My 10* Atlantic Division GAME OF THE YEAR is on the Boston Bruins at 7:00 EST. I believe a great spot to pull the trigger here on the revenge-minded home side. The Sabres are 26-33-6, while the Bruins are 30-30-8. Buffalo doesn't travel well, going just 9-19-3 as the visitor this season. Boston on the other hand has been at its best at home by going 19-12-5. The Sabres are off a 4-3 shootout win at home over Vegas, but in their last road game, they were blown out 7-3 by Detroit and I believe a similar fate now awaits them here in Boston. The Bruins will be hungry to snap a two-game slide, falling 6-3 at Ottawa, before a 6-2 home loss to Tampa most recently. With a difficult five-game Western road swing after this for Boston, tonight's contest takes on added importance for the Bruins. And as mentioned, Boston does play with revenge here as well after a 7-2 loss at Buffalo at the end of January. Considering the price as well, I think we're getting unbelievable value here the Bruins. Lay the short price, Boston rolls!

My NON-CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR is on the Golden Knights at 10:00 EST. A great price on the home side here in my opinion. Toronto is No. 1 in the Atlantic at 38-20, but it's coming off a suspect 3-2 shootout loss at home to San Jose as a -290 favorite. With upcoming road games at Colorado and Utah, this contest in Vegas marks the start of a very difficult road trip. Vegas is 36-18 and it's won five of its last six. It's off a 2-0 victory here over the Devils. It's 22-6-3 overall at home and it plays with revenge following a 3-0 loss at Toronto back in November. I'm expecting the red-hot Knights to ride their current form and use the previous loss as extra motivation for a solid victory in front of the home town crowd this season. Lay the reasonable price, Knights roll!

My ATLANTIC DIVISION GAME OF THE YEAR is on the Buffalo Sabres at 7:00 EST. These teams square off for the second time here in two nights. Montreal won 4-2 on the first, but I believe that Buffalo will bounce back and respond in the revenge spot. Montreal is a perfect 4-0 since the restart. The Habs have been underdogs in all but one of those contests. Montreal is 29-26 and seventh in the Atlantic, while Buffalo is now 24-29 after back-to-back losses. The Sabres can almost leapfrog the Habs with a win here though, with a very "winnable" game at home on Tuesday vs. the Sharks. Montreal to me appears to be playing "above its head" right now and with a couple of nights off before a four-game road trip, the potential to get caught looking ahead to that difficult schedule will be a real mental temptation. It's a big game for both teams, but I argue now more so for Buffalo. Sabres roll.

At 3:37 pm ET, my Eastern Conference Game Of The Month is on the New York Rangers. Both the Penguins and the Rangers got walloped yesterday. The Capitals beat Pittsburgh 8-3 and the Sabres defeated New York 8-2. Neither will be happy with that effort but the Rangers are much better equipped to bounce back from the loss. They are 3-0 in 2025 when coming off a loss and playing the next day. After losing badly to Washington, they won 6-2 the next day. After a bad loss versus Boston, they won beat Vegas 4-2. After a loss to Pittsburgh 2 weeks ago, they beat Columbus the next day. New York is a playoff team and Pittsburgh is not. Play on the Rangers.

At 8:07pm ET, my Revenge Game Of the Week is on the Nashville Predators. The Predators lost to Buffalo on the last day of January. They haven't won a game since. Now they have a chance to avenge that loss and get things turned around, heading into the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. They badly want this game and will give us a huge effort. Coach Andrew Brunette said. ""We've got one game before the break. Let's try to play our best game and regroup here a little bit." Nashville captain Roman Josi added: "We have another chance tomorrow. It's one more game before the break, and we've got to find our identity." Before last week's loss, the Predators had beaten the Sabres 3 straight times. Both teams are much stronger on home ice. Playing this game at Bridgestone Arena, the determined Predators will bounce back from last night's loss and get things turned around in the right direction. Play on Nashville.

At 7:07pm ET, my selection is on Tampa Bay. These teams just faced each other 2 days ago. The Lightning won 4-3. I won with the Lightning in that game and I see no reason why they won't do it again. The Senators are now 13-16 on the road and the Lightning are 17-9 at home. On Tuesday, I mentioned that the Lightning were healthier. That's even more then case now than it was then. Already dealing with some key injuries, the Senators also lost Shane Pinto on Tuesday. Even after the win, the Lightning can't afford to let up. They are still looking up at Ottawa in the standings. The price on Tampa is lower than it was on Tuesday. Lay it.

At 7:07pm ET, my NHL Revenge Game Of The Month is on Edmonton. The Oilers outshot the Maple Leafs 30-22 in this season's first meeting. They also took a lead into the 3rd period. They ended up losing in Overtime. Now they get a chance to make things right. That November loss was the Oilers' 4th straight defeat, at Toronto. They've been much better against the Leafs at Rogers Place. They beat the Leafs 4-2 here last season and 5-2 the previous season. The Leafs have lost 3 in a row and they only scored 3 total goals in those games. They are 11-10 on the road. The Oilers are 18-10 at home. The Oilers are 7-2-1 their previous 10 games, while not allowing more than three goals in any of those 10 games. They ran into a hot goalie last game (lost in OT) but still played very well. They will have their revenge against the struggling Leafs tonight. Play on Edmonton.

At 7:07pm Et, my Atlantic Div Game Of the Month is on Tampa. Off a loss to Toronto yesterday, Tampa will be in a serious mood for this one. The Lightning are 3-0 their last 3 off a loss. The Lightning were upset at home by the Canadiens on December 29th. That result will provide them with some extra motivation for tonight's game. They have scored 12 goals in their last 2 visits to Montreal, winning 7-4 and 5-3. The Lightning are a team that doesn't mind playing 2 games in 2 days. The Lightning are 6-1 their past 7 in that situation. Play on Tampa.

At 9:07pm ET, my NHL Non-Conference Game Of the Month is on Utah. It's "get right night" for the Hockey Club. Utah has been really struggling and a game against Montreal is precisely what is needed. The Canadiens are off 4 straight games which went to OT or a shootout. This will be Montreal's 8th road game in the past 10. It's going to catch up to the Canadiens against a hungry Hockey Club. Utah is in a long home stand and it gets harder after this. The Hockey Club need this game and they will get it. Play on Utah.

At 7:07pm et, my NHL Game of the Month is on New Jersey. The Devils have home ice advantage for this big battle with the Tampa Bay Lightning. That's important as the Lightning are very strong in their own building but only 8-9 on the road. The Devils should also have a strong motivational advantage. Not only are they off a loss, their 5th in 6 games, but they also lost to Tampa in October and again in November. They are going to be extremely determined to avoid a 3rd straight loss to the Lightning and to get back to their winning ways. The Devils have been strong all year and they will get some revenge against Tampa today. Play on NJ

At 7:07pm ET, my Metro Division Game Of The Year is on Carolina. When the Hurricanes faced the Capitals in November, they were -260 to -275 favorites. They won 4-2, outshooting the Capitals 45-21. In the previous meeting, which was back in last season in April, the Hurricane outshot the Capitals 45-16, also winning 4-2. They were -250 for that game. Tonight, because the game is in Washington, the Hurricanes are far more reasonably priced. The Capitals actually have a better road record though (they are 12-4 on the road and 9-6 at home) so the called home ice advantage isn't a factor for them. Carolina is the better team and is playing better hockey. The Hurricanes won their last 2 games by a score of 8-1. Struggling to score without Ovechkin, the Capitals lost their last 2 games by a score of 6-3. The last loss was against Chicago and Carolina is a much better team. Lay the fair price with the hotter, better team.

