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At 8:20 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Those rooting for close games in the Stanley Cup Finals are disappointed so far as the Knights took Games 1 and 2 convincingly -- by scores of 5-2 and 7-2.  But now the series shifts to South Florida and the Panthers and their faithful have some good news coming into Game 3.  For one thing, despite losing those first two games, Florida out-shot Vegas in both of those.  Second, this will be the first Finals games in South Florida since 1996 -- the Panthers' third year in the League -- and it will be the first in their current home -- FLA Live Arena.  Panthers Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been solid for them all playoffs, but the veteran simply didn't have it in Game 2, so the coaches pulled him after he allowed four goals in the first 13 shots.  Expect Bobrovsky to be right back in net tonight and for the 19,000 home fans to give him a rousing ovation.  This has historically been a host-friendly series as the home team is now 11-1 in the last 12 meetings and Vegas is 1-4 in the last five here.  Take Florida.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Panthers lost Game 1 by a 5-2 score, on Saturday.  But Vegas also had good fortune, as three shots by the Panthers clanged off the goal post in the first two periods, when the game was still in the balance.  We'll take Florida to bounce back tonight, as it's 59-36 (+8.5 net games) off a loss, and 18-9 (+7.9 net games) after allowing 5+ goals.  And Paul Maurice's troops have won all three Game 2s this playoffs season.  Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are a soft 47-46 (but minus 20.6 net games) off back to back games where they scored more than 3 goals, and 13-14 (minus 10.2 net games) off back to back blowout wins by more than 2 goals.  Take Florida.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Panthers were almost eliminated from the playoffs with 1 second to go in their opening-round Game 5 vs. Boston.  The Bruins were already up 3 games to 1, and the game was tied at 3 when Boston forward Brad Marchand skated in on Sergei Bobrovsky.  But the 2-time Vezina Trophy winner made the save (one of 43 for the game), and the Panthers won, 4-3, at 6:05 into the overtime session.  That improbable victory (Boston was a -270 favorite in the Game 4) triggered an even more improbable streak by the 8th-seeded Panthers.  Florida has now won 11 of its last 12 games (vs. the top shelf Bruins, Maple Leafs and Hurricanes).  And the Bruins, Leafs and 'Canes owned the 1st, 2nd and 4th-best records in the regular season.  Here, the Panthers will attempt to upset the team with the 5th-best regular season record.  Vegas's path to the finals (by virtue of its #1 seed in the West) was understandably easier, and it ousted the league's 6th (Edmonton), 8th (Dallas) and 14th-best (Jets) teams to earn this berth in the Stanley Cup.  Many bettors will shy away from the red-hot Panthers, under the belief that the 10 days since their last game will have cooled off any momentum.  But I've never been on that side of the "rest vs rust" debate in pro sports.  Indeed, we just saw the Denver Nuggets (who had the exact same amount of time off before their NBA Game 1) annihilate the Miami Heat, 104-93.  So, I'm perfectly fine with the Panthers' long layoff, and don't believe we'll see any "rust" tonight.  The Golden Knights do come into this game off a 6-0 blowout win to close out the Dallas Stars, but are a soft 7-11 (minus 11.5 net games) following a win by more than 4 goals, and are 23-22 (minus 8.5 net games) off a shutout win.  Take the underdog Panthers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers.  The Hurricanes are down 2-games-to-none, but the series has been exceptionally close.  Game 1 went into the 4th overtime, while Game 2 was decided in the 1st overtime.  And neither team has led by 2 or more goals at any point in time in the first two games, covering a span of over 201 minutes.  Off back to back overtime losses at home, we'll take the Hurricanes to bounce back on this Monday night.  Carolina is a solid 25-11 its last 36 off back to back losses, and 29-20 on the road off 2 home losses.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an ugly 3-12 off back to back 1-goal road wins.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Knights won Game 1 in this Western Conference finals in what was one of the closest matches of the post-season.  These two teams went into overtime tied at 3-3 with the exact same number of shots on goal (36).  It didn't take long for Vegas to end it and send their fans home happy.  But the Stars know all about this scenario and it likely doesn't bother them one bit.  In each of the first two rounds, they dropped the opening game (to the Wild and then the Kraken) and in both cases they came back with an emphatic victory in Game 2 to even things up. The Stars will put Game 1 in their rear view mirror, and take confidence from the fact they went 3-0 vs. Vegas in the regular season.  The Stars are 14-5 on the road off a loss, and 6-0 their last six when trailing in a playoff series.  And the underdog is also 6-2 in the last eight meetings of these two.   Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers.  If you were wondering what the Panthers were going to do for an encore after upsetting both the Bruins and Maple Leafs, the answer is, well, something pretty spectacular.  On Thursday night, the -- once again -- underdog Panthers prevailed in the sixth-longest game in Stanley Cup Playoff history when Matthew Tkachuk scored at 19:47 of the fourth overtime period here in Raleigh to win Game 1, 3-2.  If there's one thing the 'Canes won't have any trouble getting tonight in Game 2 it's motivation after that marathon loss.  It was Florida's fifth comeback win of the playoffs, and with the victory, the Panthers became just the third team in NHL history to win each of their first five games that required overtime in a single postseason.  Carolina out-played and out-shot Florida in Game 1 and should be poised for a big bounce back tonight.  The 'Canes are 9-4 in their last 13 revenging a close loss vs opponent of one goal or less.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  The Knights have made it to their fourth NHL semi-finals in their six-season franchise history -- truly a remarkable feat.  They also finished first in their division for the fourth time.  In less time than a two-term Presidency, Vegas has assembled not only one of the best teams in the league, but has also shown that T-Mobile Arena is one of the most exciting venues in pro Sports (and one of the toughest for opposing teams).  This series is not only a chance for the Knights to earn another shot at an NHL Finals -- but also a shot at some revenge.  It was Dallas which knocked them out when they appeared in the semi-finals in 2020.  And while the Stars have beaten the Knights the last four times they played, it's Vegas which is on a roll right now, having beaten the Oilers in six games.  The Knights are also 4-0 in their last four games vs. teams from the Central Division.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers.  Both of these teams have had a long time to rest and prepare for this Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.  Florida ousted Toronto last Friday, in Game 5, by a 3-2 score.  Carolina also took five games to send New Jersey packing, as it won its quarterfinal Game 5 last Thursday, 3-2.  The Hurricanes have been getting terrific goaltending from Frederik Andersen.  In his last six games, he's notched five wins, and allowed 1 goal four times, and just 2 goals in another.  Unlike Carolina, which is 108-52 (+24.6 net games) off a win (and 58-23 (+17.1 net games) its last 81 off back to back wins), the Panthers are a poor 22-27 (minus 16.3 net games) off a win this season.  The Hurricanes are also 9-4 their last 13 home meetings vs. Florida, and 29-4 at home off back to back games where it didn't allow more than 2 goals.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  While almost none of the other second-round series in the NHL playoffs have gone according to plan, this one has for the most part.  The Knights and Oilers traded Game 2 and 3 losses at home, but the home teams got back on track in Games 4 and 5 and as a result, Vegas is now one win away from returning to the Conference Finals for the third time in its six-year history.  Jack Eichel was the hero in Game 5, tallying three points to get the Knights the win.  But the Oilers can feel good about the fact that they put 35 shots on goal in that game, four more than they allowed their opponent.  And Captain Connor McDavid appears to be heating up as he had a pair of goals on Friday but his team fell just short in the 4-3 defeat on the Strip.  At home it should be a different story as the Oilers are 12-3 in their last 15 games here at Rogers Centre.  Edmonton is also 26-8 in its last 34 games vs. Western Conference foes.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  The clock has yet to strike midnight on the Cinderella Florida Panthers' playoff run, even if they couldn't finish the deal at home on Wednesday.  The Maple Leafs squeaked out a 2-1 road victory with some stingy defensive play to stay alive in this series and bring it back to Toronto for another must-win game.  You can bet that Scotiabank Arena will be very loud tonight because a victory in Game 5 makes this a brand new series.  The Panthers know they can win in Toronto -- they took Games 1 and 2 here -- but the Leafs did not lose three straight home games the entire regular season so they have to feel pretty good about their chances in this home revenge situation.  The Leafs gave rookie goalie Joseph Woll his first postseason start on Wednesday and he was more than up to the task, stopping 24 of 25 shots.  Look for the 24-year-old to be back in net tonight.  Despite wins in the first two games of this series, Florida is still just 4-9 in the last 13 meetings in Toronto.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  After the Oilers took Game 2 in Vegas in dominant fashion last Saturday, the Knights returned the favor on Monday night in Western Canada.  