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This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The Maple Leafs are 6-3-0 in their first nine games but they are coming off a pair of losses against Pittsburgh and St. Louis to close their three-game homestand. Their offensive output in those past two games, one goal, is their lowest in back-to-back games since last December. Overall, the offense has been sparked by a hot start from Austin Matthews, who leads the NHL with 10 goals. The Maple Leafs are leading the NHL with 21 goals while playing five-on-five, while the Jets scored 15 in similar circumstances. Jets winger Patrik Laine, who led the team last season with 44 goals, has just three goals and five points in nine games and has yet to score at even strength. Toronto has 234 scoring chances to the Jets 164. The Jets will present another formidable foe for the Maple Leafs, especially playing at home at Bell MTS Place where they have yet to lose a game in regulation in six outings and are 37-7-3 during the regular season since the start of last year. Winnipeg has won three straight heading into tonight but if there is any cause for concern, only two of its six wins have come against teams with a winning record. Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen is responsible for the two most recent losses but he might be heartened to know that the Jets are one of four NHL clubs that have not beaten him in regulation in his career as he is 6-0-1 against Winnipeg. Her we play on teams against the moneyline after two straight losses by two goals or more going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in two straight games. This situation is 21-8 (72.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (1) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Both San Jose and Nashville enter Tuesday with solid momentum as the Sharks have won two straight games while the Predators have won five straight games and are 7-1 on the season. San Jose came into the season as one of the Stanley Cup favorites but it has been an uneven start with a 4-4 record. The Sharks allowed 11 goals in their first three games but have given up only 10 goals in their last five games and they have dominated for the most part, outshooting opponents by 12.4 spg which is second in the league. Going back, San Jose is 16-4 in its last 20 games against the moneyline coming off a home win scoring four or more goals. Nashville is tied with Colorado atop the Western Conference with 14 points and are relatively short favorites tonight which is putting the public on their side. The Predators are doing it with defense, allowing three goals or less in all eight of their games but this is the toughest test of the season against an offense that will be peppering the goal. Nashville is 1-7 in its last eight games against the moneyline coming off a road shutout win. Here, we play on underdogs against the moneyline off a home win by three goals or more going up against an opponent off a road win where they shut out their opponent. This situation is 28-14 (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (59) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the CAROLINA HURRICANES for our NHL Monday Breakaway. After opening the season with seven straight losses, Detroit finally got off the schneid on Saturday as it went to Florida and won in overtime after blowing a 3-2 in regulation with just over a minute remaining. To their credit, the Red Wings have played a difficult schedule as six of their first eight games have taken place on the road. The biggest issue is on defense as Detroit has been outshot in all but one game and it is allowing 33.5 shots per game, which is 10th most in the league. The Red Wings are allowing 4.4 gpg and that .869 save percentage is second worst in the NHL. They are 0-9 in their last nine games when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game. That most recent game for Carolina came on Saturday as it lost at home against Colorado 3-1, which made it three straight losses for the Hurricanes after posting four consecutive wins prior to this. The offense tallied 18 goals in the final three games of the winning streak but it has registered only four goals over the last three games but tonight presents the opportunity to get back on track. Carolina is averaging 42.1 shots per game and it has a +17.3 shot differential and both of those lead the league. The Hurricanes are 4-0 in their last four games against teams with a losing record and here, we play on road favorites against the moneyline off a home loss by two goals or more, with a winning percentage of between .450 and .550 on the season. This situation is 40-9 (81.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (3) Carolina Hurricanes

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. Tampa Bay hit the road for the first time this season last night and built a 3-1 over Minnesota but allowed three straight goals before tying the game late in the third period. The Lightning eventually lost in overtime which snapped a three-game winning streak but we expect a rebound tonight. Chicago is off to a 4-1-2 start and is tied for fifth place in the Western Conference in what has been a dramatic fall for the 2015 Stanley Cup Champions. The Blackhawks went from 109 points in 2016-17 where they were swept by Nashville in the first round of the playoffs to 76 points last season, the third fewest points in the league. They have been fortunate as three of their wins have come in overtime so the record is a bit deceiving but what is not deceiving is their lack of power play ability as they are just 2-23 on the man advantage, good for third worst in the NHL. That is a real problem here as Tampa is the only team in the league to not allow a power play goal, stopping all 25 opportunities. The Blackhawks are 1-12 in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Lightning are 21-8 in their last 29 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (53) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. We played against New Jersey on Thursday as it lost at home against Colorado and while this typically would be a good bounce back opportunity, this is a unique situation this late into the season. The Devils opened the season with a neutral ice game against Edmonton and then came back to the U.S. and played their next four games at home making this their first true road game of the season. Going back, the Devils are 19-40 in their last 59 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Philadelphia is coming off a loss on Thursday as well as it lost in Columbus to fall to 3-4 on the season. It is imperative to win the special teams in this matchup as the Flyers have gone three straight games without a power play goal while New Jersey has scored at least one in all five games while allowing just two all season. Here, we play on home teams when the mone line is -100 to -150 that are getting outscored by 0.2 or more gpg in the third period, after allowing five goals or more two straight games. This situation is 52-18 (74.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (2) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the FLORIDA PANTHERS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. The Panthers entered the 2018-19 season with high expectations after missing the playoffs a season ago as they were inconsistent enough to end up a point short of the postseason. Four games in and they do not have a victory but it certainly is not because of a lack of competing as two losses have been by a single goal while the other two have come in a shootout. Three of those have come against future playoff teams while the other came against surprisingly good Vancouver so the schedule has been challenging along the way. The Capitals stopped a two-game skid with a 4-3 overtime win against the visiting Rangers on Wednesday night as it continues to be an inconsistent season for the reining Stanley Cup Champions. Special teams will be big for Florida as Washington has scored nine power-play goals in six games but have scored just two even strength goals in its last three games. The Panthers have been solid in the penalty kill, allowing just three goals in 12 man down situations. That 12 is key as it is the fewest in the NHL so Florida does not give opponents many opportunities and that is big in this spot as Washington is second in the NHL in power play percentage and is tied for first with nine power play goals. Here, we play on teams against the moneyline after three straight losses by one goal or extra time going up against an opponent after playing a game where seven or more total goals were scored. This situation is 25-8 (75.8 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (51) Florida Panthers

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Toronto goalie Frederik Anderson and even if he is able to go, he has not been effective this season with a 3.02 GAA and .899 save percentage. He has gone 4-1 thanks to a potent offense behind him as Toronto has averaged 5.4 gpg during its five-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs lead the Eastern Conference with 12 points, three points ahead of both Montreal and Carolina. They are coming off a 4-1 home win over Los Angeles on Monday following a four-game road sweep and in three home games, they are getting outshot 31.3-29.3. It has been a slow start for Pittsburgh as it has lost two straight games in extra time and those were against teams the Penguins had no business losing to. A 3-2 loss to Vancouver in their most recent game was bad as they managed only 28 shots and since putting up 41 shots in their opener, they have averaged only 25 shots per game over their last four games. The Penguins are 9-2 in their last 11 games when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game and with this being their first game as an underdog, we will grab the value spot in what should be a solid bounce back effort for Pittsburgh. 10* (1) Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. After finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference a year ago with just 71 points, the Canadiens are off to a surprising 3-1-1 start this season. They have won two straight games, the first time they have won consecutive games since March 2 of last season, snapping a six-game losing streak following a victory. The offense has been a big difference as Montreal ranked 29th in offense last season, averaging 2.52 gpg, but following their outburst against the Red Wings where they tallied seven goals, they are averaging 3.4 gpg and currently rank 13th. However, they did average 2.50 gpg in their first four games so we can not get too excited. St. Louis has dropped four of its first five games but two of those were in overtime and another by a single goal. The Blues have enjoyed ample firepower up front, with 15 goals in their five games but the defense has been a surprising letdown as their 4.00 GAA is fourth worst in the NHL. St. Louis received some good news Tuesday when forward Jaden Schwartz returned to practice after missing two games with a bruised foot and he is expected to join David Perron and Brayden Schenn on the top line tonight. Although the Blues have struggled to start the year, they still possess a solid core of veteran players who could turn the corner at any time and the feeling is that it happens tonight. Here, we play against home teams when the moneyline is -100 to -150 that are outscoring their opponents by 0.5 or more gpg, after playing a game where nine or more total goals were scored. This situation is 78-52 (60 percent) since 1996. 10* (53) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. Minnesota is coming off a loss last night in Nashville as it went with backup goalie Alex Stalock who saw his first action of the season, allowing three goals on 27 shots. The Wild get their starter back in net tonight as Devan Dubnyk has been confirmed. They have lost four of five games this season including two of three at home against Vegas and Carolina but they are definitely in a good bounce back spot tonight. Dubnyk is not the reason for its slow start as in four games, he has a .934 save percentage, going 1-1-2 with a 2.64 GAA. Arizona is off to a typical slow start as it is 1-3 with all three of those losses being shutouts. The Coyotes have scored only two goals as the one victory came by way of shootout in Anaheim. They are getting chances as Arizona has propelled at least 30 shots on goal in every game, the first time it has done that in the first four games since 1985-86 and it will not be any easier tonight. In all games Rick Tocchet has coached, his teams are 4-26 against the moneyline in road games off a home loss while the Coyotes are 8-21 in their last 29 games following a home loss of three or more goals. Meanwhile, the Wild are 40-13 in their last 53 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* (14) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the OTTAWA SENATORS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We won with Ottawa on Saturday as it defeated the Kings 5-1 after jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead. Typically, fading underdogs after an underdog win is the preferable way to go, but in this case, the situation is in the Senators favor. Ottawa is 1-1-1 at home and this could be a good momentum boost with this game and Montreal up next before closing this five-game homestand with Boston. After the Saturday 36-save performance, Craig Anderson will start in net again against the Stars. At this point, head coach Guy Boucher is not sure when backup Mike Condon will play again. Dallas is off to a 3-1 start but it has had the luxury of playing those first four games at home making this the Stars first trip on the road this season. Dallas has missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons and a big reason for that is its poor play on the road as the Stars are 28-54 over the last two seasons on the highway. Dallas is 7-18 against the moneyline after scoring five goals or more in their previous game and they fall into a negative situation where we play against road teams against the moneyline after having won 2 of their last 3 games, with a winning percentage of .700 or better playing a team with a winning percentage between .300 and .400 in the first half of the season. This situation is 67-43 (60.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (52) Ottawa Senators

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Washington has had a difficult stretch to open the season as it has played the ninth toughest schedule so far. The Capitals opened the season with a 7-0 blowout over the Bruins and after an overtime loss to the Penguins, they once again brought it at home with a win over Vegas in a Stanley Cup rematch. No the fact they laid an egg the following night in New Jersey in a 6-0 loss is not overly surprising. Toronto is the top team in the Eastern Conference to unseat Washington as it is already off to a 4-1 start but it not beaten any team of significance. The Maple Leafs schedule is ranked No. 28 in the league and this is by far their toughest test. The Capitals fall into a spectacular situation where we play on favorites against the moneyline after scoring one goal or less in their previous game going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in two straight games. This situation is 27-3 (90 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (60) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the FLORIDA PANTHERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. We won with Columbus on Tuesday as it defeated Colorado 5-2 but we are going against the Blue Jackets as they hit the road for a second time. The first game on the highway resulted in a victory but it took overtime to defeat a bad Detroit team. Columbus struggled on the road last season with losses in 22 of 41 games. Florida opened the season last Saturday and has not played since. The Panthers went to Tampa Bay and ended up taking a shootout loss against the Lightning despite outshooting them 43-29. They have had a lot of time off which can be good or bad this early in the season. With the case of this being their home opener, it is a good thing as they are amped to get this going. The Panthers are 21-5 in their last 26 home games. And they fall into a situation where we play on home favorites of -200 or less against the moneyline coming off a loss by one goal or in a shootout to a division rival, winless on the season. This situation is 34-6 (85 percent) since 1996. 10* (4) Florida Panthers

