8* Washington (12:35 ET): Two teams that are on losing streaks meet in this Sunday afternoon game on NBC. Of the two, I'm predisposed to think the Capitals are the more likely to turn things around. They are the reigning Stanley Cup Champs and have been at or near the top of the Metro all season. This four-game losing streak of theirs is a season-worst. As for their opponent, Chicago has lost five in row in what continues to be a miserable season. The current losing streak is the third of its length this season for the Blackhawks, who have the worst goal differential (-38) in the entire league. 

The top four in the Metro are separated by just two points. Currently, Washington is third. Their most recent defeat came at the hands of one of the two teams ahead of them, the first place Islanders. The way the Caps lost that game was rather emblematic of their recent struggles. They were shutout, losing 2-0, making it just four goals in four games for them. That was a spot where you would have thought the Caps would have played a little better. They were at home and the Islanders were in the second night of a back to back.

Clearly, four goals in four games is not going to get it done. Fortunately for Washington, however, Chicago is 30th in the league (2nd worst in goals allowed). In addition to having the worst goal differential in the league, the Blackhawks also have the fewest number of wins and points. So a pretty clear cut case can be made that they are the worst team in the league right now. It also helps Washington that Braden Holtby is back between the pipes. The team had surrendered 11 goals in the two games that he missed. In his return Friday night, he looked good, stopping 23 of 25 shots. 8* Washington

10* Minnesota (9:05 ET): Columbus was exposed a bit in last night's 4-1 loss to Montreal. I was on the Canadiens there and cited that while the Blue Jackets did enter the day in first place in the Metro, they actually had the division's fourth best goal differential. They'd been hot going into Friday (won 4 straight), but for the second straight night I think they make an excellent fade. While Minnesota is floundering a bit recently, and off an embarrassing loss to Anaheim, they are a team I expect to eventually ascend to third place in the Central. This is a good price on them on home ice. 

The Wild really were embarrassed Thursday night here at the XCel Center. They were shutout, 3-0, by an Anaheim team that had previously lost 12 in a row. All three goals were scored in the first period, so the game was basically "over before it started" and the Wild's 37-23 edge in shots was pretty much "null and void." However, I still see a team that has plenty going for it, such as the league's second ranked penalty kill. They have revenge here for a 4-2 loss in Columbus back in November. One thing that will be definitely be different from that last meeting is a new forward, Victor Rask, who is set to make his debut w/ the team tonight after getting traded from Carolina earlier this week. 

With this being the second night of a back to back, the Blue Jackets will likely be forced to turn to Sergei Bobrovsky in goal. In past year's that would be anything but a problem. However, in 2019 there appears to be a disconnect between "Bob" and the team as he recently was disciplined for hitting the showers (rather than the bench) after getting yanked after another subpar performance. Bobrovsky has posted a woeful .837 save percentage his L4 outings. With C-bus ranking 27th on the power play, they're going to have to be reliant on even strength scoring and that certainly did not come easy last night. The Blue Jackets are already just 3-5 playing w/o rest this season. 10* Minnesota 

7* Minnesota (8:05 ET): Anaheim is in a massive freefall right now (lost 12 straight) and I've previously warned you that there's no end in sight. This is a team that was living dangerously in the early part of the season, winning an unusually high percentage of games in which they trailed most of the way. That's simply not a sustainable blueprint for success and sure enough the bottom has dropped out. Still, I don't think the end is near as we're now looking at a club w/ a bottom five goal differential in the league. Minnesota will have no sympathy for them tonight at the Xcel Center.

The Wild should be frustrated by the fact that - despite Anaheim losing 12 in a row - they have only two more points compared to the Ducks. Five teams have definitely separated themselves in the Western Conference this year (Winnipeg, Nashville, Calgary, San Jose and Vegas), but unlike Anaheim, Minnesota probably has a legit shot at finishing third in its division. That's a guaranteed playoff spot by doing so and winning tonight could in fact put them into third place in the Central, passing Dallas and Colorado (Dallas hosts LA though and is favored to win tonight). Bottom line is Minnesota NEEDS these two points tonight.

The same could be said for Anaheim, but two points has to seem like a pipedream at this point given how the team has played recently. They last won exactly one month ago and have been outscored 21-2 from the second period on during the 12-game losing streak. Things have only gone from bad to worse w/ Jakob Silfverberg, the team leader in goals, getting hurt in Tuesday's loss to the Red Wings. Ryan Kesler is also out. The Ducks already ranked second from the bottom in goals per game. Look for the Wild to perhaps win this game w/ special teams as they are top 10 in both penalty killing and the power play. 7* Minnesota 

7* Colorado (7:05 ET): The Avalanche have certainly struggled of late, dropping 9 of their L11 games, but they're off a win and still tied for third place in the Central Division. With a win tonight, they can have that coveted third position (guaranteed playoff spot) all to themselves. They get a fortunate draw in Ottawa, who still should be considered one of the league's worst teams even after a surprisingly strong showing out on the West Coast where they took two of three. Earlier this year, the Avs routed the Senators 6-3 in Denver. It should be a similar story here. 

Any discussion of Colorado must begin w/ their top line of Rantanen, Landeskog & MacKinnon. Even as the team has struggled, this trio has continued its outstanding play w/ 63 total points in the L17 games. The primary issue for the Avs this year has been lack of depth behind what is the top line in the league, but Monday saw Carl Soderberg step up w/ his 1st career hat trick and that proved to be the difference in an impressive 6-3 win at Toronto. Rantanen (t2nd) and MacKinnon are both top five in the league in points while Landeskog is 6th in goals. Both Landeskog and Rantanen scored against Toronto, a game where the team finished w/ a 38-20 edge in shots on goal. 

Ottawa has major issues when it comes to stopping the opponent from scoring. Things get really bad on the road, but overall they are allowing 3.87 goals per game, which is dead last in the league. They also happen to allow the highest number of shots per game at 36.9. In other words, look for Colorado's top line to have a field day in this game. Last in the Atlantic Division, the Sens have the fewest points in the league as well as the 2nd worst goal differential (Chicago). As per usual, they are outmatched in this game and I expect them to drop to 9-20 SU this year when playing w/ revenge. 7* Colorado 

8* NY Islanders (7:05 ET): The Islanders are surging of late as they've won 8 of 10 to move into playoff position in the Eastern Conference. They're still fourth in the Metro, however, so they can't afford to cool off anytime soon. They have dropped two of their last four games, but on Sunday delivered their biggest win of the season, a 5-1 beatdown of Tampa Bay right here in Brooklyn. How can you not be impressed w/ that considering it was just the third loss in the last 21 games for the league-leading Lightning. Also impressive is the job done by HC Barry Trotz w/ this club. The Isles finished 17 pts off the playoff pace LY and gave up the most goals in league HISTORY. He now has them in playoff position and they are #3 in the league in goals allowed!

St. Louis also just notched an impressive win, beating the Stanley Cup Champs (Washington) last night by a score of 4-1. It was the Blues' third straight victory, the first time all season they've won that many in a row. They've allowed a total of just three goals during the win streak, but still rank 20th overall in that department for the season. Last night was actually their second win over the Capitals this month. But they'll be hoping to avoid a bit of a deja vu here. After beating the Capitals earlier this month, who did the Blues face their next time out? That would be the Islanders, who beat them 5-3 in St. Louis. That game saw the Isles storm back from an early 0-2 deficit and win despite a 32-14 disadvantage in shots. 

It's unlikely that the Islanders will be outshot to that degree again tonight. They're at home where typically outshoot the opposition. Also, as we saw in that last meeting, the Isles would seem to have a significant edge between the pipes. Goalie Robin Lehner has been very good all season w/ a .926 save percentage. The Blues will likely use a different goaltender than they did last night and from the last time they faced NY. Jake Allen may have stunk vs. the Islanders (just 10 saves) earlier this month, but he was good last night in a 28-save effort. Rookie Jordan Binnington is likely to get the nod tonight. While Binnington is 3-0 so far w/ a ridiculous .973 save percentage, I'm skeptical that continues. I'm similarly skeptical about the Blues, who are still second from the bottom in the Central Division w/ a -10 YTD goal differential. 8* NY Islanders 

6* Winnipeg (6:05 ET): Anaheim has lost 10 in a row and Bell MTS Place in Manitoba seems like it would be one of the least likely places for such a streak to be snapped. Incredibly, the Ducks last six losses all came at home and in the last one, they surrendered seven goals. That was their most goals allowed in a game at the Honda Center in almost eight years. While the Ducks have blown a lead in five of their last seven games, don't expect them to be out in front - for any portion of the game - this evening. The Jets are 16-6-2 SU on home ice where they are averaging 3.8 gpg. 

If you recall some of my past analysis, I was predicting a Ducks' downfall before the current slide even began. The ironic thing about many of their recent defeats is that early in the season, they were winning plenty of games in which they trailed early. It was an unsustainable blueprint for success, one that has come home to roost. The team's YTD goal differential now sits at -27, which is worse than all but two teams in the conference, those being the two last place teams, Chicago and Los Angeles. The worst thing about giving up seven goals to the Penguins Friday is that the Ducks scored four themselves. Normally, they don't score that many. They currently rank 30th in the league in goals per game. 

Winnipeg had little difficulty beating another downtrodden team, Detroit, here at home on Friday. They won that one 4-2 as they took an early 3-0 lead and that easily held. Neither goal they allowed came at even strength. Despite that win, the Jets are still in a dogfight with the Preds for 1st place in the Central. The Preds play early on Sunday, so by gametime Winnipeg will either need these two points to keep pace or to move into first by their lonesome. While relatively speaking, this is a decent amount of juice to lay, it's actually a very good price on the Jets. 6* Winnipeg

6* NY Islanders (1:05 ET): This is the second game of a home and home between the two New York hockey teams. I took the Islanders Thursday on the road and they won 4-3 (despite a 30-20 deficit in shots). I see no reason why not to come back w/ the Isles again this afternoon. Sure it was close in MSG. But the Islanders have owned this Big Apple rivalry as they've gone 13-2 SU the L15 meetings. They're definitely the better team this year and the gap only appears to be widening. Now the home team, the Islanders have the edge all over the ice. 

In my analysis for that last game, I talked about how these teams had been trending in very opposite directions. The Islanders have won 10 of their last 12 games. The Rangers have now dropped five in a row as well as 8 of their last 10. In those five straight losses, they've given up a total of 26 goals. Given the respective YTD goal differentials, we should continue to see these teams trend apart. The Islanders have scored 14 more goals than they've given up this year, a strong number for this point in the season, while the Rangers have given up 30 more than they've scored.

It's also a pretty substantial edge in goal these days for the Isles. Robin Lehner continues to perform at a high level for them between the pipes as he's won a career-best eight straight starts and has a stellar .943 save percentage his L5 starts (stopped 150 of 159 shots). Meanwhile, the once might Henrik Lundqvist is having a terrible go of it for the Rangers of late. He's been yanked twice during the Rangers current losing skid and let in four goals on just 20 shots Thursday. That dropped his save percentage over his L5 starts to a woeful .871. It doesn't help his cause that the Rangers have only scored 8 goals the L5 games. 6* NY Islanders

10* Edmonton (9:05 ET): Two struggling teams meet here w/ the Oilers looking to snap an ugly five-game home losing skid. Florida has dropped three in a row overall, so something will have to give. Despite a couple of ugly losses, Edmonton was able to earn a split on a just completed four-game road trip through the Pacific. In terms of future outlook, I think they're in better position than the Panthers. Not only because of Connor McDavid, but also because of the division they play in. The Oilers are in the playoff hunt (three points out) while the Panthers are languishing well behind the pace (by 10 points) over in the Eastern Conference. Edmonton badly needs these two points and gets them Thursday night. 

It would be a damn shame if the Oilers were to waste what has been one of the great individual seasons (from McDavid) w/ another non-playoff year. In 42 games played, McDavid has 63 points while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time per contest. With him on the ice, the team is outscoring its opponents by a pretty substantial margin. The problem is when McDavid heads to the bench. But still, tonight's game is the start of a favorable stretch for them. Six of their next eight opponents, including this one, are currently NOT in playoff position. Also, six of the next seven games are at home. Of course, a second half surge would actually require them winning on home ice, something they have not done since December 14th. 

I think the Oilers are poised to break the drought tonight. Florida just got whipped in Pittsburgh, losing 5-1 as goalie Roberto Luongo was chased early. This is also a revenge spot for Edmonton, who lost 4-1 down in Miami, which is obviously a very far road trip. Now the proverbial "shoe is on the other foot" and the Panthers have to make the long trek. Already near the bottom of the league in goals allowed per game, Florida has proven to be quite generous to its opponents on the road, giving up 3.9 gpg. The Oilers, McDavid specifically, should take full advantage of that. 10* Edmonton

9* NY Islanders (7:35 ET): This is one of two late adds I've made to my Thursday card (the other is in NBA) and quite honestly I'm not sure how I "missed it" the first time going through the NHL card. While both ply their trade in New York City, the Islanders and Rangers are trending in very different directions of late. The Isles just had a six-game win streak snapped, but they've still won 9 of their last 11 games. Meanwhile, the Rangers have dropped four straight as well as 7 of their last 9. Those four straight losses saw them give up a a total of 22 goals! The Islanders rank 4th in the league in goals allowed, giving them a substantial edge in this matchup. Take them. 

The Islanders lost to another hot team, Carolina, on Tuesday. It was a 4-3 game where they actually outshot the Hurricanes, something that most Carolina opponents do not do. This team currently projects as a legit playoff contender w/ a +13 goal differential and 50 points. Right now, I'd say they may not even have to rely on the Wild Card, but could instead finish in the top three in the Metro. Tonight is a revenge game as they were embarrassed 5-0 the last time they skated at this rink. You can bet avenging that defeat will be on the players' minds here. They are still 8-2 SU their L10 games vs. the Rangers.

When the Rangers beat the Isles here at MSG in November, they were on the tail end of a 9-1-1 surge that had some thinking this team had a playoff run in them. But that proved to be foolish optimism as the Blueshirts have gone just 5-10-5 since and won B2B games just one time. Things have gotten really dire of late as they've been outscored 22-5 the L4 games. Henrik Lundqvist sat out Tuesday's loss to Vegas, but it's not like he's played all that well of late (.882 save percentage L4 games) and he was tagged for five goals in a 7-5 loss to the Isles earlier this year. The Islanders also gave their top netminder a rest in the last game, but the difference is that Robin Lehner has a .953 save percentage his L4 starts. 9* NY Islanders

7* Nashville (8:05 ET): These teams currently sit at opposite ends of the Central Division. Nashville is battling out w/ Winnipeg for first place while Chicago is at the bottom w/ St. Louis. In my eyes, there's no disputing that the Blackhawks are the division's worst and should be the clear last place team. They have a -32 goal differential, which is the worst in the entire Western Conference. The come into tonight fresh off a home defeat to another division leader, that being Calgary Monday night. The Preds are seeking a bit of revenge for a 2-1 loss that took place here in the Windy City last month. 

Nashville did not have a particularly good finish to December, at one point losing six games in a row. But they won New Year's Eve in Washington (6-3) and now come into this game as winners of four of the last five. All but one of those wins came out on the road and the last two have seen them outscore Montreal and Toronto by a combined 8-1 margin. Monday marked their 5th shutout of the season as they picked up a very impressive 4-0 win over the Maple Leafs. Perhaps most impressive is that they were able to hold Toronto to just 18 shots on goal. The Preds only loss in the L5 games came in overtime and they've scored a total of 21 goals during that stretch. 

Nashville ranks #1 in the league in goals allowed per game, giving them a decided edge over a Chicago club that ranks 29th in that department. I have faded the Blackhawks w/ great regularity this season as the oddsmakers were slow to catch onto just how far they've fallen in the L2 years. While it's rare to see them priced as this big of an underdog at home, the price is more than fair. Nashville is 12-4 SU coming off a win by 2+ goals. They enter the day one-point back of idle Winnipeg (who won last night) for first in the Central, so they'll badly want these two points and get them. 7* Nashville 

10* NY Islanders (7:05 ET): This battle of Metro teams finds each side streaking in a positive direction, but the Islanders are both hotter and better, so I'll grab them at what looks like a very optimal price at home. Carolina has won four in a row, scoring 17 goals in the process. But goal scoring has generally been a problem for the Hurricanes as they rank dead last in the league in shooting percentage and 28th in goals per game. That's going to be a problem against tonight's opponent as the Isles, winners of six straight and 9 of 10, are #2 in goals allowed. 

I just made a play on New York last Thursday when they beat Chicago 3-2 out on Long Island. That was followed up w/ a 4-3 win in St. Louis on Saturday. HC Barry Trotz has done a remarkable job w/ this team as LY they set a new NHL record for most goals allowed in an 82-game season. As I said earlier, this year they've allowed the second FEWEST in the league. Now the win over the Blues was ugly. The Islanders were outshot 32-14 and had to rally from an early 0-2 deficit. But w/ a choice of two-red hot goaltenders, Robin Lehner or Thomas Greiss, Trotz should be able to count on his team keeping Carolina from finding the back of the net too much in this one. 

This will be the 4th meeting already this season between these teams and the Islanders have won each of the previous three. They've done so despite being outshot rather dramatically (112-59!), but that's largely the story of Carolina's season as they get a lot of meaningless shots on goal and don't convert. Their goaltender is a far bigger question mark. While the Canes have won four straight games, two were against Philadelphia and another at Ottawa (Sunday). Those are teams below them in the standings. This season, they are just 5-9 SU vs. teams w/ winning records. 10* NY Islanders 

7* Washington (5:05 ET): The Capitals could really use two points here as they've dropped three in a row, leaving them in a first place tie w/ the red hot Penguins for 1st in the Metro. Fortunately, today finds the Caps in Detroit where they'll be facing a downtrodden Red Wings club they've already beaten twice this season (both times in D.C.). The Wings did just beat Nashville here on home ice Friday, but prior to that overtime win, they'd lost six in a row. This is Washington's 1st three-game losing streak of the season. They're 5-1 SU the L2 years when on such a streak and they should easily snap this one here in the Motor City.

After taking a couple of ugly losses against Nashville (6-3) and St. Louis (5-2), the reigning Stanley Cup Champs at least played a little better Friday night in Dallas. That game went to OT and while the Caps lost 2-1, they did outshoot the Stars 37-29. HC Todd Reirden called it the team's "best 2nd and 3rd (periods) in awhile." I think it's also important to remember that prior to this three-game skid, Washington had won 9 of 10 games, the lone loss coming to Pittsburgh. They remain 6th in the league in goals per game. 

Detroit is a bottom five team in the league for me. Even though they were able to snap their losing streak Friday vs. Nashville, that was a game they trailed 2-0 early. Now Red Wings fans will want to point to the fact their team BLEW similar leads in their two previous losses. But the bottom line is this team is simply not on the Capitals' level. Neither goaltender has played well recently and the Wings are just 2-11 SU at home this season if the O/U line is 6.0 or higher. They are 26th in the league in goals allowed and that simply "won't fly" against a team like the Capitals. 7* Washington

7* Minnesota (1:05 ET): The Wild need to keep winning as they are not only rapidly falling behind the top four in their own division (Central), but also are four points back of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. One positive sign for them is that unlike the three teams (all from the Pacific) in front of them, Minnesota has a positive goal differential on the year. They've faced a very challenging schedule of late and a five-game losing skid in December certainly did them no favors. But today, they get to face an Ottawa team that is as bad as any in the league. I look for the Wild to come through in this matinee.  

Considering they've recently won games at both Winnipeg and Toronto, this game should be an easy two points for the Wild. Thursday saw them prevail 4-3 in Toronto. Goaltender Devan Dubnyk led the way w/ 38 saves as Minnesota rallied back from deficits of 2-0 and 3-2. This is a team that ranks in the top 10 (8th) in goals allowed, plus they are top eight on the power play and in penalty killing as well. I believe they're poised for a second half surge even w/ the loss of defenseman Matt Dumba. Dubnyk has a terrific .922 save percentage when the team is short-handed and can keep the Wild in any game. 

Meanwhile, Ottawa isn't going anywhere. They have the dubious distinction of having allowed the most shots and goals in the league so far. The Senators already lost down in Minnesota this year, 6-4, which was the fifth straight time they've tasted defeat at the hands of the Wild. This team also now has the worst goal differential in the sport (-34). I think that it's pretty fair at this point to call the Sens the worst team in the league. They come into Saturday as losers of six in a row and have given up 28 goals during that span. Their last game was as disheartening as it gets as they rallied late against Vancouver to force OT, only to still lose. This game is a "must have" for Minnesota and I think they get the job done. 7* Minnesota

6* Nashville (7:35 ET): This is a very big mismatch on the Friday NHL card. Nashville did go through a tough stretch in December, at one point losing six in a row. But they've rebounded by winning B2B games while scoring 10 goals in the process. Making those performances even more impressive is the fact they came on B2B nights, New Year's Eve and Day. They won 6-3 at Washington (definitely impressive!) before returning home to start 2019 w/ a 4-0 shutout of the Flyers. The Predators are now 2nd in the Central w/ 50 pts, just two back of Winnipeg. 

