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Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #67 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - I am well aware that the Islanders are much improved defensively this season as, of course, head coach Barry Trotz has had a huge impact in his first season with the team. However, stopping most NHL teams from scoring is one thing, stopping the highest scoring team in the league when you're off a grueling low-scoring battle versus a division rival the prior day is an entirely different thing! In other words, the Islanders are absolutely going to struggle to stop the Bolts here. Tampa Bay is off a 5-3 win at Buffalo yesterday and continues to surge. Incredibly, the Lightning have scored 4 or more goals in 26 of their last 33 games! It is likely that Andrei Vasilevskiy will be between the pipes here for the Bolts. The Lightning lost his most recent road start 5-2 and, generally speaking, Vasilevskiy is not as strong on the road as he is at home. Also, the Islanders will be ready to bounce back after scoring just 1 goal yesterday! New York entered that game have scored an average of 3.6 goals per game their past dozen games. Keep mind, TB is averaging 4.3 goals per game on the season. You can see from those numbers that this game reaching 8 goals is certainly not unlikely and we only need 7 to be a winner. The over is a perfect 4-0 this season in Bolts back-to-back games and also the Lightning are 4-0 to the over in Sunday games. The Islanders are a long-term 15-6 to the over in Sunday games and back-up goalie Thomas Greiss (pedestrian .901 save percentage in home games this season) is likely to get the start here for the Isles. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #33 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs New York Rangers @ 1:05 ET - Under head coach Barry Trotz, the New York Islanders have trended under this season. However, the New York Rangers continue to struggle to keep the puck out of their own net and this rivalry match-up continues to lead to high-scoring games even with Trotz behind the bench. The 3 match-ups this season have averaged 8 goals per game. The Rangers are struggling this season but they always bring extra energy and effort for this match-up and they've averaged 4.3 goals per game in the 3 meetings. As for the Islanders and getting their fair share of goals too, note that the Rangers have lost 8 of their past 10 games overall and have allowed an average of 4.8 goals per game in those 8 defeats. This match-up truly has the right ingredients for a 5-4 type game (Thursday's meeting was a 4-3 Isles win). The Islanders have won 7 of their last 8 games and have scored an average of 3.8 goals per game during this strong stretch. The Rangers are 9-4 to the over this season in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals and also a long-term 42-20 to the over in divisional games. More of the same expected here. 10* OVER the total in New York Islanders

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #27 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Detroit Red Wings @ 8:05 ET - The Jets are feeling the pressure to "get going" again and I expect them to jump on Detroit early in this game and never take their foot off the gas. Of course that is why Winnipeg is a large favorite in this one on the money line. Where we find the value is with the total as there should be goals early, often, and throughout in this one. The Jets are off a 3-2 loss at Minnesota last night and they allowed themselves to get off to a slow start and then it was too little too late for the Jets. That said, they're going to take to the ice with plenty of jump in their skates as soon as the puck drops! The reason is considered a contrarian play is because the Red Wings last few games have stayed under the total and the Jets are in a back to back which means Laurent Brossoit is likely to get the start in goal as he has played well of late. Why the over despite those factors? Before back to back unders the Red Wings were on a 6-0 run to the over. For the Jets, prior to last night's low-scoring loss, they had scored 4 or more goals in 3 of their 4 prior games. Also, Winnipeg has allowed 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 14 games! The Jets offense averages scoring 4 goals per game when at home though. That is why I expect at least a 4-3 games here. By the way, Detroit is 8-2 to the over this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the over is a long-term 14-7 in Red Wings road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The over is 16-7 this season in Jets games against teams with a losing record. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - The Bruins are seeking revenge for an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Washington on opening night of this season. While I feel Boston does have a decent shot at that I feel this game is most likely going to turn into a barn-burner with plenty of end to end action with plenty of goals as a result. The Capitals have scored an average of 5.3 goals per game in their last 3 games versus the Bruins. Entering this game, Boston has won 8 of its last 10 games and has scored an average of 3.6 goals during this strong extended stretch. The Bruins, on the season, have averaged 3.7 goals per game at home. The Capitals, on the season, have averaged 3.5 goals per game on the road. With both teams also getting healthier there is even more firepower on each hockey club than what they've had at other times throughout the first half of the season. The Bruins are on an 8 for 17 run on the power play in their last 6 home games! The Capitals are 6 for 14 on the power play in their last 3 games versus the Bruins. Look for plenty of goals, including from special teams, in this one. A very entertaining game between two of the top Eastern Conference teams. 10* OVER the total in Boston

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #65 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - This is a divisional game and, generally speaking, those games do have a tendency to be lower-scoring. However, the Predators lost 2-1 at Chicago in mid-December after winning at home on December 1st 5-2 over the Blackhawks. The point is that this is a revenge game and I don't expect the Predators to take their foot off the gas in this one. Also, this is a front-end of a back to back for the Preds as they are at Columbus tomorrow. That said, Pekka Rinne is likely to start one and Juuse Saros the other. If Rinne starts tonight he is off a shutout win but previously his 3 prior starts all went over the total (11 goals allowed). If Saros gets the start, the over is 6-2 in his road starts this season and also 2-0 in divisional starts - poor .769 save percentage in those. In other words, the Blackhawks are going to score some goals tonight and they have scored an average of 3.3 goals per game their last 9 games. As for the Predators, they should find the back of the net early and often in this one. Nashville has scored an average of 4 goals per game their last 6 games. Also, the over is 3-1 this season when the Preds are off a shutout win. The over is 10-5 in Blackhawks divisional games this season. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The red hot Lightning finally suffered a loss as their shots struck iron 3 times in a 5-2 loss at San Jose. Look for the Bolts to bounce right back here after their first regulation loss since November! Of course that is why Tampa Bay is a big favorite in this spot. The best value in this one is with the total because plenty of goals are likely. The Lightning have averaged scoring an insane 4.5 goals per game in their home games this season. However, Columbus also enters this game playing quite well. The Blue Jackets have won 7 of their last 9 games and they know they're going to have to score plenty to top a potent Tampa Bay team in their own barn. That said, note that the Blue Jackets have scored an average of 3.6 goals per game in their last 7 games. You can see why my projections have this one totaling 8 goals on Tuesday night. In the last 6 road games for Columbus only 1 has resulted in an under. As for the Lightning, the over is 14-3-1 when they are off a non-conference game. Also, the Bolts are a long-term 27-12-1 to the over when they enter game having played each of their three prior games on the road. A true barn-burner with plenty of back and forth action on tap tonight! 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #36 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers show the betting public a current 6-game losing streak. However, they've certainly been playing better than that fact would lead you to believe. They never trailed against Calgary Saturday but gave up a very late goal for the tie and then lost in OT. The good news for Philly is they go from facing one of the best teams in the league to facing a struggling Blues team likely to be a giving a goalie his first-ever NHL start. St Louis is likely to start Jordan Binnington tonight. He got called up from the San Antonio Rampage in the AHL where he has played well of late. However, Binnington would be making his first ever NHL start on enemy ice against a desperate Flyers team that is going to pepper him with shots early and often. As soon as the crowd gets into it (which they will) it is going to be a helluva rough atmosphere for Binnington. In his only NHL appearances (3 games, 0 starts) he has an ugly .828 save percentage and 3.70 GAA. The Flyers have been getting solid goal-tending from young phenom netminder Carter Hart whom has showed poise and skills beyond his years. The Blues have lost 3 of their last 4 and goal-tending has been an issue for them whereas the Flyers goaltending has absolutely been on an uptick. Home ice and a very small price to lay makes this a top choice investment. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #21 Sunday 10* Top Play New York Rangers Money Line (+) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 4:05 ET - I like to look for dogs when they're matched up with false favorites and, that said, this one certainly fits the bill. The Coyotes are favored because they're on home ice and both Arizona and the Rangers have been struggling this season. However, the Coyotes have won just 7 of their 21 home games this season. That is just 33% and no NHL team has won fewer home games than Arizona this season. Also, the Coyotes are dealing with a rash of injuries right now. Not only are the Rangers the much healthier team, they also will have Henrik Lundqvist back in goal after he was given a night off in their most recent game. Keep in mind, he and the Rangers also are seeking revenge for a home loss 3 weeks ago suffered at the hands of the Coyotes. That was a 4-3 defeat and New York is used to dominating Arizona. In other words, they are hungry for payback here and I look for the Rangers to take full advantage of an injury-depleted Arizona team. The Coyotes have been held to 2 goals or less in 3 straight games and 7 of their last 10. The Rangers couldn't stay out of the penalty box in their most recent game and are ticked off as they've struggled in their last 3 games. Prior to this the Rangers had scored 3 or more goals in 9 of their 10 previous games. If you can't score it is tough to win and New York definitely has the edge over Arizona in the goal-scoring department as the injuries mount for the Coyotes. The Rangers have won 44 of their last 76 non-conference games. The Coyotes have lost 54 of their last 82 non-conference match-ups. 10* NEW YORK RANGERS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins have won 7 straight games, are on home ice, and they've been priced as a small favorite by the odds makers. Do you think the odds makers are stupid? Of course they are not and the Pens are priced this way because the sharp money (including mine) is going to be on the Jets in this one. Winnipeg is 9-5 this season in road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Also, they're playing this game with home loss revenge from November. The Jets are 13-6 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Winnipeg is also 10-5 in non-conference match-ups this season. The Penguins are off a huge win over the Rangers where they exploded late in the game and erupted for a 7-2 win. However, the Pens are an ugly 5-7 (DOWN $6,300) this season when off a divisional game. The Jets have an extra two days of rest compared to Pittsburgh and the fresher legs get the road win in this revenge match-up. 10* WINNIPEG

Game of the Week Total - Rickenbach NHL Game #33 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Detroit Red Wings vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - Both match-ups between these non-conference foes last season went over the total with each game totaling at least 9 goals. Also, the Red Wings are on a 4-0 run to the over as they've allowed 4.8 goals in those 4 contests. While Detroit is struggling to keep the puck out of their own net, Calgary is off an 8-5 win versus San Jose. That was the 6th time in their last 11 games that the Flames have scored 4 or more goals. Overall, Calgary is scoring an average of 3.8 goals their last 9 games. The Flames are 3-0 to the over in their last 3 games and those 3 contests total an incredible 35 goals! The Red Wings are 7-3 to the over this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Detroit

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #7 Monday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 6:05 ET - The Hurricanes continue to be hurt by the absence of Jordan Staal. The Canes have lost 7 of their last 9 games. Also, Carolina has had only 1 game in their last 5 where they actually had success finding the back of the net. In the Hurricanes other 4 games they've scored a TOTAL of only TWO goals combined! The Flyers, conversely, have been playing much better hockey since they fired their head coach. Philly has only 1 regulation loss in their last 6 games (a 3-1-2 stretch) and they've also enjoyed success against the Canes in recent seasons. This is their first match-up this season and the Flyers have won 3 of their last 4 games at Carolina. Philly is off a tight 2-1 loss at Florida but previously scored an average of 3.2 goals per game in their 5 prior games! The Flyers also have received a boost in their own end of the ice as Carter Hart has played well in goal since the young rookie got called up in the midst of this coaching change and after the firing of GM Ron Hextall. Philly is simply a different team now and also is coming off of some great performances in the face-off circle and that is a big key as puck possession is, of course, so important. I like having the underdog and going against a team that has lost 45 of its last 69 divisional games including 8 of 11 this season! Also, Carolina has lost 17 of their last 28 home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month total - Rickenbach NHL Game #27 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Ottawa Senators @ 7:05 ET - The Islanders have been trending under. However, New York has scored an average of 3.2 goals per game during their current 4-1 run. Also, the Islanders have allowed at least 3 goals in 3 of their last 4 home games. The Senators are in town and each of their last 3 visits here have resulted in an over. Overall, the last two games between these clubs averaged a total of 9 goals per game. Ottawa enters this game having allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game their last 4 games. On the season the Sens are allowing a ridiculous average of 4.8 goals per game when on the road. Not surprisingly given those numbers, the over is 12-3 this season in Ottawa's road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also the over is 14-5 in Senators games when they are off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. The Sens are off a shutout loss but previously scored an average of 3 goals per game their 4 prior games. I am expecting a 4-3 or 5-3 type game here. 10* OVER the total in the New York Islanders game

Game of the Week Total - Rickenbach NHL Game #67 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Toronto Maple Leafs vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - Both teams are in a back to back spot. That impacts the goalie situation here. Additionally, Toronto is playing this game with revenge. The Maple Leafs lost 5-4 versus Detroit in early December. The over is 3-0 in the last 3 meetings between these teams and each one of those games totaled at least 7 goals. Look for more of the same in this one and you know that Toronto won't take their foot off the gas in this one. This is a revenge spot and they'll be out for blood in this one. The Red Wings, in road games with a total of 6 goals or more, have only seen 7 of 20 remain under the total. The Maple Leafs enter this game on a run of 10-2 to the over. Toronto is 20-11 to the over when they enter a game on a 3-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs are also 8-2-1 to the over in divisional games this season. 10* OVER the total in Toronto

