Conference Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Monday 8* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - Joonas Korpisalo is expected to get the start between the pipes here for the Blue Jackets since it is the 2nd game of a back to back. Even though he is the back-up netminder he has played quite well this season. He is off of a rough home start versus Tampa Bay in his most recent appearance. However, prior to that game, Korpisalo had allowed just 2 goals in each of his 4 previous starts! You can bet that he'll be ready to bounce back big here after the rare poor performance versus the Lightning. Also, Columbus enters this game having stayed under the total in 4 straight games. That is noteworthy here because the Blue Jackets are 6-0, 100% perfect this season when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders. The Maple Leafs also are on an under streak of 3 straight games but they are 9-16, 36% when they enter a game on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders. Columbus has won each of their last 3 visits to Toronto and combining that with the other streak above and you have a 9-0, 100% perfect spot supporting a play on a sizable underdog here! I'll take it! 8* COLUMBUS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #65 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - Tampa Bay put a ton of shots on goal last night but ended up with an ugly 6-3 loss after digging an early 3-0 hole and leaving their goalie hung out to try early on. While I do expect the Bolts to respond here they are now likely to go with back-up goalie Louis Domingue since this is a back-to-back and I expect the red hot Red Wings to take advantage. The issue for Detroit though will also be between the pipes because red hot Jimmy Howard got hurt in the win over Florida Friday and now it will be back-up goalie Petr Mrazek getting the start. He has won just 3 of 8 decisions while compiling a 3.64 GAA and .892 save percentage on the season. Mrazek is unlikely to be any match for a determined Tampa Bay team that is ready to explode after last night's embarrassing loss. The Lightning will pressure him early and often but also will struggle to keep the puck out of their own net with Dominque between the pipes. The Red Wings have won 5 in row at home while averaging 3.2 goals per game. TB is averaging 3.7 goals per game on the season! The over is 5-1 this season when the Bolts are playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the over is 6-1 this season when the Lightning enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The over is 14-8 when Detroit enters a game having played each of their 3 previous games on home ice. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Top Shelf Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Sunday 8* Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 5:05 ET - Even though Panthers are off of a loss at Detroit, they outplayed the Red Wings and had a huge edge in shots on goal. It was simply a poor game from goalie James Reimer that did them in. However, that was just his 2nd regulation loss in his last 7 starts and I expect him to bounce right back here. Overall, the Panthers had allowed just 17 goals in their last 9 games prior to this road trip. Now, off of tough back to back losses to open up the trip, Florida responds in a big way here. Columbus is dealing with a lot of injury issues and they've certainly shown the effects of that as they've struggled to score goals and have just 3 wins in their last 10 games. Also, the Blue Jackets have allowed 3.6 goals per game in their last 5 games and they've been held to scoring 2 goals or less in 9 of their last 13 games. That's not a good combination of course and, considering all of the above factors, they are truly over-priced here. The Panthers also have revenge from an embarrassing 7-3 home loss to the Blue Jackets earlier this season. Florida is 31-20 (+$14,200) when playing with home loss revenge. 8* FLORIDA

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Saturday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals +150 @ Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - The Bolts are off of a 2-1 loss and will be fired up to respond huge. Of course as long-time followers know I am not an advocate of laying big prices on the money line. That said, I am certainly not going to lay 2 to 1 odds on this road favorite. However, there is plenty of reason to believe Tampa Bay comes up with a road rout in this match-up and that is why I am happy to lay the 1.5 goals and take a shot at the +150 return! The Lightning have the best record in the NHL and a big reason for that is that they certainly know how to respond off of a loss. The Bolts are 9-1 when off of a loss this season. Their average margin in those 9 wins was 2.1 goals. Overall, Tampa Bay's last 13 wins have featured 10 by 2 goals or more. On the season the Lightning have 13 road wins and 10 have come by a multi-goal margin. Ottawa enters this game off of a wild 6-5 win yesterday. That makes this a tough back to back spot for the Senators and they've been held to 2 goals or less in 15 of their last 18 losses. That certainly holds significance here because the Lightning have averaged 4.2 goals per game in their last 12 victories. In other words, don't be surprised if you see at least a 4-2 game here in favor of the road fave. Ottawa has lost 18 of their last 23 games and this is a mismatch and the Bolts are motivated. 8* TAMPA BAY puck line -1.5 goals +150!

Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - The Canucks have lost 10 of their last 12 games as defense and goaltending continue to be issues. Vancouver is off of a 5-0 loss and that was the 9th time in their last dozen games that the Canucks have allowed 4 goals or more! That home loss to Anaheim Tuesday stayed under the total but Vancouver's 10 prior games had gone 9-1 to the over! The Canucks had scored 3 goals or more in 4 of their 5 prior games before the poor effort versus the Ducks. Look for Vancouver to respond in terms of attacking in the offensive zone tonight but the problem for the Canucks will continue to be subpar play in their own end of the rink. Toronto is a dangerous team that can certainly take advantage. The Maple Leafs have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 8 games. The Leafs have allowed an average of 3.4 goals per game in their last 7 games. This will be Toronto's 12th Saturday game this season and, so far, only 3 have stayed under the total! Vancouver is 12-3 to the over this season when off of a game where they were outscored by 2 goals or more. Only 15 of the Canucks last 43 Saturday games have resulted in an under. Look for a wild one on Hockey Night in Canada! 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Toronto

Annihilation Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Friday 10* OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:35 ET - I know Jeff Glass has played better than expected for the Blackhawks as he fills in for the injured Corey Crawford. However, there is a reason he is 32 years old and just made his NHL debut last week! No disrespect intended but you get my point. Also, as well as Glass has played, the fact is that he has allowed 3 goals per game so far in his first 3 starts and now makes his home debut. You can bet he feels extra pressure making this start at the United Center and wanting to perform well for the home fans. Facing one of the most dangerous offenses in the league off of their first loss in regulation in a month, Glass is going to be peppered with shots early and often in this one. The Golden Knights also have a goalie issue of their own here as Marc-Andre Fleury was in net last night. That means Malcolm Subban is likely to get the start here. I know he has decent numbers this season but the over is 4-1 in his last 5 starts and he is still young and getting adjusted to NHL play. Subban just turned 24 two weeks ago! On the season the Golden Knights are averaging 3.5 goals per game. The Blackhawks, in home games this season, are averaging 3.5 goals per game. The over is 6-1 in Friday games for Vegas this season. The over is 4-0 in the Blackhawks last 4 games and I look for another one here! 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - After getting shutout in a 4-0 home loss to Carolina last night, the Pens will bring a huge effort here at New York. As for the Islanders, they are off of yet another high-scoring match-up. Yesterday's game at Philadelphia totaled 10 goals and the Isles have now had just 1 under in their last 11 games! Off of that 6-4 loss, note that the Islanders are 10-1 to the over this season when off of a loss by a multiple-goal margin. The Penguins are 6-1 to the over this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. In January games the past 2+ seasons, Pittsburgh is on a 14-7 run to the over. The Penguins have allowed at least 4 goals in 4 of their last 6 games. The Islanders have allowed 4 goals or more in 4 straight games and 8 of their last 11 games! In these 11 games, the Isles have allowed 4.6 goals per game! The Isles will be looking to make up for a 5-1 loss in their most recent home game. Prior to that poor output on offense, the Islanders averaged 3.8 goals per game in their 5 previous home games. More of the same here. 8* OVER the total in the New York Islanders

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers will bounce back after an ugly 5-1 home loss to the Penguins Tuesday. Prior to that ugly defeat, Philadelphia had allowed an average of just 2.3 goals per game in their last dozen games. Conversely, the Islanders come into this game off of 3 straight losses and the Isles have allowed an average of 4.4 goals per game in their last 10 games. The Flyers have lost both match-ups (tight defeats) in each of the first two meetings between these teams this season so payback is in order here. New York, in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals, has lost 8 of 9 this season! The Flyers have won 31 of 55 (+$7,500) the past 2+ seasons when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. They'll bounce back against an Islanders team whose defense and goal-tending leaves A LOT to be desired! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs San Jose Sharks @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 6 and dropped down to a 5.5 and I am going contrarian here and pounding the over in this one. The Sharks are off of a 4-1 win but entered that game having allowed 4 goals or more in 8 of their last 12 games! San Jose has scored 3 goals or more in 9 of their last 11 games. Toronto is off of a shutout loss but they had scored an average of 4.3 goals per game in their 6 prior games. The Maple Leafs allowed only 2 goals in the home loss to the Lightning but they had allowed 4 goals or more in 4 of their 5 prior games. Toronto was severely outplayed in a 3-2 loss at San Jose earlier this season. Couple that with coming off of a shutout loss and it is safe to say the Maple Leafs will be in attack mode in the offensive zone early and often in this one. However, Toronto is not going to stop a Sharks team that has been very strong this season including 4 wins in their last 5 games. That's why I expect this to fly over the total. San Jose has allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 4 road games. Only 10 of the Sharks last 27 January games have resulted in an under. Look for the over to improve to 4-1 in San Jose's last 5 road games. Before the Maple Leafs shutout versus the Bolts, they were 5-1 to the over in their last 6 games. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Toronto

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks are still without goalie Corey Crawford. That means journeyman Jeff Glass (who is 32 but is a rookie in the NHL) will continue to get the work. He has allowed 7 goals in his first two NHL starts and both games went over the total. Chicago showed heart in rallying back from a 3-0 deficit at Calgary to force OT in the eventual 4-3 loss to the Flames. The Blackhawks have scored 3 goals or more in 7 of their last 10 games and they could catch the Rangers a bit flat-footed in this one as New York just rallied from a 2-goal deficit for a 3-2 win over Buffalo in the outdoor Winter Classic on New Years Day. The only reason I am not fading the Rangers here off of that big win is because they'll take advantage of Glass being between the pipes for the Hawks. The value here is with the over because this hungry Chicago team is going to be peppering Henrik Lundqvist with shots but the Blackhawks won't be able to keep the puck out of their own net. Chicago has allowed an average of 4 goals per game over their past 5 games. Only 4 of the Rangers 12 non-conference game this season have resulted in an under. The road-weary Blackhawks are 3-0 to the over this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Tuesday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:35 ET - The Oilers have lost 3 straight games and have allowed 14 goals in those 3 games. Edmonton goalie Cam Talbot is on the fade again. Conversely, Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has been playing well. The Kings have only won 3 of his last 5 starts but Los Angeles has allowed an average of just 2 goals per game in those 5 starts. Quick has been solid between the pipes and certainly rates the edge here over the struggling Talbot. The Kings have won 7 of their last 10 meetings with the Oilers but those 3 losses have come in their last 3 games at Edmonton. In other words, LA is hungry to put an end to that nonsense with a big win in Edmonton Tuesday night. Note that the Oilers have lost 27 of their last 39 Tuesday games! Also, Edmonton has lost 10 of 16 (-$7,100) this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. LA has won 9 of 14 this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, the Oilers have lost 22 of 39 games on the season overall. That said, it is certainly noteworthy that Los Angeles has taken care of business this season against the teams they are supposed to beat. The Kings are a stellar 15-4 this season against teams with a losing record. 10* LOS ANGELES

