I had a great night on the NHL on Thursday night, going 11-5-1 to win 3.68 units. After a nice Friday off today we have the last huge Saturday with the first 16 game slate in history with every team in action. Let’s have a day!
Sabres vs. Hurricanes (12:30)
This matchup isn’t the best spot for the Sabres. We made it to April 8th without an elimination scenario, which is the best we’ve been since 2011, but there is one today as we’ll be officially eliminated from playoff contention with a regulation loss and wins from the Panthers and Islanders. Coming off an electric 7-6 shootout win in Detroit on Thursday night, the Sabres have picked up at least a point in six of their last seven games with a 5-1-1 record in that span to improve to 38-32-7 on the season. Buffalo’s young offense has been fantastic this year, ranking third in the NHL in scoring but the defense has been terrible. The Hurricanes are having a great season, with their spot in the playoffs clinched and a point lead over the Devils for first place in the Metro Division with a 40-19-9 record. They’re coming off a 3-0 shutout loss in Nashville on Thursday to end their three game win streak. Carolina’s played very good on both ends of the ice, especially defensively as one of the most elite defensive teams in the NHL. The Canes beat us in both previous games between these teams this season, winning 5-3 at home on November 4th and then 5-1 in Buffalo on February 1st. I’d lean they beat us again to complete the season sweep today and would lean the over, but as a Sabres fan, not enough to bet either. I considered an emotional hedge on the Hurricanes team total, but I’ll just stay off this game completely.
Red Wings vs. Penguins (1:00)
This should be an interesting matchup with the Penguins looking to keep their playoff hopes alive, a point back from the Panthers and Islanders for a Wild Card spot in the East, while the Red Wings try to complete their season sweep of Pittsburgh. I broke this game down in depth in my article on StatSalt. Like I said I that article, I expect the Pens to win on the road to get those two crucial points and will take them for half a unit. I also like the over, which I’ll take for half a unit as well.
Stars vs. Golden Knights (3:30)
This should be a fantastic game between two of the best teams in the Western Conference with the Knights looking to hold Western Conference lead while Stars look to complete season sweep of Vegas. I broke this game down in depth in my article on StatSalt and as I said in that article, I’d lean the Stars win at home and the under, but not enough to bet either, so I’ll stay off this game entirely. Should be a good one to watch though.
Sharks vs. Oilers (4:00)
This is a huge mismatch out in the Pacific Division. The Oilers are comfortably in second place in the division, three points back from Vegas to lead the Western Conference with a 47-23-9 record. Coming off a 3-1 win in Anaheim on Wednesday night, they’re on a six game win streak and a twelve game point streak with an 11-0-1 record in that span. Led by the best hockey player in the world in Connor McDavid, who’s running away with every offensive award the league has, Edmonton’s offense is easily the best in the NHL, but their defense and goaltending has been inconsistent at best. The Sharks are one of the worst teams in the NHL with a 22-40-16 record. They had a four game point streak come to an end on Thursday night, losing 6-2 at home to the Avalanche. San Jose has been terrible statistically on both ends of the ice. The Oilers won both previous games between these teams this season, winning in a 7-1 on the road on January 13th and then winning 5-4 at home in overtime on March 20th. I like them to win easily again on the road tonight. The moneyline at -285 is too pricey, but I’ll take them in regulation for a unit along with their team total over 4 for half a unit.
Coyotes vs. Ducks (5:30)
What a shitty game this is. Could have some big meaning though in the Bedard sweepstakes with two of the worst teams in the NHL. The Coyotes have a 27-38-13 record (still a bit too good to be a favorite in the Bedard sweepstakes though). Coming off a 4-2 loss in Seattle on Thursday, the Yotes are on an eight game losing streak. They’ve been surprisingly good at home though where they have a 20-14-4 record. Arizona’s struggled mightily on both ends of the ice this season. The Ducks are on an nine game losing streak, dropping to 23-45-10 on the season after a 3-1 loss at home to the Oilers on Wednesday. Anaheim has statistically been one of the worst teams in the NHL on both ends of the ice. The Ducks won both previous games between these teams this season, winning 5-2 on the road in Arizona on January 24th and then winning 2-1 in overtime at home on January 28th. I’d lean the Yotes win this one at home and the over, but not enough to bet on this garbage matchup.
