Rickenbach NHL Game #75 Thursday 8* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - Toronto is trying to prove they can compete with the elite in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs have been trying to get to "next level" and this is their first opportunity against the Lightning this season. After losing both games at Tampa Bay last season, look for them to make this one count! The Bolts have actually won 7 straight games entering this contest and all have been without goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Now the Lightning #1 netminder may make his return tonight. If he plays, he will be rusty. If he is still out, the Tampa Bay back-up between the pipes knows his time is up and he's looking over his shoulder. These are the types of situations that have yielded great "fade" results in the past and I am happy to fade Tampa in this spot. The Leafs are a quality team that wants this game badly and will be flying all over the ice truly "carrying the play" in this game in my opinion. Note that the Maple Leafs have been at their best against quality teams this season as they've won 10 of 13 games against teams with a winning record. The Lightning are 21-19 (DOWN $12,100!) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. 8* TORONTO

Rickenbach NHL Game #78 Thursday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are off bad losses but the difference here is the Hurricanes have not been scoring goals, the Canadiens are on home ice, and Montreal has revenge. All those factors add up to mean great line value with the small home favorite in this match-up. The Habs lost to the Canes 2-1 a little over two weeks ago here in Montreal but the Canadiens outshot Carolina 49-22 in that unreal loss! Also, prior to getting drilled 7-1 at Minnesota on Tuesday, the Canadiens had scored an average of 3.8 goals per game in their233- 5 prior games. Conversely, the Hurricanes 4-1 home loss to Toronto was the 6th time in Carolina's last 7 games that they've been held to 2 or less goals. In fact, the Canes are averaging only 1.4 goals per game their last 7 games! The Canadiens are a perfect 5-0 this season after a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less. The Hurricanes are 23-36 long-term (including 2-4 this season) in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 8* MONTREAL

Rickenbach NHL Game #71 Thursday 8* Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres are off a win but had previously lost 5 straight games. The momentum from their recent surprising winning streak that ran through November 27th is long gone. Now Buffalo has to deal with a revenge-minded Arizona team that suffered a 3-0 home shutout to the Sabres on October 13th despite the Coyotes holding a 36-23 edge in shots on goal. Don't be surprised when Arizona gets their revenge tonight as the road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these non-conference foes. The Coyotes are 4-2 this season when on the road and on a losing streak of 2 or more games. While Arizona now knows goalie Antti Raanta is likely out for the season, the Sabres Carter Hutton could be back tonight. That means if Linus Ullmark gets the start he'll still be looking over his shoulder knowing Hutton is coming back. If Hutton gets the start don't be surprised if he is rusty making his first start in a week and a half. While it is true the Sabres are on an extended homestand here, it is also true they have lost 15 of 20 when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. 8* ARIZONA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #64 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Coaching is an important aspect in all sports but often gets overlooked by the betting markets. The Islanders current head coach is Barry Trotz. Yes that is the same head coach that less than 6 months ago was leading the Capitals to become Stanley Cup Champions as they took 4 out of 5 games from the Golden Knights. Washington scored an average of 4 goals per game in those 5 games and Marc-Andre Fleury was between the pipes for Vegas for all of those games. Not only does coach Trotz know a thing or two about beating Fleury and the Golden Knights, his players do as well. The Islanders won both meetings with Vegas last season and remain the only team in the league that the Golden Knights have yet to beat. Maybe that changes next week when these teams meet in Vegas but I don't see it changing tonight. The Golden Knights have lost 11 of their 18 road games this season. Also, Vegas has lost 7 of 11 this season when they're off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The Islanders have won 43 of 71 (+$23,200) when off a divisional game and the fact that divisional game was a 2-1 loss where they were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation will strengthen their resolve here. New York has allowed just 2 goals in 4 of their last 6 games. Vegas, prior to a 4-2 win Sunday, had allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 games. I am fading the masses and grabbing the home dog here. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Tuesday 8* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 9:05 ET - Yes the Oilers are off a win over their biggest rival, the Flames, on Sunday. However, they won't overlook the Avalanche here. That's because Colorado handed Edmonton one of their worst home losses of the season last month. The Avs crushed the Oilers 4-1 north of the border and now it is time for some payback. Edmonton has been getting excellent goaltending and has allowed 2 or less goals in 6 of their last 7 games! As you would expect with those types of numbers, the Oilers went 6-1 in those 7 games and they're likely to explode in this revenge game against an Avalanche hockey club that has allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their last 3 games. Colorado is 12-22 in their last 34 December games. The Oilers are 12-7 this season when playing with revenge and are offering great line value here as a road dog. 8* EDMONTON

Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Tuesday 8* Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - When a team is struggling a change of venue can actually be the best thing to cure what ails them. That said, the Panthers are coming off a very long homestand and they actually NEED this road trip. Florida now takes to the road for quick two-game road trip and, in fact, 6 of their next 7 games are on the road. The good news for the Panthers here is that they begin this road-heavy stretch with facing a struggling Blues team. St Louis has lost 10 of its last 14 games and is finding out that it is especially hard to win games when you don't score many goals! The Blues have totaled just 5 goals in their last 4 games. This is in stark contrast to a Florida team that has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in its last 8 games. The Panthers didn't just beat St Louis in both games last season, they destroyed them by a margin of 3 goals in each game. Florida is 6-3 the last 9 times they've been off a game in which they scored 4 goals. St Louis is 3-6 in their 9 games this season versus teams with a losing record. 8* FLORIDA

Rickenbach NHL Game #43 Tuesday 8* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Toronto is off B2B losses and they are 3-0 so far this season when off B2B losses. Also, the Maple Leafs are playing this game with revenge and they are 9-2 this season in revenge games. In road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals, the Leafs are 10-4 this season. The Hurricanes are 4-9 this season when off a non-conference game. Carolina is also 36-57 in games against teams with a winning record and that includes 3-6 this season. Look for the Maple Leafs to improve to 5-0 in Tuesday games this season as the Canes drop to 14-31 in their last 45 Tuesday games. 8* TORONTO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #47 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - I lost my play on the Kings last night despite a 43-21 edge in shots on goal at Detroit. Los Angeles is coming on strong and looking to get their season back on track. They won't stop tonight at Buffalo either. However, with Jonathan Quick having minded the net last night, he'll likely be resting tonight and I expect plenty of goals in this one. With another strong effort from LA in the offensive zone, a few of those pucks will find the back of the net as Sabres #1 goalie Carter Hutton has been dealing with an injury. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these non-conference foes. Also, the Sabres have allowed an average of 4 goals per game during their current 5-game winning streak. The Kings have given up an average of 3.3 goals per game in their last 3 road games. The over is 3-0 this season when the Sabres enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. There have been just 4 unders the last 15 times that the Sabres have hosted the Kings. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #39 Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are undervalued at this point in the season as they have underachieved thus far. They now have Jonathan Quick back between the pipes and he has had just one bad start in 5 starts since he returned. In the 4 quality efforts from Quick, Los Angeles has allowed an average of just 1.5 goals per game! Even though the Kings are off a big win over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Red Wings pay a visit to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Capitals tomorrow. In other words, Detroit is off an Eastern Conference foe (Islanders) and has another one (Washington) on deck. Coming into this season many experts expected the Kings to contend for a playoff spot in the West and the Red Wings to have to battle to stay out of the cellar in the East. The point is that you start to get value in spots like this. For example, the Kings are now a small dog here at Detroit whereas earlier this season (just two months ago) they were a 2 to 1 favorite on home ice over the Red Wings! That said, I love the road dog value here as Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty (played with LA his entire career) has been very vocal of late about it being time for this team to step up. Look for the win over the Golden Knights to spark a run for LA as the return of Quick from injury is also big and you can feel the momentum shifting with this hockey club right now. By the way, the Red Wings have lost 5 of their last 6 home games! The Kings have split their last 6 road games. Just like last season, look for the Kings to earn the sweep of the Red Wings. Detroit is only 7-13 this season when playing with revenge. 10* LOS ANGELES KINGS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #21 Sunday 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 3:05 ET - The Flyers are in a back to back spot and have had major issues this season keeping the puck out of their own net as they've been dealing with goalie injuries all season long. With that said, I look for the Jets to score a ton in this game. Winnipeg is angry off a shutout loss at home and will be in full bounce back mode here and won't take their foot off the gas either. However, the Flyers have been scoring well of late and they've averaged 4 goals per game their last 4 games and have added confidence after yesterday's 6-2 win at Buffalo. However, trying to stop this Jets teams is another matter entirely here which is why I feel we're getting great line value with this over. Note that Winnipeg had scored an average of 4.7 goals per game before the shutout loss versus the Blues on home ice! The Jets are 11-4 to the over this season in games against teams with a losing record. The Flyers are 9-4 to the over in this season in games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Saturday NHL 10* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs were knocked out of the post-season in Game 7 of a series with the Bruins last spring. That game took place here in Boston...that is where the Leafs season ended. Though the Maple Leafs got some measure of revenge with a home win over the Bruins about two weeks ago, their only meeting at Boston this season was a loss. This is the perfect time for payback. While the Leafs are getting healthier the Bruins are still dealing with injury injuries as Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Kevan Miller are out right now. Boston has lost 3 straight games and they've been struggling to score goals for an extended stretch. Amazingly, the Bruins have managed to score more than 2 goals just ONCE in their last TEN games! That spells trouble against a Maple Leafs team that has scored at least 4 goals in 6 straight games! In their 5-4 OT loss to Detroit, the Leafs got caught looking ahead to this big game. The Maple Leafs had won 5 straight games before that defeat and they bounce right back here with a huge road win. Take advantage of the value with the small line here as the Bruins injury situation continues to plague them against a top tier (and much healthier) team! 10* TORONTO

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Saturday 8* Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 4:05 ET - Playoff revenge from last season as the Kings were swept out of the first round by the Golden Knights. Of course, early this season, Los Angeles has struggled while Vegas does seem to be back on track after some stumbles early this season. However, the Golden Knights road record is very nearly identical to the Kings home record. Also, there is the revenge factor. Additionally, Vegas has a home game with Dallas on deck for tomorrow so there is a chance that Marc-Andre Fleury will be rested this afternoon and the start will go to Malcolm Subban. Note that Subban is 0-4 this season with an ugly .859 save percentage. No matter whom gets the start though I feel the Kings are offering great line value here and I am grabbing the road dog. This is LA's final home game until the 18th of the month so they are going to make the most of this. Look for Vegas to drop to 5-9 this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 8* LOS ANGELES

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 1:05 ET - The average Joe doesn't bet hockey. That said, when you see something that looks a little "off" you can generally bank on it being sharp money that is the root cause. In this particular case you have a Flyers team that has lost 7 of 9 facing a Sabres team that, despite a recent losing streak, has won 10 of its last 14. That said, why is Philadelphia attracting attention on the road at Buffalo in this one? It is some sharp action! While the Flyers are getting healthier the Sabres are getting more and more banged up right now. Philly has won 18 of 29 December games. Buffalo has lost 20 of 29 December games. Look for the Flyers to get revenge for a 5-2 loss at Buffalo last month as the Sabres #1 goalie Carter Hutton is questionable Saturday. 8* PHILADELPHIA