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Tuesday 8* Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - Even though the Wild are expected to have Zach Parise back on the ice tonight it will take him awhile to get back into the flow of things after not having played all season long due to his back injury. Also, Minnesota lost 4-2 at Florida less than 2 weeks ago. While that makes this a revenge spot for the Wild, they do have concerns here as that win is part of the current 5-game winning streak that the Panthers are bringing to Minnesota. Florida has not only won 5 straight games, they've allowed an average of just 1.2 goals per game during this hot streak. Goalie James Reimer is "in the zone" right now and he and his Panthers teammates are taking on a Wild team that has allowed an average of 3.1 goals per game in their last 8 games. Also, Minnesota has been held to 2 goals or less in 7 of their last 10 games. The Panthers have won 18 of 24 when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games so I don't see them slowing down here. The Wild have lost 5 of their last 8 games. I'll gladly take the hot team as the price has risen on Minnesota and gives us even more line value here. 8* FLORIDA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Philadelphia Flyers vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - After being held to just 1 goal in back to back games, the Penguins are ready to break out in a big way in this one! That's good news for over players because this total is just 5.5 goals even though the over is 6-2-1 in the last 9 meetings between these clubs. Also, the Flyers come in flying high after a 5-3 win at Tampa Bay on Friday. The over is 5-2 in Flyers Tuesday games and 4-1 in their divisional games this season. Also, when Philadelphia enters a game having played each of their three prior games on the road, the over is a perfect 4-0 this season. The over is 13-6 in Pittsburgh's games played in the month of January the past two seasons. The Penguins are hungry to get something going and they should tonight but also note that the Flyers are averaging 4 goals per game in the last 5 meetings between these teams. That is why the over is the way to go in this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Philadelphia

Ultra Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres @ 1:05 ET - The ice conditions should be great for this one as it is very cold weather in New York right now. This outdoor game takes place at CitiField and I am well aware of Henrik Lundqvist having a great track record in these outdoor games. However, Buffalo comes into this one with plenty of confidence as they have earned at least a point in 8 of their last 11 games. The Sabres have averaged 3 goals per game in their last 4 games. The problem for Buffalo is their defense and goaltending is not on par with other teams. The Sabres have allowed 3.3 goals per game on the season. The Rangers are scoring an average of 3.2 goals per game this season and will be in "attack mode" here after the loss at Detroit Friday was their 3rd defeat in their last 4 games. The Sabres, surprisingly, have scored 4 goals in 2 of their last 3 meetings with the Rangers. Only 6 of the Rangers 17 games against teams with a losing record this season have stayed under the total. Also, when playing with 2 days of rest between games, the Rangers have had just 2 unders in 9 games! 8* OVER the total in the Winter Classic

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Flames vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 9:05 ET - On the surface, at 6 goals, this posted total may seem high. However, keep in mind that Chicago is currently without goaltender Corey Crawford. While Jeff Glass was successful in his first start (only 3 goals allowed on 45 shots!) he is still a journeymen goaltender who has spent his entire hockey career just trying to get to the NHL level. No disrespect at all intended toward him but the 32 year old just made the first appearance of his NHL career after bouncing around for 15 years in the WHL/ECHL/KHL/AHL including this season with the Rockford Icehogs. Glass is going to face a desperate and hungry Flames team tonight that is angry after a poor effort in their loss at Anaheim Friday night. Calgary is going to pressure Glass early and often in this one as they look to take advantage of avoiding Crawford. As for the Blackhawks, they have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 9 games. Look for the over to improve to 7-4 this season when Chicago is off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. In the process the over will improve to 3-0 this season when the Hawks enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road! The over is 9-5 this season when the Flames face a team with a losing record on the season. Also, Calgary is 14-7 to the over when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The over is 12-6 in Flames games when they are on an under streak of 3 games or more. 10* OVER the total in Calgary

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - These teams met last night and the game snuck over the total on an empty net goal with about a minute to go in the game. However, I expect tonight's game to go over the total much more easily. The key is that both back-up goalies are likely to be in action in this rematch. The over is 3-1 in Alex Stalock's last 4 starts and the over is 6-2 in Juuse Saros starts this season. The fact is that last night's game featured a ton of shots on goal - 81 to be exact - and plenty of solid scoring chances. However, Pekka Rinne and Devan Dubnyk were the difference makers between the pipes. With Nashville now at home and looking for revenge in this back to back home and home set with the Wild, I expect another game filled with solid scoring chances tonight. The over is 9-1 this season when Minnesota is off of a divisional game. The over is a long-term 32-20 when the Wild are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Minnesota is 12-6 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record. The over is 3-1 this season when Nashville is playing a back to back and only 9 of the last 28 long-term have resulted in an under. The over is also 10-5 this season when the Preds are playing with revenge. 10* OVER the total in Nashville

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:35 ET - This is a back to back for both teams and that could mean back-up goalies for each as well. The Flyers likely to have Michal Neuvirth between the pipes and he is just coming back from injury. The Lightning likely to have Peter Budaj between the pipes and he has an .878 save percentage on the season. Each of his last 4 starts have gone over the total and he has had just 1 under this season and that one totaled 5 goals. This one looks like it should work into a barn-burner. Also, defenseman Anton Stralman is out for the Bolts and that certainly hurts their blue line too. The over is 6-2 this season when the Flyers are on a losing streak of 3 games or more. The over is 4-1 in Tampa Bay's games when they are playing the 2nd of a back to back. Lightning are great on power play, Flyers awful on penalty kill. Bolts have averaged 4.2 goals per game their last 11 games. Flyers should enjoy success against Budaj tonight as well. Or if Vasilevskiy gets the call it is a tough spot (2nd night of back to back) so either way Philadelphia pots a few goals as well. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers, after being hot, lost 2 straight games and 3 of 4 before the Christmas break. They needed the break. The Panthers, after being cold, won 3 straight games before the Christmas break. The break was the worst thing that could have happened for Florida as it took away their momentum. Now the Panthers face a team that has beaten them 4 straight times by a combined score of 13 to 5. Of course we're getting line value here because this game is in Florida. Keep in mind the Flyers have a similar road record to their home record so it is nice to have the added value here with Philly being on the road. The Panthers have been nothing special at home this season. Also, Florida's Vincent Trocheck is dealing with a rib injury while the Flyers are expected to have Michal Neuvirth available tonight to back-up Brian Elliott between the pipes. So Philly is getting healthier while the Panthers have some question marks. The Flyers have won 5 of 8 this season after a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. The Panthers have lost 60 of 91 long-term when they were off of a shutout win. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Edmonton Oilers @ 8:05 ET - The Oilers Connor McDavid is listed as probable for this game but both teams are dealing with some blue line injuries. Of course that helps an over and that is a lot of solid reasoning as to why this one should fly over the total. Edmonton is heating up again with 4 straight wins and they've scored an average of 5 goals per game in their last 7 victories! The Jets enter this match up off of back to back losses but those were on the road. Winnipeg averages 4.2 goals per game at home and, as you would expect with those types of numbers, the Jets are 10-5 to the over in home games this season! The Oilers have trended under this season but the way they've been scoring goals of late coupled with the way the Jets light the lamp at home has this one headed for a barn-burner. Winnipeg is 9-4 to the over when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. The Jets are 11-3 to the over when off of a non-conference game. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Wednesday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Solid value here. The Hurricanes have been the hotter team of late but the 5 wins they've had in their last 6 games included two wins over the league-worst Sabres. Also, while they are off of a win, the Canadiens are off of a loss that followed a solid 3-1 stretch for Montreal. The Habs ugly 4-1 loss at Edmonton just prior to the Christmas break means extra hunger for the Canadiens here. They've had to think about that defeat for awhile because of the forced time off for the Christmas break. I like the small dog here in a highly motivated spot (also lost at home to Carolina 4-1 in most recent meeting) to get the job done here. The Canadiens have won 3 of 4 this season (and 17 of 27 long-term) when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The Hurricanes have lost 10 of 16 short-term and 92 of 153 long-term when they enter a game after 3 or more days of rest. 8* MONTREAL

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Saturday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Devils are off of a big divisional win over the Rangers Thursday and have won 3 straight games. The Blackhawks are off of an embarrassing 4-0 road loss at Dallas Thursday that ended a stretch in which Chicago had won 5 straight games by a combined score of 18 to 7. Also, the Blackhawks have revenge from a 7-5 home loss to the Devils last month! Remember that Chicago did sweep New Jersey last season and the Hawks were actually a 2 to 1 favorite in last month's embarrassing home loss. Payback is on order here and the Blackhawks have won 7 of 9 Saturday games this season and 24 of 36 the past 2+ seasons. Also, Chicago has won 19 of 26 when on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders. That's because unders mean solid goaltending and certainly the Blackhawks were getting stellar play between the pipes prior to the loss to the Stars. Bounce back time here for the road team. As for the home team Devils, they are winless all 3 times they've entered a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more this season. Also, when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, New Jersey has lost 28 of 45. Great money line value price on the hungry road team here. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Saturday 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Winnipeg Jets @ 1:05 ET - The Jets are off of a tough 2-1 loss at Boston but had scored 10 goals in their two prior games. The Islanders are off of a 5-4 loss to Anaheim that was the 5th straight over for the Isles. New York continues to score plenty of goals but they just can't keep the puck out of their own net. The over is 14-3-1 this season when the Islanders are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The over is 10-3 this season when Winnipeg is off of a non-conference game. The over was 4-1 in the Jets last 5 road games prior to the low-scoring loss to the Bruins. Considering the Winnipeg opponent for this one Saturday afternoon, the goals should start coming in bunches again for the Jets. 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Florida Panthers vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:35 ET - The Wild could be getting back goalie Devan Dubnyk but I would truly be surprised if he plays here because Minnesota also plays tomorrow night at Tampa Bay and Dubnyk is still trying to recover from a knee injury. I don't foresee him playing both nights of a back to back (especially with a sore knee) and, with that said, it makes sense to give his knee an extra day of rest and play him tomorrow against the Bolts. This means we should see Alex Stalock between the pipes for the Wild. Though the netminder has been solid of late, the fact is that he generally has not fared as well on the road this season and only 2 of his 7 road starts have resulted in an under. By the way, should Dubnyk get the call tonight, the same holds true for him and there have only been 3 unders in his 11 road starts this season! The Panthers also have goal-tending issues too as they continue to be without Roberto Luongo. James Reimer has been getting the call between the pipes and the over is 6-1 in his 7 home starts. Reimer has an ugly .870 save percentage in home games this season! 11 of Florida's 17 games against teams with a winning record this season have resulted in an over. The over is also 10-4 this season in Minnesota's road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The last 39 times the Panthers have played a game with 2 days of rest between games, they have recorded only 13 unders. That's only a 33% conversion rate for the under and I look for a "wild" one in this non-conference match-up with the Wild on Friday night. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Florida

Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Thursday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Islanders vs Anaheim Ducks @ 7:05 ET - The Ducks have lost 3 straight games and allowed an average of 4 goals per game during this rough stretch. They're facing the high-powered Islanders so more bad news is likely for Anaheim tonight. However, what will keep them in this game is the fact that New York has struggled all season long with keeping the puck out of their own net. The Isles score a lot but struggle to stop the opposition. The Islanders have lost 7 of their last 10 games and have allowed 4.4 goals per game in doing so. The over is 7-1 this season when the Isles are at home with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The over has cashed in 9 of the Islanders last 11 games overall. The Isles lost 6-3 at home versus Detroit Tuesday and the over is 7-1 this season when the Islanders are off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Islanders

Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets want this game badly and I expect a huge effort from them. However, even though they won yesterday's game and saved #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky for this game, the fact is that he has struggled badly in 3 of his last 4 starts. He also has a very poor history versus the Penguins as Pittsburgh took 4 of 5 from them in their first round series last spring. Yes, motivation is high for the Blue Jackets and I expect them to get their fair share past Matt Murray tonight, but the Penguins are also hungry as they've lost 5 of their last 7 games overall. Now, back home off of a road loss at Colorado, look for Pittsburgh to be very aggressive in this match-up tonight. The key to the over being a game played at a fast pace as the Penguins attack early and often and the Blue Jackets follow suit as they've been waiting 8 months for this opportunity. The over is 4-0 this season in Penguins home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. When the Pens enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road, the over has gone 12-6 in recent seasons. Also, the over is 8-3 this season in Pittsburgh's games against teams with a winning record. The over is 7-2-1 in Columbus' games this month as they do have some solid firepower up front but the Blue Jackets just haven't been able to keep the puck out of their own net of late. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Thursday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Jets have a solid record on the season and that is keeping this line on the Bruins lower than it should be. Boston is a great value on home ice at a low price here. Winnipeg is off of a huge win at Nashville that the Jets won late in dramatic fashion. That can't help but leave the Jets a little "spent" here after such a big road win against a division rival. Also, Winnipeg had lost 6 straight road games before that victory over the Predators. Also the Jets franchise (previously the Atlanta Thrashers) have lost 13 of their last 14 visits to Boston. The Bruins are expected to start Tuukka Rask between the pipes tonight and he is 6-0-1 in his last 7 starts overall. Additionally, versus the Jets/Thrashers franchise he has a stellar 1.99 GAA in his career. Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck is 0-2 in his career starts versus the Bruins. Boston enters this contest having won 11 of their last 15 games. The Jets have lost 8 of 13 non-conference games this season and 46 of 77 versus the East the last 2+ seasons combined. The Bruins last 6 wins have come by an average margin of 3 goals per game and their strong run continues here. 10* BOSTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs finally got rolling with an 8-1 win yesterday. Even though this is a back to back game the travel distance is not too bad plus yesterday's game was an early afternoon game which helps. Facing Columbus should also help in terms of keeping the pucks flying to the back of the net! The Blue Jackets are off of a 7-2 loss at Boston Monday and they've allowed an average of 3.9 goals per game their last 4 games. The Maple Leafs by the way have allowed an average of 3 goals in their last 6 road games. The Leafs have allowed at least 3 goals in 4 of their last 6 contests away from home. Only 2 of the Blue Jackets 9 games so far this month have resulted in unders. Also, Columbus is 6-3-1 to the over after a game where they allowed 4 goals or more this season. The Blue Jackets are also 7-4-1 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record this season. 4 of the last 6 meetings between these clubs have gone over the total. Also, 6 of the last 9 times they've met in Ohio, an over has resulted. More of the same here. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Columbus

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Tuesday 8* Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders are off of a tight 4-3 win over the Kings but they had previously lost 5 of their last 6 games. That said, the Isles are very over-priced here. The Red Wings are starting to get better goal-tending from Jimmy Howard and they've only had 1 bad game in their last 5 games. In the other 4 games, though they only won 2, the Red Wings have allowed an average of only 1.75 goals per game! To put that in proper perspective, note that the Islanders have allowed 4.22 goals per game in their last 9 games. It is no wonder that the Isles had lost 6 of 8 prior to sneaking past the Kings Saturday. Another key here is that the Red Wings are playing their first road game since they were absolutely destroyed 10-1 at Montreal over two weeks ago. Detroit has been waiting for this for quite awhile and can't wait to make up for that awful road effort by coming up big here with an upset win in New York. The Red Wings have won 4 of the last 6 meetings with the Islanders. 8* DETROIT

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 2:05 ET - Bad news for the Maple Leafs here as this game is in Toronto! All kidding aside the fact is that the road team has won 7 of the last 8 meetings between these teams and I see that streak continuing here. In a special day game event (celebrating the 100th anniversary of hockey here in Toronto for the Leafs), the Hurricanes come in looking for payback in a big way. They lost at home to the Maple Leafs earlier this season despite a huge edge of 47-25 in shots on goal! Toronto is expected to still be without injured forward Auston Matthews and the Leafs have scored a total of only 4 goals in their last 4 games. The Maple Leafs enter this game on a 3-game losing streak. Toronto also lost defenseman Nikita Zaitsev to injury while the Hurricanes enter this game healthy and riding a 3-game winning streak! The Leafs have lost 35 of their last 56 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, Toronto has lost 34 of 52 when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. 8* CAROLINA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Monday 8* UNDER 5.5 goals in Philadelphia Flyers vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - This should be a fantastic low-scoring battle here as the Flyers have won 6 straight games and are getting fantastic goal-tending while the Kings have lost the first 3 games of this 4-game road trip and are very hungry to close the trip with a victory. That makes a tight, defensive-minded battle quite likely here. Philadelphia has allowed an average of only 1.5 goals per game in their last 6 games. Los Angeles has averaged scoring only 2 goals per game in their last 3 games. I know the Kings have been giving up some goals on this road trip but look for them to be back in shutdown mode here as a result of the current losing streak. LA has seen 9 of 12 stay under the total when they are on a losing streak of 3 or more games. Also, when the Kings enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road, 22 of 31 have stayed under the total! Overall, Los Angeles has stayed under in 45 of 72 games against teams with a losing record. The Flyers have gone under in 11 of 17 when playing with revenge. Also, when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home, Philly has stayed under in 14 of 22. The last two games between these teams were finals of 1-0 and 2-0. Look for a similar result here! 8* UNDER 5.5 goals in Philadelphia

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Boston Bruins vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - Not only is the over a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 match-ups between these two clubs, all 4 games totaled at least 7 goals include one totaling 9 goals. The Blue Jackets are off of a 2-1 loss at Carolina. The last 4 times Columbus has been held to 1 goal or less in a game the over has gone 3-1 in their next game. The average goals scored in those games has been 7 and the one under did have 5 goals. In other words, look for the lamp to be lit early and often in this one after the low-scoring game with the Hurricanes. The under with the Canes was just the 2nd for Columbus in the past 8 games. The Bruins loss to the Rangers (3-2 Saturday) stayed under the total but Boston entered that game having gone 4-2 to the over in their 6 prior home games. Also, prior to being held to just 2 goals in that game, the Bruins had scored 3 goals or more in 10 of their 11 previous games! The Blue Jackets, prior to their 2-1 loss, had allowed 4 goals or more in 4 of their 6 prior games. This one shapes up to be a barn-burner and a 5th straight over in games between these clubs. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Boston

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Arizona Coyotes vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8:05 ET - Both teams, though in far different places in the standings of their respective conferences, are in situations that have put them on the offensive here. The Penguins are desperate to bring up their goal-scoring off of a disappointing 2-1 loss at Vegas that was the Pens 3rd straight loss and 2nd straight defeat scoring just 1 goal. The Coyotes have lost 5 straight games and have averaged scoring just 1 goal per game in those 5 losses. As you can see, more offense is the emphasis of both of these hockey clubs tonight. The over is 5-2 for Pittsburgh when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more losses. The over is 9-6 in the last 15 meetings between these clubs in Arizona. The Pens had averaged 4 goals per game in their 7 games prior to back to back poor efforts. The Coyotes had averaged 3.3 goals per game in their last 3 home games previous to being held to just 1 goal by Tampa Bay. Both teams respond tonight and will be very aggressive in the offensive zone. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Arizona

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 8* Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - Beautiful situation here as the Kings are off of a loss after winning 8 straight games. Los Angeles has been anxious to get back on the ice bu they've had to wait a bit as they've had two full off days between games. In fact, this is just the 2nd game for LA in the last 6 days and you're going to see a hungry team on the ice in this one. The Kings have won 8 of 10 this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, Los Angeles has won 14 of 18 non-conference games this season. The Rangers are off of back to back losses and have lost 4 of their past 7 games. New York has lost 14 of their last 23 Friday games and has cost their backers $7,500 in those games. NY did win both games with LA last season so revenge is on the minds of the Kings in this one. Overall, the Kings are the better team and they also have the better penalty kill. Los Angeles, even with a bad game against the Devils Tuesday, has allowed an average of just 2 goals per game in their past 9 games. The Rangers have allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 8 games while the Kings have held the opposition to just 2 goals or less in 7 of their last 9 games. 8* LOS ANGELES KINGS

Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Thursday 8* Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - The road team has won 4 straight meetings between these clubs with an average winning margin of 2 goals per victory! Winnipeg is off of a big 5-1 win but had previously lost 3 straight games. Chicago comes in on a strong 3-game winning streak. The Blackhawks have won 10 of 15 this season (and 54 of 79 long-term) when they are off of a non-conference match-up. Also, the Hawks have won 17 of 23 when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive unders and 14 of 20 when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive home games. Also, the Blackhawks have won 25 of 38 when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. In other words, look for Chicago to stay hot. Winnipeg, long-term, has lost 65 of 113 when they are off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. The Jets have lost 5 of their last 6 when they are off of a game where they scored 4 or more goals. 8* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Thursday 8* Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are off of a home shutout and will want to respond here. However, St Louis is actually only 1-3 this season when they are off of a game they lost by a margin of more than 2 goals. Also, after the opening month of season was in the books, St Louis truly hasn't played all that great home as the Blues have lost 6 of their last 12 home games. Anaheim enters off of a homestand where they won 2 of 3 and the Ducks have won 4 of 5 this season (and 26 of 41 long-term) when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Also, Anaheim has won 25 of 38 the past 2+ seasons when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. This is just the 2nd game in 6 days for the Ducks while St Louis will be playing their 4th game in 6 days! 8* ANAHEIM

Non-Conf Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - The Maple Leafs are still without Auston Matthews but there is plenty of firepower on this club. After losing at Philadelphia Tuesday and having scored a total of only 3 goals in their past two games, I expect an offensive explosion from Toronto here. The Leafs do have a divisional game on deck at Detroit tomorrow and the Wild are off of a Western Conference win versus Calgary and have another intra-conference match-up versus Edmonton on deck for Saturday. In other words, the defensive focus may not fully be there for either club in tonight's non-conference match-up. Minnesota is 10-4 to the over in games against teams with a winning record this season and has had only 5 unders in 14 non-conference match-ups this season. Look for the over to improve to 9-5 in Toronto's games against teams with a winning record this season. The Wild are off of an under in their most recent game but 7 of their 10 prior games had gone over the total and that trend resumes here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Thursday 8* Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins have lost 10 straight games to the Capitals and this is not a good spot to turn that around. Boston was at Detroit last night and didn't even score a goal until the 3rd period but the Bruins managed to rally and steal the divisional win in overtime by a 3-2 final. That will leave the B's running a little low on energy in this game tonight while the Capitals come in with the fresher legs. Washington's Braden Holtby is expected to be between the pipes and he is 12-2-0 with a 1.81 goals against average and a .944 save percentage in his career against Boston. The Bruins have managed only 13 even strength goals in those 14 games! That is dominance and I love the value of the road dog Capitals here as they have been one of the hottest teams in the league as Alexander Ovechkin has been heating up. Anton Khudobin will be between the pipes for the Bruins since this is a back to back spot. Though he had been playing well he is coming off of a start where he got chased by the Predators and he now faces a Caps team that has scored 4 or more goals in 7 of their last 10 games. To put that in proper perspective, note that the Bruins have been held to 3 goals or less in 18 of their last 21 games! The Capitals have won 56 of 86 when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The Bruins certainly have revenge here but the scheduling situation is a tough one and Boston has lost 9 of 12 when playing with revenge this season including losing 4 of 5 when playing with home loss revenge. 8* WASHINGTON

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - Even though Tuukka Rask has been playing very well for the Bruins, the Red Wings have been getting a lot pressure on opposing goalies and I am sensing a break through game (finally) for Detroit here in terms of pucks finding the back of the net. The problem for the Red Wings is their goaltending has been a major weakness. Jimmy Howard, in his last 10 appearances (eight starts), has gone 1-5-4 with a 4.10 GAA and .857 save percentage. Detroit's Petr Mrazek hasn't done any better! The Red Wings #2 goalie, in his last five appearances (three starts) has gone 0-2-0 with a 5.50 GAA and .835 save percentage. Detroit is off of a low-scoring loss to Florida but the Red Wings 4 prior games all went over the total. The Bruins are off of a low-scoring win over the Islanders but 4 of their 6 prior games went over the total. Boston is 9-2 to the over this season in their games against teams with a losing record. The over is 16-8 in Detroit's December games. Also, the Red Wings are 12-6 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Additionally, the Red Wings have gone over the total in 7 of 10 games this season when they are off of a divisional game. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - Tough scheduling spot for the Islanders. Even though the Isles are at home tonight they are off of a win over Washington and they have a road game at Columbus tomorrow night. The Capitals and Blue Jackets are tied atop the Metropolitan Division so you can see why New York can't help but be a little distracted given this scheduling situation. Also, the Islanders have been outshot in 5 straight games by an average of 5 shots per game. As for the Stars, even though their win over the Rangers required a shootout, Dallas absolutely outplayed the Blueshirts that night. The Stars outshot New York by 20 shots on goal and it was the 7th straight game where Dallas has NOT been outshot by their opponents. The Stars have outshot their opponents by an average of 7 shots per game over this 7 game stretch. Dallas has won 6 of 9 non-conference games this season while the Islanders have lost 7 of 11 this season when off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. That Isles win over the Caps was a big one and, with the Jackets on deck, I look for the Islanders to struggle here. 8* DALLAS

Total Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Tuesday 10* OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Florida Panthers @ 8:35 ET - Perfect set-up for an over here. I know the Blackhawks are off of back to back wins and have been getting solid goaltending. However, this is the perfect spot for a bit of a letdown. Chicago can't help but look right past Florida here. The Blackhawks have dominated the Panthers in recent years and, on deck for Chicago after this game is 3 straight divisional games! These are big games coming up for the Blackhawks. Chicago will "let up" some in this game as it is the perfect spot for that and, in this non-conference match-up, you'll see a drop off in defensive intensity from the host. Sparking the over though is the fact that Florida has a significant goaltending issue here with Roberto Luongo still being out with an injury. James Reimer was in between the pipes last night and he either gets another start in an always-tough back to back or the Panthers are forced to see goalie Harri Sateri make his NHL debut. Neither option is good but Florida at least should continue to put the puck in the net. Their confidence is up after rallying last night for their 2nd win in 3 games. The Panthers have averaged 3.8 goals per game in their last 4 games but they won't be able to stop the Blackhawks from matching them goal for goal in this one. Florida is 12-6 to the over this season when playing with revenge. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Monday 8* OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - The Avalanche are off of a huge upset win over the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins in Pittsburgh last night. After that tight 2-1 win, look for plenty of goals tonight in Washington. That's because the Capitals are coming off of a 3-1 loss at New York versus the Islanders last night and they played both goalies in that game. This a tough back to back spot for goalies and no matter whom the Caps choose it will be a guy who logged significant time last night. Additionally, the Avs are expected to go with Semyon Varlamov after Jonathan Bernier got the start last night. That is significant because the over is 9-2 in Varlamov's 11 non-conference starts this season. Also, Colorado had allowed 19 goals in their past 4 games before last night's surprising performance. The Capitals, prior to being held to 1 goal last night, had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their 8 prior games. In other words, look for a high-scoring barn-burner here. The over is 4-1 in Caps games this season when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Red Wings have gone over the total in 4 straight games overall as well as 6 of their last 7 home games. They now host a Panthers team that also has been trending over with overs in each of their last 3 games. The fact that Roberto Luongo is currently out is certainly not helping the goal-tending situation for Florida. The Panthers have allowed 22 goals in the last 5 games that Luongo did not start. As for the Red Wings, they have allowed at least 4 goals in 7 of their last 9 games. Overall, it has been an average of 4.8 goals per game allowed during this rough 9-game stretch. Florida has gone over the total in 12 of 17 when they are playing with revenge. The Red Wings have had just 7 unders in their last 30 December games! 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Stars are going to have Kari Lehtonen between the pipes rather than Ben Bishop Monday. That is a positive as certainly he has been the better goalie of late. Dallas has lost 3 straight games and that is noteworthy here as they have won 13 of 16 games when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more consecutive games. The Stars have won 8 of 12 games this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Dallas also has won 40 of 60 the past 3 seasons combined when they enter a game off of a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. The Rangers have lost 54 of 101 (DOWN $10,000) when they face a team with a winning record. The road team won both meetings last season and I look for that trend to continue here. 8* DALLAS

Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Monday 8* Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals are one of the hottest teams in the league while the Islanders are slumping. That said, with this being a divisional match-up and with the Caps having lost their last two visits here, I don't foresee Washington being flat here. They'll be ready to add to their 4 game winning streak and 7-1 run their last 8 games. As for New York, they have lost 3 straight and are feeling the pressure and starting to squeeze the sticks too tight. The Isles have averaged scoring just 2 goals per game their last 3 games while allowing an average of 4.6 goals per game their last 5 games. The Islanders have lost 139 of 237 (DOWN $21,600) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The Capitals have won 19 of 25 the last 3 seasons (including all 4 this season) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. The Caps also have won 23 of 33 when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. 8* WASHINGTON

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - A nice set up here as both teams are off of big wins yesterday with plenty of goals scored. Any time a team wins a high-scoring game and then has another game the very next night, the tendency is to rely on your offense to again pull you through. That said, with the goalies slated to start here it is also an added bonus and that is why you're seeing such a big total (6.5 goals) posted on this one. The Oilers are still without starting goalie Cam Talbot and that means Laurent Brossoit is slated to start back to back games here. Yes he got the win last night but, overall, he's been shaky at best between the pipes for Edmonton. As for the Maple Leafs, they are expected to start little-used Curtis McElhinney and he has an .887 save percentage in his two home starts this season. There is a lot of pressure when starting at the Air Canada Centre and McElhinney is facing a high-powered Oilers offense that has scored an average of 4.1 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Maple Leafs have scored 4 goals or more in 5 of their last 7 road games and I look for them to bring some of that success on offense back to home ice here as they take advantage of facing a goalie who has struggled often at the NHL level. 3 of 4 Maple Leafs games in the 2nd of a back to back have gone over the total. Edmonton has had just 5 unders in 14 games when playing with revenge this season. After losing 6-4 at home to the Maple Leafs last month, look for another wild one here! 10* OVER the total in Toronto 

Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - For the Maple Leafs to prove they have arrived, they need to win a game like this. They're facing the two-time defending champion Penguins and they are fortunate as they are catching them without their #1 goalie. With Matt Murray out, look for the upstart Leafs to take advantage. Toronto enters this game having won 5 of its last 7 road games. Not only that, the Maple Leafs two losses were by just a single goal while the 5 victories came by an average margin of 3 goals per win! The Penguins are off of a 4-3 win versus the Islanders that was made very exciting late. Again, the Pens are certainly missing Murray between the pipes! Toronto has allowed 2 goals or less in 9 of its last 13 games! The Maple Leafs have won 8 of 12 against teams with a winning record this season. The Penguins Tristan Jarry has not been as solid between the pipes in his last two games as he was earlier on. Keep in mind, he is certainly not use to being "the guy" at the NHL level and the pressure is starting to catch up with him. 8* TORONTO

Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins have been playing a well but they have a 3-day break in front of them after this game. Don't be surprised if Boston gets caught peeking ahead to that break and the Islanders catch them back on their heels. The Isles will prove to be the hungrier team here and they are off of back to back losses including a tight one at Pittsburgh Thursday where they rallied but fell short in overtime. New York is 7-0 this season when off of a divisional game AND the Islanders are also 7-0 this season in Saturday games! This is a double perfect spot for the Isles and, after the back to back losses, there is certainly no shortage of motivation here! The Bruins are off of a huge 6-1 win over a bad Arizona team. Prior to that though Boston had been held to 3 goals or less in 16 of its past 18 games. Look for the high-powered Islanders to prove to be too much here. The Isles have scored 4 goals or more in 15 of their past 22 games! New York has won 16 of 24 when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The Islanders have won 8 of 11 this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Boston has lost 5 of 6 this season when the Bruins are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Total Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - Make no mistake about it, Carey Price is a fantastic goaltender for Montreal and they got hot right after he returned from injury. However, the Canadiens have now lost two straight games and Price also has an ominous stat that is concerning here. He is 0-7 in non-conference match-ups this season with an ugly .870 save percentage against teams from the West. Now he takes on an Oilers team that certainly has underachieved this season but that has plenty of scoring potential. Also, after Edmonton head coach Todd McLellan went on a rant against his players at practice yesterday, I am expecting a huge effort from the Oilers here. That said, why is my play on the OVER here and not Edmonton. That is very simple. Their goaltending situation is a mess right now with Cam Talbot out. The Oilers have been forced to go with Laurent Brossoit and the team has lost 5 of his 6 starts and he has an ugly .877 save percentage in his 9 appearances this season. This one should see plenty of goals! The over is 8-4 this season (and 40-24 the last 3 seasons combined) when Edmonton is off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The over is 9-5 this season when the Habs are facing a team with a losing record. Also, the over is 36-21 when the Canadiens are off of a non-conference game. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Total Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Anaheim Ducks vs Minnesota Wild @ 10:05 ET - The Ducks generally do not score a lot of goals but hosting the Wild should absolutely help in that regard. Minnesota has lost 4 of its last 5 road games thanks to allowing 5 goals per game in those 5 contests! Indeed the Wild defense and netminding has been atrocious away from home. The good news for Minnesota fans is that this has been a fairly productive offense as the Wild are averaging 3 goals per game on the season. I see them hitting their average here and getting to at least 3 but, based on their struggles away from home, I also foresee them allowing at least 3 goals and that means we have, at the very minimum, a 4-3 type game here. With that said, I love the big line value on this total being at 5.5 goals but with odds as much as +125 available. This is a very attractive plus money price and I won't hesitate to get involved. The over is 8-2 this season in Minnesota's road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Wild have had just 1 under in 7 games this season when they are off of a defeat by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. Coming off of a 5-2 loss at Los Angeles in their most recent game, look for the Wild to produce another "Wild" game Friday. 10* OVER the total in Anaheim

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 8* Vegas Golden Knights Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Golden Knights may be an expansion team but they've already grown tired of hearing about their road struggles. Vegas has been great at home but has struggled away from home but now is the perfect spot to grab them. The Golden Knights are catching the Predators off of a big 5-2 win over division rival Dallas. Nashville has won 3 straight but the Preds have lost 15 of 25 (-$10,200) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. As for the Golden Knights, they are also off of a divisional win (versus Anaheim) but Vegas has actually won 7 of 9 this season when off of a game against a Pacific Division foe. The Golden Knights are sick of hearing about their road struggles and have challenged themselves internally to come up with a huge game here and they catch the Preds back on their heels after their big win over the Stars. 8* VEGAS

