My bad week on the NHL continued last night with the Panthers blowing a 2-0 lead to lose to the Flyers. So I went 1-1, losing 1.16 units. Tonight we have a giant 13 game slate. Plenty of opportunities to bounce back. Let’s do it!

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Bruins vs. Lightning (7:00)

Decent game in the Atlantic to drop the puck on this big slate with these teams just two points apart fighting for third place in the Atlantic (although the Bruins have played four more games than Tampa already). The Bruins have been struggling lately. They ended a six game losing streak on Saturday afternoon in a game that I thought they got big time outplayed in but found a way to beat Florida 4-3. They were outshot 43-18, but after giving up the game tying goal with just three seconds left, David Pastrnak got the B’s the win on the power play with two seconds left in OT. Tampa is on a four game point streak, coming off a 5-2 win in Pittsburgh on Sunday. Last week when these teams played the first time in Tampa, the Lightning won 4-1. I like them to win here again on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it.

Maple Leafs vs. Stars (7:00)

Fantastic cross conference matchup between two playoff teams both playing great hockey. The Leafs are leading the Atlantic Division with a three point lead over the Panthers, but come into tonight off two losses in a row after a 3-0 shutout loss at home to the Canucks on Saturday in probably their worst game of the year. The Stars had a seven game win streak and nine game point streak come to an end on Sunday, losing 3-2 in Ottawa (giving me a losing day). Toronto won the first game between these teams 5-3 on the road in December. I feel like both the side and the total in this game are complete toss ups. Should be good to watch, but from a betting perspective I’m completely staying off it.

Red Wings vs. Sharks (7:00)

This game isn’t great but with the hot run the Red Wings are on right now, it does make it interesting. After a horrible start to the year, Detroit’s on a seven game win streak coming into tonight off a 6-2 win at home against the Kraken on Sunday. I know the only two good teams they faced in that span were the Caps and Jets, but it’s still an impressive run. The Sharks are one of the worst teams in the NHL, and come into tonight on a three game losing streak after a 3-1 loss at home to the Wild on Saturday (easy win for me) with just two wins in their last 13 games. The first game between these teams back in November needed overtime in San Jose, with the Sharks winning 5-4 at home. I like the Red Wings to answer back and I’ll take them in regulation for half a unit to keep the hot run going. I’d lean the under but not enough to bet them. 

Penguins vs. Kraken (7:00)

Quite the lousy cross conference matchup here with both of these teams playing lousy hockey this year. The Penguins are coming off two losses in a row after a 5-2 loss at home against the Lightning on Sunday, and have just one win in their last six games. They have picked up at least a point in 15 of their last 22 games, hanging in a lot of games that they lose. The Kraken are horrible too, with just three wins in their last 13 games, coming off a 6-2 loss in Detroit on Sunday. I’d lean Pittsburgh wins this game, but I’m not touching the side. I do like the over though since neither team can keep the puck out of their own net. I’ll take it at 6 for half a unit.

Capitals vs. Ducks (7:00)

Huge cross conference mismatch here. The Caps have been fantastic, with a five point lead over the Devils for first place in the Eastern Conference, and Ovi’s goal chase is absolutely in play for this season. They’re on a seven game point streak, coming off a 4-1 win in Nashville on Saturday and have been elite on both ends of the ice. The Ducks are one of the worst teams in the league, but have played slightly better lately. They’re coming off a surprising 3-2 overtime win in Carolina on Sunday, ending a three game losing streak. I like the Caps to win this one pretty easily and I’ll take them in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it.

Blue Jackets vs. Flyers (7:00)

This matchup isn’t great. The Blue Jackets are playing way better than anyone would’ve expected for them coming into the season. They’re right in the Wild Card mix in the West and on a four game win streak coming into tonight off a 2-1 win in St. Louis on Saturday (I loved the over in that game and didn’t even sniff it), with an 8-2-1 record in their last eleven games. The Flyers are in the second half of a back to back tonight, coming off two wins in a row after a four game losing streak, beating the Panthers 4-3 last night somehow after Florida blew a 2-0 lead in the first period. Philly won both previous games between these teams, winning 5-3 on the road and then 5-4 in OT at home. Especially with the Flyers in the second half of a back to back, I like Columbus to win this one at home and I’ll take the Jackets for half a unit. I like the over as well, which I’ll also take for half a unit.

Devils vs. Panthers (7:30)

Fantastic matchup between two of the top teams in the East, that could easily be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Devils are comfortably in a playoff spot, a point ahead of Carolina for second place in the Metro Division (with them, the Canes, and Caps all pretty much locked into the three spots in the division). They were in a slight slump on their West Coast road trip but have gone 2-0-1 in their last three games, coming off a 3-2 overtime win at home against the Lightning on Saturday. They’ve been fantastic on both ends of the ice. Florida’s let me down in two games in a row now, but the Cup Champs are still a very good team. Last night they blew a 2-0 early lead to lose 4-3 in Philly after they were the much better team but lost 4-3 to the Bruins on Saturday. The Devils won both previous games between these teams in Florida, winning 4-1 and 6-2 two days apart in November. Especially with the Panthers in the second half of a back to back, I’d lean Jersey wins this one, but I don’t like it enough to bet it. I’d also lean the under, but I think the better move is just staying off this game completely.

