Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #10 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The reason this is a contrarian play is because many will back the Canadiens here simply based on their long history of success against the Maple Leafs. This is actually helping to make this the perfect spot to back Toronto because the line is being held lower than it should be because of Montreal's past successes in this match-up. The Maple Leafs have a great shot at finally getting into the win column against the Habs as Montreal still "can't get right" even after the coaching change. Overall it is a long, ugly stretch that has seen the Canadiens lose 8 of their last 10 games. The Leafs come into this game off of a tight loss that has them fired up as they previously had won a respectable 16 of their last 28 games. For the Leafs, that type of a stretch is progress and Toronto has won 9 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Conversely, Montreal has lost 8 of its last 12 games against teams with a losing record! The Maple Leafs have outshot the Habs in all 3 match-ups this season so they've been on the cusp of turning the corner against a hated rival. On Saturday I foresee them indeed finally turning the corner! Great line value here with the team playing the better hockey and not going through a transitional phase! 10* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Saturday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 5:05 ET - The Islanders have won 3 straight games and 7 of their last 10. The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, truly haven't been the same team since their long winning streak ended in early January. Since then, Columbus has lost 12 of its last 22 games. That is giving us some nice underdog value here with a confidence and focused Isles team that is playing its best hockey of the season. The Islanders have won 6 of the last 7 meetings between the clubs and home ice hasn't meant a lot to the Blue Jackets either as the Isles have won 4 of the last 6 meetings in Columbus. The Islanders also come into this game having won 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. The Jackets have lost 46 of 75 when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more and I look for their struggles to continue here. 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Florida Panthers vs Calgary Flames @ 7:35 ET - The Panthers have won 8 of their last 10 games but the Flames have won 7 of their 10 after last night's 3-2 win at Tampa Bay. In a match-up of two teams playing with plenty of confidence and scoring goals at a high rate, I am going with the over in this one. Calgary has scored at least 3 goals in 8 of its last 10 games while Florida has averaged 3.8 goals per game during their 8-2 hot streak. The Panthers are seeking revenge for a 5-2 loss at Calgary January 17th but the Flames offense will be tough for Florida to slow down. Calgary has scored 14 goals in their last 3 meetings with Roberto Luongo and the Panthers. The veteran netminder is expected to get the start tonight and he has an ugly .874 save percentage in his last 4 games (3 starts). The over is 7-3 in his starts against non-conference opponents this season. Also, the over is a perfect 5-0 in the last 5 meetings between these teams. The over has gone 15-8 this season in Florida's games against teams with a winning record. Florida just recently got back from a rare perfect 5-0 road trip out west and the fact they are scoring more goals (thanks to the return of key personnel like Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau from the injured list) has certainly played a role in the Panthers resurgence. Look for Florida to enjoy success as Calgary is likely to go with back-up goalie Chad Johnson since this is a back-to-back spot. That means the Panthers will be getting a shot at a guy who has allowed 14 goals in his last 4 starts while compiling a horrific .825 save percentage.  I look for another high-scoring match-up here given the situation and the added value with the plus money return on the over in this one has me going to my highest rating for this Friday beauty. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Florida

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Arizona Coyotes @ 8:35 ET - Red hot Chicago has won 7 of their last 8 games and they have scored at least 4 goals in all 7 of those victories! It all began with a 4-3 win at Arizona to begin the month and certainly there is every reason to believe the Blackhawks will have another big game in terms of offensive production tonight. However, don't be surprised if the Coyotes hang around in this game. Arizona has scored at least 3 goals in 12 of its last 15 games! The Coyotes have had just 3 unders in their last 15 games and Chicago comes into this one having gone 14-3-1 to the over in their last 18 games. 6 of Arizona's last 8 games against teams with a winning record have resulted in an over. Chicago has gone over the total in 7 of its last 8 games against teams with a losing record. The Blackhawks also have averaged scoring 5 goals in their last 5 meetings with the Coyotes. Arizona has averaged 3 goals per game in its last 5 games against the Hawks. Considering Chicago is off of a big rivalry win over Minnesota and has a big game with rival St Louis on deck, don't be surprised if their defensive intensity is not at its best tonight. This is particularly likely because the Blackhawks have a history of success against the Coyotes so it's hard for the D to get particularly excited about this match-up. As a result, look for plenty of goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Thursday 8* OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - The Rangers have struggled recently to score goals and sometimes the best thing to shake a team from its doldrums when struggling is a road trip. The Rangers next two games are on the road and I look for them to snap back into shape as New York had scored at least 4 goals in an incredible 14 of 20 games before being held to a total of 9 goals in their last 4 games. Facing the Maple Leafs should certainly help the Rangers offense get back on track. The Leafs have allowed at least 4 goals in 7 of their last 11 games. While Toronto's weakness is keeping pucks out of their own net, one thing this team does do well is score plenty of goals. The Maple Leafs have erupted for 3.7 goals per game in their last 10 games and tonight's match-up clearly has the makings of a 4-3 type game (or even 5-4) and that is why the odds makers have set a lofty total of 6 on this game. The Rangers, in the 2nd half portion of a season schedule, when facing a team with a losing record have gone 24-12 to the over. The Leafs are 5-2 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. I look for a wild one at the Air Canada Centre Thursday. 8* OVER the total in Toronto

NBC Sports Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Wednesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - Many will be flocking to back the Capitals here as they are off of back to back losses. Of course Washington certainly is the better team as they are one of the top teams in the league while the Flyers are fighting hard just to remain relevant in the playoff race at this point in time. However, in typical contrarian fashion here (with quality reasoning to support it of course), I am fading the masses and backing Philadelphia in this one. In addition to the value of being a sizable dog on home ice, Philly also has revenge on their minds here. Not only were they knocked out of the post-season by the Capitals last April (Flyers did play them very tough by the way), Philadelphia also is looking to make up for one of the worst performances of this season. That occurred last month at Washington when the Flyers were drilled 5-0 in a listless effort right before going on their bye week. Philly and the Caps both come into this game well rested as the Flyers are playing just their 2nd game in the last 6 days while Washington just recently completed their bye week. However, I like catching Philadelphia off of a much-needed confidence boosting win and catching the Capitals questioning themselves a bit after back to back losses where they scored a total of just 3 goals. Believe it or not, the Caps do actually have a losing record in divisional action this season costing their backers 7.4 net units in those games! Philly has won 6 of their 9 home games with a posted total of 5 goals this season and Michal Neuvirth is expected to be between the pipes tonight. The Flyers are 7-3 in his home starts this season and he delivered phenomenal performances against the Capitals in last season's playoff series. Look for more of the same here on Wednesday! 8* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Florida Panthers vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:35 ET - The Panthers have won 8 of their last 9 games but the Oilers had won 3 straight before last night's ugly loss at Tampa Bay. In a match-up of two teams playing with plenty of confidence and scoring goals at a high rate, I am going with the over in this one. Edmonton had averaged 4.7 goals per game in their 3 games prior to last night's loss to the Bolts. Florida has averaged 3.9 goals per game during their 8-1 hot streak. The Panthers are seeking revenge for a 4-3 loss at Edmonton January 18th but the Oilers offense will be tough for Florida to slow down. The over is 34-23 the past 3 seasons when Edmonton is off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. The over is also 8-3 this season when the Oilers are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. For the Panthers, the over is 14-8 this season in their games against teams with a winning record. Florida just got back from a rare perfect 5-0 road trip out west. The Panthers, the past 3 seasons combined, are 22-13 to the over when they enter a contest having played each of their three prior games away from home. These teams have combined for at least 6 goals in each of their past two meetings and I look for another high-scoring match-up here given the situation. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Florida

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Tuesday 8* Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Big battle in terms of the playoff race and there is great line value with the underdog given the situation here. Nashville is off of a tight 4-3 win at Columbus Sunday and will now be playing their 3rd game in 4 nights! Also, the Predators haven't won back to back games since they were hot back in mid-January. Over the last 4 weeks Nashville has not been able to string together consecutive victories. The Flames come into this game off of a tight 2-1 loss at Vancouver Saturday. Prior to the loss to the Canucks, Calgary had won 5 of its past 7 games and the Flames have not lost back to back games since a poor stretch wrapped up about 4 weeks ago. When playing with 2 days of rest between games this season, Calgary has won 6 of 7 games. The Flames also have won 8 of 12 this season when playing with home loss revenge and they did lose to the Preds in Calgary last month. That was the 3rd time in the last 4 meetings between the clubs that the road team won and, in fact, the Flames have won each of their last 3 visits to Nashville. Off of a 2-1 loss to the Canucks, look for Calgary to respond here as they have won 12 of 17 this season when off of a game where they scored 1 goal or less. As for the Predators, they have lost 16 of 20 this season (and 48 of 71 the past 3 seasons) when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. 8* CALGARY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Tuesday 8* OVER 6 goals in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:35 ET - Surprisingly, the Jets are off of back to back unders. They have not had a streak of 3 straight unders since the calendar turned to 2017. In fact, prior to these last two games, the over was 18-4-1 in Winnipeg's last 23 games. As for Toronto, they are off of a rare shutout win as they won 4-0 at Carolina on Sunday. Prior to that surprising performance, the Maple Leafs had allowed 5 goals or more in 6 of their last 10 games. Each of the last 5 meetings between these teams has flown over the total and there is plenty of excitement with a high-scoring match-up anticipated here with young stars matched up again for the first time since a 5-4 Jets win in Winnipeg very early this season. Prior the Leafs game with the Hurricanes staying under the total, the over was 7-3 in Toronto's last 10 games. Though this total may seem high, it is deservedly set this high and the Maple Leafs are 4-2 to the over in home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. As for the Jets, the over is 2-0 this season in their road games this season with a posted total of 6 goals or more. In 25 non-conference games this season, Winnipeg has recorded just 8 unders! Look for a wild one tonight as the Jets and Maple Leafs are BOTH in the top ten of the league for goals scored AND for goals allowed this season! 8* OVER 6 goals in Toronto

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 8* Anaheim Ducks Money Line (-) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 9:05 ET - After opening up in the 160 range this line quickly dropped to the 135 range and, as long time followers know, I love dogs in the NHL but I also am all about line value. In this case, the drop in the price on the Ducks is offering fantastic line value. Even though Anaheim is in a back to back situation it is a very quick trip from southern California to Arizona and the Ducks are one of the top teams in the west while the Coyotes are one of the worst teams in the league. I am well aware of the fact that Arizona has been notching a few victories of late but, before outshooting the Sharks in Saturday's loss to San Jose, the Coyotes had been outshot in 6 straight games! The average margin of shots on goal in those 6 games saw Arizona at a deficit of 11 shots per game! This shows you how badly the Coyotes are often beaten in terms of getting pucks on net and the Ducks are hungry for back to back wins here. Anaheim has struggled recently for consistency but I look for them to make the most of this opportunity against a team they've beaten 5 straight times by an average score of 4 to 1. As you can see from those numbers, many of the wins have been blowouts and I am expecting a road rout here. Even though back-up goalie Jonathan Bernier is likely to get the start here, he has been rock solid in his 3 starts over the past 5 weeks. The Ducks, off of a 1-0 win yesterday, have won 10 of 14 this season when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. The Coyotes have lost 17 of 25 divisional games this season and also have lost 28 of 40 games when playing with revenge this season. Amazingly, when playing with home loss revenge the past 3 seasons combined, Arizona has lost 43 of 56 games. They are looking to the trade deadline as an opportunity to sell, sell, sell while the Ducks are focused on moving up the standings in the post-season race. That proves to be a big difference maker here in terms of focus and motivation on the ice in this one. 8* ANAHEIM DUCKS money line

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in St Louis Blues vs Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - Two of the hottest teams in the league leads to a game that, in my opinion, could go either way in terms of the side. However, the reason I believe this is because both clubs are so confident right now that they'll likely answer each other goal for goal in what should be a "see-saw" battle. The Panthers have won 7 of their last 8 games thanks in part to averaging 4.1 goals per game as Florida's offensive firepower has certainly been boosted with the return of some key personnel recently. As for the Blues, they had won 6 straight games and averaged 3.3 goals per game during this stretch before a tight 3-2 loss at Buffalo Saturday. The over is 22-12 the L3 seasons in Florida games when they enter having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. The over is also 14-7 this season in Panthers games against teams with a winning record. As for the Blues, the over is 8-4 in their home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. Also, the over is 8-1 in St Louis last 9 home games and they'll come out flying all over the ice in one. They've been rejuvenated by the Hitchcock firing and they'll also fired up after the road loss to the Sabres. That sets this one up well to be a highly entertaining game with plenty of goals as the Panthers come into this one red hot and firing on all cylinders. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in St Louis