Blue Jackets vs. Rangers (7:00)
This is a huge mismatch. Although the Rangers are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in St. Louis on Thursday night, they’re having a great season, in third place in the Metro Division with their spot in the playoffs clinched with a 46-21-12 record, likely facing the Devils in the first round. The Rags have been hot lately with an 11-2-3 record in their last 16 games. New York’s played really well on both ends of the ice this year. The Blue Jackets on the other hand have been awful, right in the Bedard sweepstakes with a 24-46-8 record. Coming off an 8-1 blowout loss in Jersey on Thursday night, they have just one win in their last seven games. Columbus has been awful on both ends of the ice this season. The Rangers lead the season series between these teams 2-1 this season, losing 5-1 at home on October 23rd, winning 3-1 on the road on January 16th, and then winning 6-2 at home on March 28th. I’d expect another Rags win tonight on the road. The price on them at -275 is too expensive, but I’ll take the Rangers in regulation for a unit along with half a unit on their team total over 3.5. I’d lean the over on the game but not enough to bet it and have to rely on the Jackets scoring.
Senators vs. Lightning (7:00)
This should be a fun game. The Lightning have their spot and matchup set for the playoffs, locked into third place in the Atlantic Division with their first round matchup against the Leafs officially in place. They’re coming off back to back losses on the road, losing 6-3 against the Rangers on Wednesday and then 6-1 against the Isles on Thursday, falling to 45-28-6 record on the season. Tampa’s offense has been very good this season and although their defense is still pretty good, it definitely took a big step back from the last several seasons. The Senators have been eliminated from playoff contention, coming off a 7-2 blowout loss to the Panthers on the road on Thursday, they are on a four game losing streak with just four wins in their last 15 games to fall to 37-35-7 on the season. Ottawa has been slightly below league average on both ends of the ice. These teams split their first two games this season, with the Bolts winning 4-3 at home on November 1st and the Sens answering back with a 7-2 blowout win on home ice on March 23rd. I’d expect the Lightning, as the much better team in this matchup to answer back with a win on the road tonight and will take them for half a unit. The play I really like on this game though is the over, which I’ll take for a unit.
Maple Leafs vs. Canadiens (7:00)
This isn’t a good matchup in the slightest. The Leafs have their second place spot in the Atlantic Division locked in with their first round rematch in the playoffs against the Lightning set, and I expect them to finally win this one to get out of that first round this year. They’re 46-21-11 on the season, coming off a 2-1 overtime loss in Boston on Thursday night. Toronto’s been fantastic on both ends of the ice this year. The Habs on the other hand have been horrible, in last place in the Atlantic with a 31-42-6 record. On Thursday night they ended a four game losing streak with a 6-2 win at home against the Capitals (loss for me), just their fifth win in their last 19 games. Montreal has really struggled on both ends of the ice this season. The Canadiens won both of the first two games between these teams at home this season, winning 4-3 on October 12th and then 3-2 in overtime on January 21st, before the Leafs answered back with a 5-1 blowout win at home on February 18th. They should win easily again tonight. The prices on this game are so expensive at -375 on the moneyline and -220 in regulation, especially with this game being meaningless. I’ll still take Toronto on the puck line though for half a unit.
Capitals vs. Panthers (7:00)
The Panthers are on fire right now, holding the first Wild Card spot in the East, tied in points with the Islanders and a point ahead of the Penguins. They have a 41-31-7 record on the season and have played great hockey lately on a five game win streak, coming off a huge 7-2 win (triple winner for me) at home against the Senators on Thursday night. Florida’s offense has been fantastic all season, but their defense and goaltending has been inconsistent at best. The Capitals have missed the playoffs for just the second time since 2008 this season, coming into tonight’s game with a 34-35-9 record on the year. They’re on a five game losing streak with just one win in their last nine games, coming off a pathetic 6-2 loss in Montreal on Thursday night. Washington’s played well defensively this season but they’ve really struggled to score. Florida won both previous games between these teams this season by three goals, winning 5-2 at home on November 15th, and then winning 6-3 on the road on February 16th. I’d expect them to complete the season sweep tonight and continue to hold their Wild Card spot. The price on this game is cheaper than I expected and I’ll take the Panthers moneyline for 1.5 units along with the puck line for half a unit and their team total over 3.5 for half a unit. I’d lean the over on the game but not enough to bet it.