Detroit is trending in a very different direction as they're second from the bottom in the Atlantic and don't figure to rise up anytime soon. If you recall, I just played against the Red Wings on Wednesday as they blew an early 2-0 lead at home and lost to Calgary, 5-3. That makes it six losses in a row now for them and they've blown big 1st period leads in each of the last two games. Monday vs. Florida, also here at home, they led 3-0 at the end of one period, only to lose in a shootout. As I said in my analysis for the Calgary game, the Red Wings are a clear bottom five team (in the league) in my eyes. 

With the Preds having scored 10 times in just the last two games, Detroit better be on "red alert" as they've given up a frightening number of goals recently. In just the L5 games, they've allowed 24 total and few teams can overcome that number, especially one as bad as the Red Wings. The club is 3-12 SU this season after allowing 4+ goals in its previous game and 2-11 SU after losing the previous game by 2+ goals. Nashville is 12-3-1 SU vs. the Eastern Conference this year and 11-3 SU after winning its last game by 2+ goals. Clearly the superior side in this one, they are being priced accordingly. 6* Nashville

7* Montreal (7:35 ET): This is an excellent spot to fade the Canucks as they're coming off an overtime win in Ottawa last night. That game saw Vancouver blow a 3-1 lead in the third period, so they ended up expending far more energy than necessary. They outshot the Senators 45-33, got two power play goals, one from Elias Pettersson, who ended up w/ a hat trick. Getting such production tonight is highly unlikely considering they are going from facing a team that ranks dead last in the league in goals (and shots) allowed to an opponent getting its top goaltender back. 

Carey Price is expected back in goal tonight for the Habs. Before missing the last three games due to the birth of his child, he had been dealing w/ a lower-body injury for about seven weeks. "I'm feeling pretty good," Price said. "I'm going to see how things go [Wednesday night] and see how I recover going into [Thursday]. "If everything goes well, I'd imagine playing." Price's return would be huge for a Montreal club fighting for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Note that if for some reason he cannot go tonight, this play is still valid. The Habs would then turn to Antti Niemi, who made 45 saves in a 3-2 win at Dallas on Monday. 

The Canadiens haven't played since that New Year's Eve victory, so unlike the Canucks, they're well rested. As I mentioned they're also desperate for two points so that they can maintain the Wild Card spot they currently hold. They come into tonight having downed Vancouver all five times the teams have played the L3 seasons. That includes a 3-2 win in British Columbia back in November. Montreal has scored a lot of goals lately (19 in the L5 games) and tends to get a lot of shots on goal (37.6 per game) here on home ice. I simply don't trust a subpar Vancouver team to get the job done in this spot. 7* Montreal

7* NY Islanders (7:35 ET): I haven't needed much of an "excuse" to play against the Blackhawks this year as I realized pretty quickly that they were in store for a shockingly poor season. Really, the decline began last year and they're now just 24-50 their L74 games overall. Initially, after they fell off LY, I thought there might be some improvement this season. But instead they've sunk even further and now own the worst goal differential in the Western Conference (-32) after taking a 4-2 loss to Boston on New Year's Day in the Winter Classic (game was played at Notre Dame Stadium). I faded the 'Hawks there and will do so again here. 

The Islanders are a hot team right now, having won four straight and seven of the last eight. Like Chicago, they fell off a bit last year. Unlike the Blackhawks, they've bounced back. Doing so after losing long-time captain John Tavares to Toronto is pretty impressive. The Isles just beat Tavares and the Leafs in a heavily hyped matchup last Saturday, 4-0. They followed that up w/ a 3-1 win in Buffalo. They now occupy fourth place in the Metro and have the fifth best goal differential in the Eastern Conference. This is a legit playoff contender and I expect them to play well through the second half of the season. 

Looking at tonight's matchup, this is the second straight game where Chicago is playing in a unique atmosphere. It was outdoors in South Bend on New Year's Day, now they head to the Nassau Coliseum, which was the old home of the Islanders. New York now plays its home games at Barclays Center, but this is one of four games they'll play in their old home out on Long Island. I can't say enough about the job done here by Isles' HC Barry Trotz, who inherited a team that set a record for futility in terms of goals allowed LY (gave up 296) and now is #1 in the league in goals allowed (just 102). Meanwhile, Chicago is 30th in the league in goals allowed per game. They are last in penalty killing as well, something the Isles' should be able to take advantage of tonight. 7* NY Islanders

7* Calgary (7:05 ET): The Flames snapped a three-game home losing streak in resounding fashion on the night of New Year's Eve, smashing San Jose by a score of 8-5. I'm happy to report I was on the Pacific Division leaders in that one and will come right back w/ them again this evening in Detroit. Calgary continues to pace the Pacific w/ 52 points (tied w/ Vegas) and has the top goal differential in the entire Western Conference (+29). As I said in my previous analysis (for the San Jose game), they were the ONLY team in the league currently in the top five in both goals scored and allowed. They've "slipped" to 6th in goals allowed, but are still the only team in the top six in both categories (only Toronto & Winnipeg are also both top 10).

Calgary should roll here against a Detroit club that has lost five straight and 9 out of its last 10. The Red Wings tasted defeat at the hands of Florida, 4-3, in their last game which came here on home ice New Year's Eve (blew a 3-0 lead too). The Red Wings now have a bottom five goal differential in the league (-25) and as was expected, they're near the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings (only ahead of Ottawa). I don't see things getting much better any time soon for the Wings as they managed just 20 shots on goal vs. the Panthers and have now given up 4+ goals in four straight games. This is simply a very bad hockey team right now. 

In my analysis for Calgary-San Jose matchup, I mentioned how the Flames are #2 in the league in goals per game at home (trailing only the historically great Lightning). Well, their scoring may dip away from the Saddledome, but the good news is that the Flames are by far and away the top team in the league when it comes to fewest goals allowed on the road, allowing just 2.1 per game (Pittsburgh is #2 at 2.47). As you can tell, I really like this team and its prospects moving forward. I feel the exact opposite about Detroit, making this the biggest mismatch on the NHL card Wednesday. 7* Calgary

8* Boston (1:05 ET): I've been no fan of this Blackhawks team this season and I don't think Touchdown Jesus can save them here as they face the Bruins, at Notre Dame Stadium, in the annual Winter Classic on New Year's Day. While B2B wins have allowed Chicago to temporarily escape the basement in the Central Division (ahead of St. Louis), they still own the worst goal differential in the Western Conference at -30. Boston probably won't be able to catch the leaders in the Atlantic (TB/Toronto), but they are better than their record and could easily finish third in the division. I know "anything can happen" at a neutral setting such as this, but the Bruins are the superior team and should win easily. 

Boston won its last game, in overtime, as they went to Buffalo Saturday night and prevailed 3-2. They actually dominated in terms of shots on goal, finishing w/ a 42-28 advantage there, and would have won in regulation if not for allowing a short-handed goal. When it comes to allowing goals this year, the Bruins have been one of the stingiest teams in the league, ranking 3rd at just 2.64 per game. They also have the league's fourth ranked power play, converting at 26.6%.

That 4th ranked PP could come in handy this afternoon given the Blackhawks are dead last in the league in penalty killing at just 74.2%. The PK has been an issue w/ this team for a couple years now and is only now finally coming back to bite them. Remember that Chicago is still w/o top goaltender Corey Crawford (concussion), leaving Cam Ward to likely start today's game. Ward has a save percentage of just .886 for the season. Overall, Chicago ranks 30th (next to last) in the league in goals allowed per game at 3.71. They've allowed only four total in posting the B2B wins, but I look for the defensive issues to reappear today in South Bend. 8* Boston 

10* Calgary (9:05 ET): Though they are leading the Pacific Division and have the top goal differential in the Western Conference, I view this as a very important game for the Flames, who have - uncharacteristically - lost three in a row at home. Going back to the end of the 2016-17 season, they've also lost six straight times to the Sharks. That - and the losing streak at home - have got to end sooner rather than later, so w/ Calgary turning in a strong season overall, there's no time like the present. I think this is an outstanding value on home ice. 

San Jose was successful in its first leg of this two-game Alberta trip, beating Edmonton 7-4 on Saturday. That came on the heels of a home win against Anaheim (which I was on!) Thursday. Prior to that, the Sharks had experienced their own home woes w/ three straight losses at The Tank. But they've also struggled at times on the road this year, going 9-8-3. They are also just 6-9 SU so far against teams with a winning record. They may just be one point back of Calgary in the Pacific, but YTD goal differentials indicate there's a larger gap in the respective levels of play. Goaltending also hasn't been sharp the L5 games w/ an .870 save percentage.

Calgary is one of only three teams in the league averaging at least 4.0 goals per game at home. So it's a surprise to see them slumping a bit of late. But four of the eight home losses suffered this year came past regulation, including the one Saturday night to Vancouver where they blew a 2-1 lead. Interesting enough is that both Flames goals came short-handed! This is still the ONLY team in the league to rank in the top five in both goals scored and allowed. They are 13-5 SU against teams w/ winning records and in division games, they're allowing an average of just 24.4 shots per game. 10* Calgary 

8* Tampa Bay (8:05 ET): These teams have been trending in different directions for the last two weeks now and I expect that to continue here. Tampa Bay hasn't just been hot recently (won 5 in a row); they've been hot all year. They are pretty clearly the best team in the league right now and are 13-0-1 over the L14 games. They haven't tasted defeat in regulation this entire month. As for Anaheim, they were a team I felt was due to regress and regress is exactly what they've done as they've dropped five in a row coming into tonight. The Ducks rank 29th in the league in goals per game, so I'm not sure how they "keep up" here, given that the Lightning are 1st in the league in scoring and have scored six goals in three consecutive games. 

Making matters worse for Anaheim is that the Lightning have some payback on their minds for a loss suffered at home back on November 27th. When the Ducks won 3-1 in TB a month ago (were +200 on the ML!), it marked the third consecutive time the road team won in this head to head rivalry. Don't look for home ice to be enough to save the Ducks here as they just lost to Arizona here two nights ago, 5-4. When these teams met the first time, the Lightning had a 35-22 edge in shots, but fell victim to two quick goals in the third period (scored 30 seconds apart), one coming on a Ducks' power play. I just don't see anything close to a similar scenario playing out here tonight.

Who can dispute TB as the league's best team right now? They have the best overall record (30-7-2), the top goal differential (+50) and haven't lost a game in regulation since November 27th. During the 13-0-1 run, they've scored a ridiculous 5.6 goals per game, always scoring at least three and topping four 10 times! This is a historically good offense right now that appears as if it cannot be stopped. They have scored five or more goals in five straight games, six in three straight and they are 10-2 SU after allowing 4+ goals their previous game (won 6-5 vs. Montreal Saturday). Their only loss this month came at Winnipeg, who is one of the top teams in the league, in overtime. 8* Tampa Bay

6* Calgary (10:05 ET): Though the price is set high (correctly so!), I love the setup for this Pacific Division matchup here. Calgary, who leads the division, will be looking to end a rare two-game losing streak. Vancouver is in the middle of the pack, but not really a very good team and I don't see them making it a 2-0 sweep here in Alberta. The Canucks just won 4-2 in Edmonton on Thursday, but got all four goals in the first period and finished w/ just 20 shots on goal. It's a much tougher opponent tonight and I like the Flames to roll.

I like this Calgary team's chances of doing damage in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's been over a quarter century since a Canadian franchise hoisted Lord Stanley's Cup, but this year finds both Western Conference division leaders hailing from "North of the Border." The Flames just won the battle of first place teams, in Winnipeg no less, beating the Jets 4-1 Thursday (thanks to a Johnny Gaudreau hat trick). Note that the Flames are currently the ONLY team in the league to rank in the top five for both goals scored and goals allowed. Their +27 YTD goal differential is tops in the Conference. 

These Western Canadian rivals have met twice before this season (first two games of the season) w/ the home team winning each time in a high-scoring affair. It was 7-4 Calgary the last time the Canucks came calling to the Saddledome. That's fairly "par for the course" here as the Flames rank #2 in the league in goals per game at home, trailing only Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, Vancouver has a pretty bad .890 save percentage on the road. They have not won B2B division games at any point this season and, in fact, are just 1-9 SU coming off a division game, win or lose. 6* Calgary 

6* NY Islanders (7:05 ET): Both teams are returning to the ice tonight after extended breaks. The Islanders last played on Sunday when they went to Dallas and won 3-1, their 4th win in the last 5 games. Ottawa has been off since Saturday when they were blanked down in Washington, 4-0. It's been a long year for the Senators, who are in last place in the Atlantic and possibly the worst team in the entire Eastern Conference. The Islanders, on the other hand, are looking to keep pace w/ the top three in the Metro and really could use the two points here. They're at home and should get them.

Under HC Barry Trotz, the Isles have really turned things around defensively. They rank in the top 10 in 5 v 5 save percentage and are top five in goals allowed. While they are a somewhat disappointing 22nd in goals scored per game, Trotz's teams always overachieve and the Isles' shot percentage of 10.3% means they're making them count. Tonight is the team's first home game in nearly two weeks, so I suspect they'll be pretty fired up. While this amount of rest has hardly been ideal this season (0-3 SU record w/ 3+ days rest), look for them to lean on goaltender Robin Lehner, who has a 6-0-3 career WL record vs. the Senators. 

Ottawa has an issue in goal w/ Craig Anderson currently sidelined due to a concussion. This means either third-stringer Mike McKenna or rookie Marcus Hogberg will get the nod. Neither is a particularly inspiring choice, especially considering the Sens are already dead last in the league in goals per game (3.89) allowed and they also are giving up the most shots per game by a pretty considerable margin. The Senators are also just 4-12-1 on the road this season. Both teams are playing the front end of a back to back here and I realize the Isles have a big showdown w/ Toronto and former captain John Tavares tomorrow night. But they are pretty clearly the better team here and should win comfortably. 6* NY Islanders

8* San Jose (10:35 ET): Neither of these SoCal rivals went into the Holiday Break playing very well. In fact, they sport matching three-game losing streaks. For Anaheim, the swoon seemed all but inevitable. This is a team that has spent the majority of its ice time playing from behind this year. They have a negative goal differential (-14) and have gotten a level of goaltending, from John Gibson in particular, that is totally unsustainable. Gibson will have to continue carrying the club w/ Ryan Miller on the shelf and I just don't see it working out for the Ducks in the second half. 

San Jose isn't in a much better position than Anaheim right now. They are in a top three spot in the Pacific (2nd to be exact), but their lead over the 4th place Ducks is precarious at best w/ just a two-point advantage. What was most disappointing of all about the Sharks' three-game losing streak heading into the break is that every loss occurred at home. Despite said losing streak, they only have been beaten four times in regulation all year at the Shark Tank. Something to keep in mind w/ this Sharks team is that they are tied for the league lead in most losses suffered beyond regulation (7), so their record could easily be better. The L2 games both saw them fall in extra time. 

Gibson has a .926 save percentage, which ranks third among all qualifying goalies, and Anaheim leads the league in 5 v 5 save percentage. But like I said earlier, I don't think the numbers are sustainable. Meanwhile, San Jose has been doing a good job at getting shots off and possessing the puck. They've simply yet to reap the rewards as they're near the bottom of the league in shot percentage. But that should change as should their overall save percentage. Bottom line is that while these teams are pretty even in the standings, San Jose has played significantly better for the first two months of the season. Anaheim is 30th in the league in goals per game. 8* San Jose

8* Minnesota (8:35 ET): Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For most of the last decade, Chicago has been a perennial Stanley Cup contender, even winning it on three separate occasions. However, this once proud franchise hit the skids last year and has yet to recover. Usually, after a big dropoff like the one the Blackhawks experienced last year, there's a bit of a bounce back the following season. But that hasn't taken place here. In fact, things have gone from bad to worse as the team has the worst goal differential (-34) in the entire league this year and resides in the basement of the Central Division. 

Minnesota is a team fighting in the middle of the pack of the Western Conference. I still project them as a Wild Card team, but they'll have to turn things around pretty quickly as they went into the Holiday Break on a four-game losing streak. In those four losses, three of which came at home, the Wild totaled all of three goals. But I'll look for them to turn things around offensively against an opponent that ranks 30th in the league in goals allowed. Chicago has a major issue between the pipes right now w/ Corey Crawford sidelined w/ another concussion. Cam Ward is hardly a viable long-term option and Collin Delia remains unproven. 

The Wild will have a significant edge on special teams in this game as do most Blackhawks' opponents. That's because Chicago's special teams are just horrible. They rank 30th on the power play and dead last in penalty killing. Minnesota went 0 for 3 on the PP in their last game, a 2-1 overtime loss to Dallas. Obviously, that cost them dearly. But if they were to get that many opportunities again w/ the man advantage here, there will be a breakthrough. The Wild are 4-1 playing w/ 3+ days rest this year (Chicago is 0-3) and Devan Dubnyk will give them a significant edge in goal.  8* Minnesota 

6* Calgary (4:05 ET): All signs point to an easy win for the Flames Saturday afternoon at the Saddledome. This is a team that has really dominated its opponents here on home ice. They average 4.3 gpg at home for the year, which is most in the league. They are coming off a rare home defeat, 5-4 to Tampa Bay, but that game was decided in a shootout and the Lightning are the best team in the league right now. Saturday's opponent, St. Louis, resides at the bottom of its division. The Flames are a strong 9-1 SU this season after allowing 4+ goals in their previous game. 

St. Louis is at the end of a three-game trek through Western Canada. While things started nicely w/ a 4-1 win at Edmonton on Tuesday, the good times didn't last long as the Blues fell 5-1 in Vancouver Thursday night. For the year, the Blues have just five road wins, which is fourth fewest in the league. Their biggest problem when going on the road has been lack of scoring. They average just 2.2 goals per game on the road, tied for third fewest in the league. With Calgary doing such an excellent job at limiting shots, I don't see how the Blues score very many this afternoon.  

So, not only does Calgary score the most goals per game at home, they also allow the fewest number of shots per game. That's a winning combination. And it's not like they need the home ice edge to dominate the Blues. Just last week, they won out in St. Louis, 7-2. That blowout victory saw the Flames score four times in the first period and never look back. They've lost back to back games since, but this is just the third time they've been on a losing streak of any kind all season. They've lost three in a row just one time and that was back in late October. 6* Calgary 

8* Winnipeg (10:35 ET): Two teams going in very different directions meet up here on Tuesday and those opposite directions happen to be quite indicative of the respective seasons that they are having. Winnipeg is one of the best teams in the league and certainly one of its hottest right now. The Jets have won five in a row and are 9-1 their last 10. As a result of that surge, they are now tied w/ Nashville atop the Central Division as well as Calgary for the most points in the Western Conference. On the flip side, the Kings are off an 0-4 road trip and there's a pretty clear argument to be made that they are the worst team in the entire NHL this season. This one is a no-brainer for me. 

The Kings have the fewest points in the league right now (25) and also the second worst goal differential -31. They were just beaten four straight times on the road, surrendering four goals in each of the L3 losses. In addition, it's not like the offense has been much help. The club ranks dead last in the league in goals per game at 2.18. Just to illustrate how bad the Kings have been offensively, the gap between them and the 30th ranked team in gpg (Anaheim) is as large as the gap between Anaheim and the 24th ranked team in scoring. That's going to be a major problem facing a Winnipeg side that is third in the league in scoring and averaging 5.4 goals in its L5 contests. 

While the Kings are back home, that won't be enough to counteract the cavernous gap in talent that exists between these two sides. Plus, the Jets have won their last five road games. Winnipeg is off a huge 5-4 OT win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. I'm not worried about any kind of letdown considering they are 12-5 SU this year after scoring 4+ goals the previous game.  Making matters even worse is that LA goaltender Jonathan Quick has really struggled in his career vs. the Jets w/ a 3.02 GAA and .888 save percentage. Winnipeg is the only team in the league averaging more than three goals per game against Quick. The Jets previously beat the Kings in October, 2-1 w/ a 39-17 edge in shots. 8* Winnipeg

8* Pittsburgh (7:05 ET): I was on the wrong side of Anaheim's previous game as they came back to beat Columbus in overtime, 2-1. But I remain highly skeptical of the Ducks' prospects, both in the short and long-term. Yes, they come into tonight's game at Pittsburgh having won eight of their last nine games. But they've also been winning in a very unsustainable fashion, often coming from behind. They were outshot 37-22 by the Blue Jackets on Saturday. For the season, only a few teams have spent more time trailing than have the Ducks. I like Pittsburgh at home here.

The Penguins have posted B2B victories and now sit in a top three position in the Metro. Anaheim is third in the Pacific and has more points, but I don't think there's any debate as to whom the oddsmakers prefer in this matchup. Nor should their be. This is a good spot for the Pens, who are playing a third straight home game. They beat Boston 5-3 Friday (despite being outshot 51-28!) and then the Kings on Saturday, 4-3, despite again allowing a high number of shots. Anaheim has won five straight on the road - all against the East - but I see that streak coming to an end here. 

Pittsburgh now has two solid options between the pipes w/ the emergence of Casey DeSmith, who made 48 saves in the win over Boston. I also expect Matt Murray to start playing better as the season moves on. Anaheim has been totally riding its goaltending this year, but Ryan Miller is now out, leaving John Gibson to carry the load. Having two solid options in goal is a nice luxury to have and the Ducks no longer get to enjoy said luxury. They also are still 29th in the league in goals per game despite a couple of recent 6-goal efforts. It's time for Anaheim to start regressing, folks. 8* Pittsburgh

10* Columbus (7:05 ET): I don't see the Blue Jackets having much trouble at all with the Ducks tonight on home ice. I say that knowing full well that Anaheim has taken six of its last seven games, including B2B six-goal efforts. But this is a team that has succeeded on the back of its goaltending, which has performed at an unsustainable level. The Ducks had the best 5 on 5 save percentage in the league entering the week, but one of their netminders (Ryan Miller) is now out at least six weeks w/ a MCL sprain. Joining Miller on the injured list are center Rickard Rakell and defensemen Cam Fowler. This is a most inopportune time for the injury bug to hit as the Ducks are set to embark on their longest road trip of the year. My guess is we'll start to see them regress.

