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Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Flames vs Vancouver Canucks @ 3:35 ET - This is the final regular season game of the season which was still going on even as the playoff began. Of course this was due to the late season covid issues that ravaged Vancouver. The Canucks are off a 4-2 home win over the Flames Monday but Calgary actually outshot them 40 to 24. I look for a very entertaining season finale. Of course there is no pressure on either team here as neither one made the post-season. However, I do expect a strong effort from Vancouver here as getting a win would allow them to escape the basement as they would move past Ottawa and into 6th place. At the same time, the Flames do not want to end the season with a home ice loss so a strong effort from them as well. In other words, look for both clubs to be aggressive on the attack. The winning team in the last 5 meetings between these teams has scored at least 4 goals and I like our chances of another high-scoring game here. Those 5 games averaged 7 goals per game and I expect this one to get there as well. We only need 6 for a push but I do expect at least 7 as we cash a ticket in the regular season finale. 10* OVER the total in Calgary

CNBC Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -110 @ Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - This line has made a major move this morning and it is because Florida is starting Chris Driedger between the pipes for this one. I know the Panthers netminder shutout the Lightning the last time he faced them but, prior to that, he allowed 3 goals on 19 shots in a start against the Bolts. Also, the one before that when he faced Tampa Bay, Driedger allowed 4 goals. I know the Panthers are hoping for a spark with starting Driedger here after Sergei Bobrovsky allowed 5 goals in the Game 1 loss but, honestly, Bobrovsky was not the problem in Game 1. The problem for Florida is just at that Tampa is the better team overall and loaded with a history of playoff winning while the Panthers are always getting bounced early in the post-season when they even do make a playoff appearance. So, while I do respect Florida, this is a very tough match-up for them and I feel we have great line value here as the Bolts have gone from a -130 fave to nearly a pick'em now in this match-up. Keep in mind, prior to shutting out TB the last time he faced them (which will actually motivate the Bolts even more here), Driedger allowed 8 goals on just 54 shots over his last 3 appearances. That is a lousy save percentage of only .852 over those 3 appearances for Driedger. More of the same here. 10* TAMPA BAY

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Washington Capitals vs Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - My initial thought here was to play on Boston as the Bruins look to bounce back from the Game 1 loss and because Washington has goalie issues. Vanecek exited Saturday's game early with a lower-body injury and Samsonov has been out for a couple weeks and would be rusty and Anderson has hardly played this season and it was a surprise the 39-year old netminder fared as well as he did in Saturday's win. With all that said, I do expect the Bruins to enjoy success in the offensive zone in this one. However, how do I play against a team that found a way to win Saturday's game on home ice despite the goalie issues and despite giving up a power play goal and having only 1 power play chance while giving Boston 4 and despite losing the faceoff battle by a 3 to 2 ratio? Exactly! I just can not play against the Capitals here but I do expect them to struggle to stop the Bruins. The fact we have the over 5.5 available as high as a +125 makes this a valuable plus money bet! Remember that Game One was 2-2 going to the 3rd and only a scoreless 3rd prevented an over. Look for this one to get to at least 6 goals as Boston scores well but the Caps, so tough on their home ice in particular, answer them goal for goal! 10* OVER the total in Washington

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -115 @ Florida Panthers @ 7:30 ET - The Lightning got a lot of good news on the injury front entering this one. A bunch of players now listed as probable for Tampa Bay and that includes Kucherov and Stamkos. That is part of the reason you can throw Florida's dominance of the last two regular season games out the window. It is playoff time and I have plenty of respect for the Panthers but feel strongly that the defending Stanley Cup Champion Bolts are going to come out strong and make a statement in Game 1 of this series. The playoffs are an entirely different animal than regular season hockey and, at least in the opener of this one, I look for the Lightning to prevail. There is a reason that lower-seeded Tampa Bay is favored on the road at Florida in this one. Do not be fooled by the line here. The Lightning are justified in being the favorites in this one after being road dogs in the last two meetings of the regular season at Florida. 10* TAMPA BAY

National TV Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Saturday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line +118 vs Boston Bruins @ 7:15 ET - I have tremendous respect for both of these teams and feel both are built very well for playoff hockey. However, that said, I do feel we are getting tremendous line value here with the Caps as a home dog. One interesting item of note is that, since we are expecting tight defensive-minded playoff hockey, I did notice something about recent match-ups between these teams. There have been no shutouts in any of the last 9 meetings between these teams but 5 times a team has been held to just a single goal. 4 of the 5 times that team was Boston and they were on the wrong end of a loss to Washington. The Capitals beat the Bruins by a combined score of 14-4 in those 4 games. Now, certainly I am not expecting a blowout win here but I am just saying that the Capitals do know how to stifle the Bruins and actually have outshot them in 5 of the last 6 meetings. Look for the Caps to find a way on home ice in this one and I am grabbing the underdog in this one! 10* WASHINGTON +118

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #44 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line +140 vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - The Maple Leafs and Jets are both set in terms of playoff positioning. That said, this is a rather meaningless game and it is simply hard to justify Toronto being such a pricey road favorite. The Leafs have lost 5 of last 8 road games and face a Jets team that had been struggling but now has won 2 of last 3 games that Connor Hellebuyck has started and he is expected to get the call here. Winnipeg has won those two games by a combined 9-0 score. This is a tune up game for the post-season but the Jets might prove to be the more motivated team. The Maple Leafs have won 4 of the last 5 meetings and are the top team in the division. The Jets want to prove they can turn the tables on Toronto and beat them heading into the post-season and wrapping up the regular season with a winner on home ice. Too much underdog value here to pass up. 10* WINNIPEG +140

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings @ 9:05 ET - The Avalanche are starting Jonas Johansson here. This will be just his 2nd appearance in a period of 3 weeks. That is not good in terms of a rust factor and he was playing better for Colorado when he was getting more ice time. Now he has allowed 6 goals on just 38 shots over his last two starts. Keep in mind, he went 0-5 with a 3.79 GAA in his time with the Sabres this season before coming over to the Avs. Johansson is going to be pressured by the Kings here in what is their final game of the season. Los Angeles has nothing to play for but pride and to play the role of spoiler and to prevent the Avalanche from winning the division and the Presidents Trophy for most regular season points totaled in the standings. I do not expect LA to get the upset but I do expect them to be very aggressive in wanting to score a few goals after getting shutout yesterday. At the same time, they are not going to stop an ultra talented Colorado attack that is determined to enter the playoffs as the #1 seed for this NHL season. The Avs looked fantastic yesterday and I expect more of the same today. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Edmonton Oilers @ 5:05 ET - Not a lot to play for here. The Oilers are locked into the #2 seed in the division and the Canadiens, by virtue of securing a point in Monday's OT loss to Edmonton, have secured the #4 spot in the division for the upcoming post-season. That also means these teams will NOT see each other in the first round. Instead Montreal will be doing battle with Toronto and the Oilers will be doing battle with Winnipeg. All that said, I expect a lot of open ice in this one and plenty of quality scoring chances. The last two meetings between these teams have each totaled 7 goals and I look for this one to get there as well. The Oilers have scored at least 3 goals in each of their last 3 games against the Habs but, at the same time, you know that the Canadiens would like to finish the regular season with a win on home ice and to get revenge for Monday's OT loss. That is why I am expecting a 4-3 type game here no matter which team ultimately prevails. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg Jets vs Vancouver Canucks @ 8:05 ET - Though Connor Hellebuyck could be back for the Jets tonight there is cause for some concern either way. Why was Winnipeg's #1 goalie unavailable last night? The Jets started Laurent Brossoit and his back-up last night was Eric Comrie. That said, Vancouver is still playing hard even though their playoff fate is sealed. The Canucks will not be making the playoffs while the Jets are trying to hold off Montreal for the #3 spot in the division. Keep in mind the #4 spot will have to face top seed Toronto and Winnipeg would rather avoid that. With that said, the Jets did pepper the Canucks with a ton of shots yesterday but Thatcher Demko was fantastic between the pipes. I doubt he'll play again in the 2nd game of a back to back and that means a struggling Braden Holtby likely to get the call here. Holtby has allowed 4 goals in each of his last two starts. The Canucks, prior to yesterday's 3-1 win, had lost 7 of 8 games and had allowed an average of 4.4 goals per game in last 7 games. The Jets have lost 9 of 10 games and allowed 4 goals per game in those 9 defeats. It all adds up to great value with this total posted at a great low number and we'll take advantage. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Winnipeg

THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - Montreal still needs one more win to clinch a playoff spot. Edmonton not only has already clinched a playoff spot, they are locked into the #2 spot in the division. That said, the Canadiens are the much more motivated team here and have already won 5 of 7 meetings between these teams this season. I know the Oilers are a high-quality team that is dangerous in the offensive zone but I just can not foresee them bringing a huge effort here. As for the Habs, they want to lock in their playoff spot now and leave nothing to chance. Though Montreal has lost 3 straight games, those were all on the road and including two at division-leader Toronto. Now the Canadiens are back home where they have won 3 straight games. Also, Edmonton has lost its last two visits here by a combined score of 7 to 2 and they have been outshot by a combined 64 to 40 in those two games. 10* MONTREAL

NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - It is difficult to have a lot of defensive intensity when you just got eliminated from the playoffs and that is what happened with Dallas last night. The Stars were off last night but their season ended because Nashville beat Carolina last night. The Predators got the final playoff spot in the Central Division. As a result, do not be surprised if we see a bit of a "wide open" game here and I like the value with the total at 5.5 goals in this one. 7 of the Stars last 10 games have totaled 6 or more goals and, in fact, those 7 games averaged nearly 8 goals per game. The Blackhawks are also staying home for the post-season and they have played like it! Chicago is off a rare tight low-scoring win but this was preceded by 7 of 8 games totaling at least 7 goals and those games did average 8 goals per game. 7 or even 6 goals make this one a winner and, yet, based on the above I would not be surprised to see this game get to 8 goals. Great value with this low total given the situation and I am stepping up big on this one. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago 

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Saturday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - The Hurricanes have now locked up the #1 spot in the division. The Predators can clinch a playoff spot with a win tonight. With the Preds having won 16 of 26 on home ice and the Hurricanes having won 16 of 26 on enemy ice this season, one could argue that this line should be a pick'em under normal circumstances. That said, there is huge value here because these are not normal circumstances and yet Nashville, even after some early line movement this morning, are still a small dog here. I will grab the value with the highly motivated home dog here. Of course the Hurricanes have been hot and want to keep winning heading into the post-season, but I just do not see the Canes as being able to match the intensity of the Preds in this one as they look to punch their ticket to the post-season. 10* NASHVILLE