Jets vs. Predators (7:00)
This is a very important game in the Western Conference standings for this Central Division matchup. The Predators are just a point back from the Flames and the Jets for the second and final Wild Card spot remaining in the West. Coming off a 3-0 win at home against the Hurricanes (loss for me), they’ve won three of their last four games to improve to 40-30-8 on the season. Nashville’s been good defensively this season with an elite goalie in Juuse Saros but their offense has struggled all year. On Wednesday night in a crucial game against the Flames, the Jets lost 3-1 but are still hanging onto that Wild Card spot with the tie breaker over Calgary. They’re 43-32-3 on the season and have struggled recently with just eight wins in their last 21 games. Winnipeg’s been good defensively this year, backstopped by an elite goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, but their offense has sucked. The Jets lead the season series 2-1 between these teams this season, winning 2-1 in overtime on December 15th at home, the Preds answering back 2-1 on January 24th, and then the Jets won again in overtime 3-2 in Nashville on March 18th. I’d slightly lean the Predators win on the road today as they’ve been playing better hockey as of late, but not enough to bet it. I love the under in this matchup though which I will take for 1.5 units.
Islanders vs. Flyers (7:30)
Not the best game here and a pretty boring matchup at that. The Islanders still hold a Wild Card spot in the East, tied in points with the Panthers with a point lead over the Penguins. Coming off a dominant 6-1 win at home against the Lightning on Thursday, they’re 40-30-9 on the season. The Isles offense has been pretty pathetic the entire season but their defense and the goaltending from Ilya Sorokin has been fantastic this year. The Flyers have had a bad season, eliminated from playoff contention with a 29-36-13 record. They’re on a five game losing streak, coming off a 4-1 loss in Dallas on Thursday night. Philly’s struggled on both ends of the ice this season, especially offensively. The Isles lead the season series between these Metro Division teams 2-1, winning 5-2 at home on November 26th, losing 3-1 in Philly on November 29th, and then winning 2-1 on the road on February 6th. I expect them to win at home tonight to hang onto their Wild Card spot and will take them in regulation for 1.5 units. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it.
Bruins vs. Devils (8:00)
This should be a great matchup tonight. The President’s Trophy winning Bruins are easily the best team in the NHL this season, with a record breaking year, coming into tonight’s game as just the fourth team in history to hit 60 wins in a season, with a 61-12-5 record. They’re on a four game win streak with just one loss in their last twelve games, coming off a 2-1 overtime win at home against the Leafs on Thursday night and they have been fantastic at home, where they have a 32-4-3 record. They’re the best defensive team in the NHL this season and the second best offensive team in the league behind the Oilers. The Devis are on fire, sitting just a point back from the Hurricanes for the Metro Division lead with a 50-21-8 record and their spot in the playoffs clinched. They’ve won four of their last five games, coming off an 8-1 blowout win at home against the Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Jersey’s been fantastic on both ends of the ice this year. Boston won both previous games between these teams on the road this season, winning 4-3 on December 23rd and 3-1 on December 28th. I’d slightly lean the Devils win here on the road with much more motivation on their side, while the B’s are pretty much playing for nothing. I’d also slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet on it either. So I will just stay off this game entirely. Should be a fun one.
Wild vs. Blues (8:00)
Last year this would have been an incredible matchup in the Central Division, but there isn’t much luster to it this season. The Wild have been fantastic this season with their spot in the playoffs clinched, in third place in the Central, two points back from the Avs and Stars with a 44-24-10 record. They’re on a three game losing streak currently though, coming off a 4-1 loss in Pittsburgh on Thursday night. Despite that losing streak, Minnesota’s on fire lately, one of the hottest teams in the NHL right now with a 16-3-5 record in their last 24 games. They’ve been elite defensively all season and although their offense has struggled plenty at points this season, they’ve been good the last month or so even without Karill the thrill in the lineup and he returns to their lineup tonight. The Blues are having a disappointing year with a 37-35-7 on the season and were big sellers before the deadline. They are coming off a 3-2 overtime win at home against the Rangers on Thursday and have played pretty well recently, with an 8-2-2 record in last twelve games. The offense for St. Louis has been decent but their defense has been horrendous. The Wild are 2-1 this season against the Blues, winning 5-2 on the road on December 31st, getting shut out 3-0 at home in Minnesota on January 8th, and then winning 8-5 in St. Louis on March 15th. I’d expect the Wild to end their losing streak here and will take them in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Kraken vs. Blackhawks (10:00)
This is a huge mismatch in the West, the biggest on tonight’s slate. The Kraken officially clinched their spot in the playoffs on Thursday night with a 4-2 win at home against the Coyotes, extending their win streak to three with four wins in their last five games, coming into tonight’s game with a 44-26-8 record. Seattle has been good offensively all season but inconsistent defensively. The Blackhawks are one of the worst teams in the NHL, right in the Bedard sweepstakes (although I doubt Gary let’s them win it…rigged) with a 25-47-6 record. Coming off a 3-0 shutout loss in Vancouver on Thursday night, they have just one win in their last night games. Chicago’s been awful on both ends of the ice. These teams split their two previous games this season in Chicago, both very high scoring games, with the Blackhawks winning 5-4 at home on October 23rd and the Kraken answering back with an 8-5 win on the road on January 14th. I’d expect an easy win for Seattle here tonight. The prices on the moneyline at -375 and the regulation line at -230 are way too expensive to me, but I’ll take the Kraken puck line and the Kraken team total over 3.5 for a unit each. I’d lean the over on the game, but I’ll just stick to the Seattle sides here.