Columbus is in a decent position after the first two months of the season.  They are 2nd in the Metro, although a lot of hockey is still to be played. They're in the middle of a six-game homestand and need to start racking up more wins. The homestand started w/ a pair of losses, one of them to lowly Vancouver. But the Jackets bounced back Thursday w/ a convincing 4-1 win over the Kings. Tonight is also a revenge game as they lost out in Anaheim, 3-2, last month. Offensively, this is a deep team (12 players w/ at least 10 points), so it's no surprise they're 7th in the league in goals per game.

But this play is more about fading Anaheim, who has been extremely lucky this season. When it comes to having the lead, the Ducks are near the bottom of the league in total time. They are 6-8-2 this year when down after two periods, which is the second most such wins. They added another Wednesday as they stormed back to beat Dallas 6-3. The team's last road trip (through the Southeast) went very well as they won four times as a ML dog of +160 or higher. But if you look at the way they continue to be priced, the oddsmakers are making it clear that they are NOT a believer. Nor am I. 10* Columbus

8* Winnipeg (8:35 ET): I've made my view on Chicago pretty clear, so I have no issue backing a superior team like Winnipeg here even w/ the Jets off an OT win last night. We're used to talking about Chicago as one of the premier teams in the league, but they have fallen hard and fast and should now be in the discussion for worst team in the league. They have the second fewest points (25) and the worst goal differential (-31). Ironically, they're in a battle w/ the Kings in both categories, a team we also used to consider one of the league's best. My, how things can change. 

Meanwhile, Winnipeg is near the top of the league. Only one team has a better goal differential and that would be Tampa Bay, who I think is everyone's #1 team right now. The Jets are neck and neck with the Preds in the Central Division and a win here would put them in first place. So don't think they'll be lacking for motivation. Last night saw them down a red-hot Edmonton team, 5-4, which was an impressive win. It was their seventh win in the last eight games, which is a far cry from Chicago's recent performances. The Blackhawks have lost 8 of 9, the lone win coming Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh. 

While they were able to beat the Pens, don't count on Chicago winning two in a row as home underdogs. Winnipeg has already beaten them twice this year, scoring six times in both victories. The Blackhawks are 30th in the league in goals allowed and their special teams have been abysmal. They are dead last on the power play and third worst in penalty killing. It's been almost two months since Chicago won B2B games. They are 3-11 SU this year against teams w/ winning records while Winnipeg has feasted on lesser competition, going 14-4 SU against sub-.500 foes. 8* Winnipeg

8* Washington (7:35 ET): This is a huge mismatch, in my opinion, and the money line simply does not reflect that. The defending Stanley Cup Champion Capitals may have the fewest points of any division leader currently (39), but they're still one of the top teams in the league and vastly superior to tonight's opponent. Carolina, as always, is really good at getting shots on goal, but not so much when it comes to actually finding the back of the net. The Canes have lost five of six, including a 6-4 loss last night at Montreal. Playing in the second night of a back to back is hardly ideal, given the opponent tonight. 

The Caps started the season slow, but have won 10 of the last 12 games. In their last eight games, they've scored four or more goals seven times. They're now 2nd in the league in scoring (3.7 goals per game), thus they've got to be "licking their chops" here in a matchup where Carolina simply isn't going to be able to "keep up." The Hurricanes are 30th in the league in goals per game, which is just stunning considering they average the most shots per game. Washington is deep. Not only is Alex Ovechkin working on 12-game point streak (had a hat trick in 6-2 win over Detroit Tuesday), but the team's 4th line has contributed 12 points of their own this month.

Making matters worse for Carolina is that they had to place Jordan Staal on IR due to a concussion. As alluded to above, this is a tough back to back they're in after playing in Montreal last night. They gave up 40 shots on goal to the Habs and let's not forget this team is short-handed in goal right now. Curtis McElhinney has been their best goaltender, but is still listed as being day to day w/ a lower-body injury. Right now, it's undecided as to who will be between the pipes tonight, but neither Scott Darling or Petr Mrazek are having good years. 8* Washington

8* Vegas (7:05 ET): The Golden Knights have won 9 of their last 11 games and just started a four-game East Coast swing out on the right foot w/ a 3-2 win over the Islanders Wednesday. While we know this team has built a tremendous home ice advantage in less than two years of existence, I don't think tonight's road game will be too difficult. New Jersey currently sits at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division and is last in the Eastern Conference w/ only 26 points. The Devils have won just once in their last nine games. They also may be w/o LW Taylor Hall, last season's league MVP.

While the Devils could be w/o their best players, Vegas could be getting it's key offseason addition back on the ice. Paul Stasny has been out since October 8th, but skated at practice yday and has been pronounced as ready to play in a game. Even w/o him, the Knights have played really well of late. Despite only 17 shots on goal Wednesday, they were still able to pick up two points on the road, which is tough to do. They scored less a minute into the game via the power play. One thing they've done very well this year is beat up on lesser teams. The Knights' record vs. sub-.500 foes is 11-4 SU.

Expect the number of shots on goal for Vegas to be much higher tonight. That should then lead to a big night against a Devils team that has surrendered an average of 4.6 goals its last five games. Goaltending has been generally abysmal for NJ this season, no matter who's between the pipes. It's expected to be Keith Kinkaid tonight and he has an .871 save percentage his L4 starts. Note the Devils only win in the L9 games came against Los Angeles, one of only two teams in the league w/ a fewer number of points. The Devils' record against teams w/ a winning record is just 3-9 so far. 8* Vegas

8* Calgary (8:35 ET): Pardon the pun, but the Flames have been really hot of late. They've surged to the top of the Pacific Division by winning 9 of their last 12 games. They'd won five in a row before taking a 1-0 loss to rival Edmonton Sunday. Back on home ice, look for them to bounce back tonight against a Philadelphia side that has lost 7 of its last 10 games, including an ugly 7-1 defeat at the hands of Winnipeg their last time out. The Flames have had just two losing streaks all season, the last one coming in mid-November. Lay the price here.

Calgary will be getting their captain, Mark Giordano, back tonight after he was forced to sit out the last two games due to a suspension. Still, even w/o Giordano, the Flames were able to down Nashville on Saturday, 5-2. They probably missed him in the 1-0 loss to Edmonton the following night, but that was on the road. Here at home, the team has gone 10-3-2 while averaging 4.2 goals per game. So its not like they're lacking in firepower. One thing that the Flames do really well is limit the number of shot attempts from their opponent. They allow just 28.0 per game, third lowest in the league. Goaltender Mike Smith has posted a .929 save percentage in his L4 starts. 

The Flyers have really struggled this year as their 27 points have them second from the bottom in the Metro. They rank near the bottom of the league in several statistics, most notably goals allowed. They're 29th, giving up 3.61 per game. That's trouble facing a team that is #2 in the league in goals scored at home. Also, Philly has terrible special teams. They are dead last in the league in penalty killing (71.7%) and 29th on the power play (13.6%). Note that Calgary is 4th in the league in goals allowed, so this shapes up as a total mismatch. None of the Flyers' goaltending options right now are particularly attractive. 8* Calgary

8* Toronto (7:05 ET): The Maple Leafs come into this game off back to back losses. First, they lost as massive ML favorites (-315!) at home to Detroit on Thursday (in overtime). Then came a 6-3 loss in Boston Saturday. As a result, they're rapidly falling behind red hot Tampa Bay as the gap has widened to eight points between the top two in the Atlantic Division. But this is a good team and I fully expect Toronto to turn things around. At no point this season have the Leafs dropped three in a row. They're 3-0 SU off B2B losses, winning two of those games by at least five goals. They've outscored the three opponents 15-2 in the situation and that includes wins at Winnipeg and Pittsburgh. 

Carolina comes into tonight w/ a major question mark in goal. Goaltending has long been a concern for this franchise, but picking up Curtis McElhinney off the "scrap heap" (right before the season started) turned into a godsend. Ironically, it was Toronto that had discarded him. McElhinney has a .920 save percentage in his L11 starts, easily the best on the team. But now he's injured, having suffered the dreaded "lower body injury" in practice. That means Scott Darling (.882 save percentage) will likely get the nod. Darling had been demoted to the AHL after no one wanted to claim him off waivers. Or it could be Petr Mrazek, who isn't a whole lot better (.899 save percentage). 

The Hurricanes beat Toronto earlier in the year, 5-2, but that was w/ McElhinney between the pipes. Without him, I worry about the Canes facing an opponent that ranks 2nd in the league in goals per game. Speaking of offense, Carolina has an issue there as well. Despite regularly outshooting their opponents, they average only 2.5 goals per game, which is 29th. Opposing goaltenders have posted a .934 save percentage against them this season. That tells me that while they're getting a lot of shots, most of them are not quality ones. Carolina has lost six of nine games against winning teams this season. 8* Toronto

8* Vegas (4:05 ET): These teams have not met since LY's playoffs when the Golden Knights delivered a shocking sweep of the Kings. Needless to say, they won't be meeting in the playoffs again this year. That's because it seems as if LA has never recovered from said sweep as they have fallen on some real hard times this year. At this point, I think it's very fair to call them the "worst team in the league" as they have the (very) unenviable distinction of having both the fewest points (21) and worst goal differential (-28). I expect Vegas to show their division rival no mercy Saturday afternoon. 

After its magical run to the Stanley Cup Finals a year ago (as an expansion team!), it was only logical for Vegas to slip a bit too. They probably won't be back in the Stanley Cup Finals again this year and maybe they don't even win the Pacific Division. But they're certainly playing like a playoff team right now w/ wins in seven of the last eight games. They just won as huge favorites on Thursday over another bad team, Chicago. Now that was at home where the Knights have always played better in their brief existence. But winning at the Staples Center shouldn't prove too difficult as two other road teams, Arizona and New Jersey, have already done so this week.

Vegas has gotten 14 goals from 11 different players in its last four games. Meanwhile, the Kings are last in the league in scoring (2.1 goals per game) and really struggling offensively right now. They'd been held to two goals or fewer in five straight games before losing 6-3 to New Jersey on Thursday. But that's a Devils team that had conceded 28 goals in its previous six games, so I wouldn't look for the "offensive surge" to continue. Because this is the front end of a back to back, Vegas will likely opt to start Marc-Andre Fleury in goal tomorrow vs. Dallas. While Malcolm Subban has not started since 11/19, I think this is a good spot for him against the lowest scoring team in the league. 8* Vegas

10* Anaheim (10:05 ET): I'm not entirely sure as to how GOOD of a team the Ducks are, but they're certainly a HOT one right now. I took them Wednesday, here at home, as my *10* Game of the Week. They won 4-2 over Chicago and have now won five in a row overall. Tonight, they welcome in Carolina and given the Ducks' recent form, the moneyline for this matchup surprises me. Anaheim may have its issues offensively, but the Hurricanes have actually scored a fewer number of goals on the season. Plus, the Ducks have beaten them five straight times, once earlier this season in Carolina. This is an easy call, given the price. 

The big key to the Ducks' success this year has been goaltending. They are 7th in goals allowed and have the best 5 vs 5 save percentage in the league currently. Both John Gibson and Ryan Miller have save percentages above .925, so we'll be fine w/ whomever is between the pipes tonight. Also, the offense has picked up a bit w/ 10 goals scored in the L2 games. Note that before beating Chicago on Wednesday, the team's last four wins had all come out on the road, two of them against Tampa Bay and Washington, the East's two division leaders. Another was at Carolina, 2-1, in overtime. Like I said earlier, that win makes the Ducks a perfect 5 for 5 vs. the 'Canes over the L3 seasons.

Anaheim got off to decent start to the season before injuries took their toll and led to a seven-game losing streak. Clearly, they have turned things around. Meanwhile, Carolina is trending in a different direction. They've lost three straight, starting w/ the game vs. Anaheim. They've managed just two goals during the streak, which is bad news facing a stingy opponent like Anaheim. Tonight also marks the end of a three-game trek in Southern California, which is one of the toughest road trips in the league. After being shutout in LA Saturday, they lost to San Jose 5-1 on Wednesday. Over the L5 games, Carolina has just five goals. They typically have some of the worst goaltending in the league, so that's another edge for the home team in this one. 10* Anaheim

10* Anaheim (10:35 ET): Guess what? I'm going to keep playing against Chicago! The oddsmakers have simply been too slow to react to just how bad the Blackhawks have gotten. Going back to November 23rd, I've played against this one-mighty franchise three times and come away w/ three wins. The latest was on Sunday as they fell 3-2 at home to Calgary. It was Chicago's fourth loss in a row overall as things continue to grow more dire by the day. The team is 3-12-3 overall in its last 18 games, dropped to 30th in goals allowed and special teams have been just horrendous w/ the 31st ranked power play and 29th ranked penalty kill. I see no evidence that a turnaround is forthcoming. They were outshot 41-24 by Calgary on Sunday.

Making a Chicago turnaround even less likely here is the fact that Anaheim has won four in a row. All four of those Ducks wins were on the road too. Traditionally, this has always been a strong home team, although their record at "The Pond" this year is just 7-8 SU. But five of those eight losses have come beyond regulation, which is the most suffered by any team on home ice this season. In fact, only one other team has more than three. While still ranking near the bottom of the league in goals per game (30th), the Ducks did score six times in a win at Washington Sunday. That game saw them rally back from a 5-1 deficit, marking the 1st time in 20 seasons that any team in the league was able to win a game on the road in which it trailed by four or more goals.

This is also a revenge game for Anaheim. Back when they were in the midst of a seven-game losing streak in late-October, they dropped a game in Chicago, 3-1. But unlike the Blackhawks, things have turned around for the Ducks. They've won six of the last seven games to move into second place in the Pacific Division. Their YTD goal differential (-13) still leaves a lot to be desired, but it's nowhere near as bad as Chicago, who is a league worst -27 in that department. On the road, the Blackhawks are giving up more than four goals per game this year and over the L5 games, they've allowed an average of 5.2. The Ducks are top 10 in goals allowed and simply a much better team at this point in time. 10* Anaheim

10* Arizona (10:35 ET): As recently as last year, a money line like this for a Coyotes-Kings matchup would be have been borderline unfathomable. Certainly, Los Angeles would have had far more respect from the oddsmakers and needless to say, I wouldn't even dream about taking the 'Yotes at this price on the road. But much has changed here in 2018-19. For starters, the Kings are terrible. I have them as one of the worst teams in the entire league, a distinction that can be confirmed by the fact they are currently tied for the fewest number of wins (9). They also have the second worst goal differential at -24. Meanwhile, Arizona is much improved. Most of that improvement is owed to the blue line and goaltending, which has gotten the job done whether at even strength or short-handed. 

The 'Yotes come into this game top five in the league in goals allowed and have the best penalty killing unit. That'll go a long way for a team that admittedly still struggles on the offensive end. The team has won three in a row, including beating Nashville and Minnesota on the road. There were no offensive struggles in the last game where they destroyed the Blues 6-1. I can't believe I'm saying this right now, but there actually is a viable path for Arizona to make the playoffs in a weak Pacific Division. The team did win four in a row earlier this season and now has a chance to produce a second win streak of 4+ games in the same season for the 1st time since 2011-12.

We got a glimpse of the "old" Kings their last time out on the ice as they shutout Carolina 2-0 on Sunday. Jonathan Quick was back in goal and stopped all 34 shots he saw. Admittedly, injuries to Quick and #2 goalie Jack Campbell have - quite literally - hurt this club severely. However, it's not like Quick has been solid between the pipes this year. He carries a save percentage of just .888 into tonight's game. Arizona is dealing with its own set of injuries to its goaltending battery, but has gotten strong play out of backup Adin Hill, who has stopped 60 out of the 61 shots he's faced since being called into duty. The Kings had two shutout wins this season prior to Sunday and lost the next time out both times. 10* Arizona

8* Calgary (7:05 ET): Hey - let's keep playing against Chicago! The oddsmakers still haven't fully caught up to just how bad this once mighty team is. As a result, there's value in going against them - almost on a nightly basis - until further notice. The last time I played against the Blackhawks was on 11.27, hosting Vegas. They lost that game 8-3 and have since dropped two more, 6-5 at Winnipeg and 5-2 at Nashville. Now those were both road losses, against arguably the two top teams in the Western Conference. It's been just a BRUTAL schedule overall for the 'Hawks, who have lost five of six overall while also having faced Tampa Bay, Washington and Vegas. (The one win was here at home against a last-place Florida club).

Tonight, Chicago hosts Calgary, a team I consider to be the best right now in a wide-open Pacific Division. The standings do too as the Flames lead the Pacific w/ 32 points and they have a +14 goal differential as well, easily tops in the division. They're off a 4-1 win over the last place Kings Friday night, a game which actually wasn't as easy as the final score indicates. Calgary scored three times in the third period w/ the go-ahead goal coming on the power play 7:44 into the third period. From there, they added two empty-net goals in the final minute. However, the Flames did enjoy a huge 37-14 edge in shots and really did dominate the game, particularly early and late. Though it was a product of two empty-net goals, the final score really was indicative of the Flames' level of dominance. 

Calgary has beaten Chicago four straight times, including a 5-3 win back on November 8th. That game saw the Flames enjoy an even more sizable edge in shots than they had over the Kings. They outshot the Blackhawks 41-15. I don't think they'll have much problem finding the back of the net in this rematch as Chicago has given up a frightening number of goals recently while the Flames are averaging 3.8 per game in their last five. As I've stated before, the Blackhawks rank near the bottom of the league in goals allowed (30th) and their special teams have been a disaster. They have the 31st ranked power play (that's last) at 11.8 percent and are 30th in penalty killing (74.0%). 8* Calgary

10* Vegas (10:05 ET): I'm going to keep riding the red hot Golden Knights, who have won fibe in a row overall, including two straight on the road. I've had them in each of those two road games, which were wins at Chicago (8-3) and Vancouver (4-3). Granted, neither of those are strong opponents. But neither really is Edmonton, who remains wildly overrated in the Connor McDavid era. The Oilers have won B2B games at home, but they lost here to Vegas a couple weeks ago while giving up six goals. The Golden Knights have been surging offensively ever since and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is also currently in fine form. 

During the five-game win streak, Vegas has outscored its opponents 23-8. That doesn't even include the 6-3 win here in Edmonton back on November 18th. Fleury has allowed only 11 total goals in his L6 starts (posted B2B shutouts last week) and the Oilers have been a favorite opponent of his through the years. He's 5-0 w/ a 1.77 GAA and .940 save percentage his L5 starts against them. Vegas is a team we all thought would regress this season. They very well still may and did get off to a slow start to the season. But there's no doubt that they're playing as well as any team in the league right now. That doesn't mean they'll win the Western Conference again like they did in their expansion year. But they are more than capable of beating a team like the Oilers. 

Edmonton has been better since a coaching change. They're 3-1-1 w/ Ken Hitchcock behind the bench, four of those five games decided by one goal. But a few one-goal victories aren't enough to alter my overall view of this team. They're only 26th in goals per game despite having McDavid. Ironically, they did take three of four games last year from the Golden Knights. But those results were not indicative of the respective seasons. I don't think the Oilers are any kind of "bad matchup" for the Knights. We saw that in the last meeting. Mikko Koskinen has definitely been a better option in goal than Cam Talbot (who Vegas scored on six times), but he alone can't turn the tide here. 10* Vegas

8* Vegas (10:05 ET): The Golden Knights have really started to turn things around with a four-game win streak that has seen dominant play at both ends of the ice. I was on them their last time out when they scored eight goals in a blowout of the lowly Blackhawks. That win followed B2B shutouts by goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Of course, when you score 14 goals over a two-game stretch like Vegas has, then strong play between the pipes is just a luxury. But it's a nice luxury to have as you have to figure the Knights won't be able to score so many goals every game. A trip that started w/ a visit to Chicago should get even easier tonight as they're in Vancouver to face a Canucks team that's lost 9 of its last 10 games. I'll take Vegas again.

Vancouver, like Vegas' previous opponent (Chicago) isn't a last place team. But both the Blackhawks and Canucks generally play like they belong in the basement of their respective divisions. The Canucks are coming off a home and home split w/ the Kings (who are in last place in the Pacific) as each team won at the other's rink. It was a 2-1 loss in overtime here in British Columbia for the Canucks on Tuesday. That game marked the return of Brock Boeser to the lineup (missed 11 games due to a groin injury), so it's disappointing that the Canucks were only able to pick up the loser's point. One area where this club continues to struggle is shot generation. They are 28th in the league, averaging only 28.4 shots per game. 