At 7:37, my selection is on the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. Tonight, they get a chance to host the team with the worst record from the Pacific Division. This a rare chance in the favorite role and Les Habitants will seize the opportunity. The Canadiens have played pretty well on home ice (compared to their play on the road) and they recently got Patrick Laine back from injury. He's a sniper and he scored a goal in his first game here. The Ducks are off 2 straight losses where they were outscored 9-2. The Canadiens swept the Ducks last season and they beat them 5-0 in the game at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This will be another big win for the Habs at home.

At 7:07pm ET, my Game Of The Week selection is on St. Louis. Scheduling advantage for the Blues. They had yesterday off and the Flyers were in a fight with the Rangers. Philadelphia was all over New York to start that game but then had to hang on for dear life. There will be some tired legs today. Blues are rested and playing with revenge from a Halloween loss at Philadelphia. They are rolling since making a coaching change. They just beat the Devils and Rangers by a combined score of 8-2. That strong play will continue today. Play on St. Louis

At 3:37pm ET, my Pacific Division Game Of The Month is on Seattle. The Kraken lost Wednesday but that was only their 3rd defeat in the last 9 games. That loss meant that they split a home and home with Anaheim and they weren't happy. Now they get a chance go do better against San Jose as these teams will meet again Saturday in Seattle. This is a real opportunity for Seattle to pick up 4 points in 2 days and start climbing up in the Pacific standings. That's important for the Kraken as more difficult games follow the 2 with SJ. They've won 3 of the past 5 against the Sharks, 2 of the past 3 at San Jose. Seattle comes in hungry and secures the road win.

At 7:37pm ET, my NHL Atlantic Division Game Of The Week is on Florida. I often support the Maple Leafs but not on the road against the defending world champions on Wednesday. The Leafs are actually the hotter team. They've played 7 of their last 8 at home though. That is noteworthy given that the Leafs are 10-3 at Toronto but only 3-5 in their road games. Also, the home team has won 4 straight in this series. Since a 5-0 win over Winnipeg, which was the hottest team in hockey, the Panthers have been on a losing streak. They are too good for that to continue. The Panthers will show their teeth and move to 7-3 their last 10 against Toronto.

At 7:07pm ET, my Central Division Game Of The Month is on Nashville. The Predators have home ice advantage. That's important because the Jets have been tough on the road but even better at home in Winnipeg and because it allows Nashville the ability to match lines with the home team getting the last line change. The Predators also benefit from a scheduling advantage. The Jets are off a 4-1 win at Pittsburgh yesterday. This is the first time all season that they played 2 games in 2 days. They lost by a combined score of 8-0 the last 2 times that they played in that situation last season. Play on Nashville.

At 8:37pm ET, my NHL Western Conference Game Of The Month is on Chicago. The Blackhawks favored by this much tells you a little bit about how bad the Ducks are. The Ducks weren't bad Monday, they went to Dallas and upset one of the best teams in the league. That's back-to-back victories. The Ducks haven't won 3 in a row all season. They also haven't won when playing 2 games in 2 days. They're 0-2 in that spot this season and 0-6 their last 6 times since last season. They're 3-17 their last 20 when playing 2 games in 2 days! The Blackhawks are 7-3 the last 10 meetings. Well rested, healthy and playing at home, Chicago will defeat the Ducks for the 2nd time this season.

At 9:07pm ET, my NHL Non-Conference Game Of The Week is on Colorado. The Avalanche have hit their stride. They are off 3 straight victories and have won 4 of their last 5. Players have been returning from injury and that helps. "We're all excited to add guys back in the line, especially the caliber players that are coming back in, but I'm more excited like the way our team's been playing over the last half a dozen games," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. The Capitals are cooling off. They are off a loss and have dropped 3 of their past 5. The Avalanche have beaten the Capitals 4 straight times. Last season, they beat them 6-3 at Washington and 6-2 at Colorado. They were priced at nearly -300 for that game at Colorado. Tonight's lower price tag is a bargain. Colorado wins its 5th straight over the Capitals!

At 7:07pm ET, my Atlantic Division Game Of The Month is on Toronto. Auston Matthews is eligible to come off injured reserve on Tuesday. Even if the superstar doesn't play, the Maple Leafs are doing just fine without him. They have won 3 straight without Matthews. "I thought we checked extremely well for two periods," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. "The power play was good again. Clean pretty much with penalties and I thought we played a real smart game. I was really happy. Third period they made a little push but our goalie (Joseph Woll) was really good for us." The Leafs are 7-2 at home. The Senators won at Boston but they are still 2-5 on the road. The Senators upset the Leafs in both games here last season, winning 3 of the 4 in the season series. That's not happening again. Toronto makes it 4 straight!

At 8:07pm ET, my #1 NHL Total Of The Month is on Columbus/Anaheim under. The Ducks have scored 3 goals or less in 10 straight games. Over that 10 game period, they have scored only 19 goals in total, less than 2 per game. Over their past 4 games, the Ducks have managed only 6 total goals. For the season, they are the lowest scoring team in the league. The Blue Jackets know how they feel. They have scored 2 or less in 5 straight and only 7 goals over their past 4 games. With the struggles these offenses are currently having, this total is too high. Play on the under.

At 7:37pm ET, my NHL Metro Division Game Of the Week is on the New Jersey Devis. Injuries will catch up to the Islanders on Saturday.

At 7:07pm ET, my #1 Eastern Conf. Game Of The Month is on Ottawa. The Senators are 1-5 on the road but 5-1 at home. They lost their last 2 road games by a combined score of 7-2 but they won their last 2 home games by a combined score of 11-1! The Islanders won 4-3 against the Penguins in Overtime last game and have managed to stay competitive. That's to their credit because they are missing some very important pieces at the moment. Off their worst loss of the season, 5-1 at Buffalo, the Senators will show them no mercy. The Islanders injuries will catch up to them and the Senators strong play on home ice will continue. Play on Ottawa.

At 10:37pm ET, my NHL Non-Conference Game Of The Month is on Columbus. The Sharks get their prized #1 pick back tonight. Macklin Celebrini played in one game and got hurt. Celebrini did look really good in that brief snapshot and he will make San Jose better in the long-run. The Sharks had started to play ok without him though and now for his first game back, they may get caught standing around waiting for their star to do something. There's going to be an adjustment period. Off bad losses to Washington and Winnipeg, the Blue Jackets understand that this game offers them an excellent chance to get things going in the right direction again and that they need to make it count. They've already started the road trip off on the wrong foot and the next 3 games on the trip are more challenging than this one. Columbus will seize the opportunity and spoil Macklin's return.

At 10:07pm ET, my Pacific Div. Game Of Week is on Calgary on the puck-line. Though they've lost their last couple, the Flames are still off to a strong start. Those last 2 Calgary losses were both very close as the Flames gave up an empty net goal in each case to make the score look worse. They're 2-0-1 on the road. Two wins and an Overtime loss. Not every team can say this but the Flames love facing the Golden Knights. Calgary won each of the past 2 meetings. They took 3 of 4 overall last season and the only loss was in Overtime. As a matter of fact, Calgary is 5-3 their past 8 versus the Knights and 3 of the losses came by 1 goal. The Flames will fight with everything they've got tonight and that will lead to yet another very tightly contested battle with the Golden Knights.

At 9:07pm Et, my NHL Total Of The Month is on Colorado/Ottawa over. Games between these teams are fun. They've faced each other 6x since the start of 2021. Scores were 7-5, 6-5, 7-0, 5-4, 6-4, and 7-4. That's 10 goals per game, 60 in 6. Ottawa is off a "10-goal game," losing 6-4 to Vegas. In their last 5, they've also had a game which hit 9 goals and another which finished with 15! The Avalanche scored 4, 4, 3 and 5 goals, their last 4. The 5 goals last game was their most yet and they will build off that with a big offensive performance against Ottawa. Play on the over.

