. Look for a very gritty effort from San Jose in this one as they repeat the goal-scoring success they displayed earlier in the series. So why not have the Sharks as my big play in Game 6? The issue with that is Martin Jones between the pipes. It certainly has not been his best post-season and he has an ugly .875 save percentage in his last 3 road starts. That was even with the last one being a good one. He allowed 2 goals in Game 4 of this series but each of his prior road games saw him allowed 4 goals in each start. Overall, after a poor Game 5 on home ice, Jones has allowed 4 or more goals in 3 of his last 4 games. As a result, look for this game to have a lot more goal-scoring than most are anticipating. When the Sharks are playing with home loss revenge this season, the over has cashed 14 of 20 times. Look for another one here! 10* OVER the total in St Louis

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Sunday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 3:05 ET - The Sharks look like an easy choice here, right? They managed to even the series up by winning Game 3 at St Louis and they now have the home ice edge again in the series as a result. However, I love the Blues in this spot. The reasons are multiple. For one thing Erik Karlsson is a key player for San Jose and he does have an injury issue right now. A lot of details are currently known in terms of his availability today but, even if he plays, he is nowhere close to 100%. The key here is that the Sharks had a chance to go in for the kill against the Blues in Game 4 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Blues were on the ropes after a frustrating Game 3 loss. In my mind Game 4 was the game for the Sharks to put away St Louis as the Blues would have been fragile mentally after the way they felt they lost Game 3 in OT on a missed call. As it turns out, San Jose failed to take advantage of the situation and St Louis has new life in this series and they will play like it today. Keep in mind the Sharks blew leads of 2-0 and 3-1 in Game 3 of this series and were a bit fortunate to get the win. Then in Game 4 San Jose was down 1-0 right away and eventually 2-0 and they never managed to tie it up. There is a lot to like about the way the Blues have been playing and I am happy to grab them at the underdog price. What about the home ice edge you say? Well the road team is 11-6 in St Louis' playoff games in this post-season! Also, the Blues have won 6 of their 8 playoff road games. 10* ST LOUIS

Playoff Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Friday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - On the one hand, many will be looking at the Blues to bounce back here on home ice in Game 4 after the way Game 3 finished. In that game Wednesday St Louis allowed the tying goal with just a minute to go in the 3rd period and then gave up a controversial game-winning goal in overtime. However, I view this quite differently. First off, the Sharks have all the momentum off that win. Secondly, San Jose twice had a two goal lead in that game (up 2-0 and up 3-1) and they know they never even should have put themselves in that spot. Thirdly, all the pressure on the Blues here as they know that going into a 3-1 series hole with 2 of the next 3 games (if necessary) on enemy ice would likely prove insurmountable. So the Sharks come into this game relaxed and confident while the Blues are putting a lot of pressure on themselves and still distracted by the Game 3 ending. Last, but certainly not least, I feel it can not be ignored that home ice has been a hindrance rather than a help in playoff games involving St Louis is in this post-season. The road team has prevailed in 11 of the Blues 16 games in these playoffs. Look for the Blues to drop to 3-11 in their last 14 games in conference finals action. Contrarian play I know but this has worked very well for me throughout this post-season. 10* SAN JOSE

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - I look for a wide-open game here after Game 3 was a 2-1 final. The fact is the Bruins are up 3-0 in this series and can go in for the kill. I expect Boston to be very aggressive here as a result as they would love to finish this off now. As for Hurricanes, they have totaled only 5 goals in this series thus far. There is no tomorrow for Carolina if they lose on Thursday. That said, they know they need to take chances in Game 4, they need to be willing to risk some defensive shortfalls by being more aggressive with risk-taking to create the highest quality scoring chances possible. Of course that is because Tuukka Rask is currently on an incredible run for the Bruins. He has been fantastic between the pipes but I expect Carolina to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him in this one. Prior to Game 3 staying under the total, the Hurricanes were 4-0 to the over in their 4 prior games overall. Also, Carolina entered Game 3 on a 3-0 run to the over in their 3 prior home games. As for the Bruins, they have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 6 games. I look for the Boston scoring surge to resume here after the initial rally around the Hurricanes goalie change has now subsided. Going to McElhinney in Game 3 produced better results for the Hurricanes but they still lost and their focus in this Game 4 is on offensive production as they simply must solve Rask. To do that, as noted above, taking a few more chances with their game plan and style of play is absolutely paramount. 8 of 11 meetings, prior to Tuesday's game, had gone over the total and these teams resume normalcy in their series and combine for another one going over the total in Game 4 on Thursday. 10* OVER the total in Carolina