If Vancouver isn't getting many shots on goal, then obviously the game will be a lot simpler for the red-hot opposing goaltender they're facing tonight. Fluery went 150 minutes of ice time w/o allowing a goal before Chicago finally broke through on Tuesday. After being pretty dreadful on the road to start the season, Vegas has turned it around by winning three of their last four away from Sin City, twice scoring six or more goals. This is a revenge game for them as they lost as huge ML favorites (-300!) to the Canucks back in October, 3-2. The Knights have no problem getting the puck on net (4th in shots per game) and should win easily tonight. 8* Vegas

8* Vegas (8:05 ET): The Golden Knights captured the hearts & minds of hockey fans everywhere last season by making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in their very 1st year of existence. Regression was all but inevitable for 2018-19, though the club has started to turn things around by winning three straight games coming into Tuesday. The last two wins, both at home, were shutouts. In their admittedly brief existence, the Knights have always been a much better team when playing in Sin City ("Vegas flu" for opponents!). But I'll still back them on the road tonight as they're playing well and facing one of the league's worst teams. 

Calling Chicago "one of the league's worst teams" still doesn't feel right, but it's true. The Blackhawks just aren't very good right now as they rank 26th in the league in scoring and 27th in goals allowed. They have the league's worst power play percentage (12.7%). We're actually getting them off a win here, 5-4 over Florida, but that result actually works to our benefit considering it's been a month since the 'Hawks last won B2B games. They've gone just 3-8-3 since that time and having already fired their coach, one has to wonder what - if any - "tricks" are left up the sleeve. While Vegas has posted B2B shutouts, Chicago has allowed exactly 4 goals in three straight games. 

Even though they won on Saturday, the Blackhawks needed OT to do so after falling behind in an early 0-2 hole. They still gave up 38 shots on goal. After allowing 4+ goals the previous game, Chicago is just 4-9 SU this year. After scoring 4+ goals the previous game, they are 1-5 SU. Major edge in goal here for Vegas w/ Marc-Andre Fleury, who authored both shutouts and did so on consecutive nights (62 saves total). The Golden Knights also do a good job of not allowing many shots per game (just 27.2 for the year). They swept Chicago last season, winning three times and scoring 14 goals. Their record vs. losing teams this year is also 7-2 SU. I've been fading the Blackhawks regularly this year and have no hesitation to do so again Tuesday. 8* Vegas

6* Tampa Bay (7:35 ET): I like the chances of this game turning into a rout pretty quickly as the 15-6-1 Lightning host the 8-9-5 Blackhawks. This is a total mismatch with the Lightning rated #2 in my own power rankings while the Blackhawks are 31st (last!). The game takes place in Tampa Bay where the home team is a solid 8-3. The Lightning are the highest scoring team in the league right now (3.8 goals per game) while the Blackhawks are near the bottom (27th) at 2.6 per game. Having only won twice in November, I just don't see how Chicago competes here.

Tampa Bay's scoring prowess was on full display Wednesday as they found the back of the net seven times against Florida. That was the first game since Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov were split up and put on different lines. The move worked with the duo combining for two goals and five assists. Individually, it was a season-high for points from Stamkos. Keep in mind that there wasn't much wrong with this team to begin with, so any tinkering is just "icing on the cake." At home this year, the Lightning average 4.3 goals per game. They simply have too much firepower for their opponent tonight. 

With #1 goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy out, you might normally think the Lightning could be susceptible to an upset here. But not against this Chicago team that has had all sorts of problems scoring recently. In the L6 games, the Blackhawks have scored just nine goals. As I suspected, a surprising coaching change (Joel Quenneville fired on November 6th) did little, if anything, to alter the trajectory of this team. Its issues go well beyond a simple lack of scoring as they also rank 26th in goals allowed. Quite frankly, there isn't really anything that the Blackhawks do particularly well. The Lightning already beat them 6-3 in the Windy City last month. At home, it should be even easier. 6* Tampa Bay

8* Colorado (10:35 ET): I'm coming back with the Avalanche here as they remain one of the more underrated teams in the league. Tonight, they face a Kings club that is quite possibly the worst team in the league. Oddsmakers haven't quite caught up to how bad the Kings are yet as is evident by the money line here, which is essentially even. The Kings' 15 points are currently the fewest in the league and their -20 goal differential is the worst. They are off a win, 2-0 over St. Louis on Monday, so maybe that's where the value (on the opposite side) is coming from. Even though they are off that shutout win, it is worth noting the Kings are still operating w/ a third-string goaltender.

There are only five teams in the league who currently have goal differentials of +10 or better. Four of them should not be a surprise, those being: Toronto (+21), Tampa Bay (+15), Nashville (+21) and Winnipeg (+13). I think that most consider those teams to be among the very best in the league. But the fifth best goal differential in league belongs to Colorado at +12. After a rough stretch to open November, the Avs have won three of their last four games, including the strong come from behind effort in Anaheim Monday. They were down 3-1 at one point, but won w/ just 1.3 seconds left in OT. While the game was close, they outshot the Ducks 42-33. This is the 3rd highest scoring team in the league w/ the two top point scorers in the league, Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov has a solid .926 save percentage.

The Kings have lost their two top goalies for the foreseeable future w/ both Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell not expected back anytime soon. So they've had to lean on Cal Peterson. He's made three starts and has a shockingly good .951 save percentage. But I wouldn't expect that to last. The two games LA has won w/ Peterson between the pipes were against Chicago and St. Louis, two not very good clubs. The game they lost was to Nashville, who scored five times. Peterson figures to be under fire again tonight and it doesn't help that the Kings are the worst offensive team in the league, both in terms of goals scored and power play percentage. 8* Colorado 

8* Colorado (8:05 ET): The Avalanche were the biggest surprise in the entire league last year. After a historically inept 2016-17 campaign (only 48 points), they jumped all the way up to 95 points and a playoff berth. Such a one-year jump usually signals regression the following season, but the Avs started out 7-2-2. Since then, however, that inevitable regression seems to have taken hold. They are just 2-4-2 in their last eight games and coming off an overtime loss (at home) to Washington Friday. Four of their six losses have been by one goal however, so it's not like they haven't been competitive.

Anaheim's season has mirrored the trajectory of Colorado's. The Ducks started strong 5-1-1 their last 7 games. But since then they've dropped 11 of 14. Two of the three wins came beyond regulation. Offense has been an issue here w/ the team ranking 30th in goals per game and the league's 27th ranked power play isn't exactly helping. The Ducks have scored just three goals in the last four games, excluding the shootout vs. Nashville. Usually one of the top teams in the Pacific, the Ducks are not a team I'm particularly high on right now.

Phillip Grubauer will start in goal for Colorado tonight after stopping 26 of 29 shots against Washington Friday. His save percentage remains low and this will be justt the second time all year he's started two straight games. The other time resulted in a 3-1 win over Carolina. He shouldn't be tested much here from an Anaheim team averaging a league-low 26.3 shots per game. The Ducks also have issues at the other end of the ice right now with their top three defensemen all being rookies. They lost their top blue line player, Cam Fowler, to a facial fracture on Monday. 8* Colorado

10* St. Louis (8:05 ET): Only now (I think) are people starting to realize how bad the Blackhawks really are. I feel like I've been a bit "ahead of the curve" on this one, playing against them regularly in the first month of the season. The most recent time was actually two weeks ago to the day when I grabbed Vancouver at "plus money" (+123 on the ML) and came away w/ a 4-2 victory. At the time, it was the third straight loss suffered by Chicago. Well, two weeks later and they haven't won since w/ the losing streak now up to eight straight and counting. The firing of former HC Joel Quenneville has done nothing to alter the trajectory of this team. They're just bad. 

Despite Chicago's losing streak, they're actually still ahead of St. Louis in the Central Division. But by just one point. But digging deeper, you quickly uncover something important. The Blues may be a last place team, but at 6-6-3, they've actually outscored the opposition this year. The Blackhawks have a -16 goal differential. That is 2nd worst (Kings) in all of hockey. St. Louis has won 4 of 6, but does enter tonight off a loss, 3-2 to Minnesota on Sunday. They've had two days off to prepare for tonight's game and a big key is the Blues have only gotten to face two teams with losing records so far this season. They've won both games. 

This is actually already the fourth meeting between these teams this season. Chicago took the first two, both in overtime. St. Louis gained a measure of revenge on October 27th, winning 7-3 on home ice. That's the game that started the current slide for Chicago. Note that when the Blackhawks had a 2-0 lead Monday in Carolina, it was the first time they'd led since the coaching change. They obviously blew that lead (lost 3-2 in OT) and are now still searching for answers that may not come for awhile. St. Louis can score (4th in the league in goals per game), so like the last meeting (scored 7 goals) they should have their way w/ a Blackhawks club that is 30th in goals allowed. 10* St. Louis

10* Toronto (10:35 ET): It's taken some "getting used to," but I now view the Kings as one of the league's weaker teams. They currently reside in the basement of the Pacific Division (only 11 points) and have been outscored by 17 goals this season. That's the worst goal differential in the league right now. Those expecting any kind of turnaround will have to wait awhile longer as this visit from Toronto figures not to go very well considering the Maple Leafs will be looking to bounce back from a loss themselves. The ML favorite is being way undervalued here. 

It was bound to happen sooner rather than later and definitely on this challenging four-game trip. Toronto finally lost a road game on Saturday, coming up way short in a 5-1 final in Boston. The Leafs had won their first six road games to open the year and were the last unbeaten team on the road in the league. Like I just said, the road loss was bound to occur and I actually believe its a "good thing" to get it out of the way in the first game of the trip. No one wants to lose obviously, but I would have found it hard to believe to think the Leafs were going to sweep this trip. After tonight, they're in San Jose and Anaheim on Thursday and Friday, so this game sets up as the easiest of the entire trip. Toronto already beat the Kings, 4-1, back on October 15th.

The Kings are last in the league in scoring right now, averaging just over 2.0 goals per game. That presents a massive edge for the Maple Leafs, who are top five in the league in scoring as well as top seven in goals allowed. LA has scored only one goal in its last two games as they simply aren't getting the puck on net very much anymore. They are near the bottom of the league in that department, which is an issue in a game where they'll likely need to score a lot just to keep up. Meanwhile, Toronto is a perfect 4-0 this season after allowing 4+ goals the previous game. Did I mention that the Kings are also now without their top two goaltenders, leaving either Peter Budaj or the completely untested Cal Peterson to start tonight between the pipes. The Kings have already made a change behind the bench this year (coaching change), so they're all out of tricks unfortunately. 10* Toronto

8* Tampa Bay (7:35 ET): Wrong place, wrong time for the Sabres, even on home ice. That's because TB is off a humiliating defeat its last time out, losing 6-4 to Ottawa as -320 home favorites. The last two times that the Lightning have been off a loss, they have rebounded by blowing out their next opponent. On October 30th, they destroyed New Jersey 8-3. Then, four days later, they won 4-1 at Montreal. In fact, they have yet to be beaten consecutive times so far this season. The Lightning still lead the Atlantic w/ 25 points and are the highest scoring team in the league. They should have little to no difficulty defeating a Buffalo team that I still think is getting too much hype. 

The Sabres have won their past two games by scoring 10 goals. But those wins came at the expense of Montreal and Vancouver, the latter occurring here at home. Tonight will obviously be a big step up in class in terms of opponent. I will admit that Buffalo has done an excellent job at getting the puck on net recently, which has led to plenty of goals scored. However, they were actually outshot by both the Habs and Canucks. Also, in each instance, the Sabres had to beyond regulation to get the two points. They won in OT and then a shootout and that's only after they tied both games late in regulation. Both of those wins could easily have been losses. Over the last three seasons, this team is 15-34 SU after scoring 4+ goals in its previous game. 

Tampa Bay is indeed tops in the league in goals per game w/ an average of 3.7. They've scored four or more in five consecutive games. Some of their biggest scoring efforts of the year have been off a loss. In the four previous games they've played off a loss, the Lightning have averaged a simply stunning 6.5 gpg, scoring 8 twice and 6 in another. So look for Sabres' goaltender Carter Hutton to be under siege tonight. I give the Lightning a big edge between the pipes w/ Andrei Vasilevskiy starting. He has a .934 save percentage on the road so far. 8* Tampa Bay

8* Washington (7:05 ET): Even though they've lost back to back games (and 3 of their last 4), I still think there's plenty of reason to like the Stanley Cup Champs tonight on home ice. First off, it's hard for me to see them dropping two straight at home. After rallying back from an early 2-0 hole, they fell to Dallas in overtime on Saturday. But even w/ that setback - and overall slow start to the season - the Capitals are still leading the league in scoring and have the top power play. Furthermore, they also have revenge on their minds tonight for a 4-1 loss up in Edmonton last week. My money is on the Caps bouncing back here. 

The Oilers have won 5 of 6, including two straight. They've turned in B2B four-goal efforts, but those came against Chicago and Detroit, two of the worst teams in the league. While they did just beat the Capitals at home, doing so on the road will prove a lot more challenging. Edmonton's strong start to the year (8-4-1 through 13 games) is a little head-scratching when you look at the statistics, all of which are fairly mediocre. Six of their last nine games were at home, though they won all three on the road. But the fact that the Oilers rank 26th in penalty killing should come back to bite them facing the league's top power play. 

Shots were actually dead even in the first meeting between the teams (32 apiece), but a key was Washington getting only one PP opportunity and failing to convert. The Capitals have four of the league's top seven players in PP points w/ Evgeny Kuznetsov leading the league w/ five goals. Again, they should have the edge here against a weak Edmonton PK unit. The Caps are also averaging 4.33 goals per game at home, so it's really going to be difficult for the Oilers to hold them to one goal again. All four goals Washington allowed in the loss to Dallas Saturday were off turnovers, which is an easy problem to correct. The Oilers have won five straight road games, but I see that streak coming to an end tonight. 8* Washington

10* Columbus (10:35 ET): I'm not used to seeing the Kings struggle the way they are right now, but unpacking the numbers reveals things are just as a bad as the look. The club has dropped seven of eight w/ its lone win during that stretch coming against the lowly Rangers. That one win is the only time in those eight games that the Kings have scored more than two goals. As a result, the team currently ranks dead last in the league in scoring at just 2.0 goals per game. They have the worst goal differential (-20) in the league as well. Usually, you could count on LA for being one of the top defensive teams, but that's not the case this year as they're 26th in goals allowed. Jonathan Quick is hurt and they've allowed 4+ goals in seven of those last eight games (again, the win being the exception). That's a real bad stretch of hockey we're talking about here, and unfortunately it's going to get worse before it gets better. 

Columbus hasn't exactly been stingy between the pipes either. Sergei Bobrovsky and Joonas Korpisalo have combined for an .888 save percentage, but the former turned away 44 shots in a 4-1 win over San Jose Thursday. It was the first time all year that the Blue Jackets allowed fewer than two goals in a game. Matched up w/ the lowest scoring team in the league, I see them making it two straight. Columbus has won three of four overall w/ 19 goals scored. The Blue Jackets are one of the highest scoring teams in the league so far (5th) at 3.6 goals per game and they've been real "road warriors" as well, averaging 4.2 gpg. As a result, their record is 4-1 outside of Ohio. 

Quick's injury is a real killer for the Kings, who now have to rely on backup Jack Campbell, who has allowed 10 goals on 96 shots faced here at home. The Kings did sweep last season's two matchups with the Blue Jackets, but both saw Quick in goal. They also scored 11 times on Columbus, a pace they are not going to maintain tonight. The fact that Columbus is 5th in goals per game despite a subpar power play is pretty impressive. It sounds strange to say, but the Kings are at the bottom of the league right now and absolutely one of the worst teams. This should be an easy two points for the visitors Saturday night. 10* Columbus

10* Washington (7:35 ET): Good price on the Stanley Cup Champs here, as they're playing on the road. It's been a bit of a Cup "hangover" in the early going for the Caps, as they're just 5-3-2 their first 10 games, but I have no doubt as to this club being able to make its annual move to the top of the Metro. Here, they're faced w/ a Montreal team that is a somewhat surprising 6-3-2 thus far. I came into the year thinking that the Habs would be improved, but not to this degree. The key here is Washington has been off for four days, meaning they'll be quite fresh when they hit the ice tonight. They've also had the Habs' number in recent years, especially here in Montreal. 

The Canadiens did take a dive in their last game, losing here at home to Dallas by a score of 4-1. That had to be a frustrating result considering they outshot the Stars 35-22. But the Habs couldn't convert on a penalty shot nor could they get much going offensively against a hot goaltender. Now Washington's goaltending has been quite suspect so far, but the issue is will the Canadiens be able to keep up with the Capitals' scoring. The Caps come into tonight ranked 2nd in the league in goals per game and they also have the top power play. Alex Ovechkin has 49 points in 46 career games vs. Montreal. That's a big reason why the Caps have won 28 of their previous 41 visits to the Bell Centre, including all three the last two seasons. 

There are two key trends working in Washington's favor here. One is that they are a perfect 3-0 this season when playing w/ three or more days rest. As mentioned above, they've now been off for four days since beating Calgary 4-3 on Saturday (I was on them there, too!). Secondly, they are a remarkable 16-3 SU coming off three consecutive road games. It's pretty stunning to see that the Caps have not won B2B games this season. That streak comes to an end here as Montreal might be improved, but they're not yet at the level of the defending Stanley Cup Champions. 10* Washington

8* Vancouver (10:05 ET): My read on the Blackhawks this year is that this is a team living off past reputation. Certainly, no one saw last year's last place finish in the Central coming, but the 2018-19 season doesn't seem to be a whole lot more promising. They come to Vancouver tonight off B2B losses, one of them on the road (St. Louis) where they gave up seven goals. Last time out, they fell at home, 2-1 to the Oilers. That one went to OT as Chicago is now 3-3 in games that go past regulation. Their only goal came from a power play which still ranks 30th in the league (12.2%). This is a good price to fade the Blackhawks, in my opinion. 

Vancouver has battled through a number of injuries to start the season a respectable 7-6. They are actually just one point out of first place in the Pacific. So a win tonight and they'll be in first place by their lonesome! The team is off a 5-2 win over Minnesota on Monday (here at home), but of course it came w/ a price as center Brandon Sutter was lost to a shoulder injury and could be out for "weeks." Sutter joins a number of fellow Canucks on the injury list, but the five goal effort from two nights ago tells me this group is still ready to compete. 

Jacob Markstrom has a respectable .929 save percentage his L4 starts for the Canucks, so I look for them to have the edge in goal in this one. Chicago's cummulative save percentage for the year is still below .900, which isn't good news. Obviously, the defensive effort vs. St. Louis (where they allowed 7 goals) was terrible. While it was better against the Oilers, the team is still 24th in the league in goals allowed. Incredibly, the Blackhawks are just 19-45 their previous 64 Western Conference games. They are also 7-23 their L30 road games against teams with a winning home record. The Canucks are 3-2 on home ice. 8* Vancouver 

8* Toronto (7:05 ET): I've played against Calgary each of their last two games. Both plays turned out to be winners. What's bad for the Flames is that both of those losses occurred at home. The first was downright embarrassing as they were beaten 9-1 by Pittsburgh. Then came a 4-3 loss to Washington. The club has now dropped three in a row overall and things get no easier Monday as they make the cross-country trip to Toronto. At 8-3, the Maple Leafs are off to a really strong start and their 16 points are currently tied for most in the league. I'll play against Calgary yet again! 

Considering the respective form of the two clubs, you might be wondering why we're able to get the Leafs at such an affordable price, on home ice no less. Well, star Auston Matthews is going to have to sit this one out due to a shoulder injury sustained in Saturday's come from behind win over Winnipeg. Matthews, who has 10 goals and six assists, has clearly been the driving force behind his team ranking 3rd in the league in goals per game (also #2 on the power play). But Toronto has been able to win w/o him before as they were 11-7-2 in the 20 games he missed last season. Note that they were able beat Winnipeg despite no points from Matthews. This team has enough scoring options and I believe this ML is an overreaction by the oddsmakers. One player, even one of Matthews' caliber, should not make that big of a difference. 

Toronto should still be able to score plenty against Calgary's suspect goaltending. The Flames come into tonight w/ a woeful .885 save percentage and are 22nd in the league in goals allowed per game. They were fortunate to salvage a point against Washington as they tied the game up at the end of regulation by pulling the goalie in favor of an extra attacker. But they still lost in a shootout. Speaking of losing, that's primarily what the Flames have done here in Toronto through the year as they've lost 16 of their last 19 visits. 8* Toronto

8* Washington (4:05 ET): Back on Thursday, I played on one of these teams and against the other. I split the pair as Washington failed to get the job in Edmonton, but Calgary was an easy fade as they went down 9-1 at the hands of Pittsburgh. My respective reads on the teams certainly haven't changed in the last 48 hours, so I'll again be backing the Caps in Alberta Saturday afternoon. Considering how badly the Flames were just beaten, I think this is an outstanding value.

Seeing the Caps get held to one goal Thursday night was definitely shocking. There had been only one time previous this year where they'd failed to score multiple goals and that was an embarrassing 6-0 shutout against the Devils on 10.11. The good news is that the Stanley Cup Champs typically bounce back after a poor offensive performance. Over the L3 seasons, they have gone 26-8 SU after scoring 1 goal or less the previous game. As a reminder, they rank 2nd in the league in goals per game currently and 1st on the power play. 