Contrarian Crusher Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - There is tremendous line value here because the Stars are on the road and going with Kari Lehtonen between the pipes. The fact is Lehtonen truly has NOT been a big drop off from #1 goalie Ben Bishop this season. Also, the Stars are fired up off of a loss where they outshot the Predators by a 45-32 margin. Prior to that defeat Dallas had won 7 of their 8 prior games! As for the Blues, they are off of a win at Montreal. However, St Louis previously had lost 3 straight games. The Stars detest the Blues. Not only are these guys division rivals, St Louis eliminated Dallas from the post-season in a testy 7-game series in May of 2016. This is a great spot to back the revenge-minded Stars. Dallas has won 6 of 8 this season (and 40 of 58 the last 2+ seasons) when they are off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more. St Louis has lost 18 of 33 (-$10,300) December games the past 2+ seasons. The Blues scored 4 goals Tuesday but had scored a TOTAL of only 4 goals in the 3 prior games. The Stars recent run of 7 wins in 8 games saw them average scoring 4.6 goals per game in the 7 victories. Give me the hotter offense, the hungrier club, and an underdog price all day every day! 10* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are still without #1 goalie Matt Murray. That is why this total is posted at 6.5 goals but don't let the big number scare you. The Islanders weakness this season has been allowing too many goals and, couple that with Pittsburgh's current situation between the pipes and I foresee plenty of goals being scored in this one. The Penguins have had just 1 under in their last 7 games. The Islanders have had just 1 under in their last 11 games. The Isles are scoring an average of 4.2 goals per game during this 11-game stretch. The Pens have averaged 4.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The way both of these teams have been rolling in the offensive zone I would not be surprised to see each club get 4 goals tonight and that means no less than a 5-4 final. Of course that is why this over easily qualifies as a play even with the big total posted on the game. The fact is even if each team only gets to 3 goals that still guarantees no less than a 4-3 final which also gets us into the winners circle here. The Islanders are 8-2 to the over this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. New York is also 4-1 to the over in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The over is 6-2 in Penguins games against teams with a winning record this season. 8* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

TV Game Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals Alexander Ovechkin is back on track this season and the way he is playing has the Washington club playing with a little more jump in their skates. Wednesday they'll take advantage of facing a Chicago team that will have goalie Anton Forsberg between the pipes as their #1 netminder continues to recover from a lower-body injury. The Capitals have won 5 of 6 and have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in those 5 victories. The Blackhawks are looking for a spark and the extra time off since the loss to the Kings allowed them an opportunity to shuffle their lines (including their power play combo). Look for Chicago to be very aggressive in the offensive zone tonight and they'll finally start finding the back of the net again with more regularity as a results. Washington is in the midst of a solid stretch of home games and the over is 13-4 when the Capitals enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Only 4 of Chicago's last 12 visits to DC have resulted in an under. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (-) vs Nashville Predators @ 8:35 ET - Nashville has lost 7 of their 13 road games this season and this is a tough spot for them as this is just their 3rd back to back spot this season and they have lost 16 of 27 when playing the 2nd night of a back to back. Also the Predators will be playing a revenge-minded Stars team as the Preds beat them in their lone meeting this season and also defeated them in their most recent meeting in Dallas as well. The Stars have the better scheduling situation here and also have won 5 straight and 7 of their last 8. Look for Dallas to stay hot as the goal-tending has finally come around as expected with an average of just 2.25 goals per game allowed in their last 8 games. The Stars big win at Colorado was a divisional win but Dallas is actually 8-1 this season when off of a divisional game. The Predators are off of the big win last night versus Boston but Nashville had lost 18 of 29 games the past two Decembers and I'll happily fade them here with the revenge-minded Stars. 8* DALLAS

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:35 ET - The Blues have lost 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5 while scoring an average of just 1 goal per game in the 4 games. As for the Canadiens, goalie Carey Price has been red hot since he returned from injury. Price has helped lead the way to a 5-game winning streak as he has allowed a total of only 6 goals in those 5 victories! Montreal has a long-term record of 20-9 (+$9,500) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Blues have a long-term record of 65-96 (-$23,600) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. 8* MONTREAL

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Detroit Red Wings vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:35 ET - The dangerous Jets have won 9 of their last 12 games and have averaged scoring an insane 4.6 goals per game in those 9 games. The fading Red Wings have allowed 5.1 goals per game during their current 7-game losing streak. Based on those numbers you can absolutely see why I am expecting Winnipeg's high-powered offense to have a huge game here. However, I also expect Detroit to respond after an absolutely thoroughly embarrassing loss at Montreal Saturday night. The Red Wings should answer the call here at home but their weak defense and the surging Jets offense combine to mean that the only way Detroit has a shot here is if they score a ton of goals here. Look for the Wings to go very hard in that regard and don't be surprised if this game is 3-3 at some point! The over is 9-4 in Detroit's non-conference games this season. The over is 14-7 in the Red Wings December games the past 2+ seasons. The over is 6-3 this season when Winnipeg is off of a game in non-conference action and I look for another one here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Detroit

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs San Jose Sharks @ 7:05 ET - Only 1 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs has stayed under the total. That is not a surprise as non-conference games do have a tendency to be higher-scoring games. That's because there is a little less defensive intensity in these games as these clubs see each other so infrequently that the games generally have less "rivalry feel" to them. The Sharks have certainly been an "under team" in recent seasons but only half of their games against non-conference opponents have stayed under the total. That said, I really like the situation here to push this one over the top. San Jose is off of a 5-2 loss at Tampa Bay and the over is now 15-7 in Sharks December games the past 2+ years. The Capitals have recorded 3 straight overs and have allowed an average of 3.3 goals per game in their last 9 games. The Caps have won 4 of their last 5 games thanks to offensive production that is averaging 3.6 goals per game during this stretch. Washington is off of a 4-3 win versus Columbus and the over is no 9-4 in their 13 games against teams with a winning record this season. Also, the Capitals have had just 23 unders in their 66 games versus non-conference opponents the past 2+ seasons. I also love the big plus money payback being offered here on this over 5.5 goals at as high as a +125 payback as of early this morning. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Senators are off of a 6-5 win over the Islanders on Friday. That snapped a long losing streak for Ottawa and I had the Sens in that game. As I noted in that write-up, the Senators were in the Eastern Conference Finals last season and lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. The point is that Ottawa is a much better team than their record shows and there is value in backing a quality team like this as a sizable dog because they will reverse course as the season goes on. The Sens have too much quality not to. With that said, I believe Friday's win could be the start of a run for Ottawa and I like the fact that Michael Condon is getting this start. The #2 netminder has been rock solid in his 4 non-conference starts as he has a .923 save percentage against the West. The Senators have double revenge here against the Jets as Winnipeg did take both games last season. The Sens are catching the Jets at the perfect time to exact revenge as Winnipeg is off of a huge 7-4 win versus Vegas. The Jets are 0-3 the last 3 times they've scored 3 goals or more. Also, the Jets have lost 43 of 73 (-$16,300) non-conference games while the Senators have won 36 of 65 (+$7,400) non-conference match-ups. 8* OTTAWA

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Calgary Flames @ 10:05 ET - The Oilers have certainly had a frustrating season and they are off of an unbelievable loss Thursday as a tie game turned into a 6-4 loss in the final minute. Kris Russell of Edmonton inadvertently scored in his own goal on a late clearing attempt and then the Maple Leafs added an empty-netter for the final two goal margin. The Oilers actually outshot Toronto by a 45-36 margin in that game and now get a shot at their provincial rivals, the Flames, in this Battle for Alberta. Edmonton did beat Calgary on opening night and that makes this a revenge game for the Flames. However, the Oilers are so hungry for a win right now and, after tonight's game, they don't play again until Wednesday so I expect an all-out effort from Edmonton here. As for the Flames, they are off of a 3-0 win but it came against the league-worst Coyotes. Prior to that victory Calgary had lost 3 of their last 4. The Flames have lost 41 of 68 (-$18,000) divisional games. The Oilers have won 3 of 4 divisional games this season and had won 3 of their last 4 games overall before the tough loss to the Leafs. Laurent Brossoit will be between the pipes for the Oilers and he is the back-up netminder but he gets the job done here just like he did in making 19 saves on 19 shots in his lone divisional appearance so far this season. Everyone on the Oilers comes together for this big game after the frustrating way Thursday's game ended. They are fired up and ready! 8* EDMONTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Senators made it all the way to the Eastern Conference finals last season before succumbing to the eventual repeat Stanley Cup Champion Penguins. While Ottawa is off to a slow start this season and currently struggling, I haven't lost full faith in this hockey club and their recent losing streak has resulted in phenomenal line value here. The Sens, ironically, have been better on the road than at home this season. Ottawa has won half their road games and here they are available in the +150 price range against an Islanders club that they have dominated long-term, including games at New York! The Sens are 50-23-8 (including 25-11-4 at NYI) in their games against the Isles. The Islanders are certainly the hotter team right now but they've lost 16 of 23 in recent seasons (and 79 of 123 long-term) when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Senators, when off of a division game, have won 40 of 69 (+$14,000) the past 3 seasons combined and they're hungry for revenge after last week's home loss to the Islanders. Payback time here...at a great price! 8* OTTAWA

Rickenbach NHL 8* Thursday Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - The Stars lost all 5 games to the Blackhawks last season. You think Dallas has had this game circled on their calendars? You better believe it. This is payback time for the Stars and Dallas is enjoying a recent surge that should continue here. The Stars have won 4 of their last 5 and Ben Bishop is starting to look more and more comfortable between the pipes with an average of only 2 goals per game allowed in his last 4 starts. The Blackhawks are off of a tough loss at Nashville Tuesday and they wanted that game badly as the Predators had eliminated them from the post-season last spring. That makes this a flat spot for the Hawks as they put a lot of energy and emotion into that game and they'll now be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. The Stars have the much fresher legs here and also carry the revenge angle and emotional edge here. Chicago has lost 6 of their 8 games against teams with a winning record this season. Long-term, the Stars have won 52 of 90 (+$18,000) in road games with a posted total of 6 games or more. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Detroit Red Wings vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - Maybe the Habs will go with #1 goalie Carey Price in this spot but he was in goal last night and that would make this a tough back to back spot for him. With goalie Al Montoya dealing with a concussion would it then be Antti Niemi getting the call here? Keep in mind he is already on his third different team this season and has not registered a single win. Niemi is 0-4-1 with a goals-against-average of 5.50 and a save percentage of .845 so for this season. The Red Wings are going to play with a sense of urgency tonight after a frustrating 4-1 home loss to the Kings Tuesday and Detroit had averaged 3.8 goals per game in their 5 prior home games. They're going to push here but they'll struggle to keep the puck out of their own net too. The Red Wings have allowed 4 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is 4-2 in their last 6 home games. Only 18 of the last 52 games have stayed under when Detroit is off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. When Montreal enters a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home, only 9 of 26 have stayed under the total. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Detroit

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Kings lost 5-0 at Washington last season and will atone for that visit with a much better effort tonight. Los Angeles is hungry to get rolling after some surprising recent struggles and back to back wins with allowing just 1 goal in each game shows that the Kings have indeed turned the corner. The Capitals also appear to be back on track with 3 straight wins but they haven't played since Saturday! Long-term followers know I am big time proponent of "too much of a good thing can be a bad thing" and the fact is that rest is good but too much can lead to rust! That applies in this case as Washington has lost 11 of 19 and cost their backers $9,800 and $1,000 a game when they enter a game on rest of 3 or more days! The Kings have dominated the East this season as LA has won 11 of 14 (+$7,500) in non-conference games this season. More of the same expected here. 8* LOS ANGELES

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - Interesting line move here tells you where the smart money is on this one. The total on this game opened up at 5.5 goals and it remains at 5.5 goals as of gameday morning. However, the under was priced very steeply but there has been a move toward the over even though the Canadiens are in the midst of a 1-9-1 stretch on totals. You read that right...just 1 over in their last 11 games. So for the move to be toward the over (much lower price on the under now this morning), you know something is "up" in terms of smart money. I like the fact that Ottawa is desperate here as they've lost 6 straight games and production on offense (lack thereof) has been to blame. Now, after 3 days off between games and a chance for plenty of introspection, the Sens come up with huge effort tonight! They took two days off after their loss to the Islanders Saturday and then had a great practice yesterday with plenty of energy. Ottawa is ready to go here but they're also unlikely to stop the Canadiens from another big effort in the offensive zone. Keep in mind, the Sens allowed an average of 3.8 goals per game in their 8 games prior to allowing just 2 goals against the Isles. The Habs have scored an average of 4.2 goals per game in their last 6 games versus Ottawa. Only ONE of those SIX games stayed under the total. The Canadiens are 7-4 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season. Ottawa is 5-1 to the over in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Detroit Red Wings vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings have been trending under for sure as they are on a long-term run that has seen them not go over the total since November 9th! However, that was a non-conference games and most of the games during this under streak have been against Western Conference foes. Look for another East-West match-up here to result in a more "loosely played" affair. The Kings have had two days off since beating Anaheim in a tight 2-1 divisional win. The over is 5-2 this season when LA enters a game with 2 days of rest between games. The Red Wings are off of a 4-3 home loss to New Jersey and Detroit has now gone over the total in 3 of its last 4 games. Also, the Wings allowed 4 goals or more in all 3 of those overs. In terms of production in the offensive zone, Detroit has scored at least 3 goals in 7 of its last 10 games. Like Los Angeles, the Red Wings do enter this game with 2 days of rest and that is a situation that has seen them go 4-2 to the over this season. Also, the over is 9-3 in Detroit's non-conference games this season! The Red Wings have a divisional game on deck and the Kings are off of a big divisional game. As a result, this non-conference match-up won't feature much in the way of intense defense Tuesday so take advantage of the big plus money payback on the over in this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Detroit

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Canucks are off of a shootout loss to the Rangers in New York on Sunday even though Vancouver outshot the Blueshirts 32-20. The Islanders are off of a 2-1 road win at Ottawa even though they were outshot 32-24 by the Senators. You can see where I am going with this and even though the Isles have won 3 straight the prior two wins were also just by a single goal each and both came after regulation too! With the Islanders having another game with an Eastern Conference foe (Ottawa again) on deck, the more focused team tonight is going to be the Canucks coming off of back to back losses after having previously won two straight. Vancouver is 4-1 this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 2 games or more. The Islanders are 0-2 this season and 6-16 the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Tremendous underdog line value here with the Canucks. 8* VANCOUVER

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Philadelphia Flyers vs San Jose Sharks @ 7:05 ET - The Sharks top goalie, Martin Jones, is doubtful for this game. That is a key because San Jose's #2 goalie, Aaron Dell, has just an .892 save percentage in road games this season and he's only at .887 in games in non-conference action this season. While the Sharks may struggle to keep the puck out of their own net, one thing is for certain, opportunities will be there for the San Jose offense. The Flyers have gone over the total in 5 straight games! All 5 of those games have been losses with an average final score of 4.8 to 3.4 in those contests. Philadelphia just can't get over the hump and continue to lose tight games. This one has the makings of a 4-3 or 5-4 type game and the San Jose goalie situation is what provides the added value and raises this one to top play level. Also, the Sharks are playing with home loss revenge from a 5-3 loss to the Flyers early last month. When San Jose is avenging a home loss they've had just 18 unders in 53 games. Philly is 6-2 to the over when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers have had trouble scoring goals recently but they haven't stopped working hard and I expect that to pay off here. Florida has averaged an incredible 44.3 shots on goal in their last 3 games but they're off of a frustrating 4-1 home loss to Chicago Saturday. The fired up Panthers will respond here and put a ton of pressure on the Devils in their own end. However, I also look for New Jersey to match Florida goal for goal in this one. The Devils are averaging 3.3 goals per game this season and have won 5 of their last 8 games heading into this match-up. The Panthers are 7-3 to the over after allowing 4 goals or more in their prior game. Also, Florida is 9-3 to the over when playing with revenge this season. The Panthers, when off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more, have gone 27-16 to the over the last 3 seasons combined. Also, when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less, Florida is 20-13 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Edmonton Oilers @ 5:05 ET - The Bruins are making a very curious decision here. Despite winning 4 straight games and getting fantastic goaltending from Anton Khudobin they've decided to go back to Tuukka Rask for this game. I think they'll pay for that decision here as Rask hasn't played since November 15th. Also, his save percentage is below .900 this season and below .900 in his career against the Oilers. The good news for Boston fans is that Edmonton's defense and netminding generally stinks. That is what has led me to the over here. Not only will the Oilers get to Rask but the Bruins will enjoy success against Cam Talbot whom missed Friday's loss at Buffalo as he is still trying to recover from the flu. Overall, the Oilers have given up 4.6 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Bruins have given up 4 goals in each of Rask's last 3 starts! The over is 28-17 when Edmonton is off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. The over is 7-1 this season in Bruins games against teams with a losing record. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames @ 10:05 ET - Colorado is a different team at home as they score 4.6 goals per game when on home ice. Calgary comes into this game having scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 9 games as they were a red hot hockey club prior to losses to the Stars and Blue Jackets. Note that the Flames are playing their 5th Saturday game this season and, so far, none have stayed under the total. The Avalanche are 4-1 to the over in back to back games and Calgary is 2-0 to the over in back to back games this season. That sets this one up well to be a barn-burner. When off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, the Flames have gone 36-23 to the over. 6 of the Avs 8 games this season against teams with a winning record have gone over the total. More of the same here in a wild one! 8* OVER the total in Colorado

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Friday OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - With Carolina dead last in attendance in the NHL and the Maple Leafs off of back to back losses where they were held to just one goal in each game, I look for Toronto to come in flying all over the ice in this one. With little home ice edge, the Hurricanes could be in trouble with the Leafs pushing the tempo right from the drop of the opening puck in this one. However, it is inconsistent goaltending that has me backing the over here rather than the Maple Leafs on the money line. Toronto has allowed an average of 3 goals per game on the season and so too have the Hurricanes. Also, the road team has averaged 4.3 goals per game in the last 3 meetings between these clubs. The Maple Leafs are seeking to avenge a 6-3 home loss to Carolina earlier this season that saw the teams combine for 72 shots on goal. The Hurricanes are off of a 6-1 loss but previously the Canes had scored 3 goals or more in 7 straight games! The Leafs, prior to their 2-1 loss at Florida, had averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their 5 prior road games. The over is 5-2 this season when Toronto is playing with home loss revenge. The over is 6-3 in Hurricanes games against teams with a winning record this season. 10* OVER the total in Carolina

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - Ottawa has lost 4 straight games. However, entering that most recent loss at Washington, the Senators were on a 10-5 (+$5,400) Run when entering a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. In other words, the bounce back is coming and this looks like the perfect spot for it. Columbus has been hot and truly the last thing they needed was the distraction of the Thanksgiving break while the Senators welcomed the reprieve and a chance to hit "reset" as they look to get back on track. I know the Blue Jackets have been getting great goaltending but they are significantly over-priced here. Columbus has gone 62-94 (-$28,900) when they enter a game on an "under streak" of 3 games or more. Give me the big dog here that comes in very hungry on the road! 8* OTTAWA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach Wednesday NHL 8* Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The road team has dominated this series recently as it was a road team sweep each of the last two seasons. This is their first meeting this season and I love the underdog value with Calgary. The Flames have won 7 of their last 9 games. Even though the Blue Jackets have won 4 straight that was preceded by a 4-game losing streak. Also, Columbus has average only 1.8 goals per game in their last 6 games. Calgary has averaged 4.6 goals per game in their last 7 games. You can plainly see who has had the more impressive firepower in recent weeks! The Flames also have been at their best against quality opponents this season as they've won 5 of 6 against teams with a winning record. Conversely, Columbus has lost 5 of 7 against teams with a winning record. That means we have a combined 10-3, 77% EDGE here that favors the Flames. 8* CALGARY

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers had 52 shots on goal at Anaheim Sunday but lost 3-2. Florida, of course, will be fired up for this one and putting plenty of pucks on net! The Maple Leafs were off of a big 6-0 shutout win of rival Montreal and then came out flat against the Coyotes and lost 4-1 Monday. You can bet that Toronto's high-powered offense will be ready to bounce back HUGE in this one. As a result, I am expecting quite the barn burner between these two divisional foes Wednesday evening with plenty of scoring chances both ways. The Maple Leafs had scored 4 goals or more in 5 of their last 7 games before the dismal effort versus Arizona and I look for a bounce back here. Florida's offense has been incredible at home all season long as they've averaged 4.3 goals per game on home ice this season. The over is 8-1 in Panthers home games. The over is 6-2 when Toronto is off of a non-conference game. 10* OVER the total in Florida

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are down a couple of defensemen here. Also, both teams have had 2 days off between games. That means plenty of fresh legs on the ice for this one and the Flyers are fired up after a 5-4 home loss to Calgary on Saturday. The Flyers have given up at least 3 goals in 3 straight games. Philadelphia has scored at least 3 goals in 4 of their last 5 home games. You can see why I am expecting this one gets to at least 3-3 based on those stats. Also, taking a look at Vancouver, the Canucks have given up at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 7 games. Also, Vancouver has allowed 4 goals or more in 4 of its last 5. The Canucks have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their 9 games away from home this season. Look for the Flyers to improve to 4-1 to the over on Tuesdays and 4-1 to the over in games where they enter off of 2 days of rest. Only 9 of the last 27 meetings between these clubs has stayed under the total. Non-conference match-ups like this do tend to be played with more open ice due to less defensive intensity. We'll take advantage of that here and grab the favorable line value on the over (available at a solid plus money return as of early morning) for this one. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Philadelphia

Total Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* OVER 6 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Arizona Coyotes @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs are off of a huge 6-0 win over rival Montreal. As a result, I don't expect much defensive intensity from Toronto here. However, the Leafs certainly have plenty of offensive firepower and skill (especially with Auston Matthews back too). With that said, they're going to get their fair share of goals against Antti Raanta and the Coyotes here. Raanta has struggled for much of this season and only has an .895 save percentage on the road. The Leafs big win over the Canadiens marked the 5th time in their last 8 games that Toronto has scored 4 goals or more! The Coyotes have finally kicked their offensive production up a notch too. Arizona has scored 8 goals in their last 2 games and they're catching the Maple Leafs at the right time to stay hot. The over is 9-4 in Arizona's non-conference games this season and also 6-3 long-term in road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. That said, while this total may seem a little high, it should prove (as usual) to be otherwise! The big number is justified and Toronto is 5-2 to the over this season after a win by a multiple-goal margin and also the Maple Leafs are 6-3 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more! 10* OVER 6 goals in Toronto

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders @ 5:05 ET - The Islanders are off of a big 5-3 win at Tampa Bay yesterday and they continue scoring goals like crazy. The Isles have scored 16 goals their last 3 games and also are averaging 4.3 goals per game their last 13 games. It is no wonder that the Islanders are on an 11-2 run to the over in those 13 games. The Hurricanes are off of 3-1 yesterday that stayed under the total but with this being a back to back, that always effects the goalie situation and tends to mean some tired legs on defense. Also the Hurricanes have averaged 4 goals per game their last 3 games and they've scored at least 3 goals in 8 of their last 9 games. That is why I am expecting each team to get to 3 goals here which guarantees us of no less than a 4-3 final. The over is 9-3 when the Hurricanes are playing with revenge. The over is 6-3 when the Islanders are facing a team with a losing record. 8* OVER the total in Carolina

Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Kings @ 4:05 ET -The Kings have lost 4 straight games. While some may be looking at them to right the ship here it is truly not a good spot for Los Angeles. The Kings have a big game on deck for tomorrow. Not only is it their first game against the Golden Knights, it is their first trip to Vegas to face them and the Knights are right on their heels in the Pacific Division. That makes this a clear lookeahead spot for LA. The Kings are averaging only 1.5 goals per game in their last 4 games. The Panthers are averaging 3.4 goals per game in their last 10 games and they are a different team since Roberto Luongo has returned between the pipes. Florida has won 3 of its last 4 games and they also have won 5 of 7 when off of a shutout win. Additionally, the Panthers are 4-0 against Western Conference teams this season! The Kings have lost 5 of 7 home games this season with a posted total of 5.5 goals and this is a horrible scheduling spot for them. Grab the dog! 8* FLORIDA

Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 3:05 ET - The Devils have played very well this season but are off of a 1-0 shutout loss at Toronto. That's the type of defeat that brings out the best in a team and I look for New Jersey to respond big today. By the way, the Devils are a perfect 4-0 on Saturdays this season! The Jets are off of another win but have a big divisional game on deck and could look right past New Jersey. Also, Winnipeg is 0-2 this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Plus the Devils have revenge on their minds from getting swept by the Jets last season. Payback is on order here! Winnipeg also has lost 13 of 19 when they are on an "under streak" of 3 games or more! 8* NEW JERSEY

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers are off of a bad loss at Chicago as the Blackhawks exploded in the 3rd period in a 6-3 win as New York imploded and goalie Henrik Lundqvist got pulled. Rest assured, he and the Rangers will be fired up tonight. Prior to that loss to the Hawks, the Rangers had won 6 straight games and they scored at least 4 goals in 5 of those 6 victories. Also, the Blueshirts detest Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella as his time in the Rangers organization was tumultuous to say the least. The Rangers beat the Blue Jackets 5 to 3 in New York earlier this month but they lost at Columbus last month and they are looking for payback here. Even though the Blue Jackets have been getting great goaltending, they are struggling to score goals as their offense has been almost non-existent of late. Columbus has scored just ONE goal in regulation in their past four games. Also, the Blue Jackets have not scored on the power play in their last six games - a futility streak that has reached 0 of 15. The Rangers will pepper the Columbus netminder with shots on goal in this one and the result will be a breakthrough of scoring as New York's offense is simply too hot. Couple that with the struggles the Blue Jackets have had on offense and you can see why I am forecasting the road upset here. Also, the Rangers have won 6 of 8 this season and 37 of 59 the last 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Blue Jackets low-scoring ways is bound to catch up with them. In fact, Columbus has an all-time record of 59-94 (DOWN $31,900!) when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive unders. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 8:05 ET - The Flyers have been shutout in back to back games but both of those match-ups were versus the Wild and Minnesota actually has now recorded 3 straight shutouts in their last 3 games. They're simply getting phenomenal goaltending right now in Minny. As for the Flyers tonight, I fully expect a huge bounce back after the frustration of back to back shutouts. In their 50 YEARS of history, Philadelphia has never been shutout in 3 straight games. The Flyers faced the Jets twice last year and Connor Hellebuyck was in goal for one of those two match-ups. The result for Winnipeg was a 5-2 loss and again I look for Philadelphia to come up big against he and the Jets here. However, the issue for the Flyers tonight will be keeping the puck out of their own net. Philly has given up 3.2 goals per game in their last 6 road games. The Jets come into this match-up having won 6 of their last 8 games and the fact that Winnipeg has averaged 4 goals per game during this stretch certainly has had a lot to do with the hot run! When Philly is on a streak of 3 or more consecutive unders they are 9-5 to the over! In the Jets last 71 non-conference games only 27 (or 38%) have stayed under the total. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Detroit Red Wings vs Calgary Flames @ 7:35 ET - Detroit is happy about the return of left winger Justin Abdelkader and these teams met less than two weeks ago and the result was 9 goals scored. Considering Calgary netminder Mike Smith didn't travel with the team to Detroit, and left the game versus St Louis Monday in the first period with an injury, his status for tonight is certainly in doubt. His backup is Eddie Lack and the #2 goalie has allowed 7 goals on 49 shots this season. In other words, look for the Red Wings to score plenty tonight but I don't see Detroit shutting down the Flames. Calgary has been hot with wins in 5 of their last 6 games and, in their last 4 games they have averaged scoring 5.3 goals per game! The Red Wings are off of a low-scoring loss but previously had scored at least 3 goals in 5 of their last 6 games. Calgary is 4-0 to the over in their last 4 games. Also, the Flames are 35-21 to the over when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The Red Wings are 6-3 to the over in non-conference games this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Detroit 

TV Top Play - Rickenbach Tuesday NHL 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Nashville Predators vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - When a team is rolling like the Predators (4 straight wins) despite allowing 3 goals or more in the majority of the games during the winning streak, there is a tendency to "let up" in your own zone. That's because as a hockey club, you're winning so you feel nothing is really wrong but the fact is that all the victories are masking the fact that the defense and goal-tending is not exactly razor sharp! In fact, Nashville has allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 6 games. They've had one good game in their own zone but in the other 5 they have allowed an average of 4 goals per game. The strength of the Predators in their home games has been their offensive production as they're averaging 3.8 goals per game at home this season. Now they host a Capitals club that is allowing 3.6 goals per game on the road this season. You can see why I am expecting a high-scoring barn-burner type game here and there is added value here because this is a non-conference match-up (generally less defensive intensity). Additionally, the Preds are off of a huge win over the defending Stanley Cup Champ Penguins. Add it all up and you have great value here with the over. The Caps have allowed just 1 goal in each of their last two games but those matches were at home and Washington has been a different hockey club on the road this season. The over is 7-3 in Capitals road games this season and only 21 of their last 61 non-conference games have stayed under the total. The Predators, when playing with 2 day of rest between games, have seen only 17 of 45 games stay under the total. Fresh legs and plenty of open ice in this one! 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Nashville

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach Monday NHL 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Carolina Hurricanes vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - Stars goalie Ben Bishop has not played as well on the road as he has at home with his season. Away from Dallas, Bishop has lost 4 of his 6 starts and 4 of those 6 games went over the total as he has compiled an .888 save percentage on the road this season. Carolina is off of a 4-3 loss versus Chicago on Saturday. That marked the 4th time in 7 home games that the Hurricanes have allowed 4 or more goals. The Canes have scored at least 3 goals in 5 of their last 6 games while Dallas has scored 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 12 games. During this stretch the Stars have averaged scoring 3.3 goals per game. The over is 5-3 in Dallas' road games this season. The over is 7-3 this season when the Hurricanes are playing with revenge. After losing 4-3 at Dallas last month, look for the Canes to push hard in this one but they're not going to keep the Stars from scoring right along with them. Dallas has averaged 4 goals per game in their last 3 meetings with the Hurricanes. 10* OVER the total in Carolina

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - I know this is a back to back for the Oilers but this is the final game of their 4-game road trip. Edmonton was 2-0 on the trip prior to yesterday's loss to the Rangers in New York. The Oilers are hungry to make sure this is a winning road trip and I fully expect them to bounce back tonight. Keep in mind, Edmonton is seeking revenge for a home loss to Washington two weeks ago that saw them blow a 2-goal lead and lose 5-2. They are catching the Capitals at the perfect time to exact revenge too. That's because Washington is off of a monumental win Friday. Not only is Pittsburgh a divisional rival and the 2-time defending Stanley Cup champs, the Penguins also have been a major nemesis of the Caps and knocked them out of the post-season in that epic 7-game series last spring. Suffice to say, that was a VERY satisfying win for the Capitals over the Pens on Friday and I fully expect Washington will be flat here while the revenge-seeking Oilers come into this game VERY hungry! That difference in emotions will reflect on the scoreboard as well and that is why this big dog is also getting my top play rating here. Washington is 0-3 this season when off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. Look for the Oilers to win for the 6th time (in 9 games) this season when facing a team with a winning record. 10* EDMONTON

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - This is the front end of a home and home series and the Flyers have swept each of the last two seasons. The Wild are off of a shutout win but previously lost 3 straight. They have lost 18 of 29 November games and are still "scuffling" this month to say the least. Philly is rock solid in home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals as they have won 30 of 46! Look for the Flyers to improve to 5-1 in Saturday games with another big win here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator Top Play - Rickenbach Friday NHL 10* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) vs Ottawa Senators @ 2:05 ET - This game is being played in Stockholm, Sweden which is why it is an early start time for Friday. So far this season the Avalanche have over-achieved and the Senators have under-achieved. While that is likely to change over the course of the season I don't expect it to change just yet. The huge Ottawa-Colorado-Nashville 3-way trade that just took place adds some extra intrigue to this match-up as Matt Duchene is now with the Senators. He had wanted out of Colorado since Christmas so, suffice to say, it was a long time coming! The key here is that this is huge motivation for the Avs. The Avalanche now get a chance against a former teammate that essentially told them 'you guys aren't good enough for me to play with'. That is going to bring out the best in Colorado here. As for the Senators, not only is Erik Karlsson still playing at less than 100% (had ankle surgery in the off-season), it also is going to take some time to adjust to Duchene now being an integral part of this hockey club. While the Sens are still trying to 'work out the kinks' look for the hungry and highly motivated Avalanche to exact some revenge in Game 1 of this 2-game Global Series set at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm. Ottawa is off of a 5-4 loss and they've now lost 6 of their past 9 games. When off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more the Senators have lost 5 of 7 this season. The Sens have lost 7 of 11 Friday games while the Avs have won 11 of 17 (+$9,500) Friday games. Colorado has also won 5 of 7 (+$5,100) non-conference games this season. The Avalanche are off of a loss to the Islanders but had previously won 3 straight games and 4 of their last 5. They have a couple injuries but, as noted above, the Sens are not without a couple issues too! 10* COLORADO

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* St Louis Blues Puck Line -1.5 goals (+) vs Arizona Coyotes @ 8:05 ET - Not only have the Coyotes lost 15 of 17 games this season, 9 of the last 13 defeats have come by 2 goals or more! That means we're getting excellent line value here with the Blues offering a solid plus money return at -1.5 goals. St Louis has been one of the best teams in the NHL this season and they are off of a non-conference game and have another non-conference game on deck. In other words, Arizona will have their full attention and that is bad news for the Coyotes as they have lost all 12 meetings with the Blues the last 4 seasons. 11 of those 12 wins have come by 2 goals or more including each of the last 9 games! That means the odds heavily favor the Blues dominating the Coyotes again tonight. 7 of the last 9 St Louis victories - in what has been a fantastic start to this season - have come by 2 goals or more. 10* ST LOUIS on the puck line -1.5 goals