This is a play on the ARIZONA COYOTES for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. We are going ultimate contrarian here against one of the biggest public consensus plays we have seen in a while. Anaheim is off to a 3-0 start and despite sitting atop the Western Conference, there are a lot of questions still. Goalie John Gibson has been outstanding but not sure long it can last as the defense has allowed 31.7 shots per game which is bottom third of the league. The Ducks are without Ryan Kessler for a while and could be without Ryan Getzlaf again with a lower body injury after he missed their last game against Detroit. Arizona is in a familiar place and that is sitting in last place in the Western Conference with the season just one week in. The Coyotes are 0-2 and have yet to score a goal as they have been shut out in both games on home ice so a trip on the road could be a very good thing here. One of the big issues last season was the health of goalie Antti Raanta as he got hurt three games in and Arizona got off to a 1-11 start which ended its season before it started. He came back and finished last season with a 2.24 GAA and .930 save percentage and the Coyotes went 13-3 over his last 16 starts. He is healthy now and after an average opener against the Stars, he was great against Anaheim last time out as he allowed just one goal on 10 shots. While it is a small sample size, the Ducks are -11 in shooting differential while Arizona is +13 in shooting differential and eventually, the goal scored and allowed are going to flip and this looks like the perfect spot to start. 10* (55) Arizona Coyotes

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. We played on Columbus in its last game which was all the way back to Friday and that resulted in a loss against Carolina 3-1. Prior to that, the Blue Jackets defeated Detroit in overtime despite outshooting the Red Wings 39-20 so it has been a very uneven start for Columbus which is still trying to shake off the loss against Washington in the playoffs from last season after winning the first two games on the road. The Blue Jackets have had three full days off to get more revved up from that loss these breaks have helped in the past as they are 12-3 in their last 15 games playing on three or more days rest. Colorado opened the season with a pair of home games and both resulted in three-goal victories. The Avalanche were a playoff team from last season, barely, as they finished a point ahead of St. Louis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Like most teams, they were solid at home and struggled on the road where they lost 26 of 41 games and going back, they are 17-51 in their last 68 road games. Philipp Grubauer will make his first start in goal for the Avalanche after coming over from Washington in the offseason. This could be significant considering he made those first two starts against the Blue Jackets in the playoffs and allowed four goals in each game on just 49 total shots. Here, we play on favorites against the moneyline that are coming off a loss by two goals or more to a division rival going up against an opponent off a home win by two goals or more. This situation is 66-23 (74.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. We won with Buffalo on Saturday as it took care of the Rangers 3-1 but the Sabres are in a much more unfavorable spot tonight. They were able to take advantage of the power play as two of those three goals were scored with the extra man and on the night, they were outshot 44-29 so a lot of credit has to go to Carter Hutton by posting a .977 save percentage. He will be challenged tonight by a Vegas offense that is ready to erupt after scoring just two goals in each of its first two games. The Golden Knights won in Minnesota on Saturday in a shootout so technically, they have scored just three goals in regulation. This will turn around as Vegas was the fifth highest-scoring offense last season, averaging 3.27 gpg and its 2.98 gpg average on the road was ranked No. 7. There is the potential to even be better as the Golden Knights added former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty and former St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny during the offseason. Marc-Andre Fleury had a good bounce back game, stopping 29 of 30 shots after giving up five goal on just 16 shots in the opener against the Flyers where he was pulled after playing just over 30 minutes Buffalo went 3-18 against the moneyline as a home underdog of +100 to +150 last season while Vegas went 21-8 against the moneyline after a win by one goal in its previous game. 10* (55) Vegas Golden Knights

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. This line came out late due to both teams playing last night and we will be going against those results tonight. Chicago burnt us last night as Jonathan Toews had three shots on goal and all three found the net including the overtime winner. The Blackhawks are off to a surprising 2-0 start, with both wins coming on the road and the fact they are heading home actually helps us here with the number. This is a team in rebuild mode but winning two straight has them in an overconfident state after two overtime victories. Cam Ward has been average in goal so whether he goes or a backup makes a start, it is advantage Toronto. The Maple Leafs lost to Ottawa last night as -275 favorites so they will be out for some redemption. They outshot the Senators 37-24 but it was goalie Frederik Andersen that struggles as he allowed four goals. There is an interesting dynamic for Toronto as Maple Leafs backup goalie Garret Sparks grew up in the Chicago area and has never skated on United Center ice. He trains there in the summer with friend Patrick Kane and he will be pretty jazzed to make this one count. Toronto is one of the top favorites to win the Stanley Cup so losing back-to-back games against inferior competition simply cannot happen. 10* (3) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Colorado got off to a good start to the season with a 4-1 victory over Minnesota on Thursday and it remains home in what is already a big game with six of the next seven games taking place on the road. Catching Colorado with a low number at home needs to be taken advantage of as the Avalanche won 28 games last season on home ice which was tied for third most in the Western Conference. We won with the Flyers on Thursday in a win over Vegas and while it was a play on Philadelphia, it was more of a play against the Golden Knights, which were and will be for a while, overpriced based on last season. The Flyers head home after this game so there could be the early season lookahead to that. The Avalanche are 14-5 in their last 19 home games after scoring four goals or more in their previous game while the Flyers are 0-4 in their last four games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (72) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. The season got underway for both Carolina and Columbus last night and it was opposite results for both teams. Despite outshooting the Islanders 46-20, the Hurricanes lost in overtime as a big favorite while Columbus also went to overtime but was able to pull it out just over two minutes into the extra session. The Blue Jackets also had a big edge in shots as they outshot the Red Wings 39-20 and they return home where their season ended just over five months ago. Columbus won the first two games in its opening round series against Washington on the road but dropped the final four games including all three at home so the Blue Jackets will be out to get back to winning here where they went 26-12-3 during the regular season last year. Columbus head coach John Tortorella elected to start backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo on Thursday night instead of Sergei Bobrovsky, who struggled during the preseason, but do not read too much into that. Giving him his first start on home ice is the right thing to do for confidence as he posted a 2.18 GAA at home last season, which was tied for third best in the league, compared to a 2.67 GAA on the road, 29th in the NHL. The goaltending situation for Carolina is a lot less ideal. Carolina placed goaltender Scott Darling on injured reserve this week and signed former Columbus goalie Curtis McElhinney to back up Petr Mrazek, who made his Carolina debut with 18 saves last night but gave up the game winning goal just 43 seconds into overtime. McElhinney will likely make the start for the Hurricanes against his former team. 10* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Philadelphia made the playoffs last season after missing out in 2016-17 and after a first round exit at the hand of the Penguins, the Flyers are a team to keep an eye on this season. They are loaded on offense as they landed James Van Riemsdyk, who they drafted 2nd overall in 2007. He should fit into a deep offense that includes Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds as well as up and coming Travis Konecny, Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom. Goal scoring was not an issue on the road last season as Philadelphia averaged 3.02 gpg which was third highest in the NHL and the Flyers were one of only seven teams in the league with a positive scoring differential on the highway. On the other side, the Flyers have two of the best young defensemen in the league in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov and the difference in success and failure will come down to goalie Brian Elliott. Last season, he was 23rd with a 2.66 GAA and 32nd with a .909 save percentage, certainly nothing special, but as like the team as a whole, he was better on the road. The story of last year was Vegas which came out of the games red hot and never let up. The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Finals but after winning the first game at home, they dropped the last four games to end a great season in disappointing fashion. They overachieved in many areas last season and it was just one of those scenarios where everything went right. Vegas is in for a regression for sure. They are going to be overvalued for much of the early part of the season and we are seeing that in Game One. 10* (69) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. It is do or die for the Golden Knights as they have to win three straight games to complete their miraculous inaugural season. It starts tonight on home ice where Vegas is 7-2 during the postseason and while one of those losses was against Washington, it was a game it could have taken. It outshot the Capitals 39-26 including 15-6 in the third period where it was unable to take advantage of two power play opportunities. Despite that defeat, the Golden Knights are 16-2 in their last 18 home games against teams with a winning road record. It has been an impressive run for Washington after losing the opener as the defense has led the charge, but it would not be surprising if the stop unit takes a step back tonight as Vegas will be going full throttle on offense. The Capitals offense put on a strong display on Monday, but they have not responded well of late as they are 3-8 in their last 11 games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game including a 1-3 record in the postseason. Vegas falls into a phenomenal situation where we play against road underdogs of +100 to +200 against the moneyline coming off two or more consecutive home wins going up against an opponent off a road loss by three goals or more. This situation is 42-5 (89.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (10) Vegas Golden Knights

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. We were on the Capitals on Saturday and will back them again tonight as the public will be, and already is, all over Vegas. As of Monday morning, according to offshore reports, 60 percent of the betting tickets are on the Golden Knights, but 57 percent of the money is on Washington meaning the big bets or smart money is coming in on the Capitals. You cannot ignore the fact that the depth of Washington is playing aa big difference in this series thus far. All three lines for Washington has been playing at a high level while it has only been the top line that has stood out for the Golden Knights. Coming into the series, it was the opposite that was expected but the Capitals have turned the tables. Additionally, the defense has been great as the Capitals are clogging the middle of the ice and making even the fastest of opponents look slow. There is an interesting stat that is floating around for this game based on the Vegas consecutive losses. Over the last 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games where a team has dropped two straight, that team is 18-4 over the last 22 occurrences. That may sound dominating but only on home ice as home teams are 16-2 while road teams are just 2-2. The Capitals are now 21-8 in their last 29 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (8) Washington Capitals