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #25 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - The Capitals are off a tight 2-1 home loss to the Penguins Wednesday but things should return to normal here for Washington. Prior to the defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh, the Capitals had won 12 of their past 14 games and scored an average of 4.6 goals per game during this hot streak. The over was 7-1 in the Caps 8 games prior to the loss to the Pens. As for the Sabres, they also come into this game having been involved in plenty of high-scoring games in recent action. Buffalo is 6-1 to the over their last 7 games. Prior to scoring just 2 goals in Tuesday's home loss to the Panthers, the Sabres had scored 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 15 games. Buffalo has allowed 3 or more goals in 7 of their last 10 games. Of course a 3-3 game here guarantees us of no less than a 4-3 final and, the way these teams have been going, I do expect each to light the lamp at least 3 times in this one! The over is 10-4 in Buffalo's games against teams with a winning record this season. The over is 4-1 the last 5 times the Capitals were off a game in which they allowed 2 or less goals. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #65 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs Detroit Red Wings @ 7:05 ET - The big news for the Flyers is the firing (finally!) of coach Dave Hakstol. Philly has been cleaning house as it has only been a couple weeks since general manager Ron Hextall was relieved of his duties as well. Philadelphia now has a new GM and a new coach (interim) Scott Gordon whom was with the Flyers AHL affiliate. While I do expect a valiant effort from the Flyers Tuesday as a result of the coaching change, it doesn't change the fact that they've got major issues in goal. Finally they've called up goalie Carter Hart but this would be a tough spot for a 20-year old netminder to make his NHL debut! Note too that Hart struggled badly to begin this season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. The Flyers other option in the crease tonight is Michal Neuvirth but he is just coming back from paternity leave and he has a 3.15 GAA against the Red Wings in his career. As for Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard, he has a 3.59 GAA versus Philly in his career. The Red Wings other option, Jonathan Bernier, has a 4.23 GAA versus the Flyers in his career. As you can see, there is likely to be some "shaky" goal-tending on display from both hockey clubs tonight. Also, the over is 11-5-1 in the last 17 meetings between these teams in Philly. The Flyers are 9-5 to the over this season when off a non-conference game and Detroit is 12-5-1 to the over in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the Red Wings are 5-1 to the over this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia

No Doubt Blowout Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Monday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Montreal Canadiens @ 7:35 ET - The Bruins are in a tough back to back spot here but, of course, the trip from Buffalo to Montreal is not a long one. Boston lost to the Sabres yesterday but, arguably, deserved better. Give credit to Buffalo but the Bruins did hold the edge in shots on goal and, in fact, now have an 88 to 55 edge in shots on goal the past two games even though both were losses by multiple-goal margins. The result is line value in this spot as Montreal will get some attention from the betting markets considering the Canadiens have won 5 of their last 6 games and have the rest edge. The problem for the Habs is that the Bruins have their number. In fact, Boston has won 4 of its last 5 games at Montreal. While the Canadiens are off a win, it came against Ottawa. Prior to that game the Habs allowed a total of 11 goals in their two prior games. Montreal is playing this game with home loss revenge but that is a situation that has seen them go 18-31 including 2-5 this season! Boston has won 10 of 14 this season when off a divisional game and the Bruins actually have won 5 of 6 this season when playing the 2nd game of a back to back! Grab the road dog value. 10* BOSTON

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #43 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Buffalo Sabres @ 5:05 ET - The Sabres are in a tough back to back spot here which means Linus Ullmark is likely to get the start. Buffalo is 3-0 to the over in Ullmark's last 3 starts as he has struggled. Overall, the over is 4-1 in the Sabres last 5 games after their 4-3 loss yesterday. The Bruins and Sabres both are dealing with injuries to defensemen and Boston has allowed at least 3 goals in 6 of its last 7 games. Buffalo has allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of its last 5 games. The over is 3-0 in the Bruins last 3 home games and the over is 9-4 this season in Sabres games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #35 Saturday NHL 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Vancouver Canucks @ 10:05 ET - The Flyers are playing for their season here. They need a win on the western leg of a lengthy road trip that saw them begin with a win at Buffalo but then lose 3 straight ever since heading deeper and deeper westward through Canada. After an unbelievable loss at Calgary where they gave up 2 goals in the final minute of regulation and lost just 30 seconds into OT on Wednesday, Philly was a bit shell-shocked and lost 4-1 last night at Edmonton. Truly playing for their future tonight and with two days off on deck, I expect the Flyers to play one of their best games of the season at Vancouver tonight. They are catching the Canucks at the right time as they are off a successful road trip and the last two games of the trip featured big late rallies for Vancouver. Off a Western Conference foe and with a divisional foe, Edmonton, on deck don't be surprised if the Canucks end up flat tonight as they overlook a Flyers club that everyone knows has been struggling. That is the danger of a match-up like this for Vancouver and that is why their money line is priced so low. The odds makers feels pretty certain too about what is going to take place tonight. Note that the Flyers are 10-3 their last 13 at Vancouver and the road team did win both meetings between these clubs last season. Also, the Canucks are 3-7 this season in games against teams with a winning record and also on a long-term 28-50 run in non-conference games! Look for the Flyers to improve to 4-2 on the season when they are on the road and entering a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. 10* PHILADELPHIA

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #64 Wednesday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:05 ET - Coaching is an important aspect in all sports but often gets overlooked by the betting markets. The Islanders current head coach is Barry Trotz. Yes that is the same head coach that less than 6 months ago was leading the Capitals to become Stanley Cup Champions as they took 4 out of 5 games from the Golden Knights. Washington scored an average of 4 goals per game in those 5 games and Marc-Andre Fleury was between the pipes for Vegas for all of those games. Not only does coach Trotz know a thing or two about beating Fleury and the Golden Knights, his players do as well. The Islanders won both meetings with Vegas last season and remain the only team in the league that the Golden Knights have yet to beat. Maybe that changes next week when these teams meet in Vegas but I don't see it changing tonight. The Golden Knights have lost 11 of their 18 road games this season. Also, Vegas has lost 7 of 11 this season when they're off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The Islanders have won 43 of 71 (+$23,200) when off a divisional game and the fact that divisional game was a 2-1 loss where they were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation will strengthen their resolve here. New York has allowed just 2 goals in 4 of their last 6 games. Vegas, prior to a 4-2 win Sunday, had allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 6 games. I am fading the masses and grabbing the home dog here. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #47 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Los Angeles Kings @ 7:05 ET - I lost my play on the Kings last night despite a 43-21 edge in shots on goal at Detroit. Los Angeles is coming on strong and looking to get their season back on track. They won't stop tonight at Buffalo either. However, with Jonathan Quick having minded the net last night, he'll likely be resting tonight and I expect plenty of goals in this one. With another strong effort from LA in the offensive zone, a few of those pucks will find the back of the net as Sabres #1 goalie Carter Hutton has been dealing with an injury. The over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings between these non-conference foes. Also, the Sabres have allowed an average of 4 goals per game during their current 5-game winning streak. The Kings have given up an average of 3.3 goals per game in their last 3 road games. The over is 3-0 this season when the Sabres enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. There have been just 4 unders the last 15 times that the Sabres have hosted the Kings. 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #39 Monday 10* Top Play Los Angeles Kings Money Line (+) @ Detroit Red Wings @ 7:35 ET - The Kings are undervalued at this point in the season as they have underachieved thus far. They now have Jonathan Quick back between the pipes and he has had just one bad start in 5 starts since he returned. In the 4 quality efforts from Quick, Los Angeles has allowed an average of just 1.5 goals per game! Even though the Kings are off a big win over the Vegas Golden Knights, the Red Wings pay a visit to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Capitals tomorrow. In other words, Detroit is off an Eastern Conference foe (Islanders) and has another one (Washington) on deck. Coming into this season many experts expected the Kings to contend for a playoff spot in the West and the Red Wings to have to battle to stay out of the cellar in the East. The point is that you start to get value in spots like this. For example, the Kings are now a small dog here at Detroit whereas earlier this season (just two months ago) they were a 2 to 1 favorite on home ice over the Red Wings! That said, I love the road dog value here as Los Angeles defenseman Drew Doughty (played with LA his entire career) has been very vocal of late about it being time for this team to step up. Look for the win over the Golden Knights to spark a run for LA as the return of Quick from injury is also big and you can feel the momentum shifting with this hockey club right now. By the way, the Red Wings have lost 5 of their last 6 home games! The Kings have split their last 6 road games. Just like last season, look for the Kings to earn the sweep of the Red Wings. Detroit is only 7-13 this season when playing with revenge. 10* LOS ANGELES KINGS

Afternoon Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #21 Sunday 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 3:05 ET - The Flyers are in a back to back spot and have had major issues this season keeping the puck out of their own net as they've been dealing with goalie injuries all season long. With that said, I look for the Jets to score a ton in this game. Winnipeg is angry off a shutout loss at home and will be in full bounce back mode here and won't take their foot off the gas either. However, the Flyers have been scoring well of late and they've averaged 4 goals per game their last 4 games and have added confidence after yesterday's 6-2 win at Buffalo. However, trying to stop this Jets teams is another matter entirely here which is why I feel we're getting great line value with this over. Note that Winnipeg had scored an average of 4.7 goals per game before the shutout loss versus the Blues on home ice! The Jets are 11-4 to the over this season in games against teams with a losing record. The Flyers are 9-4 to the over in this season in games against teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Saturday NHL 10* Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (-) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Maple Leafs were knocked out of the post-season in Game 7 of a series with the Bruins last spring. That game took place here in Boston...that is where the Leafs season ended. Though the Maple Leafs got some measure of revenge with a home win over the Bruins about two weeks ago, their only meeting at Boston this season was a loss. This is the perfect time for payback. While the Leafs are getting healthier the Bruins are still dealing with injury injuries as Patrice Bergeron, Zdeno Chara, and Kevan Miller are out right now. Boston has lost 3 straight games and they've been struggling to score goals for an extended stretch. Amazingly, the Bruins have managed to score more than 2 goals just ONCE in their last TEN games! That spells trouble against a Maple Leafs team that has scored at least 4 goals in 6 straight games! In their 5-4 OT loss to Detroit, the Leafs got caught looking ahead to this big game. The Maple Leafs had won 5 straight games before that defeat and they bounce right back here with a huge road win. Take advantage of the value with the small line here as the Bruins injury situation continues to plague them against a top tier (and much healthier) team! 10* TORONTO

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ Dallas Stars @ 8:05 ET - The Sharks are seeking revenge here as they lost at Dallas earlier this season plus the Stars beat them in San Jose in their final match-up last season. The fact this game is on the road is keeping the line at a very reasonable range and I'll gladly lay the short money line price with the Sharks as they seek payback in this one. Dallas has lost 8 of 12 this season when off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. Also, the Stars have lost 33 of 50 when they're off a game they won by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Sharks have won 10 of 15 when off a non-conference game this season. San Jose has won 18 of their last 29 December games. The Sharks have been better on the power play than the Stars this season. Also, prior to the big win for Dallas Monday, they had been held to scoring 2 or less goals in 7 of their 10 previous games. The Sharks have scored 3 or more goals in 18 of their last 23 games! The small road favorite is also the much healthier team in this match-up. Lay it! 10* SAN JOSE

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #6 Thursday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - This is the Flyers ONE AND ONLY home game in a span of 3 weeks (Nov 27th through Dec 18th). That said, Philly wants to make this one count and they also have extra motivation after all the changes going on. The changes at General Manager and in the assistant coaching ranks means that it is "put up or shut up" time for the Flyers. They already responded in positive fashion with a big win at Pittsburgh over the rival Penguins to get December off to a winning start. Though it may seem like a bad idea to grab Philly off a win over the rival Pens, keep in mind they have been off for 4 full days since that game and the home ice factor here is a big one here too given their schedule. The other key to the play is catching the Blue Jackets in a tough spot. Not only is Columbus off an embarrassing 9-6 loss that will be tough to regroup from due to blowing a 4-1 lead, the Blue Jackets have a huge game on deck. Columbus has a game with the Stanley Cup champion Capitals on deck. While it is true the Jackets already got some measure of revenge for losing to the Caps in the post-season by virtue of a win at Washington, this will be the first time since that spring series that Columbus will be hosting the Capitals. In other words, it is a clear lookahead spot for the Jackets. Conversely, there is no way the Flyers look past CBJ here as the Blue Jackets did defeat Philly earlier this season so this is a revenge game for a Philly team that is hell-bent on turning their season back around while it is still early enough in the season to do so! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Situational Slaughter - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 10* Top Play Carolina Hurricanes (+) @ San Jose Sharks @ 10:35 PM ET - The Sharks are in a tough situational spot. San Jose is off a road trip back east that wrapped up in Montreal. On deck they have another road trip - a quick 2-game trip that begins two time zones over in Dallas. This stand alone home game is a tough one as a result and, prior to defeating the Canadiens, San Jose had lost 4 straight games and allowed an average of 5 goals per game. The Hurricanes are off back to back losses but they previously had won 4 of their last 5. Also, unlike the Sharks, the Canes have been playing great in their own end. Carolina has allowed 2 or less goals in 6 of their last 7 games. In other words, this is great line value on the road dog! The Hurricanes are 3-0 the last 3 times they've been off a loss by a multiple goal margin. San Jose is 3-6 this season when playing with two days of rest between games and the Sharks are 5-10 in non-conference action this season. 10* CAROLINA

Total Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New York Islanders vs Winnipeg Jets @ 7:05 ET - The Jets are 7-0-1 to the over in their last 8 games. While the Islanders have trended toward lower-scoring games with their new head coach this season, they will struggle to slow down a Winnipeg team that has averaged scoring 4.5 goals per game their last 8 games. As for the Islanders production on offense, they have averaged scoring 3.7 goals per game in their last 6 home games.  That said, keep in mind that the Jets have allowed 4.1 goals per game in their last 7 games. The fact is that Winnipeg's play in their own zone has been sketchy at best and this is the type of non-conference match-up that can turn into a barn-burner with plenty of quick scoring chances going both ways. The over is 7-3 this season when the Jets are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. The over went 22-6 in Islanders December games the past two seasons. Also, it is a long-term run of 24-12 to the over for New York when the Isles are playing with two days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in the New York Islanders