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues have allowed 4.6 goals per game their last 5 games and that means they're in the wrong place at the wrong time tonight. Of course that is why Winnipeg is such a big favorite Friday on the money line. The Jets have scored an average of 4.7 goals per game their last 6 games but I would not be surprised to see them also allow quite a few in this one as well. Winnipeg is off a 3-1 win at New York over the Islanders but allowing just 1 goal like that is quite rare for the Jets. In fact, prior to the win over the Isles, Winnipeg had allowed 4.1 goals per game their 7 previous games! The over is 7-1-1 in the Jets last 9 games. Only 1 of the last 5 meetings between Winnipeg and St Louis has resulted in an under. Those 5 meetings have seen an average of 7.6 goals per game! When playing with home loss revenge the Blues are 21-12 to the over. This season, when playing with revenge, St Louis is 9-4 to the over. Only 1 of Winnipeg's 8 divisional games this season has stayed under the total. Also, the Jets are 11-3 to the over in games against teams with a losing record this season. 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - The Sharks are seeking revenge here as they lost at Dallas earlier this season plus the Stars beat them in San Jose in their final match-up last season. The fact this game is on the road is keeping the line at a very reasonable range and I'll gladly lay the short money line price with the Sharks as they seek payback in this one. Dallas has lost 8 of 12 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Also, the Stars have lost 33 of 50 when they're off a game they won by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Sharks have won 10 of 15 when off a non-conference game this season. San Jose has won 18 of their last 29 December games. The Sharks have been better on the power play than the Stars this season. Also, prior to the big win for Dallas Monday, they had been held to scoring 2 or less goals in 7 of their 10 previous games. The Sharks have scored 3 or more goals in 18 of their last 23 games! The small road favorite is also the much healthier team in this match-up. Lay it! 10* SAN JOSE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #6 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - This is the Flyers ONE AND ONLY home game in a span of 3 weeks (Nov 27th through Dec 18th). That said, Philly wants to make this one count and they also have extra motivation after all the changes going on. The changes at General Manager and in the assistant coaching ranks means that it is "put up or shut up" time for the Flyers. They already responded in positive fashion with a big win at Pittsburgh over the rival Penguins to get December off to a winning start. Though it may seem like a bad idea to grab Philly off a win over the rival Pens, keep in mind they have been off for 4 full days since that game and the home ice factor here is a big one here too given their schedule. The other key to the play is catching the Blue Jackets in a tough spot. Not only is Columbus off an embarrassing 9-6 loss that will be tough to regroup from due to blowing a 4-1 lead, the Blue Jackets have a huge game on deck. Columbus has a game with the Stanley Cup champion Capitals on deck. While it is true the Jackets already got some measure of revenge for losing to the Caps in the post-season by virtue of a win at Washington, this will be the first time since that spring series that Columbus will be hosting the Capitals. In other words, it is a clear lookahead spot for the Jackets. Conversely, there is no way the Flyers look past CBJ here as the Blue Jackets did defeat Philly earlier this season so this is a revenge game for a Philly team that is hell-bent on turning their season back around while it is still early enough in the season to do so! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 PM ET - The Sharks are in a tough situational spot. San Jose is off a road trip back east that wrapped up in Montreal. On deck they have another road trip - a quick 2-game trip that begins two time zones over in Dallas. This stand alone home game is a tough one as a result and, prior to defeating the Canadiens, San Jose had lost 4 straight games and allowed an average of 5 goals per game. The Hurricanes are off back to back losses but they previously had won 4 of their last 5. Also, unlike the Sharks, the Canes have been playing great in their own end. Carolina has allowed 2 or less goals in 6 of their last 7 games. In other words, this is great line value on the road dog! The Hurricanes are 3-0 the last 3 times they've been off a loss by a multiple goal margin. San Jose is 3-6 this season when playing with two days of rest between games and the Sharks are 5-10 in non-conference action this season. 10* CAROLINA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 8* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Oilers are off a 4-1 loss but had been 3-0 in their 3 prior games. Also, Edmonton is a perfect 3-0 the last 3 times they are off a loss by a margin of 3 or more goals. The Blues are off a 6-1 loss that was their 8th loss in their last 11 games. The Oilers also have revenge here for a loss in their most recent visit to St Louis. Overall Edmonton has won 4 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and I expect them to get payback here. The Blues have lost 3 of their last 4 home games. St Louis has allowed an average of 5 goals per game their last 4 games. The Oilers have allowed just 1.7 goals per game their last 4 games. 8* EDMONTON

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Jets are 7-0-1 to the over in their last 8 games. While the Islanders have trended toward lower-scoring games with their new head coach this season, they will struggle to slow down a Winnipeg team that has averaged scoring 4.5 goals per game their last 8 games. As for the Islanders production on offense, they have averaged scoring 3.7 goals per game in their last 6 home games.  That said, keep in mind that the Jets have allowed 4.1 goals per game in their last 7 games. The fact is that Winnipeg's play in their own zone has been sketchy at best and this is the type of non-conference match-up that can turn into a barn-burner with plenty of quick scoring chances going both ways. The over is 7-3 this season when the Jets are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The over went 22-6 in Islanders December games the past two seasons. Also, it is a long-term run of 24-12 to the over for New York when the Isles are playing with two days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in the New York Islanders

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - Not only are the Lightning without #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, they also are missing a key defenseman as Anton Stralman is out too. The Devils have had issues with their blue line this season too as defenseman Sami Vatanen is on the shelf along with Steve Santini and Ben Lovejoy. Entering this season those 3 guys were all listed in the top 7 defensemen on the New Jersey roster. This is taking a toll as the season has gone on and the Devils have allowed 4.6 goals per game during their current 5-game losing streak. The over is now a perfect 6-0 in New Jersey's last 6 games. As for the Lightning, the over is 6-2 in Louis Dominque's road starts this season and he has an ugly .879 save percentage away from home. The Lightning have scored 4 goals or more in 12 of their last 15 games. However, they've also allowed 4 goals in each of their last two games and Dominque will be challenged by the Devils early and often in this one. The over is 9-3-2 in Tampa Bay's last 14 games. The over is 9-4-1 in the Bolts games against teams with a losing record this season. The over is 9-2-1 when the Devils are off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. NJ is also 8-3 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. Look for a 7th straight over involving he Devils! 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks are 4-0-2 to the their last 6 games and the Flames are 4-2 to the over their last 6 games. Chicago has allowed an average of 5.2 goals per game their last 6 games and the Hawks have allowed at least 4 goals in all six games! The Blackhawks will have trouble slowing down a Calgary team that has averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game in their last 7 games! The Flames also have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 4 games versus Chicago. Only 2 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs has resulted in an under. The Blackhawks and Calgary are two of the worst teams in the league on the penalty kill this season. Also, Chicago seems to be in disarray since the abrupt firing of their long-time veteran head coach. Disarray often leads to high-scoring games as players end up out of position and odd man rushes and great scoring opportunities result. I expect more of the same on Sunday as the Flames won't hesitate to push the tempo in this game and force the Blackhawks to try and keep up. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers blew a 3-1 third period lead against the Senators in a 4-3 loss hosting Ottawa Tuesday. This is likely rock bottom for Philly. They have fired their general manager (and others!) and have been cleaning house at the management level. Suffice to say, the players know it is time to respond. Getting goalie Michal Neuvirth back is a positive plus another positive is that #1 goalie Brian Elliott is likely to be back in the near future. The Penguins have goalie issues of their own here as Matt Murray is out with an injury. The Pens have been struggling too and that is what I like about the big dog value here with the more desperate and hungry team, the Flyers, on the road and looking to avenge the playoff ouster at the hands of the Penguins last season. The road team has won 5 straight meetings between these teams and 7 of the last 9. Also, Pittsburgh is 1-5 this season when off a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. The Penguins are also 1-6 this season in games against teams with a losing record! The Flyers have won 17 of 27 December games the past two years. Look for them to get this December off to a positive start as well as they get a measure of revenge against their hated in-state rivals! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Friday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Both teams have won 4 of their last 5 games but it is the Ducks whom are a huge dog here just because the game is being played at Carolina. Keep in mind, the Ducks have won 4 straight meetings with the Hurricanes and, also, Anaheim has won each of their last 4 visits to Carolina. In other words, this is phenomenal line value on the Ducks and I love this big dog opportunity because we also have a goal-tending edge here. Carolina is likely to go with Curtis McElhinney between the pipes. He has just an .854 save percentage against Western Conference teams this season. Anaheim is likely to go with John Gibson in the crease for this one. The Ducks have won 4 of his 6 starts against Eastern Conference teams this season and Gibson has a stellar .941 save percentage in those games. Carolina has lost 22 of 38 when playing with 2 days of rest between games. While the Canes are off two days of rest and playing what is just a standalone home game, Anaheim is in a rhythm right now and making the most of their season long 5-game road trip. The Ducks make it 5 in a row against the Canes! 10* ANAHEIM

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - These teams had 5 meetings last season and the winning team scored at least 4 goals in 4 of the 5 meetings. Look for plenty of goals again in the first meeting between these divisional foes this season. Winnipeg is on a run of 4-0-1 to the over in their last 5 games as they averaged scoring 4.4 goals per game but have allowed 4.1 goals per game. The Blackhawks finally are starting to turn the corner in the offensive zone as they've averaged 4 goals per their past two games and 3 goals per game their past five games. The issue for Chicago is they can't keep the puck out of their own net. That will again be an issue here as the Jets offensive production has been on fire and the Blackhawks have allowed an average of 5 goals per game their past 4 games. The over is 4-2 this season in Chicago's divisional games. The over is 8-3 this season in Jets games against teams with a losing record. More of the same here as the Jets blew a lead and lost to the Penguins in their most recent game and that means they won't slow down tonight no matter what the score is! The result will be plenty of goals! 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Zig Zag Best Bet - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Thursday 8* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Wild are off a 4-3 home loss as a 2 to 1 favorite. Suffice to say Minnesota can't wait to get back on the ice and I feel they are catching the Blue Jackets at the perfect time! Columbus is off a 7-5 win at Detroit. The fact that the Jackets won that high scoring game masks the fact that this team continues to struggle in their own zone and the Wild will take advantage. Columbus has allowed 4 or more goals in 3 of their last 4 games. Minnesota, prior to the loss to the Coyotes, had held 7 of their last 9 opponents to 3 or less goals. The road team won both meetings last season and carried the play as the away team combined for a 78-51 edge in shots on goal in the two games. I look for the road trend to continue here. The Blue Jackets are 4-6 the last 10 times they were off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The Wild are 30-14 against teams with a winning record when facing them in the first half of a season. Minnesota is also 38-22 (including 6-2 this season) when coming off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Bounce back time here. 8* MINNESOTA

Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Wednesday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that Auston Matthews may come back for Toronto tonight. However, the Maple Leafs are off back to back wins including a key divisional win over the Bruins in their most recent game. That said, look for San Jose to prove to be the hungrier team tonight. The Sharks are in a back to back spot here but are off a loss last night at Buffalo where they rallied from a 2-goal deficit in the 3rd period to earn one point before falling in OT against the Sabres. San Jose is fired up after it was too little too late last night and they also are playing with revenge here because the Maple Leafs beat the Sharks 5-3 out west two weeks ago. Now meeting again back east look for payback for San Jose. The Sharks are off back to back losses and that certainly holds significance here as they are a perfect 3-0 this season when off back to back losses. The combined score of those 3 victories was 12 to 5. Also, San Jose has won 8 of 11 games this season when off a non-conference game. The Maple Leafs are off back to back home wins but previously were just 5-5 in their last 10 home games. Truly they've been a better team away from home this season and I feel we've got great line value here with a Sharks team that has underachieved so far this season and is in the perfect spot for a bounce back. Yes, #2 goalie Aaron Dell struggled in his most recent start but this two prior starts saw him produce a shutout each time! 10* SAN JOSE

Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 8* Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Though the Ducks are in a back to back spot here they have now won 3 of their last 4 games after an upset win at Tampa Bay last night. While Anaheim is starting to turn the corner, Florida has been struggling badly and is off a VERY fortunate win Monday that burned me up. I had New Jersey as a dog at Florida Monday night but lost despite the Devils jumping out to a 2-0 lead and NEVER trailing the entire game. With just a minute and a half left, the Panthers got the tying goal to force OT and then Florida won it in overtime. It was a very lucky win for all Florida backers that night and has resulted in even better line value tonight because it was a bit of a "cover up" game that masked the fact that the Panthers are still not playing very well and easily could (and should) have lost their 4th straight game and what would have been their 6th defeat in their last 7 games. That said, I am happy to grab a revenge-minded dog tonight. Goalie John Gibson and the Ducks got thoroughly embarrassed 8-3 in their last visit to Florida despite the fact they outshot the Panthers 34-22. Look for Anaheim to avenge that defeat with a road win tonight. The Ducks have allowed just 2.7 goals per game in their last 6 games while the Panthers have allowed a ridiculous 5 goals per game in their last 7 games! 8* ANAHEIM

Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Wednesday 8* Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - The Blues are off an 8-4 loss and that was at home! In their last two road games they have given up 4 goals in each game! I am aware of their long-term success against the Red Wings, including games in Detroit, but St Louis is a bit dysfunctional at this point in time. Even since firing head coach Mike Yeo, the Blues are still struggling under new head coach Craig Berube. The Red Wings certainly have had their share of struggles too but, prior to their 7-5 home loss to Columbus, Detroit had gone 9 straight games without allowing more than 3 goals. In fact, during this entire 9-game stretch, the Red Wings allowed just 2.2 goals per game. Look for that to be the difference maker in this one. Look for St Louis to drop to 1-4 this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals while the Red Wings improve to 5-2 this season in games against teams with a losing record. 8* DETROIT

Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Tuesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens have lost 4 straight games but they have faced a tough slate of games and I expect Montreal to bounce back strong here on home ice. Keep in mind the Hurricanes are an ugly 2-6 in their last 8 road games! As for the Habs, they were 6-3 in their last 9 home games prior to losing by a single goal to both the Stanley Cup Champion Capitals and tough division rival Bruins. Tuesday I look for Montreal to get sweet revenge for getting swept last season in their three games against Carolina. The Canadiens have won 6 of 8 games this season when off a divisional game. The Hurricanes have lost 34 of 56 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, Carolina has lost 30 of their last 43 Tuesday games. More road struggles expected for the Canes tonight against a VERY hungry revenge-seeking Canadiens team. 10* MONTREAL

Rickenbach NHL Game #52 Tuesday 8* Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) vs San Jose Sharks @ 7 ET - The Sabres have won 9 straight games. It is understandable they are a home dog here as the Sharks are a solid team. However, this is offering great money line value on Buffalo and they've certainly been getting better goaltending than San Jose. In fact, Sharks goalie Martin Jones is only 3-3 with an .886 save percentage on the road this season. Sabres goalie Carter Hutton is 7-3 with a .923 save percentage in home games this season. San Jose is an ugly 1-5 this season in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Buffalo is 6-3 this season in home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the Sabres are a superb 13-4 when playing with revenge! 8* BUFFALO

Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line -1.5 goals (+140) vs Ottawa Senators @ 7 ET - The Flyers shocked the NHL world with the firing of GM Ron Hextall after an embarrassing 6-0 loss at Toronto. I look for Philadelphia to respond in a big way on home ice Tuesday. The Flyers are a 2 to 1 favorite on the money line here with good reason. Philly can take advantage of a Senators team that is in a back to back spot and has struggled on the road all season long. Of course I don't lay big prices on money lines but I am happy to take the puck line in a spot like this and get a plus money return that is high as +140 as of early gameday morning. I like the fact that 7 of the Flyers 10 wins this season have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Also, 12 of Ottawa's last 14 losses have come by 2 or more goals! You can see why any Senators loss here (which is likely) is also quite likely to come by a multiple-goal margin. The Flyers certainly have had goaltending issues this season (and have been plagued by injuries at the position) but the Senators netminding is arguably in even worse shape. This is a back to back spot for the Sens and Anderson is likely to get a rest. With Condon still out that means McKenna is likely to get the start. This will be just the 2nd start of the season for McKenna and he has struggled in his 4 appearances (1 start) this season. Ottawa has lost 15 of 23 when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The Flyers roll at home just like they did in a 4-0 win over the Rangers prior to the ugly loss at Toronto. 8* PHILADELPHIA Puck Line -1.5 goals +140

Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins have trended toward unders this season. However, Boston has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 10 games. The key to the value in this one Monday is that the Maple Leafs are seeking revenge for a 5-1 loss at Boston this season as well as from getting knocked out of the playoffs by the rival Bruins last spring. That said, Toronto is going to push hard and light the lamp early and often in this one but it is hard to imagine them slowing down a Boston team that has enjoyed so much success against them. 7 of the last 9 meetings between these teams have totaled at least 6 goals. Also, the Leafs enter this game with their last 9 contests overall having totaled 6 or more goals in 8 of the 9 games. With some big name guys out for this game, the odds makers have adjusted this total down to a 5.5 but that is leading to solid value on the over as there is still plenty of firepower for both hockey clubs. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Monday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers are having major goaltending issues. Roberto Luongo is dealing with a back injury and James Reimer has struggled badly. Florida has allowed an average of 5.3 goals per game in their last 6 games! The Devils have had one bad start each from Keith Kincaid and Cory Schneider. However, prior to these two games the Devils had allowed just 1.8 goals per game in their last 5 games. The fact is that, even though this is a back to back spot for New Jersey, their goal-tending rates a huge edge over the Panthers right now. Even though Florida is playing with revenge, they've lost 7 of 11 this season when trying to avenge a defeat. The Panthers have also lost 7 of 11 when they're off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Devils are 17-9 the last 3 seasons (and a perfect 3-0 this season) when they enter a game on an over streak of 3 or more games. 8* NEW JERSEY

Rickenbach NHL Game #8 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - I love this match-up with Coach Barry Trotz on home ice with the Islanders taking on the club that wouldn't reward him for his work leading the team to the Stanley Cup Championship last season. So Trotz ended up with the Islanders and is doing a great job there showing the value of his coaching. Though Washington is starting to turn the corner after a slow start, I feel this is a bad spot for them. The Capitals have lost 4 of 5 this season when off a divisional game plus they are likely without Evgeny Kuznetsov tonight as the center is listed as doubtful. The Islanders have won 9 of 10 divisional games this season and you know Trotz (and other coaching staff he also brought from the Caps) have had this particular divisional game circled in red! Also, the Isles have won 42 of 67 (including 6 of 9 this season) when they are off a divisional game. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 3:05 ET - The Flames lost their last visit to Arizona by 3 goals. Calgary also lost their most recent game against the Coyotes and that was on home ice in April. The point is that the Flames have plenty of motivation here and I also like backing them off a shutout loss. Calgary lost at Vegas Friday and needs to bounce back here. The Flames will take advantage of facing a Coyotes team that has lost 3 straight games and 7 of their last 9. Calgary, prior to being shutout by the Golden Knights, had won 3 straight games and 8 of their last 11. Look for the Flames to improve to 6-2 this season when off a divisional game. As for the Coyotes, they have lost 60 of 89 games when they face a team with a winning record. Also, Arizona has lost 60 of 88 long-term when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. They Coyotes have scored an average of only 1.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The Flames, prior to the shutout loss in Sin City, had scored an average of 5.7 goals per game their last 3 games. This one has the makings of a road rout. 10* CALGARY 

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Rangers @ 1 PM ET - The Rangers are 38-18 to the over in divisional games including 4-1 to the over this season. New York is 8-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. Also, the Rangers are 15-8 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Flyers are 7-2 to the over in games against teams with winning record. Also, Philadelphia is 5-2 to the over when they're off a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals in their prior game. The Flyers continue to have issues in between the pipes and the over is 39-23 in games against divisional foes. Off 4 straight losses Philly is primed to give a huge effort against one of their fiercest rivals. However, the Flyers have allowed 11 goals in their past two games and that is why the play here is the over. Philly has scored 5.3 goals per game in their last 3 meetings with the Rangers. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Wednesday OVER the total in New York Rangers vs New York Islanders @ 7 ET - Rangers # goalie Lundqvist likely to rest tonight. Back-up netminder Georgiev is expected to get the start. Neither goaltender has fared well in divisional games. The over is a long-term 38-17 in Rangers divisional games and that includes a perfect 4-0 this season. The over is 3-1 in the last 4 meetings between these teams with Rangers as the host team. The Islanders have not had a single under in any of their last 6 games. The Isles over is 30-16 when off a game which they lost by 2 or more goals. The over is also 24-10 in Islanders games when they are playing with two days of rest between games and that includes a perfect 3-0 this season. Look for another one here. 8* OVER the total in the New York Rangers

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7 ET - Oftentimes the first game back on home ice after a lengthy road trip is the toughest. That said, though Buffalo has won 6 straight games (including all 3 on a just-completed road trip), this is likely a tough spot for the Sabres. The Flyers are making a change at goalie to Alex Lyon and I like this move. Philly has been generating a lot of offense in recent games but troubles between the pipes have been a big issue for Philadelphia and I expect this move to pay immediate dividends. Many times a goalie change can spark a team and the Flyers need that change inside their own zone to complement how well they've been playing in the offensive zone. Philadelphia is 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games and they come into this game extra hungry off an OT loss to the Lightning on home ice. As for Buffalo, they just beat the Penguins in comeback fashion and that type of win over a perennial Stanley Cup contender could leave the Sabres flat here. All in all, a very nice set up for the Flyers. Philly has taken 2 of 3 games with Buffalo each of the past two seasons. The Sabres have lost 34 of 50 when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks have scored an average of 4.5 goals in their last 4 games versus the Oilers. Edmonton has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games versus San Jose. Not only is the trend between these teams in favor of high-scoring match-ups. The over is 3-1 this season in Sharks home games versus Western Conference teams. The Oilers can do some damage against a San Jose team that had allowed 4 or more goals in 8 of 12 games before a shutout win in their most recent game. The issue for Edmonton is that they have allowed at least 4 goals in 6 of their last 7 games. This one has the makings of another high-scoring barn-burn between these two Western Conference foes. Ever since these teams met in the 2017 playoffs, they've had very exciting high-scoring games ever since. The trend continues here. 10* OVER the total in San Jose

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Monday 8* OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Senators are playing better since that blow-up happened from the criticism of coaching down in Arizona during a road trip. Ottawa has played like a hungrier team and the result is wins like the 6-4 victory they just had over the Penguins Saturday. As you can see from that final score, the Senators are still shaky in their own end of the rink. The fact is both the Sens and Panthers are strong on the power play but also weak on the penalty kill. Additionally, Florida has also given up a bunch of goals of late because Roberto Luongo is suddenly struggling. Keep in mind all the other goalies that have appeared when Luongo wasn't between the pipes have also struggled for the Panthers this season. The point is that we should see plenty of goals in this one. The last 4 match-ups between these teams have averaged 7 goals per game. Also, Florida has had just 2 unders in 7 games this season when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. The Senators are 15-4-2 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Ottawa is also 9-2 to the over this season when playing with revenge. Overall, the Sens are 14-4 to the over this season. The Panthers have scored an average of 3.4 goals per game their last 7 games. The Senators have scored an average of 3.8 goals per game their last 9 games. Look for at least 7 in this one. 8* OVER the total in Ottawa

Zig Zag Best Bet - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Saturday 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The premise of the zig zag theory is that markets tend to react to the most recent match-ups and that can often create value in actually having a contrarian viewpoint to how the markets react. In other words, if the market "zigs" you can count on me to - more often than not, "zag". With the Panthers off a 7-3 loss with Roberto Luongo in goal and the Rangers off a 7-5 loss with Henrik Lundqvist in goal, there will be a tendency to expect a bounce back from each of these hockey club's veteran goalie as well as their overall performance on defense in this game. While I understand that theory here, the fact is that this low total is giving us superb value on the over. We have a total of 5.5 goals even though both teams have done well on the power play this season plus have struggled on the penalty kill. We should definitely see some special teams goals here. Additionally, overall, the Panthers have averaged scoring 3.7 goals per game their last 6 games. The Rangers have averaged scoring 3.6 goals per game their last 8 games. These are two hockey teams that have plenty of confidence right now about scoring goals and yet we've got a low total to work with due to the situation and market perception noted above. Also, the last 7 meetings between these teams saw one total push while the other 6 went a perfect 6-0 to the over. I expect that trend to remain PERFECT in this one! 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers

NHL Network Crusher Day Game - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 1:05 ET - Both teams with injury issues at goalie. The Lightning are expected to have Louis Dominque between the pipes because of the injury to Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Flyers are expected to have Calvin Pickard between the pipes due to Brian Elliott and Michal Neurvirth injuries. That is certainly significant here as the over is 4-1 in Dominque's five road starts this season and the over is a perfect 5-0 in Pickard's starts this season. Philadelphia is off rare back to back low-scoring games. They had previously averaged scoring 4.2 goals per game in their 6 prior games. Tampa Bay is an offensive juggernaut and has averaged 3.9 goals per game in its last 9 games. The Flyers will respond after some ugly efforts and will score well here but they're going to struggle to stop the powerhouse Bolts. The 3 games between these clubs last season averaged 9 goals per game and I wouldn't be surprised to see the lamp get lit that many times in this one Saturday as well. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings @ 8:35 ET - This total opened up at a 6 but dropped to a 5.5 and it is understandable because the Blackhawks are off a 1-0 win and the Kings have had trouble scoring goals of late. However, Los Angeles is currently down to their #3 goalie as back-up Jack Campbell got hurt and #1 netminder Jonathan Quick is still out. Quick is supposed to resume skating by the end of the week so he is certainly not ready yet. As a result, Peter Budaj and the Kings gave up 5 goals in his first start. Los Angeles is tired of the losing and wants to use this road trip as a chance to turn things around. However, the Kings are going to have to do it with production on offense given their current goal-tending situation. As for the Blackhawks, they had allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their 8 game losing streak. In other words the market is over-reacting to one shutout win for Chicago. This team still has issues in their own zone and LA is going to be in full "attack mode" in this game. The over is 4-1 this season when Los Angeles is playing with two days of rest between games. The over is 6-1 this season in Kings games versus teams with a losing record. The last game between these teams totaled 8 goals and I look for at least 6 here as the Kings have scored 3 goals in each of their last 3 games against the Blackhawks. 10* OVER the total in Chicago 

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 8* OVER the total in Dallas Stars vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - Both of these teams are banged up on defense. The Stars focus in practice has been the power plays. They know they need to get their offense going as Wednesday's game was the 3rd time in their last 5 games that they've been held to just 1 goal. However, prior to that game Dallas had scored 4 goals in back to back games and I fully expect them to enjoy success tonight as the Bruins are without defenseman Zdeno Chara. The Stars have plenty of issues on their blue line and now Marc Methot got hurt. The point is that both these teams have multiple defensemen out already this season and things are going from bad to worse on the injury front. Look for that to help open things up for the goal scorers in this one and we've got great value as 5.5 is the number on this total. The over is 5-1 this season in Stars home games with a 5.5 as the posted total. Look for another one here as Boston comes in averaging 4.3 goals per game in their last 4 game and only 1 of the 4 has resulted in an under. 8* OVER the total in Dallas

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Thursday 6* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set-up here. Not only are the Devils off a big win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers are off a listless home loss to the Panthers where they didn't start skating until the 3rd period. By then it was a case of too little too late for Philadelphia and they lost 2-1 to Florida. So here you have a situation where the Flyers are going to take to the ice with a ton of energy as they hate the Devils with a passion. You also have a great spot because the Devils have lost 7 of their 8 road games this season. No NHL team has fewer road wins than New Jersey this season. In fact the home team has been the winner in 13 of the Devils 16 games this season. Also let us not forget that New Jersey has the fewest points in the standings in the Eastern Conference this season. In fact only 1 team (Los Angeles) out of the entire league has fewer points than the Devils. The "kicker" to this play is that the Flyers are also expected to have their prized off-season acquisition, James van Riemsdyk, back on the ice for this one. He has been out since he got hurt in the 2nd game of the season. All signs are pointing to Philly here and that is why, even though this line is moving up toward the moderate price range in the area of -150, this is a "must play" situation in my book. So we reduce the rating from my normal regular play level of 8* down to a 6* and we invest in what should be a solid home win! Look for the home team to win for the 4th time in the last 5 meetings between these teams. 6* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Sabres and Lightning last met in April and the game totaled 12 goals! The last time these teams met in Buffalo the game totaled 8 goals! Tampa Bay enters this game having averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game their last 7 games! The Sabres enter this one having scored an average of 4 goals per game their last 10 games. In other words, look for the lamp to be lit early and often in this one. The over is 3-0-1 in the Bolts last 4 games. The over is 8-2-1 in Buffalo's last 11 games. The Sabres are a perfect 6-0 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. The Lightning, when off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, have had just 22 unders the last 64 times. This season in that situation Tampa Bay is 3-1 to the over and I look for the high-scoring ways of both of these hockey clubs to continue Tuesday! 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Yes the Panthers are hot but so too are the Flyers. That said, there is excellent home ice line value with this play. The home team has won 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams and the Flyers have won all 4 home ice games versus the Panthers since the start of the 2016-17 season. Florida has lost 89 of 148 road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. The Flyers have won 17 of 26 when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. Lay the small price with the Flyers at home as goalie Brian Elliott stays hot. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Tuesday 8* Pittsburgh Panthers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins have revenge on their minds here. I know both teams have been struggling but the fact Pittsburgh finally snapped their skid with a win Saturday while the Devils have lost 3 straight and 9 of their last 11 is a key factor in me backing the Pens here. Pittsburgh still remembers the ugly 5-1 home loss to New Jersey a week ago and it is time avenge that defeat. The Devils have lost 6 of 7 games this season when off a game where they allowed 4 or more goals. The Penguins have won 24 of their last 36 when playing with home loss revenge and the Pens offer exceptional line value here since they are on the road as that is keeping the money line very low. I'll take advantage! 8* PITTSBURGH

Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - The Canucks will likely be going with a back-up goalie since starter Jacob Markstrom was in be between the pipes in last night's loss to the Rangers. This is not good news for Vancouver as Anders Nilsson has been struggling between the pipes. Perhaps even Richard Bachman gets the call here for Vancouver but truly none of the options yield confidence in the Canucks goaltending situation. As for the Islanders, they're also having issues between the pipes. Regular starter Robin Lehner has been struggling and back-up netminder Thomas Greiss has an ugly .865 save percentage against Western Conference opponents this season. Only 13 of the Canucks last 34 November games have resulted in an under so last night's low-scoring loss to the Rangers was the exception rather than the norm. Look for "normalcy" to resume tonight as Vancouver has had just 20 unders the last 55 times they were off a game where they scored 1 goal or less. As for the Islanders, they are 22-10 to the over when playing 2 days of rest between games. Also, New York is 29-16 to the over when off a loss by a multi-goal margin in their prior game. The Isles are also 27-14 to the over when, in the first half of a season, they are facing a team with a winning record. 8* OVER the total in the New York Islanders

Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Monday 8* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:35 ET - The Blue Jackets lost to the Rangers on Saturday for two reasons. One was that they were off a huge Playoff Revenge win over the Stanley Cup Champion Capitals AT Washington. Secondly the Jackets had Joonas Korpisalo between the pipes. No disrespect intended toward the back-up netminder but, the fact is that Sergei Bobrovsky is the #1 goalie and the HOT goalie for Columbus right now. The Blue Jackets goaltender has held opponents to just 1 goal in 3 of his 4 starts since the calendar turned the page to November. While the Jackets are 3-1 in Bobrovsky's last 4 starts, note that the Stars are just 1-3 in their last 4 games and they've allowed an average of 4 goals per game their last 3 games. I know this is a revenge game for Dallas but the fact is that the Blue Jackets have had their number. They swept them two seasons ago, last season as well, and already got the W in the first match-up this season. Also, though the Stars may get Alexander Radulov back for tonight's game the issue for Dallas is not necessarily up front. The problem is the blue line has been impacted by a cluster of injuries impacting defensemen. The Blue Jackets are 3-0 this season against teams with a winning record. The Stars have lost 6 of 9 games against non-conference opponents this season. 8* COLUMBUS

Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Canucks can't wait to take the ice after giving up two very late goals and then losing in the shootout at Buffalo Saturday. The Rangers are off a hard-earned win but it had a lot to do with catching Columbus in a tough scheduling spot. The Blue Jackets were off a draining playoff revenge win on the ice of the Stanley Cup Champion Capitals. That said, this one sets up well for a play on the hungry road dog as Vancouver (4-0-2) has earned at least a point in 6 straight games but is fired up after the SO loss Saturday. The Rangers are off a win that also required extra time but New York should have blasted Columbus given the situation. The Canucks are 5-1 their last 6 when off a loss. The Rangers drop to 0-3 the last 3 times they were off a game where they scored 5 or more goals. 8* VANCOUVER

Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 8* OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - Cam Ward, a long-time Hurricanes goalie, is expected to be between the pipes for the Blackhawks tonight. Of course, having been with the Carolina organization for more than a decade, the Canes certainly know his strengths and his weaknesses. Additionally, the style of play that Chicago has displayed since firing their long-time head coach is one that leads to a lot of open ice and scoring chances. Though the Blackhawks are still dangerous and skilled in the offensive zone (especially their top line) they've struggled in their own end of the rink and in the neutral zone. I know they got shutout by the Flyers Saturday but Brian Elliott had a huge game in goal for Philly. The Blackhawks did have good pressure and did get good scoring chances. Chicago will bounce back in terms of goals scored as they take on a Canes team that has been in a bit of a slump in terms of allowing too many. The issue for Chicago tonight is they can't get enough stops and too many pucks are finding the back of their own net. The Blackhawks have allowed at least 4 goals in 5 straight games! The Hurricanes have allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game their last 6 games. The over is 6-1 this season when Chicago is playing with home loss revenge. The over is 3-1 in the Canes last 4 games as a favorite. 8* OVER the total in Carolina

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Sunday 8* Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 9:05 ET - The Flames are in a back to back spot here BUT this is a game they've been waiting for and they'll be fully ready. They even "saved" #1 goalie Mike Smith for this match-up as David Rittich got the start - and first career shut-out - last night at Los Angeles. While the Flames missed the post-season last year, many pre-season prognosticators had Calgary challenging the Sharks for the top spot in the Pacific Division this season. Keep in mind the Flames are a MUCH different team from last season as they made some key personnel changes and, MOST importantly, made some key changes in terms of coaching. It has begun to pay off and, after losing all 4 match-ups with San Jose last season, it is time for payback here! The Flames are currently the hotter team and the fact they have won 5 of their last 6 is certainly no fluke. Calgary has outshot the opposition by a combined margin of 235 to 140 in those 6 games. This is complete domination folks and Mike Smith, though he has struggled some this season, has played better of late and he also has held the Sharks to two goals or less in EACH of his last 5 starts at San Jose. The Flames won't be denied here. Though this is a back-to-back it was preceded by two days off and will be followed by 3 days off. In fact, one could argue that the scheduling situation is worse for San Jose. Though they were off yesterday, they are returning from a road trip and will be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. The Sharks have lost 4 of their last 6 games and 2 of the 4 losses were at home. Great underdog value here with a VERY hungry dog. 8* CALGARY