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Sunday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 6:05 ET - It has been amazing how poorly teams have done after the mandatory bye week this season in the NHL. The Blackhawks won 5 straight games through last Saturday and then they were off all week and, sure enough, lost yesterday. That defeat for Chicago (versus Edmonton) will have the Hawks fired up to bounce back here. They're catching the Sabres red hot heading into their bye week which starts tomorrow. The Sabres have been getting strong goaltending from Robin Lehner but this is a back to back spot and he was in goal for yesterday's home win versus St Louis. With Buffalo playing a lot of games recently, this is a tough spot in terms of the goalie situation. Also, the Sabres are 0-2 this season (and 1-7 the L3 seasons combined!) when they enter a game on a 3-game winning streak. As you can see, Buffalo is not known for long losing streaks and they're in trouble here with Chicago coming into this game angry off of a loss. Also, the Sabres have lost 30 of 44 when in the 2nd game of a back to back and the Blackhawks also have a long winning streak going against Buffalo. Chicago comes into this game having won 22 of 32 games against teams with a losing record this season. Also, the Blackhawks have won 7 of 10 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and the Hawks have won 32 of 45 Sunday games the past 3 seasons combined. 10* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS on the money line

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Detroit Red Wings @ 3:05 ET - The juice on this over was much higher when the lines first came out. The fact that the juice is now in the pick'em range here make the over 5.5 an even stronger value here. The Red Wings are expected to start Petr Mrazek in goal again (won 3-2 yesterday) even though this is a back to back spot. That is always tough on a goalie but it is especially tough when the second game of a back to back is being played on the home ice of the defending Stanley Cup champs. Also, the Penguins are playing this game with revenge because they lost at Detroit last month. That 6-3 loss was the 5th straight time these teams have totaled at least 7 goals and, in fact, there has not been a single under in the last 8 meetings between these teams! The over is 14-7 in Penguins home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. Also, both of these teams are banged up on the blue line. That should help lead to plenty of scoring chances in this one and Pittsburgh had averaged 3.6 goals per game in their last 9 games before only scoring a single goal at Columbus Friday night. Bounce back time for the Penguins here but the Red Wings, rejuvenated by last night's win, will have a motor that won't stop in this one and that means plenty of goals in this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Sunday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals @ 12:35 ET - Like so many other teams have this season, the Capitals struggled coming out of their bye week and lost at Detroit yesterday. Before that 3-2 loss, Washington had won 6 straight games and, incredibly, had scored at least 5 goals in 12 of their 16 prior games. This type of offensive production is truly unheard of in today's NHL and I look for the Caps to get right back to their high-scoring ways early Sunday at New York. The Rangers should also do their fair share of scoring here as well as they are off of a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Islanders on Thursday. Prior to that loss the Rangers had won 6 straight games and they had averaged 3.6 goals per game in their last 4 games! The over is 9-2 this season when the Rangers are playing with 2 days of rest between games and also 15-5 in their games against teams with a winning record this season. The over is 6-3 this season in Capitals games when they are playing with home loss revenge. By the way, that 4-2 home loss to the Rangers way back in October was the 5th over in the last 6 meetings between these clubs. Look for more of the same early Sunday! 8* OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Saturday Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Kings @ 10:05 ET - Even though this is a back spot for Florida, they are the play here. They are on a tremendous surge thanks in part to the recent return of two of their top players, Jonathan Huberdeau and Alexander Barkov.  The Panthers have now won 6 of their last 7 games and the lone loss was to the Kings in Florida. In other words, this is a revenge spot for Florida and I expect them to get it. Keep in mind, even though this is a back to back LA and Anaheim are right next to each other in Southern California so no true travel was involved here. The Kings have but one win (that victory over the Panthers) in their last 4 games and Los Angeles has been outscored 15 to 3 in their other 3 games. Both of these teams are battling for playoff spots (one in the East and one in the West) but only one team is currently playing like a true contender and that is the Panthers. That said, I'll gladly grab the underdog value in this revenge spot. The Panthers have already won 9 of 13 Saturday games this season. The Kings have also fared well on Saturdays but they come into this game struggling and their goaltending has been a major issue of late. 10* FLORIDA PANTHERS money line

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Saturday 8* Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - These teams met twice last month and the road team took both meetings. Ottawa has actually won three straight games at Toronto and I expect them to make it 4 straight here against their division rival. The key is goaltending. While the Senators have allowed a TOTAL of only 5 goals in their last 4 games combined, the Maple Leafs have given up 5 goals or more in 5 of their last 9 games! Overall, Toronto has won just 3 times in their last 10 games while the Senators come into this game with 3 wins in their last 4 games! The Leafs are known for going into "swoons" at this time of year and have actually lost 22 of their last 32 February games. Toronto also enters this game winless in in its last 3 games against teams with a winning record. With these rivals located only a couple hundred miles apart, it is not much of a road trip and I look for the Sens winning ways to continue here as the Maple Leafs feel the pressure of needing this win on home ice while the Senators come in loose and relaxed for this game. That type of scenario makes for a dangerous underdog and the Sens certainly fit the bill in that regard for Hockey Night in Canada Saturday. 8* OTTAWA SENATORS money line 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Saturday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Montreal Canadiens vs Winnipeg Jets @ 2:05 ET - Even though the Canadiens appear to be in a good spot (rejuvenated by the coaching change to Claude Julien), the problem is that teams off of the bye week are 0-5 so far this month. Overall this season (first season with this new mandatory bye week) teams have struggled coming out of the bye. That's because they must spend time away from the ice as it is mandated by the league. That said, Canadiens were able to have only a brief practice yesterday with today's game being an afternoon start. They do appear to be rejuvenated and certainly will have fresh legs off of their break but don't be surprised if there are some breakdowns with all the line changes going on (Julien moving some players around) and that should lead to some good scoring chances for the Jets. With that said, Winnipeg's weakness is they can't keep the puck out of their own net. They've allowed 3 goals or more in 16 of their last 17 games. Not surprisingly, the over is 14-2-1 in those 17 games! Look for more of the same here as the Jets have scored 19 goals in their last 5 road games and they'll face a hungry Montreal team that is willing to push the pace in this one as they look for a big game in their first one with Julien behind the bench. The Canadiens are 12-6 to the over in non-conference games this season and the Jets are 14-6 to the over in non-conference games so far this season. The set-up here would indicate more of the same on Saturday afternoon and these teams are 3-0 to the over (with 23 goals scored) in their last 3 match-ups! 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Montreal

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Friday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are playing their 3rd game in 4 nights and this is a tough back to back situation for them. Pittsburgh had to battle hard to get past Winnipeg 4-3 in overtime last night. The Penguins also saw a couple of players leave yesterday's game with injury as both Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta were forced out with injuries in the 2nd period last night. Whether those players are able to go tonight or not the fact remains that the Penguins players are in a tough spot here considering the scheduling situation. The Blue Jackets were off yesterday, they are at home for this game, and they're playing it with revenge. The Pens did knock off the Jackets earlier this month but the Penguins have won just once in their last five visits to Columbus! The Blue Jackets will have #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky ready to go for this one after resting him Wednesday and he is 4-1 with a solid 2.16 GAA in his 5 home starts versus Pittsburgh since he came to Columbus in 2013. Certainly tonight's big divisional battle means a lot to both teams but certainly it is even bigger for the Blue Jackets as they want to make the most of hosting the Stanley Cup Champions just like they did in their only other home game with the Penguins this season: a 7-1 win on December 22nd. The Pens have lost 15 of 28 (-$8,600) Friday games the past 3 seasons while the Blue Jackets are a stellar 9-1 (+$9,400) on Fridays this season. Also, Columbus is a perfect 6-0 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. Look for the Jackets to get the job done in what is game 5 of a 7-game homestand as that record extends to 7-0 on the season. 10* COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Edmonton Oilers @ 9:05 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Flyers it is not a tough travel spot as they Calgary to Edmonton is a short trip. Also, the Flyers schedule has been light prior to this and, after this game, the Flyers have 2 days off then a game then another 2 days off then a game and then yet another 2 days off before their outdoor game at Pittsburgh. That said, with the Flyers off of a loss last night and desperate to pick up points in the standings, I expect a huge game from them here. They catch Edmonton off of a win but the Oilers had previously lost 4 of their last 5 games and averaged only 1 goal per game in those 5 games. That said, the Oilers also have a big game road trip on deck which begins with a revenge game versus the Blackhawks in Chicago on Saturday. Don't be surprised if the Flyers come out as the better skating team and much more aggressive hockey club given the scheduling dynamics of this situation. Philly has won 8 of their last 12 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back this season and the Oilers have lost 21 of their last 32 February games. The Flyers have allowed just 1.9 goals per game in their last 10 games while Edmonton, before their win over Arizona, had lost 3 straight home games by a combined score of 13-5. This situation is set up perfectly for the upset. 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Thursday 8* OVER 6 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins recently welcomed back Evgeni Malkin from injury and the Pens easily could have scored more than the 4 goals that they did in the shutout win versus Vancouver on Tuesday. In Pittsburgh again tonight look for Malkin, Sidney Crosby and company to erupt for a huge game against the Jets. Winnipeg has been without #1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec due to a lower body injury and the Jets, prior to a 5-2 in their most recent game, had allowed 4.5 goals per game during an ugly 4-game losing streak. The over is 13-2-1 in Winnipeg's last 16 games and the Jets have allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game during this 5-week stretch of subpar defense and goaltending. At least the Jets got their offense back on track in their 5-2 win over the Stars on Tuesday and Winnipeg is 13-6-3 to the over in non-conference games this season. The Penguins, off of an under due to a shutout win, have gone 16-4 to the over this season when they are off of a win by a multiple goal margin. Their record after wins by 2 goals or more the past 3 seasons combined is 44-24 to the over. More of the same expected tonight. 8* OVER 6 goals in Pittsburgh

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (-) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 8:05 ET - This is a classic case of hot versus not and I look for St Louis to keep rolling. The Blues have responded well since the firing of Ken Hitchcock and they head to Joe Louis Arena on a 4-game winning streak. Also, the Blues have not just been winning they've been getting the job done in blowout fashion. St Louis has won 4 straight by a combined score of 14-3 and the Blues last 6 wins have been by a combined margin of 18 goals (22-4). While the Red Wings will do their best to put up a fight (particularly on home ice) they are short-handed with some injury issues (and a possible suspension) and note that the road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these clubs. Detroit has lost 4 straight games and the Red Wings have given up 4 goals or more in 6 of their last 9 games. Conversely, Blues goalie Jake Allen comes into this game on a red hot run. The Red Wings have lost 32 of their last 48 games while the Blues are playing some of their best hockey this season. Even though Detroit is well rested here, they have actually lost 27 of their last 43 when they enter a game with 2 days of rest. The Blues have won 21 of 33 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals and they are positioned well to get another one here. 10* Top Play ST LOUIS BLUES money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - The odds makers hung a 6 on this game with good reason. First instinct would be to question it as the Maple Leafs had stayed under the total in 3 straight games before yesterday's 7-1 win versus the Islanders while the Blue Jackets have stayed under in 4 straight games heading into this one. However, don't be fooled by the big total on this game. Both of these hockey clubs are loaded with firepower offensively and the Maple Leafs used their #1 goalie last night. That means the back-up gets the call here and Curtis McElhinney is a former Blue Jacket who has since had success in match-ups going against his former team but he's facing Columbus at the wrong time. With just 3 wins in their last 9 games the Blue Jackets are going to bring a huge effort tonight and really pound him with shots. The over is 3-1-1 this season when the Blue Jackets enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. The over is 4-0 in the Maple Leafs last 4 road games. Look for that streak to make it 5-0 tonight! 8* OVER in Columbus 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Tuesday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are coached by former Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau and so far the Minnesota head coach has gotten revenge on his former team twice already this season. I expect the 3rd time to be the charm for the Ducks players as they now get revenge on the former Anaheim coach. The Ducks are off of an ugly 6-4 loss at Washington Saturday but may have been peeking ahead at this game. Anaheim has won 9 of 11 games this season when they are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. The Ducks did outshoot the Wild in their loss at Minnesota in late January. Make no mistake the Wild have been playing solid hockey but they have been giving up quite a few goals. In other words, they've been on the edge of getting knocked off had they not scored a pile of goals themselves. That is significant here because the Ducks had allowed an average of only 2.4 goals per game in their 5 games prior to losing badly at Washington. As for the Wild, even though they've won 4 of their last 6 games they've allowed an average of 3 goals per game during this stretch. Look for the revenge-minded Ducks to prove to be the hungrier team here and Minnesota has had some injury issues become quite impacting to their blue line as some defensemen are dealing with injuries. This is definitely a contrarian play but it is a situation offering tremendous line value and appears to be the perfect spot for an upset! 10* Top Play ANAHEIM DUCKS money line 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Evgeni Malkin is expected back for the Penguins tonight. He looked great in practice yesterday and the return of one of the game's best is likely to lead to an offensive onslaught from a Pittsburgh team that is off of a 4-3 loss at Arizona Saturday. Malkin was originally expected back for that game but was a late scratch. The reason I like the over here is not just because of the Pens prohibitive money line price in this one. The fact is that they've allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 8 games and Vancouver comes into this one having scored 10 goals in their last 3 games. The Canucks should be able to find the back of the net their fair share of times in this one and this could be another 5-4 game like the most recent meeting was between these clubs in January of last year. Pittsburgh comes into this game 14-6 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, the Penguins are 6-1 to the over when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest this season. The over is 4-1 so far this month for the Canucks and Vancouver is on a long-term 18-7 run to the over in February games. Also, when Vancouver enters a game having played each of their three prior games on the road, the over has gone 7-3 this season. More of the same here. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+) in Calgary Flames vs Arizona Coyotes @ 9:05 ET - Calgary will be ready to make a big push here as they return from their bye week. Right now the Flames are a team that is not sure if they need to be a buyer or a seller as the trade deadline approaches quickly. Certainly the players are hungry to make a push for a playoff spot and Calgary has won 4 of its last 5 games. The Coyotes, though long eliminated from playoff discussions, have also been playing better with wins in 5 of their last 8 games. Both teams have improved production on offense to thank for notching a few more victories of late. Amazingly, Arizona has scored 3 goals or more in 9 of their last 10 games. Not surprisingly, the Coyotes have had just 1 under in those 10 games! The point is that the Coyotes are no longer the doormats of the league when it comes to scoring goals, at least not based on their current form. As for the Flames, they have scored 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 10 games and have gone 7-3 to the over during this stretch. Of course a 3-3 game guarantees us of no less than a 4-3 final here and I like the value with the over 5.5 currently available at plus money for this one. Calgary has allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in its last 9 games while Arizona has allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in its last 8 road games. The over is 4-1 this season in Flames games when they are off of 3 or more days of rest. More of the same here. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Calgary

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Monday 8* New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets - The Rangers come into this game on fire with 5 straight wins. Coincidentally the last time New York lost it was to the Blue Jackets two weeks ago. The Rangers will be out for revenge here and they have won 18 of 23 this season when playing with revenge. The Rangers also have been known for huge February performances in recent seasons as they kick things into high gear at this time of year. In fact, not only are the Rangers 5-0 this month so far, they have now won 25 of 33 February games over the past 3 seasons combined. The Rangers also have excelled in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals as they have won 16 of 22 this season and 35 of 49 the past 3 seasons combined. As for the Blue Jackets, they have been struggling since their 16 game winning streak ended very early last month. Columbus is off of a win but note that they have won back to back games just 1 time in the last 6 weeks! In fact, since the Blue Jackets big winning streak ended at the turn of the calendar, Columbus has lost 10 of its last 18 games. Line value with the revenging road dog here in a divisional battle involving two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. This is a classic case of two teams heading in opposite directions. 8* NEW YORK RANGERS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Sunday 8* Detroit Red Wings Puck Line +1.5 goals (-) @ Minnesota Wild @ 3:05 ET - The Red Wings are desperate for points and they'll go all out in this game. A lot turmoil around Detroit lately but, even though they have lost 3 straight and 8 of their last 13 only 2 of the 13 games has resulted in the Red Wings losing a game by more than a goal. Considering those odds (11 of 13) and knowing that we only have to lay about -135 to get Detroit +1.5 goals, there is great line value here with the Red Wings on the puck line. I also like the added edge here of Red Wings assistant coach John Torchetti making his first trip back to Minnesota since the Wild let him go to hire Bruce Boudreau as their head coach. Torchetti actually did a great job with the Wild as an interim coach and likely would have gotten an offer to become the permanent head coach had Boudreau not been fired by the Ducks. The point is that the Red Wings players (and coaching staff) have some extra fire burning in their bellies as it relates to this game. Look for a huge effort from Detroit who, because of injuries and other factors, has their backs against the wall right now. The Wild are off of a home win but surprisingly had won only 4 of their 8 prior home games before knocking off the Lightning 2-1 in the shootout Friday. The Red Wings are actually 4-3, +3.6 net units when playing the 2nd game of a back to back this season and here are getting them at +1.5 goals at a great price. The Wild have lost 15 of 27 home games and -10.6 net units in match-ups with a posted total of 5.5 goals. This situation definitely has the makings of an upset but, should the Red Wings fall short, I expect it to only be by a single goal. 8* DETROIT RED WINGS puck line +1.5 goals Sunday afternoon.  

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 8* San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 12:35 ET - Even though this is a back to back spot for the Sharks, San Jose has won 6 of 9 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. Also, the Devils are likely to be rusty. Off of rare back to back wins, New Jersey then went on their "bye week" and have been off for nearly a full week. Many teams have come back a little "off" in their first game back from their bye week and I expect that to be the case with New Jersey here. Conversely, the Sharks are fired up off of another loss yesterday on what has been a tough road trip for them. San Jose finally has a home game on deck (Wednesday) but the last thing they want to do is finish this current 4 game road trip without a victory. That said, look for a very intense effort from the Sharks in this one. San Jose has won 5 of 7 this season (and 27 of 43 the past 3 seasons) when off of a game where they scored one goal or less. The Devils have lost 16 of 24 this season (and 66 of 104 the last 3 seasons) when they are facing a team with a winning record. New Jersey has also lost 3 of 4 this season when they are enter a game off of 3 or more days of rest. 8* SAN JOSE SHARKS money line very early Sunday

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Saturday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Blues recently fired coach Ken Hitchock and it certainly has grabbed the club's attention. St Louis enters this game having won 3 straight and the Blues have allowed 1 goals or less in 4 of their last 5 games. The scheduling situation here is ideal for St Louis to stay hot and yet we're able to get a big plus money price on the underdog Blues here. Montreal just got back from a trip out west and the first game back is often the toughest. Not only that, unlike the Blues, the Canadiens have been struggling in their own end as they've allowed 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Habs were somewhat fortunate to escape Arizona with a 5-4 win and that snapped a 4 games losing streak for slumping Montreal. The Canadiens had lost 10 of 15 prior to defeating the Coyotes and this a Montreal team that has not managed to win consecutive games since early January. The Habs have lost 15 of 25 games against teams with a winning record and I feel strongly that they are not priced properly here. The Blues have won 39 of 60 Saturday games the past 3 seasons combined and they'll be fired up for Hockey Night in Canada. Grab the big dog value here. 10* ST LOUIS BLUES MONEY LINE early Saturday evening

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks have gone over the total in 3 straight games and 6 of their last 7. Chicago comes into this one seeking revenge as the Jets have had their number in recent meetings but it will still be difficult for the Hawks to keep their defensive intensity high after their revenging win over Minnesota. The Wild are currently at the top of the division and that was a big win for Chicago. That said, the Blackhawks are going to likely end up having to rely on their offense to get the job done here and that should not be a problem. Winnipeg comes into this one having gone over the total in 6 straight games and 9 of their last 10. The Jets have an amazing run going whereby they have allowed at least 3 goals in 13 straight games. Winnipeg has allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game during this long streak and the over, going even further back, is 15-3-1 in their last 19 games! The Blackhawks have allowed at least 3 goals in 10 of their last 12 games. The over is 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. Of course a 3-3 game guarantees us no worse than a 4-3 final and I like the odds of this game getting over the posted total of 5.5 goals. One other note here, the Jets just lost starting goalie Ondrej Pavelec to injury too and the Jets defense had not been playing well in front of him so no matter who is between the pipes Winnipeg's struggles keeping pucks out of their own net is likely to continue here. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg Friday

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Thursday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:35 ET - Even though the Panthers have won 3 straight and also welcomed back some key personnel in their most recent game, the trouble for Florida is their last game was Friday! After their mandatory "bye week" that became part of the NHL schedule this season for each team, the Panthers are likely to come out a little sluggish here. That is going to spell trouble against a Kings team that, inexplicably, is off of back to back 5-0 shutout losses! Another key to the motivation for Los Angeles here is the fact that they don't play again until next Thursday as their bye week starts after this game. Look for LA to bring plenty of resolve to the rink tonight and "leave it all on the ice" because the last thing the Kings want to do is go into their bye week off of a 3rd straight poor effort! Keep in mind, Los Angeles had won 5 straight games before their 2-game skid while the Panthers had lost 4 straight games before their 3-game run prior their bye week. The Kings entered Tuesday's game at Tampa Bay having won 9 of 13 this season when off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. They were unable to get the job done. They are in the same spot again here and you will see a Kings team going "all out" this time. Given the situation, the Kings will prove to be the much hungrier team in this spot. 10* LOS ANGELES KINGS money line early Thursday evening

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #12 Thursday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are at home off of back to back shutout losses. Scoring goals has been a problem for Philadelphia of late but a breakout game can be expected here. That's because Philly is hosting a division rival that has allowed 15 goals in its past 3 games. The Islanders are indeed struggling to keep pucks out of their own net but managed to sneak out a 6-5 win over Toronto Tuesday. The Isles have lost 2 of their last 3 road games and allowed 12 goals in the 2 defeats. The Flyers have allowed a total of only 4 goals in their last 3 games. Michal Neuvirth has been fantastic but he is dealing with an illness that caused him to miss practice yesterday. The key here is that Neuvirth will either be healthy enough to go tonight (and he's been red hot between the pipes) or it will be veteran Steve Mason. Mase hasn't started since the last day of January and that was a sub-par game for him but vets like him know how to respond and he'll be ready to go after watching Neuvirth get all the starts since then. Keep in mind, Mason had allowed a total of just 2 goals in his 2 starts prior to the tough outing on January 31st. Both those games were Flyers wins and, no matter who is between the pipes here, look for Philly to respond huge off of back to back shutout losses. Philadelphia has won 4 of 5 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games at home. The Flyers also have won 37 of their last 61 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Philly also has won 5 straight over the Islanders and the Isles come into this one having lost 8 of 12 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. 8* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS money line early Thursday evening

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - This is a very strong situation for the Blackhawks. Even though Minnesota is a quality hockey club and is on home ice, there is a reason that this game is basically priced as a "pick'em" and that is the fact that the Blackhawks have a huge scheduling edge here and certainly have revenge on their minds. Even though Chicago has dominated the Wild in recent playoff meetings, these teams have played a lot since their most recent post-season meeting and the Minnesota has held the upper hand. In fact, Minny has now won 8 straight regular season meetings with the Blackhawks! Not only is that enough to have Chicago fired up for this game, the Hawks also are looking up in the standings at Minnesota in the top spot in the Central Division right now. That is certainly atypical as well and the Blackhawks have had this game circled as "their game of the year" for the past few weeks. Keep in mind Chicago lost at home to Minnesota in mid-January. That immediately added to the intensity of this revenge game for the Blackhawks as they know they must gain ground on Minnesota in the division and head to head match-ups tonight and in two weeks from now give the Hawks the coveted opportunity to pick up 4 points on their division rivals. The big scheduling edge here is that the Blackhawks have had a full 3 days off to get geared up both physically and emotionally for this game whereas the Wild had to play at Winnipeg last night! Minnesota is only a .500 team in back to back spots this season. Chicago is off of a big win at Dallas Saturday and the Blackhawks have won 8 of 12 this season when off of a win by a multiple goal margin. Also, Chicago has won 14 of 19 when they are off of a divisional game this season! When playing with home loss revenge the Blackhawks have won 9 of 14 games this season and they want this one badly! 10* CHICAGO on the money line Wednesday night

Situational Shocker - Rickenbach NHL Game #12 Tuesday 10* Top Play Detroit Red Wings Money Line (+) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The Blue Jackets are off of a 5-1 home loss to New Jersey so many may be looking to back them here. However, that was the 4th loss for Columbus in their last 5 games and the Jackets have now allowed 4 goals or more in 6 straight games! That spells trouble against a Red Wings team that is seeing Petr Mrazek start to get hot between the pipes. He's been playing better over the past month but it didn't always show up in the box score. Last week at Nashville it certainly did as Detroit got a 1-0 win over the Predators. A team can ride a hot goalie and, even though the Red Wings have been outshot 78 to 43 in their past two games they won both games thanks, in part, to Mrazek. This is the Red Wings final home game for more than a week as they have a tough road trip on deck. That further increases the important of this game for Detroit. Conversely, the Blue Jackets a have a long homestand on deck and could get caught peeking ahead to that as I am predicting they'll get outplayed by a hungry Red Wings team looking to make sure they make a run toward notching a 26th straight playoff appearance. Detroit was embarrassed at home by the Blue Jackets in December and the Red Wings have won 9 of 13 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Columbus has lost 46 of 74 when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* Top Play DETROIT RED WINGS on the money line Tuesday evening

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - This total dropped from a 6 to a 5.5 and this is offering excellent line value with the over. The Flames have scored at least 3 goals in 7 of their last 9 games. Calgary has allowed at least 3 goals in 6 of its last 8 games. The Penguins are red hot with wins in 7 of their last 9 games and they've scored at least 4 goals in all 7 of those victories! Though the Pens allowed just 1 goal at St Louis Saturday they had previously allowed an average of 3 goals per game over their prior 4 games. Simply put, there is no reason this game shouldn't see each club score 3 goals and, of course, that means the final score would be at least 4-3. The over is 6-0 this season when Pittsburgh is off of 2 days of rest. Also, when off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more, the Penguins have gone a fantastic 15-3 to the over this season and 43-23 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. The Flames have gone over the total in 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. Being a non-conference match-up there is unlikely to be a lot of defensive intensity in this match-up and the 2 games between these foes last season each totaled at least 6 goals. Look for more of the same in this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Pittsburgh early Tuesday evening

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #52 Monday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - The Blues recently made a coaching move with the firing of Ken Hitchock but, as shown in the 4-1 home loss to Pittsburgh, their problems are more than just coaching. St Louis has been struggling between the pipes as they have lost 8 of their last 12 games and, incredibly, the Blues have given up an average of 5 goals per game in their 14 losses dating back to mid-December. Conversely, the Flyers have been getting great goal-tending. Other than one recent bad game (5-1 loss at Carolina Tuesday) in their most recent stretch of 6 games the Flyers went 4-0-1 in the other 5 games and allowed an average of just 1 goal per game in the 5 games! Off of a tough 1-0 OT loss at home Saturday, Philadelphia will be ready to respond here. The Flyers have won 37 of 60 home games with posted total of 5.5 goals. Philly also has won 10 of its last 13 home games versus the Blues. St Louis has lost 8 of 12 this season when they are off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. Also, the Blues have lost 14 of 23 games against teams with a losing record this season. The Flyers have 27 losses in 53 games this season but look for them to get back to .500 with a W here. 8* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS money line early Monday evening 

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 8* OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - Big total of 6 posted on this game but it is absolutely justified. Not only are these two of the highest scoring teams in the league, both of them are having a ton of trouble keeping pucks out of their own net right now. The Islanders have allowed 5 goals in back to back games while the Maple Leafs have allowed 5 goals or more in 3 straight games! Look for more of the same tonight as each of the last 3 meetings have gone over the total. Also, in terms of currently level of play, the Isles are averaging 3.64 goals per game in their last 11 games and Toronto is averaging 3.58 goals per game in their last 19 games! The last 3 meetings between these clubs averaged 7 goals per game and there is no reason we shouldn't get at least that tonight. The over is 17-9 when the Leafs enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. Islanders games have totaled at least 7 goals in 4 of their last 6 home games that had a posted total of 6 goals or more. 8* OVER the total in the New York Islanders game early Monday evening

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 2:05 ET - The Rangers beat the Flames in Calgary early this season but New York comes into this one struggling a bit. The Rangers have lost 5 of their last 9 games. New York is off of a win but it came by a 2-1 count and the Rangers are averaging just 2 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Flames have won 8 of 11 this season when they are playing with home loss revenge. Even though the Rangers come into this game with 2 days of rest, surprisingly they have lost 5 of 9 this season (-3.7 net units) when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. The point is that, even with fresh legs, the Rangers really don't belong in this price range here. The Flames have won 3 straight games heading into this one and have averaged 4 goals per game during the hot streak. Overall, Calgary has scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 8 games. With the hotter offense and their goal-tending rounding into form, the Flames are well worth the investment here as a road dog. Calgary did outshoot the Rangers by 8 shots on goal in the loss earlier this season and the Flames come into this one having outshot their opponents by an average of 7 shots per game in their last 8 games. I look for their strong play to continue here and for the result to be an upset win on the road as the Rangers lookahead to what they perceive to be a tougher match-up Tuesday when Anaheim will be in town. 10* Top Play CALGARY FLAMES money line Sunday afternoon

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #71 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Stars vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - After opening up at a 6 this total dropped to a 5.5 and I see great line value here with 6 now being a "win number" with this over. The Stars are 10-4 to the over since the calendar turned the page to 2017. In their 8 home games in 2017 Dallas has scored an average of 3.8 goals per game. However, the Stars continue to give up too many goals and, overall, have allowed 3 goals or more in 9 straight games and 13 of their last 15. The Blackhawks also have been an "over machine" of late with the over going 8-2-1 in their last 11 games. Chicago has won 8 of its last 13 games and has averaged 3 goals per game during this stretch but the Hawks have also allowed 3 goals or more in 8 of their last 10 games. The over is 4-1 in the Blackhawks last 5 games against teams with a losing record and the Stars are wrapping up a long homestand and have gone 20-11 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Saturday evening

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #54 Saturday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Los Angeles Kings @ 1:05 ET - The Kings are off of a shutout win and have lost 13 of 21 (-12.0 net units) when they are off of a shutout. The Flyers knocked off the Kings in Los Angeles early this season so LA is seeking revenge here but they've lost 12 of 20 road games with a posted total of 5 goals or less this season. In home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less the Flyers have won 6 of 8 this season. The Flyers made some lineup changes that paid off big in their win over Montreal Thursday and they have been very strong at home where they have won 11 of their last 14 games. Keep in mind, the Kings have lost 16 of their 27 road games this season and traveled cross country for this one. 8* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS money line

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 8* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins will be seeking revenge for a 7-1 beatdown at Columbus in late December but I don't see them getting it. The Pens have some significant injury issues right now. Evgeni Malkin has been downgraded to doubtful for tonight's game with a lower body injury. Also, Pittsburgh recently lost Conor Sheary to injury. That means 40-year old Matt Cullen could end up being a winger on the top line with Sidney Crosby and, no disrespect intended to Cullen but he's not the player he was in his younger years of course. Also, Cullen normally is the 4th line center so he's out of position here and moved up to a top line. I don't see that going well against a Blue Jackets team that, although off of a win, was not happy with their performance on defense against the Rangers Tuesday in the 6-4 victory. Look for the Jackets to tighten things up on the blue line tonight and this is a Columbus team tat is a perfect 5-0 this season when they enter a game off of three consecutive road games. Additionally, the Jackets are 3-0 in road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Also, the Blue Jackets are a perfect 9-0 this season in Friday games. The Penguins have lost 15 of 27 on Friday nights the past two seasons and that has cost their backers 9.6 net units at the betting window. As you can see we've got one of the top teams in the league in a spot supported by angles that are combined 17-0, 100% ATS and they're facing a Pittsburgh team dealing with significant injury issues. Revenge or not, the Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup champs and a division rival of Columbus and the Blue Jackets will be "amped up" for this game. I'll gladly grab the Jackets at the underdog price here! 8* COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS money line

Early Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Thursday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -130 vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:35 ET - Former Lightning coach Guy Boucher, now the head coach for the Senators, makes his first return to Tampa Bay since being fired about 4 years ago by the Bolts. In his time with Tampa, Boucher worked closely with Jon Cooper (current Lightning head coach) for more than two years and that makes this game even bigger for Cooper. The Bolts need this game in more ways than one but especially with Cooper going up against Boucher this game has extra meaning for the Tampa Bay organization. The Lightning have won 4 of the last 5 meetings overall and also have won 3 of the last 4 match-ups in Tampa. The Senators come into this game having lost 3 of their last 4 games and allowing 5.3 goals per game in the 3 defeats. Though Tampa Bay has also certainly been under-performing they know it is not too late to make a run at getting into playoff position and this is the 1st of 3 remaining games on this critical 4-game homestand for the Lightning. After dropping the first game 4-3 to Boston, look for the Bolts to respond here. Tampa Bay has won 43 of 66 games the past 3 seasons when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. On the other hand, Ottawa has actually underperformed against teams that are struggling this season as they have lost 12 of 20 games against teams with a losing record this season. I like the low price on home ice with Tampa in this one. They got back to the basics in yesterday's practice and had great practice sessions. Physically they are certainly ready here and the Lightning also are ready mentally after "clearing their heads" a bit in good working sessions with coach Cooper yesterday. He has this team ready to defend their home ice against a former coach in Boucher. The Senators run into a buzzsaw in this one tonight as the Bolts will be flying all over the ice at home. 10* TAMPA BAY on the money line

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #2 Wednesday 8* Washington Capitals Puck Line -1.5 goals +180 vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - This is a great spot for the Caps but as long-time followers know I am not fond of laying big juice. Simply too much risk involved in the long run so I avoid, almost without exception, ever laying big money lines in MLB and NHL. That said, in certain situations the run line in MLB or puck line in NHL can make for a great value line to get involved in a game that should be a blowout. In this case, the Capitals are off of a loss but saved their All-Star goalie, Braden Holtby, for tonight's game while the Bruins are off of a win but they used their #1 netminder Tuukka Rask in last night's victory. Holtby has been fantastic against the Bruins with a 10-2 mark and a 1.69 GAA and .948 save percentage versus Boston. Washington had won 13 of 15 games before last night's loss and the Capitals last 8 wins have featured 7 victories by a margin of 3 goals or more. That said, I'll gladly lay the 1.5 goals here to have a shot at a +180 payback on my dollar. The Bruins are in a bad goal-tending spot with having to either start Rask on a rare, back-to-back or to go with a back-up netminder. This gives the Caps a huge edge in goal for tonight's match-up and, keep in mind, Washington has scored an average of 4.5 goals per game in their last 16 games! Boston has scored better of late but Holtby is tough between the pipes and the Bruins, before this 3-game winning streak had last four straight games and had been held to 1 goal or less in 3 of the 4 games. The Bruins have lost 7 of 8 back to backs this season and there is reason to believe this one will be a blowout defeat as the Capitals are fired up off of a loss. 8* WASHINGTON CAPITALS Puck Line

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #67 Tuesday 8* Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - Home ice always gets extra "shading" in the NHL and that's understandable but oftentimes it pays to be a contrarian and grab the road dog and this looks like another great spot for just that. The Blues won a "home game" earlier this month in the outdoor game played at Busch Stadium. However, in their last 9 games inside their home arena they have actually lost 7 of their last 9. St Louis has been struggling badly on home ice as the worst part about it is that 6 of those 7 losses have come by multiple goal margins. In other words, the Blues aren't just losing at home, they're getting hammered. Now they have to deal with a Winnipeg team that his hungry and has given St Louis a lot of trouble in recent meetings with 3 straight wins! Also, even though the Jets are "only" 3-2 in their last 5 games, they have averaged scoring 4.2 goals per game and their 3 wins all came by multiple goal margins while the two losses came by just a single goal each. By the way this stretch included games against the Ducks, Sharks, and Blackhawks in addition to the Blues. Unlike St Louis, Winnipeg has been playing gritty, tough, resilient hockey and, after their comeback win at Chicago on Thursday before the All Star break, they now bring plenty of momentum into "part two" of the season as they have their eyes on trying to stay in the hunt for a playoff spot. The Blues have lost 7 of 11 when they are off of a game where they were held to one goal or less. The Jets have won 11 of 16 divisional games this season and I look for another road win here! 8* WINNIPEG

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Tuesday 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers have won 3 in a row while the Hurricanes have lost 5 straight games. The concern for Carolina is not just the losing but they way the are being defeated! The Canes have lost those 5 games by a combined score of 23 to 5 so it has been complete domination. Speaking of domination, Philadelphia has won 5 of its last 6 against Carolina and Philly is also 7-2 this season when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 games or more. The Hurricanes have lost 13 of 17 divisional games this season and the Flyers are further amped up by Wayne Simmonds taking home the MVP in the All-Star game. Sure it's all in fun but it showcases the talent the Flyers have on this team with players like he and Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Brayden Schenn. The Flyers, in comparison with the Hurricanes, have also been getting much better play between the pipes of late with solid goaltending. Look for more of the same Tuesday. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Rickenbach NHL Game #20 Thursday 7* Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 8:35 ET - As long-time followers know, I will rarely lay much juice in money line sports but this situation on the Blackhawks is moderately price and is a very fair price considering how strong this situation is for Chicago. The Hawks, of course, are a solid hockey club and they don't want to go into the All-Star break with back to back losses. Before their 5-2 home loss to Tampa, Chicago had won 3 straight games and 7 of their last 9. They now host a Winnipeg team that is off of back to back losses and has lost 6 of its last 8 games. The Jets are stumbling, to say the least, and they now face a revenge-minded Chicago team that is fired up about getting back on track. Look for Scott Darling to be between the pipes for this one for the Blackhawks and he has a phenomenal .951 save percentage in his last 4 games (3 starts). The biggest key of all here is revenge. After taking the final four meetings last season, the Hawks have lost all 3 match-ups this season with the Jets and the defeats have come by a combined score of 9-2 including a pair of home losses! To say Chicago is fired up for this rematch at the United Center doesn't even begin to do justice to how hungry the Blackhawks are for divisional revenge in this one. This is the perfect setting for the Hawks to win huge right before the All Star break. It is rare for me but, in this case, lay it! 7* CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

Rickenbach NHL Game #21 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas Stars vs Buffalo Sabres @ 8:35 ET - The Stars are getting healthier up front but now the injury issues are focused more on the blue line. That makes this the perfect spot to back the over as the Stars should resume their long-term ways of getting involved in high-scoring games and Buffalo comes into this one with some extra confidence as they have been on a winning run. The Sabres have won 7 of their last 11 games and Buffalo has scored at least 3 goals in 9 of those 11 games. Buffalo's last three games have all been wins and they have scored an average of 3.6 goals per game in their last 5 games. The Sabres faced a hungry Dallas team that is off of back to back home losses and will push hard to get into the win column before the All Star break. While the Stars should score well here (3.4 goals per game in their last 5 home games), Dallas has allowed at least 3 goals in 10 of its last 12 games. As you can see from all the stats above, there is really no reason we shouldn't see each team get to 3 goals in this game. Adding to the support for this play is the fact that the over was 7-3 in the Stars last 10 games before their game against Minnesota Tuesday stayed just under the total. Also, Buffalo has some injuries impacting their defensive corps and they are 6-2 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The over is also 3-1 this season when the Stars enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Dallas

Rickenbach NHL Game #10 Thursday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders continue to be a "play on" team as they have responded well after the firing of head coach Jack Capuano. The Isles come into Thursday having won 5 of their last 7 games and the 5 victories all have come by multiple-goal margins so it is not as if the Islanders are just eking out tight wins. New York has plenty of motivation here as the Canadiens have owned this series in recent seasons. It is time for a little Islanders payback here and they are catching the Habs at the right time as Montreal is off of a big 5-1 home win over Calgary. The Canadiens had lost 3 of their 4 prior games and averaged scoring just 1.5 goals per game in those 4 games. As for the Isles production, they have averaged scoring 3.7 goals per game in their last 7 games! The Islanders have won 48 of 81 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals and the Canadiens have lost 20 of 35 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. I'll gladly take the home dog price in this one. 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

TV Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday - 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Flyers as they were demolished by the Rangers 5 to 2 in Philly earlier this month. Though a lot of value is given to home ice when lines are made, the fact is that provides value in certain situations and this is one of those spots. It is the road team that is seeking revenge, these teams are close in proximity, and the road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings. That said, home ice tends to be overemphasized in games like this and we can take advantage by grabbing the value on the other side. The Flyers have had two days off after a much needed win (in OT) over the Islanders Sunday. Look for Philadelphia to build off of that win and the Flyers have outshot their opponents 83 to 67 in their two games since returning from their "bye week" which is new to the NHL this season. Philly has come back from the bye rejuvenated and refreshed and playing with good energy again. As for the Rangers, they enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but they've lost 6 of 8 this season when they enter a game on a winning run of 3 games or more. Also, the Rangers have been outshot 59 to 36 in their past 2 games and this will be their 3rd game in 4 days. Look for the recent road domination in this series tonight. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Wednesday

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:35 ET - Two years ago the Bolts lost 4 games to 2 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Needless to say this is the kind of revenge that doesn't go away easily and, as they enter this game off of 3 straight losses (despite outshooting their foes by a combined 101 to 68), look for the Lightning to "bring it" tonight. It should be a huge effort from a Tampa Bay team that has under-performed this season but was hopeful of "kicking things up a notch" on this road trip. The Bolts have won 6 of 9 (including 4 of 6 this season) when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 games or more. Also, Tampa Bay has won 33 of 49 (including 5 of 6 this season) when they enter a game off of 2 days of rest. When the Lighting are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, they have won 42 of 65 the past 3 seasons combined. Tampa Bay lost badly at Arizona Friday despite outshooting the Coyotes 48 to 23. Chicago is off of a 4-2 home win over Vancouver but don't be fooled by the final score. That game was a 2-2 game very late. Also, the Blackhawks scored very late to win their prior game 1-0. Previous to that the Hawks had lost 4 of their 9 prior games so it's not like Chicago has been rolling of late. That said, we are getting tremendous line value here with a very hungry revenging road dog. I'll take it! 10* TAMPA BAY

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Tuesday 8* New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Islanders as they were blown out 6-2 at Columbus earlier this season. The Isles won all 5 meetings with the Blue Jackets last season so certainly that result was unexpected. The Islanders are off of a tough OT loss versus the Flyers so they're fired up to quickly resume the winning here. The Isles seem rejuvenated by the coaching change and had won 3 straight (by a combined score of 11-2) before the loss to Philadelphia Sunday. Even though the Blue Jackets are off of back to back wins they had lost 5 of their 8 prior games so they certainly have cooled off since their epic winning streak ended after their 1st game of January. The Jackets have lost 42 of 69 when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. The Islanders have won 47 of 80 home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Look for the Isles to resume their resurgence with a home dog win here. 8* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+115) in Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Washington is 11-0-2 in their last 13 games and they have scored 59 goals during this streak. That is an incredible 5.4 goals per game just for the Capitals alone as they continue their torrid hot streak. The key to the play on the over here is the fact that, after a red-hot run by Braden Holtby between the pipes (as well as some solid fill-in duty from Philipp Grubauer) both netminders are off of some tough efforts. The Capitals have given up 14 goals in their last 3 games. The Hurricanes come into this game having allowed 26 goals in their last 7 games. They have won 4 of the 7 games but, even in the games they won, the Canes were allowing too many to find the back of the net. Carolina should score their fair share this evening as they have averaged 4 goals per game in their two meetings with the Caps this season. Also, the Hurricanes outshot the Blue Jackets 37-20 in their loss at Columbus Saturday. The Canes have allowed 4.5 goals per game in their last 4 games and with both clubs struggling a bit in their own zone recently (far too many goals allowed for both the Hurricanes and Capitals) this one should fly over the total. Carolina, thanks to 2 wins in their last 4 games against Washington, comes into this one with confidence in their offensive zone production. For the Capitals (having scored 4 goals or more in 9 of their last 10 games) there is no doubt about the confidence they bring to this one Monday as they are also happy to be back on home ice. In 16 divisional games this season, the Hurricanes have had just 5 unders. As for the Caps, they are on a 6-1 run to the over. 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+115) in Washington

Divisional Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Predators are finally heating up. They have won 5 of their last 6 games including 3 of 4 so far on this road trip. They also just go PK Subban back which is also a huge boost for this hockey team. The Preds wrap up this 5-game road trip with this game here in Minnesota and they have the scheduling edge as Nashville was off yesterday while the Wild were locked into an intense battle with a Ducks team that was hell-bent on extracting some revenge. The fact that Minny fought off Anaheim in their revenge bid and got the W yesterday makes this spot even stronger for the Predators. The Preds are now catching the Wild off of a win and in a back to back spot. Minnesota has lost 2 of 3 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. Nashville has won 4 of 6 this season (and 21 of 34 the past 3 seasons) when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Nashville took 3 of the 4 meetings last season but Minnesota has now beaten the Predators in each of the first two match-ups this season and both of those were at Nashville. That makes this a huge revenge spot for the Preds and, with the way their playing right now coupled with scheduling edge, this looks like the perfect spot for a road rout. 10* NASHVILLE

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach Sunday NHL 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 6:05 ET - This is a back to back spot for both clubs but it favors the Flyers in a big way. The key is that Philadelphia just had their bye week before yesterday's game so they are well-rested. Though they lost 4-1 yesterday, they did outshoot the Devils and two New Jersey power play goals were certainly a big difference-maker in the game. Make no mistake about it, Philly has been struggling but this looks like a good spot for them to get back on track. The Islanders are off of an underdog win yesterday but they have lost 5 of 7 back to backs this season. Also, the Flyers have won 4 straight against the Isles and the average score of those games has been 4-1 as they have been dominating wins. The Islanders are winless this season when they enter a game off of 3 or more consecutive wins and their long-term numbers in that situation aren't good either with 19 losses in their last 30 and 74 losses in their last 114 when they enter a game on a run of 3-0 or better. Look for the hungry Flyers to make it 5 in row over the Islanders. 8* PHILADELPHIA

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 9:05 ET - This line has been going up, up, up all morning long as everyone is grabbing the Wild at home. I'll gladly grab a revenging Ducks team that had won 3 straight games before losing at home to Minnesota on January 8th. Since that game, Anaheim has gone 5-0-1 their last 6 games. As you can see, the only regulation loss that the Ducks have in their last 10 games came at the hands of the Wild but their revenge goes far deeper than just that. Minnesota is coached by their former coach, Bruce Boudreau, and the Ducks players want this game badly and it looks like their catching the Wild at the perfect time to get revenge. Minnesota has given up 13 goals in their last 4 games. The Wild ended up winning but they did blow a 3-1 lead against the lowly Coyotes. Also, they just lost defenseman Jonas Brodin to injury. Overall there is no debating the fact that Minny has been one of the top teams in the league this season. However, they have allowed 3.1 goals per game in their last 10 games and, on Saturday, they host a Ducks team that has only given up 2 goals or less in 9 straight games! Speaking of Saturday, that is the one day of the week where, oddly enough, things have not gone well for Minnesota with 7 losses in 11 Saturday games this season. Anaheim has won 4 of 5 this season when playing with home loss revenge and the Ducks have won 23 of their last 32 January games. I love the revenge angle here as well as the line value as I'll gladly grab the hungrier team that is also doing a better job of keeping pucks out of their own net. 10* ANAHEIM on the money line Saturday night

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in NY Islanders vs LA Kings @ 7:05 ET Saturday - The Islanders played a good game in coach Capuano's final game and then got the post-Capuano era off to a good start with another shutout win. The Isles have now won back to back games via shutout but the key to the over here is a situational aspect to this spot. This is a non-conference game of course and the Isles have a big divisional match-up on deck for tomorrow with the Flyers. As a result, they are saving red-hot goaltender Thomas Greiss for Sunday's game versus Philly and they are expected to have Jean Francois-Berube between the pipes for this one. The Islanders are 0-2 in his starts this season and this is his first start at the NHL level in five weeks! Look for the Kings to take advantage. I am well aware of the fact that LA is coming off of a couple of low-scoring efforts but they faced some tough match-ups in those games. Prior to those two, Los Angeles had won 3 of their 4 prior games and the Kings scored an average of 4 goals per game during the hot streak. The Islanders certainly have their offense clicking again and they have also averaged 4 goals per game in their last 4 games. The Kings are still without #1 goalie Jonathan Quick and I look for this match-up of two back-up goalies to fly over the total. The over is 5-3 this season when the Kings are playing with two days of rest between games. Also, the over is 7-1 the last 8 times the Islanders have started a goalie other than Greiss. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in NY Islanders

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET Friday - There has been a big line move on this game for two reasons and none of them is a completely "justifiable" reason in my opinion. That said, we are getting fantastic line value in being able to take the Blackhawks as a big dog in this game. The Bruins opened up as a -125 favorite in this game and the line is now as high as -160 on Boston. This is because there are rumors floating around the Bruins as to the possible firing of head coach Claude Julien. Of course now the betting markets are viewing this as "Boston must bring their A game or else" and I see it differently. The last thing this Bruins team needs is more pressure and this is only going to put more pressure on them. Tuukka Rask has been struggling badly between the pipes and now there is added pressure of what is swirling through the media in Boston and it truly would be better for the Bruins if they were on the road rather than "under the microscope" at TD Garden. The other reason for the big line move is because the Blackhawks are going with their back-up goalie Scott Darling this evening. But that is actually good news for Chicago as Corey Crawford has been struggling between the pipes. The fact that Darling is getting the start tonight is actually a positive if you're backing the Hawks and I am doing just that tonight! Chicago is off of a win at Colorado Tuesday and the Blackhawks have won 13 of 17 this season when they are off of a divisional game. Also, Chicago has won 7 of 10 this season when off of a win by a multiple goal margin and the Hawks have won 17 of 25 games against teams with a losing record on the season. The Bruins have lost 6 of their last 9 games and they've allowed at least 3 goals in 7 of those 9 games. Boston is off of a demoralizing loss at Detroit where they blew a huge lead and those expecting a bounce back here should keep in mind that the Bruins have lost 9 of 12 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Boston has lost 42 of 70 non-conference games the past 3 seasons combined. The Bruins also have the defending Stanley Cup champion Penguins on deck as well. Tremendous situational line value on the road dog in this one. 10* Top Play CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS on the money line early Friday evening

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 8* Washington Capitals Money Line (-) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET Thursday - We catch a break here considering the Capitals are on the road and facing a respectable foe. After watching the Caps score 7 goals Monday, and yet lose, I knew I would want to play on them in their next game. With Washington on the road, there is line value as this is a very manageable money line. As long time followers know I don't lay big prices in money line sports so, the fact this line is around a -130 as of early gameday morning, is an exceptional value. The Capitals had won 9 straight before their loss at Pittsburgh and had allowed 2 goals or less in 9 of their last 10 games prior to the ugly result against the Penguins where the Caps blew a 3-0 lead! They are catching the Blues at the right time as St Louis has lost 4 of its last 5 home games. The Blues have given up 22 goals in those 5 games as both Allen and Hutton have been struggling between the pipes. Washington has won 9 of 11 non-conference games this season and also has won 13 of 18 when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. The Blues have lost 10 of 16 games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. With the Capitals hungry to get right back on track and with the Blues struggles on home ice, I'll gladly lay the moderate price here with the road fave. 8* WASHINGTON on the money line Thursday

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - After Monday's crazy 8-7 OT win for Pittsburgh over Washington, many may be hesitant to pull the trigger on another "over" here as it would seem like all the goal-scoring in Penguins games would have to "run out" at some point. However, I am certainly not going to try to predict when that will end and, rather, I will ride the streak! Pittsburgh has now given up 23 goals in its last 4 games but the Penguins have also scored 36 goals in their last 9 games. The over is on a 5-1 run in the Pens last 6 games and, this season, when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more, they have gone 17-3 to the over! As for Montreal, their most recent game was at the opposite end of the spectrum as they are off of a 1-0 home loss to Detroit Tuesday. However, you can bet the Habs will now be emphasizing scoring after that home shutout and, in fact, the numbers do support that. The Canadiens are 6-1 to the over this season when off of a game where they held to 1 goal or less! Also, Montreal is 11-6 to the over this season in their games against teams with a winning record and, when playing with revenge the Habs are 13-6 to the over this season. That 1-0 result Tuesday stopped a string of 6 straight overs in Canadiens games. Look for the next streak of "overs" to start immediately. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals (+100) in Minnesota Wild vs New Jersey Devils @ 8:05 ET Tuesday - As you've probably heard by now, Minnesota has been one of the hottest teams in the league for quite some time now. Of course that is why they are a prohibitive favorite in this match-up as more than a 2 to 1 choice. However, where value can often be found in situations like this is the overlooked O/U lines. In this case, there is significant value with the over. The Wild are 10-2-3 to the over in their last 15 games. That's right, they've had only 2 unders in their last 15 games. Minnesota has won 19 of their last 24 games and, incredibly, during this nearly 2 month stretch of success, the Wild have averaged scoring nearly 4 goals per game. Now, of course, I am well aware of the fact that New Jersey is generally an 'under team' involved in a lot of low-scoring games. However, keep in mind, a 2-2 game guarantees of no less than a 3-2 final. Now, of course we do not want a push here but to have strong odds of being guaranteed not to lose is certainly worth something. That said, note that Minnesota has scored at least 2 goals in 26 straight games. The Devils have scored at least 2 goals in 32 of their last 41 games. Combining those numbers of 26-0 and 32-9 one could easily argue that this play has a 58-9 (87%) chance of each team scoring at least two goals and, once again if each teams gets at least 2 goals, we can't lose this play! 7 times this season New Jersey has entered a game having played each of their three prior games on the road. Out of those 7 occurrences, only 1 of the 7 has resulted in an under. As for the Wild, they are 8-3 to the over when off of a divisional game and they enter this one off of a big road win at Chicago. 10* OVER the total Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL 8* Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET Tuesday - The Rangers are having goaltending issues and that means we get tremendous line value here with the Stars. New York's better goalie this season has been Antti Raanta but he is now out with a lower body injury. The Rangers still have their #1 guy, Henrik Lundqvist, but he has been struggling badly. Lundqvist is 3-4 in his last 7 starts and he has allowed 4 goals or more in 5 of those 7 games! Overall, his save percentage in his last 7 games is an unsightly .859 as Lundqvist just hasn't been able to establish any consistency between the pipes. The Stars come into this game off of a loss at Buffalo yesterday afternoon as a pair of power play goals were the difference - the Sabres also scored an empty netter. Dallas has lost three straight games to the Rangers including a home shutout last month. The Stars will be out for revenge and they have won 46 of 72 road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. The Rangers have lost 89 of 159 home games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. As you can see, oddsmakers posted a 6 on this game, a lot of offense expected in this one and the line value is with the road dog. Even though the Rangers have the rest edge here they have actually lost 5 of the last 6 times when they have entered a game with rest of 2 days or more. 8* DALLAS

Top Total Smash - Rickenbach 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Edmonton Oilers vs Arizona Coyotes @ 9:05 ET Monday - This is another contrarian play as both of these clubs have been trending "under" on the season and, in particular, of late. There are a few key reasons why I think many are going to end up "surprised" here as this one cashes in a nice plus money return (currently +120 payback) on the over. The Coyotes are hungry to respond and put plenty of pucks on net after they were shutout on Saturday. This season, when on the road and off of a shutout loss, Arizona has scored 6 goals in the two times this occurred. The Coyotes have allowed 3 goals or more in 11 of their last 12 games so odds look good that this could be a 3-3 game at some point! The Oilers have been gutting out some tight, low-scoring wins lately but they've also been involved in a couple of 5-3 losses as well. Edmonton enters this came off of a 2-1 win over Calgary and holding opponents to just 1 goal or less has been a rarity for the Oilers. The last 4 times it has happened Edmonton's next game has gone over 3 of 4 times and the Oilers allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game in those contests. Look for another wild one here as the Coyotes come into this one flying all over the ice in an attempt to boost their offense but the Oilers will answer them goal for goal with a strong effort at home. 10* OVER 5.5 goals (+120) in Edmonton Monday

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 8* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Los Angeles Kings @ 4:05 ET Monday - No one will want Tampa Bay here which is just how I like it. That is why we're getting such good value with a team that is poised to make a move. The Lightning are a quality team that just recently got goalie Ben Bishop back. It's been a frustrating season so far for Tampa Bay and they certainly still miss Steve Stamkos (still out with injury) but this road trip is the perfect spot to "get right" and the Bolts have had this circled on the calendar. After a home loss to Columbus the Lightning are now embarking on a 6-game road trip and don't play at home again until the final day of this month AFTER the All Star break. In other words, the Bolts know this road trip is critical for them and they catch the Kings in a lookahead spot. Los Angeles has a home game on deck with division rival San Jose on Wednesday and, after that the Kings go on a long road trip. That makes the Sharks game ultra important for the Kings and they may overlook a Tampa Bay team that is much better than their record would lead one to believe. The Bolts also get the benefit of catching LA still without #1 goalie Jonathan Quick. The Lightning have won 4 of 5 this season (and 32 of 48 the past 3 seasons) when playing with 2 days of rest between games and I'll grab the underdog value with this very hungry road dog Monday afternoon. 8* TAMPA BAY

Earliest Cash TV Game - Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER 5 goals in Washington Capitals vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 12:35 ET Sunday - Braden Holtby has certainly been hot between the pipes for Washington. However, it is hard to ignore the potency of both of these clubs in the offensive zone and I see great value with this total sitting on the key number of 5. The Capitals have averaged 4.4 goals per game during their current 8-game winning streak! The Flyers, coming off of a 6-3 loss at Boston yesterday, have allowed 3.9 goals per game during a recent slump that has seen them now lose 8 of their past 10 games. The key to the over here is the fact that Philly has scored 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 11 games and they'll be putting plenty of pucks on net here after a disappointing effort against the Bruins yesterday. The over is 5-2 in Philadelphia's last 7 games. The over is 4-1-1 in Washington's last 6 games. The Capitals are off of a shutout win over the Blackhawks and the over is 4-1 this season (and 13-6 the past 3 seasons) when the Caps are off of a shutout victory! Also, when off of a non-conference game, Washington has gone 6-2 to the over. In their 16 divisional games this season, only 4 (or 25%) have finished under 5 goals! The Flyers are 4-2 to the over this season (and 21-13 to the over the past 3 seasons) when they are on the road in a game with a posted total of 5 goals or less. Only 13 of their last 43 road games with a posted total of 5 goals or less have resulted in an under. These teams don't like each other (playoff history!) and both teams have dangerous power plays so that could be another factor here in a game that should see plenty of physicality resulting in some power play opportunities going both ways. 8* OVER 5 goals in Washington early Sunday

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 8* Nashville Predators Money Line (-) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 3:05 ET Saturday - With the Predators having just acquired Cody McLeod from the Avalanche, there will be a little extra intensity with this match-up. The Predators are off of back to back wins and trying to gain traction in the playoff race. The Avalanche are clearly already looking ahead to next season and continue their youth movement this season. The strength of the Preds is they keep their opponents off of the scoresheet. The weakness of the Avalanche is they struggle mightily to score goals. The result, as you can see, is that this situation strongly favors Nashville. The Avalanche have lost 18 of their last 22 games and, amazingly, have been held to 2 goals or less in 11 of their last 12 games! The Avs have averaged a paltry 1.4 goals per game in their last dozen games. The Predators have allowed 2 goals or less in 6 of their last 7 games! Also, the Preds have won 4 of their last 6 road games and have averaged 3.33 goals per game in those 6 games! 8* NASHVILLE

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET Friday - Fresh legs here as both teams are coming off of their bye "week" of 5 days. Perfect set up for an over here as the Rangers are expected to have wingers Rick Nash and Pavel Buchnevich back but are likely to be without defenseman Marc Staal. The Over is 7-1 in the Rangers last 9 games while the Maple Leafs come into this game having gone over the total in 4 straight games. Toronto acquired a new back-up goalie in Curtis McElhinney but, no matter who is in goal tonight, the goalies may not be as quite as sharp with the long layoff. Ironically, the last time McElhinney started was in the Rangers last game (when he was still a member of the Blue Jackets) and he gave up 5 goals in that game! The Rangers have scored 4.4 goals per game in their last 7 games and the Maple Leafs have scored 4.1 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Leafs have allowed 17 goals in their last 4 games and the Rangers have given up 4 goals per game in their last 8 games. The Blueshirts are 11-6 to the over this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 or more goals and I look for another wild one here at Madison Square Garden. 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in New York Rangers early Friday evening.

Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET Thursday - The struggling Predators got an improbable victory in overtime versus Vancouver Tuesday as they scored the winning goal short-handed in OT with just seconds left on the clock. That was just the 2nd win in 9 Preds games that have gone beyond regulation this season. This banged-up Nashville team certainly needed that win and I expect them to now use that as a momentum shift as they host Boston tonight and look to string together some wins. Even though the Bruins have been hot on their current road trip, Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has been sharper than Boston netminder Tuukka Rask in recent games. Rinne has a .946 save percentage compared to .902 for Rask over their last 4 starts. The Bruins suffered a couple injuries in their big 5-3 win at St Louis Tuesday and that helps "level the situation" here as the Predators continue to deal with injury issues. The end result is that I'll gladly ride the hotter goalie on home ice in a pick'em situation. The Preds win over the Canucks is the type of momentum-turning victory that Nashville needed. The Bruins have lost 8 of 11 this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, Boston has lost 37 of 65 road games with posted total of 5 goals or less the past three seasons. The Predators have won 43 of 71 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less the past three seasons. As hot as the Bruins have been, they have allowed 3 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The Preds have held 5 of their last 6 opponents to 2 goals or less! 10* Top Play NASHVILLE on the money line

Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER 5.5 goals (+130) in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:35 ET Thursday - The Sabres are 4-2 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Buffalo comes into this game rolling in the offensive zone as they have won 3 of their last 4 games and they have scored 15 goals in the 4 games! The Lightning come into this game well rested as they have been off since Sunday. When the Bolts enter a game off of 3 or more days of rest they have gone 3-0 to the over this season. Also, when Tampa Bay is off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, they have gone 9-3 to the over this season. The Lightning come into this game having allowed 22 goals in their last 4 games and, not surprisingly, all 4 games have resulted in overs. #1 Bolts goalie Ben Bishop is expected back for this game (he had been out with a lower body injury) but I don't expect him to be 100% sharp in his first game back. Couple that with the fact that the Sabres come into this one red hot on offense and you can see why I am backing the over in this one. The Lightning scored just 1 goal in their most recent home game but previously had scored 22 goals in their 6 preceding home games. 8* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER 5 goals in Philadelphia Flyers vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET Thursday - Both teams are off of back to back losses where they scored only a single goal in each game. However, the Flyers are averaging 38 shots on goal in their last 6 games and will keep the pressure on here considering they are back home where they have won 8 of their last 10 games. The Canucks, prior to scoring problems in their last two games, had averaged 3 goals per game in their 12 prior games and had recently enjoyed a 6-game winning streak. In 19 non-conference games this season for the Canucks, only 7 stayed under the total. The Flyers are 12-4 to the over in non-conference games this season. Also, in a home game with a posted total of 5 goals or less, Philly has gone 15-8 to the over the past 3 seasons combined. This season, the over is 7-3 in Flyers games when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 8* OVER the total in Philadelphia

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 8:05 ET Wednesday - Both teams come in red hot but the Capitals have the home ice edge, the hotter goalie, and they still have playoff revenge on their minds. Yes, Washington certainly got some revenge with a 7-1 drubbing of the Penguins back in November but the Capitals did lose their first chance at revenge (3-2 loss at Pittsburgh in October) and, overall, there is no way they can not be fired up about any chance to host the defending Stanley Cup Champs. The Caps want to make their move this season and get that top spot. The Pens do have a few concerns heading into this one as goalie Matt Murray has been dealing with a lower body injury and a number of Penguins are also battling an illness that has gripped a few players.  The Penguins have won 5 straight games but they've allowed 9 goals in their last 4 games while the Capitals have won 6 straight games and have allowed 1 goal or less in 4 of their last 5 games. Including playoff games, the home team has won 6 straight match-ups between these teams. The Penguins have lost 29 of their last 50 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The Capitals have won 10 of 14 games this season when they are off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Caps goalie Braden Holtby is 4-0 and has allowed a total of just 4 goals in his last 4 starts. 10* WASHINGTON money line Wednesday

Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals (+135) in Chicago Blackhawks vs Detroit Red Wings @ 8:35 ET Tuesday - Both Justin Abelkader and Mike Green skated with the Red Wings yesterday and I would not be surprised to see both guys back on the ice tonight. However, even if they don't return, just the fact they are both very close to returning is going to boost this Detroit team. The Red Wings are off of a 6-3 loss at San Jose. The encouraging take-away for the Wings in that game is the fact that they have now scored 3 goals or more in 6 of their last 7 games. However, Detroit has allowed 3 goals or more in 12 of their last 16 games and that is what is leading me to the over in this match-up. The Blackhawks are 16-4-4 at home this season and they score a ton of goals there. Chicago has averaged 3.2 goals per game at the United Center this season and they are coming off of a 5-2 win over Nashville Sunday. The over is 16-8 in their home games this season. Petr Mrazek is expected to get the start for Detroit tonight and the over is 5-2 in his starts in non-conference action this season. Also, in his Mrazek's last 4 games (including 2 starts) he has struggled with an .852 save percentage! His most recent start stayed under the total but NONE of his 5 prior starts resulted in an under! The Red Wings ugly loss Sunday was the 12th time this season that they have lost a game by a margin of 2 goals or more. They'll be ready to respond and, after the first 11 this season, only 3 of 11 times has their next game stayed under the total. Look for a ton of goals here as Detroit is going to go hard and the Hawks have scored 9 goals in their last two games against the Red Wings. I know there is some 5 out there but I am recommending grabbing the 5.5 and going for the big plus money payback here rather than laying big juice! 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago

Rickenbach NHL 8* Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET Tuesday - The Blues are off of a big 4-3 win over Dallas where they scored the game winning goal very late. After a big win over a division rival they could be a little flat here as they have lost 9 of 14 this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. Also, St Louis has not won back to back games since a 3-game run that began way back on Thanksgiving weekend! As for the Bruins, they'll definitely be hungry for tonight's game. They were embarrassed 6-2 on home ice back in November when they hosted the Blues. Also, Boston comes into this game off of a 4-3 loss at Carolina. The road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these clubs. Tuukka Rask, Bruins goalie, has a .931 save percentage his last 4 games while Jake Allen, Blues netminder, has an .885 save percentage his last 4 games. I'll grab the value with the hungrier team and the hotter goalie. 8* BOSTON

Rickenbach NHL 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET Tuesday - The Sabres are off of a big 4-3 win versus Winnipeg and they haven't won back to back games in about 4 weeks. Also, when off of a game where they have scored 4 goals or more, Buffalo has lost 6 of 8 this season! Even though playing with revenge here, the Sabres have lost 90 of 137 when looking to avenge a loss and the Flyers have won 2 straight against Buffalo. The Sabres, in comparison with the Flyers, are also the more banged-up team heading into this game. Philly also has the much better penalty kill on the season (81.8% compared to 74.4%). Look for the Flyers to respond after their 2-1 loss at Columbus Sunday. 8* PHILADELPHIA

Contrarian Top Play - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Calgary Flames @ 8:05 ET Monday - Winnipeg has revenge here from a 6-2 loss at Calgary earlier this season. The Flames have given the Jets a lot of trouble though as they have scored 14 goals in the last 3 meetings! Look for plenty of offense again in this one as Winnipeg is off of a 4-3 loss at Buffalo and the over is 11-6 this season in Jets games when they are off of a non-conference match-up. Winnipeg comes into this game on a 4-1 run to the over because they've been struggling to keep pucks out of their own net with 4 or more goals allowed in 4 of their last 5 games. The Jets have been scoring well as they've potted 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 10 games! The Flames also come into this game with plenty of confidence in the offensive zone as they have scored 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 12 games. With Calgary also having enjoyed such strong success in recent match-ups with the Jets, look for this game to be played at a fast pace with plenty of scoring opportunities here. The Flames are confident when they face Winnipeg as they've won 5 of the last 7 meetings. The over is 3-0-1 in Calgary's last 4 road games. The over is 5-2-1 in the Jets last 8 home games. Plenty of offense here and a nice plus money return on the high side of this one which means we are going the contrarian way here as many will be backing the under! 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Monday 

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL 8* Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET Monday - This is a revenge spot for Washington as they lost 2-1 at home against Montreal last month. That was the 2nd straight time the Caps have lost to the Habs in Washington and this has been a road dominated series of late as the Capitals have held the upper hand in Montreal as well with 2 wins in their their last 3 trips there. Both of these teams are riding winning streaks heading into this game as the Canadiens have won 3 in a row and the Capitals have won 5 in a row. The key however is that Montreal has given up 3 goals in each of their past 2 wins and they have allowed 3 goals or more in 5 of their last 8 games. Conversely, the Capitals are off of back to back shutouts and have allowed 2 goals or less in 5 of their last 6 games. Washington has won 13 of 18 this season and 62 of 94 the past three seasons combined when the Capitals are playing with revenge! Montreal has lost 3 of its last 4 home games and they are coming into this game with some injury concerns. The Capitals are the healthier team coming in. 8* WASHINGTON money line Monday evening 

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 6:05 ET Sunday - The Blue Jackets finally saw their 16-game winning streak come to an end so one had to expect they would be fired up yesterday. Sure enough, they fired out to a big early lead and were up 4-2 by the end of the 2nd period. However, final score was a 5-4 loss for Columbus as they gave up 3 goals in the 3rd period. Look for Columbus to have a full head of steam here against Philly after the loss to the Rangers yesterday. The Flyers are off of a 4-2 win yesterday that snapped a 5-game losing streak. The problem lately for Philadelphia has been keeping the puck out of their own net and one good start from Michal Neuvirth in his first game back is not going to change everything for Philadelphia. The Flyers did put a ton of pucks on net yesterday and that's a good sign as they've piled up shots on goal in their last 3 games. Prior to yesterday's win, Philadelphia had allowed 4 goals or more in 4 of their last 5 games. The over is now 4-1 in the Flyers last 5 games. The over is also now 4-1-1 in the Blue Jackets last 6 games. Columbus has scored 3 goals or more in 16 of its last 18 games. Both clubs continue to push hard here as the Jackets have now had back to back losses and the Flyers continue to put a bunch of pucks on net as their line changes yesterday also certainly helped. Philadelphia looked reinvigorated after changing their top 3 lines. 8* OVER the total in Columbus Sunday

Central Division Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET Saturday - These division rivals are meeting for the last time this season. Dallas won the first game this season and that earned them some measure of revenge for last spring's playoff ouster at the hands of the Blues. However, St Louis has now taken the last two meetings this season and the last thing the Stars want is to lose the season series to the Blues after also getting knocked of out of last season's post-season at the hands of St Louis. That said, there is considerable line value here on the Stars as a sizable dog in this match-up. Dallas wrapped up a 3-game homestand with back to back losses after it began with a 3rd straight overall win for the Stars. The past three seasons combined, when Dallas enters a game having played each of their three prior games on home ice, the Stars have won 19 of 28 games! Also, Dallas has fresh legs here after back to back day off and the Stars have won 28 of 44 games when playing with two days of rest between games. The Blues have lost 7 of their last 11 games and goalie Jake Allen is likely distracted here (if he even plays). He is about to become a father for the first time and is listed as questionable for tonight's game. In losing 7 of their last 11 games, the Blues have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game during this stretch. More of the same Saturday. 10* Top Play DALLAS STARS money line

Earliest Cash TV Game - Rickenbach NHL 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 1:05 ET Saturday - A pair of struggling teams match-up here but the advantage clearly belongs to the home favorite in this one. The Flyers get back goalie Michael Neuvirth who will be between the pipes this afternoon and I look for a strong game from him to give Philly a boost. Philadelphia also has made line changes that have impacted their top three lines and I expect the Flyers to get rolling again as they take advantage of a Bolts club that is in a tough spot for multiple reasons here. The Lightning are without injured #1 goalie Ben Bishop and they've allowed 6 goals in back to back games now and, overall, are allowing an average of nearly 4 goals per game in their last 6 games. Tampa Bay also has a huge game on deck tomorrow as they faced the defending champion Penguins in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Of course it was the Pens that knocked the Lightning out in a hard-fought Eastern Conference finals last May. It's hard for the Bolts not to look ahead to that game plus they still are sorely missing Steven Stamkos. The Flyers have lost both games to Tampa Bay this season but that was much earlier this season and it is time for double revenge payback here and the situation is perfect for us to lay the price. 8* PHILADELPHIA money line early Saturday afternoon 

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line -110 vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET Friday - The Maple Leafs are fired up after "letting one slip away" in a 6-5 loss at Washington on Tuesday.  Toronto had won 5 straight before that loss and they're also playing this game with revenge on their minds as they lost at New Jersey 5-4 early this season.  While the Leafs are off of a loss, the Devils have actually won back to back games which is quite surprising considering they had previously lost 19 of their last 24 games!  The line value here is swaying heavily in favor of the Maple Leafs because we are getting a short price with them since they're on the road and yet the situational edges are largely in their favor.  Only once this entire season have the Devils had a winning streak of more than 2 games. As for the Maple Leafs, they haven't lost back to back games since mid-December and they have won 8 of 12 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. Toronto also has won 6 of 9 this season when they are off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more.  The Devils have lost 4 of 5 Friday night games this season and 24 of 34 Friday games the past 3 seasons combined.  They've lost both home games this season that have had a posted total of 5.5 goals.  With the odds makers calling for a higher scoring game here (hence the 5.5 total) you know it is likely that the better offensively skilled team is the one likely to be doing most of the damage!  10* TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS money line Friday

Rickenbach Thursday NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Buffalo Sabres @ 8:35 ET - The Blackhawks are off of a 4-1 loss at St Louis in the outdoor game Monday. Though that game got "crazy" late and really had no business ending with 5 goals scored, the fact is that it was the 6th time in their last 9 games that Chicago has allowed at least 3 goals. That said, I do look for the Blackhawks to come out fired up here and looking to score early and often as this games is the first of a 4-game homestand and Chicago knows they need to get rolling after losing 5 of their past 6 games. However, in addition to the Blackhawks aggressive approach I look for their recent struggles to keep pucks out of their own net to continue. The Sabres are off of a big 4-1 win at New York over the Rangers and Buffalo has now averaged 2.63 goals per game in their last 8 road games. The Sabres have scored a power play goal in 3 of their last 4 games but they allowed a power play goal in 4 straight games before killing off the lone power play of the Rangers Tuesday. With the Blackhawks hungry to get back on track on home ice and the Sabres defense "ripe for the picking" after a strong game against the Rangers, look for this one to play out at a very fast pace with plenty of good scoring chances for both clubs. 10* Top Play OVER 5 goals in Chicago Thursday

Rickenbach Thursday NHL 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - Earlier this season Winnipeg hosted an outdoor game. The Jets lost their next game and only a goal with 10 seconds left made the final score appear like it was a closer game than it actually was. Toronto hosted an outdoor game on New Year's Day, and then the Maple Leafs turned around and lost at Washington Tuesday. St Louis hosted a game on Monday and, especially with the way in which the Blues won that game (an emotional OT victory) I look for them to turn around and lose here. The point is that these outdoor games are a big deal (and especially for the host city) and it is not unusual to see the team that hosted one of these then struggle some in their next game. Also, for the Blues, that was a big divisional win over the Blackhawks Monday. The Hurricanes come into this game hungry as they are off of a 3-1 home loss to New Jersey where the Canes did outshoot the Devils 30-18 in that game. That was a 2nd straight loss for Carolina and I look for them to respond here as the Hurricanes haven't lost 3 straight games in about 5 weeks! As for the Blues off of that big win over Chicago, St Louis has not won back to back games in about 5 weeks. I'll gladly take the dog in this spot. 8* CAROLINA money line Thursday

Rickenbach NHL 8* Thursday OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Nashville Predators @ 7:35 ET - The Lightning are off of a 6-4 home loss to Winnipeg Tuesday. The Bolts have now scored 25 goals in their last 7 home games for a solid 3.57 goals per game average in games played in Tampa the last 4 weeks. The problem for Tampa Bay has been keeping the puck out of their own net as they've now allowed 3.4 goals per game in their last 5 games. Also, the Bolts are hosting a Nashville team that is off of a tight, low-scoring home loss but that has been involved in plenty of high-scoring match-ups on the road this season. In their 6 wins away from home this season the Preds have averaged scoring 4.33 goals per game. However, in their 11 road losses this season the Predators have given up and average of 4.22 goals per game! As you can see there haven't been many tight, low-scoring affairs involving the Predators away from home and they were severely out shot by the Canadiens in Tuesday's home loss so they will bring a strong effort in the offensive zone tonight and look for put plenty of pucks on net. The result should be another wild, high-scoring road contest involving Nashville. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay Thursday

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET Wednesday -This one is a bit of a contrarian play because, even though it will be the 2nd night of a back to back situation, the Rangers have played very well in back to backs this season. Also, New York has excelled in road games this season. However, the Flyers have the big rest edge here as they have been off since a tough New Year's Day loss at Anaheim. The Flyers held a 55-25 edge in shots on goal and yet lost so they're fired up to respond here after playing so well and yet not getting 2 points against the Ducks. Of course no extra motivation is really needed when the Rangers are in town as this is a huge rivalry. The Flyers have the rest edge, they also get a boost with the expected (or imminent) return of goalie Michal Neuvrith, and they get revenge for a 3-2 loss to the Rangers earlier this season where Philly outshot them 42-23. It is payback time here and the situation is perfect. 10* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Wednesday

NHL Non-Conf Game of the Month - Rickenbach 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET Tuesday - Perfect set up here as the Predators are off of a 4-0 shutout win over a divisional rival and have lost 10 of 11 this season when off of a game where they scored 4 goals or more. As usual, look for the Predators to struggle off of a big game where they scored big goals. As for the Canadiens, they certainly won't be complacent in this one. Montreal lost both games to Nashville last season and they also come into this game fired up because they are off of an OT loss to Pittsburgh where they allowed the tying goal with less than a minute to go in the game! The Habs have won 6 of 9 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. Also, Montreal has won 9 of 13 this season in their games against teams with a losing record. Note that the Predators also have lost 11 of 16 this season when off of a game against a divisional rival and the Preds have lost all 3 games this season when they enter with 3 or more days of rest. Nashville hasn't played since Friday and will be rusty here. The fired up revenge-minded Canadiens are the play here. 10* MONTREAL CANADIENS money line Tuesday

Eastern Conference Crusher - Rickenbach NHL 8* New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET Monday - The Devils are off of an embarrassing 6-2 home loss to the Capitals. Before that game, New Jersey had beaten them in Washington. But of course the ugly home loss hasn't set well with them and you can bet (literally!) on a huge response here from the Devils. Even though New Jersey had been slumping they did get 2 wins in their 4 games prior to Saturday's loss. Also, the Bruins haven't exactly been setting the world on fire. Before back to back wins over Buffalo, Boston had lost 8 of their prior 11 games. Also, off of a big win, note that the Bruins have lost 6 of 9 this season when off of a win by two goals or more. As for the Devils, they have won 9 of 13 home games with a posted total of 5 goals or less this season. The point is that New Jersey wins a lot of tight, low-scoring, hard-fought battles at home and they are likely to tighten things up here after the bad loss to the Capitals. Also, the Devils do have revenge here for a tight loss at Boston earlier this season. The Devils did defeat the Bruins the last time they hosted them and I look for them to get the job done again here and will take advantage of the home dog value. 8* NEW JERSEY on the money line Monday

NHL Network Smash - Rickenbach NHL 8* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET Sunday - October, November, December NHL action now is all in the books. The Flyers have had ups and downs for sure but one thing that hasn't happened yet is a 4-game losing streak. This entire season Philadelphia is yet to lose 4 in row. They come into this game off of 3 straight losses and, not too far removed from a 10-game winning streak, they are determined to do something about it! The Flyers were shutout at San Jose on Friday and they have gone 4-2 this season (and averaged 3 goals per game) when off of a game where they scored 1 goal or less. The key about the 3 goals per game average is that the Flyers have ranked among top scoring teams in the league this season and they're fired up to get back on track after being shutout. There is a good probability that 3 Flyers goals would be enough for the win here as Anaheim is struggling to score goals. The Ducks have lost 4 of their past 5 games and have been held to just 1.8 goals per game in these 5 games. Anaheim just back from a road trip to Western Canada and this will be their 3rd game in 4 nights. For the Flyers, they've been in California since Thursday and are playing just their 2nd game in 4 days. A lot of value with a hungry underdog that has avoid losing 4 in a row all season long. 8* PHILADELPHIA on the money line Sunday night

Top Total Saturday - Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The NHL is starting a new scheduling change this year that is effecting all teams as they each get at least a "bye week" of 5 days or more in January or February. The Islanders are one of the first teams to have a bye week as the Isles and Pens start their bye weeks tomorrow. With that said, the Isles are going to leave it "all on the ice" here Saturday with a huge effort before their break on deck. The Islanders have been scoring well this month but they can't keep the puck out of their own net and that is why the over is 10-3 in the Isles 13 games this month. As for the Jets, they are looking to bounce back off of a 5-3 home loss to Columbus. That was the 5th time in their last 6 games that Winnipeg has scored at least 3 goals. The Jets have allowed at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 10 games. These non-conference foes match-up twice a season and each of the last two seasons both games went over the total. That's a perfect 4-0 run to the over that should keep rolling here on Saturday. The over is 9-4 in Jets non-conference games this season. The Islanders over run is 12-4 dating back to Nov. 23rd and I expect another here as they go "all out" before their break. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg

The Game Saturday - Rickenbach NHL 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Minnesota Wild vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 6:05 ET - I am referring to this as "The Game" Saturday because in the history of the NHL there has never been a game matching up a pair of teams on winning streaks of 12 games or more. The Wild have won 12 straight games and the Blue Jackets have won 14 straight games. What I am expecting here as a result is a very high-scoring affair. Columbus is well aware of the fact that Minnesota likes to play tight, low-scoring games and is one of the top clubs in the league for goals allowed. As for the Blue Jackets, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and they know their best chance to get past the Wild is to be very aggressive in "attack mode" here and use the speed of their forwards to create some solid scoring chances early and often. The Blue Jackets have averaged 4 goals per game during this hot streak and have scored at least 3 goals in 13 of the 14 games. The Wild have also averaged very nearly 4 goals per game during their 12 game winning streak and they've scored at least 3 goals in 10 of their last 11 games. Don't be surprised if these two confident hockey clubs have worked this one to a 3-3 game by the 3rd period in this one. 8* OVER 5.5 goals in Minnesota

Rickenbach NHL 8* Nashville Predators Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET Friday - It has been a frustrating season thusfar for Nashville but they are offering great line value here as a sizable underdog. Though this is a back to back spot for the Predators that means goalie Juuse Saros is likely to get the start. He has a stellar .950 save % in his 5 starts this season. The Predators have had a pair of tight losses since the Christmas break and have now lost 3 straight game. That certainly insures that the Preds are going to bring the proper focus to this game and note that Nashville has not lost 4 straight games this season. In other words, expect the response tonight! As for St Louis, they rallied for a win over Philadelphia Wednesday after trailing 3-2 in the 3rd period of that game. The Blues have not won back to back games in the past 4 weeks and I am happy to fade them at this price range tonight on Friday. Jake Allen will be in goal for St Louis and he has struggled badly in 3 of his last 5 starts. Look for the Preds to improve to 3-0 this season when they enter a game off of 3 straight losses. Look for the Blues to drop to 3-6 this season when they are off of a win by a margin of 2 goals or more. 8* NASHVILLE money line Friday night