Lousy night on yesterday’s small NHL slate, going an awful 1-9 to lose 4.78 units. Let’s bounce back with a huge 13 game slate today!
Rangers vs. Penguins (12:30)
Kind of a lousy Metro Division matchup to start the day. The Rangers have been awful, in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 22-29-7 record. They’ve been terrible, especially at home with just a 6-15-5 record at MSG. Coming out of the break with a 3-2 overtime loss at home to the Flyers on Thursday, they’re on a five game losing streak. The Penguins have been solid, a point ahead of the Islanders in second place in the Metro with a 30-15-12 record. Even without Crosby for a month after he sustained an injury in the Olympics, they came out of the break with a 4-1 win at home against the Devils on Thursday and have eight wins in their last ten games. Pittsburgh’s 2-1 this year against the Rags, winning 3-0 in a shutout on the road in the first game of the season, losing 6-1 at home four days later, then answering back with a 6-5 win at home in January. I like the Pens to win again here on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. The total’s a toss up to me. I also will parlay Evgeni Malkin and Mika Zibanejad to each get a point for half a unit.
Flyers vs. Bruins (3:00)
This Eastern Conference matchup isn’t great. The Flyers came out of the break with a 3-2 overtime win on the road against the Rangers, but they’ve been struggling lately with a 26-21-11 record. The Bruins have been way better than expected this year, in the second Wild Card in the East with a 33-20-5 record. Coming out of the break on Thursday with a 4-2 win at home against the Blue Jackets on Thursday, they come into today on a 13-2-3 run in their last 18 games. Boston won the first game between these teams 6-3 in January. I like them to win again today on the road and I’ll take them for a unit. I’d slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also take David Pastrnak to get over 1.5 points for half a unit.
Sharks vs. Oilers (4:00)
Not the best matchup, but this could be a fun matinee out West. The Sharks have been better than expected this year on the back of Macklin Celebrini’s fantastic sophomore season, five points out of the second Wild Card in the West with a 27-25-4 record. They’re struggling lately though, coming into today on a five game losing streak after coming out of the break with a 4-1 loss at home to the Flames on Thursday, giving up three goals in the third period. The Oilers have been pretty inconsistent, in third place in the Pacific with a 29-23-8 record, a point back from the Ducks. They ended a four game losing streak on Thursday, bouncing back from a 6-5 loss in Anaheim on Wednesday with a big 8-1 win in LA on Thursday. The first game between these teams back in January went to overtime with the Oilers winning 4-3 at home. I like the Oilers to win again here on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. I like the over as well, which I’ll also take for half a unit. I’m also back on my player props too. I’ll take McDavid over 1.5 points for a unit, Draisaitl and Celebrini over 1.5 points each for half a unit, and I’ll parlay all three of them to get a point for a unit and 2 points each for half a unit.
Blues vs. Devils (5:00)
Terrible cross conference game. Both of these teams stink. The Blues are one of the worst teams in the league, with a 21-28-9 record, but came out of the break on Thursday with a 5-1 win at home against the Kraken (who were in the second half of a back to back) to end a three game losing streak. They’ve struggled big time on both ends of the ice. The Devils aren’t much better at 28-29-2, on a five game losing streak with just one win in their last eight games, with back to back losses coming out of the break, losing 4-1 in Pittsburgh on Thursday and 2-1 at home to the Sabres on Wednesday. Jersey’s been even worse offensively than the Blues, but have been better on the back end. In the first game between these teams, the Devils won 3-2 at home in overtime back in November. I’d lean they win again here on the road, but not enough to bet them. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet that either, so I’ll lay off this game entirely.
Blue Jackets vs. Islanders (6:00)
This should be a really good game in the Metro Division. The Blue Jackets are 29-21-7 this year, turning their season around with a coaching change. They had a seven game win streak come to an end when they came out of the break with a 4-2 loss in Boston on Thursday night, just their second loss in their last 13 games. The Islanders are on a three game win streak, coming out of the break with a 4-3 overtime win in Montreal on Thursday, a point back from the Penguins in third place in the Metro, two points ahead of the Capitals. Although their offense isn’t great, they’ve been very good on the back end. These teams split their first two games this season, with the Isles winning 3-2 at home in November and the Jackets answering with a 4-2 win in Columbus in December. The side on this game is a complete toss up to me. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet it at 5.5. I do like a player prop parlay though and I’ll take Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko to each get a point for half a unit.
