Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Saturday 8* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 2:05 ET - If the Oilers aren't going to the playoffs (which of course they aren't even though they're not officially eliminated yet), they can still enjoy playing the role of spoiler. The Panthers right now are on the edge of the post-season and Edmonton is seeking revenge for a loss to Florida last month where they allowed 7 goals! That said, there is great underdog value here because the Oilers clearly have NOT quit on the season even though it has been a disappointing campaign. Edmonton is off of a tight loss to the Sharks. However, prior to that the Oilers had allowed just 1 goal in 3 straight games! Also, prior to a 1-0 loss to Calgary that preceded the loss to the Sharks, Edmonton had won 3 straight games and 7 of their last 11. On the road, the Oilers had won 3 of 4 prior to the 1-0 loss to their provincial rivals. Florida is off of a huge divisional win over Boston and they have another divisional game on deck as they travel to Montreal after this one. This is definitely a tricky spot for the Panthers and I'll gladly grab the underdog value here. Florida has lost 11 of 18 after winning a game by 2 goals or more. 8* EDMONTON

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals crushed the Islanders 7-3 yesterday and the Isles are truly struggling so don't expect any turnaround here. The fact that coach Doug Weight was somewhat pleased with yesterday's effort from New York shows just how out of sorts this team is right now. They can score goals but they given up goals in bunches and no team in the NHL has allowed more goals than the Islanders this season. That said, I look for another high-scoring match-up here because the Capitals won't be stopped on home ice but goalie Braden Holtby has actually been struggling with losses in 3 of his last 4 starts and an ugly .862 save percentage. The Islanders will score their fair share here. The Isles, however, just can't stop anyone and the over is 16-5 this season when New York is off of a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. As for the Capitals, the over is 14-7 in their divisional games this season. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Philly Special - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Thursday 8* UNDER the total Philadelphia Flyers vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - This will be playoff hockey. Yes we're still a few weeks away from the playoffs but the Flyers and Blue Jackets are tied in the Metropolitan standings and these divisional rivals are going to battle it out for a critical two points tonight. In other words, look for a tightly played contest with emphasis on puck possession and protection in their own zones. All 3 games between these clubs this season have stayed under the total and 5 of the last 7 meetings between these teams (including all 3 this season) have resulted in just 3 goals or less being scored! In fact the average total goals scored in those 5 games was just 2.6 goals - that's TOTAL for both clubs! Now, with this game being ultra important, it will be played out in very conservative fashion. The under has cashed in 8 of the Flyers last 11 games! Philly has been held to 2 goals or less in 7 of their last 8 games. In those 7 games the Flyers have averaged just 1.6 goals per game! The under has cashed in 36 of 57 when Columbus has 2 days of rest between games. 8* UNDER the total in Philadelphia

Hometown Beatdown - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Wednesday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 10:05 ET - The Golden Knights have had a surprisingly great season and they are coming off of a fantastic road trip. However, you knew their unbeatable run on home ice couldn't last forever and, as expected, they're only 6-6 in their last 12 home games. This is a tough spot for them too as they were just in Philly on Monday night wrapping up a 5-game road trip back east and got the win on a late goal. The first game back after a long road trip like that always tends to be the toughest. As for the Devils, they made some interesting moves at the trade deadline in an effort to make a push for a playoff spot and they're battling hard for their playoff lives. They're the type of dangerous dog no one wants to face at this time of year. New Jersey also comes into this game well-rested as they've been off since Thursday. That was an upset win for the Devils at Nashville which ended the Predators 10-game winning streak. New Jersey has been very competitive and appears to be turning the tide again. The Devils did lose at home to these Golden Knights earlier this month despite holding a 35-27 edge in shots on goal so they're looking for revenge here. Look for the Devils to improve to 6-2 this season when they enter a game having 3 or more days of rest between contests. Vegas has lost 3 of their last 4 home games versus Eastern Conference opposition. 8* NEW JERSEY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8:05 ET - The Rangers have gone over the total in 3 straight games and those contests have averaged 8 goals per game. The Penguins are off of a rare low-scoring game versus Dallas. The over was 8-2 in Pittsburgh's 10 games prior to the 3-1 win versus the Stars. The over is a perfect 6-0 in the Penguins last 6 road games. The over is a long-term 56-33 in Penguins games when they are off of a win by 2 or more goals and that includes a solid 15-7 to the over this season! The over is a long-term 46-24 in Rangers divisional games and that includes a stellar 13-5 to the over this season! 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - When these teams meet there are generally plenty of fireworks! The three meetings this season have all flown over the total. All 3 of those games totaled at least 8 goals. Also, each of the last four meetings between these teams in Nashville have gone over the total and they've averaged a total of 8 goals per contest. The Predators are off of a 3-2 loss versus New Jersey but had previously won 10 straight games and averaged 4.3 goals per game. The Jets are off of back to back low-scoring losses which is rare for them. Winnipeg had previously won 9 of their last 11 games and they averaged scoring 4.4 goals per game during this stretch. While it is true that this is a key late-season division battle, it is also true that both of these teams are loaded with firepower in the offensive end. The over is 20-12 when the Predators enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home and that includes an O/U mark of 6-3 this season with those parameters. Also, the Jets are having to go with Michael Hutchinson between the pipes since Connor Hellebuyck was in goal last night and Steve Mason is still out. As for the Winnipeg offense, they've generated 4.3 goals per game in their last 3 visits to Nashville and all 3 of those were with Pekka Rinne between the pipes for the Predators. 10* OVER the total in Nashville

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #6 Tuesday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:35 ET - The Stars, of course, are the popular choice here but they have been held to 2 goals or less in 10 of their last 13 games! Does that sound like the type of team that should be laying nearly 2 to 1 odds on the road? That is what the markets seem to think as they continue to push this line higher and higher. Yes, it is true that Montreal has struggled recently but the Canadiens should have Antti Niemi back between the pipes tonight and they have been much tougher at home of late. Charlie Lindgren struggled on the road yesterday but, with Niemi between the pipes, the Habs have given up only 6 goals in his last 3 starts. Also, the Canadiens have won 7 of their last 14 home games and have averaged scoring 3.2 goals per game in their last 13 on home ice. With the Stars struggles scoring goals recently and Montreal looking to play the role of spoiler, there is great home dog value here. Dallas has lost 51 of 85 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The home team has won 7 of the last 9 meetings between these clubs and the 2 times that didn't happen it was the Habs winning at Dallas. In other words, the Canadiens have played the Stars very well and I expect that to be the case again here. 8* MONTREAL 

Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets have won 4 straight games and have averaged 4 goals per game in doing so. The Canadiens have lost 4 straight games and have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in doing so. Columbus is going to get their goals here! However, Montreal has actually been very competitive in most all of their recent losses the past 3 weeks. The Habs have just 3 wins in their last 10 games but of the 7 losses only 2 have come by a margin of more than a single goal. You can see why I am expecting a 4-3 type game here. The Canadiens are off of back to back unders (but each game got to 5 goals) and Montreal had seen 4 of their 6 prior road games go over the total. Columbus is off of an under but the Blue Jackets entered that game on an overall 5-1 run to the over. With this total current at a 5.5 and the over available at plus money, I see great value in this spot. 8* OVER the total in Columbus

Rickenbach NHL Game #58 Monday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Vegas is off of back to back wins but they had to go to the shootout to get past Buffalo and their prior win was at Detroit. Neither the Sabres nor the Red Wings will be playing in this year's post-season so these two wins are not all that impressive to say the least. The point is that, prior to these two wins the Golden Knights had lost 4 of their last 5 games and previous to this many of the Vegas wins have come against weaker competition as well. Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal and Chicago are all teams highly unlikely to be playing in the playoffs! Now the Golden Knights take on another playoff-caliber team and are on the road and laying a price. I am not taking anything away from Vegas overall surprisingly strong season but my point is that they are starting to fade some. Not only did they recently get upset by Ottawa but when they've played tougher teams like Los Angeles (twice) and Anaheim and Columbus they've lost all 4 of those games. The Flyers have had some recent tough losses but overall have been playing very well of late and they'll be a tough match-up for Vegas here. Philly was outshot in the win over the Golden Knights earlier this season but they're very familiar with Marc-Andre Fleury from his many years with the Penguins and Philly beat Fleury and the Pens 4-1 in their first meeting this season. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals struggled to score goals on their 3-game West Coast road swing but I expect their goal-scoring ways to return now that they're back on the East Coast. The Caps have scored 13 goals in their last 3 home games (including the outdoor game versus Toronto). The Jets Patrik Laine and Washington's Alexander Ovechkin are tied for the league lead in goals scored and I like looking at overs in non-conference match-ups. The total on this one is offering good value as it is a 5.5 and Winnipeg, prior to their 2-1 loss at Philly Saturday, had scored 3 or more goals in 11 straight games! The Jets averaged 4.4 goals per game in those 11 games and should get right back on track here. The over is 22-12 this season when the Capitals play a team with a winning record. The over is 29-13 the last 42 times the Caps have hosted the Winnipeg franchise. Again, in late season non-conference match-ups there is no concern about giving up a point to a team you're chasing in the standings so, if this game is 2-2 going to the 3rd period neither team will be sitting back playing to just get overtime. They'll be going all out for that 3rd goal right away and that's why games like this turn into 4-2 or even 4-3 finals when it is a non-conference match-up. I love the value of the 5.5 total on this one. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Flames vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Flames have their provincial rival, Edmonton, on deck so their defensive intensity may not be at its best for this non-conference match-up. That said, I am looking for plenty of goals in this one. The Islanders, coincidentally, are off of a 2-1 loss to the Oilers but that low-scoring defeat was an unusual one. The Isles had given up an average of nearly 4 goals per game in their 7 prior losses and their losing streak is now 8 games! The Flames are off of a low-scoring win but the over was 13-6-1 in their 20 prior games. Mike Smith is listed as probable for tonight's game but could be rusty as he hasn't started a game in a full month. Calgary finally was getting good goaltending from David Rittich and now here comes Smith. The over is 12-4 this season when the Islanders are playing with 2 days of rest between games. This total is a big one (at 6.5 goals) but don't let the big number fool you as 7 or more is very likely in this one. 10* OVER the total in Calgary

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs Arizona Coyotes @ 3:05 ET - The Avalanche are fighting for their playoff lives and are likely to turn to their offense in an attempt to snap their recent skid. When Colorado enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games they've gone 5-0 to the over this season! Also, the Avs are seeking revenge for a home loss to the Coyotes in their most recent meeting in late December. Colorado has gone over the total in 26 of 40 games this season when playing with revenge. Arizona had been hot and that includes averaging 3 goals per game in winning 3 of their last 4. The Avalanche have seen 4 of their last 5 games total at least 7 goals and I expect another wild one here as the Avs do everything they can to snap their skid but they have allowed 3.4 goals per game their last 11 games. Looks like we should see at least 7 goals again as has been the case with many of the Avalanche recent games. 8* OVER the total in Colorado

