Came back from the three day Christmas break and took a minimal loss on the NHL, going 5-6, losing just 0.28 units. Tonight we have a five game slate. Let’s bounce back.
Lightning vs. Canadiens (7:00)
This is a huge mismatch to start off the night, with the Lightning as ridiculous -375 favorites at home against the Habs. The Bolts went into the Christmas break with back to back losses on the road in Detroit (7-4) on Wednesday and in Toronto (4-1) on Tuesday that ended their five game win streak. Prior to those two losses, they had won twelve of their prior 15 games to come into tonight’s game with a 20-11-1 record in third place in the Atlantic Division. Tampa’s offense has been phenomenal this season but their defense and goaltending hasn’t quite been up to par with how good they were the last three years. The Habs, although much improved from last year have struggled this season. They went into the break on a 4-2 loss in Dallas where they gave up a 2-0 lead, allowing four unanswered goals in the final 25 minutes of the game. With just one win in their last six games, they come into tonight’s game with a 15-16-3 record. The Canadiens have struggled on both ends of the ice this season. In the first game between these teams this season on December 17th in Montreal, the Lightning won easily in a 5-1 game. I’d expect similar results tonight. The moneyline and regulation lines in this game are way too expensive for me but I’ll take the Lightning team total over 3.5 and the -1.5 puck lines for half a unit each.
Devils vs. Bruins (7:30)
I broke this game down in depth for my article on StatSalt. As I said in that article, I’d lean the Bruins get a win to bounce back from last night’s loss and I’ll take them for half a unit at the pick em price on the road in the second half of a back to back. Additionally, I like the under here with two of the top three defensive teams in the league facing off. I’ll take the under for half a unit as well.
Penguins vs. Red Wings (7:30)
Last night the Penguins returned from the Christmas break with their second loss in a row and third in their last four games with a 5-1 blowout loss on Long Island. Despite those losses, the Pens have played very well as of late with a 12-3-2 record in their last 17 games to come into tonight’s game with a 19-10-5 record on the season. Pittsburgh’s played awesome on offense all season and their defense and goaltending has improved a ton recently. The Red Wings went into the Christmas break with a big 7-4 win over the Lightning on Wednesday to end their six game losing streak. They are much improved from last year with a 14-11-7 record but they’re still not great and they’re playing lousy hockey right now. On the season they’ve been okay offensively but have struggled defensively. I’d expect the Penguins to bounce back from last night’s loss with a big win at home and will take the Pens in regulation for half a unit.
Ducks vs. Golden Knights (10:00)
This game matches up the best and worst teams in the Pacific Division. Last night the Golden Knights fell short in LA, losing 4-2 in a close game. Vegas is leading the Western Conference this season with a 24-12-1 record and they’ve played very good hockey on both ends of the ice. The Ducks on the other hand are the worst team in the NHL with a 9-22-4 record. They’re the second worst team in the league offensively and the worst defensively. This team’s awful, giving up the most goals, shots, expected goals and high dangers shots in the league. This is a fantastic bounce back spot for the Knights looking to rebound from last night’s loss in LA. Vegas got a 4-0 easy shutout win against the Ducks at home on October 28th and even with them on the road and in the second half of a back to back, I expect tonight’s game to be pretty easy for them as well. I’ll take the Golden Knights ML for 2 units and the puck line for a unit.
Kraken vs. Flames (10:00)
This is an interesting matchup. Last night the Flames returned from the Christmas break with a 2-1 loss at home in the Battle of Alberta. They’re struggling this season with a 16-13-7 record and outside of the playoffs. Calgary has been okay on both ends of the ice, but nothing fantastic. The Kraken went into the Christmas break with a 6-5 shootout loss in a great game in Vancouver last Thursday. They’re 18-10-4 on the season and have only picked up three wins in their last nine games. Their offense has been fantastic this season but they’ve struggled defensively. In a very entertaining game on November 1st the first time these teams played this season, the Flames blew a 4-2 lead in the third period, losing 5-4 in a game where they outshot Seattle 40-26. I’d lean the Kraken win here again with the Flames on the second half of a back to back but not enough to bet on it. I do like the over though with both teams trending over with decent offense and lousy defense. I will take for a unit.
Game Bets
.5u Lightning -1.5 (-132)
.5u Lighting TT over 3.5 (-165)
.5u Bruins ML (-120)
.5u Bruins/Devils under 6.5 (-120)
.5u Penguins in regulation (-125)
2u Golden Knights ML (-155)
1u Golden Knights -1.5 (+155)
1u Flames/Kraken over 6 (-120)
Futures
1u Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
1.5u Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Champions (+1100)
2u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1200)
1.5u Carolina Hurricanes – Stanley Cup Champions (+1300)
1u New Jersey Devils – Stanley Cup Champions (+1600)
Record: 229-207-6 (-30.62 units)
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