Fourth winning night in a row on the NHL for me on yesterday lousy slate, going 3-1 to win 1.88 units. Let’s keep crushing this monster week on today’s gigantic 14 game slate!
Bruins vs. Rangers (1:00)
Not the best game to start off the night. The Bruins are playing better after a six game losing streak, with three wins in their last four games to improve to 23-19-2 on the season, coming off a 4-1 win at home against the Flames on Thursday. The Rangers have been awful. Coming off a 5-2 loss at home to my Sabres on Thursday, they have just one win in their last six games and just five in their 16 to drop to 20-19-6. They have key injuries to Shesterkin and Adam Fox now, knocking down their very good defense, and their offense has been terrible all year. New York won the first game between these teams 6-2 in Boston. I like the B’s to answer back here at home and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet it. The play I really like in this game is a parlay of David Pastrnak and Artemi Panarin to each get a point, which I’ll take for a unit.
Penguins vs. Flames (3:30)
Lousy cross conference matchup here. The Penguins are rolling right now, improving to 21-12-9 on the season after quite the slump, coming into tonight on a six game win streak after a 4-1 win at home on Thursday against the Devils. The Flames, after a hot run, now come into tonight on a four game losing streak after a 4-1 loss in Boston on Thursday. I like the Pens to stay hot here at home, and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the under slightly, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to each get a point for a unit, and I’ll take Sid to get over 1.5 points for half a unit.
Avalanche vs. Blue Jackets (4:00)
Huge cross conference mismatch here. The Avalanche are far and away the best team in the NHL, and arguably in history. They’re 32-4-7 with an almost perfect 18-0-2 record at home, bouncing back from their first two game regulation losing streak of the season with an 8-2 blowout win at home against the broken Senators on Thursday. Colorado leads the league both offensively and defensively. The Blue Jackets have struggled all year on both ends of the ice, coming into tonight with an 18-18-7 record, on a three game losing streak after a 5-3 loss in Vegas on Thursday (where I hit a nice four leg point parlay). In the first game between these teams in Columbus back in October, the Avalanche won 4-1 on the road. I’m all over the Avs again in this one. I’ll take their puck line for a unit. I love the over too, which I’ll lay the -148 on for a unit as well. I’m all over my usual player props too. I’ll parlay Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and Zach Werenski to each get a point for a unit (I though about adding Marchenko in there, but don’t think it’s really worth it at +230ish for a five leg parlay) and MacKinnon to get over 1.5 points for 1.5 units.
Sharks vs. Stars (4:00)
This is a pretty big mismatch to me, but it should definitely be a fun game. The Sharks are hot right now with five wins in their last six games to improve to 22-18-3 on the season. On Wednesday night, after giving up the leading goal with 2:10 left in regulation, Macklin Celebrini made some magic to tie up the game with 1:07 left on an incredible individual effort to force OT and three setup William Eklund to beat the Kings 4-3 in overtime on the road. This kid’s incredible. He’s been leading their decent offense, but the San Jose defense has been terrible. The Stars are a top tier team at 26-10-8, playing really good hockey on both ends of the ice. They ended a lousy six game losing streak coming out of the Christmas break finally on Wednesday, with a 4-1 win on the road against the Capitals. Dallas won both previous games between these teams in December, winning 4-1 at home and 5-3 on the road. I like them to complete the season sweep here and I’ll take them for a unit. I also like the over, which I’ll take for half a unit. I’m back on all my player props in this game too. I’ll parlay Celebrini with Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, and Wyatt Johnston to each get a point for a unit. I’m gonna get a little cute with this game too and take Rantanen and Celebrini to each get 2 points each, both individually and parlayed, for half a unit each on those three bets.
Sabres vs. Ducks (7:00)
This should be a fun cross conference matchup in Buffalo tonight. My Sabres are rolling right now, one of the hottest teams in hockey with twelve wins in our last 13 games to improve to 23-15-4 on the season and right in the Wild Card mix in the East. It got a bit dicey late in the third period against the Rangers on the road at MSG on Thursday, but with a huge short handed goal by Mattias Samuelsson late, they won 5-3. Big win. After their hot start, the Ducks have been struggling. They’re coming off a 5-2 loss in Carolina on Thursday and are on an eight game losing streak to fall to 21-20-3 on the season, with just two wins in their last 14 games. Although their young offense has been good, their defense and goaltending is awful. I like the Sabres to stay hot and win tonight at home and I’ll take my boys for a unit. I also like the over, which I’ll take for a unit as well. I considered a few player props, but don’t like the prices on any of them to actually bet them. I won’t be writing my usual Sabres blog on this game, since I’ll be in Rochester for the Buffalo Bandits game on the road.