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Saturday 7* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 1:05 ET - The Blackhawks haven't won a regular season game at Philly in 22 years. The only win for Chicago in the Flyers barn during this long stretch was their infamous OT goal (the one that no one saw actually go in the net!) that won the Stanley Cup Championship in Game 6 in the 2010 Finals. The point of the above is we have a Blackhawks team trying to adjust to an abrupt coaching change and struggling to gain confidence and that has lost 6 straight games and now they have to try to win a game in a place they almost never win at! I'll gladly take the Flyers team that got their spirits buoyed by a very successful 3-0-1 West Coast road trip and now is playing with a lot of confidence. That is the type of confidence that allowed them to battle through a lot of adversity to find a way to top the Coyotes in OT in Philly on Thursday. This is a tight-knit group that also finally has goalie Brian Elliott back from injury plus their prized of-season acquisition, James VanRiemsdyk is also back in practice and will be returning to game action within the next week or so. This match-up early Saturday is simply a case of two teams currently going in opposite directions. I know the Hawks want this game but they're lacking structure in their game with all the coaching madness and the Flyers have been playing well for weeks now. When Chicago enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games, they've lost 18 of 26. The Flyers, including post-season games, have won 16 of last 18 home games against the Blackhawks. 7* PHILADELPHIA 

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - Revenge game for Columbus as the Capitals eliminated from the post-season last year. The Blue Jackets actually had a 2-0 lead in the series before losing 4 straight games. The road team won 5 of the 6 games in the series and I am happy to grab the underdog money line value here with the road team in this first match-up of this season as well. Columbus catches the Capitals off a win over the Penguins and that is always a big game for the Caps. Washington won 2-1 thanks to a late goal but they were outplayed in the game and were outshot 42-22. The Blue Jackets are well-rested here and have won 29 of 44 when they enter a game having had two days of rest between games. The Capitals are off back to back wins for the first time this season but, as you can see from the shots on goal, they were fortunate to beat the Penguins. Also, prior to these back to back wins in Washington, the Caps had lost 3 of their last 4 on home ice and 6 of their last 9 overall. Fiery Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella will have his boys ready to go here and I don't see them being denied in this key revenge opportunity. 10* COLUMBUS

Thursday Thrasher - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Thursday 6* New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - This is a fantastic value spot. The Islanders are in first place in the Metropolitan Division and have been a pleasant surprise early this season. They are off a loss that snapped a 5-game winning streak. The Islanders also have revenge in this one as they lost the most recent match-up (at home) versus the Lightning and the Isles also lost in their most recent to Tampa Bay. In other words, there is plenty of motivation here as the Islanders look to quickly begin another winning streak. The Lightning could be complacent here. The Bolts have been playing well early this season but they enter this one on a 3-game winning streak and are 0-2 this season in that role. Also, TB is fortunate to be on a 3-game win streak as they never should have won at Ottawa two games ago. The Lightning have less rest (just 1 day) than the Islanders do here and it is the road dog off a loss that is going to be the hungrier team and likely to be bearing down harder on the puck here. Coach Barry Trotz has had a great impact with the Isles early this season and they are looking forward to the challenge at Tampa tonight. Note my rating on this play as the beauty of the big dog line value is a 6* risk amount pays out at more than a 10* reward! The fact is this a great "risk versus reward" spot and I am grabbing an Islanders team that is being severely undervalued here. Keep in mind, Tampa Bay is still without Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman. 6* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Penguins have struggled to score goals recently and are mired in a 4-game losing streak. However, the Pens also beat the Capitals 7-6 earlier this season, they changed up some power play line combos in practice heading into this game, and I just expect the Capitals to bring out the best in a Pittsburgh team that is still very potent and loaded with talent on offense. The issue for the Pens is they can't keep the puck out of their own net and, the fact is, this is also an issue for Washington. The Capitals have allowed 3.8 goals per game this season and the Penguins have allowed 5 goals or more in 3 of their last 4 games. The road might do the Pens some good as they've averaged scoring 5.5 goals per game in their last 4 away from home! As for the Capitals, they've erupted for an average of 4 goals per game in their last 4 home games. The Caps most recent game had a total of 6 and Washington and Edmonton combined for 6 goals through the first two period but then none found the back of the net in the third period. The result was a tough push on the total but 6 of the Capitals 7 prior games went over the total. The over is 4-1 when the Penguins enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The over is 6-2 this season when the Capitals are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Both teams have been strong on the power play (especially Washington) but the Caps penalty kill has struggled. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Next Level - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Stars are off a tough loss at Boston last night where they allowed the game-winning goal late in overtime when the Bruins were on a two-man advantage. This will only strengthen the resolve of Dallas here as the Stars have been playing extremely well and they have revenge on their minds here. Columbus has held the upper hand in recent seasons against the Stars. However, the Blue Jackets just returned from a West Coast trip. The first game back east after a trip out west is often the toughest and Columbus wasn't overly impressive on their trip. In fact they were fortunate to salvage a point out of the final game of the trip and easily could have ended up 1-2 on the 3-game roadie. Dallas is 5-1-1 their last 7 games and is going to take advantage of a Blue Jackets team that has lost 5 of its last 8 games. So far this season the Stars power play has been much better than that of Columbus. Additionally, the Dallas penalty kill also rates the edge over that of the Blue Jackets. It has been over two weeks since the Stars have lost B2B games and I expect them to get right back on track tonight. 10* DALLAS

Next Level - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - The over is 3-1 in the Oilers last 4 road games and those 3 overs averaged a total of 8 goals scored per game! The over is 6-1 in the Capitals last 7 games overall and, amazingly, only 1 game out of 12 this season for Washington has finished with a total of less than 6 goals scored. Ironically, that was the Caps game at Edmonton a little over a week ago. That 4-1 Oilers win is the only game that hasn't amassed a total of at least 6 goals. With this total currently sitting at 6, as of early Monday morning, I am happy to invest in the over here as you know that the Capitals (especially off B2B losses including an OT home loss) are ready to respond here. The issue for the Caps is that they can't keep the puck out of their own net. This is not the same Capitals team that won the Stanley Cup in June. The coaching change has had a huge impact on the team and their just not playing anywhere close to as crisp as they have in the past. This leads to turnovers (like in the home loss to Dallas) which leads to opponents goals! Both the Capitals and the Oilers have struggled on the penalty kill this season and both have been strong on the power play (Caps especially). With all of the above factored in, look for plenty of goals in this one Monday. The over is 4-1 this season in Caps home game with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the over is 4-1 in Washington's non-conference games this season and the over is 5-1 in Capitals games when they are off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Sunday NHL 8* Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7 ET - The Sabres are rolling and I don't expect them to slow down at Madison Square Garden tonight. While it is true that the Rangers are seeking revenge from a loss at Buffalo 4 weeks ago - a game in which New York DID outplay the Sabres - the fact is that Buffalo is the team currently playing the better hockey. The Rangers have managed to win 3 of their past 5 games but they've been outshot by a margin of 179 to 127! Also, Henrik Lundqvist is a veteran goalie who certainly has deservedly earned many accolades throughout his career. However, the Rangers netminder has not been at his best of late. In fact, in the past 5 games he has started New York has allowed an average of 3.8 goals per game! As for the Sabres, since Linus Ullmark started yesterday, Carter Hutton is likely to get the nod in the crease tonight. Hutton is 4-0 with a sparkling 1.35 GAA and .960 save percentage versus the Rangers in his career. Additionally, the Sabres enter this game having outshot their opponents by a tally of 269 to 206 their last 7 games. Of course Buffalo is in a back to back here but, keep in mind, yesterday's game was an early afternoon start. Also, the Sabres don't play again until Thursday so they're definitely going to go "all out" on the ice this evening. Also, the Rangers are playing their first game since a West Coast road trip. That first game back East after a trip out West always tends to be the toughest one. I am grabbing the road dog here! 8* BUFFALO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators @ 2:05 ET - Buffalo is seeking revenge for a 4-2 loss at Ottawa Thursday. I fully expect the Sabres to carry over momentum from a 3rd period rally in that game that saw them register over 20 shots on goal! They were looking to get that game-tying goal but, in the end, an empty-netter from the Senators was the final goal scored in a 4-2 Sens win. The point is that there will be plenty of pressure from Buffalo in the offensive zone in this one as they look at avenge that Thursday defeat. The key to the value with the over is that I don't see the Sabres stopping the Sens offensive zone pressure either. Note that Ottawa is a perfect 5-0 to the over in road games this season. In fact, the Senators have played a total of 12 games this season and only 2 have resulted in an under. Ottawa is scoring an average of 3.3 goals per game this season but also allowing 3.8 markers per game! Buffalo has been a streaky team this season in terms of goal-scoring but after back to back low-scoring losses (including just 2 goals on 48 shots at Ottawa), I look for them to light the lamp early and often in this one. Why? It's because the Sabres are going to push the pace very hard after the back to back losses and, keep in mind, this is a Buffalo team that had averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game in their 4 games prior to the B2B defeats. The Sabres have had just 1 under in their last 7 games! The over is 2-0-1 in Buffalo's last 3 games against Eastern Conference opponents and the Sabres are 2-0-1 to the over in their last 3 versus Ottawa. Combining perfect edges noted above this is a 9-0 spot calling for a high-scoring game! 8* OVER the total in Buffalo

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers @ Hartwell Arena in Helsinki, Finland @ 2 PM ET - Yesterday's game ended up being a push (for most) on the total as it landed on 6 goals. There have only been 2 unders in the last 10 meetings between these two non-conference opponents. The average goal total in these 10 games is 6.9 goals scored. I am expecting at least 7 today. Connor Hellebuyck was fantastic between the pipes yesterday for the Jets and now, with this being a back to back, Laurent Brossoit is likely to get the start today. Brossoit has played very well this season but I really don't see him performing any better than Hellebuyck did yesterday. That said, the Panthers are going to come out even stronger today looking to earn the split of this 2-game set in Finland. Watching them yesterday Florida did impress me with how well they skated and they played fast. The Jets did too of course and Winnipeg took advantage of power play opportunities and got the 4-2 win. I expect them to find the back of the net plenty today as well. That's because the Panthers are likely to go with Michael Hutchinson between the pipes with this being a back to back and Roberto Luongo still being out and James Reimer having played yesterday. The over is a perfect 3-0 in Hutchinson's starts this season and he has struggled badly with an .839 save percentage thus far. Facing a potent attack like the Jets possess is the last thing a goalie wants to see when he is struggling. Yesterday's marked the 4th time in the last 5 meetings between these teams in which there were more than 70 shots on goal registered. Look for another fast-paced game today and I am confident that at least 7 light the lamp in this one as a result given the goalie situation in this one. The over is 24-12 when, in the first half of a season, Florida is playing a team with a winning record. Winnipeg should score at least 4 again. 10* OVER the total in the NHL game in Finland EARLY Friday

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Thursday 7* Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 2 PM ET (Game location: Helsinki, Finland) - These teams split their series last season but the Jets got the sweep the prior season. Another sweep could be on tap in Helsinki, Finland with these two squaring off in a special two set across the pond. Of course, one game at a time as the saying goes and I won't make my determination on Friday's game until Thursday's is in the books (and I may not even be involved in that one) but, the fact is that the Jets are the vastly superior team at this point in the season. Florida has lost 7 of their 9 games as they continue to struggle in goal without the services of Roberto Luongo. As for the Jets, they have their #1 goalie available in the form of Connor Hellebuyck and he actually is even being out-played by their #2 netminder, Laurent Broissoit. Florida would probably like to have either one of those guys considering how their own goaltenders have been playing early this season. In addition to an edge in the crease in this match-up, Winnipeg also has a huge edge in special teams. Both the Jets power plays and their penalty kill has been far superior to the special teams play of Florida so far this season. Winnipeg is coming off a loss and they have yet to lose back to back games this season! The Jets also have won 44 of 72 games against teams with a losing record. The Panthers have been hurt by slow starts in recent seasons as they have lost 50 of their last 85 games played in the first half of a season. Florida is in trouble again here as the Jets are hungry off a loss. 7* WINNIPEG