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Wednesday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - After losing game two on home ice I am fully expecting a huge response from the Sharks in game three as this series shifts to St Louis. When tied up in a playoff series in this postseason San Jose has been fantastic as they have won 4 of 5. The Blues, prior to Monday's win, had lost 9 of their last 11 games in conference finals action. Also, the Sharks, prior to Monday's loss, had won 5 of the last 7 games between these hockey clubs. St Louis playoff games in this postseason have been dominated by the road team. With the Blues upset win in Game 2 the road team has won 10 of 15 games in St Louis postseason action this spring. I look for that trend to continue here with another road upset as the veteran goalie Martin Jones and the Sharks bounce back against the rookie goalie Jordan Binnington and the Blues. 10* SAN JOSE

Playoff Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Tuesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - Desperate times bring desperate measures and you will see a desperate Hurricanes team doing everything they can here on home ice to get back into this series. Yes, the first two games ended up being ugly losses at Boston but remember that Carolina was also left for dead after dropping the first two games of their first round series with the Capitals. The Hurricanes responded by winning 4 of the last 5 including all 4 on home ice. In fact, the Canes enter this Game 3 match-up having won 7 straight at home and also 21 of their last 26 games as a host! Yes indeed, Carolina is tough in Raleigh and they also are 10-1 this season in home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Bruins have lost 6 of their last 10 (-$3,600) when leading in a playoff series. Shots on goal were equal in the first two games in this series but Boston won big thanks to special teams play and, arguably, some shoddy goaltending on the part of the Hurricanes. Whether it is Mrazek or McElhinney between the pipes for Carolina you can fully expect a response from the home team in this one and a much better effort both in front of the netminder as well as from the goalie himself. We've seen this before with the Hurricanes and I don't see them being denied here. 10* CAROLINA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #7 Monday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 9:05 ET - With Blues rookie netminder Jordan Binnington off a rare awful game between the pipes in Saturday's game one, I fully expect a bounce back here. St Louis was annihilated 6 to 3 and the Blues (and Binnington for that matter) absolutely should respond huge in Monday's game two. Note that St Louis has won 19 of 26 when off a loss. Note also that the Blues won 19 of 29 this season after a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Of course St Louis will be desperate to knot the series at a game apiece by having a strong game here and the Sharks have not won a single time in this post-season when they enter a game with a lead in a playoff series! This situation has occurred 4 times thus far in the playoffs for San Jose and they have lost all 4 times. I am forecasting that streak going to 0-5 for the Sharks tonight as the Blues bounce back after an embarrassing gone one loss. 10* ST LOUIS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 3:05 ET - At first glance it looks like the Hurricanes got blown out in Game 1 but those whom watched the game know better. Carolina was up 2-1 going to the 3rd period. Then, early in that final period of the game the Canes made the mistake of becoming undisciplined and ending up in the penalty box. Very quickly a 2-1 lead turned into a 3-2 deficit. Then very late in the game two late goals (including an empty netter) turned the game into a 5-2 final. On Sunday, after an extra day of rest between games for the Hurricanes to become even more fired up about how they let that game get away from them, I look for the Canes to put it together for a full 60 minutes in Game 2! Carolina has won 39 of 57 games since December 31st. The Hurricanes are 11-3 the last 14 times they've entered a game off a loss. The Bruins, prior to winning Thursday's series opener, had actually lost 5 of their last 9 on home ice. The Hurricanes, prior to the Game 1 loss, had won 3 straight road games. That said, there is great value with the road dog in this match-up. Boston has lost 6 of 9 when leading in a playoff series and the Canes have won 3 of 4 when trailing in a playoff series. 10* CAROLINA

National TV Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Saturday 8* St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are 5-1 in road games in this post-season. In all St Louis playoff games in the first two rounds the road team went 9-4. The Blues are 20-9 their last 29 games against teams with a winning record. On the full season the Sharks went just 21-21 against teams with a winning record. San Jose is 13-11 (down $5,800) when playing with two days rest between games this season. St Louis is 7-3 (up $2,400) when playing with three days rest between games this season. The way the Blues have functioned so well on the road throughout these playoffs as well as the fact they have an extra day of rest here and considering their better performance (compared to the Sharks) against winning teams, the value in this match-up is with the road dog. 8* ST LOUIS

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Jose Sharks vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Sharks have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 12 home games. Not surprising given those numbers, San Jose is 10-2 to the over in their last dozen games as a host. St Louis has scored an average of 3.4 goals per game in their last 5 games on the road. The Blues allowed only 1 goal in their most recent road game but entered that contest having allowed an average of 3 goals per game in their 4 prior games away from home. Considering the above numbers it will be no surprise to see each team get to 3 goals in this one and that would mean we're looking at a 4-3 type game. That said, I like the value with this total not only available at 5.5 goals but also at plus money on the over. The Blues enter this contest with 3 days of rest between games. This is the 11th time that has occurred for St Louis this season and, thus far, only 3 of those have resulted in an under! The Sharks are 6-3 to the over this season in a home game with a posted total of 5.5 goals and I look for another on here. As long-time followers know, I like to go contrarian. That said, NONE of the last NINE meetings between these teams has resulted in an over. However, prior to that stretch was a playoff series between these teams and each of the last 3 post-season games have gone over the total. In any event the aforementioned 9 game streak without an under, in my strong opinion, is coming to an end here as the Blues continue their strong road play and the Sharks continue their strong home play! Each team is "in their element" here! 10* OVER the total in San Jose

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - The Hurricanes have been off for a week and could be a little rusty here. Of course that can lead to mishandled pucks and create odd man rushes and great scoring opportunities as a result. I think we're going to see a bit of a wide open Game 1 because of that factor as well as the fact that the Bruins are off a hard-fought series win over the Blue Jackets. The Bruins Tuukka Rask was the key in that series win over Columbus as he got hot and played great but, keep in mind, Boston did allow an average of 38 shots on goal per game over the last 5 games of that series. That generally does not equate to low-scoring games and, of course, the Hurricanes have plenty of scoring firepower. While the Bruins have averaged 3.7 goals per game in their last 3 games, the Canes have scored 4 or more goals in 4 of their last 6 post-season games. Also, due to injury to Mrazek, McElhinney came in and started the final two games of the series win over the Islanders. Now Carolina has a bit of a goalie conundrum coming into this series and that is certainly not a good thing for a goaltenders mindset. The fact this over 5.5 is available at big plus money is a huge value here too as I see each team getting to 3 goals in a Game 1 that sees a lot of quality scoring chances for the reasons noted above. In terms of technical support, the Bruins are off a shutout win and the over is a perfect 4-0 the last 4 times they have entered a game off a victory in which they shut out their opponent. 10* OVER the total in Boston

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #27 Wednesday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 9:05 ET - San Jose has scored only 4 non-power plays goals in the last 3 games of this series! Colorado has scored 7 non-power play goals in the most recent 3 games in this series. One could certainly make a valid argument that the Avalanche are taking better advantage of scoring opportunities in 5 on 5 hockey and that difference is averaging a goal per game since this series passed the midway point. That said, in what is likely to be a tight, hard-fought Game 7 give me the underdog that also is averaging a goal per game more than their opponent in 5 on 5 action the last 3 games. The Avalanche were left for dead when down 2-1 in this series after a home loss in Game 3 but Colorado has battled back and shown their resilience. Keep in mind, the Sharks were a bigger favorite in Games 2 and 5 on home ice that what they are in Game 7. Why do you think that is? Do you think the odds makers made a mistake? Of course not. Anything can happen in a game once they drop the puck of course BUT the fact is the odds makers are expecting the same thing sharp bettors are in this match-up. That is...an Avalanche upset is quite probable hence the lower money line (opened as low as -123 in big books) on this game. Now this line is a high as a -145 in some spots and I love the value with the road dog as the Avs have tilted the ice in their favor in recent games. Also, the back to back 7 game series battles the Sharks are dealing with (remember the crazy Game 7 versus Vegas?) is going to ultimately prove to be too much for San Jose as they get worn down here. Keep in mind, the Avalanche dispatched of the Flames in 5 games in the opening round and had a full week off between the first round and second round. 10* COLORADO

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #23 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - Home ice hasn't meant much at all in this series and that was also the case in the first round series for the Blues when they eliminated the Jets. The fact is that with the St Louis win at Dallas Sunday, the road team is now 9-3 in the Blues 12 playoff games. So simply based on current trending you have a St Louis team laying a -140 price even though the home team has lost 75% of the time in Blues games this post-season. Simply on value alone one could not win an argument that the Stars are not the correct choice in this game from a betting standpoint. There is even more support too however. I like the fact that we have Ben Bishop on our side over Jordan Binnington of the Blues. No disrespect to Binnington but this will be his first Game 7 at the NHL level. His counterpart, Bishop, was originally drafted by the Blues in 2005. Note that in 2005 Binnington was 11 years old. The fact is that Bishop has a massive experience edge compared to the Blues rookie netminder. Bishop is 28-18 with a superb .927 save percentage in his 48 NHL playoff games and took the Lightning to the Stanley Cup Finals four years ago. In terms of trending here, the Stars are 9-3 in their last 12 road games with a posted total of 5 goals or less. The Blues are 1-5 the last 6 times they were off a game in which they allowed 1 goal or less. 10* DALLAS

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Monday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets were a great story this post-season with their shocking sweep of the Lightning in round one. Also, I have always been a fan of Columbus coach John Tortorella and his ways though some may find him abrasive. To me his more of an old-school coach and there is not enough of the old-school mentality left in professional sports and we need it! With all that said however, the Bruins are the better team in this series with more post-season experience and their starting to impose their will in this series. As a result, the Jackets season ends tonight. Boston has now scored 4 goals in back to back games to rally back from a 2-1 deficit and take a 3-2 series lead. To put that in proper perspective, the Blue Jackets haven't scored 4 goals a single time in this series. Also, all the pressure is on Columbus here. They need to win to extend the series while the Bruins come in loose and relaxed as they have won two straight games and still have Game 7 in their back-pockets should it be needed. From the standpoint of the mentality of each team approaching this game, the Bruins hold a huge edge. Also, Boston finally has their top line and big guns going again in this series and that has their confidence level extremely high which, in turn, makes the Bruins very dangerous. Since Game 6 is at Columbus we also get line value here because that makes Boston a dog in this one and that is why I am elevating this play to my highest rating. The Bruins have won 25 of 36 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The Blue Jackets have lost 8 of 12 in franchise history when trailing in a playoff series and Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is now officially "rattled" after what has transpired the past two games. 10* BOSTON

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Dallas Stars @ 3:05 ET - The recipe for success in the Blues post-season from a wagering standpoint is simply to play the road team in their games. With the Stars upset win at St Louis in Game 5 of this series, the road team has now won 8 of the Blues 11 post-season games. In terms of Dallas matched up with St Louis this season, the road team has won 6 of the 9 games. Considering those factors as well as the pressure on the Stars to close this series out on home ice, I like the road dog Blues in this one. Sometimes the pressure of closing a team out can be hard on a team and this is particularly true in a situation like this where a hockey club has Game 6 on home ice with a chance to end it. Dallas knows if they fall short they then have to go on the road for Game 7 and that is always a tough situation for a road team to win. That said, it may surprise you to hear this but the Stars are likely to be the team squeezing the sticks a little too tight in this one! They feel the pressure of needing to close this out in Game 6 and avoid a Game 7 on the road. For the Blues, they actually feel good about their series chances, despite the Game 5 loss, as they know they just have to win this afternoon and they get a chance to host a Game 7 which is always a nice proposition. Also, St Louis is off back to back losses in this series. The Blues are an incredible 12-3 this season when they enter game off 2 or more consecutive losses. The Stars are actually 2-5 the last 7 times they entered a game off 2 or more consecutive victories. The Blues have won 18 of their last 27 games against teams with a winning record. The Stars have lost 17 of their last 22 Sunday games! 10* ST LOUIS

NBC Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Saturday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:15 ET - The Bruins are off a 4-1 win at Columbus. Not only has this swung momentum fully in favor of Boston as they head back to home ice with this series tied at 2 games apiece, note also that the only Blue Jackets goal that scored should not have even counted. Tuukka Rask has been dominant to say the least. In fact, the Bruins have now gone 7 straight games without allowing more than 2 goals in regulation! Conversely, Columbus has now allowed 3 or more goals in 3 of its last 5 games. Look for that, plus home ice, to combine to be a big difference maker in this critical Game 5. Boston got their top guys going in Game 4 and the shuffling of line combinations appears to have settled back into the Bruins going strong with their big guns now back on track in this series. That is bad news for a Blue Jackets team that has struggled to solve Rask in this series. With that said, though I normally play a lot of underdogs this is one spot where a favorite priced very fair (130 to 140 range) is offering plenty of line value to justify the investment. Boston has won 14 of 20 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. The Bruins have won 24 of 35 games this season when they are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The Blue Jackets are an all-time 1-3 when a series is tied up. 10* BOSTON

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #79 Friday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The mindset of the Islanders here is not what you might expect. Certainly they have not thrown in the towel. They know with a win tonight they remain alive in this series and that 2 of the final 3 games (if necessary) would be in New York. Also, although the final score looks ugly in Game 3, that was simply because of 2 late empty net goals. The game was tied 2-2 going to the third period and very easily could have ended up a 3-2 final. The fact is that all 3 games in this series thus far have been tight and the Islanders just haven't been able to get a bounce to go their way. Look for that to change tonight. I just don't see the Isles being denied here as head coach Barry Trotz (led Capitals to Stanley Cup Championship in June) rallies his troops here for this elimination game. The Hurricanes are 0 for 5 on the power play in the last two games while the Islanders are 2 for 5. The point is that the Canes certainly deserve a lot of credit for where this series stands but certain stats do you tell you that it easily could have played out much differently. That said, there is no significant disparity between these teams and I like the healthy underdog price here with the Islanders in a must win game. The Islanders are 14-9 this season after allowing 4 or more goals. The Hurricanes are 11-17 when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #75 Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The Bruins lost Game Three by a 2-1 count but all hope is certainly not lost. Boston's top line hasn't gotten going yet in this series and certainly some credit is owed to the Blue Jackets for that. However, Boston knows that with a win tonight they even the series up plus again have the home ice advantage with 2 of the last 3 games (if necessary) being played at Boston. That said, I see great value here with the underdog Bruins as Boston has gone 28-14 in recent seasons (including 10-2 this season) when off a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less! The Blue Jackets have been playing great and no one can argue with that considering they have won 8 of their last 9 games. However, Columbus has been outshot in 6 of their last 8 games. The Bruins had won 3 straight games against Columbus (including Game 1 of this series) prior to losing two straight games and now being down 2-1 in this series. I am grabbing the desperate and hungry underdog Bruins and I expect them to have their breakout game here and turn this into a very interesting series as it gets evened up at 2 games apiece. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #74 Wednesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 9:35 ET - It is now or never for the Stars. Although this is not truly an elimination game in the literal sense, it absolutely feels like one for Dallas. The reason is because if they lose this game on home ice they would then be down 3-1 in the series and 2 of the final 3 games (if necessary) in the series would be played at St Louis. The point is that this is about as "must win" as it gets for Dallas. That said, I like the resiliency the Stars showed in Game 3 in constantly battling back all game long even though they ended up a goal short when all was said and done. Dallas had won 4 of their last 5 on home ice prior to the loss Monday. Look for the Stars to improve to 3-0 in this post-season when they are trailing in a playoff series. The Blues are 1-3 the last 4 times they have entered a game leading in a playoff series. Remember that Dallas was down 2-1 to the Predators in the first round before rallying to win three straight games. Similar situation here and, though I am not saying the Stars are going to necessarily take 3 straight again, I certainly do see them responding off that loss. They are 5-1 the last 6 times they've entered a game off a loss. Bounce back time here. 10* DALLAS