Last night I had a mini sweep, going 3-0 to win 1.56 units on that lousy NHL slate. Tonight we have a big ten game slate with some solid matchups going up against the Sweet 16. Let’s win!
Sabres vs. Penguins (7:00)
Horrendous matchup here between two bad teams in the East, who are both playing better than expected lately. My Sabres have been brutal all year, the worst team in the Eastern Conference for this joke of a franchise. We are coming off two wins in a row, with five wins in our last eight, coming off a solid 3-2 win at home against the Senators where they got outplayed on Tuesday. The Penguins have been terrible all year too, but have played better lately with a 5-2-1 record in their last eight games, coming off a 6-1 loss in Tampa on Tuesday. Pittsburgh won both previous games between these teams this season, coming back to force OT and winning 6-5 at home on Sid’s game winner in October, then winning 5-2 on the road in January. I think this one’s pretty much a toss up and I’m not touching the side. I like the over though, which I’ll take for a unit.
Red Wings vs. Senators (7:00)
Interesting matchup in the Atlantic with both of these teams playing for Wild Card spots. The Red Wings, coming off a 5-2 loss in Colorado on Tuesday (win for me), are still just three points back from the Habs for the second Wild Card in the East despite just having three wins in their last 13 games. The Senators currently hold the first Wild Card in the East and although they have just one win in their last four games, they have an 8-3-1 record in their last twelve. They were the better team on Tuesday, but lost 3-2, not able to beat Reimer to tie up the game late in Buffalo. The three previous games between these teams have been tight, all decided by a goal by the home team, with the Sens winning 2-1 in December, Detroit answering back with a 3-2 OT win in January, and then Ottawa winning 2-1 again earlier this month. I think the Senators are the better team here and I’d lean they win on the road, but not enough to bet it. I’d also slightly lean the over, despite all three prior games staying way under, but I don’t see enough of an edge on it, so I’ll lay off this game completely.
Lightning vs. Utah HC (7:00)
These cross conference teams are meeting for the second time in five days after Utah pulled off a bit of a surprising 6-4 win at home on Saturday. Tampa’s been really solid, just two points back from the Leafs and Panthers at the top of the Atlantic Division. They won four of their last six games, coming off a 6-1 blowout win at home against the Penguins on Tuesday. Utah’s played well lately despite not having a great season, likely missing the playoffs as they’re eight points back from the Blues for the second Wild Card spot. They’re coming off a 5-1 loss at home to the Red Wings on Monday, but have an 11-6-2 record in their last 19 games. I like the Lightning to answer back here from Saturday’s loss and I’ll take them in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the over, but not quite enough to bet it.
Flyers vs. Canadiens (7:00)
Not the best matchup here in the East. The Flyers have struggled all season, in last place in the Metro, and today they fired head coach John Tortorella. I was kind of surprised they fired Torts now rather than just wait till the end of the season to inevitably gas him. Philly’s been horrific lately, on a six game losing streak, giving up seven goals in each of their last two games, losses in Toronto and Chicago, with just one win in their last 13 games. Montreal’s on a three game losing streak, coming off a 6-1 loss in St. Louis on Tuesday, and hold a point lead over the Islanders and Rangers for that second Wild Card spot in the East, with Detroit and Columbus right in that mix too. The Canadiens won the first game between these teams 4-3 on the road in October. The Habs should win again in this game, but the first game with interim coaches always worries me, so I’ll lay off it. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it, so I’ll stay off this game completely.
Wild vs. Capitals (7:30)
I don’t think this game’s great, but it could be fun to watch. The Wild are coming off two losses in a row, getting crushed 5-1 at home on Tuesday night against the Golden Knights. They’re in the first Wild Card spot in the West, dealing with a ton of injuries, but other teams are hot on their tail with the Blues now just two points back from them. The Capitals have been fantastic, a point ahead of the Jets in the President’s Trophy race. They’re coming off a 3-2 OT loss to those Jets on the road on Tuesday, ending a four game win streak with just their second loss in their last eleven games. Ovi scored in that game, and is now just six away from breaking Gretzky’s record. Minnesota won the first game between these teams 4-3 in a shootout the day after New Year’s. I like the Caps to answer back on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the under and that Ovechkin scores again, but I’ll lay off those and just stick with Washington.
Predators vs. Blues (8:00)
Pretty bad matchup here in the Central. The Predators are coming off a 3-1 win in Carolina on Tuesday, just their second win in their last seven games, and have been brutal all season, a huge disappointment. The Blues on the other hand have been the hottest team in the league since the 4 Nations break, 13-2-2 in that span and on a seven game win streak coming off a 6-1 win at home against the Habs on Tuesday. Since the break, they’ve scored the most goals in the league and have given up just the third fewest. St. Louis is in the second Wild Card spot in the West, three points ahead of the Canucks and just two behind the Wild. The Blues have dominated all three previous games between these teams, winning 7-4 at home in December, 4-1 on the road on the 18th and then 4-1 again at home on Sunday. I like them to complete the season weep on the road and I’ll take them for a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it.
Flames vs. Stars (9:00)
I think this is kind of a boring game tonight out West. Calgary’s been overachieving this season, coming into tonight’s game on a four game win streak after a 4-3 overtime win against the Kraken on Tuesday. They’re still four points back from the Blues (who are on fire) for the second Wild Card in the West. The Stars have been very good, five points ahead of the Avs for home ice in the first round. They’re in the second half of a back to back tonight, almost blowing a 4-0 lead last night, but beating the Oilers 4-3 on the road for their third win in a row, their seventh straight game picking up at least a point. Dallas won both previous games between these teams at home, winning 6-2 in December and 3-2 in OT earlier this month. Even in the second half of a back to back, I like the Stars to stay hot here and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it.
Avalanche vs. Kings (10:00)
Great game here out West for a very intriguing matchup between these two very hot playoff teams. The Avalanche are on a three game win streak, scoring five goals in each of those games, as they come off a 5-2 win at home against the Red Wings on Tuesday. They come into tonight on an 11-1-1 run, five points back from Dallas for home ice in the first round. The Kings are on a four game win streak, coming off a 3-1 win at home against the Rangers on Tuesday, with just one loss in their last ten games. They’re now two points ahead of the Oilers for home ice in the first round. The Avs won the first game between these teams 4-2 at home in November. I’d slightly lean Colorado wins again and the under, but this is too close of a game for me to bet on, so I’ll stay off it. This will probably end up on the third TV during the Sweet 16.
Kraken vs. Oilers (10:00)
Not a great Pacific Division matchup. The Kraken have struggled all season, on a three game losing streak after a 4-3 overtime loss in Calgary on Tuesday. The Oilers, who are still without McDavid and Draisaitl, are in the second half of a back to back tonight coming off almost coming back from a 4-0 deficit at home to lose 4-3 to Dallas. Even without those two, they’ve played pretty good lately, with a 4-1-1 record in their last six games, falling two points behind the Kings for home ice in the first round. Edmonton’s 3-0 this season against the Kraken, winning 4-2 in Seattle in January, 4-2 at home in January, and 5-4 at home last Saturday. They are still the better team here, but without those two superstars and with them in the second half of a back to back on the road, I wouldn’t be shocked if Seattle gets them a win here. I’d lean the over as well, but I think the best move on this game is just staying off it.
Sharks vs. Maple Leafs (10:30)
Huge mismatch in this cross conference game to end the night. The Sharks, who are coming off a 3-1 win against the Bruins on Saturday at home, just their fifth win in their last 29 games, are the worst team in the league. The Leafs meanwhile have been very good, now tied at the top of the Atlantic Division with Florida. Coming off a 7-2 blowout win at home against the Flyers that likely was the last straw for Torts getting fired in Philly, they’ve won four of their last five games after a bit of a slump. Shockingly the first time these teams played this month in Toronto, the Leafs blew a 2-0 third period lead to lose 3-2 at home in a shootout in embarrassing fashion. I fully expect the Maple Leafs to go to San Jose real pissed off from that loss and dominant the Sharks tonight. I’ll take them in regulation for 1.5 units. I’d lean the over, expecting Toronto to probably score enough to hit it themselves, but I’ll just stick with the Leafs.
Game Bets
1u Sabres/Penguins over 6.5 (-105)
1u Lightning in regulation (-135)
.5u Capitals ML (-142)
1u Blues ML (-142)
.5u Stars ML (-130)
1.5u Maple Leafs in regulation (-155)
Futures
2u Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup (+1800)
Record: 495-438-13 (-51.51 units)
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A Town's Zone 