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:05 ET - Not only are the Lightning without #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, they also are missing a key defenseman as Anton Stralman is out too. The Devils have had issues with their blue line this season too as defenseman Sami Vatanen is on the shelf along with Steve Santini and Ben Lovejoy. Entering this season those 3 guys were all listed in the top 7 defensemen on the New Jersey roster. This is taking a toll as the season has gone on and the Devils have allowed 4.6 goals per game during their current 5-game losing streak. The over is now a perfect 6-0 in New Jersey's last 6 games. As for the Lightning, the over is 6-2 in Louis Dominque's road starts this season and he has an ugly .879 save percentage away from home. The Lightning have scored 4 goals or more in 12 of their last 15 games. However, they've also allowed 4 goals in each of their last two games and Dominque will be challenged by the Devils early and often in this one. The over is 9-3-2 in Tampa Bay's last 14 games. The over is 9-4-1 in the Bolts games against teams with a losing record this season. The over is 9-2-1 when the Devils are off a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. NJ is also 8-3 to the over this season when facing a team with a winning record. Look for a 7th straight over involving he Devils! 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Calgary Flames @ 7:05 ET - The Blackhawks are 4-0-2 to the their last 6 games and the Flames are 4-2 to the over their last 6 games. Chicago has allowed an average of 5.2 goals per game their last 6 games and the Hawks have allowed at least 4 goals in all six games! The Blackhawks will have trouble slowing down a Calgary team that has averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game in their last 7 games! The Flames also have averaged scoring 4 goals per game in their last 4 games versus Chicago. Only 2 of the last 7 meetings between these clubs has resulted in an under. The Blackhawks and Calgary are two of the worst teams in the league on the penalty kill this season. Also, Chicago seems to be in disarray since the abrupt firing of their long-time veteran head coach. Disarray often leads to high-scoring games as players end up out of position and odd man rushes and great scoring opportunities result. I expect more of the same on Sunday as the Flames won't hesitate to push the tempo in this game and force the Blackhawks to try and keep up. 10* OVER the total in Chicago

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #63 Saturday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers blew a 3-1 third period lead against the Senators in a 4-3 loss hosting Ottawa Tuesday. This is likely rock bottom for Philly. They have fired their general manager (and others!) and have been cleaning house at the management level. Suffice to say, the players know it is time to respond. Getting goalie Michal Neuvirth back is a positive plus another positive is that #1 goalie Brian Elliott is likely to be back in the near future. The Penguins have goalie issues of their own here as Matt Murray is out with an injury. The Pens have been struggling too and that is what I like about the big dog value here with the more desperate and hungry team, the Flyers, on the road and looking to avenge the playoff ouster at the hands of the Penguins last season. The road team has won 5 straight meetings between these teams and 7 of the last 9. Also, Pittsburgh is 1-5 this season when off a loss by a multiple goal margin in their prior game. The Penguins are also 1-6 this season in games against teams with a losing record! The Flyers have won 17 of 27 December games the past two years. Look for them to get this December off to a positive start as well as they get a measure of revenge against their hated in-state rivals! 10* PHILADELPHIA

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Friday 10* Top Play Anaheim Ducks Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - Both teams have won 4 of their last 5 games but it is the Ducks whom are a huge dog here just because the game is being played at Carolina. Keep in mind, the Ducks have won 4 straight meetings with the Hurricanes and, also, Anaheim has won each of their last 4 visits to Carolina. In other words, this is phenomenal line value on the Ducks and I love this big dog opportunity because we also have a goal-tending edge here. Carolina is likely to go with Curtis McElhinney between the pipes. He has just an .854 save percentage against Western Conference teams this season. Anaheim is likely to go with John Gibson in the crease for this one. The Ducks have won 4 of his 6 starts against Eastern Conference teams this season and Gibson has a stellar .941 save percentage in those games. Carolina has lost 22 of 38 when playing with 2 days of rest between games. While the Canes are off two days of rest and playing what is just a standalone home game, Anaheim is in a rhythm right now and making the most of their season long 5-game road trip. The Ducks make it 5 in a row against the Canes! 10* ANAHEIM

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Chicago Blackhawks @ 8:05 ET - These teams had 5 meetings last season and the winning team scored at least 4 goals in 4 of the 5 meetings. Look for plenty of goals again in the first meeting between these divisional foes this season. Winnipeg is on a run of 4-0-1 to the over in their last 5 games as they averaged scoring 4.4 goals per game but have allowed 4.1 goals per game. The Blackhawks finally are starting to turn the corner in the offensive zone as they've averaged 4 goals per their past two games and 3 goals per game their past five games. The issue for Chicago is they can't keep the puck out of their own net. That will again be an issue here as the Jets offensive production has been on fire and the Blackhawks have allowed an average of 5 goals per game their past 4 games. The over is 4-2 this season in Chicago's divisional games. The over is 8-3 this season in Jets games against teams with a losing record. More of the same here as the Jets blew a lead and lost to the Penguins in their most recent game and that means they won't slow down tonight no matter what the score is! The result will be plenty of goals! 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Wednesday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Toronto Maple Leafs @ 7:35 ET - I am well aware of the fact that Auston Matthews may come back for Toronto tonight. However, the Maple Leafs are off back to back wins including a key divisional win over the Bruins in their most recent game. That said, look for San Jose to prove to be the hungrier team tonight. The Sharks are in a back to back spot here but are off a loss last night at Buffalo where they rallied from a 2-goal deficit in the 3rd period to earn one point before falling in OT against the Sabres. San Jose is fired up after it was too little too late last night and they also are playing with revenge here because the Maple Leafs beat the Sharks 5-3 out west two weeks ago. Now meeting again back east look for payback for San Jose. The Sharks are off back to back losses and that certainly holds significance here as they are a perfect 3-0 this season when off back to back losses. The combined score of those 3 victories was 12 to 5. Also, San Jose has won 8 of 11 games this season when off a non-conference game. The Maple Leafs are off back to back home wins but previously were just 5-5 in their last 10 home games. Truly they've been a better team away from home this season and I feel we've got great line value here with a Sharks team that has underachieved so far this season and is in the perfect spot for a bounce back. Yes, #2 goalie Aaron Dell struggled in his most recent start but this two prior starts saw him produce a shutout each time! 10* SAN JOSE

Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Tuesday 10* Top Play Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+) vs Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:35 ET - The Canadiens have lost 4 straight games but they have faced a tough slate of games and I expect Montreal to bounce back strong here on home ice. Keep in mind the Hurricanes are an ugly 2-6 in their last 8 road games! As for the Habs, they were 6-3 in their last 9 home games prior to losing by a single goal to both the Stanley Cup Champion Capitals and tough division rival Bruins. Tuesday I look for Montreal to get sweet revenge for getting swept last season in their three games against Carolina. The Canadiens have won 6 of 8 games this season when off a divisional game. The Hurricanes have lost 34 of 56 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Also, Carolina has lost 30 of their last 43 Tuesday games. More road struggles expected for the Canes tonight against a VERY hungry revenge-seeking Canadiens team. 10* MONTREAL

Rickenbach NHL Game #8 Monday 10* Top Play New York Islanders Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - I love this match-up with Coach Barry Trotz on home ice with the Islanders taking on the club that wouldn't reward him for his work leading the team to the Stanley Cup Championship last season. So Trotz ended up with the Islanders and is doing a great job there showing the value of his coaching. Though Washington is starting to turn the corner after a slow start, I feel this is a bad spot for them. The Capitals have lost 4 of 5 this season when off a divisional game plus they are likely without Evgeny Kuznetsov tonight as the center is listed as doubtful. The Islanders have won 9 of 10 divisional games this season and you know Trotz (and other coaching staff he also brought from the Caps) have had this particular divisional game circled in red! Also, the Isles have won 42 of 67 (including 6 of 9 this season) when they are off a divisional game. 10* NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Sunday 10* Top Play Calgary Flames Money Line (-) @ Arizona Coyotes @ 3:05 ET - The Flames lost their last visit to Arizona by 3 goals. Calgary also lost their most recent game against the Coyotes and that was on home ice in April. The point is that the Flames have plenty of motivation here and I also like backing them off a shutout loss. Calgary lost at Vegas Friday and needs to bounce back here. The Flames will take advantage of facing a Coyotes team that has lost 3 straight games and 7 of their last 9. Calgary, prior to being shutout by the Golden Knights, had won 3 straight games and 8 of their last 11. Look for the Flames to improve to 6-2 this season when off a divisional game. As for the Coyotes, they have lost 60 of 89 games when they face a team with a winning record. Also, Arizona has lost 60 of 88 long-term when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. They Coyotes have scored an average of only 1.4 goals per game their last 5 games. The Flames, prior to the shutout loss in Sin City, had scored an average of 5.7 goals per game their last 3 games. This one has the makings of a road rout. 10* CALGARY 

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Rangers @ 1 PM ET - The Rangers are 38-18 to the over in divisional games including 4-1 to the over this season. New York is 8-3 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home. Also, the Rangers are 15-8 to the over when they enter a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games. The Flyers are 7-2 to the over in games against teams with winning record. Also, Philadelphia is 5-2 to the over when they're off a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals in their prior game. The Flyers continue to have issues in between the pipes and the over is 39-23 in games against divisional foes. Off 4 straight losses Philly is primed to give a huge effort against one of their fiercest rivals. However, the Flyers have allowed 11 goals in their past two games and that is why the play here is the over. Philly has scored 5.3 goals per game in their last 3 meetings with the Rangers. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Philadelphia 

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Wednesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (+) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7 ET - Oftentimes the first game back on home ice after a lengthy road trip is the toughest. That said, though Buffalo has won 6 straight games (including all 3 on a just-completed road trip), this is likely a tough spot for the Sabres. The Flyers are making a change at goalie to Alex Lyon and I like this move. Philly has been generating a lot of offense in recent games but troubles between the pipes have been a big issue for Philadelphia and I expect this move to pay immediate dividends. Many times a goalie change can spark a team and the Flyers need that change inside their own zone to complement how well they've been playing in the offensive zone. Philadelphia is 3-0-1 in their last 4 road games and they come into this game extra hungry off an OT loss to the Lightning on home ice. As for Buffalo, they just beat the Penguins in comeback fashion and that type of win over a perennial Stanley Cup contender could leave the Sabres flat here. All in all, a very nice set up for the Flyers. Philly has taken 2 of 3 games with Buffalo each of the past two seasons. The Sabres have lost 34 of 50 when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in San Jose Sharks vs Edmonton Oilers @ 10:35 ET - The Sharks have scored an average of 4.5 goals in their last 4 games versus the Oilers. Edmonton has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in their last 4 games versus San Jose. Not only is the trend between these teams in favor of high-scoring match-ups. The over is 3-1 this season in Sharks home games versus Western Conference teams. The Oilers can do some damage against a San Jose team that had allowed 4 or more goals in 8 of 12 games before a shutout win in their most recent game. The issue for Edmonton is that they have allowed at least 4 goals in 6 of their last 7 games. This one has the makings of another high-scoring barn-burn between these two Western Conference foes. Ever since these teams met in the 2017 playoffs, they've had very exciting high-scoring games ever since. The trend continues here. 10* OVER the total in San Jose

TV Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs Los Angeles Kings @ 8:35 ET - This total opened up at a 6 but dropped to a 5.5 and it is understandable because the Blackhawks are off a 1-0 win and the Kings have had trouble scoring goals of late. However, Los Angeles is currently down to their #3 goalie as back-up Jack Campbell got hurt and #1 netminder Jonathan Quick is still out. Quick is supposed to resume skating by the end of the week so he is certainly not ready yet. As a result, Peter Budaj and the Kings gave up 5 goals in his first start. Los Angeles is tired of the losing and wants to use this road trip as a chance to turn things around. However, the Kings are going to have to do it with production on offense given their current goal-tending situation. As for the Blackhawks, they had allowed an average of 4 goals per game in their 8 game losing streak. In other words the market is over-reacting to one shutout win for Chicago. This team still has issues in their own zone and LA is going to be in full "attack mode" in this game. The over is 4-1 this season when Los Angeles is playing with two days of rest between games. The over is 6-1 this season in Kings games versus teams with a losing record. The last game between these teams totaled 8 goals and I look for at least 6 here as the Kings have scored 3 goals in each of their last 3 games against the Blackhawks. 10* OVER the total in Chicago 

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Buffalo Sabres vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Sabres and Lightning last met in April and the game totaled 12 goals! The last time these teams met in Buffalo the game totaled 8 goals! Tampa Bay enters this game having averaged scoring 4.3 goals per game their last 7 games! The Sabres enter this one having scored an average of 4 goals per game their last 10 games. In other words, look for the lamp to be lit early and often in this one. The over is 3-0-1 in the Bolts last 4 games. The over is 8-2-1 in Buffalo's last 11 games. The Sabres are a perfect 6-0 to the over this season in games against teams with a winning record. The Lightning, when off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more, have had just 22 unders the last 64 times. This season in that situation Tampa Bay is 3-1 to the over and I look for the high-scoring ways of both of these hockey clubs to continue Tuesday! 10* OVER the total in Buffalo

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:05 ET - Revenge game for Columbus as the Capitals eliminated from the post-season last year. The Blue Jackets actually had a 2-0 lead in the series before losing 4 straight games. The road team won 5 of the 6 games in the series and I am happy to grab the underdog money line value here with the road team in this first match-up of this season as well. Columbus catches the Capitals off a win over the Penguins and that is always a big game for the Caps. Washington won 2-1 thanks to a late goal but they were outplayed in the game and were outshot 42-22. The Blue Jackets are well-rested here and have won 29 of 44 when they enter a game having had two days of rest between games. The Capitals are off back to back wins for the first time this season but, as you can see from the shots on goal, they were fortunate to beat the Penguins. Also, prior to these back to back wins in Washington, the Caps had lost 3 of their last 4 on home ice and 6 of their last 9 overall. Fiery Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella will have his boys ready to go here and I don't see them being denied in this key revenge opportunity. 10* COLUMBUS

Next Level - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play Dallas Stars Money Line (+) @ Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:05 ET - The Stars are off a tough loss at Boston last night where they allowed the game-winning goal late in overtime when the Bruins were on a two-man advantage. This will only strengthen the resolve of Dallas here as the Stars have been playing extremely well and they have revenge on their minds here. Columbus has held the upper hand in recent seasons against the Stars. However, the Blue Jackets just returned from a West Coast trip. The first game back east after a trip out west is often the toughest and Columbus wasn't overly impressive on their trip. In fact they were fortunate to salvage a point out of the final game of the trip and easily could have ended up 1-2 on the 3-game roadie. Dallas is 5-1-1 their last 7 games and is going to take advantage of a Blue Jackets team that has lost 5 of its last 8 games. So far this season the Stars power play has been much better than that of Columbus. Additionally, the Dallas penalty kill also rates the edge over that of the Blue Jackets. It has been over two weeks since the Stars have lost B2B games and I expect them to get right back on track tonight. 10* DALLAS

Next Level - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Edmonton Oilers @ 7:05 ET - The over is 3-1 in the Oilers last 4 road games and those 3 overs averaged a total of 8 goals scored per game! The over is 6-1 in the Capitals last 7 games overall and, amazingly, only 1 game out of 12 this season for Washington has finished with a total of less than 6 goals scored. Ironically, that was the Caps game at Edmonton a little over a week ago. That 4-1 Oilers win is the only game that hasn't amassed a total of at least 6 goals. With this total currently sitting at 6, as of early Monday morning, I am happy to invest in the over here as you know that the Capitals (especially off B2B losses including an OT home loss) are ready to respond here. The issue for the Caps is that they can't keep the puck out of their own net. This is not the same Capitals team that won the Stanley Cup in June. The coaching change has had a huge impact on the team and their just not playing anywhere close to as crisp as they have in the past. This leads to turnovers (like in the home loss to Dallas) which leads to opponents goals! Both the Capitals and the Oilers have struggled on the penalty kill this season and both have been strong on the power play (Caps especially). With all of the above factored in, look for plenty of goals in this one Monday. The over is 4-1 this season in Caps home game with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, the over is 4-1 in Washington's non-conference games this season and the over is 5-1 in Capitals games when they are off a game where they allowed 4 goals or more. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Florida Panthers @ Hartwell Arena in Helsinki, Finland @ 2 PM ET - Yesterday's game ended up being a push (for most) on the total as it landed on 6 goals. There have only been 2 unders in the last 10 meetings between these two non-conference opponents. The average goal total in these 10 games is 6.9 goals scored. I am expecting at least 7 today. Connor Hellebuyck was fantastic between the pipes yesterday for the Jets and now, with this being a back to back, Laurent Brossoit is likely to get the start today. Brossoit has played very well this season but I really don't see him performing any better than Hellebuyck did yesterday. That said, the Panthers are going to come out even stronger today looking to earn the split of this 2-game set in Finland. Watching them yesterday Florida did impress me with how well they skated and they played fast. The Jets did too of course and Winnipeg took advantage of power play opportunities and got the 4-2 win. I expect them to find the back of the net plenty today as well. That's because the Panthers are likely to go with Michael Hutchinson between the pipes with this being a back to back and Roberto Luongo still being out and James Reimer having played yesterday. The over is a perfect 3-0 in Hutchinson's starts this season and he has struggled badly with an .839 save percentage thus far. Facing a potent attack like the Jets possess is the last thing a goalie wants to see when he is struggling. Yesterday's marked the 4th time in the last 5 meetings between these teams in which there were more than 70 shots on goal registered. Look for another fast-paced game today and I am confident that at least 7 light the lamp in this one as a result given the goalie situation in this one. The over is 24-12 when, in the first half of a season, Florida is playing a team with a winning record. Winnipeg should score at least 4 again. 10* OVER the total in the NHL game in Finland EARLY Friday

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Tuesday 10* Top Play Boston Bruins Money Line (+) @ Carolina Hurricanes @ 7:05 ET - This is the perfect spot for a big play on Boston. The Bruins are off a home shutout loss versus the Canadiens despite having a double digit edge in shots on goal. Boston has had two days of rest since then and this game is followed by 3 days of rest which precedes a game against a Western Conference foe. In other words, there is no doubt that the Bruins are fully focused on this game. That is bad news for the Hurricanes as Carolina lost all 3 games with Boston last season and the Canes allowed an average of 5.7 goals per game in those 3 contests. Carolina has lost 4 of its last 6 games and they have lost 53 of their last 88 against teams with a winning record. The Hurricanes also have lost 28 of 41 Tuesday night games. Boston is the much better team on special teams in comparison with the Canes as they have a strong edge early this season both on the power play and on the penalty kill. The Bruins also have won 20 of 27 when playing with two days of rest between games. Look for a road rout here. 10* BOSTON

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #11 Sunday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) @ Anaheim Ducks @ 8:05 ET - On the season it is a miracle that the Ducks even have the "decent" record they do. No team is putting fewer pucks on net and no team is allowing more shots on goal than Anaheim. That said, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Ducks have lost 4 straight games and 6 of their last 8. Now they must face an angry bunch of Sharks on Sunday and I don't expect this to go well for Anaheim. San Jose is off a road loss at Carolina (in OT) where they had leads of 2-0 and 3-1 and yet only could earn a point with the regulation tie. Coming off a loss is not the only motivation of the Sharks here. San Jose lost 5-2 to the Ducks to ruin their home opener and that was despite a 33-15 edge in shots on goal. Of course Anaheim was seeking revenge for last season's playoff sweep at the hands of the Sharks and they got it even though they were outshot by a more than 2 to 1 ratio! The fact is San Jose deserved better in that game and they will get the better of the Ducks in "round two" of their regular season match-ups tonight! Prior to the early October loss to the Ducks, San Jose had won 6 straight games against them. Also, the Sharks are 5-1 in their last 6 games at Anaheim. Lay it! 10* SAN JOSE SHARKS

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 6:05 ET - This is a special early start game (3:05 PT) Friday in Vegas as it is Nevada Day which is a holiday celebrating Nevada's statehood anniversary. In any event the early start time only helps Tampa Bay as it is played at 6 PM on their body clocks (ET) and, the fact is, the Lightning didn't really need any help here! They are playing fantastic hockey and limiting opponents chances and have been superb on special teams. TB has a 97% penalty kill rate and a 25.8% power play conversion rate. The Golden Knights have been solid on the penalty kill at 84% but are only scoring on 10.9% of their power plays! Vegas also is in trouble here from a double revenge standpoints. The Golden Knights won both games with the Bolts last season including on a late goal with 3 seconds left in their lone meeting in Vegas. The point is that the Lightning have plenty of motivation and this is a very strong hockey club that many expect to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season! The Lightning have won 29 of 42 road games with a posted total of 5.5 goals. Vegas has lost 4 of their 6 games against Eastern Conference foes this season and are definitely in a "sophomore slump" in their 2nd season in the league. It will be tough for them to repeat last year's success as everyone is gunning for them this season and that includes these Bolts! 10* TAMPA BAY

Total of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers @ 7:05 ET - The Flyers are off a 4-1 home loss to the Avalanche but were previously 7-1 to the over this season! Philadelphia's 4 road games this season have averaged 8.5 goals per game. That said, when the total on this game dropped from a 6 to a 5.5 early this morning, I knew it was go time with this one. Yes, each team is dealing with a few injuries right now but the full season numbers with these hockey clubs truly tells the full story. The fact is too that one good game from goalie Tuukka Rask for the Bruins doesn't mean he is all the way back! Boston allowed a total of 17 goals in his first 4 start this season and all 4 went over the total. The potent Bruins offensive attack has averaged scoring 6 goals per game in their 3 home games this season! But will Boston have full intensity on defense here? Their Original Six rival and division rival Montreal Canadiens are up next. If Bruins lose focus here, even if just in spurts, the Flyers have the potent offense to make them pay. The issue for Philly though is they have struggled to keep the puck out of their own net and I expect that to continue to be an issue tonight! The over is 4-0 this season when Philadelphia is off a non-conference game. The over is 3-1 this season when the Bruins are off a game in which they scored 4 or more goals. 10* OVER the total in Boston

NHL Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Florida Panthers Money Line (+) @ New York Islanders @ 7:05 ET - The Panthers, last night notwithstanding, have played much better than their record so far this season indicates. Of course that is why the odds makers (much sharper than the public) opened up with Florida as the favorite in this one! Now the line, as of early game day morning, has swung around to the Islanders as the favorite. This comes as no surprise to me and I love the Panthers in this spot. Even though this is a back to back for Florida, the situation absolutely favors them. The Islanders have been complaining about too much time off between games and they enter this one having been off for 3 straight days. Too much rest can take away your "game legs" and you just tend to not skate as well and you don't adjust as quickly to the action on the ice. Look for the Panthers to get the early jump on the Isles here and then keep their foot on the gas on the way to a big road win. Florida is so hungry for a strong performance after the tough one against the Rangers last night. The Panthers outhshot the Rangers but came up on the wrong end of the scoreboard but look for a stronger effort between the pipes tonight. In home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals, the Islanders have lost 24 of 36 games! The road team has won 5 of the last 6 meetings between these teams and the Panthers won their two games here last year by a combined score of 7 to 1. Look for another road rout here. 10* FLORIDA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Tuesday NHL 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - Of course this money line will entice people to take Nashville on home ice laying a short price. After all, the Sharks have lost 11 of their last 12 games in this building and the one win came in the shootout. However, San Jose is a very strong hockey team that is catching Nashville at the perfect time. The Predators are off a great road trip where their head coach challenged them and they delivered. I suspect they may not have enough left in the tank here to get past the hungry Sharks. Keep in mind, Nashville's Juuse Saros has been playing great between the pipes as Pekka Rinne is out right now but there is a reason Saros is the back-up and not the starter. Also, the Preds have the best record in the NHL at 7-1 so far but Nashville has played only 2 playoff teams from last season. In fact the non-playoff teams they've faced all finished 11th or worse in their respective conference standings last season. Though the Predators have a great goal differential this season note that their shot differential is only +1.6 a game while the Sharks have dominated in shot differential as they've registered a +12.3 shots per game. This is a great value spot with the Sharks and they catch the Preds feeling over-confident after the great road trip they just had. Nashville has lost 12 of 20 (-7.9 units!) when off a shutout win. Sharks have won 23 of their last 34 Tuesday games. 10* SAN JOSE

NHL Network Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs St Louis Blues @ 8:05 ET - The Blues are known for defense but have struggled in their own zone this season. Yes St Louis got the upset win at Toronto Saturday and held the Maple Leafs to just 1 goal but, previously, the Blues were allowing an average of 4 goals per game on the season. That said, a trip to Winnipeg could highlight those defensive shortcomings again. The Jets like to push the pace and put opponents on their heels and this is especially true when they are the host. Winnipeg has won 3 of 4 games so far on this 6 game homestand and the Jets have done it courtesy of an offense that is averaging 4 goals per game. The Blues have 0 unders in their 3 divisional games this season and are also 2-0 to the over when off a game where they scored 4 or more goals. The Jets are 2-0 to the over in games against teams with a losing record and, after a win by a multiple goal margin, Winnipeg has had 0 unders in 3 games. Additionally, when the Jets enter a game having played each of their three prior games at home, the over has gone 18-9. Huge edges for a high-scoring one north of the border. There is some 5.5 becoming available on this game but I am happy to take the over 6 at a plus money return as I expect at least 7 goals in this one. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #17 Saturday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) @ Minnesota Wild @ 8 ET - This is a back to back spot for Minnesota so that means back-up goalie Alex Stalock is likely to get the start. If the Wild do instead decide to go with Devan Dubnyk it would be a tough spot for him as he'll be going on back to back nights and with travel involved and with coming off a tough game at Dallas that definitely involved exerting a lot of effort. This is Tampa Bay's first road game of the season and they are one of the top teams in the NHL and ready to use this 5-game road trip to the north and then west as a proving ground that this team is ready for "next level". Truly the Bolts have been close in recent seasons and they are very healthy right now (also got Ryan Callahan back) and, unlike Minnesota, they are well rested here too. The Lightning are 0-5-1 in their last 6 trips here so it is time to prove themselves on the road against the Wild. They did beat Stalock when they hosted Minny early last season. The Wild have lost 27 of 45 Saturday games and also have lost 18 of their last 31 when playing the 2nd game of a back to back. The Lightning have won 47 of their last 78 games against teams with a losing record and they are priced very well here as a rather small favorite. 10* TAMPA BAY

Total of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 8* OVER the total in Montreal Canadiens vs St Louis Blues @ 7:05 ET - There is some historical trend data that supports the under in this match-up but, ladies and gentlemen, that just doesn't mean anything when current situations with teams have changed drastically. That said, there is excellent value with the over in this match-up because Montreal has been playing a very up-tempo style this season and the Blues are struggling in their own zone but the betting markets have yet to catch up. That said, and with a total of 5.5 on this game, there is excellent value with the over in this match-up. The Canadiens have scored 4 or more goals in 3 of their last 4 games. The Habs also have allowed at least 3 goals in all but 1 of their games this season. The Blues have allowed an average of 4 goals per game this season. St Louis has averaged scoring 3.5 goals per game their last 4 games and they are going to push very hard for a win Wednesday evening in Montreal as they look to bounce back from a slow start to the season. Only 1 of the Blues 5 games this season has resulted in an under. Carey Price is expected to be back between the pipes for the Canadiens tonight but he hasn't played in nearly a week and is trying to come back from a battle with the flu. Price has given up 6 goals in his last 2 games versus the Blues. More of the same here. 10* OVER the total in Montreal

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total Pittsburgh Penguins vs Vancouver Canucks @ 7:05 ET - Total of 6.5 may look to be "too much" to the average bettor but this total opened up at this big number with good reason. The Penguins are likely to have Matt Murray back between the pipes tonight but he is returning from a concussion that he suffered in practice recently and he has struggled in his two starts this season. The Canucks are likely to have Anders Nilsson between the pipes and he has been surprisingly successful in his first two starts this season. However, there is a reason he is normally the back-up to Jacob Markstrom. Also, the Penguins have revenge against the Canucks as they were swept in two games versus Vancouver last season including one that Nilsson started. That said I look for the Penguins to push hard in this game in the offensive zone (especially coming off of the loss at Montreal Saturday) and that should lead to plenty of goals here. The issue for the Pens is in their own zone, especially after the loss of defenseman Justin Schultz. So the Canucks should answer the Penguins goal for goal in a wild one here. Both games between these clubs went over the total last season. Also, the Canucks have averaged 3.8 goals per game this season. The Penguins have had one bad game (hosting Montreal) but have averaged scoring 4.7 goals per game in their other 3 games! When playing against a team with a winning record, in the first half of a season, the Pens have gone over in 22 of their last 29. Look for another one here. 10* OVER the total in Pittsburgh 

Earliest Cash - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Thursday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-) @ Buffalo Sabres @ 7 ET - The Avalanche are in the pick'em price range here and that is offering great line value with the much better team. Of course we get the low line here because the Avs are on the road and I love this spot for a bounce back for Colorado. The Avalanche started Phillip Grubauer in Tuesday's loss at Columbus but Semyon Varlamov should be back between the pipes for this one. Colorado is 2-0 with him in the crease this season and the Avs have won those two games by a combined score of 9-3. The Sabres are off rare back to back wins but note that Buffalo was oushot by a combined tally of 81 to 46. In other words, give some credit to the Sabres but also note that they've been quite fortunate. Sure there have been some changes for both hockey clubs coming into this season but, keep in mind, Buffalo was dead last in the standings last season out of all 31 NHL teams while the Avalanche made the playoffs last year. This is a tremendous value spot for taking the Avs at a great price and I won't pass it up and, in fact, am raising this one to Top Play status due to the superb line value. Sabres off B2B wins and Avalanche off a bad loss where they know they played poorly combines for a great situational spot. 10* COLORADO 

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Tuesday 10* Top Play Philadelphia Flyers Money Line (-) vs San Jose Sharks @ 7:05 ET - Even though James van Riemsdyk, the Flyers prized off-season acquisition, is out for this game there is still plenty of positive buzz around this team right now. This is Philadelphia's home opener and the Flyers are in a great scheduling spot here as they've been off since Saturday. Philly is hungry as that Saturday game was a loss at Colorado which followed a fantastic effort on the ice in Vegas on Thursday as they upset the Golden Knights in a very tough barn to play in! Now the Flyers are in bounce back mode and while it is true that the Sharks are also in bounce back mode. It is also true that San Jose is in a tough scheduling spot. This is a back to back spot for the Sharks after they lost 4-0 against the New York Islanders yesterday. The scheduling situation certainly favors the Flyers. Also, San Jose will likely go with back-up goalie Aaron Dell between the pipes in this one as Martin Jones was in goal last night. Though Dell has had success against the Flyers in the past there is certainly a reason he has always been the back-up to Jones in San Jose. Big scheduling edge and great line value here for the home team as the Flyers opened up as the dog in this match-up. Also note that, in terms of special teams, the Sharks have yet to score a power play goal in their 3 games while they've also allowed a 25% conversion rate for their opponents on the power play this season. 10* PHILADELPHIA

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:10 ET - This line was a low as -130 when it first came out and it has now moved to as high as a -150 as of game day morning. This has opened up great value with Washington. Yes, everyone expects Vegas to bounce back because they are on home ice but home ice truly hasn't been that critical in Capitals games this post-season. The fact is the Golden Knights have already had two chances to bounce back and they haven't done it. The result has now been 3 straight losses this season. Although Vegas has never lost 4 straight games this season, Washington is 3-0 in potential close-out games in this post-season and ALL 3 of those wins came on the road. Also, the last 7 times the Capitals have entered a game on a 3-game winning streak, they are a perfect 7-0. Washington hasn't just won the last 3 games against Vegas, they've dominated. The 3-2 win they led 3-0 and the final score didn't reflect how well the Capitals played throughout the game. Then the past two games the Caps have won by a combined score of 9 to 3. As I have said throughout this series, the Capitals and Alex Ovechkin are so hungry for the Cup that has eluded them throughout his great career with Washington. As great of a story as Vegas has been this season, the Capitals have another thing going for them that the Golden Knights absolutely don't and the markets have overlooked this throughout this series. The Caps have a key core group that has played together for many seasons (including post-seasons) in their quest for the Cup. Of course for the Knights this is their inaugural season so it is a much different situation for them. They simply can't match the cohesiveness that the Capitals have. The players on the Caps know each others tendencies so well from playing together for many seasons. That is why their passing and ability to look crisp on the ice and "make the plays" has been so much better than the Knights throughout this series. With how well that the Capitals have played on the road throughout these playoffs, it is only fitting that the series will indeed end tonight with yet another Caps victory on enemy ice. The Capitals have allowed 2 goals or less in 5 of their last 6 games. The Golden Knights have not held the Caps to less than 3 goals in any of these games as Vegas is allowing an average of 4 goals per game. More of the same in what proves to be the final game of this post-season. 10* WASHINGTON

Total of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Golden Knights have now lost two straight games for the first time in this post-season. The last time Vegas did this (end of the regular season) they won their next game 1-0. However, that low-scoring output for the Golden Knights in this situation was very unlikely. The 9 prior times (dating back to early November) that Vegas entered a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games, the Golden Knights averaged scoring 4 goals per game! In other words, a big push from Vegas can absolutely be expected here. The fact is that the Knights are smart enough to realize that their approach the past two games has not worked. Settling into a low-scoring grinder game is not working at all for Vegas. They scored just 2 goals in Game 2 and lost and 1 goal in Game 3 and lost. In Game 1 the Golden Knights exploded for 6 goals and won. Adding to the value here is that there have been a number of missed opportunities for both teams with so many shots off the iron and unbelievable "just-missed" scoring chances with a wide-open net. The point is that Game 1 easily went over, Game 2 never should have stayed under (5 goals through 2 periods), and now we're being given insane value with the over 5.5 in Game 4 still set at a plus money price on the over. This game is going to be much more wide open because Vegas is now desperate to tie this series up and avoid a nearly insurmountable 3-1 deficit. The Golden Knights will be much more aggressive in Game 4 and this should lead to more Vegas goals but I don't see them stopping a Capitals team that has scored 3 or more goals in 5 straight games. The Caps have, in fact, averaged 3.5 goals per game in their 26 games since the calendar turned the page to April 1st - no fooling! The over is 9-5 the last 14 times Vegas was off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. The over is 22-13 this season when the Capitals are off of a win by two or more goals. 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:15 ET - The Capitals Evgeny Kuznetsov has been upgraded to probable for this game and that certainly is good news for Washington and helps our cause here in terms of the over. Game 1 easily went over the total and then Game 2 fell just short even though they had 5 goals at the end of two periods. There have been a lot of missed opportunities and shots off the pipe so far in just two games of this series and yet we've still seen 15 goals scored. As strong as Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury were in Game 2, there will still some juicy rebounds from Fleury and of course Holtby had the incredible game-saver on Alex Tuch of the Golden Knights that ultimately kept this game under the total. Vegas will be more aggressive about creating good scoring chances in this one and they're going to get more traffic in front of the net and create screens to make Holtby's job even tougher. At the same time, I have no doubt the Capitals will enjoy a big surge on home ice riding the momentum of the Game 2 win and they'll pressure Fleury early and often in this game. The over is 20-11 this season in Washington's home games  with a posted total of 5.5 goals. The over is 3-0 in this post-season when the Golden Knights are tied up in a series. Also, the over is 11-5 this season when Vegas has 2 days of rest between games. 10* OVER the total in Washington

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Capitals are 4-1 (80%) in this post-season when trailing in a playoff series. Washington is a long-term 71-37 when playing with revenge and that includes 28-14 (67%) this season. After a loss by 2 goals or more, the Caps are 34-18 the past 3 seasons combined. While credit must be given to the Golden Knights for certain, I have never seen a team have so much "puck luck" throughout a post-season. Vegas has had "lady luck" on their side to say the least and a critical missed penalty in the 3rd period directly resulted in the Golden Knights game-tying goal. They never should have won Game 1. They won't win Game 2. They were out-hit in Game 1 and the Capitals are going to again "lower the boom" in Wednesday's game and Vegas gets pummeled in this one because you can not even begin to imagine the hunger that Alex Ovechkin and Company have for this game. The Golden Knights literally "stole" Game 1 and "payback" comes in a big way Wednesday and I am thrilled to have the generous underdog payback on my side in this one. 10* WASHINGTON

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Monday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - One may think that the Golden Knights have a rest "edge" here since they certainly have had more rest than the Capitals heading into this game. However, as has been stated many times in the past, rest can lead to "rust" when it is excessive. In this case, Washington has had 3 days off which is a nice break and adequate to heal up. As for Vegas, they have had a full week off! This is the perfect amount of time off to lose your edge, lose crispness of passes, lose the "flow of the game" because no matter how much a team practices it is simply not the same as doing game time "battle" on the ice. Keep in mind the Golden Knights lost Game 1 of the Western Conference finals at Winnipeg and it had a lot to do with a sluggish start to the series because Vegas had been off for nearly a full week. Also, note that Washington is off of back to back shutouts and they are now 16-4 in recent seasons (including 3-0 this season) when they enter a game off of a shutout win. Also, Caps games have recorded 3 straight unders and the Capitals are 16-6 in recent seasons (including 6-1 this season) when they enter a game on a totals streak of 3 or more consecutive unders. Since the calendar turned the page to 2018, the Golden Knights have had 10 games where they were playing with 2 or more days of rest between games. They've won only 4 and lost 6 of those games. Much has been made of the Capitals success on the road in these playoffs and the fact is that it is no fluke as Washington actually is on a 15-3 run in road games dating back to early March! Overall, in the Caps playoff games this post-season, the road team has prevailed in 13 of 19 games! That said, there is great line value here as the home ice "edge" always bears a "price" and yet in this case it certainly is not justifiable given the factors above. 10* WASHINGTON

THE Game of the Year - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Wednesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - Yes I am going "big" here considering I do play many underdogs in money line sports. However, this situation is so strong in my opinion (with this line dropping from as high as a -155 now down to as low as a -140) as of Tuesday afternoon, that this one demands being played large. The Lightning didn't play all that poorly in Game 6 it was just that the Capitals played out of their minds and certainly a couple breaks went their way as well. Credit is absolutely due to Washington for playing very physical as the game went on and for fighting hard for the home fans and forcing this Game 7. But don't be surprised if that game leaves them spent here. Yes I know it is just "one more game" for each team but the Caps really laid it all on the ice in Game 6 whereas Tampa Bay certainly didn't seem to have that same energy or jump in their skates. Rest assured you will see that  from the Lightning Wednesday in Game 7. Lets not forget that Game 6 was Braden Holtby's first shutout of the ENTIRE season not just post-season. As for Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the loss was certainly not on him as he continued to play great and lets not forget that the Bolts had won 3 straight in this series before that loss. Also, Tampa Bay has won 24 of 34 when playing with revenge this season. Additionally, the Lightning have won 15 of 21 this season when they are off of a loss by a multiple goal margin. Washington is 2-4 their last 6 when they are on the road following a game they won by a margin of 3 or more goals. The Capitals notched 34 shots on goal in Game 6 and the Bolts are a fantastic 6-1 the last 7 times they've allowed their opponent 33 or more shots on goal. The Lightning respond, as usual in this type of situation, and this time it means a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals. 10* TAMPA BAY

East Beast - Rickenbach NHL Game #9 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is playing extremely well now after struggling in the series. Certainly he has helped lead the way to 3 straight Tampa Bay wins and I expect his success to continue tonight. Prior to Tampa's Game 5 home win (much more dominant than the final score indicates by the way), the road team in Capitals games was on a 12-4 run! That said, even with Saturday's result included, there has been a strong trend toward no home ice edge in Washington's post-season games. Of course odds makers still give shading to the home team as long-term history supports that. However, that is where value comes into play and we have it again here as the Bolts are the better team, getting better goaltending, and playing with a ton of confidence right now. The Capitals are enduring another one of their famed post-season collapses in a series and that sets this one up well for a road rout. The Lightning are 10-4 (including 5-1 this season) when leading in a playoff series. Dating back to March 30th, the Capitals have lost 7 of their last 11 home games. Also, in their last 8 games the Capitals have scored only 5 power play goals but have allowed 10. The Bolts surge continues and the Caps season ends tonight. 10* TAMPA BAY

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #8 Sunday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 3:05 ET - The very first money line that came out on this game was in the wee hours of the morning Saturday soon after Vegas had won Game 4 on Friday night. The opener was a 170 and this line is now down to as low as a 133 as of the wee hours of the morning on game day. This is offering insane value to the home team. Yes the Golden Knights have won 3 straight in this series but the Jets are known for responding on home ice. That said, while credit is certainly due to Vegas and particularly goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for his fantastic goaltending performance of late, the fact remains that Winnipeg has made mistakes that have led to easy goals for the Knights. I don't see those same mistakes continuing and that is particularly true on home ice where Winnipeg has been so dominant all season. In fact, when the Jets are playing on home ice following a loss, they have won 14 of 15 games this season. I just don't see them being eliminated north of the border. The Golden Knights are going to get the Jets "best" in this game and that means a result similar to the Game 1 blowout here in Winnipeg. The big drop on the price from the opener has allowed me to raise this play to my highest level. Tremendous value here. 10* WINNIPEG

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - The Jets are 8-2 this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 2 or more games. Winnipeg is going to carry momentum to Game 4 from their huge effort in the 3rd period of Game 3 on Wednesday. In that game the Golden Knights scored early on a bit of a "fluke" play that led to a turnover. Then Vegas was buoyed by some incredible saves by Marc-Andre Fleury as well as some help from the pipe making saves and there have been quite a few that have rung off the post or cross-bar in this series. The Jets have won 12 of 16 Friday games. They have won 32 of 46 when playing with revenge and also Winnipeg has won 13 of 19 when coming off of a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more. Even with the win on Wednesday, Vegas is just 2-4 the last 6 times they've been off of a victory by a margin of 2 or more goals. The Jets are known as a high-scoring team and, prior to these past two games, Golden Knights goalie Fleury had allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of his last 6 games. The Jets are an incredible 10-1 this season when they enter a game having been held to 2 goals or less in 2 or more consecutive games. 10* WINNIPEG

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Thursday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - The road ice edge belongs to Tampa Bay in this one. All kidding aside, road teams continue to dominate in Washington's post-season games. The road team has won 11 of the Capitals 15 playoff games. As for the Lightning, they lost their first road game of the post-season but they certainly haven't looked back nor dwelled on it. The Bolts have since won 4 straight playoff games away from home! Long-term, Tampa Bay is 24-11 when trailing in a playoff series and the way they played in Game 3 has the Capitals feeling like "oh no...here we go again" as they've been known for playoff collapses in recent seasons. It is because of this key factor that all the pressure is on the Caps here. Washington knows they can ill afford to go back down to Tampa Bay with this series now tied. This is a lot of pressure to deal with and the Capitals are likely to be squeezing the sticks a little tight in this one! Conversely, the Lightning are feeling rejuvenated and alive with energy and confidence after getting back into the series with a resounding Game 3 win. The Bolts are 34-15 this season when off of a game where they scored at least 4 goals. Look for TB to stay hot here. Dating all the way back to December 1st there have been only two occurrences where the Lightning won only 1 game. In other words, they've been consistently building streaks over the past 5 and 1/2 months. When they win a game it is usually the beginning of at least a 2-game streak and I expect that to prove to be the case again here. 10* TAMPA BAY

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Vegas Golden Knights @ 9:05 ET - The Jets are a perfect 3-0 in this post-season when tied up in a series. Also, Winnipeg is 32-13 this season when playing with revenge. When off of a loss by a multiple goal margin this season the Jets have responded by going 13-5 in their next game. The Golden Knights are off the big 3-1 road win Monday but previously were just 18-14 in their 32 prior games. The Jets have not lost back to back games since mid-March. Since then, Winnipeg is a perfect 6-0 when off of a loss. Also, the Jets were a long-term 20-5 their last 25 games before that poor result in Game 2 on home ice. Winnipeg responds big here. Yes Vegas is a tough venue to play in but the Jets are 7-2 in their last 9 road games and the Golden Knights have lost 6 of their last 15 home games. In other words, it is not like Vegas is unbeatable on home ice and I love getting the plus money value here with the team I absolutely expect to represent the Western Conference in the Finals. The Jets had more regular season points than any other team that still remains in the playoffs and, keep in mind, they won that huge Game 7 at Nashville (the #1 seeded team) to get to this point. The Jets will be ready here. 10* WINNIPEG

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Tuesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - Though the Capitals pleaded with the league front office to allow them to play Game 3 in Tampa Bay, NHL officials demanded that the game game take place in Washington. I jest of course but the fact is that the Capitals have been great on the road in these playoffs and certainly have not played well on home ice. The road team has won 10 of the Caps 14 post-season games thus far. The Lighting, embarrassed by the way they played on home ice thus far in this series, are certainly going to come to play tonight on the road at Washington! The Bolts are 22-9 this season when off of a loss. That includes 6-2 when Tampa Bay is entering a game off of 2 or more consecutive defeats. The Lightning went 23-10 this season when playing with revenge and that includes 11-4 when it is home loss revenge. After a loss by a margin of 2 goals or more the Lightning went 14-6 this season. When off of B2B losses by 2 or more goals (RARE!) the Bolts went 3-1 this season. When the Capitals enter a game on a winning streak of 4 or more games they went 2-6 this season! The Lightning are simply too strong of a hockey team to not "circle the wagons" and get back into this series with a win. I look for that win to come tonight in Game 3 and we're getting great line value since they are on the road. 10* TAMPA BAY 

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 8:05 ET - Vegas gave up a bunch of goals as I expected in Game 1 but the over ended up being a tough push as there were 4 first period goals but nothing in third period and the game ended on 6 goals. Keep in mind, the Golden Knights closed out their prior series with a shutout win over San Jose but Vegas certainly had some "puck luck" on their side in that one as the Sharks had a number of great scoring opportunities just miss finding the back of the net. Also, previous to that game the over was 4-1 in the Knights 5 prior games. The Jets entered Game 1 (total pushed) having gone 4-2 to the over in their 6 prior games. Also, the 3 regular season games between these teams this season averaged nearly 8 goals per game. The over is 14-9 this season in Vegas road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. The over is a long-term 15-9 in Jets home games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. A lot of firepower for the Jets who led the league in scoring on home ice this season and don't discount the speed of the Golden Knights giving them plenty of open ice scoring opportunities. Vegas came out sluggish to start Game 1 after the long layoff but they'll be ready to go right away in this one after the disappointing Game 1 result. Also, Vegas will make some adjustments to make sure they're getting some more quality scoring chances Monday after getting manhandled much of the game on Saturday. The over is 10-6 this season when Vegas is off of a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals. After Game 1 died late, look for this one to see much more balanced scoring throughout from both hockey clubs. Very dangerous, very fast, very skilled teams matched up here in the Wild Wild West! 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #56 Sunday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line -1.5 goals +155 vs Washington Capitals @ 8:05 ET - The Lighting are going to respond in a huge way after the Game 1 loss. Of course I am not going to lay 2 to 1 odds with the Bolts on the money line. I don't play big priced money line faves in NHL or MLB. However, I am expecting a blowout out here and that is why I am grabbing the huge value with Tampa Bay as high as a +155 return on investment on the puck line. Of course one can't just blindly lay the -1.5 goals but there is certainly ample support here for doing just that. The last 14 times that Tampa Bay has notched a win off of a loss, 13 of the 14 victories have come by 2 goals or more! Also, 14 of the Capitals 21 road losses this season have come by 2 goals or more. This includes EACH of Washington's last 5 losses away from home. All 5 of those road defeats have come by a multiple goal margin. The fact is that I look for a huge response from Tampa Bay here as they even up the series on home ice and you can see why recent trending like the 13-1 and 5-0 above fully support that this victory should come by at least a 2-goal margin! The Bolts are a long-term 23-10 when trailing in a playoff series. TB is also 23-9 when playing with revenge this season and that includes a razor sharp 11-3 when it is home loss revenge! After losing a game by a margin of 2 goals or more, the Lightning have bounced back - 14-5 this season! More of the same here in an expected home blowout! 10* TAMPA BAY Puck Line -1.5 goals +155

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Thursday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The Jets are 30-13 this season when playing with revenge. After getting blasted 4-0 on home ice Monday, they've had two days in between games so there is plenty of aggression ready to be unleashed on the ice Thursday. That said, in this Game 7 I look for Winnipeg to come out flying. Keep in mind the Jets have scored at least 3 goals in 6 of their last 7 visits to Nashville. There is certainly not a big home ice for the Predators here. The Jets have averaged 4 goals per game in their last 7 games here. The Preds have actually been held to 2 goals or less in 3 of their last 4 home games. In this series the road team has actually outshot the home team in 5 of the 6 games. I feel we're getting excellent line value here with the sizable road dog. The net edge in shots on goal in this series is 10 extra shots per game for the road team. On average every 10 shots usually equates to 1 goal. Give the road team the 1 goal edge here and look for Winnipeg to fire back strong after what happened in Game 6 north of the border. The Predators have lost 14 of 21 when tied in a playoff series. Also, Nashville has lost 14 of 24 (-$7,800) when off of a shutout win. The Jets are 12-5 this season when off of a loss by a margin of 2 or more goals this season and they bounce back strong here to advance to the Western Conference finals. 10* WINNIPEG

Best Bet Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #4 Monday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (-) vs Nashville Predators @ 9:35 ET - Many books opened this one up in the -160 range and yet the markets had pushed this as low as a -140. As of game day morning there are still some books as low as a -145 on this one. The fact is that the markets are still grasping on to the fact that the Predators made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last spring. However, Nashville is not the hockey club they were last year and the Jets are on home ice where they've dominated. Winnipeg lost their most recent game on home ice (in Game 4) but the Jets had previously won 13 straight at home! What is amazing about this 13-1 run is that Winnipeg has allowed an average of just 2 goals per game! It is no wonder they've dominated on home ice with numbers like that because this is a Jets team that has averaged 4 goals per game on home ice this season! While Winnipeg is so tough on home ice, note that the Predators have now allowed 4 or more goals in 4 of the 5 games in this series! Pekka Rinne is struggling between the pipes and the Preds production on offense is also down as they've been held to 2 goals or less in 4 of their last 7 games. The home team has had more shots on goal in 4 of the 5 games in this series and the average margin has been 14 shots in those 4 games! With the Jets being the best team on home ice all season long (and yet losing their most recent game here), they are well worth laying the price here as they bring their top effort of the series in an effort close it out tonight at home. 10* WINNIPEG

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #66 Sunday 10* Top Play San Jose Sharks Money Line (-) vs Vegas Golden Knights @ 7:35 ET - No team has won 2 straight games in this series and I look for that pattern to continue here. The Sharks are 21-9 this season when off of a game where they allowed 4 or more goals. Also, when on home ice in that situation, it has been a perfect 4-0 run the last 4 occurrences. The Golden Knights are 4-5 their last 9 road games. Vegas has been held to 1 goal or less in 5 of last 9 road games. The Golden Knights have allowed 3 or more goals in 5 of last 7 games away from home. In Game 5 on home ice Vegas won the shots on goal battle but that was the first time since Game 1 and that first game had an edge of only 1 shot for the Golden Knights. The Sharks actually had outshot Vegas by 27 shots on goal in Games 2 through 4 and they'll wrestle back the momentum here on home ice where San Jose has won 13 of their last 18 games. With a very fair price here (moderate favorite), the Sharks are well worth the investment in this elimination game situation. 10* SAN JOSE

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Saturday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 9:45 ET - The Jets won Game 1 in Nashville as Pekka Rinne had a bad game. Since then these teams have alternated wins and losses but Winnipeg has actually outshot the Predators in all 3 games. The Jets hold an edge of 128 to 100 in shots on goal over the Preds in the last 3 games. The road team has won 4 of the last 8 meetings between these teams and clearly there has been no home ice edge in recent match-ups between these teams. Keep in mind, in 2nd round games for all these series, the road team actually has won more than the home team. There continues to be value with road teams in the right spot and that is particularly true when they are the better team. I am convinced that Winnipeg is the better team in comparison with Nashville and we're getting a sizable plus money return here. Keep in mind, the Jets have held the Predators to 2 goals or less in 2 of the 4 games in this series. As for the Preds, prior to their Game 4 win, they had not held the Jets to less than 4 goals in any of the 4 prior games. In fact, Winnipeg averaged scoring 5 goals per game in those 4 games. Look for another offensive explosion from the Jets here as they come out firing on all cylinders after the 2-1 loss in Game 4 snapped a 13-game winning streak on home ice. The Jets are 29-13 this season when playing with revenge. Nashville is a long-term 7-13 when tied in a playoff series. 10* WINNIPEG

Early Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #23 Friday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The public is going to be all over the Bruins here. After all, they are on home ice and down 2-1 in this series. It is basically a must win for Boston. Here is the problem with that theory. The Lightning have proved throughout this series that they are the better and much deeper team. The only reason Tampa Bay lost Game 1 was because goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had a rare poor game between the pipes. He certainly has bounced back, as expected, since then and the Bolts have dominated play throughout this series. Not only have the Bolts outshot the Bruins in every game in this series, it has been a decided edge. Tampa Bay has a 104-73 edge in shots on goal and yes that averages an edge of 10 extra shots on goal per game compared to Boston. I look for more of the same here. The Lightning are 21-6 in second round playoff games and also 8-4 (including 3-1 this season) when leading in a playoff series. Look for the Bruins to drop to 1-3 when trailing in a playoff series. Also, Boston is only 29-34 (-$15,100) when playing with home loss revenge. 10* TAMPA BAY 

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #19 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The public is going to be on Pittsburgh here. The Penguins are the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions and are in a 2-1 hole on home ice. Of course with the public backing Pittsburgh you know where my money is but it is not without good logic. The fact is that the Tom Wilson suspension for the Capitals could have an interesting impact here. Are the Penguins ready to battle back in this series or will they get caught playing too physical trying to retaliate for the Wilson hit that broke the jaw of Zach Aston-Reese? The fact is that this could actually prove to be a bit of a distraction for the Pens. As for the Caps, they've had so much playoff disappointment there is no way Alex Ovechkin and Company aren't coming out strong in this one. Washington knows they can not afford to take their foot off the gas and what I particularly love about the value in this play is that there is always significant shading toward the home team in hockey and yet it doesn't add up here! The road team has won 7 of the last 10 playoff games in this match-up. With their win in Game 3, Washington now has wins in 3 of their last 4 playoff games played at Pittsburgh. Remember last year's series went 7 games and the road team won 5 of those. The road team is 2-1 so far in his year's series and the Capitals Braden Holtby has been sharper than the Penguins Matt Murray so far in this series. 10* WASHINGTON

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #55 Wednesday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Bolts outshot the Bruins by a combined 67-44 in the two games in Tampa. However, they only have a 1-1 split to show for it and that means TB must get at least 1 win in Boston to wrestle back the home ice edge in this series. Look for that win to come tonight. The Lightning are 7 for 25 (28%) on the power play in road games dating back to late March. In their last 19 penalty kills on the road, the Bolts have conceded just 2 goals! The Bruins are on an overall 3 for 16 run on the power play their last 7 games. Very few chances and a conversion rated below 20%! Also, Boston has allowed 5 power play goals on their opponents last 15 chances with the man advantage. Allowing opponents to convert 33% of power play opportunities is bad news! The Bruins are 15-17 (-$10,600) when tied in a playoff series and I feel they are again over-priced in that role here at home. In second round playoff games, the Lightning are an incredible 20-6 (+$13,200) and I'll gladly grab the underdog value here with the team playing better overall hockey, getting better goaltending, and playing better on special teams as well. 10* TAMPA BAY

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (+) @ Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:35 ET - The Capitals got the Game 2 win on home ice. However, road teams have dominated the post-season games involving BOTH the Caps and the Pens in these playoffs. Prior to the Game 2 result, the Penguins prior 6 post-season games had seen the road team go a perfect 6-0! As for Washington, the road team had won 6 of their 7 prior post-season games! Pittsburgh is the more banged up team entering this contest. While Washington's Tom Wilson is probable (no suspension), the Penguins have 3 players listed as questionable for tonight's game. Brian Dumoulin, Carl Hagelin, and Evgeni Malkin are all dealing with injuries. The Pens are just 1 for 15 on the power play their last 5 games. The Capitals have converted 10 of their last 31 power plays. Look for the road dominance involving both of these hockey clubs to continue here. 10* WASHINGTON

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #16 Monday 10* Top Play Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line (-) vs Boston Bruins @ 7:05 ET - The Lightning lost game one badly on home ice but actually outshot the Bruins 36 to 24. Off of a rare sub-par game, Andrei Vasilevskiy will bounce back between the pipes tonight for Tampa Bay. The Bolts are 10-3 this season when playing with home loss revenge. Also, the Lightning are 43-25 (including 13-5 this season) when off of a loss by a margin of two goals or more. The Bruins are a long-term 64-87 in road games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Also, Boston is 2-4 when leading in a playoff series. The Lightning are 4-0 the last 4 times they've been held to two goals or less in a game. I just don't see TB going down 2 games to 0 on home ice to open up this series. That said, even though -145 is a moderate price range, I am fully comfortable elevating the rating on this one to my Top Play level. 10* TAMPA BAY

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #89 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Vegas Golden Knights vs San Jose Sharks @ 8:05 ET - Before an embarrassing, ugly shutout loss in Game 1 of this series, the Sharks had won 5 of their last 6 games and averaged 4 goals per game. As for the Golden Knights, they've now won 9 of their past 12 games and Vegas has averaged scoring 3 goals per game during this stretch. The over 5.5 here is available with a plus money payback as high as a +130 as of early game day morning. The Sharks have had only 5 of their last 19 games result in an under. In San Jose's last 8 second round playoff games there has not been a single under. There have been just 3 unders in the Golden Knights last 8 games. The Sharks last 4 games have featured 10 special teams goals (power play or while on the penalty kill). Vegas has scored 8 power play goals in their last 7 home games. Look for more of the same here as San Jose comes out aggressive after the embarrassing Game 1 loss but the Golden Knights respond well and that leads to quite a few goals in this one! 10* OVER the total in Vegas

Top Play Special - Rickenbach NHL Game #83 Friday 10* Top Play Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+) @ Nashville Predators @ 8:05 ET - The home team will get plenty of love here from the markets but the Jets have won 4 of their last 5 road games and I was more impressed with the Minnesota club they beat then the Avalanche team the Predators got past in the first round. Yes the Avs have some talent but they didn't have their starting goalie and then they lost their #2 goalie during the series and yet the Predators still were taken to 6 games in that series. What the Jets did against the Wild was much more impressive as, keep in mind, Colorado barely even made it into the post-season and their goalie situation was troublesome. Both Winnipeg and Nashville enter this series off of shutout wins to end their prior respective series. The Predators have lost 13 of 23 (-$6,200) when off of a shutout win in recent seasons while the Jets have won 6 of 8 this season when off of a shutout victory. The Preds only 11-11 in Friday games in recent seasons while Winnipeg has won 11 of 15 Friday games this season. The Jets enters this series having converted 3 of last 12 power plays while the Predators are 0 for 9 with the man advantage in their last 3 games. Also, Pekka Rinne had a couple of rough games in the Avs series while Connor Hellebuyck has had only 1 bad start in his last 7 starts. I like the value with the underdog here. 10* WINNIPEG

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #88 Thursday 10* Top Play Washington Capitals Money Line (-) vs Pittsburgh Penguins @ 7:05 ET - The Penguins are without Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin for this game. The Capitals have playoff revenge from last year when they rallied back against the Penguins (after being down 3-1 in series) but lost Game 7 on home ice. The Caps will be ready here and they have plenty of momentum after the way they battled with Columbus. Sometimes it actually helps a team to keep playing and not have any extended time off. Right now Washington is in a good cycle with game day and off day basically alternating perfectly. The Capitals did get some extra rest with their clinching win coming Monday. The Penguins wrapped up their series even though as they wrapped up Sunday with the Flyers. The Pens also have extra rest but the losses of Malkin and Hagelin are definitely impacting. The Pens have lost 16 of 29 (-$7,900) this season in road games with a posted total of 6 goals or more. Both teams have been strong on the penalty kill in this post-season but the Capitals have the edge on the power play. Pittsburgh has converted 6 of 31 with the advantage dating back to their regular season finale. The Capitals have scored on 9 of their last 27 power plays!  10* WASHINGTON

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #25 Wednesday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 7:35 ET - The Maple Leafs are rolling with confidence right now. Yes the first two games of this series were ugly losses at Boston. However, they won Game 5 here and, overall, have now won 3 of the last 4 games in this series. In those games Toronto has outscored Boston 12-9. After falling behind 3-1 in the series, the Leafs have rallied back to force a Game 7. The confidence of this team, the way that goalie Frederik Andersen has responded after some tough times, the fact that the pressure is on Boston here to avoid another collapse in a playoff series...it all adds up to quite a lot of line value on the underdog Maple Leafs in this one. Toronto has won 8 of the last 12 match-ups between these teams. Andersen was in goal for all but one of those dozen games. Look for him to be a difference maker here. He has a .936 save percentage the last 4 games. As for the Bruins Tuukka Rask, he has an .894 save percentage in the last 4 games. Boston is just 1 for 9 on the power play in the last 4 games while the Maple Leafs are 3 for 10 on the power play in the last 5 games. Of course the Bruins have revenge here after dropping back to back games in this series but they have lost 66 of 119 (money burning -$34,800) when playing with revenge in recent seasons. 10* TORONTO

Game of the Month - Rickenbach NHL Game #20 Monday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - The Blue Jackets outplayed the Capitals in Game 5 but lost. It happens. However, that doesn't change the fact that we're now getting great line value with Columbus on their home ice and their backs against the wall. The Jackets won the first two games and yet now have lost three straight games. However, no one could truly argue that the Capitals are the better team in this match-up. In fact, Columbus was the better team in Game 5 and now they are on home ice and yet they're not even favored. This is the true definition of line value and a spot that is a perfect one to step up big. When leading in a playoff series the Capitals have lost 25 off 44 (-$14,600). Washington, when on the road and on an overall streak of 3 or more consecutive wins, have lost 4 of 6 this season! The Blue Jackets have won 22 of 35 home games with posted total of 5.5 goals this season and they'll get another one here after the bounces of the puck (and the calls) really went against them in Game 5 Saturday. 10* COLUMBUS

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #76 Sunday 10* Top Play Colorado Avalanche Money Line (+) vs Nashville Predators @ 7:05 ET - The Avalanche have received an incredible boost from the play of Andrew Hammond between the pipes. He came on in relief of Jonathan Bernier in Game 4 and then got his first start in Game 5 and all Hammond has done is save 52 of 53 shots! Playoff teams are known for riding hot goalies and Colorado is certainly "feeling it" right now. That said, and with this game also at home, the Avs are in a great spot for a huge upset win at a great comeback price. Keep in mind, these teams have alternated wins and losses in the last 4 games and the only win by a multiple goal margin in the last 4 games was when Colorado dominated the Predators in Game 3 on home ice. The Avalanche are an incredible 17-6 on home ice in games with a posted total of 6 or more goals. Nashville has a losing record (13-14) long-term when leading in a playoff series and they are simply very over-priced here given that they are on the road, Hammond is red hot between the pipes, and the Avs are looking to stave off elimination in their own barn. 10* COLORADO

Daytime Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #65 Saturday 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay Lightning vs New Jersey Devils @ 3:05 ET - There were 3 goals scored very early in Game 4 and it easily could have been 5 and should have at least been 4 as one was taken off on a questionable offsides call bases on video review. Long story short, more goals will be scored in Game 5 after some craziness took the wind out of the sails of the teams early in Game 4 and then it settled into a tighter, lower-scoring game. I expect the high-scoring to resume today back in Tampa Bay where the Lightning have scored 5 goals in each game in this series! In fact the Bolts are averaging 5.3 goals per game their last 4 games on home ice. The Devils have been very scrappy throughout this series and I don't expect them to go away quietly. That said, they had averaged 3.3 goals per game in the first 3 games of this series before struggling in Game 4 and I look for a bounce back here. Each of these clubs is 9-4 to the over this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. The over is 11-4 in New Jersey's last 15 games. The over is 30-14-2 in the Bolts last 46 games. 10* OVER the total in Tampa Bay 

Best Bet - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - With each of the first three games of this series, calling for a money line winner in this game is damn near close to a roll of a dice. However, where I feel we're getting value here in Game 4 is with this total at a 5.5 across the board. Keep in mind, the first two games in this series averaged 8 goals per game and both went over the total. Even though Game 3 stayed under the total, it did so just barely and that also had a lot to do with the teams combining to go just 1 for 8 on the power play. The power plays had been hot coming into Tuesday's game and I expect the high-scoring trend we saw earlier in the series to quickly resume. Not only have all 3 games gone to OT but also this will be the 3rd game in 5 nights so we could see some tired legs on defense in this one. Eventually teams start to wear each other down and there tends to be more open ice to execute in. With all the hockey that has already been played in this series (all 3 games going to OT) I expect that to be the case tonight. Keep in mind, the over is 5-1 in Capitals last 6 games and 8-1 in Columbus' last 9 games. Also, the Blue Jackets are 12-3 to the over this season when playing with home loss revenge. The over is 28-15 this season in Washington's games versus teams with a winning record. 10* OVER the total in Columbus

Primetime Punisher - Rickenbach NHL Game #59 Wednesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - The Lightning are going to push it here. They're tired of getting outdone in the 3rd period by the Devils and they finally paid the ultimate price for it in Game 3 as they lost 5-2 by being outplayed (again) by New Jersey in the 3rd period. The solution for Tampa Bay? Score more goals early and this is a team that is loaded with firepower so they are fully capable of it. They will be relentless in this game tonight and I look for them to do a little more "dirty work" in front of goalie Cory Schneider and get some goals off of a deflections and screens in front of him. A few put-backs off rebounds...those types of goals. Schneider has looked good since he replaced Keith Kincaid but he certainly is not unbeatable. That said, the Bolts really push it in this game but you have to give credit to the Devils for their ability to battle back in games and that is what I expect here. The result will be plenty of goals because also we've seen the special teams lead to plenty of power play goals already in this series. With tensions rising higher with each game, and more and more animosity, it is just unavoidable that guys will end up in the penalty box and power plays will result. The over is 5-1 in the 6 meetings between these teams this season (including 3-0 in this playoff series). The over is on an 11-3 run in Devils games. The over is 14-6 when TB faces a team with a winning record and the over is 18-10 when the Bolts are playing with revenge. The over is also 13-6 when NJ is off of a win by a multiple goal margin. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