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - This is the perfect spot for a big play on Boston. The Bruins are off a home shutout loss versus the Canadiens despite having a double digit edge in shots on goal. Boston has had two days of rest since then and this game is followed by 3 days of rest which precedes a game against a Western Conference foe. In other words, there is no doubt that the Bruins are fully focused on this game. That is bad news for the Hurricanes as Carolina lost all 3 games with Boston last season and the Canes allowed an average of 5.7 goals per game in those 3 contests. Carolina has lost 4 of its last 6 games and they have lost 53 of their last 88 against teams with a winning record. The Hurricanes also have lost 28 of 41 Tuesday night games. Boston is the much better team on special teams in comparison with the Canes as they have a strong edge early this season both on the power play and on the penalty kill. The Bruins also have won 20 of 27 when playing with two days of rest between games. Look for a road rout here. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Sunday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - On the season it is a miracle that the Ducks even have the "decent" record they do. No team is putting fewer pucks on net and no team is allowing more shots on goal than Anaheim. That said, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Ducks have lost 4 straight games and 6 of their last 8. Now they must face an angry bunch of Sharks on Sunday and I don't expect this to go well for Anaheim. San Jose is off a road loss at Carolina (in OT) where they had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 and yet only could earn a point with the regulation tie. Coming off a loss is not the only motivation of the Sharks here. San Jose lost 5-2 to the Ducks to ruin their home opener and that was despite a 33-15 edge in shots on goal. Of course Anaheim was seeking revenge for last season's playoff sweep at the hands of the Sharks and they got it even though they were outshot by a more than 2 to 1 ratio! The fact is San Jose deserved better in that game and they will get the better of the Ducks in "round two" of their regular season match-ups tonight! Prior to the early October loss to the Ducks, San Jose had won 6 straight games against them. Also, the Sharks are 5-1 in their last 6 games at Anaheim. Lay it! 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Jets are off a 2-1 win at Detroit last night where they used goalie Laurent Brossoit so they could save Connor Hellebuyck for tonight's rematch in Toronto. However, I am not so sure that is a good thing! Brossoit has outplayed Hellebuyck so far this season and this has been particularly true of late as Hellebuyck has struggled in 3 of his last 4 starts. Facing the potent Maple Leafs on the road is unlikely to bring out the best in Hellebuyck. However, one thing I know is that the Jets are going to be hard on the puck and flying all over the ice as they look for payback for the 4-2 loss to the Leafs earlier this week. Winnipeg has scored just 2 goals in back to back games but previously had averaged 4.5 goals per game their 4 prior games. The Maple Leafs have scored 4 goals or more in 6 of their last 8 games. The over is 22-12 when the Leafs are playing with two days of rest between games. More of the same expected here. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 6:05 ET - This is a special early start game (3:05 PT) Friday in Vegas as it is Nevada Day which is a holiday celebrating Nevada's statehood anniversary. In any event the early start time only helps Tampa Bay as it is played at 6 PM on their body clocks (ET) and, the fact is, the Lightning didn't really need any help here! They are playing fantastic hockey and limiting opponents chances and have been superb on special teams. TB has a 97% penalty kill rate and a 25.8% power play conversion rate. The Golden Knights have been solid on the penalty kill at 84% but are only scoring on 10.9% of their power plays! Vegas also is in trouble here from a double revenge standpoints. The Golden Knights won both games with the Bolts last season including on a late goal with 3 seconds left in their lone meeting in Vegas. The point is that the Lightning have plenty of motivation and this is a very strong hockey club that many expect to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season! The Lightning have won 29 of 42 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Vegas has lost 4 of their 6 games against Eastern Conference foes this season and are definitely in a "sophomore slump" in their 2nd season in the league. It will be tough for them to repeat last year's success as everyone is gunning for them this season and that includes these Bolts! 10* TAMPA BAY

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are off a 4-1 home loss to the Avalanche but were previously 7-1 to the over this season! Philadelphia's 4 road games this season have averaged 8.5 goals per game. That said, when the total on this game dropped from a 6 to a 5.5 early this morning, I knew it was go time with this one. Yes, each team is dealing with a few injuries right now but the full season numbers with these hockey clubs truly tells the full story. The fact is too that one good game from goalie Tuukka Rask for the Bruins doesn't mean he is all the way back! Boston allowed a total of 17 goals in his first 4 start this season and all 4 went over the total. The potent Bruins offensive attack has averaged scoring 6 goals per game in their 3 home games this season! But will Boston have full intensity on defense here? Their Original Six rival and division rival Montreal Canadiens are up next. If Bruins lose focus here, even if just in spurts, the Flyers have the potent offense to make them pay. The issue for Philly though is they have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net and I expect that to continue to be an issue tonight! The over is 4-0 this season when Philadelphia is off a non-conference game. The over is 3-1 this season when the Bruins are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. 10* OVER the total in Boston

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7 ET - Huge game as the best Canadian team in the West, Winnipeg, hosts the best Canadian team in the East, Toronto. The total on this game opened up at a 6.5 but has dropped to a 6 which is opening up great line value on the over. While it is true that the Maple Leafs have struggled to score goals in their last two games, it is also true that the Leafs are 4-0 on the road this season and have scored 5.8 goals per game away from home! As for the Jets, there is truly no tougher home team in the league and they are known for putting up plenty of goals when on home ice. Winnipeg is 5-0-1 on home ice this season and they've averaged scoring 4.5 goals per game in their last 4 games as a host. The over is 19-9 when the Jets enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. The over is 3-0 this season when Toronto is off a game where they allowed 4 or more goals. 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg

NHL Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers, last night notwithstanding, have played much better than their record so far this season indicates. Of course that is why the odds makers (much sharper than the public) opened up with Florida as the favorite in this one! Now the line, as of early game day morning, has swung around to the Islanders as the favorite. This comes as no surprise to me and I love the Panthers in this spot. Even though this is a back to back for Florida, the situation absolutely favors them. The Islanders have been complaining about too much time off between games and they enter this one having been off for 3 straight days. Too much rest can take away your "game legs" and you just tend to not skate as well and you don't adjust as quickly to the action on the ice. Look for the Panthers to get the early jump on the Isles here and then keep their foot on the gas on the way to a big road win. Florida is so hungry for a strong performance after the tough one against the Rangers last night. The Panthers outhshot the Rangers but came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard but look for a stronger effort between the pipes tonight. In home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals, the Islanders have lost 24 of 36 games! The road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and the Panthers won their two games here last year by a combined score of 7 to 1. Look for another road rout here. 10* FLORIDA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Tuesday NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Of course this money line will entice people to take Nashville on home ice laying a short price. After all, the Sharks have lost 11 of their last 12 games in this building and the one win came in the shootout. However, San Jose is a very strong hockey team that is catching Nashville at the perfect time. The Predators are off a great road trip where their head coach challenged them and they delivered. I suspect they may not have enough left in the tank here to get past the hungry Sharks. Keep in mind, Nashville's Juuse Saros has been playing great between the pipes as Pekka Rinne is out right now but there is a reason Saros is the back-up and not the starter. Also, the Preds have the best record in the NHL at 7-1 so far but Nashville has played only 2 playoff teams from last season. In fact the non-playoff teams they've faced all finished 11th or worse in their respective conference standings last season. Though the Predators have a great goal differential this season note that their shot differential is only +1.6 a game while the Sharks have dominated in shot differential as they've registered a +12.3 shots per game. This is a great value spot with the Sharks and they catch the Preds feeling over-confident after the great road trip they just had. Nashville has lost 12 of 20 (-7.9 units!) when off a shutout win. Sharks have won 23 of their last 34 Tuesday games. 10* SAN JOSE

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are known for defense but have struggled in their own zone this season. Yes St Louis got the upset win at Toronto Saturday and held the Maple Leafs to just 1 goal but, previously, the Blues were allowing an average of 4 goals per game on the season. That said, a trip to Winnipeg could highlight those defensive shortcomings again. The Jets like to push the pace and put opponents on their heels and this is especially true when they are the host. Winnipeg has won 3 of 4 games so far on this 6 game homestand and the Jets have done it courtesy of an offense that is averaging 4 goals per game. The Blues have 0 unders in their 3 divisional games this season and are also 2-0 to the over when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. The Jets are 2-0 to the over in games against teams with a losing record and, after a win by a multiple goal margin, Winnipeg has had 0 unders in 3 games. Additionally, when the Jets enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home, the over has gone 18-9. Huge edges for a high-scoring one north of the border. There is some 5.5 becoming available on this game but I am happy to take the over 6 at a plus money return as I expect at least 7 goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Monday 8* Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Sometimes all it takes is one! The Red Wings are off their first win of the season and I expect them to build on the momentum generated from that victory. Keep in mind the Red Wings did play very well in a 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay on Thursday. They then followed that up by getting the big 4-3 win at Florida Saturday. Now Detroit is back home and they want to make the most of this opportunity because they don't play again until a tough home match-up with Winnipeg on Friday. The Red Wings are catching the Hurricanes at the right time. Carolina is winless in their last 3 games and a one-game road trip to Detroit is unlikely to bring out the best in the Hurricanes. The Canes actually have lost 28 of 45 when off a loss by a multiple-goal margin. Also, Carolina has lost 19 of 28 when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders! When you're not scoring many goals it is tough to win. Grab the undervalued home dog as they improve to 3-0 in their last 3 match-ups with the Hurricanes. 8* DETROIT

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 7* Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Flames are a much improved team this season and they enter this game off a loss. Also, Calgary owes the Rangers some payback because New York has swept them each of the past two seasons. Look for payback to come in a big way here as the Flames are already 2-0 this season when off a loss and I also like the fact that Calgary has won 48 of their last 81 games against teams with a losing record. The Rangers are likely to end up being one of the worst teams in the league this season as they are in "rebuild mode". New York has lost 5 of their first 7 games this season and also have lost 54 of their last 92 games against teams with a winning record. Take the better team, hungry off a loss, seeking revenge, and at a great price as a rather small road favorite. 7* CALGARY

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Sunday 7* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 7 ET - Situations don't get much better than this. Both teams are in a back to back spot but the better team is the one off a loss while the lesser team is off a big upset win. Indeed the Blackhawks got the 4-1 win at Columbus last night as a road dog. As for the Bolts, they blew a 2-goal lead in an eventual 5-4 OT loss at Minnesota. Blowing a 2-goal lead is unusual for a Stanley Cup contender like the Lightning and I expect an angry Tampa Bay team to take the ice in Chicago tonight and show no mercy. They have been sweeping the Blackhawks in recent seasons and I look for them to get this season's series off to a 1-0 edge with a dominating road effort in this one. Tampa Bay was 4-1 on the season prior to last night's loss while Chicago had lost 3 of 4 before upsetting the Blue Jackets last night. The Lightning have won 39 of 61 when off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Blackhawks have lost 3 of 4 this season when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. Also, Chicago has lost 47 of their last 78 games against teams with a winning record. 7* TAMPA BAY

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Saturday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8 ET - This is a back to back spot for Minnesota so that means back-up goalie Alex Stalock is likely to get the start. If the Wild do instead decide to go with Devan Dubnyk it would be a tough spot for him as he'll be going on back to back nights and with travel involved and with coming off a tough game at Dallas that definitely involved exerting a lot of effort. This is Tampa Bay's first road game of the season and they are one of the top teams in the NHL and ready to use this 5-game road trip to the north and then west as a proving ground that this team is ready for "next level". Truly the Bolts have been close in recent seasons and they are very healthy right now (also got Ryan Callahan back) and, unlike Minnesota, they are well rested here too. The Lightning are 0-5-1 in their last 6 trips here so it is time to prove themselves on the road against the Wild. They did beat Stalock when they hosted Minny early last season. The Wild have lost 27 of 45 Saturday games and also have lost 18 of their last 31 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. The Lightning have won 47 of their last 78 games against teams with a losing record and they are priced very well here as a rather small favorite. 10* TAMPA BAY

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Friday 6* Dallas Stars Money Line (-) vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - As long-time followers know, I rarely lay much juice in money line sports. I don't play big favorites. But this one is in the "moderate" price range (currently -155 range at time of posting) and the situation is too good to pass up. The home team won all 4 meetings between these teams last season. Also, the average margin of victory was 3 goals and none of the games were decided by less than 2 goals. In other words, a home rout here would not surprise. Adding to the value here is the situational aspect. The Wild are off a tight win but that was at home and they are winless on the road this season. The Stars are off back to back losses but those were on the road. The home/road dichotomy here is truly powerful. Dallas has won 3 of 4 home games with the only loss to an uber-talented Maple Leafs club. The Wild had lost 4 of 5 before barely squeaking by a Coyotes team that has had trouble scoring goals this season. Minnesota has lost 20 of 32 road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Dallas have won 249 of 410 long-term when off a game they lost by a margin of 2 goals or more. The Starts are +$81,700 at a dime per game in those situations. More of the same here. 6* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 8* OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers have had some recent success against the Caps so that gives them a little extra confidence here as they face the Stanley Cup Champs. However, the issue for Florida early this season is they can't keep the puck out of their own net. The Panthers have allowed 4.7 goals per game their last 3 games. The Capitals also have had issues in that regard as Washington has allowed 4.4 goals per game their last 5 games. Considering these factors as well as the fact that the Panthers are averaging scoring 3.7 goals per game their last 3 games and the Caps have scored an average of 4 goals per game this season and you can see why I like the over here. Also, the over is 24-11 when Florida enters a game off two days of rest. Look for the over in Capitals games this season to improve to 3-0 when they're facing a team with a losing record. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Thursday 8* Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - The Coyotes have played so much better than their record indicates and this looks like the perfect spot for a road upset. Arizona has outshot their opponents by an average of 11.4 shots per game! The Coyotes are allowing only 2.2 goals per game on the season while the Blackhawks are allowing 4.2 goals per game on the season! Chicago is off a huge divisional win over St Louis so they could be flat here plus they might be lethargic as they haven't played since Saturday! The Blackhawks have lost 14 of their last 19 when they enter a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. Look for the Coyotes to finally find the back of the net a few more times tonight as they've just been snakebit in terms of goals but Chicago's subpar goaltending and defense thusfar this season proves to be the difference here. 8* ARIZONA

Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Vancouver Canucks @ 8:05 ET - Vancouver is off an upset win at Pittsburgh and is averaging 3.7 goals per game this season. They've been a pleasant surprise early this season and certainly should get some goals here again tonight as the Canucks have been very consistent. However, they're running into a buzzsaw in Winnipeg tonight as the Jets are angry. Winnipeg is off a home loss to Edmonton and so it is bounce back time here. Of course that is why the Jets are a very large money line favorite here. That said, I feel the best value here is with the total that dropped from an opener of a 6.5 down to a 6 this morning. That adds some additional value considering how well the Canucks have been playing coupled with the fact that Winnipeg is not going to take their foot off the gas in this one! The over went 2-1 in meetings between these teams last season and the Jets have scored 7 goals in their last 2 games and will be flying all over the ice tonight. Also, Dustin Byfuglien is questionable with an upper body injury tonight and if he doesn't play or is limited, that helps the Canucks move more freely without his intimidation factor playing a role. 8* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The over went 3-0 in the 3 meetings between these teams last season. The Maple Leafs are scoring an average of 5.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The Penguins are looking to bounce back off rare back to back losses and the Pens were scoring an average of 3.8 goals per game before their 3-2 home loss versus Vancouver. The over is 22-8 when Pittsburgh is facing a team with a winning record in the first half of a season. The over is 22-11 when the Leafs are playing with 2 days of rest between games. 8* OVER in Toronto

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #52 Wednesday 8* Washington Capitals Puck Line -1.5 vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Stanley Cup Champion Capitals are off back to back losses and have been off since Saturday. Washington has gotten back to the basics in recent practices and they're rested and ready to take advantage of a Rangers team playing the 2nd game of a back to back here. The Rangers got a shootout win versus Colorado last night but that now means that goalie Henrik Lunqvist either has to play in back to back games or New York turns to their back-up netminder. Either option spells trouble considering how fired up the Caps are after back to back losses. Of course that is why the Capitals are a huge favorite here on the money line but we can get them at even money on the puck line (laying the 1.5 goals) and that is the way to go here as this should be a home blowout given the situation. The Rangers are 0-2 on the road this season and each loss came by a multiple goal margin. The Caps are off a home loss but faced a highly motivated and talented Maple Leafs team. Prior to that, the Capitals were 2-0 at home with the wins coming by a combined margin of 12-2. Look for another home blowout win here. 8* WASHINGTON -1.5 goals

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - There is some historical trend data that supports the under in this match-up but, ladies and gentlemen, that just doesn't mean anything when current situations with teams have changed drastically. That said, there is excellent value with the over in this match-up because Montreal has been playing a very up-tempo style this season and the Blues are struggling in their own zone but the betting markets have yet to catch up. That said, and with a total of 5.5 on this game, there is excellent value with the over in this match-up. The Canadiens have scored 4 or more goals in 3 of their last 4 games. The Habs also have allowed at least 3 goals in all but 1 of their games this season. The Blues have allowed an average of 4 goals per game this season. St Louis has averaged scoring 3.5 goals per game their last 4 games and they are going to push very hard for a win Wednesday evening in Montreal as they look to bounce back from a slow start to the season. Only 1 of the Blues 5 games this season has resulted in an under. Carey Price is expected to be back between the pipes for the Canadiens tonight but he hasn't played in nearly a week and is trying to come back from a battle with the flu. Price has given up 6 goals in his last 2 games versus the Blues. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The home team has won 5 straight meetings between these clubs. Philadelphia is 5-0 the last 5 times they've hosted the Panthers. Florida has only played 3 games so far this season but that doesn't change the fact that they are winless on the season and goalie James Reimer has struggled. The Flyers played a great game versus the defending Western Conference Champion Golden Knights Saturday but lost 1-0. The fact that Philly played so well in the defensive end is a sign of good things to come. Flyers goalie Brian Elliott has been strong in two of his four starts this season. Philly was 22-13-6 in home games last season while the Panters won just 17 of their 41 road games. Considering that as well as the very favorable line here, the play is on the small home favorite. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total Pittsburgh Penguins vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Total of 6.5 may look to be "too much" to the average bettor but this total opened up at this big number with good reason. The Penguins are likely to have Matt Murray back between the pipes tonight but he is returning from a concussion that he suffered in practice recently and he has struggled in his two starts this season. The Canucks are likely to have Anders Nilsson between the pipes and he has been surprisingly successful in his first two starts this season. However, there is a reason he is normally the back-up to Jacob Markstrom. Also, the Penguins have revenge against the Canucks as they were swept in two games versus Vancouver last season including one that Nilsson started. That said I look for the Penguins to push hard in this game in the offensive zone (especially coming off of the loss at Montreal Saturday) and that should lead to plenty of goals here. The issue for the Pens is in their own zone, especially after the loss of defenseman Justin Schultz. So the Canucks should answer the Penguins goal for goal in a wild one here. Both games between these clubs went over the total last season. Also, the Canucks have averaged 3.8 goals per game this season. The Penguins have had one bad game (hosting Montreal) but have averaged scoring 4.7 goals per game in their other 3 games! When playing against a team with a winning record, in the first half of a season, the Pens have gone over in 22 of their last 29. Look for another one here. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh 

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Dallas Stars @ 7:30 ET - This one sets up well to be a high-scoring shootout. It is a non-conference match-up and it features two teams both scoring goals likely crazy but also allowing a ton of goals. Both clubs have been performing extremely well on the power play but also struggling badly on the penalty kill. Simply put, it is the perfect recipe for an over. In terms of technical trends, the over is 4-0-1 in Ottawa's games this season and the Stars are 2-0-1 to the over their last 3 games. The Senators are scoring an average of 4 goals per game this season. However, prior to allowing just 1 goal in their upset win over the Kings, the Senators had allowed 5 goals per game in their 4 prior games. The Stars are scoring an average of 4.3 goals per game but have allowed 5 goals per game their past two games. The over is 11-1-1 in the Senators last 13 home games that had a posted total of 6 or more goals. Look for another one here! 8* OVER the total in Ottawa

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 8* OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs Anaheim Ducks @ 7:05 ET - With both teams off disappointing losses where they allowed too many shots on goals yesterday (the Blues got blitzed in the 1st, the Ducks got blitzed in the 2nd) the natural reaction is to expect an under today. That's because the expectation is that both teams are going to shore things up in their own zone and do a better job in front of their goalie. However, the issue with that in this particular case is that the Blues just can't stop anybody this season and the Ducks are angry after a they blew a 3-0 lead yesterday. In other words, Anaheim is not going to take their foot off the gas here no matter what the score is and also back to back games are always tough on the goalies. It usually means a back-up is between pipes are you have a starter getting the call in back to back games. Neither situation is exactly ideal when it comes to keeping the puck out of the net. As a result, I am looking for plenty of goals here. The over is 3-0-1 in Blues games this season. The over is 19-10-1 in Sunday games involving Anaheim. The Ducks have averaged scoring 3 goals per game this season and St Louis has averaged scoring 4 goals per game this season but can't keep the puck out of their own net as the Blues are allowing 4.3 goals per game on the season. 8* OVER the total in St Louis

