Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers won 2/3 of their road games this season. So now, one of the best teams in the league this entire season continues to be very undervalued on the road even though they already split the first two games of this series in Montreal. Had the Rangers lost Game 4 in New York the situation would be different but, after losing Game 3 on home ice, NYR showed a lot of resiliency in bouncing back and will carry that momentum north of the border tonight. Keep in mind, playing for the Habs in hockey-mad Montreal is like playing in a pressure cooker and the Canadiens, prior to the Game 4 win, had lost 10 of their last 16 home games. Keep in mind that tough stretch included all the late season match-ups when the pressure was on. Honestly sometimes it's almost easier being on the road when the pressure is that intense and, indeed, scrutiny is huge in Montreal. Facing the road warrior Rangers just intensifies the entire situation and that means all the pressure is on the Canadiens in this one. I'll gladly take the more relaxed team that has played so well on the road this season and will grab this solid underdog price. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) @ St Louis Blues @ 9:35 ET - The Wild are down 3-0 in this series and, just like the Blue Jackets last night, I expect them to avoid getting swept out of the post-season. Minnesota has outshot the Blues by a margin of 38 shots on goal in this series. Even though Jake Allen has been fantastic between the pipes for St Louis (just 1 goal allowed each game), it is not as if Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk has not played well. In fact, he has allowed just 2 goals in each game. The shots on goal edge shows you that the Wild have actually outplayed the Blues for lengthy stretches throughout this series. The fact that they are down 3-0 certainly has been a shocker but with one win they know they get a chance to head back home for Game 5 and so Minnesota is certainly not hanging their heads here. Look for a big performance from the Wild here as they finally get a few more past Allen tonight. Even with winning Games 2 and 3 after taking the opener, St Louis is still just 3-6 in recent seasons when leading in a playoff series. Also, the Wild have gone from being a 2 to 1 favorite on home ice in Game 2 to basically a pick'em price in Game 4. That is what you call value and I'll take it because this is one angry, determined, and talented road dog taking the ice in St Louis tonight. 10* MINNESOTA WILD

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - Of course the Blue Jackets are in desperation mode here as they down 3-0 in the series. The problem with backing Columbus in this spot is that their work in their own zone simply can't be trusted. The Blue Jackets definitely are talented up front and they also score particularly well at home (3.2 goals per game this season) but they've allowed 3.7 goals per game in their last 9 games. The Pens are rolling with confidence right now and they have no pressure since they are up 3-0 and would still be in good shape even with a loss Tuesday. That said, Pittsburgh won't be afraid to really test the Jackets here and that is why I would not be surprised to see the Pens force an uptempo game here and look to continue to take it to Columbus with their skilled forwards up front. That sets this one up nicely to truly be a barnburner. When playing with home loss revenge this season the Blue Jackets have had just 6 unders in 16 games. When on a losing streak of 3 games or more Columbus has had just 15 unders in 40 games. In their last 19 April games, the Jackets have had just 6 unders. The Penguins, when hot, have a tendency to stay hot and the over is 27-13 this season when the Pens are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Penguins games against divisional foes are 21-11 to the over this season. There is a reason most playoff game totals have been set at 5 goals but this one is again 5.5 goals. Look for a barnburner here. 10* OVER the total in Columbus

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* New York Rangers Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Look for the Rangers to bounce back after back to back losses including a tough 3-1 defeat Sunday. The Canadiens are a play against (-6.1 net games) when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin this season. Also, long-term the Habs are 12-18 when they are leading in a playoff series. The Rangers are 14-4 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, New York is 11-2 this season (and 35-14 the last 3 seasons) when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. When trailing in a playoff series the Rangers have gone 6-3 (+$3,700) the last 3 seasons. Look for another big win here as they are in desperation mode in this spot and have the added confidence of having shutout the Canadiens in Game One in Montreal. Bounce back time tonight. 8* NEW YORK RANGERS money line

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Nashville Predators @ 9:35 ET - The Blackhawks didn't just lose on Saturday, they got thoroughly embarrassed in a 5-0 home shutout and got booed off the ice in their own barn. Needless to say, a response can be expected after a game like that and there is also a key angle that supports my expectation that Chicago will come out flying all over the ice tonight. Of course the playoffs are a new season but, in the regular season, the Blackhawks were a PERFECT 7-0 when they entered a game off of back to back losses where they were held to 2 goals or less in both games. In this case, after losing their first two games of the post-season in shutout fashion, that angle is certainly in effect here. Additionally, though it didn't pan out Saturday, the Blackhawks have gone 7-2 the L3 seasons combined when they enter a playoff game trailing in the series. Give the Predators credit for how they've played in the first two games but they undoubtedly are going to face a different level of play from the Blackhawks Monday and we're getting line value here since Chicago is on the road. Keep in mind, the road team has won 6 of the last 9 games between these teams. Also, even with Saturday's win, Nashville has still lost 4 of 5 this season when off of a shutout win. Additionally, when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, the Preds have lost 19 of 29 this season (and 51 of 80 the L3 seasons combined). Look for the proud Hawks to respond HUGE on Monday night. 10* CHICAGO

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Senators rally from a 3-1 deficit at home Saturday was huge as they went on to win in OT and now have a great shot at regaining the home ice edge in this series by simply taking 1 of 2 in Boston. With the Bruins banged up (and reeling mentally and physically after Saturday's blown game) the Sens know that Monday's game is a great opportunity to take advantage of momentum and health factors that certainly are in Ottawa's favor at this point. Keep in mind, the Bruins have lost 3 straight home games to the Senators and have managed a total of only 4 goals in those 3 defeats. Overall, Ottawa has won 11 of the last 15 meetings between these clubs and the only reason the Sens were down in Game Two was because of a goalie gaffe and bad penalties which led to the Senators being on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreboard after 2 periods. The Sens showed grit and heart in Saturday's comeback win and I like the fact they are the healthier team and also have plenty of confidence playing at Boston with all their recent success there. 8* OTTAWA

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+130) in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 6:05 ET - This series is getting very chippy with a lot of aggression starting to come out. Down 0-2 I fully expect the Blue Jackets to respond at home and they do average 3.2 goals per game in home games. The problem for Columbus comes in terms of stopping the Penguins. The Pens have already scored 7 goals in the first two games of this series and they've now averaged nearly 4 goals per game in their last 8 games. There is a reason the odds makers have held this total at 5.5 goals and I like the added value of the big plus money on the over in this match-up. After scoring just 1 goal in each of the first two games of this series, look for Columbus to be even more aggressive about creating offensive zone chances in Game 3. The over is 45-32 when the Blue Jackets are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Also, when trailing in a playoff series, Columbus has had just 2 unders in 7 games. The over is 22-10 in Penguins games when they are off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Columbus

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) @ St Louis Blues @ 3:05 ET - The Wild really let out some frustration at the end of Game 2 and they're fired up heading into St Louis for this Sunday afternoon match-up. Yes the Blues are up 2-0 in this series and now on home ice but there is a reason this game is priced the way it is. I just don't see the Wild going down 3 games to 0 in this series and I feel the "venting" they did in Game 2 will serve them well here. Minnesota is fired up and they have outshot the Blues 76 to 48 so far in this series. Even with the win in Game 2 Friday, St Louis is still an ugly 2-6 in recent seasons when they are leading in a playoff series. When the Wild enter a game on a losing streak of 2 games and they were held to 1 goal or less in at least of the games, they've gone 3-1 this season and the 3 wins came by a combined scored of 16 to 6. Look for some road revenge in this one as Minny drops the Blues to 2-7 when St Louis is leading in a playoff series. 10* MINNESOTA

Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Puck Line -1.5 goals +180 vs Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET Saturday - I know it may seem a little "scary" to lay the 1.5 goals with the Blackhawks here, this is a huge plus money return being offered and Chicago needs to bounce back at home after dropping game one of this series. The Hawks simply can't afford to go down 0-2 to the Preds and they are fired up about responding here. Should we expect them to respond? You bet! They went 7-1 the past 2 seasons when they were trailing in a playoff series. 4 of Nashville's last 6 losses have come by a margin of 2 goals or more. 13 of the Blackhawks last 17 wins have been decided by a margin of 2 goals or more. As you can see from those stats, if you're expecting Chicago to win here, there are strong odds that point toward the win coming by at least two goals. The Blackhawks are so fired up after last year's first round exit versus St Louis that I am certain they are going to respond in a huge way here against the Predators. By the way, 5 of the Hawks last 7 wins have come by a margin of at least 2 goals.  Also, the Preds went 0-4 this season when off of a shutout win. When on the road after a shutout win, the Predators lost the 2 games by a combined score of 10 to 3 with one loss by 3 goals and the other defeat by 4 goals. I look for a another blowout loss here. 10* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS puck line -1.5 goals

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* OVER 5 goals (-) in Washington Capitals vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at 5.5 and has dropped to a 5 in a number of shops. With 5 being a key number in hockey totals this has opened up substantial value on the over. The Leafs had 35 shots on goal in regulation time Thursday and the Caps had 38 shots in regulation before going on to win the game in overtime. The point is that there were plenty of scoring opportunities for both clubs. The key here is that the Maple Leafs found out what would happen if they tried to merely protect a lead or to not take as much risk with 2-0 or 2-1 leads. The Capitals certainly found out what could happen if they came out a little flat against these young, talented Leafs. The point is that you can now expect both teams to push even more in the offensive zone here in game two and these teams have so much firepower that very rarely do they ever finish with a game ending with less than 5 goals. In fact, the Maple Leafs have only seen 2 of their last 21 games finish with less than 5 goals. Washington has seen only 5 of their last 19 games finish with a total of less than 5 goals. There have been so many unders in the first 3 days of this year's post-season that the markets are now over-adjusting. I'll grab the value with the over at 5 goals in this match-up. 8* OVER the total in Washington

Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER 5 goals in Minnesota Wild vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - None of the first 8 games in the playoffs have gone over the total. For certain playoff hockey is different from the regular season but, at the same time, you will see adjustments made by each team in each series and the scoring will start to increase. In this case, though Minnesota had a fantastic 52 shots on goal versus St Louis Wednesday, only 1 got past the Blues Jake Allen. The St Louis blue liners (good size) did a great job of limiting good scoring chances for the Wild but you can bet that Minny will make some adjustments for Game 2 that will result in some higher percentage chances against Allen. The other key to this play is that the Blues, though they won Game 1 in overtime, know that they must play better in Game 2 if they expect to win. That means they can't expect to get outshot by a 2 to 1 ratio again tonight and that means you can expect St Louis to emphasize a lot more offensive zone puck possession time in this one and to put pressure on Devan Dubnyk of Minnesota. Each of Dubnyk's three prior starts had gone over the total and while I do expect the Wild to bounce back here I am certainly not comfortable laying 2 to 1 odds on the money line! That's why I see the value here with the total because Minny averaged 4.4 goals per game in their 5 wins that wrapped up a 5-1 season-ending run for the Wild. The last 7 times the Blues enter a game leading in a playoff series only 1 under has resulted! The last 8 times the Wild were trailing in a playoff series there have only been 2 unders! Pretty strong odds we see at least 5 goals here and I like having the plus money with the over in a game that has a solid shot at 6 goals or more! 8* OVER 5 goals in Minnesota Friday evening

Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The reason Matt Murray starts for the Pens and not Marc-Andre Fleury has a helluva lot to do with past failures in pressure situations for the latter. Now with Murray out with an injury Fleury is back into a pressure spot. Yes, I know he filled in well in game one but he wasn't even expected to play in that game. Murray's injury in pre-game warm-ups ended up putting Fleury between the pipes. Now that Fleury has had time to get "worked up" about this start and the fact that the Blue Jackets will make some adjustments to make sure they're maximizing opportunities in front of the Pens cage, don't be surprised if we see a lot more scoring tonight. The Penguins did notch 3 goals Wednesday and goaltending certainly is NOT the strength of the Blue Jackets. That said, I am looking for a 4-3 type game tonight and the fact that NONE of the Game 1 match-ups in any series went over the total is helping to add to line value now as the unders will get a helluva lot of play but the overs are going to start cashing. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh early Friday evening

Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Habs jumped on the Rangers early on Wednesday but despite a huge edge in shots on goal early it was New York that got the early lead and then managed to hang onto it the rest of the way. Give the Rangers credit for getting the job done but expect the Canadiens to come out even stronger tonight and also get more traffic in front of Henrik Lundqvist as there were rebound opportunities for Montreal but they need guys there to punch them in. The Canadiens have won 13 of 17 when off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more this season. The Habs had won 6 of 8 before that home shutout and the Rangers, prior to winning 2 straight, had lost 7 of their 9 prior games. This a good price to have on the home team coming off of shutout in Game 1 and that has me elevating this play to my highest rating. 10* Top Play MONTREAL on the money line early Friday evening

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs have totaled 7 goals or more. Even though this is "playoff hockey" there is a reason the odds makers gave this game a total of 5.5 goals. These are two of the higher scoring teams in the league and they are solid on the power play but also have struggled this season on the penalty kill. The over is 11-4 this season when Nashville is playing with home loss revenge and the Predators are 4-1 to the over when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Against foes they are familiar with (divisional opponents) the Preds went 17-8 to the over this season and, likewise, the Blackhawks were a solid "over team" in divisional games with a 16-9 mark to the over this season. Chicago is also 8-2 to the over in first round playoff games the past 2 seasons. The Hawks have allowed 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 11 games but their offensive production is fantastic and, as a result, I am expecting a 4-3 type game here. 8* OVER the total in Chicago Thursday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Thursday Washington Capitals Puck Line -1.5 goals +145 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - Braden Holtby will be between the pipes for the Caps tonight. The last time he faced the Maple Leafs he got pulled after allowing 3 goals on 8 shots in early January. The Capitals went on to win that game in OT. They have only faced the Leafs once since then and that game was a blowout 4-1 win at Toronto with Philipp Grubauer in goal. That means tonight is Holtby's first opportunity for revenge since he had that early exit 3 months ago. Not only is Holtby likely to get payback here but the Maple Leafs simply can't stop the Capitals. The Caps scored 10 goals in their last 2 games against Toronto and the Leafs limped into the playoffs with 3 losses in their last 4 games. That's what dropped them in the playoff seedings and forced them to face Washington in this first round series. Bad news for the Maple Leafs and they get blown out here. The money line on this game opened up at less than -200 and is now up as high as a -260 but the puck line has hardly moved. Of course I would never lay that type of money line anyway on a game but what I will tell you is there is great value with the Capitals in a significant plus money range at -1.5 goals. 6 of the Leafs last 9 losses have come by a multiple goal margin! 8 of the Caps last 11 wins have come by 2 goals or more. Lay the goal and a half here and let's look to collect plus money in this one! 8* Washington Capitals on the PUCK LINE at -1.5 goals early Thursday evening

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - When you think of playoff hockey you think of tighter, lower scoring games and strong goaltending. While that is all very true, it is also a generalization that is not without exceptions. In this case, and especially with Evgeni Malkin expected back for the Pens, I expect plenty of offense here. The Blue Jackets allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game in their final 6 games of the season. The Penguins allowed an average of 3.7 goals per game in their final 7 games of the season. Neither team is known for particularly stellar defense or goaltending but both teams certainly are very dangerous in terms of offensive firepower. The Pens averaged 3.8 goals per game at home this season and the Blue Jackets averaged 2.9 goals per game on the road. In first round playoff action only 3 of 10 Columbus games have stayed under the total. Also, they're 11-4 to the over in April games the past 3 seasons combined. Pittsburgh is 7-3 to the over this season when playing with two days of rest between games and the Penguins are happy to be back home and have gone 5-1 to the over this season when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. The over is 17-9 in Pens home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season and I look for a little quicker "pace" to this game than many are expecting as there certainly is no "feeling out" process here as these two divisional foes know each other very well. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh early Wednesday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Sure the Bruins have playoff history on their side but Ottawa is certainly not going to be 'rattled' on their home ice and I can't ignore the fact that the Senators have won 6 straight match-ups with Boston including all 4 this season. The fact is that there is incredible home dog line value being offered here. Craig Anderson is in goal and the Sens won 13 of his 20 home starts this season. The Bruins, with Tuukka Rask between the pipers, were only slightly above .500 on the road this season. Also, Boston enters this game off of lengthy rest and they've lost 16 of 23 when they enter a game on 3 or more days of rest. Also, the Bruins have lost 20 of 34 games against teams with a winning record this season while Ottawa has won 20 of 33 games against teams with a winning record. That said, who is really more likely to "step up" tonight as has been shown all season long in big games? I think one would be hard pressed to answer that question with Boston as the response. The records tell the full story and I also like the fact the Senators have won 37 of 59 when they are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. 8* OTTAWA on the money line early Wednesday evening

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are off of a 4-2 win versus Columbus that went over the total yesterday. The Hurricanes lost 5-4 to the Blues yesterday in a game that very easily flew over the total. I expect more of the same on Sunday. Neither team has any "playoff pressure" here as those hopes have faded long ago. Now, in the season finale, look for plenty of offense to be on display. The Hurricanes are expected to have Eddie Lack between the pipes and he has an ugly .861 save percentage and has allowed 3.5 goals per game in his 6 divisional starts this season. The Flyers will have Anthony Stolarz between the pipes and the over is 2-1 in his 3 starts this season. His most recent start was a 4-3 loss to the Rangers. In 12 Sunday games this season the Flyers have stayed under in only 4 games. That's a rate of just 33% to the under. The Hurricanes have allowed 3.8 goals per game in their last 5 games. Also, the over is a perfect 4-0 this season in match-ups between these clubs and the games have averaged 7 goals per game. Going further back, the last 6 times that Philly has hosted the Canes there has only been 1 under! Look for a loosely played affair in this season finale with plenty of open ice and plenty of goal scoring opportunities for both of these clubs. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs New Jersey Devils @ 5:05 ET - The Red Wings are closing down Joe Louis Arena for the final time and it will certainly be an energized atmosphere in Detroit Sunday. That was also the case Saturday however and the Red Wings still came out on the wrong end of a 3-2 final. That marked the 6th time in their last 7 games that Detroit has allowed 3 goals or more. The point is that the Red Wings, even with all the energy and effort they'll bring for this game, just can't seem to keep the puck out of their own net lately. As a result, look for this one to turn into a back and forth high-scoring affair. The Devils, after yesterday's 4-2 home loss to the Islanders, have allowed 3.5 goals per game in their last 12 games and that is why I see great value here with this total posted at 5 goals. 5 is a key number with hockey totals and just getting this game to 2-2 ensures no less than 3-2 outcome in this game. It should be a wide-open affair played with plenty of emotion and I expect that to equate to plenty of goal-scoring opportunities for each club. In the Red Wings last 73 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less, there have been just 21 unders. That's an under rate of 29% and I like fading those odds given the situation here! 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) vs Nashville Predators @ 7:05 ET - Even though the Jets aren't going to the playoffs they've certainly been playing like a playoff team and I know they want to carry that momentum right into the off-season. That said, Winnipeg is very hungry for a win here in their final game of the season and, winners of 6 straight and 9 of their last 11, the Jets are unlikely to be denied here. The Predators are off of a big road win at Dallas but previously lost 4 of their last 5 and truly the Preds have already been looking ahead to the playoffs. Also, the home team has won all 3 meetings between these clubs this season. I look for more of the same on Saturday evening. The Predators had averaged just 1.8 goals per game in their last 5 road games before the explosion against the Stars. The Jets, incredibly, have scored 4 goals or more in 5 straight games and 12 of their last 19. The Predators have lost 18 of 27 this season when off of a divisional game. Also, the last 3 seasons combined, Nashville has lost 50 of 79 games when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Winnipeg has won 18 of 28 divisional games this season and the Jets have won 4 of 5 home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more this season. This total is high for a reason. The Jets continue their red hot goal-scoring run. 10* WINNIPEG

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 12:35 ET - The Senators are still fighting to secure home ice for their first round playoff series. The Rangers playoff position is already set. Couple that with the fact that this game is at Ottawa and is the Sens regular season home finale and I look for a very strong effort from the hosts in this one. Ottawa had a poor road trip recently but are back on track with wins in each of their last two games and the Senators have won each of their last 2 home games. The Rangers have lost each of their last 3 road games. New York is off of a shutout loss at Washington and they've lost 17 of 28 this season when off of a divisional game. Also, the Rangers have lost 10 of their last 15 games against teams with a winning record. Ottawa has won 19 of 32 (+$11,800) in their games this season against teams with a winning record. The Senators have allowed just 2 goals or less in 7 of their last 8 home games! The Rangers have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. Look for the Sens to show they are the more motivated and hungry team in this match-up. 8* OTTAWA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Bolts kept their slim post-season hopes alive with a big win at Toronto last night and, until their eliminated, you can bet that the Lightning aren't going to stop going hard. Tampa Bay again is in a must-win situation here and they are likely visiting the right team at the right time to notch another crucial pair of points in the standings. The Bolts re in Montreal where the Canadiens are already crowned as the Atlantic Division champs and truly have nothing to play for here. Certainly the Habs are trying to say "playoff-ready" and play a better game than they did in the 2-1 loss at Buffalo Wednesday evening. But the fact is that it is virtually impossible for the Canadiens to match the intensity that a desperate Tampa Bay team will bring to the ice Friday night. Further hindering the Habs chances here is the fact that their defense is very banged up. That said, the only reason Montreal is favored here is because they are on home ice but the intensity and motivational edges clearly lie with the road dog in this one. The Lightning have won 6 of their last 7 road games and I look for another W tonight to keep the Bolts playoff hopes alive. 10* TAMPA BAY on the money line early Friday evening

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line +160 vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Pittsburgh is coming off of a huge win over Columbus that solidifies the Penguins spot as the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. On the season, the Pens only have 18 road wins. It may surprise many to hear that plus the fact that the Devils have 16 home wins this season and will want to play the role of spoiler here. Also, Malkin and a number of Penguins are banged up and the Devils are highly motivated and have allowed only 5 goals in their last 3 games. That includes a 1-0 shutout win in their most recent home game. The Pens have big games with playoff teams on deck to close the season and could get caught looking right past a New Jersey team that they have beaten in every game this season. Big time revenge for the Devils here and a banged up Pittsburgh team could fall flat on emotion after the big home win versus Columbus Tuesday. The Flyers, Rangers, and Islanders are key rivals of the Devils and they've hosted 3 games against those teams in the past month. The result was a 3-0 sweep by a combined score of 10-4. Look for another rivalry upset on Devils home ice here as they improve to 5-2 this season when the enter a game having stayed under the total in 3 or more consecutive games. 8* NEW JERSEY on the money line early Thursday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* Winnipeg Jets Money Line +160 @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Jets certainly have known it's too little too late as they've known for some time they just weren't going to "get there" in terms of the post-season. However, they continue to play extremely hard and have won 5 straight games as they head to Columbus. They catch the Blue Jackets at the right time to spring the upset here. The Jackets have lost 4 straight games and are off of a disappointing loss to the Penguins that made the chances of a higher seeding for Columbus very unlikely. As a result, the Blue Jackets could be a little flat here and they have been held to an average of just 1.5 goals per game in their last 8 games! The Jackets are hosting a Winnipeg team that has scored 4 goals or more in 4 straight games and has averaged 3.5 goals per game in their last 11 games. The Blue Jackets are going to the post-season and the Jets are not but Winnipeg is looking to avenge a 5-3 home loss to Columbus and is clearly the team playing the better hockey right now. That makes the Jets a very dangerous underdog here and I'll gladly grab the generous price being offered here. 8* WINNIPEG JETS money line early Thursday evening

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET - Even though these two teams are divisional foes, they are both relatively locked into playoff position already. The Capitals are virtually assured of earning the Presidents Trophy for most points in the league and the Rangers are locked into the #7 seed and will face Montreal in the 1st round. Couple that with the fact that these teams could potentially meet in the post-season after the 1st round and you have the makings of a game tonight that is likely to feature very little defensive intensity. Couple that with the goal-scoring prowess each of these teams have and you have the makings of a solid over. I'll gladly invest, particularly with the over 5.5 being available at a plus money return. The Capitals have won 8 of their last 9 games and scored an average of 4 goals per game during this stretch. The Rangers are on a goal-scoring barrage that has seen them score 3 goals or more in 10 of their last 13 games. Look for more of the same tonight. Braden Holtby is expected to be between the pipes for the Capitals tonight and, prior to his most recent start against New York being a strong one, he had allowed at least 3 goals in 4 of his last 5 games against the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist will get this start for the Rangers and he has been struggling since returning from a hip injury. Overall, he's allowed an average of 4 goals per game in his last 4 starts. The Rangers enter this game having gone over the total in 4 straight games and the Capitals under yesterday was just their 4th in their last 15 games! After playing 3 or more road games in a row, the over has gone 5-2 this season in Caps games. As for the Rangers, the over has gone 10-5 when playing with 2 days of rest plus they are 17-6 to the over in divisional games. In 33 games against teams with a winning record, NYR has stayed under the total just 8 times! 10* OVER the total in Washington Wednesday evening