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 1:05 ET - The Flyers are off of a tough loss at Boston where they gave up the game-winning goal with under a minute to go. Indeed it has been a tough stretch for Philly but most of the losses were on the road during this 5-game losing streak and they also suffered a tough loss in the shootout against Tampa Bay in one of the defeats. The Flyers are hosting Winnipeg Saturday and getting back on home ice and facing a Jets team that has been hot but that has lost 7 of 9 this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. Philly has won 12 of their last 19 home games and was on an overall run of having won 26 of 37 games before this tough 5-game skid. They'll get back on track against a Jets teams they've dominated in recent home meetings. Winnipeg is the much more banged up team heading into this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Calgary Flames @ 7:35 ET - With last night's 4-3 home loss Ottawa has now scored 3 goals or more in 7 straight home games. The Senators have averaged 4 goals a game during this stretch of games on home ice. As for Calgary, they exploded for 5 goals in the first two periods at Buffalo Wednesday before settling in for a 5-1 win. The over is now 7-1 in the Flames last 8 road games. With this being a non-conference match-up that also generally leads to less defensive intensity and more open ice for plenty of scoring opportunities. 4 of the last 5 meetings between these clubs has gone over the total and I expect another high-scoring one here. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - This looks like a great spot for the Flyers to steal a much needed win and they offering huge value here with the Bruins a 2 to 1 favorite. Of course Boston has been playing well but they have been giving up a lot of goals too. The Bruins have allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game their last 6 games. Tuukka Rask is listed as questionable tonight and his back-up, Anton Khudobin has an ugly .888 save percentage his last 4 starts. There is no argument that the Flyers goalie, Alex Lyon, expected to start tonight has played better than Khudobin. Boston is on a 4-game winning streak but they've lost 18 of 33 (-$10,700) when on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Flyers stop the bleeding here and cash in as a huge underdog! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - Even though the Jets Mark Scheifele may not play tonight, Winnipeg is loaded with scoring options and has some really hot lines that are firing on all cylinders at the moment. That said, there is great line value here as this total is available at 5.5 in a number of spots and it may stay there thanks to the Scheifele injury. One of the keys for the Devils to make a late season push was to make some acquisitions to infuse some speed and scoring options into the offense. It is already starting to pay dividends. New Jersey is off of a huge 6-4 win over Montreal and the Devils have averaged 35.3 shots on goal in their last 4 home games. As for the Jets, they've scored an average of 4.4 goals per game in their last 10 games and they'll take advantage of a New Jersey back-end that has surrendered at least 3 markers in 4 straight games! Both of the last two meetings between these teams has totaled 7 goals and I expect this one will get at least that as well. The over is 12-3 this season when the Devils are off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. The over is 5-1 this season when the Jets are off of a shutout win. Also, the over is a long-term 12-3 when Winnipeg enters a game on a wining streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Calgary Flames @ 7:35 ET - The Sabres continue to be a different team when on home ice. Buffalo scores much better at home than on the road and is off of a 5-3 win versus Toronto Monday. That marked the 5th time in their last 7 home games that the Sabres have scored 4 or more goals. Wednesday they host a Flames team that will be fired up after a 4-3 OT loss at Pittsburgh Monday. With goalie Mike Smith still out there continues to be some inconsistency between the pipes with Jon Gillies and David Rittich both struggling in their last couple starts each. When Calgary enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games the over has gone 21-7 and that includes a superb 8-1 this season! For the Sabres, the over is 10-5 in their last 15 home games. These trends continue here on Wednesday. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - Non-conference match-ups do have a tendency to lean toward being higher-scoring. This is particularly true later in the season when teams don't have to worry about losing points to their opponent because they are in another conference. The point is that, as an example, the Hurricanes need more defensive intensity against recent divisional foes like the Flyers and Devils (allowed just 1 goal in each game) than they do against Western Conference foes like the Jets (lost 3-2 Sunday). The last two meetings between Minnesota and Carolina have each totaled at least 8 goals. The Hurricanes come into this game having allowed at least 3 goals in 8 of their last 10 games. The Wild, before holding the Red Wings to just 1 goal Sunday, had allowed an average of 3.4 goals per game in their 9 prior games. 6 of the 9 games totaled at least 6 goals and the 3 that didn't each totaled 5 goals. That said, I really like the value here with the 5.5 in this non-conference match-up. The Canes have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 4 versus Western Conference teams. The Wild have averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game in their last 4 games versus teams from the Eastern Conference. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Habs have earned at least a point in 7 straight games while the Devils come into this one off of 3 straight losses. Montreal had won 3 of 5 before their OT loss at Boston and the Canadiens scored at least 3 goals in 4 of those 5 games. That should get the job done against slumping New Jersey as the Devils offensive production, other than Taylor Hall, is in a major slump. NJ has been held to 2 goals or loss in 6 of their last 7 games. Also, Cory Schneider is now back for the Devils but New Jersey's #1 netminder is winless in his last 9 starts! The Habs have been getting solid goaltending from their goalies as Montreal has allowed an average of only 2 goals per game in their last 6 games. The Canadiens have owned the series with the Devils in recent seasons and couple that (12-2-2 L16 meetings) with the fact that New Jersey is in such a slump and you have the ideal spot to grab big road dog value. 8* MONTREAL

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs will be very hungry as they enter this game on a 3-game losing streak. However, they've struggled to keep the puck out of their own net as they've allowed 3.6 goals per game their last 5 games. That will hold significance here because the Sabres do tend to score better at home than on the road and this trend has been particularly strong of late. Buffalo has averaged 3.4 goals per game in their last 7 home games. The Sabres last two home games snuck under the total but they had been on a perfect 5-0 run to the over. Also, Buffalo's match-ups with Toronto have gone over the total in 3 of their last 4 meetings and this is their first of this season so I expect plenty of electricity in the building as these nearby divisional rivals square off for the first time in 11 months. The over is 8-3 in the Maple Leafs last 11 games and with both teams trending over of late (Sabres have been when at home like they are for tonight), I will gladly back the high side of this one while the markets have pushed the juice value in a good direction for me. This was a 5.5ov and is now a 5.5un with the early money coming in on the short side. Even more value for us and another contrarian play for me. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Monday 8* Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Flames have lost 3 straight games. However, they've had only one losing streak of more than 3 games this entire season. The other 4 times that they've entered game on a losing streak of exactly 3 games in a row, they've gone a perfect 4-0 this season. I expect them to bounce back here again as the situation is ideal. While the Flames are off of another loss and have only Buffalo on deck, the Penguins rallied for a win versus the division rival Islanders in their most recent game plus they have a huge game at division rival Philly on deck! This is the perfect set-up for an upset and the Pens have lost 11 of 19 this season when off of a divisional game. Also, Pittsburgh has lost 16 of 28 in non-conference action this season. Calgary has had 2 days of rest to get ready for this one and they've won 7 of 10 this season and 24 of 40 long-term when they enter a game with rest of 2 days. I love the big dog in this match-up and the Flames are looking to sweep the Pens for the 3rd straight season. Yes they've beaten the Pens 5 straight times and I believe they'll do it again here at a big dog price! 8* CALGARY