At 9:07pm ET, my #1 NHL Non-Conf. GOW is on Carolina. Nice start for the Flames but they are about to start coming back down to earth. The Hurricanes are 6-2 the past 8 meetings with the Flames and they won the last one 7-2. The Hurricane had a 40-20 edge in shots. This is a very good Carolina team which prides itself in winning on the road. They won at Edmonton last game are 2-1 away from home so far. Last season, they were 25-16 (25-13-3) on the road. Only Florida and Dallas had more road wins and they each had 26. The Flames have been outshot in four of their last five games, including by a 38-25 margin against Pittsburgh in their last game. It will catch up to them tonight.

At 6:07pm ET, my Metro Div. Game Of the Month is on Philadelphia. This looks like 2 teams trending in opposite directions. The Capitals are 3-1 and the Flyers are 1-4. That doesn't really tell the whole story though. The Flyers first 4 games were all on the West Coast. They got one win and lost another in OT, so 3 points. Then their first and only home game was against the team they defeated on the road trip. So, they've had a difficult schedule to start the season with 5 games against Western Conference opponents, 4 of those coming on the road and the other being a first game home situation against a team playing with revenge. The Capitals have played 3 of their 4 at home and their only road game was a situation where they played with revenge. Now the Flyers finally get an Eastern Conf. opponent. They are going to really want that first home win for the Philly faithful. They also want to beat Washington after the Capitals beat them to kill their playoff hopes last season. Teams play again tomorrow in Washington which makes it even more critical for the Flyers to win tonight. Defenseman Nick Seeler is expected to make his season debut for the Flyers. Play on Philadelphia

At 7:37 ET, my Atlantic Div. Game Of The Month is on Toronto. Each of these teams are off a loss but both are still off to solid starts. Toronto is 3-2. Tampa is 3-1. Both play again tomorrow making this the front end of a back-to-back situation. Toronto has already experienced that situation this season and Tampa has not. The Maple Leafs have won 6 of the last 9 meetings versus Tampa. The Lightning struggled on special teams last game. They went 0-3 on their power-play, giving up a short-handed goal. They also allowed 2 power play goals. Tampa goalie Vasilevskiy struggled in his last start (5 goals allowed on 28 shots!) and he also lost his last start at Toronto, a 4-1 win for the Leafs. The Leafs will close out their home-stand with a victory. Play on Toronto.

At 8:07pm ET, my NHL Western Conference Total Of The Week is on Colorado/SJ under. The Avalanche have gone over in every game this season. Their defense and goal-tending has been steadily improving with each game though and now they will face the worst team in hockey. Colorado's last game was 3-2 with 15 seconds left but the Avalanche allowed a tying goal which led to Overtime. It was very close to staying under. This time, they probably won't be going to OT and they almost certainly won't be allowing a goal with 13 seconds remaining. Colorado has held San Jose to 2 goals or less (average of 1.5) in 4 straight meetings. This season, the Sharks have scored just 11 goals in 5 games. The last head-to-head meeting was a 3-1 final score. The last time that the Avalanche played at San Jose, the score was 2-1. Play on the under.

At 10:07pm ET, my Oct. Non-Conf NHL Game Of the Month is on Seattle. The Flyers have started this season on the West Coast. In playing Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton they've had mixed results with a 1 win, 1 loss and 1 OT loss. This is their final road game before they finally get to Philadelphia to play their home opener, a rematch against the Canucks. My feeling is that they will already be looking ahead to going home. The Kraken just earned an impressive 7-3 win at Nashville on Tuesday. Seattle scored 4 goals in the 3rd period of that game. "Obviously good for the morale, good for the confidence," said Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson, who had two assists. "It's a good win to look back on." The Kraken lost their only home game and will be anxious to make things right with the home fans tonight. The Kraken are 2-0 against the Flyers in games played at Seattle the past 2 seasons, 3-1 overall. That success continues tonight.

At 1:07pm ET, my Atlantic Div. Total Of The Year is on Florida/Boston under. This is already the 2nd meeting between these Atlantic Division rivals. The Bruins had to watch while the Panthers raised their Championship banner on October 8th, at Florida. That was a high-scoring game with Panthers earning a 6-4 victory. Inspired by the moment, the Panthers scored 4 first period goals. Things be much different at TD Garden on Monday afternoon. Since that opening game, the Panthers have only scored 3 goals in their last 2 games combined. Boston is off a 2-1 OT win over the Kings on Saturday afternoon. Florida's last 2 visits here had scores of 2-1 and 3-2. Four of the past 5 meetings here have gone to the under, all 4 of those finishing with 5 or fewer goals. This will be another low-scoring battle. Play on the under.

At 8:07pm ET, my Pacific Div. Game Of Month is on Edmonton on the puck-line. The Flames are off to a fast 2-0 start. The Oilers are off to a difficult 0-2 start. That's not what the defending Western Conference champions had in mind! Remember that a slow start last season led to a coaching change and forced them to climb out of a big hole. They want to avoid a similar fate this year. I'm confident that they will bring their best against Calgary tonight. The Oilers are 8-2 the past 10 meetings with the Flames and they were 3-1 last season. All 4 of those games were decided by 2 or more goals, the Oiler wins coming by scores of 4-2, 3-1 and 5-2. With the Oilers angry about last night, this will be another Edmonton win by 2 or more goals.

At 8:07pm ET, my NHL Eastern Conf. GOW is on Detroit. The Penguins got pounded by the Rangers last night. Playing back-to-back games this early in the season, when they're already dealing with a lot of injuries, and off a loss like that will be difficult for them. This is the home (and season) opener for the Red Wings. Sports teams are thriving in Detroit these days and Red Wings are also poised for an exciting season. The home team won all 3 meetings last season, the Penguins took both at Pittsburgh and the Wings won 6-3 in Detroit. Overall, the Wings were 23-18 at home and the Penguins were 15-26 on the road! This line could be much higher. Play on the Red Wings.

At 10:07pm, my NHL Western Conference Total Of The Month is on Colorado/Vegas under. This is a great showdown between a pair of former Stanley Cup champions. You might expect otherwise but their recent games against each other have been low-scoring. As a matter of fact, 7 of the past 9 meetings between these teams have gone to the under. Those 9 games had a total of only 41 goals. That's an average of only 4.56 goals per game. The Golden Knights lost a number of contributors in the offseason including last year's leading scorer, Jonathan Marchessault. The 6 players they lost to free agency on July 1st combined for 85 goals and 182 points last season. It may take time to figure out who replaces that scoring. This will lead to a low-scoring home opener.

At 8:00 ET, my NHL Playoff TOW is on the Under in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The series started with 2 low-scoring games. I came back with a winner with the Over in Game 3. That was followed with overs in Games 4 and 5. Now we've got a series again! Game 6 will be the lowest-scoring game of the series so far. The Panthers only lost 2 games in a row one other time in these playoffs. They won 3-2 the next game. Before that, the last time that they lost 2 in a row, they responded with a shutout. At 5-on-5, the Panthers are really difficult to score against. They will do a much better job at limiting Edmonton's chances in this one. Play on the Under.

At 8:00pm ET, my NHL GOW is on the Florida Panthers. Down 3-0 in their series against Boston, we saw the Dallas Mavericks show a lot of pride to force a Game 5. Down 3-0 in this series, we saw the Oilers do the same thing. Last night, we saw what happened to the Mavericks. They won their token game to avoid the sweep but there's no coming back from 3-0. The series ended in 5. Tonight, the NHL finals will continue to play out the same way as the NBA Finals.

Florida has won 5 of the past 6 meetings. The Oilers aren't nearly as good away from Edmonton. The Panthers have been great at responding to bad losses. During these playoffs, the Panthers have lost by three or more goals on 2 other instances. Florida and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky responded with 6-1 victories the next game, both times. Bring out the Cup! Play on Florida.

At 8:00pm ET, my NHL GOW is on the Edmonton Oilers. Down 3-0 in their series against Boston, we saw the Dallas Mavericks show a lot of pride to force a Game 5. Tonight, we will see the Oilers do the same thing. This series may seem like its been all Florida but its been far closer than the 3-0 series score indicates. The Oilers outshot the Panthers 35-23 last game and 32-17 in Game 1.

Edmonton is giving up. Stuart Skinner said. "I'm not too sure what the stats are coming back on it, but if anyone can do it, it's the Oil."

The Oilers are still 34-12-5 on home ice. Superstar Connon McDavid won't go down without a fight. McDavid said: "We can't score on the outside on these guys. We have to get to the middle." The captain will lead by example and the Oilers will live to fight another day. Play on Edmonton.

At 8:00 ET, my NHL Playoff TOY is on the Over in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The 2 games in Florida were both won by the Panthers. Each of them stayed under the posted total. Now the series shifts to Canada. The change of rinks will bring a different style of game and that means more scoring.

The Oilers are hard to stop on home ice. They average 4.1 goals per game in games played at Edmonton. Games here average 6.8 combined goals. The Panthers actually score slightly more goals (3.4) on the road than they do at home. Bobrovsky is a top goalie for Florida but he's not unbeatable. He let in a soft one to start Game 2. Edmonton's goaltending hasn't been at the same level. Florida will continue to score but this time Edmonton will do the same. Each of Florida's last seven visits here have finished with 6 or more goals. Play on the Over.

At 8:00 ET, my NHL Playoff GOY is on the Florida Panthers. I'm happy that the Oilers made it to the Finals. The reality is that they were a little fortunate to knock off Dallas. The Stars dominated them in the final game of that series. There's been nothing fortunate about Florida making it here. The Panthers have clearly been stronger than each of their opponents. The Panthers wear teams down throughout the game.

The price on the Panthers is entirely reasonable. They were far more expensive for their home games against the Lightning, Bruins and Rangers. The Oilers aren't very good on the road though, not nearly as strong as they are at Edmonton. The Panthers handled the Oilers in both regular season meetings, winning by a combined score of 10-3. They will take Game 1. Play on Florida.

At 8:00pm ET, my Eastern Conference Finals Game Of The Year is on the Florida Panthers. This series has been very close. The Rangers have won the last 2 games, both in Overtime. The Panthers won the first game 3-0. So, Florida has actually outscored NY in the series but find themselves down 2-1. This is not a team which panics. They know what they need to do and they will get the series tied. The last time that the Panthers were off 2 straight losses, they responded with a 6-0 victory.

The Panthers outshot the Rangers 37-23 last game and dominated in most statistical categories. That type of effort will lead to victory more often than not. "When you put up whatever we put up tonight and you don't come away with a win, you should be a little growly," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. Sam Reinhart added: "You can say we dominated, but then you look at the mistakes that led to their goals. So, there's areas for improvement, for sure." The Panthers will make that improvement and clean up their goals allowed. Play on Florida

At 8:30 ET, my NHL Conference Final GOY is on the Edmonton Oilers. The games are very close right now, in both the East and the West. Three of the last 4 NHL games overall have gone to Overtime. Dallas is a good road team but the advantage provided by playing on home ice absolutely makes a difference. The Oilers are back home in front of their fired up fans and they have the support of an entire country behind them. A mediocre team on the road, the Oilers are 32-10-5 at home.

Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm said this: "We're back in our barn. It's going to be exciting. We're going to try and use the energy from our fans and keep building our game. We ... got our split and we feel good about that, but now it's time to raise our level when we get home and dictate the game."

The last time that the Oilers played here was probably their best game of the playoffs. They stifled the Vancouver Canucks and won 5-1. They will raise their level and take a 2-1 series lead. Play on Edmonton.

At 9:00 pm Eastern, my NHL Total Of The Week is on Vancouver/Edmonton under the total. The first 3 games of the series all finished with at least 7 goals. Things have tightened up since then. The last 3 games have all finished with 6 or less. Scoring opportunities have been hard to come by. Last game, the teams only combined for 42 shots. That's less than individual teams sometimes get.

Brock Boeser leads Vancouver in goals scored in these playoffs. He's also tied for the team lead in overall points. The problem is that Boeser is expected to miss the game. That hurts the offense. Goals are often hard to come by in a Game 7. This season's first 2 Game 7s (Bos/Tor and Dal/Veg) finished with scores of 2-1 and 2-1. Since last year, the past 5 Game 7's have all finished with 4 goals or less. Play on the Under.

The Avalanche offense woke up last game. That spells trouble for Dallas tonight. They also solved the Stars goalie, making Oettinger look human. Confidence restored and back on home ice, Colorado will win again and force a 7th game.

Much was made of Valeri Nichushkin's absence from the Colorado lineup. He'd been scoring a lot of goals and is now in the player's assistance program. The Colorado offense was fine without him though. A bigger deal proved to be the absence of the Stars' Roope Hintz. Dallas first-line center was helping play a big part in slowing down the first line of Colorado.

Colorado's Cale Makar said this, after scoring twice in the Game 5 win: "Do-or-die games from here on out in this series. You're playing desperate hockey now. Everybody's got to play on the edge. You've got to fight for every single chance you're getting now (with) it being an elimination game." This series is going back to Dallas!

Florida is clearly a very strong team. The Bruins are not to be underestimated though. Not even down 3-1 in a series. This is a team with a great deal of heart and resiliency. They are 8-2 their past 10 tries, after 3 or more consecutive losses. Over the same period, the Bruins are 62-34 against divisional foes.

After 3 lopsided scores to begin the series, the last game was much closer. The final score was 3-2. With the Bruins giving everything they've got, this is also going to be a close battle, one which could easily be decided in Overtime. Grab the +1.5 goals with the Bruins on puck-line!

Nine goals in the first game. That came down to 7 goals in the 2nd game, 6 in regulation. The number of goals will continue to fall in Game 3. The Canucks last trip to Edmonton ended in a 3-1 victory.

Vancouver playoff games are averaging 5.1 goals. The Canucks are averaging only 20.4 shots on goal in the playoffs. They permit just 24.6. The Oilers are allowing an average of just 2.4 goals over their past 5 games, only 27 shots per game. They concede 2.7 goals per game on home ice. The Canucks don't see many 6.5's. Let's take advantage of this one and go with the Under!

The breaks didn't go their way but the Hurricanes played a great game on Thursday. Now the pressure is off. They are expected to lose. They won't be squeezing the stick quite as tight. Suddenly, some of those near misses are going to start going their way.

This is a very good Carolina team. They are talented and well-coached. They know how much their fans love them and the players appreciate that. They won't let them see them get swept. The Hurricanes have fired more than 100 shots at the Rangers in just the past 2 games. They will move to 10-6 when playing with home revenge.

The last game finished with a 2-1 final score. That makes 3 of the last 4 games which have produced 5 or fewer goals. Vancouver has generated only 92 shots in the first five games of the series. The Canucks' previously potent power play has scored goals in only one game.

Even in the regular season, these teams were both pretty good defensively but both have stepped up their defensive efforts even further in the postseason. Both teams are averaging only 2.4 goals in the playoffs. Only Toronto and Washington have averaged less.

This is from NHL.com about Vancouver's defense: "The Canucks are allowing 6.94 high-danger chances against per 60 minutes at five-on-five. That is the best in the league for defending against high-danger scoring chances. They also rank number one in the league for allowing scoring chances against per 60 minutes – only allowing 19.8/60 at five-on-five." Go with the Under.

Up 3-1, the Boston Bruins will close out the series tonight. Last year, Boston was up 3-1 on Florida and ended up losing the series. This year, they will not let the same thing happen. They know they can't give the Maple Leafs any hope and will make sure to close the deal now.

Coach Jim Montgomery said: "We've got to match their desperation. We talked about urgency with the group this year, about how we need to get better. ... I think the experience of last year helps us this year, but we haven't talked about it."

Boston has been the better team all series. The Leafs big guns have been held to 1 goal each and the Bruins have a 14-7 edge in total goals for the series. Matthews didn't finish the last game for Toronto and is questionable. The Bruins have also had the Leafs number for a lot longer than just this series. They're 9-1 the past 10 meetings. Punch their ticket to the next round!

The Capitals are very likely done in this series. They know it. They will still put up a good fight but their depleted group of defensemen won't be able to stop the potent Rangers attack. New York has scored 3 or more goals in every game, more than 3 in 2 of the games. The Rangers are deadly on the power-play and they're even dangerous when killing penalties.

There may be some extra penalties too, as the Capitals are out for revenge from a big hit that injured one of their players. Washington has yet to get any production from Ovechkin, one of the best goal scorers the game has seen. Don't be surprised when he finally makes an appearance in the boxscore. Also, the Capitals will pull their goalie extra early, should they find themselves trailing. Go with the Over!

You likely saw what happened in the first 2 games. They both sailed over the total. Tonight, we work with a very high total of 6.5. We don't even have to lay heavy juice to get it. Winnipeg is 15-9-3 to the under when playing in a road game where where the total is 6 or more.

The Jets only allow 2.5 goals a game on the road. The Avalanche concede just 2.7 goals per game at home. The goal scoring barrage comes to an end tonight. Go with the Under.

The Jets seemed like they'd never lose there for awhile but the Avalanche ended their winning streak in Game 2. The magic of the winning streak is now over. Worse, the Jets are now away from the comforts of Winnipeg. Instead, they are in hostile Colorado where the Avalanche have a 31-10 record.

When their backs against the wall, the Avalanche responded with a big win in Game 2. This is a playoff-tested team. The Game 2 win gave them control of home ice advantage in the series and they're not about to just relinquish that. The Avalanche outscore teams by 2.2 goals per game here. This is a pivotal game and they will not be denied!

Game 1 got out of hand. A 7-6 final. Hockey playoffs are funny though. You can have a game like that and see the next one play out completely differently. The benefit of that Game 1 result is that the Game 2 total is now jacked right up. The Avalanche are 2-0 to the under the past 2 years when trailing in a playoff series.

The Avalanche are 20-10 to the under their last 30 tries when playing with revenge. The Jets are 11-7 to the under after allowing 4 goals or more. The Avalanche still allow just 3.1 goals per game and the Jets still allow a measly 2.5 goals per game, 2.2 gpg over their last 5. Go with the Under!

The Flyers weren't given much hope at the beginning of the season. They played better than expected, gained everyone's respect and appeared to be playoff bound. Then they slumped and their playoff chances took a big hit. They're giving it one last kick at the can and have won back to back games. They are at home tonight and they have had the past 2 days off. They catch Washington play8ing with 0 days rest.

The Capitals have played a lot of hockey over the past 2 weeks. The last time that they played with 0 days rest, they lost by 2 goals. The Flyers need a win in regulation. They are excited again and playing their best hockey. They are 2-1 against the Capitals this season. With Washington off last night's upset win, the Flyers will get it done tonight!

The Senators and their fans had hoped for a much better season. The players still have pride and they know that their fans still love the team. This is their home finale and they are going to go all out to get the victory.

We want to leave our best effort for our fans and leave a good taste in their mouth moving forward into next year," Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said. "Create some excitement, create some energy for hopefully a big season next year. But, most importantly, for a year that's been a lot of ups and downs, just to leave on a high note with the people that have supported us through thick and thin."

Ottawa is off a win at Tampa and has won 2 of 3. The Senators are 8-2 the past 10 meetings, 2-0 this season. The Canadiens are 13-33 their last 36 tries in the revenge role. They are also 19-47 their last 66 tries with home revenge. This one is all Ottawa! **ATLANTIC DIV GOM**

The Dallas Stars are the best team in hockey's Western Conference this season and they are on a mission to lock down first place. They can do that with a win tonight. The Jets are battling for a chance to have home ice advantage in the first round. They have an even bigger game against Colorado coming up Saturday though. That's the one they really need and will be getting excited about.

The Jets are 6-8 their last 14 tries, when playing against a team with a winning record. They are 24-38 (-14) their last 62 tries, when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. Both teams have excellent goalies but Dallas has better scorers. The Jets score 2.9 goals per game on the road. The Stars score 3.9 goals per game at home. Dallas goalie Oettinger is 8-0-0 with a pair of shutouts his last 8 starts. He has posted a 1.63 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in those games. Go with Dallas!

Both teams are battling for the final playoff spot. The Devils are well-rested and the Penguins are coming off a road win over the Rangers last night. Advantage New Jersey. In 10 tries with 3 or more days rest, the Devils are 7-3. When off a win by 2 or more goals, the Penguins are 9-13 (-9.1).

The Devils are 8-2 (+7.9) their last 10 meetings with the Penguins, 2-0 this season. The Devils are also 19-14 after allowing 4 or more goals. They fell behind Pittsburgh with the Penguins winning last night but the teams will continue to play leap-frog again tonight. **METRO DIV GOM**

Both teams need this game. The Jets need it more though as they are stuck in a losing streak. It needs to be stopped today! This will mark the Jets' 4th straight home game. They are 10-1 (+8.4) after playing their previous 3 games at home. They are 30-11 (+17.8) their last 41 tries in that situation!

The Kings build up their record against bad teams. They are 16-19 against teams with a winning record. They are 53-71 their last 124 tries against winning teams! OFf a loss to Calgary last game. the Los Angeles coach stated: "We were a step behind." The Jets are healthier than the Kings. Tonight they will also be better than them!

The Bruins are one of the best teams in hockey. They could even hoist the Cup this year. They're not very good when playing 2 games in 2 days though. Off a win over the Panthers last night, they will not be able to complete the state of Florida sweep tonight. Boston is only 4-6 when playing with 0 days rest.

The Lightning, 7-2 in March and 6-1 their last 7, come in well-rested. They had the last 2 nights off. They have taken 2 of 3 meetings against the Bruins this season, winning 5-4 here at Tampa. They are playing great and they will be fresh. Let's go Lightning!

This is a great price on Toronto. The Maple Leafs are off a loss to Carolina, a top level opponent. They will be angry and fired when they encounter a weaker New Jersey club. Toronto is 8-2 (+5.2) their last 10 tries, when playing against a team with a losing record. The Maple Leafs are also 9-1 the last 10 meetings with the Devils.

The Devils are off a 4-0 victory but they are an atrocious 25-47 (-36.6) their last 72 tries, after a win by 2 goals or more. This season, they are 4-17 (-20.4) when off a win by 2 or more goals! Give me the better team on home ice!

The Red Wings need a victory and Columbus is the right opponent to get one against. Detroit is already 2-0 against the Blue Jackets this season. The Blue Jackets have been bad all year and they have lost 4 of their last 5. They have many injuries and nothing to play for.

The Red Wings are still waiting for the return of Dylan Larkin but otherwise are quite healthy. This is a game which they cannot afford to lose. The Red Wings lost last game but that was on the road and they were playing with 0 days rest. They have been much stronger at home all season and they won their last game here 4-1. This game will be all Detroit!

Chicago has no home ice advantage. The Blackhawks are also at a scheduling disadvantage. They lost at Washington yesterday. The Hawks are 2-8, when playing on back-to-back days. They are 7-30 (-14) with 0 days rest, for the last 3 years. Over that time, they are 15-58 (-35.2) versus division opponents.

Arizona hasn't quit fighting. The Coyotes beat Detroit 4-0 last game and have won 3 of their last 5. They will be playing with revenge as the Hawks beat them less than a week ago, at Arizona. They will be determined not to lose 2 in a row to the worst team in the league and they won't! Coyotes win and improve to 15-12 against losing teams. *CENTRAL DIV GOM

Different teams react differently to different amounts of days in between games. Many teams struggle with no rest. Others thrive. Some are at their best with 1 or 2 days rest, others do better with 3 or more. The Ducks have had the past 2 days off and that is NOT a favorable situation for them. Anaheim is 0-7 this season with 2 days rest in between games. Over the past 3 seasons, the Ducks are 10-36 (-24.8) with 2 days rest.

Over that time, Anaheim is also 15-44 after scoring 1 goal or less in its previous game. The Senators, 4-3 with 3 or more days rest, play with revenge from a home loss to the Ducks. They are 27-18 their last 45 when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season and they will get it done for us tonight!

The Predators are really hot at the moment. They've been beating up on bad teams though. Some of their recent wins came against teams like Ottawa, San Jose and Anaheim. Now, they will take on the one of the best in the league. Also, many of the Predators recent wins have come on the road. They are rather rare in that they are stronger on the road than at home.

The Predators did beat the Avalanche in this season's first meeting. Colorado has won its past few visits here though. Also, the Avalanche are 15-5 (+8.4) their last 20 in the revenge role, 53-25 (+10.6) over the long haul. The Avalanche won their last game 5-0 after winning their previous one 5-1. They are 12-5 their past 17 tries off a shutout win and they'll get it done for us again today! **Central GOM**

Both these Metro Division rivals have struggled a bit of late. The Flyers are 2-4 their last 6 games. The Capitals are 1-2 their last 3. The Flyers are off a big 6-2 win though and the Capitals are off a big 8-3 defeat. Both are battling for the playoffs. I've of the strong opinion that Philadelphia will make it two in a row.

The Flyers have been better than Washington this season. An ability to play well on the road has been key. The Flyers outscore teams by a 3.2 to 2.8 average in their road games. The Capitals get outscored by an average of 3.0 to 2.7 at home.

Each team has had 2 days off, a scheduling setup which should favor the Flyers. Philadelphia is 25-20 (+11.9) its last 45 tries, when playing with 2 days rest. Washington is 18-21 (-7.1) when doing so. The Flyers are 3-0 against the Capitals since the start of 2023. With home ice no advantage and with Washington dealing with numerous injuries, Philadelphia is the winner. *Metro Div GOM*

The wheels have come off for the Islanders. They are 23-34 overall, 10-18 on the road. A dismal 7-17 (-15.3) record against Western Conference opposition hasn't helped their cause. Now, they play on the road against one of the best teams from the West. That spells trouble.

The Stars are 17-11 at home. They score more than 4 goals per game here. The Islanders score less than 3 per game on the road. The Stars won their last game but had lost several before that. They will be inspired to make it 2 in a row and they will also be playing with revenge from a loss at Long Island. Dallas wins big.

The Wild visited here on December 10th, the last time that these teams faced each other. At the time, the Kraken were off to a terrible start. They'd dropped 7 straight going into the Minnesota game and they were off a loss versus Tampa the previous night. The Wild were only to happy to kick the Kraken when they were down. With Seattle playing its 2nd game in 2 days, Minnesota won 3-0.

Things are different now. The Kraken just easily beat the best team in the West on Thursday, a 5-2 win over Vancouver. That was their 3rd win in 4 games and they had yesterday off. Not so for Minnesota. The Wild are off a 4-2 upset of Edmonton. They are 2-7 when playing with 0 days rest. Seattle settles the score.

Ottawa couldn't even beat Chicago last game, or Anaheim before that. The Senators are 32-51 (-17) the last 3 years, after a non-conference game. Over that time frame, they are also 41-61 (-16.2) in the revenge role, 8-17 (-11.2) their last 25. The Senators are 35-66 their last 101 tries, when playing against a team with a winning record.

The Lightning ran into a red hot Florida team last game and suffered the consequences. They will be happy to face a bad team like Ottawa which they always beat here. Tampa is 67-30 (+14.8) its last 98 tries, when playing against a team with a losing record. Lay the price and look for Tampa to come out on top. **ATLANTIC DIV GOY**

San Jose returns home from a road trip. The first game back is difficult. The Sharks are missing some key players. The Sharks are 23-41 (-9.1) their last 64, after scoring 4 goals or more in their previous game. The Sharks are also 9-25 their last 34 tries, after a win by 2 goals or more.

The Sharks only score 2.2 goals per home game. The Blue Jackets average 3 goals per road game. The Blue Jackets scored 11 goals, including 6 here at San Jose, in sweeping last season's 2 games. They do it again tonight!

Great price on the home underdog Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres just smashed the LA Kings 7-0 on Tuesday. They have scored 5 or more goals in 3 of their last 5 games. Off one of their biggest wins in years, they are feeling good about themselves and can't wait to get back on the ice.

The Florida Panthers won again last night. Off 3 straight wins, they have been playing well. The problem is that they are only 13-18 (-11.2) their last 31 tries when playing with 0 days rest.

The Sabres are 4-2 their past 6 tries off a shutout win. They are also 17-3-1 when scoring first in games this season and their starting goalie Luukkonen has 3 shutouts (1.60 GAA and .941 save percentage) in his last 12 games. Let's Go, Buffalo!

Here is a case of 2 teams going in different directions. The Minnesota Wild have won 3 in a row and 6 of their last 8. The Arizona Coyotes are 0-6 their last 6 games. With 28 goals allowed in those 6 games, at least 3 in each, the Coyotes can't keep the puck out of the net. None of Minnesota's last 7 opponents have scored more than 3 goals.

The Wild have been waiting for this game and not just because Arizona is struggling. The Coyotes humiliated them 6-0 at Minnesota in January. At the time, the Wild were mired in a 1-7-1 stretch and they had just gotten Kaprizov back from injury for his first game back. Now the healthier and hotter team, the Wild will take advantage of the winnable road game and avenge last month's blowout. **CENTRAL GOY**

These teams both have trouble scoring at times. The Coyotes average 2.8 goals per game on the road. The Flyers average 2.8 goals per game at home. This season's first meeting had three first period goals but still only finished at 4-1.

The Flyers may have lost their previous starting netminder for a while but they are still getting exemplary goal-tending. They've conceded only 4 total goals thier last 3 games. None of those finished with more than 5 combined goals. Samuel Ersson has been sharp and his backup Cal Petersen came through with a strong performance when called upon last game. The surging Flyers will make scoring difficult for an Arizona team which is missing some attacking pieces. That will help keep this game under the total!

The Hurricanes are an elite team. They responded to their 3-2 loss against Vancouver by hammering Colorado, one of the best teams in hockey, by a 5-2 score. They are a profitable 65-37 the last few seasons, after scoring 4 or more goals in their previous game.

The Devils are missing a number of important players right now. The missing defense is leading to a lot of goals allowed. They gave up 5 goals last game. That's 28 goals allowed in their last 6 games, a minimum of 3 in each. That many goals allowed won't cut it against a Carolina club which has conceded 2 or less in 4 of its last 5 games, 3 in the other.

The Hurricanes own the Devils here. They are 7-1 the last 8 meetings in Raleigh. Nothing changes today.

The Penguins are 54-33 to the under the last few seasons, 13-10 this year, when playing on the road with a total of 6 or more. The Wild are 14-9 to the under at home, when the total was 6 or more.

Both teams are playing a low-scoring brand of hockey since the All Star Break. The Penguins last 3 games, all unders, have averaged, 3.3 goals. Minnesota's last 3 games, also all unders, have averaged 4.33 goals. The Wild are now 16-8 to the under their last 24 in the month of February.