Big East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Friday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +165 @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks, Canucks, and Devils all won yesterday. What in the world does that have to do with this play? A helluva lot actually! All 3 of those teams will NOT be going to the playoffs but they are playing loose and relaxed hockey as a result. I know Vancouver is still mathematically alive but, trust me, they know the handwriting is on the wall and they are not going to make it. They are on the verge of elimination. So the point is that all 3 of those aforementioned teams were on the road and they were facing playoff-bound hosts that were all favored by at least -200 and one was above the -300 mark! The point is that a lot of underdog value was there with those 3 upsets and that was on a card with 6 games yesterday. So looking for the big dogs can pay off big late in the season like this. For Friday, this is another such situation. Washington is a nearly 2 to 1 favorite and is playoff bound and they are hosting a Philly team that will not be going to the playoffs. The Flyers will play loose and relaxed. Philadelphia has a long history of rivalry with the Capitals and would love nothing more than to spoil their hopes of winning the division. The Caps are off a very emotional 2-game set with the Rangers that featured the Tom Wilson incident in the first game which spilled into all-out brawls in the 2nd game of the set. That could leave Washington a little spent here while the Flyers are well rested and have been off since Tuesday and are in bounce back mode off an ugly loss. Washington has lost 4 of last 6 on home ice. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Thursday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Puck Line -1.5 goals -120 vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - With the way the playoffs are structured for this season, it is ultra important for the Hurricanes to finish with the top spot in their division. They fully realize that and have been taking care of business and I expect more of the same here. Carolina has won 5 straight games and 4 of the wins came by at least a 2 goal margin. Going further back, 10 of the last 11 Canes wins have come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Hence the comfort level here with laying the 1.5 goals because, of course, we are not going to be laying the huge money line price that has been set on a game like this. By utilizing the puck line, we only have to lay a price of about -120 here. While the Hurricanes have been red hot, the Blackhawks fell apart down the stretch and found themselves eliminated from post-season contention. Chicago has lost 6 straight games and 4 of the 6 were by a margin of 2 or more goals. In fact, 8 of the Blackhawks last 10 defeats have been by 2 or more goals and I expect more of the same here. 10* CAROLINA -1.5 goals -120

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line +125 vs Washington Capitals @ 7 ET - The Rangers are incensed that Tom Wilson was not suspended for the fracas in the Monday game that led to a brawl on the ice and left New York without Artemi Panarin for the rest of the season. Granted the Rangers are eliminated from the playoffs and there are only 3 games left for New York but none of this is sitting well with this team. Not only is this a big time revenge game for the Rangers after what happened on Monday, it is also their final home game of the season. I am banking on the Rangers being ready to go in a huge way. Yes Panarin is a key loss for New York but the Rangers are going to be extremely motivated to win this game! Also, the Capitals are expected to be without Kuznetsov plus Ovechkin has been downgraded to doubtful for this game. Oshie, Shultz, Samsonov also are all listed as questionable for this one. Yes the Caps are going hard for 1st place in the division but, especially after what happened Monday, you know the Rangers are going hard here in hopes of playing the role of spoiler. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +125

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +150 @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Fully understand the Flyers being a +150 dog again today but it is simply not justified. Especially this is true because Casey DeSmith left yesterday's game with an injury. That forced Tristan Jarry, today's starting goalie, into action for the Penguins. Pittsburgh is simply over-priced here. Jarry has some ugly numbers against the Flyers this season and, though Philadelphia is eliminated from post-season contention, they have already shown what they can do when motivated. Philly is always motivated when facing Crosby, Malkin, and the in-state division rival Penguins. They will bring another strong effort on home ice and have their better goalie, Brian Elliott, instead of Alex Lyon, between the pipes for this one. This is simply too much home dog value to pass up on. The markets will be all over the Penguins in this one but the goalie situation, confidence factor after yesterday's game, home ice edge, hungry dog mentality and line value all add up to a great spot to back the Flyers again. 10* PHILADELPHIA +150

WASHINGTON -105 - The Capitals could have Ovechkin back on the ice tonight but, either way, I do like the Caps a lot in this spot. For all intents and purposes, after back to back ugly losses to the Islanders, the Rangers season is over. They are not yet mathematically eliminated but the Rangers would have to win all 4 remaining games and have the Bruins not earn a single point from any of their 6 remaining games. That is not happening and the Rangers are going to struggle to pull it all together for this game. For Washington, there is no shortage of motivation as they are now in 2nd place in the division but only 2 points behind the Penguins and they have a game in hand on Pittsburgh. Also, the Caps have Ovechkin back on the ice and skating again in practices so they know his return is imminent which is also a big boost to the club. Washington is 3-1 this season when entering a game off exactly 2 consecutive losses. In other words, only once this season did the Capitals have a losing streak reach 3 or more games. Off back to back losses entering this game, look for the Caps to improve to 4-1 on the season when in this situation. 10* WASHINGTON

10* OVER 6 in Ottawa - The Jets Connor Hellebuyck is struggling badly. The Senators tend to score better when at home and have remained competitive late in the season as their fate for this year was sealed long ago and they actually are playing better now than they have been most of the season. Ottawa, however, still struggles to stop teams and the Jets are on a losing streak and anxious to end it here on the road. Winnipeg has been scoring better on the road than at home and I am looking for a high-scoring game tonight given all of the above. The Jets have averaged 3.7 goals per game last 11 road games. The Senators have been averaging 3 goals per game on their home ice. I am looking for a 4-3 type game here. Prior to the Jets 3-2 win staying under the total 3 weeks ago, 7 of 9 meetings between these teams had totaled at least 6 goals and I fully expect this one will as well. Winnipeg is angry and looking for a breakout game offensively but they also have allowed 4.3 goals per game last 6 games. 10* OVER 6 in Ottawa

Puck Line Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 -120 @ Detroit Red Wings @ 3:05 ET - The Red Wings won yesterday's game 1-0 in the shootout by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1 as the Lightning nearly doubled them up in shots on goal. Also, they used Thomas Greiss yesterday while TB used Curtis McElhinney. Certainly is was not the Tampa Bay goalie that led to the loss but, the point is, one of the best goalies in the NHL will be back in his crease for this one as Andrei Vasilevskiy gets the start for the Lightning. If Greiss goes again here it would be the 2nd game of a back to back situation and so, no matter who Detroit starts here, I like our chances for a big road rout. Tampa Bay wants payback and they know how important these points are in the standing as they still chase the #1 spot in the division as the post-season quickly approaches. Prior to yesterday's tight low-scoring loss, the Bolts had won 3 of their last 4 road games and all 4 of those games were decided by a multi-goal margin. In fact, the average margin of victory in those contests was 3 goals. Look for this one to be decided by at least a pair of goals and the road team responds with a determined effort here. 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Puck Line -1.5 goals -120

Big East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #7 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers season is over now after a 5-3 loss at New Jersey Thursday followed losing 6-4 to the Devils on Tuesday in a wild game. It is hard to keep defensive intensity up when you realize a season you entered with such promise is ending in disappointment. You would not get much argument from NHL experts if you stated Philadelphia as the biggest disappointment in terms of underachievement in the NHL this season. That said, they can still score plenty on this Devils team. That New Jersey win on Thursday was their 2nd in 11 games and a big reason for that is that the Devils have allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game their last 15 games. However, New Jersey has scored an average of 3.8 goals per game their last 8 games and will continue pushing here against a long-time rival. That said, #1 goalie Carter Hart is done for the season for Philly due to an injury. Brian Elliott has struggled against the Devils with 19 goals allowed in his last 5 starts against them. If Alex Lyon gets the start, he has allowed 9 goals in his 2 starts. It is not all on the goalies either. That is for sure because a big issue has been Philadelphia's defensive play. I expect this to be a continuing theme in this game and for the over to improve to 5-0 in last 5 meetings between these two. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Saturday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The odds are getting slimmer for the Rangers to make the post-season but they most definitely are not going to quit fighting until they are officially eliminated from contention. Also, this is a rivalry game for them and they are fired up after losing the last two meetings with the Islanders by a combined score of 10 to 1. This includes a 4-0 shutout loss Thursday and note that the Rangers are 7-2 the last 9 times they have entered a game off a loss. The Islanders got that big W over the Rangers Thursday but this was preceded by 3 straight losses and defeats in 6 of their last 9 games overall. Back in the first half of March the Islanders were really dominating games and winning big. However, since then, the Islanders have played 22 games and only won 5 of them in regulation. That is not a mistake...is very real...the Isles have just 5 wins prior to the final horn of regulation in 22 games! I know a win is a win as they saying goes but those are some striking numbers! I am grabbing the road dog for immediate revenge off the shutout loss. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

North Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Jets have lost 5 straight games but they still hold the edge in this match-up. Cary Price has been out with a concussion and so Jake Allen has been shouldering the load for the Canadiens. It has not gone so well as the Habs enter this game losers in 9 of their last 13 games. Also, Allen is 3-8 in home starts for Montreal this season! Overall the Canadiens have won just 10 of 23 home games this season. Winnipeg has won 16 of 25 road games as they have been better as travelers. The Jets have won 7 of last 9 meetings with the Habs and that includes 6 of the 8 meetings this season. Connor Hellebuyck has had a couple rough starts recently but he is still a great goalie and coming off a game in which he allowed only 2 goals. He also has allowed a total of only 2 goals in his last 2 starts against the Canadiens and both of those were this month and both were at Montreal. More of the same here and the Jets series dominance continues! 10* WINNIPEG +102

East Div Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers season is effectively over now after losing 6-4 to the Devils on Tuesday in a wild game. It is hard to keep defensive intensity up when you realize a season you entered with such promise is ending in disappointment. You would not get much argument from NHL experts if you stated Philadelphia as the biggest disappointment in terms of underachievement in the NHL this season. That said, they can still score plenty on this Devils team. That New Jersey win on Tuesday was their 1st in 11 games and a big reason for that is that the Devils have allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game their last 14 games. However, New Jersey has scored an average of 3.4 goals per game their last 7 games and will continue pushing here against a long-time rival. That said, #1 goalie Carter Hart is still likely out for Philly with injury. Brian Elliott has struggled against the Devils with 15 goals allowed in his last 4 starts against them. If Alex Lyon gets the start, he has allowed 9 goals in his 2 starts. It is not all on the goalies either. That is for sure because a big issue has been Philadelphia's defensive play. I expect this to be a continuing theme in this game and for the over to improve to 4-0 in last 4 meetings between these two. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

West Div Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line +135 @ Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - The Blues are off a dominating win over Colorado Monday. They won the game 4 to 1 and completely stifled and frustrated the Avalanche as even down 4 to 1 and putting all their efforts into trying to get offense going to get back in the game, the Avs struggled badly. Colorado could hardly even get the puck into the offensive zone and then when they did they could not sustain any pressure and the Blues would quickly get the puck out of the zone. It was a like a clinic on how to stop a potent offense and I fully expect St Louis to carry that momentum right into this game. I expected Binnington to get the start in goal and he has been solid. The Blues enter this game with 5 wins in their last 8 games. I know the Wild have won 7 straight games but Minnesota has played Arizona 3 times, San Jose 3 times, and Los Angeles 1 time. Those teams are all below St Louis in the standings. Conversely, the Blues have beaten Vegas once, Colorado twice, and Minnesota twice for the 5 wins during their 5-3 run. All of those teams have clinched a playoff berth. So yes the Wild are a good team and particularly when at home but there is a reason the odds makers opened this game up with Minny as a very small fave. Of course the public jumped all over the Wild on home ice and now all the line value is with the Blues. They have the goalie edge in this match-up no matter who is in goal as, against, all of Minnesota's wins came against weaker teams. This Blues team still has a lot to play for and they have proven that with their recent play on the ice. Also, St Louis has been better on the road than at home this season. The Blues have won 3 of last 4 meetings between these teams and their 3 victories came by a combined score of 16 to 4. Road rout likely here which will surprise everyone but not me. Look for the Wild to be flat after too many days off between games and also after having now clinched a playoff spot. 10* ST LOUIS

Perfect Ten Play - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - I am happy to put this 10-0 streak to the test. Playing against the Devils each of their last 10 games would have netted you a perfect 10-0 run at the betting window. Indeed New Jersey has lost 10 straight games and the Devils have lost 14 of 15 and 16 of 18. Sure they should have beaten the Flyers but that late rally for Philly that featured two late goals from their captain to tie it which led to an eventual shootout win is huge for momentum. Yes the Flyers are highly unlikely to make the playoffs but they still have 4 more games (including this one) that are against these struggling Devils. Until they are mathematically eliminated I feel you will not see any quit from Philly. Also, we get line value here since the Flyers are on the road but here is what is funny about that. Philadelphia is better on the road than at home this season and the Devils are worse at home than on the road this season. Yet home ice is always priced into the line and in this case it favors us because New Jersey has won just 4 of 24 home games this season. You read that right, the Devils have won just 16.7% of their home games on the year. I do not often lay prices but great price on this one here and is a very fair price especially considering all of the above factors. Look for the 10-0 run against New Jersey to make it 11 straight! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - My first thought here was playing the Avalanche with revenge. However, I simply can not trust their goaltending situation right now. Francouz has been out with injury. Grubauer is back from covid protocol but, if he plays, it would be his first action in two weeks! Dubnyk has been the guy for now and he is certainly not in top form right now after allowing 4 goals in the 5-3 loss at St Louis Monday. I do like the Blues Binnington in net but he is going to face a barrage of shots from a revenge-minded Avalanche team here. Also, Binnington has not fared well at all against Colorado this season. He has allowed 3 or more goals in each of his last 5 starts against the Avs. With Colorado coming out flying in this one but having a concern in terms of keeping the Blues from scoring, this one offers solid value with the over 6 currently available at plus money. I will take it! 10* OVER the total in St Louis

Big East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs New Jersey Devils @ 6:05 ET - The Flyers are struggling so bad defensively that, even though Carter Hart might be back in goal for this one, Philly is likely to give up plenty of goals. Philadelphia has been one of the biggest disappointments in the NHL this season and a lot of it has had to do with being unable to stop the opposition. This is the same reason the Devils continue to struggle. New Jersey enters this game having gone just 1-11 last 12 games and having allowed an average of 5 goals per game in the 11 defeats! Overall, 10 of the Devils last 12 games have totaled at least 6 goals and this is likely to be another barn-burner involving New Jersey. The Flyers have lost 5 of last 7 games and allowed 4.2 goals per game in regulation time of the 5 defeats. Philly should score well here against the struggling Devils but New Jersey has averaged 3 goals a game in last 4 match-ups with the Flyers. That is why I am expecting this one to fly over the total. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Sunday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 3:05 ET - There is a reason this game is priced at a pick'em even though the Penguins are on home ice and have been fantastic there this season while the Bruins have not been as strong on the road. For one thing, it is a back to back for Pittsburgh. For another thing, Boston is now getting much healthier. Bergeron is the only concern but at least Coyle is back now if Bergeron misses again. However, I expect him to play. Either way, I like the value with the road team here. Their goalie situation also has stabilized with good health now. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Saturday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line +145 vs Colorado Avalanche @ 3:05 ET - I am aware that Grubauer might be back in goal for the Avalanche soon after being on the covid list. However, even if he played today, it would be his first game in nearly two weeks and he likely would be rusty. That means we are likely to see Dubnyk in goal here. I know he has won his first two starts for Colorado but this is still a guy who has twice as many losses as wins on the season and he is facing a determined an hungry Blues team here. St Louis won the first meeting of the season but has since lost 5 straight games versus the Avalanche. That said, the Blues want this game badly! Colorado could again be without Donskoi and Rantanen for this game for covid reasons. The Avalanche have been outshot by a combined 61 to 57 in the last two meetings and both games were very tight. This time the Blues get over the hump and I like the home dog value here. Binnington is 40-14-9 in home starts for St Louis the last 3 seasons combined and this game is critical for the Blues as they continue to battle for the #4 spot in the standings and the corresponding playoff spot that goes along with it. 10* ST LOUIS

Big East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - We have great line value here in my opinion. Yesterday the goalies were Elliott and Shesterkin and the total went off at 6.5 goals in a lot of spots. Even though the game was low-scoring there were plenty of shots on goal. Today the Flyers are expected to go with Alex Lyon between the pipes and it is highly doubtful that Shesterkin will go again for the Rangers in the 2nd game of a back to back. That said, look for plenty of goals in this one as neither team has their top goalie between the pipes. In fact it could be a match-up of #3 goalies. The last two meetings between these teams stayed under the total but, prior to this, 4 straight match-ups between them had totaled 7 or more goals. Those 4 games averaged 8.5 goals per game and I feel we are in line for another wild one between these clubs tonight. The goalie match-up very favorable for a high-scoring barn-burner. 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers

10* WINNIPEG +118 - Great home dog spot here. The Maple Leafs were riding an amazing red hot beginning to a season with goalie Jack Campbell practically being automatic his first 10+ starts this season. However, he has cooled off and David Rittich has struggled some too and, just like that, the Leafs have now lost 5 straight games. One of the teams that gave Campbell a lot of trouble recently was Winnipeg and the Jets as a home dog are a must play in this spot in my opinion. Winnipeg is getting healthier with a couple players coming back and having Connor Hellebuyck in net is a big edge for the Jets in this one. Winnipeg is well-rested and off a home loss to Edmonton on Saturday. The Jets are 14-3 this season when off a loss! Look for Toronto to lose 6 straight as they are feeling the heat from this host who has their sights set on overtaking them for the top spot in the North Division. 10* WINNIPEG +118

Big East Beast - 10* OVER 6 in Pittsburgh - The Devils are still battling hard but they have been unable to keep the puck out of their own net. An upper body injury for New Jersey goalie Blackwood does not help matters in that regard. I am aware of the other injury issues for each team heading into this one but some of those are actually serving to give us good value here. This over 6 would have much higher juice or possibly even move to 6.5 if not for the injury concerns and I feel the result here is great value. That's because New Jersey has scored at least 3 goals in each of its last 3 games and has averaged 4 goals during this stretch. The Devils have allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their last 10 games! Not only is the over 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams but there has been an average of 10 goals scored in those 3 match-ups. 7 of the Penguins last 9 games have totaled 6 or more goals and those 7 contests averaged 9.6 goals per game! As you can see, these teams haven't just been involved in high-scoring games of late, they have been involved in barn-burners that fly well over the total. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER 6 in Pittsburgh

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks are still alive and fighting for the 4th and final playoff spot in the Central Division. Currently occupying that 4th and final spot are the Predators. Chicago lost to Nashville Monday and Lankinen had a horrible night in goal. That means Subban is likely to get the start between the pipes for the Blackhawks tonight. However, he has a 3.60 GAA on home ice this season. Last season in home games Subban had a 3.88 GAA. The Predators have scored 3 goals on him in each of his two starts against them this season. I fully expect a response from the hungry, revenge-minded Blackhawks here but they will have to score plenty to get the win. Their last 3 home games all have totaled 6 or more goals. Nashville has won 6 of 9 games and averaged 4.3 goals per game in regulation time of the 6 victories. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Chicago

Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL 10* New York Rangers Money Line (+118) @ New York Islanders @ 7:00 ET - The Islanders continue to lead a charmed life and are off a 1-0 OT win at Philadelphia. There is nothing charmed about the way the Rangers have been winning games! The Rangers have won 4 straight games and 8 of their last 11. The most recent loss was to the Islanders and was, of course, in OT! The game just prior to that, the Rangers beat the Isles 4-1. In fact, the Rangers have had many blowout wins and only 1 OT win over the past 5 weeks which has seen them make a big push for a playoff spot. The Islanders last 8 wins have included only 2 wins in regulation. The Islanders have won 8 of 13 games but that means they were only good enough to beat a team in regulation 2 times the last 13. I respect this Islanders team and they are a very good defensive-minded team but, really, the Rangers have been more impressive of late and that shows up again on Tuesday. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +118

Situational Slaughter - NHL Rotation #36 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-115) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - My honest opinion right now is that if these teams met in a 7-game series the Hurricanes would ultimately prevail. Carolina is a very hungry team and, of course, the Lightning just won the Stanley Cup and it is so difficult to repeat. However, for this regular season game, there are huge edges for the Bolts in my opinion. Tampa Bay sees Carolina ahead of them at the top of the standings but only by 2 points. The Lightning are on home ice where Andrei Vasilevskiy just suffered his first home loss of the season. That's right, the TB netminder is a superb 14-1 with a 1.67 GAA and .941 save percentage on home ice this season. So Vasilevskiy wants a bounce back and he and his Bolts teammates also looking for some revenge after a 4-3 loss 3 weeks ago in which the Lightning were outplayed. That game was the 5th time in the last 6 meetings that the home team has prevailed and I look for that trend to continue. I realize Carolina is a very good team. Like I said, at the present time I would take them in a series over Tampa. However, for this particular game, the situational value is off the charts with the Lightning and we get a very low price because, yes, the Canes are a very good team. But tonight it is the Bolts and Vasilevskiy getting some payback. 10* TAMPA BAY -115

Big East Beast - OVER 6 goals in Buffalo - Yesterday's game stayed just under the total as it was a 3-2 final. The Sabres came very close to making it a 3-3 game late which, of course, would have resulted in an over. Buffalo continues to show some surprising fight here late in the season but they have a goaltending issue here. Ullmark is out. Hutton is out. Tokarski played yesterday. That means that the Sabres have limited options here for this one and, of course, the defense in front of the netminder remains shaky no matter who is in the crease. That said, I am looking for plenty of goals here because, while Buffalo is sure to surrender plenty, the Sabres should enjoy some success in the offensive zone as well. Tristan Jarry started for the Penguins yesterday and he has been playing very well. But it is likely it will be Casey DeSmith getting the call here since this is a back to back. He has struggled badly in his last 3 starts even though the Penguins have given him plenty of goal-scoring support in all 3 games. Each of the 3 games totaled at least 10 goals and the average goals scored was 11.3 goals per game. Indeed this could be a wild one on Sunday afternoon in upstate New York! 10* OVER 6 goals in Buffalo

NHL Network Rout - NHL Rotation #21 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - I look for a very entertaining game here. Oilers are highly motivated off an embarrassing 5-0 loss at rival Calgary. The Jets are highly motivated because they have lost 3 straight meetings with Edmonton and are out for revenge here. The problem for the Jets in terms of getting that revenge is that their #1 goalie, Connor Hellebuyck - truly one of the best in the game, has had struggles against the Oilers all season long. Edmonton has scored an average of 4 goals per game the last 4 times they have faced Hellebuyck. Indeed, the Oilers have been his nemesis this season. However, I don't trust the Oilers in their own zone either. 4 of the last 5 times these teams have met at Winnipeg the game has gone over the total and Edmonton has allowed 9 goals in its last two visits here. Koskinen is off a good start at Ottawa but allowed 4 goals at Montreal, a more formidable opponent, in his prior start. Smith just allowed 5 goals at Calgary. Plus you have the revenge factor for the Jets so you know they will be very aggressive in this one in terms of putting pressure on the Oilers netminder. Look for plenty of goals as a result. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

OVER in Minnesota - The Wild are off a 5-2 win versus Arizona and I fully expect a recent high-scoring trend for Minnesota to continue considering that the Sharks are in town. First off, about the Wild, 4 of their last 5 games have totaled at least 7 goals. San Jose enters this game unable to stop anyone. The Sharks have lost 3 straight and 4 of their last 5 and allowed at least 4 goals in all 4 defeats and they scored 5 goals in the lone win. Additionally, the over is a perfect 4-0 in the last 4 meetings between these teams and those games averaged 7 goals per game. We only need 6 to be a winner here and, given the current trending for both these clubs and the fact both are allowing a lot of goals, look for at least 6 goals in this one with 7 plus being more likely! 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Minnesota

ISLANDERS - Yesterday the Bruins embarrassed the Islanders 4 to 1 as they totally dominated the game. Rask was back between the pipes for Boston and even though Varlamov played well in the crease for New York, the Islanders were outplayed by the Bruins all over the ice. That means payback time in this back to back situation and the goalie situation favors the road dog. Boston's Halak is still out so that means, since Rask played last night, it is likely to be Swayman in goal for the Bruins in this one. He has played well but is still unproven but certainly he has been a better option than Vladar of late. However, Swayman still would be making just the 5th start of his NHL career. As for the Isles, they have a much more experienced option in Ilya Sorokin and he is a fantastic 11-3-1 this season. Also, when he is on he is really on strong. Sorokin has a fantastic 1.50 GAA in those 11 victories. The Isles are a strong-minded well-coached team that will come back hard after a game that played out ugly like yesterday's did. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Total Annihilation - NHL Rotation #31 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Senators are off a 4-2 upset win over the Jets on Monday. That game was 2-2 after the first period and then the scoring tied off and over players had to settle for a push there. I do not expect a repeat here as this one will get over the total. Winnipeg goalie is likely to be Connor Hellebuyck and I have plenty of respect for him as he is one of the top netminders in the game. However, Ottawa does score better at home than on the road and continues to push hard despite their poor overall season. The Senators have scored at least 3 goals each of the last two times they have faced Hellebuyck and the Jets. Ottawa has scored an average of 3 goals per game in its last 14 home games. But the Jets, with revenge on their minds, are sure to respond here and Matt Murray could be back between the pipes here and is sure to be rusty. He was out with an upper body injury and this would be his first game action for the Sens in 5 weeks! Murray has a 3.84 GAA on the season and was struggling before he got hurt too with 14 goals allowed in 145 minutes over his last 2+ appearances. That works out to about a goal allowed every 10 minutes and is not what any goalie wants. A very hungry Winnipeg team will be on the attack here too so this is shaping up to be a real barn-burner. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Total of the Month - NHL Rotation #25 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames @ 7:35 ET - Intriguing match-up with the Leafs expected to have former Flames goalie Rittich between the pipes. He was just acquired at the trade deadline and with Anderson still out and Campbell getting the start last night, Rittich likely gets the call here. He will likely be up against Calgary's Markstrom whom supplanted him as the #1 netminder for the Flames. That said, some are expecting a goaltenders duel here but I am expecting the opposite based on some key situational factors here as well as the fact that both goalies will have some extra pressure on them because of the dynamics to this match-up.  The Flames are of a 5-0 shutout win but had allowed 4 goals per game in their preceding 4 games - all losses. Two of those games were against Toronto and 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs have totaled 6 or more goals. Markstrom is 1-3 with a 3.82 GAA versus the Leafs this season and after a hot start in January did not fare well in February or March. Rittich has allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of last 7 starts. 4 of the Maple Leafs last 5 games have totaled 6 or more goals and this one should as well as they bounce back off yesterday's loss at Montreal. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #3 Monday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Jack Campbell is the confirmed starter for the Maple Leafs and he can't wait to get on the ice and redeem himself. Even though he improved to 11-0 with a win over Ottawa it was a rare rough outing for him. He wants to bounce back here and is 7-0 with a 1.54 GAA and a .945 save percentage in his road starts this season. Toronto is on track to finish with the top spot in the North Division and the Canadiens a likely number four spot. The Leafs have dominated this series thus far this year and do not want to give Montreal any hopes of a first round upset either should these teams meet which appears likely at this point. With Carey Price only practicing as he works on conditioning after his injury, the Habs netminder tonight is likely to be Jake Allen. He has won just 1 of his 7 home decisions this season and has a 3.12 GAA at home. Allen enters this start having allowed 11 goals in his last 3 games. With Montreal having lost 3 straight and the Maple Leafs having won 6 straight and 9 of their last 10, look for this one to be a road rout. 10* TORONTO

10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line -125 vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders lost 4 to 1 to the Rangers Friday but the game was much closer than that score would indicate. Look for payback here as the Islanders are 6-1 the last 7 times they were off a loss and playing on home ice. They get their payback at home here where they have been so strong all season long. The Rangers have been playing better of late but this is still a tough ask to expect them to win back to back games against such a strong home team. Lets not forget that the Rangers had lost 7 of 11 road games prior to the win here on Long Island Friday. It is payback time. The Isles are 17-2-2 at home this season and also these teams have been in a pattern of alternating wins and losses for 7 straight meetings! Look for that to continue here. 10* NY ISLANDERS money line -125

10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Vegas Golden Knights vs Arizona Coyotes @ 4:05 ET - These teams combined for 11 goals in their game on Friday night and while we should expect less than here it should certainly be more than the 5.5 total that is posted on this game. Arizona has been scoring well for an extended stretch and 9 of their last 11 games have totaled 6 or more goals as a result. In 9 straight games the Coyotes have scored at least 3 goals and only 1 of those was an OT goal. After some recent goal-scoring struggles that were a wake-up call for Vegas, the Golden Knights have now erupted for at least 6 goals in 2 of last 3 games. Their goal-scoring surge continues here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Vegas

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #52 Saturday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (-) vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Canadiens have impressed me a lot of late. Montreal was in a very tough spot versus Winnipeg Thursday as it was the 2nd game of a back to back and goalie Carey Price is out with an injury so Jake Allen was also playing his 2nd straight game between the pipes without a day of rest in between. The Habs put up a valiant effort but ultimately fell short versus the Jets despite outshooting them by a substantial margin. I feel strongly that we will see some carry over from that game right into this game. The Canadiens are currently in the 4th spot in the standings but have 3 games in hand compared to the Jets who are 8 points in front of them. The Habs are hungry for points here to close the gap because, keep in mind, there are some teams not too far behind Montreal, in particular Vancouver, that could put a run together. The Canucks, dealing with covid issues presently, are certainly getting plenty of rest for their skating legs and ready to make a push. That said, this is the 2nd game of a 6-game homestand for the Canadiens and they know they need to the most of it. Dropping the first was somewhat expected as was a tough back to back but the fact is Allen has been playing very well in goal and Montreal is off back to back losses but only once this season (out of 4 prior occurrences) have the Canadiens had a losing streak longer than 2 games. Winnipeg, when on the road and off 2 or more consecutive wins, has lost 3 of 4 this season. Look for these trends to continue Saturday. 10* MONTREAL

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #31 Friday 10* Top Play New York Rangers +125 @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders got outplayed by the Flyers last night but got a fortunate win in the shootout. They won't be so fortunate here as they face a Rangers team angry off a 5-2 loss at home last night versus Pittsburgh. The Rangers are 5-1 the last 6 times they have entered a game off a loss and they also have a revenge from a 2-0 loss in their most recent meeting with the Islanders. The Islanders have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 4 of their last 5 games and their recent lack of punch on offense catches up with them here. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS +125

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #81 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - I am coming right back with this play today that ended up a 4-2 final but that saw a lot of great scoring chances and a number of shots off the pipe. The point is the gam easily should have gotten to at least 8 goals. Here is yesterday's write-up because it is still applicable here with same play and same teams. "The Oilers are off a 3-2 loss in overtime at Montreal as they had a 2-0 lead but then didn't add to it and paid the price. Of course the Canadiens are at a different level than the Senators. Considering that as well as Edmonton knowing they can not afford to take their foot off the gas and try to sit on a lead, I am looking for a ton of goals in this one. Edmonton has won all 7 meetings between these teams this season and has averaged nearly 5 goals per game in the 7 wins. The Senators have scored at least 2 goals in 6 of the last 8 meetings between these teams and Ottawa has averaged 2.5 goals per game in those 8 contests. The Sens have been more competitive in recent weeks as they have earned at least a point in 7 of their last 9 games. The Senators have averaged about 3 goals per game during this 9-game stretch. Look for a 4-3 type game here as the Oilers are in bounce back mode but the Sens have the ability, especially on home ice, to match them goal for goal and we should see plenty of scoring in this one as a result." Now, after watching yesterday's game and seeing all the great chances and with this being a back to back which stresses a teams goaltending and defense, I am projecting even more...a 5-3 or 5-4 type game here. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Contrarian Crusher - NHL Rotation #21 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+155) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - This is simply way too much underdog line value available to a team that is still fighting hard to stay alive in the playoff chase. Philadelphia just outshot Boston 42 to 26 but came out on the wrong end of a 4 to 2 final. The Flyers also won the first three meetings with the Islanders this season. Each of their last two losses to the Isles have come after regulation and Philly actually outshot them by a combined 69 to 44 in those two losses. The Islanders enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 3 or their last 4 games. Also, I know the Islanders just acquired Palmieri and Zajac from the Devils but it is going to take a little time for those guys to get acclimated on Long Island. Look for an upset here as there is no quit in this Flyers team and they get revenge against the Islanders for the recent tight losses to them. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Perfection Play - NHL Rotation #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs are on a 4-game winning streak but have gone 0-3 this season when they enter a season on a 4-game win streak. In other words, Toronto just hasn't been able to get that elusive 5-game win streak this season and this will be their 4th crack at it tonight. I don't see this trend ending either. The road team has won each of the last 3 meetings between these rivals. Jake Allen will get the start in goal for the Habs because Carey Price is out with a lower body injury. Allen has a solid .922 save percentage on the season and he has been particularly strong on the road. Just one regulation loss in 7 decisions away from home for Allen. He has a stellar 1.84 GAA on enemy ice this season. Toronto has only 4 wins in their last 9 home games and 3 of the 4 wins came after regulation! This Maple Leafs team has been far from dominant on home ice and I expect this trend to continue here as the Canadiens come into this game riding high with confidence. That's because they rallied for a key 3-2 OT win versus Edmonton Monday and that is the Habs 4th win in 5 games. Getting 2 third period goals to tie that one up is a huge boost for the Canadiens and they are likely to build on that surge tonight as the road team wins for the 4th straight time in meetings between these teams. 10* MONTREAL

Situational Slaughter - NHL Rotation #1 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Edmonton Oilers @ 5:05 ET - The Oilers are off a 3-2 loss in overtime at Montreal as they had a 2-0 lead but then didn't add to it and paid the price. Of course the Canadiens are at a different level than the Senators. Considering that as well as Edmonton knowing they can not afford to take their foot off the gas and try to sit on a lead, I am looking for a ton of goals in this one. Edmonton has won all 7 meetings between these teams this season and has averaged nearly 5 goals per game in the 7 wins. The Senators have scored at least 2 goals in 6 of the last 8 meetings between these teams and Ottawa has averaged 2.5 goals per game in those 8 contests. The Sens have been more competitive in recent weeks as they have earned at least a point in 7 of their last 9 games. The Senators have averaged about 3 goals per game during this 9-game stretch. Look for a 4-3 type game here as the Oilers are in bounce back mode but the Sens have the ability, especially on home ice, to match them goal for goal and we should see plenty of scoring in this one as a result. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #58 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - There is no quit in this Flyers team. They were already being written off by many but with a regulation win tonight (won last night's game in OT) Philadelphia would move just 1 point behind Boston for the final playoff spot in the division. Considering that plus the fact there is still 5 weeks of hockey left, it could be quite a memorable ride in the East Division. The Flyers will have Carter Hart in goal for this one. He looked like the Hart of old in his most recent start but Philly started Brian Elliott last night since it was on the road and first of a back to back. Keep in mind, Hart dominated on home ice last season and, again, his start against the Islanders Saturday, a shootout loss, sure looked like he is back "in the zone" again after Philadelphia had given him some time off to work through everything. As for the Bruins, they have a mess at the goaltending position. Tuukka Rask has been out with an injury. Jaroslav Halak, unless was a false positive (unlikely) has entered covid-19 protocol. That is why the #3 goalie Daniel Vladar started last night and Callum Booth was called up from Providence to be the back-up. With all the issues at the goalie spot, plus the fact the Bruins have lost 13 of 22 games, the Flyers are offering plenty of value as a dog on their home ice here. 10* PHILADELPHIA 

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #41 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+155) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the line value with taking a big dog against a team that is still not 100% healthy and that has had trouble building win streaks of late. The Bruins are off a big 7-5 win versus the Penguins Saturday. That is very significant here because we are in early April now and note that since a 5-game winning streak that wrapped up for Boston on February 12th, they have only managed to win consecutive games one single time! Indeed, the Bruins from February 13th onward have gone 1-8 when off a win! 8 losses, 1 win! Now I certainly know the Flyers have been quite inconsistent of late but they are still a very talented team capable of bringing it on any night. That said, Philly offers all kinds of line value here because they absolutely should bring it in this one! The Flyers have lost all their games against Boston this season thus far and that includes an embarrassing 7-3 loss in the outdoor game in late February in the most recent meeting. The Flyers enter this game off back to back losses after a tough shootout loss to the Islanders on Saturday but they are 6-2 this season when entering a game off back to back losses. Based on all of the above you can see why I love the value of the big dog in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA +155

Afternoon Annihilation - NHL Rotation #28 Sunday 10* Top Play New Jersey Devils Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 3:05 ET - The Devils lost in overtime Friday and I had them right here and am coming right back with them again as they are desperate to get off the schneid versus the Capitals. New Jersey is getting their last chance to get a win over Washington this season and that is today on Sunday. I look for the hungry Devils to make the most of it and possibly catch the Capitals looking ahead to bigger games up ahead as they face the Islanders Tuesday and the Bruins Thursday of this coming week. Keep in mind the Caps just got blitzed 8 to 4 by the Isles and New York is coached by their former coach, Barry Trotz. That said this is a good spot to back the Devils off back to back losses as they had blown a 4-1 lead against Boston to lose that game in the shootout and then lost to the Capitals in overtime Friday. Prior to these two tight losses, New Jersey had won 5 of 8. I just do not see the Devils being denied here in their quest to finally emerge victorious over the Caps this season. The home team will prove to be the much hungrier and much more focused team in this one. 10* NEW JERSEY 

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #25 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Detroit Red Wings @ 12:05 ET - Yesterday's game was a tight 2-1 win for Tampa but now it is the 2nd game of a back to back on consecutive days and we are likely to see back-up goalies as a result. The last time these teams met and the #1 goalies did not go, it was a 6-4 Lightning win! While we may not again get to double digits in goals here, we certainly should at least get to 6 and I like the value with the over 5.5 currently available at plus money in this one. Prior to yesterday's low-scoring battle, the over was 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these teams and those 4 overs averaged 8 goals per game. Look for a lot of goals here and, keep in mind, if Vasilevskiy would happen to go between the pipes for the Bolts it would be the 2nd game of a back to back and that is a tough situation for any netminder. I expect it will be McElhinney in the crease for the Lightning. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay

Afternoon Annihilation - NHL Rotation #6 Saturday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 3:05 ET - The Predators are a perfect 4-0 against the Blackhawks this season. I know Nashville has some injury issues but that is also what is helping to keep this line a little on the low side even though the Preds are on home ice. I am happy to grab the line value here as the Predators are ready to respond off a loss. Nashville had won 8 of 9 prior to their home loss to Dallas Thursday. Chicago, in my opinion, has a chance to be a quality team very soon but I just do not see it this season. The Blackhawks came into the season not expected to do much and they lived up to those expectations with a very slow start. Then they suddenly caught fire like teams do sometimes but then reality set in again and the Hawks have been losing on the regular once again. Chicago enters this game having lost 9 of 13 games and they have lost 5 of their last 6 road games. More of the same expected here. 10* NASHVILLE

Situational Slaughter - NHL Rotation #62 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - This will be the 8th meeting since January of 2020 and no team has won back to back games in this series since then. That said, and with the Maple Leafs winning Wednesday, I like the Jets here! Toronto is 0 for 9 on the power play in the last 3 meetings between these teams and that is eventually going to catch up with them. Winnipeg is 3 for 8 on the power play in the last two games and they get back to work here seeking revenge after Wednesday's loss. The rest of this is from Wednesday's write-up because I did lose with this play Wednesday but all of these factors are why I still like the Jets in the rematch today on Friday. From Wednesday's write-up: "I like the home underdog in this one. It is hard to argue that the Leafs should be such a pricey favorite on the road in this one when you consider the Jets record is every bit as good as Toronto's plus these teams have split the first four meetings this season. I know Jack Campbell has played surprisingly well between the pipes for the Maple Leafs of late but he certainly does not have the long-term success factor that Connor Hellebuyck has. Also, Hellebuyck is 4-0 with a .966 save percentage and has allowed an average of just 1 goal per game his last 4 starts. I know Campbell has been great this season - albeit in limited action thus far - but he lost 12 of 18 road decisions last season. As for the season before that, Campbell lost 9 of 14 road decisions. In fact in his career, prior to this season, Campbell lost 24 of 36 decisions away from home. That is 2 out of every 3 decisions resulting in a loss on the road. He is a solid netminder playing well right now but Hellebuyck is playing even better and home ice matters and we get an underdog line here as well. A lot of positive factors in our favor and the Leafs are one point in front of the Jets in the standings. Great set up here. Also, the Maple Leafs have lost 7 of their last 11 games. The Jets, on the other hand, have won 4 of last 5 and those were on the road plus they have won 7 of last 10 on home ice." 10* WINNIPEG

Puck Line Punisher - NHL Rotation #48 Thursday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 goals -105 vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - Sometimes crazy things happen in the NHL just like other sports. The Blue Jackets beat the Lightning Tuesday despite Columbus having been one of the coldest teams in the league plus Tampa Bay having revenge. It happened despite the Bolts having a huge edge in shots on goal too. That said, payback is going to come in a big way here. The Lightning are on a rare losing streak now but they are still extremely talented and now hungry to respond after the recent defeats. Let us not forget TB is the defending champs after all. Additionally, the Blue Jackets had lost 4 straight and 15 of 21 games prior to the upset win on Tuesday. Of course Tampa Bay is priced as a big money line favorite here for a good reason as you can see per all of the above. Where the value is with this one is with playing the Bolts on the puck line and note that 8 of 11 Jackets road losses this season have come by a multiple goal margin. 10* TAMPA BAY -1.5 goals -105

Big East Beast - NHL Rotation #49 Thursday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins have lost each of their last 10 visits to Boston yet this game is priced at very nearly a pick'em. Long-time followers know where I am going with this one! The fact is the Penguins come into this game on a hot streak and desperate to end their losing streak in games at Boston. Pittsburgh has the hottest goalie in the league right now with Casey DeSmith on a phenomenal run over his last 10 appearances. As for the Bruins, they are expected to start Dan Vladar here. He has been strong in his first two starts but this is still a 23-year old netminder appearing in just his 3rd ever NHL game and he is facing a Penguins club that has won 4 straight games and 11 of 14. Boston, on the other hand, had lost 11 of 18 games before rallying for a win versus New Jersey Tuesday. The Bruins last 3 wins have come against the Sabres (who had lost 18 straight) and the Devils (fortunate win for Boston). Give me the highly motivated road dog playing the much better hockey of late and that also has the goaltending edge. 10* PITTSBURGH

NHL Rotation #30 Wednesday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - This is a battle for first place in the North Division and I like the home underdog in this one. It is hard to argue that the Leafs should be such a pricey favorite on the road in this one when you consider the Jets record is every bit as good as Toronto's plus these teams have split the first four meetings this season. I know Jack Campbell has played surprisingly well between the pipes for the Maple Leafs of late but he certainly does not have the long-term success factor that Connor Hellebuyck has. Also, Hellebuyck is 4-0 with a .966 save percentage and has allowed an average of just 1 goal per game his last 4 starts. I know Campbell has been great this season - albeit in limited action thus far - but he lost 12 of 18 road decisions last season. As for the season before that, Campbell lost 9 of 14 road decisions. In fact in his career, prior to this season, Campbell lost 24 of 36 decisions away from home. That is 2 out of every 3 decisions resulting in a loss on the road. He is a solid netminder playing well right now but Hellebuyck is playing even better and home ice matters and we get an underdog line here as well. A lot of positive factors in our favor and the Leafs are one point in front of the Jets in the standings. Great set up here. Also, the Maple Leafs have lost 7 of their last 11 games. The Jets, on the other hand, have won 4 of last 5 and those were on the road plus they have won 7 of last 10 on home ice. 10* WINNIPEG

NHL Rotation #18 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals have been hot for sure but the Rangers have been playing very well and will carry some momentum over from Sunday's game at Washington. Momentum from a loss? Yes! The Rangers were down 4-0 in that game but showed a lot of fight in never giving up in the eventual 5-4 loss. Now with the scene shifting from DC to NY for this one, the Rangers get the home ice win tonight. New York has won 4 of its last 6 home games and has won them by a combined score of 23 to 7. Also, Shesterkin should be between the pipes for the Rangers tonight and he has been great in recent starts against the Capitals. Overall, he has been great this season and has a 2.06 GAA and .942 save percentage in the month of March. More of the same here and, off tight back to back losses - to Flyers and Capitals - I do not see the home team being denied here. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Rotation #1 NHL 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders are one of the best teams in the NHL and they just got hammered 6-3 at Pittsburgh on Saturday. You can bet (literally!) that they will be ready to respond in this rematch Monday. The Isles had won 12 of 14 games prior to the loss Saturday. Going further back it was a stretch of 19 wins in 25 games for this rock solid Islanders club. One of the few teams that has given the Isles any trouble this season is the Penguins. That said, this is the Isles last shot at them in the regular season and I am sure they will make it count! New York has lost 5 of 7 meetings with Pittsburgh this season and this is payback time. Pittsburgh has won 3 straight games but 2 of those victories came against a Buffalo tam that has lost 17 straight games. Plus, prior to that stretch, the Pens had lost 3 of 4. I just do not see the Islanders being denied tonight given all of the above and the situational factors here. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Big East Beast - NHL 10* OVER 5.5 goals +120 in Detroit Red Wings vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 3:05 ET - Both teams have goalie concerns and this is a back to back so it exasperates the situation. The Blue Jackets started Merzlikins yesterday and Korpisalo is dealing with a lower body injury. The Red Wings started Pickard yesterday and Bernier is dealing with a leg injury. Even though this series has trended under big time this season, I like the over given the situation here. Note that the Blue Jackets are hungry to respond here and certainly should but I don't see them stopping a Detroit team that put 34 shots on goal yesterday. On their home ice, the Red Wings will bring another strong effort but I also expected Columbus to be more focused on the offensive zone in this rematch. The Jackets had averaged 31.5 shots on goal the last 6 meetings between these teams before a paltry effort of 22 shots yesterday. Both teams are allowing too many goals this season and Columbus has allowed 3 or more goals in 3 straight games and 7 of their last 10. The Red Wings had allowed 3 or more goals in 8 of 12 games prior to yesterday's 3-1 win. Given the above, don't be surprised if each team gets to 3 goals in this one. 10* OVER 5.5 goals +120 in Detroit