This is a paly on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. We won with Washington on Wednesday as it stole home ice away from Vegas and we will back the Capitals once again tonight as they look to seize control of this series. The Capitals are 32-14-4 at home and are back in Washington for the first time since May 21and on the season, the Capitals are 15-3 following three or more consecutive road games. Additionally, they are 20-8 in their last 28 home games against teams with a winning road record. Vegas is certainly the feel good story of the season and while it has a massive home ice advantage, it is not nearly as strong on the road. A big part of that is the offense that averages close to a goal less per game on the highway and the confidence of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby is sky high right now after his performance in Game Two. He has continued his career-long playoff success this spring, going 13-7 with a 2.19 GAA and .921 save percentage. Over his NHL career, Holtby has a 2.04 GAA and .929 save percentage in the Stanley Cup playoffs. To put that in perspective, those numbers are fourth- and second-best respectively all-time among goalies with at least 50 games of experience. 10* (6) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. Washington dropped the opener of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday as it looks to tie the series tonight and grab the home ice advantage. The Capitals have been one of the best road teams leading up to and in the postseason as it went into Game One on a 15-3 run on the highway. They were on their way with a 4-3 lead in the third period but allowed three goals as Washington was outshot in the opener for just the second time in its last eight games. Goalie Braden Holtby has been solid and is coming off his worst game in the playoffs, so we can expect a rebound tonight. He allowed five goals on 33 shots, the most goals he has allowed in 30 games since Feb. 17. Vegas is three wins away from an improbable championship and it was fortunate that Holtby had the bad game when he did as Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals and before Game One, during the regular season and playoffs, he had allowed four goals eight times. All losses. Washington can get to him again. Here, we play against home teams in the second half of the season when the moneyline is -100 to -150 that are averaging 2.85 or more gpg, after a game where both teams scored four goals or more. This situation is 101-61 (62.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (3) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The Capitals kept their season alive for at least one more game with a 3-0 shutout victory on Monday as they put an end to the Tampa Bay three-game winning streak. Washington now has to take care of business on the road where it has been great this postseason with a 7-2 record, but we expect the challenge to be too much tonight. Washington goalie Braden Holtby is coming off his best effort of the series, allowing no goals on 24 shots but now the pressure is really on. He is 2-4 in Game 7s in his career and while he has not been a liability in most of those losses, he also has not exerted his will on a game like he did in Game Six. Tampa Bay was shut out for just the second time this season and we could see an offensive show tonight with a lot of that based on one player. After blazing through the start of the playoffs with five goals in his first five games, Nikita Kucherov has scored just once in the Lightning's last seven games. He needs to get his confidence back and we think that happens here. Between the pipes is Andrei Vasilevskiy who has had a solid run in this series as he has seen as least 30 shots in all six games. After allowing 10 goals in the first two games, he has allowed only two goals in each of the last four games with a potent .945 save percentage. Tampa Bay is 17-5 revenging a loss vs opponent of two goals or more this season and it falls into a situation where we play on any team revenging a loss where it got shut out, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .700. This situation is 72-45 (61.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (54) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Game of the Week. The Washington season is on the line tonight as it has lost three straight games following winning the first two games on the road in Tampa Bay. This is the first time the Capitals have trailed in this series which is nothing new as they trailed in their first two series as well only to come back and win those. This Washington team has differentiated itself from past versions by how it has embraced adversity, and the team rode that scrappy, resilient identity to its first conference finals berth in 20 years. This is their first elimination game of the postseason so that identity will once again come to the forefront. Tampa Bay does have the momentum with three straight wins behind the brilliant goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy as after a 6.00 GAA and .839 save percentage in Games One and Two, he has a 2.00 GAA and .943 save percentage since as the series' biggest difference-maker. Give him credit as he has been peppered with shots during this three-game winning streak and Tampa Bay has been outshot by an average 10.8 shots per game in the series which is an enormous differential. The Lightning was in this position before, leading the Penguins 3-2 in the 2016 conference final before dropping the final two, including Game 6 at Amalie Arena. Washington has not lost four straight games all season and it is 11-1-2 in its 14 games following consecutive losses. Additionally, we play on home favorites in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 192-88 (68.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (10) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. The Lightning came through for us on Tuesday as they avoided a likely insurmountable 3-0 hole, but we expect Washington to put the pressure back on Tampa Bay after tonight. The Capitals were impressive in their two wins in Tampa Bay and with the road team winning the first three games in this series, Washington will be the first to break through at home. Game Three could have gone the other way if not for mistakes as Washington outshot the Lightning 38-23 but did not help goaltender Braden Holtby with six minor penalties. Holtby allowed four goals but was helpless on the one-timers on the power play by Steve Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. We should see the offense bounce back after a dismal .053 shooting percentage last game after averaging a .142 shooting percentage in the first two games and going back, Washington is 39-16 in its last 55 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. The Capitals have been more impressive on the road during the postseason than they have been at home, but this is still a solid advantage. Only five teams in the NHL had more victories at home than Washington's 28 and that total represents seven more wins than the Capitals managed on the road, so we know what it is capable of here. Washington is 18-4 in its last 22 home games after a loss by two goals or more and it falls into a situation where we play on favorites revenging a loss, off a home loss by two goals or more. This situation is 186-92 (66.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (60) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. Vegas is a big consensus play for tonight as it heads home after tying this series after a 3-1 victory in Winnipeg in Game Two and grabbing home ice. It is a legitimate consensus play based on what the Golden Knights have accomplished at home this season, but they are a pedestrian 9-6 over their last 15 home games and are a bit overpriced against what has been one of the best road teams in the postseason. Twice the number of bets have come in on the Golden Knights, yet the line has not budged and based on the smart money moves, Winnipeg has the majority of that action coming in. Winnipeg won its last series thanks to going 3-1 in Nashville and it has only lost once in regulation on the road during the postseason. The Jets had several scoring opportunities early in Game Two but were unable to convert so that outcome could have been different from what took place. The Jets are 23-7 in their last 30 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. This includes a perfect 4-0 record in the postseason, 3-0 on the road, where they have outscored the opposition by a combined score of 18-3. Additionally, Winnipeg is 27-4 against the moneyline revenging a loss this season. It also falls into a contrarian situation where we play against teams against the money line that are coming off a road win by two goals or more, playing their third or fewer game in 10 days. This situation is 59-29 (67 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (3) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. Before the playoffs started, Tampa Bay was one of the consensus favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but it has found itself in a deep hole, down 2-0 after losing the first two games of this series at home. The Lightning will now have to win at least two games on the road to avoid going home earlier than expected with the game tonight representing a must win situation. History is certainly not on their side as of the 41 previous times a team lost the first two games in the Conference Finals, 39 went on to lose the series, including every team that lost its first two at home. But, Tampa Bay can look at these playoffs and see that Washington went down 2-0 to Columbus with both losses at home only to come back and win the next four games. Surprisingly, Washington has been a better bet on the road than at home during the postseason as the Capitals are 7-1 on the highway after the two-game sweep in Tampa Bay while going just 3-3 at home. The same can be said for the Lightning as well as they 3-1 on the road with two underdog wins in Boston compared to 5-3 at home with the three losses coming in at -161, -189 and -185. While the pressure may be different, Tampa Bay has been effective in this spot during the season as it is 13-3 on the road revenging a loss as a favorite while going a perfect 8-0 revenging two losses by two or more goals. Additionally, we play on road teams in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 revenging a loss where opponent scored five or more goals, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 78-49 (61.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (1) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. After going through many previews of this series, hardly anyone is giving Washington a chance to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. To do that, the Capitals need to steal a game in Tampa Bay and this could be the one as they come in peaking at the right time. They were able to get rid of the demons take out Pittsburgh in the semis and they have now won 20 of their last 27 games including 10 of their last 11 on the road. The Lightning made quick work of both New Jersey and Boston and are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a reason. However, laying a moneyline like this is overaggressive especially against a team playing so well on the road. Tampa Bay allows 2.87 gpg at home which is not very good considering its spot in the standings as that defense is ranked ninth worst in the NHL. The Capitals have a slight advantage on the penalty kill (79.1 percent) over the Lightning (74.2 percent) in the postseason and were significantly better (80.3 percent) than Tampa (76.1 percent) in the regular season. We also give a slight goaltending edge to Washington and Braden Holtby who has taken this opportunity by allowing just 2.04 gpg during the postseason. Washington falls into a great underdog situation as we play against favorites against the moneyline in the second half of the season coming off three consecutive divisional wins with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 59-38 (60.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (23) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. A trip to the Western Conference Finals is on the line tonight and based on this moneyline price, Nashville has a clear edge. That is not the case however. Despite being two of the best home teams in the league, the road team is 4-2 with each team winning twice in their opponents arena. The matchup itself could not be more even as there is little to separate the Predators and Jets. They have each attempted 338 shots and put 177 shots on net during 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick. At 5-on-5, there is only a one-goal difference between the two (Predators 12-11). In shots on goal through six games, the margin is four (Predators 217-213). All of this being said, we should be seeing a line more toward the even range, but it is skewed heavily toward the Nashville home ice. While the Jets should be able to ice their regular lineup, Nashville might have to play without center Mike Fisher, who left Game 6 in the first period because of an undisclosed injury and never returned. Winnipeg is 25-4 against the moneyline (+21.4 Units) revenging a loss this season. Going back, Nashville is 9-16 in its last 25 games against the moneyline off a road win by 2 goals or more and this season, it is 0-4 against the moneyline in home games off a road win by three goals or more. 10* (53) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. Give Pittsburgh a lot of credit for evening up this series in Game Four after dropping two straight games following a road win to take home ice away from the Capitals in the opener. You have to give the Capitals even more credit for winning those consecutive games however as after falling down 1-0, that could have been an early end in trying to solve their problems against the Penguins in the postseason. This has been an iconic series already which comes as no surprise as this is the ninth time in 11 postseason meetings the series will go at least six games. The Capitals still possess home ice and tonight is vital to take advantage of that as a loss puts them in a hole that will be hard to recover from. They have been behind 3-1 each of the last two years against Pittsburgh and failed to recover so they are in better shape now but cannot let it slip away. The Penguins held Alex Ovechkin without a shot on goal for just the third time in 107 career playoff games and something says he rebounds after putting up 42 shots in the first nine games of the postseason prior to that. Washington averages 3.3 gpg at home and after allowing just one goal in the first two road playoff games against the Flyers, the Penguins have allowed 11 goals in their last three road games and are allowing 3.3 gpg on the road for the season. Washington is 14-3 against the moneyline after scoring one goal or less in their previous game this season while the Penguins are 1-6 in their last seven games when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (60) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The series is on the line tonight for San Jose as falling behind 3-1 will put it in a hole that it will not be able to come out of as winning in Vegas twice in the final three games is a near impossible task. The Sharks had a chance to snag home ice advantage but lost in overtime after rallying from a two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter as it was unable to carry that momentum into the extra period. San Jose fells to 27-13-4 at home and despite the loss on Monday, the Sharks are 8-2 in their last 10 home games against teams with a winning road record. Vegas continues to defy the odds but at this point, we must face facts that it is a threat to win the Stanley Cup, but it is most vulnerable on the road and San Jose must take advantage. The Golden Knights have won five of the seven meetings this season, but it has been a closely contested series with five games being decided by one goal, four coming in overtime including the last two following a 7-0 blowout opening games in this series. The promising fact for the Sharks is that they outshot Vegas in each of the last two games 47-29 and 42-33 and they need to continue to pepper the net. San Jose is 20-9 this season after allowing four or more goals and it falls into a great situation where we play on favorites against the moneyline that are revenging a loss of one goal, off a home loss. This situation is 219-95 (69.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (58) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. After rolling through Anaheim in a four-game sweep by a combined score of 16-4, San Jose got lit up in the opener of this series in a 7-0 loss. It was the worst playoff loss for San Jose in over two decades and it will be up to the players to respond and not let the series get away. We cannot take much from Game One which was over before it started so we can come back to normalcy tonight and give the Sharks a defensive and special teams edge. The Golden Knights, 11th in the league at 21.4 percent on the power play during the regular season, were just 1-for-12 against the Kings, the NHL's best penalty kill. The Sharks were second best on the penalty in the regular season, at 84.8 percent. Clearly, Sharks goalie Martin Jones was rusty after being off for a week and being on the road in a hostile environment did not help. Jones had allowed four goals in four games to the Ducks in the first round, and it took less than half a period for that total to be matched by the Golden Knights. Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was in a similar rest circumstance, but his situation was different as he was at home and was given a four-goal lead which took any sort of pressure off him. As far as value goes, we have it as Vegas closed Game One at -150 and now is as high as -180 in some spots for Game Two. San Jose is 19-9 after allowing four goals or more this season and we play against favorites coming off three consecutive divisional wins, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team in the second half of the season. This situation is 58-37 (61.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (89) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. The Penguins and Capitals will face off in the second round for the third consecutive year with the core groups changed only slightly. It is well documented that Pittsburgh has had the Capitals number as going back, it has won the previous three series despite not having home ice advantage, twice winning Game Seven in Washington on the way to capturing the Stanley Cup. The Capitals have home ice again and this time, they look to take that advantage into a series win but it is Game One that is pivotal. Pittsburgh looks to be more vulnerable this year as the last two seasons, they finished the regular season with 22-15-4 and 19-15-7 road records. This year, the Penguins went just 17-20-4 on the highway and while they did win three games in Philadelphia, this is a bigger challenge with Washington coming in with a 29-11-4 home record. Pittsburgh will also be without Evgeni Malkin, who led the team with 98 points, for at least Game One. Penguins goalie Matt Murray has been up and down against Washington in his brief career and is coming off a Philadelphia series in which he flip-flopped between great (two shutouts) and not-so great (allowing four-or-more goals twice). On the other side, Braden Holtby has only allowed 10 on 137 shots in four-plus games since replacing Philipp Grubauer and he gets the advantage heading into this series. Washington is 18-1 in its last 19 home games after a win by three goals or more. 10* (88) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The only series to go the distance concludes tonight in Boston with the Bruins and Maple Leafs tied at three games each. Toronto has a 6-4 lead in the season series after taking three of four regular season games as well as the final two games to tie the series after falling behind 3-1. The Bruins are going to be a very public play tonight as 58 percent of bets and 62 percent of money placed are on them as of Wednesday morning. Boston has just nine regulation losses at home this season and Toronto is responsible for two of those including one in Game Five so the confidence is there to win on the road in an elimination game. After scoring 12 goals in the first two games, the Bruins looked as if they would dominate the series, but they have managed only nine goals over the last four games. In the three Toronto wins, Frederik Andersen made 116 saves while giving up six goals and he has been the best player for Toronto which is a perfect situation for a team going into a Game Seven. He looks quick, poised and locked into an understanding of how to prepare for Boston's offensive attack. The Bruins have dominated shots on goal overall, but it has meant little as the team with the fewer shots has won the last five games. Toronto falls into a great underdog situation as we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 revenging a road loss by two goals or more, playing a team with a winning record in the 2nd half of the season. This situation is 34-23 (598.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (25) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS for out NHL Monday Breakaway. Washington put an end to the four-game winning streak from the road teams in this series as it won on home ice Saturday in overtime. It was obviously a big win for the Capitals as they had lost four of their previous five home games and they can now win this series without having to win another game in Toronto. They hit the road where they are a solid 23-15-4 including seven straight wins and that is playing into this line. Columbus returns home where it is 26-13-4 and will be out to snap a three-game losing streak on home ice. This is obviously a must win for the Blue Jackets as things have not gone their way after opening the series with a 2-0 lead. They were beaten in double overtime in Game Three at home, struggled in Game Four, and then played possibly their best game of the series on Saturday but were not rewarded. They allowed seven goals in the first two games at home after entering the postseason allowing just 2.37 gpg which is second best in the NBA. This has been a tough spot for the Capitals as they are 9-18 against the moneyline in their last 27 games when attempting to close out a playoff series. Additionally, we play on home teams against the moneyline after allowing four goals or more in a loss to a division rival going up against an opponent after a home game where both teams scored three or more goals. This situation is 32-9 (78 percent) since 1996. 10* (20) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. The Flyers once again have life as they took down the Penguins on the road to close the gap in this series to 3-2. This is similar to last night as Columbus and Washington had four straight games where the road team won and now this is the case in this series. The Penguins won both games here but now their line is more inflated than it should be and they could be without Evgeni Malkin and at the very least, he is not close to 100 percent. We were waiting for goalie confirmation for this one and we got what we wanted. The Flyers will give Michal Neuvirth a second straight start as he looked to build momentum from his win on Friday. Even though it is a small sample size, Neuvirth will look for his fourth postseason win in his last five appearances as since Game Four of the 2016 series in Washington, he is 3-1 to go along with a 1.33 GAA and .960 save percentage, stopping 144 of the 150 shots he has faced. He helped shut down the five power play opportunities for the Penguins in Game Five. The Penguins are just 19-20-4 on the road this season and while they have won both in this series, this will be the first time not facing Brian Elliott which has been a big advantage for them. 10* (74) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Thursday Power Play. Toronto came through for us on Monday and we expect the Maple Leafs to even up this series after tonight as this is the only series where the home team has taken all three games. We played on the Lightning last night and along with the Predators, they were able to take a commanding 3-1 lead with road wins, but this line is telling us Boston is not in the same strong spot as those two teams. While they have been decent on the road, home ice has been great for the Maple Leafs as they are 30-10-2 here, one of only three teams in the league to have at least 30 home wins. Additionally, they have won five straight home games against teams with a winning road record. Boston has now dropped five straight road games and they have struggled against good home teams most of this season as the Bruins have dropped 10 of their last 14 games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or greater. The Bruins went 0-1 with the power play on Monday and this has been a strength of Toronto as it is 15-2 in its last 17 games against teams making 17.5 percent or more of their power play chances. The home team has won six of seven meetings this season with the lone road win coming by Toronto in Boston and we are banking on home ice coming through again. 10* (2) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. This is not what the Kings envisioned as even though they were the underdog in this series, they did not expect to be down 3-0 after three games and making it tougher to swallow is that they were all one-goal losses. They have now lost four straight games and history is not on their side, but they have been part of history. Los Angeles is one of only four teams in NHL history to win a series after falling behind 0-3, doing so in the first round of their Stanley Cup run against the San Jose Sharks in 2014. Additionally, Kings head coach John Stevens coached the 2010 Flyers, one of the other teams to come back from a 3-0 deficit and was associate coach to Darryl Sutter in 2014 so his history is even better. What Vegas has done this season is nothing short of incredible and it no doubt wants to end this series sooner rather than later. The Kings are desperate team and they have 11 holdovers from that 2014 team so there will be no quit. They fall into a situation where we play on home favorites against the moneyline in the second half of the season after losses in four or more consecutive games, winning with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 80-29 (73.4 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Los Angeles is 15-3 in its last 18 games against the moneyline playing with triple revenge while going 15-2 in its last 17 games against the moneyline after scoring two goals or less in four straight games. 10* (56) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. This play sets up very similar to the Minnesota play yesterday as Toronto went to Boston and nothing went right as it lost both games by four goals each. Now, the Maple Leafs are in must win mode as a 3-0 deficit in this series means it is over. While they have been decent on the road, home ice has been great for the Maple Leafs as they are 29-10-2 here including a perfect 6-0 record when coming off a divisional loss by two goals or more. Additionally, they have won four straight home games against teams with a winning road record. Boston hits the road where it has lost four straight games and the eight-goal scoring differential in the first two games has kept this moneyline lower than it should be based on the bounce angle. They have struggled against good home teams moist of this season as the Bruins have dropped nine of their last 13 games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or greater. They also fall into a negative situation as we play against road teams against the moneyline that are coming off two consecutive home wins by two goals or more going up against an opponent off a road loss by three goals or more. This situation is 30-9 (76.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (28) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We played on Minnesota Friday thinking it could get back into the series and steal a game in Winnipeg but the Wild gave it away late after a strong start defensively. They were outshot 44-17, after getting outshot 40-20 in Game One, so a shift to home ice is important to avoid what many are thinking will be a runaway series for Winnipeg. Minnesota is 27-6-8 and those six regulation losses are the fewest in the NHL, so it is in good shape to get back into this series. The Wild have lost three straight games only once this season and they are 13-1 following consecutive losses including going 6-0 following consecutive road losses. The Jets have now won seven straight games, the last four coming at home, and while it has been a solid road team this season, most of the success has come against non-playoff teams. Over its last 29 road games, the Jets have 13 wins but only four of those have been against current playoff teams. Winnipeg is 1-7 on the road this season following three consecutive wins and it falls into a negative situation where we play against road teams when the moneyline is -100 to -150 off a win by two goals or more over a division rival going up against an opponent off a loss by three goals or more to a division rival. This situation is 26-10 (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (22) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Friday Breakaway. Winnipeg won the first game of this series on Wednesday as it rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the third period to win the first playoff game in franchise history. That is a letdown if there ever was one but more importantly, the Jets remain overpriced as they finished just 13 points ahead of Minnesota and that does not warrant a 2-1 favorite. They closed at -200 in Game One but the first series opening home playoff game in Winnipeg in over a decade made that price permissible. Minnesota has lost seven games since mid-March with five of those coming by one goal or in a shootout while its six wins over that stretch have all been by more than one goal so there has been some tough luck involved. This is the third straight season Minnesota has lost the opening game and it has dropped the previous two series, so this is a big game and the experience puts the Wild in a good spot as this is their sixth straight year playing in the postseason. The home/road splits are making Winnipeg a huge public consensus tonight but going back, it is 3-13 in its last 16 games coming off consecutive divisional wins. Meanwhile, Minnesota is 14-4 in its last 18 games off a road divisional loss and 14-5 in its last 19 games after allowing three goals or more in two straight games. 10* (53) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The feel-good story in the NHL this season was Vegas taking the Pacific Division in its inaugural season but now things take a different turn. The Golden Knights stormed out of the gates but have slowed over the last couple months as they are just 10-8-3 over their last 21 games. Home ice has not been as good either as Vegas lost just three of its first 21 home games, but it has gone just 7-6 over its last 13. Los Angeles grabbed the first Wild Card spot, but it was only three points away from second place in the Pacific, so this is not a horrible draw for the Kings. It is a contrast of styles with the potent Vegas offense against the stifling Kings defense and the playoffs favor the latter. Vegas finished fourth in the league in goals scored, possesses the 10th best power play and had the ninth most shots per game. Meanwhile the Kings allowed the fewest goals, have the best penalty kill numbers and allowed the eight fewest shots in the league. These teams split the season series at two games each and each splitting on their home ice. One key takeaway was the fact Vegas went 0-13 on the power play in those four games. The Kings fall into a solid situation where we play against home teams when the money line is -100 to -150 with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 off a road loss by 3 goals or more, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 30-14 (68.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (7) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. There are numerous games today and tonight with playoff implications but most of those are one-sided situations where the moneyline have been drastically inflated. This is the only game on the slate that features a win-and-in situation and the price is more than reasonable. We won with St. Louis last night as it leapfrogged Colorado into the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but the Avalanche can take it back with a victory. Colorado is 27-11-2 at home this season as it looks to snap a three-game slide, all those losses coming on the road. The Avalanche are 7-0 against the moneyline in their seven home games this season after allowing three goals or more in three straight games. The Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with the win last night so neither team is coming in with a lot of momentum. While they have been a decent road team this season, the Blues are 1-6 in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Additionally, we play on home favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 in the second half of the season after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 191-85 (69.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (72) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the NASHVILLE PREDATORS for our NHL Thursday Power Play. Nashville is fighting for first place in the Central Division as well as first place in the entire Western Conference. It holds a three-point lead over Winnipeg with two games remaining so if it can win one of its last two games, it will clinch it all, but the goal is to get it done tonight because the Jets are playing two non-playoff teams while the Predators final game is against Columbus which is also still fighting for positioning. Washington has clinched the Metropolitan Division and while we played against the Capitals in their last game and they won a meaningless game in St. Louis, we are going against them again here. Washington is in evaluation mode at this point, mixing and matching lineups to figure out who will be in the plans once the postseason begins. Nashville possesses the best road record in the NHL so winning here is not out of the question despite the solid home ice advantage the Capitals usually possess but like was said, tonight is a different situation. Here, we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 in the second half of the season after having lost two of their last three games. This situation is 110-66 (62.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (51) Nashville Predators