Remember that Minnesota goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury played for the Penguins for many years. The under trend continues for another night!

If the playoffs started today, both these teams would be on the outside looking in. Washington still believes and expects to make a playoff push. Montreal is further back and knows its chances are bleak. The recent trade of center Sean Monahan for draft picks shows they're already thinking about the future. With Brendan Gallagher, another center, serving a suspension, the Habs are weak up the middle.

The Capitals were struggling before the break but are going to be ready to go tonight. Ovechkin will lead the way. The Capitals captain commented: "Right now you can see everybody's fresh, everybody's happy to be back and Tuesday's going to be a great day to play hockey." The Capitals are 3-0 the last 3 meetings here, outscoring Montreal 18-6. They will make it 4 in a row tonight.

Sometimes, you need to take what the books are giving you. These teams never have totals of 7 when they play each other. A glance at the past 10 meetings reveals most 6.5s. The last meeting had a total of 6 and it finished with 6. We're getting a whole extra goal tonight.

The Red Wings have allowed 2 goals or less in consecutive games and 5 of their last 7. The Senators have allowed 3 or less in 6 of their last 7. This game goes Under!

Here's a situation where Carolina playing 2 games in 2 days works in our favor. If the Hurricanes were not in that situation, they would be laying a far greater price. Can they win 2 games in 2 days? Absolutely. They just beat a much better team last night. They won't squander that by giving away a winnable game against an opponent which they dominate here.

The Hurricanes may be playing 2 games in 2 days but they are on home ice and they are far healthier than the Devils. They had 2 days off before yesterday's game. They are 54-28 (+10.9) in divisional games the last few seasons and they are 6-1 their last 7 home games against the Devils. Let's go Hurricanes!

We won with the Devils last night. It was a favorable matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. At the time, I mentioned that Columbus was only 2-10 after scoring 4 or more goals though, 20-52 (-24.4) in that situation the last few seasons. This is a far more difficult matchup.

I didn't mind backing the Devils on the road last night because they are actually much better away from NJ. I mentioned that they'd been -240 when they hosted Columbus but that the price was much lower due to the game being on the road. This time, it works the other way. We're able to get Dallas, a better team which is rested, at a bargain price compared to what the price would be, if the Stars were hosting. For the record, the Devils are 14-7-1 on the road but 9-10-2 at home.

The Devils are 0-5 the last 5 times that they played 2 games in two nights. You'd be 5-0 if playing against them each time they were in that situation since the start of December. They gave up 6, 5, 5, 4 and 6 goals in those game.

Road team won both games last season. Rested and off a loss, the Stars will bounce back and take this one.

Two really bad teams. Do they even want to win? If so, who wants it more? In my estimation, its better not to lose sleep over the side and instead to focus on the total.

These teams are bad in no small part to their defense. The Sharks give up 4.05 goals per game. That's the most in entire NHL and the number climbs to 4.3 goals allowed per road game. The Blackhawks aren't far behind. They allow 3.65 goals per game, 4th worst in the NHL.

The last 3 meetings all finished with 7 goals. This one finishes with 6 or more, the over moving to 7-3 the past 10 times that Chicago played with 2 day's rest in between games.

This is a big total. Too big. Neither team was pleased with its number of goals allowed last game. Both will be looking to clean that up. Buffalo has already gone under 12 of 19 times, after giving up 4 or more goals. The Senators are 12-8 to the under after allowing 4 or more goals. For the past few seasons, Ottawa is 51-36 to the under after allowing 4 or more goals.

The Sabres are also 12-7 to the under when playing a home game with a total of 6 or more. The Sabres score less at home (2.8 gpg) than on the road. The under is 12-7 in their home games. Lastly, the under is 7-1-1 the past 3 seasons when these divisional foes have faced each other. Go with the Under! ***Atlantic Div TOY***

The Golden Knights won the first meeting 7-0. The Avalanche are 10-3 to the under in 13 tries when playing with revenge. Over the past few seasons, Colorado is 44-26-1 to the under, when in a revenge situation.

The Golden Knights haven't played in some time. They are 2-1 to the under when having had 3 or more day's off. They are also 12-5-1 to the under against winning teams.

Before the 7-0 game, the previous six meetings between these teams had all finished with 5 goals or less. The under was 6-0. This game will be low-scoring! ***NHL TOW***

You guys know I like the Boston Bruins. I backed them in their last game. This is a team that they could face in the Stanley Cup Finals though and there are a few important factors that favor Colorado.

The Avalanche are much better at home than Boston is on the road. Colorado is 16-5 at home. Boston is 12-8 on the road.

The Avalanche lost their last game 8-4 and they are 30-12 (+12.1) their last 42 tries, when off a loss by 2 or more goals.

Over the same time-frame, the Avalanche are 51-30 in non-conf. games and 49-27 after allowing 4 or more goals. Embarrassed from giving up 8 goals and from being swept by the Bruins last year, they will deliver an appropriate response! ***NON-CONF GOW****

These are 2 good teams but the Bruins have a few important things working for them. They play at home. Not only are the Bruins extremely tough in their own building but the Lightning are poor on the road.

The Bruins are healthier. Tampa's injury list is rather lengthy. The Bruins are off a loss in their last game and they also lost in OT, at Tampa earlier. Both those events will assure their very best performance today. Go with BOSTON! ***ATLANTIC DIV GOM***

Capitals are underdogs on the money-line which allows the opportunity to play them at +1.5 goals on the puck-line. We saw how valuable those extra +1.5 goals can be yesterday, as I cashed in with the Islanders in a game where they lost 5-4.

Washington won last night and got some of its mojo back. The Devils are partly such big favorites because of the Capitals playing for a second straight day. They've won 6 of 7 games in that situation this season and the only loss came by a 1 goal. Four of their last 5 tries, including each of the past 3, when playing 2 games in 2 days, resulted in 1-goal games.

The Capitals have dominated division rivals this season, including 2 wins at New Jersey.

None of the Devils last 9 visits here have resulted in a NJ win by more than a goal. 7 of the past 8 meetings here have been 1 goal games including each of the last 4. Play Washington on puck-line! ***METRO DIV GOM***

The first outdoor game ever played in Seattle will be a good one. They're expecting a great turnout to see the Kraken host the defending Stanley Cup champions. I won't worry about who wins but I really like the total. Even if the ice conditions aren't an issue, this has all the makings of a defensive game.

This will be the 4th meeting since the start of 2023. Two in April and one in October. Scores of those games were 4-1, 3-1 and 3-1.

Vegas has scored 3 goals or less in three straight games. Seven goals over the 3-game span. Seattle has scored 3 or fewer goals in 6 straight games. During those 6 games, the Kraken scored just 14 goals. Their last 4 games had scores of 2-1, 2-1, 3-1 and 3-2. Go with the Under. **NHL TOM**

Buffalo fought hard to win yesterday. Ottawa had the day off. Buffalo is 13-24 last 37 tries in a back-to-back. The Senators have won 2 of their last 3. After this comes a long road trip. They need a win before they go. They play with revenge from an early season loss to the Sabres. Ottawa had a 38-24 edge in shots in that game. Senators win this one! ***Atlantic Div GOW***

The Kings are going to want this game more than the Oilers. They just lost to Vegas, the defending champs, and will be looking to restore order to close out the year. They also face the Oilers for the first time since Edmonton eliminated them (for the 2nd straight year) in the playoffs.

Though the Oilers have been hot, they are still only 16-15-1. The Kings are 20-8-4. We're getting the team with the best winning percentage in the West, coming in with a score to settle, against a team barely only .500. And we don't even have to lay a big price.

