NHL Friday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 -125 in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:07 ET - The Blue Jackets Merzlikins has been better of late in goal but it still hard to trust him and the Senators are heavy favorites here with good reason. Merzlikins has struggled quite often this season and the Sens will pressure him with a lot of shots. The Blue Jackets should also enjoy success on home ice where, long-term, they do tend to score better. Columbus will take advantage of facing a struggling goalie in the form of former Jacket Korpisalo. The fact he was with the Blue Jackets before just puts even more pressure on him and he has a lofty GAA. Both teams do for that matter and I am expecting goals to fly here. Ottawa is off a 5-0 loss and prior to that 12 of 16 games totaled at least 7 goals! Columbus off a 4-2 loss but 9 of 12 games before that totaled at least 7 goals. More of the same here. 10* OVER 6.5 -125 in Columbus

VANCOUVER - The Canucks have been great on home ice all season long and here they catch a slumping Golden Knights team. Vegas has lost 8 of 11 games and I know some of the defeats were tight too but the losing is taking a toll and no let up is in sight. They are off a high-scoring loss at Edmonton but they were fortunate to even get that game to OT as they had to rally to do so. The trouble too is that, before that game, they only scored 7 goals in their last 7 losses. All is not well in Vegas right now and, now wrapping up a long road trip, the Golden Knights are not likely to see things get better until their home ice match-up this weekend. This is just a typical scenario here where it is so hard to pull it together on the road when 7 of your last 8 games have been on the road and you just can't get any consistency going. Being the defending champs plus the fact this is a divisional game, you know the Canucks want to take down the champs here. VANCOUVER -120

DALLAS - The road team has won both meetings this season and the Stars lost at home to the Flames 7-4 last week so this is a shot at right back revenge. Calgary off the huge upset win over Vegas. Not only are they just 2-6 this season when off a win, the Flames just knocked off the defending champs so the set up here is great. DALLAS -130

OVER 6.5 in Ariz vs Colo - Both teams have had some recent lower-scoring games but both are winning too. Confidence running high right now for both these clubs and the Coyotes have scored 10 goals in their last 3 games. The Avalanche have won 7 of 8 games and averaged 5 goals per game in the 7 victories. The Avs have seen 8 of last 12 games total at least 7 goals. The Coyotes most recent home game was a low-scoring win but this followed a stretch in which 5 of last 7 games totaled at least 7 goals and those games actually averaged 8 goals apiece. This is a small but special venue that the Coyotes are currently playing in down in Arizona and the atmosphere lends itself to some crazy games at Mullett Arena with a raucous crowd. More of the same expected here with a nearby foe in town. OVER 6.5 in Arizona

NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 6 in New York Rangers vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:37 ET - This is a great spot for goals! The Rangers are off a 5-1 loss and ready to respond. However, the Red Wings have won 3 straight games and have scored at least 4 goals in all 3 wins! Detroit also has revenge from a 5-3 loss here in New York in the first meeting this season. The Rangers have seen 7 of last 10 games total at least 6 goals and all 6 of the first 7 that did before last night's 5-1 loss had each totaled at least 7 goals. The Red Wings have now actually scored at least 4 goals in 5 of last 6 games and the Rangers have given up at least 4 goals in each of last two games. So this has the makings of another high-scoring affair between these teams. New York has yet to lose B2B games this season and will come out flying here but there is no way I am fading this Detroit team the way they are scoring goals coupled with the fact the Rangers D and netminding has recently faded. 10* OVER 6 in New York Rangers

NHL - OVER 6.5 -120 in Vancouver Canucks vs Anaheim Ducks @ 10:07 ET - The Ducks are mired in a losing streak but this Anaheim team has some talent up front. Problem is that they have been a sieve in their own end of the rink. In their current 6-game losing streak they are allowing 5 goals per game! I know Anaheim has not been scoring well of late but Vancouver enters this one having some struggles of their own in terms of goals conceded. The Canucks have allowed 3.3 goals per game in a 4-5 stretch their last 9 games. Vancouver has scored an average of 4 goals per game this season and is a heavy favorite here with good reason. Look for a 5-3 type game! OVER 6.5 - 120 in Vancouver

NHL - Edmonton Oilers -140 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:07 ET - This line has been moving strongly toward Edmonton. Keep in mind Edmonton started the season very poorly and the Golden Knights started the season on fire plus they are the defending champs. Yet, look at what this line is doing here. What does that tell you? Exactly...there is some sharp money coming in on the Oilers here. This is a playoff revenge situation plus Vegas is in the 2nd game of a B2B and has struggled to score goals of late. The Oilers are playing a fresh brand of hockey under their new head coach and off B2B high-scoring wins plus going for a 4th straight home ice win. Oilers want this game bad against the defending champs that eliminated them last season! Lay it! EDMONTON -140

NHL - Philadelphia Flyers +145 vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Carolina is certainly a strong club but they have had some issues this season and the Flyers have been a scrappy team that has played well early this season and really surprised a lot of people in the NHL. They will have Carter Hart in goal for this one and he has been strong early this season and the underdog Flyers are a great value pick in this one. PHILADELPHIA +145

NHL Monday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Puck Line -1.5 +100 @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:07 ET - The Blue Jackets just blew a 2-0 third period lead and lost at Carolina. They were heavily outshot in that game. Columbus is not a very good hockey club plus they used their red hot goalie Merzlikins in that one. He had helped steal a couple wins for them. Now in the 2nd day of a B2B, look for Martin to be in goal here and he has struggled and allowed at least 4 goals in 3 straight appearances! The Bruins have played a tough schedule recently and off B2B losses and defeats in 3 of last 4. After this game they will not play again until Thursday so I fully expect them to take advantage of facing a weaker foe and go all out here in a blowout road win. 6 of the 7 Bruins road wins this season by a multi-goal margin. The Blue Jackets, loss to Hurricanes yesterday notwithstanding, have mostly come by 2 or more goals this season. More of the same here. 10* BOSTON -1.5 +100

NHL 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Puck Line -1.5 -120 vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 5:07 ET - This is a great spot because the Jackets are off B2B wins and have NOT won 3 straight games yet this season and now they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Hurricanes are off an 8-2 loss to Tampa Bay. It was the night the Lightning got goalie Vasilevskiy back and it was in Carolina! It was an ugly loss despite the fact the Hurricanes allowed only 14 shots on goal in that game. Truly and unheard of type of loss and this Carolina team is too good to not bounce back after a game like that. In fact, they are already 5-0 this season when off a loss in which they were held to 3 or less goals. They will again bounce back here. The Blue Jackets are 0-8 the last 8 times they have entered a game on a winning streak of 2 games dating back to when they ended a 3-game winning streak the season BEFORE last season! Also, of those 8 losses, ALL 5 of the defeats against an Eastern Conference foe were by a multi-goal margin. So we are testing 100% multi-year spot with this puck line play. Lay it! 10* CAROLINA -1.5 -120

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +135 @ New York Islanders @ 7:37 ET - This is a great spot for the underdog Flyers. They lost at home to the Rangers yesterday but outshot New York by nearly a 2 to 1 ratio! Even though Hart was in goal yesterday and that means this will likely be Ersson between the pipes, the latter has been playing quite well in recent starts. Also, Sorokin likely in goal for the Islanders here in this B2B spot and the Isles are off a win yesterday and were at Ottawa. The travel situation actually favors the Flyers here. Also, they have revenge and plus Sorokin, before that start against Philly, has struggled this season. The Flyers are off B2B losses but are already 2-0 this season when they enter a road game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. Look for that record to improve to 3-0 here as before B2B losses they won 5 straight. The Isles have won 3 straight but that included tight wins and, prior to this, they had enduring a long overall losing stretch all the way back to mid-October. Great underdog value here and payback revenge for the Flyers. 10* PHILADELPHIA +135

NHL Friday Winnipeg Jets Money Line +125 @ Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The Jets have been hot with wins in 9 of 11. Also, Winnipeg welcomes back coach Bowness for this one after a leave of absence tending to his wife (illness). That said, I look for the Jets to rally around him and him being back and Hellebuyck certainly rates the goalie edge over the Panthers Bobrovsky. The latter has been very inconsistent this season with a number of bad starts. The Panthers also lost the first meeting at Winnipeg this season. This Jets team is just too hot and this is a great underdog price on them. Florida has lost 2 of 4 and this is another tough match-up for them. 10* WINNIPEG +125

NHL Wednesday DALLAS STARS -135 - I had Dallas when they lost at Vegas earlier this season. It is a game they never should have lost. Also, the Stars have playoff revenge from last season. Right now Dallas is the hot team and the Golden Knights have gone cold of late. This is a great spot to lay a reasonable price on a revenge-minded team primed for a blowout win on home ice!

PHILADELPHIA +125/+130 - The Flyers have won 5 straight games. It is not a fluke. As I predicted at the start of the season, the front office changes Philly has made would pay dividends and the club atmosphere is now different than the past for sure. As for the Islanders, they are off a win but this followed losses in 7 straight games and losses in 11 of 14 games. This is a divisional rivalry with some past playoff history too and these teams just do not like each other. The fact the motivated road team that is playing the better hockey right now is a solid dog makes this a must play the way I see it. Philly also will have Hart in goal and he has been much better this season than Sorokin has for the Isles! Road upset win here!

NEW YORK RANGERS +107 - The Rangers just had their first regulation loss in their last DOZEN games! This New York team is a perfect 3-0 this season when off a loss. Quick will likely be in goal since Shesterkin was in goal in Monday's loss at Dallas. The Rangers blew a 2-0 lead in that game and did lead it 2-1 entering the 3rd period. They gave up 6 goals (2 empty netters) after they had scored the first two goals of the game. That is the kind of a loss that will get a team immediately focused and they can not wait to take the ice tonight. I know the Pens are still a quality team but I don't trust Jarry against elite teams and the Pens goalie is facing an angry Blueshirts club tonight that should pepper him with plenty of shots on goal. I like great teams off a loss when they had been playing well just prior to that loss. The Rangers fit the bill in that regard. Grab the small dog on the road on the money line here!

NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Vancouver Canucks vs San Jose Sharks @ 10:05 ET - The Sharks will be out for revenge here. I do not expect them to get it as they are heavy road underdogs for a reason here. However, I do expect the Sharks to put up quite the fight and the result should be a high-scoring game here. San Jose lost at home to the Canucks by a 10-1 count when these teams met a few weeks ago. That was when the Sharks were reaching the low point of their winless start to this season and ended up allowing 10 goals in B2B games. Since then they have actually gone 3-3 in their last 6 games. However, they are still 0-7 on the road this season but I like the fact they scored 5 goals in their most recent game, a home win, and they can carry some momentum on the road here! Look for an aggressive game from the Sharks which will push the Canucks to be their best at home. Vancouver has lost B2B games so they need to bounce back here. The Canucks have not lost 3 straight games yet this season and so you have two teams coming in ready to push hard for a win tonight and the goals should be flying. The Sharks have so often struggled to stop quality opposition this season and, at the same time, Canucks have looked vulnerable in recent games so San Jose will score their fair share in this revenge games as well. 10* OVER 6.5 in Vancouver

NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line -145/-155 vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 5:37 ET - The Flyers beat the Blue Jackets at Columbus earlier this season in their season opener. Tortorella was head coach with Columbus in the past so this game always has a little extra special meaning in addition to the fact this is a divisional game. I know the Flyers are in a B2B and just beat the Golden Knights yesterday. However, Philly has won 4 straight games and we get a bargain line on home ice here against a bad Blue Jackets team. That's because Hart was in goal yesterday so the goalie today is likely to be Ersson for the Flyers. But he has actually been solid in recent outings so I expect him to come up with another strong start here if called upon. Overall, the Flyers have bounced back strong this season while the Blue Jackets continue to struggle. Note that Columbus has lost 8 straight and 12 of last 13! They also have only 1 road win this entire season. I look for the Blue Jackets to struggle again as the Flyers stay hot. 10* PHILADELPHIA money line

NHL Sunday 8* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line -150 vs Minnesota Wild @ 8 *AM* ET from Stockholm, Sweden - The Wild played yesterday and got a surprisingly strong goaltending effort but still lost 2-1 in the shootout. Now they are in the 2nd game of a B2B and likely to be spent. This is a classic case of hot versus not. Toronto has won 3 straight games and won here in Sweden Friday too. They have the rest edge and will take advantage of a Minnesota team in the 2nd game of a B2B and also facing an early start time here in Sweden of 2 PM local time. That makes the B2B even tougher and the Wild have lost 8 of 10 games and 4 in a row! Testing the Leafs 3-0 run and facing Minnesota's 0-4 run in this double perfect situation. 8* TORONTO -150

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks -140 vs Seattle @ 10:07 ET - This is a great set-up as the Kraken are off a 4-3 win in the shootout but had lost 12 of 17 games this season prior to that win. Vancouver is off a loss but had won 10 of 12 games heading into that one. Also, the Canucks are a perfect 3-0 this season when off a loss in which they allowed 3 or more goals. The Kraken are 0-2 this season when entering a game off a home win! Seattle is known for struggling to score and Thatcher Demko should be back between the pipes after sitting out the Canucks most recent game, a loss. Demko has gone 8-3 this season with a low GAA sitting around 2 goals and he dominates again here. This is a value price for the Canucks considering the situation. 10* VANCOUVER -140

NHL Friday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line +160 vs Florida Panthers @ 10:05 ET - Gibson should be back between the pipes here for the Ducks and he has been great. Dostal really struggled against the Avalanche but now Anaheim should bounce back off that ugly loss. With Gibson in the crease, the Ducks are 4-1 in his last 5 decisions. Also, he has a fantastic 2.19 ERA on the season including a sparkling 1.51 GAA this month. The Ducks were on an 8-2 run before losing their last game by, ironically, an 8-2 count! They are very undervalued here on home ice in my opinion. Florida is a solid team but the Panthers are 6-1 at home but have lost 5 of 9 on the road. This line is heavily shaded toward a club that also lost 22 of 41 road games last season as well. The Ducks are improving and solid on home ice and they show that again here. 10* Anaheim +160

NHL Thursday Calgary Flames -135 vs Vancouver Canucks @ 9:07 ET - Tough back to back spot for the Canucks and they had to rally from two goals down for a hard-fought win in OT last night. Now Vancouver will likely go with back-up goalie Casey DeSmith in the B2B while the Flames have Jacob Markstrom back from injury and he was strong in his first start back and is now off B2B strong starts. He will prove to be a difference-maker again in this one. Calgary is on home ice plus has the situational advantage here. The Flames have had a tough time early this season but 10 of their last 14 games have been away from home ice. Their schedule has been tough and, with Markstrom back again, and more home ice action on the horizon, the Flames will build off winning 3 of last 5 and earning points in 4 of those 5 games! They are feeling better now than they were early in the season and they catch Canucks off that OT battle last night. Great spot for Flames. Lay it! 10* CALGARY

NHL Wednesday Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 -130 @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:37 ET - The Flyers have a big goalie edge here the way I see it. Carter Hart will be back tonight and he has been fantastic this season. Pyotr Kochetkov is the likely starter for the Hurricanes and though he is off a strong start, this followed an 0-3 start to the season and an ugly .836 save percentage. So, the fact is, even though Carolina is a strong team the Flyers are scrappy underdogs here that even managed to win 3 of 5 games while their top goalie was out. Now Hart is back and the Flyers can win this thing but we get the added value of the +1.5 goals on the puck line and that is the way to play this one. Carolina is off a 4-0 win but this followed a 10-game stretch in which the Hurricanes only had ONE WIN in TEN games that was by more than a 1-goal margin. The Canes just have not been as dominant this season as they were in the past. The Flyers are 7-7-1 this season but only 4 losses by more than 1 goal so at +1.5 goals, Philly is 11-4 this season. A lot of value here at the +130 price. PHILADELPHIA +1.5 -130

Florida Panthers -1.5 +105 @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 ET - This Sharks team is by far the worst team in the league. The only two wins they have they were outplayed in each game. The dozen losses they have in regulation time all were by a margin of more than a single goal. The point is that if you expect Florida to win here (and who wouldn't?) you can also feel quite comfortable laying the 1.5 goals here. Of course the puck line is a must when money line prices (250+) are this high but, again, no hesitation given San Jose's knack for getting blown out. Until the Sharks show true signs of turning this around, they are in "must fade" status on a regular basis and this Panthers team just has too much for them. FLORIDA -1.5 +105

Anaheim Ducks +150 @ Nashville Predators @ 8:07 ET - I know the Predators are at home here but how can they can be this big of a favorite when you consider how they are slumping right now. The Preds are only a .500 club at home this season too plus overall they have lost 5 of 6 games while the Ducks have won 7 of 9 including 4 straight road games! Give me the big dog value in this one. ANAHEIM +150

OVER 6.5 in St Louis Blues vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 8:07 ET - Great set up for goals here as Tampa Bay continues to allow too many goals - Vasilevskiy practiced yesterday but his return is still at least a week away most likely. But this Bolts team is still dangerous offensively and should bounce back in the goal-scoring department after a rare shutout loss. As for the Blues, they are ripe to give up goals here after an 8-2 shellacking of the Avalanche in their most recent game. St Louis had been allowing a fair amount of goals and I know that TB will bring it here. Also, the Blues have scored 3.6 goals last 5 games at home and that 8-2 win was on the road at Colorado. St Louis will score well here but will not be able to stop the Lightning. OVER 6.5 in St Louis

NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER 6 -120 or OVER 6.5 +105 in Seattle Kraken vs Colorado Avalanche @ 10:05 ET - This is a revenge game for the Avalanche. They had an early season win at Seattle but then last week they lost at home to the Kraken. They want payback here but I can not trust their current level of goaltending. The Avs are struggling to keep the puck out of their own net recently. So they will make a big push here and should score very well but they are allowing too many goals and I can not trust them to stop Seattle. However, the Kraken are having the same issue, they have been allowing goals at an alarming rate of late. That said, the play here is the over as both clubs have been trending toward higher-scoring games and there is no reason for that to change here the way these goalies have been going. The Kraken have allowed 4 goals per game last 11 games. The Avalanche have allowed 4.3 goals per game their last 9 games. 10* OVER 6 or 6.5 in Seattle

NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks -155 @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:07 ET - Great set up here. The Canadiens are off B2B wins but both after regulation. This followed 4 straight losses including the last two by a combined score off 11 to 6. As for the Canucks, they are off a rare 5-2 loss and already perfect this season when off a loss in which they allowed more than 2 goals. They will bounce right back here. Prior to the loss they had won 5 straight and 8 of last 9. Also, unlike the Habs, the Canucks do not even have a win that came after regulation. All their wins were within the 60 minutes and, in fact, averaged a margin of victory of 3.7 goals! More of the same on the way here and, because the Canucks are on the road, we get a reasonable line here. 10* VANCOUVER -155

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in LA Kings vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 10:37 ET - Flyers have a goalie issue with Carter Hart back from injury but then missing last night's game due to illness. That means he is not 100% even if he does play tonight and it would be a back to back for Ersson if he plays. If Peterson plays he is facing his former team again but he struggled last season and is struggling again this season including at the AHL level. No matter what the Kings should erupt for goals here after they hammered the Flyers already in Philly 5-0 and they enter this one angry off an OT home loss to the Penguins. So the set up is ideal for goals here. That's because Philly will ride the emotion of last night's big 6-3 win at nearby Anaheim and they want revenge for that ugly 5-0 home loss to the Kings here. Also note that all of the Kings games this season at home totaled at least 6 goals and 5 of the 6 have totaled at least 7 goals. This one should as well given the situation and the dynamics. 10* OVER 6.5 in LA Kings

NHL Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line -105 @ Anaheim Ducks @ 10:05 ET - The reason this game is priced this way is because Carter Hart is expected back in goal for the Flyers tonight and yes he has been that good this season for the Flyers. So he will make a difference here and also this is a revenge game for Philly because the Ducks won the first meeting 7-4 at Philly. No, Hart did not play in that one and he and his Flyers teammates want revenge here. The Ducks have lost 3 of last 5 at home and are scoring an average of just 1 goal in their 5 losses this season. They are capable of being shutdown and Hart and the Flyers get some road payback here. Philly very hungry after losing at San Jose and giving the Sharks their first win of the season even though the Flyers had a big edge in shots on goal in that one with a 39-19 edge. 10* PHILADELPHIA -105

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Puck Line -1.5 +140 @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:37 ET - Putting goalie Jack Campbell on waivers was a sign that Edmonton knows it is put up or shut up time. The Oilers have had a very rough start to the season but truly the Sharks have been much worse. San Jose just got their first win of the season (finally) but they were truly out played by the Flyers in that game and so it is not like everything is now fine with this Sharks team. They have a lot of issues and remember they allowed 10 goals in each of their two most recent losses. San Jose started the season with 11 straight losses and the win over Philadelphia was a bit fortunate, to say the least. That said, the Oilers come in very hungry for a win and demanding a win and they will give their best effort of the season here. They are huge money line favorites on the road for a reason and the value here is with the puck line. By laying the 1.5 goals we get a reasonable line on a road team set to dominate in this one! 10* EDMONTON -1.5 -140

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars -1.5 +115 @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:37 ET - The Stars off B2B losses but faced two very tough teams. Now they take on a much weaker foe and considering Dallas is not in a good mood here, I look for them to crush Columbus in this one. They already beat the Blue Jackets in Dallas earlier this season 5-3 and did have a late 5-2 lead in that game. Columbus has lost 6 of 7 overall and all 3 of their regulation losses at home have been by a multiple-goal margin. Lay the puck line here for a solid plus money return in what should be a road rout. 10* Dallas -1.5 +115

NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 10:07 ET - This is another one of those match-ups in betting that falls into the category of "someone knows something" as the saying goes. Yes, the Kings are playing very well but still they have 4 losses in their 11 games so far this season. Conversely, the Golden Knights have been nearly flawless this season and plus they are on home ice here and yet this line is as low as the -120 range on Vegas. This is basically an open invitation for people to take the Golden Knights. Of course when this is happening I am on the other side! Give me LA as I side with the bookmakers here as per usual. This is not without reason here of course and I love the fact LA is rested and off a 5-0 win at Philly a few days ago and they are a perfect 6-0 on the road this season and they have revenge here. Yes, they lost the first match-up with Vegas this season despite having a 2-0 lead and despite a 40-30 edge in shots on goal. So this one sets up well to be payback and I am not fooled by this line. Grab the small dog that is priced this way because this is where the sharp money is on this one! 10* LOS ANGELES KINGS

OVER 6.5 in San Jose vs Philadelphia @ 10:37 ET - The Flyers are off a shutout loss and will respond here against the worst team in the league. However, even though Carter Hart was on the ice yesterday for some practice time, the #1 goalie is not ready to return. The Flyers are still down to back up options in the crease and whether it is Ersson or Petersen they will be peppered with shots in this one. That's because San Jose is still seeking first win of the season and they are off B2B losses in which they allowed 10 goals! The Sharks will be ready to push the attack in this one as they seek that first win. However, San Jose will not be able to hold up in their own end. The Flyers are angry off a 5-0 shutout loss and the Sharks have allowed 6 goals per game on home ice this season! San Jose has not scored well this season but things open up against a Flyers team down to back-up goalies and not having the greatest of defensive play for sure! OVER 6.5 in San Jose

NEW YORK RANGERS -150 vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:37 ET - The Rangers are off a SO loss in which they blew a 3-goal lead. I know Shesterkin is out for the Rangers but Quick has had a solid season overall and certainly he has played better overall than Husso of the Red Wings. Detroit is off a huge divisional win over big, bad Boston. This is a great flat spot for the them. The Wings had lost 4 of 5 heading into that one. As for the Rangers, they had won 6 straight before that loss and have not lost B2B games yet this season. Look for that trend to continue here as the hosts resume their red hot season and bounce right back. NY RANGERS -150

OVER 6.5 in Montreal - Tampa Bay is in a B2B spot here which stresses an already stressful goalie situation as Vasilevskiy has been out due to surgery in September. 8 of 12 Lightning games have totaled at least 7 goals and their last two games have totaled 10+ goals. 4 of last 6 Canadiens games have totaled at least 7 goals including each of the last 3 at home so this is testing a 100% situation with Habs home totals having gone over in 3 in a row. The over is also 3-0 in Tampa's last 3 divisional games. More of the same here. OVER 6.5 in Montreal

NHL Monday OVER 7 +105 in Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers @ 10 ET - This is one of those match-ups to file under the category of "someone knows something" as this total is a 7 even though Demko has been lights out in goal for Vancouver this season. Not only that but I see some 6.5 out there but the price on the over at that number is ridiculously high. The books are basically begging you to bet the under here is what I am trying to tell you. In this case you have an Edmonton team that is again struggling in goal but that is so potent on offense. Also, they lost their season opener to the Canucks by an ugly 8-1 final. So the Oilers are absolutely out for revenge here but will have to rely on their offense to do it. I am sure that Edmonton is going to be relentless on the attack. That said, note that the Oilers have scored 10 goals in the 3 games since McDavid returned. Also, the Canucks are averaging 4 goals per game this season. So you have a nice setup here for plenty of offense. Based on the line and market activity I am seeing that is what sealed the deal for me with this one. I don't see either team failing to get 3 goals here and that will guarantee us of at least a 4-3 final and nothing less than a push. However, I do fully expect 8 or more goals here. 10* OVER 7 in Vancouver

NHL Sunday Anaheim Ducks +155 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:07 ET - Vegas is the only team without a regulation loss this season. In fact, every other NHL team already has 2 this this season expect for the Bruins who have only 1 regulation loss. Look for the Golden Knights to be dealt their first tonight. They are playing great for sure but now they are in a B2B spot and off a huge 7-0 win over Colorado. That is that type of big win over a quality opponent that can leave a team flat in its next game. That said, the Ducks have been sneaky good so far this season and are a division rival that would love to spoil the Vegas party that has been going on so far this season. The Ducks enter this game having won 5 straight games and they are very well rested as they have been off since Wednesday while the Knights were battling the Avalanche just last night. Plenty of motivation for the home dogs and a big rest edge and this one has upset written all over it. ANAHEIM +155

NHL Sunday OVER 6 -125 in Chicago Blackhawks vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:07 ET - The Blackhawks are off a 5-2 win last night. B2B spots tend to be tough spots in terms of minutes for defensemen and the goaltending situation. That said, look for the Blackhawks to be giving up plenty of goals here but the face a Devils team that has also has been surrendering plenty. With this total also dropping from a 6.5 to a 6 we have excellent line value here too. The Devils are coming off a 4-1 loss but this was the first time in 10 games that this season that they had one finish with under 7 goals! The Devils were scoring an average of 4 goals per game before that loss so I am sure they will bounce back here. Also, the Blackhawks have seen 4 of last 5 games total at least 7 goals. Chicago has had a road-heavy schedule so far this season and last night's 5-2 win is something to build off of here for sure but they will struggle to slow down the Devils. OVER 6 -125 in Chicago

NHL Saturday OVER 6.5 in Philadelphia Flyers vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:37 ET - The Flyers off big win last night at Buffalo but have a goalie concern since Hart is injured and they used Ersson last night. It looks like this will be Cal Petersen getting the start tonight and he would like to get revenge against this Kings team that waived him last season. However, he struggled badly last season and is struggling so far with Lehigh Valley in the AHL for the Flyers organization. Also, the LA staff and players certainly know a lot about the tendencies of Petersen in the crease. So look for a lot of scoring here! The Flyers last 5 games have averaged 7.4 goals per game. The Kings games have averaged 7.5 goals per game this season. OVER 6.5 in Philadelphia

NHL Saturday Washington Capitals -140 vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:07 ET - This is a great set up from a situational perspective as Columbus is off a big win over the Lightning 4-2 but lost 4 straight by a combined score of 14 to 8 prior to this! The Capitals are off a rare shutout loss but had won 3 straight games prior to that by a combined score of 12 to 7. So this one is all about the situation and the value because the Jackets are not a very good hockey club and the Caps had started to get going before that ugly 3-0 loss. So we have the better team on home ice and in the better situation! We'll take it! WASHINGTON -140

NHL Friday OVER 6.5 -120 in St Louis Blues vs New Jersey Devils @ 8:07 ET - All 9 Devils games have totaled at least 7 goals this season! Yes we are testing an angle here that is 9-0 so far this season. I know the Blues have been low-scoring this season but they are catching New Jersey in the 2nd game of a B2B so it will be little used Schmid most likely between the pipes instead of Vanecek. So the Blues should surprise and score goals here. But St Louis also will not be able to slow down high-scoring New Jersey and note that the Blues have allowed 4 or more goals in B2B games and 4 of last 6 games! Devils are allowing nearly 4 goals per game this season but also scoring at that same level and we should see a 4-3 type game here as the trend for New Jersey moves to 10-0 this season. OVER 6.5 -120 in St Louis

NHL Friday Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +155 @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7:07 ET - The Flyers outshot the Sabres 40 to 15 Wednesday but goalie Carter Hart got hurt in the first period and Philly lost the game in the 3rd period in a game that was much closer than the 5-2 score would lead you to believe. It was a 2-2 game for much of the way and, again, Philly dominated shots on goal. So we have some excellent line value here because the Flyers are on the road and goalie Hart will miss. Teams often rally in the first game after a guy gets hurt and Philadelphia will do the same here as they take advantage of this chance at right back revenge. Keep in mind, the Sabres are off B2B wins for the first time this season and they have a huge game at Toronto on deck for tomorrow for Saturday night's Hockey Night in Canada. So, the point is, from a situational perspective this spot favors the Flyers and yet we get huge money line dog value here. Philly has a non-conference game with the Kings on deck so they will be the much more focused team here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +155

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Arizona Coyotes vs Montreal Canadiens @ 10:07 ET - The Coyotes are in a B2B but still hungry because they lost 4-3 in OT last night at Anaheim. As for the Canadiens, they have already been out west for awhile so this is not a big issue for them. They are ready to go here tonight at Arizona and they will look to push the pace because they know they are catching the Yotes in a B2B spot. The Canadiens are also fired up off a 3-2 shootout loss at Vegas in their most recent sport. 4 straight Arizona games and 5 of last 6 have totaled at least 7 goals. As for Habs, 3 straight games had totaled 7 goals before that tight one with Vegas. 10* OVER 6.5 in Arizona

NHL Thursday - WINNIPEG +130 @ 10 ET - the Jets have playoff revenge here and yes they also lost already to the Golden Knights earlier this season too, however, their season ended last April right here in Vegas so you know they want revenge right here on this ice, the Golden Knights are a small home favorite for a reason, many could argue this line should be much higher but the odds makers are smart ladies and gentlemen, in this case you have a moderate price even though Vegas is 9-0-1 this season and the Jets have been a .500 team so far, the key here is that the Jets are off B2B losses but faced a tough Rangers team most recently and both defeats were after regulation, Winnipeg has not lost in regulation since the home loss to Vegas two weeks ago, Brossoit took that loss but this should be Hellebuyck in the crease for this one, Hellebuyck is one of the best goalies in the league and he has allowed an average of only 2 goals last 4 games, I think this is a very tricky line and Vegas is going to suffer their first regulation loss of the season, the Jets did outshoot the Knights in the first meeting this season and they come in as the hungrier team and the Golden Knights have had a lot of fortunate wins so far this season, grab the road dog in this one

NHL Thursday - EDMONTON -135 - back to back spot for the Stars which mean Wedgewood likely in goal because Oettinger started last night, these guys have been night and day so far, so the goalie situation means a big edge for Oilers here, I also like the fact Edmonton is at home and has the rest edge, Oilers got back on track with the big win in the Heritage Classic over Calgary, McDavid also came back for that game, so you have a great spot for the Oilers to keep building and a tough spot for Dallas here, that said it is excellent line value with the host here

NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers -105 vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:07 ET - First off the Sabres, their most recent game notwithstanding, have had some goalie issues early this season. As for the Flyers, when Carter Hart starts Philly has been great. He has been very tough on home ice and this is a Sabres team that has struggled often this season prior to their upset win over the Avs. This is a great spot for Philly off B2B losses but on home ice and with their #1 goalie in the crease. The Sabres have been dealing with goalie injury issues already this season and I expect them to get rattled early by a determined Flyers bunch here that is hungry at home off the B2B losses. Sabres fall after an upset win and Philly gets back into the win column with a relentless effort here as they will be the more determined team. 10* PHILADELPHIA -105

NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line +115/+125 @ Vancouver Canucks @ 10:05 ET - At first glance this looks like an easy play on the Canucks. Of course you know what that usually means! The reason why Vancouver is such a small home ice favorite here is because the Predators have revenge here and Nashville has been playing much better last 4 games other than that 3-2 home ice loss to the Canucks. The Preds are on a strong run overall and getting good goaltending and they are buoyed further by getting the win in the shootout over Maple Leafs in most recent game. Nashville will build off that here and make it 4 of 5 wins as they continue to get strong play in the crease. I know the Canucks have been playing solid but they are off an OT loss and have lost 3 of 6 games and could be a bit down after the tough loss they just had while the Preds can't wait for a shot at revenge here. Look for the road team to come up big in this one as the Canucks think about their nice road trip down to sunny San Jose which which is up next for Vancouver and should be an easy win for their next game. 10* NASHVILLE +115/+125

NHL Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +160/+170 vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:07 ET - The Flyers have been better than most expected earlier this season and this is a home dog spot too strong to pass up. Yes, Philadelphia just got hammered in most recent game but Ersson was between the pipes and he has struggled in both starts this season. Conversely, Carter Hart has been great in all but one of his starts this season and he has been particularly strong at home. He has made 3 home starts and the Flyers have won those 3 games by a combined score of 12 to 3. Hart had dominated at home prior to last season and he is truly looking like the Hart we saw in the early days so far this season. As for the Hurricanes, they have been a great team in recent seasons and are still super strong and ultra dangerous. However, the Canes have not been as sharp as usual early this season. Yes they won their last two games but one of those wins was in OT against a struggling Seattle team. Also, 2 of their 5 wins this season have been against an awful Sharks team and Carolina has gone just 4-4 last 8 games with the only two regulation wins in this stretch over a San Jose team that is the worst in the league. So, great setup here with Canes off a shutout win and Flyers off an ugly loss with the back-up goalie. The hosts respond big here and get a shocking win! 10* PHILADELPHIA +160/+170

NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers -150 vs Calgary Flames @ 7:07 ET - This is the outdoor game in Edmonton where the Elks play football in the Canadian Football League. This is also a huge rivalry as it is the Battle of Alberta with Calgary and Edmonton having a long-standing rivalry. The fact is that, no matter what the records currently say, this Oilers team is in much better shape right now than this Flames team. This is particularly true with Connor McDavid expected back for this game as well. Either way, I like Edmonton here. The Flames have a rookie head coach and they are playing like it! He entered with no NHL head coaching experience and it showing. We'll give him a mulligan early on this season and Ryan Huska does deserve time but right now this Flames team is a dumpster fire with 4 straight losses and defeats in 6 of last 7. Calgary has scored an average of only 1.25 goals per game in those 6 defeats while allowing nearly 4 goals per game! The Oilers are coached by Jay Woodcroft and he entered this season with a 76-32-12 NHL regular season record and two trips into the post-season with these Oilers. I know Edmonton has struggled early this season but they have faced a rather tough schedule and I look for this game to be a turning point for them early this season as they host this outdoor game against their biggest rival. Based on early season records this will be the weakest team Edmonton has seen since they faced Nashville and they blasted them 6 to 1. Look for big win here for Oilers. 10* EDMONTON -150

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line -145 @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - I do not like to lay much juice in money line sports but this is a great spot for the Jets. The Canadiens are off an OT win versus Columbus. The Habs now have a decent early season record but all 4 of their wins have come against non-playoff teams from last season. Now they face a Jets team that is heating up with 3 straight wins and is seeing Hellebuyck look like the Hellebuyck of old that, when he gets into a rhythm is tough to beat. Look for he and the Jets to notch another win here as they are in a solid scheduling spot too since they did not play yesterday and they do not play tomorrow either. As for Montreal, they have a big road trip on deck out west that starts in Vegas, home of the defending champion Lightning. So, the point is, the Canadiens could get caught looking ahead here a bit. A lot of times teams fall a little flat in that final home game before a long road trip. The boys are already thinking about Vegas! In any event, the way the Jets are playing right now too, this looks like a spot worth backing them even at a moderate price. 10* WINNIPEG -145

NHL Friday 10* Top Play OVER 6 or 6.5 in Washington Capitals vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:07 ET - Great set-up here as the Capitals have been playing better. Even in the 4-1 loss to Toronto they had a huge edge in shots on goal. Then they did the same thing in a 6-4 win over the Devils. The fact they rallied for that win in the 3rd period and are now back on home ice has me looking for plenty of aggression and attacking and goals should follow. Helping the cause is the fact that the Wild are in the 2nd night of a back to back after getting drilled 6-2 at Philly. The Wild have been involved in 6 straight games that have totaled at least 7 goals and I expect this trend to continue here. Fleury gave up 5 goals in his most recent start and he will get the call again here and Minnesota continues to allow a ton of goals. Gustavsson has also struggled between the pipes and the Flyers exploited the weak Wild defense yesterday too. The Caps have allowed 4 goals per game last 4 games and the Wild will keep pushing in the offensive zone. Despite all their defensive shortcomings they have done well in the offensive zone so far this season. They are scoring 4 goals per game this season but they just can't stop anybody in their own zone either. This should be solid high-scoring game again. Minnesota's last 6 have averaged 9 goals apiece. 10* OVER 6 or 6.5 in Washington

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers +105 vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:35 ET - This is a great spot for the Flyers. They are on home ice and coming off a 3-2 loss at Vegas in a game it looked like they were destined to win 2-1. Keep in mind that game was at the home of the defending Stanley Cup Champs. The Flyers very nearly won outright and they easily covered the puck line and the game should have ended up going to overtime but the Golden Knights got a very late goal. The point about Philly, and I have already used them a couple times this season for this reason, is they are a little better than people realize and also have more of a cohesive group this season. They are putting together the right pieces. Granted this is still not a great team but they are solid and they are building and they will continue to compete hard. That makes a game like this on home ice a likely win the way I see it. They are hungry off a tight road loss in which they know they deserved better. They will come out flying here and they catch the Wild off a big home win over a division rival. Great set-up here plus Minnesota has allowed 5 goals per game in their last 5 games and had lost 3 of 4 before the win over Edmonton Tuesday. The Flyers, on the other hand, have allowed just 2.5 goals per game in their 6 games this season and they are 2-0 at home and won those games by a combined score of 6 to 1. Great spot here for home team. 10* PHILADELPHIA +105

NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 -130 in New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals @ 7:37 ET - The Capitals have not been scoring much this season but they deserved much more than 1 goal on the scoreboard yesterday as they fired 37 shots on goal. That said, I feel certain they will make up for it here. Also, the Devils are off a big 5-2 win yesterday and should stay hot at home. Of course these B2B spots tend to be tough on goalie situations and that can also help add value to an over in a spot like this. That said, no hesitation in laying the small price to have the over at 6.5 goals. The Capitals are allowing about 4 goals per game this season Devils all 5 games this season have totaled at least 7 goals and they had allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game before allowing just 2 goals yesterday. The goals should fly in this one given all of the above. 10* OVER 6.5 -130 in New Jersey

NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line +1.5 -135 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 11 PM ET - The Flyers are off an OT loss at Dallas and there is no shame in that. The fact is Philly has been a pleasant surprise early this season. I had a feeling coming into the year that having Briere in the front office and Keith Jones in a hockey operations role and another season in the Tortorella system was going to get this Flyers team going. They will not be great this season but the point is they are improving and they are competitive and that is why they are already 3-1-1 on the season and actually at the top of the Metro Division. This team is already starting to believe in itself and they can give Vegas all they can handle here. I am not saying they win outright, though this would not shock me. What I am saying though is this game could ultimately be decided by just a 1-goal margin. Vegas has allowed 3 goals in each of the last 2 wins and they never should have won the game before that either - it was a fortunate SO win for the Golden Knights in which they rallied late. Don't be surprised when this one also goes to the wire. 10* PHILADELPHIA FLYERS +1.5 -135

NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Detroit Red Wings -120 vs Seattle Kraken @ 8:15 ET - The Red Wings have won 5 straight games and have been extremely impressive as all 5 wins have come by multi-goal margins and the average margin has been 3 goals apiece. This is a classic case of hot versus not as the Kraken are struggling early this season. I was really surprised Seattle was as successful as they were last season and think their early season struggles are a reality check plus a sign of things to come this season. The Kraken have lost 5 of 6 games and been held to 1 goal or less in all 5 of those losses. This is a bargain line based on last season's versions of these teams. The Wings are improved and the Kraken have declined. 10* DETROIT -120

NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7 ET - The over is perfect in Hurricanes games this season and the games are crushing the posted totals. The Lightning are not far behind as all but one of their games has gone over the total. The Hurricanes are not getting the typical goaltending they are use to and the same holds true for the Lightning with Vasilevskiy out. Also, these are two very potent teams in terms of high-scoring attacks and so we should see plenty of goals in this one! 10* OVER 6.5 in Tampa Bay

NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - Both teams off wins Saturday that stayed under the total. However, part of the reason those games were low-scoring is because Montreal hosted a Capitals team that has major issues in the goal-scoring department right now and Buffalo hosted an Islanders team that, other than one exception, has trended toward low-scoring games this season. Now the Sabres and Canadiens are each facing more of an attack-minded foe here and I expect the goals to come in well in this one. Buffalo had started slow this season but they have now won 2 of 3 and scored 3 goals in all 3 games. Montreal was allowing an average of 4 goals per game before their low-scoring win over the punch-less Caps. They are averaging 3 goals scored per game this season and I am looking for, per all of the above, each team to get to the 3-goal mark here and that would guarantee us nothing less than a 4-3 final. 10* OVER 6.5 in Montreal

NHL Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line -140 @ Detroit Red Wings @ 5 ET - Nice set up here with Detroit in the 2nd game of B2B while Calgary has been off since Friday. Also, the Saturday game for Red Wings was a win but they were outshot 37 to 23. The Friday game for the Flames was a loss but they outshot Columbus in that game 37 to 29. Give me the rested Flames here and angry off a loss. Note that Detroit is off to a hot start this season but this is their first tough B2B spot and the road team is favored over a Red Wings team that has won 4 straight and is at home absolutely for a reason! 10* CALGARY -140

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Buffalo Sabres vs New York Islanders @ 7:07 ET - This is a great spot for an over. Islanders are in a B2B spot and off a 5-4 loss in the shootout! Now, because of the B2B, they will use a goalie that has not even played yet this season. Also, because of injury, the Sabres are in the same boat and starting a goalie that has not played yet this season! It is expected to be Varlamov for the Islanders and Comrie for the Sabres. Note that the Sabres lost the first meeting between these teams this season and they are out for revenge here plus at home plus catching the Islanders in a B2B. When you consider all those key facts, Buffalo is absolutely going to push the pace here. They are hungry for a home win after a slow start to the season but pushing hard up the ice could open up the opportunity for the Islanders to counter the other way with some breakaway chances. I am looking for an entertaining affair as both clubs well aware of the fact they are facing a goalie that has not played yet this season and they need to test the netminder early and often in this one. 10* OVER 6.5 in Buffalo

NHL Friday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames -140 @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:07 ET - This is a great set up because even though Calgary is in a back to back they used Vladar between the pipes last night. Flames #1 goalie Markstrom will get the call tonight and he was on the wrong end of a 3-2 shootout decision in his most recent start. The Flames have won just 1 of his 3 starts but this Calgary team is much stronger than this Columbus team. The Blue Jackets are 1-2 this season but the two losses are by a combined score of 8 to 2 and their lone win was despite being outshot 42 to 21. The point is that this Columbus team could easily be 0-3 on the season and the odds certainly favor that they will be deservedly handled that 3rd loss right here. They just lost 4 to 0 to the Red Wings and already lost 4 to 2 to the Flyers and all their games have been at home this season too. That said, it is likely to be a long season for Columbus fans this go around and the Flames come into the building and get a big road win! Yes it is a -140 price range here but it is well worth it! 10* CALGARY -140

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play OVER 6 in Seattle Kraken vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 10:07 ET - The Hurricanes are off a big 6-3 win at San Jose where they pulled away in the 3rd period. I keep thinking Carolina is going to get better goaltending but it just hasn't happened yet this season. It has surprised me so far as all 4 of their matches have totaled at least 9 goals! I look for the high-scoring trend to continue and feel we have excellent line value here with this total at 6 goals. The fact is Carolina has been so dangerous in the offensive zone but here they face a desperate Kraken team and the game is in Seattle. Note that the Kraken have allowed an average of 3 goals per game in regulation time of their first 4 games but have had trouble scoring goals. This is just their 2nd home game however and it comes after being held to 1 goal by the Avalanche. The Avs, however, have allowed just 4 goals TOTAL in 3 games this season! Conversely, the Canes have allowed 4 goals PER GAME this season so far. So this is a completely different situation and the Kraken are ready to get going on home ice. However, they will not be able to stop red hot Caroline either. As a result, this should be a high-scoring non-conference match-up where it would not surprise me to see each team get to the 3-goal mark and that would guarantee us of at least a 4-3 final here. 10* OVER 6 in Seattle

NHL Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Ottawa Senators vs Washington Capitals @ 7:07 ET - All 3 of the Senators games have totaled at least 7 goals. The Capitals have only played twice and they have trended lower scoring but their first game was at 3-0 midway through the 2nd but died after that. The Caps second game was 2-2 at the halfway point of the 2nd period but no one scored after that. It was then decided in a shootout. The Capitals won the game in the shootout. Whether they deserved that win or not (they were heavily outshot) the fact is the Caps will pull on some positive momentum from that win and put it to good use here! However, they also have been getting peppered with shots on goal in both of their games and heavily outshot and Washington will not be able to slow down this improving Senators club at Ottawa. Look for both the Caps and Sens to reach the 3-goal mark in this one. That would push this one to at least a 4-3 final but who wins? That is not our concern as we grab the over here in a game that tops the 6.5 mark. 10* OVER 6.5 in Ottawa

DALLAS STARS -105 - These teams met in the Western Conference finals last season and the Golden Knights advanced and then beat Florida to win the Stanley Cup. There were 3 games in Vegas during the series with Dallas and the Knights did not beat the Stars a single time in regulation here. Vegas actually lost one of the games but then were fortunate to win each of the other two in overtime! In other words, that is certainly a series that could have played out much differently had the Knights not won each of the first two games in overtime here in Vegas. The Stars have not forgotten about this and they have been anxiously waiting for this game. They could have the fresher legs here too as the Knights are already playing for the 4th time this season while the Stars have had just one game so far. So grab the road team here and look for some big-time revenge! There is a reason this line has moved heavily toward the Stars in this one. They have a great shot at revenge here and the odds favor it happening the way I see it! DALLAS -105

EDMONTON OILERS -140 - The Oilers are angry off B2B losses to start the season. They lost two games to the Canucks and now begin a 2-game road trip to the states. Look for this quick 2-game jaunt to get Edmonton going and it starts right here. The Oilers are projected to be one of the best teams in the league this season. The fact they are 0-2 gets us some added line value here. The Predators did win their only home game but I like that factor as, if this was the Preds home opener I might shy away. Overall I know this Nashville team is just not on the level the Oilers are and the Preds have already lost 2 of their first 3 games this season. Edmonton is going to be ultra determined off B2B losses and we take advantage of the line value here because if this game was at home the line would be too pricey. Here we get line value on the road! EDMONTON -140

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS +115 - This is the Flyers home opener and they catch Vancouver off huge B2B wins over the division rival Oilers. Yes, Vancouver is 2-0 to start the season but off those B2B wins including a hard-fought 2nd game win, how much will they have left in the tank here? Canucks get caught still celebrating plus they have a perceived tougher game on deck at Tampa Bay. They might look right past the Flyers and the home dog gets it done in their home opener. PHILADELPHIA +115

NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:07 ET - The goals have been flying for both of these clubs in terms of both scoring and conceding and I do not see that changing here. Detroit has a lot of young talented players and has really been built up well during their rebuild project in recent seasons including adding some key veteran support entering this season. The Blue Jackets are at home here and will do some damage in the offensive zone. Neither club has been getting stellar goalie work early this season and both clubs are off wins and playing with confidence right now. The Red Wings just won 6-4 and they also scored 3 goals in their season opening loss. The Blue Jackets are off a 5-3 win and allowed 4 goals in their season opener. The fact is that each club has played twice and allowed at least 3 goals in each game. I don't see any reason for that trending to change here and if each team concedes 3 goals again this game has to end with at least a 4-3 final and that puts us in the winners circle with this play! 10* OVER 6.5 in Columbus

NHL Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 -135 in Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:07 ET - Big total here has moved to 7 in a lot of place but this big number is justified. Not only is this a B2B spot for both clubs, but they have goalie concerns in a B2B and both clubs have been scoring well. Since TB used Johannsen yesterday and Vasilevskiy is out, rookie Matt Tomkins could get the start here. Ottawa used Forsberg yesterday so Koprisalo likely to get the call here and he allowed 5 goals in his first start this season. Overall, the Senators first two games have totaled 15 goals and the Bolts first two games have totaled 18 goals. In other words, we should see plenty of goals here! 10* OVER 6.5 -135 in Ottawa

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers +160 @ Ottawa Senators @ 1:05 ET - Late breaking play but wanted to see what this line did and this one is all about the line value. Yes the Senators are at home and finished better than the Flyers last season but Philadelphia now has Sean Couturier back and they looked very good in winning their season opener. I know the Sens are a respectable team and likely to finish with a better record than Philly when this season is in the books but the fact is the Flyers are going to ride a wave of positive energy at least early this season before reality sets in. Carter Hart fully capable of another strong start here in goal and the Senators gave up 5 goals in their opener. Yes it was against a tough Hurricanes team but confidence counts for something too and I could see the Sens coming home and struggling a bit in their home opener with the added pressure of wanting badly to win this for their home fans. Conversely, the Flyers ride the wave of positive emotion of their season-opening road win and just carry that right into this game. Philly could surprise some bettors early because the addition of Daniel Briere in management and Keith Jones in hockey operations is going to have a very positive impact on this team. Ride the wave before Philly starts facing some high-quality teams as that is when things will change in a hurry. Ottawa is respectable but they are being given too much credit here. 10* PHILADELPHIA +160

NHL Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line -120 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:37 ET - The Penguins have an edge here as they already have a game under their belts. Also, the way that one played out is the kind of loss that gives a team a lot of extra motivation for their next games. Was season opener for the Pens and was home in Pittsburgh and they were hosting a Blackhawks team that many project to be quite bad again this season. The Penguins were up 2-0 and then late 2nd period (never a good time to give up a goal but this is one of the worst times), the Pens allowed a goal. Suddenly the game was 2-1 and sure enough the Blackhawks fed off that momentum in the 3rd period after tying it midway through and then going on to win the game 4-2. This insures a very focused effort from the Penguins and this team has improved much more than the Capitals entering this season. Of course this is still Ovechkin's team and I love the fact that Ovi has been with Washington his entire career and the same for Crosby and Malkin with the Penguins. Nowadays you just don't see that as much and it is good to see. I think the Caps are going to struggle this season though as an inexperienced (from NHL perspective) Carberry the coach now and some new players to work in but some key guys hurting with Pacioretty and Edmundson both out. Look for the Capitals to struggle in first game of new season under new head coach and facing an angry division rival. The Pens/Caps rivalry is a great one and it continues here. 10* PITTSBURGH

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers +110 @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - Philadelphia made some big changes in the off-season including in the front office and there is a new feeling among the Flyers right now. This team believes they can win now. They are still set to struggle against the better clubs in the NHL for sure but this is a very winnable game for them. They have a coach in Tortorella who is starting to build the team he wants and having guys involved like Briere in management and Jones in hockey operations there is just a new feel here. How did Columbus enter this season? With losing coach Mike Babcock right before the season. What a mess! The Blue Jackets were already set to struggle again this season but things just went from bad to worse in Columbus. The Flyers and Jackets are not playoff teams unless they completely shock the hockey world this season but, I will say this, Philly is in much better early season situation that Columbus. The Flyers get it done in this one. Trust me, there is a reason the Jackets are on home ice but hardly even favored here. Grab the road dog! 10* PHILADELPHIA +110

NHL Wednesday OVER 6 in Boston Bruins vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:37 ET - It was difficult for me to pass on opening night of the NHL season yesterday but I held back the urge for "action" because that is what a professional needs to do. I specifically wanted to wait for this match-up because this is the only one Wednesday that involves one of the 6 teams that played in that small slate of 3 games on Tuesday. The set up here could not have worked out any better for an over! The Blackhawks are loaded with confidence after rallying against the Penguins in Pittsburgh for the 4-2 win. The Blackhawks now turn to back up goalie Arvid Soderblom after Petr Mrazek got the start last night. Mrazek is the #1 guy for a reason and Soderblom went 2-10 with a 3.45 ERA last season and now faces a Bruins team that can't wait to get going this season. Yes they lost some key guys from last season's team to retirement and player transactions but the core of this group is still here and remembers getting bounced right away in the playoffs after their epic regular season. Boston most definitely will be ready to go here but this Blackhawks team looked better than expected last night plus earned some confidence and they can score some goals here. Of course the Bruins are a massive money line favorite with good reason and they are -1.5 on the goal line at a pick'em price meaning that a multi-goal win would not be a surprise in the least. That said, I love this over as 6 gets us a push but truly expecting 8 goals here and think we'll see 7 at worst. OVER 6 in Boston

NHL Tuesday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers +160 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:20 ET - The Panthers are 5-1 this season - playoffs included - when they are off a regulation loss by a 1-goal margin. That is the case here after their comeback versus Vegas fell just short in a 3-2 final in Game 4 in Florida. Even though they are now on the road for this one, note that Vegas was a modest 3-2 last 5 home playoff games before this series. Also, those 3 wins for the Golden Knights were all by just a single goal including 2 of them in OT. So, even though Vegas had big wins in the first two games of this series just keep this in mind about home ice. Also, Game 1 of this series was tied at 2 entering the 3rd period and the Panthers won Game 3 plus very nearly game back to force OT in Game 4. This series has not been as one-sided as one might think on the surface. That said, I look for Florida to bounce back even if Matthew Tkachuk does not play here as they improve to 6-1 / 86% on the season when in the situation noted above. A lot of underdog value here and I will not pass up on that. 10* FLORIDA +160

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 in Florida Panthers vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:20 ET - Florida off a 3-2 OT win in Game 3 which entirely changes the complexion of this series. It also was the first time in 4 games that a Panthers game did not total at least 7 goals and we only need 6 to be winner here in Game 4 of this series. I like our chances! The Golden Knights were up 2-1 only 5 minutes past the mid-way point of the game. As you know, Vegas never scored again and went on to lose the game 3-2. That being said, you can bet the Golden Knights are going to be very aggressive here and keep on pushing for goals in this one. But I also expect the Panthers to answer them goal for goal in a highly entertaining battle that would not surprise me to see each team get to the 3-goal mark and end up a 4-3 final. Note that Florida home games in the post-season have averaged 6 goals apiece and the Panthers were one of the highest scoring teams in the league in home games in the regular season! As for Vegas, 14 of their 19 post-season games - prior to the Game 3 loss by a 3-2 count in OT - had totaled at least 6 goals! Also, here is a nice tightener with this one that is 100% perfect in this post-season involving Golden Knights games. In games in which, including OT goals, Vegas was held to 2 or less goals in this post-season, their next game has totaled at least 6 goals all 5 times! After the 3-2 loss in Game 3, look for Game 4 to reach at least the 6-goal mark as this situation involving Vegas games improves to 6-0 in this post-season. 10* OVER 5.5 in Florida

NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line -120 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:20 ET - Florida is 9-3 this season when they enter a game off at least 2 consecutive losses and with the most recent loss being in regulation time. That includes 8-3 in regular season and then 1-0 in post-season. Note that the home team is a perfect 4-0 in the Panthers last 4 games. The Golden Knights are 0-2 in the post-season when they are on the road and off a win by a margin of at least 4 goals. As you know, Vegas just blew out Florida 7-2 Monday and this followed a 5-2 win in the series opener. That first game was much closer than the final score would indicate. The 2nd game was ugly for the Panthers and went perfectly for the Golden Knights. Now it is payback time for Florida. Look for Vegas to drop to 0-3 in this post-season when on the road and off a win by a margin of 4 or more goals. Look for the home team to improve to 5-0 in Panthers last 5 post-season games. The 100% trends continue here as it is now or never for Florida truly and I look for the Panthers to respond huge on home ice while Vegas gets caught feeling a little too good about themselves and gets a dose of reality here. There is still some fight left in these Panthers and they are known for being particularly dangerous in the offensive zone in home games. 10* FLORIDA -120

NHL Monday 10* Florida Panthers Money Line +125 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - When the Panthers are playing on the road and coming off a loss - a situation that has happened 3 times in these playoffs - they have gone a perfect 3-0 in this post-season. Vegas took game one but they got 2 power play goals and an empty-netter in the 5-2 win. It really was a much tighter game than the score indicates. It was 2-2 heading to the 3rd period and I am sure the resilient Panthers are going to bounce back here. Look for them to improve to 4-0 in the post-season when in this situation and notch yet another road win when coming off a loss. Resilience and perseverance are the key words with this Panthers bunch. 10* FLORIDA +125

NHL Saturday Florida Panthers Money Line +118 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8 ET - The Golden Knights, of course, are a great team or they would not be here. However, these Panthers have been very special in their own right. Remember they had to get past the big bad Bruins in round one and they actually trailed in that series 3 games to 1. Once they accomplished that come back effort to get past Boston it seems like this team is nearly unstoppable. Amazingly, Florida has now won 11 of last 12 games and the lone loss was at home. In fact, the Panthers are now 8-0 L8 road games since losing their road opener of the post-season. Look for the streak to reach 9 wins in a row for Panthers road games as they get the job done again here to open up this series. Vegas was a more modest 6-4 last 10 games before winning Game 6 versus Dallas. Also, the Golden Knights have lost 2 of last 5 home playoff games. Grab the underdog Panthers looking to make it 9 straight road wins. FLORIDA +118

NHL Monday Dallas Stars Money Line -120 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - As I wrote in my write-up for Saturday's Game 5, the whole world was lining up on Vegas to close the series out at home. The line had moved the direction of the Golden Knights but that gave us exceptional value on the Stars as a sizable underdog in that one. Note that Vegas has only two wins by more than a 1-goal margin in their last 8 games. The point is that one can give Vegas credit for gutting out tight wins (including a couple in OT) but, as I stated here before Game 5, I feel we could see a major shift in momentum in this series after the Stars finally got a tight home win in Game 4 after losing the first 3 games of the series. That was an OT win and the key was Dallas finally seemed to figure out how to get inside a bit more on the Golden Knights and create more higher-percentage scoring opportunities. We took that knowledge of how the game played out and expected that the Stars would continue to build off the things they did well in Game 4 and, sure enough, Dallas did just that in Game 5. The Stars were rock solid in that 4-2 win and now can really continue the roll with captain Jamie Benn coming back for Game 6 plus this game being back on home ice. The way I see it, the momentum and the key situational value here all lies with the home team. DALLAS -120

NHL Saturday Dallas Stars Money Line +130 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The whole world is lining up on Vegas to close this series out at home. The line has moved the direction of the Golden Knights but I feel this is giving us truly exceptional value on the Stars as a sizable underdog here. Note that Vegas has only 1 regulation win in last 4 home games in this post-season. The other 3 games included a 5-1 loss and a pair of OT losses against these Stars. The only regulation win for the Golden Knights in this stretch of 4 home games was just a 4-3 win over the Oilers. Give Vegas credit for gutting out tight wins but I feel we could see a major series shift in momentum here after the Stars finally got a tight home win in the most recent game. That was an OT win and the key was Dallas finally seemed to figure out how to get inside a bit more on the Golden Knights and create more higher-percentage scoring opportunities. The Stars will continue to build off the things they did well in Game 4 and remember, the Knights have been far from dominant on home ice. DALLAS +130

NHL Thursday Dallas Stars Money Line -110 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - Dallas just suffered their first regulation time loss of this series. The Stars lost the first two games in overtime. Dallas easily could have been up 2-0 in series but now, after Tuesday's debacle, they are down 3-0 in this series. Note that the Stars are 6-0 since mid-March (including 3-0 in this post-season) when they are off a loss in regulation time. I am sure that Dallas is going to respond big here. Vegas took it to them early in Game 3 but you will see a very determined Stars bunch destined for payback in Game 4. They are on home ice and fired up and hungry to send this series back to Vegas. Their effort will be off the charts and the fact is not much has separated these two teams in this series. That said, the team that wants it more has the upper hand and the Stars are not going to be denied here at home. Look for the hosts to improve to 7-0 the last 7 times when off a NON-OT loss. DALLAS -110

NHL Wednesday Carolina Hurricanes Money Line +100 @ Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The Hurricanes outhshot Florida 32 to 17 in the Game 3 loss. This after losing each of the first two games in OT. The Panthers got 4 power play opportunities and the Hurricanes got just 1. To say the Canes are a little bit frustrated and angry right now is the understatement of the year. The Hurricanes will respond here as Carolina is very well-coached and has veteran experience and they will be fully focused on the "game at a time" mentality in a series that has been tight but that they have been just short in all 3 games. They feel the calls were unfair in the Game 3 loss but they will use that frustration to turn it into positive energy for this one. The Hurricanes will not be denied here. They have come to far and are too good a team to get swept out of the playoffs. Just like you might have seen Boston come up big at Miami last night in the NBA - similar situation of Celtics having statistical edges in shots the game before but losing - I think in the hockey we are going to see another team avoid the sweep and send this series back north for a game in Raleigh. CAROLINA +100

NHL Tuesday Dallas Stars Money Line -140 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - This is the first time in these playoffs that Dallas has lost B2B games. In the regular season the Stars had only 2 losing streaks of more than 2 games. When Dallas entered a game off exactly 2 straight losses they won that 3rd game 7 out of 9 times. The Stars never trailed in Game 2 and only trailed for a combined total of about 12 minutes in Game 1. They gave up a tying goal in Game 2 with about 2 minutes to go. Both games went to OT and the Stars lost both. After the way these games played out and everything that has transpired in this series. I just can not see them losing here in Game 3 on home ice. The home team is on a 5-0 run in Stars games. Look for that streak to reach 6-0 here with another home ice win. DALLAS -140

NHL Monday Carolina Hurricanes -101 @ Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The Panthers 7 of last 9 wins have come by just a single goal and 6 of the 7 have been OT wins including each of the first two games in this series. This is simply unreal as Florida also has NO losses in OT so far in post-season. Carolina, on the other hand, is 6-4 last 10 games and 3 of those 4 losses by just a single goal including the last 2 in OT versus Florida. 2 of their 6 wins were in OT but the average margin of their other 4 wins was 4 goals apiece! I feel we are getting excellent line value here with the Hurricanes in about as close to a must win spot as it gets and yet we are getting a pick'em line and we have the team that has won the shots on goal battle by 17 including an edge of 12 in Saturday's tough loss. Value on the road team in a great spot and they are so hungry and will not be denied off B2B losses. CAROLINA -101

NHL Sunday Dallas Stars Money Line +110 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 3:05 ET - The Stars are 9-0 the last 9 times they were off a loss. This run dates back to the regular season of course but includes a 5-0 run in the playoffs. That said, there is exceptional line value here with Dallas in an underdog spot in Game 2 of the series. Yes Vegas is on home ice but they have been truly dominant here and they barely squeaked out the win in Game 1. Strengthened by their resolve, the Stars will be the hungrier team tonight and just can't see them leaving the arena without a win. They will be a little more physical in Game 2 and I know what this experienced playoff veteran team is capable of when they put their minds to it. Look for them to improve to 10-0 last 10 when off a loss. DALLAS +110

NHL Saturday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line -150 vs Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - Carolina had won 5 of 6 home games in this post-season before the tough 4-OT loss to the Panthers in Game 1 of this series. Note that the Hurricanes are 3-0 in the playoffs so far when coming off a loss and I look for them to respond once again in this situation. Also, Florida has played 13 post-season games so far and only 4 of the 13 have been regulation wins. Give the Panthers credit but they also have had amazingly good fortune. 5 of their 9 post-season wins have been in OT. Florida is 5-0 in OT games in the post-season and I look for the Hurricanes to bounce back strong. In the 3rd period of the Game 1 loss the Canes really looked like the Canes of old. They now have Terravainen back too and that helps as well. The point is they were starting to get into rhythm and looked strong and I feel we'll see that kind of effort and performance from the Hurricanes from the drop of the puck in this one. 10* CAROLINA -150

NHL Friday Dallas Stars +115 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:35 ET - The Golden Knights allowed 4 goals per game in their 3 home games in the series with Edmonton. Dallas is 7-3 last 10 games and struggled a bit in the losses but allowed a total of only 10 goals in those 7 victories. That is some solid defense and goaltending. More of the same expected here as they look to get the early edge in this series. A lot of times the pressure is on the home team in Game 1 when you are getting this late into the post-season. The Golden Knights fortress this season was not it once was in prior seasons. The Stars just want to come in and steal one of these first two games on the road. Look for them to do just that right away in the first game as the road team has won the first game in 3 of the 4 series combined for these two teams so far in this post-season. That trend continues here. DALLAS +115

NHL Thursday Carolina Hurricanes -135 vs Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The only team to win more home games (28) in the regular season than Carolina did was Boston. Coming off a historic regular season, the Bruins ranked first in just about everything so the point is that the Hurricanes are keeping pretty good company with a record like that! As for the Panthers they lost 22 of 41 regular season road games. Give Florida credit for sure as any team to make it this far in the post-season is doing something right to say the least! However, I feel we have excellent line value here with a low money line on a high quality Hurricanes team on their home ice. Yes they have been without Terraveinen (could be back for this one!) and Svechnikov but the team has rallied around this and continues to play very well. The Panthers just beat a Maple Leafs team that won their first playoff series since 2004 when they finally got out of the first round. To me, the Hurricanes faced a much tougher 2nd round draw with facing a Devils team that had just knocked off a very tough Rangers team. So, all in all, I think the Hurricanes are undervalued here while everyone keeps pointing to Florida having knocked off the big bad Bruins. What happened with Boston was they put all their efforts into a historic regular season which then does not count once you reach the post-season. Again, give Florida credit but now thing are at the tightening up level of the post-season and the Hurricanes are the better team defensively and, long-term, in goal as well. CAROLINA -135

NHL Monday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Puck Line -1.5 +125 vs Seattle Kraken @ 8:10 ET - If you like Dallas to win this game - and as -200 favorite they certainly are expected to win - the key here is where the value is in this scenario. There is still inherent risk in laying big prices with money lines. I laid -180 yesterday with Edmonton and despite the Oilers notching 40 shots on goal - nearly twice as many as Vegas - they still lost the game. That said, I really do like the Stars a lot here on home ice and there is justification for grabbing the puck line here. Again, the odds makers are telling you that if these teams played 3 straight times at Dallas repeatedly the Stars should average taking 2 out of 3 games - that is what that -200 price is telling you. The key here is we can get a lot of value with the Stars in the +125 range by laying 1.5 goals on the puck line. What are the odds that a Dallas win here comes by at least a 2-goal margin? The odds are actually very good! Dating back to the regular season 13 of last 17 Dallas home wins have come by at least a 2-goal margin and that includes all 4 in these playoffs! As for Seattle, their first loss in this post-season was by 1 goal but all 5 of their losses since then have been by a multi-goal margin. As a hockey fan, I am very impressed (and somewhat surprised) by what coach Dave Hakstol and these Kraken have accomplished in this post-season. But winning a Game 7 on the road against an angry Stars team with a lot of playoff experience is not only not going to be easy...it is going to prove virtually impossible. The home team steps up in a big way here! 10* DALLAS -1.5 +125

NHL Sunday Edmonton Oilers Money Line -180 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 10 ET - I like to play underdogs and small favorites and totals and also I even play big money line dogs at times too. However, sometimes there are situations that demand to be played and that do involve laying some juice. This is absolutely one of those. Edmonton is a perfect 8-0 the last 8 times they were off a loss. Now I know we could play the puck line here but of those 8 wins, 3 of them were by just a single goal margin. I do like the fact that the Oilers have responded big in this series with a multi-goal margin of victory each time off a loss to the Golden Knights. Indeed, Vegas has played well in this series but the Oilers have won 3 of their last 4 home games and have been so strong off a loss. Give credit for Vegas coming up big in Game 5 but now it is the Oilers turn on home ice in Game 6 as they take that run to 9 in a row. EDMONTON -180