Calgary is certainly the ideal opponent for the Capitals' offense to get back on track. Thursday's 9-1 defeat at the hands of the Penguins was "all-time bad" in my eyes as the goaltending continues to be just horrible here. Mike Smith let in six of the nine goals, on just 21 shots. Backup David Rittich was no better, allowing three goals on just 15 shots. The Flames' collective save percentage for the year is now down to .882. Thursday was the fifth time this year that Calgary gave up 4+ goals. While they are 4-0 after the previous four times doing so, I believe that trend comes to an end Saturday afternoon against a superior opponent. 8* Washington

8* Washington (9:05 ET): Edmonton will be a desperate team Thursday night as they look to avoid dropping a third straight home game. But desperation alone cannot carry them past the Stanley Cup Champions, unfortunately. While the Capitals have had their issues keeping the puck out of the back of the net at times, they've had no problem scoring themselves this season. Five times they've scored five or more goals in a game, including each of the last two. They're coming off a 5-2 win in Vancouver and should get two more points here as they continue their trek across Canada.

Edmonton is off an overtime loss to the Penguins. They went down by a score of 6-5, a game in which they outshot the opponent 46-31. Still, I suppose that was an improvement from being shutout by Nashville the previous game. What a tough stretch this has been for the Oilers having to play three of the league's top teams in a row. Saturday night, they'll be in Nashville. Despite all the hype that surrounds this team, I just don't think they're "there" yet ("there" meaning ready to successfully compete w/ the league's elite). If I'm Edmonton, I'd be especially concerned w/ goalie Cam Talbot facing the Caps as he's already given up eight goals his last two starts.

Surprisingly, Washington has yet to post B2B victories this season. That'll change after tonight. This team is just too talented to go too long w/o consecutive victories. They are #1 in the league in scoring (4.3 goals per game) and also have the #1 power play (38.7 percent). That's too much for the Oilers, who rank in the bottom third of the league in both goals scored and allowed. 8* Washington

10* Pittsburgh (9:05 ET): Calgary sure seems to be a getting a lot of respect here. I know it's a home game, but even so, I certainly do not see them as being on the same level as Pittsburgh. The Penguins have started a four city Canadian trek by winning in Toronto (3-0) and Edmonton (6-5). Tonight, they go for B2B wins in Alberta and I believe the two points are for the taking considering how many shots on goal the Flames have allowed recently. Look for the Pens' offense to carry them to another victory. 

Sidney Crosby had one for the highlight reel Tuesday night in Edmonton as he scored the game winner in overtime. "It's probably been a while since I've had a nice one like that. I'll take it," Crosby said. Something that the team will gladly "take" is that number of shots allowed by Calgary the last two games. Poor goaltender Dave Rittich has been under siege worse than Steven Seagal, having to make 81 saves. Make 44 saves was enough to beat the Rangers 4-1 on Sunday, but he could "only" stop 37 of the 40 shots he saw vs. Montreal Tuesday and that led to a 3-2 loss. Pittsburgh, as per usual, ranks near the top of the league (3rd) in goals per game w/ 3.7. Look for them to take advantage of the Flames' "leaky" defense. 

While this is Pittsburgh's third consecutive road game and second in three nights, they had plenty of time off in between the win in Toronto and win in Edmonton. Calgary is playing for a third time in five days, so they could actually be the side where fatigue is a factor. I'm not concerned about Pittsburgh allowing five goals in that last game as their record when allowing 4+ goals the previous game is 54-24 the L3 seasons. 10* Pittsburgh

10* Winnipeg (7:05 ET): The nation of Canada has infamously gone a quarter century w/o one of its NHL franchises hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. These two teams are looking to end that long drought. Toronto is among the teams tied atop the Atlantic Division w/ 12 points, though they have lost B2B games. Winnipeg has also won 6 of its 9 games this season, though unlike the Maple Leafs not all the losses came in regulation. They come into Wednesday as the hotter team having won three straight, all here in Manitoba. I'll look for the Jets to keep the win streak going tonight. 

Something is going to have to give tonight as the Jets are 5-0-1 SU here at Bell MTS Place, but the Leafs are 4-0 SU on the road. Those records are anything but phony too. Winnipeg is outscoring its visitors by more than a full goal per game while Toronto is averaging an amazing 5.7 gpg in those four road wins. There's obviously no way the Leafs can maintain that average moving forward. Somewhat of a "cooling off" process has already started to set in as they've totaled just one goal in the last two games, though both of those losses were at home. They were outscored 7-1 by the Penguins and Blues, not a good sign when getting set to face a team that is 14-0-1 its L15 regular season home games, dating back to last season. Since the beginning of last year, the Jets have the best home record in the league. 

Now it looked as if the Jets might lose one here at home Monday as they were down 3-1 in the third period to St. Louis. But they overcame that deficit and won in overtime. While a close call, it was still a far preferable result to what Toronto did against St. Louis. The Leafs did win here last season, by a shocking score of 7-2, but I'm sure the Jets haven't forgotten. I felt Toronto was a little overrated coming into the season while Winnipeg is definitely on my short list of Cup contenders. 10* Winnipeg

10* Florida (7:05 ET): Two of this year's slowest starters meet Tuesday in MSG w/ the Rangers hosting the Panthers. The Rangers have dropped six of eight to start the season while Florida has only one win in six games. However, when looking at goal differential, one team appears to have a significant advantage in tonight's contest. The Rangers have been outscored by nine goals in eight games while the Panthers have only been outscored by four in six. The Panthers have had some bad luck w/ three losses occurring either in overtime or a shootout. Every one of their games so far has been decided by a one-goal margin. With an interesting goaltending matchup tonight, I believe the Panthers are poised to break through w/ a major victory. 

After finally winning a game on Friday, the Panthers returned home to play the league's last remaining winless team, Detroit. They lost that game, in overtime, 4-3 on Saturday. This despite having a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period and outshooting the Red Wings 37-31. After that embarrassing defeat, I think Florida will come out "ready to go" tonight. It appears that they will be giving Michael Hutchinson the start in goal. While he's struggled in two previous starts, I don't think the Rangers should be much of a concern considering they only rank 26th in goals per game. 

You would think that the Rangers would go w/ Henrik Lundqvist in this spot, but instead it appears as if the less proven Alexandar Georgiev will get the call between the pipes. Important to note that either way, this play still stands. But if the reports of Georgiev starting are true, then I REALLY like our chances. Georgiev's only previous start saw him surrender seven goals. Florida has won three straight times here in MSG and I look for them to keep that streak alive Tuesday night. 10* Florida 

8* Anaheim (8:05 ET): Both teams find themselves in the second game of a back to back, but the situation is far better for the Ducks, who also happen to be the better team. Buffalo won last night, 5-1 in LA, but I am highly skeptical of all the preseason "love" this team got as a potential darkhorse. I still rank them among the weakest teams in the league. Tonight marks the end of a five-game West Coast swing for them. Meanwhile, Anaheim returns home angry off a 3-1 loss in Vegas last night. They're the better team and will assert themselves on home ice. 

The Ducks were outshot by a wide margin last night, 45-18. But one thing you have to like about this team is that they are #2 in the league in goals allowed per game at just 2.1. Just one time this year have they given up more than three goals in a game. That was a 5-3 loss at Dallas and they came back the following night to win 3-2 in St. Louis. Ryan Miller started that game vs. the Blues and stopped 29 of 31 shots. This being another back to back, Miller is likely to get the call to start between the pipes tonight. I'd expect him to be highly motivated facing his former team. So should the rest of the Ducks - and the fans for that matter - as all-time great Paul Kariya will have his number retired. Anaheim is 28-10-6 at the Pond since the start of last season.

Buffalo has yet to play a back to back this season. Doing so for the first time at the end of a long road trip is hardly ideal. Especially w/ the Sabres likely to have to call on the struggling Carter Hutton in goal. They have lost three straight Hutton starts, not only due to scoring just one goal in all three games, but also Hutton has allowed 13 goals on 96 shots (.865 save percentage). Hutton has also typically struggled against the Ducks in his career w/ an .888 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average. I just can't see the lowly Sabres winning on the road in consecutive nights. They are only 11-24 SU w/o rest the L2 seasons and 8-24 SU off a win by 2+ goals. They are 12-31 SU after scoring 4 or more goals their previous game. 8* Anaheim

8* Columbus (7:05 ET): The Blackhawks seem to be living off reputation as I think they have even less of a chance to win tonight in Columbus than the oddsmakers do. This is a team that just lost 4-1, at home, to Arizona the other night. That was their third loss in four games and the first time all season that they didn't have to go past regulation. While the Blackhawks had done plenty of scoring this year leading up to the loss to the 'Yotes, they certainly haven't done much else well. They rank 29th (third worst) in goals allowed and special teams play has been dreadful w/ the power play ranking 28th and penalty killing ranking 30th. I like they're in for a long night here. 

Columbus is off an impressive 6-3 win over Philadelphia and has scored five or more goals in each of its last three victories. Prior to beating the Flyers, they'd been embarrassed in an 8-2 loss at Tampa Bay. But they got four days off to recover and played like after somewhat of a slow start. Here, they had only one day off between games, but I don't think that matters considering what a strong team they've been on home ice the past couple seasons. Last year saw them go 26-12-3 during the regular season here at Nationwide Arena. That included a 3-2 win over Chicago. 

The Blackhawks did win their first two games this season, but those games were at Ottawa and St. Louis. They've since lost at Minnesota. Corey Crawford is back between the pipes, which is a nice story. But after missing so much time, it'll be awhile before he's back to being an effective netminder, if that even happens. I really like the price on the Blue Jackets here as the Blackhawks are playing their third road game in four nights and will struggle to stop C-bus from scoring. Chalk up two more points for the home team. 8* Columbus

6* Vegas (10:05 ET): There weren't many better stories in all sports last year than what happened in Vegas with the expansion Golden Knights, who rode an incredible home record right into the Stanley Cup Finals. No one saw that coming and predictably everyone is predicting the Knights to take a bit of a fall in their second season of existence. So far, those people been correct as the team has started 2-4. But they've played only one home game. While it was a loss (5-2 to Philadelphia in the season opener), I expect a much different result tonight hosting Buffalo. 

While Vegas has played almost all road games, it's been just the opposite for Buffalo, who started the year with four straight home games. They split the quartet, but the one to focus on here was a 4-2 win over Vegas. That makes this an early season revenge game for the Golden Knights, who actually outshot the Sabres pretty dramatically on October 8th. It was a 37-17 edge, so the 4-2 loss is surprising. Buffalo had also been outshot in all three periods of their previous win. "We weren't mentally sharp," Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said of the loss. "There were mental lapses in the D-zone and a guy left wide open. You couldn't blame (goalie) Fleury on any of the goals."

Buffalo opened this road trip w/ a 3-0 win over Arizona, yet another game where they were outshot pretty dramatically (36-23). They were also off a win the last time they met Vegas, but are still just 8-23 SU the L3 seasons when off a win by 2+ goals. Obviously, this game taking place in "Sin City" and not upstate New York is pretty significant. The Golden Knights were 29-10-2 SU at home last year. They need to turn it around offensively as they come into tonight ranked 29th in goals per game. But they averaged 3.5 gpg at home last year, so that turnaround should come here against a Buffalo team that is giving up a lot of shots in the early going this season (34.6 per game). 6* Vegas 

8* Dallas (7:35 ET): Ottawa pulled an upset Saturday afternoon, beating the Kings here at home by a score of 5-1. That certainly surprised me as I had the Kings. It was also a departure from recent Senators performances which had seen them give up 13 goals in the previous two games. I don't see them pulling two upsets in a row as they're still being outshot rather significantly, by an average of 38.4 to 27.4 per game. The Sens still are a bottom of the barrell team to me. 

Dallas has started its season 3-1 w/ all four games coming at home. They've scored 14 goals in the L3 games alone, so look for them to find the back of the net early and often tonight. They are averaging 36.2 shots per game, so they should have plenty of opportunities. Though it's a non-conference game, the Stars should be highly motivated as they are coming in w/ substantial revenge. They have lost all four times they've played Ottawa the past two years.

Ottawa is a young team with a lot of fresh faces. While they certainly played well against the Kings on Saturday, such a performance will not be the norm this season. Goaltending also looks like it will be an issue. That's not a good thing when facing a team like the Stars, who scored four times in a six-minute span against Anaheim on Saturday. They outshot the Ducks 30-4 in the second period! Dallas also has the league's top power play, which is converting a ridiculous 54.5% of the time. 8* Dallas

8* Los Angeles (2:05 ET): I'm expecting the Kings to score plenty in this Saturday afternoon matinee. They're playing the Senators, who have given up 13 goals in just the last two games. LA is off a shutout win, 3-0 over Montreal, with Jack Campbell turning in his first career shutout (40 saves). Campbell is now the "go to guy" between the pipes as Jonathan Quick is dealing w/ a lower body injury. That's no problem as Campbell has allowed just four goals in three games so far, turning in a .966 save percentage. The Kings typically do a great job at possessing the puck and should have little difficulty winning at Ottawa this afternoon.

The Senators are in rough shape right now and I'm not just talking about the 13 goals allowed in the past two games. The injury bug has bit them hard as three key contributors are slated to miss today's game. One is top scoring winger Ryan Dzingel. Rookie Alex Formenton and defenseman Cody Ceci will be joining Dzingel on the bench. The injury situation is so bad here that they may have to go w/ 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Of course, the number of goals allowed is just as large a problem and doesn't figure to subside as long as Craig Anderson keeps getting the call. Anderson has some truly horrific numbers thus far w/ an .895 save percentage and 4.35 goals against average.

LA will be looking to win B2B games for the 1st time this season and this is an ideal opponent. This is a team that's failed to record a point in only one game and that was at Winnipeg, which is a hard place to play. The Kings obviously have a huge edge in goal for this matchup and I can see this being the spot where they finally get their 26th ranked power play going. The Sens are only 1-11 SU at home the L3 seasons in games where they total is 6 or higher. 8* Los Angeles 

8* San Jose (7:05 ET): The Rangers have been as "bad as advertised" thus far as they are 0-3 and off an embarrassing 8-5 loss at Carolina. This is a total rebuilding year in MSG w/ the Blueshirts projected by many to finish either at or near the bottom in the Metro. Taking the ice w/ three days rest tonight sounds nice on paper, but the reality is the team is just 4-8 SU when it that role the previous two seasons. They welcome in a San Jose team that just SCORED eight times in its last game, a rout of Philadelphia on the road. The Sharks have alternated losses and wins through four games so far, but I have them winning B2B times for the first time this season here. 

In a wide open Pacific Division, I would not be surprised to see the Sharks swim to the top. They get a full season of Evander Kane (acquired at trade deadline LY) this year and signed Erik Karlsson in the offseason. Their top two lines up front are strong and Karlsson and Brett Burns form a formidable blue line. Martin Jones is off to a bit of a rough start in goal, but we should start to see things turn around for him. San Jose has been outshooting its opponents by a pretty wide margin thus far, by an average of 37.2 to 24.7 per game. That's one of the widest margins in the league right now. Even when they were shutout Monday in New York, they managed 35 shots on goal. They followed that up w/ the eight goal effort in Philly as 13 different players registered a point. 

Meanwhile, there's no sugarcoating how ugly it got for the Rangers down in Carolina Sunday. They gave up eight goals on 40 shots. That was all on backup goalie Alexandar Georgiev, but don't make the mistake of thinking Henrik Lundqvist's return can simply carry this team. Lundqvist was by no means bad in losses to Nashville and Buffalo to start the year, but the offense supplied him with only three goals. The Rangers are the only team in the league to have played multiple games and still have zero points. They are severely outclassed here as San Jose has cleaned up against teams w/ losing records the L3 seasons, going 56-31. 8* San Jose

8* Columbus (7:05 ET): For me, Colorado was the biggest surprise in the league last season. That they improved was not the surprising part, but the degree to which they did was the surprise. They went from a historically bad 48 points in 2016-17 to 95 and making the playoffs in 2017-18. So far, this year has gotten off on "the right foot" as the Avs are 2-0 w/ wins over Minnesota and Philadelphia, both at home. But they enter the first road game of the season w/ possibly a significant issue as captain Gabe Landeskog is dealing with a lower-body injury. I'm also a little concerned w/ them starting backup Philip Grubauer in goal tonight. I'll call for their first loss of the season to take place tonight in Columbus. 

The Blue Jackets are 1-1 as they opened w/ a 3-2 (OT) win at Detroit, but dropped the home opener to Carolina by a score of 3-1. Losing your home opener should be motivation enough to bounce back the next time out. There will be no Brandon Dubinsky on the ice as he's out 4-6 weeks w/ a strained oblique. But I feel that C-bus is better contstructed to overcome a significant injury than is Colorado. The Blue Jackets were a strong home team last season, going 26-12-4 in Nationwide Arena. 

Columbus has had plenty of shots on goal the first two games, totaling 70. While Dubinsky and his ability to consistently win faceoffs will be missed, I still expect plenty of shots from the Blue Jackets tonight. In goal, they're likely to start Sergei Bobrovsky again after he stopped 32 of 35 shots against Carolina. Even if it's Joonas Korpisalo, I wouldn't mind. For the Avs, Grubauer is making his first start of the season and while it's against a familiar opponent (he's faced Columbus many times as the former backup in Washington), remember that his former team's run to the Stanley Cup last year came AFTER he was permanently benched in favor of Braden Holtby. The Blue Jackets are 12-3 when taking the ice on 3+ days rest and the Avs have dropped 51 of their last 68 road games. 8* Columbus

8* Carolina (7:05 ET): It's pretty difficult to envision a scenario where the Islanders finish in the top three, or even four, in the Metro this year. They're coming off a 80-point season and said goodbye to long-time captain John Tavares. Now, just two years ago, the Isles were a playoff contender. Despite the loss of Tavares, I actually think they will finish w/ more than 80 points in 2018-19. But that's not asking much. Matthew Barzal will be asked to fill the void left by Tavares and seems capable given that he scored 22 goals and had a team-high 85 points. But the issue for the Isles remains between the pipes where LY they surrendered a league-high 296 goals.

Carolina also would seem unlikely to finish in the top half of the Metro. Their nine-year playoff drought is the league's longest and they too have issues in goal. But, like the Islanders, I do see the 'Canes beating low expectations. There's a new HC here w/ Rod Brind'Amour replacing Bill Peters. "I like how young guys are playing," Brind'Amour said. "They're going to take some time to develop. As far as talent, I don't feel we're short anything. We want to play aggressively." The biggest issue that Brind'Amour faces, at least initially, is in goal. Scott Darling played well in the preseason, but was injured in the final game. That leaves the club pretty depth-shy at the most important position, though they did claim Curtis McElhinney off waivers Tuesday. Petr Mrazek will start the season opener.

Carolina had a strong preseason, going 5-0-1. Not sure if that means anything long-term, but it shows me there's some motivation at the start of the season. While it's disappointing they won't have Darling in goal tonight, Mrazek still should do a decent enough job. I'd be more concerned about the situation if the Islanders weren't so prone to giving up goals in bunches themselves. They allowed 40+ shots on goal in roughly one-quarter of the games last season. The Isles' own new HC, Barry Trotz (jumped from Stanley Cup Champs in Washington) doesn't have much to work w/ this season. Carolina actually has a pretty decent blue line coming into the year and I see them getting the two points in this battle of new HC's. 8* Carolina

8* Vegas (8:05 ET): The incredible season put forth by the expansion Golden Knights is now in real danger of coming to an end, and not in their fairy tale fashion their fans were hoping for. Trailing the Capitals 3-1 in this best of seven Stanley Cup Finals, it's now win or go home for the Knights. Fortunately though, tonight's Game 5 takes place in Sin City where this team has been magical all season long. They've won 36 of 50 games overall here at T-Mobile Arena, including a 7-2 mark in these playoffs. This is their first losing streak of the postseason (lost three in a row) as goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury appears to have hit a "wall" (.845 save percentage in the series), but I think he can summon up the same form we saw from him in the first three rounds (.947 save percentage) for at least one more game. Vegas stays alive w/ a win tonight! 

The Golden Knights also have to start scoring again. After putting six goals on the board in Game 1, they've totaled just five in the last three games combined. With Fleury no longer performing at an other-worldly level, that's a problem. But again, fortunately, this game is on home ice where they average 3.6 goals per game for the season. That's one of the highest averages in the league for goal scoring at home. We also know that Washington goalie Braden Holtby typically is not as effective on the road as he is in D.C. Case in point, his save percentage has only recently "snuck over" .900 for the year away from home. 

Something else to consider is that Vegas has NEVER lost four games in a row. Not once all season. They are a perfect 3-0 when coming off three consecutive defeats. They have outshot the Caps in three of the four games so far, an interesting contrast to the first three rounds when they were winning far more often than they were losing, but also getting outshot in the process. They had 73 shots on goal total in the first two games of this Stanley Cup Final and who could forget them being "robbed" by Holtby late in Game 2, which appears to have been the turning point in this series. But I just can't see Vegas' season ending on home ice tonight. They live to fight another day. 8* Vegas 

10* Washington (8:15 ET): You have to tip your cap to the job done by the expansion team in Vegas, but let's see how they now respond to some true adversity. After taking Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, 6-4, the Golden Knights dropped Game 2 at home by a score of 3-2. They were oh so close to forcing overtime Wednesday, only to be robbed by Capitals' goalie Braden Holtby in the closing minutes. Now the series shifts to the Nation's Capital and perhaps that isn't the key as much as the game NOT being in Vegas is. Even w/ the Game 2 loss, the Knights are 35-12-2 in their home building this year (6-2 in playoffs). But on the road, they're a far more pedestrian 28-16-5. The Caps are a bizarre 4-5 SU at home this postseason, but I don't see them losing here. 