I like the Oilers but they won't be ready for what they encounter tonight. LA is the best defensive team in hockey. The Kings allow only 2.34 goals per game. Edmonton allows 3.31. per game. This is an LA team committed to defense. Coach Todd McLellan said this after the 3-2 Vegas loss: "For me, the disappointment wasn't not getting three goals, it was giving up three." Kings win. ***Western Conf. GOM***

Previous meetings this season have had totals of 6 instead of 5.5. The lower number offers us excellent line value.

New York's last game had 7 goals. The previous game had 9. Three of the Capitals last 4 road games versus the Islanders have finished with at least 6 goals.

Washington allowed 5 goals last game. The Capitals have struggled to score in recent games and will be pleased to know that the Islanders are missing a few defensemen.

The Islanders are 20-14-1 to the over this season. Go with the over. ***TOTAL OF WEEK***

I like the Oilers. They've got some great talent and they're fun to watch. Last night's 3rd period outburst was impressive. The Oilers are in a difficult spot tonight though. They're in busy New York City playing their final game before Christmas. They beat New Jersey last night. The Rangers had the day off. The Rangers have the best record in the Eastern Conference. They have been far more consistent than Edmonton and they already beat the Oilers 3-0. The Rangers are 3-0 their past 3 games, outscoring teams 12-4. They won 5-1 the last time that they were on home ice. The Oilers have been fortunate to avoid back-to-back situations and aren't used to playing in them. They will feel it in their legs tonight. ***DECEMBER GAME OF MONTH***

The Capitals have been playing great defense. They won 2-1 at Carolina last game. That was the 3rd time in 5 games that they allowed 2 goals or less. The Washington penalty kill is 19 of 20 in those 5 games. There was some talk of fatigue but the Capitals battled through it. They'll be fresh tonight after having the past 2 days off. That is not the case for their guests. The Islanders are off an upset win of the Oilers last night, getting outshot 31-21. The Islanders are winless this season, when playing 2 games in 2 nights. They've got a few defensive injuries and those will be noticed in the back-to-back spot. With Sorokin playing last night, Varlamov is likely to be in goal. He struggled against Montreal last game and the Capitals beat him last time they saw him. Washington wins! ***METRO DIV. GOY***

The Golden Knights are the defending champions. The Golden Knights have the top record. So, why are Hurricanes favored? Because this is an exceptional team which is 53-23 its last 76 home games with a total of 6 or more, 47-29 its last 76 against Western Conference opposition. The Hurricanes are the healthier team. They are playing at home and they are hell-bent on snapping their losing streak and beating the champs. They'll do it! ***NHL GOW***

Both the Senators and the Knights will look to improve their number of goals allowed today. The last time that the Senators were off 3 straight losses, they responded with a 2-0 win. The last time that the Knights allowed 5 or more goals, they responded with a 4-1 win. The Knights allow only 2.48 goals per game, 3rd best in the NHL. They kill 87.3% of their penalties. Only Boston is better. Ottawa's last 3 visits to Sin City have finished with scores of 3-2, 2-1 and 4-1. All 3 of those games went under the total and this one will too. ***NHL TOW***

This is the lowest total of any of Thursday's hockey games. The rest have totals of 6 or more. Turning a 6 into a win instead of a push or loss is a big deal. Washington's last game finished with 6 goals. Two of the Capitals last 4 games have landed on that number. Three of their last 4 have finished with more than 5.5 goals. The last 10 meetings between these teams have also all had total lines of 6 or more. Capital road games average 5.9 goals on the season. Same goes for Flyer home games. Washington's last visit to the Philadelphia resulted in a 5-3 final, Travis Konecny recording a hat trick for the home team. This one will also finish over the total! ***Metro Div TOM***

Seattle has a scoring problem. The problem is that the Kraken can't score. They average only 2.52 goals a game. That's 4th worst in the NHL. Last game, they scored 0. They have scored 3 or less every time, in losing each of their 8 games. Over their last 5 games, they've scored only 6 combined goals. The Panthers are difficult to score against. They only permit 2.4 goals per road game. 8 of 14 road games have gone under. This season's earlier game finished at 3-2. Florida's visit here last December finished at 5-1. They won't even get that many tonight. ***NHL TOM***

Leafs are a bargain at this price. Toronto comes off a shutout win. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said: "In the second period, especially, our game started to really come and I thought we really took care of the puck and made sure we just were wearing them down and not really let their game get started offensively. I just loved our second period and that set us up for the third, which the guys took care of well." The Maple Leafs outshot the Predators 37-18 and 18-5 in the 3rd period. It was the first time in almost 10 years that they shutout an opponent on 18 or fewer shots. Toronto wins again! ***NHL GOW***

You've heard me say it before. Anytime that the Maple Leafs are priced this low, I'm going to take a closer look. In this case, a closer look reveals that this is a strong spot. The Leafs are rested and playing with revenge from an earlier loss. Toronto was last in action on December 2nd, losing to Boston. The Leafs are 10-4 their past 14 tries with 3 or more day's rest. Over the same period, the Leafs are 50-29 after allowing 4 or more goals. Ottawa is 30-40 after scoring 4 or more and only 29-54 against winning teams. Throw in a 22-10 record for Toronto when playing with revenge from a home loss and you see why this play is so strong. ***Atlantic Division GOM***

The Penguins beat the Lightning 4-2 last week. At the time, Tampa was mired in a losing streak. Since, the Penguins have dropped both ends of a home and home with the Flyers. They are 27-36 (-23.7) last 2 seasons, when off a division game. The Lightning snapped their losing streak last game with an important 4-0 revenge win over Dallas. Now 19-7 (+9.5) their last 26 December games, they will get another revenge win over the Penguins. ***Eastern Conf. GOM***

The Kings have been remarkable on the road but they won't be excited about a visit to Ohio. The Kings have played in Columbus 4 times the last 4 seasons. The Blue Jackets won the first by a 4-1 score. The last 3 games here all were tied after regulation. The Jackets ended up winning 2 of those. The last time that the Kings won a game here by more than 1 goal was back in 2017. The Blue Jackets have scored 18 goals in winning 3 of their last 4 at home. Columbus' Boone Jenner, who leads the team in goals said: "I think we've got to use the momentum when we have it." The Jackets will carry their home ice momentum into this one and have a strong chance of handing the Kings their first road loss. ***Non-Conf. GOW***

Allowing only 2.35 goals per game, 2nd fewest in the NHL, Los Angeles has been an under team. The Kings last two game had scores of 4-0 and 2-1. They are 8-1-1 to the under their last 10 games. Colorado played last night. The game started high-scoring but had no goals from mid-way through the second period right up until the shootout. Last time that the Avalanche played for the 2nd time in 2 days, the final score was 3-1. This game goes under! ***WESTERN CONF TOY***

The Canadiens won 3-2 when they hosted the Red Wings on November the 9th. The Red Wings are a much stronger team and they are playing much better at the moment. They will have a chip on their shoulders for this Original 6 rematch. Since the Nov. 9 meeting, Montreal has really struggled. Detroit has been mostly winning. The Canadiens injury list is lengthy. They are 26-62 their last 88 tried against winning teams. The Red Wings will improve to 9-5 their last 14 in the revenge role! ***Revenge GOM***

Ottawa scored 0 last game and has managed 5 goals total its last 3 games. Averaging 2.88 goals, Columbus is one of the lower-scoring teams in the league. The Jackets scored 2 last game which marked the third time in 4 games that they scored less than 3 goals. None of the last 9 meetings have exceeded 7 goals. Six games since 2022 have averaged less than 5 goals each. Under is 5-1 in Blue Jackets last 6 vs. a team with a losing record. Blue Jackets are also 4-1 to the under last 5 tries when playing with 1 day's rest in between games. This game goes Under! ***EASTERN CONF TOM***