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:05 ET - The Wild have revenge for a 4-2 loss at Detroit very early this season. That game went over the total and the last 3 meetings have totaled 20 goals. I expect another "wild" one here as Minnesota is off of an ugly loss at Colorado (7-1) and they are 8-1 to the over this season when off of a game where they were held to one goal or less. The Red Wings have allowed 3.4 goals per game in their last 7 road games and are off of a 4-3 loss at Winnipeg. Now they face a Wild team off of back to back losses that had scored 4.5 goals per game in their 6 games prior to scoring just a single goal versus the Avalanche. The concern for Minnesota is both goalies struggled in recent games but the Wild certainly are likely to put up a ton of goals here and that is why I am expecting a back and forth barn-burner in this one as the Red Wings have averaged 3.3 goals per game in their last 7 road games but they're unlikely to hold the angry Wild in check here. 8* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 3:05 ET - The Flyers will likely have Alex Lyon between the pipes for this one but he truly has not looked bad and, the fact is, goaltending certainly do Philadelphia any favors yesterday. They had a 5-3 lead at Tampa Bay but then lost 7-6 in the shootout. The Flyers will be ready to respond today and they're seeking revenge at Florida. The Panthers beat them here in their most recent meeting, in late December, but prior the Flyers entered that game with 4 straight wins in this series. In this particularly match-up I like the fact that Philly not only has revenge but also extra hunger as they enter this game off of back to back losses and they catch the Panthers off of 5 straight wins. A win over the Sabres is not a big deal and the 4 prior Florida wins all came by a single goal. Certainly they deserve some credit for a 5-game winning streak but they could be feeling a little too good about themselves while the Flyers will come into town and play a very gritty game! The Panthers have lost all 4 Sunday games this season and Florida has lost 10 of 14 this season when off of a win by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Flyers have won 16 of 26 this season after scoring 4 or more goals and they are a perfect 4-0 in Sunday games this season. Double perfect spot to back the road dog. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders @ 5:05 ET - The Islanders are going to start Christopher Robinson between the pipes and this is a bad spot for the rookie netminder. The Penguins are angry off of an 8-4 loss at Boston and, of course, the defensemen in front of Robinson aren't exactly having a stellar season. In fact, that is a big part of the reason the Isles have allowed 4 goals per game during their 5-game losing streak. The only hope for the Islanders here is to have a huge game offensively and the Penguins could be ripe for the picking here with goalie Matt Murray still out. Of course that is why my play here is the over. The Islanders have plenty of firepower offensively and the Penguins continue to give up a lot of goals. Pittsburgh has allowed 17 goals during their 3 game losing streak. The strength for the Pens, of course, is their offense. The Penguins have average 4.4 goals per game their last 15 games which is a big reason the over is on an 11-4 run. More of the same expected here! The Islanders are 16-4 to the over this season when off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more. The Penguins are 19-9 to the over this season after scoring 4 or more goals in their prior game. Also, the Pens are 6-2 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 1:05 ET - Yes the Lightning are a great team. Yes this game is being played at Tampa Bay. However, the Flyers are off of a loss that was just their 2nd defeat in their last 12 games! Also, Philadelphia is seeking revenge for a 5-1 home loss to the Bolts in late January. Keep in mind the Flyers had won the 2 prior meetings with Tampa Bay and also Philly has outshot the Lighting 75-49 this season. In fact, the Flyers have outshot the Bolts in each of their last 5 meetings by an average margin of 12 shots on goal per game...a very substantial differential. The Lighting are off of a win but previously had lost 4 of 9. Also, prior to the win at Dallas, the Bolts had lost 6 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. Look for the Flyers to improve to 8-4 this season when playing with home loss revenge. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - The Red Wings haven't given up many goals of late but that has had a lot to do with who they played. They face a much tougher situation now as they visit Winnipeg. The Jets have averaged scoring an insane 4.9 goals per game their last 7 games! It is not a complete fluke either as Winnipeg has been incredible at home this season where they've averaged 3.9 goals per game this season. That means we're getting incredible line value here with this line available as low as a 5.5 in some spots as of early morning. The Red Wings are off of a tough low-scoring loss at St Louis but previously had averaged 3.6 goals per game in their 5 prior road games. The past two seasons in March games, only 10 of Detroit's 30 games have stayed under the total! As for Winnipeg, they are 9-3 to the over this season when playing with two days of rest between games. Also, the over is 8-2 in the Jets last 10 games overall. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Friday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - The Devils lost a tight one last night but previously had won 6 of their last 8 games. The Hurricanes are off of a big win at Philadelphia last night but previously had lost 6 straight games. Carolina allowed an average of 4 goals per game during that losing streak and, with Cam Ward getting the call last night, back-up Scott Darling is likely to get the call here. The Hurricanes have lost 3 of his last 4 starts and he has struggled as evidenced by his .867 save percentage in those games. The Devils got back Cory Schneider last night and it was good for New Jersey to get their top netminder back. However, that means Keith Kinkaid is likely to get the start tonight and he has been rock solid with a .947 save percentage as New Jersey has won 3 of his last 4 starts. In a home game with a total of 6 or more goals, the Canes have lost 6 of 7. Off of a divisional game, the Hurricanes have lost 14 of 19 this season! The Devils have won 12 of 21 divisional games this season while Carolina has lost 13 of 20. Also, the Devils long-term record shows them winning 41 of 71 in road games with a total of 6 or more goals. 8* NEW JERSEY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers have won 6 in a row and 10 of their last 11. The Hurricanes have lost 6 in a row. Philly also has won 7 of the last 10 meetings between these clubs. Peter Mrazek has played very well since the Flyers picked him from the Red Wings due to injury issues at the goalie position. The Hurricanes anemic offense is averaging just 1.5 goals per game during their losing streak. The Flyers have scored an average of 3.7 goals per game in their last 10 games. Ride the hot team at a very fair price on home ice. 8* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are looking to bounce back after back to back losses but they also are currently without the services of #1 goalie Matt Murray. That is why I am looking at the over in this one. The Bruins have allowed 11 goals in their last 3 games and I expect the hungry Pens to pressure Boston early and often. However, with Pittsburgh having an unsettled goalie situation, that also means that the Penguins can't be trusted to keep the Bruins from lighting the lamp early and often. Boston has won 4 of their last 5 home games and they've averaged scoring 4 goals per game in those 4 wins. The Penguins have been road warriors of late as they've scored an average of 4.6 goals per game in their last 5 games away from home. In fact, Pittsburgh had scored 4 goals or more in 10 of their last 13 games prior to the 3-2 loss to the Devils Tuesday. The over was 10-3 in those 13 games and I expect that over hot streak to resume here. The over is 7-3 in the Bruins last 10 games. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Wednesday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 9:35 ET - The Flames held the Stars to just 2 goals last night but the problem was they didn't score despite outshooting Dallas 38 to 26. It happens and it is frustrating but you can certainly expect a bounce back tonight. In fact, Calgary had won 9 of their 13 prior road games and they've been one of the top road teams in the league this season. The Flames also have won 11 of 16 this season when they are off of a loss by a multiple-goal margin. The Avalanche are off of win but they had previously lost 10 of their last 15 games as they've truly been in a slump the last 5 weeks. That is why this game is priced the way it is so though it may look enticing to take the Avs on home ice at such a small price, look for the "road warrior" Flames to bounce back big here and take out their frustrations in Colorado! The Avalanche are seeking to avenge a loss to Calgary in their most recent meeting but they actually have lost 75 of 130 when playing with revenge. In fact, the Flames have beaten them 5 straight times and this is a key game in the playoff race. 10* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The over is 18-4-1 in Tampa Bay's last 23 games! The Lightning have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 13 games. The Sabres are off of a 4-1 win versus Boston that stayed under the total but Buffalo previously was on a 7-2-1 run to the over in their 10 prior games. The Sabres have averaged 3 goals per game their last 11 games. The over is 23-9 when the Bolts are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, the Lightning are playing this game with revenge for a 5-3 loss at Buffalo two weeks ago. That certainly holds significance here as the over is 15-5 this season when TB is playing with revenge. 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Tuesday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:35 ET - The Flames are without #1 goalie Mike Smith but actually have been getting fantastic goaltending in his absence and are off of back to back wins by a combined score of 10-3. They also owe the Stars some payback as they've lost both games with Dallas this season and the last one was a 6-4 loss in Texas. The Flames haven't forgotten that and they are riding the momentum here of two straight wins and two days off between games. By the way, Calgary has won 7 of 9 this season when they enter a game with 2 days of rest between games. The Stars are off of a loss but expecting a bounce back here could be asking a lot. Dallas is scuffling a bit and has lost 4 of its last 6 games! The Flames have scored 3 goals or more in 11 of their last 13 games. Dallas scored 3 goals in their home loss to Winnipeg Saturday but previously was held to 2 goals or less in 5 straight games. With the Stars scoring a total of just 9 goals in their last 6 games while the Flames have scored 10 goals just in their last 2 games alone (plus also have been bolstered by the addition of veteran Chris Stewart) I look for the road dog to maintain their momentum here. 10* CALGARY

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Monday 10* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers have won 9 of their last 10 games and have their sights set on the top spot in the Metropolitan Division. The Canadiens have lost 7 of their last 8 games and have their sights set on next season already! The fact is that Montreal has had an extremely disappointing season after entering the new campaign with plenty of promise. Making matters even worse for the Habs entering this one is the fact that goalie Carey Price is now out with a concussion. As for the Flyers, they've also dealt with goalie injury issues but that is why they acquired Petr Mrazek from the Red Wings and he has been solid in his first two games between the pipes for Philly. The Flyers have won 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a losing record while Montreal has lost 8 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. Two teams going opposite directions right now and I am well aware of the fact that the home team has dominated this series in recent seasons but that is helping to keep this line lower than it should be. I am happy to back the road fave Flyers and lay the small price as they are simply "in a zone" right now and believe they can win every game when they set foot on the ice. Montreal is certainly nowhere close to that type of feeling right now and the Canadiens are a very fragile team right now. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Sunday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - Both teams are in a back to back but while the Oilers were already in the Anaheim area (faced Kings in LA yesterday), the Ducks were actually in another state as they faced the Coyotes in Arizona. Certainly not a big travel difference but truly if there is any edge here it belongs to the Oilers. Edmonton will certainly be the hungrier team. The Ducks knocked the Oilers out of the post-season last May and Edmonton got some measure of revenge with a home win early this season but they then lost on the road at Anaheim two weeks ago. Southern California is where the Oilers season painfully ended last spring and also where they lost again two weeks ago. You can bet Edmonton wants this game badly and I like their chances to get it! The Ducks have averaged scoring just 1.9 goals per game their last 7 games. The Oilers have won 3 of their last 4 games thanks to offensive production equating to 3.3 goals per game. Anaheim goalie John Gibson just went on the IR and Ryan Miller was between the pipes yesterday at Arizona. That means a Ducks short-handed goalie situation is very tenuous here and 3rd string Reto Berra is likely to get the call between the pipes for Anaheim. The Oilers have won 11 of 18 divisional games this season and I love the big payback price offered on them here as the Ducks are in a bad spot goalie-wise and also not scoring many goals. 10* EDMONTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Sunday 8* St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 12:05 ET - The Blues have been struggling and the Predators are back on a winning streak again. However, this game is priced this way for a reason. The fact is that St Louis is ultra hungry based on their current losing streak and the fact that Nashville knocked them out of the post-season last May plus the fact that the Preds have won all 3 match-ups so far this season. It is time for payback and Nashville has lost 19 of 31 (-$13,800) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. 8* ST LOUIS

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Saturday 8* OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders @ 6:15 ET - The Islanders recently had back to back shutout wins but that is so unusual for the Isles and one of those games was started by goalie Thomas Greiss and he is now hurt. As for Jaroslav Halak, things are back to "normal" for the struggling netminder. Keep in mind, other than his recent (and RARE) shutout performance, his last 8 starts have seen an average of 4 goals allowed per game. The key to the value with the over here is that the Islanders have scored at least 3 goals in 8 of their last 10 games. In other words, at a minimum, a 4-3 type game should be expected here. New Jersey has made some changes recently to try and increase team speed and the Isles sub-par defense and netminding should allow the Devils to certainly open things up on offense here. The Devils have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game in their last 10 games. New Jersey is off of back-to-back low-scoring results but that had a lot do with whom they played. They now get an opportunity to play an "open ice, barnburner type" of game and the Devils had scored at least 3 goals in 9 of their 11 prior games! The over is 23-8 this season when the Islanders are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. For the Devils, this will be their 20th divisional game of the season. So far only 6 have stayed under the total! 8* OVER the total in New Jersey

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 2:05 ET - The fact that the Flyers are on the road is helping to keep this line lower than it should be. Philadelphia has won 8 of its last 9 games and continues to find ways to win. Philly has been very resilient throughout this stretch but prior to their 8-1 run they suffered a home loss versus the Senators. As a result, this road game at Ottawa carries a little extra meaning for the Flyers and I expect them to get revenge. Philadelphia has won 6 of its last 8 games against teams with a losing record so they won't overlook the Sens. Ottawa has lost 9 of its last 11 games against teams with a winning record as the season truly can't soon enough for the disappointing Senators. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Early Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are in a back to back spot here so we could see some tired legs on defense. That's particularly bad news for the Rangers as they are likely to again have 3 rookie defensemen as part of their rotation for tonight's game just like they did last night versus the Habs. New York's issues have led to a lot of open looks for opposing teams and they've taken advantage. That's a big part of the reason that Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist has lost four straight regulation games and is 2-8-1 with a 4.24 GAA and a .881 save percentage in his last 11 games. The veteran netminder is truly in one of the worst funks of his career and he'll be tested early and often by the Wild here. The key to the value here is that Minnesota will have goalie Devan Dubnyk between the pipes and he has not been nearly as strong on the road as he has been at home. That is part of the reason the over is 11-5 in Dubnyk's road starts. Also note that the over is 16-8 in Lundqvist's home starts this season. The Rangers, when on a losing streak of 3 or more games, are 13-2 to the over including 8-1 to the over this season! The Wild, in February games are a long-term 24-8 to the over. Also, Minnesota is 14-7 to the over in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. There are still some 5.5 totals out there early this AM and I recommend grabbing one now if you can but even at 6 goals this is still at top play for me. 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets are off of a win but they were outshot 31 to 19 in the victory. That certainly holds significance here because this match-up is a classic case of hot versus not. Columbus, prior to that win, had lost 8 of their last 10 games and certainly the Jackets were not that impressive in the victory. As for the Flyers, they continue to find a way to win games and that resiliency is unlikely to go away in what is their final home game of February. Indeed, look for Philadelphia to leave it all on the ice tonight and give a strong effort as they wrap up the home portion of their February schedule. The red hot Flyers have won 7 of their last 8 games and long-term have won 23 of their last 34. Look for Philly to take advantage of a Blue Jackets team that is undergoing their typical late season fade. Columbus, in the 2nd half of a season, when facing a team with a winning record has lost 32 of their last 45 games! The Flyers have won 39 of 63 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Philly, on the season, has the much better power play than Columbus. As for the penalty kill, though both teams have struggled this season, the Flyers have done a much better job of staying out of the box of late! The result, another home win here is in the forecast at a great price as Petr Mrazek makes his debut between the pipes for Philly after they acquired him from Detroit. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Early Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Ottawa Senators @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks are still without top goalie Corey Crawford and have lost 9 of their last 10 games. Chicago has allowed an average of 4 goals per game in those 9 defeats. As for Ottawa, this is the first game of a back to back and Mike Condon is expected to get the start tonight as Craig Anderson (the Senators top goalie) is likely to get the start versus division rival Tampa Bay tomorrow. That holds significance here as the Sens have lost 9 of Condon's 11 road starts this season and he has an unimpressive .898 save percentage away from home. The Senators have lost his last two road starts by a combined score of 10-4. In fact, Ottawa has allowed an average of 4 goals per games in their last 9 games. Based on the way both of these clubs have been giving up goals in bunches, you can see why the over is the way to go even though it is a 6 that is posted on this game. The over is 6-1 in the Sens last 7 games. The Blackhawks had recorded just 3 unders in their last 9 games prior to the low-scoring loss to the Kings Monday. The over is 13-8 this season when Ottawa is off of a non-conference game. The over is 20-8 in Chicago's February games. Also, in the 2nd half of a season, when facing a team with a losing record the Blackhawks have gone 25-9 to the over. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Lightning have given up at least 3 goals in 12 of their last 17 games. The Bolts have scored at least 3 goals in 10 of their last 12 games. Of course a 3-3 game guarantees us of no less than a 4-3 final and that equates to this one going over the total. In other words I like my chances here! The Capitals did hold the Sabres to just 2 goals in yesterday's win but that was with Grubauer between the pipes. Holtby is expected back in goal here and he has struggled recently. The Caps have lost each of his last 3 starts and the total goals scored against Washington was 16 in those 3 games. Overall, the Capitals are allowing 4 goals per game this month but their strength has been an offense that is averaging 3.6 goals per game in their last 11 games. The over is 15-4 in Tampa's last 19 games. The over is 9-2 in Washington's last 11 games. 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Early Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Tuesday 10* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets are hungry after 3 straight losses. The Devils might get caught feeling a little too good about themselves as they are on home ice and riding a 4-game winning streak. Though it is true that New Jersey is seeking revenge here, the fact is that the Blue Jackets have dominated this series of late with 5 wins in the last 6 meetings. By the way, the last 7 meetings have all been decided by a multiple goal margin with an average decision by 3.1 goals! In other words, don't be surprised if Columbus wins this one in another blowout just like their last 5 victories over the Devils. Keith Kincaid is expected to be in goal for the Devils and he has a save percentage of only .891 at home this season. The Blue Jackets will have Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes and he is coming off a poor start but had been red hot in his 3 prior starts. Columbus has won 13 of 19 this season when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. The Devils have lost 18 of 30 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, New Jersey has lost 11 of 18 (including 5 of 8 this season) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The road team will prove to be the hungrier hockey club in this one and the Blue Jackets should win in a road rout. 10* COLUMBUS

Afternoon Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Monday 10* Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ Calgary Flames @ 4:05 ET - Both teams off of bad losses and, even though the Flames have revenge here, the Bruins are the much more likely club to bounce back for multiple reasons. For one thing, Boston has their top two goalies available in Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin. As for the Flames, their top goalie Mike Smith is dealing with an injury and, if he plays today, may not be 100%. Another distraction for Calgary is that they have a trip to Vegas on deck. Now of course Vegas is Vegas and that means the players are looking forward to going there but adding to the intrigue for the Flames is the fact that the Golden Knights are at the top of their division, the Pacific Division. That said, it is a big game on deck for Calgary. So, while Boston is simply in the middle of a non-conference road trip out west, the Flames have a divisional road trip on deck. The Bruins have won 14 of 20 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. The Flames have a losing record in home games on the season! Boston has won 9 of 13 this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Calgary has lost 28 of 42 games the past 2+ seasons when they are facing a team with a winning record and the Flames are past the midway point of the season. The Bruins have been one of the hottest teams in the league and they bounce back here. 10* BOSTON

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 8* OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Washington Capitals @ 3:05 ET - Off of a 7-1 loss you know that the Capitals are going to come out with plenty of energy in this one and I don't expect them to take their foot off of the gas. That should equate to plenty of goals as Washington had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their 9 games prior to being held to just 1 goal at Chicago Saturday. As for the Sabres, yes they are one of the worst teams in the NHL but they do tend to score a respectable number of goals at home. Buffalo, even including the 4-2 home loss to LA on Saturday, has averaged 3.6 goals per game in their last 5 home games. The problem for the Sabres is they can't keep the puck out of their own net and they've allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 11 home games. The over is 8-2 this season when the Caps are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. The Capitals also enter this game on a 9-1 run to the over their last 10 games. The Sabres are on a 7-2 run to the over. More of the same expected in this one! 8* OVER the total in Buffalo

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Sunday 10* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 5:05 ET - Most will be looking at the Hurricanes here since they are on home ice and playing with revenge and because the Devils are in a back to back spot. However, New Jersey beat Tampa Bay yesterday even though they played poorly and allowed far too many scoring chances. Still it was their 3rd straight and they'll shore those things (allowing too many shots to the Lightning) in today's match-up with the Canes. Keep in mind, for each of these teams it is their 3rd game in 4 days so the rest situation isn't too much different here for these clubs. Also, the big key is that the Devils used Eddie Lack between the pipes yesterday. They saved Keith Kinkaid for this game and he has dominated the Hurricanes throughout his career. He did it again in Thursday's home win and there is no reason to believe that he won't do it again here and stone the Canes in Carolina. New Jersey has won 3 straight and 6 of 10. The Hurricanes have lost 2 straight and 5 of 8. The Devils have scored 3 goals or more in 8 of 10. The Canes have been held to 2 goals or less in 7 of 10. NJ has won 5 of 6 this season when they are on an over streak of 3 or more games. Carolina has lost 11 of 17 divisional games this season and also has lost 20 of 32 when facing a team with a winning record. 10* NEW JERSEY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 12:05 ET - The Flyers have struggled in recent match-ups with the Rangers but today's result is likely to be a different story as Philly is surging right now while their divisional rival is plummeting. The Rangers have lost 10 of their last 13 games while the Flyers have won 5 of their last 6 games. Long-term Philadelphia has won 21 of its last 32 games. The Flyers have allowed 3 goals or less in 5 of their last 6 games. The Rangers have given up 4 goals or more in 7 of their last 12 games and 3 goals or more in all but 2 of those 12 games! The goal-tending situation is very bad for the Rangers right now as Ondrej Pavelec is out and Henrik Lundqvist played yesterday. The 2nd game of a back to back will prove tough for the Blueshirts and Lundqvist's struggles continue. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Afternoon Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arizona Coyotes vs Edmonton Oilers @ 4:05 ET - The Oilers need a big bounce-back win but their goal-tending continues to fail them. Edmonton, after seemingly turning the corner last month, has reverted to poor form. The Oilers have allowed 4.3 goals per game in their last 9 games. That stretch of sub-par netminding has led to 7 Edmonton losses in their last 9 games. Look for the Coyotes to take advantage. Arizona is playing some of their best hockey of the season in the offensive zone and this has led to scoring an average of 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. Though their goal-tending has been better in their last 3 games, the Coyotes have still allowed an average of 3 goals per game in their last 8 games. That said, Arizona could have trouble stopping a hungry Oilers team that has lit the lamp early and often in recent match-ups with the Coyotes. Edmonton has averaged 3.6 goals per game in winning 5 straight versus Arizona. Also, the Oilers enter this game having averaged 3.7 goals per game in their 7 games prior to the ugly 4-1 loss at Vegas Thursday. Big response from Oilers here but they'll struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. Over is 6-2 in Edmonton's last 8 games and the Coyotes are 6-1 to the over in their last 7 games. 10* OVER the total in Arizona

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Los Angeles Kings @ 1:05 ET - The Sabres score much better at home than they do on the road. The Kings are in bounce back mode off of a 3-1 loss. Couple those factors and you have the ideal situation for an over here and with this total dropping to a 5 in some spots, there is even more value. Buffalo is off of a 3-2 loss at Ottawa but previously averaged 4 goals per game in their 5 prior games. The Kings also averaged 4 goals per game in their 5 games prior to their 3-1 loss at Pittsburgh Thursday. Los Angeles is 5-2 to the over last 7 games versus teams with a losing record. The Sabres are 6-3 to the over their last 9 games against teams with a winning record. 8* OVER the total in Buffalo 

Divisional Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Friday 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche @ 8:05 ET - The Avalanche are still a little banged up but their confidence has been bolstered by coming up with back to back wins and this included scoring 5 goals in their most recent road win. Also, further improving the Avs spirits is the fact that Blake Comeau could return tonight and Nathan MacKinnon might be back for Sunday's games. Look for Colorado to put plenty of pressure on the Jets netminder in this one. Winnipeg has allowed 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games and Connor Hellebuyck is likely to continue to allow some to slip through tonight. However, the reason the play here is the over rather than the Avs is because the Jets are a very dangerous team at home. Winnipeg is averaging 3.7 goals per game at home this season and the return of No. 1 center Mark Scheifele has given the team a huge boost. His presence up front makes all the difference in the world with this team and Colorado has allowed an average of 3.8 goals per game in their last 8 road games. The over is 4-2 in the Avs last 6 road games. Also, the Avalanche are 22-13 to the over this season when playing with revenge. As for the Jets, they are 7-2 to the over this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - Bruce Boudreau is the coach of the Wild and his head coaching career began with the Capitals. However, more recently he was with the Ducks and Minnesota does have a game on deck with Anaheim. Whether or not the Wild are already peeking ahead to a Western Conference match-up or not, the fact is that Minnesota has struggled in recent meetings with Boudreau's former team. The Capitals swept the Wild last season and already won the first meeting this season. Washington enters this game having lost back to back games so they'll be ready to go. We are into the 5th month of the season already and only twice this entire season have the Caps lost 3 straight games. In other words, expect the bounce back here! As for Minny, they are are off of back to back wins but have only managed to win 3 or more consecutive games twice this season! In fact there have been 10 times this season that the Wild started a winning streak with consecutive wins, two of those extended to 4 wins in a row. The other EIGHT all ended as a 2-game winnings streak. The odds are in favor of the Capitals here and they have won 24 of 36 when they enter a game on an "over streak" of 3 or more games. The Wild have lost 5 of 7 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. More of the same here! 10* WASHINGTON