Canucks vs. Flames (10:00)
Interesting Pacific Division matchup here. The Flames are coming off a crucial 3-1 win in Winnipeg on Wednesday night to tie the Jets in points (but the Jets have the tiebreaker) for the second and only remaining Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with a 37-27-15 record. They’ve been disappointing for a bulk of the season but they’ve played really well recently with just one loss in their last six games. Calgary hasn’t been all that great on either end of the ice. The Canucks have had a disappointing season, coming into tonight’s game eliminated from playoff contention with a 35-36-7 record. They ended a four game losing streak on Thursday night with a 3-0 shutout win at home against the Blackhawks. Vancouver hasn’t been too bad recently even with that losing streak, with an 11-4-2 record in their last 17 games. The Canucks have been good offensively all season, but terrible defensively. Calgary leads the season series between these teams 2-0-1, all close games, losing 4-3 in a shootout at home on December 14th, winning 3-2 on December 31st at home and then winning 5-4 in overtime in Vancouver on March 31st. I’d lean the Flames win here again to keep their playoff hopes alive and would lean the over as well, but neither enough to bet on, so I’ll just stay off this matchup completely.
Kings vs. Avalanche (10:30)
This should be a great game in the Western Conference to finish off today’s gigantic slate with two teams with their spots in the playoffs clinched. The Avalanche has been great once again this year to defend their Cup title. They’re tied in points with Dallas to lead the Central Division, with a 47-24-6 record. They have twelve wins in their last 14 games, coming into tonight’s game on a three game win streak after a dominant 6-2 win in San Jose on Thursday night. Colorado has played really well on both ends of the ice. The Kings are in third place in the Pacific with a 45-24-10 record, coming off a 5-2 loss in Vegas on Thursday night. LA’s been good offensively, but they’ve been inconsistent on the back end this season. The Kings won both previous games between these teams this season on the road, winning 5-4 in a shootout on December 29th and then winning 5-2 on March 9th. I expect the Avs to avoid the season sweep here on the road and will take them for half a unit. I’d slightly lean the over but not enough to bet it.
Game Bets
.5u Penguins ML (-180)
.5u Penguins/Red Wings over 6.5 (-110)
1u Oilers in regulation (-175)
.5u Oilers TT over 4 (-143)
1u Rangers in regulation (-165)
.5u Rangers TT over 3.5 (-180)
.5u Lightning ML (-135)
1u Lightning/Senators over 6.5 (-125)
.5u Maple Leafs -1.5 (-143)
1.5u Panthers ML (-190)
.5u Panthers -1.5 (+145)
.5u Panthers TT over 3.5 (-141)
1.5u Jets/Predators under 6 (-150)
1.5u Islanders in regulation (-157)
1u Wild in regulation (-141)
1u Kraken -1.5 (-157)
1u Kraken TT over 3.5 (-175)
.5u Avalanche ML (-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 York Rangers – Stanley Cup Champions (+1300)
1u New Jersey Devils – Stanley Cup Champions (+1600)
.5u Minnesota Wild – Stanley Cup Champions (+2000)
1u Minnesota Wild – Western Conference Champions (+800)
Record: 686-555-29 (-52.78 units)
Please follow me:
Instagram: @atownszone
Twitter: @atownszone
TikTok: @atownszone
If you like the site and my work, share it with your friends!
… and tell Dave Portnoy to hire me…
A Town's Zone 