That sets up a Game 4 tonight at Rogers Place that is critically important for the Oilers.  The days of Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton have given way to the days of Connor McDavid, who has yet to carry his team to a Stanley Cup like Gretzky did four times, despite being the best player on the planet.  Both starting goaltenders on Monday were replaced, but while Edmonton's Stuart Skinner took a seat due to his sub-par play, Vegas starter Laurent Brossoit exited in the first period due to a lower body injury.  Skinner should benefit tonight from getting the hook while Brossoit's availability is unknown.  Regardless of who the Knights put out there, expect the Oilers to come out firing tonight in an effort to even this series.  Despite the loss here on Monday, the Oilers are still 11-3 in their last 14 home games.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  The Leafs never thought they would be down 3-games-to-none in this quarterfinal series, but that's the situation.  We'll take Toronto in this do-or-die Game 4, as they're 46-21 when playing with revenge; 25-13 (+11.6 net games) when trailing in a playoff series; and 26-9 (+12.0 net games) off a loss this season.  And, notwithstanding the Panthers' current hot streak, they're still just 22-26 (minus 12.8 net games) off a win this season.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Devils knew they needed to send a message at home on Sunday in Game 3 of this series.  After all, they had pretty much been embarrassed and run out of Raleigh in Games 1 and 2 by being outscored by a total of 11-2.  They won Game 3 alright but what they did at home on Sunday may have even surprised the Devils themselves.  New Jersey jumped out to a 4-0 lead less than a minute into the second period and never looked back, taking a lopsided 8-4 decision.  And the eight goals came from seven different players, something that has to delight the team and the coaches. The important thing for tonight's Game 4 in the Meadowlands is that the Devils keep it going and not have a letdown after that huge effort.  They know they can't afford to go back to Carolina down 3-1 so look for the Devils to keep up the pressure.  With the Game 3 win the Devils are now 8-2 in their last 10 home games.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  People were wondering what the Panthers would do for an encore after one of the biggest first round upsets in NHL history.  Well, the answer in this quarterfinal round against the heavily-favored Maple Leafs appears to be -- exactly the same thing they were doing against the Bruins.  With only one day off after their historic Game 7 win over Boston, the Panthers went into Toronto and beat the Leafs in Game 1 and then did it again on Thursday.  Now they come back to South Florida to try to take a near-insurmountable 3-0 lead.  But the Leafs are a dangerous team which won't go quietly.  Despite losing Game 2, 3-2, Toronto out-shot Florida by a 37-29 margin.  And the Leafs went ahead 2-0 in the first five minutes on Thursday before giving up three unanswered goals.  The road team is 5-0 in the last five meetings of these two and the Leafs are 26-8 (+13.5 net games) in their last 34 off a loss.  Meanwhile, Florida is an ugly 6-13 (minus 8.6 net games) off 3 road wins.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Carolina Hurricanes.  If the Devils need any extra motivation coming into their 1st quarterfinal home playoff game in over 10 years, all they need to do is put up a poster with the scores from the first two games with the Hurricanes in Raleigh on the locker room wall.  It was all 'Canes on Wednesday and Friday as they treated themselves to some Carolina home cooking with 5-1 and 6-1 dominant victories in Games 1 and 2.  But being a young team with really nothing to lose at this point, New Jersey is in an excellent position to put those behind and make the changes necessary to turn the tables in Game 3 and 4.  It's what the Devils did to the Rangers in Games 5 and 7 when they needed to, winning both of those at home by lopsided 4-0 margins.  Some more good news for the Devils this afternoon:  the favorite is 8-1 in the last nine meetings of these two and the home team is 14-4 in the last 18.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Knights struck first in this series, taking Game 1 on Thursday, 6-4 (it was actually 5-4 before an empty net goal at the end).  The Oilers may be looking for answers, but they sure can't blame their All Star Center Leon Draisaitl as the 27-year-old German scored all four of Edmonton's goals.  Besides Draisaitl's incredible performance, the other good news is that the Oilers scored their four goals on just 27 shots so if they can get their other stars like Connor McDavid to pick up their game tonight while tightening up their defense a bit, then they should be able to send this series to Edmonton all tied up at 1-1.  Prior to Thursday's disappointment, the Oilers had won not lost in regulation in any of their 21 previous games (18-0-3).  And the Oilers had won six of eight meetings with the Knights.  The Oilers are 9-1 on the road off a road loss, and 23-9 when playing with revenge.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over Carolina.  The Devils lost Game 1 to the Hurricanes, 5-1, but I expect them to bounce back tonight.  The Devils are 29-15-1 on the road this season.  And when they were playing back-to-back road games, and lost the first one, then they were a perfect 6-0 in the road game off a road loss.  Meanwhile, the Devils are a soft 7-10 (minus 4.5 net games) when leading in a playoff series.  And, finally, the Devils are 13-6 on the road when playing with revenge from a loss by more than 2 goals.  Take New Jersey.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  The Leafs were turned back at home in Game 1 of this series, 4-2, by the Panthers.  We'll take the Leafs to bounce back tonight, as they're 25-11 when trailing in a Playoff series, and 14-1 their last 15 home games after losing their previous game by 2+ goals.  Meanwhile, Florida is a wallet-busting 19-27 (minus 18.8 net games) after scoring more than 3 goals in their previous game.  Take the Maple Leafs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New Jersey Devils.  These two teams split the season series, 2 games apiece, with each team going 1-1 in its two home games.  New Jersey won the most recent two games, while Carolina won the season's first two meetings.  We played on New Jersey in its last game -- a 4-0 win over New York -- but will switch gears and go against the Devils in Raleigh.  New Jersey is a poor 8-17 (minus 13.3 net games) off a home win by 2+ goals, and 2-8 off a shutout win.  Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are 19-12 when playing with double revenge, and 105-51 off a win (including 26-6 off an overtime win).  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Seattle Kraken.  Being the home team and having home ice advantage doesn't guarantee success in these playoffs -- not by a longshot.  If you don't believe it, just ask the Boston Bruins who came in as the top seed in the entire league and were sent packing in seven games.  So the Stars know that even though they will be home for the first two games of this series, they still have to perform.  And the fact that they're playing an expansion team that's only been in the league two seasons probably won't make them rest any easier.  After all Dallas is a team that is hungry for a championship with its last -- and only -- Stanley Cup coming almost 25 years ago. So you can bet they won't take the Kraken for granted.  These two have met only six times and the Stars are 4-2 in those games so they do have some history on their side.  Although they advanced by beating the defending champion Avs in seven games, the Kraken are just 7-19 in their last 26 vs. teams with a winning record.  Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  In the biggest of Round 1 upsets, the Panthers knocked off the record-setting (135 total regular season points) Bruins in Boston on Sunday night, 4-3 in overtime to advance to the second round.  If ever there was a team that was ripe for a Game 1 let down, the Panthers are it.  With just one day off since their historic David beats Goliath victory, no one would be surprised -- perhaps not even themselves -- if the Panthers didn't have a full tank tonight in Toronto.  Even under normal circumstances, this would be a tough task for Florida as the home team is 15-5 in the last 20 meetings and the Panthers are 2-9 in the last 11 here in Toronto.  The Leafs also had a tough series against a very game Lightning club, but they closed it out in six games in Tampa on Saturday and have had two days off to rest and prepare for Round 2.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  The two rival teams from the biggest sports and TV market in North America meet tonight for a Game 7 in the Meadowlands.  The Rangers have hung tough every step of the way so far, including a huge 5-2 victory at home in Game 6 on Saturday to force this final clash.  The Devils made a name for themselves during much of the regular season by winning tough games on the road; now they must win the biggest of the season right at home in front of their loyal fans.  They'll look for a Game 5 repeat as they completely dominated play here at Prudential Center and skated away with a huge 4-0 win. They have a way of bouncing back after a dull offensive effort, as they are 14-3 in their last 17 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers.  In what was the wildest game of these playoffs so far, the Florida Panthers forced a final Game 7 this evening by beating the Bruins on Friday night, 7-5.  Boston was seemingly in control after scoring twice in the first four minutes of the final period on Friday to take a 4-3 lead.  But what ensued from there was a whirlwind 16 minutes in which neither goalie -- especially the Bruins' Linus Ullmark -- could keep the puck out of the net.  Look for the 29-year-old Swede to rebound tonight with plenty of support from the home crowd.  