Value Special - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Wednesday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 9:35 ET - The Canadiens are an ugly 8-16-1 on the road this season. The Avalanche are a solid 19-7-1 at home this season. The home team has dominated the recent meetings this season and that includes a 10-1 beating that the Avs suffered at the hands of the Habs in Montreal last season. They haven't forgotten that one and, though they fell short again at Montreal this season, they now get their shot at redemption tonight at home. Keep in mind the Avalanche won the last home meeting by a score of 4 to 0. In other words, a blowout here would not be a total surprise. The Avs are without Nathan MacKinnon but they're coming off of a much needed road win at Buffalo and now they'll make the most out of what is just their 2nd home game in the past 24 days! Colorado has won 17 of 28 non-conference games this season while Montreal has lost 17 of 25 non-conference games this season. Also, the Habs have lost 16 of 24 games against teams with a winning record this season. The Canadiens also are in a situation where they could be rusty as they haven't played since Saturday! Note that Montreal has lost 15 of 21 when they enter a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. We're getting a helluva good price on the Avalanche here because MacKinnon is out. I'll take it! 8* COLORADO

Divisional Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are still seeking revenge for a 4-2 series loss to the Predators last spring. Their first two chances came at home and they lost both games by a combined score of only 4 to 1. In other words, playing tight low-scoring match-ups hasn't paid off at all for the Blues. Now, on the road, I expect an entirely different type of game to be played. St Louis needs to open it up and try something different to get past a Preds team that is quickly becoming a nemesis. As for Nashville's style of play, they love to open up things at home where they are averaging scoring 3.5 goals per game. The Predators are very dangerous at home and, overall, they come into this game red hot in the offensive zone as they've averaged scoring 3.8 goals per game in their last 6 games. Overall, the Blues are currently in a 4-game stretch that has seen plenty of goals scored. The over is 3-1 during this stretch with an average of 6.8 total games per game during this run. When playing with home loss revenge, St Louis has had just 18 unders in the last 50 - a 36% under rate. When playing with 2 days of rest between games, the Predators have had just 19 unders in the last 51 - a 37% under rate. 10* OVER the total in Nashville

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Tuesday 8* Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Kings are off of a loss but previously had won 3 straight and 6 of their last 8. Los Angeles has won 19 of 27 this season when facing a team with a losing record and the Hurricanes have won just 26 of their 56 games this season. The Kings also have won 17 of 25 games in non-conference action this season. Carolina is off of back to back wins but had previously lost 5 of 8 games including 4 of their last 6 home games! The Canes scored a total of just 8 goals in those 6 games - all at home! The Hurricanes are well rested here but actually have lost 9 of 14 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Also, Carolina has lost 20 of 31 games this season when facing a team with a winning record. Tremendous underdog line value here given the situation. 8* LOS ANGELES KINGS

Earliest Cash Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - The Lightning have gone over the total in 5 straight and 7 of their last 8. The Bolts have scored at least 4 goals in 6 of those 8 games! Also, Tampa Bay has allowed 3.8 goals per game in their last 4 road games! The Maple Leafs are not on an over streak like Tampa is but this is simply because the Leafs wrapped up January with some solid goal-tending. However, since then Toronto has given up 3.3 goals per game in their last 4 games. Also, the key to this over is that, like the Lightning, the Leafs have been red hot with their goal-scoring of late. The Maple Leafs have averaged 4.3 goals per game in their last 7 games. Big total, 6, is posted on this game but, based on the firepower of these two clubs, it is absolutely justified. Also, the Leafs got shutout at home in the only other meeting between these teams this season and that was early last month. That loss holds significance here because Toronto is 10-3 to the over this season when playing with home loss revenge. As for Tampa Bay, they are 18-9 to the over this season after a game in which they scored 4 goals or more. Both teams stay hot in the offensive zone here! 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Midday Mauling - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs New York Rangers @ 3:05 ET - The Jets are off of a 5-2 loss to St Louis Friday and have now seen each of their last two games total 7 goals and go over the total. The Rangers rallied for a 4-3 win versus Calgary Friday. Though they snuck out the victory by rallying in the 3rd period, New York continues to be troubled by allowing too many goals. They've allowed 4.2 goals per game in their last 13 games. Not surprisingly given numbers like that, the over is 10-3 in the Rangers last 13 games! Both these teams have injury issues in goal effecting their depth at the netminding position. The over is 12-4 in Winnipeg home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Jets have allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 7 games but they have averaged scoring 3.8 goals per game on the season in home games! Couple that home success with the fact that the Rangers offense got back on track and got some much needed confidence in the win over the Flames Friday and you have the perfect set-up for a non-conference game played with a rather wide-open style this afternoon. New York is 13-8 to the over in non-conference games this season and I expect another wild one here given the above. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Sunday 8* OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 12:05 ET - These teams played a wild one on opening night this season in a game that ended up being a 5-4 win for the Blues. Now the rematch is in St Louis and it looks like another barn-burner could be on tap. That's because the Penguins come in having won 5 of their last 7 games and have averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game during this red hot stretch. The Blues come into this one having won 6 of their last 8 games and St Louis has scored at least 3 goals in 5 of the 6 wins. Also, the Blues last two wins have seen them average 5.5 goals per game! The over is 3-0 in St Louis last 3 games and 5-1 in the Penguins last 6 games. The over is 17-9 this season when Pittsburgh is playing with revenge. The Pens are 16-7 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. Also, in Sunday games, the Penguins are on a long-term 16-8 run to the over. 8* OVER the total in St Louis

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Saturday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - The Avalanche are off of an embarrassing 6-1 loss at St Louis Thursday. Yes, Colorado is a hurting team (lost McKinnon to injury) but they did beat the Sharks in their prior game 3 to 1 and I expect them to bounce back here. The Hurricanes are off of a huge 4-1 home win versus Vancouver last night so the set up is perfect. Keep in mind, prior to last night's win over the Canucks, Carolina had lost 3 straight games and had averaged scoring only 1.4 goals per game in their 5 prior games. I am happy to go against an over-priced favorite that, prior to scoring 4 goals yesterday, had been held to 2 goals or less in 8 of their previous 10 games! Keep in mind the Hurricanes have lost 7 of their last 10 home games! Couple the Canes scoring woes with the fact that Colorado has won 12 of their last 17 games and this is going to be a dogfight! The Hurricanes have lost 4 of 6 this season when they have played each of their 3 prior games at home and the Canes have lost 5 of 7 this season when they are on an under streak of 3 or more games. The Hurricanes also have lost 15 of 23 non-conference games while the Avalanche have won 16 of 26 non-conference games this season. 8* COLORADO

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Arizona Coyotes vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 8:05 ET - The Flyers have gone over the total in 5 of their last 6. games as they've allowed 3.67 goals per game in those 6 games. Philadelphia is off of a big 5-3 home win versus Montreal and they know they can't afford to overlook league-worst Arizona as points are critical at this time of year. However, the Coyotes will give the Flyers a run for their money here as Arizona has added confidence from scoring 7 goals on the last two games of their 3-game road trip. All 3 games went over the total. The Coyotes have allowed 4.3 goals per game in their last 4 games and this match-up has the makings of a barn-burner. Each of the last 3 meetings between these teams have not only gone over the total, they've also each totaled at least 7 goals. 10* OVER the total in Arizona

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - Two teams going in opposite directions right now and, that is why, even though this is a back to back spot for the Flames, it is the perfect spot to back them. Calgary has won 3 straight games and is looking at this east coast road trip as an opportunity to make a move in the standings. As for the Rangers, they've lost 7 of their last 8 games and have allowed an average of 4.4 goals during this rough stretch. Showing just how poorly New York has been playing, their last 9 losses have come by an average margin of defeat of 3.1 goals! Now there is talk of major changes for the Rangers and a youth movement as they're on the cusp of throwing in the towel on this season and starting to rebuild for the future. Calgary has won 14 of 23 games this season when facing a team with a losing record. The Flames also have won 5 of 8 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. The Rangers have lost 7 of their last 8 games when facing a team with a winning record. Also, on the season, New York has lost 8 of 10 games when they are off of a contest where they were held to 1 goal or less. 10* CALGARY FLAMES

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Thursday 10* Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - This is definitely a contrarian spot as most will see a "pick 'em" line on a home team playing with revenge and will jump all over it. The fact is that this game is priced this way with good reason. The Flames are starting to turn the corner and the Devils over-achieved early this season and are coming back to reality now. From a situational perspective, this is also a poor spot for New Jersey as they are off of a string of games against Eastern Conference foes including divisional rivals like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Additionally, the Devils have another divisional game on deck with plenty of tough Eastern Conference battles to follow. As for the Flames this is merely the 2nd game of a 6-game road trip where this is the 1st of 4 against Eastern Conference foes. In other words, Calgary is certainly fully focused here. The Devils have scored an average of just 2 goals per game in their last 8 games and, not surprisingly, 5 of the 8 games resulted in a loss. The Flames are off of back to back wins and they've averaged scoring 3.7 goals per game in their last 3 games. In home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals New Jersey has lost 17 of 28. The Flames have won 11 of 19 and, more impressively earned 5.4 net units, in their road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. Look for them to get the job done again here. 10* CALGARY

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The fact that the Bruins have been so hot may make it seem tough to back them here. However, this is a tough back to back spot for them and the Rangers will have the edge between the pipes, the home ice edge, as well as the scheduling edge. The Rangers will have Henrik Lundqvist guarding the cage and he bounced back with a strong start in his most recent game even though New York still fell short 2-1. Also, he is 27-12-2 in his 41 games versus the Bruins. As for Boston, the netminder will be Anton Khubodin and his most recent start was also Boston's most recent loss (3-1 vs Anaheim). The Bruins have lost 5 of the last 8 starts he has made. Also, Khubodin has gone winless (0-2-2) in his 4 career starts versus the Rangers. Boston has lost 5 of 8 this season (and 21 of 33 long-term) when they are playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Even though the Bruins are playing this game with revenge, they've actually lost 13 of 21 this season and 63 of 109 the last 3 seasons combined when they are playing with revenge. The Rangers have lost 3 straight games but are happy to be back on home ice and the Blueshirts have won 10 of 12 the last 2+ seasons when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games! This match-up is featuring home dog value at it's greatest. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #65 Tuesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are expected to have Devan Dubnyk between the pipes and Minnesota has won 17 of his last 23 starts. Minny is off of an embarrassing loss at Dallas but likely got caught looking ahead to this game. The Wild were eliminated from the post-season by the Blues last spring. Even though Minnesota got some measure of revenge in their most recent game versus St Louis, they still "owe" the Blues as they lost their first regular season match-up there this season plus have the added motivation of losing April's playoff series 4 games to 1. The Blues have been held to just 1 goal in each of their last two games. Though the Wild are off of a 6-1 loss, they have won 6 of 8 this season when off of a game where they scored 1 goal or less. Also, Minnesota had won 6 of 8 prior to that loss and the Wild have not lost back to back games in 4 weeks and that one occurrence is the only time Minny has lost two consecutive games since prior to Christmas. St Louis, due to some troubles finding the back of the net, is on a 5-game under streak. That holds significance here as the Blues have lost 7 of 11 this season when they enter a game on an under streak of 3 or more games. The Wild had been playing very well prior to getting blasted by the Stars and I fully expect a big bounce back here. 10* MINNESOTA