Total Annihilation - Rickenbach NHL Game #51 Tuesday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Columbus Blue Jackets vs Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - Don't look for anything to slow down in this series. Washington peppered Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky with 58 shots in Game 2 but the Capitals are still down 2-0 in this series despite scoring 4 goals in that game. The fact is that the Caps have to keep pushing hard after losing both games on home ice in overtime. They will be relentless tonight and I don't think Bobrovsky is going to have the same "puck luck" he did in Game 2. Give him credit for a helluva game but the Capitals (7 goals already) will continue to find the back of the net tonight. The key to the value with the over here is not only that it is a 5.5 but also that the Blue Jackets are back on home ice where they've scored 4 or more goals in 7 of their last 10 games. They don't have to be passive here. With the added boost of confidence of winning both games on the road at Washington they can afford to be aggressive and they're also going to be looking to stay out of the penalty box. As a result, could they be a little too soft on defense? You bet. The Capitals are going to push hard here and the Blue Jackets only option will be able to get back into the game with attacking the offensive zone and peppering the Caps goalie. The over is 8-0 in the Blue Jackets last 8 games and 5-0 in Washington's last 5 games. Also, the Capitals are 17-5 to the over when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on home ice. The over is a long-term 11-5 in Columbus first round playoff games. Those perfect trends above are a combined 13-0 / 100%! I'll take it. 10* OVER the total in Columbus

Game of the Week - Rickenbach NHL Game #29 Monday 10* Top Play OVER the total in New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning @ 7:35 ET - Look for another wild one here as the Devils should play even better on home ice and they've played some great hockey in stretches in this series. The problem for New Jersey is they can't keep the puck out of their own net as the Lightning just have so much firepower. Look for Tampa Bay, buoyed by the confidence of a 2-0 series lead, to continue to be on the attack in Game 3. This should lead to a back and forth true barnburner that ends up a 4-3 or 5-4 type game in my opinion. There is a reason that this is the only total out of all 4 games Monday that is higher than 5.5 goals. It is fully justified and we're going to continue to see plenty of scoring in this one. The over is 29-16 this season when Tampa Bay is off of a game where they scored 4 or more goals. Overall, the Lightning enter this game on a 29-13 run to the over dating back to early January. New Jersey is 14-8 to the over (including 7-4 to the over this season) when they enter a game having played each of their 3 prior games on the road. Also, the Devils are 17-9 to the over when they are off of a game in which they allowed 4 or more goals. Look for these trends to continue here. 10* OVER the total in New Jersey

NBC Sports Network Rout - Rickenbach NHL Game #23 Sunday 10* Top Play Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line (+) @ Washington Capitals @ 7:35 ET - Common thinking will have most bettors backing the Capitals in this one. Of course that is why we've seen the money line on Washington moving even higher for Game 2 since it first opened up. As long-time followers know, there is nothing common about my thinking when I analyze games. The reason, of course, that most people will back the Caps here is because they lost Game 1 on home ice and the common man's thinking is there is no way they can lose a 2nd game on home ice and fall into an 0-2 hole in the series. However, the reality is that there is tremendous value on the road dog side in a situation like this because they have absolutely no pressure. They already stole 1 game on the road and now have a chance to just go out and go for that dagger to the heart of taking 2 straight games on the road to open up the series. All the pressure is on the home team. They know they can ill afford to go down 0-2 in this series. That pressure has been exasperated by the fact that there has been a 2-day layoff between games 1 and 2 of this series. This was even more time for the Blue Jackets to become more relaxed and confident while also giving more time for extreme pressure (and nervousness) to build up for the home team down 0-1. The only other home team that lost Game 1 (Anaheim) in this post-season sure enough lost game 2 too last night. I expect a repeat of that here. Keep in mind, the Capitals aren't quite what they once were as they lost some key contributors heading into this season. They are a quality hockey club but so too is Columbus and the Blue Jackets are more of an up and comer! Anything can happen on any day as we all know but this is a case where the road dog is offering fantastic value for all the reasons noted above. The Caps lost 5 of 8 Sunday games this season and the Blue Jackets have won 15 of 24 this season when playing with 2 days of rest between games. 10* COLUMBUS

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #61 Saturday 10* Top Play Toronto Maple Leafs Money Line (+) @ Boston Bruins @ 8 ET - The Maple Leafs suffered an ugly loss in Game 1 and they'll respond big here in Game 2. Keep in mind, 3 power play goals for the Bruins certainly made a huge difference in the game. It was a tight game for quite awhile and then suddenly Toronto imploded. That is unlikely to happen again. While Boston certainly is worthy of credit for how that game played out the fact is that the Bruins also had some good "puck luck" on their side with the bounces. The Maple Leafs know they can't afford to again spend so much time in the penalty box in this one and I expect a much smarter game from them in Game 2. Boston is a long-term 22-22 when leading in a playoff series while Toronto is 18-9 long-term when trailing in a playoff series. I fully expect a huge bounce back in this game and feel we're getting exceptional value continuing the Leafs do have a good recent history of winning games in Boston. The Maple Leafs also won 9 of 13 games this season when off of a game where they were held to 1 goal or less. Payback time for the Leafs and for us as there is a nice comeback price on this money line dog. 10* TORONTO

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #53 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:35 ET - The Jets won Game 1 with offense. They sat back on their heels too much early but once they got more aggressive the goals came in bunches. That said, I look for the pace in Game 2 to be much better from the get go as Winnipeg controls the tempo on home ice. They don't want to let the Wild hang around in the game like they did in Game 1. That very nearly cost the Jets as they were only up 1-0 after 2 periods and then Minnesota got two early third period goals to take the lead. Winnipeg took over from there and registered a ton of shots on goal in the 3rd period. This time the Jets will do that from the get go and I look for a lot of end to end action in this game with odd man rushes and break out opportunities. Keep in mind, and I can't remember the last time I have ever seen this and truly don't know that I have ever witnesses in my multiple decades of watching hockey, the Jets missed an open net about a half dozen times in the final two minutes of the game. Just getting one of those would have resulted in a 4-2 final. Those who took the Wild on the puck line (+1.5 goals) willing to lay ridiculous juice ended up very fortunate. But for me, it was the total that burned as I had the over 5.5 and lost. I fully expect easy payback here as the pace we saw in the 3rd period Wednesday will be more of an all game pace we see in this one! The Jets are the highest scoring team on home ice in the NHL and they need to exert that power right from the start in this one and they know it. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #13 Thursday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Washington Capitals vs Columbus Blue Jackets @ 7:35 ET - The Blue Jackets ended the season on a 6-0 run to the over. The Capitals ended the season on a 3-0 run to the over. Granted this is now post-season hockey but more on that below. The Blue Jackets are weak on the penalty kill. Columbus goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had a great regular season but is known for playoff struggles. Bobrovsky is an ugly 3-10 in his post-season career and has compiled a 3.63 GAA and .887 save percentage. The Capitals have decided to go with goalie Philipp Grubauer who has logged only 79 minutes of NHL playoff hockey in his career. They've decided to go with Grubauer over Braden Holtby and no matter what Grubauer says, he'll start looking over his shoulder as soon as Columbus pots a couple goals. It is hard when you're not the "real No. 1" for your team. The Blue Jackets scored 4 or more goals in 13 of their last 17 games. The Capitals wrapped up the regular season scoring 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 14 games. This is playoff hockey but we all saw the Penguins score 7 goals yesterday and the only reason the Jets game didn't go over the total is because Winnipeg inexplicably missed an empty net about a half dozen times over the final two minutes! Some of these early post-season games are going to be quite high-scoring. Things tighten up as the post-season goes on. This looks like an early barn-burner in my opinion. Only 4 of the Caps final 13 games resulted in an under. Columbus went 15-5 to the over their last 20 games. 10* OVER the total in Washington

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #3 Wednesday 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg Jets vs Minnesota Wild @ 7:05 ET - This total opened up at a 6 and dropped to a 5.5 and, of course, this is playoff hockey. However, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is only 24 and has exactly 0 games of NHL playoff experience! But how about that Winnipeg offensive production? The Jets won 32 of 41 home games this season thanks to a juggernaut offense that averaged 3.9 goals per game. Devan Dubnyk was great in the post-season last year despite his record. However, I don't see anybody stopping the Jets offensive machine at home. These teams have played 7 games in Winnipeg the past 3 seasons. The over is a perfect 7-0 in those games. The last 4 games here have averaged 9 goals per game. Minnesota scored 10 goals in their last two road games of the regular season and I look for this one to fly over the total as the over improves to 18-10 in Jets home games with a posted total of 5.5 goals this season. 10* OVER the total in Winnipeg 

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #1 Sunday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers @ 7:30 ET - The Bruins have a chance to earn the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference thanks to Tampa Bay slipping up yesterday. That said, you know the division rival Panthers would love to play the role of spoiler here. Yesterday, Florida showed their not going to quit on the season as they stormed out to a 3-0 lead and thing hung on for a 4-3 win versus the Sabres even after finding out their post-season hopes were dashed by the Flyers. This says a lot about the character of the Panthers and I am expecting another solid effort from them here. That is what leads me to the over in this match-up. First off we're getting great line value with this total posted at a 5.5 as of Sunday morning. Secondly, I just don't see the Panthers being able to keep the Bruins from scoring plenty in this one. Boston has scored 53 goals in their last 11 home games. Yes, you read that right and yes that is an average of nearly 5 goals per game! The over is 8-2-2 in the Bruins last 12 home games and the 2 pushes were at 6 goals so, at a 5.5, the over would be 10-2 in Boston's last 12 at home! The over is 24-17-1 in Florida's games versus teams with a winning record this season. Roberto Luongo was strong in goal in the Panthers win versus the Bruins Friday but the last time he faced them in Boston he allowed 4 goals. This is the 5th game in 7 days for Florida (this was a rescheduled match-up) and I look for tired legs on the Panthers defensemen to also be an issue. 10* OVER the total in Boston

Contrarian Crusher - Rickenbach NHL Game #71 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Colorado Avalanche vs St Louis Blues @ 9:05 ET - Of course this game has huge playoff implications so most will be looking at the under in this game because of the intensity that the game will have. There are two major problems with that viewpoint. Jake Allen and Jonathan Bernier. I know that Blues goalie Allen is normally a solid netminder. However, goalies tend to be very streaky and the last thing you need when you're going bad is a game with huge pressure. That said, Allen has gone 0-4 in his last 4 starts and has an ugly .869 save percentage. All 4 of those games have gone over the total. As for the Avalanche, you truly have to feel bad for them. It looked like they finally were going to playoffs (and they still can with a regulation win tonight) but then they lost #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov. The issue this has created is that Bernier is now the guy for the Avalanche. This is no disrespect to him but he is the #2 guy here for a reason and I feel he has not been dealing with the playoff pressure either! He has gone winless in his 3 starts since Varlamov got hurt and the Avs have lost those games by a combined score of 11-6. Look for many more goals than what most are expecting here because this goalie match-up features two guys that are definitely struggling right now! Also, the Avs are on an 11-2 run to the over in April games and the over is a PERFECT 7-0 this season when the Avalanche enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games. 10* OVER the total in Colorado

Situational Smash - Rickenbach NHL Game #57 Saturday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Florida Panthers vs Buffalo Sabres @ 7:05 ET - Florida is still alive in the playoff picture as of Saturday morning. The chances they are alive in the post-season race by the time they drop the puck on this evening's game are not good. The Flyers are a huge favorite in early action versus the Rangers and only need to earn a single point to earn a post-season berth and eliminate the Panthers. That said, I am expecting that Philly wins that game and that is going to put Florida in a very tough spot here. It will be hard to play with a lot of defensive intensity when your playoff dreams are finally extinguished. With that said, the Sabres have been scoring a lot of goals but also giving up a ton of goals and I would look for a very loosely played wide-open affair. If by surprise, the Rangers do upset the Flyers early, I still like the over in this match-up because that shocking win would have the Panthers flying all over the ice with energy and that would lead to plenty of Florida goals. Either way the set-up is nice for another high-scoring game here. The Panthers have scored 4 goals in all 3 meetings with the Sabres this season. Buffalo enters this game averaging 3.7 goals per game their last 6 games the over is a perfect 5-0 in their last 5 games. 10* OVER the total in Florida

Divisional Dominator - Rickenbach NHL Game #5 Friday 10* Top Play OVER the total in Chicago Blackhawks vs St Louis Blues @ 8:35 ET - Coming right back with the same play I used when these teams met in St Louis on Wednesday. The Blackhawks rallied for the win there but the reason I used the over is because I don't trust their goalie. He gave up 3 goals Friday and it paid off for me in the 4-3 Chicago win and I expect Jean Francois-Berube to again struggle here. He has an .871 save percentage in his last 4 starts and all 4 went over the total. Keep in mind that if the Blackhawks turn to Jeff Glass here, he has an .860 save percentage in his last 4 games (3 starts). With Chicago pushing hard to try and hurt the Blues playoff chances I do expect the Blackhawks to again be successful in scoring plenty again but they simply won't be able to keep the puck out of their own net. The over is 4-0 in the Blues last 4 games and the over is 7-2-1 in Chicago's last 10 games. The over is 10-6 this season when St Louis is playing with home loss revenge. Only 5 of the Blackhawks last 21 April games have stayed under the total. 10* OVER the total in Chicago