NHL Saturday Dallas Stars -155 @ Seattle Kraken @ 7:10 ET - The Stars have been the better team in this series and they don't want to risk a Game 7 now. Yes, Dallas has the luxury of knowing a Game 7 would be back on home ice but they don't want to risk that in a series they have owned since dropping Game 1 in overtime. Note that Dallas has won 3 of 4 games since that OT loss and this is a team that has allowed an average of just 2 goals in their 7 post-season wins. The Stars continue to get good goaltending and the same can not be said of Seattle. The Kraken are seeing Grubauer go through a tough stretch at the wrong time. Part of the reason for his struggles though is definitely the fact that the Kraken are getting outplayed all over the ice. A key here is that the Stars are playing without pressure as all the pressure is on the Kraken to extend this series. That said, and considering Dallas had already been playing so well, this one has the makings of a road rout. The Kraken will be squeezing the sticks a little too tight as they have lost some of that first round magic they had against the Avalanche. DALLAS -155

NHL Friday Edmonton Oilers -130 @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 10:10 ET - The Golden Knights have goalie issues because of the Brossoit injury. Hill struggled in Game 4. Quick has not played much at all and would be rusty if called upon for a start. The Oilers looked great in Game 4 plus have added intensity and emotion as the Golden Knights fueled their fire. The Pietrangelo very late-game slashing incident with Draisaitl of the Oilers was an ugly one and was uncalled for no matter what had happened on the ice throughout the game. That was just bad sportsmanship and is unusual from a veteran like Pietrangelo but it definitely is doing Vegas no favors entering this game. Like I said, it fuels the fire of the Oilers and you can feel the momentum shifting and you can sense the concern that the Golden Knights must have with their own goalie situation. Conversely, the Oilers have been getting solid goaltending with very few poor games through this post-season. I expect that to continue here and I also expect the Oilers firepower up front to continue to be too much for Vegas. The strength of the Oilers top players is starting to wear down this Golden Knights team as we are getting further into the post-season. EDMONTON -130

NHL Friday Toronto Maple Leafs -165 vs Florida Panthers @ 7:10 ET - Sometimes all it takes is one and the Leafs just got it with that win at Florida in Game 4. Now I am not saying they come back and win this series but I do like their chances here in Game 5 with home ice and momentum on their side. Keep in mind, the Maple Leafs had B2B one-goal losses - including one in OT - before they got that tight 2-1 win Wednesday. Look for the rally to continue for the Leafs who had won 4 of 5 before the rough start to this series. Give the Panthers credit but the point is that the Maple Leafs were in those games and I like the grit I saw from the Leafs in that Game 4 win. Momentum carries for at least this one on home ice. TORONTO -165

NHL Thursday OVER 5.5 in Dallas Stars vs Seattle Kraken @ 9:40 ET - All 4 games in this series have totaled at least 6 goals and those games averaged 9 goals. Seattle has scored an average of 3 goals per game on the road in this post-season. Dallas has scored 4 goals per game on average over their last 9 games in this post-season. I am confident the Stars will score well at home in this key Game 5 battle with series tied at 2 but I do not trust Oettinger in goal as much now as I did in the first round. He has struggled at times with the Kraken in this 2nd round and I look for this to continue here. Take advantage of the fact we are seeing some 5.5 pop up out there on this one as I fully expect the high-scoring trending of this series to continue here! OVER 5.5 in Dallas

NHL Thursday Carolina Hurricanes Money Line -130 vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:10 ET - Because the Hurricanes do not have Svechnikov and Teravainen, they continue to be undervalued. Carolina has proven they can continue to play great even without those guys and we also get line value because the Devils were neck and neck with the Canes in the Metropolitan Division this season. The fact is that Carolina has been the much stronger team overall in the post-season as well as in this series. So, that said, the line value remains on the Hurricanes here as they are priced in the -130 range but their wins have been so dominant in this series. I know they had the one slip-up in Game 3 but that was on the road and was their one "excuse me" of this post-season. They bounced right back in Game 4 at New Jersey and you know they do not want to head back up there. That said, this is a chance to end it and these guys are so well-coached and so tough at home and I love the line value with the home favorite in this one. CAROLINA -130

NHL Wednesday Edmonton Oilers -180 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 10:10 ET - This is a little pricier than I would normally lay on a money line play but this is the post-season with fewer games on the docket daily and I really like the Oilers here and do not want to get burned if they win the game by just a single goal margin. The fact is I am expecting a blowout here and the Oilers are 6-1 this season when they are at home and coming off a loss by a multi-goal margin. Also, the Oilers are currently on an overall 7-0 run when they have entered a game off a loss. Look for Edmonton to bounce back here as they respond off an embarrassing effort in Game 3 on home ice. Just can not see the Oilers being denied here. The Oilers were on an 11-2 run in home games before being embarrassed by the Golden Knights and now it is payback time here. Edmonton looked so bad in Game 3 but they have shown what they are capable of already in this series with the big Game 2 win which was dominant. They also showed resiliency in bouncing back after tough demoralizing OT losses to the Kings in round one so they can do it again now. EDMONTON -180

NHL Wednesday OVER 6.5 in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:10 ET - This has been a strange series in terms of the scoring and I think we'll finally see one push over the total tonight. The Panthers want to get the sweep and avoid going to Toronto. The Maple Leafs are doing everything in their power to extend this series by getting the win - finally - in what is an elimination game. That said, think we'll finally see more late scoring in this one after craziness so far in this series. Game 3 was 2-2 about mid-way through the 2nd period and neither team scored again in regulation. Game 2 was 3-2 just one minute in the 2nd period and there was not another goal scored in that game. Game 1 was 3-2 going to the 3rd period and 4-2 about mid-way through the 3rd period yet it ended without another goal - not even an empty-netter. Could easily see this series being 3-0 to the over yet it is all unders so far. That said, value here. OVER 6.5 in Florida

NHL Tuesday OVER 5.5 in Seattle Kraken vs Dallas Stars @ 9:40 ET - I am confident that Dallas is going to bounce back here but I am not so confident that they will be able to stop the Kraken. Note that Seattle has scored 13 goals so far in regulation time of this series. Each of the first 3 games in this series have totaled 6 goals and I am confident that will be the case again tonight. Dallas, prior to the ugly 7-2 loss in Game 3, had scored an average of 4 goals per game last 7 games. The Kraken have averaged a respectable 3 goals per game in this post-season. This is the type of game I am expecting each team to get to 3 goals which would guarantee us of at least a 4-3 final were that the case. Considering that plus the fact we only need 6 to be a winner here, I like our chances. OVER 5.5 in Seattle

NHL Tuesday Carolina Hurricanes Money Line +130 @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:10 ET - Carolina lost 8 to 4 in an embarrassing Game 3 loss after taking the first two games of this series. Not only are the Hurricanes generally strong off a loss, this a PERFECT 4-0 situation for them on the SEASON. Only 4 times this season have the Hurricanes had a loss in which they both allowed at least 5 goals plus lost the game by a margin of at least 3 goals. After those 4 "ugliest of the ugly" variety of defeats, they have responded with a win each time. This is a well-coached team and their coach is hard-nosed and instills that same toughness and resiliency in his players. They will be ready to respond big here! Remember in the first round they were up 2 games to 0 also and then got hammered in a 5 to 1 loss at the Islanders in Game 3. They responded then with a huge Game 4 win. I am expecting a similar scenario here. Deja vu. Hurricanes roll. CAROLINA +130

NHL Monday Edmonton Oilers Money Line -175 vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:40 ET - Long time followers know I do not like to lay big juice in the money line sports. However, in the playoffs it is a different story and I will make exceptions sometimes when the situation is right. That is absolutely the case here. The Oilers have a ton of momentum after that big win at Vegas in Game 2 and I look for them to carry it right into this home match. Keep in mind, the Oilers have been a scoring machine and the Golden Knights are now facing a much tougher test than they did in their first series against Winnipeg. The Jets just did not have the scoring punch to really test Vegas. This situation is entirely different! The Oilers should again pile up goals here and I just don't see the Golden Knights having enough to keep up on the road in this one. Keep in mind, Vegas has been held to just 1 goal in each of their two losses. The Oilers have scored an average of 3 goals in their 3 playoff losses and 2 of those defeats came in overtime. The hosts here are better than people even realize. EDMONTON -175

NHL Sunday OVER 6.5 in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 6:40 ET - Each of the first two games in this series have stayed under the total but the first one was surprising and the second one was shocking. The first game was 4-2 with over 7 minutes to go in the game. Oftentimes you'll at least get an empty-netter in a game like that. The second game was 3-2 just ONE MINUTE into the SECOND period! So there were 5 goals in 21 minutes and then, miraculously, no goals the final 39 minutes of the game. For over players, look for the third time to be the charm after these surprising results in the first two. You know the Maple Leafs are going to dig deep here down 2-0 in this series but their strength is in the offensive zone rather than in the D-zone. Also, Panthers so dangerously high-scoring on home ice. That said, the way I see this playing out is Toronto putting up a great fight but Panthers answering them goal for goal. As a result, I feel it is anybody's game but I do feel the play here is the over. Back and forth high-scoring affair finally gets to 7 or more. Both these teams have plenty of guys that can bring it in the offensive zone. OVER 6.5 in Florida

NHL Sunday Carolina Hurricanes +124 @ New Jersey Devils @ 3:40 ET - Interesting stat about the Hurricanes here is that they are 10-2 last 12 times they have entered a game off a win in which they allowed 1 goal or less. What that tells you is that when Carolina starts to play their style of game and their goalie is in sync like this, they are very tough to beat. That said, the world will likely be lining up on New Jersey here and saying they can't lose at home but the reality is why can't they? The fact is that the Devils have had to use both goalies in both games so far and each allowed multiple goals in the Game 2 loss. This New Jersey team has confidence that is shaken while the Hurricanes are rolling along. Also, Carolina knows that winning this series quickly carries extra importance considering Panthers up 2-0 in the other series against the Leafs plus that series just shifted south to Florida. That is not to say New Jersey and Toronto can't make comebacks but the point is that you won't see the Hurricanes taking their foot off the gas here. Right now the Canes are the better team all over the ice plus in goal which is so critical. CAROLINA +124