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in St Louis Blues vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - The Jets are still playing hard even though they've been eliminated from post-season contention. They would love to knock off a division rival that is going to the playoffs but, to do so, they'll have to rely on their offense because Winnipeg is known for their sub-par defense and net-minding. That has played a key role in the Jets having allowed 3 goals or more in 9 of their last 12 games before a 4-2 win versus Ottawa. The strength of Winnipeg certainly has been production on offense as the Jets have scored an average of 3.4 goals per game in their last 21 games. As for the Blues, they've been one of the hottest teams in the league thanks to offensive production that has seen St Louis score 3 goals or more in 11 of their last 15 games. That certainly has played a key role in the Blues winning 12 of 15 and I see a wild one tonight that should see each team continue their long-term run of scoring at least 3 goals per game. The Jets have averaged 3.5 goals per game in their last 6 games with the Blues and St Louis comes into this game having scored at least 4 goals in 5 of their last 6 home games overall. The over is 15-7 when the Jets are on a winning streak of 3 games or more. When the Blues are on an under streak of 3 games or more, they have only had 2 unders in 8 games this season! Two confident teams put up plenty of goals in this one as they continue riding high. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in St Louis

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Home/road dichotomy creates a huge edge here. Must be referring to the massive home ice edge for the Bruins, right? Hardly! There is great line value on the Lightning in this game. Not only is the Bolts season on the line but the road team has won 7 of the last 8 meetings between these clubs! Even though both teams have been hot and it may seem "scary" to fade Boston here, Tampa Bay just won here 6-3 less than 2 weeks ago and they've won 3 of their last 4 visits to Boston. Though the Bruins certainly also have motivation too as their post-season position is not locked up, Tampa's playoff scenarios are much more dependent on tonight's outcome. It is very nearly a "win or go home" type game for the Bolts as they look to complete a huge late season surge to scrape and claw their way into the post-season. Tampa Bay has won 5 straight road games and have won an incredible 13 of 18 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. The Bruins have lost 11 of 19 home games (-$9,000) this season with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, Boston hast lost 7 of 11 games this season when they enter a match-up on a winning streak of 3 games or more. Tremendous underdog line value here with the hungry Bolts! 8* TAMPA BAY

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (-117) in Buffalo Sabres vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres always give a little extra effort when they see those Maple Leafs uniforms as the opposition. The result is that Buffalo has won 5 of the last 6 times they've hosted Toronto. Also, the Sabres have produced an overall run of 4 wins in their last 7 games against the Leafs and they've averaged scoring 3 goals per game during this stretch. Of course Toronto is known for their offensive production and the Maple Leafs have averaged nearly 4 goals per game in winning 6 of their last 7 games coming into this match-up. The point is that a 4-3 type game here would not surprise me in the least as Buffalo is going to again go hard (beat Leafs 5-2 here about a week ago) as the Sabres would love to play the role of spoiler. Of course the Maple Leafs are looking to secure a playoff spot and they'll continue their push tonight. The over is 6-1 this season when Toronto enters a game on a winning streak of at least 3 games. Also, the over is 10-6 this season when the Sabres are in a back to back spot. 8* OVER the total in Buffalo

NHL TV Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - Though their playoff chances are slim, the Flyers haven't stopped fighting. With their 3-0 shutout of New Jersey yesterday, Philly has won 4 straight games. They now visit New York where the Rangers have lost 8 straight games. Even though the Rangers are off of an OT loss to the Penguins they had to score 2 goals in the 3rd period Friday just to get to OT as they rallied from a 2-goal deficit. The fact is that the Rangers just aren't playing very well right now while Philly continues to push hard and has won their last 4 games by a combined scored of 18-7. With Flyers winning 4 straight overall and the Rangers losing 8 straight at home, we're testing a combined 12-0 run here. Also, Rangers have lost 16 of 26 when off of a divisional game this season and Flyers have won 16 of 25 when off of a divisional game. The Flyers will rally around the Neuvirth goalie situation and Mason could be back tonight but Stolarz was fantastic between the pipes yesterday. The road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs and we are certainly getting extra line value here with the road dog. 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS money line Sunday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 3:05 ET - The loss of John Tavares for the Islanders is certainly big. But no matter what stage of the season a hockey club is in, they will often rally in that first game after a star goes down. Making the rally even more likely in this particular situation is the fact that is "now or never" for the Isles in terms of their season and playoff hopes. The Islanders are battling hard to stay alive in the post-season race and that ensures a valiant effort Sunday afternoon at Buffalo. With Friday's win versus the Devils, the Isles are still alive and they face a Sabres team that has its own injury issues it has been dealing with. Buffalo comes into this game having lost 12 of its last 18 games and while I know the Islanders have also been slumping, the Isles win over New Jersey has given them new life and the fact that Tavares got hurt in that game means everyone else will be looking to step up their games in another must win situation here. When the Islanders are off of a divisional game they've won 16 of 27 this season (+7.9) and 54 of 93 the last 3 seasons. Getting solid plus money and being able to fade a Sabres team that has lost 12 of 17 this season (-7.3) in home games with a posted total of 5 goals is something I won't pass up on him. Great value here with hungry road dog putting it all on the line for their season this afternoon. 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS money line Sunday.

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Nashville Predators vs Minnesota Wild @ 2:05 ET - The Predators are likely to have Pekka Rinne between the pipes and only 3 of his 21 (14%!) divisional starts this season have resulted in an under! The Preds are off of back to back disappointing results as, after winning 4 straight games and 7 of their last 8, they've lost 2 in a row and only scored 1 goal in each of the 2 defeats. This season, when off of a game where they've scored 1 goal or less, Nashville has gone 9-4 (69%) to the over! The Predators home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals have gone 12-7 to the over this season. Minnesota is likely to have Devan Dubnyk back between the pipes Saturday and he's been struggling. He has an unsightly .864 save percentage in his last 4 starts. The Wild have scored 9 goals in their last two games and they are off of a 5-1 win versus Ottawa Thursday. This season, when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, Minnesota has gone 17-7 to the over. 3 of the 4 meetings between these clubs this season have totaled 6 goals or more and there is no reason to expect anything different on Saturday. That said, grab the favorable plus money odds here with this total. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Nashville Saturday

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - The Islanders just got drilled out Philly last night and need to respond immediately. They'll certainly be looking to do just that tonight but the Isles goaltending is a concern and that's why the play here is the over. The Islanders, dating back to a 6-4 win over the Devils 6 weeks ago, have allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game in their last 6 home games. New Jersey is off of a 4-3 home loss to Winnipeg Tuesday which also flew over the total but their best consistency when it comes to big efforts in the offensive zone has been against divisional competition here in late season action. Of course all the Devils can do is play the role of spoiler at this point in time but that hasn't stopped them from coming up with 13 goals in 3 games against the Rangers, Penguins, and Flyers over the past two weeks. The Devils have 7 goals in their two games against the Islanders this season and Isles goalie Jaroslav Halak has seen the over go 3-0 in his last 3 starts as he's struggled. The Devils Keith Kincaid is expected to be between the pipes tonight and the over is 3-1 in his L4 starts as he's also been struggling. The over is 6-2 in Kincaid's divisional starts and 7-3 in Halak's divisional starts. More of the same Friday! 10* OVER the total in NY Islanders

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Rangers Henrik Lundqvist is struggling badly between the pipes and New York has allowed 11 goals in their last 2 games. Also, the Rangers are now back at home where they've lost 7 straight and allowed an average of 3.7 goals per game. Both the Rangers and Penguins are filled with potent weapons and that is why they're two of the highest scoring teams in the league. Even without Evgeni Malkin, the Pens will have plenty of scoring opportunities tonight. As for the Penguins defense, that also has been an issue with 15 goals in the last 3 games and this has been with both Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray between the pipes. Pittsburgh has allowed 4 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games. The over is 18-6 in Penguins divisional games this season and 8-4 when they are off of a game where they scored 1 goal or less. Also, the Pens are 16-8 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record. As for the Rangers, the over is 15-6 in their divisional games this season and 18-8 when they are facing a team with a winning record. Also, the over is 9-5 when the Rangers enter a game with two days of rest between games. Fresh legs and both teams involved in high-scoring games of late is likely to lead to a wild one at MSG Friday. 8* OVER the total in New York Rangers

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - How important is this game to the Wild? By virtue of losing 4 straight games and 9 of their last 10 they are virtually assured of not winning the division title as, coupled with Chicago's hot streak, Minnesota's cold streak has handed the Central Division to the Blackhawks. That said, it is no wonder that the Wild have decided to call up goalie Alex Stalock from the minors to make this start. Minny may be hoping for a jolt from Stalock but the reality is that he was in the AHL for a reason and the likelier scenario is just to get him some work in case injury issues persist at the netminding position for the Wild. Unlike Minnesota's situation, this game means plenty to Ottawa. The Senators have not clinched a post-season berth yet but, also, the Sens have a game in hand on Montreal whom they trail by just 4 points for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Like Minnesota, Ottawa has gone through a rough stretch recently but the Sens schedule has been tougher than that of the Wild and certainly that should be factored in here. Also, the Senators are off of back to back road losses but previously had won 12 of their last 17 games away from home. The Sens play this game with home loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen them go 34-22 (+$17,400) the L3 seasons combined. In road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals the Senators have won 14 of 23 this season. As for the Wild, in home game with a posted total of 5.5 goals they have lost 9 of 14 this season and 21 of 35 the L3 seasons combined. Also, Minnesota has lost 8 of its last 12 games against teams with a winning record. Grab the line value here with the undervalued road dog. 8* OTTAWA

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+110) in Winnipeg Jets vs Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - The Jets now know they officially are headed to the golf courses rather than the playoffs but, on home ice against a division leader, they'll still give a strong effort here. The result should be plenty of goals in this one. Winnipeg has averaged 3.3 goals per game over their last 19 games. The over is 26-13-1 in the Jets last 40 games. They're hosting a red hot Ducks team that has won 5 straight games and 9 of their last 11. Anaheim has averaged 3.1 goals per game in their last 15 games and have been particularly hot of late with an average of nearly 4 goals per game during their 5 game winning streak. Trying to hold off the Oilers and Sharks (plus the Flames are even in the mix) at the top of the Pacific Division, the Ducks are likely to continue their torrid scoring pace here. The Jets are off of a 4-3 win at New Jersey Tuesday and the over is 17-10-2 this season when Winnipeg is off of a non-conference game. Even though none of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled more than 5 goals, the odds makers hung an O/U of 5.5 on this game. This is understood though, given the situation as the Jets have injuries to their defense corps and just got eliminated from the post-season. This will impact the effectiveness and intensity of the Jets defense in this game and there is no doubt they'll take plenty or risk at the other end of the ice to try and upset the Ducks with plenty of offense in this one. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - While both teams still have a shot at the playoffs (though admittedly slim for each), the fact is that the Flyers have been playing much better than the Isles. Look for momentum and home ice to be difference makers in this one. Philadelphia has won back to back games heading into this match-up and also has won 3 straight home games. As for the Islanders, they have lost back to back games heading into this match-up and they've also lost 6 of their last 9 games overall. These teams met early last month and the Isles got the win but the Flyers had previously won 5 straight in this series and the wins were often dominant as they came by a combined score of 19 to 7. Philly has won 42 of its last 67 home games that have had a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Islanders, off of a home loss to Nashville, have lost 19 of 26 games this season when off of a non-conference game. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Calgary Flames @ 9:05 ET - Two years ago these teams met late in the season and the Flames got the win to secure a playoff berth. They're trying to do the same tonight. Also, Los Angeles lost at Edmonton last night and that allowed the Oilers to secure a playoff berth. Knowing that the Kings are a quality hockey club that is battling hard and giving it their all to keep their own slim postseason chances alive, I just don't seem them falling short in this spot. To allow two teams to secure playoff spots at their own expense is something I just don't see happening especially when you consider Calgary did clinch a berth two years against LA as noted above. This is, essentially, the game of the year for Los Angeles and I expect a fantastic effort from the Kings here. Los Angeles had won 5 straight games in this series, including a 5-0 win at home early this season before the Flames now have taken two straight. As a result, the Kings have revenge on their minds here and Calgary, before back to back wins (albeit one against a bad Colorado team), had lost 3 of their last 5 games and the Flames allowed 4 goals per game in those 3 defeats. The Kings have won 14 of 22 games this season when they are off of a divisional game. The Flames have a losing record in divisional games this season and also a losing record in games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Look for an upset here and the odds makers are expecting it too. That's why they had to make this line so low on the Flames to encourage action and Calgary and get balanced action on this game. Look for the Kings to surprise many with a huge road effort tonight as they are playing for their playoff lives. 10* LOS ANGELES

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 8* OVER 6 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - In both match-ups between these clubs last season, the posted total was only 5 goals. In their first match-up this season season the posted total was 5.5 goals. Now in this match-up it is 6 goals! Mistake by odds makers? Hardly! The fact that this is a late season non-conference match-up meaning the clubs will take a little more risk in the hopes of being the one to get the 2 points in this match-up because if they give up the 2 points in the standings to their opponent it does not hurt them since they are in opposite conferences. With that said, look for quite the "wide open affair" here and both these teams have plenty of potent weapons up front while also each currently having issues keeping pucks out of the net in their own end! The Blackhawks have given up 4.4 goals per game in their last 5 games while the Penguins have allowed 4 goals or more in 5 of their last 8 games. The Pens do score extremely well at home as they average 3.9 goals per game on home ice on the season. Other than the shutout loss to the Panthers recently, the Blackhawks have been scoring well on enemy ice with an average of 3.2 goals per game in their other 6 road games this month. Chicago is on a long-term 25-10 run to the over since the midway point this season. Pittsburgh is 6-2 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Also, the Penguins are 16-8 to the over in their games against teams with a winning record and 7-3 to the over when playing with two days of rest. The Pens also are 17-9 to the over when playing with revenge. 8* OVER 6 goals in Pittsburgh

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that this is a weird scheduling scenario that has the Red Wings playing for a 3rd time in 3 days. However, a couple weeks from now Detroit's players will be on a golf course. In other words, there is no holding back here! The Red Wings are going to "bring it" again tonight and they've already won each of the past two games as sizable underdogs. The other key to tonight's game is that Jimmy Howard will be back in goal for Detroit and he's had 3 straight solid outings and the Wings have won all 3 of those starts. Howard is hot right now and the Red Wings will take advantage of facing Carolina's Cam Ward as he has not been as strong of late. Ward has allowed 14 goals in his last 4 starts. Howard has allowed just 7 goals in his last 4 starts. Also, Detroit is enjoying playing the role of spoiler as they look to help put a damper on the Hurricanes post-season hopes. The Red Wings are 8-6 (and +$7,600) when playing back to backs this season. Additionally, the Canes have lost 12 of their last 17 games against teams with a losing record and Carolina has lost 16 of 24 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Tremendous value with the sizable dog with the goaltending edge and relishing the role of spoiler too. 8* DETROIT

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - While the Flyers playoff chances are certainly bleak, one thing is for certain, if they are to make it they have to keep winning. On home ice and off of a rejuvenating 6-2 win at Pittsburgh, look for Philly to take advantage of hosting an Ottawa team that has lost 5 of its last 7 games and scored a total of only 12 goals in these 7 games. Philadelphia has won 5 of its last 7 home games and they only have 2 road games left this season so they know they can still make a late-season push by continuing to defend home ice. Look for them to do just that tonight! The Flyers have won 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs but they did lose the last time they hosted the Senators and they'll be looking for some payback here. The Sens could be rusty as they enter this game with 2 days of rest and that has seen them lose 9 of 15 this season and 27 of 46 the last 3 seasons combined. The Flyers have won 14 of 23 when coming off of a divisional game this season. Also, the last 3 seasons combined the Flyers have won 41 of 66 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+115) in New Jersey Devils vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7 ET - The Devils will be fired up here. They are off of back to back home losses where they've scored just 1 goal in each game. Overall it's a 3-game losing streak for New Jersey and there have been 18 times this season that they've entered a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more and only 6 of the 18 games resulted in an under. Prior to the 3 straight losses the Devils had been scoring better with an average of 3.6 goals per game in their 5 previous games. The Jets enter this game on a 9-4 run to the over in their games against teams with a losing record. Also, Winnipeg is playing their 30th non-conference game tonight and so far only 10 have stayed under the total this season! The Jets are coming into this game off of back to back unders and that is significant if you like "playing the odds" because Winnipeg has not recorded an under in 3 straight games since late December! 8* OVER the total in New Jersey

Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of an embarrassing loss at Florida (7-0 Saturday) and I fully expect a response here. Adding to the likelihood of a big response here is the fact that the Lightning hammered the Hawks 5-2 in Chicago two months ago. The revenge-seeking Blackhawks have won 12 of 17 games this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, Chicago has only lost back to back games once since January. Dating back to a win on February 2nd, the Blackhawks had won 18 of 22 games prior to the ugly loss to the Panthers Saturday. Amazingly, the Bolts are currently on a 7-game run where the road team is 7-0. This includes the Bolts current 3-game losing streak on home ice and Tampa gave up 5 goals in EACH of those 3 home defeats. Tampa Bay has lost 16 of 26 non-conference games this season and also the Lightning have been defeated in 14 of their last 23 home games that had a posted total of 5.5 goals. With TB having given up 15 goals in their last 3 home games, they're in trouble here as they face an angry Blackhawks team off of a 7-0 beating. Last, but certainly not least, the Bolts are quite banged up right now and those injury issues will be magnified when facing one of the top teams in the league. Great line value here since the Hawks are on the road. Grab it! 10* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Nashville Predators @ 7:05 ET - Preds off of a third straight win, 7-2 vs San Jose, and have lost 6 of 7 this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, Nashville has lost 18 of 27 this season (and 50 of 78 the L3 seasons when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The Predators are facing a revenge-seeking Islanders team that last 4-2 the last time these teams met and the Isles will be hungry to respond off of a 2-1 loss to Boston in their most recent game. The Islanders have won 17 of 28 times this season in home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Preds have a game at Boston on deck for tomorrow night while the Isles have 2 days off after this. Look for the revenging home team (off of a loss) to catch this road team still celebrating their big win over the Sharks (remember San Jose knocked them out of post-season last year!) 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+115) in Buffalo Sabres vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Both teams are off of big wins and that sets this one up nicely for a high-scoring match-up. Florida just trounced the Blackhawks 7-0 and Buffalo just blew out Toronto 5-2. The Sabres had scored 4 goals or more 51 times the last 3 seasons combined and only 17 times (33%) did their next game stay under the total. Also, Buffalo comes into this home match-up having seen 6 of their last 8 home games total at least 6 goals. The over is 21-12 in Panthers games in the month of March in recent seasons. Florida has scored 13 goals in their last 3 games but also have given up 3 goals per game in their last 4 road games. The Panthers, the last 4 times they've won a game by a multiple goal margin, have had just 1 under in 4 games. The average goals scored in those 4 games was 6.5 goals and, with both teams riding the momentum of big wins, look for another high-scoring match-up here. 8* OVER the total in Buffalo

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (-) in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - These teams hate each other and the Penguins were shutout 4-0 at Philly a week and a half ago. The Pens are going to "bring it" tonight! As for the Flyers they are off of a shutout loss at Columbus yesterday but all that has to happen to fire up the Philly offense is to see an opponent in a Penguins sweater! The Flyers have scored 13 goals in their last 4 games against Pittsburgh. Also, when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less, the over is a perfect 4-0 since mid-February. The Flyers will respond after being shutout by the Blue Jackets yesterday but there is no way they're going to stop the revenge-minded Penguins here. By the way, the over is 17-6-1 in Pens divisional games this season! In home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals, the Penguins are 16-7 to the over this season and this total opened up at a 6 but then dropped down to a 5.5 which offers us great value here. The Flyers have stayed under in 3 straight games but that is a situation that has resulted in a 14-7 mark to the over the L3 seasons combined! 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in New Jersey Devils vs Dallas Stars @ 5:05 ET - The Stars are off of a huge 6-1 win versus San Jose Friday. The last 6 times the Stars have won a game by a multiple goal margin they've allowed a total of 28 goals in their next game. That's an average of 4.7 goals per game. I know the Devils, overall, struggle to score goals but that start is hard to ignore and I also like the fact that New Jersey's most recent loss officially eliminated them from the post-season contention. Of course the handwriting had been on the wall for awhile but now that it's official, there is less emphasis on defense and more emphasis on just going out and playing hockey and trying to score some goals to get off the schneid. Though they are off of a disappointing 3-1 loss to Carolina, the Devils had previously scored an average of 3.33 goals per game in their last 6 games so they had been a little better of late in terms of scoring goals. The big key to this total is the fact that I just don't see the Stars slowing down either. They also know the post-season is a lost cause and they're simply going out and pushing the tempo and looking to close out the season with some big performances. They've gotten a little healthier and that helped trigger their big win over the Sharks Friday and the over is 5-1 this season in their Sunday games and the over is on a 10-4 run in their games against teams with a losing record. The Devils are 15-9 to the over in their games against teams with a losing record this season. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New Jersey

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - San Jose lost badly at Dallas last night. As followers know I had the underdog Stars in that game and the Sharks went with back-up goalie Aaron Dell and also appeared to clearly be looking ahead to this playoff rematch from last May. Even though San Jose did get the better of Nashville to knock them out of the post-season last year, that doesn't prevent this from being a revenge spot for the Sharks. Why? Because San Jose recently lost at home to the Predators by a 3-1 count and that arguably was the beginning of some tougher times for the Sharks as they've now lost 6 of their last 8 games. The point is that San Jose needs to snap the skid before the two-day break they have coming up prior to a home date with the Rangers. That means this game is circled in red on the Sharks calendar and they'll be looking to avenge the home loss from earlier this month. #1 goalie Martin Jones will be back between the pipes for the Sharks tonight and he has been very strong in recent games but just hasn't gotten much support from the offense. That should change tonight as San Jose has scored 20 goals the last 5 times that Preds goalie Pekka Rinne has started against them. The Sharks have won 8 of 11 games this season when off of a loss by 2 goals or more in their prior game. The Predators have lost 12 of 17 Saturday games this season. Also, Nashville has lost 41 of 66 (and cost their backers 30.1 net units) the last 3 seasons when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin. After beating Calgary 3-1 Thursday, look for the Preds to fall flat here. 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - A lot of line value being given to a revenging road dog in this one. Couple that with the fact that this isn't too much of a road game (to go from Ottawa to Montreal) and the fact that he Senators were off yesterday and have two days off after this and you have a great spot to back the underdog Sens. Ottawa has won 12 of their last 17 road games and this is a key game in terms of supremacy at the top of the Atlantic Division. The Senators got swept in a back to back "home and home set" last weekend and it's now time for payback. Ottawa has won 18 of 29 games against teams with a winning record this season while Montreal has lost 18 of 35 games against teams with a winning record on the campaign. Also, the Canadiens have scored just 16 goals in their last 11 home games. Not surprisingly given the tough time scoring goals on home ice, the Habs have lost 8 of the 11 games! More of the same on Saturday evening. 8* OTTAWA

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line +145 vs San Jose Sharks @ 8:35 ET - This is a revenge game for the Sharks as they just lost here 1-0 on Monday. However, San Jose is actually down 2.2 net units on the season when playing with revenge. Not only has revenge not been a money earner for the Sharks, the other issue is simply that they just aren't playing well right now. San Jose has lost 4 straight games and is feeling the playoff pressure while the Stars come into this one loose and relaxed and have been coming with upsets on home ice. Overall, before their loss at Chicago yesterday, Dallas had won 7 of its last 13 games. Also, the Stars have won each of their last two games as home dogs with wins over the Sharks and the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins the last two times they've been a home dog. San Jose has averaged just 1 goal per game during their 4-game losing streak and they're facing a Stars team that has averaged 3.6 goals per game in their 17 home games since the calendar flipped a page to 2017. The Sharks have lost 7 of 13 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. The Stars have won 4 of their 5 Friday game this season and you bet that the American Airlines Center in Big D will be rocking tonight. Great value with this home dog here! 8* DALLAS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER 5.5 goals +125 in Detroit Red Wings vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - The Bolts have gone over the total in 3 straight games and, not only that, all 3 games totaled at least 8 goals. Tampa Bay is coming off of a 6-3 win but, prior to that, the Lightning had allowed exactly 5 goals in 3 straight games! As you can plainly see, the Bolts are having trouble keeping the puck out of their own net. Now they take on a Red Wings team that is off of a 2-1 road win but that lost 2-1 in its most recent home game. Scoring just one goal on home ice is certainly an unusual result for Detroit and I look for them to bounce back here. Prior to that loss to the Sabres, the Red Wings had scored 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 9 road games. Look for the over to improve to 7-2 in Detroit's Friday games this season as The Joe will certainly be an amped-up arena for a Friday night Red Wings home game against a divisional foe. As for the Bolts, they knocked the Red Wings out of the post-season last year and have proceeded to score 14 goals against them in the 3 meetings this season. To say the Lightning are confident here is a huge understatement. This one shapes up to be a highly entertaining game! 8* OVER the total in Detroit

Rickenbach NHL 8* Thursday Chicago Blackhawks Puck Line -1.5 goals (+130) vs Dallas Stars @ 8:35 ET - I rarely use the puck line but this spot is set up beautifully for Chicago and, of course, there is no way I would lay big juice on a money line. Long-time followers know that. So, instead of laying about -230 on the money line we're able to get +130 with the Blackhawks -1.5 goals. I'll take it! Chicago is off of a loss and they had previously won 17 of their last 20 games! Look for the Hawks to respond in a big way tonight and 11 of their last 14 wins have come by a multiple goal margin. The Blackhawks are catching the Stars at the perfect time to dominate them. Dallas is off of a 1-0 shutout win over San Jose but the Stars had lost 4 of their 5 prior games and were outshot by a 30-20 mark in that game. Also, 8 of the last 9 losses for Dallas have come by a multiple goal margin. Chicago is hungry and trying to inch closer to clinching the top spot in the Western Conference. The Stars are simply "playing out the season" and, off of a big upset win, they're likely to fall flat here. By the way, Dallas has lost 23 of 32 games against teams with a winning record this season while Chicago has won 27 of 39 games against teams with a losing record. Couple that with the recent trends favoring a multiple goal margin here and you can see why I am willing to "lay it" with the Blackhawks in this one. 8* CHICAGO on the puck line -1.5 goals +130.

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* OVER 5 goals (-140) in St Louis Blues vs Vancouver Canucks @ 8:05 ET - This total has dropped from a 5.5 to a 5 which is offering fantastic value on the over even though we have to lay some juice to get it. The Blues have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 7 games and their most recent game was a 4-2 win at Colorado and their most recent two home games were victories that each came by a 4-3 final score. The Canucks are off of a huge 5-4 upset win at Chicago. Vancouver has now allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in their last 6 games but they'll also be flying all over the ice in tonight's game in the offensive zone as they ride the momentum of their 5-4 win over the Blackhawks. The Canucks are simply playing for pride at this point in the season so they'll go all out tonight in terms of taking some chances at creating odd man rushes with less concern about the fact it could create chances for St Louis going the other way. The Blues are 8-3 to the over this season (and 24-12 to the over the last 3 seasons combined) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. 8* OVER 5 goals (-140) in St Louis

Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+125) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Great spot to grab the Flames as they've been one of the hottest teams in the league but are coming off of a loss. That means you can expect a supreme effort from Calgary tonight and this is a Flames club that has not suffered back to back losses in TWO MONTHS! The Flames had won 17 of their last 21 games prior to a 4-2 loss at Washington on Tuesday. Adding to the line value here is the fact that the road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs as the Predators have won 2 of the last 3 games played in Calgary while the Flames have won 4 STRAIGHT meetings at Nashville. The Preds come into this game off of a win but had lost 5 of their 8 prior games. Even though the Predators are playing this game with home loss revenge, that is a situation that has seen Nashville lose 10 of 15 times this season. Also, when off of a win by 2 goals or more, the Preds have lost 14 of 21 times this season and 41 of 65 times the last 3 seasons combined. The Flames, considering how hot they have been and the fact they're off of a loss and have had a ton of success at Nashville, are offering a lot of line value in this spot. The Predators are known for their struggles off of a big win and they have the Sharks on deck and San Jose is the team that knocked the Preds out of the post-season last spring. Tremendous situational edges here. 10* CALGARY on the money line

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET -The Rangers, off of a hard-fought loss at New Jersey last night, has lost 6 of their last 11 games. This includes 3 of their last 4 games and this has been part of a stretch since losing their #1 goalie. With Lundvist still out for the Rangers, Raanta is getting a lot of work and this is the back-end of a back to back. Raanta is a solid goalie but there's no denying the absence of Lundqvist is having an effect on this hockey club. Also, the Rangers are very nearly stuck in terms of of their playoff postion while the Islanders need points badly as they are battling for a playoff spot. That makes this rivalry game a great spot to take the sizable road dog! The Isles have won 6 of their last 10 road games while the Rangers have lost 6 straight games at Madison Square Garden. The Islanders also have taken 6 of the last 7 meetings between these teams and they have the rest edge in this match-up as they've been off since Saturday. The Isles have won 14 of 22 games when playing with 3 or more days of rest. Also, the Islanders have won 4 of 5 games this season when they enter a match-up off of 3 or more consecutive unders. The Rangers have lost 15 of 24 games this season when they are off of a divisional game. Though the Blueshirts have played well when in the 2nd game of a back to back spot, the situation is a little different now with Lundqvist out with an injury and, overall, they've lost 4 of 6 games since Lundqvist's last start! 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS money line Wednesday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - At this point in the season the Devils are playing for nothing more than pride and that means they really get up for games like this. New Jersey would to knock off New York in this spot and they're catching the Rangers at the perfect time to do just that. New York is off of a big road win at Minnesota and they have a game against the Islanders tomorrow night. Of course the Rangers perceive the Isles to be a much tougher game than the Devils and the Rangers had lost 5 of their last 9 games before sneaking past the Wild Saturday. New Jersey has certainly been in a bad slump and has had a tough season but, similar to how they rose up and beat the Flyers 6-2 last week, the Devils are capable of stepping up their game for a rivalry match-up like this. These teams last met in late February and the Rangers got the win at New Jersey. However, prior to this the home team had won 5 straight meetings between the teams. That said, and considering the situational dynamics here, the home dog Devils are offering fantastic line value in this match-up. With Lundvist still out for the Rangers, Raanta is getting a lot of work and this is the front-end of a back to back. I'll take the home dog! 8* NEW JERSEY DEVILS money line early Tuesday evening

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Boston Bruins vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - Boston knows they need to do much more than they did last night at Toronto. Sitting on a 1-1 game from the first period on the very late scoring (2 minutes to go in game) went the way of the Maple Leafs as Toronto scored 3 quick goals last before the Bruins answered with a meaningless goal very late in the 4-2 final. After last night's result I look for the Bruins to be much more aggressive tonight and that should lead to a bit of a barnburner with an Ottawa team looking to bounce back off of a 4-1 loss. The Senators had won 3 straight road games (and averaged 4 goals per game) before they lost at Montreal Sunday. Their last two meetings with the Bruins at Boston have totaled 17 goals and the Sens have not recorded an under in Boston in their last 5 games there. The Bruins come into this game having allowed 4 goals per game in their last 4 games. Also, when in the 2nd game of back to back this season, Boston has had just 4 unders in 12 games! The over is 18-9 in Bruins games against teams with a winning record and the over is 58-32 the last 3 seasons combined in games versus opponents with a winning record. The Senators penalty kill has allowed 6 goals in 19 chances in their last five road games. There have been 6 special teams goals in the Bruins last 2 games. Look for a wild one tonight as these divisional foes both seek offense after rare, poor efforts in their most recent game. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Boston Tuesday night

Bulldogs Best - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) vs San Jose Sharks @ 8:35 ET - The Sharks have lost 10 of their last 19 games. San Jose is laying a sizable price here considering they are on the road and have a big game at Minnesota on deck for tomorrow night. They could easily look right past the Stars in this spot. As frustrating as the season has been for Dallas, they are still likely to bring a strong effort here. It is a matter of professional pride and, after losing 5-1 at San Jose a little over a week ago, some payback is on order here. Dallas has won 4 of its last 7 home games and have scored 59 goals in their last 16 home games. That's an average of about 3.7 goals per game and tonight they host a Sharks club that has been held to just a single goal in 3 of their last 5 games. The Stars are 26-14 (65%) the last 3 seasons combined when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. Keep in mind Dallas had won their prior game 4 to 2 and this game, from a situational standpoint (lookahead for Sharks and revenge spot for Stars) absolutely is offering value to the fired up home dog. 8* DALLAS STARS money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Monday 8* OVER 6 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - Totals that are 6 or higher get a lot of attention from under players but when the totals get up into this range it is certainly not without some proper reasoning from the odds makers. In fact, the last 8 times the Maple Leafs have played a home game with a posted total of 6 goals or more the over is 5-3. The Bruins enter this game on an overall 5-1 run to the over. Also, of their last 12 games against teams with a losing record only 2 have stayed under the total. The last meeting between these teams totaled 11 goals. Maple Leafs will be fired up after a 2-1 home loss to the Blackhawks Saturday. The Leafs have scored 14 goals in their last 3 meetings with Boston. But don't be surprised if the Bruins answer them goal for goal in this one as Boston has scored 4 goals or more in 7 of their last 11 games. The Boston offensive production has been fantastic but they've been struggling to keep pucks out of their own net. More of the same Monday. 8* OVER 6 goals in Toronto

Value Smash Pass - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:35 ET - Both of these clubs have fading playoff hopes that are flickering flames at this point in the season as it would take a magical run to get to the post-season. However, that said, the Canes certainly still have a better chance than the Flyers as they do have one extra game left and the other key to my selection here (besides the road dog value) is that the Hurricanes have been playing much better than Philadelphia. Carolina has earned a point in 6 straight games with a solid 4-0-2 run. The Flyers have lost 4 of their last 5 games and just got embarrassed at New Jersey Friday night in an effort that was truly unacceptable given the playoff implications of that game. Yes, the Flyers were off of a big win versus Pittsburgh but with their playoff hopes on the line, an effort like the Flyers gave against the Devils is inexcusable. This shows how far the Flyers have fallen and I love the Canes in this spot given that they are the team that is still fighting hard and playing with big effort each and every night on the ice. The Hurricanes have won 7 of 10 games this season when they enter a match-up having played each of their three prior games at home. Philadelphia, though rested, has lost 31 of 51 the past 3 seasons combined when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Philly also has lost 14 of 21 divisional games this season. Two teams going in opposite directions and the Hurricanes are the value side here. 8* CAROLINA

Rickenbach NHL 8* Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs are off a huge shutout win at Tampa Bay and have a big game against the rival Bruins on deck. Couple that with the fact that the Leafs have lost 8 straight games against teams with a winning record and you have a great spot to fade a Toronto team off of a 5-0 win, looking ahead to Boston, and in an 0-8 situation. Hawks are in a great price here as they have won 25 of 36 games against teams with a losing record this season and they're currently one of the hottest teams in the league. 8* CHICAGO

Rickenbach NHL Saturday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Lightning are off of an embarrassing 5-0 home loss to the Maple Leafs and this followed a 4-game winning streak and, overall, a stretch where there Bolts had won 12 of 17. Couple that with the fact that Tampa Bay is seeking revenge for a 4-0 shutout at Washington earlier this season and you have the perfect spot for a bounce back effort from the home dog Lightning here. TB does have injury issues at center but look for the Bolts to "rally the troops" in this critical game as everyone steps up. While the Caps are off of a loss too are they really going to respond here? The Capitals are slumping and have now lost 5 of their last 6 games. Amazingly, as strong as Washington has been this season, they are 0-9 overall this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Bolts have won 42 of 66 games when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin and they'll respond off of their recent ugly defeat. 8* TAMPA BAY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers are without their top defenseman, Aaron Ekblad, as well as goalie Roberto Luongo. That makes this a tough spot for a back to back and puts a lot of pressure on back-up goaltender James Reimer. Speaking of goalie problems, the Rangers are still without injured #1 goalie Henrik Lundqvist. This puts all the pressure on Antti Raanta and he has not been as strong at home as on the road. In fact, the entire Rangers club has not been strong at home of late as they've lost 5 straight home games. They've allowed 4 goals per game in their last 4 home games and I expect some more trouble tonight as Florida had scored 13 goals in their last 3 games before the tough night at Columbus last night. The over is 18-10 this season when the Panthers are playing with revenge. The over was on an 8-3 run in Rangers home games before the low-scoring loss to Tampa Bay Monday. Look for New York to respond in a big way tonight but the Panthers will also bounce back after scoring just one goal last night and that sets this one up well for high-scoring battle with the Rangers. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers

Rickenbach NHL 8* Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Wild are off of back to back losses and their 4-2 loss at Washington Tuesday was the first time this season that they lost when coming off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. Minnesota has now won 6 of 7 on the season when in that role which is again in play here. Also, the Wild have lost 3 straight games only once this entire season and I don't expect that to happen here! Minnesota is on the road at Carolina and the fact the Wild are away from home is helping to keep this line in check. Very reasonable road price here and Minny has swept the season series from the Canes each of the past two seasons. The Hurricanes are off of a loss to the Islanders and have lost 15 of 23 this season when off of a divisional game. This game is wrapping up a 5-game road trip for Minnesota and the Wild have won 9 of 12 this season (and 23 of 34 long-term) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. 8* MINNESOTA money line

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 8* OVER 6 goals in New York Islanders vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - This total is big but it's absolutely justified. Winnipeg is 4-0 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. The Islanders, the past 3 seasons combined, are 4-2 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Overall, 8 of the Jets last 9 games against teams with a losing record have gone over the total. As for the Isles, 10 of their last 15 games against teams with a losing record have gone over the total. The Jets are seeking revenge for a 6-2 home loss on New Year's Eve. However, to get revenge they'll have to score plenty of goals because Winnipeg has given up 4.5 goals per game during their current 4-game losing streak. The Islanders have allowed 4.25 goals per game in their last 4 games. A nice way to hit this play tonight is just to make sure each game gets to 3 goals because that guarantees no less than a 4-3 final. That said, note that the Jets have scored at least 3 goals in 10 of their last 12 games. The Isles have scored at least 3 goals in 23 of their last 30 games! 8* OVER 6 goals in New York Islanders Thursday

Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Off of a big win over in-state rival Pittsburgh it may seem tough to take the Flyers here but, keep in mind, they're still fighting hard for a playoff spot and have been a very streaky team this season. Also, they get the added edge of facing a Devils team that has lost 10 straight games! Additionally, the Flyers are a respectable 8-6 (+3.0 net games) when in a back to back spot this season and also Philly is a perfect 3-0 this season when off of a shutout win! When off of a divisional game this season the Flyers have won 12 of 19. As for the Devils, they have lost 5 of 6 when they are playing with three or more days of rest between games. New Jersey has been off since Saturday at Arizona because the northeast snowstorm cancelled their most recent game. Look for the Devils to be "rusty" coming off of a west coast road trip and having not played in 5 days! The Flyers should be skating circles around the Devils here as they ride the momentum of last night's key win over the Pens as Philadelphia looks to remain alive in the playoff chase. New Jersey has lost 51 of 80 divisional games the past 3 seasons combined and the Flyers get revenge tonight for losing the first two games to the Devils this season by a combined score of 8 to 1. Payback time. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Thursday

PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Wednesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers have been struggling, to say the least, and even though playoff hopes are dwindling unless they turn it around quick, Philadelphia is always going to be "up" for a game with the in-state rival Penguins. The good news for the Flyers is they are still "alive" in the playoff race and they also are catching the Penguins at the perfect time for an upset. Pittsburgh was in Calgary Monday and so they are coming back from a road trip out west and they are also quite banged up. A multitude of injuries is effecting the Pens both up front and on the blue line. This certainly is effecting the depths of the Penguins and the Flyers will test that depth with a hard nosed effort on home ice against a hated rival. Philly lost at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago and this revenge spot on the Flyers home ice is a huge game for Philadelphia. The home team has outscored the road team 17-10 in the last 4 games with 3 of those resulting in home victories. However, the lone loss in those meetings was when the Flyers lost 5-4 to the Pens early this season in October despite a 42-27 edge in shots on goal. Time for a little payback here. Philly has won 5 of 7 games this season when they enter on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Pittsburgh has lost 13 of 23 this season (and 36 of 61 the last 3 seasons) when they are on the road in a game with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 8* PHILADELPHIA money line Wednesday

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a key divisional win over Minnesota and could be caught flat here at Montreal. Chicago had lost two straight games before knocking off the Wild and, though they've been playing well overall, the Blackhawks are arguably not as hot as the Canadiens. Montreal comes into this game having won 7 of its last 8 games. They needed to get hot after some mid-season doldrums and they've done just that as they've won 8 of 10 the last 4 weeks. While Chicago has been solid overall defensively, they have given up 2 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games while Montreal, amazingly, has given up 1 goal or less in 5 of their last 6 games. In fact, other than ugly loss at Calgary, the Canadiens last 6 games have seen them allow a total of 4 goals in the 5 games not against the Flames. While the Hawks are off of that big win over the Wild, the Habs have had this game circled as it is their only game between the 12th and the 18th and picking up 2 points is critical for them in this one. Look for them to get revenge for a loss at Chicago earlier this season as the Canadiens have fallen victim to the Blackhawks in recent seasons and this is the perfect spot for payback. 10* MONTREAL

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Tuesday 8* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Wild have double revenge here as they were swept by the Capitals last season. Now they have Bruce Boudreau behind the bench as he came from Anaheim in the off-season. Of course he was a long-time coach for the Capitals and will want to make the most of this opportunity. Certainly he and Minnesota are catching the Caps at the right time to get a little payback. Washington has lost four straight games and the combined score of the games was 17-6 so it's not like the Capitals are just getting nipped. The Wild are off of a loss at Chicago Sunday and that is very significant because, dating all the way back to early December, Minnesota has lost back to back games just once - a span of 3+ months. Also, the Wild are a perfect 6-0 this season when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. The Capitals have lost 8 of 12 this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 8* MINNESOTA

Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Nashville Predators vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - Of course a total of 6 goals may seem high but when that number is put out there by odds makers it is certainly not without some justification. In this case, note that the Jets are actually a perfect 3-0 to the over this season in games where their posted total is set at 6 goals. Winnipeg comes into this game off of a 3-0 home shutout versus Calgary so a bounce back can be expected here. The Jets are taking on a Predators team that has lost 35 of 68 games this season and Winnipeg is 7-1 to the over in their last 8 games against teams with a losing record. The Jets also enter this game on a 3-game losing streak and that is a situation that has seen them go 18-11 to the over the L3 seasons. The Predators come into this one off of a 3-1 win at San Jose. Even though the Preds have won only a modest 6 of 11 games the past few weeks, the offensive production has been solid. Nashville has averaged 3.7 goals per game during this 11-game stretch. The Predators long-term problem has been keeping pucks out of their own net as they've allowed an average of 3.7 goals per game in their last 15 games. The Preds are hosting a Jets team that has lost 39 of 69 games this season and the over is 7-3 in Nashville's last 10 games against teams with a losing record. Also, the Predators have had just 6 unders in their 24 divisional games this season. That equates to just a 25% under rate when the Preds are facing a divisional opponents and I look for another wild one here as, before the Predators last 2 games were tight and low-scoring, 9 of the Preds last 11 games had totaled at least 7 goals! 10* OVER the total in Nashville

Rickenbach NHL 8* New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Even though the first game back after a long road trip can be tough on a home team, there are simply too many edges here for the Islanders and that is giving us great line value with the Isles available at a favorable price here on Monday. The Islanders has lost both games with the Hurricanes this season (including 5-4 here at home) so they have plenty of motivation for this game. Also, the Isles come into this game off a 4-3 loss at St Louis so they'll have plenty of hunger for a victory here. The Islanders, prior to the loss to the Blues, had won 16 of 25 games and the Isles have scored 3 goals or more in 21 of their last 27 games. Conversely, the Hurricanes have trouble scoring goals and that certainly could prove to be a difference maker here. The Canes have been held to 2 goals or less in 17 of their last 22 games! It's no wonder that Carolina has lost 16 of their last 22 games! On the season the Hurricanes have won just 6 of 17 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals and the Islanders have won 17 of 27 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Two teams going in opposite directions and a reasonable price being offered on the home fave here. Lay it! 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Rickenbach NHL 8* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-) @ Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets have had plenty of success against the Flyers in recent seasons but one rare exception to this long-term trend was in their most recent visit to Philly when they took a 6-0 beating from Philadelphia. That was in March of last season and certainly is a recent enough manhandling to know that Columbus hasn't forgotten. Couple that with the fact that the Blue Jackets are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin and you have a nice set up here. Columbus has won 7 of 10 this season when off of a loss by 2 goals or more. Also, the Jackets have won 22 of 34 games against teams with a losing record this season. The Flyers are back home after a 4-game road trip and that first game back can be tough. Note that Philly is 0-6 this season when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive road games. Also, the Flyers have lost 18 of 28 games against teams with a winning record this season. A lot of value with the short money line fave here. 8* COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Detroit Red Wings vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The last time these teams met it was a 1-0 win for the Rangers at Detroit. That was nearly two months ago though and much has changed since then. The Red Wings, barring a miracle finish, are virtually assured of missing the post-season. The Rangers, barring an epic collapse, are virtually assured of a post-season berth. That said, look for this game to have a much different "feel" to it than the game back in January. The Rangers, after a rare tough stretch, got their offense back in gear with 8 goals in their last 2 games. However, their most recent game was a loss and so they'll bring plenty of energy for offensive zone chances in this one. The Rangers need all the goals they can get because they've allowed 4 goals or more in 4 of their last 7 games. As for the Red Wings, they've also had trouble keeping the puck out of their own net as they allowed 4 goals per game during a 4-game losing streak that finally came to an end with Detroit's 4-2 win versus Chicago Friday. The Red Wings, with that over versus the Hawks, are now 19-11 to the over in March games the past 3 seasons. The Rangers are 9-3 to the over when playing with 2 days of rest between games this season and will bring the extra effort here after the loss at Carolina Thursday. The result will be a fast-paced high-scoring contest completely unlike the January game. The Red Wings have nothing to lose so they'll go all out (and take chances which could expose the defense) in an effort to upset the Rangers here. As a result, plenty of goals in this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Detroit

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Sunday 8* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 12:35 ET - The road team has won all 3 match-ups this season and the Wild are looking to extend their lead in the division. I like the fact that Minnesota is in the midst of a road trip and off of a big comeback win at Florida where they rattled off 4 unanswered 3rd period goals. The Wild are in full "road trip mode" while the Blackhawks are back home after a quick one game trip and they've been bouncing around this month from home to Nashville then home again before going to Detroit and now home for a single game again before embarking on a 3-game road trip. The quirky schedule seems to have thrown Chicago off as they have lost 2 straight and what had been a red hot offense has stalled. Facing Minny is unlikely to help get that back on track as Minnesota knows the road to making the Stanley Cup Finals often goes through Chicago in the Western Conference. After losing each of the last two match-ups with the Blackhawks (both in Minny), look for the Wild to respond on the road here. Chicago has lost 8 of 13 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Wild have won 17 of 23 games against teams with a winning record this season. By comparison, the Blackhawks have only won 11 of 23 games against teams with a winning record this season. Value with the road dog here. 8* MINNESOTA

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #15 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - This line looked a little "funny" as it opened up at a pick'em price even though Blues have the home ice edge. Sure enough, many are now backing the home team here as the St Louis money line is getting plenty of attention from the betting markets. I am well aware of the fact that the Blues have won 3 straight games and have actually fared well in most back to back situations this season. However, St Louis more recently has not impressed. Prior to this 3-game mini-run the Blues had lost 5 straight games. Also, believe it or not, St Louis has not won consecutive home games since November 28th and December 1st. Overall, the Blues have lost 8 of 13 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season and I look for the high-scoring Islanders to give them trouble here. The Isles have excelled as it relates to longer road trips and have won 21 of 29 the last 3 seasons combined when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Look for more of the same tonight as the Isles have scored 4 goals or more in 9 of their last 18 games. By comparison, prior to scoring 4 goals last night, the Blues had averaged only 1.6 goals per game in their last 7 games! Road rout on tap with the more rested team here as St Louis again fails to win a home game when they enter having won their most recent home contest. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Saturday 8* Nashville Predators Money Line (+140) @ San Jose Sharks @ 4:05 ET - Essentially this is the Predators game of the year. They have lost four straight games (many tight defeats) and they are desperate for points in the standings. That said, facing a nemesis should bring out the best in the Preds. Nashville was eliminated from the post-season by the Sharks last season and then lost bad, 4-1 at San Jose, in their only match-up so far this season. That said, the Predators are going to bring a "game of the season" type effort here and I love the underdog value here with a quality hockey club! The Preds tight loss at Los Angeles Thursday night was the 1st time this season that they have lost a 4th straight game. Nashville had been 3-0 in that situation so far this season. Look for the Predators to respond big here. The Sharks have been hot but, from a situational perspective (off of a win over a top tier opponent - Washington), San Jose is simply not going to be able to match the intensity of the Preds in this game and that will prove to be the difference here. Who wants it more? You guessed it! 8* NASHVILLE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Saturday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 1:05 ET - The Flyers are off of back to back overs and have just one under in their last six games played away from Philly. The Bruins are also off of back to back overs and have not had an under in three straight games. When these teams most recently met it was a 6-3 win for the home team in Boston. 9 goals in that game and we need just 6 to win today and the over is available at solid plus money. I'll take it! 7 of Boston's last 8 games against teams with a losing record have gone over the total. The Flyers have allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 6 games played away from Philly and the Bruins are off of a big divisional win that could leave them a little flat on the defensive end as they are over-confident after the 6-1 win over the Red Wings. 8* OVER 5.5 (+120) in Boston

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are off of wins but, for the Flyers it appears they could be turning the corner with wins in 3 of their last 4 games. As for the Maple Leafs, they had lost 5 straight games before the win over division rival Detroit on Tuesday. That said, and considering the Red Wings are "tanking the season" anyway at this point, I am not impressed with Toronto's current level of play and feel they are way over-priced here. In addition to line value here, we certainly have some technical support for this play as well. The Leafs have lost 49 of 80 the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a divisional game. Also, Toronto had allowed 31 goals in their last 9 games (an average of 3.5 goals per game!) before holding the floundering Red Wings to just 2 goals Tuesday. As for the Flyers, they have allowed a total of only 6 goals in their last 4 games - an average of just 1.5 goals per game. Grab the solid underdog value here. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:35 ET - Both these teams are off of tight, low-scoring losses. That said, I like the fact that both had been scoring goals quite well before their recent defeats. The Bolts had averaged over 3 goals a game and won 6 of 9 before getting shutout by the Rangers Monday. The Wild had won 5 of 7 and averaged about 3.5 goals per game before a home loss to the Blues by a 2-1 count Tuesday. Minnesota is 15-6 to the over this season when off of a divisional game and the Wild have gone 10-3 to the over in their last 13 games against teams with a losing record this season. The Lightning are 11-7 to the over when off of a game where they were held to one goal or less this season. After being shutout on their home ice, I look for a big response from the Bolts in this one. In a late-season non-conference game both teams push hard for points and take more risk because they don't have to worry about the other teams points costing them in the standings since they are in different conferences. This does change the flow of the game in a situation like this and I do expect this one to play out with plenty of scoring chances afforded for both clubs. The Wild do have some injury/illness issues impacting their blue line and this should turn into a high-scoring barnburner. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Sweeper Pass - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - Both teams are off of big wins but the Senators have now won 3 straight and 9 of their last 13. That is in stark contrast to a Stars team that just won back to back games for only the 3rd time in 2017. Indeed it's been tough times for Dallas and the Stars have managed 3 straight wins only 1 time this entire season! Though they are trying to rectify things late in the season they are facing a tough Ottawa club here that is offering us great line value as a small road dog in this spot. The Sens are the much better team in terms of goals allowed per game and the Stars come into this one having lost 12 of 13 games this season when they are off of a game they won by a margin of 2 goals or more! Also, Dallas has lost 19 of 27 games this season against teams with a winning record. The Senators have won 44 of 78 (+$16,500) non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined and I look for the Sens to again hold the upper hand here as they can go "all out" here with only Arizona and Colorado (2 of the worst teams in the league) on deck. 8* OTTAWA

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #12 Tuesday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 9:05 ET - These are two of the worst teams in the league and the Hurricanes are over-priced in my opinion. Though it may seem hard to back the Avs, note that prior to their home loss to the Blues Sunday, Colorado had been a respectable 3-3 in their last 6 games on home ice. The Hurricanes are a pricey favorite here considering that they had lost 9 of 10 before sneaking by the Coyotes on the road Sunday. Carolina is over-priced here considering they are on the road where they have lost 13 of 15 games with a posted total of 5 goals this season. Colorado is 10-1-2 in its last 13 home games against the Hurricanes and the Avalanche also just won at Carolina about 2 and a half weeks ago. There is not enough disparity or motivational differences between these two clubs to justify the Canes being priced the way they are. Look for the Canes to bounce back off of a home shutout loss by getting the big home win here. 8* COLORADO money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Florida Panthers vs New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - The Rangers have not been scoring goals and embarrassed me badly last night. However, even though it was a scoreless game in regulation, the fact that the Rangers broke through for the eventual shutout win could give them a much needed boost heading into Florida. The over is 12-4 the past 3 seasons when the Rangers are off of a shutout win. Also, New York is playing this game with home loss revenge and that is a situation that has seen the Rangers go 26-15 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. The Panthers are off of a 2-1 loss for the 3rd time in the last 4 games. They've had two days off to get fired up about how anemic their offense has been and the fact that they need to get back on track. Florida is 16-9 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record and the Panthers are 5-2 to the over this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Time for scoring, finally, for both of these clubs again as each has proven fully capable as recent as just a few weeks ago but both have fallen short of expectations since then. Plenty of emphasis on offensive zone chances in this one. 8* OVER the total in Florida

Contrarian Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+105) in Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers - Because the Rangers have struggled to score goals recently, they are fully focused on that as they head to Tampa Bay. Look for New York to put plenty of pucks on net in this one as they fight hard after a 4-1 home loss to the Canadiens. The Lightning are off of a tight 2-1 win at Buffalo but, prior to this, the Bolts had allowed 3 goals or more in 3 of their last 4 games. Also, TB had been on a 3-0 run to the over prior to facing the Sabres. Tampa Bay has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 5 home games and the Rangers have now given up 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games and NY's games have stayed under the total just 8 times in their last 32 games. Lundqvist has only an .894 save percentage in his last 4 games and Vasilevskiy home starts are 10-5 to the over this season. With the Lightning playing with a ton of confidence and scoring extremely well in recent home games, and the Rangers coming into this one fully focused on increasing scoring chances, look for this one to play out with at least 6 goals potted. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+105) in Tampa Bay Monday

Ugly Best Bet - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Arizona Coyotes vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:35 ET - Two of the worst teams in the league and playoff hopes have long ago vanished for these two clubs. Couple that with the fact that this is a non-conference match-up and very little animosity between the teams and you have the perfect set-up for a wide-open late-season "meaningless game" with plenty of open ice and very little intensity on defense. Certainly neither team is a juggernaut when it comes to scoring goals but the way that both the Coyotes and Hurricanes are giving up goals, the lamp should get lit early and often in this one. Carolina has given up 3 goals or more in 17 of its last 22 games. Arizona has given up 3.5 goals per game on average over their last 21 games. Not surprisingly, given those numbers, the Coyotes have stayed under the total in only 4 of their last 21 games! Prior to their 4-2 win (against the Hurricanes Friday in Carolina) the Yotes had allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 9 games. They'll be "in for it" tonight as the Canes seek revenge and will bring plenty of offensive zone pressure. Keep in mind, the Hurricanes did generate 34 shots on goal in that game and they've averaged 34 shots on goal per game over their last 7 games. The over is 27-19 the L3 seasons combined when the Canes are playing with home loss revenge. The last 9 Coyotes games against teams with a losing record have resulted in only 2 unders. Look for that trend to continue here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Arizona Sunday night

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #12 Sunday 8* Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Avalanche have struggled badly this season and there is no doubt about that. However, at home as a dog in this price range and facing a team that will be squeezing the sticks too tight (Blues have lost 5 straight and are feeling the pressures of a playoff race), there is now way I am passing up the value on the undervalued home dog in this one! Colorado is "only" 3-3 in their last 6 home games but they won all 3 of those games by multiple goal margins. Historically the Avs are a "different team" on home ice and they've been showing that again over the past month. The Blues have averaged scoring just 1.2 goals per game during their 5-game losing streak and this type of offensive futility truly plays hell with a team's psyche. That makes the Avalanche a very dangerous undervalued dog in this spot. The Blues have lost 10 of 15 this season when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. St Louis also has lost 11 of 15 this season in road games where the total is posted at 5 goals. Colorado is "only" 32-27 the past 3 seasons combined when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less but, as a dog in many of those situations, the results has been $15,400 in net profits for Avs backers in that situation. 8* COLORADO AVALANCHE on the money line Sunday evening

OVER 5.5 goals in Nashville - Chicago is off of a surprisingly low-scoring win over the Islanders last night. Prior to that 2-1 victory, the Blackhawks had scored 4 goals or more in 10 of their last 11 games! Look for their potent offense to kick into high gear again in this back to back spot. The Hawks have had 11 back to backs so far this season and only 3 of the 2nd games of a back to back have stayed under the total thusfar. Also, Chicago is still on a 17-6-2 run to the over their last 25 games even after last night's rare under. The Predators are 11-4 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, the over is 18-9-3 in Nashville's last 30 games and the Preds are 14-6 to the over in divisional action this season. The Predators are off of a tight 2-1 loss at Montreal Thursday that snapped a streak of 11 straight overs in Nashville games. They are likely to begin a new "over streak" here as they are 8-3 to the over this season when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. Also, the Preds are playing this game with revenge from a 5-2 loss at Chicago in January and the over is 17-8 this season in Nashville's games where they are playing with revenge. Look for this divisional battle, though intense, to still feature plenty of fireworks on offense as both teams had been scoring goals like crazy before their most recent games were surprisingly low-scoring.

8* TAMPA BAY money line - Lightning off of loss that followed strong stretch where they won 7 of 10. Sabres off of a win that followed a 4-game losing streak. Tampa Bay will be hungrier than Buffalo as the Bolts come in off of last night's loss at Pittsburgh and Buffalo quickly reverts to some sub-par play typical of what had led to the four straight losses. TB has won 45 of 69 the L3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Sabres have lost 11 of 15 when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. 

8* OVER 6 goals in Winnipeg - The Jets got a rare shutout win versus St Louis last night. The Avalanche, after a rare shutout loss at Philly Tuesday, struggled again in a 2-1 loss at Ottawa Thursday. Even with all these low totals resulting recently, the odds makers hung a 6 on this O/U with plenty of good reason. The Avs had given up 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 11 games before allowing just 2 goals to the Senators Thursday. The Avalanche have had just 4 unders in 14 Saturday games this season. As for the Jets, even with last night's under, the over is still 20-7-1 in their last 28 games. Also, last night's shutout was the 5th for Winnipeg this season and so far they've had just 1 under follow up a shutout win this season. In their 11 Saturday games this season only 3 have resulted in an under and 5 of the Jets last 6 games against teams with a losing record having gone over the total. More of the same Saturday. 

Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Islanders @ 8:35 ET - Off of a huge 4-1 win versus Pittsburgh that stayed under the total, look for a let-up from the Blackhawks in this game. It's simply inevitable after knocking off the Stanley Cup champs. However, the Islanders have been giving up a ton of goals so even after they get a few on the Hawks, I expect Chicago to answer. The Islanders have given up 3.5 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Blackhawks, incredibly, have scored 4 goals or more in 10 of their last 11 games! The Islanders have scored at least 3 goals in 18 of their last 23 games. Chicago is likely to be missing a couple of blue liners for this game too. The Isles are off of a big 5-4 win at Dallas and have won 8 of their last 12 games. With the Blackhawks having won 10 of their last 11, this is a match-up of two very confident teams and it's non-conference action where teams are known to play a little more aggressively on offense as they don't have to worry about a 4 point swing in the standings (as is possible in intra-conference matchups). The goals keep piling up and I'll take advantage of this total not being posted at a full 6 because, the way these two teams have been scoring goals, this should be a barnburner at the United Center. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago

Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - Both teams come in off of some tough recent action and looking to get back on track. The problem for the Blues (4-game losing streak) is they haven't been scoring goals but the Jets should help resolve that issue. However, one thing Winnipeg can do (even in losses) is score plenty. The Jets are off of back to back losses that both featured a ton of goals. Winnipeg has average scoring nearly 4 goals a game in their last 6 games but they've also allowed 4 goals or more in 7 of their last 10 games. Going further back, it's been 3 or more goals allowed for the Jets in 18 of their last 21 games. It's no wonder the over is 20-6-1 in Winnipeg's last 27 games overall! I look for more of the same tonight as the Blues come into this one hungry and have averaged 3 goals per game in their last 6 road games. In 10 games playing with home revenge this season St Louis has only stayed under 3 times. The last 2 meetings between these teams each totaled 8 goals. Look for more of the same Friday night. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg

Rickenbach NHL Friday 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins have lost back to back games and have now lost 4 of their last 6 overall. The Lightning have won back to back games and how now won 7 of their last 10 games. The kicker here is that the Pens ousted the Bolts from the post-season in the Eastern Conference finals last May. Tampa Bay has wanted revenge for a long time because they failed to get the job done in their first two games against the Pens this season (one early Dec and one early Jan). Now Tampa has finally been playing the way they've been expected to after struggling for much of the season. As for the Pens, they've stumbled a bit of late. The result is that this is the perfect spot for a big upset. Tampa Bay has already won 9 of 14 road games this season with a posted total of 5.5 goals. 8* TAMPA BAY money line Friday

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - Both teams come in on winning streaks but the Predators have averaged 4 goals per game their last 11 games while the Canadiens have scored a TOTAL of just 4 goals in their last 5 home games! As you can see from those numbers we are getting great line value here with underdog Nashville. The red hot Preds have revenge on their minds as they lost at home to Montreal in early January. Prior to that Nashville had won the last 2 meetings by a combined score of 7-2. A lot of value is given to home ice in NHL match-ups but the road team has outshot the home team in each of the last 3 meetings by a combined tally of 109-71 in shots on goal. The Predators have won 12 of 19 when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more this season. The Preds also have won 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The Habs have lost 10 of 16 (and cost backers $6,700 at $1K a game) when they are off of a shutout win. After a revenging 1-0 win over Columbus on Tuesday, look for Montreal to fall flat tonight against the red hot offense of the revenge-minded Predators. 10* NASHVILLE money line Thursday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Thursday 8* Arizona Coyotes Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - This is as much a play against the Sabres as it is a play on the Coyotes. The fact is that Buffalo is laying a very sizable price here considering that the Sabres have lost 4 straight games plus allowed 18 goals in those 4 games. While it may be tempting to back Buffalo and look for them to stop their losing streak, they've actually lost 35 of 53 games when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, the Sabres have lost 11 of 14 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more! The Coyotes are off of a loss at Boston but, as bad as their full season record is, Arizona had won 9 of its last 16 games before that loss to the red hot Bruins. The point is that the Coyotes have been a much better team over the last 6 weeks than what their full season record shows. The Sabres are simply over-priced here and I am going to grab the underdog value with Arizona. The Coyotes just beat Buffalo last week out west and just because the Sabres on home ice does not mean things will change. In fact, Buffalo has allowed 4 goals or more in 5 of its last 7 home games! 8* ARIZONA COYOTES money line early Thursday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - I lost with the Hurricanes last night as they tied the Panthers in regulation but, after a scoreless OT, lost in the shootout. I won't hesitate to come right back with the "ugly dog" again tonight as they catch the Lightning in a tough spot. Even though this is a back to back spot for Carolina, one could argue that the scheduling situation favors the Canes. The Lightning are off of a huge 5-1 home win versus Ottawa Monday and the Bolts have not done well in this situation this year. When off of a game where they won by a margin of 2 goals or more, they've lost 14 of 19. There is simply a natural tendency for a team to let up after a big win like that. Compounding the tough situation for the Lightning however is that they have a huge game on deck with the Penguins. Not only are the Pens the defending Stanley Cup champions but Pittsburgh got there by knocking off Tampa Bay in an Eastern Conference finals that went the full 7 games last year! Tampa can't help but to be peeking ahead and the big game that looms with the Pens for Friday night. The Lightning got a big performance from Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes Monday but they have lost 11 of 14 (including 8 of their last 9) when they are off of a game where they allowed 1 goal or less this season! Even though the Canes are off of a tough loss last night, they've certainly had some tough "puck luck" in recent games as, prior to losing in the shootout last night, they had outshot 4 straight opponents by a combined margin of 146 to 111. Also, the Hurricanes have won 7 of 10 this season when in the 2nd game of a back to back situation. Indeed this is the perfect spot for an upset Wednesday night. 8* CAROLINA

Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Tuesday 8* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+115) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - St Louis has now lost 3 straight games as playoff pressure seems to be getting the best of them. I'll gladly fade the Blues here with an Oilers team that is playing their final game until Saturday and that has fit the definition of "road warrior" this season. Edmonton has 18 road wins this season and only one team in the West (Chicago) and one team in the East (Rangers) has managed to amass more wins away from home. The Oilers are off of a tough 5-4 loss to the Predators and Edmonton has won 11 of 17 games this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The Blues have lost 94 of 158 when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive losses. In other words, when things start to disintegrate for the Blues they often find it tough to pull it back together. What makes this situation even stronger for Edmonton is the fact that they scored 4 goals and yet still lost their most recent game. They'll be fired up here. Also, the Oilers have won each of the last 3 meetings between the clubs including the most recent battle in St Louis so there is no shortage of confidence here. The road team has outshot the home team 70 to 50 in the last two meetings between these clubs and I look for the Oilers to "carry play" in this one as well. 8* EDMONTON +115 on the money line Tuesday night

Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Tuesday 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+140) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - The Panthers are laying a sizable price here considering they have lost 4 straight home games. After a loss in their last home game before a long road trip, Florida rattled off 5 straight wins for a perfect 5-0 road trip. Now that the Panthers are back home, it's almost as if they're putting too much pressure on themselves and squeezing the sticks a little  too tight. Until that trend reverses, there is value in going against them. Carolina comes into this game off of a 3-1 home loss to Calgary but that followed a 3-0 shutout win over Ottawa. For the Hurricanes the loss to the Flames Sunday was just the 2nd time in 9 games this season that they've lost a game when they enter the match-up having played each of their 3 prior games at home. Look for the Canes to make it 8 out of 10 on the season with a win here as getting back on the road rejuvenates this team. The Panthers have lost 13 of 21 this season when off of a divisional game. Look for slumping Florida to drop to 3-9 on the season in Tuesday games as they continue to feel the pressure of the playoff race while the Canes come into this one relaxed and happy to play the role of spoiler. 8* CAROLINA +140 on the money line early Tuesday evening

Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+130) in Philadelphia Flyers vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers can't afford to sit back their heels anymore. Philly has scored a total of just 13 goals in their last 9 games and it's killed them as they've lost 7 of 9. They've now had 2 days off to think about it and their only game in the past 5 days was the outdoor loss at Pittsburgh Saturday. The Flyers have allowed 4 goals or more in 3 of their last 4 games but their emphasis here will be on pushing the pace and scoring some goals. That said, it's going to open up some scoring chances for a Colorado team that is off of a 5-3 win versus Buffalo Saturday. The Avs have had a tough season and they've allowed 3 goals or more in 7 of their last 10 games and will be tested early and often here. The over is 6-2 this season (and 22-12 the L3 seasons) when Colorado is playing with two days of rest between games. The over is 14-8 this season in Philly's non-conference games this season and also the Flyers are 10-6 to the over this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Great value here with the big plus money on the over in  this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+130) in Philadelphia

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Senators they have actually won 5 of 8 this season in the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, even though the Lightning are on home ice here I am not so sure the dealing of Ben Bishop to the Kings is going to have such a positive impact on Tampa Bay! Yes, the Bolts are officially giving the starting goalie spot to Andrei Vasilevskiy and, while that may not be an issue per se, what I believe is an issue is that the Lightning (whether they admit to it or not) are being told they are sellers rather than buyers as the trade deadline approaches. As a result, I would not be surprised to see the Lightning come up with a somewhat disappointing effort tonight and that will likely lead to a major upset here. The line has risen all day long on Tampa Bay in this one but the Bolts are hosting a Sens team that has significantly closed the gap in the division at the top. Ottawa is making a serious run at Montreal and the Senators won't slow down here. After all, the Sens have a couple days off after this game and then settle in for some home games. So they'll go all out tonight and this is a Senators team that has won 6 of its last 9 games. The Lightning have lost 25 of their last 39 games and they've lost 17 of 28 this season against teams with a winning record. The road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these teams and the Bolts have lost 8 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge so look for the recent road dominance in this series to continue here. Grab the tremendous value with the big dog. 8* OTTAWA SENATORS money line early Monday evening 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Monday 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Montreal is off of an OT win versus a divisional rival plus they have a tough game on deck tomorrow night at Columbus. New Jersey is off of an OT loss and they don't play again until Thursday so they're fully focused on getting a W here in what is their final game before the trade deadline. Also, the Devils have lost 3 straight meetings with the Habs so they have payback on their minds here. Another reasons to like the Devils here is they have not allowed more than 2 goals in back to back games since it happened 4 weeks ago. That is significant here because they are off of a 4-3 loss to the Rangers where they blew a 3-2 lead and so I look for the Devils to bounce back (as they have been) and allow 2 goals or less in this game. The key with that magic number of 2 is that the Canadiens have lost 14 straight games when they are held to 2 goals or less. This is the Devils final home game until Sunday and, off of 3 straight losses, look for New Jersey to come out with plenty of energy and emotion in this one. The Canadiens, before a tight win over the Leafs, had lost 8 of their last 10 games and they'll get caught looking ahead to a shot at revenge tomorrow night as they host the Blue Jackets for the first time this season. Remember at Columbus they got thoroughly embarrassed 10-0 earlier this season and they have lost both match-ups with the Jackets so far on the season. 8* NEW JERSEY DEVILS money line early Monday evening

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Carolina Hurricanes vs Calgary Flames @ 3:05 ET - It has been confirmed that Eddie Lack is again getting the start for the Hurricanes. He is off of a shutout win versus Ottawa Friday and, ironically, Lack's only other win this season came all the way back in October at Calgary. That shows you how sparingly that he has been used this season and, coming off of a shutout win, don't be surprised if he struggles in this start. He's facing a revenge-minded Flames team that has won 8 of its last 11 games and scored an average of nearly 4 goals per game in the 8 victories. Calgary's 2-goalie system has produced back to back games where the Flames have allowed just 2 goals in each game. However, it has been over a month since Calgary has allowed less than 3 goals in 3 straight games. In other words, don't be surprised if there is a slip-up here. The Hurricanes mantra right now is putting an emphasis on offensive zone chances while also trying to minimize risk going the other way. The trouble with that is that it is a tall order. With the Canes off of a shutout win, look for them to again get 3 goals more here but, this time, their opponent answers them goal for goal. Look for the over to improve to 8-4 the last 12 times these teams have met in Carolina. Hurricanes are emphasizing offensive production as they had struggled badly to score goals in recent games before potting 3 on Friday. The Flames are one of the hottest teams in the league and scoring goals in bunches. More of the same here as Lack quickly gets a 'reality check' this afternoon. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Carolina

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Stars vs Boston Bruins @ 12:35 ET - Last season the two games between these teams totaled 18 goals - an average of 9 per game! Look for another wild one Sunday as the Bruins have won 8 of their last 11 games thanks to an uptick in offensive production that has seen them average scoring 4 goals per game during this red hot run. As for the Stars, they are off of a 5-2 win versus Arizona Friday. While they do possess a dangerous offense, that was just the 2nd time since January 12th that the Stars had allowed less than 3 goals in a game. Dallas gave up 3.6 goals during the 12 games in between and they'll struggle again to keep pucks out of their own net against the sharp-shooting Bruins. The strength for Dallas is an offense that has averaged 4 goals per game in their 12 home games since the calendar hit 2017. As the Stars have gotten healthier so too has their offensive production. More of the same Sunday. The over is 10-1 in the last 11 home games for Dallas. Also, the over is a perfect 5-0 in the Bruins last 5 games against teams with a losing record. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas