Nice mini sweep for me on the NHL last night to bounce back from Tuesday, as I went 2-0 on the small three game slate to win 1.5 units. Let’s keep it rolling on tonight’s solid seven game slate!
Bruins vs. Canucks (7:00)
Really good cross conference matchup to get the night started with the two best teams in the NHL. The Bruins, who came out of the All Star break on Tuesday with a 4-1 loss to the Flames, lead the Eastern Conference and have been fantastic this year on both ends of the ice. The only team in the league that has a better record than them are their 2011 Cup Finals rival, the Canucks. Vancouver’s been incredible this year and came out of the break with a 3-2 win in Carolina on Tuesday. I think this game’s pretty much a toss up. I give a slight edge on both ends of the ice to the Canucks, but with this game in Boston, I think the home ice makes up for that. I’ll lay off the side in game, but it should be fantastic. I do like the under though, expecting it to be a grind, which I’ll take at 6.5 for half a unit.
Panthers vs. Capitals (7:00)
This matchup isn’t great. The Panthers have been fantastic this season, clearly not just capturing magic in a bottle last season and they’re likely my pick to come out of the East this season, playing really well on both ends of the ice this season, especially defensively. They came out of the All Star break on Tuesday with a 2-1 loss to the Flyers. The Capitals started the year off well but have since fallen offf, coming into tonight’s game on a five game losing streak, with just five wins in their last 18 games, coming off a 5-2 loss to the Habs on Tuesday night in their return from the All Star break. Their offense has been one of the worst in the league all season, but the defense has been decent. The first game between these teams in DC in November needed overtime with Florida getting a 4-3 win on the road. I like the Panthers to win this one even easier at home, as do the books with the line on this matchup set at -270, but I’ll take Florida in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it.
Devils vs. Flames (7:00)
This cross conference matchup isn’t great and I put both of these teams in similar categories, where they’re both still in the Wild Card race, but I don’t expect either team to actually make the playoffs. The Devils, who have dealt with a ton of significant injuries, surprised me quite a bit on Tuesday with a 5-3 win over the Avalanche. Their offense has been really good this season but their defense has sucked. The Flames are coming off a pretty surprising win out of the All Star break as well, beating the Bruins 4-1 on the road on Tuesday. They haven’t been all that great on either end of the ice. Jersey won the first game between these teams 4-2 on the road in Calgary in December. I’d lean the Devils win at home and the over in this matchup, but not enough to bet on anything here, so I’ll just stay off this game entirely.
Flyers vs. Jets (7:00)
This matchup looked a lot better a month ago, but this cross conference game isn’t all that exciting with both of these teams on lousy skids while still being in third place in their Divisions. The Flyers ended a five game losing streak on Tuesday with an impressive 2-1 win in Florida. Their offense has been terrible all year but their defense has been fantastic. The Jets have been great this season, but they come into tonight on. four game losing streak after a 3-0 loss to the Penguins on Tuesday. Statistically they’ve been solid on both ends of the ice. In the first game between these teams in Winnipeg in January, the Flyers won in a 2-0 shutout on the road. I like the Jets to answer back with a win on the road here to end their losing streak and tie the season series and I’ll take them for half a unit. I like the under even better though and I’ll take the alternate under 6 for a unit.
Hurricanes vs. Avalanche (7:00)
AWESOME cross conference matchup here between two fantastic teams. Although these teams are both coming off loses since returning from the All Star break, they’re two of the best teams in the NHL. The Hurricanes had their three game win streak end on Tuesday with a close 3-2 loss at home to the Canucks. The Avalanche are tied with the Stars at the top of the Central Division, but have come off two losses in a row on the road since returning from the All Star break, losing 5-3 to the Devils on Tuesday after a 2-1 overtime loss against the Rangers on Monday. The Avs won the first game between these two teams with a 6-4 win at home in October. Both of these teams have been very good on both ends of the ice, with a defensive edge to the Hurricanes and an edge offensively to the Avalanche. I think this game’s pretty much a toss up. I’ll stay off this one.
Islanders vs. Lightning (8:00)
Although this Eastern Conference game doesn’t look great on paper, I think it could probably be a fun game. The Islanders came out of the All Star break on Monday and ended a three game losing streak with a 3-2 win in Toronto in a close game, with Pierre Engvall scoring the game winner with just 2:02 left in the game. That was just their second win in their last nine games. The Isles have struggled on both ends of the ice. The Lightning are in the second half of a back to back tonight, coming off a 3-1 loss in MSG against the Rangers last night, ending a three game win streak with just their second loss in their last ten games. They’ve struggled a bit defensively but have been fantastic offensively this year. Even in the second half of a back to back, I like the Bolts to win here on the road and I like their price as a dog, which I’ll take for half a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Coyotes vs. Golden Knights (9:00)
Not the best Western Conference matchup to close out the night. The Coyotes haven’t been terrible this season, especially at home where they’re 15-9, but come back from the All Star break tonight after going into it on a three game losing streak. They’ve struggled a bit offensively, while being alright defensively. The Golden Knights have been great this year despite a ton of injuries. The defending Cup champs came back from the All Star break on Tuesday with a huge 3-1 win at home, ending the Oilers 16 game win streak. They’ve been good on both ends of the ice. The Yotes actually won the first game between these teams on the road at the Fortress earlier this season with a 2-0 shutout win in November. I like the Knights to answer back with a win here on the road and I’ll take them for a unit, at a cheaper price than I expected. I’d slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Game Bets
.5u Bruins/Canucks under 6.5 (-122)
1u Panthers in regulation (-162)
.5u Jets ML (-130)
1u Jets/Flyers under 6 (-145)
.5u Lightning ML (+120)
1u Golden Knights ML (-135)
Futures
4u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
Record: 385-351-10 (-61.78 units)
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