Islanders vs. Senators (7:30)

Terrible matchup here, who cares. The Islanders are in last place in the Metro and have been awful all year, but they come into tonight on a three game win streak after a 2-1 win in Utah on Saturday. After a slump of their own with just one win in seven games, the Sens are coming off two wins in a row as well, coming off a 3-2 win at home against the Stars on Sunday. The Isles won both previous games between these teams this year, both 4-2 on the road. Ottawa’s the better team in this game on both ends of the ice and I’d lean they avoid the season sweep here on the road. I’d lean the under, but I’m not touching this lousy game.

Blues vs. Flames (8:00)

This is a pretty boring cross conference matchup with both of these teams in the mix for the second Wild Card spot in the West. The Blues, coming off a 2-1 loss at home to the Blue Jackets on Saturday have been decent but not all that great lately, with five wins in their last nine games. The Flames are playing just slightly better. They’re on a three game win streak with six wins in their last nine games, in the second half of a back to back tonight coming off a 5-2 win in Chicago last night. The first game between these teams early in December went to overtime with the Blues winning 4-3 on the road. I think St. Louis is the better team here and especially with Calgary in the second half of a back to back, I’d lean the Blues win it, but I don’t think they’re worth the -170. I’d slightly lean the under, but I don’t like anything on this game enough to bet on.

Predators vs. Golden Knights (8:00)

This isn’t a great game by any means. The Predators blow and they’re one of the worst teams in the league, a gigantic disappointment. Coming off a 4-1 loss at home to the Capitals on Saturday they have just two wins in their last seven games and just six wins in their last 21 games. The Golden Knights on the other hand are fantastic, comfortably in first place in the Pacific as they lead the NHL. After two lousy losses at home to the Islanders and Rangers, they bounced back on Sunday night with a 4-1 win at home against the Wild. Vegas is by far the better team here and I’ll take the Knights for a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it. I considered taking the original misfit Marchessault to score against his former team but I don’t like it enough to bet on any Preds player to light the lamp.

Jets vs. Canucks (8:00)

I don’t think this is a great matchup but it could end up being a decent Western Conference game. The Jets have been very good this season, at the top of the Central Division and tied with Vegas for first place in the NHL. They’re in a mini slump though with a 2-2-2 record in their last six games, coming off shutting out the Avs 3-0 at home on Saturday. The Canucks have been pretty bad recently, ending a four game losing streak on Saturday with a 3-0 shutout win in Toronto, just their third win in their last twelve games. I like Winnipeg to win this one at home and I’ll take them for half a unit. I would lean the under, but I’m not touching it.

Avalanche vs. Rangers (9:00)

Lousy cross conference game here. The Avalanche have been solid, currently holding the first Wild Card spot in the West pretty comfortably. They’ll be playing for seeding the rest of the way with Dallas. Coming off getting shut out 3-0 in Winnipeg on Saturday, they’ve gone 8-2-1 in their last eleven games. The Rangers have been horrible this season, a complete mess as a franchise, but after a run of four wins in 19 games, they’ve since gone 4-1-1 in their last six games, seemingly figuring something out as they come off a 2-1 win in Vegas on Saturday night. I still think the Rags suck though, so I’ll keep fading them and take Colorado for half a unit. I’d lean the under, but I’m not betting on it.

Utah HC vs. Canadiens (9:00)

This isn’t the best cross conference matchup by any means but I’m actually kind of interested to see what happens out of this one. Utah’s shown signs of promise at some points this season, but they’ve sucked lately. Coming off a 2-1 loss at home to the Islanders on Saturday they have won just two of their last ten games. Montreal was just as brutal to start the season, but the Habs have been one of the hottest teams in the league lately. Coming off a 2-1 shootout loss to Dallas on Saturday (still cashing my +1.5), they’ve gone 9-2-1 in their last twelve games. Utah won the first game between these teams 3-2 in overtime in November on the road. I like the Habs to bounce back and get the win here on the road and I’ll end the night with half a unit on the Canadiens. I’d lean the under, but I’m not betting it at 5.5.

Game Bets

.5u Lightning ML (-135)

.5u Red Wings in regulation (-150)

.5u Penguins/Kraken over 6 (-112)

1u Capitals in regulation (-175)

.5u Blue Jackets ML (-108)

.5u Flyers/Blue Jackets over 6.5 (-110)

1u Golden Knights ML (-135)

.5u Jets ML (-162)

.5u Avalanche ML (-148)

.5u Canadiens ML (+136)

Futures

2u Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup (+1800)

Record: 291-249-11 (-29.06 units)

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