I got reverse swept last night in the NHL, going 0-4 to lose 3.02 units. Let’s bounce back on a huge 14 game slate today!
Senators vs. Ducks (1:00)
Fun cross conference game to start off the day. The Senators have been hot lately, with a 9-2-2 record in their last 13 games to improve to 32-23-9 on the season, five points back from the Bruins for the second Wild Card spot in the East. They had a three game win streak end on Wednesday night, not able to tie it up late to lose 3-2 at home to the Habs. The Ducks have been good too, leading the weak Pacific Division with a 36-26-3 record. Coming off a 6-4 loss in Toronto on Thursday, they’ve gone 15-5 in their last 20 games. Ottawa won the first game between these teams 3-2 on the road in November. I’d lean they win again here in this matinee at home, but not enough to bet them. I do like the over though quite a bit, with both teams playing well offensively but struggling on the back end. I’ll take the over for a unit. I’ll also parlay Tim Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, and Cutter Gauthier to each get a point for half a unit.
Capitals vs. Bruins (3:00)
Decent matchup here in the East. The Capitals are 33-27-7 on the season, five points back from Boston for the second Wild Card in the West. Coming off a 2-1 win in Buffalo on Thursday, where they found a way to come back after getting dominated in the first period, just their second win in their last six games. The Bruins are still holding onto that second Wild Card spot, just a point ahead of the Blue Jackets with a 36-23-6 record. They had a pretty long home win streak end on Thursday, losing 4-2 at home to the Sharks. Boston won both previous games 3-1 between these teams, on the road the first night of the season and at home a week ago. Both of these teams have been pretty inconsistent lately. I’d slightly lean the Caps win at home to avoid the season sweep, but not enough to bet them. I’d also slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet that either. The only player prop I like is David Pastrnak, but I don’t like the over 1.5 on his points, and don’t think anyone else is worth parlaying with him, so I’ll lay off this game completely.
Jets vs. Avalanche (4:00)
Pretty big mismatch in the Central. The Jets are playing a bit better since coming out of the Olympics break, but come into today off two losses in a row, losing 6-3 at home on Thursday to the Rangers. They’ve struggled, seven points back from the Kings for the second Wild Card spot in the West with a 26-28-10 record. The Avalanche are the best team in the NHL, playing elite hockey on both ends of the ice. After having a five game win streak end in a bullshit 4-3 loss at home to the Oilers on Tuesday, Nathan MacKinnon came out with a vengeance on a four point night to beat the Kraken 5-1 on the road on Thursday. Colorado won the first game between these teams 3-2 at home in December. I’m shocked they’re cheaper than -200 and I’ll take them for 1.5 units here on the road. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also take MacKinnon to get over 1.5 points for half a unit and I’ll parlay MacKinnon, Makar, Necas, Scheifele, and Connor to each get a point for half a unit.
Wild vs. Rangers (6:00)
Huge mismatch for this cross conference game. The Wild have been very good, comfortably in third place in the Central Division with a 38-16-12 record, four points back from the Stars for home ice in the first round, playing great on both ends of the ice. They’re on a five game point streak, coming off a 3-2 shootout loss at home against the Flyers on Thursday after giving up a late goal to tie it up. The Rangers have played way better lately but are still horrible, in last place in the Eastern Conference with a 27-30-8 record. They’re coming off a 6-3 win in Winnipeg on Thursday, on a three game win streak with a 5-1-2 record since the Olympics break. Minnesota won the first game between these teams 3-1 on the road in October. I like them to bounce back from Thursday and win again tonight at home and I’ll take them in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Mika Zibanejad, Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Quinn Hughes to each get a point for half a unit.
Sabres vs. Maple Leafs (7:00)
Big mismatch here in the Atlantic Division in the opposite direction that anyone would’ve thought of coming into the season. My Sabres are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, leading the Atlantic Division with a 40-20-6 record, two points ahead of the Lightning and just two back from the Hurricanes for first overall in the East. They had an eight game win streak come to an end on Thursday, dominating the first period and then playing very sloppy the rest of the way, giving up a late goal to lose 2-1 to the Caps at home. The Leafs are horrendous, in last place in the division with a 28-27-11 record, and now they’re without Auston Matthews for the rest of the season after a dirty cheap shot from Radko Gudas on Thursday. Toronto finally ended an eight game losing streak in that game, beating the Ducks 6-4. The Sabres are 2-0-1 against the Leafs this year, winning 5-3 at home in October, losing 4-3 in overtime the next night in Toronto in the second half of a back to back home and home, then winning 7-4 on the road in January. I love my Sabres to win here at home tonight and I’ll take parlay the moneyline with Tage Thompson and William Nylander to each get a point for a unit. I’d like the over too, which I’ll take for half a unit.