Total Blowout Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Monday 10* OVER the total in Dallas Stars vs New York Rangers @ 8:35 ET - The Stars are expected to have Ben Bishop between the pipes for this one but, keep in mind, he is returning from injury and this will be his first start this month. His last two starts saw Dallas lose by a combined score of 7-1. However, the Stars offense has gotten back on track with back to back wins where Dallas scored an average of 5 goals per game. Even though they're facing Henrik Lunqvist of the Rangers here, he has been struggling with a poor .816 save percentage in his last 4 starts. Facing the red hot Stars in Dallas is unlikely to help matters for him. The over is 10-5 this season in his starts versus non-conference opponents. The Rangers have allowed 4.3 goals per game in their last 10 games and it is not just the goalies but also the way the defense has been playing in front of them. The Stars will take advantage but Bishop is also likely to face plenty of pressure early and often in this one as the Rangers are off of back to back losses where they were held to a total of just 2 goals. Prior to this, New York had averaged 3.5 goals per game in their last 6 games. The over is 12-6 this season when the Rangers are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The over is on a 19-9 run in Stars February games. 10* OVER the total in Dallas

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Sunday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 1:05 ET - The Hurricanes are off of a loss and now have lost 9 of their last 15. Also, the Canes have been held to 2 goals or less in 6 of their last 8 games. San Jose has also had some recent struggles but it had a lot to do with poor overall play in their own end. Now, having allowed a total of just 3 goals in their last 2 games, the Sharks appear to have turned that around. San Jose is coming off of a big win Friday and they've averaged 3.6 goals per game in their last 11 games. The Sharks won 6 of those 11 games and they're offensive production will prove to be too much for this punch-less Carolina team early Sunday. The Hurricanes have lost 19 of 29 versus teams with a winning record this season and 14 of 21 in non-conference action. The Canes also are playing with revenge here (for a loss at San Jose in December) but they've lost 15 of 24 when playing with revenge this season. Grab the road dog Sharks here as Carolina's struggles in the offensive zone continue. 10* SAN JOSE

Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Dallas Stars vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Stars are without #1 goalie Ben Bishop so Kari Lehtonen will get the start. His save percentage in home games this season is only .882 and Dallas is hosting a Minnesota team that has won 6 of its last 8 games. The Wild have averaged scoring 3.6 goals per game in their last 5 games. Also, Minnesota will be facing a Stars team that has scored 4 goals or more in 4 of its last 7 games. The Wild are also having to go with their back-up goalie here. Alex Stalock will get the call because this is a back to back spot (Minnesota hosted Vegas last night). That certainly holds significance here because Stalock has only an .896 save percentage in divisional games this season and certainly has not been performing at the level that Devan Dubnyk has. The Wild are 13-7 to the over in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. Also, Minnesota is a long-term 19-5 to the over in February games! The Stars are on an 18-9 run to the over in February games. 10* OVER the total in Dallas

Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Saturday 8* OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:05 ET - Jimmy Howard likely to be in goal for the Red Wings here and he has gone 0-4 in his last 4 starts with an ugly .861 save percentage. The Panthers are without their top goalies right now as Roberto Luongo and James Reimer are both out. That means Harri Sateri is expected to get the start here and the O/U is 3-1 in his starts this season. Detroit is off of a big game as they scored 4 goals in yesterday's win and should stay hot against Sateri. As for the Panthers, the over is 9-2 in their 11 games since the calendar hit 2018 and I expect more of the same here! 8* OVER the total in Florida

Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Saturday 8* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - I know the Bruins have been hot but the Leafs have also been red hot. Toronto has won 4 straight games and also has a recent history of dominance versus the division rival Bruins! The Maple Leafs have won 7 straight in this series including 4 straight in Boston! Amazingly Toronto has averaged 4.2 goals per game in their last 6 meetings with the Bruins! Of course the Bruins have revenge but they've lost 13 of 20 this season when playing with revenge including losing 6 of 9 when playing with home loss revenge. The fact is that Boston just has "issues" with certain teams and the Maple Leafs are certainly one of those teams. Look for that to prove to be the case again on Saturday and grab the road dog value. 8* TORONTO

NBC Sports Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - Vegas was in action last night and got a 3-2 OT win at Winnipeg. The Golden Knights played well and it only went to OT due to a late goal from the Jets. However, Marc-Andre Fleury was between the pipes last night and it is unlikely he'll play back to back games. If he does it would surprise and certainly he would be unlikely to be at his best. The key here is that when Fleury is between the pipes, the Golden Knights have stayed under the total in 14 of 20 games. However, when he does not start Vegas has gone 21-7 to the over! The Golden Knights can score with anyone in the league but when Fleury is not between the pipes they've had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net. That said, there is great value with the over in this match-up. The Wild have averaged 3.3 goals per game in their last 6 games and are on a 5-2 run entering this match-up. Minnesota already beat the Golden Knights 4-2 earlier this season. The over is 18-5 in Wild games in February the past two years. Also, in Friday night games this season Vegas has gone 8-1 to the over. The Golden Knights are also 6-3 to the over in the 2nd night of a back to back. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Situational Slaughter Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Thursday 10* Vegas Golden Knights Money Line (+) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - The Golden Knights are seeking revenge for an early December loss in their first-ever visit to Winnipeg. They are likely catching the Jets at the perfect time to get payback as Winnipeg is off of a big home win versus Tampa Bay Tuesday and they have a divisional game versus Colorado on deck. Additionally the Jets are a banged up team right now. Vegas is the healthier team and this is the first time they'll have #1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury available to face the Jets. The veteran netminder has simply been spectacular for the Golden Knights this season. Vegas is off of a divisional win at Calgary but the revenge factor insures no letdown here. Also, the Golden Knights have won 10 of 13 this season when off of a divisional game. I am well aware of the Jets fantastic home record this season. However, in February games the past two years, Winnipeg has lost 15 of 23. Also, other than a recent 5-goal outburst at San Jose, the Jets have been held to an average of only 1.8 goals per game in their other 6 games the past 3 weeks. The Golden Knights have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 4 road games and they get their revenge at Winnipeg in this one! 10* VEGAS 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Thursday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Carolina is over-priced here. Yes, Montreal has under-achieved this season but they're looking to make a move after the All Star break. Even though the Canadiens lost their most recent game, it was at St Louis where they faced a high-quality Blue team. As for the Hurricanes, they are off of a win but they faced the struggling Senators at the right time. That made it back to back wins for the Canes but the prior won was just before the All-Star break when they beat the Habs in Montreal. Now it is time for revenge for the Canadiens and, keep in mind, Carolina had previously lost 8 of 11 before that win up in Quebec. The Canes have lost 15 of 23 February games the past two years. The Habs are 3-0 the last 3 times they were off of a loss where they were held to 1 goal or less. 8* MONTREAL

NBC Sports Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals won at Florida in their final games before the All Star Break but previously lost 3 straight games including a 2-1 defeat versus the Flyers here in Washington. Certainly the Caps are looking forward to the rematch but Philadelphia has won the 2 games this season by a combined score of 10-3. Also, the Flyers lost their final game before the All Star break but previously had won 8 of their last 9. Philadelphia has won 7 of 11 this season when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less in their previous game. Washington, when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games has lost 14 of 24 and cost their backers $11,400 at a dime per game. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - While the Bolts will have #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes, the Jets are without #1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck and #2 netminder Steve Mason. That means Michael Hutchinson, whom has spent this season in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, will get the call in the crease for Winnipeg in this one. Of course the Jets have been great at home this season and I am well aware of that. However, the goalie situation as well as the fact that top defenseman Jacob Trouba is out with an injury really hurts Winnipeg here. The Jets are hosting one of the top teams in the league and the Lightning have won 16 of 21 in recent seasons when they enter a game with 3 or more days of rest between games. Also, Tampa Bay has won 18 of 23 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 or more goals. The Jets have lost 48 of 82 non-conference games including 10 of 18 this season. 10* TAMPA BAY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers are expected to start goalie Harri Sateri and he has only an .880 save percentage in his 4 games (2 starts) this season. As you would expect with those numbers, both his starts went over the total and facing the Islanders should certainly result in another one. The Islanders are averaging 3.4 goals per game this season and 3.9 goals per game in their last 8 games. Jaroslav Halak is expected to get the start in between the pipes for the Isles and the over is 9-4-1 in his 14 home starts this season. The over is 8-4 in Islanders home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more and the over is 17-7 in New York's games against teams with a losing record this season. The Panthers are 24-12 to the over in Tuesday games and they enter this game with an O/U record of 8-1 in the month of January! 8* OVER the total in the New York Islanders

Rickenbach NHL Game #71 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames @ 9:05 ET - Both teams have unsettled goalie situation here as the "Battle of Alberta" resumes. The Flames were in action last night and #1 goalie Mike Smith got the start then and is already in Florida now for All-Star weekend. As for the Oilers, Cam Talbot continues to struggle between the pipes so a start from Al Montoya (4.45 GAA versus Flames in his career) would not be a total surprise here. The fact is that both teams will be charging the net hard in this one too! They are each coming off of disappointing losses and, of course, this provincial rivalry always brings out the best in both clubs. Not only is the over 7-4 in the last 11 meetings between these teams, the last 4 overs have averaged 10.25 goals per game and none of those games finished with a total less than 8. In other words, look for this one to fly over the total. The over is 6-2 this season when the Flames enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. Also, the over is 15-7 when Calgary enters a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. When on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders, the Flames have gone 15-7 to the over. Only 22 of the last 57 times that the Oilers have been held to 1 goal or less in a game has their next contest stayed under the total. After a 5-0 shutout loss in their last game, big response from the home team here. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton

Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Thursday 8* Nashville Predators Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Predators are off of a loss but had previously won 5 straight games. Also, the road team has won 4 straight games between these teams. The Preds are expected to have Pekka Rinne, their #1 goalie between the pipes for this one. As for the Devils, they are expected to be without Cory Schneider and are likely giving Ken Appleby his first start between the pipes. That spells trouble here against a hungry Preds team looking to get right back into the win column prior to the All-Star break while the Devils have lost 9 of their last 11 games and need the All-Star break just to get healthy again. Nashville has won 10 of 15 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Also, the Predators have won 4 of 5 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Nashville also has won 15 of 23 games versus teams with a winning record. The Devils have lost 59 of 97 games against teams with a winning record and New Jersey's struggles continue here. 8* NASHVILLE

Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +105 vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - Look for goal-tending to be a big difference-maker here as the Lightning have allowed 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 8 games while the Flyers have won 8 of their last 9 games and have allowed an average of just 1.7 goals per game in their last 6 wins. The Bolts are off of back to back wins but had previously lost 5 of 7. Tampa Bay also is dealing with the loss of Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman with injuries. The Flyers are the healthier team and the hotter team and they are on home ice. The Lightning have been held to 3 goals or less in 7 of their last 10 games. The Flyers are averaging scoring 4.1 goals per game in their last 9 games. Philly has won 37 of 58 games when they are at home and the game has a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Flyers have scored a total of 9 goals in their last 2 games versus TB - both wins - and they also have won 2 of their last 3 home games versus the Lightning. 8* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a 2-0 home loss to Tampa Bay. I know the goaltending work in that game was solid but Chicago's netminding still can't be trusted with Corey Crawford still on the shelf. Also, the Hawks are sure to bounce back with a strong effort offensively after being shutout by the Bolts Monday. As for Toronto, they are off of a 4-2 home loss to Colorado but they have averaged scoring 3.8 goals per game in their last 5 road games. Also, only one of the last 5 meetings between these teams has stayed under the total. When the Blackhawks are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less, they've had just 3 unders in 9 occurrences this season! Also, in Chicago's last 106 games played after the midway point of a season only 33 have stayed under the total! The Blackhawks are expected to start Jeff Glass between the pipes and he has only an .892 save percentage in non-conference action. Toronto has allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of the last 6 starts goalie Frederik Andersen has made. The Blackhawks have allowed 4.3 goals per game in their last 3 games. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #578 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:35 ET - The Avalanche are red hot right now and goalie Jonathan Bernier has certainly played a big role in that. However, this is a back to back spot and with Semyon Varlamov still out with a groin injury, this is a tough spot. Does Bernier go back to back? Will we see Andrew Hammond between the pipes? Either way the Avs are likely to be giving up some goals here. However, the key to the over is more than just the 5-2 mark to the over when Colorado is in the 2nd game of a back to back this season. The additional key is that the Avalanche are averaging 4.1 goals per game in their current 10-game winning streak! Montreal is off of a home loss in their most recent game but, prior to that, the Canadiens had averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their 3 prior home games. The Habs have allowed at least 4 goals in 4 of their last 5 games and Montreal is going to struggle to stop the red hot Avs in this one. The over is 16-7 in Colorado's non-conference games this season! The over is 3-1 in the Canadiens last 4 home games. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:35 ET - The Blackhawks continue to struggle without Corey Crawford between the pipes. He is currently on injured reserve and Chicago certainly has had some intermittent struggles in terms of keeping the puck out of their own net. The Blackhawks have allowed 11 goals in their last 2 games and both Forsberg and Glass have struggled in their most recent starts. That will prove to be trouble for Chicago tonight as they host a Lightning team that is a very dangerous hockey club in the offensive zone. Tampa Bay also will be fired up because they have lost 3 straight games and have not been scoring well. Like the Blackhawks, the Bolts are struggling to keep the puck out of their own net. Tampa Bay has allowed 4 goals or more in 5 of their last 6 games. The over is 5-1 in those 6 games. This is the first 3-game losing streak for the Lightning this season and, in the past two seasons, the over is 8-4 when TB enters a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. For the Blackhawks, the over is 5-0 in Forsberg's non-conference starts this season and the over is 4-2 in the 6 starts that Glass has made. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 12:35 ET - The Flyers are off a 3-1 win versus New Jersey yesterday as they scored 3 first period goals and then were able to take their foot off of the gas and the game stayed under the total. That was just the 2nd under that Philadelphia has had in 10 divisional games this season. Look for things to return to normal in Flyers divisional action today as they visit a Capitals team seeking revenge for a divisional beatdown by an 8-2 score in October in Philly. Washington seeks payback and should score plenty here but I expect Philadelphia to answer them goal for goal. The Flyers have won 7 of their last 9 games and have scored 4.6 goals per game in those 7 victories. The Capitals have won 6 of their last 9 games and have scored 4.2 goals per game in those 6 wins. Brian Elliott is expected to be between the pipes for the Flyers here since Michal Neuvirth got the start yesterday. Elliott has struggled recently with an .866 save percentage his last 4 starts. As you would expect with numbers like that, all 4 starts went over the total. The Capitals are expected to start Braden Holtby here and, like Elliott, he hasn't been as sharp as usual of late. He has a .904 save percentage in his last 4 starts and the over is 3-1 in those 4 games. Look for the over to improve to 9-1 in Elliott's divisional starts this season as the Caps and Flyers get into a real divisional barnburner in this one! 8* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #21 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders @ 8:35 ET - While it may seem "crazy" to see a total of 6.5 goals on this game don't be fooled by it. This one should easily get to 7 or more. The Blackhawks are still without Corey Crawford between the pipes and also are returning from their bye week. Teams tend to be a little "off" when they first come back from the bye and that means odd man rushes and extra scoring chances often result in games like this. The fact that Chicago is hosting the Islanders here is what is truly adding great line value in this spot. The Islanders are 10-2 to the over in road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Also, New York is 12-2 to the over this season when they are off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more in their prior game. The Isles have lost 24 of 47 games this season and the Blackhawks have lost 23 of 45 games this season. The significance in that is that Chicago is 20-8 to the over when, in the 2nd half of a season, they're facing a team with a losing record. The Islanders have gone 16-6 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season. The Isles have allowed 4 goals or more in 9 of their last 10 games but they are averaging 3.4 goals per game this season. Look for a wild one at the United Center tonight. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New Jersey Devils @ 1:05 ET - The Devils are off of back to back wins but had previously lost 6 straight and they are again expected to have to go with back-up goalie Keith Kincaid here. The Flyers have won 5 of their last 6 games and they're going with goalie Michael Neuvirth by choice here! He has been rock solid in his recent appearances and Philly is happy to have him healthy again. The Flyers have averaged 4.2 goals per game their last 6 games. The Devils have been held to 3 goals or less in 6 of their last 9 games. Philadelphia has won 36 of 57 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. New Jersey has lost 14 of 21 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:35 ET - The Golden Knights are off of a huge 4-1 win at Tampa Bay last night which stayed under the total. That means that Vegas has now had 12 unders in the 15 starts that Marc-Andre Fleury has made this season. However, he is unlikely to start tonight considering this is a back to back spot and that certainly holds significance because Vegas is 20-7-2 to the over in the games Fleury has not started this season! As for Florida, James Reimer is expected to be between the pipes and the over is 8-4 in his home starts this season and 8-4 to the over in his starts in non-conference action on the season. The Panthers are playing for the first time off of their bye week and teams tend to be a little sloppy coming out of the break. This leads to odd man rushes and extra scoring opportunities as a general rule. As a result, even though this total may surprise many to be a full 6 goals, I am happy to go contrarian and play the over here as I expect plenty of goals. When these teams met in Vegas there were 7 goals scored and only 1 of the Panthers last 5 games has finished with less than a total of 6 goals scored. The Golden Knights are one of the highest scoring teams in the league as they are averaging 3.4 goals per game on the season. The over is 9-4 in Vegas' road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals and the over is 7-1 in Golden Knights Friday games! The over is 15-7 in Florida's games versus teams with a winning record this season. Also, the Panthers are 6-2 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more and also 5-2 to the over in Friday games this season. 10* OVER the total in Florida 

Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are off of an embarrassing loss to the Rangers where goalie Brian Elliott had a rough start. That means Michal Neuvirth gets the start here and, they are happy to have him as an option after he missed a lot of time this season. Neuvirth had a great first start back in a 4-1 win versus Buffalo earlier this month. The Maple Leafs have lost 3 straight games and 6 of their last 8. The Flyers had won 4 straight games prior to the loss to the Blueshirts and they'll respond big here. Philly has won 32 of 56 when off of a game where they scored 1 goal or less. Also, the Flyers have won 35 of 56 when they are at home in a game with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Maples Leafs have lost 34 of 54 when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. Also, Toronto has lost 4 of 5 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. The Leafs have averaged just 2 goals per game their last 6 games while the Flyers have averaged 4 goals per game their last 7 games. Home rout expected here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Thursday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Boston off of a big divisional win on home ice last night versus Original Six rival Montreal. Not only could the Bruins be flat after such a big win, they have lost 5 of 7 this season (and 21 of 32 the past 3 seasons combined) when they are playing the 2nd game of a back to back. The Islanders are also off of a divisional game but it was Tuesday and it was a loss. In other words, big difference between the Isles situation and Boston's situation and the Isles have won 11 of 14 this season when off of a divisional game. Also, New York was on a 3-game win streak prior to the loss to the Devils so they are primed to bounce right back here. The Islanders get revenge here for losing their first two match-ups with the Bruins this season by a combined score of 8-2. 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Thursday 10* Dallas Stars Money Line (-) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - A lot of edges for Dallas here! The Stars will be playing their 4th game since their bye week while the Blue Jackets will be playing their 1st game since the bye week and certainly could be rusty as a result. Also, Columbus has lost 9 of its last 14 games. Dallas has won 8 of its last 11 games. The Blue Jackets have lost 25 of 35 games when, in the 2nd half of a season, they face a team with a winning record. The Stars lost both games to Columbus last season and also suffered a home loss to the Blue Jackets earlier this month. Time for payback here and Dallas has won 3 of 4 this season when playing with home loss revenge. The Stars have been much better on the power play than Columbus has this season and they've also been superior on the penalty kill. Additionally, the Blue Jackets are expected to have their #2 goalie Joonas Korpisalo between the pipes while the Stars have their #1, Ben Bishop, in the crease! 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens are off of a tough loss after regulation Monday. Still things are improving for Montreal as they had 56 shots on goal in that game and they have earned 6 points out of a possible 8 in their last 4 games. The Habs now return to Boston with head coach Claude Julien for the first time since he was fired by the Bruins last season. In other words, look for a very inspired effort here. I am well aware of the fact that Boston has been playing very well. However, this line is simply out of whack. The Bruins are very over-priced and the hungry revenge-minded Canadiens (lost at home to Boston last week) will be pushing hard in this one. The Habs have enjoyed plenty of recent success at Boston with 5 wins in their last 6 visits and, going further back, 11 wins in their last 14 visits! Montreal goalie Carey Price is 24-9-5 in his career starts versus the Bruins. Boston's Tuukka Rask is just 8-15-3 in his career starts versus the Canadiens. The Habs have won 46 of 75 divisional games in the past 2+ seasons, they're playing with revenge here, and coach Julien wants this game badly. His hockey club will go all out for him and I am happy to grab the big dog in this match-up. 8* MONTREAL

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are red hot and on a 12-4-1 run their last 17 games. The Rangers are slumping badly and have just 3 wins in their last 10 games! Philadelphia has won 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6. In those 5 victories the Flyers have scored an average of 5.2 goals per game and have scored at least 4 goals in all 5 wins! That certainly holds significance here because the Rangers have been struggling to find the back of the net. New York has been held to 3 goals or less in 10 straight games and have averaged scoring just 2 goals per game during this stretch. This is the 1st meeting between these rivals this season and it will be intense but the Flyers are the more confident team and the Rangers have allowed 12 goals in their last two games overall and 12 goals in their last two home games as well. Look for the road dog to stay hot in this one! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Monday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Kings @ 4:05 ET - The Sharks have won 8 of their last 9 visits to Los Angeles. With both teams, of course, located in California, there is not a lot of home ice edge in this series. Also, San Jose got their 2nd half of the season off to the start they needed with a win over Arizona. It may not have played out exactly as they wanted but the Sharks got the much-needed W. As for the Kings, they'll still searching for their "game" as they have lost 3 straight and 8 of their last 12. LA has scored just 2.2 goals per game in their last 4 games. Los Angeles has allowed 4 goals in each of their last 3 games. Unlike the Kings, the Sharks have scored a solid 3.6 goals per game in their last 5 games. With their long-term success in LA, the Sharks are very confident when facing the Kings in southern California. Los Angeles has lost 13 of their 17 games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, when off of a loss by a multiple-goal margin, the Kings have lost 5 of 6 this season. While the Sharks have won 9 of 14 divisional games this season, Los Angeles has lost 9 of 14 divisional match-ups. Also, San Jose has won 11 of 15 this season (and 41 of 64 last 2+ seasons) when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Look for the road dog to tighten things up in their own zone for this one and continue their road success at LA. 10* SAN JOSE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 1:05 ET - The Stars returned from their 7-day break with a disappointing 4-1 loss to the upstart Avalanche who continue to surprise. The Bruins returned from their 7-day break with a key divisional win (4-3) over rival Montreal. That sets this one up well for an underdog play on Dallas. The Stars will be hungry after what happened versus Colorado Saturday while Boston could get caught still relishing their Original Six victory over the rival Canadiens. The Stars lost 2-0 in their most recent visit to Boston but, prior to that, the road team had won 3 straight in this series. Also, Dallas has won 11 of 16 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Stars also have won 11 of 16 this season when off of a divisional game. The Bruins have a losing record against teams with a winning record this season. That not only goes for this season either. The past 2+ seasons Boston has lost 54 of 96 (-$20,900) in games against teams with a winning record. Give me the value-priced underdog here off of a loss! Look for the Stars to respond in a big way. 8* DALLAS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Vancouver Canucks @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are in the 2nd game of a back to back so they are going with back-up goalie Alex Stalock. The Canucks will have their top goalie, Jacob Markstrom, going in this one but he has an .899 save percentage on the road this season and has been better on home ice. Vancouver exploded for 5 goals in their win at Columbus Friday and the Canucks are now 11-4 to the over in their last 15 games. Vancouver is 15-10 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record and the over was 5-0 in their series with the Wild before a RARE 1-0 shutout win at Minnesota early this season. That victory is one that has the Wild thinking revenge here and I expect them to put up a ton of goals as a result. The over is 10-4 this season when Minny is off of a divisional game. After their big win versus the Jets yesterday, look for a back and forth shootout today. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Sunday 8* OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings @ 12:35 ET - The Blackhawks Jeff Glass is off of a surprisingly strong start where he held the Jets to just 1 goal. The Red Wings are off of a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh yesterday that was destined to fly over the total after a 2-1 opening period but ultimately fell short. The result is value with this total early Sunday. The over is 20-7 when the Blackhawks, past the midway point of a season, are facing a team with a losing record on the season. Also, the Red Wings are 3-1 to the over this season when playing the 2nd game on back to back days. Detroit is 11-4 to the over in non-conference games. 8* OVER the total in Chicago

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - There is certainly no love lost between these two division rivals and the Devils have had the upper hand on the Flyers for many years. That makes this a big game for Philadelphia coming out of the break. Both teams have been off since the 7th and the Flyers entered the break rejuvenated with 3 straight wins while the Devils entered the break wondering what went wrong as they lost 5 straight games. Look for the momentum to carry over here as Philly get revenge for having lost 3 straight at New Jersey after winning their two prior visits to the hated Devils. This is their first meeting this season and the Flyers have been waiting for this for a long time after losing 1-0 in their final meeting last season. Philly has scored 4 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Devils have allowed 4.2 goals per game in their last 5 games while the Flyers have allowed just 2.7 goals per game in their last 3 road games. New Jersey has lost 43 of their last 68 divisional games and the Flyers get some highly-motivated revenge here! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Saturday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit Red Wings @ 1:05 ET - Teams can be a little "sloppy" coming out of the break and both these clubs are off of their bye week as the Penguins and Red Wings haven't played since the 7th. When teams are more mistake-prone with the puck due to being a little "rusty" you tend to see more scoring chances. In situations like this you'll see a greater opportunity for odd man rushes or a turnover in a key area leading to fantastic opportunities in the offensive zone. Couple that with the fact that the over is 6-1 the last 7 meetings between these teams and I certainly like my chances here with the over. The last 17 times that Detroit has had a break of 3 or more days between games they've had only 4 unders! The Pens are 16-7 to the over when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Friday 8* Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - Even though the Flames are in a back to back spot here, back-up goalie David Rittich has been fantastic as he has made 4 starts this season - all on the road - and Calgary has won 3 of those 4 games while he has compiled a .937 save percentage. Also, even though the Flames are off of a big upset win at Tampa Bay last night, the Panthers are also off of a big upset win (at St Louis) Tuesday. That certainly holds some significance here because Florida has lost 7 of 8 games this season when off of a win by a margin of 2 or more goals. As for Calgary, they have won 4 of 6 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and the Flames have also won 16 of 24 when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. Having won 5 straight games, the Flames stay hot here against a Panthers team already looking ahead to their week-long bye which starts tomorrow! 8* CALGARY

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Only 3 of the last 9 meetings between these teams have resulted in an under. The Hurricanes always seem to struggle to stop the weapons of the Capitals. Washington has scored an average of 5 goals per game in the last 4 meetings. Also, the Caps enter this game on a red hot run as Washington has averaged 4.2 goals per game in their last 5 games - all wins. As for Carolina, they've scored 4 goals in 3 of their last 4 games. As you would expect, all 3 of those games went over the total. I expect another wild one here between these two division rivals. The over is on a 17-6 run in Capitals January games. The over is 13-8 in Carolina's games this season when playing with revenge. Just like the 5-4 Capitals win early last week, another wild one is on tap here! 10* OVER the total in Washington

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - This situation sets up very nicely for a Blackhawks team that got a great start out of Anton Forsberg in a 4-1 win versus Edmonton Sunday and Forsberg followed that up with another solid game in last night's 8-2 blowout at Ottawa. Also, Jeff Glass (expected to get the start here) has proved serviceable in between the pipes for Chicago while they continue to march forward without #1 goalie Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks are now 4-1-1 in their last 6 games and they are on a mission (as per the pre-game speech from Jonathan Toews before facing the Oilers) to win each game leading into their mid-season bye week coming up. They get two days off after this game before playing two more games before that bye week. That said, everyone is still "all in" with effort for tonight's game against a division rival. One of the most impressive things about last night's rout of the Senators was that the Blackhawks continued to pour it on even after they had a huge lead. They outshot the Sens in every single period. This Chicago team is proving they are heeding Toews words and are making a much needed mid-season move up the standings! The Wild have lost 7 of their last 12 games after a tough home loss last night and they'll struggle to regroup here. Minnesota has lost 5 of its last 6 road games. On the season, in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals, the Wild have lost 11 of 17 games. In home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals, the Blackhawks have won 34 of 50 (including 9 of 13 this season). Ride the hot team on home ice. 10* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Tuesday 8* Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Panthers are desperate to NOT go winless on this 4-game road trip as they entered it on a 5-game winning streak! While Florida did play badly in the first game on the road, they followed it up by outshooting Detroit 40-19 and then losing a tough one in the 8th round of the shootout at Columbus Sunday. The point is that the Panthers played much better than what they have to show for it and I expect them to catch the Blues snoozing a bit in this one. St Louis is off of back to back losses and also has a one-week bye on deck. The Blues could get caught here already looking ahead to the much-needed time off. St Louis still has a great record on the season but this team has lost 9 of its last 14 games and, simply put, the Blues are over-priced here! The Blues are averaging scoring just 1.9 goals per game in their last 14 games. To be fair, the Panthers have had their share of recent struggles putting the puck in the back of the net but they are generating plenty of chances and they are a great value in this underdog price range against a struggling fave. St Louis is known for January slumps and I look for them to drop to 12-18 in their last 30 January games. The Panthers have won 4 of 5 (80%) this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. 8* FLORIDA

Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Tuesday 10* Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - The Senators, between sickness and injuries, are likely to be short-handed tonight. Even if a few of the wounded and ailing players are able to go they won't be 100%. This situation sets up very nicely for a Blackhawks team that got a great start out of Anton Forsberg in a 4-1 win versus Edmonton Sunday. Also, Jeff Glass has proved serviceable in between the pipes for Chicago while they continue to march forward without #1 goalie Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks are 3-1-1 in their last 5 games and they are on a mission (as per the pre-game speech from Jonathan Toews before facing the Oilers) to win each game leading into their mid-season bye week coming up. Though the Hawks have a big game with the Wild on deck for tomorrow, one could certainly argue that the Sens have an equally big game on deck as they face the division rival Maple Leafs tomorrow night. The point is that both teams are in a bit of a precarious scheduling situation here but the key to the value is that the Senators are truly a wounded and ailing team at this point in time. Also, the road team did win both meetings last season and there is not a lot of home ice value in this one. The Sens have been held to 1 goal or less in 4 of their past 7 games. The Blackhawks have averaged 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Hawks have won 66 of 102 when facing a team with a losing record. The Senators have lost 9 of 12 this season when facing a team with a losing record. Blackhawks have lost 21 of 41 games this season while the Senators have lost 26 of 40 games. 10* CHICAGO 

Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Tuesday OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals have won 4 straight games and have scored at least 4 goals in every single game. As you would expect, all 4 of those games went over the total and I expect more of the same here. The Caps won't take their foot off of the gas here if they get up big as they are looking to avenge a 6-2 loss at Vancouver earlier this season. This non-conference match-up is known for being high-scoring as only 9 of the last 27 meetings have resulted in an under. The Canucks have allowed 4 goals or more in 10 of their last 14 games! Vancouver is 17-7 to the over in their last 24 games! On the season, the over is 12-4 in Canucks games when they are off of a loss by two goals or more in their prior game. The Capitals are on an incredible run of 17-5 to the over in January games. Look for that trend to continue in a big way here. 8* OVER the total in Washington