Avalanche vs. Blackhawks (6:00)
Horrible mismatch on opposite ends of the Central Division standings. The Avalanche are the best team in the NHL, hanging onto first place in the league with a five point lead over the Wild. They’re 38-10-9 on the season, losing 5-2 at home to Minnesota on Thursday in the second half of a back to back after coming out of the break with a 4-2 win in Utah on Wednesday. They’ve been phenomenal at home, with a 21-4-4 record in Denver, and have statistically been far and away the best team in the league both offensively and defensively. The Blackhawks have struggled on both ends of the ice, losing 4-2 in Nashville on Thursday and falling to 22-27-9 on the year with just one win in their last eight games. The first game between these teams was actually a grind in Chicago, with the Avs winning 1-0 on the road back in December. I expect an easier win here for them at home tonight and I’ll take them on the puck line for a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, and Cale Makar to each get a point for a unit, and I’ll take Nate to get over 1.5 points for half a unit.
Lightning vs. Sabres (7:00)
Big game here between the top two teams in the Atlantic Division (so awesome my Sabres are there). The Lightning have been the best team in the Eastern Conference with a fantastic 38-15-4 record, having a six game win streak come to an end on Thursday with a 5-4 loss in Carolina in the second half of a back to back after beating the Leafs 4-2 on Wednesday. They’ve been phenomenal on both ends of the ice, with that being just their third loss in their last 23 games. My Sabres are in a tough spot here, in the second half of a back to back for their third game in the last four days coming out of the break, winning 3-2 on the road against the Panthers last night. The first game between these teams earlier this month went to overtime, with the Lightning winning 4-3 at home. I don’t like my boys chances here, and I’ll emotionally hedge with Tampa in regulation for half a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I thought about a bunch of player props in this game, but I’ll keep it pretty simple. For half a unit each, I’ll parlay Tage Thompson and Nikita Kucherov to each get a point and I’ll take Kucherov to get over 1.5 points.
Maple Leafs vs. Senators (7:00)
The Battle of Ontario sucks this year, with both of these teams at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings, separated by just a point. The Leafs have lost both of their games in the state of Florida coming out of the break, losing 4-2 in Tampa on Wednesday, then 5-1 to the Panthers the next night to drop to 27-23-9 this season. The Sens are just a point ahead of them with a 28-22-9 record, coming out of the break with a 2-1 overtime loss at home to the Red Wings, but they’re coming into tonight on a 5-1-1 run in their last seven games. The Leafs won the first game between these teams 7-5 at home in December. I’d lean Toronto wins again here at home, but not enough to bet them. I do like the over though, which I’ll take for half a unit. I’ll also parlay Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, William Nylander, and Auston Matthews to each get a point for half a unit.
Canadiens vs. Capitals (7:00)
This should be a solid game in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Habs are in the first Wild Card spot in the East with a 32-17-9 record, coming out of the break with a 4-3 overtime loss at home to the Islanders on Thursday, extending their point streak to six games in a row. They’re a point back in the Atlantic from the Sabres and Red Wings and two points ahead of the Bruins. Although Montreal’s offense has been very good, they haven’t been great on the back end. The Caps have been hot, in the second half of a back to back tonight after a 3-2 win at home against the Golden Knights last night to improve to 31-23-7, two points behind the Islanders for third place in the Metro Division. Washington won both previous games between these teams, winning 7-4 in Montreal in November and then 3-2 in overtime in January at home. I’d lean the Habs prevent the season sweep with a win at home here, especially with the Capitals in the second half of a back to back, but not enough to bet them. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet that either. I will parlay Tom Wilson, Cole Caufield, and Nick Suzuki to each get a point though for half a unit.
Hurricanes vs. Red Wings (7:00)
This should be a great game in the East. The Hurricanes are easily the best team in the Metro Division with a 37-15-6 record, on an eleven game point streak with a 13-1-3 record in their last 17 games. They’re on a four game win streak, coming out of the break Thursday with a big 5-4 win at home against the Lightning in a likely preview of this year’s Eastern Conference Finals. The Red Wings are tied with the Sabres for second and third in the Atlantic, a point ahead of the Habs with a 34-19-6 record. They were in a slump going into the break, but came out of it with a much needed 2-1 overtime win in Ottawa on Thursday night. These teams split their first two games, with a 5-2 win at home for the Canes in December and a 4-3 overtime win at home for the Red Wings in January. I like Carolina to win here at home tonight and I’ll lay the -192 for half a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet it. I like a lot of player props here. I’ll parlay Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Lucas Raymond, and Dylan Larkin to each get a point for half a unit, then I’ll parlay just Aho and Jarvis to each get a point for another half a unit, and individually take Larkin and Raymond for half a unit each.