This is a play on the NEW JERSEY DEVILS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. With the playoffs looming, some teams have a lot on the line while some have nothing to play for and we have two teams in both categories tonight. Toronto is coming off a win in its last game but that came against Buffalo so there was not much effort needed for that one. The Maple Leafs have already clinched third place in the Atlantic Division which means they will be facing either Tampa Bay or Boston in a first round playoff series, one in which they will not have home ice advantage. New Jersey is fighting a higher seed as it currently sits in the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but can still move up as a win tonight will move it into third place in the Metropolitan Division and sit just a point out of second place. A victory also officially clinches a playoff spot as it would eliminate Florida. New Jersey has won four of its last five home games and falls into a fantastic situation where we play against teams against the moneyline off a home win by three goals or more, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .501 and .600. This situation is 75-48 (61 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (56) New Jersey Devils

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Tuesday Power Play. Dallas kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a win over Minnesota on Saturday which was its final home game of the season. The problem is the Stars have to take care of business on the road and get some help along the way, but the road has not been kind. They are 14-19-5 on the highway this season including losses in eight straight with their last road win coming on February 22nd. Going back, Dallas is 1-13 in its last 14 road games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. San Jose is back home after losses in three straight games, all of which came on the road, as it looks to extend its four-game home winning streak and get closer to hosting a first round playoff series. The Sharks are two points ahead of Los Angeles and three points ahead of Anaheim for second place in the Pacific Division, the spot that gets the right to host. Their final three games of the season are at home where they are 24-11-3 and on the season, they are 9-0 in home games after allowing three goals or more two straight games this season. Additionally, we play against road teams off a home win by two goals or more going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 54-24 (69.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (68) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Monday Power Play. St. Louis is playing itself right out of the postseason as it has lost two straight games following a six-game winning streak, but it is in a great position tonight to get back into the win column. The Blues are coming off an embarrassing loss at Arizona on Saturday 6-0 and it is now a point behind Colorado for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but they can leapfrog the Avalanche with a win tonight. This recent two-game slide came on the road and the Blues are 24-15 at home including four straight. Another big factor making this an excellent spot is the fact Washington is coming off an upset win in Pittsburgh last night which clinched the Metropolitan Division so there is the letdown factor with nothing to play for. The Capitals cannot catch the Bruins or Lightning for the most points in the Eastern Conference, so nothing is in their control for the rest of the season. While they have been playing at a high level, now it is time for a rest. Washington is 4-11 in its last 15 road games when playing on back-to-back days while St. Louis is 13-3 in its last 16 games off two or more consecutive road losses. Additionally, we play on home favorites of -200 or less off two or more consecutive road losses when playing their 3rd game in five days. This situation is 115-52 (68.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (8) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. We played against St. Louis last night as it lost in overtime at Vegas and that loss coupled with the Colorado victory put it into a virtual tie with the Avalanche for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The Blues end the season in Colorado which could have huge playoff ramifications, but they need to take care of business prior to that. These winnable games have been good to them as they are 8-0 this season against teams with winning percentages between .250 and .400 while going back, they are 23-4 in their last 27 games against teams getting outscored by 0.5 gpg or more. Arizona is coming off a loss on Thursday in Los Angeles to conclude a respectable 3-3 roadtrip but a return home is not a great thing as the Coyotes have the second worst home record in the NHL. The timing is not good either as they are 0-4 in their last four home games following a roadtrip of seven or more days and they fall into a negative situation where we play against home underdogs coming off a road loss by two goals or more, in March games. This situation is 36-10 (78.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (19) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the EDMONTON OILERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. It has been a disappointing season for both Edmonton and Vancouver but more so for the former which came in with higher expectations. While there is not much to play for on either side as the season winds down, the Oilers do have one intangible in play still and that is Conner McDavid who leads the league in scoring and is on pace for his second straight Art Ross Trophy. While it is an individual recognition, his team is out to help. Edmonton has lost two straight games but going back, it has won three straight games against current non-playoff teams while winning four of its last five games against teams with a losing record. The Canucks meanwhile has won two straight games for the first time in nearly two months and they have not won three straight games since early December. Vancouver has lost 11 of its last 14 games following a victory while going 0-7 in its seven games this season off a home win by two goals or more. Here, we play against home teams in the second half of the season outscored by 0.5+ or more gpg, after allowing 2 goals or less in two straight games. This situation is 45-12 (78.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (17) Edmonton Oilers

This is a play on the DALLAS STARS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Dallas was looking pretty good for playoff consideration in early March, but it has been a complete slide as the Stars have dropped eight straight games to fall six points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The remaining schedule is not good as this is one of just two more home games remaining where Dallas is 24-12-3 on the season. Going back, the Stars are 21-4 in their last 25 home games after a loss by two goals or more. Philadelphia is right in the playoff mix as it currently holds a Wild Card spot and can jump over Columbus for third place in the Metropolitan Division with a win. The Flyers have been a decent .500 on the road but has lost five of their last six games and we play against underdog after one or more consecutive losses going up against an opponent after five or more consecutive losses. This situation is 121-53 (69.5 percent) since 1996. Additionally, we play on favorites revenging a loss of one goal, off a home loss by three goals or more. This situation is 45-14 (76.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (14) Dallas Stars

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Winnipeg is still chasing Nashville in the Central Division as it has won five straight games and coupled with the Predators three-game losing streak, it is only five points back. The Jets do not face Nashville again this season, but the schedule is on their side as after tonight, five of their last six games are against teams that will not be in the playoffs. Winnipeg lost the first meeting to Boston in a shootout and the Jets are 19-3 this season revenging a road loss. The Bruins have won two straight games and are right on the heels of the Lightning as they are two points back in the Atlantic Division. While each game is big, Boston has a home date with Tampa Bay on Thursday so there could be some lack of focus tonight. Winnipeg has a solid situation on its side as we play on teams against the moneyline that are coming off two or more consecutive home wins going up against an opponent off two consecutive road wins by one goal. This situation is 32-12 (72.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (8) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We played against Boston on Friday and unfortunately, the Bruins came back from a 2-0 deficit and scored three goals in the third period with the game winner coming with less than 20 seconds remaining. The injuries continue to mount up for the Bruins as depth is becoming a real issue and tonight is not a good spot against one of the best home teams in the NHL. Minnesota is 25-6-7 at home and still chasing Winnipeg for the right to host a first round series. The Wild are coming off a big win last night over first place Nashville and they head out on the road to face the Predators again on Tuesday which makes this sandwich game a big one. The last victory snapped a two-game home slide and going back, the Wild are 7-1 in their last eight home games against teams with a winning road record and on the season, they are 8-1 in nine home games against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. Minnesota lost in Boston in the first meeting this season and it is 19-7 in 26 games revenging a loss by two goals or more dating back to last season. 10* (8) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the CAROLINA HURRICANES as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. This is the first game of a home-and-home between Carolina and Ottawa and this is a big series for the Hurricanes as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive. We played on Carolina on Thursday as it defeated Arizona at home which was the first of a good number of winnable games down the stretch that it needs to take advantage of. They have won five of their last six road games against teams with a losing home record. Ottawa has lost three straight games, the last two coming at home by a combined score of 13-4 as this team is starting to pack it in. The Senators -56 scoring differential is second worst in the NHL and they have struggled against lesser opposition, going 2-14 on the season against teams that are getting outscored by 0.3 or more gpg. Additionally, we play against home underdogs of +150 or less with a winning percentage between .300 and .400 that are revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 65-25 (72.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (67) Carolina Hurricanes

This is a play on the DALLAS STARS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. This line came out late due to some injury concerns for the Bruins. Boston has clinched a playoff berth but it is coming off two straight losses in overtime and will once again be without Patrice Bergeron and could be without Torey Krug for a second straight game, two of its top four scorers. The Bruins have lost five of their last seven road games and going back further, they are 2-6 in their last eight road games against teams with a home winning percentage greater than .600. While there have been no back-to-back games, Boston is playing its sixth road game in its last seven overall so this has been a tiresome stretch with two straight overtime games not helping. While the Bruins are in good postseason shape, the same cannot be said for Dallas which is coming off a six-game roadtrip where it lost all six games. This has put the Stars four points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with just eight games left. This is the start of a three-game homestand and they cannot let these games get away from them as they are 24-10-3 at home on the season while going 12-3 in their last 15 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (10) Dallas Stars

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. After being the best team in the Western Conference for most of the season, Vegas has slipped considerably as it has lost six of its last 12 games and has fallen into second place in the conference, seven points behind Nashville. The Golden Knights still have an eight-point lead in the Pacific Division but than can be cut to six points after tonight and they still have one more meeting with San Jose down the road. They have won their last two games but those were against Calgary and Vancouver which have lost four straight and seven straight respectively. As mentioned, the Sharks can gain more ground on Vegas as they have won five straight games to remain three points ahead of Anaheim for second place in the division. More important, they are a point ahead of Minnesota for fourth place in the conference which comes with home ice in the first round of the playoffs. The big news here is that Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is out with a head injury and it will be missed as he is second in the league with a 2.18 GAA. Going back, the Sharks are 6-1 in their last seven home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (70) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the CALGARY FLAMES for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. With eight games remaining, Calgary is running out of time to sneak into the playoffs and tonight provides a great opportunity to close the gap. The Flames have lost three straight games and are now six points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference which happens to be held by Anaheim so a win cuts that to four points. It will not be easy the rest of the way with five of the final seven games coming up are against playoff teams so if they fall eight points back, it could be over. Home ice has not been great for Calgary but that is being reflected in this line. Anaheim has won three straight games to get into that final Wild Card spot and the schedule has been on its side with eight of its last 10 games coming at home, including all three during this winning streak. The Ducks have lost three straight road games and going back, they are 1-10 in their last 11 road games against the moneyline after three straight wins by two goals or more. Calgary falls into a tremendous contrarian situation as we play against road teams against the moneyline that are coming off two or more consecutive home wins going up against an opponent off two consecutive road losses by two goals or more. This situation is 25-7 (78.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (8) Calgary Flames

This is a play on the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Colorado is tied with Anaheim for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference while sitting four points behind Minnesota for third place in the Central Division. The Avalanche are not guaranteed of anything however as Dallas and St. Louis are right on their tail so these games are must wins. That is easier said than done of course. Chicago is well out the playoff picture and is out to play spoiler at this point. The Blackhawks lost at home to St. Louis in overtime on Sunday but they have been playing better at home down the stretch as they are 5-2-1 in their last eight home games. Colorado is just 3-19 in its last 22 road games against the moneyline against teams with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. Here, we play on favorites against the moneyline after three or more consecutive losses, with a losing record in the second half of the season. This situation is 110-53 (67.5 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (68) Chicago Blackhawks

This is a play on the DETROIT RED WINGS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Philadelphia is the second biggest consensus play in the NHL tonight as the public loves to ride winning streaks and keep fading the losing streaks. That is the case here as the Flyers have won two straight games following one win in their previous eight games while the Red Wings have lost 10 straight games to get officially eliminated from the playoffs. For Detroit, nine of those 10 losses were on the road while the lone home loss came against the second best team in the Western Conference. Detroit is coming off a 5-1 loss in Colorado in its last game on Sunday and going back, it is 24-4 in its last 28 games following a loss of four or more goals. Here, we play against road teams against the moneyline coming off a home win by two goals or more going up against an opponent off two consecutive road losses by two goals or more. This situation is 24-8 (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (60) Detroit Red Wings

This is a play on the FLORIDA PANTHERS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Florida is the lone remaining ream in the Eastern Conference that is not in the playoffs that still has a chance as the Panthers are three points behind New Jersey for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have not been great on the road but catch a good opponent here and come in with momentum from a 2-0 win in Montreal last night. Ottawa had a three-game winning streak snapped in Columbus on Saturday and it heads back home where it has lost four of its last five. Florida is 16-2 in its last 18 games against teams allowing 2.85 or more gpg and fall into a solid situation where we play against home underdogs of +100 to +150 against the moneyline in the second half of the season that are being outscored by 0.65 or more gpg, after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. This situation is 39-9 (81.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (63) Florida Panthers