Rickenbach Thursday NHL 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers have revenge here after getting shutout at Chicago last week. That marks the 3rd straight time that the home team has won in this series. Also, the season prior to this 3-game run for the home team saw the Flyers win both match-ups in the 2015-16 season. Long-term Philly has won 15 of the last 17 meetings in Philadelphia. The Flyers are off of a home loss but Philly has won 29 of 45 (+$7,400) when at home in a game with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Blackhawks haven't played since Sunday - a home loss to Montreal - and Chicago has lost 12 of 19 (-$10,100) when they enter a game after 3 or more days of rest! Sometimes too much rest can lead to "rust" and that has been the case for the Blackhawks. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - The Devils are off of a low-scoring 3-1 home loss to the Blues Tuesday. That was a rare under for New Jersey. In fact, we're already a month into the season and the Devils have not had back to back unders yet this season. I don't expect that to change here as these teams combined for 9 goals when they met in Edmonton last week. The Oilers are off of a rare low-scoring win as they won 2-1 at New York against the Islanders Tuesday. Edmonton went into that game having allowed 19 goals in their 5 prior games. They allowed at least 3 goals in all 5 of those games. The Devils have allowed 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 9 games. In other words, seeing this game get to 3-3 at some point would not be a surprise at all. That said, there is great value with this total at 5.5 goals. The over is 7-3 this season when the Devils are playing with revenge. 8* OVER the total in New Jersey

NBCSN Dominator Wednesday - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The Rangers confidence is surging thanks to a 4-game winning streak. Their defense and netminding though continues to leave a lot to be desired as they have 3.4 goals per game this season. New York has allowed 3 goals or more in 8 of their 11 home games this season. The Bruins also know all about struggles between the pipes at Tuukka Rask has an .892 save percentage on the road this season and he is likely to get the call again here as Anton Khudobin is dealing with a lower body injury. Rask has just 38 saves on 45 shots in his last 2 starts versus the Rangers. The Bruins have been scoring well though and have scored 3 goals or more in 3 of their 4 road games this season. The over is 3-0 in Boston's road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals and the Bruins have 5 power play goals in their 4 road games this season and the Rangers have 5 power play goals in their last 2 home games! Even with the Rangers winning streak, New York has still lost 9 of 16 games this season and the over is 4-1 in Bruins games against teams with a losing record this season. Boston has lost 7 of their 13 games this season and the Rangers are 4-1 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season. 10* OVER the total in the New York Rangers game

Early Dominator Wednesday - Rickenbach NHL 8* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - The Wild have had a tough start to the season but they have yet to lose 3 straight games and I don't see that happening here. Minnesota coach Bruce Boudreau really let his players have it after they followed up a 2-0 home loss to Chicago with a listless performance in a 5-3 loss at Boston. Goalie Alex Stalock is likely to get the start here for the Wild and he has allowed just 2 goals in each of his last two starts. Goaltending has been an issue all season long for the Maple Leafs and they are allowing 3.6 goals per game. Also, Auston Matthews is not 100% healthy right now and the young star center may sit for Toronto tonight. The Leafs may struggle to score against a Wild team that, prior to the loss to the Bruins, had allowed just 2.3 goals per game in their 7 previous games. The Maple Leafs have allowed 13 goals in their last 3 home games and the Wild have swept Toronto each of the past two seasons. The Wild have won 4 of their 5 games against teams with a winning record this season and I look for a bounce back effort tonight. 8* MINNESOTA WILD

Early Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday NHL 8* Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Long-time followers know I like to fade what I refer to as "false favorites" which are teams that are favored when they don't really merit the price based on performance. The Hurricanes certainly fall into that category as they have won just 1 of their 5 home games this season. Sure the Panthers haven't played well either of late but Florida is not the team laying a buck and a half price here! There is great underdog value when you consider that Panthers first-year head coach Bob Boughner is a former Carolina defenseman that certainly is going to have his clubs ready to face a team from his playing days. When the Hurricanes are off of a non-conference game they've lost 6 of 8 this season and also have lost 41 of 64 (-$22,400) the last 3 seasons combined. Scott Darling will be between the pipes for Carolina here and he has a sub-par .887 save percentage at home this season. Roberto Luongo is likely to get the start for the Panthers and I expect him to be much better in his 2nd start after working off the rust in his first start back from a trip to injured reserve (thumb injury). Great value with the road dog here. 8* FLORIDA

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Tuesday NHL 10* Top Play New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - The Devils are off of a loss (a shootout defeat at Calgary) but now are back home and also will have Cory Schneider back between the pipes for this one. The Devils have won 7 of the 9 starts he has made this season. Also, in his 4 non-conference starts, Schneider has a fantastic .942 save percentage. The Blues Jake Allen has won just 2 of his 5 road starts and has "only" a .901 save percentage away from. I am well aware of the fact that St Louis has won the last 7 meetings with the Devils but the key is this New Jersey club is off to a red hot start this season with a potent offense. Confidence is sky-high for the Devils right now and they just lost back to back games for the first time this season though they were happy to at least get a point against the Flames. In other words, don't look for New Jersey's run to reach three straight here. The Devils have been playing too well this season to drop 3 straight in this spot especially when you consider the Blues could be without leading goal-scorer Vladimir Tarasenko. Even if Tarasenko plays he won't be close to 100%. St Louis has a great overall record this season but they have lost 3 of their last 5 road games and have averaged scoring just 2.2 goals per game in those 5 games. That is certainly significant here as New Jersey has only been held below 3 goals 3 times in 13 games! In fact, the Devils have scored 4 goals or more in 8 of their 13 games this season! 10* NEW JERSEY

Early Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Minnesota Wild 2 7:05 ET - Last year the Wild surprisingly shutout the Bruins in both meetings. Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk had been 0-5 against Boston in his career prior to the surprising success in last season's meetings. Look for the Bruins to get some revenge here as Dubnyk has not been as sharp early this season and has allowed 10 goals in his 3 road starts. The Bruins counter with Tuukka Rask and he has given up 3 goals or more in 3 of his 5 home starts this season. Both teams are emphasizing the offensive zone in this one as the Bruins have scored just 2 goals in each of their last 2 home games while the Wild are coming off of a shutout loss to the Blackhawks on home ice! The over is 3-1 in Bruins games against teams with a losing record this season and the over is 5-1 in Minnesota's non-conference games this season. Also, in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals, the Wild are 3-0 to the over this season. 8* OVER the total in Boston

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Big total here but it is absolutely justified. Vegas has proven themselves to be one of the hardest working teams in the league and this is particularly true in the offensive zone. That is why the Golden Knights have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 11 games! The issue for Vegas is they have 3 goalies who are injured. The fact that Marc Andre-Fleury, Macolm Subban, and Oscar Dansk are all out means that goalie #4 (Maxime Lagace) is now getting the work between the pipes. He has struggled and has an ugly .856 save percentage. Now Lagace faces a dangerous Maple Leafs offense that is averaging 4 goals per game in their home games this season. Toronto's issue, like Vegas, has been in the crease as Frederik Andersen has been shaky at times. In fact Andersen has an .865 save percentage at home this season and the Leafs are 5-1-1 to the over in games played at the Air Canada Centre! The Maple Leafs offense is hot and they are 4-1 to the over this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Vegas is 4-1 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Double Perfect Play - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Colorado Avalanche @ 6:05 ET - The over is on a 6-0 run in Avalanche games after their 5-4 win in a shootout at Philly last night. The over is on a 7-0 run in Islanders games after their 4-3 loss at Washington Thursday. The Isles are averaging an incredible 4.7 goals per game their last 7 games! The Avalanche have scored 5 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. Jaroslav Halak is 3-0 to the over in home starts this season for New York. Jonathan Bernier, the back-up netminder for the Avs, is likely to be in goal for this one since it is a back to back for Colorado. The Avalanche are on a 6-3 run to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Islanders are 11-1-1 to the over when hosting the Avs. Both these teams are in the top 10 for goals scored per game this season but also ranked 10th and 11th in terms of most goals allowed per game. It is no wonder the overs keep flowing for these clubs and I expect more of the same here. 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders

Top Play Dominator - Rickenbach Saturday NHL 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets have revenge from a SHUTOUT home loss to the Bolts two weeks ago. Keep in mind, Columbus head coach John Tortorella used to coach in Tampa Bay and there is history here. He wants this game and the Jackets are coming in seeking revenge. Columbus has won each of its last two trips to Tampa and the Lightning have lost each of their last two home games and they scored just a single goal in each game. The Blue Jackets have won 5 of their last 6 road games and they've scored an average of 4 goals per game in those victories! It's payback time here and I am happy to grab the road dog price. 10* COLUMBUS

NHL Network Dominator - Rickenbach Friday NHL 8* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (-) vs New Jersey Devils @ 9:05 ET - As long-time followers know I rarely lay big juice. Last night my play was on the Flyers as a big dog and it is dogs and totals that comprise most of my releases in money line sports like NHL and MLB. However, when I used Philadelphia +160 last night I faded the last team without a loss on home ice and the Flyers got the job done for me against the Blues. Tonight I am going to lay -160 as I look for the Oilers to take down the last team without a loss on enemy ice this season. The Devils have been an amazing story early this season as they've won 9 of their 11 games including a perfect 5-0 on the road too! New Jersey has scored a ton of goals which is unusual for them and, of course, it is a pace they won't be able to maintain long-term. What is very surprising when you look at this teams (and yes I know the Devils have been the much better club on special teams) is the fact that New Jersey has a shots on goal deficit of 42 shots so far this season. Edmonton has a shots on goal advantage of 75 shots so far this season. Sure Oilers have had some poor goaltending at times but Cam Talbot certainly has been better since Laurent Broissot got the start in his place on October 17th. Since then Talbot has made 6 starts and has been solid in 4 of them. I look for another strong effort from him between the pipes here as the Oilers (so hungry for a win) put a barrage of shots on goalie Cory Schneider at the other end. Schneider led the Devils to a shutout win in his most recent start but, prior to that, the Devils allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game in their 5 prior games. New Jersey enters this game with their 3rd 3-game winning streak of the season but each time this season they've never managed to get that 4th straight win. Also, the Devils have lost 21 of their last 26 Friday games. 8* EDMONTON

Top Play Shocker - Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Flyers are dealing with some injuries to the defense but they truly played a rock solid game at Chicago last night and yet have nothing to show for it but a shutout loss. As a result of that we are getting insane line value here with Philly as a big dog and seeking revenge for getting swept by St Louis last season. The Blues are the only team left in the league without a home loss but they also enter this game on an overall 4-game winning streak. St Louis has yet to win 5 straight games this season and, after the big win over a strong Kings team Sunday, the Blues are going to get caught feeling a little too good about themselves here. The Flyers will prove to be the hungrier team and goalie Michal Neuvirth has a stellar .941 save percentage in his two non-conference starts this season. The Flyers have been better on BOTH the power play and the penalty kill in comparison with the Blues early this season. Also, Philadelphia is known for rising for upset wins. The Flyers are already 3-0 this season against teams with a winning record and Philly is a perfect 2-0 this season when they are off of a game where they were shutout. The Flyers have been shut out three times now this season but have averaged 4.1 goals per game in their other 10 games. They truly were swarming the net last night at Chicago but Corey Crawford was fantastic between the pipes for the Blackhawks. The Flyers get some "return on their investment" tonight and catch the Blues lethargic after two days off. 10* PHILADELPHIA