Maple Leafs vs. Canucks (7:00)
Not a great cross conference matchup up in Canada. The Leafs started the year pretty terribly, but they’re playing well right now with a 6-0-2 record in their last eight games to improve to 21-15-7 on the year, coming off a 2-1 overtime win in Philly on Thursday. Vancouver is one of the worst teams in the NHL, coming into tonight on a five game losing streak with just one win in their last eight games, falling to 16-22-5 on the season after a 5-1 loss in Detroit on Thursday. They’re horrible on both ends of the ice. I like Toronto to win here tonight at home. The price is a bit expensive at -175, but I’ll parlay the ML with Auston Matthews to get a point for half a unit. I’d lean the over slightly, but not enough to bet it.
Canadiens vs. Red Wings (7:00)
This should be a fun game between the two teams tied at the top of the Atlantic Division. They’re both playing well right now and have been fun to watch, despite not being all that impressive statistically. The Habs are on a three game win streak with an 8-1-2 record in their last 13 games to improve to 25-13-6 on the season, coming off a big 6-2 win at home against the Panthers on Thursday. The Red Wings are coming off a 5-1 win at home against the Canucks where Patty Kane scored his 499th and 500th goals of his career. They have a 12-4-1 record in their last 17 games, improving to 26-15-4 on the season. In the first game of the season, Montreal beat the Wings 5-1 on the road. I’d slightly lean they win again here at home, but not enough to bet them. I’d also lean the over slightly, but not enough to bet that either at 6.5. I do like some player props though, and I’ll parlay Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Lucas Raymond, and Dylan Larkin to each get a point here for half a unit.
Senators vs. Panthers (7:00)
Not a great game here at the bottom off the Atlantic Division, with both of these teams struggling. The Senators are broken with a ton of drama in that organization. Coming off an 8-2 loss in Colorado on Thursday (easy 5x winner for me), on a three game losing streak with just two wins in their last eight games to fall to 20-18-5 on the season. The Panthers are struggling with a ton of injuries and aren’t much better, with a 22-18-3 record. They’re coming off a 6-2 loss in Montreal on Thursday and have just one win in their last five games. Florida won easily in the first game between these teams this season, 6-2 at home in the first week of the season. With all the turmoil in Ottawa, I like Florida to win here, and I’ll take a shot on them for half a unit at even money. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Sam Reinhart and Tim Stutzle to each get a point for half a unit.
Flyers vs. Lightning (7:00)
Interesting Atlantic Division matchup. The Flyers are playing way better than I expected them to this season. They’re 22-12-8, with a great defense, but not the best offense. Coming off a 2-1 overtime loss at home to the Leafs on Thursday, they have a 5-2-1 record in their last eight games. The Lightning are on fire, coming into tonight on an eight game win streak, improving to 26-13-3 on the season, a point behind the Red Wings and Habs (who play each other tonight) for the Atlantic Division lead. Tampa’s played great on both ends of the ice this year. They impressed me on Tuesday, beating the Avalanche 4-2 at home. When these teams played for the first time this year in Tampa, the Lightning won with a 3-0 shutout at home in November. I like the Bolts to win here at home, and I’ll parlay their moneyline with Nikita Kucherov to get a point for half a unit. I’d slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also take Kucherov to get over 1.5 points for half a unit.
Hurricanes vs. Kraken (7:00)
Pretty big cross conference matchup here, but this has the potential to be a fun game. The Hurricanes are the best team in the Eastern Conference with a 27-14-3 record, on a three game win streak coming off a 5-2 win at home against the Ducks on Thursday. They’ve played great on both ends of the ice. The Kraken have gotten themselves in the Wild Card mix in the West, on a ten game point streak with an 8-0-2 record in that span to improve to 20-14-8 on the season, coming off a 3-2 overtime loss at home against Minnesota late on Thursday night. Their defense and goaltending has been very good, but their defense stinks. I like the Canes to win here tonight, but the price is way too expensive at -290. I don’t even like the regulation line at -180, so I’ll stay off it. I’d also lean the under at 6.5, but don’t think that’s worth betting with both teams trending over lately. As my only play on this game, I’ll parlay Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis to each get a point for half a unit.
Predators vs. Blackhawks (8:00)
Pretty terrible matchup here in the Central Division. The Predators after their awful start to the season have improved to 20-19-4 and have played well lately, with 14 wins in their last 21 games, coming off a 2-1 shootout win at home against the Islanders on Thursday night. The Blackhawks haven’t been great, in the second half of a back to back tonight, having a surprising four game win streak (after a streak of just one win in their previous nine games and four wins in their previous 20 games) with a 5-1 loss at home to the Capitals last night (easy winner for me) as Connor Bedard returned to the lineup. Both of these teams have been bad on both ends of the ice. In the first game between these teams in Chicago, the Preds won 4-3 on the road in November. I’d expect them to win again tonight at home in Smashville, especially with the Blackhawks in the second half of a back to back, but no shot should this team be -205 against anyone. I actually see a little bit of value on Chicago, but I’m not touching this game. I’d also lean the under slightly, but not enough to bet it, so I’m laying off this game entirely.
Wild vs. Islanders (8:00)
Kind of an interesting cross conference matchup, but I wouldn’t say this is a great game. The Wild have been fantastic, one of the top three teams in the NHL this year, behind just the Avs. They’re 26-11-8 on the season, playing well on both ends of the ice. They’re coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Seattle on Thursday night, to cap off my spectacular winning night with Kirill Kaprizov setting up Mats Zuccarello for an electric game winner after they blew a 2-0 third period lead. The Islanders have been better than I expected this year, with a really solid defense but a lousy offense to get them to 24-15-5 on the year. They’re coming off a 2-1 shootout loss in Nashville on Thursday night, and have a 5-2-1 record in their last eight games. Minnesota won the first game between these teams 5-2 on the road in November. I like the Wild to win again tonight at home and I’ll take them for a unit. I’d lean the under, but at 5.5, I don’t think it’s worth betting. I’ll also parlay Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov to each get a point for a unit. I considered adding Quinn Hughes to that, but I’ll just stick to those two.
Oilers vs. Kings (10:00)
Pretty bad matchup in the weak Pacific Division. The Oilers are 22-16-6 on the year, coming off two wins in a row, beating the Jets 4-3 in comeback fashion on the road on Thursday night. They’re tied with the Oilers at the top of the division. Their offense has been fantastic, but their defense and goaltending stinks. The Kings have been pretty terrible, playing the opposite style of hockey, with a great defense but awful offense. They’re in the second half of a back tonight, coming off a 5-1 loss in Winnipeg last night (my only loss of the night, splitting that game). I like Edmonton to win here at home, and I’ll bring down the price, parlaying the moneyline with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to each get a point for a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it at 6.5. I’ll also take McDavid to get over 1.5 point for half a unit.
Golden Knights vs. Blues (10:00)
Terrible matchup in the West to end the night. The Golden Knights have been struggling, yet are still tied with the Oilers at the top of the Pacific Division. They’re coming off two wins in a row though, beating the Blue Jackets 5-3 at home on Thursday. The Blues are awful on both ends of the ice, in the second half of a back to back tonight, coming off a 4-2 loss in Utah on Thursday to fall to 17-20-8 on the season. These teams split their first two games, with Vegas winning 4-1 on the road in November, and the Blues answering with a 4-3 win at home a week ago. The Knights are the way better team here and I expect them to win at home, but -265 is way too expensive on it’s own. I considered just taking them in regulation, but instead I’ll parlay the moneyline with Mark Stone and Jack Eichel to each get a point for a unit. I’d slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Bets
.5u Bruins ML (-125)
1u parlay: David Pastrnak/Artemi Panarin 1+ point each (-125)
.5u Penguins ML (-155)
1u parlay: Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin 1+ point each (-105)
.5u Sidney Crosby over 1.5 points (+155)
1u Avalanche -1.5 (-130)
1u Avalanche/Blue Jackets over 6.5 (-148)
1u parlay: MacKinnon/Makar/Necas/Werenski 1+ point each (+134)
1.5u Nathan MacKinnon over 1.5 points (-154)
1u Stars ML (-162)
.5u Stars/Sharks over 6.5 (-115)
1u parlay: Celebrini/Rantanen/Robertson/Johnston 1+ point each (+138)
.5u parlay: Mikko Rantanen/Macklin Celebrini 2+ points each (+365)
.5u Macklin Celebrini over 1.5 points (+125)
.5u Mikko Rantanen over 1.5 points (+125)
1u Sabres ML (-150)
1u Sabres/Ducks over 6.5 (-130)
.5u parlay: Maple Leafs ML/Auston Matthews over 0.5 point (-125)
.5u parlay: Suzuki/Caufield/Raymond/Larkin 1+ point each (+288)
.5u Panthers ML (+100)
.5u parlay: Tim Stutzle/Sam Reinhart 1+ point each (+106)
.5u parlay: Lightning ML/Nikita Kucherov over 0.5 point (-130)
.5u Nikita Kucherov over 1.5 points (+126)
.5u parlay: Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis 1+ point each (+100)
1u Wild ML (-150)
1u parlay: Kirill Kaprizov/Matt Boldy 1+ point each (-125)
1u parlay: Oilers ML/Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl 1+ point each (-120)
.5u Connor McDavid over 1.5 points (-135)
1u parlay: Golden Knights ML/Jack Eichel/Mark Stone 1+ point each (-116)
Record: 424-434-1 (-28.79 units)
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