Holtby, the hero of Game 2, is a far better goaltender here at the Verizon Center. While his save percentage for the year is below .900 on the road, here at home that number is .920. Over the last four games, which includes two shutouts of the top-scoring team in the league (Tampa Bay), Holtby has stopped 118 of the 125 shots he's faced. Five of those goals he allowed came in Game 1. Though Vegas still has a winning road record, they are basically dead even in terms of goals scored vs. allowed in those contests. This is a team that has managed to outscore its opponents in the playoffs by a full goal per game despite being outshot. That's largely owed to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who was other-worldly in the first three rounds, but also may be hitting the proverbial "wall." He's given up seven goals so far in the Stanley Cup Finals, easily the most he's allowed in any two-game stretch this postseason where one of the games did not go into OT. 

Vegas' scoring average also dips below 3.0 goals per game on the road. Washington has outscored its playoff opponents by roughly the same margin as has Vegas, but they have outshot their opponents as well and are scoring more (3.5 gpg). Shockingly, they have dropped their first home game of every series though thus far. With a chance to seize "momentum" (hate that word!), they don't dare repeat that trend here. I realize that Vegas has yet to drop B2B games in the playoffs, but the Caps are also 4-1 SU this postseason when tied in the series. It's not like the Capitals were a bad home team in the regular season either. Keep in mind they are 13-7 SU in the playoffs since Holtby permanently took over in goal and he's got a 2.19 goals against average. 10* Washington

8* Vegas (8:05 ET): The incredible story that is the Golden Knights continued with (what else?) a win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals as they scored six times on the Caps in a resounding Game 1 performance. Quickly, we realized this wasn't your "normal" expansion team and the first sign of success was the establishing of a tremendous home ice advantage that would persist throughout the season. The Golden Knights are now 36-11-2 SU in Sin City and that includes 7-1 in the playoffs (w/ the one loss coming in OT). They are also now 3-0 against the Capitals, having scored 13 goals while allowing just 7. Vegas is the better team here (incredible to say!) and should again take care of business at the T-Mobile Arena. Note the Caps have now lost four of their last six games.

The Golden Knights have been outshot this postseason, but it hasn't mattered as they're allowing just 1.9 goals per game. That's thanks to goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who came into this series sporting a .945 save percentage. The fact Vegas was able to win Gm 1 despite Fleury allowing four goals should be considered a very positive sign. Not only is it likely Fluery will bounce back (based on what he's done already in the playoffs), but the Golden Knights are 17-9 SU this season after allowing four or more goals the previous season. While Washington has dropped four of its last six games overall, Vegas has won five in a row, not to mention seven of its last eight. There have been just three times previous to Game 1 that they allowed 4 goals in a postseason game. They came back and won the next time out every time. 

Following B2B shuouts to close out Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference Finals, Capitals' netminder Braden Holtby regressed in a major way on Monday giving up five goals on 33 shots (Vegas added an empty-netter at the end). Of course, I've pointed out before that Holtby has generally not been the same on the road this year. His save percentage dipped back below .900 for the season away from home after the Game 1 performance.To me, it's a little surprising that Holtby's WL record isn't that much different on the road compared to at home despite the save percentage being far lower. The Caps have done well when down in the series this postseason, winning four straight times in that scenario. But the last two times in this spot, they were the home team. Their power play has really carried them in the playoffs, but they failed on their only chance in Game 1 and aren't getting nearly the number of opportunities w/ the man advantage of late. Their just 1 for 8 the L5 games. Maybe Washington does get back into this series, but that will have to wait until they're back home Saturday. 8* Vegas

10* Washington (8:05 ET): After the road team won each of the first four games of this best of seven series, "order has been restored" w/ the home team winning the last two. So here we are in Game 7 in Tampa Bay Wednesday. Though winning both Games 1 and 2 here, one could argue that Game 6 was the Caps' strongest performance of the series to date. They shut the Lightning out, 3-0, holding them to just 24 shots on goal. The Capitals have now outshot the Lightning in all six games in the series, which certainly seems like it should mean SOMETHING. Unlike the NBA, road teams winning a Game 7 in the NHL playoffs happens w/ relatively frequency (We just saw it last round w/ Winnipeg beating Nashville). I'm going to "buck convention" here and take the road dog.

The respective power plays are (finally) starting to slow down here. Tampa Bay scored w/ the man advantage in nine straight games going into Game 5. But they are 0 for 3 the L2 games. Their number of chances have greatly been reduced over the L3 games as well (just five PP's total). Still, the Lightning power play is 6 for 17 in the series. That's just over 35%, which (like I've said before) is an unsustainable rate. Consider that TB was 3rd in the league on the PP during the regular season, but at 23.9%. Now you can say something similar for Washington's power play as well. They're at nearly 30 percent in the playoffs despite being just 2 for 11 the L5 games. But if there's one "X-factor" here, it's that the Lightning penalty kill was a major liability in the regular season (ranked 27th). The Caps did score on their lone PP chance in Game 6.

Tuesday actually was Braden Holtby's first shutout of the entire season! The Caps' goalie is just 2-4 SU all-time in Game 7's, but has a respectable .923 save percentage in those games. Counterpart Andrei Vasilevskiy played well in Game 6 also, stopping 31 of 33 shots (Caps scored on an empty net late). But his level of play has come down a bit in this series and his save percentage at home for the season is a surprisingly low .908. The fact he's facing a higher number of shots than Holtby essentially nullifies his higher save percentage. I should point out that the Lightning are not only being outshot in this series, they're being outshot for the entire postseason and only +0.4 goals per game. Washington is outshooting its opposition in the playoffs and also +0.8 gpg. Being the road team here won't bother the Caps either; they've won 14 of their last 17 road games and have closed out each of their first two series on the road. 10* Washington 

10* Winnipeg (3:05 ET): If the Jets are to snap Canada's quarter century long Stanley Cup drought, it's going to take one heck of a comeback. They are down three games to one to the Golden Knights in this Western Conference Finals, a cruel bit of irony considering this is the first year of professional hockey in Las Vegas while Canada invented the sport. But fortunately for the Jets, even though they're facing elimination, is that tonight's game is on home ice. So too would be Game 7, if things were to get that far. Here in Winnipeg, the team was 32-7-2 straight up in the regular season. Not only was that the fewest number of home regulation losses in the entire league, they also led the league in scoring on home ice at 3.8 goals per game. I can't see the Jets' season ending today.

Now, Winnipeg did lose the last time here, which was Game 2 of this series. They've actually now lost three of four on home ice, dating back to the Nashville series. That's pretty stunning, given the regular season success, and something I cannot see continuing. They did win all three home games in their first round series, outscoring Minnesota 12-3. In fact, they won their first four home playoff games w/ a 19-7 scoring edge. So that's a 36-7-2 SU record before dropping three of the last four. (You can see why I think it's likely they get back on track here). This is also tied for the longest overall losing streak of the Jets' season (3 games). Only twice during the regular season did they lose three in a row. Both of those streaks were entirely comprised of road games. In each instance, they came back and won the next time out at home. The final scores of those two games were: 5-1 and 6-2. 

The Jets have outshot the Knights in all four games of this series and certainly "looked" like the better team in the third period Friday. But it was still not enough as they lost 3-2 to put themselves on the brink. Part of the issue is that Golden Knights' goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is having himself a phenomenal postseason as his save percentage is .945. But I'm not confident he can sustain that, especially going against a team that has proven itself so prolific in goal scoring here at home. Counterpart Connor Hellebuyck has not had a great series by comparison, but the Jets are 35-10 SU this season when he starts at home. 10* Winnipeg

8* Winnipeg (8:05 ET): The Jets wasted no time taking control of the Western Conference Finals, scoring three times in the opening seven minutes of Game 1 amd never looking back. As I said in my analysis (had the Jets), home ice advantage is a very "real thing" for this team, who had the best home record in the league during the regular season (32-7-2 SU). Winning Game 7 in Nashville speaks volumes about what this team is capable of and while Vegas has been an incredible story in this, their expansion season, the bottom line is the clock is likely to "strike midnight" at some point. I like the Jets in Game 2 for all the reasons I liked them in Game 1.

An argument could made that it was "rust over rest" for the Golden Knights in Game 1 as they were coming off a long layoff before this series. They had not played since Sunday and perhaps that showed w/ the slow start. Or the case could be made that Winnipeg is simply the superior team here. In my Game 1 analysis, I made a point to say that I was interested how the Golden Knights would perform as road dogs after such a long layoff. The answer turned out to be "not so well." We know how well they've performed in Sin City in this, their inaugural season. But this is also the first series where they do NOT have the home ice advantage. No team in the league averages more goals per game at home than does the Jets. In fact, no team had a better goal differential on home ice than did the Jets.

As I said in my Game 1 analysis, in my view, both teams Winnipeg has eliminated this postseason (Minnesota, Nashville) are stronger than either of the two Vegas took out (Los Angeles, San Jose). Certainly beating the Predators was a feather in the cap of the Jets. This is a deep team that has seven players w/ multiple even strength goals and five w/ double-digit, all situation point totals, led by center Mark Scheifle. Their blue line is so deep that they still are playing three pairs of defensemen and for good reason. They held Vegas to just 21 shots on goal in Game 1. Winnipeg is simply the better team in this series and should again win on home ice. Remember this is the ONLY team in the league that finished in the top five in both goals scored (2nd) and goals allowed (5th) during the regular season.  8* Winnipeg

8* Winnipeg (7:05 ET): I made the mistake of doubting the Jets in Game 7 at Nashville, but I don't think I'll be doing that again. Despite being relatively young and inexperienced, this team finished w/ the second most points in the league during the regular season and they just vanquished the President's Trophy winners (Nashville) on the road, mind you. I suspect that home ice advantage is going to be huge in this Western Conference Finals as arguably no two teams in the league get a bigger "boost" from their home crowds than the two participants here. Vegas has defied all the odds getting this far, setting a new standard for all expansion teams (in all sports) to try and live up to. But Winnipeg is 36-9-2 SU on home ice this year and I like them to take Game 1.

While Winnipeg is coming off an extremely tough series (where the road team won the final four games!), Vegas has been patiently waiting after finishing off San Jose in six games. They last played on Sunday. That long layoff could prove to be a detriment coming into this series as they'll have to "rediscover momentum." You really have to hand it to the Golden Knights for what they've done so far. They swept the Kings in the 1st round and have four shutout wins in these playoffs. But they've also had to win three times in overtime. This will be their first series w/o the home ice advantage as well and we know how great this team has played in Sin City this year. After a long layoff, I'm really interested to see how they respond as a road underdog. 

I would argue that both teams Winnipeg eliminated were stronger than either Vegas' opponent this postseason. Certainly Nashville was a tougher task than either Los Angeles or San Jose was for Vegas. Golden Knights' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been incredible to this point (.966 even strength save percentage), but can he keep it up against the deeper Jets? Winnipeg has seven players w/ multiple even strength goals and five w/ double-digit, all situation point totals, led by center Mark Scheifle. Their blue line is so deep that they still are playing three pairs of defensemen and for good reason. At the end of the day, Winnipeg averages 3.8 goals per game on home ice, the highest average in the league. I look for them to start this series out w/ a win. 8* Winnipeg

8* Tampa Bay (8:10 ET): The two division winners meet in the Eastern Conference Finals this year with the Lightning having the home ice edge over the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay has gotten here by eliminating New Jersey and Boston, needing only five games to dispose of both. Doing that to the Bruins was especially impressive. The Capitals are in the Conference Finals for just the second time in franchise history (incredible!), the last time coming in 1998. Given the success of the franchise, there really is no underselling how shocking that is. It also speaks to their past playoff failures. They finally got by nemesis Pittsburgh in the second round (won series in 6 games), but you have to wonder if the emotional high of that accomplishment can't be matched here in Game 1. 

Tampa Bay has a hot goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has an even strength save percentage of .943 in these playoffs. In six of the 10 games, he's allowed 10 goals or fewer. Meanwhile, there is reason for concern w/ Washington goalie Braden Holtby, who has an .897 save percentage for the year away from home. This is the first series where the Caps do NOT have the home ice advantage. Holtby infamously did not start the team's first two playoff games, which were both losses to Columbus. But since he's come in, they've gone 8-2. Both teams have had plenty of rest coming into this series, so the fact the Capitals have played two more games in the playoffs shouldn't matter, at least initially. But the home ice will as TB is 34-11-2 SU here at Amelia Arena.

Depth is another concern here for the Caps as Nicklas Backstrom is listed as day to day w/ a back injury. While the team has plenty of firepower, the Lightning have more as they ranked ahead of the Caps in both overall scoring and on the power play during the regular season. In fact, the Lightning were the top goal scoring team in the league. That's why they finished w/ the top goal differential in all of the league at +60, outscoring opponents by three times the number the Caps did. It should also be noted that Washington has won three times in OT this postseason; TB has needed to do that only once. Seven of the Lightning's eight wins have come by at least two goals. I'll go w/ the better (and more trustworthy) team at home in Game 1. 8* Tampa Bay 

8* Nashville (8:05 ET): Home ice hasn't mattered in the last three games of this series as the road team has won every time. But I believe it will here as the Predators get to play host for the winner take all Game 7. Winnipeg, who had the best home record in the league during the regular season, blew a golden opportunity to close out this series when they lost 4-0 in Game 6 Monday night. They did outshoot the Preds (34-29), but couldn't solve Pekka Rinne, who delivered his second shutout of this postseason. While neither side has been able to win consecutive games in this series, I look for the Preds to break that streak as I just can't see them losing Game 7 at home. 

Nashville has had three games in the series w/ at least 40 shots on goal. Not coincidentally, all three were at home. This is a team that went 28-9-4 SU in the regular season at Bridgestone Arena and pretty easily won its first two playoff home games (against the Colorado Avalanche). But they've shockingly dropped three of four on home ice since, the only win coming in overtime (Game 2 of this series). Again, as good as this team is (most points in the the regular season), I just can't see them losing on home ice again. Perhaps the most important factor going into tonight's Game 7 is experience. The Preds' roster has a combined 45 games of Game 7 experience while the younger Jets have only 12. While this is the first Game 7 Nashville has ever played at home, it's Winnipeg's first Game 7 since relocating from Atlanta in the 2010-11 season. 

The Jets have gone 4-1 on the road this postseason, but were below .500 in the regular season. They have outscored the Preds in the series and had more shots on goal, but it's going to be awfully tough to beat Rinne, who has a 28-11 SU record at home this season. Going 0 for 4 on the power play was a real killer in Game 6 and just feels like a blown opportunity. They had just four shots total w/ the man advantage. Three of those PP's came in the first period when it was still a 1-0 game. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck finished w/ just 25 saves, his lowest number for any game in the playoffs. Consider this: Winnipeg is just 1-5 SU following a home loss by three or more goals. 8* Nashville

10* Pittsburgh (7:05 ET): There's a real "sense of irony" here in what I've seen called the "best final eight (teams)" in Stanley Cup Playoff history. Of the four matchups, three saw the team with the home ice advantage come in as the betting favorite. That's not uncommon, in fact, normally one would assume that the team w/ the home ice edge would be favored to win the series. However, the way things stand now, the series underdog is currently leading all four series! That includes this one where Pittsburgh, the one favorite that did NOT have home ice advantage in its series, is down two games to one to the Capitals. Tonight is a virtual "must-win" as they are at home. I'll take 'em. 

Game 1 was certainly a familiar "script" for the Capitals in what has been a very one-sided rivalry (at least come playoff time) w/ the Penguins. At home, they blew a two-goal lead in the third period, giving up three straight goals in a six-minute span. Remember, of the 10 previous playoff series between these teams, Pittsburgh has won NINE of them. Each of the last two seasons, we have seen the Pens eliminate the Caps en route to winning the Stanley Cup. However, given the way the series opener played out, perhaps its more surprising to see Washington bounce back to take the last two games. Game 2 again saw them take a two-goal lead (early), only this time they expanded it rather than blow it, and end up winning 4-1. It was another four-goal effort here in Game 3 and this time it was a Caps' rally as they scored the only two goals in the third period to win 4-3 (Alex Ovechkin had the game winner w/ less than two minutes in regulation).  

It's not w/o sound reasoning that Pittsburgh was favored to win this series. They had a better regular season goal differential than Washington, were #1 in even strength goals the second half of the season and own the league's top power play unit. That's in additon to "owning" this rivalry through the years. The Capitals were actually outscored at even strength in the 1st round series w/ Columbus, but got nine power play goals to overcome that. Neither PP has been that effective in this series, but I expect Pittsburgh's to "wake up" sooner rather than later as its just 2 for its last 19, which is highly irregular. Also, the Pens are 28-10 this season after allowing 4+ goals the previous game. I just can't see them dropping both home games considering they are 32-11-2 here for the season (average 3.6 goals per game). Finally, there's the fact Washington is going to be w/o forward Tom Wilson, who was suspended for the next three games due to a vicious hit he levied in the last game, which broke the jaw of rookie Zach Aston-Reese. 10* Pittsburgh

9* Vegas (10:05 ET): The Golden Knights simply continue to establish new benchmarks for an expansion franchise, no matter the sport. They're now 6-1 in the playoffs after "stealing" Game 3 Monday night in overtime. They can now take a commanding 3-1 series lead w/ another win tonight in San Jose. Unlike the 1st round series (where they swept the Kings), scoring has not been an issue for Vegas in the 2nd round as they've totaled 14 goals in three games. That's twice as many goals as they had in the four-game sweep of Los Angeles. Now they've also allowed seven goals the L2 games after giving up only three in the first five (three shutouts). But the fact they were still able to win one of those speaks volumes about the resiliency of this team. I'm going with them at 'plus money' in Game 4. 

Vegas is now 5-2 vs. San Jose in their inaugural season. Of course, as we've come to learn throughout this season, this isn't your "normal" expansion team. They defied the odds by winning the Pacific Division in the regular season and while many cite a tremendous home ice advantage, they also had 22 road wins, tied for second most in the league. Curiously, San Jose has not been a dominant home team as they're "only" 27-14-3 at the Shark Tank in 2017-18. They also have a losing record against teams that are .500 or better this year. Game 3 saw Vegas jump out to a 3-1 lead after two periods, only to give up two goals in the final 13 minutes. San Jose tied things up w/ less than two minutes to go in regulation, but it was "not to be" as William Karlsson of the Golden Knights won it in overtime. 

Yes, Vegas has been a tad bit "lucky" in the playoffs as all but one win (7-0 over San Jose in Gm 1) has been by one goal. They've also been outshot in all but two games w/ one of the exceptions seeing them outshoot the Sharks by one in that Game 1 romp. But this club has been both lucky and good throughout its first year of existence and can hang its hat on a red-hot goaltender (Marc-Andre Fleury) that has a .960 save percentage in the postseason. Also, the Vegas power play has come alive in this series w/ five goals after going just 1 for 12 against the Kings (who had the top PK unit in the league during the regular season). What's impressive is that the Sharks' penalty killing ranked #2 in the reg season. I also have my concerns about San Jose's ability to score moving forward as this team was only 15th in even strength goals during the regular season. They were fortunate to go 6 for 20 w/ the man advantage in the first round vs. Anaheim, but are now just 3 for 16 in this series. With a clear edge in goal, I'll call for Vegas to continue rolling. 9* Vegas 

9* Winnipeg (8:05 ET): The Jets did what they needed to do in Games 1 & 2 in Nashville and that was earn a split. They took Game 1 in shockingly convincing fashion, 4-1, before dropping Game 2 in double overtime, 5-4. It was ironic that that Jets won the game where they were outshot 48-19, but lost the one where they had a 50-41 edge in shots. Obviously, even w/ a 2OT affair involved, that's a lot of shots to be giving up over a two-game span. But any concerns I might have over that tidbit are quickly quelled by the series shifting back to Winnipeg for Game 3. Here, the Jets have lost only nine times all season, the fewest number of home losses in the entire league. They won all three home games in the first round, averaging four goals per game. That's right on par w/ their season average of 3.9 gpg here at MTS Place, the highest scoring average at home in the entire league. I'll take the Jets in Game 3.

Winnipeg had the highest goal differential in home games during the regular season, outscoring visiting teams by 1.34 goals per game. It's not just their scoring, however. This team also ranked 5th in the league in goals allowed during the regular season, making them the only team to rank in the top five in both goals scored and goals allowed. (Tampa Bay still had a slightly better overall goal differential due to their top-ranked offense). In the three home games in Rd 1 vs. Minnesota, the Jets allowed a total of only three goals. While Nashville was able to win a 5-4 game on Sunday, they should be wary here considering Winnipeg's record this season is 18-9 SU after giving up 4+ goals the previous game. Prior to that loss, the Jets had allowed a total of only ONE goal the previous three games. 