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Saturday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 6:05 ET - The Hurricanes are offering superb underdog line value here. Carolina is on fire with 3 straight wins and also riding a red hot goalie with Curtis McElhinney. The Canes have been off since Tuesday and that is also an added value here as the Wild are in a divisional sandwich situation. Minnesota is off of a big win versus Chicago Thursday and they have a huge game at Nashville on deck. This is definitely a "flat spot" game for the Wild and they beat the Hurricanes here 6-2 last March so payback is on the minds of Carolina in this one. The Canes are averaging 5.3 goals per game their last 3 games. The Wild have been held to just 1 goal in 2 of their 3 games this season. Minnesota has lost 26 of their last 44 Saturday games (-$14,600). Look for the Hurricanes to continue their roll and make it 4 straight. 8* CAROLINA 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7 ET - The Avalanche are in the pick'em price range here and that is offering great line value with the much better team. Of course we get the low line here because the Avs are on the road and I love this spot for a bounce back for Colorado. The Avalanche started Phillip Grubauer in Tuesday's loss at Columbus but Semyon Varlamov should be back between the pipes for this one. Colorado is 2-0 with him in the crease this season and the Avs have won those two games by a combined score of 9-3. The Sabres are off rare back to back wins but note that Buffalo was oushot by a combined tally of 81 to 46. In other words, give some credit to the Sabres but also note that they've been quite fortunate. Sure there have been some changes for both hockey clubs coming into this season but, keep in mind, Buffalo was dead last in the standings last season out of all 31 NHL teams while the Avalanche made the playoffs last year. This is a tremendous value spot for taking the Avs at a great price and I won't pass it up and, in fact, am raising this one to Top Play status due to the superb line value. Sabres off B2B wins and Avalanche off a bad loss where they know they played poorly combines for a great situational spot. 10* COLORADO 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Wednesday 8* Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 10:05 ET - The Coyotes haven't played since their Saturday home opener. In that game Arizona hosted Anaheim and lost 1-0 despite a 41-20 edge in shots on goal. In other words, payback time has arrived. The Ducks have won 3 straight games to open up the season while the Coyotes are 0-2 but, from a situational standpoint, this is a great value spot for backing the dog. Arizona has outshot Anaheim by a combined 37 shots in the last 3 meetings and yet only has 1 win to show for it. Give credit to Ducks goaltending but the Coyotes have also been getting good goaltending and though both teams are banged up right now, the list of players missing / hurting for Anaheim includes Ryan Kesler, Corey Perry, and Patrick Eaves - all out. Also, Ryan Getzlaf is questionable with a lower body injury. Even if he plays the Ducks may limit him as they have big road games on deck at Dallas and St Louis and Anaheim may feel they can "get by" without Getzlaf against the lowly Coyotes here at home. Of course upsets happen though and that is what I am calling for here as Arizona gets revenge for the Ducks having put a damper on their home opener. Anaheim, when on a winning streak of 3 game or more has lost 14 of 25 (-$6,600) the past two seasons. Upset alert as the hungrier team, the road dog, gets the job done here. 8* ARIZONA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs San Jose Sharks @ 7:05 ET - Even though James van Riemsdyk, the Flyers prized off-season acquisition, is out for this game there is still plenty of positive buzz around this team right now. This is Philadelphia's home opener and the Flyers are in a great scheduling spot here as they've been off since Saturday. Philly is hungry as that Saturday game was a loss at Colorado which followed a fantastic effort on the ice in Vegas on Thursday as they upset the Golden Knights in a very tough barn to play in! Now the Flyers are in bounce back mode and while it is true that the Sharks are also in bounce back mode. It is also true that San Jose is in a tough scheduling spot. This is a back to back spot for the Sharks after they lost 4-0 against the New York Islanders yesterday. The scheduling situation certainly favors the Flyers. Also, San Jose will likely go with back-up goalie Aaron Dell between the pipes in this one as Martin Jones was in goal last night. Though Dell has had success against the Flyers in the past there is certainly a reason he has always been the back-up to Jones in San Jose. Big scheduling edge and great line value here for the home team as the Flyers opened up as the dog in this match-up. Also note that, in terms of special teams, the Sharks have yet to score a power play goal in their 3 games while they've also allowed a 25% conversion rate for their opponents on the power play this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Monday 8* Buffalo Sabres Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 3:05 ET - On the surface with this match-up you have the Western Conference Champion from last season facing a team that is annually one of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference in recent seasons. However, as per usual, there is more than meets the eye on the surface and that is the key behind my contrarian plays. In this case I am taking the home dog Sabres whom have the added confidence of coming off of a home win and are catching Vegas at the perfect time to get another home win. You see, the Golden Knights only get one shot in Washington DC this season (since it is an Eastern Conference foe) and that is the game that is on deck for Vegas. Yes indeed, up next for the Golden Knights is the Stanley Cup rematch against Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. That said, it is going to be tough for Vegas to maintain proper focus here while the Sabres are most certainly going to be focused on this game and a chance to exact revenge for losing both games to the Golden Knights by a single goal last season. 8* BUFFALO

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Sunday NHL 8* OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks and Maple Leafs are each in a back to back spot here. That is tough on the goalie situation always but the netminding duties are particularly precarious for Chicago right now because of the Corey Crawford injury. Each of the Blackhawks two games have gone over the total and they've totaled at least 7 goals in each game. Toronto's game yesterday totaled 8 goals and that was a home loss to Ottawa so the Maple Leafs will come out flying all over the ice after that defeat. Cam Ward has only an .873 save percentage this season but is likely to get the call again for the Blackhawks in this one in a tough back to back spot for him. The Leafs are likely going with back-up goalie Garrett Sparks due to the back to back. In other words, look for plenty of goals in this one. 8* OVER the total in Chicago

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #69 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 10:05 ET - The Flyers are the healthier team coming into this match-up. Yes, goalie Michal Neuvirth is out but Brian Elliott is not necessarily a drop off in between the pipes. As for the Golden Knights, after their miracle season last year, there is likely to be a drop off this season. Off-season roster changes did not help Vegas and in fact hurt them. Speaking of hurting, the Golden Knights are also missing 3 skaters for this one. Defenseman Nate Schmidt is dealing with a 20-game suspension and center Cody Eakin and right winger Alex Tuch are dealing with injuries. The Flyers are very familiar with Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from his many years with the division rival Penguins so they know his tendencies, his strengths, his weaknesses. They beat Fleury and the Knights here in Vegas 4-1 last year. Though they lost the home game to Vegas, Philadelphia did outshoot the Golden Knights 40-29 in this game.  Per all of the above, you can absolutely see why I am happy to back the sizable dog in this match-up. 8* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 8* Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - This is a chance at a "statement game" for the Bruins and they won't miss out on this opportunity to send a message. Unbelievably Boston has lost 12 straight games to the Capitals. The Bruins missed out on an opportunity at playoff revenge last spring when, in the 2nd round they fell to the Lightning which prevented a showdown with the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Capitals. The Bruins are ready to make "another run at it" this season and to prove they are ready Boston certainly needs to handle their nemesis here. The reason this money line is priced so low is because the odds makers are expecting the same thing the sharp bettors are here. The Bruins will prove to be the much hungrier team tonight while the Capitals are still relishing the enjoyment of finally hosting the Cup in June. Give me the very talented road dog in this match-up as they finally get past their nemesis. Keep in mind, Washington won all 3 games last season but didn't outshoot the Bruins in any of the contests. Very hungry road dog here. 8* BOSTON

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - This line was a low as -130 when it first came out and it has now moved to as high as a -150 as of game day morning. This has opened up great value with Washington. Yes, everyone expects Vegas to bounce back because they are on home ice but home ice truly hasn't been that critical in Capitals games this post-season. The fact is the Golden Knights have already had two chances to bounce back and they haven't done it. The result has now been 3 straight losses this season. Although Vegas has never lost 4 straight games this season, Washington is 3-0 in potential close-out games in this post-season and ALL 3 of those wins came on the road. Also, the last 7 times the Capitals have entered a game on a 3-game winning streak, they are a perfect 7-0. Washington hasn't just won the last 3 games against Vegas, they've dominated. The 3-2 win they led 3-0 and the final score didn't reflect how well the Capitals played throughout the game. Then the past two games the Caps have won by a combined score of 9 to 3. As I have said throughout this series, the Capitals and Alex Ovechkin are so hungry for the Cup that has eluded them throughout his great career with Washington. As great of a story as Vegas has been this season, the Capitals have another thing going for them that the Golden Knights absolutely don't and the markets have overlooked this throughout this series. The Caps have a key core group that has played together for many seasons (including post-seasons) in their quest for the Cup. Of course for the Knights this is their inaugural season so it is a much different situation for them. They simply can't match the cohesiveness that the Capitals have. The players on the Caps know each others tendencies so well from playing together for many seasons. That is why their passing and ability to look crisp on the ice and "make the plays" has been so much better than the Knights throughout this series. With how well that the Capitals have played on the road throughout these playoffs, it is only fitting that the series will indeed end tonight with yet another Caps victory on enemy ice. The Capitals have allowed 2 goals or less in 5 of their last 6 games. The Golden Knights have not held the Caps to less than 3 goals in any of these games as Vegas is allowing an average of 4 goals per game. More of the same in what proves to be the final game of this post-season. 10* WASHINGTON

Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Golden Knights have now lost two straight games for the first time in this post-season. The last time Vegas did this (end of the regular season) they won their next game 1-0. However, that low-scoring output for the Golden Knights in this situation was very unlikely. The 9 prior times (dating back to early November) that Vegas entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games, the Golden Knights averaged scoring 4 goals per game! In other words, a big push from Vegas can absolutely be expected here. The fact is that the Knights are smart enough to realize that their approach the past two games has not worked. Settling into a low-scoring grinder game is not working at all for Vegas. They scored just 2 goals in Game 2 and lost and 1 goal in Game 3 and lost. In Game 1 the Golden Knights exploded for 6 goals and won. Adding to the value here is that there have been a number of missed opportunities for both teams with so many shots off the iron and unbelievable "just-missed" scoring chances with a wide-open net. The point is that Game 1 easily went over, Game 2 never should have stayed under (5 goals through 2 periods), and now we're being given insane value with the over 5.5 in Game 4 still set at a plus money price on the over. This game is going to be much more wide open because Vegas is now desperate to tie this series up and avoid a nearly insurmountable 3-1 deficit. The Golden Knights will be much more aggressive in Game 4 and this should lead to more Vegas goals but I don't see them stopping a Capitals team that has scored 3 or more goals in 5 straight games. The Caps have, in fact, averaged 3.5 goals per game in their 26 games since the calendar turned the page to April 1st - no fooling! The over is 9-5 the last 14 times Vegas was off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. The over is 22-13 this season when the Capitals are off of a win by two or more goals. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:15 ET - The Capitals Evgeny Kuznetsov has been upgraded to probable for this game and that certainly is good news for Washington and helps our cause here in terms of the over. Game 1 easily went over the total and then Game 2 fell just short even though they had 5 goals at the end of two periods. There have been a lot of missed opportunities and shots off the pipe so far in just two games of this series and yet we've still seen 15 goals scored. As strong as Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury were in Game 2, there will still some juicy rebounds from Fleury and of course Holtby had the incredible game-saver on Alex Tuch of the Golden Knights that ultimately kept this game under the total. Vegas will be more aggressive about creating good scoring chances in this one and they're going to get more traffic in front of the net and create screens to make Holtby's job even tougher. At the same time, I have no doubt the Capitals will enjoy a big surge on home ice riding the momentum of the Game 2 win and they'll pressure Fleury early and often in this game. The over is 20-11 this season in Washington's home games  with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The over is 3-0 in this post-season when the Golden Knights are tied up in a series. Also, the over is 11-5 this season when Vegas has 2 days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Washington

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals are 4-1 (80%) in this post-season when trailing in a playoff series. Washington is a long-term 71-37 when playing with revenge and that includes 28-14 (67%) this season. After a loss by 2 goals or more, the Caps are 34-18 the past 3 seasons combined. While credit must be given to the Golden Knights for certain, I have never seen a team have so much "puck luck" throughout a post-season. Vegas has had "lady luck" on their side to say the least and a critical missed penalty in the 3rd period directly resulted in the Golden Knights game-tying goal. They never should have won Game 1. They won't win Game 2. They were out-hit in Game 1 and the Capitals are going to again "lower the boom" in Wednesday's game and Vegas gets pummeled in this one because you can not even begin to imagine the hunger that Alex Ovechkin and Company have for this game. The Golden Knights literally "stole" Game 1 and "payback" comes in a big way Wednesday and I am thrilled to have the generous underdog payback on my side in this one. 10* WASHINGTON

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Monday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - One may think that the Golden Knights have a rest "edge" here since they certainly have had more rest than the Capitals heading into this game. However, as has been stated many times in the past, rest can lead to "rust" when it is excessive. In this case, Washington has had 3 days off which is a nice break and adequate to heal up. As for Vegas, they have had a full week off! This is the perfect amount of time off to lose your edge, lose crispness of passes, lose the "flow of the game" because no matter how much a team practices it is simply not the same as doing game time "battle" on the ice. Keep in mind the Golden Knights lost Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Winnipeg and it had a lot to do with a sluggish start to the series because Vegas had been off for nearly a full week. Also, note that Washington is off of back to back shutouts and they are now 16-4 in recent seasons (including 3-0 this season) when they enter a game off of a shutout win. Also, Caps games have recorded 3 straight unders and the Capitals are 16-6 in recent seasons (including 6-1 this season) when they enter a game on a totals streak of 3 or more consecutive unders. Since the calendar turned the page to 2018, the Golden Knights have had 10 games where they were playing with 2 or more days of rest between games. They've won only 4 and lost 6 of those games. Much has been made of the Capitals success on the road in these playoffs and the fact is that it is no fluke as Washington actually is on a 15-3 run in road games dating back to early March! Overall, in the Caps playoff games this post-season, the road team has prevailed in 13 of 19 games! That said, there is great line value here as the home ice "edge" always bears a "price" and yet in this case it certainly is not justifiable given the factors above. 10* WASHINGTON