Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
03-02-20 | Avalanche -1.5 v. Red Wings | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -114 | 11 h 18 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Monday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Puck Line -1.5 goals -115 @ Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that many of the Avs recent wins have come by a margin of just a single goal. However, Pavel Francouz is expected to get the start between the pipes here and the Avalanche netminder has allowed 2 or less goals in 6 straight starts. In fact, Francouz has allowed an average of 1.3 goals during this 6-game stretch. The Red Wings have seen Jimmy Howard have a horrific season so, once again, Jonathan Bernier is likely to be between the pipes here for Detroit. However, he has also cooled off after some very strong work in late January and early February. Note that Bernier has consistently allowed 3 or 4 goals in his recent starts the past few weeks. That said, I look for the Red Wings to allow 4 goals here as they continue to allow far too many shots on goal while the Avalanche continue their very strong defensive-minded play and are likely to allow just 1 goal here. That said, I see great value with Colorado (a 3 to 1 money line favorite) available at very nearly a "pick'em" price on the puck line at -1.5 goals in this one. The Red Wings are off a shootout loss at Ottawa but that was just the 6th loss by a 1-goal margin out of their last 35 losses. In other words, Detroit usually gets beat by 2 or more goals and I expect that to be the case again here as the Avalanche continue to be road warriors. 10* COLORADO Puck Line -1.5 goals -115 | |||||||
03-01-20 | Canucks +131 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 3-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 16 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Sunday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - Count me in! I can get +130 and fade a team that has a muddled goal-tending situation and has lost 10 of its past 11 games. Not only is Columbus a mess right now with all their goalies suddenly struggling including normal #1 Joonas Korpisalo whom just got back, the Blue Jackets can't score. Perhaps the playoff pressure got to them and certainly they also got hurt by the recent losses of both Seth Jones and Cam Atkinsson to injury. Whatever the reason(s), the Jackets have scored an average of only 1.5 goals per game in their last 8 games. Also, the Canucks have revenge from a 5-0 home loss to Columbus late last season. The road team has dominated recent meetings between these teams and I look for to continue here. Not only have the Blue Jackets lost 10 of 11 games, the Canucks had won 18 of 27 games prior to suffering back to back road losses. That included a road loss yesterday at Toronto and Vancouver will be in full-on bounce back mode here. The Canucks are a solid 4-2-1 when playing on the road in the 2nd game of a back to back. With Demko getting the start yesterday we are likely to see Domingue between the pipes for Vancouver. A change of scenery can do a struggling goalie a lot of good and the Canucks picked him up specifically for the playoff push. That push resumes here while the Blue Jackets playoff fade continues. Upset time! 10* VANCOUVER | |||||||
03-01-20 | Flames v. Panthers OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -110 | 7 h 50 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Calgary Flames @ 4:05 ET - The Panthers are off a 3-2 loss in the shootout versus the Blackhawks yesterday. Florida used #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky which means he either has to go in a back to back here or they hand the starting nod to Sam Montembeault. Neiither option is particularly appealing. Montembeault has allowed 12 goals in his last 4 games. The Flames also are in a tough spot here after David Rittich got the start yesterday. That means Cam Talbot is likely to get the nod today. He has allowed 4 goals in each of his last 3 starts. Calgary has seen 9 of their last 11 games total 7 or more goals! The Flames have allowed an average of 4 goals per game their last 7 games and the Panthers are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. Calgary has scored an average of 4.5 goals per game their last 11 games! You can see why I am expecting plenty of goals in this situation which is further strengthened by the fact that is a back to back situation which further taxes the goaltending. 10* OVER the total in Florida | |||||||
02-29-20 | Stars +129 v. Blues | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #79 Saturday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The road trip between St Louis and Dallas is not too tough. That said, maybe it should not come as a surprise that the road team is 10-5 in the last 15 games between these division rivals. The Blues just hammered the Stars 5-1 in Dallas last week and this is also a revenge game for the Stars because St Louis eliminated them from the post-season last year. The road team is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and I look for Dallas to make it 4 in a row here. The Stars are off a loss at Boston but had won 7 of 9 prior to a tight loss to a tough Bruins team. St Louis is suddenly hot and has won 6 straight games but this was preceded by a stretch in which the Blue lost 10 of 12 and I feel they are over-priced in this key divisional rivalry. I am grabbing the revenge-minded road dog that is sure to bring their A game in this one and won't be denied. 10* DALLAS | |||||||
02-29-20 | Flames v. Lightning OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 1 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #67 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Calgary Flames @ 4:05 ET - I am well aware of Steven Stamkos being out for this game but the Lightning are still loaded with firepower. Also, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has suddenly fallen on hard times. As a result, the last 6 Tampa Bay games have all totaled at least 7 goals and I see every reason to believe this one will make it 7 straight! The Lightning have lost 4 straight games and that is why, no matter the score today, the Bolts won't take their foot off the gas here. In other words, look for them to score plenty but the problem is that Tampa Bay is struggling in their own zone and Calgary can certainly take advantage. The Flames have seen 12 of their last 16 games total at least 7 goals. Calgary has scored an average of 4.6 goals per game their last 10 games. The Lightning have scored an average of 4 goals per game their last 10 games. Look for a wild one Saturday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay | |||||||
02-28-20 | Wild v. Blue Jackets OVER 5.5 | Top | 5-0 | Loss | -101 | 9 h 44 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - The Blue Jackets could have Joonas Korpisalo back between the pipes tonight but how effective will he be after all the time away due to injury? Generally netminders are not at their sharpest in their first start back after a long layoff. The other two Columbus goalies, Elvis Merzlikins and Matiss Kivlenieks have both been struggling. Plus Merzlikins left the most recent game with an injury. No matter whom the Jackets have in goal I like my chances here in terms of the Wild scoring plenty of goals. The issue for Minnesota however is their own netminding. Yes, Alex Stalock had a strong effort against a bad Red Wings team last night, but now Devan Dubnyk is likely to start the second game of this back to back and he has allowed 3 or more goals in 3 straight starts. The total on this game is posted at just 5.5 goals and that is noteworthy given the goaltending situation and the fact that this is a revenge game for the Blue Jackets and they are on home ice. I do expect Columbus to respond and score well here but the Jackets have allowed at least 3 goals in 8 straight games. The Wild had allowed 3 or more goals in 4 straight games prior to their 7-1 win at Detroit last night. Minnesota has scored an average of 4.2 goals per game in their last 5 games. Take advantage of the low total posted here. 10* OVER the total in Columbus | |||||||
02-28-20 | Avalanche -100 v. Hurricanes | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 8 h 13 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Friday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Huge goalie edge expected for the Avalanche here. Yes, Philipp Grubauer is still out with injury but Pavel Francouz has been fantastic between the pipes for Colorado. Francouz is 4-0 his last 4 starts and 8-3 in non-conference starts and 9-2 in road starts this season. He has a superb .927 save percentage on the season and has been particularly sharp in recent weeks. As for the Hurricanes, they recently lost both Petr Mrazek and James Reimer to injury. This has left their goaltending situation in shambles and, unsurprisingly, Carolina is off an ugly 4-1 home loss to the Stars. It won't get any easier here as the Canes now face an Avalanche team that, like Dallas, is one of the best teams in the league. Colorado has won 4 straight games and 12 of its last 16. The Avs have also won 6 straight road games! The Avalanche have allowed a TOTAL of 6 goals in those 6 road contests. Yes, an average of just ONE goal per game and now the Avs face a Canes team dealing with a disastrous goalie situation. The result is a road rout. 10* COLORADO | |||||||
02-27-20 | Capitals v. Jets +140 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 140 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #48 Thursday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals opened up as a -135 favorite here and the line is all the way up to as high as a -160. While Washington certainly is a high-quality team, the Jets aren't exactly doormats and they are offering great value here as a sizable underdog on home ice. Winnipeg rallied from a 3-0 deficit to force OT in DC on Tuesday. They did end up on the wrong end of a 4-3 overtime result but the comeback gives the Jets a ton of confidence heading into this rematch. Keep in mind, Winnipeg is still very much alive in the post-season race and is fighting hard for a playoff spot. The Jets are now back on home ice where they have won two straight and 4 of their last 6. Overall, Winnipeg has had just 2 losses in regulation in its last 8 home games. While the Jets are starting #1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck here, the Capitals are expected to go with back-up Ilya Samsonov. The Caps back-up netminder is 0-3 in his last 3 starts and having a very rough February with an ugly .855 save percentage. Washington is a great team but very over-priced here and the situation is ideal for a home dog upset in this one. 10* WINNIPEG | |||||||
02-27-20 | Maple Leafs v. Panthers OVER 7 | Top | 5-3 | Win | 108 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - I know this total is unusual considering it is a 7 which is very rare. However, it is justified for many reasons. The Panthers are off an unusual low-scoring win at Arizona Tuesday. Yes, Sergei Bobrovsky had a great game between the pipes but he is very inconsistent and is likely to now get pummeled by the high-scoring Maple Leafs tonight. Bobrovsky has allowed an average of nearly 5 goals per game the last 4 times he entered a start off a game in which he allowed 1 goal or less. Indeed he often gets hammered in the very next start and he did allow at least 4 goals in all 4 of those starts! As for the Maple Leafs, Frederik Andersen had a fantastic shutout win recently against the Penguins. However, other than that, Toronto has given up 19 goals in the other 4 games which Andersen has started the past two weeks. Given the above situational factors for the goaltending as well as the fact that these are two of the highest scoring teams in the league, I am rolling with the over in this one. The total is big but you can see that, per the above, it would not be a surprise to see each team give 4 goals here and that means we're talking about at least a 5-4 final. Look for a wild one in this divisional match-up. 10* OVER the total in Florida | |||||||
02-26-20 | Sabres +1.5 v. Avalanche | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 15 h 15 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Wednesday 10* Top Play Buffalo Sabres Puck Line +1.5 goals (-) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 8:05 ET - There is a build up toward the playoffs at this time of year and games are tightening up as a result. 10 of 14 games so far this week have been decided by a single goal. When looking specifically at the Sabres and Avalanche you'll also see why I like having the +1.5 goals here and we're also getting value since this is priced in the -130 range as of very early game day morning. Buffalo has won 6 of its last 8 games and, in the Sabres last 9 games they have just 1 loss that came by a multiple-goal margin. Colorado has been playing well again and certainly is getting fantastic goaltending from Pavel Francouz. However, the Avalanche have not been scoring like they were earlier this season. The Avs have scored an average of only 2 goals per game their last 9 games. Colorado enters this game on a 3-game winning streak but that was preceded by 3 straight losses. Also, 4 of the last 6 Avalanche wins have come by just a single goal. Both teams made some moves at the trade deadline and I like what the Sabres did there and also they come into this game as the healthier hockey club. 10* BUFFALO Puck Line +1.5 goals | |||||||
02-25-20 | Canucks v. Canadiens OVER 6 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 7 h 11 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Vancouver just lost #1 goalie Markstrom to injury. The Canucks picked up Domingue in a trade but he has struggled this season. The regular back-up for Vancouver is Demko and the over is 12-5 in his starts this season. The Canucks enter this game off a huge 9-3 win over the Bruins. Vancouver has scored an average of 4.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The Canucks have allowed 3 or more goals in 8 of their past 10 games. The Canadiens Price is off a shutout win but that was preceded by a stretch in which he allowed 3 or more goals in 6 straight starts. In other words, with this total posted at 6 goals and the odds favoring each netminder allowing 3 goals, we've got a great shot at a 4-3 final at the very least in this one. The Habs have scored at least 3 goals in 4 straight games. 10* OVER the total in Montreal | |||||||
02-25-20 | Stars +106 v. Hurricanes | Top | 4-1 | Win | 106 | 6 h 19 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #7 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - In a very unlikely event, the Hurricanes lost both their goalies to injury and then used an emergency goalie in a 6-3 win at Toronto Saturday. Now a team without either of their two goalies is facing a team with two fantastic goalies. Dallas has Bishop as their #1 and also has a back-up delivering a great season as Khudobin has been fantastic. Additionally we're also getting great line value here since Dallas is on the road. Note that Carolina had lost 8 of 15 games prior to the win over the Maple Leafs which became the David Ayres story. Great story by the way with the emergency goaltender but now reality sets in and the Canes are truly hurting at the goalie position after losing both Mrazek and Reimer to injury. Dallas absolutely will take advantage. The Stars have won 9 of their last 13 road games and also are on overall 6-1-1 run their last 8 games! Grab the road dog in this one. 10* DALLAS | |||||||
02-24-20 | Senators v. Blue Jackets OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 13 h 47 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - I am aware that Joonas Korpisalo is back from his injury but the Blue Jackets netminder is highly unlikely to come in and be 100% on top of his game in his first game back if he even plays tonight. That said, note that the Blue Jackets goaltending has cooled off tremendously as they have endured an 8-game losing streak. Columbus has allowed 3 or more goals in 6 straight games. The Jackets are hosting a Senators team which has allowed 3.7 goals per game in its last 9 games. Ottawa has allowed 3 or more goals in 8 of its last 9 games. The Sens are off a shutout loss which followed an ugly 5-1 loss to Winnipeg. The Senators will look to play the role of spoiler here and I expect a bounce back after those poor efforts. Couple that with the fact that the Blue Jackets are desperate to get in the win column and I feel we have great value with this total at 5.5 goals. Note that it opened up at 6 goals and has moved down from that. We'll take advantage as both of these teams continue to endure a stretch of questionable work from their respective goalies. 10* OVER the total in Columbus | |||||||
02-23-20 | Sharks v. Islanders OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 44 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs San Jose Sharks @ 5:05 ET - Most will be thinking under here because of the recent trending of these teams. However, there is more than meets the eye here at first glance. In typical contrarian fashion, I am on the over. The Islanders didn't score well at all on their recently completed road trip. However, they are a different team when on home ice. The Islanders are 5-2-1 in their last 8 home games and have averaged 4.3 goals per game in those 8 games on home ice. The over is 5-1 in the Islanders last 6 games. Sharks goalie Martin Jones has played well in his two February starts but remember he allowed at least 4 goals in each of his January starts. He will likely be between the pipes here because Aaron Dell got the start yesterday in the 3-2 loss to the Rangers. Sharks had a 2-1 lead there and let it get away. They have been consistently outshooting opponents by a wide margin on this road trip and that continued yesterday. Look for that to result in more goals here too as the Islanders over trend on home ice continues. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders | |||||||
02-23-20 | Jets -105 v. Sabres | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 13 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 3:05 ET - Perfect set up here. The Jets ran into a red hot Flyers team yesterday and lost 4-2 at Philly. The Sabres were also in Pennsylvania yesterday as they faced Pittsburgh. Buffalo caught the Penguins looking ahead to their big divisional match-up with the Capitals taking place today. The Sabres took full advantage and beat the Pens 5-2. Now, off an upset win and hosting an angry Winnipeg team, the Sabres are likely to get beat by the Jets. The road team should have the edge in goal. Since Buffalo used Carter Hutton yesterday and Winnipeg used Connor Hellebuyck yesterday, the likely goalie match-up here would be Jonas Johansson against Laurent Brossoit. The Sabres Johansson has very little NHL experience. The Jets Brossoit enters this start off 3 straight strong starts in which he has allowed 2 or less goals in each start. Winnipeg has the situational edge (off a loss while Buffalo off upset win) here and also has the edge between the pipes in my opinion. The Jets have gone 3-0-1 in their last 4 games against the Sabres including winning each of their last two visits to Buffalo. Look for another road team victory in this one! 10* WINNIPEG | |||||||
02-22-20 | Hurricanes v. Maple Leafs OVER 6.5 | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 51 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #37 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - Since the Hurricanes started Petr Mrazek last night they are likely to go with James Reimer between the pipes tonight. He is a former Maple Leaf and has struggled in his meetings with the Leafs since leaving Toronto. Overall he enters this start struggling as he has a 3.55 GAA in the month of February and is coming off back to back particularly poor outings. The Hurricanes lost 5-2 last night and that was the 8th time in their last 10 games that their game has totaled 7 or more goals. Now they face one of the highest scoring teams in the league coming off an unusual shutout win. The Maple Leafs just beat Pittsburgh 4-0 and could struggle in the D-zone here after that atypical result. Toronto entered that game against the Penguins having allowed 5 goals in each of their 2 prior games. Only 8 of 23 games that have followed a win by a margin of 2 or more goals this season have stayed under the total. The over is also 8-1 the last 9 times that the Maple Leafs have allowed 1 or less goal. 10* OVER the total in Toronto | |||||||
02-22-20 | Canadiens v. Senators +128 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 24 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Saturday 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Money Line (+) vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - This is simply too much line value to pass up. The Canadiens still have playoff hopes but the division rival Senators would love to play the role of spoiler. The set-up here is ideal as the Sens are off a loss but this followed a stretch in which they won 3 of 4 games. Ottawa has NOT thrown in the towel on the season as evidenced by that stretch. As for the Habs they still have plenty to play for but a recent 5-game losing streak really hurt them. All the pressure is on Montreal in this game and they are off an OT win at Washington. That big road win was preceded by the 5-game winless streak and now the Canadiens face a division rival that would love to hurt their playoff hopes. The Senators have added motivation too because they have lost each of their last two games against the Habs and each defeat came in OT. Great home dog value here and I sense an upset as the Canadiens continue to squeeze the sticks too tight and the Sens are going to respond off a 5-1 home loss that was preceded by a solid stretch of play. 10* OTTAWA | |||||||
02-21-20 | Blues +131 v. Stars | Top | 5-1 | Win | 131 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Friday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:35 ET - The Blues are in a back to back here but this is still a great value spot to grab the defending Stanley Cup champs. St Louis has revenge from a 3-2 loss in OT versus Dallas less than 2 weeks ago. Keep in mind, the Blues never trailed in that game. Also, St Louis has won 4 of its last 6 visits to Dallas including eliminating the Stars from the playoffs last year. The fact is that St Louis has had the Stars number and Dallas is expected to start Ben Bishop here. He was originally drafted by the Blues and not only got eliminated by the post-season by St Louis last season, he is also 0-2 against them this season. Overall, the Blues have gotten back on track after some recent struggles. They have won back to back games via shutout fashion and have allowed a total of only 2 goals in their last 3 games. Even though Dallas is off a win, they allowed a ton of shots on goal against Arizona. This line opened up with the Stars as low as a -125 and that was with good reason. The markets are giving Dallas far too much respect here as this line has been driven up to the 145 range. The Blues are 4-1 this season when playing on the road in the 2nd game of a back to back. Payback time for what happened two weeks ago. 10* ST LOUIS | |||||||
02-21-20 | Rangers v. Hurricanes UNDER 6.5 | Top | 5-2 | Loss | -120 | 8 h 43 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Friday 10* Top Play UNDER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Rangers @ 7:05 ET - The Hurricanes are expected to start Petr Mrazek here between the pipes. He has a .911 save percentage at home this season and, should James Reimer get the start he has a .914 save percentage on home ice this season. This is a key battle in divisional action as these Metropolitan foes are both battling for their playoff lives. The Canes current positioning is certainly much better than that of the Rangers but New York is playing some of their best hockey of the season. This game should play out with playoff-like intensity and the Rangers have been getting solid goaltending. The most recent meeting between these teams went over the total but that was preceded by a streak of 4 straight unders. The Rangers have allowed 3 or less goals in 8 straight games including an average of just 2 goals per game their last 6 games. Only 5 of the Rangers 16 divisional games this season have resulted in an over. Only 26 of the Hurricanes last 67 home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals have gone over the total. Look for a playoff-level defensive-minded battle in this one. 10* UNDER the total in Carolina | |||||||
02-20-20 | Jets v. Senators OVER 6.5 | Top | 5-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:35 ET - The Jets beat the Senators 5-2 in Winnipeg about two weeks ago. Look for another big game from the Jets here but also look for the Sens to score a little better on home ice. Winnipeg has won 6 of 9 games and the Jets have scored an average of 4.7 goals per game in those 6 victories. The Jets will take advantage of a Senators team that has allowed 3.6 goals per game its last 7 games. While Ottawa has struggled at times in their own zone and is also not the same team without goalie Anders Nilsson, the Sens do have some momentum here as they have won 3 of their last 4 games thanks in part to strong production in the offensive zone. Ottawa has scored an average of 4 goals per game its last 4 games. The over is 7-2 this season when the Senators enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. The home cooking has, indeed, been serving the Sens well. The over is 16-9-1 in Winnipeg's non-conference games this season and they continue their offensive surge here. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa | |||||||
02-20-20 | Penguins v. Maple Leafs -111 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 45 m | Show |
Early Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #8 Thursday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs are looking for immediate payback after getting thoroughly embarrassed at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. In that 5-2 loss Toronto actually was down 5-0 before making the final score slightly more respectable. The Leafs are now 0-2 against the Penguins this season but this is the first time they'll be meeting north of the border. Look for Toronto to take advantage of home ice here. The home team has won 9 of the Penguins last 13 games and Pittsburgh has only split their last 6 home games. They certainly are a different team when away from home. The Maple Leafs have won 5 of 6 games this season when they enter a game off 3 or more consecutive road games. The Penguins enter this game on a 3-game winning streak but, when entering a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games, that has been a situation that has seen them lose 5 of their last 7. The Maple Leafs are off back to back ugly 5-2 losses and they have won 5 of 6 games the last 6 times they have entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. Bounce back time at a great price on home ice. 10* TORONTO | |||||||
02-19-20 | Rangers v. Blackhawks OVER 6.5 | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 12 h 14 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs New York Rangers @ 8:05 ET - This is an important game for each team as they're trying to remain relevant in the playoff races in their respective conferences. However, I still like the over in this match-up. With a total of 6.5 on this game, we just need each goalie to allow 3 goals and then we know the game has to end at 4-3 at worst. I am confident about the "3 goal factor" in this one because the Rangers Alexander Georgiev allowed just 1 goal in his most recent road start but that was against a slumping Blue Jackets club. In his 6 preceding road starts he allowed 3.3 goals per game. In terms of production in the offensive zone, the Rangers are off a tough loss against a streak Bruins club. However, prior to that, New York had won 4 straight games and averaged 3.5 goals in regulation time of those games. The Rangers should have no trouble resuming the surge on offense here against a Blackhawks club that has allowed an average of 4 goals per game in its last 5 games. As for Chicago's work in the offensive zone, they have had some ups and downs of late but that has had a lot to do with an extended stretch of schedule that has been very road-heavy. The Blackhawks now are back home and rested as they've had two days to prepare for this game. Chicago's most recent home game was a low-scoring game but that was against a stingy Bruins defense. In their 3 preceding home games the Blackhawks averaged 4 goals per game. More of the same expected here and each team gets to 3 goals in this one and that puts us in the winners circle. 10* OVER the total in Chicago | |||||||
02-18-20 | Canadiens v. Red Wings OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 107 | 10 h 14 m | Show |
Atlantic Division Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - This is a contrarian play all the way but I feel we have great line value here. Not only is this total only a 5.5 but the over is available at plus money. Yes, the Red Wings are the worst team in the NHL and they have been struggling to score goals but lets look closer at some key variables here. For one thing, if Detroit was going to have a breakout game on offense it would likely come on home ice and when facing a team that is allowing too many goals of late. You can check the box on both of those factors here. So now lets get into some numbers here. The Red Wings have lost 14 of their past 16 games and have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in those 14 losses. The Canadiens are on a 4-game losing streak that has seen them allow nearly 4 goals per game as well (including 1 OT marker). So the value in this game is that both teams should be able to take advantage of some shoddy defense and leaky goaltending and both clubs also are willing to take risks to score more goals. The Habs know they let one get away in their 4-3 OT loss versus Dallas Saturday as they should have kept their foot on the gas. Both the Canadiens and the Red Wings, when it comes to pressure in the offensive zone, will keep their foot on the gas in this one. 10* OVER the total in Detroit | |||||||
02-18-20 | Maple Leafs +125 v. Penguins | Top | 2-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
PA Insider - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Tuesday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - This is a contrarian play. Line looks funny doesn't it? Pittsburgh is 21-5-4 at home this season and the Maple Leafs have lost about half their road games and yet the Penguins are favored in the -135 range here. Don't be fooled folks. The set up here is perfect. The Pens are feeling a little too good about themselves because they are off back to back wins by a combined score of 9-2. However, they faced the slumping Canadiens and the league-worst Red Wings. Now Pittsburgh is in for a rude awakening here as the Maple Leafs come to town. Toronto is angry for multiple reasons. One is that they are off a 5-2 loss at Buffalo. Another reason is that they lost 6-1 at Pittsburgh earlier this season. Suffice to say the Leafs will be ready to go here and now Jack Campbell will be back between the pipes. He has played well as a change of scenery (recently acquired from Los Angeles) has done him well. Toronto is 3-0-1 in his 4 starts and he has allowed only 5 goals in regulation time of his last 3 starts. Look for another strong game from here and look for the high-powered Leafs to have the over-confident Penguins on their heels early and often in this game. The situational set-up here is perfect for an upset. Grab the plus money. 10* TORONTO | |||||||
02-17-20 | Islanders +117 v. Coyotes | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 14 m | Show |
Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 4:05 ET - You can't get a much better set up than this one. The Islanders are off back to back shutout losses. The Coyotes are off a big home win over the Capitals (2018 Stanley Cup Winners) on Saturday. Arizona feels good about themselves after returning from a road trip back east on Friday and then beating Washington on Saturday. The Isles certainly don't feel good, they feel angry. They lost 1-0 at Vegas Saturday after a 5-0 thrashing at Nashville Thursday. This followed a stretch where New York had picked up at least a point in the standings in 7 of 8 games. I expect them to get right back on track here. Look for the acquisition of veteran defenseman Andy Greene to pay immediate dividends and give the Isles a jolt of energy here. The Coyotes have scored a total of just 3 goals in the last 3 meetings between these teams. The Islanders swept Arizona last season and can do it again this season with another win Monday completing the sweep. I look for them to do just that as the Coyotes win Saturday was just their 4th in the past 16 games. The road team comes into this one very hungry and won't be denied. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS | |||||||
02-17-20 | Ducks v. Flames OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 100 | 6 h 41 m | Show |
Matinee Mauling - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Calgary Flames vs Anaheim Ducks @ 4:05 ET - The Ducks are off a 5-1 win at Vancouver yesterday and continue play better on the road than at home in recent weeks. That held true last week at Anaheim when the Flames annihilated the Ducks by a count of 6-0. That game went over the total and the last time these teams met at Calgary, it was a 6-1 Flames win that also went over the total. Speaking of high-scoring games, Calgary games have totaled 6 or more goals in 9 of their last 11 contests! The Flames have a tendency to give up a lot of goals on home ice and that continued in their 8-4 home loss to the Blackhawks Saturday. The good news for Calgary fans is that the Flames have scored an average of 5 goals per game their last 5 games. The Ducks have averaged 4 goals per game their last 3 games. We get a low total (5.5) here because of the long-term reputation of Anaheim and I am going to take advantage here. The Ducks are currently playing with a lot more confidence in the offensive zone but in the D-zone they have struggled to stop the Flames in many of their recent meeting. Also, John Gibson was between the pipes for Anaheim yesterday and that means veteran Ryan Miller is likely to get the start here. Miller had good road starts against the Kings, Hurricanes, and Sabres recently but all those teams were in scoring funks. The Flames certainly are not and in Miller's 4 other road starts since late November he has allowed 19 goals! Yes, that's an average of nearly 5 goals per road start! 10* OVER the total in Calgary | |||||||
02-16-20 | Blues +105 v. Predators | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 48 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #35 Sunday 10* Top Play St Louis Blues Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 6:05 ET - Blues seek payback for a 4-3 home loss to the Predators yesterday. In fact, St Louis has now lost all 3 meetings with Nashville this season. The Blue also enter this game on an overall losing streak and they are hungry to get a win and get back on track. The goalie match-up is the key to this game. With this being a back to back situation, we know the goalies are 99% likely to be Jordan Binnington for the Blues and Pekka Rinne for the Predators. The key to the value in that regard is that St Louis hung Binnington out to dry in his most recent start as he faced 52 shots on goal in a frustrating OT loss at Vegas. The Blues will play much better in front of this one for him. Note that Binnington entered the start against the Golden Knights having allowed just 3 goals in each of his 4 prior starts. It was an aberration for sure. As for Rinne, he allowed 4 goals in only about 20 minutes in his most recent appearance. That was the 5th time in his last 10 games that he has allowed 4 or more goals. In the first month of the season, the Predators had a 4-game winning streak. However, the Preds have NEVER won 3 straight games since then. Nov, Dec, Jan, half of Feb, NEVER won 3 straight games. They enter this game on a 2-game winning streak. This is a situation that has seen Nashville go 0-7 the last 7 times. As for the Blues, they enter this game on a 4-game losing streak and have NEVER lost 5 straight games this entire season. In fact, when on a losing streak of 3 or more games, the Blues were 5-0 the last 5 times before yesterday's loss dropped them to 5-1 the last 6 times in that situation. Payback time here. 10* ST LOUIS | |||||||
02-16-20 | Bruins v. Rangers OVER 6 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -105 | 6 h 51 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Boston Bruins @ 3:35 ET - The Bruins are in a back to back. Since Tuukka Rask was between the pipes Saturday, it is expected that Jaroslav Halak will get the start here. The Bruins netminder has great recent numbers but he hasn't played in a week and a half as he re-aggravated an upper body injury. He may not be 100% here and certainly Halak could have some rust too. The surging Rangers will take advantage but, at the same time, I don't foresee New York shutting down the potent attack of Boston. That said, plenty of goals expected here. The Bruins have won 8 of their last 9 games. Boston has scored an average of 4 goals per game in their past 6 games. New York has won 4 straight games and averaged 3.5 goals per game in regulation time of those 4 victories. Overall, the Rangers have averaged 3.4 goals per game their last 7 games. I simply see no reason that each team won't get to at least 3 goals here based on the way these clubs have been playing. Of course a 3-3 game has to end at least 4-3. Hence, the value here and this is particularly true with the posted total at 6 goals. 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers | |||||||
02-15-20 | Stars v. Canadiens OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #11 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - We're getting line value here (total of 5.5 posted on this one) because both teams have reputations for playing lower-scoring games. However, the situation here dictates more scoring than you would typically see. First off, Montreal is in a back to back spot and that means the back-up goalie for the Canadiens unless Carey Price plays the 2nd game of a back to back. I really do not expect Price to play because he has been playing a lot already with the Habs recent schedule. However, if Price does play, note that he is winless in his 3 starts with zero rest this season and he has a 3.74 GAA in those appearances. Whether Price or a back-up (Canadiens back-ups have struggled all season) the surging Stars will take advantage. Dallas has won 3 straight games and scored 7 goals their last 2 games. The thing is, Montreal is fighting to stay alive in the playoff race as they have lost 3 straight games. So, even though the Canadiens have a goaltending situation, I still expect them to play a very inspired game in the offensive zone tonight on home ice. As a result, more goals here at both ends than many are expecting. By the way, the over is 3-1 the last 4 times the Canadiens have played the 2nd game of a back to back and those games averaged 7.5 goals. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Montreal | |||||||
02-15-20 | Oilers +140 v. Panthers | Top | 4-1 | Win | 140 | 8 h 1 m | Show |
Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Saturday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 4:05 ET - The Panthers are slumping badly. They have lost 6 of 8 games since the All Star break and got destroyed by the Flyers Thursday. Florida then held a players only meeting and they hope to turn things around. However, here's the problem. The issue for the Panthers is not as much the skaters as it is the goalies! Sergei Bobrovsky is slumping badly and he is known for being a very streaky goalie. In other words, until he snaps out of this he must be faded. Bobrovsky is 0-4 with a horrific .839 save percentage in his last 4 starts. With goalie Chris Driedger still on the shelf, the Panthers only other option is Samuel Montembeault. He has only made 6 starts this season and, overall, has been unimpressive. While the Panthers have been struggling between the pipes, the Oilers have been getting solid work from both Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen. Edmonton has allowed 3 or less goals in 9 of its last 10 games. Comparatively, the Panthers have allowed an average of 4.6 goals per game in their last 5 games. Florida's penalty kill is one of the worst in the league while the Oilers have the top power play in the league this season. Yes I am of course aware of Connor McDavid being out but the other Oilers will step up after they fell short at Tampa Bay Thursday. It was 2-1 before an empty netter and there is no shame in losing to the Lightning in Tampa. Now watch Edmonton respond big here. Only once since the calendar turned to 2020 have the Oilers lost back to back games. Also, the Panthers have some injury issues with Brian Boyle out and Noel Acciari questionable for Saturday's afternoon match-up. 10* EDMONTON | |||||||
02-14-20 | Devils v. Hurricanes OVER 6 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Metropolitan Division Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils @ 7:05 ET - Nice set up here. The Hurricanes are at home catching the Devils in the 2nd game of a back to back. New Jersey used their hot goalie, Mackenzie Blackwood, last night and he has been a difference maker for the Devils. When is he is not in the crease - which is likely to be the case tonight - New Jersey has been giving up plenty of goals. Plus the Devils will be facing a Hurricanes team hell-bent on getting back on track after a 4-1 loss at Dallas Wednesday. As a result, I do expect Carolina to score very well here. But the problem for the Canes is that they have been consistently allowing too many goals. The Hurricanes have allowed an average of 4.2 goals per game their last 6 games. On the other end of the ice, prior to being shutdown by the Stars, the Canes had scored an average of 3.8 goals per game in their 6 prior games. In fact the over was on a perfect 5-0 run in Carolina games prior to their loss at Dallas staying just under the total. The first meeting between these teams this season totaled 8 goals and I am expecting a similar result here. The Devils have been playing with more confidence of late as they have earned at least a point in the standings in 7 of their past 8 games. During this stretch New Jersey has scored an average of 3.6 goals per game. However, when Blackwood is not the starter, they have also been surrendering goals in bunches. The last 6 games that he did not start have seen the Devils allow an average of 4.7 goals per game! The over is 7-3 this season when New Jersey is playing the 2nd game of a back to back. 10* OVER the total in Carolina | |||||||
02-14-20 | Canadiens v. Penguins -1.5 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 140 | 9 h 36 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #80 Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Puck Line -1.5 goals +140 vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Canadiens are off back to back losses and have lost 13 of their past 22 games. 4 of the Habs past 6 losses have come by 2 or more goals. The Penguins are angry off an OT loss at home versus the Lightning on Tuesday. The Pens have the rest edge here as this will be just their 2nd game in a span of 7 days! Pittsburgh is 8-0 the last 8 times they have entered a game off a loss. Now of course I am not laying the big money line price on the Penguins here. However, where I feel we have line value is with the +140 available on playing Pittsburgh to win this game by 2 or more goals. On deck for the Pens is a match-up with the Red Wings on Sunday. As for the Habs they have another game tomorrow in Montreal versus Dallas. Once the Canadiens get down early in this one I could see them packing it in. The Penguins will prove to be the much hungrier team after they feel they let one slip away versus Tampa Bay Tuesday - a game in which the Pens never trailed. 10* PITTSBURGH Puck Line -1.5 goals +140 | |||||||
02-13-20 | Stars v. Maple Leafs OVER 6 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -105 | 10 h 16 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #51 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - The Stars seek revenge for a 5-3 home loss to the Maple Leafs two weeks ago. That was the 3rd over in the last 4 meetings between these teams. Those 3 overs have averaged 10 goals per game with 8 goals in the last meeting and 11 goals in each of those two prior overs. Dallas has trended toward the under this season but their last 5 road games have averaged 6.4 goals per game. Also, long-term there have been just 10 unders the last 28 times that the Stars have played a road game with a posted total of 6 goals. The Maple Leafs are off B2B unders but that was preceded by a 13-5 run to the over! In the past two months Toronto had never had B2B unders. I don't see the streak reaching 3 straight unders. The Stars are out for blood here but the Maple Leafs are one of the highest scoring teams in the league. That means another very entertaining, high-scoring game between these two clubs is likely here. 10* OVER the total in Toronto | |||||||
02-13-20 | Flyers +110 v. Panthers | Top | 6-2 | Win | 110 | 10 h 52 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Ideal set up here. The Flyers are off a 5-3 road loss to the Islanders. Philadelphia is a perfect 5-0 the last 5 times they have entered a game off a loss. Philly has not had consecutive losses since an early January slump. That said, I expect them to bounce back strong here and we get underdog line value since this game is being played at Florida. The Panthers are off a win at New Jersey but the Devils did NOT start their red hot goalie, Mackenzie Blackwood in that game. That said, I still was not overly impressed with Florida and this is a team that entered that game having lost 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6. The Panthers have allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game their last 4 games. In each of their last two home games Florida has been held to scoring just 2 goals in each game. In fact, in the 5 losses comprising the rough 6-game stretch that preceded the win over the Devils, the Panthers averaged scoring just ONE goal per game. The Flyers have been peppering goalies with shots and Sergei Bobrovsky, other than a good start against his former team in Columbus, has been struggling overall since he returned from injury. Happy to grab the road dog in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
02-12-20 | Blackhawks +135 v. Canucks | Top | 0-3 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 11 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #49 Wednesday 10* Top Play Chicago Blackhawks Money Line (+) @ Vancouver Canucks @ 10:35 ET - The Blackhawks had been rolling but then fell apart late in a 5-2 loss at Winnipeg Sunday and fell short at Edmonton last night. Now Chicago is in the 2nd night of a back to back but fired up off a pair of consecutive regulation losses and they will respond big here at Vancouver. They remember their last visit to BC all too well as the Hawks allowed 7 goals in a loss here last month. It is payback time and the set-up is perfect. The Blackhawks are off a 5-2 road loss to the Jets and 5-3 road loss to the Oilers while the Canucks are off a huge 6-2 home win versus Nashville on Monday. Vancouver is expected to again be without one of their best players, Brock Boeser, for this one. Yes they beat the Predators without him Monday but the Canucks are in for a real war here with Chicago tonight. The Blackhawks had earned a point in 8 of 9 games prior to these consecutive losses. That was a solid 6-1-2 stretch for Chicago and they'll have Corey Crawford back between the pipes tonight. He had given up just 7 goals in regulation time of his 4 road starts preceding the tough night at Winnipeg Sunday where the wheels came off late for the Blackhawks. The Canucks have lost 24 of their last 34 games played in the month of February. They had already been slumping earlier this month and the win over Nashville was preceded by 4 straight losses. The Blackhawks have won 9 of 11 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back and get the job done in that role again here. Grab the big value with the road dog. 10* CHICAGO | |||||||
02-12-20 | Canadiens v. Bruins OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -110 | 8 h 45 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - I know that Carey Price has been playing well for the Habs but the Bruins have been a nemesis for him in recent meetings. That said, Boston also comes into this game very angry after a 3-1 loss at league-worst Detroit on Sunday. That said, the Bruins are going to be relentless and will not be denied in this game in terms of getting pucks on net and finding openings. We get a low total here because of the long-term reputation of Montreal in terms of playing lower-scoring games. However, 2 of the 3 match-ups between these teams totaled 9 goals this season and I am expecting a high-scoring match-up in the regular season finale as well. The Bruins will respond after being held to just 1 goal in their most recent game but Montreal is certainly going to "bring it" in a huge rivalry game today. Since a road loss at Boston in early December when the Canadiens were struggling, Montreal has won 9 of its past 14 road games. The Habs have scored 3 or more goals in 11 of their past 13 road games. You can see that Boston is a 2 to 1 money line favorite here. They are expected to win this game. At the same time the Canadiens can be expected to get their 3 goals. That means this one gets 7 or more and we've got a total of only 5.5 goals posted on this game. I'll take it! 10* OVER the total in Boston | |||||||
02-11-20 | Coyotes v. Maple Leafs OVER 6 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -115 | 8 h 34 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #23 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Arizona Coyotes @ 7:05 ET - The Coyotes game stayed just under the total last night despite being 2-1 after one period of action. Antti Raanta was back between the pipes and settled down after a tough beginning to the game. However, Darcy Kuemper got hurt in practice yesterday and may not be available tonight. If he does come back he would not be 100% but this also means, considering this is a back to back, Raanta is unlikely to play again especially after just coming back from injury. So we could see the #3 guy, Adin Hill, in the crease for Arizona tonight. Toronto has goaltending issues of their own as Frederik Andersen has been trying to come back from injury. If he plays tonight he is unlikely to be 100%. There is a strong chance that it will be the recently acquired Jack Campbell between the pipes and he allowed 4 goals in his first home ice appearance for the Leafs. I don't expect tonight to go any better as the Coyotes look to build off last night's dramatic 3-2 road win. The Maple Leafs are also off a low-scoring game as they lost 2-1 in overtime at Montreal. That type of game is the exception rather than the norm. Prior to that game, Toronto had seen 16 of 21 preceding games total 7 or more goals. That shows you the value we have here with this total being at just 6 goals. I know the Coyotes have a tendency to play lower scoring games but the Maple Leafs will dictate the pace of this game on home ice. Even if John Tavares (flu) does not play, the Leafs still have plenty of firepower ready to respond off a rare loss in which they managed only 1 goal. 10* OVER the total in Toronto | |||||||
02-11-20 | Lightning v. Penguins -115 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -115 | 7 h 5 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Tuesday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (-) vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - The Lightning are a great team and I have plenty of respect for the Bolts as well as Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. However, this is a very tough spot for them. Tampa is off a revenge win over the Blue Jackets last night. Make no mistake about it, that was not just a normal revenge game either! Columbus had swept the Lightning out of the playoffs last spring after Tampa Bay had just delivered one of the best regular season performances ever in NHL history. Suffice to say, last night's Bolts win was huge. That said, no matter how strong a team is in terms of mental strength and maintaining an even keel, the Lightning are going to struggle to match Pittsburgh's intensity here. The Penguins are hungry for revenge and looking to add to a 19-5-3 home record this season! The Pens have been off since a Saturday win at Florida while the Bolts will be playing their 3rd game since Saturday and in a different city for the 3rd time in 3 games (Saturday's game was in Tampa). Now on the road again in a back to back the Lightning also could still be without Steven Stamkos. Look for the Penguins to get their revenge in what is an ideal situation for it. The home team has won 4 straight in match-ups between these teams and the Penguins are happy to get their shot at hosting the Lightning as each of the last 3 meetings have been at Tampa Bay. The Pens are 4-0 this season when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. 10* PITTSBURGH | |||||||
02-10-20 | Lightning -132 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 24 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The Blue Jackets Elvis Merzlikins has been red hot between the pipes. However, the Bolts Andrei Vasilevkiy also has been dominating and this match-up is about much more than just the goaltenders. Last season the Lightning finished the regular season as the #1 team in the league by a huge margin. They then proceeded to get swept out of the first round by the Blue Jackets. Tampa Bay, of course, has had this match-up circled in red (BLOOD red) ever since the schedule came out. If you want to see a full 60 minutes of intense hockey from a club, watch the Lightning tonight as there will be no let up in this game. While I certainly respect what Merzlikins has been doing in the crease for Columbus he is going to face a barrage of shots tonight and Tampa has been one of the hottest teams in the league. This one is all Lightning in a road rout. In regulation time of their last 3 games, the Blue Jackets have scored a total of only 3 goals. The Bolts, on the other hand, have scored at least 3 goals in EACH of their past 6 games and all were victories. Tonight the Lightning make it 7 in a row. 10* TAMPA BAY | |||||||
02-10-20 | Panthers v. Flyers OVER 6.5 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -105 | 9 h 25 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - The set-up here is perfect. The Panthers are a very potent team in terms of offensive production but yet coming off a low-scoring stretch. Now Florida catches a Flyers team that is off a huge 7-2 win at Washington and could be in for a flat performance in their D-zone as a result Monday. Philadelphia has allowed 8 goals in its past two home games. The Flyers have scored an average of 3.7 goals per game in their past 7 games and that is even including a home shutout to the Devils. Philly peppered New Jersey with shots in that game but couldn't get any to find the back of the net. That won't be a problem against Sergei Bobrovsky and the Panthers. Bobrovsky has had one good start recently (against his former team) in Columbus. In each of his other 6 starts since January 20th he has allowed at least 3 goals and, in fact, has allowed an average of 4 goals per start during this stretch. The Panthers, prior to a shutout OT loss to the Blue Jackets in their most recent road game, had averaged scoring 3.8 goals per game in their 8 prior games. This one turns into a real barn-burner in Philly Monday. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia | |||||||
02-09-20 | Blackhawks v. Jets -110 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 5 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #8 Sunday 10* Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 7:05 ET - I know this is a back to back spot for the Jets but they saved their #1 goalie for this game and are off an easy 5-2 win versus Ottawa early yesterday. Winnipeg will have red hot Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes for this game. He and the Jets are hell bent on getting revenge here as they have lost the last two meetings against the Blackhawks by a combined score of 9-3. Keep in mind, Winnipeg comes into this game having won 3 of 4 games including twice knocking off the Stanley Cup Champion Blues. As for Chicago, they have lost 3 of 4 games as they have cooled off. Also, they expect to have Corey Crawford between the pipes for this one. I know he has produced some strong starts lately but he has struggled in divisional games this season. Crawford is 1-6 and has allowed 24 goals in 8 games (7 starts) in divisional action. By the way, that doesn't even include facing the Jets this season. He hasn't faced them since last season and all the recent results are ugly. Crawford has allowed 14 goals in his last 3 starts against Winnipeg and that includes allowing 4 or more goal in EACH of the 3 starts. The Blackhawks do have the rest edge here but I feel we're getting a tremendous bargain here with the Jets on home ice and holding the goalie edge in this match-up in my opinion. This is a key battle in the playoff race and Winnipeg is ready to avenge those two losses. Double revenge spot for the Jets and they get the job done in a key divisional match-up here. 10* WINNIPEG | |||||||
02-09-20 | Ducks v. Sabres OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 36 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Anaheim Ducks @ 3:05 ET - John Gibson is expected to get the start between the pipes for the Ducks this afternoon. I know the Sabres have not been scoring a lot of goals but they are off a 3-2 win over the Rangers and that was preceded by a game in which they rallied for 3 goals in the 3rd period. In other words, Buffalo has scored 6 goals in their last 4 periods of hockey and I expect them to take advantage of a netminder whom has struggled on the road this season. Gibson has won just 6 of his 22 road starts this season as he has compiled a 3.27 GAA away from Anaheim. The Ducks netminder has allowed 4 or more goals in 6 of his last 9 road starts. As for Buffalo, they remain without their #1 goalie as Linus Ullmark is currently out with an injury. I know Carter Hutton performed well in the win over the Rangers but he is facing a scrappy Ducks team this afternoon. Anaheim has been on a surge on this road trip and even getting strong contributions all the way down to its fourth line. The Ducks have scored an average of 3 goals per game in regulation time of their past 6 games. Anaheim has earned at least a point in all 4 games so far on this 5-game road trip. With this total at only 5.5 goals and the over available at even money, this is a great value spot. Hutton allowed 5 goals in his most recent home start and has allowed 4 or more goals in 8 of his last 12 starts. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo | |||||||
02-08-20 | Penguins v. Panthers OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -113 | 10 h 36 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #75 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers off an embarrassing 7-2 loss to the Golden Knights. The Penguins off a tough 4-2 loss to the Lightning. The set up here is perfect for a very aggressive and determined effort from each team in terms of finding the back of the net. These are two of the most potent and dangerous hockey clubs in the league when it comes to potting goals. Both Florida and Pittsburgh are in full-on bounce-back mode here after they were each held to just 2 goals in their most recent game. With this total posted at 6.5 goals we just need to get each team to 3 goals and then we're a guaranteed effort. That said, I like my chances given the high-scoring ways of both these clubs. Also, in terms of the goalie match-up the Penguins are likely going with Tristan Jarry here and he has allowed 3 goals in 7 of his last 8 starts! As for the Panthers, they are likely to go with Sergei Bobrovsky. He has allowed at least 3 goals in 5 of his last 6 starts. Also, the Florida front lines are expected to get a boost with Aleksander Barkov expected to return to the ice tonight. The over is 9-2 this season when Florida is off a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals in their prior game. Also, the Panthers are 16-5 to the over this season in home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Penguins game at Tampa Bay stayed just under the total Thursday but Pittsburgh entered that game on a 7-3 run to the over. The high-scoring trending resumes here. 10* OVER the total in Florida | |||||||
02-07-20 | Wild v. Stars -1.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 12 h 4 m | Show |
TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #62 Friday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Puck Line -1.5 goals (+145) vs Minnesota Wild @ 8:35 ET - The Stars lost to the Wild 7-0 in the final game before the All Star break. That is the kind of beatdown a hockey club does not forget - it was recent and it was ugly. Yes, I know the Stars have a game at St Louis tomorrow night but there is no way they're overlooking this game. Also, Dallas has a scheduling edge considering they have been off each of the last two days while Minnesota was hosting Vancouver last night. Alex Stalock was between the pipes yesterday which means Devan Dubnyk is likely to get the start here. Dubnyk is off a game in which he allowed 6 goals to the Bruins. Also, in his most recent road start he allowed 7 goals to the Penguins. Dubnyk is going to face a barrage of shots from an angry revenge-minded Stars team in this one. The fact Dallas also lost the final game of their road trip Tuesday on Long Island also has the Stars fired up for this game. Of course all of the above is a key reason as to why Dallas is a big money line favorite in this game. As long-time followers know, I don't lay big prices and that is why I am betting the puck line in this one. By laying the 1.5 goals we get about a +145 return on the Stars. Note that 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams (including 4 Dallas wins) have all come by a margin of 2 or more goals. Also, 6 of Minnesota's last 9 losses overall have come by 2+ goals. Look for another one here as the Stars get their revenge in a big way. 10* DALLAS Puck Line -1.5 goals | |||||||
02-07-20 | Sabres v. Rangers OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 2 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter Total - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Sabres used rookie goalie Jonas Johansson last night because Linus Ullmark is still out with an injury. That means Carter Hutton is likely to get the start tonight and he has been horrible on the road this season. Just 2 wins in 9 road decisions for Hutton this season. He has a 3.91 GAA in road starts. The Sabres should rally with a little momentum after scoring 3 third period goals to earn a point in last night's home ice shootout loss versus the Red Wings. However, Buffalo's struggles between the pipes continue and that means plenty of goals in this one. The Sabres will get theirs but they won't be able to stop the Rangers. New York has been on a run as they have won 7 of 11 games thanks in part to improved play in the offensive zone. Going further back, 14 of the Rangers last 22 games have totaled 7 or more goals. They tend to get involved in some wild, high-scoring games. In fact, in 13 of their last 20 games either the Rangers or their opponent have had 5 goals. That is why I love the over here at 6.5 goals and with no juice on the over. It is a solid value considering how wild Rangers games have been and how determined the Sabres will be in the offensive zone here battling for their playoff lives. The issue, again, for Buffalo is between the pipes and the Rangers will certainly show no mercy in the offensive zone either. The last two meetings between these teams have each totaled 8 goals and I expect this one will too! 10* OVER the total in New York Rangers | |||||||
02-06-20 | Canucks +114 v. Wild | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 21 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Thursday 10* Top Play Vancouver Canucks Money Line (+) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8:05 ET - The Canucks are 14-4-1 their last 19 games but are off a disappointing road loss at Boston. Vancouver lost to the Bruins 4-0 on Tuesday. Note that the Canucks are a perfect 3-0 this season when they are coming off a shutout loss. They catch the Wild off a key divisional win, 3-2, in overtime over the Blackhawks on Tuesday. That really helps the set up here as, keep in in mind, Minnesota had lost 8 of 12 games prior to that OT win versus Chicago. This is a classic case of two teams that are off disparate results and had been trending in opposite directions. It is the perfect spot for the Canucks to bounce back off a loss. The Wild have are in a divisional sandwich as they have another big game, at Dallas, on deck. Yes Minnesota has revenge here but they Wild are 5-10 this season when playing with home loss revenge! Also, when off a divisional game Minnesota is 4-10 this season! Canucks are 8-4 this season when off a game in which they were held to 1 goal or less and I expect them to add another W to their perfect season record in games that follow a shutout loss! 10* VANCOUVER | |||||||
02-06-20 | Avalanche v. Senators OVER 6.5 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -120 | 9 h 18 m | Show |
Top Shelf - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #43 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Ottawa Senators vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:35 ET - The Avalanche are off a 6-1 win at Buffalo Tuesday. It was the 12th time in 16 contests that their game has totaled at least 7 goals. Colorado has been red hot since mid-January as they have scored an average of 4.8 goals per game during a stretch that has seen them win 4 of 5 games. The Senators, unlike the Avs, certainly aren't known for being high-scoring but they have been stronger on home ice of late. Ottawa has scored an average of 3.3 goals per game in their last 4 games on home ice and have earned at least 1 point in 3 of those 4 games. Look for the Sens to hang tough with the Avalanche in this one but, to do so, they'll have to score a few goals. The result should be a typical, high-scoring non-conference battle. There tends to be less defensive intensity in games like this match-up and I'll take advantage as I fully expect 7 or more goals in this one and we've got a total of 6.5 posted here. 10* OVER the total in Ottawa | |||||||
02-05-20 | Bruins v. Blackhawks OVER 6 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -106 | 8 h 20 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Boston Bruins @ 8:05 ET - The Bruins are off a big 4-0 shutout win last night while the Blackhawks fell short 3-2 in overtime at Minnesota. Back to back situations have a tendency to stress the goalie position and I expect that to work in our favor for a nice over in this match-up. Chicago is likely going to turn to Robin Lehner tonight. Though the netminder had been playing well, he is very likely to be rusty here as he has not been in between the pipes since prior to the All Star break two weeks ago! For Boston, since Tuukka Rask was in goal last night, the Bruins are expected to turn to Jaroslav Halak here. The back-up netminder was strong in his most recent road start. However, that was preceded by a trio of road starts in which he allowed an average of 4 goals per game! Halak is likely to see the road struggles resume here as the Blackhawks had been very hot prior to last night's road loss. Chicago had won 6 of 7 games prior to the loss to the Wild. Also, the Blackhawks averaged 4 goals per game during this 7-game stretch. Speaking of hot scoring, the Bruins have averaged 3.7 goals per game in their past 6 games and have scored 10 goals in their past two games. They have had a fire lit under them since returning from the All Star break and they also have revenge against the Blackhawks here from a home loss earlier this season. 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled at least 6 goals. The average total in those 4 games was 8.3 goals and I am expecting at least 7 in this one given the situation. 10* OVER the total in Chicago | |||||||
02-05-20 | Maple Leafs v. Rangers +121 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 121 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #28 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are off 5-3 losses Monday but the current goalie situation is much better for the Rangers than it is for the Leafs in my opinion. New York, prior to struggles Monday, had been getting great goaltending work from all 3 of their netminders. Now on Wednesday they go back to red hot rookie Igor Shesterkin. He is 3-1 with a 2.51 GAA and a .927 save percentage in his 4 appearances. Shesterkin has allowed only 2 goals in each of his last two starts. For the Leafs, they lost Frederik Andersen to injury in Monday's defeat. That means Michael Hutchinson gets the start here and he allowed 3 goals on just 13 shots in relief of Andersen Monday. Also, Hutchinson has been a complete disaster in road games this season. He is 1-6 with a 4.73 GAA in 7 games (6 starts) away from home this season. More of the same expected here and I am happy to grab the home dog in this one. Keep in mind, the Rangers had won 6 of 8 home games before the loss to Dallas Monday. The Maple Leafs have lost 6 of their past 10 games and are still licking their wounds from a key divisional loss to Florida on Monday. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS | |||||||
02-04-20 | Blackhawks v. Wild OVER 6 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -118 | 9 h 38 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #21 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - The Blackhawks are rolling as they have won 6 of their last 7 games. They are off a rare low-scoring win but that had a lot to do with playing at Arizona. The Coyotes are known for lower scoring games. Look for normalcy to return with a bit of a "wild" one here against the Wild on Tuesday. Chicago, prior to the SO win at Arizona, had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their 6 prior games. The posted total on this game is only 6 goals and I am certainly looking for Minnesota to bounce back after getting blasted by the Bruins 6-1 in their most recent game. The Wild are in limbo in terms of playoff aspirations so they must respond here on home ice and I expect them to do just that. 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams have totaled 7 or more goals and I look for that trend to continue here. Minnesota, prior to scoring just 1 goal against Boston, had scored 3 or more goals in 5 straight games. I see every reason to believe each team gets to at least 3 goals in this one and that would, of course, guarantee us of at least a 4-3 game at the very least. Look for 7 or more goals in total here as the Wild have seen their last 6 games average 7.33 goals per game. Only 1 of the 6 games finished with less than 6 goals. In divisional games this season for the Wild only 4 of 14 have stayed under the total. That trend continues here. Minny responds off a home loss and scores well here but the Blackhawks match them goal for goal in a barn burner! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota | |||||||
02-04-20 | Stars v. Islanders -121 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 8 h 17 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Tuesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (-) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - The situation here sets up perfectly for the Islanders. They have had two days off since a home loss to Vancouver on Saturday. Yes, New York lost that game but it was their first game back after the All Star break. The Islanders worked the rust off and lost in overtime despite a 37-24 edge in shots on goal for the game. While the Isles are rested, they catch the Stars in a tough back to back spot. Dallas is playing their 3rd game in 4 nights. Yes, they defeated the Rangers last night but that was the Stars first win in regulation in nearly 4 weeks! Also, the Islanders have revenge on their minds here. They lost 3 to 1 at Dallas in the first meeting between these teams this season. Also, the most recent time they hosted the Stars they were embarrassed 6 to 2. It is payback time here and the timing/situation is ideal. On deck for the Islanders is another non-conference game against the worst team in the Western Conference, the Kings. The Isles will certainly be fully focused here. As for the Stars, they have a home game against a divisional foe, Minnesota, on deck and the Wild beat them 7-0 just a couple weeks ago. Definitely a possible lookahead for Dallas in this one. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS | |||||||
02-03-20 | Panthers v. Maple Leafs OVER 6.5 | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 9 h 47 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #69 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers @ 7:05 ET - Yes I know this total may look a little pricey in a divisional game with a total at 6.5 with many spots charging extra juice on the over. However, in typical contrarian fashion I am against the public perception here. The over is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these division rivals. The last two meetings EACH totaled a DOZEN goals! I love the set up here too as Florida is off a shutout loss in their first game back after the All Star break. The Panthers have worked off the rust and will be ready to go here. However, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is likely to struggle again as he an .877 save percentage on the road this season. He'll be opposed by Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen whom allowed 3 goals in his most recent start. Also, in 3 of his 4 appearances leading into the All Star break, Anderson allowed 4 or more goals! That included an ugly effort against the Panthers. The fact is that Anderson has allowed at least 4 goals 3 of the last 4 times he has faced Florida. Both these teams are loaded with firepower up front and both have shaky goaltending in my opinion. I am aware of the injury to Aleksander Barkov for the Panthers but, even if he does not play, they bounce back off the shutout loss here. The over is 8-2-1 this season when Florida is off a game in which they lost by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Maple Leafs are playing with revenge from the ugly loss at Florida earlier this season and they are 17-7-1 to the over this season when playing with revenge. 10* OVER the total in Toronto | |||||||
02-03-20 | Stars v. Rangers +124 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #68 Monday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) vs Dallas Stars @ 7:05 ET - This one is all about the line value as the Stars road record is no better than the Rangers home record and yet overall market perception has Dallas price in the -140 range on this one. This is offering great home dog value to New York in this one. Keep in mind the Stars are on a 7-game streak in which they have NOT won a single game in regulation. The fact is that Dallas has won just 3 of its past 7 games and all 3 of those wins came AFTER regulation time. They have been far from dominant to say the least. Now the Stars are taking on a surging Rangers team whose confidence is building with each win. New York has won 6 of its past 9 games and their 6 wins have come by an average margin of 2.2 goals per game. None of those 6 Rangers wins have come in the overtime or shootout. In other words, unlike Dallas, New York has been taking care of business in regulation time of their games. Also, the Rangers are getting solid goalie play from 3 different netminders. All the different competition seems to be bringing out the best in all 3 goalies. Lundqvist, Georgiev, and Shesterkin have all been getting the job done between the pipes. Look for that to continue here and I'll go with the home dog in this one as they continue their push to get into the playoff race. The Rangers have won 6 of their past 8 home games and have scored an average of 5.2 goals per game in those 6 victories as a host! Dallas is 0 for 14 on the power play in their last 5 games. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS | |||||||
02-02-20 | Canucks v. Hurricanes OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 32 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #65 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs Vancouver Canucks @ 2:05 ET - The Canucks continue red hot in terms of scoring goals but they're going to need that goal-scoring today in this back-to-back situation. I know that Thatcher Demko, back-up goalie, has played well of late but that's because those games were at home where he has been superb this season. Demko, on the road, has allowed 8 goals on 65 shots in his last two appearances. I expect him to be between the pipes here because Jacob Markstrom was in goal for yesterday's Canucks win over the Islanders. Vancouver has now scored 3 or more goals in all 7 of its wins during its current 7-1 run. In fact, the Canucks have averaged 4 goals per game in those 7 victories. Vancouver is facing a desperate Carolina team here and I expect the Hurricanes to battle hard. But the point is the red-hot Canucks are rolling with confidence right now and should match the Canes goal for goal in this one. Carolina is off a 4-3 loss to Vegas but that was the first time in 7 home games that the Hurricanes didn't earn at least a point in the standings. They've scored 7 goals in their past two games and will be ready to attack the Canucks here. Look for them to enjoy plenty of success in the offensive zone in doing so but, again, I don't foresee them shutting down a Vancouver team that has won 14 of 17 games. Take advantage of the low total of 5.5 posted on this game. 10* OVER the total in Carolina | |||||||
02-02-20 | Blue Jackets +122 v. Canadiens | Top | 4-3 | Win | 122 | 5 h 10 m | Show |
Afternoon Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Sunday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 2:05 ET - The Blue Jackets will have Elvis Merzlikins back between the pipes for this one. Merzlikins is 5-0 in his last 5 starts and has allowed a total of only 5 goals during this stretch. Overall, ever since Joonas Korpisalo got hurt, Merzlikins has been phenomenal between the pipes. The Blue Jackets used Matiss Kivlenieks in yesterday's OT loss at Buffalo. While Columbus will have a red hot goalie between the pipes for this one, the situation is expected to be much different for the Canadiens. Their red hot goalie is Carey Price and he was between the pipes in yesterday's 4-0 shutout win over Florida. That means Charlie Lindgren is likely to be in the crease tonight for Montreal. The Habs back-up netminder is 0-3 this season and has allowed 4 goals in each of his last two starts. In his only start last season Lindgren allowed 5 goals. The season before that was the only season in which Lindgren saw significant NHL action. He lost 10 of 14 starts and compiled a 3.03 GAA. The point is that he is a significant step down from Price between the pipes. Should the Canadiens decide to use Price here it would be a tough back to back spot for him. That said, look for it to be Lindgren and look for Merzlikins to win this battle! The Canadiens are off back to back wins but they had lost 10 of 14 previously. Also, the Habs have not won 3 straight games since early December. Montreal is 0-3 the last 3 times they have entered a game off back to back wins. The Blue Jackets are off that OT loss yesterday and are 3-0 the last 3 times they entered a game off a defeat. Also, prior to that loss Columbus had won 15 of 19 games. This the perfect spot to get plus money with a red hot Blue Jackets team in bounce back mode. 10* COLUMBUS | |||||||
02-01-20 | Blues v. Jets +140 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 140 | 8 h 7 m | Show |
NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #40 Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - Both teams coming off a loss yesterday. The Jets are playing this game with big-time revenge. Not only did Winnipeg get knocked out of the playoffs by St Louis last year, the Blues also have won both meetings this season. That included an OT win here at Winnipeg too. The Jets are seeking payback and I like the goalie situation here. Connor Hellebuyck was saved for this start and the Winnipeg netminder has great numbers against the Blues in his career. Jordan Binnington gets the start for St Louis here and he has allowed 4 goals in each of his last 3 starts! One of those he was chased in the 2nd period and, overall, he has saved just 55 of the last 67 shots he has faced - an ugly .821 save percentage. I am aware that the Jets are on a losing streak but the Blues have won just 1 of their past 7 road games and I also liked what I saw from Winnipeg in their tight loss versus the Bruins last night. That said, the Jets are offering tremendous home dog line value here in this one Saturday. 10* WINNIPEG | |||||||
02-01-20 | Avalanche v. Flyers OVER 6 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 8 h 40 m | Show |
Blowout Total - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #45 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - Teams can be a little sloppy in their first game after the All Star break and that can lead to turning the puck over, odd man rushes, and overall strong scoring opportunities. That said, this is the first game since the break for the Avalanche and I expect their goalie could struggle with rust too. Look for the Flyers to take advantage as they already have a game under the belt as they got back in action last night at Pittsburgh. That ended up being a 4-3 loss in overtime for the Flyers but they can take advantage of early of some Avs rust in this one. However, I look for Colorado to also rally back and enjoy plenty of success in the offensive zone once they get their skating legs back under them. They are one of the most dangerous teams in the NHL when it comes to their skilled forwards. They'll take advantage of facing Philadelphia during a time when they're dealing with a tough goalie situation. Carter Hart is still out with an injury and Brian Elliott started last night at Pittsburgh. That means little-used Alex Lyon gets the start here. He allowed 4 goals in his only other start this season. He has allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of his last 5 NHL appearances. The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 games. The Avalanche have scored an average of 5 goals per game during their current 3-game winning streak! 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia | |||||||
01-31-20 | Capitals v. Senators +1.5 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -140 | 8 h 12 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #24 Friday 10* Top Play Ottawa Senators Puck Line +1.5 goals vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Capitals are looking to bounce back off a loss. However, Alexander Ovechkin and Company also have a huge game on deck for early Sunday against Sidney Crosby and Company. Indeed it may be hard for the Caps to maintain focus here against a Senators team which they've dominated in recent meetings when you consider that they do have the mighty Penguins on deck. That could prove to be dangerous here for Washington because Ottawa has been much more competitive since an embarrassing 6-1 loss in DC a few weeks ago. First off the Capitals are only 3-3 in their last 6 road games and one of those wins came by a single goal. Now lets talk about what the revenge-minded Sens have done since that embarrassing loss versus the Caps. The Senators have only failed to earn a point ONCE in their past SEVEN games since that ugly defeat. The Sens have had two shootout losses, two overtime losses, and two outright wins during this stretch. That means only 1 loss by more than a single goal in their past 7 games. I love the value here with the scrappy Sens getting +1.5 goals at a reasonable price (-140 range) in this one. The Senators will be in this one throughout and I would not be surprised to see yet another Sens game that goes past regulation time to decide the winner. 10* OTTAWA Puck Line +1.5 goals | |||||||
01-31-20 | Flyers v. Penguins OVER 6 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 23 m | Show |
Divisional Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Pittsburgh Penguins vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers held the Penguins to just 19 shots on goal in a 3-0 shutout win in Philly on Tuesday prior to the All Star break. This game will play out entirely different! The Penguins are at home, both teams have been off for a week and a half, and Pittsburgh will be very aggressive here. Clubs have had a tendency to be a little sloppy after the layoff and I don't expect this situation to be any different in this match-up. That means some turnovers and odd man rushes which lead to great scoring chances plus the goalies are likely to be rusty. The Penguins are angry after the shutout loss and scored 7 goals the last time they hosted the Flyers. Of course Philadelphia is still without #1 goalie Carter Hart and the Flyers have a home game versus Colorado on deck tomorrow. That exasperates this situation for Philly in terms of the goalie duties. The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 11 games. The Penguins are favored with good reason and I expect them to match Philly goal for goal. Of course a game can not end 3-3 so look for 7 or more in this one. I like the value here because the total has been held lower due to what happened in the meeting before the break. This game will play out much differently. The Penguins have scored an average of 4 goals per game in their last 7 home games and I expect them to get at least that here. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh | |||||||
01-30-20 | Predators -134 v. Devils | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 9 h 45 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #15 Thursday 10* Top Play Nashville Predators Money Line (-) @ New Jersey Devils @ 7:35 ET - First off, an excerpt from yesterday's write-up involving Nashville: "The media often sensationalizes things and I keep reading about Nashville being done for this season, etc. First off, those writing that nonsense need to check their math skills too. Even AFTER the loss to Toronto Monday (by the way Maple Leafs are a good team), the Predators are still only 6 points out of a wild card spot and there is a "kicker" to this too! Nashville has FOUR games in hand on the team currently in the final wild card spot. Those FOUR games are worth EIGHT points fellas. Anyway, enough of that but the point is that the Preds are far from done and will keep fighting." Sure enough, as expected, the Predators showed plenty of fight in battling back for a 5-4 win at Washington last night. Now, even though this is a back to back spot, I am expecting Pekka Rinne to be back between the pipes for the Preds since Juuse Saros started last night's game. Rinne is a fierce competitor and showed rust against the Maple Leafs Monday in his first start after the All Star break. He'll bounce back here and had allowed 2 or less goals in 3 of his 5 prior starts as he continues to alternate good and bad starts. I look for that pattern to continue here and another big key to this play is that Nashville is truly fighting hard and will ride the momentum of last night's win over the Capitals. New Jersey has announced Mackenzie Blackwood as the starter here. He allowed "only" 3 goals in his most recent start but that was against Ottawa. Blackwood faces a much tougher task here plus he entered that start against the Senators having allowed 4 or more goals in EACH of his 3 preceding starts. Nashville is the better team with the better goalie and they are fully focused on this road trip as a great opportunity to make a major move in the standings. Last night's win at Washington started it and they will continue it with a win at New Jersey (losers of 6 of 8 prior to win over Sens). Note that the Predators have won 7 of their past 11 road games. 10* NASHVILLE | |||||||
01-30-20 | Canadiens v. Sabres OVER 6 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 56 m | Show |
Divisional Blowout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #13 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Great spot for an over. Both teams off a disappointing first game after the All Star break. The Canadiens managed just 2 goals in a home loss to the Capitals. The Sabres managed just 2 goals in a home loss to the Senators. Buffalo knows they must turn it around in the offensive zone and that is even more important now because they just lost their top goalie, Linus Ullmark, to injury toward the end of the loss to Ottawa. Note that the last 5 games between these teams have averaged a total of 8.6 goals scored per game! The over went 4-1 in those 5 contests and I am expected another over in this one. Considering Ullmark is out, we've got great value with this total posted at a 6. The Sabres are hell-bent on getting back on track on home ice and will pepper the Habs Carey Price with shots. Note that Price has allowed 10 goals in his last two starts against Buffalo. Also, Price has allowed 7 goals in his last two starts. The Sabres should enjoy success against Price but they'll need every bit of it because Carter Hutton is going to get the start here due to the Ullmark injury. Note that Hutton started this season red-hot but hasn't won a game in 3 months! He is 0-7-4 with an .867 save percentage in his dozen appearances since the red hot start. Also, Hutton has allowed 4 or more goals in 7 of his last 8 starts. Those are amazingly poor numbers and in 6 of those 7 ugly starts he actually allowed 5 or more goals. With this game meaning so much to each hockey club coupled with the fact struggling goalies are involved I am expecting a very high-scoring divisional battle in this one. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo | |||||||
01-29-20 | Maple Leafs +105 v. Stars | Top | 5-3 | Win | 105 | 10 h 31 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs are off a dominating 5-2 win at Nashville Monday. The Stars are off a hard-fought OT home win over the Lightning Monday. The set up here is a good one for Toronto as they catch Dallas off an upset win over a Tampa Bay team that is absolutely one of the best teams in the NHL. Note that the Stars scored just two goals in regulation of that game and have averaged scoring just 1.6 goals per game their past 7 games! In fact, Dallas has been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time in each of their last 5 games! As for the Maple Leafs, they are one of the highest scoring teams in the league and they enter this game having scored an average of 4.3 goals per game their past 20 games! Incredibly, the Leafs have scored 4 or more goals in 15 of their last 20 games. You can see that these two teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of goal-scoring and that includes the recent downturn in that department for the Stars as well. That said, and given the fierce battle that Dallas just had with the Bolts, I look for the Leafs to complete the 2-0 road trip sweep as they pull away as this game goes on. 10* TORONTO | |||||||
01-29-20 | Predators v. Capitals OVER 6.5 | Top | 5-4 | Win | 104 | 9 h 60 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Nashville Predators @ 7:35 ET - The media often sensationalizes things and I keep reading about Nashville being done for this season, etc. First off, those writing that nonsense need to check their math skills too. Even AFTER the loss to Toronto Monday (by the way Maple Leafs are a good team), the Predators are still only 6 points out of a wild card spot and there is a "kicker" to this too! Nashville has FOUR games in hand on the team currently in the final wild card spot. Those FOUR games are worth EIGHT points fellas. Anyway, enough of that but the point is that the Preds are far from done and will keep fighting. This looks like a great spot for them to score some goals as they catch the Capitals off an Eastern Conference battle at Montreal and this is the type of non-conference battle that tends to be a little more lax in terms of defense. You see that a lot and the Caps are off a gritty effort Monday and have another Eastern Conference road game on deck. Note that the Capitals will have Alexander Ovechkin back tonight and Washington enters this game having scored an average of 3.8 goals per game their last 11 games! The Predators two most recent road games were low-scoring battles but, prior to that, Nashville actually has been scoring much better on the road with a ton of goals. In fact, even including their two most recent road contests, the Predators are scoring an average of 4 goals per game in their past 11 away from home. Sometimes, when a team is pressing too much with the puck they actually are better off being away from the pressures of home. Don't be surprised if they bounce back big tonight but I expect the high-powered Capitals to match them goal for goal which means we're in for a very high-scoring game here. 10* OVER the total in Washington | |||||||
01-28-20 | Senators v. Sabres OVER 6 | Top | 5-2 | Win | 100 | 10 h 43 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #83 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - The Senators are in the 2nd night of a back to back and are still without their top goalie Anders Nilsson. That means Craig Anderson is likely to be in goal tonight. He is having a horrible season and also has allowed 4 or more goals in EACH of his last FIVE starts! The Sabres are expected to get a boost with the return of Jeff Skinner tonight. Buffalo wants to make a big push right out of the gate here after the All Star break. Look for them to score early and often in this one as they pepper Anderson with shots. However, Ottawa does have one edge here and that is the fact they played last night and were able to work off the "rust" from the All Star break. Don't be surprised if their skaters, as a result, are able to generate some quality scoring chances early in this game as a result. As strong as Linus Ullmark has been between the pipes this season for the Sabres, he certainly could be a little rusty here after the layoff. As a result. don't be surprised if the Senators again score 3 goals just like they did in last night's shootout loss to the Devils. Ullmark has allowed at least 2 goals in each of his last 8 home starts. Also, he has allowed 11 goals in his last 4 games on home ice. So certainly he is solid but it is not like he has been an impenetrable wall and the layoff could hurt him here early before he settles back in. That said, with the Sens quite likely to get 2 or 3 goals here and the Sabres quite likely to win this game by a margin of 2 or more goals, you can see why I am very comfortable pounding an over that is set at 6 goals. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo | |||||||
01-27-20 | Lightning -128 v. Stars | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -128 | 10 h 20 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #77 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - Both hockey clubs coming off extended breaks as they had the All Star break off plus a few days off prior to that. This situation sets up very well for the revenge-minded Bolts. Tampa Bay lost at home in overtime against Dallas last month despite a 48-20 edge in shots on goal. It was truly a "bad beat" loss for Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Lightning but they responded immediately and have never looked back! Tampa Bay entered the All Star break having won 12 of 14 games and Vasilevskiy has won 10 straight starts since the loss to the Stars. As for Dallas, they lost 3 of 4 games prior to the break and that included an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Minnesota. The Lightning are off an embarrassing game too but they were on the right end of it as it was a 7-1 win at Winnipeg! Tampa is a perfect 5-0 this season when playing with 3 or more days of rest between games. Keep in mind the Bolts did win both meetings with Dallas last season and those victories came by a combined score of 8 to 0. The Stars enter this game having scored an average of 1.5 goals per game in regulation time their last 6 games. The Lightning have scored an average of 4 goals per game in regulation time their 14 games. These two teams have been trending opposite directions and the revenge angle as well as the fair price (since TB is on the road) has me elevating this play to my highest level - a top play rating. 10* TAMPA BAY | |||||||
01-22-20 | Red Wings v. Wild OVER 6 | Top | 2-4 | Push | 0 | 9 h 11 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Detroit Red Wings @ 8:05 ET - The Wild are angry after a 5-4 loss to the Panthers on Monday. Minnesota was up 4-3 but then allowed the tying goal with about 4 minutes to go and then gave up the winning goal on a double-deflection with just 6 seconds left. To not even earn a point (didn't go to OT) in a hard-fought effort like that has left the Wild with plenty of motivation for this game. I look for them to push hard all game long in the offensive zone and to keep piling up goals no matter the score. Minnesota does not want a repeat of what happened Monday. The Red Wings goal-tending woes are likely to continue as Jonathan Bernier is still out and Jimmy Howard has had a very disappointing season. As for the Wild, they have allowed 4 or more goals in 6 of their past 11 games. Also, Minnesota has scored 14 goals in the first 3 games of this homestand. The Red Wings have allowed an average of 5 goals per game during their current 5-game losing streak. I know Detroit doesn't score a lot but they did manage 3 goals at Colorado and, in the final game before the All Star break, look for the Red Wings to give a relentless effort here. That should lead to some goals for the big road dog in this game but, again, they won't be able to keep the puck out of their own net. The result should be a high-scoring Wild win in this one. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota | |||||||
01-21-20 | Penguins v. Flyers +115 | Top | 0-3 | Win | 115 | 10 h 55 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #20 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - Penguins off huge comeback win over last season's Eastern Conference Champs, the Bruins. After rallying from a 3-0 deficit to knock off Boston, Pittsburgh may not have enough left in the tank to get by revenge-minded Philadelphia. The Flyers got embarrassed 7-1 early this season at Pittsburgh. Keep in mind Philly was still adjusting to their new head coach and they are a much different team since then and also a much different team on home ice where they are 16-4-4 this season. The Flyers bring plenty of momentum into this game off a dominating 4-1 win versus Los Angeles and have a rest edge too because that game was Saturday. Note that the Pens just had their battle with the Bruins on Sunday. Pittsburgh will be playing their 4th game in 6 nights and all 4 games have been in a different city. The Flyers, prior to the embarrassing October loss to the Penguins, had won 3 of 4 games. Pittsburgh has lost 9 of their past 15 road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The Flyers strong season-long play on home ice continues here. Grab the value with a hungry home dog that is getting their first shot on home ice this season against their hated in-state rivals. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
01-21-20 | Golden Knights v. Bruins OVER 6 | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -100 | 10 h 51 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Tuukka Rask has been out for the Bruins and, if he does come back tonight, there will be rust. But there is a chance he misses again tonight. As for the Golden Knights, Marc-Andre Fleury might be out tonight too. He has to serve a one game suspension for skipping the All-Star game and that means he is either out tonight or in the first game after the break. Even if Fleury plays tonight he has been struggling this month. As for back-up Malcolm Subban, he has allowed 9 goals in his last two starts. Fleury's numbers have gotten worse month over month this season and he has a 3.41 GAA and an .879 save percentage in January. As for Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak, he has a 3.34 GAA and an .878 save percentage this month. No matter which of these 4 goalies is in net tonight you can see why I am expecting some struggles in the crease. Boston has been shutout once in their last 7 games but in the other 6 games the Bruins averaged 4.3 goals per game. The Golden Knights have scored 4 goals in each of their two games since Pete DeBoer took over for the fired Gerard Gallant as the new head coach in Vegas. Both these teams are very potent on the power play and the over is 8-2-2 in the Knights last dozen games. That's right just 2 unders in 12 games! As for the Bruins, the over is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games against Western Conference opponents. That's right just 3 unders in 13 games! Also, the Bruins are fired up after sitting on a 3-0 lead against Pittsburgh and then paying for it in a 4-3 loss to the Penguins. They'll never stop pushing in this one no matter the score! 10* OVER the total in Boston | |||||||
01-20-20 | Panthers v. Wild -102 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -102 | 12 h 11 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #12 Monday 10* Top Play Minnesota Wild Money Line (-) vs Florida Panthers @ 8:05 ET - The Panthers will be a popular choice here since they enter this game on a winning streak of 4 games. Also, Florida has won each of its last two road games. However, lets not forget that the Panthers had previously lost 5 of 7 road games and still have an overall losing record away from home this season. Not only is Minnesota 13-5-4 at home this season, the Wild also are 10-0-2 in their last dozen games against the Panthers. Like the Panthers, the Wild come into this game with plenty of momentum too. Minnesota is off back to back wins against two very strong teams - the Lightning and the Stars. We're getting line value here with the Wild available at a pick'em price at home. Minnesota has one more game before the All Star break but that one is coming up Wednesday. The Panthers situation is tougher as they have a game tomorrow night at red-hot Chicago. That said, Florida's goalie situation is tougher too as Chris Driedger got hurt and is out. That means Sergei Bobrovsky could rest tonight to be saved for tomorrow and that would mean Sam Montembeault would be between the pipes. I'll challenge Florida here either way as Bobrovsky had been struggling prior to his injury and I am not going to overemphasize just one quality start against the worst team in the NHL. So whether he gets the call or it is Montembeault in the crease, the Wild are going to do some damage here. At the same time, I expect the Minnesota netminders to remain hot. The Wild have allowed 2 or less goals in 4 of last 7 games. Look for the long-term home dominance in this series to continue. 10* MINNESOTA | |||||||
01-20-20 | Red Wings v. Avalanche OVER 6.5 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 107 | 8 h 0 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #9 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings @ 3:05 ET - Letdowns are bound to happen from time to time in a season. This is one of those times for the Avalanche. I am not saying Colorado will lose this game. However, I am saying that I expect a bit of a letdown defensively as they go from facing (and defeating) the Stanley Cup Champion Blues to now facing a Red Wings team that is the worst club in the NHL so far this season. Don't be surprised if Detroit pots a few early goals in this one and forces the Avalanche to come roaring back. About the roaring back part, I fully expect the high-powered Avs to enjoy plenty of success in the offensive zone in this one. Detroit is still without goalie Jonathan Bernier. That means Jimmy Howard is likely to get the start and he is having a very rough season and has particularly struggled away from home. Howard's road games this season have seen him compile an ugly .855 save percentage. The over has gone 6-2-1 in his 9 road starts this season. Howard has a 4.06 GAA this season and the dangerous Avalanche forwards will be testing him early and often. As potent as the Avs offensive production is, do note that on the other end of the ice they have allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of their past 5 games. I am looking for a 5-3 type game here and we just need 7 to cash this ticket. Given the situation I expect 8 or more in a bit of a wild one at the Pepsi Center Monday afternoon. 10* OVER the total in Colorado | |||||||
01-19-20 | Islanders v. Hurricanes OVER 5.5 | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 25 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #3 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Carolina Hurricanes vs New York Islanders @ 5:05 ET - As a result of the Islanders long-term reputation for lower-scoring games and the fact that the Hurricanes have not been scoring many goals recently, we've got a low total to work with here and I love the value with this total posted at 5.5 goals. The Islanders are likely to start Thomas Greiss in this one since Semyon Varlamov was in goal last night. Greiss is off a strong start in his most recent game but that was against a bad Red Wings team. He faces a much tougher test here and note that he allowed 3 or more goals in each of his 4 prior starts. During this 4 start stretch he was chased from games twice and compiled a poor .854 save percentage. Greiss will face an onslaught of shots here from an angry Hurricanes team and I expect him to struggle. Speaking of struggles between the pipes, BOTH of the Canes options in the crease for this game are guys whom have struggled in divisional action this season. Peter Mrazek has an .867 save percentage in divisional games and James Reimer has an .871 save percentage against divisional foes. The Islanders are in a back to back and blew a big lead to lose 6-4 versus Capitals yesterday. The Isles have seen 4 of their last 6 games total at least 7 goals! The Hurricanes are now without Dougie Hamilton but could get a boost with Justin Williams expected back tonight. Carolina is fired up to get back on track in the offensive zone and the Islanders have been struggling in their own end so this is a good match-up for the Canes. The Hurricanes have won each of the last 3 meetings by an identical score of 5-2 each game! Look for the over to improve to 5-2 in the Canes last 7 divisional games. 10* OVER the total in Carolina | |||||||
01-19-20 | Bruins v. Penguins -120 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 6 h 50 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #2 Sunday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 12:35 ET - Revenge game for the Penguins after losing to Jaroslav Halak and the Bruins on Thursday. Entering that game Halak had allowed 11 goals in his last 3 starts against the Pens. Overall in recent seasons Halak has struggled against them and this will be a much tougher test for him since the rematch is at Pittsburgh. The Penguins Sidney Crosby has scored a goal in each of his 3 games since his return. I look for another strong game from here and the Pens got a boost of momentum after bouncing back from their loss at Boston to get a win at Detroit Friday. They played better in that game then the 2-1 OT win would lead you to believe and Pittsburgh will carry momentum from that game right into this one. Also, the Penguins have won 10 of their past 13 home games while the Bruins have lost 6 of their past 10 road games. Considering all of the above factors, a low price available on the Penguins at home is a great value in this spot. Prior to the loss at Boston Thursday, the Pens had scored 4 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 meetings with the Bruins. The Penguins have won 15 of 23 this season when playing with revenge and also have won 17 of their 25 home games this season. 10* PITTSBURGH | |||||||
01-18-20 | Kings v. Flyers -152 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 7 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #68 Saturday 10* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - When do you lay -150 with a team? As you guys know, I do not do this frequently. But when I feel my team has a 75 percent chance of winning it certainly makes sense to lay a price in which you only have to win 60 percent of the time to break even. First off, the Flyers money line has dropped from as high as a -185 down to a -150. That is part of the value here. Yes, I know Philadelphia has in-state rival Pittsburgh on deck BUT that game is not until Tuesday. Also, after a big upset win over the Blues, the Flyers then were completely flat and got drilled by the Canadiens on Thursday night. That is noteworthy here as Philadelphia, when at home and off a loss, has won 5 straight games! This a perfect situation (5-0 L5) for Philly and the Kings have lost 20 of 27 road games this season. Also, goalie Brian Elliott will be back between the pipes for this one and he and the Flyers have revenge for a 5-3 loss at Los Angeles earlier this season. In that game Elliott was pulled after allowing 4 goals. He hasn't forgotten and it is payback time for him and for the Flyers. Also, Philly highly motivated after laying an egg against the Habs. Prior to that game the Flyers had scored 3 or more goals in 11 of 15 games. That is worthy of note here as the Kings often struggle to score goals. Before scoring late goals in a 4-3 loss at Florida Thursday, Los Angeles had been held to 2 or less goals in 9 of 12 games. I don't see the Flyers being denied and look for them to send the Kings to their 11th loss in their last 14 games. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
01-18-20 | Coyotes v. Oilers OVER 5.5 | Top | 3-7 | Win | 100 | 7 h 41 m | Show |
Pacific Div Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #61 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Edmonton Oilers vs Arizona Coyotes @ 3:05 ET - The Oilers have two choices at goalie here. Mikko Koskinen has an .863 save percentage in his last 4 games. Mike Smith has an .862 save percentage in his 7 divisional games this season. The Coyotes have been dealing with injury issues at goalie. Darcy Keumper has been out so Anti Raanta had been getting the call but then he go hurt. Raanta might be back this afternoon but the last time he tried to come back from this injury he gave up 3 goals in 2 periods and then had to exit the game. That means it could be Adin Hill between the pipes for this one and he is Arizona's #3 goalie for a reason. In other words, look for plenty of goals here. I know the Coyotes like to play lower-scoring grinder type games but they are not the only team on the ice here of course and Edmonton will push the pace here. The Oilers have seen 9 of their past 11 games total 6 or more goals and we've got a total of just 5.5 posted on this game. Keep in mind, Edmonton has scored an average of 4.3 goals per game in their last 7 games. The Coyotes are off a low-scoring loss but previously had scored 3 or more goals in 6 of their last 8 games. Also, Arizona has allowed at least 3 goals in each of their last 5 games. You can see why I am expecting EACH team to get to at least 3 goals here and, of course, that means this one ends with 7 or more goals and we only need 6 to put us in the winners circle. 10* OVER the total in Edmonton | |||||||
01-17-20 | Lightning -140 v. Jets | Top | 7-1 | Win | 100 | 12 h 5 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #57 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Winnipeg Jets @ 8:05 ET - Though I rarely lay prices in money line sports, this is a fantastic situation that is worth the risk of laying a -140 price range for a top play. As of early game day morning, this line is in the -140 range on the Lightning and this is a fantastic spot for Tampa Bay. Yes, I know the Bolts are in a back to back spot but they saved #1 (and red hot) goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for this game. Also, the fact they are off a loss last night strengthens their resolve here. Adding to their "hunger factor" here, Tampa Bay does not play again until the 27th as their All Star break starts a little bit early. This is the Bolts final game until after the break. Last, but certainly not least, this is also a revenge game for the Lightning as they lost at home to the Jets earlier this season. Note that Winnipeg hasn't been as dominant at home this season and actually they have more losses than wins on home ice thus far! As for Tampa Bay, they had won 13 of 22 road games prior to last night's disappointing loss at Minnesota. Look for the Lightning to bounce right back and make the most of this final opportunity before their break. The last thing the high-powered Bolts want to do is to go into the break on a losing streak. Look for a huge effort here and note that Winnipeg is off a shutout win over Vancouver but this was preceded by a stretch that saw the Jets lose 7 of 10 games! Remember Tampa Bay had won 11 of 12 games before their loss last night. The Lightning get one final win before their break. Lay it! 10* TAMPA BAY | |||||||
01-17-20 | Penguins v. Red Wings OVER 6 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 4 m | Show |
NHL Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #55 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - The Penguins have Sidney Crosby back on the ice in recent games and he scored 24 seconds into last night's game at Boston. Inexplicably however, that ended up being the only goal for Pittsburgh in a 4-1 loss to the Bruins. The Pens will make up for that performance here as they take advantage of a Red Wings team that is allowing an average of 4 goals per game this season. The key to the value here with the over is that Matt Murray will be back between the pipes for the Penguins tonight since Tristan Jarry started last night. Murray has a poor .875 save percentage on the road this season. Pittsburgh has allowed at least 3 goals in 5 straight games. Prior to last night's loss, the Penguins had won 4 straight games and scored an average of 4.3 goals per game in regulation of those 4 games. 10* OVER the total in Detroit | |||||||
01-16-20 | Penguins v. Bruins OVER 6 | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - Bruins #1 goalie Tuukka Rask is out with a concussion. Boston's #2 goalie Jaroslav Halak has an .866 save percentage in his last 4 games (3 starts) as he has struggled. The Penguins, boosted by the return of Sidney Crosby, are off a 7-3 home win versus Minnesota. Now Pittsburgh will take advantage of a slumping Bruins team and a slumping goalie. However, I feel strongly that the Bruins are going to bounce back in the offensive zone in this one after they ran into a red-hot goalie in Columbus and lost 3-0. Boston simply has too much firepower to be shutdown in back to back games. Now, back on home ice, the Bruins kicks their offensive production back into high gear. Keep in mind, prior to being shutout by the Blue Jackets, the Bruins had scored 5 goals in a shootout loss at Philly. The last 3 games between Boston and the Pens have averaged a total of 8 goals scored and I expect a similar result here. So much firepower for each of these teams in the offensive zone. Also, Penguins games have totaled 7 or more goals in 4 straight! 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh | |||||||
01-16-20 | Canadiens +123 v. Flyers | Top | 4-1 | Win | 123 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #33 Thursday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) @ Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The situation is ideal for an upset win for the Habs in this one. Montreal got embarrassed 4-1 on home ice last night. The Flyers are off a huge OT win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blues in St Louis. Situations don't get much better than this because the goalie situation also strongly favors the Canadiens. They used back up Charlie Lindgren last night so they could save Carey Price for this game. Price has a .935 save percentage this month and has allowed a total of only 1 goal in his past 2 starts combined! As for the Flyers, #1 goalie Carter Hart - so strong at home - is currently out with an injury and that is why Brian Elliott started last night. Note that Elliott hung on for the win last night but was not overly impressive and has been in an extended stretch of struggles. Now Philadelphia is either forced to go with him again in the 2nd night of a back to back or use Alex Lyon whom was just called up from the minors. Neither option is a good one truly and the Flyers will be dealing with an angry Canadiens team that has been better on the road than on home ice this season. 10* MONTREAL | |||||||
01-15-20 | Flyers v. Blues OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 11 h 7 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in St Louis Blues vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 8:05 ET - Flyers goalie Carter Hart left practice early yesterday due to a lower body injury. While his status is still up in the air as of early this morning, the fact is that this is NOT a good situation for Philadelphia's netminders no matter how you look at it. Even if Hart played he is coming off a disastrous game at home against the Bruins. Now he would be on the road nursing an injury and he has struggled badly on the road this season plus he'd be facing the defending Stanley Cup Champion Blues. The fact is that St Louis is on fire right now and going for 10 straight home wins and the Blues have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their past 15 games. They'll likely be facing a struggling Brian Elliott in goal for the Flyers in this one. The back-up netminder has struggled badly in 5 of his last 6 appearances! As for the Blues it will likely be Jordan Binnington back between the pipes since Jake Allen was in the crease in their most recent game. Though Binnington is a very strong goal-tender, the Flyers are a very scrappy team that does a great job of generating shots on goal. Philly has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 13 games and won more than half of those games. 7 of Philadelphia's last 8 road games have totaled 7 or more goals and the average has been 8 goals in these 8 games away from home! That said, a total of 5.5 here is offering great line value and I won't hesitate to go to my highest level on this total given the situation. 10* OVER the total in St Louis | |||||||
01-14-20 | Kings v. Lightning -1.5 | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -107 | 12 h 13 m | Show |
Puck Line Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #6 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - The Kings almost always struggle to score goals. A rare exception was their recent 5-2 win at Vegas. Other than that LA seems to fall somewhere between 0 and 2 goals scored most every game. The bad news for Los Angeles is they're going to be facing Andrei Vasilevskiy in this one. He is an incredible 8-0 with a .946 save percentage in his last 8 outings. In other words, things could get worse for the Kings before they get better! Exasperating this situation for Los Angeles is the fact that they will be facing an angry Tampa Bay team. The Lightning just had their 10 game winning streak snapped at New Jersey on Monday. Curtis McElhinney got the start in that one (back to back spot) for the Bolts but Vasilevskiy should be back in the crease here. Not only is TB hungry to bounce back here after that loss, this is also their final home game until early February. In other words, the Lightning are wanting to make the most of this opportunity and I don't foresee them being denied. Prior to a 1-0 win at Philadelphia which made it 10 straight wins for Tampa, they had scored 4.7 goals per game in the first 9 wins of that streak. Keep in mind the Kings have been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 9 of their past 11 games. That is why I am expecting the Bolts to win this game by 3 or 4 goals and of course a win by 2 or more puts in the winners circle. Look for a home blowout here! 10* TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING Puck Line -1.5 goals | |||||||
01-14-20 | Golden Knights v. Sabres OVER 6 | Top | 2-4 | Push | 0 | 11 h 17 m | Show |
Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - The Knights are looking to bounce back off a home shutout loss to the Blue Jackets on Saturday. Prior to that defeat, Vegas had scored an average of 4 goals per game in their preceding 6 games. The issue for the Golden Knights of late has been as it relates to keeping the puck out of their own net. The Knights have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their last 5 games. Now the face a Sabres team that has been involved in plenty of high-scoring games on home ice and I look for a real barn-burner here given the situation. Buffalo's last 15 non-road games have averaged a total of 7 goals per game. That said, I like the value we're getting here with this total at a flat 6 goals per game rather than a 6.5 as one might expect. The Knights Marc-Andre Fleury has seen Vegas concede 15 goals in his last 4 starts. The one start Malcolm Subban had during this stretch saw the Golden Knights allow 5 goals. In fact, prior to their 3-0 home loss to Columbus, the Knights preceding 8 games featured 7 games that all totaled 7 or more goals. This one will too! Buffalo is off a big 5-1 win at Detroit and this was preceded by the Sabres allowing an average of 4.2 goals per game in their 5 preceding games. The O/U is 3-0-1 this season when Vegas enters a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. The O/U is 7-3 this season when the Sabres are off a win by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo | |||||||
01-13-20 | Bruins v. Flyers +120 | Top | 5-6 | Win | 120 | 13 h 14 m | Show |
Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #66 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - Home dog value too strong to ignore. The Flyers are off a tough 1-0 home loss to the red-hot Lightning. Carter Hart continued his phenomenal home ice play between the pipes. That loss, as you can see 1-0, was no fault of his and Hart entered that game 12-1-2 with a 1.52 GAA and a .945 save percentage on home ice this season! I expect to see him between the pipes again here as then the Flyers have a back to back coming up and that is when Brian Elliott would likely be between the pipes again. That said, and with Boston off a tight OT win and the Flyers off a tough 1-0 home loss, I like Philly on home ice here. The Bruins are in the front end of a back to back here so the scheduling situation certainly favors the Flyers. I am aware of the injury situation with Braun and Gostisbehere for the Philadelphia blue line but the Flyers have been solid in their D zone and that strong play continues here. The Bruins will drop to 4-7 this season when playing with home loss revenge (by the way they have another revenger on deck at Columbus tomorrow). As for Philly, they improve to 9-2 in their last 11 home games as they bounce back off a rare home loss. The Flyers had one 3-game home ice losing streak this season. Other than that they have NEVER lost back to back games on home ice. They'll respond tonight after a rare home shutout Saturday that came at the hands of the hottest team in the league. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
01-12-20 | Maple Leafs v. Panthers OVER 6.5 | Top | 4-8 | Win | 100 | 14 h 56 m | Show |
Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #59 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:05 ET - These are two of the highest scoring teams in the league. The last time they met there were a combined 12 goals scored. The over is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings! The Maple Leafs enter this game with 8 of their last 11 games having totaled 7 or more goals. In fact, Toronto's last 15 games have seen them average scoring 4.5 goals per game! For the Panthers, 8 of their past 12 games have totaled 7 or more goals. Florida has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last dozen games. One could actually argue, based on the above, that 8.5 goals could be expected here and that the total should be more like a 7 or 7.5 that is posted on this game. However, we're getting a 6.5 on this one and I know it is a divisional game but there is simply too much firepower for both of these hockey clubs in the offensive zone. The goaltending simply can not keep up here and we should see a barrage of shots on goal from both clubs in this one. Even including their 5-2 win over Vancouver Thursday, the Panthers have allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their past 5 home games. As for the Maple Leafs, they have allowed an average of 3.6 goals per game their past 8 games. Keep in mind goalie Sergei Bobrovsky is listed as questionable for this game by the Panthers as he was unable to complete Saturday's practice. Even if he plays am all over this play but if he does not (or is not 100%) that makes it even stronger. Great value here with this total below a 7 in my opinion! 10* OVER the total in Florida | |||||||
01-12-20 | Predators v. Jets +107 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 19 m | Show |
Early Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #52 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs Nashville Predators @ 2:05 ET - The Predators are going to try and get going and build momentum again after the coaching change. They got it started with a big win at Chicago Thursday. However, this is not the place for Nashville to maintain momentum. They are on the road and facing a Jets team that has beaten them 4 straight times. Also, Winnipeg comes in angry off a loss at Boston Thursday. The Jets will be in bounce back mode here. Broissoit got the start in goal against the Bruins but now it will be Hellebuyck back in the crease for this one. He has looked very sharp in his last two starts and is having a strong season overall. Additionally he has been fantastic in his recent starts against the Predators. Overall, Hellebuyck and the Jets have had the Preds number of late and I see that continuing here and won't pass up on the great line value being offered for this one. 10* WINNIPEG | |||||||
01-10-20 | Penguins +144 v. Avalanche | Top | 4-3 | Win | 144 | 13 h 39 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #27 Friday 10* Top Play Pittsburgh Penguins Money Line (+) @ Colorado Avalanche @ 9:05 ET - On the surface this may seem like a great spot to back the Avalanche off back to back losses and fade the Penguins off a huge road win at Vegas. However, Colorado has been struggling for an extended stretch and has been getting shaky goaltending from both of their netminders. Conversely, the Penguins are getting great work between the pipes from Tristan Jarry and certainly enter this game as the much hotter team. Additionally, Sidney Crosby has been practicing again with the team which, in and of itself, is already a boost to team morale. However, more than just a morale boost, here is a chance he will be back in game action tonight. Either way though, even if he does not play in this game, Crosby's Penguins are simply offering far too much value to pass up on here. Again, they are the team getting solid goaltending for weeks on end and they also have won 12 of their past 16 games. As for the Avalanche, they have lost 7 of their past 10 games! Even at home Colorado has lost 4 of its last 5 games and the Avs have allowed 5.3 goals per game their past 4 on home ice! Pittsburgh has allowed just 2.3 goals per game in going 3-0 in their past 3 road games. More of the same on tap here and I like the big dog value being offered with the Pens. I'll take it! 10* PITTSBURGH | |||||||
01-09-20 | Stars v. Ducks OVER 5 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -135 | 18 h 42 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Anaheim Ducks vs Dallas Stars @ 10:05 ET - I lost with the Dallas Over last night but won't hesitate to come right back with it here. Considering that Anton Khudobin was between the pipes for the Stars last night, I am expecting Ben Bishop to get the start tonight. Though he has been stronger in his last two starts that was preceded by allowing 10 goals in his two prior starts which includes his most recent road start. Overall, on the road this season, Bishop has an .895 save percentage and a 3.31 GAA. He has been much stronger at home than on the road. Now, at Anaheim, I am looking for quite the "barn-burner" tonight. The Ducks last 8 games have featured 7 that totaled 6 or more goals. In fact, those 7 games have averaged 7.6 goals per game and the total on tonight's game is just a 5 in many books. That puts this was well into "play on" range and also is why I am going to my highest level rating for this play. Look for the recent over trending of the Ducks to continue tonight in this one. 10* OVER the total in Anaheim | |||||||
01-09-20 | Oilers +119 v. Canadiens | Top | 4-2 | Win | 119 | 15 h 14 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #5 Thursday 10* Top Play Edmonton Oilers Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - The Oilers do have a revenge game against their provincial rival, the Flames, in Calgary on Saturday. However, Edmonton is taking on a Canadiens team mired in a losing streak and the Oilers are playing with plenty of confidence right now. They are 3-0-1 their last 4 games and their goaltender Smith has been playing well between the pipes. Montreal feels a ton of pressure here because the losing is taking a toll on them and, when playing at home in hockey-crazed Quebec, the pressure is even more intense! Montreal has lost 7 straight games and also 4 straight games on home ice. Of course the Habs get some shading here by the odds makers because they are on home ice but, the point is, it really is not justified given the way they have been playing. Montreal has averaged just 1.8 goals per game their past 5 games. The Canadiens have allowed an average of nearly 4 goals per game their past 7 games. The Oilers have averaged scoring 4.8 goals per game their past 4 games. Also, in meetings between these teams th Oilers have taken 4 of the last 5. More of the same on tap here! 10* EDMONTON | |||||||
01-08-20 | Stars v. Kings OVER 5 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -125 | 17 h 28 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Los Angeles Kings vs Dallas Stars @ 10:05 ET - This total (has dropped to 5 goals) and that means we have excellent value with a low number here. I fully understand the long-term reputation of these two teams but the Stars have won 3 straight games and have scored 4 or more goals in all 3 of those. Overall, Dallas has scored 4 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 wins. The Stars have allowed an average of 6 goals per game in their last two losses. Each of the last games for Dallas have totaled at least 5 goals. As for Los Angeles, each of their last 11 games have totaled at least 5 goals. You can see the value of having a key number (5) on this total. The Kings have allowed at least 3 goals in 4 straight games. LA has averaged scoring 4 goals per game in its last 4 victories. I trust the Kings at home to find the back of the net a few times as they are hungry off back to back losses. The thing is that the Stars are favored for a reason and I look for their relatively high-scoring ways to continue here as well. 10* OVER the total in Los Angeles Kings | |||||||
01-08-20 | Capitals v. Flyers +116 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 116 | 15 h 21 m | Show |
NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #70 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Flyers used Brian Elliott in goal in last night's 5-4 OT loss at Carolina. That means Carter Hart is expected to get the start in goal for the Flyers tonight. He has struggled all season on the road but Hart has been stellar at home where he has an 11-1-2 record on the season! Look for another strong effort from here and I like the fact that the Capitals are also in a back to back spot but off a 6-1 win over Ottawa. Look for the Flyers to be the hungrier team here as they have endured a recent tough stretch and also have revenge from a 2-1 shootout loss to the Capitals in Philadelphia earlier this season. The Caps have lost 3 of their past 5 road games and the 3 defeats have come by an average margin of 3 goals per game and there is certainly nothing "average" about that. Look for the hungry, revenge-minded Flyers to deliver a huge win in this one on home ice. This is Philly's first home game since Christmas Eve and they are sure to make the most of it. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
01-07-20 | Islanders v. Devils OVER 5.5 | Top | 4-3 | Win | 113 | 15 h 57 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #53 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders made me look like a fool last night (and that happens from time to time in this business) but I had the over and the game ended up a 1-0 defensive battle. The difference tonight is Thomas Greiss will be in the crease for the Isles. He has allowed 11 goals in his last 3 appearances and his ice time in those we was equivalent to only 2 games. In other words, Greiss has been struggling badly between the pipes. I know the Islanders do like to a play more of a methodical style of hockey and that is why lower totals tend to be available on their games. However, the Devils will push the pace at home here and I also like the "Greiss factor" in this one as well. As for New Jersey, the over is 6-2 in their past 8 games. Those 6 overs have averaged nearly 8 goals per game so it is not as if they were just "squeaking by" either. The Islanders play this game with home loss revenge and the over is 4-1 this season when they are in that situation. Look for that trend, and the Devils recent over trend, to continue in this one and we'll take advantage of the low total posted on this one. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey | |||||||
01-06-20 | Jets +133 v. Canadiens | Top | 3-2 | Win | 133 | 15 h 16 m | Show |
Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #41 Monday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:05 ET - Great line value here because the Jets are on the road and the early line move has been toward Montreal. Note that these teams met two weeks ago at Winnipeg and the Jets were thoroughly embarrassed by the Canadiens. The Habs have now won 3 straight meetings and Winnipeg is ready for payback here after getting embarrassed 6-2 on home ice. The Jets were thoroughly outplayed in that game and it is the kind of defeat teams don't forget. Winnipeg will be ready to go here and I like the big plus money being offered. Both teams have endured a recent tough stretch. That said, it is hard to justify Montreal being favored this much on home ice. This is particularly true when you consider the revenge factor. Additionally, the road team has taken 6 of the last 7 meetings so home ice is not worth anything close to the way it is being favored by the betting markets in this match-up. Grab the underdog. 10* WINNIPEG | |||||||
01-06-20 | Avalanche v. Islanders OVER 5.5 | Top | 0-1 | Loss | -116 | 15 h 46 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #39 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Colorado Avalanche @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware of the fact that the Islanders tend to get involved in lower scoring games but New York has scored 4 or more goals in 4 of their last 5 games against the Avalanche. Note that 4 of those 5 games did total at least 6 goals and the total posted on this game is a low as 5.5 in some books as of very early east coast time on Monday. Also, the Avs continue to trend toward high-scoring games. Colorado's games have totaled at least 7 goals in 6 of their past 7 contests. The last 7 Avalanche games have totaled an average of nearly 9 goals and, of course, there is nothing "average" about that. Not only has Colorado been trending over lately, note that their match-ups against the Islanders played at New York are on a perfect 9-0 run to the over! Look for the Islanders to respond at home off a shutout loss on the road. However, the Isles won't be able to slow down the high-powered Avs either. As a result, plenty of goals expected in this one. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders | |||||||
01-05-20 | Flames v. Wild OVER 6 | Top | 5-4 | Win | 102 | 14 h 26 m | Show |
Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #31 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Flames are off a 3-game homestand in which they allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game. Calgary has scored 3.5 goals per game in its past 4 games. Having been shutout at Minnesota about two weeks ago, the Flames make up for that here but they won't be able to stop the Wild either! Minnesota scored 3.5 goals per game in their past two games against Calgary. The Wild are known for playing tighter low-scoring games but still have allowed an average of 3.4 goals per game their past 7 games. Minnesota has averaged scoring 3.4 goals per game their past 11 games. One could argue this total should be at least 6.5 goals as 7 goals scored seems likely here. However, we get shading toward a lower total (6 goals) because of the long-term reputation of the Wild. I love the value here with the over as a result. The over is on a 15-8 run in January games for Calgary. The last 11 times Minnesota was off a win in which they allowed 2 or less goals, their next game has totaled 6 or more goals in all but 2 of 11 games! 8 of those 9 games totaled at least 7 goals and I am forecasting that this one will too! 10* OVER the total in Minnesota | |||||||
01-04-20 | Flyers +117 v. Coyotes | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -100 | 14 h 15 m | Show |
Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #19 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 8:05 ET - The Flyers are very hungry for a win as this road trip out west has not gone well at all for them. I feel they are catching the Coyotes at the perfect time for an upset win on the road. Arizona is off a divisional win over Anaheim and that was preceded by a huge win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion St Louis Blues. This is the perfect spot to fade the Coyotes as a result. Philadelphia will be treating this game like a playoff game in terms of intensity and determination. Arizona, on the other hand, could get caught resting on their laurels a bit too much as they have had multiple consecutive big game wins. The Flyers had won 3 straight meetings between these teams but then lost at home to the Coyotes last month. It is payback time here. Philly had a 29-18 edge in shots on goal in that defeat last month. Arizona has lost 10 of 14 this season when off a divisional game. More of the same expected here. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
01-03-20 | Capitals +109 v. Hurricanes | Top | 4-3 | Win | 109 | 17 h 44 m | Show |
Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #75 Friday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Perfect set up here. The Capitals are off a home loss to the Islanders while the Hurricanes are off a home win versus the Canadiens. Not only that, Washington has lost both games to Carolina this season and this was after getting knocked out of the post-season in the first-round by the Canes in April. In other words, the Caps have probably never been more ready for a game this season than this very strong revenge spot here. Washington is hungry, motivated, and offering line value here since this game is at Carolina. Ironically the Hurricanes have the two wins against the Capitals but are 1-8 against the rest of the division. The Capitals have the two losses against the Canes but have a winning record against the rest of the division. Washington also has won 16 of 22 road games this season. I look for the Capitals to finally get the big revenge win over the Hurricanes in their 3rd meeting this season. The set up for this one is ideal. The Caps have won 9 of 12 this season when off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Also, the Capitals have won 8 of 9 Friday games this season. The Hurricanes are off back to back wins including a big win at Washington a week ago but, prior to that, had lost 3 straight games. Capitals get back on track here. 10* WASHINGTON | |||||||
01-02-20 | Maple Leafs v. Jets OVER 6.5 | Top | 6-3 | Win | 100 | 19 h 25 m | Show |
Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #63 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8:05 ET - This one sets up well for plenty of goals. The Jets are off a huge 7-4 win at Colorado on Tuesday. As impressive as that win was, it also marked the 6th time in the last 7 games that the Jets have allowed 4 or more goals. The good news for Winnipeg fans is that the Jets have been scoring well. They have now averaged 3.8 goals per game their past 10 games. However, Winnipeg is struggling to keep the puck out of their own net and now faces one of the top scoring teams in the league. The Maple Leafs are averaging 3.6 goals per game and enter this game having won 9 of their past 11 games. Toronto has averaged scoring 4.6 goals per game during this red hot stretch. Look for more of the same here and this one should easily get to 7 goals or more the way these two hockey clubs have been trending. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg | |||||||
12-31-19 | Maple Leafs v. Wild OVER 6 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -110 | 9 h 24 m | Show |
Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #29 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Minnesota Wild vs Toronto Maple Leafs @ 6:05 ET - We're getting a low total here (6) because the Wild are involved. I say that because the Maple Leafs continue to get involved in one high scoring after another. As for Minnesota, they did deliver a recent home shutout but in their other two recent home games they allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game. Also, the Wild were on the wrong end of a recent home shutout but in their other 4 recent home games they have averaged a respectable 3.5 goals per game. Minnesota should score their fair share again in this one too because Toronto gives up goals in bunches. The Maple Leafs can score with the best teams in the league but they certainly struggle to keep the puck out of their own net. The Leafs have allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of their past 6 games. The Leafs have also allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their past 3 games. But how about Toronto's offensive production? The Maple Leafs have been red hot in the offensive zone. The Leafs have scored an average of 5 goals per game in their past 7 games. You can see exactly why I am liking the over here as 6 goals should not be a problem given the recent trending. In fact, Toronto's last 6 games have seen 5 total at least 8 goals! More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in Minnesota | |||||||
12-29-19 | Flyers -106 v. Ducks | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 10 h 14 m | Show |
Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #17 Sunday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:35 ET - The Flyers didn't just lose yesterday at San Jose, they ended up getting embarrassed 6-1 when things fell apart in the 3rd period. Keep in mind, Philadelphia had been hot and won 4 in a row before that embarrassing loss. As for the Ducks, they are off a big win over Vegas 4-3 on Friday. They also have another game with those same division rival Golden Knights on deck. for Tuesday. That said, this is the ideal "flat spot" situation in which you would to fade Anahiem. Fading the Ducks makes even more sense when you consider that this is a team that lost 16 of 22 games prior to that rare win over the Knights. With the Flyers chomping at the bit to get on the ice and shake off that loss and the Ducks in a perfect fade spot, the road team at a pick'em price is offering fantastic line value here. Look for Philly to improve to 10-5 this season when off a non-conference game. Look for Anaheim to drop to 2-8 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Also, the Ducks are 0-6 in Sunday games this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
12-28-19 | Flyers -123 v. Sharks | Top | 1-6 | Loss | -123 | 13 h 28 m | Show |
Annihilation Rout - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #73 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks lost again last night! Not only does that make this a back to back spot for them, it also means that San Jose has lost 10 of its last 11 games. Conversely, the Flyers come into this game well rested and they have won 4 straight games. The Sharks have been held to 2 or less goals in 9 of those 10 losses! The Flyers have scored 3 or more goals in 10 of their last 13 games. You can see, based on those stats alone, why it is highly probable that Philly outscores San Jose here. Also though the fact is that Philadelphia is highly motivated here. The Flyers have lost 3 straight match-ups with the Sharks including an embarrassing 8-3 loss in Philly last season. It is payback time here and this is a very fair price to lay on Philadelphia. I am looking for the Flyers to improve to 13-7 this season when facing a team with a losing record. Look for the Sharks to drop to 5-13 this season when facing a team with a winning record as the scoring struggles for San Jose continue in this one. 10* PHILADELPHIA | |||||||
12-27-19 | Blues v. Jets +111 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 27 m | Show |
Divisional Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Rotation #46 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues won the Stanley Cup last season and knocked off the Jets in the first round of the playoffs on the way to doing so. St Louis has carried momentum from last season's huge finish to the regular season and huge post-season by now getting off to a red hot start this season as well. However, teams are now coming from the Christmas break and, for a team that has won 6 straight, the last thing you want is a break. But that is the situation here with St Louis. They had won 6 straight games prior the Christmas break. Now they make their return in a very tough situation and tough locale. Winnipeg is tough on home ice and you know they're going to bring their "A game" and then some in this big time playoff revenge spot. I am riding with the Jets on home ice as I fully expect them to avenge their first round playoff exit that occurred in April. It is payback time here. 10* WINNIPEG |
Service | Profit |
---|---|
Sean Higgs | $1,221 |
Kevin Young | $985 |
Michael Alexander | $830 |
Jack Jones | $731 |
Kenny Walker | $717 |
Bobby Conn | $681 |
Brody Vaughn | $651 |
Joseph D'Amico | $560 |
Dave Price | $535 |
Kyle Hunter | $358 |