Winnipeg did have a three-game losing streak in March, but all three games took place on the road. Other than that, they suffered B2B losses only two other times since Christmas! I'm of the opinion that they are the better team here, so it's very easy to like them w/ the home ice advantage in Game 3. They have won 12 in a row here in Manitoba. Now the last loss here did come against Nashville by a score of 6-5 back on Feb 27th. The Preds are tied w/ TB for the most road wins in the league, but this is arguably the toughest venue in the league to play at and I don't know if they can get the home ice advantage back. Something else to consider is that Nashville has only won once this postseason when scoring fewer than five goals. If their offense isn't clicking again tonight (and I don't think it will be), that's going to be a problem moving forward. 9* Winnipeg

8* Tampa Bay (7:05 ET): Three home teams lost Game 1 of their respective second round series. Two of them, Washington and Nashville, were able to avenge those losses Sunday. Tampa Bay looks to keep the trend going tonight. The Lightning, who finished w/ the most points in the Eastern Conference and the best goal differential in the league, were pretty much dominated by the Bruins Saturday afternoon in a 6-2 loss. Well, except in one area. They had a 36-24 edge in shots on goal. Thus, it was a pretty head-scratching performance in goal from Andrei Vasilevskiy, who entered the series in far sharper form compared to his counterpart Tuukka Rask. Vasilevskiy finished Round 1 w/ a .941 save percentage while Rask was at a woeful .890. Even more frustrating for the Lightning is that Boston was less than 48 hrs removed from a hard-fought Game 7 win over Toronto, yet appeared to be the sharper of the two teams. I expect TB to bounce back tonight in Game 2. 

It was a home loss to Florida (who had NOTHING to play for) on the final day of the regular season that caught Boston first place in the Atlantic and thus gave the Lightning home ice advantage for this series. But they've now stolen back that advantage w/ the Game 1 win. Most shocking of all is that they scored five goals on only 10 shots over the final two periods. They've now beaten the Lightning in four of five head to head meetings this season and won five of their last six trips to Amelia Arena. Still though, I just can't see the Lightning dropping B2B home games. This is a team that is now 32-14-3 on home ice and won all three games here in the 1st round vs. New Jersey. Also, Tampa Bay was #1 in the league in goals scored per game (3.5) during the regular season. 

The key to beating Boston is neutralizing the top line of Bergeron, Pastrnak and Marchand. In the Bruins' five playoff wins, the trio has 41 points. In their three losses, they have zero. Easier said than done, but I believe the Lightning are more than capable of shutting that line down here. The Lightning do not lose B2B games very often. They had only six losing streaks all season (none more than three games!) and four of those involved a road loss. Only one time since January have they dropped B2B home games. 8* Tampa Bay

8* Tampa Bay (3:05 ET): As I mentioned yday, we've got one heck of a quartet of second round matchups in the NHL playoffs. This one is the Eastern Conference's equivalent to the Winnipeg-Nashville series out West in the sense that it matches up the two teams that had the most points in the regular season. Tampa Bay won the Atlantic Division on the final day of the regular season thanks to Boston losing at home to Florida. The Lightning finished w/ 113 points while the Bruins had 112. Arguably, it was Boston's number of OT losses (12) that probably cost them. The Bruins did take three of four from the Lightning in the regular season, but TB won the most recent meeting (here at home) in shutout fashion (4-0). That win snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bruins here on home ice.

While it only took the Lightning five games to oust the Devils in Round 1, the Bruins series w/ the Maple Leafs went the distance w/ Game 7 just taking place on Wednesday. Though Boston did win 7-4, note that they actually trailed going into the third period. So there could be a case of fatigue heading into Round 2. Meanwhile, the Lightning have been off for a full week relaxing. Though the Bruins twice scored seven goals in a game during the Toronto series, it was Tampa Bay that led the league in scoring during the regular season and they are now 32-12-3 on home ice after winning all three games here in the first round series. In Games 1 & 2 vs. New Jersey, they scored five times. 

Tampa Bay does have the edge offensively coming into this series as they not only ranked #1 in the league in goals per game during the regular season, but their power play percentage (23.9) was slightly higher than that of the Bruins (teams ranked #3 and #4 in that department). The Lightning PP was 5 for 9 in the first three games vs. NJ, before going 0 for 10 in the final two. Boston's PP is just 2 for its last 12 and the Lightning's penalty killing was superb in Rd 1, going 16 for 19. Overall, I believe the Lightning to be the deeper team here as the Bruins are highly dependent on that top line. Tampa Bay has the stronger blue line and they definitely look to have the edge in goal as Andrei Vasilevskiy posted a .941 save percentage in Round 1 while Boston's Tuukka Rask was at a woeful .890. 8* Tampa Bay

8* Vegas (10:05 ET): Both of these teams steamrolled the opposition in Round 1, sweeping their way right into the second round. Well, maybe "steamroll" is too strong a word in the case of Vegas. The Golden Knights did sweep the Kings, but all four wins came by one goal and they scored only six regulation goals in the series. In three of the four games, they scored only one time in regulation, yet that was enough thanks to two shutouts and one OT win. But I'm "done" questioning this remarkable team which has established new benchmarks for expansion franchises across all sports. Nowhere has that been more apparent than right here in "Sin City" where the team is now 31-10-2 for the season. I'm calling for them to take Game 1. 

San Jose was the only lower seeded team to win a first round series, but them ousting rival Anaheim can hardly be called an "upset," even if the convincing way that they did it was surprising. They allowed just four total goals in the series, outscoring the Ducks 16-4 overall. All four wins came in regulation. But a big key for the Sharks in the 1st round was going 6 for 20 on the power play. I don't see that repeating itself here in Round 2. Goals are likely to be at a premium here overall and the fact that San Jose was only a middling 15th in even strength goals per game during the regular season may come back to haunt them. Remember that they are without Joe Thornton as well. Against the Kings, Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury posted a ridiculous 0.65 GAA as well as a .977 save percentage w/ two shutouts. That topped San Jose's Martin Jones, who had a 1.00 GAA and .970 save percentage. 

Vegas was 3-0-1 against San Jose in the regular season, taking both games at home. Something interesting to note here is that while the Golden Knights are 29-15 SU when facing teams w/ a winning record, the Sharks are below .500 in such games this year. That's even after sweeping Anaheim. San Jose was also outshot by Anaheim in Rd 1. They were outscored on the road this year too while Vegas has outscored its visitors by more than a full goal per game. Yes, eventually the cinderella Vegas team will turn back into a pumpkin. Just not here. 8* Vegas

10* Pittsburgh (7:05 ET): A first round that was bereft of any true upsets has left us w/ four very good quarterfinal matchups in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This one is interesting in that the team w/ the home ice advantage (Washington) is considered a slight underdog (for the series) even though they won the Metropolitan Division by five points over Pittsburgh. But the Penguins have certainly had the Capitals' number is past playoffs and that's putting it mildly. Of the 10 series these two rivals have played, the Pens have won NINE of them. In fact, they've eliminated the Caps each of the last two years en route to winning the Stanley Cup. They also finished w/ a slight better goal differential in the regular season, have the #1 power play in the league and were the hotter team down the stretch. I also give them the edge at even strength. Give me Pittsburgh in Game 1. 

Now I'm well aware that the Pens will be w/o two key "cogs" for tonight's series opener. Both Evgeni Malkin (team's leading scorer in the regular season) & Carl Hagelin (key part of PK unit) have been ruled out here due to undisclosed injuries. However, Pittsburgh had little problems scoring in the 1st round series vs. Philadelphia (28 goals in six games) that even a player of Malkin's caliber being out will not hurt them. Over the second half of the season, this team is #1 in the league in goals scored at even strength. In their four wins over the Flyers, they scored 25 times, a stunning number. Now Philly's goaltending was atrocious, but Washington has its own issues between the pipes. After not starting Game 1 of the first round series vs. Columbus, Braden Holtby was able to come in and "bail" the team out. However, Holtby also posted a career-worst .907 save percentage in the regular season. 

Remember that Washington dropped the first two games, both at home, in its first round series w/ Columbus. Led by Holtby, they roared back to take four straight over the Blue Jackets, but two of the wins came in overtime. The Capitals were actually outscored at even strength by C-bus, but the power play was magnificent as every game saw them score at least once w/ the man advantage. Overall, the Caps scored nine power play goals in the series. Problem here though is Pittsburgh had the top PP in the league during the regular season. The Penguins' blue line is also arguably stronger now than it has been either of the last two years. Against the Flyers, they allowed an average of only 24.2 shots per game. While they did allow five goals in the close out game Sunday (won 8-5), the Pens are 27-9 SU this season after allowing 4+ goals in the previous game. 10* Pittsburgh

8* Nashville (7:00 ET): The top-seeded Predators had a chance to close out the 8th seeded Avs at home on Friday, but failed to do so, instead losing by a score of 2-1. They gave up both goals in the final five minutes and even more head-scratching was the fact they lost despite a 45-27 edge in shots, plus they were going against a backup goaltender. But the "good ol' Hamburgler," Andrew Hammond, came up huge for Colorado w/ a playoff career-high 44 saves. The good news for the Preds is they have another chance to close the Avs out Sunday. However, they'll need to do it Denver where the Avs are now 29-12-2 (split Games 3 and 4 here). I think the Preds will be up to the challenge though as they have experienced only one losing streak in the last two months. 

The Avs can't overcome this goaltending situation again, can they? Certainly not if they give up another 45 shots they can't. Just to bring everyone up to speed, #1 netminder Semyon Varlamov was lost to a season-ending knee injury late in the regular season. Backup Jonathan Bernier went down earlier in this series w/ an upper-body injury. Enter Hammond, who turned in the yeoman's effort in Game 5. But I wouldn't bet on him doing it again. Also, Colorado became the first team to win a playoff game in regulation when entering the final five minutes trailing since 2013. They also don't have top defensemen Erik Johnson in this series either. Really, I'm pretty surprised that they've gotten thus far. Nashville didn't fail in a single close out game in LY's run to the Stanley Cup Final. 

The Preds have also beaten the Avs in 13 of the previous 15 encounters. They did win here at the Pepsi Center in Game 4, 3-2, and are now 26-10-7 on the road for the season (one of the best marks in the league, fewest # of regulation losses). This team was #2 in the league in goals allowed during the regular season. Goalie Pekka Rinne has not had his finest hour in this series, but I expect him to bounce back after faltering late in Game 4. His save percentage on the road is a pretty ridiculous .932. I'll call for Nashville to advance and play Winnipeg. 8* Nashville 

10* Washington (3:05 ET): It's about time the home team won a game in this series, no? The Caps have the momentum now coming off B2B wins in Columbus, the last of which was a 4-1 beatdown that caused Blue Jackets' HC John Tortorella to curtly say "We laid an egg." That Game 4 victory was the first in the series NOT to go to overtime. Washington has outshot C-bus in all four games and also scored at least one time on the power play (in all 4 games) as well. So the arguement can be made that they've been the better team here. They were, of course, the better team in the regular season as well by finishing first in the Metropolitan Division. Given the Capitals' "playoff rep," I've been highly impressed w/ how they've bounced back in this series and I like them to take Game 5 back here in the Nation's Capital. 

Note that Washington has scored first in all four games of the series. They actually blew a two-goal lead in Game 1 while Columbus lost three players to injury. Game 2 saw the Caps post a massive 58-30 edge in shots on goal and go 3 for 7 on the PP, yet they again blew a 2-0 lead. Game 3 is when the "tide turned," however, as it took a lucky bounce of the puck in double overtime to finally get the Caps a win. In retrospect, that may end up as the play that saved their season. Game 4 was a far more "complete effort," as they limited the Blue Jackets to just 24 shots on goal and took advantage of numerous mistakes. One would now logically think they are poised to take control of this series. The Caps were top 10 in both goals scored and allowed at home in the regular season, so them dropping both games here so far in the series was highly irregular. Of course, so too is the road team winning the first four games of a series. 

Columbus was actually #2 in the league in goals allowed at home during the regular season, so the results of Games 3 and 4 have to be especially disappointing. All of a sudden, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky looked quite "mortal" and remember he did allow seven goals in the two games here earlier in the series. I'm not surprised that Washington has enjoyed the edge on special teams in this series either; C-bus ranked 25th on the power play and 26th in penalty killing during the regular season. Remember that this is a young team, so w/ all the OT games, they're likely taxed. Also, no team has been short-handed more often this postseason. 10* Washington 

10* Toronto (7:10 ET): It sure appears as if most of these first round series in the NHL playoffs won't be lasting very long. However, this one - a matchup of two 100+ point teams from the regular season - has the potential to do so. I say that as someone who had Boston in Game 1 (cashed 'em!) and called them "undervalued." But the scene has since shifted to Toronto where the Maple Leafs picked up a "must-win" in Game 3, 4-2, on Monday. After the team gave up 12 goals in the first two games, netminder Frederik Andersen stepped up huge for the Leafs in that last game, making 40 saves. The Leafs must do a better job at limiting the number of shot attempts by the Bruins and I think they will in what is another virtual "must-win" spot Thursday night.

Making this a virtual "must-win" is the fact that Toronto doesn't dare go back to Boston down 3-1 in the series. It would be "all over but the shouting" at that point considering the Bruins' 28-8-5 home record. But as was shown in Game 3, Boston is far more vulnerable on the road where they've gone 22-12-8 for the year. They've lost five straight on the road dating back to the end of the regular season. Furthermore, the home team has won the last five meetings between these Atlantic Division rivals. Toronto is 30-10-2 SU at home this year and outscoring teams by nearly a goal per game. They were top 10 in the league in goals per game at home during the regular season, Boston ironically being one of the teams ahead of them. 

Toronto's top line did not play well in the two games in Boston, but led the way in Game 3, Auston Matthews in particular. It should also be pointed out how much of a factor the Bruins' power play was in the first two games of the series. They went 5 for 10 w/ the man advantage, a really high success rate on an abnormal number of chances for the playoffs. They had only one power play in Game 3 and failed to score. Assuming Toronto can once again stay out of the box, they should be in good shape here. After accounting for a ridiculous 20 pts in the first two games, the Bruins' top line was shutout in Game 3. Those kind of things can happen when a series shifts venues and I like the home team to win for a fourth straight time in this series tonight. 10* Toronto

8* Los Angeles (10:35 ET): The Kings' backs are against the wall, down 0-3 in this series. Truth be told, I thought this first round matchup was tailor-made for an upset by the lower seed. But Vegas has been defying expectations throughout this historical expansion year, so what's another milestone? That said, all three games have been decided by just one goal. These teams have played seven times this year including the regular season and five of those have been one goal games. Four of those five have been won by the Golden Knights. That doesn't seem right. I'm prepared to go "down with the ship" with a Kings team that ranked #1 in the league in both goals allowed and penalty killing during the regular season. 

The Kings significantly outshot the Golden Knights in Game 3, 39-26, and blanked them for two periods. But then the damn broke as they allowed three quick goals to open the third period. At that point, their fate was largely sealed, though they did bounce back w/ a goal of their own. They also outshot the Golden Knights in Game 1. Now they were badly outshot in Game 2, but still managed to take the game into double overtime. Goaltender Jonathan Quick, save for the third period of the last game, has done his best to keep his team in this series, posting a .945 save percentage. I wouldn't go writing him and his team off just yet. Will they come back to win the series? Probably not. But they can definitely avoid a sweep. 

Consider Quick allowed just three goals in the series prior to the three-goal barrage by Vegas in the third period Sunday. That's eight periods + two OT sessions (201 minutes total). You have no choice but to tip your cap to this Vegas team, but there's been a reasonable amount of good fortune go their way in this first season. The Kings' own offense is due to pick up here w/ their backs against the wall. As I said prior to Game 3, this is their longest losing streak since mid-February. I can't see a team that I felt might win the series get swept. 8* Los Angeles

10* Minnesota (8:05 ET): I could essentially reprint my Game 3 analysis here and all of it would still apply. In fact, if you go back to Game 1 where I took Winnipeg, my read on this series has remained unchanged. It's all boils down to home ice when you're talking about the Jets and the Wild. While Winnipeg was a league-best 31-7-2 on home ice in the regular season, they are just a "ho-hum" 20-13-8 on the road. And while Minnesota is only 18-20-3 on the road, they are 27-6-8 here at the XCel Center. That was the fewest number of regulation losses in the entire league during the regular season. Furthermore, while the Jets may have the highest scoring average at home in the entire league (3.8 goals per game), no team allows FEWER goals per game than do the Wild (2.17). For a third time in this series (didn't play Game 2), I'm on the home team. 

Down 0-2 in the series and desperate for a win, the Wild responded "in kind" in Game 3. They won 6-2 w/ all of those goals scored in the first two periods (four in 2nd period), knocking the Jets' previously red hot goaltender Connor Hellebuyck out of the game. It was the most goals ever scored by the Wild in a playoff home game in franchise history. But, as stated above, it's typically all about the goaltending at the XCel Center and that means Devan Dubnyk. He stopped 29 of 31 shots in Game 3 and now has a .927 save percentage for the year here at home. The team has won 24 of his 34 home starts overall.

Winnipeg didn't lose often down the stretch, so I can understand some trepidation about betting against them off a loss. But Minnesota is a really tough home team. Then there's the fact that the home team has won seven of the previous head to head meetings between these teams. There is just no reason to expect that trend won't continue here in Game 4. 10* Minnesota

10* San Jose (10:35 ET): At some point, the road team "has" to stop winning in this SoCal rivalry. Going back to the regular season, the road team has won five straight when the Sharks and Ducks matchup. Unfortunately for the Ducks, four of those games have been played in Anaheim, including the first two of this best of seven series. They now have their backs up against the wall as the series shifts to The Shark Tank w/ San Jose holding a commanding 2-0 series lead. So all that late season work to pass the Sharks for second in the Pacific is now for naught and I find it hard to believe the Ducks can fight back to make a series out of this, given they've already lost twice at home. Look for the Ducks to take a commanding 3-0 series lead after tonight.  

Anaheim's 18 road wins during the regular season was tied for third fewest among all playoff teams (only Colorado and Pittsburgh had fewer). The fact they went 26-10-5 SU at home in the regular season, only to drop both Games 1 and 2 has to be disconcerting to say the least. Goaltender John Gibson, who suffered an injury late in the regular season, does not appear to be his normal self in this series. He's stopped only 63 of 69 shots, falling well short of the standard set by his counterpart Martin Jones, who has stopped 53 of the 55 shots he's faced for a .964 save percentage. Having only found the back of the net twice in two games, the Ducks are really searching for answers right now and it's difficult to imagine them getting things corrected now that they're on the road.   

Meanwhile, we should expect Jones to continue his strong play between the pipes as he's allowed only eight goals total in his last four home starts against the Ducks. Anaheim's top two wingers - Corey Perry and Rickard Rakell are both without a point through two games. Only one defensemen - Hampus Lindholm - even has a point for the team. So the Ducks' best players simply aren't producing right now and this may simply be a series that was tailor-made for the Sharks as they are now 23-8 SU against the rest of the division this season including 5-1 vs. the Ducks. Though they did cede second place to them late in the season, it was San Jose that still finished w/ a better regular season goal differential as well. 10* San Jose

10* Los Angeles (10:35 ET): You rarely see any team, let alone the Kings (known for heavy puck possession) yield 56 shots on goal in a game. But that's what happened in Game 2 of this series. Yet, LA was still able to take Vegas into double overtime before falling 2-1. It was another one-goal loss in Game 1 (1-0). But as we know, the Golden Knights have had the "magic touch" in Sin City in this, their expansion season (they are now 31-10-2 SU at home). But now the scene shifts to the City of Angels and I suspect the Kings will handle their business. The current losing streak is their first since mid-February. Need I remind you that the Kings finished the regular season #1 in goals allowed and #1 in penalty killing? They will take Game 3. 

Don't forget that the Kings had to play w/o Drew Doughty, their top defensemen, in Game 2. His one-game suspension has been served and I suspect his return will provide a major boost to a team that should need no added motivation. Jonathan Quick played his heart out Friday, stopping 54 of 56 shots. The offense HAS to improve after being held to just one goal in two games + two additional overtime sessions. Keep in mind that many were predicting the Kings would win this series prior to it commencing. Though down 0-2, I think it would be grossly unfair to go writing this team off before losing a home game. 

Four of the six head to head meetings between these two this year have been decided by one goal. Three of those have gone the Golden Knights way. While they did significantly outshoot the Kings in Game 2, you could certainly say that beating them three times by just one goal is pretty fortunate. The Kings did outshoot them, 30-28, in Game 1. I really do think the fact that the Kings were #1 in goals allowed during the regular season and #1 in penalty killing matters moving forward. I've seen nothing thus far to sway from thinking it's going to be tough for the Golden Knights to score in this series, especially on the road. I look for the Kings offense to wake up here at home and the team breaks through here at the Staples Center. 10* Los Angeles 

8* Minnesota (7:05 ET): The Wild return home down 0-2 and desperate for a win. But as I mentioned in my Game 1 analysis (had Winnipeg), home ice advantage is likely to prove critical in this best of seven series. While Winnipeg was a league-best 31-7-2 on home ice in the regular season, they are just a "ho-hum" 20-13-8 on the road. And while Minnesota is only 18-20-3 on the road, they are 27-6-8 here at the XCel Center. That was the fewest number of regulation losses in the entire league during the regular season. Furthermore, while the Jets may have the highest scoring average at home in the entire league (3.8 goals per game), no team allows FEWER goals per game than do the Wild (2.17). Home ice is the key for Game 3. 