After all, it was largely Ullmark -- and his league-leading 1.89 GAA and .938 Saves Pct -- who was responsible for Boston's record-setting campaign.  The Bruins are 18-4 off back to back losses, and 10-2 after allowing more than 5 goals.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an ugly 18-26 (minus 19.3 net games) this season off a win. Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  After winning the first two games of this series on the road, the Rangers have now dropped three straight, the latest being an embarrassing 4-0 shutout in New Jersey on Thursday night.  With their backs against the proverbial wall tonight, expect the Rangers to come out fighting at Madison Square Garden in this must-win Game 6.  Both Games 3 and 4 here in Manhattan were very close even though they didn't go the Rangers way and they managed to hold the Devils to just 28 and 23 shots respectively in those.  The Rangers are very good in what are called "double-revenge" situations -- they are 12-4 in their last 16 games revenging two straight losses against an opponent.  They are also 7-2 in their last nine games when revenging a road blowout loss of four or more goals vs. an opponent (3-0 in their last three in those blowout situations).  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers.  Just about everyone assumed that the Bruins would wrap up this series at home on Wednesday night.  Just about everyone that is except for the Florida Panthers.  The visitors pulled off a stunner in Game 5 two nights ago, beating the heavily favored Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Tkachuk.  What do the Bruins need to do now?  Most importantly is what they shouldn't do -- panic and make any unnecessary changes.  The good news for Boston is that after its win at home in Game 1, the road team has now taken four straight in this series -- including the Bruins winning both Games 3 and 4 right here in South Florida.  The Panthers will have the crowd behind them tonight but that's about it as you can expect Boston to throw everything and the kitchen sink at goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who, despite his heroics on Wednesday, is just 4-9-2 with a 3.72 GAA lifetime vs. the Bruins.  Boston is 21-10 in the last 31 meetings with the Panthers here in Florida.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils made a name for themselves this season by winning games on the road.  In fact their 28-9-4 road record was second in the NHL only to the record-setting Bruins.  But towards the end of the season, that road magic faded quite a bit.  And, in fact, in its last eight road games of the season, New Jersey was just 4-4.  It's true that the road team has won all three games in this first round series so far.  However, if there's one place that's been tough for the Devils recently, it's probably Madison Square Garden.  In their last seven games at the Garden, the Devils are just 2-5 and it took overtime to win Game 3 here.  The Rangers out-shot the Devils in that game on Saturday, 36-28 and they appear poised to wrest control of this series back with a win tonight. The Devils are just 1-4 in their last five Conference Quarterfinals games while the Rangers are 5-1 in their last six and 19-9 in their last 28 home games.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:00 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Winnipeg Jets.  Instead of flowing out into the Vegas night in a big celebration, the stunned home crowd from Game 1 of this series was sent quietly out to the Strip by the visiting Winnipeg Jets.  It was an embarrassing 5-1 loss for the heavily-favored Knights, who managed just 17 shots on goal the entire game (compared with 31 for the Jets).  You can bet that the Knights will use the day off to plan for some line adjustments as another outcome like the one on Tuesday would be disastrous for the Western Conference's number one seed.  After all, the last time this team won 51 regular season games was its inaugural season when it went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Knights should bounce back tonight and take this season to Winnipeg all tied up 1-1.  They are 9-2 in their last 11 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game and 5-0 in their last five immediately after scoring two goals or less.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning did a number on the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of this first round series on Tuesday night, jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead and never looking back from there.  If the Leafs are to avoid yet another early exit from the post season, they almost have to win this second game at home before the series moves south to Tampa.  The Bolts are the definition of a Playoff team -- when you think they don't have the stuff to get it done because they limp into the post season, they all of a sudden turn into a late April Juggernaut.  There are reasons to believe that Toronto can turn things around.  First, the Leafs are 13-3 in their last 16 games following a loss by three or more goals (5-0 in their last five after a home loss by three or more).  Second, the Leafs are 23-8 in their last 31 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game while the Bolts are 2-6 in their last eight road games and 5-11 in their last 16 vs. winning teams.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Los Angeles Kings.  If the first night of the NHL Playoffs is any indication, strap yourself in because it's going to be a wild ride.  Two of the four games on Monday went into overtime, including the Kings and Oilers in Edmonton with Los Angeles prevailing 4-3.  This was the first 50-win season for Edmonton since its glory days (1986-87 to be exact) but it won't mean much if the club goes out in the first round like it did two seasons ago.  The Oilers feature the best player on the planet in C Connor McDavid (64G, 89A, 153P) but he can only carry the team on his back so far and the rest will have to contribute if they're going to get back to the Conference Finals.  They'll look to even the series at home tonight as they hope to get back to the form they had at the end of the regular season (nine straight wins).  Despite the victory on Monday, the favorite is 37-15 in the last 52 meetings of these two.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Panthers are officially IN the NHL Playoffs for the fourth straight season.  But as they found out last season when they led the league with 122 points only to fall in the second round, getting in doesn't guarantee anything.  That's especially true this season when the Eastern Conference's 2nd Wild Card team will have to play the historically dominant Bruins in the first round.  So if Florida can hold on to its first Wild Card spot with a win or tie tonight, it will avoid the Bruins in the first round.  And its opponent, instead, could very well be tonight's opponent, Carolina.  The Hurricanes are also incentivized to win, as they want to hold on to first place in the Metropolitan so this is also an important game for them.  The good news for the Panthers is that they've dominated this series lately, taking four of the last five meetings going back to April of 2021.  This has also been a very host-friendly series as the home team has taken seven of the last nine.  We'll take the Panthers tonight.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Seattle Kraken.  With a two-point lead atop their division, the Knights can take a step toward locking down their fourth Pacific title in their six years of existence tonight.  A win coupled with an Edmonton loss or tie at Colorado would do the trick and cap off what would be their most satisfying title yet.  And if the Knights can get at least three points in their final two games, they would set a new franchise season record with 110.  They'll play another talented expansion franchise in the Kraken tonight on the Vegas Strip.  Seattle's victory over Vegas in the last meeting this past November marked the first time that the Kraken had broken through as the Knights are 5-1 in the two teams' six lifetime clashes.  Seattle's Saturday win over the Blackhawks may have been a costly one, though, as regular #1 goalie Martin Jones left after the second period with a hand injury.  It is unknown whether the veteran net-minder will be able to play tonight.  If Jones can't go, then it's likely Joey Daccord will be between the pipes for Seattle, as Philipp Grubauer was in net last night.  Regardless, we'll take the Knights.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Buffalo Sabres.  The Devils may have lost to Boston on Saturday but losing 2-1 to an historically great team on the road is nothing to be upset about.  In fact, the Devils' loss to the Bruins by just one goal should serve as inspiration in the event they meet Boston in the semifinals.  But first things first as New Jersey attempts to catch Carolina for the top spot in the Metropolitan.  The Devils' remaining games are Buffalo (tonight) and Washington, so they stand a very good chance of going 2-0 and picking up four more points.  The Devils have won six of the last nine meetings with the Sabres and are looking to get revenge for a 5-4 loss to Buffalo in their last meeting on March 24.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Ottawa Senators.  The Hurricanes defeated these Senators six days ago, 3-2.  But then they lost back to back games at Nashville (3-0) and Buffalo (4-3) to see their Metropolitan division-lead over the New Jersey Devils shrink to 1 point.  With an ultra-talented New York Rangers team looming in 3rd place, it's imperative for Carolina to win the division to avoid playing the Rangers in the 1st round.  I look for Carolina to bounce back tonight, as it's 24-10 off back to back losses (including 10-2 off back to back road losses), and 42-21 after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Vegas Golden Knights. With just a half-dozen games to go in the season, the top two Division leaders in the Western Conference will face off tonight as the Knights visit Minneapolis for the second time since early February. It's a chance for Minnesota to get some revenge as the Knights have taken both meetings this season by a combined score of 9-2. It's also the back end of a home and home situation as Vegas just beat the Wild on the Strip at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday by a 4-1 margin. That win broke Minnesota's three game win streak including a big victory over the Avalanche in Colorado last Wednesday. You want to head into the post-season in good health but Vegas is anything but healthy right now with no fewer than eight players either temporarily sidelined or out for the rest of the season. This has been a host-friendly series lately as the home team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. Minny is 22-8 in its last 30 games playing on one day of rest. Take the Wild. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Ottawa Senators.  Their dreams of winning the Atlantic Division title and potentially having the best record in the East have been long dashed.  But that doesn't mean the Maple Leafs have thrown in the towel on the season.  Quite the opposite.  Toronto wants to stay ahead of the Lightning so that it has home ice advantage in the first round series with Tampa.  So with just a four-point lead over the Bolts, every game is still crucial for the Maple Leafs.  They make the short trip to Ottawa tonight to play the Senators for the fourth and final time this season.  They can't take their opponent lightly right now as the Sens are hungry with an outside shot at a Wild Card and they are hot, having won their last two games and three of their last four.  But Ottawa's biggest problem is injuries as it has no fewer than seven regular skaters and one goalie out with various ailments.  The Leafs are 5-1 in the last six meetings with the Sens.  And they're 16-3 this season if they're coming off losses in at least two of their three previous games.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Detroit Red Wings.  If the Jets thought they were going to cruise into the post-season -- it would be just the franchise's sixth overall playoff appearance since moving from Atlanta -- they better be careful.  After back-to-back losses to the Kings and Sharks, Winnipeg is just two points ahead of Calgary and three ahead of Nashville for the final Wild Card spot in the West.  The good news is that the Jets play both of those teams in April so to a certain extent their fate will be in their own hands.  But games like the one tonight -- against a 33-32-9 Red Wings team which isn't playing for anything except pride -- are crucial if Winnipeg is going to hold on to that spot, or even possibly pass the Kraken for the first Wild Card.  The Jets haven't been very good at home lately, but the Wings have been even worse on the road and have won just four of their last 16 overall.  Detroit is just 19-41 in its last 60 games when playing without rest, while the Jets are 33-15 in their last 48 against teams with a losing record.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Red Wings are giving up 3.27 goals per game this season.  And that doesn't bode well for the home team tonight, as Carolina is 30-7 its last 37 vs. foes that give up 2.85 (or more) goals per game.  Even worse:  Carolina comes into this game off back to back home losses to Boston (4-3) and Tampa Bay (4-0).  But the Hurricanes are 24-10 off back to back losses, and 15-6 off a blowout loss by 3+ goals.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Nashville Predators.  Two days ago, the Predators did something that only three other NHL teams have managed to do all season.  They beat the best team in the league -- the Bruins -- in regulation.  If the Predators end up making it into the playoffs with a Wild Card seed, they may look back on Tuesday as the most important win of the season.  Of course a win tonight against a dangerous Penguins team that is also fighting for a post-season spot would be huge as well.  The Pens have made the playoffs for 16 straight seasons -- every season since they've had Crosby and Malkin -- but they're in danger of that streak being broken after an embarrassing 7-4 loss to the Red Wings Tuesday night and the Panthers breathing down their neck for the final Wild Card.  The good news is that five of their final eight games will be played here at home where they have a 20-11-5 record this season.  The Pens are 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Preds and the home team has taken three of the last four.  Take Pittsburgh.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Washington Capitals.  Although these two teams were in similar situations heading into the latter stages of February, they took different paths from there.  The aging Capitals decided it was time to cut some bait and so they traded several veteran players for future draft picks, essentially throwing in the towel on the current season.  The Penguins on the other hand -- also with a roster made up of mostly aging veterans -- decided they wanted to make one final run so they tried to improve themselves rather than trade for the future.  They did so, but it appears not in a way that would make them a contender in the playoffs.  Pittsburgh is clinging to a Wild Card spot by the thinnest of margins coming into tonight, with the Caps just four points behind.  No matter that neither looks like a Cup finalist by a long shot, this series almost always produces exciting games, including a Washington 3-2 shootout win when these teams last met on Jan. 26.  The Caps easily beat the lowly Blackhawks last time out, 6-1, but they are 0-9 off a win by more than 3 goals.  And the revenge-minded team has gone 28-17 in this series.  Take the Penguins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Stars -- one of the hottest team in the league in the 2022 portion of the season -- have cooled off considerably in 2023.  After going 23-15 combined during the months of October-December, the Stars then put up a record of 8-14 in the first two months of 2023.  Thankfully for them, the Stars have turned that around a bit in March, going 7-4 in their first eleven games this month.  Speaking of turnarounds, the Penguins were 0-4 in their last four games while being outscored 18-7 coming into what seemed like an almost impossible task last night in Denver against the defending NHL Champs.  But Pittsburgh somehow came out of Colorado with a victory over the Avs before traveling south to Dallas for tonight's match-up.  Now the Pens face another uphill battle as they try to stay relevant in the Eastern Conference where they are barely hanging on to a Wild Card spot.  The Pens are 2-6 in the last eight meetings in Dallas while the home team is 20-8 in the last 28 meetings of these two.  Take the Stars.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Coyotes come into this game off a 4-2 home win over the Chicago Blackhawks.  And they defeated Vancouver, 3-2, in the game prior to that.  Unfortunately for the Coyotes, they're 29-71 after back to back games in which they allowed 2 goals or less.  Take Winnipeg.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Philadelphia Flyers.  After a four-game stretch of games that included the Maple Leafs, Jets, Devils, and Golden Knights, the Carolina Hurricanes will welcome a step-down in class tonight in the form of the Flyers.  A lot has changed with Philadelphia's hockey club since the last meeting of these two less than 10 days ago.  Shortly after brutally honest coach John Tortorella declared that the Flyers wouldn't be a contender for quite some time, the team released General Manager Chuck Fletcher.  There's no question this team is a mess right now, but how exactly they emerge from their current state is unknown.  With Carter Hart going in goal last night here against the Sabres, the Flyers likely will use back-up Felix Sandstrom tonight.  The 26-year-old Swede is just 1-10-1 with a 3.37 GAA in 13 games this season.  Heading into last night the Flyers were just 1-8 in their last nine overall.  The Hurricanes are 6-0 in the last six meetings and 5-2 in the last seven here at Wells Fargo Center.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Carolina Hurricanes.  After being shut out in back-to-back games, the 'Canes bounced back on Tuesday, beating the Jets, 5-3.  That's a huge win for them as they try to stay one step ahead of the red-hot Devils.  What would also be huge would be a win tonight in Toronto but it's likely going to be harder than what they did on Tuesday.  The 'Canes are once again without oft-injured goalie Antti Raanta, who has landed on the IL due to a lower body ailment.  Raanta has been outstanding this season when healthy but he's missed the last four games with this injury and likely will not suit up again tonight. Toronto got a point in a tough shootout loss to Colorado on Wednesday, 2-1.  Not bad considering they were only able to register 18 shots on goal.  They can't catch the Bruins but the Leafs still want to finish strong and stay in second place in the Division.  Toronto is 16-7 in its last 23 vs. teams with a winning % above .600 and 6-1 in its last seven after scoring two goals or less in the previous game.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  This will be the 2nd of back-to-back meetings between these Eastern Conference foes.  And, then, they'll meet again for the 3rd time, in Tampa, on Sunday.  The Lightning won Round 1, 4-1, notwithstanding the fact that captain Steven Stamkos was sidelined.  He'll be back on the ice tonight, but we will go against Tampa.  The Devils are 14-7 off a loss, and they're 7-1 when playing with revenge from a home defeat by 3+ goals.  Take the Devils on Thursday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Avalanche flexed their offensive muscle once again on Monday night, steamrolling the hapless Canadiens, 8-4.  But Colorado just can't seem to wipe the injury bug off its windshield and Monday's victory may prove to be a costly one.  That's because star winger Artturi Lehkonen suffered a broken finger -- an injury requiring surgery and which will keep him out of action 4-6 weeks.  The 27-year-old Finn was doing a great job of helping fill the void left by another star winger, Gabriel Landeskog, who has been out all season after arthroscopic knee surgery.  Lehkonen's breakout regular season -- he is the fourth-leading scorer on the team -- will now come to an end as he hopes to get back for the playoffs.  The Avs certainly don't get a break in their first game without him, having to face a very talented Leafs team on the road.  Toronto is 7-3 in its last 10 and 16-6 in its last 22 vs. teams from the West.  Colorado is 0-4 in its last four games vs. teams with a winning record.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Washington Capitals.  The Rangers have 16 games in which to make up the 10 points that they are behind both the Hurricanes and Devils in the Metropolitan Division.  And while that may not be likely, New York's re-tooled roster may turn out to be the team that nobody wants to face come playoff time.  The Rangers got the most coveted prize at the recent trade deadline when they landed star veteran winger Patrick Kane from the Blackhawks.  They've been playing very well since acquiring the 34-year-old and tonight they have a chance to avenge a tough loss -- a 6-3 defeat in DC on February 25.  It was quite a different Caps team then however, as Washington decided to clean house and let some veterans go at the deadline, including Lars Eller, Dmitry Orlov, and Garnett Hathaway.  The Caps cleared valuable cap space and picked up plenty of future draft picks, but the current roster has taken a hit and a return to the playoffs is unlikely.  The favorite is 44-18 in the last 62 meetings of these two.  Take the Rangers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Winnipeg Jets.  The Hurricanes come into tonight having been shutout in their last two games.  Those were just the third and fourth times that the 'Canes have been shutout this season and the first time they've been blanked in consecutive games.  Four of the Carolina's last five games have now resulted in shutouts (they did their own blanking against the Flyers and Lightning prior to those last two losses).  They'll look to rebound against a Jets team that's on a two-game win streak, but who has lost seven of their last 10.  The Jets are also 1-4 in the last five meetings with the 'Canes while the favorite is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings of these two.  Meanwhile, the 'Canes are 18-5 in their last 23 games vs. teams with a winning record and 20-7 in their last 27 immediately following a loss by three or more goals.  Take Carolina.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Washington Capitals.  Although the Caps didn't completely disband their veteran team at the trade deadline, they lost several solid players that had been with them for some time.  In return, DC got what it is hoping are a valuable collection of future draft picks and that the roster will still be left with enough star power to perhaps ensure the it can be moderately competitive the rest of the way.  The Caps just returned from a west coast road trip in which they took two of three games.  Their 'reward' is having to play the best road team in the league upon their return to Washington tonight.  The Devils are an astonishing 23-4-4 away from New Jersey, a record that they themselves would be hard-pressed to explain.  That record, combined with the fact that the Caps are 1-5 in their last six here at Capital One Arena, may mean a long night for the home team.  New Jersey is 6-0 in its last six games vs. Metropolitan teams while the favorite is 42-14 in the last 56 meetings of these two clubs.  Take the Devils.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Chicago Blackhawks.  The 'Hawks shut out Ottawa, 5-0, on Monday.  We'll fade the Blackhawks tonight, as they've gone 1-7 off a shutout win, and 3-14 off a win by more than 2 goals (and 0-6 off a win by more than 3 goals).  Meanwhile, Detroit's 8-4 (+10.0 net games on the moneyline) after scoring 1 goal or less in their two previous games.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Buffalo Sabres.  It was a busy deadline season for the Oilers who pulled off three fairly major deals between Tuesday and Thursday.  On paper Edmonton improved its blue line with the acquisition of Mattias Ekholm from the Predators although you wouldn't know it based on Saturday's 7-5 loss at the hands of the Jets.  The Oilers look to bounce back from that one tonight in Buffalo against a Sabres team which has won five of its last six.  Jack Campbell faltered badly in goal once again in that Winnipeg loss so expect Stuart Skinner to be in net tonight for this one.  Although Campbell started the season as the #1 Edmonton netminder, Skinner is the #1 right now with Campbell having assumed the role of back-up.  Indeed, the Oilers have lost each of Campbell's last 5 starts, while the 24-year-old Skinner has been impressive recently with a 2-0 record and 2.51 GAA in his two starts this month.  And the Oilers are 4-1 in his last five starts, with the only loss to the other-worldly Boston Bruins.  The Oilers are 11-4 in their last 15 games vs. teams from the Atlantic Division and they're 40-17 in their last 57 after allowing five or more goals in their previous game.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Minnesota.  The Wild won on the road vs. Vancouver on Thursday.  But Minnesota is a poor 7-15 (minus 11.9 net games) on the road off a road win.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over Pittsburgh.  The Penguins won, 5-4, in overtime vs. the Lightning, on Thursday.  We'll fade the Pens at Florida, as Pittsburgh is a soft 14-23 on the road (minus 16.8 net games) after scoring 4+ goals.  Take Florida.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Compared with other contenders in the East -- the Maple Leafs and Rangers in particular -- the Lightning have been relatively quiet on the trade block approaching the deadline.  They did just make a deal and created some cap space by moving Vladislav Namestnikov to the Sharks, so another move may follow.  But for now it's business as usual on the ice and that means avenging an ugly loss to the Pens in Pittsburgh just four days ago.  The Penguins embarrassed the Bolts, 7-3 and then Tampa followed that up with a lackluster performance at home against the Panthers.  They'll regroup tonight for the Pittsburgh rematch in a much better environment than the meeting on Sunday.  The Bolts are 5-2 in the last seven meetings with the Pens here at Amalie Arena.  The Pens are .500 overall, but just 3-12 in their last 15 games vs. teams with a winning record.  They're also 3-12 in their last 15 against the Eastern Conference.  Take Pittsburgh.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the New York Islanders.  In a move that should bolster their offense, the Jets acquired winger Nino Niederreiter on Saurday from the Predators in exchange for a 2024 2nd round draft pick.  It's an offense that's managed just one goal in each of its last two games and it could certainly use a talent like the 30-year-old Niederreiter who should be available for his Winnipeg debut this afternoon.  The Jets likely aren't done either when it comes to improving the team as the trading deadline and post-season quickly approach.  This afternoon they will entertain an Islander team that made an early acquisition when it acquired Bo Horvat from the Canucks back on January 30.  Although Horvat has made an early impact, the Isles are still just 3-5 in their last eight games and have fallen below the .500 mark as a result.  Winnipeg was blasted at home by the Avs, 5-1 in its last but the Jets are 9-1 in their last 10 following a home loss of three or more goals.  New York is 1-5 in its last six vs. Central Division teams.  Take the Jets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Jets have lost three of their last four games but when you consider those losses came in New York, New Jersey, and Columbus, it's really not that surprising.  The fact is that Winnipeg has been a .500 team at best on the road this season, but has been killing it here at home.  In 28 games at Canada Life Centre, the Jets are 20-8 -- the best home record in the Western Conference.  If we take a look at the Jets goals against this season, it's easy to see why they're so much better at home.  In those 28 games here in Winnipeg, the Jets have allowed an average of 2.29 GPG -- best in the Conference and second-best in the NHL.  But in their 30 games on the road, that number balloons to 2.87.  In a season full of injuries, the Avs were dealt another blow when All Star Defenseman Cale Makar recently went out with concussion symptoms and will not be available tonight.  This has been one of most host-friendly series in hockey recently as the home team is 25-9 in the last 34 meetings.  Take the Jets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Rangers made a couple of early deadline trades, acquiring forward Vladimir Tarasenko and defenseman Niko Mikkola from St. Louis Blues on February 9, and then re-acquiring forward Tyler Motte from the Ottawa Senators on February 19 (Motte was with New York for a bit last season).  The Rangers are serious about trying to win this season, despite the fact that it's still a tall mountain to climb when you consider the competition in the East.  And don't be surprised if the Rangers aren't done as there is still more than a week left before the deadline.  They travel to the Motor City for the second time this season and they can only hope that this trip is as fruitful as the last one when New York steamrolled the Wings here on November 10, 8-2.  That's been par for the course for this series as the road team is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two.  Detroit will likely be without C Robby Fabri who continues to battle a lower body injury.  New York is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.  Take the Rangers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Maple Leafs threw down the gauntlet and pulled off the first blockbuster trade of the winter when they acquired forwards Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues in a three-team deal.  