Kings vs. Flames (7:00)
Pretty lousy game in the Pacific. The Kings are three points back from the Kraken for the second Wild Card spot in the West with a 23-21-14 record, coming into tonight on a five game losing streak after back to back high scoring losses at home to come out of the break, losing 6-4 to Vegas on Wednesday and getting blown out 8-1 by the Oilers on Thursday. The Flames came out of the break with a 4-1 win in San Jose on Thursday for their third win in their last four games, but have been terrible this year with a 24-27-6 record. Calgary won the first game between these teams 2-1 in overtime on the road in December. I’d slightly lean LA wins here at home, but I’m not touching them. Both of these teams have been good defensively this season, but awful offensively. I’ll take the under for half a unit.
Stars vs. Predators (8:00)
This isn’t a great mismatch here in the Central. The Stars have been very good, very comfortably in third place in the division with a 35-14-9 record, a point back from the Wild for home ice in the first round. Coming out of the break with a 4-1 win at home against the Kraken on Wednesday, they’re on a seven game win streak. Dallas did lose their best player though during the Olympics, with Mikko Rantanen on the IR for the next three weeks. The Predators are two points back from the Kraken for the second Wild Card in the West with a 27-24-8 record, beating the Blackhawks 4-2 at home on Thursday to come out of the break. They’ve struggled on both ends of the ice this year. Dallas won the first two games on the road between these teams, 3-2 in October and then 5-4 in November. I like them to complete the season sweep here at home and I’ll take them for a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, and Ryan O’Reilly to each get a point for half a unit.
Kraken vs. Canucks (10:00)
Lousy late game to end the night in the Pacific. The Kraken are coming off losses in St. Louis (5-1) and Dallas (4-1) on Wednesday and Thursday to come out of the break, but are still hanging onto the second Wild Card in the West with a 27-22-9 record. Although their offense hasn’t been good, their defense and goaltending’s been very solid all year. The Canucks are the worst team in the NHL with a pathetic 18-33-7 record, playing horrendous hockey on both ends of the ice. They’re on a four game losing streak, coming out of the break with a 3-2 overtime loss at home to the Jets on Wednesday and have just two wins in their last 20 games. Both previous games between these teams this year went to a shootout, with the road team winning each time, a 3-2 Canucks win in December followed by a 4-3 Kraken win four days later to start January. Vancouver’s pretty much an auto-bet against them every night and I like Seattle to get the win here at home, likely in easier fashion than those first two games. I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it.
Bets
.5u Penguins ML (-125)
.5u parlay: Mika Zibanejad/Evgeni Malkin 1+ point each (+129)
1u Bruins ML (+100)
.5u David Pastrnak over 1.5 points (+120)
.5u Oilers ML (-165)
.5u Oilers/Sharks over 6.5 (-150)
1u Connor McDavid over 1.5 points (-125)
.5u Leon Draisaitl over 1.5 points (+100)
.5u Macklin Celebrini over 1.5 points (+135)
1u parlay: Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl/Macklin Celebrini 1+ point each (-135)
.5u parlay: Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl/Macklin Celebrini 2+ point each (+550)
.5u parlay: Zach Werenski/Kirill Marchenko 1+ point each (-110)
1u Avalanche -1.5 (-130)
1u parlay: Nathan MacKinnon/Martin Necas/Cale Makar 1+ point each (-155)
.5u Nathan MacKinnon over 1.5 points (-140)
.5u Lightning in regulation (-155)
.5u parlay: Tage Thompson/Nikita Kucherov 1+ point each (-135)
.5u Nikita Kucherov over 1.5 points (-130)
.5u Maple Leafs/Senators over 6.5 (+100)
.5u parlay: Stutzle/Tkachuk/Nylander/Matthews 1+ point each (+305)
.5u parlay: Nick Suzuki/Cole Caufield/Tom Wilson 1+ point each (+194)
.5u Hurricanes ML (-192)
.5u parlay: Dylan Larkin/Lucas Raymond/Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis point each (+254)
.5u parlay: Sebastian Aho/Seth Jarvis 1+ point each (-135)
.5u Dylan Larkin over 0.5 point (-140)
.5u Lucas Raymond over 0.5 point (-155)
.5u Kings/Flames under 5.5 (-120)
1u Stars ML (-148)
.5u parlay: Jason Robertson/Wyatt Johnston/Ryan O’Reilly 1+ point each (+156)
.5u Kraken ML (-155)
Record: 672-718-1 (-44.89 units)
Please follow me:
Instagram: @atownszone
Twitter: @atownszone
If you like the site and my work, share it with your friends!
… and tell Dave Portnoy to hire me at Barstool…
A Town's Zone 