Given all of the above information, this seems like a great price on Minnesota in this spot. Let's also throw in the fact that they are 10-0 the L10 times they've been off B2B losses. For the year, they are 13-1 SU in that spot, which is pretty remarkable (only one three-game losing streak all season). So while Winnipeg has been the hot team in the Western Conference over the last month or so, let's not go writing off the Wild just yet, okay? Also impressive is how many goals the Wild are usually good for when coming off B2B losses. The last five times they've dropped B2B games, they've come back and scored no fewer than four goals each of the next time out. Throw in how stingy netminder Devan Dubnyk is at home (.927 save percentage, 23-10 record) and it seems like we have a winning combo. 

Now, I should mention how the Wild have been badly outshot in the first two games. It's an 84-37 advantage for the Jets in that area. The Wild's lone goal in Game 2 came via the power play. However, it should be noted that they only trailed 1-0 going into the third period. In Game 1, they even led in the final period following two quick goals. So as bad as they've played so far in this series and as good as Winnipeg is at home, the Wild have been right there for most of the two games. The Jets typically give up a lot more shots per game on the road while their scoring average comes down significantly. Going back to the final meeting of last season, the home team is 6-1 the last 7 head to head matchups. Can't stress the importance of home ice enough here and w/ their backs against the wall, it makes sense to go w/ the Wild here. 8* Minnesota

8* Boston (7:05 ET): The Bruins missed out on a shot to earn home ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference half of the draw when they lost to the Florida Panthers in the final game of the regular season. It was a rather shocking defeat in that it came at home against a team that had nothing to play for. Boston's "punishment" for failing to finish first in the East is an opening round series w/ Toronto. There's some irony here as by finishing 1st in the East, Tampa Bay plays a New Jersey team they were 0-3 SU against in the regular season. But there's no denying that the Maple Leafs are a tougher draw from the Bruins than the Devils would have been. I've seen many thinking "upset" in this series as the Leafs went 3-1 vs. the Bruins in the regular season, but I'm on the home team for Game 1. 

Boston outscored its opponents by 56 goals in the regular season and ranked in the top six in goals scored, goals allowed, power play and penalty killing. They are a legit Cup contender and have a home record of 28-8-5. That's the fewest regulation losses at home of any team in the East and they've outscored visiting teams here by more than a full goal per game. I'm not concerned w/ the 1-4 slide to end the regular season nor the 1-3 record vs. Toronto from the regular season. Tuukka Rask had a .924 even strength save percentage in the regular season, winning 34 of 53 starts. His career save percentage in the playoffs is an impressive .928. 

Toronto is a talented young team w/ plenty of depth, but they are weak along the blue line and the issue has always been giving up far too many shots on goal. We started to see the ramifications of that as goalie Frederik Andersen began to struggle in March. Toronto allows the most shots per game of all playoff teams at 33.9 and that likely comes back to bite them in the postseason. While many will cite the series five years ago as a motivating factor for the Leafs, hardly any players remain from that team. I see a Boston team that was eliminated in the 1st round last year as being more motivated, especially w/ all the upset chatter that has surrounded this series. 8* Boston

10* Los Angeles (10:05 ET): To me, of the eight first round playoff series, this is the one w/ the most upset potential. Vegas has been an incredible story in its expansion year, winning the Pacific Division w/ 109 points (led virtually wire to wire), but they are probably one of the more vulnerable high seeds in recent NHL playoff history. It certainly doesn't help that they have a tough first round draw vs. the battle-tested Kings. The Golden Knights quickly developed a home ice edge (how much that has to do w/ opposing teams being in Vegas is a matter of conjecture), but LA happens to come in w/ one of the better road marks in the league (22-14-5). The regular season goal differentials of these two teams was not all that different. I like the Kings to steal Game 1. 

Truthfully, the Golden Knights were decidedly mediocre over the second half of the season. They went just 22-14-5 overall following the All-Star Break, but had already built a big enough division lead that they were never really threatened to drop out of first place. But the playoffs are a different animal. They do have a goaltender w/ plenty of postseason experience in Marc-Andre Fleury, but even there the Kings would seem to have an edge as they ranked #1 in the league in both goals allowed and penalty killing during the regular season. Their goalie Jonathan Quick has won multiple Stanley Cup as well and his resume needs no introduction either. In fact, Quick probably had his best regular season in years.

These teams split four regular season meetings, each side winning once at home and on the road. Two of the games went to OT and each won one of those. Vegas showed some vulnerability late in the regular season, ending w/ losses to Edmonton and Calgary (two non-playoff teams). LA also won here late in the regular season, 4-1. Had I told you before the start of the season that Vegas would be favored in a playoff game over Los Angeles, you would have had me committed. This is a really bad matchup for the Golden Knights. 10* Los Angeles

8* Winnipeg (7:05 ET): The Jets just might be Canada's best hope of ending that embarrassing quarter-century long drought of not hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. This team comes into the playoffs red hot, having won five straight and 11 of their last 12. They are the only team in the league to finish the regular season in the top five for both goals scored and allowed. Only division rival Nashville had more points (117 to 114) and only Tampa Bay had a better overall scoring differential (+60 to +59). While the Jets may not have been able to win the Central Division, they do have home ice advantage for this first round playoff series and that's huge as their record here in Manitoba is 32-7-2. That's the best home record in the league. I like them tonight in Gm 1. 

Minnesota is a team you'd favor over most, but not here w/o the home ice advantage. The Wild actually took fewer regulation losses at home than did the Jets (only six), but dropped 14 games overall in the Twin Cities. That home record is still really nice, but they're below .500 on the road w/ a pretty significant deficit in goals scored vs. allowed. In fact, they allow 3.5 goals per game away from home this year. That likely comes back to bite them here against a Jets club that averages 3.9 goals per game in this building. The home ice advantage is huge here w/ a rabid crowd looking to see a playoff win in person for the first time since the franchise returned.

These teams played four times in the regular season and the Jets won three of them, including both here at home. The scores were 7-2 and 4-3. Now, somewhat surprisingly, they have not faced off since January and that was the only meeting going all the way back to November. But what's scary for the WIld is how much stronger Winnipeg looks now. Connor Hellebuyck has a 30-7 SU record at home and comes in w/ .938 save percentage his last four starts. Minnesota is w/o a key defensemen (Ryan Suter), which really hurts them in this series and true to overall team form Devan Dubnyk sees his save percentage plummet on the road, all the way down to .908. The home ice advantage makes all the difference in Game 1 of this series (and possibly Game 2 too?). 8* Winnipeg

8* Edmonton (10:05 ET): This is a nothing regular season finale as neither team is making the playoffs. For the Oilers, that fact has to be terribly disappointing. Their Cup-starved fans came into this season w/ the thought that this would be one of the top teams in the entire league. That simply did not happen as they instead regressed big-time from last year's breakthrough campaign. I do anticipate "they'll be back" next year, but first I'll take them in the final game of 2017-18 as they're at home and playing an inferior foe.

Vancouver was expected to be bad coming into the year and they have not "disappointed." The Sedin twins have announced their retirement, so tonight marks the final time we will see either of them. Curiously, the Canucks have played some inspired hockey of late, winning five of the last six. That's much different from Edmonton, who has lost five of six. But they are not a good road team and they've lost five of their six trips here. Oilers' goalie Cam Talbot has had their number recently going 4-0-1 w/ a 1.18 GAA and two shutouts his last five starts against them. 

Just because the Oilers as a team have disappointed doesn't mean certain individuals have. Last year's MVP Conor McDavid is set to make it B2B scoring titles. He's turned in 14 three-point games this season. He had three assists in the win over Vegas last time out. Vancouver also won 4-3 its last time out, but that was at home against Arizona and they are just 9-17 SU this season after scoring four or more goals the previous game. 8* Edmonton

8* San Jose (10:35 ET): The Sharks lost again (fourth straight), this time at home, Tuesday night. It was an especially painful setback when you consider they were facing a Dallas team that had just been eliminated from playoff contention and also spotted a two-goal lead. The Stars' Jamie Benn turned in a hat trick, the final two goals coming in the final five minutes of regulation and that was the difference. But there's no time for "crying over spilled milk" here as San Jose needs a win to ensure the likelihood of having home ice advantage in a first round playoff series. They are 24-12-3 at home this year, so the loss Tuesday was the exception and not the "rule," but lead third place Anaheim and fourth place Los Angeles (two prospective 1st rd opponents) by just one and two points respectively.

Seven playoff spots in the Western Conference have been clinched, leaving just one up for grabs and it will go to either Colorado or St. Louis. Right now, the Avs have a one-point advantage, but they'll be hosting the Blues in what could be a winner take all game Saturday. The Avalanche's playoff hopes took a big blow last week when goaltender Semyon Varlamov was lost for the regular season. That was a big reason why I played against them at Anaheim on Sunday and despite being spotted an early lead, they could not hold and lost in overtime, 4-3. Then, they lost to the Kings the following night, 3-1. While they've had two days off to try and recoup, this is Colorado's third consecutive road game (over a five-day span) and note they are definitely nowhere near as strong on the road (15-18-7) as they are at home (27-11-2). 

Varlamov's absence looms large down the stretch and makes it very difficult to want to back an Avalanche team that was the worst in the league just a season ago. The one-year turnaround has been pretty remarkable, but by no means "guarantees" a playoff berth. Speaking of home ice and it's importance, note that while Colorado has taken both previous meetings this season, those were at the Pepsi Center. But they have lost 15 of their last 16 visits to the Shark Tank, scoring one goal or fewer in 10 of those games. This current four-game slide by the Sharks matches a season-worst (set back in late January), but home ice is the difference maker in this late-night affair. 8* San Jose

8* San Jose (10:35 ET): Down the stretch we come in this NHL regular season as virtually every team has three or fewer games remaining on its schedule. Over half the playoff spots may be clinched, but there's still plenty to be decided. Take, for instance, the Western Conference where we basically know the two division winners, but little else. In the Pacific, Vegas has clinched the division crown (in an expansion year!). San Jose has been right behind the Knights most of the way though and would also like home ice advantage for a first round playoff series. To do so though, they'll need a strong finish. They lead the Kings and Ducks, their two prospective 1st round opponents, by two and three points respectively. The Sharks know they are in the playoffs, but make no mistake about it, they want the two points tonight.

Fortunately for the Sharks, they are at home tonight (where they are 24-11-3 - see the importance of home ice advantage in the first round?) and facing a Dallas team that was just mathematically eliminated from the playoffs after Sunday's results. Thus, motivation is likely to be at a season nadir for the Stars here and it's not as if they've been playing well of late. In fact, they've been quite awful, winning just two of their previous 11 games. One of those wins came Sunday, 4-1 at home over Minnesota, but it was "too little, too late" as later that night Anaheim rallied to beat Colorado, officially eliminating the Stars from playoff contention. Being on the road here does them zero favors. Not only is the team 14-19-5 SU away from home this season, but starting goaltender Kari Lehtonen is 0-6-1 his L7 road starts w/ a 3.84 GAA. (He's been asked to start more of late w/ Ben Bishop injured).

San Jose is looking to avoid a fourth straight loss here, so they're not exactly streaking (in a positive fashion) into the postseason. But prior to this three-game slide, they'd won eight in a row. The entirety of this current losing skid has taken place on the road against fellow playoff contenders. A return home should do wonders. They are outscoring visitors by nearly a full goal per game this year while doing an excellent job at controlling the puck. Following three or more consecutive losses this season, the Sharks are 4-1 SU. They are also 10-2-1 SU their L13 home games vs. Dallas. 8* San Jose

8* Winnipeg (7:35 ET): The Jets are one of only three Western Conference teams to have clinched a playoff spot. While the President's Trophy is basically out of reach at this point (trail Nashville by seven points w/ four games to go), this is probably Canada's best hope of ending the nation's embarrassing Stanley Cup drought, which is set to hit a quarter century this Spring. The Jets are pretty clearly a top five team in the league heading into the playoffs and only them and the Bruins can claim to be top five in both goals scored and goals allowed. Tonight, they continue a tour through the Eastern provinces w/ a stop in Ottawa to face the lowly Senators. Given both season-long as well as recent form, this should be a "layup" for the superior club.

While Winnipeg is roaring towards the postseason, Ottawa is simply playing out the string. While the Jets are a top five team, the Senators are pretty clearly a bottom five team. Only the division rival Sabres have fewer points and a worse goal differential and by season's end, it's possible that the Sens end up at the very bottom of both categories. They are playing like a team that just wants the season to end as they ended March by dropping seven of the last eight games (only win coming in overtime). You'd have to go back to March 13th, almost three weeks ago, to find the last time the Senators won a game in regulation. They were shutout Saturday in Detroit (lost 2-0) and are also next to last in the league in goals allowed. Really, I have nothing positive to say about this team. 

This is the final home game of the season in Ottawa, but I'm not sure that matters given the team has won just 16 times in 40 tries here at the Continental Tire Center. They did win their last time here, 3-2 over Florida (in OT), but incredibly have never won more than two in a row at home all season! Goaltending has not been kind all season and tonight's likely starter Craig Anderson has been horrible of late w/ an .864 save percentage his L4 starts. Meanwhile, Winnipeg will again turn to Connor Hellebuyck, who is turning in a Vezina-worthy campaign w/ 41 wins. The Jets have won seven of eight, the lone loss coming at the start of this road trip (in Chicago). While the Jets haven't been nearly as good on the road as they've been at home this season, on Saturday they beat a good Toronto team, 3-1. They are 20-9 SU against teams w/ losing records and Ottawa is an awful 5-20 SU when off a loss by two or more goals. 8* Winnipeg

8* Anaheim (9:05 ET): This is a HUGE game in the Western Conference playoff picture. The way things stand now is that both Anaheim and Colorado would be Wild Card teams were the regular season to end today. It doesn't though and both teams desperately could use the two points here. The Ducks just won another huge home game on Friday, beating the Kings 2-1 in overtime. That gives them 93 points, keeping them one back of LA and one ahead of Colorado. Both teams got a major break last night when St. Louis (who also has 92 pts) was blown out (6-0!) in Arizona. But even off a win themselves (5-0 over Chicago) their last time out, the Avs are in no position to be rejoicing. That's because top goaltender Semyon Varlamov (lower-body injury) has been lost for the remainder of the regular season, which could end up costing them a playoff berth.

Varlamov was in the midst of turning in a stellar effort vs. Chicago, stopping all 30 shots he'd faced, when he was skated into late in the game. Let's also point out that was a home game for the Avs. A big reason they have improved so much after last season's 48-point disaster has been their strong play at the Pepsi Center where they've gone 27-12-1 SU this year. On the road, they're only 15-17-6 SU. Three of their final four games are away from home as tonight marks the beginning of the dreaded three-game California trip (will play at LA and San Jose next). They then close things out w/ what sets up as a possible "play-in" game vs. St. Louis, which is at home. 

Anaheim is also a strong home team as their record here at the Honda Center is 23-10-5 SU. They were 7-1 at home in March. There's a lot to like about this Ducks' team, namely that they are 4th in goals allowed. Goalie John Gibson has been the driving force behind that. Since the All-Star Break, he's gone 14-4-2 and leads the league in goals against average (1.93) w/ a top three save percentage as well (.938). Three of Colorado's five goals Friday came via the power play, but I would expect no such thing to take place here as Anaheim is 4th in penalty killing. With Varlamov out, Colorado's goaltending situation is a lot less fluid as backup Jonathan Bernier has been battling his own injury issues, which include a concussion and an infected cut that landed him in the hospital. There's a chance the Avs may have to turn to Andrew Hammond, who has started all of one game this season. That's unfortunate given the stakes and regardless of who is between the pipes for them tonight, I see Colorado coming out on the losing end. 8* Anaheim

8* Winnipeg (8:35 ET): My, how times have changed. Can you imagine seeing Chicago at this price, at home, and not only not jumping on them, but instead taking the other side. That's the reality of 2018 though as for the first time in a decade the Blackhawks aren't going to be in the playoffs. They've been in the basement of the Central Division for some time now and that's where they'll finish as they're the only team currently eliminated from playoff contention. And it's not like the ML isn't justified here. The 'Hawks have a losing record at the "Madhouse on Madison" and are facing one of the top teams in the league tonight. The hosts have been in poor form as well, dropping six of the last seven games. This is a complete mismatch in favor of the other side. 

Winnipeg, meanwhile, is rolling. They have won six in a row, albeit all of them coming at home where they are now a fantastic 30-7-2 SU for the season. The Jets can still track down Nashville for the top spot in the Western Conference as they trail by five points w/ six games to go. Finishing in the top spot is less likely than not, but this team will still be a force to reckon with in the postseason. They, along w/ Boston, are the only two teams in the league to be both top five in both goals scored and fewest allowed. Now this six-game win streak hasn't exactly been dominant as the last four wins have all come in extra time and took place on home ice. But compred to the other side of this matchup, I see a vastly superior club. 

Now it does look like the Jets will be giving the unproven Eric Comrie the start in goal. Obviously, you'd rather see Connor Hellebuyck (40-11-9 this year), but Comrie will be facing a Blackhawks team that is a pedestrian 19th in goals per game and has a bottom five power play to boot. Chicago's own goaltending situation has been poor for almost the entire second half of the season, due to the Corey Crawford injury. In the 50 games Crawford has NOT started in, the team's record is an ugly 15-35 SU! Winnipeg is challenging for the top goal differential in the sport while Chicago is legitimately bad at this point of the season, well behind the rest of a strong Central Division field. 8* Winnipeg

10* Pittsburgh (7:05 ET): Florida lost last night, so New Jersey still has a three-point lead for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But the Devils better not get too comfortable, even though their remaining schedule is no more challenging than that of the Panthers. (Florida also has a game in hand). Tonight, NJ hosts Pittsburgh, a team we pretty much know WILL be in the playoffs. The Pens are not likely to catch Washington for the top spot in the Metro, so they're left to fend for second place, which would guarantee them home ice advantage in a first round playoff series. They enter the day tied w/ Philadelphia for second and are only one point up on Columbus (Devils are 4 pts back). Strangely, the Pens have been unable to beat the Devils this year (0-3 against them) w/ every game taking place over the last two months. That changes after tonight.

In fact, these teams just played last week. The game went to overtime w/ the Devils winning 4-3 at the Igloo. All three Devils' regulation goals came in the second period and they blew a 3-1 lead in the final 20 minutes. Pittsburgh outshot them for the game as well, 43-34. Though the game was at home, consider the Pens closed at -200 on the money line. Compare that to tonight's money line and it sure looks like there's some value on the favorite, no? The Pens are also looking to bounce back from an embarrassing loss at Detroit Tuesday night. They fell 5-2 as goaltender Matt Murray had a bit of a rough night. That loss also continued a pattern for the Pens that has seen them alternate wins and losses over the L10 games. You know what that means for tonight. 

Now New Jersey has won its last three games, the last two here at home. But I just can't see them beating Pittsburgh for a fourth time in the same season. There's no denying as to which team is more prolific offensively here as the Penguins are 6th in goals per game, thanks in large part to owning the top power play. Shockingly, they've scored only six times in three games vs. the Devils this year, but I look for that number to "jump up" after tonight. After allowing 4+ goals the previous games, the Pens are 23-9 SU this season. They are also 13-2 SU after a loss by 2+ goals. New Jersey will go w/ either Keith Kinkaid or Corey Schneider between the pipes. Kinkaid's save percentage is only .908 at home this season while Schneider has struggled the last few times he's been called upon. Note the Devils have allowed three or more goals in four of their last five games. They are also just 3-7 SU this year when coming in off a win streak of three or more games. 10* Pittsburgh

8* Toronto (7:35 ET): The Devils won last night, meaning Florida now trails them by three points for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With only eight games left on their schedule and facing that kind of deficit, that pretty much makes this a "must-win" for the Panthers. Problem is, they're playing in Toronto against a very good Maple Leafs club. Toronto may only be third in the Atlantic Division, one spot ahead of Florida, but the gap between the two teams is rather sizable (12 pts) and has been basically all season. The Leafs are probably the third best team in the Eastern Conference as well. Only five teams in the league have a better goal differential. They're also 26-9-2 SU at the Air Canada Centre and have won 13 of the last 14 games here. 

Toronto may be an 'Original Six' team, but never have they won 46 games in a season. They come into this game at 45-24-7 SU overall. They blew an opportunity at achieving a franchise-record in wins when they lost 3-2 to Buffalo, here at home, Saturday. That snapped a 13-game home win streak as well (and also a chance at setting a new record for most home victories in a season as well w/ 27). Losing to Buffalo has to be considered extremely disappointing, not only because the Sabres are the worst team in the legaue, but also because the Leafs has a 41-27 edge in shots. Despite getting that many shot off, Toronto turned in its lowest scoring effort since their first game of March. This is a team that ranks 4th in league in goals per game and had scored at least four in six of seven games previous to the Buffalo loss. I expect a high-scoring effort from the Leafs tonight.

Florida helped itself w/ a 3-0 shutout of the Islanders on Monday. It was their fourth win in the last five games and they are 20-6-1 their last 27! But could it be "too little, too late." The Panthers were simply average for the first four months of the season and have never been in the top eight in the Eastern Conference. Their last four wins have all come against "bad teams" that are nowhere near playoff contention (Montreal, Ottawa, Arizona and the Islanders). They did beat Toronto back on Feb 27th, but that was at home and in OT. Plus, the Leafs had a 39-31 edge in shots. As hot as Florida has been over the last two months, Toronto has virtually the exact same record during that time. Add in their much better start to the season and it's pretty clear that the Leafs are the better team. Playing at home, they should win here and they look to be undervalued as well. 8* Toronto