Canadiens vs. Sharks (7:00)
This should be a pretty fun cross conference matchup. The Habs are in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 36-18-10 record, two points back from the Lightning for home ice in the first round. They’re on a three game win streak, beating the Sens 3-2 on the road in Ottawa in a great game on Wednesday night. The Sharks are a point back from the Kings for the second Wild Card spot in the West, ending a three game losing streak on Thursday with a 4-2 win in Boston. San Jose won the first game between these teams 7-5 at home a couple weeks ago. I like the Habs to answer back here on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. I also like the over with both of these teams playing well offensively but poorly on the back end, and I’ll take it for a unit. Additionally, I’ll parlay Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Macklin Celebrini to each get a point for half a unit.
Lightning vs. Hurricanes (7:00)
Great game here in what I still think will be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals this year. The Lightning haven’t played great lately, with just two wins in their last eight games to fall two points back from my Sabres for second place in the Atlantic Division with a 40-20-4 record. After two losses in a row, they won 4-1 at home to the Red Wings on Thursday night. The Hurricanes are comfortably in first place in the Metro Division with a 41-18-16 record, two points ahead of my Sabres for first place in the East. They’re coming off a surprising loss, losing 3-1 at home to the Blues on Thursday night, but they’ve been fantastic, with a 13-3-2 record in their last 18 games. Both teams have been very good statistically on both ends of the ice. These teams split their first two games in high scoring affairs, with the Bolts winning 6-4 at home in December and the Canes answering with a 5-4 win at home in February. I’d slightly lean Carolina wins here on the road and would slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet either. I won’t stay off this game entirely though, and I’ll parlay Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, Seth Jarvis, and Sebastian Aho to each get a point for half a unit.
Devils vs. Kings (7:00)
Pretty boring cross conference matchup here. The Devils haven’t had a great season, with a 32-31-2 record, coming off two losses in a row after a bit of a hot streak, losing 5-4 at home to the Flames on Thursday night. The Kings are in the second Wild Card spot in the West, moving a point ahead of the Sharks last night with a 3-2 win on Long Island. Jersey won the first game between these teams 4-1 on the road in November. I’d lean they win again here at home with LA in the second half of a back to back, but I’m not touching them. I do like the under though, which I’ll take for half a unit with both of these teams playing well enough on the back end but horrible offensively. I’ll also take a half unit shot on a parlay of Adrian Kempe, Artemi Panarin, and Jack Hughes to each get a point.
Islanders vs. Flames (7:00)
Another snooze fest of a cross conference game. The Islanders have been pretty good, riding great goaltending and a solid defense to make up for their lousy offense. They’re tied with the Penguins for second and third in the Metro with a 37-24-5 record, with the Blue Jackets hot on their tail, just two points back. They’re in the second half of a back to back tonight, coming off a 3-2 loss at home to the Kings last night. The Flames have been pathetic, struggling non both ends of the ice. Coming off a 5-4 win in Jersey on Thursday, they’re 26-32-7 on the season. Calgary won the first game between these teams 4-2 at home in January. I’d lean the Isles win here at home tonight, but in the second half of a back to back, I think the -148 price is too expensive to bet on. I’d lean the over, even though the stats line up the opposite to that game flow, so I’ll just lay off this game entirely.
Flyers vs. Blue Jackets (7:30)
Not the best matchup here in the Metro, but I’d expect this to be a fun game. The Flyers have been pretty good lately, despite that they’re going to miss the playoffs. They tied it up late and then in a shootout pulled off an unlikely 3-2 win in Minnesota on Thursday night for their third win in their last four games. The Blue Jackets are just two points back from the Penguins and Islanders for a playoff spot in the Metro with a 33-21-11 record. Although they have just one win in their last four games coming off a 2-1 overtime loss in Florida on Thursday, they’ve been hot lately, going 15-2-4 in their last 21 games. Columbus won the first game between these teams 5-3 at home in January. I like them to win again here on the road and I’ll take them for half a unit. I’d lean the over, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko to each get a point for half a unit.
Stars vs. Red Wings (8:00)
Even though both of these teams are in playoff spots, I think this is still a mismatch for a cross conference game. The Stars have been spectacular, in second place in the Central with a 41-14-10 record, four points ahead of the Wild for home ice in the first round and five back from the Avs (who are losing 2-0 with ten minutes left) for first place in the league. Coming off a 7-2 blowout win at home on Thursday night against the Oilers, they’re on a three game win streak and a 14 game win streak, on an incredible 13-0-1 run. The Red Wings are struggling right now, in the second Wild Card spot in the East with a 36-23-7 record, with teams right on their tail, three points back from the Habs for third in the Atlantic and a point behind the Bruins (who won today) for the first Wild Card, but just two points ahead of Columbus. Coming off a 4-1 loss in Tampa on Thursday, they have just one win in their last five games and just four in their last 13. Detroit won the first game between these teams 4-3 at home in overtime in December. I like the Stars to answer back here at home and I’ll take them in regulation for a unit. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet it. I’ll also parlay Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston to each get a point for a unit.