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Saturday Power Play. Both Tampa Bay and Boston are coming off losses in their last game with the Lightning holding onto a four-point lead in the Eastern Conference over the Bruins. The Tampa Bay loss was a bad one as it lost to Ottawa 7-4 as a 3-to-1 favorite and the fact it was on Tuesday makes it great to back it tonight as having all that time off to stew about it puts the Lightning in a great bounceback spot. They are 25-7-2 at home and going back, the Lightning are 9-2 in their last 11 home games against teams with a winning road record. Boston lost to Florida on Thursday which was its second loss in the first three games of this four-game roadtrip and while this normally could be a great spot, the Bruins are catching Tampa Bay at the wrong time. The first meeting this season went the Bruins way which puts Tampa Bay into a revenge situation where we play on favorites against the moneyline that are revenging a one-goal loss and coming off a home loss by three goals or more. This situation is 44-13 (77.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Tampa Bay is 16-5 this season coming off a loss while the Bruins are 1-6 in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 9* (10) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the DALLAS STARS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. Following three straight losses, Dallas is barely hanging on to the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference as it is just one point ahead of Anaheim and a loss here could put the Stars on the outside looking in with the Ducks hosting Detroit tonight. The Stars have been a much better home team than road team, but the situation sets up well here for the skid to be broken. Ottawa is coming off a Florida sweep as it defeated the Panthers and Lightning as big underdogs so give it credit for playing hard despite no chance for the playoffs. The Senators head back home where they have lost four straight games and are catching Dallas at the wrong time. Dallas is 9-1 in its last 10 games after allowing six or more goals and 11-1 in its last 12 games after three or more consecutive losses. Meanwhile, the Senators are 0-5 in their last five home games after scoring four or more goals in two straight games while going 4-13 in its last 17 games after a win by three or more goals. Dallas has two solid situations on its side. First, we play against home underdogs between +100 to +150 in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .300 and .400 coming off a win in their previous game, a bad team. This situation is 36-10 (78.3 percent) over the last five seasons. Second, we play on favorites against the moneyline after three or more consecutive losses going up against an opponent that has won two straight games. This situation is 100-40 (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (53) Dallas Stars

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. The Flyers are coming off a loss to Vegas on Monday to make it six losses in their last seven games, but they are still in third place in the Metropolitan Division but not by much. They are ahead of New Jersey by just one point and Columbus by two points, so things have gotten tight, but they are in a great spot to break out of their offensive slump tonight. Philadelphia has scored two goals or less in seven of its last eight games, but it faces a Columbus team that allows 3.12 gpg on the road and going back, the Flyers are 10-3 against the moneyline in their last 13 home games after scoring two goals or less in three straight games. Columbus has narrowed the gap against Philadelphia so much thanks to wins in five straight games, although the final four have come at home. The Blue Jackets are 10 games over .500 at home and six games under .500 on the road, so the fact the offense has ramped up of late has a lot to do with home ice. They are averaging just 2.65 gpg on the road and they are 5-11 against the moneyline after scoring three goals or more in two straight games this season. The Flyers have a strong contrarian situation on their side as we play on home teams when the moneyline is between -100 to -150 after scoring two goals or less in three straight games going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 34-9 (79.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (2) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. Toronto is holding onto the third spot in the Eastern Conference, but it is just three points away from falling down to the fifth seed, so the Maple Leafs need to keep plugging along. They won their last game against Pittsburgh 5-2 and the Penguins are a team they are trying to hold off so that was a big win. That game was on Saturday and this is just the second game in nine nights so any letdown from that is completely gone and the confidence at home has been shining as Toronto has won 10 straight home games. Their enthusiasm should win out over the Stars fatigue, as Dallas arrived late after playing on Tuesday night in Montreal against the Canadiens. Dallas is on a six-game road trip, which began with a loss in Pittsburgh Sunday in which they managed just 18 shots on goal and while it doubled that last night, it lost 4-2 to make it four losses in five games. The Stars have scored just five goals over their last four games, none of them during 5x5 play so the offense is struggling, and things will not be any easier here as Toronto is allowing just 2.67 gpg at home while Dallas averages 2.45 gpg on the road, third lowest in the NHL. The Maple Leafs are 7-0 in their last seven home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (52) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS as part of our NHL Monday Hat Trick. Washington capped off a three-game roadtrip with a victory against San Jose after dropping its first two games. The Capitals are now a point behind Pittsburgh, which won last night, in the Metropolitan Conference so they have a chance to retake first place tonight. Washington is 23-9-2 at home including three straight wins and with only three of its next eight games coming at home, this is a big one. The Jets had a three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday to fall back under .500 on the road and remain seven points behind Nashville in the Central Division. They face the Predators tomorrow which could result in a lookahead and they fall into a negative situation where we play against road teams against the moneyline in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 after having won four of their last five games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 143-93 (60.6 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Winnipeg is 3-13 when playing its 3rd road game in five days over the last two seasons while going 11-29 in its last 40 games after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. Meanwhile, Washington is 13-2 in its last 15 games after playing three consecutive road games. 10* (56) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Monday Hat Trick. We won with the Flyers on Saturday as they snuck past Winnipeg to snap a five-game losing streak and we will back them again as they look to keep the momentum rolling. Philadelphia fell from first place to third place in the Metropolitan Division as the offense has struggled by scoring two goals or less in four straight games and six of its last seven games, but the contrarian aspect is on its side as noted later. Vegas has fallen into second place in the Western Conference as it has been unable to keep pace with Nashville, but it does arrive on a two-game winning streak. However, those two wins came against Detroit and Buffalo which are not going to be playing in the postseason. The Golden Knights have been solid on the road, but one issue has been defense where they are allowing 2.94 gpg which help the Flyers offense get going. Here, we play against road favorites of -150 or less after allowing two goals or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring two goals or less in three straight games. This situation is 48-25 (65.8 percent) over the last five seasons. The Flyers are 10-2 against the moneyline in its last 12 home games after scoring two goals or less in three straight games. 10* (58) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. The Penguins head home following a loss in Toronto last night where the defense came up small once again. the defense has been troublesome all season, but the spot is good here for a bounceback as Pittsburgh is 25-8-1 at home on the season. Pittsburgh can retake the lead in the Metropolitan Division with a victory and also reclaim the coveted fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. Dallas won its last game against Anaheim on Friday to remain in the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The Stars are 0-5 in their last five games following a win and catch the wrong opponent at the wrong time. The Penguins are 14-3 at home this season against teams with a winning record while going 9-1 in their 10 games following a road loss by three or more goals. Additionally, they fall into a situation where we play on favorites against the moneyline that are allowing three or more gpg on the season, after a loss by three goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 134-68 (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (6) Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Winnipeg is off to a 3-0 start on its current six-game roadtrip and going back, it has won five straight road games. The Jets remain in second place in the Western Conference as they have been unable to gain ground on Nashville, which has won 10 straight games. The last three wins have some against weak Eastern Conference teams and this will be the biggest test before closing the roadtrip at Washington and Nashville. The Flyers have dropped five straight games but remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Three of the recent losses have come against the top three teams in the east, two of which have come on the road. This is a big game for Philadelphia and it catches Winnipeg in a vulnerable spot as the Jets are 11-27 in their last 38 games after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. Additionally, we play on favorites after three or more consecutive losses going up against an opponent after two straight wins. This situation is 99-40 (71.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (54) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Friday Power Play. Coming off two straight wins, Minnesota remains in third place in the Central Division and catching Nashville and Winnipeg seems unlikely at this point. However, the Wild are in fourth place in the Western Conference, which comes with home ice in the first round, and they have just a two-point lead over San Jose, so these winnable games become very important as the regular season winds down. For Minnesota, winnable road games are huge since nine of its last 15 games are on the highway where it has struggled to a 14-17-1 record. Vancouver has lost three of four games on this current homestand with the last one coming against Arizona. The Canucks are just 12-16-6 at home this season and those 12 wins are tied for second fewest in hockey. Vancouver has worn down late in the season the past two years and unable to take advantage when it can as it is 4-22 against the moneyline in its last 26 games in the second half of the season against teams allowing 2.85 or more gpg. Vancouver has pulled off two upsets against the Wild this season which sets up a situation where we play on teams against the moneyline in the second half of the season that are revenging two straight one-goal losses with a winning percentage between .501 and .600, playing a losing team. This situation is 27-6 (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (7) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the BUFFALO SABRES for our NHL Thursday Underdog Shocker. We played against the Sabres last night as they were in a tough spot against a hungry Calgary team, but they are in a much better spot tonight getting an overpriced number. Buffalo has been competitive on the road as going back to late January, it is 6-2-1 in its last nine games away from home and while the offense is not great, it is better on the road than on home ice. The Sabres have won their last four games after allowing three goals or more and are 6-3 over their last nine road games against teams averaging 29.5 shots per game. Ottawa is coming off a win in Dallas to close out a 2-2 roadtrip and while it had a five-game home winning streak going to open February, it has dropped its last two home games albeit against solid teams. The Senators have struggled more against the poorer teams as they are 2-12 against the moneyline this season against teams that are getting outscored by 0.3 or more gpg. Buffalo has a great situation on its side as we play against home teams against the moneyline in the second half of the season that are getting outscored by their opponents by 0.5+ gpg, after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. This situation is 43-12 (78.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (57) Buffalo Sabres

This is a play on the CALGARY FLAMES for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. Calgary has dropped four straight games as it is now three points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference after picking up a point in its last game. The Flames have been fortunate that all of the teams ahead of them in the playoff race have lost at least their last game as well, so they have not lost much ground. Three of the losses came at Colorado, Dallas and Pittsburgh which have 23, 23 and 25 home wins respectively so they definitely get a break tonight and have to take advantage. Buffalo is 3-1 over its last four games including home upsets over Boston and Toronto, the latter coming on Monday, and the Sabres had not won consecutive home games since March of last season, going 0-10 in their last 10 home games after a win in their previous home game. Buffalo has lost 22 of 32 home games this season including a 1-9 record against the Western Conference and it is averaging just 2.38 gpg which is deal last in the NHL. While we are not an advocate of road revenge, Calgary suffered a home loss to Buffalo in January and it has won 13 of its last 20 road revenge games where it was held to one goal or less. Additionally, we play against home underdogs of +100 to +150 in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .300 and .400 off a win in their previous game. This situation is 35-9 (79.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (1) Calgary Flames

This is a play on the NEW JERSEY DEVILS for our NHL Tuesday Power Play. The Devils remain in the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference despite losing their last three games including a home defeat against Vegas last time out. New Jersey is 17-13-3 at home which is nothing great, but it is in a great spot tonight as its last six home losses dating back to January 23 have all come against teams in current playoff spots and that is not the case tonight. Montreal is coming off an overtime loss at Boston on Saturday to fall to 9-19-3 on the road for the season and those nine road wins are tied for second fewest in the NHL. The Canadiens are getting outscored by 1.16 gpg on the road as they are averaging only 2.26 gpg which is second fewest in the league. This season, Montreal is 2-11 against the moneyline in road games off a road loss while going 9-24 against the moneyline as an underdog. Montreal won the first meeting this season which puts New Jersey in a great payback situation as we play on favorites against the moneyline revenging a loss of one goal and coming off a home loss. This situation is 205-89 (69.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (52) New Jersey Devils

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. Washington is tabbed as the home team, but this game is being played in Annapolis as part of the NHL Stadium Series. Weather has been a concern leading up to this game, but the good news is that severe winds will have eased by puck drop at 8 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Toronto comes in riding a two-game losing streak, both coming on the road in extra time and the Maple Leafs are still a solid 17-12-5 away from home. Washington is coming off a win over lowly Ottawa but is just 3-4 in its last seven games. Here, we play on teams against the moneyline coming off two consecutive road losses by one goal, in a game involving two with winning percentages between .501 and .600. This situation is 36-13 (73.5 percent) since 1996. Additionally, the Maple Leafs are 5-0 in their last five games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while the Capitals are 0-4 in their last four games after allowing two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (11) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the NEW YORK ISLANDERS for our NHL Friday Power Play. This is the second game of the Canadiens/Islanders home-and-home with Montreal taking the first game at home 3-1 on Wednesday. That was the fourth straight loss for New York which now sits four points behind Columbus for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The problem has been the road for the Islanders all season as they have 20 losses which is tied for seventh most in the NHL. They are a much more respectable 16-11-4 at home and this is their first home game in over a week and going back, they are 9-2 in their last 11 home games following a road trip of seven or more days. Montreal is coming off a 2-0-2 homestand which came after a 0-3-1 roadtrip, part of a five-game losing streak. The Canadiens are 1-12 in their last 13 road games including seven straight losses which has added to their atrocious road performance the entire season as their seven wins are tied with Arizona for second fewest in the entire league. Montreal is averaging just 2.17 gpg on the highway which is tied with Ottawa for the lowest in the NHL. The Canadiens are 1-5 in their last six games following a win and this is a huge game for the Islanders which embark on a four-game roadtrip starting in Pittsburgh on Saturday. 10* (52) New York Islanders

This is a play on the ARIZONA COYOTES for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. Arizona heads into Thursday having come off a three-day break following a loss against Vancouver in its fifth game of a seven-game homestand. It has clearly been a bad season for the Coyotes, but they are in the middle of one of their best stretches of the season as they are 6-2-1 over their last nine games. They have won just 10 home games all season and that is being taken into consideration with this line and they have gone 4-1 in their last five home games against teams with a losing road record. Minnesota has won five straight games including an 8-3 blowout over St. Louis in its last game on Tuesday. The Wild are eight points behind Nashville in the Central Division thanks to a great home ice edge yet despite winning three straight road games, they are just 14-15-1 on the highway and they are in a spot where they are winless this season in two different situations. Minnesota is 0-7 against the moneyline in its seven road games off a home win this season and it is 0-8 against the moneyline in its eight games off two or more consecutive home wins this season. Additionally, we play on home teams against the moneyline after scoring two goals or less in three straight games going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 64-29 (68.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (12) Arizona Coyotes

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Tuesday Top Shelf Dominator. San Jose returns home following a four-game roadtrip that started well with a win at St. Louis but ended poorly with three losses including an overtime loss at Minnesota on Sunday That loss put the Sharks two points behind the Wild for fourth place in the Western Conference so continuing their winning ways at home is imperative. They are 17-9-3 at home including wins in 11 of their last 16 games which includes a 6-4 win over the Oilers in the last meeting. Edmonton has won three straight games including a pair of underdog wins on Saturday and Sunday and the Oilers have not won four straight games since December. While the Oilers have won three straight road games as well, they are 14-16-2 on the highway this season. They defeated Anaheim 6-5 in their last games and on the season, they are 1-10 in their 11 games following a game where they scored five or more goals including a 0-7 record after scoring six or more goals. Meanwhile, San Jose is 7-0 this season after allowing three goals or more in consecutive games and falls into a spectacular situation where we play on home teams when the moneyline is between -100 to -150 after scoring two goals or less in three straight games going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 33-9 (78.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (18) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the NEW YORK RANGERS as part of our NHL Sunday Hat Trick. It has been a rough stretch for the Rangers as they have lost six straight games and are now eight points back of the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Two of the recent losses have come at home where New York is still a respectable 18-12-3 and it is 23-12 in its last 35 games coming off a home loss. Detroit is coming off a win last night at home against Carolina to conclude a four-game homestand after losing the first three games. The Red Wings have won just once in their last six games of a back-to-back and have gone 0-7 in their last seven games plating their third game in four days. Additionally, we play on favorites against the moneyline that are revenging a loss by one goal and coming off a home loss by three goals or more. This situation is 43-12 (78.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (6) New York Rangers

This is a play on the FLORIDA PANTHERS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. Pittsburgh is rolling once again as it has won six straight games, the last two coming on the road including a win at Carolina last night. This is only the third time all season that the Penguins have won consecutive road games and they failed to make it three straight the previous two times. Overall, they are just 13-15-3 on the road and going back to last season, the Penguins are 2-10 in their 12 games playing the second of back-to-back road games. The defense has been problematic, allowing 3.03 gpg on the highway. Florida won on Thursday at home against Washington as it was able to close the gap to five points for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers are 14-9-3 at home and they have won seven of their last eight games against losing road teams. They are a perfect 8-0 in their last eight games against teams allowing 2.85 or more gpg and they fall into a great situation where we play against road favorites against the moneyline in the second half of the season that are averaging 2.85 or more gpg after four straight wins by two goals or more. This situation is 32-10 (76.2 percent) since 1997. 10* (62) Florida Panthers

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Friday Breakaway. Winnipeg had an opportunity win create some space between it and the rest of the Central Division as it has a 10-game homestand where it was 17-3-1 but it lost some ground to Nashville as it went 6-3-1. That is a respectable homestand but not what was expected and now the Jets hit the road for the first time since January 25th which was before the All-Star Break. Eight of their next 10 games are on the road where they have lost 17 of 29 games and could be in danger of falling out of second place in the Central Division. The Jets are 3-11 in their last 14 road games against teams with a winning home record. St. Louis has lost four straight games including the last three by one goal and it is sitting in the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Most surprisingly, the Blue outshot the four opponents by a combined 127-95 which is a good sign that things will turn around. The last victory for the Blue came at Winnipeg so while the Jets will be out for revenge, they are 0-9 this season revenging a home loss. Additionally, we play on teams after three straight one-goal losses going up against an opponent after playing a game where seven or more total goals were scored. This situation is 28-10 (73.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (6) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. The Kings are back home following a seven-game roadtrip where they went 4-3 including victories in their final three games. They are now 33-22-5 on the season and are still on the outside looking in at the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference despite being tied with Minnesota with 71 points. The Los Angeles schedule has been one of the most lopsided in the NHL as has played eight more road games than home games, so it comes as no surprise it has played the No. 4 ranked schedule in the league. Dallas got shutout in Anaheim last night and while that normally could suggest a bounce back, the Stars have been too inconsistent on the road. The Stars are 10-27 in their last 37 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Kings are 8-3 in their last 11 home games against teams with a losing road record. Additionally, Los Angeles 13-1 in its last 14 home games after a three-game unbeaten streak. The Kings have a strong situation in place as we play against road teams coming off two consecutive road losses by two goals or more, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 61-17 (78.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (72) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the CAROLINA HURRICANES for our NHL Sunday Power Play. This line came out late because New Jersey played last night and teams playing the second of a back-to-back have not had overnight lines this season. Carolina has dropped two straight games following a three-game winning streak with one of those losses coming at New Jersey on Thursday so there is the immediate revenge angle going today. The Hurricanes are tied with Columbus at a point behind the Islanders for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are 15-10-5 at home and catch New Jersey at a good time. The Devils are coming off an upset win last night in Tampa Bay for their third straight victory which has them in the first Wild Card spot and on the cusp of taking over third place in the Metropolitan Division. Despite a decent 14-10-5 road record, New Jersey has lost 10 of its last 14 on the highway and Carolina falls into a situation where we play on home teams against the moneyline that are revenging a loss where opponent scored five or more goals, off a divisional loss by three goals or more. This situation is 43-19 (69.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (56) Carolina Hurricanes

This is a play on the EDMONTON OILERS for our Saturday NHL Breakaway. We won with Edmonton earlier this month as it defeated Tampa Bay at homer but since then, the Oilers have lost five straight games, four of which have come on the road against Western Conference playoff contending teams. That is not the case today as Edmonton faces the worst team in the conference and presents a great opportunity to get back into the win column. Arizona has won three straight games for just the second time this season and it failed to make it four in a row last time. The Coyotes are just 8-16-4 at home this season and have struggled against the lesser teams as they are 1-7 in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. A great situation is in play as we play against teams against the moneyline in the second half of the season that are getting outscored by .65 or more gpg, after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. This situation is 42-11 (79.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Adding to that is the fact Arizona is 1-13 against the moneyline in its last 13 games after allowing two goals or less in two straight games. 10* (7) Edmonton Oilers

This is a play on the DALLAS STARS for our Friday NHL Breakaway. Dallas is coming off a rare home loss as it was shutout by Vancouver 6-0, but it has a lot in its favor to make a strong comeback tonight. The Stars have had four days off since that defeat, so the added time off helps with the situation. They are 20-9-1at home and are in possession of the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Dallas is 8-1 against the moneyline in its last nine games after allowing six goals while going back, it is 18-4 against the moneyline in its last 22 home games after a loss by two goals or more. St. Louis has lost two straight games after a two-game winning streak and the Blue are now in third place in the Central Division. They have been solid on the road, but the Blues are 2-5 in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Additionally, Dallas falls into a great league-wide situation as we play on home favorites against the moneyline that are coming off a home loss by three goals or more going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 77-29 (72.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (58) Dallas Stars

This is a play on the OTTAWA SENETORS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. There have not been many winnable games for Ottawa of late, but it has one tonight as it returns home after a pair of 6-3 losses in Toronto and Pittsburgh. The Senators have an overall losing record at home, but they bring in a three-game winning streak and those victories were against three teams all sitting in current playoff spots. The problem at home has been defense but Buffalo has been one of the lowest scoring offenses at home. They fall into a situation where we play on home teams against the moneyline after allowing four goals or more two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring four goals or more in four straight games. This situation is 25-9 (73.5 percent) since 1996. Buffalo has won three of its last four games and while it is the offense that has led the way, only one of those games was on the road. The Sabres are averaging 2.55 gpg on the road which is fourth worst in the NHL and the recent run puts them into a negative situation as we play against road teams against the moneyline that are coming off a home win by two goals or more against opponent off two consecutive road losses by two goals or more. This situation is 23-8 (74.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (8) Ottawa Senators

This is a play on the NEW YORK ISLANDERS for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. Both the Islanders and Blue Jackets have been on inconsistent runs with have put them both on the outside of the playoff standings. Columbus won in its last game at home against New Jersey which snapped a five-game losing streak including three in a row at home. The Blue Jackets have won consecutive games only once in the last two months as they are 1-8 in their last nine games following a win while also having lost 12 of their last 17 road games. New York lost against Calgary on Sunday to remain in a tie with Columbus with 60 points, one point out the final Wild Card spot. The Islanders are 15-9-4 at home and a surprising home underdog here against a team that is four games worse on the road. While Thomas Greiss looked to be the initial starter in goal tonight, it has been confirmed that Jaroslav Halak will be starting tonight. That is significant as Greiss has a 4.03 GAA, one of only six goalies that are allowing four or more goals on the season and he is has by far the worst GAA in the league of goalies that have played 1,000 or more minutes. 10* (8) New York Islanders

This was a late line release due to Columbus playing last night. It has been a rough stretch for the Blue Jackets which have not lost five straight games and have completely fallen out of the Eastern Conference playoff standings. The Metropolitan Division is the most competitive with just 12 points separating first place and last place and only five points separates six teams vying for the third playoff spot coming out of the conference. Columbus is four points out and needs to get back on track as New Jersey is the team everyone is chasing. The Blue Jackets are 16-10-1 at home and they will be out to win their first home game in three weeks. New Jersey has lost tow in a row while going 3-6 over its last nine games. The road has been a real problem of late as the Devils have dropped nine of their last 11 games on the highway. They are 1-5 in their last six games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while going back further, the Devils are 15-40 in their last 55 games when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (56) Columbus Blue Jackets

New Jersey closed the first half of the season with four straight losses, managing a total of just three goals in those four games. The Devils came out of the break and won three in a row before losing at Ottawa on Tuesday. They are back home where they are 15-8-3 on the season including wins in nine of their last 13 games and they need to continue to take care of home ice. They are a point behind Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division and currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference but just four points out of falling out of the playoffs completely. Calgary is coming off a home-and-home sweep of Chicago which halted a six-game losing streak, five of which came at home. The Flames have been a strong road team but that is being taken into consideration with this line. Despite owning the same amount of points as New Jersey, they are on the outside of the playoff picture in the rugged Western Conference. The Flames are 0-4 in their last four games against teams with a winning record. 10* (52) New Jersey Devils

The Rangers have slipped to 11th place in the Eastern Conference following a dreadful run where they went 1-6 over a seven-game stretch. Six of those games were on the road however while three of the losses were against teams in the current playoff standings while the other three were against Western Conference teams that are one or two points out. The challenge will not be any easier tonight but at least New York is back home where it is 17-9-3 on the season while going 5-0 in its last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Boston has been the hottest team in the NHL for the last seven weeks as it has lost just once in regulation over its last 22 games, going 17-1-4 over that stretch. The Bruins are coming off a win in Detroit last night and they have struggled when playing with on rest during this stretch. They have played back-to-back games four times and have lost the second game twice while one of the wins was against Buffalo. Going back, they are 7-17 in their last 24 games playing with no rest and playing in New York is not ideal as they have dropped seven straight games in this series. 10* (4) New York Rangers

Colorado is back home following a six-game roadtrip where it went 2-3-1 including a shutout loss in Winnipeg in the finale on Saturday. The Avalanche have lost 15 of 25 road games on the season but have held their own at home where they are 18-7-1 including wins in eight straight games. Despite having the seventh best scoring differential in the Western Conference, they are on the outside looking in at the playoffs as they are tied with Calgary and Anaheim for ninth place, one point out of the final Wild Card spot. Colorado is averaging 3.65 gpg at home which is second in the NHL behind Winnipeg and it has won nine of its last 11 games against teams with a winning record. San Jose is in fifth place in the Western Conference thanks to a pair of road wins at Columbus and Carolina to move to 2-1-1 on this current roadtrip which comes to an end tonight. The Sharks have played .500 hockey on the road this season which is better than most and that is keeping this line much lower than it should be. They have done well against the teams they should beat but they have gone 1-8 in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (72) Colorado Avalanche

We won with Minnesota last Friday as it continued its torrid pace at home but fell flat the next night in Dallas as it lost 6-1. The Wild are now 10-15-1 on the highway and defense can be to blame. They are giving up just 2.08 gpg on home ice which is the best in the league but once they hit the road, things regress as they are giving up 3.65 gpg which is second worst and that home/road split is the biggest in the NHL. Minnesota has lost six of its last eight road games and has lost five of the last six meetings here. St. Louis is coming off a win in Buffalo on Saturday to make it four victories in their last five games. The Blues remain in third place in the Central Division as they trail Nashville and Winnipeg by four points and they are three points ahead of San Jose for the fourth spot in the Western Conference. Their offense has been adequate at home, but the defense makes up for it as they allow 2.36 gpg which is sixth best in the NHL. The Blues are 5-1 in their last six games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (66) St. Louis Blues

Vegas won in Washington on Sunday to move to 3-1 on this current roadtrip that concludes Thursday in San Jose. The Golden Knights have been one of the top home teams in the league, but they do take a step back on the road and they have a tough test tonight in a below average spot. Vegas has one of the best defenses at home where it allows a second best 2.21 gpg but it has not been nearly as strong on the road where is gives up 3.04 gpg and now face one of the top scoring offenses. The Penguins lost in New Jersey on Saturday which halted a four-game winning streak. They remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference because they have been horrible on the road as their 15 regulation losses are tied for the most in the league. Pittsburgh is 19-7-1 at home where it is averaging 3.52 gpg, sixth best in the NHL. Overall, the Penguins have won seven straight home games while going back, they are 28-10 in their last 38 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (58) Pittsburgh Penguins

Tampa Bay is off to a 5-2 start on this current roadtrip which concludes tonight in Edmonton and it could very well be looking forward to heading back home. This is the fourth time this season the Lightning have had a four-game or longer roadtrip and they have gone 1-2 in the final game of the first three. The lone victory did come in the most recent one however it came after losing the previous two games whereas they come into this one following two straight wins. Tampa Bay has been one of the best road teams in the league this season but that is being reflected in this line and the value is on the underachieving home team. Edmonton is 2-1-1 on its current homestand which comes to an end tonight with six of the next seven games coming on the road. The Oilers are arguably the biggest disappointment in the league as they are 13 points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Cam Talbot will be back in goal tonight and he has won four of his five starts and going back, the Oilers are 5-1 in their last six games when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (8) Edmonton Oilers

Calgary owns the longest current losing streak in the NHL as it has dropped its last six games, but Saturday presents a great opportunity to put that to an end. The Flames had won seven straight games heading into their mandatory five-day layoff, but the time off came at a bad time as they dropped four straight games in extra time. Things were looking up as they had a lead on Vegas with less than two minutes remaining but allowed three goals in that span to lose 4-2. Calgary felt the effects of that loss in its next game as it allowed four third period goals against Tampa Bay in a 7-4 loss, making it back-to-back meltdowns against the two best teams in the league. The Flames will be out to end a five-game home losing streak as they sit three points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Chicago was upset in Vancouver two nights ago which ended a four-game road winning streak. The Blackhawks have been equally average at home where they are 12-10-3 and on the road where they are 12-10-4 as they are three points behind the Flames. The Blackhawks are 9-24 in their last 33 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while the Flames are 8-2 in their last 10 games following a loss of three or more goals. 10* (22) Calgary Flames

Vegas burnt us last night as it won in overtime over Winnipeg in a controversial game over a goalie interference no-call. Nonetheless, the Golden Knights celebrated well into the night as they improved to 34-12-4 through 50 games, breaking the NHL record for most victories by a team in an inaugural season. This was the second straight win that easily could have been a loss as they scored three goals with less than two minutes remaining against Calgary on Tuesday. This is the second straight game against a team with a huge home ice advantage and going back, the Golden Knights are just 4-4 this season in the second of back-to-back road games with no rest. Minnesota defeated Columbus in a shootout on Tuesday, which gives it an extra two days of rest, as it finally reached double-digit victories on the road. The Wild have been great at home as they are 17-4-4 which is keeping them right in the playoff mix as they are just a point out of the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Vegas managed just two regulation goals last night, one which could have been overruled, against a strong defensive team at home and it gets tough tonight. Minnesota has allowed just 2.08 gpg at home which is the lowest in the NHL. The Wild have won five straight home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (58) Minnesota Wild

A showdown of the top two teams in the Western Conference takes place Thursday night as top team Vegas heads to second place Winnipeg. With their win over the top team in the Eastern Conference, a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay, the Jets now have a three-point lead over Nashville and there could be much more separation from now until February 20 as this is the second game of a 10-game homestand. The Predators have three games in hand so a big homestand is necessary and winning these big games can quiet down the doubters. The Jets are 18-3-1 at home and going back to last season, they have lost just four times in their last 28 home games. Vegas is coming off a miracle win on Tuesday as it was down 2-1 to Calgary with 1:46 remaining and scored the tying goal and then added the game-winner 10 second later before adding an empty-netter to seal the 4-2 victory. The Golden Knights have 13 wins over top ten teams in the league, but the 13-5 record includes a 9-1 record at home, so they are just 4-4 on the road against the top-rated teams. The potent offense faces a real test as the Jets allow 2.32 gpg at home which is fourth fewest in the NHL. Vegas has been nearly unbeatable at home, but it is certainly more vulnerable on the road and like the Winnipeg game on Tuesday, this line is being kept in check because of the opponent that the public is backing. 10* (14) Winnipeg Jets

Thanks to an 18-game point streak, Boston made a big move in the Atlantic Division as it moved within five points of first place Tampa Bay. That run was snapped on Tuesday as the Bruins lost to Anaheim 3-1 at home and that was just the fourth time over the last 26 games they have scored fewer than three goals. Surprisingly, all those low output efforts came at home but even going back further, Boston has bounced back well as the Bruins are 7-0 in their last seven games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Boston is 16-6-4 at home and averaging 3.19 gpg which is 10th best in the league. St. Louis hots the road for the first time since January 18th as it is coming off a four-game homestand where it finished 3-1 including wins in the last three games. The Blues are now tied with Nashville for second place in the Central Division with 65 points, three points behind division leader Winnipeg. They catch Boston at the wrong time coming off a poor offensive effort which negates the exceptional play of goalie Carter Hutton who has taken over the starting job for Jake Allen although he has struggled on the road against top offenses. The Blues are 4-9 in their last 13 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Boston has lost consecutive games only once since mid-November and is 7-0-1 in its last eight games after a loss. 10* (4) Boston Bruins

This line came out late because Toronto played last night and pitched a shutout, a 5-0 win over the Islanders. That was the third consecutive win for the Maple Leafs which closed the first half with a pair of wins at Chicago and Dallas and in addition to the current streak, they are riding a three-game road winning streak. Toronto is in third place in the Atlantic Division and likely is not going to drop as it has a 15-point lead on Detroit so there is no looking over the shoulder which can hurt as it suppresses motivation. Going back, the Maple Leafs are 14-37 in their last 51 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while going 0-6 in their last six games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. New York is playing its first game since before the All-Star Break which ended well with a 6-5 win over San Jose which snapped a three-game losing streak. It has not been a good stretch as they have lost eight of their last 13 games but nine of those were on the road where they are 8-12-2. New York is 17-8-3 at home and fighting for a playoff spot as it is on the outside looking in, sitting a point out of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Rangers are the only team in the Eastern Conference not in a playoff spot that has a positive scoring differential and they are 6-0 in their last six home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (8) New York Rangers

This line came out late with the only possible reason being the status of Washington forward Evgeny Kuznetsov, the team's second-leading scorer with 45 points, but he practiced Tuesday and said he will play Wednesday. The Capitals have a four-point lead over the Penguins in the Metropolitan Division and this is the start of an important stretch with four of the next five games coming against divisional foes, all of which are in current playoff spots, with the fifth game coming against Vegas. The Washington defense is allowing 2.27 gpg at home which is third lowest in the league and a lot of that is attributed to goalie Braden Holtby. In 15 road starts, he has a 3.49 GAA but in 21 home starts, he has a 2.13 GAA which is a significant difference. The Flyers are on a solid run as they are 8-3 this month while going 16-6-1 since December 4 following a 10-game losing skid and the recent run has pushed Philadelphia into the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers have won their last two road games, but both of those came in overtime and one of those came courtesy of the Capitals just over a week ago. Washington is playing with double-revenge after dropping both meetings this season. 10* (54) Washington Capitals

Minnesota has one of the better home ice advantages in the NHL, but the Wild have been one of the worst on the road. Their nine road wins are ahead of only Arizona in the Western Conference while their 14 regulation losses are tied for most in the league. The big reason for the lack of success is a porous defense as Minnesota is allowing 3.63 gpg on the highway which is tied with the Islanders for the most in the NHL. Because of that, the fact they are such a small underdog is surprising and going back, the Wild are 32-70 in their last 102 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Columbus closed the first half with a win at Arizona and while it was an up and down stretch before the break, the Blue Jackets have played on the road a ton. 11 of their last 17 games were on the highway including five sets of back-to-backs although none with no rest. They went 4-2 in the six home games and are a very impressive 16-8 at home this season thanks to a defense that allows 1.25 gpg fewer than what the Wild allow on the road. Columbus is tied for fifth in that category in home games and it has gone 15-6 in its last 21 games after scoring two goals or less in its previous game. 10* (8) Columbus Blue Jackets

Anaheim is coming off a blowout win over the Rangers to make it three wins in four games on this current homestand that concludes tonight prior to a five-game roadtrip right after the All-Star Break. The Ducks are still on the outside looking into the playoffs as they have 55 points and trail Colorado, Minnesota and Los Angeles by two points as those four teams are fighting for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Anaheim is 7-2-1 in its last nine home games and have won four of its last five home games against teams with a losing road record. Winnipeg has won three straight games including two on the road in Calgary and San Jose, both coming after regulation. The Jets are back in sole possession of first place in the Central Division and this road weary team will be looking forward to heading home. Seven of their last 10 games have been on the road so not only do they want to head home for the break because of that, the Jets have a 10-game homestand on deck and sitting at 17-3-1 at home, they can make a big separation in the division and make a run at Vegas for the lead in the Western Conference. This is the last road game until February 23, so the focus tonight will be lacking. 10* (78) Anaheim Ducks