But don't be surprised if this is the first for many teams in the NHL, including the Oilers as they find themselves in a situation very similar to the Leafs with the trade deadline fast approaching.  Edmonton currently holds the first Wild Card spot in the Western Conference but it has lost three straight, including the last two in shootouts against the Rangers and Red Wings by identical 5-4 margins.  The Oilers must be happy to be back to playing Western Conference opponents as they are 6-0 in their last six vs. teams from the West.  And oddly, they may also be happy to be out of Edmonton, as the Oilers are 17-8-2 on the road this season and 9-3 in their last 12 games away from home.  The Oilers are also 28-14 after surrendering more than 4 goals in their previous game.  And the Oilers are still looking for a bit of payback after being swept out of last year's Western Conference Finals.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the New York Rangers.  The Flames look to bounce back from back-to-back losses to Ottawa and Detroit earlier this week.  And Calgary actually outshot those two teams by large margins, as they outshot Ottawa, 37-25, and outshot Detroit, 35-24.  They've now outshot each of their last four opponents by more than 10 shots.  We'll take the Flames to break through with a win tonight, as they're 21-5 at home after outshooting each of their three previous opponents by 8+ shots.  Take the Flames.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Detroit Red Wings.  Since the All Star Break, the Flames have been struggling, losing three of four games.  But there's still plenty of season left and, despite a 25-29 record, the Flames are still only one point back in the race for a Wild Card spot.  And with the trade deadline approaching, it wouldn't be surprising if Calgary is a buyer and brings in some additional talent for the stretch drive.  The Wings came into last night's game against the Oilers (a shootout win) having won three in a row for the third time this season.  But two of those victories were against the Canucks, who are 21-33 on the season.  The third win was against this Calgary club in Detroit on February 9 which makes this a revenge situation for the home team tonight.  Detroit will have to play tonight without rest.  And since it used #1 goalie Ville Husso last night, that means back-up Magnus Hellberg will be in net tonight.  The Wings are 0-6 in the last six meetings in Calgary.  Take the Flames.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Ottawa Senators.  The Islanders come into this game off back to back losses to Vancouver (6-5) and Montreal (4-3).  And they blew leads of 4-2 and 3-2 in those two defeats.  We'll take New York to bounce back tonight, as it's 28-17 (+7.7 net games) off a 1-goal defeat, and 6-2 off back to back losses by a single goal.  Additionally, New York lost at Ottawa last month, 2-1.  But it's 11-5 when playing with revenge from a road defeat.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Ottawa Senators.  After their loss to the Kings on January 9, the Oilers were treading water with a .500 record (21-21).  But Edmonton finished off the first month of 2023 going 7-1 the rest of the way to up its record to 28-22 putting the Oilers in the top three for Pacific Division title.  They lost a tough one in Philly on Thursday, falling to the Flyers in a shootout, 2-1 and now they travel to Ottawa for this Saturday matinee with the Senators.  It will be the first meeting of these two Canadian clubs in over a year and the Sens own the last two, having topped the Oilers twice in January of 2022.  But that's about all the Senators have managed to do against their rivals recently as the Oilers had won nine straight meetings going back to January of 2021 prior to those two Ottawa victories.  And the Oilers have done by far their best work away from Edmonton this season as they are 16-7-2 in 25 games on the road (compared to 13-11-3 in 27 home contests).  They are 6-1 in the last seven meetings here in Ottawa.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Things looked good for the Wild heading into the All Star break as they won five of their last eight games in January, including victories over the Capitals and Sabres.  But February has started out a bit rough for Minnesota.  On Monday, the lowly Coyotes pulled off an upset in Arizona to kick off the second half and then last night the Wild traveled to Dallas where the Stars got a big home victory.  At least now the team gets to return to Minneapolis where the Wild has done by far its best work, going 15-8-1 in 24 games here at the Xcel Energy Center.  The Knights got the month off on the right foot, downing the Predators in Nashville, 5-1.  But it's too early to tell if Vegas is out of the terrible funk it was mired in for most of January.  Tonight will be a big test for the Knights, who have actually done better on the road this season than at home.  But the home team has dominated this series lately, as the hosts are 5-0 in the last five meetings of these two going back to the 2021 playoffs.  Take the Wild.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Buffalo Sabres.  The Jets lost 2-1 at Nashville on Tuesday.  But after playing eight of their last nine games on the road, the Jets will certainly be happy to be home tonight.  And Winnipeg has won 7 of its last 8 home games, including the last five in a row.  The Jets are also 12-3 off a division loss, and 22-8 vs. teams that allow 3+ goals per game (the Sabres give up 3.4).  Take Winnipeg.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the Vancouver Canucks.  No matter what happens to them the rest of the season, what the Seattle Kraken have already accomplished in just their second NHL Campaign cannot be over-stated.  With 59 points, the Kraken are the second-best team in the Pacific Division and fourth-best in the Conference heading into Tuesday's games.  Maybe the league is catching up to them a bit recently as Seattle is 1-3 in its last four contests but there is still much room for improvement with this young roster of players.  They'll take on a Canucks squad that is really struggling right now, having lost seven of their last eight games overall.  Vancouver has allowed the second-most goals this season, with teams lighting the lamp an average of 3.96 times per game (only Anaheim is worse at 4.36).  That could be a big problem tonight against a Kraken offense that has scored at a 3.61 GPG clip this season.  The Kraken are 9-4 in their last 13 games vs. teams with a winning percentage below .400.  Take Seattle.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the New York Islanders.  In the battle for NHL bragging rights in Eastern Canada on Saturday, it was the Montreal Canadiens coming up with a huge upset at home over the Toronto Maple Leafs, 3-2 in overtime.  That victory will not salvage what has been a very frustrating season for the Habs, but it may make them feel just a little bit better.  The Leafs come back to Toronto tonight to host the Islanders.  After a fast start to the season that saw them with a 15-8 record at Thanksgiving, the Isles have really struggled lately, winning just eight of their last 25 games since then.  Offensive injuries in the last several weeks have resulted in a severe scoring drought as the Isles have netted just 15 goals in their last nine games coming into tonight.  In fact, only the Coyotes have averaged fewer goals so far for the month of January as the Isles have scored at a rate of just 2.00 GPG.  Although the Isles won the season's first meeting, New York is still just 1-4 in the last five meetings with the Leafs and 2-6 in the last eight in Toronto, while the favorite is 16-5 in the last 21.  And the Leafs are 25-6 when playing with revenge from a home loss.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators.  At 29.4 years of age, the Penguins have the second-oldest roster in the NHL this season (Washington's the oldest, at 30.1).  That advanced age can have a positive as well as a negative effect.  On the positive side, there are few substitutes for experience in the NHL, and Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Jeff Carter certainly have plenty of that.  On the negative side, older players almost always wear down faster and get injured more often than their younger brethren.  We've seen both sides from the Pens this season who haven't had a losing campaign since 2005-2006, but who are sitting at 22-22 after 44 games.  The good news is that they're facing a Senators team tonight which has won just eight games on the road this season.  And this is the back-end of a home-and-home situation in which the Senators took Game 1 at home on Wednesday in overtime.  That victory makes the home team 36-16 in the last 52 meetings.  And the Sens are a horrid 4-22 in the last 26 meetings in Pittsburgh.  Take the Pens.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over Arizona.  The Caps outshot Minnesota, 36-22, in a 4-2 defeat, on Tuesday.  In contrast, Arizona won its game on Tuesday, 4-3, vs. Detroit, even though it was outshot 40-23.  Still, the Coyotes had lost nine straight games prior to that upset win over the Red Wings.  We'll go against Arizona tonight, as it's 42-83 (minus 28.8 net games) off a win by a single goal.  And Washington is 17-6 (+9.6 net games) off a home loss by 2+ goals.  Take Washington.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Colorado.  Both the Flames and Avalanche have under-performed this season, but for different reasons.  The Avalanche have been injury-ravaged, while the Flames have just been maddeningly inconsistent.  Colorado does come into this game off back to back high-scoring wins over Ottawa (7-0) and Detroit (6-3).  But the Avs are a wallet-busting 6-9 (minus 11.2 net games) this season after back to back games in which they scored 3+ goals.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  Toronto comes into this game off a tough, 4-3, road loss to the Boston Bruins, as the Maple Leafs surrendered the 4th goal in the waning minutes.  We'll take Toronto to bounce back here, at home, as it's 27-4 at home off a road game.  And the Leafs are 22-9 after giving up 4 (or more) goals in a loss to a division rival.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Rangers were stunned at home by the Canadiens yesterday afternoon, 2-1 despite out-shooting Montreal by a 39-31 margin.  So today they head west to Columbus to play the only team in the Conference with a worse record than the one that just beat them.  It's been a painfully bad season for the Blue Jackets so far as they have managed just 13 wins in 42 games.  Only the Blackhawks have less points in the standings at the half-way point of the season.  The Rangers hope to take advantage of their weak opposition -- and they need to tonight because their schedule gets much tougher after this (Boston, Florida, Toronto, Vegas, and Calgary).  The only thing worse than a bad team is a bad team with injuries, and that's Columbus right now.  No fewer than seven regular Jackets are either questionable, unavailable for this game, or out for the season.  The road team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings of these two clubs and the Rangers are 7-3 in their last 10 away from home.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Montreal Canadiens.  It's been a rough week for the Islanders who have lost four straight games coming into tonight.  Those four losses however were to four very good teams from the West in the Oilers, Flames, Wild and Stars (the worst of the four are the Oilers and they have 47 points).  So no doubt the Isles are looking forward to playing one of the East's worst teams tonight in the Canadiens.  The Habs lost 10 of 11 games between December 14 and January 5 but since then they have won two of three against the Blues and Predators.  Both of those victories came at home and tonight Montreal is on the road where it has won just eight of 14 games this season.  With Carey Price out for the season, Jake Allen has assumed the #1 goalie's job for the Habs, but Allen has missed the last two games with an upper body injury and is questionable to play tonight.  The Canadiens are 11-28 in their last 39 games immediately following a win and they're 10-24 in their last 34 vs. Metropolitan Division teams.  Take the Isles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Florida.  The Panthers upset the Avalanche, 5-4, in Denver, on Tuesday.  But off that win, we'll fade Florida here, in Las Vegas, tonight.  Florida is a dreadful 4-14 off a win this season, including 0-5 if they won their previous game by a single goal.  And Vegas is 46-31 off a loss.  Take the Golden Knights.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the St. Louis Blues.  Tonight the Flames and Blues play their second straight game in St. Louis (unlike the more common "home-and-home" two-game series).  The Blues took the first meeting on Tuesday in a close 4-3 overtime affair.  Despite being the road team again, the Flames are solid favorites tonight in this rematch.  The Blues have actually done better away from St. Louis this season than here at Enterprise Center where their record is just 8-8-2.  St. Louis won that last game despite a plethora of injuries.  The Blues' blue line has been decimated as no fewer than five defensemen are out indefinitely or questionable for tonight's game.  Those absences have resulted in an average of almost 3.6 goals-per-game allowed -- much worse than the 2.91 number this team put up last season.  The Blues are 3-8 in their last 11 games when playing with one day off.  But the most telling statistic for tonight is that Calgary is 6-0 in its last six games revenging a loss against an opponent as a road favorite.  Take the Flames.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the St Louis Blues.  The news on the injury front got even worse for St. Louis last week, as defensemen Nick Leddy and Robert Bortuzzo sustained injuries.  For a team already missing Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O'Reilly, Torey Krug, Marco Scandella and Scott Perunovich, it was the last thing coach Craig Berube wanted.  Berube will continue to cobble together makeshift lines, but his team will be hard-pressed to win tonight.  The Blues are 7-10 at home this season.  Even worse:  they're 0-8 at home vs. opponents that were averaging 3+ goals per game.  With the Flames averaging 3.1 gpg, we'll take Calgary tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over the Seattle Kraken.  Last night, Seattle shut out Montreal, 4-0, while the Sabres were shut out, 4-0, by Philadelphia.  We'll take Buffalo to bounce back this evening, as Seattle will be playing on the road without rest for the first time all season.  Philipp Grubauer will get the start in goal for Seattle tonight, while Eric Comrie will be back on the ice for the first time since his mid-November injury.  Seattle has won just one of Grubauer's last seven starts.  And it's 4-10 its last 14 when playing without rest.  Take the Sabres.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Los Angeles Kings.  The Kings are on an 8-2-1 run, including a 5-1 blowout of Vegas, on Saturday.  Unfortunately for the Kings, they're 10-21 at home after scoring more than 3 goals in their previous game, and 42-71 (minus 35.1 net games) following a win by more than 3 goals.  Meanwhile, Edmonton has won 34 of its last 48 division games.  Take the Oilers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Florida Panthers.  The Panthers come into this game off back to back wins over the Coyotes and Red Wings.  But neither of those teams have won a majority of their games.  Dallas, on the other hand, has won 23 of 38.  The Panthers are a miserable 8-15 this season vs. winning foes, and they're 4-13 off a win.  Even worse, they're 1-8 vs. goalies with a Saves Pct. of 91.5% (Dallas' Jake Oettinger currently has a 92.0% Saves Pct).  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  We played on the Devils on Wednesday vs. Detroit, and got the $$$ in a 5-1 win.  And we'll come right back with them here, at home, this afternoon vs. the Rangers.  It's true that New York is off three high-scoring wins over Florida (5-3), Carolina (5-3) and Montreal (4-1).  But the Rangers are a wallet-breaking 17-25 (minus 12.6 net games) off three straight games where they tallied 3+ goals. Take New Jersey.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Seattle Kraken.  The Seattle Kraken's dream season continues.  With their win over the Oilers on Tuesday, the Kraken improved their overall record to 20-12-4 in just their second season in the league.  That Tuesday victory was a revenge win as the Oilers beat the Kraken on December 30 in Seattle.  That game also started a grueling seven game road trip for the Kraken who will play the first four of those (including Tuesday) in Canada.  Tonight it will be the very tough environs of Scotiabank Arena to face a very good Toronto squad.  The Leafs have only lost twice in regulation here at home this season, so Seattle has its work cut out for it this evening.  These teams have only met twice in their history, with the Maple Leafs winning each of those (one in February 2022 and one in March).  In each of those games, the Leafs scored six times so look for more of the same from Matthews and company tonight.  Toronto is 9-2 in its last 11 games vs. Western teams and 5-0 in its last five vs. teams from the Pacific.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Detroit Red Wings.  You can bet that the Devils are glad to see the month of December end.  New Jersey's NHL team entered the final month of 2022 with a sparkling 19-4 record.  But they had a dismal December, winning just four times in 13 games to drop their record to 23-13 -- still pretty good, but not nearly as dominant as their first two months.  The Devils are a very talented team, but also very young so big streaks like that are not all that surprising.  Tonight they'll face a team that struggled in the last month as much as they did.  Like New Jersey, Detroit went 4-9 in December to bring its overall record below the .500 mark (16-12-7).  The Wings' roster is missing several key players right now due to injury, including #1 goalie Ville Husso who missed the last two games with an illness and is doubtful to play this evening.  This series has not been very friendly to the hosts lately as the road team is 4-0 in the last four meetings.  The Red Wings are also 11-23 in their last 34 games following a victory.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights.  If the season ended today prior to this game, the defending champion Avalanche would not make the post-season after Seattle's victory last night at home over the Islanders.  The Avs are off to a slower than expected start and have lost three straight coming into tonight -- their third three-game losing streak of the season.  The Knights have had their struggles lately as well, having won just three of their last seven games going back to December 17.  Their biggest problem right now is injuries as no fewer than nine regular Vegas players are temporarily on the shelf, out indefinitely, or lost for the season.  The Knights' goalie tandem of Logan Thompson and Adin Hill has not been sharp lately with Thompson allowing 12 goals over his last three starts and Hill allowing 10 over his last three.  The Avalanche are 49-14 in their last 63 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  They are also 6-2 in their last eight immediately after a home loss of three or more goals.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the New York Islanders.  The Kraken got off to a fast start this season, but ended 2022 with a thud.  On Friday, Seattle was blown out, 7-2, by Edmonton.  Even worse, that loss dropped the Kraken to 5th place in the Pacific division, and out of the playoff picture.  So, Seattle will look to bounce back tonight against an Islanders team on a 3-game win streak after a 2-1 win vs. Columbus.  But each of those three wins by New York came at home.  On the road, the Isles are 1-4 their last five.  And New York's also 76-103 (minus 37.4 net games) off 3 or more wins.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The Wild were upset by Dallas at home, 4-1, on Thursday.  But I love them to bounce back tonight.  Last season, the Blues knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs with a 4-2 series win.  No doubt, the Wild have had this date circled on their calendar since the season started.  We'll take the Wild to avenge that playoff ouster, as they're 13-5 off a home loss by 2+ goals.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Vancouver.  The Canucks won their 3rd straight game when they blew out San Jose, 6-2.  Unfortunately, the Canucks are 6-10 after scoring more than 5 goals in their previous game.  The Jets, meanwhile, suffered their 3rd straight loss Tuesday when the Minnesota Wild came into Manitoba, and left with a 4-1 victory.  But the Jets are 11-3 off a division loss, and 6-1 after scoring less than 1 goal in their previous game.  Take Winnipeg over Vancouver.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New York Islanders.  Dating back to November 17, the Pens are 13-4, including 6-1 on the road.  Meanwhile, the Islanders are 4-8 their last 12, including 2-3 at home.  Admittedly, New York did play a great game at home its last time on the ice, as it blew out Florida, 5-1.  But the Islanders are a dreadful 63-85 (minus 44.8 net games) at home after scoring 4+ goals in a home win, and 18-38 their last 56 vs. winning foes.  And they're also 15-24 their last 39 off a win by 2+ goals.  Both teams, of course, had the holiday weekend off to relax with their families.  And the Pens are 9-2 when well-rested following a 3-day (or greater) stretch of no games.  Take Pittsburgh.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New York Islanders.  With more than one-third of the season elapsed, the two New York-based NHL teams have almost identical records.  Both the Rangers and Islanders have 18 victories coming into tonight, with the Rangers winning the scoring differential battle, +18 to +12.  The Rangers lost a tough one on Monday, falling in Pittsburgh to the Pens by a 3-2 final.  They'll try to start another win streak tonight at home as, before the loss in the Steel City, they had won seven straight.  Three of those seven were here at Madison Square Garden and that's a good sign as the Rangers had previously been struggling at home.  The biggest problem for the Isles right now is that #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov (8-3-1 with a 2.65 GAA in 12 games) is nursing an injury and hasn't resumed skating which means he will almost certainly miss tonight's game.  That means backup Ilya Sorokin will man the net and the Isles are 0-6 in his last six starts.  The Isles are also 1-5 in their last six playing on two days of rest.  Take the Rangers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Tampa Bay.  After earning a point in 15 consecutive games, the Leafs stumbled in their last two outings at the Rangers, and at the Capitals.  But Toronto is back home tonight, and it's a stellar 25-4 at home following a road game.  And it's also 55-22 at home when the total was 6+ goals.  Meanwhile, Tampa is a poor 2-6 (minus 7.8 net games) when it was on a 5-game win streak.  The Leafs play this game with revenge from an overtime loss in Tampa earlier this month (not to mention a playoff series loss last spring).  The Maple Leafs are 34-14 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the St Louis Blues.  Vancouver got off to a slow start this season, as it was 0-7 its first seven games, and 4-12 its first 16.  But since then, the Canucks have played much better, and have won nine of their last 14, while averaging 3.50 gpg.  The Canucks' offense didn't show up on Saturday, as Vancouver was blown out at home, 5-1, by the Winnipeg Jets.  They're on home ice once again tonight, and they're a solid 12-5 (but +11.0 net games) off a home loss by 3+ goals.  Take the Canucks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the San Jose Sharks.  James Reimer was in goal for San Jose last night, so back-up Kaapo Kahkonen will be between the pipes tonight vs. Calgary.  When we last saw Kahkonen, he was getting torched by Vancouver, and only lasted two periods before getting pulled.  He surrendered four goals on 19 shots that night, which lowered his save percentage to .877, and raised his GAA to 3.71.  The Sharks have yet to beat a Pacific division rival here, at home, this season, as they're 0-6.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the Winnipeg Jets.  At 16-10-3, they still have a winning record and they're still probably the most surprising team in the league, but the Kraken have run into some rough waters lately.  Coming into tonight, Seattle has lost five of its last six games -- all against Eastern Conference opponents.  So maybe they're happy to be playing a team from the West -- albeit a pretty good one in Winnipeg.  For the Jets, they had lost five of their last seven before winning last night's contest against the Canucks.  They will have a quick --less than 24 hours -- turnaround after their 10:00 pm ET Saturday match-up in Vancouver.  The Jets have a stingy defense at home this season, allowing just 2.25 GPG when playing in Winnipeg.  But on the road, that number balloons to 3.08.  The Jets went with regular #1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck last night against the Canucks which means they will use back-up David Rittich tonight.  Seattle is 5-0 in its last five games vs. teams from the Western Conference.  Take the Kraken.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the St. Louis Blues.  Yesterday, St. Louis went into Edmonton, and outlasted the Oilers with a 4-3 shootout victory.  The Blues #1 Goalie, Jordan Binnington, started that game, so back-up Thomas Greiss will be in net tonight.  Unfortunately for the Blues, their opponents have scored at least 4 goals in each of Greiss' 7 starts this season, for an average of 4.57 gpg.  A year ago, for Detroit, Greiss had the worst saves percentage (.891) of his career (not including seasons where he made less than 16 starts).  This season has started off similarly for Greiss, as his saves percentage is a dreadful .899.  The Flames will be looking to snap a 4-game losing streak tonight.  But Calgary hasn't been playing all that poorly, as its last three losses have all come after regulation.  So, it is a decent 3-1-3 in its last seven games.  Still, the Flames will need to break out of their offensive slump (9 goals in last 4 games) tonight.  However, given Greiss' season stats, I believe they will light the lamp several times tonight.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  It was a short road trip that just concluded for the Rangers, but a very successful one.  With victories over the Golden Knights in Vegas and the Avalanche in Denver, the Rangers beat two of the very best that the West has to offer.  Now they return home to face two of the best in the East in the Devils (tonight) and Maple Leafs (Thursday) before heading out for three more on the road.  The talented but young group from across the Hudson River looks like not only one of the best in the Conference, but in the entire League right now.  With a goal scoring average of 3.70 and a goals-against of 2.33, the Devils have a scoring differential of 1.37, which is the second-best in the NHL (Boston @ 1.77).  They just took care of business here at Madison Square Garden less than a month ago, beating the Rangers on that occasion by 5-3.  The Devils are a remarkable 11-0 in their last 11 road games while New York is 2-8 in its last 10 vs. teams with a winning percentage above .600.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Vegas Golden Knights.  What did the Bruins do after the Golden Knights broke their home win streak at 14 games?  They shrugged it off and began a three-game road trip with a shutout victory in Colorado over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.  But then they followed that up by going into Arizona and suffering one of the biggest upset losses in the league this season as the Coyotes triumphed 4-3.  That brings us to the Vegas Strip and a huge revenge situation for Boston.  The Bruins will try to avenge that home loss less than a week ago at T-Mobile Arena tonight against a very good Knights club.  But the good news for the Bruins -- and bad news for Vegas -- is that Boston has not lost back-to-back games all season.  And the Knights haven't exactly been tearing it up here lately.  In their last four home games they are 1-3 and have scored a total of just six goals .  That lone victory came here on Friday and Vegas needed overtime to beat the lowly Flyers.  Boston is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Islanders.  The Hurricanes must have felt pretty good when they came to Anaheim near the end of their current road trip on Tuesday.  After all, Carolina had gone 3-0 with wins in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Los Angeles and now they were facing a Ducks team that was 6-17-3.  But Anaheim pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, beating the 'Canes 4-3 in overtime.  That sent the 'Canes packing back to the east coast and tonight they play the Islanders in New York.  The Isles come into tonight having just upset the Devils in New Jersey last night, 6-4.  So now they play at home on zero days of rest which is the opposite of the Hurricanes who come in having had three days off.  With Semyon Varlamov having gone in goal in the big win against New Jersey, the Isles will likely go with back-up Ilya Sorokin tonight.  New York has lost each of Sorokin's last three starts vs. the Blues, Predators, and Flyers.  Carolina is 13-5 in its last 18 games playing on three or more days of rest.  Take the 'Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Anaheim Ducks.  Anaheim comes into tonight's game off a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.  Unfortunately, the Ducks are 12-31 at home vs. division rivals, and 18-35 off a win (including 6-22 off a 1-goal win).  And while it's true that San Jose's defense has sprung a leak, lately, with 17 goals surrendered over its last three games, the Sharks are also 5-1 after giving up 5+ goals in each of their three previous games.  Take San Jose.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.