Mammoth vs. Penguins (9:00)
Pretty solid cross conference matchup although both of these teams have been losing lately. Coming off their second 3-2 overtime loss against the Blackhawks in the last week, losing at home on Thursday night, the Mammoth are on a three game losing streak, in the first Wild Card in the West with a 34-26-6 record. The Penguins have struggled lately without Malkin (suspended) and Crosby (injured), with just one win in their last six games, coming off a 6-2 loss in Vegas on Thursday. They’re still tied with the Isles for second place in the Metro, but Columbus is right there, just two points back from them. The first game between these teams went to overtime with the Mammoth winning 5-4 on the road in Pittsburgh back in December. I’d lean they win again here at home, but not enough to bet them. I’d also slightly lean the over, but not enough to bet that either. Clayton Keller’s the only guy I really like on player props, but it isn’t worth betting him straight up and there aren’t any other guys I think worth parlaying with him, so I’ll lay off this game completely.
Canucks vs. Kraken (10:00)
Horrible matchup here in the Pacific. The Canucks are far and away the worst team in the NHL this year, with a pathetic 20-37-8 record, coming off a rare win, beating the Preds 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday night. The Kraken are two points back from the Kings for the second Wild Card spot in the West, but are on a four game losing streak, coming off a 5-1 blowout loss at home to the Avs on Thursday. Offensively Seattle’s been bad, but their defense and goaltending has been solid. The Kraken are 2-0-1 this year against Vancouver, losing 3-2 in a shootout at home in December, answering back a few days later with a 4-3 win in a shootout on the road, then dominating in a 5-1 win at home two weeks ago. I like Seattle to end this slump and I’ll take them for half a unit. The total’s a toss up, so I’ll stay off it.
Golden Knights vs. Blackhawks (10:00)
Not a great game to end the night. The Golden Knights are in second place in the weak Pacific Division, ending a three game losing streak on Thursday with a 6-2 win at home against the Penguins. They’re a point back from the Ducks for first place and a point ahead of the Oilers. Vegas gets their captain back tonight, with Mark Stone activated from IR and back in the lineup. The Blackhawks are horrible, with just a 25-29-11 record, coming off two wins in a row, beating the Mammoth 3-2 in two OT wins in a home and home on Thursday and Monday. These teams split their first two games, with Vegas winning 4-3 at home in a shootout in December, and the Blackhawks answering with a 3-2 win in overtime at home in January. I like the Knights to win here tonight at home and I’ll parlay the moneyline with Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner to each get a point for half a unit. I thought about throwing Stone in there too, but would rather see how he does in his first game back before putting money on him. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet it.
Bets
1u Senators/Ducks over 6.5 (-112)
.5u parlay: Tim Stutzle/Brady Tkachuk/Cutter Gauthier 1+ point each (+200)
1.5u Avalanche ML (-185)
.5u Nathan MacKinnon over 1.5 points (-120)
.5u parlay: MacKinnon/Makar/Necas/Scheifele/Connor 1+ point each (+200)
1u Wild in regulation (-125)
.5u parlay: Zibanejad/Kaprizov/Boldy/Hughes 1+ point each (+204)
1u parlay: Sabres ML/Tage Thompson/William Nylander 1+ point each (+140)
.5u Sabres/Maple Leafs over 6.5 (-115)
.5u Canadiens ML (-155)
1u Canadiens/Sharks over 6.5 (-135)
.5u parlay: Nick Suzuki/Cole Caufield/Macklin Celebrini 1+ point each (+106)
.5u parlay: Kucherov/Guentzel/Jarvis/Aho 1+ point each (+192)
.5u Devils/Kings under 5.5 (-102)
.5u parlay: Adrian Kempe/Artemi Panarin/Jack Hughes 1+ point each (+112)
.5u Blue Jackets ML (-142)
.5u parlay: Zach Werenski/Kirill Marchenko 1+ point each (-125)
1u Stars in regulation (-120)
1u parlay: Jason Robertson/Wyatt Johnston 1+ point each (-155)
.5u Kraken ML (-145)
.5u parlay: Golden Knights ML/Jack Eichel/Mitch Marner 1+ point each (+104)
Record: 762-821-2 (-54.65 units)
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