Slight winning night on the NHL yesterday for the second day in a row, going 2-2 to win .36 units. Tonight we have a solid eight game slate, let’s crush it!
Sabres vs. Bruins (7:00)
Pretty lousy Atlantic Division matchup. My Sabres have been a horrible team once again this season, in last place in the Eastern Conference. Coming off a 3-2 loss in Edmonton on Saturday night they have just one win in their last five games. Boston hasn’t been great this year, but they’re still in the second Wild Card and have played much better lately. They have a 4-1-1 record in their last six games, coming off a 3-1 win at home against the Avalanche on Saturday afternoon. The Bruins historically own the Sabres and already beat them once this year with a 3-1 win at home late in December. I expect another Boston win here on the road and I’ll take them for a unit a the pick’em price along with the puck line for half a unit at a real nice +230. I’d slightly lean the over, but I’ll stay off it.
Canadiens vs. Jets (7:00)
This should be a fun cross conference Canadian matchup. The Habs started the season terribly, but they’re playing pretty solid hockey right now. Coming off a 4-3 overtime loss at home to the Devils on Saturday, they’ve lost their last two in a row, but have a 13-4-2 record in their last 19 games. The Jets have been great all year and lead the Western Conference. They’re on a three game win streak with a 7-2-1 record in their last ten games, coming off a 5-2 win at home against Calgary on Sunday. Winnipeg won the first game between these teams 4-2 at home in December. I’d lean they win again here on the road in likely a close game. I considered both the Jets moneyline as well as the Canadiens +1.5, but I’ll completely stay off the side here. I’d lean the over as well at 5.5, but the best play on this game’s nothing at all and I’ll lay off it completely.
Lightning vs. Blackhawks (7:00)
Biggest mismatch on the slate here for this cross conference game and it’s clear on the books too, with the Bolts coming in as huge -400 favorites. Tampa’s been good this season and I expect them to make the playoffs this year, but they just dropped back to the second Wild Card spot in the East with just one win in their last four games, coming off getting shut out 2-0 in Detroit on Saturday. The Lightning have been very good on both ends of the ice statistically. The Blackhawks, coming off a 4-2 loss at home to the Wild on Sunday, on the other hand, are one of the worst teams in the NHL. They’re on a three game losing streak with just one win in their last eight games. These teams just played on Friday night, with the Lightning erasing a 3-1 deficit, tying it up with 42 seconds left on Jake Guentzel’s power play goal with Nikita Kucherov winning it 4-3, 58 seconds into OT. The Bolts dominated that game, outshooting Chicago 40-14 but struggled early. I like them to get it done easier at home. The way I’m going to play this is with the high prices is half a unit on the puck line and a unit on the Lightning team total over 3.5. I’d lean the over, but I’ll just stick with the Tampa side of this game.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes (7:00)
Fun Metro Division matchup here since the Rangers are now playing much better. After a horrendous late November through December, New York’s coming off a fun 5-4 loss at home to the Avalanche in a matinee on Sunday, ending a ten game point streak. They’ve seem to have figured it out, with a 7-3-1 record in their last eleven games. Carolina’s been very good all season, in second place in the Metro, playing for home ice against the Devils in the first round (I don’t see them catching Washington, or dropping past third). They had a four game win streak come to an end on Saturday, blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to the Islanders in overtime on Long Island. The Canes won both previous games between these teams with a 4-3 win at home in November and 3-1 win on the road in December. I’d lean they win again and I’d lean the under very slightly, but I’m not betting this game. Should be a pretty solid watch.
Islanders vs. Avalanche (7:30)
I don’t think this is a great game. The Islanders have been pretty bad all season, but they are coming into tonight on a four game win streak with seven wins in their last nine games. They’re coming off a 3-2 overtime win at home against the Hurricanes on Saturday where they erased an early 2-0 deficit. The Avalanche have been solid this year, comfortably in the first Wild Card spot in the West, just two points back from Minnesota and three back from Dallas. They ended a three game losing streak with a 5-4 win on the road against the Rangers on Sunday afternoon in a really fun game to watch. The Isles surprisingly dominated the first game between these teams 6-2 back in October on the road in Colorado. I like the Avs to answer back here and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the under, but I’m not touching it.
Flames vs. Capitals (9:00)
Not the best cross conference matchup for this game. I’m not sold on the Flames being good by any means. They’re in the second Wild Card in the West right now with three wins in their last four games, coming off a 5-2 loss in Winnipeg on Sunday. They have been quite good defensively, but can’t score. The Capitals have been phenomenal on both ends of the ice this year, leading the Eastern Conference by a significant margin. They had a six game win streak and twelve game point streak come to an end on Saturday, with a surprising 2-1 loss in Vancouver on Saturday. I like Washington to bounce back tonight on the road and I’ll take them for a unit. I’d lean the over, but I’ll stay off it with two quite good defenses here.
Golden Knights vs. Stars (10:00)
This is a spectacular matchup in the West that would surprise no one if it was the Western Conference Finals for the second time in the last three years. Both of these teams are very good this year and both are comfortably in playoff spots, in second place in their divisions. The Golden Knights have been in a slump lately, but they’re coming off a big 4-1 win against Florida at home on Sunday and are just a point back from Edmonton for first in the Pacific. The Stars are coming off a 2-0 win in St. Louis on Saturday and have three wins in their last four games. These teams split their first two games this season, with the Knights winning 3-2 at home in December and the Stars answering back with a 4-3 win at home on Friday with the Vegas comeback attempt falling short. I’d slightly lean VGK wins at home in the fortress tonight, but this is too close of a game to bet. I do like the over though, which I’ll take for half a unit.
Kraken vs. Ducks (10:00)
Terrible Pacific Division game to end the night as both of these teams stink. The Kraken are in the second half of a back to back tonight and are coming off a 4-2 loss in Edmonton last night (double winner for me). They have played slightly better lately with five wins in their last nine games, but two of those wins were against Buffalo and two were against Pittsburgh. Bad teams. Seattle’s 0-7 in the second half of back to backs and have been shut out three of those seven games, so it doesn’t look great for them tonight. The Ducks are coming off two wins in a row after beating Nashville 5-2 at home on Saturday (loss for me). These teams split their first two games in November, both winning on the road, a 3-2 Kraken win and a 5-2 answer from the Ducks two nights later. I’d slightly lean the Kraken, who are the more talented and well rounded team, buck their back to back trends and get a win at home tonight and I’d slightly lean the over, but not a chance I’m touching this shitty game.
Game Bets
1u Bruins ML (-110)
.5u Bruins -1.5 (+230)
.5u Lightning -1.5 (-142)
1u Lightning TT over 3.5 (-175)
.5u Avalanche ML (-130)
1u Capitals ML (-142)
.5u Golden Knights/Stars over 5.5 (-125)
Futures
2u Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup (+1800)
Record: 328-293-13 (-42.92 units)
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A Town's Zone 