Top Play - 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Colorado Avalanche vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 3:05 ET - Vegas has now lost 3 of the last 4 meetings between these teams and a big concern for the Golden Knights is that they have scored an average of only 1.8 goals in the 5 meetings this season. Vegas knows they must change their approach in the offensive zone if they want to improve their odds of defeating the other top team out west. I look for this to lead to more scoring here from the Golden Knights but they also won't be able to stop a Colorado team that has scored 11 goals in the 3 wins over Vegas. The Golden Knights will look to get pucks in deeper in the offensive zone and win those battles in the corner and behind the net with their physicality. This should work and lead to some more offensive chances but it also could lead to Vegas chasing the game the other way if the Avalanche create some turnovers and then the Golden Knights are already deep in the offensive zone and have to scramble back the other way. I understand Vegas having to take some risk here to score some more goals but, the end result will be plenty of continued scoring for the Avalanche in this one too. As a result, and with a total of 5.5 on this game, look for a rather easy over in this one in what could very well turn into a back and forth high-scoring affair. 5 of the Knights last 6 road games have totaled at least 6 goals. Each of the Avalanche last 6 games have totaled at least 6 goals. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Total of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are off a 2-0 shutout loss at Minnesota but they actually generated 37 shots on goal in that defeat! This was on the heels of a 5-1 loss at Vegas. That said, do you think St Louis is going to be ready to "pour it on" tonight against Anaheim? Of course they will be and I am expecting a lot of goals in this one. The Ducks can be sneaky good at times and have shown a tendency for higher scoring games when on the road. Anaheim was held in check a bit at Minnesota so for this week, though Wednesday's game was 3-2 after two periods and never should have stayed under the total of 5.5 goals! But, prior to the 2-game set with the Wild, the Ducks last 5 road games averaged nearly 8 goals per game and 4 of the 5 totaled at least 7 goals! That said, and with a total of only 5.5 goals here, I like our chances of a bit of a wild one at St Louis. Many recent meetings between these teams have totaled exactly 5 goals but the fact is none of the last 7 meetings have totaled less than 5 and the 7 meetings averaged 6 goals per game and I am expecting at least 6 here. Before last night's rare shutout loss, 4 of the Blues last 6 games totaled 6 or more goals and this one will too. Bounce back time from two teams hungry off losses that will keep a lot of pressure in the offensive zones tonight. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in St Louis

Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Wild hosted the Ducks yesterday and the over 5.5 was 3-2 going to the 3rd and inexplicably not another goal was scored. We lost with that play but I will come right back with it here. Surprisingly it is being reported that Cam Talbot will get the start again tonight. That makes this the 2nd game of a back to back for Talbot plus would be his 3rd start in 4 days. I know he is off strong back to back starts but now he is in a taxing situation and this solid 2-game run was preceded by him allowing 4 or more goals in 4 of 6 starts. Also, the Blues come into this one hungry to bounce back off a 5-1 loss. St Louis won their preceding game 5-2 but has been struggling overall in terms of keeping pucks out of their own net. The Blues have lost 6 of 8 and have allowed 4 or more goals in each of their last 4 losses. The long-term reputation is why this total is a 5.5 but the Wild have allowed 3.5 goals per game their last 4 games and have scored well on home ice this season. Look for a surprisingly high-scoring game here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - You think the Flyers might be motivated and play one of their best games of the season tonight? They absolutely should! Philadelphia has lost 3 straight games for the first time this season. Their loss to the Devils Tuesday was the first time this season they did not respond off back to back losses as they had been a perfect 5-0 in that situation this season. That said, I fully expect a huge response here as the game that started this 3-game skid was a very embarrassing 9-0 loss to the Rangers last week. Teams do not suffer losses like that very often at all and when it happens against a rival and then you can get quick shot at redemption you can bank on what should happen here. We are also are getting some line value here because Shesterkin is expected to be back between the pipes for New York tonight but he is returning from injury and could be rusty making his first start in 3 weeks. The line moved toward the Rangers after his return was announced for tonight but for all the reasons above, I feel strongly that this line move is the wrong way and the home dog gets payback and cashes in here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #76 Wednesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Puck Line -1.5 goals -115 vs Buffalo Sabres @ 8:05 ET - Not only have the Sabres lost 14 straight games, many of them have been blowout losses. Of course that is why the Penguins are a pricey favorite here on the money line but is also why we get value by laying the 1.5 goals and playing Pittsburgh on the puck line at a price in the -115 range! Buffalo has seen 10 of their last 13 losses come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Adding to the situational value here is the fact that the Penguins are at home and off a loss. Pittsburgh has now lost each of it's last two home games but, prior to this, the Pens had won 12 of 14 home games this season! Also, the Penguins last 6 wins have all come by a multiple goal margin. Look for this one too as well as the Sabres season of misery continues here. 10* PITTSBURGH Puck Line -1.5 goals -115

Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #71 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Minnesota Wild vs Anaheim Ducks @  5:35 ET - Tight, low-scoring 2-1 Wild win on Monday. Look for things to open up a bit in the rematch. The Ducks had allowed 4 or more goals in 6 of 8 games previous to that defensive battle Monday. Anaheim allowed an average of 4.8 goals per game in those 8 games! The total here is only a 5.5 and the over is available at even money. I like the odds for a high-scoring rematch here as Minnesota has won 9 straight home games and averaged 3.5 goals per game in the first 8 victories of this win streak. Also, prior to shutting down the Ducks, the Wild allowed 11 goals over their two preceding games. That is an average of 5.5 goals allowed per game. Look for at least a 4-2 type game here but possibly much more! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota

Freight Train TOP - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER 6 goals in Chicago Blackhawks vs Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks have allowed an average of 4.6 goals per game their last 7 games! Chicago does tend to score well at home however as the Hawks have averaged scoring 3.8 goals per game as a host this season. That sets this one up well to be a very high-scoring game on Blackhawks home ice tonight. The Panthers are in town and their 4 games with Chicago this season have all totaled 6 or more goals and have averaged 7.5 goals per game! Florida is fired up off a 5-3 loss to Tampa Bay and will be ready to bounce back here but they have been giving up too many goals recently on the road. Hence my play on the over here. The Panthers have allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 6 games away from home. This one has the makings of a 4-3 type battle. Great value with this total at an even 6 goals. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #46 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - When a good team is left for dead it is often the best time to step in and play them. Everyone is very down on the Flyers right now but they got what was coming to them with Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Islanders. Certainly New York is a great team but now they are on the road and lets not forget that Philadelphia had won each of the first 3 meetings between these teams this season. Also, the Isles have been great at home this season but have lost 9 of their 16 road games. The Flyers are a perfect 5-0 this season when off a loss in which they were held to 1 goal or less. Bounce back time here so grab the home dog. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 6 goals in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers @ 4:05 ET - Each of the last 4 meetings between these clubs have resulted in an over. This is a back to back spot for each of these teams and, as a result, Sergei Bobrovsky is likely to get the start for Florida in this one. He has allowed at least 6 goals in 2 of his last 3 starts against the Lightning. As for Tampa Bay, they did have Andrei Vasilevskiy between the pipes for yesterday's game against Chicago. That increases the likelihood that it will be Curtis McElhinney between the pipes in this one for the Bolts. He allowed 6 goals when he most recently faced the Panthers. Overall, McElhinney has struggled this season with an .874 GAA. Also, if TB would end up using Vasilevskiy in this back to back spot, note that it would be a tough back to back for him plus he allowed 3 goals in 4 straight games prior to enjoying success against the Blackhawks Thursday and yesterday. Staying true to the recent trending when these teams meet plus factoring in the stresses on defense and goaltending that a back to back brings, look for another high-scoring match-up in this one. 10* OVER 6 goals in Tampa Bay

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER 6 goals in Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Just about 6 minutes into the 2nd period last night, the Canucks had a 2-1 lead but the total died at that point and never got over. I'll come right back with it here. Carey Price gets the start for Montreal but he allowed 4 goals in his most recent start and has now allowed an average of 3 goals per game his last 3 starts. Vancouver has revenge against Price as he has shut them down this season so far. Look for the Canucks, to that end, to build off the momentum of yesterday's 3-2 win and test Price early and often in this one. The issue for Vancouver however is that their own goaltending is likely to be a weakness here. Since Demko started yesterday it is likely to be Holtby in this one. He has struggled badly and has a 3.56 GAA on the season and has allowed 4 goals in each of his last two starts. Holtby has a 4.90 GAA versus the Habs this season and I look for a high-scoring entertaining game in this one as a result. 10* OVER 6 goals in Montreal 

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - This one is a bit of a contrarian play but Jake Allen is expected to get the start between the pipes for Montreal. The Canadiens back-up netminder will make his first start in over a week and it will be just his 2nd start from March 5th to now! He has allowed at least 3 goals in each of his last 3 home starts and I expect more of the same here. Allen should get plenty of goal support though as the Habs are still in bounce back mode after the coaching mode and working hard to get things going in the offensive zone. 2 of Allen's last 3 home starts have seen the teams combine for 7 or more goals. Montreal has scored an average of 4 goals per game last 4 home games and I look for that high-scoring trend to continue here. I know Vancouver has been trending the other way and, like I said above, this is a bit of a contrarian play. The key is that I look for the Canadiens to come out strong and dictate the tempo on their home ice and that will lead to a rather exciting high-scoring match-up here as the Canucks have won 7 of 9 games. Vancouver has scored an average of 3 goals per game in the 3 victories and I would not be surprised to see each team get to 3 goals in this one which, of course, would guarantee us of no less than 4-3 final. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Earliest Dominator - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to get the start for the Bolts here. It goes without saying that he might very well be the best goalie in the league. However, Vasilevskiy has allowed 3 goals in each of his last 4 starts. Also, the Lightning are facing a club that should equate to Vasilevskiy's teammates giving him plenty of goal support here! TB has scored an average of 4.2 goals per game in regulation time of their 5 games against the Blackhawks this season. Chicago enters this game having seen 10 of their last 12 games total at least 6 goals! The Blackhawks have scored an average of 3.2 goals per game in those dozen games. More of the same expected here as at least a 4-3 final expected here based on all of the above. Chicago is simply not getting the goaltending they were earlier this season. In fact, the Blackhawks have now allowed an average of 4.8 goals per game last 5 games and 3.8 goals per game last 12 games. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

NBC Sports Network Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers have dominated this series of late and that includes the games at Madison Square Garden as well. Philadelphia is on an 8-2 run last 10 meetings including a perfect 4-0 at New York. The Rangers lost to the Flyers Monday and Carter Hart played better between the pipes for Philly than you would have expected based on the final score of 5-4. Also, the Rangers have lost 4 of their last 5 and now Alexandar Georgiev is expected to be in the crease for the hosts tonight. He is making just his 2nd start in the last 10 days and Georgiev hasn't lasted long at all in his last two appearances! He has given up 7 goals on just 20 shots for an awful .650 save percentage as Georgiev has been chased from each of his last two appearances. Look for more of the same here as the Flyers have been piling up goals in recent games and have been red hot on the power play. Philly has scored an average of 4 goals per game last 4 games and I look for the recent dominance of the Rangers to continue in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA

East Div Game of the Month - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals were out for revenge when they had a 2-game set with the Islanders in late January. That's because Washington was eliminated from the post-season last year by the Isles. However, now it is New York with revenge as they lost both those late January games and seek payback here. The situation certainly favors the travelers here as the Caps are in a back to back spot. Yes, the Capitals have been hot but they are in a back to back spot here and also it is likely to be Samsonov (allowed 7 goals last 2 starts) between the pipes since Vanecek was in the crease for last night's shutout win. That game was at Buffalo by the way so the Caps also had to travel for this next game. The Islanders certainly are the more rested team as they were off yesterday. Also, even though the Capitals have been hot, so too have the Isles as they have won 9 straight and 11 of their last 12. Both teams certainly playing very well but grab the hotter team, playing with revenge, and in the better scheduling situation. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Monday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Nashville Predators @ 4:05 ET - Going to take advantage of the low total here and ride the high-scoring trend. This total could be on its way to a 6 so lets get in on it early here and grab the 5.5 that is very plentiful as of mid-morning Monday. This is an afternoon game featuring two clubs that have been trending toward higher-scoring games of late. The most recent one was a game between these two teams and a 6-3 Tampa Bay team but, overall, these teams have each been individually trending toward plenty of goals in recent weeks. Nashville has seen 6 of their last 7 games total at least 6 goals. The Predators loss to the Bolts Saturday was the 5th time in 7 games that they have allowed at least 4 goals. As for the Lightning, they are known for strong goaltending but this is the first game of a back to back so we could see McElhinney between the pipes. Even if it is Vasilevskiy in goal, he has not been as sharp of late so either way there should be plenty of scoring here. The Bolts have allowed at least 3 goals in 5 straight games. All 5 of those games totaled 7 or more goals and this one should too! 4 of the 5 meetings between these teams this season have totaled 7 or more goals and TB has scored an average of 5 goals per game in their match-ups with Nashville this season. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER 5.5 goals in Tampa Bay

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #62 Sunday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (-) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 5:05 ET - The Stars lost this match-up yesterday in OT. Based on the goalie match-up yesterday it is likely to be Khodobin versus Korpisalo in this one. The Stars netminder will be looking to redeem himself after allowing 4 goals on just 8 shots in his most recent appearance. This followed a stellar effort of just 1 goal allowed in his prior start on 22 shots. Korpisalo allowed 7 goals in his last two starts and that included a loss to Dallas. The Stars have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 3 games at Columbus and I expect that coupled with a strong performance bounce back from Khudobin to lead to a road rout here. 10* DALLAS

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers lost to the Caps Thursday but showed resilience in battling back and now will carry momentum from that game right into this one. A season that was humming along for Philly took a hit because of covid protocols and that seems to have left Philadelphia in a bit of a funk. Carter Hart goaltending performances are not helping but having veteran Brian Elliott to steady the ship is a key. Elliott will get the start here and I expect a huge response from the Flyers after Thursday's loss. Philadelphia is 4-0 this season when off a game in which they allowed 5 or more goals in regulation. The Capitals are 1-2 this season when on a winning streak of 3 games or more and the lone win came in the shootout while the 2 losses came by a combined score of 10 to 4. Look for this one to be all Flyers. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Friday 10* Top Play OVER 5.5 goals in St Louis Blues vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - Generally speaking the Blues are known for tough defensive-minded hockey and the Golden Knights get solid goal-tending. However, couple of important comments on that to follow here. First off, when these teams meet the recent results have been absolutely crazy with not only 5 straight overs but each of the last 4 games all totaling 9 or more goals! Now when you also factor in that Vegas goalie Robin Lehner is still on a conditioning assignment and Marc-Andre is now in covid protocol, you also have a very precarious goaltending situation for the Knights here. What it means is that rookie goalie Logan Thompson or a generally inefficient Oscar Dansk is likely to get the start here for Vegas between the pipes. All that said, I do expect the Golden Knights to respond well here off a loss and that should lead to a strong effort in the offensive zone but I just don't see Vegas as being able to keep the puck out of their own net in this one. The result should be a rather easy over here with this game getting to the 6-goal mark and, likely, beyond. The total of 5.5 is because of the Blues long-term reputation but you can see, per the above, exactly why I am expecting much more here. The last 6 Blues games entering this one have averaged 7 goals per game NOT including OT! 4 of the Knights last 6 games have totaled 6 or more goals. 10* OVER the total in St Louis

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres have been struggling but gained a little confidence with their 5-4 shootout loss at Philadelphia in their most recent game. That said, at home and hosting Sidney Crosby and company, Buffalo is likely to come up with a strong effort and score some goals here but they can't stop anybody. The way I see this one playing out is that that the Penguins could get caught sleepwalking a bit early on and the Sabres take advantage and score some early but then I expect Pittsburgh to respond with a barrage of goals. Buffalo has goaltending issues caused by Linus Ullmark being out for some time and the Sabres have allowed at least 3 goals in 8 straight games and an average of 4 goals per game during this 8-game stretch! The Penguins also are known for getting involved in high-scoring games. 7 of last 8 Pittsburgh games have totaled 6 or more goals. 5 of those 7 totaled 7 or more and this one is set up to as well. The Penguins have averaged 4.2 goals per game last 5 games. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #71 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER 6.5 goals in Edmonton Oilers vs Ottawa Senators @ 8:05 ET - The Senators entered Monday's game having scored 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 9 games. That Monday game was against these same Oilers and was 3-2 Edmonton heading to the 3rd period. However, inexplicably, no one scored in the 3rd period and the game remained under the total. That is leading to line value here. The Oilers are favored big here for a reason of course. The point is that this game should end up getting to nothing less than a 4-3 final as Edmonton finds a way to get the win but gives up some goals along the way. Ottawa has been scoring decent of late as noted above but also has a tendency to allow far too many and that is the reason, entering Monday, 7 of their last 11 games had totaled at least 7 goals. Those 7 games actually averaged 9 goals! In terms of high-scoring games, the Senators last 3 visits to Edmonton entering Monday had seen the games total 26 goals. The Oilers had been scoring well as they were averaging about 4 goals per game over a stretch of 16 games prior to running into the red hot Maple Leafs. That slowed them down a little but Edmonton can resume their strong play and this game won't go scoreless in the 3rd like Monday's did. Also, the Oilers goalies have allowed 3.4 goals per game in the last 5 games and the Senators continue to have goal-tending issues. This total is a 6.5 for a reason and the over is the way to go here based on all of the above. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Tuesday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (-) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers are off a 4-2 loss at Carolina on Sunday. Florida is 7-1 this season when off a loss. The Panthers also were on a 7-1 run in road games prior to the loss to the Hurricanes Sunday. That big run followed a 3-2 shootout loss at Columbus in late January when these teams most recently met. In other words, ideal set-up here as Florida also has revenge against the Blue Jackets here. We also get line value in this one since the Panthers are on the road. At home they would be a pricey favorite but on the road they are priced very reasonably. Columbus is off their 8th loss in 11 games and that was a 5-0 beating at Dallas. Though the loss to the Stars was a road game and one might thing the Blue Jackets will be better here at home, note that Columbus did win their most recent game as a host but this was preceded by 3 straight home losses. Also, that win came against the Red Wings. The Panthers most certainly are at a much higher level than Detroit! 10* FLORIDA

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are available at even money in this one even though they are at home. I like the value here with revenge minded Minnesota in this one. They faced the Golden Knights in Vegas twice last week and lost the first game 5-4 in OT after blowing a 4-2 lead. Keep in mind 2 of the Knights 4 goals in regulation came on the power play so the Wild did outscore Vegas 4-2 in 5 on 5 hockey of that game. Then Minny got blown out on the scoreboard in Wednesday's rematch but did outshoot the Golden Knights by a 37-28 margin in that one. Vegas is having a great season but also enter this game off back to back wins over their hated rival, the Sharks. I will not be surprised to see Minnesota out-skating the Golden Knights here as they are likely to be the hungrier team given this double revenge spot. By the way, the home team has now won each of the last 4 meetings between these teams. Also, the Wild are off a 5-2 loss at Arizona and have gone 5-1 this season when they enter a game off a defeat in which they were held to 2 or less goals. 10* MINNESOTA

NBC Sports Network Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER 6 goals in Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers @ 7:35 ET - Back to back games for both teams and they are each off big wins. That sets this one up well to be a high-scoring barnburner. The Rangers are still without goalie Igor Shesterkin which means they have to go with either Alexandar Georgiev in a back to back here (allowed 3 goals yesterday) or Keith Kinkaid who was called up from the taxi squad but has not started an NHL game since October 2019. Truly neither of these options is appealing especially when facing Sidney Crosby and the high-powered Penguins. 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games have totaled 7 or more goals and I am expecting another wild one here. The Pens also have a goal-tending concern in this back to back spot because Tristan Jarry played last night. Though Casey DeSmith is off a solid outing in his most recent start he could be rusty here after not playing very much at all in recent weeks. Also, prior to a solid start most recently, he had seen 4 of his first 5 starts this season all end up as games that totaled 7 or more goals. I expect another crazy one here given the situation as the Penguins also could be a little "spent" defensively after a hard-fought revenging win versus the rival Flyers last night. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh

Afternoon Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals +134 @ Chicago Blackhawks @ 2:35 ET - The Lightning let one get away and lost in the shootout to the Blackhawks on Friday. Watching that game it was very evident who the better team was but give Chicago credit for taking advantage of their opportunities and finding a way to win that game eventually in the shootout. However, as a result of that win and this opportunity at revenge for Tampa Bay, you can fully expect a blowout road win here. Of course that is why TB is a money line favorite priced in the 2 to 1 range here. That said, where the value lies is with the puck line as we can get the Lightning at +135 by laying the 1.5 goals. While the Bolts most recent win over Chicago came in OT, this was preceded by a 14-game stretch for Tampa Bay in which ALL 14 of their games were decided by a multiple-goal margin and that included 11 wins by 2+ goals. Look for another one of those right here. 10* TAMPA BAY Puck Line -1.5 goals +134

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Winnipeg entered Thursday's game at Montreal off a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Tuesday as it was payback time for the Jets after that rare loss to the Canucks Monday. Winnipeg, entering Monday's game, had won 4 straight games and 8 of their last 11 games. After the Tuesday win followed by a win at Montreal Thursday, the Jets have won 10 of their last 14 games! The Canadiens entered Thursday's game off a win as well but they had entered Tuesday night's game having lost 7 of 8 games. This is clearly a case of two teams heading opposite directions for multiple weeks now and, as expected, one game does not change all that. Sure enough, though it was a hard-fought win, the Jets got a well-deserved victory over the Habs Thursday. The fact is that Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck gives them a big edge over the Canadiens as he is one of the best in the league. Time to again take advantage of underdog line value here because the Canadiens have not responded all that well since the coaching change and it is going to be a transitional cycle for a period of time for Montreal. Considering all of the above, the plus money price on Winnipeg here is an excellent value as this is the perfect spot to back a strong team and the stronger goalie against an over-priced favorite that still can't seem to shake its losing ways. The Jets are 4-0 the last 4 games against Habs with Hellebuyck in goal and they outscored them 15-9 in those games. 10* WINNIPEG

Game of the Week - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #62 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - As I mentioned in my write-up on this match-up Wednesday, this is a huge battle between two of the top teams in the East Division standings. Even though the Caps are in the top spot they have played two more games than Boston. Also, the Capitals entered Wednesday's game having lost 4 of 9 road games. Note that the Bruins entered that game having lost just 1 of 6 home games so far this season. Even though the teams had split their first two games this season, Boston had outshot Washington by a combined margin of 76 to 49 in those two meetings and both those games were at DC. The Bruins, on home ice, are absolutely worth the price here as they now have revenge too. Give the Capitals credit for Wednesday's win as it was a deserved win and they outshot them but still that was a game that the Bruins never trailed in and then lost in the shootout. The home team came out a little sluggish in Wednesday's game and yet still never trailed the entire way and they certainly are unlikely to start slow in this one. Look for another physical, playoff-type game here but the determined Bruins will not be denied here. 10* BOSTON

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Thursday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (-) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Predators are off an ugly loss vs Carolina. The Preds did not look good in that game and this is a team that is now 7-1 combined against Columbus and Chicago but has lost 11 of 14 against the rest of the division. This includes Nashville losing 7 of 8 against the upper tier teams in the division like Carolina, Florida, and Tampa Bay. Now the Panthers are in town and angry and this one, as a result, certainly does not set up well for the Predators. Florida is off back to back losses this season for the first time this season and one came in the shootout and one came in overtime. This was after the Panthers had gone a perfect 6-0 this season when off a loss. Also, Florida did lose their most recent road game but entered that contest 5-1 this season as travelers. All signs point to a very motivated Panthers team taking the ice in this one and I will gladly lay the short road price here. 10* FLORIDA

Earliest Cash - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Though it didn't pan out for them Tuesday, the fact is that the Flyers are getting healthier again and getting back in a rhythm as guys have come back and now they even have Travis Konecny back too! The Penguins have a solid record this season but have arguably been the most fortunate team in the league. Pittsburgh has 12 wins this season but only 5 have come in regulation. The Penguins have 9 losses this season and 8 of them have come in regulation. So what that means is that the Pens are 7-1 in games decided after regulation but just 5-8 in games decided in the first 60 minutes. That includes back to back blowout losses to the Flyers when these teams met earlier this season. The Bruins are one of the best teams in the league. What does that have to do with this play. Well, Philly has lost all 5 meetings with Boston but has won 11 of 14 against the rest of the league! Off back to back 3-0 shutout wins on the road, the Flyers entered this 2-game set loaded with confidence and will bounce back from Tuesday's loss to the Pens as they resume a run of 11-3 dominance against divisional foes not named the Bruins! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Total Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Oilers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - Why did this total open up at a 6.5 and not a 6? Really it is strange because the Oilers have not even scored a goal in the last two games and yet the odds makers still hung a 6.5 on this one. Exactly! As long-time followers know, I am a contrarian and I feel strongly that, in this case, we are going to see a barnburner tonight when many are least expecting it. The Maple Leafs and Oilers are two of the highest scoring teams in the league and Edmonton can not keep getting shutdown on their home ice. They will bounce back. The Oilers are likely to get another shot tonight at Toronto's #3 goalie, Michael Hutchinson, and they will take advantage after he surprisingly shut them out Monday. Here is how I see this one playing out...the Leafs have scored at least 3 goals in all 10 of their road games this season. But I do not see the Oilers being denied again in this game. I could see the game going either way in terms of the side but Edmonton is going to battle hard and get their 3 goals here too. A 3-3 game can not end with anything less than a 4-3 final. This one goes over the total as result. Prior to these back to back shutout losses to the Maple Leafs, the Oilers had averaged scoring 3.6 goals per game in the 5 most recent meetings with Toronto. Also, Edmonton had averaged scoring 4 goals per game this season in a 16-game stretch that preceded these rare back to back shutouts for the Oilers. They'll get back on track tonight. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #42 Tuesday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 8:05 ET - The Predators have won 4 of their last 5 games and now are catching the Hurricanes in the 2nd night of a back to back plus off back to back huge wins over the rival Panthers which each took extra time! One win was in a shootout and then last night's was in OT after Carolina scored with under a minute and a half to go in the game to tie it. The Hurricanes had Nedeljkovic between the pipes last night which likely means it will be Reimer tonight because Mrazek is still out. The significance in this is that Reimer has not been as sharp as Nedeljkovic of late. He hasn't been bad but Reimer has allowed at least 3 goals in 9 of his last 10 starts and did allow 5 goals twice during this span as well. Nashville enters this game rested and plus has allowed an average of only 1 goal per game in their 4 wins during their current 4-1 run. Also, the Preds are 0-2 this season on home ice against defending Stanley Cup champs TB but have gone 7-2 in their other 9 home games. They again get it done tonight and, in doing so, exact some revenge against Carolina. The Hurricanes won the first meeting between these teams this season but this one sets up well for payback! 10* NASHVILLE

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Flames suffered a key loss with the Jacob Markstrom injury. David Rittich has allowed 7 goals on 54 shots since taking over for him. The Senators had their 3-games winning streak with Calgary's 6-3 win Saturday but they have now averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game the last 3 games. The problem for Ottawa is keeping the puck out of their own net and, with Marcus Hogberg out, all the pressure is on veteran Matt Murray. The former Penguins netminder has allowed 19 goals in his last 5 starts for an average of 3.8 goals per game. 5 of Ottawa's last 7 games have totaled 7 or more goals and getting tonight's total at an even 6 goals is a strong value in my opinion. The Flames last 3 games at Ottawa have all totaled at least 7 goals. With Murray struggling between the pipes for the Sens and Rittich struggling for Calgary, the high-scoring trend continues here as the teams combined for 67 shots in their most recent game. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa

Top Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #72 Monday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers are so dangerous and so resilient. Florida rallied from a 2-0 third period deficit to beat the Stars 3-2 on Thursday. Then, on Saturday, the Panthers again rallied from a 2-0 third period deficit to tie the game before falling behind 3-2 and then again managing to knot the game late and force OT. That one ended up being decided in the shootout and the Hurricanes prevailed but this Panthers team continues to impress me. This is a great spot to back them now as Florida is a perfect 6-0 this season when off a loss! The Hurricanes are a very strong team but they had lost 3 in a row before the tight win Saturday and I know the Panthers are going to come out strong here on home ice after that loss. Two high quality teams meeting for the 2nd consecutive game and I give a large edge to the home dog as they look to improve to 7-0 on the season when in this situation. The absence of Canes #1 goalie Petr Mrazek is still an issue for Carolina. He should be back soon but I do not expect that to be tonight and, either way, like the Panthers a ton in this spot! 10* FLORIDA 

Top Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 5:05 ET - Yesterday the Islanders had a 2-0 lead against the Penguins but blew it before then taking another lead, 3-2, but then allowed the tying goal in the 3rd period and losing in overtime. Pittsburgh is a solid hockey club but they continue to be very fortunate and after again finding a way to win another one after regulation yesterday, the Penguins will fall short here in my opinion. The back to back favors the Islanders because Ilya Sorokin is likely to be between the pipes for the Isles and he is coming off a shutout win plus has allowed 2 or less goals in 2 of his last 3 starts. Since the Penguins used Tristan Jarry in the crease yesterday it is likely going to be Casey DeSmith getting the start here. The Pittsburgh backup goalie has allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of his last 5 appearances and has 4 wins this season but all came after regulation. He did beat the Islanders in a shootout win in his last start and that means it is payback time here. For DeSmith and the Penguins, their luck runs out here. You are going to see a very determined effort here from a revenge-minded Islanders team in this one. The Isles have yet to lose a game in regulation on home ice as they are 6-0-2 as a host and get payback here for yesterday's OT loss. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Top Annihilation - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Saturday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Why are the Hurricanes, 6-5 on the road and on a 3-game losing streak, favored AT Florida? There is only one team, Toronto, in the NHL that has more points in the standings than the Panthers. So, again, the point is why is Carolina favored in this game? As I have pointed out numerous times in the past, I am not a believer in the "odds maker mistake" theory. In other words, this is no mistake here either. The Canes are a road favorite because they are a very good team that has lost 3 straight games and is coming into this game hungry after 3 straight losses to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Lightning. I like the fact that the Panthers just rallied for 3 goals in the 3rd period of a 3-2 win over the Stars on Thursday. Look for the Hurricanes to prove to be the much hungrier team in this one and Florida falls flat after rallying for the big win versus Dallas. 10* CAROLINA

NHL Network Crusher - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Friday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (-) @ New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins are off an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Islanders last night but that is a deceiving final score. Boston actually outshot the Isles by a substantial margin through two periods and the game was 2-2 heading to the third period. Then everything unraveled and that was the kind of ugly third period that a good team can not wait to respond to. That said, the Bruins are likely happy to have a game immediately the very next evening and that is bad news for a Rangers team that is not the same when they do not have Artemi Panarin on the ice. New York generally struggles to produce much offensively without Panarin and the fact they got 3 goals against the Flyers Wednesday was thanks in large part to two coming on the power play plus the fact Philadelphia is still missing quite a few guys due to covid protocol. In fact that is the same Flyers team the Bruins just blasted 7-3 in the outdoor game Sunday at Lake Tahoe. That said, Rangers lose to that team 4-3 and it is the same team Boston just crushed 7-3. The fact is there is a large disparity between the level of these two teams and that is why this is a rare exception for me as I am going with a top play even though this money line price is in the 155 to 165 range as of early game day morning. I just feel this one has road rout written all over it. The Bruins won all 3 meetings between these clubs last season and also has won both so far this season. Now they make it 6 in a row here. Also, the Rangers have lost 4 straight home games and are facing the wrong team at the wrong time. 10* BOSTON

10* WASHINGTON - The Capitals got outplayed by the Penguins Tuesday. The game went to OT but the Caps were severely outshot by the Pens. I look for Washington to make up for that here. Keep in mind, 3 of the 4 wins that Pittsburgh has in these teams match-ups this season have come in OT or the SO. Also, the game prior to Tuesday's was a 3-1 Capitals win in which they outshot the Penguins by a 42 to 27 margin. Pittsburgh has been very strong on home ice this season but their win on Tuesday was just their 3rd win in 9 road games this season. Washington's players will be highly motivated and focused here on a strong effort after being unimpressive for too many stretches of Tuesday's game. The Capitals have just one regulation loss in last five games and get back on track here with their 4th win in 6 games. Look for the Penguins to drop to 0-3 this season when they are on the road and coming off a win. 10* WASHINGTON

Situational Slaughter - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #64 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers got hammered by their newest nemesis, the Bruins, on Sunday in the outdoor game at Lake Tahoe. Philadelphia didn't play all that bad early on considering how short-handed they were because of covid but the game got away from them in the latter half of the 2nd period. The problem is goalie Carter Hart really struggled. That happens sometimes and he'll get a break here and Brian Elliott will get the start. He has been great this season and the Flyers will play extra strong here on home ice as they look to atone for the beating they took at the hands of Boston. Note that the Flyers also are expected to get a boost with the return of captain Claude Giroux from the health protocol list. At the same time the Flyers are getting a boost the Rangers are dealing with a major problem. New York has impressed this season with stronger defensive play and goaltending than expected. However, the Rangers often struggle to score goals. One of the keys to them generating a lot of offensive zone time and great scoring chances seems to be when Artemi Panarin is on the ice. However, he is now out after the big story broke in Russia about past allegations against him. Whether the story is true or fabricated, it has the Rangers missing their best playmaker on offense plus has created a distraction. The Flyers lost in the shootout the last time they faced the Rangers. That is one of only two losses they have this season against teams not named the Bruins as they have now won 8 of 10 games this season other than being winless against Boston. The home team gets their revenge here. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBCSN Blowout Rout - Scott "The Bulldog" Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are seeking revenge for a 3-1 loss to the Capitals last Tuesday. While I certainly do expect Pittsburgh to respond here, I do not trust them to keep pucks out of their own net. The Pens have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in road games this season. As for the Capitals, they might have Ilya Samsonov finally back between the pipes tonight but it is hard to trust the netminder with how much time he has missed. Either way, no matter who Washington has in the crease for this one, this is a Caps team that has allowed 3 or more goals in 8 of last 10 games. I just don't see either team from being prevented from getting to the 3-goal mark here and, of course, that number would guarantee us of at least a 4-3 final. These teams had reached at least 7 goals in each of their last 6 meetings prior to the 3-1 Capitals win last week. Those 6 games averaged 8 goals per game. Also, neither team has played that well on the penalty kill this season and the Washington power play is cashing in at a 33% clip! 10 of last 15 Capitals games have totaled 7 or more goals. The Penguins come into this game with having scored 3 or more goals in all but one of their last 6 games and that was the 3-1 loss to the Caps. It is payback time here for the Pens but I don't trust their netminding or defensive play and, as a result, I like this one to turn into a very high-scoring affair. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh