Sports Picks & Predictions

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

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

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

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

Columbus looks to avoid a second straight loss before heading into the All-Star Break. We played against the Blue Jackets two nights ago when they visited Vegas but now they take a huge step down in competition and these are the types of games they need to win to remain in playoff contention. Columbus has 55 points which is good for a tie with Pittsburgh for the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference. Just as important, the Blue Jackets trail Philadelphia and New Jersey by just one point so they could go into the break sitting in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Arizona is riding a rare two-game winning streak to improve to 3-8 in games following a victory so winning streaks have been few and far between. The Coyotes snapped a three-game home losing streak with the win over the Islanders on Monday and their 15 home points are tied for fewest in the NHL with the Sabres. Columbus has not been great on the road due to a poor defense, but Arizona is averaging just 2.30 gpg at home which is second worst in the league. The Coyotes are 3-13 in their last 16 home games against teams with a losing road record while the Blue Jackets are 8-0 in their last eight games following a loss of three or more goals. 10* (69) Columbus Blue Jackets

This line came out late due to Colorado playing last night and winning its tenth consecutive game. We went against the Avalanche as they were able to score a late third period goal and then added on an empty-netter to keep their winning streak going. They are still under .500 on the road and currently in the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference showing how bad they were playing prior to this run. the defense has been outstanding during this stretch but remember, eight of these games came at home and Colorado is allowing 3.25 gpg on the road. Montreal remains home following a 4-1 loss against Boston on Saturday which was its fourth loss in five games including three straight at home. The two prior to that came in extra time and we are catching a good number with the Canadiens tonight as they are in a good spot to put an end to this streak. The Canadiens are 21-7 in their last 28 games following a home loss of three or more goals. The Avalanche are 2-8 in their last 10 road games against teams with a losing home record while going 1-5 in their last six games in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation. 10* (58) Montreal Canadiens

Despite two straight losses, the Capitals still sit atop the Metropolitan Division by four points over New Jersey and look to get back to their winning ways this afternoon. In addition to two straight losses, Washington has dropped its last two home games dating back to January 11, the first time they have lost consecutive home games since October, and the Capitals were put into a tough scheduling spot as they were forced to play back-to-back games following their five-day layoff. They have won four straight games in the third game of three games in four days, Philadelphia has won two straight games including a win over New Jersey yesterday making this a quick turnaround for the Flyers. They have been playing well with wins in six of their last seven games, but this includes just one road victory where they are 9-8-4 on the season. They have gone 1-4 in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. The first meeting this season series was way back in October, but Washington has not forgotten it as it lost 8-2 in Philadelphia so there will be payback in this rivalry. 9* (52) Washington Capitals

Toronto has had a rough go of it of late as it closed out on a 0-1-1 run prior to its bye week and then came back only to go 0-0-2 in its two games since the time off. The four-game losing streak is a season high but the Maple Leafs cannot get too discouraged over it considering each of the four games have been winnable and decided late. They are in a good spot to get back into the win column tonight as their 12-10-3 road record is not horrible and seven of those losses have come against teams currently sitting in playoff spots with three others against teams just on the outside looking in. Toronto has a better offense on the road than at home as it is averaging 3.28 gpg which is second in the NHL. Ottawa is sitting in second to last place in the Atlantic Division after dropping 20 of its last 27 games and its playoff run from last season will not be repeated. Defense has been a real problem as goalie Craig Anderson is having one of his worst season ever of his 15-year career as he is allowing 3.21 gpg and his home numbers have been worse as he possesses a 3.33 GAA in 19 home games. Ottawa is just 5-15 this season against teams ranked within the top 16 of the league and Toronto will be out for payback from a 4-3 home loss to the Senators which came right before their bye week. 10* (9) Toronto Maple Leafs

Vegas let us down last night as it stifled Tampa Bay with a 4-1 victory, but we will go against the Golden Knights again tonight in a difficult back-to-back spot. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was outstanding once again as he improved to 10-3-2 and he now has a 1.33 GAA on the road which is by far the best in the NHL. He will be resting tonight and Malcolm Subban will be getting the start and while he has been solid as well, he has a 2.58 GAA on the road which is a significant difference. Vegas is 2-2 in its last four road games with Fleury starting three of those and allowing a total of four goals. Subban allowed four goals in his one road start. Florida lost to Calgary in its last game and it comes into tonight coming off its six-day layoff, so it has the rest advantage with the Golden Knights having to play last night. It was a rare home loss for the Panthers as they had won four straight prior to that and are now 10-7-1 at home. They have played the eighth toughest schedule in the NHL and going back, the Panthers are 20-8 in their last 28 games playing on three or more days rest. 10* (54) Florida Panthers

The NHL schedule is nearly back to full strength as most teams have taken their league mandated five-day break and one of the teams just coming off it is Columbus. The Blue Jackets closed with two straight losses prior to their break and they were not good as they lost in 11-24-9 Buffalo on the road and 18-21-6 Vancouver at home. Columbus had won three of its previous four games but since a 10-3 run that ended December 9, Columbus has been very inconsistent. The five-day layoff came at a perfect time and the recent struggles is keeping the moneyline down lower than it should be as the Blue Jackets are still a solid 15-8 at home and going back, they are 7-0 in their last seven games following a loss of three or more goals. While Columbus is rested, Dallas will be playing its fourth game is six days which immediately followed a six-day break, so fatigue could be an issue. The Stars have won their last two games, both on the road, so there is travel involved which as well heightens the situation. Dallas is 10-11-2 on the road and it is 3-11 in its last 14 games in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation. 10* (8) Columbus Blue Jackets

If the season ended today, Pittsburgh would be back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, barely. The Penguins are tied with the Rangers with 51 points for the final two Wild Card spots but since the season is not over, there is plenty of work to be done or plenty of time for other teams to catch the Penguins. They hit the road following three straight home wins, two coming after their five-day break and overall, they bring in a four-game winning streak to Anaheim. Winning on home ice has not been an issue as Pittsburgh is 15-7-1 but the road has been problematic as it is just 9-12-2 and the offense is to blame the most as the Penguins average just 2.57 gpg. Going back, they have lost seven of their last eight games against the Western Conference. Anaheim dropped its last game at Colorado to conclude a 2-3 roadtrip and it returns home for the first time this month. The Ducks are four points out of the playoffs to holding serve on home ice is imperative going forward especially considering they have been fairly average at 10-8-3. That is keeping the price down however and going back, the Ducks are 4-1 in their last five home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (54) Anaheim Ducks

Both Philadelphia and New York have completed their five-day breaks, part of the league mandated rule that affects every team in the league scattered between January 7 and 19. The Flyers came off their break to defeat New Jersey on Saturday which was their fourth straight win and second straight on the road. Philadelphia is still on the outside looking in at the playoffs as it is two points behind the Islanders for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers are just 9-11 on the road this season and they have dropped five of their last seven divisional games. The extended time off had an adverse effect on the Rangers as they have dropped both games following their five days off. Both losses were not even close, and it has been a rough stretch for New York as it has gone 3-5-2 over its last 10 games and it has not won a game in regulation since December 19. While the run is not good, the Rangers are a point ahead of the Flyers and could move into a Wild Card spot with a win and an Islanders loss tonight. the Flyers have scored 21 goals during the four-game winning streak, but Rangers goalie has been solid at hem with a 13-5-2 record while allowing 2.44 gpg. The Rangers are 18-6 in their last 24 games following a loss of three or more goals. 10* (2) New York Rangers

Los Angeles remains in third place in the Pacific Division despite three straight losses, all one-goal regulation defeats. Since an eight-game winning streak that ended in early December, the Kings have lost eight of their last 12 games with five of those losses coming by a single goal so while the losing is not good, they have been competitive, and the fortunes have not been on their side. Los Angeles is 11-7-3 at home and is allowing just 2.38 gpg at home which is fifth best in the league. San Jose is coming off an overtime win on Saturday, but it was a struggle against Arizona which is the worst team in the NHL. The Sharks snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory but those losses all came on the road where they have lost six of their last seven games and have fallen to 9-7-4 on the season. They are just 5-10 this season against teams ranked in the top ten while going 3-14 in their last 17 road games against teams with a winning home record. Meanwhile the Kings are 84-41 in their last 125 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (56) Los Angeles Kings

Carolina is coming off a home-and-home with the Capitals and it was the road team that took both games with the Hurricanes winning in Washington on Thursday but dropping their game on Friday 4-3. That was only the fifth regulation home loss for Carolina which remains right in the Wild Card hunt, sitting just one point out of both Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference. It was a tough loss to swallow for anyone who was on Carolina as it led 3-2 with 3:08 remaining but gave up a game tying goal and then the game winner with just 1.3 seconds left. Now it is bounceback time. Calgary is playing better than anyone in the league as it has won six straight games, tied with Colorado for the longest current winning streak in the NHL. The Flames have won the first three games on this roadtrip, all as underdogs, to improve to 12-5-4 on the highway. With their five-game rest period coming up, this could be the spot where we see a lethargic effort. Carolina has had at least 36 shots in four of its last five home games and that pace needs to continue and the Hurricanes are 10-4 in their last 14 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (4) Carolina Hurricanes

Both Philadelphia and New Jersey are coming off five-day breaks, part of the league mandated rule that affects every team in the league scattered between January 7 and 19. The timing of this helps the Devils the most as they are on a five-game losing streak following a 0-4 roadtrip prior to the break. Despite this skid, New Jersey is still in third place in the Metropolitan Division and sitting one point behind three teams for third place in the Eastern Conference. The Devils are 12-5-3 at home while winning five of their last six home games against teams with a losing record. On the flip side, the Flyers won their final three games prior to their time off and the five days off could kill some much-needed positive momentum. All of those wins were at home however and Philadelphia has been very inconsistent on the road this season. It is averaging 2.89 gpg on the highway which is not horrible, but it has scored two goals or less in eight of its last 13 road games. That is a problem against Corey Schneider who is 11-4-3 with a 2.51 GAA in 18 home starts this season and has a career 2.16 GAA at home. 10* (56) New Jersey Devils

Winnipeg possesses one of the best home records in the NHL, but it is a much different team on the road. The Jets are 10-8-6 on the highway and while they are coming off a win on their last road game, winning at Buffalo is not saying much. The offense is average by putting up 2.83 gpg while the defense allows 2.92 gpg yet the line is staying lower than it should be based on the fact Winnipeg has won six of its last seven games. However, the Jets are 1-8 in their last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. Chicago remains on the outside looking in at the playoff standings as it trails Minnesota by two points for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. That came by way of a home loss to the Wild in its last game on Wednesday in the second game of a six-game homestand where it needs to hold serve on home ice. The Blackhawks have won five of their last seven home games where they are 11-7-2 overall and averaging 3.40 gpg which is No. 8 in the NHL while their 36.1 shots per game is No. 4 in the league. 10* (8) Chicago Blackhawks

After winning two straight games over Buffalo and Florida by a combined score of 11-3, Minnesota got embarrassed in its last game, losing in Colorado 7-2 to make it four straight road losses. On the flip side, the Wild have won four straight home games and going back to mid-November, they are 11-1-1 over their last 13 home games which makes this number severely underpriced. Additionally, the Wild are 5-0 in their last five games following a loss of three or more goals. This rebound ability can be attributed to the defense especially at home where Minnesota is allowing just 2.10 gpg which is best in the NHL. Calgary has won three straight games but all of those came at home to move a game over .500 on home ice and it sits at exactly .500 on the road. The Flames have dropped two straight road games and scoring has been a problem away from home as they are averaging just 2.61 gpg which is 10th lowest in the league. They have struggled against better competition as the Flames are 8-17 in their last 25 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (64) Minnesota Wild

Detroit comes into Friday riding a three-game winning streak but still well down in the playoff standings as it is seven points away from the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Red Wings have been good if not unlucky at home as they are 9-6-6 and those six extra time home losses are the most in the NHL so while they got a point for all of those, some should have gone their way. They have been solid on defense and goalie Jimmy Howard has been exceptional of late, allowing two goals or less in five straight games. Going back, the Red Wings have won four straight home games. Florida is coming off a 5-1 loss at Minnesota in its last game on Tuesday which snapped a five-game winning streak but the final four of those were at home where it is 10-6-3. On the road, the Panthers are just 7-11-2 as the offense is dreadful, averaging 2.15 gpg which is the lowest in the NHL. That is not a good sign going up against a hot Howard. James Reimer will be in goal again for the Panthers after getting pulled in Minnesota. Reimer has been solid this season with a 3.01 GAA but he has been at him best when he is in a rhythm as he has a 2.56 GAA when playing with one or less day of rest while posting a 3.75 GAA when playing on two or more days of rest. 10* (54) Detroit Red Wings

Edmonton continues to stumble as the preseason Western Conference favorites are 17-20-3 after a fourth straight loss, the last three coming at home. This includes a pair of 5-0 shutouts in the last two games as it came into Tuesday with a perfect 3-0 record following a shutout loss so there will be even extra motivation tonight. The Oilers may have been guilty of a lookahead as this is the first meeting with Anaheim which ended their season last year in seven games in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The fact the offense has struggled is surprising as bad luck can be attributed to it as the Oilers are averaging 37 shots per game at home which is second most in the league while their 2.71 gpg average is seventh lowest. Anaheim has won three straight games including a 5-0 shutout at Vancouver to open its five-game roadtrip. It was the second straight road shutout going back to a 4-0 win at Pittsburgh on December 23 after allowing 13 goals in its previous three road games. The Ducks have been average on the road with a 9-6-5 record including a 5-4-5 record over its last 14 road games. Despite allowing three goals in the last three games, the Ducks are 3-7 in their last 10 games after allowing two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (22) Edmonton Oilers

Vegas is setting records for first year franchises as its start to the season has been unprecedented. The Golden Knights have an eight-game winning streak after 3-0 victory over Nashville on Tuesday and is 12-0-1 in its last 13 contests which is the longest winning and point streaks by an NHL expansion team. If there is a weakness, it is the play on the road as Vegas is 10-7-1 which is still good, but the defense is allowing 3.33 gpg in those 18 games compared to just 2.20 gpg in 20 home games, second best in the NHL. The Blues have won two straight games following a 1-5 run and this is a big game to keep the winning streak going before playing their next two games on the road. Additionally, St. Louis can overtake Winnipeg in the Central Division and pull within two points of Vegas in the Western Conference. Blues backup goalie Carter Hutton will get another shot as he is 11-3-0 with a 1.88 GAA, a .937 save percentage, and one shutout in his last 14 starts. St. Louis allows just 2.32 gpg at home which is seventh in the NHL and the offense will need to get going on special teams which should happen against a Vegas defense which is seventh worst on the road in the penalty kill. 10* (14) St. Louis Blues

The Islanders are back home following a two-game roadtrip where they lost both games against Colorado and Winnipeg which are a combined 26-10-2 at home. We played against New York when it faced the Jets because of the severe home/road discrepancies and we can now take advantage of the Islanders returning home in an underdog role no less. They are 12-3-3 at home which is keeping them in the playoff hunt as they currently hold down the second Wild Card spot in the NHL. New York averages 4.17 gpg at home which is the most in the league. Boston is coming off a win at Ottawa which was its sixth win in seven games and its third win in its last four road games. Since the start of December, the Bruins are 4-2 in six road games but those wins all came against teams with no more than eight home wins. The Bruins are 0-4 in their last four road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while the Islanders are 16-5 in their last 21 games after allowing five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (4) New York Islanders

Tampa Bay leads the NHL with 58 points thanks to an NHL-best 16-3-1 home record and it is coming off a 5-0 shutout in Columbus on Sunday to make it four wins over its last five road games. The Lightning are 12-5-1 on the highway which is a very impressive road record but when that number is comparable to the record of the opponent at home, it is hard to justify a road favorite price tag. Going back, the Lightning are 30-66 in their last 96 road games against teams with a home winning % of greater than .600. The Maple Leafs have had a rough stretch where they have gone 3-5-1 over their last nine games but eight of those have come on the road and the lone home game resulted in an 8-1 victory over Carolina. Toronto is 11-5 at home and its 48 points are tied for fourth place in the Eastern Conference so getting the job done on home ice is essential. This is the first time all season that Toronto is a home underdog so there is plenty of value and additionally, the Maple Leafs are 8-3 in their last 11 games after allowing five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (6) Toronto Maple Leafs

It has been a forgettable 2017 for Edmonton as if not for the Arizona Coyotes, the Oilers would be sitting in last place in the Western Conference after coming into the season with Stanley Cup hopes. A good way to start a turnaround would be to end 2017 with a victory and they are in a great spot tonight to do so. Edmonton has lost two straight games by 4-3 scores, the last coming at home in overtime against Chicago two days ago. A four-game winning streak preceded this slide, so the Oilers are capable of getting back to winning on home ice. We have won with Winnipeg in its last two games but both of those came at home where the Jets are 14-3-1 on the season. As mentioned then, they are one of the highest scoring teams at home with a 4.12 gpg average but the road is a different story as Winnipeg is averaging just 2.57 gpg which helps explain its 8-8-5 record on the highway. Going back, the Jets are 3-11 in their last 14 road games against teams with a losing home record while the Oilers have won four of their last five games against winning teams. 10* (10) Edmonton Oilers

After a blistering start to the season, the Blues have hit the proverbial wall. The Blues had control of the Western Conference but are now sitting in fifth place after going 2-7 over their last nine games including two straight losses following a defeat last night in Dallas. They are 1-3 in their last four home games and because of these horrible runs, they are catching a great number tonight in a prime situation. It is easy to identify the problem as the offense has been in a funk as St. Louis has scored two goals or less in eight of its last nine games including a pair of shutouts while not scoring more than three goals in 10 straight games. The Blues can get out of that funk tonight against Carolina which allows 3.15 gpg on the road. The Hurricanes have won four straight games including a win over Pittsburgh last night to improve to 10-4-3 at home. They have not been nearly as good on the road where they are 8-8-4 including losses in seven of their last 10. Carolina has struggled against the Western Conference, winning just four of its last 14 games. St. Louis meanwhile has won 20 of its last 28 games against the Eastern Conference. 10* (58) St. Louis Blues

Winnipeg won for us on Wednesday and we will back the Jets again in a good matchup as they remain on home ice. Heading back home is what the Jets needed last time out as they improved to 13-3-1 here overall and they have dominated as their 4.12 gpg scored is second best in the NHL. The Jets have moved up to No. 8 in the latest power rankings as they sit in a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with 48 points so taking care of home ice like they have in the past is crucial. The Islanders hit the road following a 3-2 homestand including wins in their last two games. Like the Jets, they are extremely solid at home, but the road is a different story as New York is 8-10-1 on the highway including losses in four straight games, all against playoff contending teams. Defense has been the issue on the road where the Islanders are allowing 3.63 gpg which is tied with the Penguins for last in the NHL. The Jets are now 21-6 in their last 27 home games against teams with a losing road record while the Islanders are 6-17 in their last 23 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (14) Winnipeg Jets

Dallas is coming off a shootout win over Nashville in its final game before the break which was its second straight home victory to improve to 12-4-1. The Stars have been not nearly as successful on the road however as they are 8-10-2 including a pair of losses to end their most recent roadtrip. The problem has been scoring as Dallas is averaging only 2.45 gpg on the highway which is sixth lowest in the NHL. The Stars have lost 20 of their last 28 divisional games and they head to Minnesota at the wrong time. The Wild finished 1-3 on their most recent roadtrip including losses in their final two games as the offense continues its road struggles, similar to that of Dallas. The offense has been better at home of late, but it is the defense that has led Minnesota to its 10-4-2 home record as it is allowing just 2.19 gpg here which is the second-best home average in the league. Going back, the Wild are 7-1 in their last eight games following a loss of three or more goals. 10* (18) Minnesota Wild

Something will have to give tonight in Vancouver as the Blue bring in their horrible offense of late while the Canucks defense has been shredded for the past two weeks. St. Louis has lost three straight games while tallying just three goals over this stretch and it will be out to avoid a 0-4 roadtrip. The Blues remain in a tie for first place in the Central Division with Nashville and Winnipeg with 46 points and the road scoring drought should come to an end tonight. Vancouver has also lost three straight games while going 1-7 over its last eight contests. The Canucks have allowed four or more goals in each loss and have giving up an average of 5.4 gpg in those defeats. The goalies have not been confirmed as of this afternoon, but it looks as though Jacob Markstrom will get the start and he has been lit up lately after a strong start to the season and he is 1-3 with a 3.51 GAA in four career stats against St. Louis. The Blues are 26-8 in their last 34 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while the Canucks are 7-19 in their last 26 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (77) St. Louis Blues

It comes as no surprise that the public is all over the Flyers here as they have won seven of their last eight games although the last five have come at home. Getting up for a game in Buffalo will be a challenge however especially with a game at Columbus tomorrow night. Philadelphia has been average on the road however and this is the first time all season that it is favored away from home. The Sabres have been one of the worst teams in the NHL this season so picking their spots has been the way to go and this is one of those times to back them. They are catching an average team that is riding a hot streak, yet the favorite price is small and that is a red flag. Buffalo came into the season with high expectations as it was going to be a fast team to present a lot of scoring opportunities and while they are taking over 30 shots per game, they have averaged only 2.12 gpg. The good news is that the Flyers are 8-17 in their last 25 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (2) Buffalo Sabres

The Blackhawks have turned the corner as they have won five straight games to get back over .500 at 17-11-5 and are tied for sixth place in the Western Conference. Four of those wins came at home however and Chicago has won just seven of 16 road games while losing three of its last four on the highway. The offense has struggled on the road by averaging just 2.69 gpg which is in the bottom half of the league and going back, the Blackhawks are 2-9 in their last 11 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Dallas has lost three straight games including a home loss last time out on Tuesday, but it is still a very solid 10-4-1 at home. The Stars are in that group that is tied for sixth place in the conference and they could make a jump with a win and this is a very important part of the schedule as this is the second of nine games in a 10-game stretch taking place at home. They are in the top ten in goals scored at home with 3.40 and with three straight home losses, this is a big one for the wheels not to fall off. Going back, the Stars are 40-19 in their last 59 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (64) Dallas Stars

Toronto won for us yesterday afternoon as it exploded with eight goals in "The Next Century Game" to celebrate 100 years of the franchise and the NHL and that automatically brings a letdown into play tonight. The Leafs had scored eight goals in their previous five games combined and now they hit the road where they have lost three straight games. Additionally, they have lost four straight games after scoring five or more goals while going back, they are 14-38 in their last 52 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Columbus is back home after losing its last two games on the road including a 7-2 setback in Boston on Monday. This sets up a similar situation from last week when it lost to Edmonton by an identical 7-2 score and came back by scoring six goals in its next game in a win over the Islanders. The Blue Jackets are allowing just 2.28 gpg at home which is fourth best in the NHL. The Blue Jackets are 9-2 in their last 11 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while going 5-0 in their last five games following a loss of three or more goals. 9* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

Washington hits the road riding a three-game winning streak while also being victorious in seven of its last eight games. Six of those eight games were at home, all resulting in wins and the Capitals are now 14-5 at home while sitting just 7-7-1 on the road. Defense is where the difference lies as Washington is allowing just 2.21 gpg at home, which is second best in the league while allowing 3.73 gpg on the highway which is dead last in the NHL. Goaltending has played a big role as starter Braden Holtby is allowing 2.06 gpg at home compared to 3.68 gpg on the road. Dallas is coming off a 2-2 roadtrip which includes losses in the final two games at New Jersey and Philadelphia. The Stars return home trying to improve upon their 10-4 record and like Washington, the home/road splits are significant. For the Dallas case, it is with the offense as it averaged just 2.45 gpg on the road which is fifth lowest in the NHL while averaging 3.43 gpg at home which is No. 9 overall. The return home should fire this team up as head coach Ken Hitchcock is going for win No. 800. 10* (64) Dallas Stars

**2:05 ET Start** This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Auston Matthews and while he is doubtful, Toronto is in an excellent spot today. The Maple Leafs return home following a 0-3 roadtrip if ever there is a game to get fired up for, this is the one. The Maple Leafs and the NHL both officially turn 100 today, and to mark the anniversary, the Leafs will host the Hurricanes in what has been dubbed "The Next Century Game." The Maple Leafs are 10-5 at home and it has been a rough schedule of late as seven of their last nine games have come on the road and they were the winner in both of those home games. In net, Frederik Andersen has continued his solid season with a save percentage of .922 in his 28 starts. The overall improvement in net and on their blue line to around league average has provided reason for optimism The Hurricanes have won three in a row including an upset over Columbus in their last game at home. Carolina is just 7-7-4 on the roads and going back, the Hurricanes are 21-49 in their last 70 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (52) Toronto Maple Leafs

While home ice has not been great for Ottawa as it is just 5-5-5, tonight sets up a rare opportunity for the Senators in what should be an electric atmosphere. For the first time, Ottawa is playing host to an outdoor game, as NHL100 Classic sets up at TD Place, home of the CFL Ottawa RedBlacks. More than 30,000 fans are expected in the nation's capital, so this is unlike any other game these players have experience. Ottawa snapped a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Rangers on Wednesday and this is a big game in the standings as the Senators trail Montreal by five points, but the race is closer because Ottawa holds two games in hand. The Canadiens are coming off a 2-1 overtime victory over the Devils on Thursday that snapped a three-game losing streak. That game concluded a 2-2-1 homestand and the road has been a struggle as the Canadiens have lost eight of 13 games on the highway. Revenge is also in play as Ottawa has lost the first two meetings this season including an embarrassing 8-3 loss on home ice. 10* (6) Ottawa Senators

San Jose is coming off a win in Calgary last night and that puts the Sharks in a tough spot tonight as they are 2-6 in their last eight games playing with no rest. They have been solid on the road this season, going 8-4-1 which is a big reason they come in as road favorites tonight. the defense has been the highlight as they are allowing just 2.31 gpg on the road but because Aaron Dell got the start last night, Martin Jones will be between the pipes and he has struggled of late, allowing at least four goals in each of his last four starts. Vancouver has been up and down all season and it has been all down of late as it has dropped four straight games, scoring a total of five goals in the four losses. But the Canucks will get a break with the opposing goaltender as mentioned so they are in a good spot to breakout. Vancouver will be out for revenge on top of everything as the Canucks were shutout in the first meeting this season 5-0 in San Jose and it needs to be noted that Dell was in goal that game. 10* (60) Vancouver Canucks

Despite three straight wins, Chicago is still under .500 on the season yet the lines are reflecting a Chicago teams from prior years. The Blackhawks were -195 or higher favorites in all three of those wins and those were all against teams ranked No. 25 or lower in the current power rankings. They have struggled this season against top competition as they are 2-8 against the top ten with those two wins tied for fewest of all teams ranked within the top 16 and the eight losses being second most among that group. Chicago has lost three straight road games and going back, the Blackhawks are 3-15 in their last 18 games against teams with a winning record. Winnipeg got swept on its three-game roadtrip but returned home on Monday and defeated Vancouver 5-1 to extend its home winning streak to seven games while improving to 11-2-1 at home overall. The Jets are averaging 4.36 gpg at home which leads the league and their 2.57 GAA is fourth best making the 1.79 home scoring differential the best split in the NHL. Going back, the Jets are 38-18 in their last 56 home games against teams with a losing road record. 10* (12) Winnipeg Jets

The Islanders won for us on Monday and we will back them again here as they are in another great situation. A return home was embraced as 18 of their 30 games have taken place on the road where they have won only eight of those, but New York has taken advantage of home ice by losing only one game in regulation. Overall, the Islanders have played the toughest schedule in the NHL, so they have held their own. They are averaging an NHL best 4.50 gpg at home on just 32.9 shots per game and the shooting percentage of 13.7 percent in second best in the league. Dallas also won on Monday as it defeated the Rangers in a shootout to snap a three-game losing streak. Scoring goals has been an issue as the Stars have scored only six goals in regulation over the last four games and they have been the opposite of the Islanders on the road. They are averaging only 2.41 gpg on the highway which is fourth lowest while their shooting percentage of 7.6 percent is also tied for fourth worst. Revenge is in play tonight as the Islanders suffered a 5-0 loss in Dallas last month, so payback is wanted. The Stars are 6-14 in their last 20 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (52) New York Islanders

New Jersey returns home following a loss against the Rangers on Saturday which was its second straight loss and it will be out to halt a two-game home losing streak on top of it. The Devils have been very average at home this season but that is giving us a lot of value with this number and going back, they are 5-1 in their last six games following a loss of three or more goals. Corey Schneider will be back in goal tonight after resting in the game against the Rangers and he will be out to bounce back from allowing five goals against Columbus in his last start which ended a 2.09 GAA run over his previous 11 games. The Kings are on an eight-game winning streak as they head east following a three-game homestand and like the Devils, they have been much better on the road than at home but as mentioned, the line is being dictated by that and they are paying the price. This is the highest they have been favored by on the road all season including a game at Arizona less than three weeks ago. 10* (2) New Jersey Devils

This is a very favorable scheduling situation that favors the Islanders as they return home following a four-game roadtrip that included losses over the final three games. 18 of their 29 games have taken place on the road where they have won only eight of those, but New York has taken advantage of home ice by losing only one game in regulation. Overall, the Islanders have played the toughest schedule in the NHL, so they have held their own as they are 6-5 against teams ranked within the top 10. The Islanders are averaging an NHL best 4.64 gpg at home and overall, they are 8-3 in their last 11 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Washington has had the opposite type of run as it has won four straight games with all of those being at home and going back, the Capitals have been on home ice in nine of their last 10 games. They are 12-5 at home compared to just 6-6-1 on the highway including losses in three of their last four. The schedule overall is the fourth easiest in the league which has played a role in the overall success. 10* (56) New York Islanders

The Rangers lost in Washington last night, halting a two-game winning streak and a 6-1 run over its last seven games. New York heads back home where it has won nine of its last 10 games and is 10-5-1 on the season after a poor start at MSG. One of those earlier losses came against New Jersey in the first and only meeting this season so the Rangers will be out for payback against their rival while improving upon their 4-0 record in their last four games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. New Jersey is coming off a home-and-home split against Columbus with the road team winning each of those meetings. The Devils have been one of the top road teams in hockey but after a red hot 5-0 start, they have won just five of their last 10 road games and in four of those losses, they have allowed five or more goals. Going back, the Devils are 17-39 in their last 56 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (64) New York Rangers

The Metropolitan Division is jammed up with six teams within four points of each other including the Islanders and Penguins. New York is two points behind New Jersey and it fell to 8-8 on the road with a loss at Tampa Bay on Tuesday which snapped a three-game road winning streak. However, those three wins came against Ottawa, Florida and Philadelphia, all of which have 27 or fewer points and all have losing records at home. The Islanders are giving up 3.00 gpg on the road and going back, they are 6-15 in their last 21 road games against teams with a home winning percentage greater than .600. Pittsburgh is also coming off a loss as it fell at home 4-3 to the Rangers which was just its third home regulation loss. That snapped a four-game winning streak for the Penguins as they remain three points behind the Devils and a win here leapfrogs the Islanders. Tristan Jarry will be in goal for the fourth straight game and he has been a solid backup, allowing 2.30 gpg which is No. 13 in the NHL among all goalies. The Penguins are 5-0 in their last five games when their opponent allows five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (54) Pittsburgh Penguins

While it may not have been pretty, Vegas defeated Arizona in a shootout on Sunday to snap a three-game losing streak. The Golden Knights had won five straight games prior to that and they are the biggest surprise in the league thus far as they are in second place in the Pacific Division, trailing Los Angeles by four points. They have won six straight divisional games and bring in a 10-2 record at home where they are averaging 3.92 gpg, third best in the league. Anaheim got off to a great start this season, but it has dropped six of its last seven games including four of five on this current roadtrip. The schedule has been brutal as the first five games on this trip have come against teams that are ranked between No. 2 and No. 9 in the current Sagarin ratings and while Vegas is not ranked in that group, it is No. 16 and the Ducks are 4-10 this season against teams within the top 16. They are averaging nearly a goal and a half less on offense on the road than what Vegas is averaging at home and the Ducks are 1-6 in their last seven games against teams with a winning record. 10* (68) Vegas Golden Knights

It has been a roller coaster season for Los Angeles which won 11 of its first 15 games, lost of its next eight and has since won its last five games following a perfect 4-0 roadtrip. The Kings are one of the rare teams to be playing better on the road than at home as they have lost six of their last eight home games after a 5-0-1 start. These recent struggles here are keeping this moneyline in check and the recent road sweep brings in some solid and needed momentum into the start of this three-game homestand. Los Angeles has the best defense in the league as it is allowing just 2.14 gpg and the Kings are 4-0 in their last four games after allowing two goals or less in their previous game. Minnesota has won two straight games over Vegas and St. Louis but both of those came at home where it has won five of its last six games. The road has been a different story as the Wild are 1-3 in their last four road games with the lone victory coming against 6-17-4 Buffalo. They are allowing 3.46 gpg on the road which is ninth worst in the NHL and going back, the Wild are 7-15 in their last 22 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (70) Los Angeles Kings

Colorado has dropped two straight games at home after an 8-2-1 start and this mini-slump is providing value with a shorter than expected price against one of the worst teams in the NHL. The Avalanche are 1-3 on this current five-game homestand that concludes tonight with a four-game roadtrip on deck which makes this a very important game. The four home regulation losses have come against St. Louis, Calgary, New Jersey and Dallas all of which are over .500 on the season and going back, the Avalanche are 6-1 in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. It has been a dreadful season for the Sabres which has lost four straight games and 11 of their last 12 games. The offense has been non-existent with just one goal scored during the four-game skid and their 2.07 gpg are deal last in the league. Buffalo has actually been better on offense on the road, but its defense gets shoddier where it is allowing an-NHL worst 3.44 gpg. While the opponent is lowly Buffalo, this is a big game for the Avalanche as they are four points out of the playoff race and these are the games they need to take. 10* (64) Colorado Avalanche

Nashville is coming off a win Saturday over Anaheim in a shootout, bouncing back from a loss against Vancouver on Thursday. The Predators are now 10-2-1 at home and are laying a short price compared to their last two games where they were -180 and -244. This is the last game of a four-game homestand for Nashville and it will be pretty motivated as it lost the first meeting in Boston in October. Going back, the Predators are 4-0 in their last four home games against teams with a losing road record. The Bruins defeated Philadelphia, which has now lost 10 straight games, and they have now won two straight and six of their last seven games which includes four straight road wins, and this is a big reason that the moneyline price is down low. Boston is still 5-4-2 on the road as it struggles offensively, averaging only 2.64 gpg, which is tenth worst in the NHL. This is not good as they will be facing Pekka Rinne who is 15-4 with a 2.35 gaa. The Bruins are 3-8 in their last 11 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (6) Nashville Predators

Tampa Bay is back home following a disappointing 1-3 roadtrip as the offense managed only seven goals overall despite scoring a power play goal in each game. The Lightning are at the top of the NHL in power play success at 27.4 percent and remain at the top of the Eastern Conference, one-point ahead of Toronto and Columbus. They have been lights out at home with a 9-2-1 record and it is the offense leading the charge, averaging 3.67 gpg so the seven-goal effort from the recent roadtrip is a thing of the past. San Jose has won three straight games including the first two on this current roadtrip after a 2-1 win over Florida last night. The Sharks are one of the best road teams in the league at 7-2-1 but they have faced weak opposition with wins over New Jersey and Los Angeles being the only ones of note. Overall, they have played the No. 28 ranked schedule in the league and will have to get by goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy who is 16-4-1 on the season. Tampa Bay is 9-2 in its last 11 games after scoring two goals or less in its previous game. 9* (12) Tampa Bay Lightning

Los Angeles is coming off a game last night which led to this line coming out late, typical of NHL games this season in the second of a back-to-back. The Kings defeated Washington 5-2 for their third straight win and second straight to open this four-game roadtrip. It was a rare offensive outburst for Los Angeles as it heavily relies on defense which will be the case again tonight, but the Kings are in a tough spot. St. Louis is coming off a loss in its last game on Wednesday at home against Anaheim to fall to 2-2 on this current homestand. The Blues have alternated wins and losses in their last six home games, so a bounce back is expected, and it is a game they need before hitting the road for two straight games starting tomorrow. The offense will present a problem for Los Angeles as the Blues are averaging 3.69 gpg at home which is eighth best in the NHL. The Blues are 16-5 in their last 21 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while going 6-2 in their last eight games against teams with a winning record. Meanwhile, the Kings are 3-7 in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while going 1-5 in their last six games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. 9* (62) St. Louis Blues

We played against Chicago on Tuesday and won with Nashville but tonight we will be backing the Blackhawks as they head home where the offense has been a lot better. As mentioned, they are anemic on the road and are now averaging 2.59 gpg but at home, they are averaging 3.82 gpg which is sixth highest in the NHL. Chicago has won two straight games at home after losing four of its previous five and its home record of 6-4-1 is relatively average but that is keeping this number in check. Dallas is 4-8-1 on the road following a 3-0 shutout win in Vegas on Tuesday which snapped a five-game road losing streak. While the Chicago offense is bad on the road, the Stars offense is much worse as they are deal last in the league in road scoring, averaging a mere 2.21 gpg. Dallas is -1.31 in scoring differential on the highway while the Blackhawks are +1.37 in scoring differential at home. Going back, the Stars are 5-22 in their last 27 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Blackhawks are 69-26 in their last 95 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (10) Chicago Blackhawks

We are getting great value with Colorado which is coming off just its second home loss in regulation on the season. The Avalanche fell to Calgary 3-2 which was the second regulation loss by a goal and the third loss overall at home by only one goal. They have been underdogs in every home game this season which is based on their 13-26-2 record at home last season and not what is happening this year. While Colorado is sitting in last place in the Central Division, it is just three points out of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The Avalanche are 4-1 in their last five games playing on three or more days rest. Winnipeg is coming off a 7-2 win against Minnesota on Monday to improve to 8-2-1 at home which includes four straight wins. The Jets have been a solid road team, but they have dropped five of their last 10 road games and the offense has been much less productive on the highway. They are averaging just 2.69 gpg on the road compared to Colorado averaging 4.20 gpg at home. Look for the home team to continue to dominate this series. 10* (58) Colorado Avalanche

Chicago has won two straight games as well as four of its last five games including a 7-3 home win over Anaheim last night. The seven goals scored were the most since scoring 10 goals in their season opener against Pittsburgh but in-between, scoring has been a problem. In their other 21 games, the Blackhawks have scored two goals or less 11 times and three goals or less 15 times. Chicago has scored five goals or more five times but all of those have been at home and it heads into tonight averaging a mere 2.67 gpg on the road which is well more than a goal less than what it averages at home. The Blackhawks have lost four straight games when playing with no rest. Nashville meanwhile lost at Carolina in a shootout last time out which snapped a four-game winning streak. The Predators are 9-2 over their last 11 games with both losses coming on the road and they have not lost at home since October 28, winning four straight home games since then. The Predators are 5-0 in their last five games when their opponent scores five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (14) Nashville Predators

Philadelphia looks to snap its eight-game losing streak that has been extremely frustrating as the last three losses have come in overtime while five of the last six have come in extra time. This includes a 5-4 overtime loss in Pittsburgh last night and the Flyers return home tonight where they are 1-2-3 over their last six games with one of those regulation losses coming by just one goal, a 1-0 defeat to Minnesota. Brian Elliott took the loss and tonight it will be Michal Neuvirth and his numbers have been better. San Jose is coming off a win in its last game, a 4-0 shutout over Winnipeg on Saturday but it has been a pretty uneven stretch for the Sharks as they have lost four of their last six games and paid the price in that win over the Jets. Goalie Martin Jones stopped 38 shots in the shutout, but he will not be in net tonight because of a lower body injury and that is a big blow as his 1.90 GAA leads the NHL. Aaron Dell will take over and he has been solid as a backup, but he has lost four of his last six starts. 10* (2) Philadelphia Flyers

Columbus had its six-game winning streak snapped last night with a 3-1 loss in Montreal and it remains a point behind New Jersey in the Metropolitan Division. Expect a bounce back tonight as the Blue Jackets return home where they have won six of their last eight games including three straight. It is fair to say Columbus has not forgotten the last home loss as it came against Carolina 3-1 back on November 10 and going back, it has won five straight games after scoring two goals or less. Additionally, the Blue Jackets are 41-19 in their last 60 games against teams with a losing record. Carolina is coming off a four-game homestand where it went 2-2 including a shootout win over Nashville on Sunday. The Hurricanes have been just a average on the road as they are at home and they are a point out of last place in the division. They are 20-48 in their last 68 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 while going 2-5 in their last seven games following a win. 10* (10) Columbus Blue Jackets

New Jersey is coming off a pair of wins on Friday and Saturday including at overtime win over Detroit last time out. The Devils remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division, a point ahead of Columbus yet they are not getting the attention they deserve which is fine from a line value standpoint. New Jersey is 6-3-2 at home which is not spectacular but three of those losses came against Washington, St. Louis and Edmonton and on the season, the Devils are 9-4 against teams ranked outside the top 16 in the league. The Panthers lost to Chicago on Saturday and they have now lost three of their last four games. Florida has managed no more than two goals in any of its last five games and the offense taken a big hit with the loss of Evgenii Dadonov last game as he is fourth on the team in scoring with 18 points. Aside from the top line, only Vincent Trocheck has over 11 points (22) for the Panthers. The road has been a problem as Florida is 3-8 on the highway and going back, the Panthers are 2-10 in their last 12 games following a loss of three or more goals. 10* (52) New Jersey Devils

St. Louis was a big letdown for us last night as it got shutout at home which was the second time the Blues have been shutout at home this season. The first time resulted in a six-goal effort in their next game and we can expect another big turnaround tonight. they went 0-3 on the power play which was just the third time in their last nine games that they have not converted in the man-advantage. They are now 8-3 at home while going 15-5 in their last 20 games when scoring two goals or less. Minnesota won last night in a shootout over Colorado which was its second straight win following two straight losses. It has been decent on the road this season, but this is just the second time that is hits the highway following a home win and the first resulted in a 3-1 loss at Washington. Going back, the Wild are 1-5 in their last six road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 and are at the wrong place at the wrong time tonight. 10* (64) St. Louis Blues

St. Louis has won three straight games, so it heads into Friday with solid momentum in search of a big payback opportunity. The Blue lost to Nashville in the second round of the playoffs last season 4-2 as it could not solve the Predators on the road as they scored only one goal in each of the three road losses. St. Louis is 8-2 at home while averaging 4.00 gpg on home ice. The Blues put up eight goals against Edmonton in their most recent victory and are 6-0 in their last six games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. Nashville is playing excellent as well as it has won three straight and eight of its last nine games. The lone loss was its last road game at Minnesota back on November 16 and while it is 8-1-1 at home, it is just 5-5-1 on the road. The Predators offense has been strong at home but on the highway, they are averaging just 2.36 gpg which is one of the lowest marks in the league. 10* (24) St. Louis Blues

New Jersey opened its two-game homestand with a shootout loss against the Bruins on Wednesday and is in need of a win before heading to Detroit tomorrow. The Devils have lost three of their last four games and has fallen into second place in the Metropolitan Division, a point behind Columbus which has won five straight games. Going back, the Devils are 5-2 in their last seven home games against teams with a road winning percentage of greater than .600. Vancouver has opened its roadtrip with a pair of wins over Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to improve to a surprising 8-3 on the road. The Canucks have scored five goals in each of those games, yet they are still averaging a mere 2.77 gpg on the season which is tied for No. 20 in the NHL. Despite the recent win over Pittsburgh, the Canucks are 7-26 in their last 33 games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. The winning road run comes to an end on Friday. 10* (16) New Jersey Devils

The Islanders are the only teams in the NHL that has yet to lose a game at home in regulation is they are 7-0-2 in nine games. The road has been a different story however as New York is 5-7 and those seven losses on the highway are the most for any team that is currently in a playoff spot not counting the Wild Card. The Islanders are averaging just 2.92 gpg on the road and going back, they are 2-8 in their last 10 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. The Flyers have lost six straight games after a great start to the season. Three of those losses have come in either overtime or in a shootout and that includes a loss on Wednesday at the Barclays Center against the Islanders so there will be instant payback in play tonight. Goalie Brian Elliott has been solid for the most part but he has gotten no offense to help him out but that can change here against Thomas Greiss who has a 3.29 GAA including a 3.75 GAA in five road starts. 10* (4) Philadelphia Flyers

Arizona has caught fire with three straight wins to close out its four-game roadtrip, but it is still dead last in the NHL with 13 points. The Coyotes are back home where they are just 1-6-1 and it took a shootout for that victory. It has been a brutal schedule of late as seven of their last eight games have come on the road with five of those coming on the east coast and having no more than two days rest in-between any two games. This is the fifth straight game where they have had only one day of rest, so this is a fatigued team right now. The Coyotes are 2-10 in their last 12 games when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. San Jose is riding a three-game losing streak with all of those losses coming at home so a trip on the road is not a bad thing. The defense has been solid, but the offense put up just three goals in those three games The Sharks have won two straight road games and going back, they are 20-7 in their last 27 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (73) San Jose Sharks

The Penguins are in a great spot to roll and with the high price tag, we will be playing the puckline to get some great value. Pittsburgh is coming off a loss at home against Chicago on Saturday which was its first regulation loss at home, so it has had a long time to stew about it. The Penguins are now 6-1-1 at home and are paying the price for the solid record but it has not been an easy ride as eight of their last 11 games have come on the road so the time off is a big advantage and they have won 20 of their last 28 games playing with three or more days of rest. In addition to making up for the home loss, the Penguins want to bury the Canucks as the lost the first meeting in Vancouver 4-2 earlier in the month after sweeping the season series the last two seasons. The Canucks defeated Philadelphia last night as it snapped a two-game slide, but they have not won consecutive games since late October as they are 0-4 in their last four games following a win. Also, the Canucks are 6-26 in their last 32 games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (68) Pittsburgh Penguins -1.5 Puckline

Dallas is coming off a home win over Edmonton on Saturday which was its second straight home victory to improve to 7-2 at home on the season. That win snapped a three-game slide, all three losses coming on the road, as the offense exploded for six goals which was a season high. The can keep that offense tonight against goalie Charlie Lindgren who has filled in well for Carey Price and Al Montoya who are both injuries, but he has struggled over his last two games. Lindgren has allowed five goals in each of his last two starts and will face a Stars offense that is averaging 3.56 gpg at home. Montreal has lost three straight games to finish 2-3-1 on its homestand and now it hits the road for the first time since November 5. Ben Bishop will be between the pipes and he is 8-6 with a 2.78 GAA on the season and his home/road splits have really defined his season. He is 2-5 with a 4.19 GAA in eight road games but at home, he is 6-1 with a 1.36 GAA as he has made 181 saves in 191 shots. The Canadiens are 4-10 in their last 14 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while the Stars are 7-1 in their last eight games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* (6) Dallas Stars

Los Angeles snapped a four-game losing streak with a win last night over Florida as backup goalie Darcy Kuemper had the shutout although he faced only 24 shots. The Kings now hit the road where they are a very solid 6-2 but half of those wins came by way of a shootout or in overtime. After playing five straight home games including last night, they are in a tough spot here and this is their first ever trip to Vegas and as we have seen so far this season, opponents are having a tough time here. The Golden Knights won their last game on Thursday at Vancouver which snapped a three-game road losing streak and they return home for just their second game in Vegas since the end of October. Eight of their last nine games have come on the highway and they bring in a 7-1 home record which includes impressive wins over Boston, St. Louis, Chicago and Winnipeg. Vegas is averaging 3.56 gpg at home and while it will be challenged by Jonathan Quick, a return should again spark the offense. The Kings are 2-6 in their last eight road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (10) Vegas Golden Knights

Boston is coming of a rare road win at Los Angeles on Thursday which snapped a five-game road losing streak and we expect the winning to end there. The Bruins got a great effort from Anton Khudobin who made a late start over Tuukka Rask and he is now 4-0-2 on the season compared to Rask going 3-7-0-2 in 12 starts while posting a .897 save percentage which is ninth worst in the NHL. Khudobin will get his second straight start for the first time this season and he is not in a good spot. Going back, the Bruins are 0-9 in their last nine games following a win. San Jose is coming off a shutout loss at home against Florida putting a halt to a 4-1 run at home. The offense has sputtered this season but could be ready to unload here and the defense will be ready once again. Starting goalie Martin Jones is 8-5-0 with a 2.13 GAA and backup Aaron Dell is 2-2-0 with a 1.94 GAA and as of Saturday late morning, no decision has been made who will be starting. The Sharks are 5-0 in their last five games when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (76) San Jose Sharks

It has been a tale of two seasons for the Rangers as they opened up by losing nine of their first 12 games but have since won six of their last seven games although they are coming off a loss at Chicago on Wednesday. New York has had most of its success at home as it is just 2-4 on the road while going 1-4 in its last five road games against teams with a winning home record. It has been a tough season for goalie Henrik Lundqvist as he has a 3.04 GAA which is No. 26 in the NHL and he has allowed four goals in four of his last eight starts. The Blue Jackets are coming off a two-game roadtrip where they won both games against Detroit and Montreal in extra time and they return home where they look to snap a two-game slide. Columbus lost to Nashville and Carolina by identical 3-1 scores last week after winning five of its first seven home games. This is a good setup where the Blue Jackets are 19-7 in their last 26 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Columbus has played the second toughest schedule in the NHL and it is 5-7 against teams ranked within the top 16 but it has gone 6-1 against teams outside the top 16 which is where the Rangers currently reside. Good value once again. 10* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

This line came out late due to the uncertainty of Flames goalie Mike Smith who has been ruled out. Calgary hits the road following a 5-2 homestand including wins in its last two games where it registered 13 goals. This is their first road game since October 25, so it has been a while since they have had to travel last. The Calgary defense took a hit when Smith had to exit the last game and he did not accompany the team to Detroit. Smith has started 16 of the team's 17 games this season, posting a 9-6 record with a .921 save percentage and a 2.63 GAA. The Flames will turn to Eddie Lack who owns an .857 save percentage and a 3.75 GAA in three appearances on the season. The Red Wings have had a tough stretch with seven road games over their last nine and while they are coming off a home loss against Columbus, they are playing their first consecutive home games since October 20-22. Detroit lost in Calgary last Thursday 6-3 so it will be out for quick revenge and while those six goals allowed are a concern, Petr Mrazek was in goal that game and tonight, Jimmy Howard will get the start. Despite the 13-goal outburst the last two games, Calgary is averaging just 2.88 gpg so we should see that offense come back down to earth tonight. 10* (2) Detroit Red Wings

San Jose is coming off a 4-1 homestand including a winner last night as it shutout Vancouver 5-0 behind a 41-save effort from Aaron Dell. The defense has been the bright spot all season as the Sharks are allowing just 2.33 gpg but the offense has been inconsistent as they had three goals in their previous two games prior to the five-goal outburst last night. San Jose is averaging just 2.73 gpg which is No. 22 in the NHL. This is the second time this season the Sharks have played with no rest and they lost the first game while going back, they are 0-4 in their last four games playing the second of a back-to-back. Los Angeles lost on Thursday at home against Tampa Bay which was its first home regulation loss of the season. Goalie Jonathan Quick had his worst game of the season as he allowed five goals, but he has been solid all season with a 2.29 GAA in 13 starts including a pair of shutouts. Look for a big bounce back effort from him and the Kings as they extend their 7-1 run in their last eight games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (58) Los Angeles Kings

This is the second meeting of the season between Pittsburgh and Nashville with the Penguins taking the first game 4-0. Now it is payback time for the Predators in more ways than one. They will be out for revenge from that game but more importantly, they will be out to avenge losing the Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh in six games with the clincher taking place in this building 2-0. Watching the Penguins celebrate on their home ice was tough to go through so this one has been circled for a while. Nashville is coming off a four-game roadtrip where it won the final three games, so it comes in with solid momentum. Additionally, the Predators have lost two straight home games after a 3-0 start so they want to get back on track at home. Pittsburgh lost in Washington last night and the schedule has been tough as this is their seventh road game in their last eight games and they have gone 1-4-1 in the first six. They have yet to lose in regulation at home but are 4-7-1 on the highway on the season. 10* (20) Nashville Predators

After a blistering start to the season where it went 9-2 through its first 11 games, New Jersey has dropped four straight games. All of those have come against solid teams however, two against Edmonton, St. Louis and Calgary. The Devils take a big step down in competition tonight as they look to snap the skid before hitting the road for a tough four-game roadtrip. Florida won last night in Buffalo which is not saying much as the Sabres are tied with the Panthers for the worst record in the NHL. That victory snapped a five-game losing streak and after picking up four points in its first three games, Florida has grabbed just eight points over its last 12 games. The Devils turn to Cory Schneider who has a 2.96 GAA and is 6-3 in his nine starts despite dropping his last three. Roberto Luongo started last night for the Panthers meaning James Reimer will get the nod which is not good as he has a 4.00 GAA in eight starts and one relief appearance. 10* (10) New Jersey Devils

This is the second game of a back-to-back for Toronto and Boston with the Maple Leafs coming out on top last night 3-2 in overtime. It was their third straight win following a 1-5 run and all three of these wins have come at home. Toronto is 4-4 on the road but has gone 1-4 in its last five road games after a 3-0 start. Going back, the Maple Leafs are 16-35 in their last 51 games in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation. That was the second straight loss for Boston, both coming on the road where it has dropped four straight games and it heads home on a 4-1-2 record over its last seven home games. Tuukka Rask will be back between the pipes after getting last night off and he brings in a solid 2.77 GAA while Toronto looks like it will counter with Curtis McElhinney which would make this his first start of the season. The Bruins are 44-15 in their last 59 games in the second game of a home-and-home situation. 10* (14) Boston Bruins

We won with Carolina on Tuesday as it defeated Florida, but the Panthers are the worst team in in the Eastern Conference and now it takes on one of the best and one that is not happy right now. The Hurricanes snapped a four-game slide with that victory while also snapping a four-game home losing streak and while we eluded to the schedule being one of the toughest in the NHL, it does not get easier here and the Hurricanes have not exactly done well against the elite teams. They have gone 2-6 against the top 16 including 2-5 against the top 10 and only one of those wins came on the road where Carolina is 3-3-1. The one thing we did like from Carolina is its shooting differential which is +99 on the season but Columbus is right there as well at +76 which is third in the league. The Blue Jackets have hit a small skid as they have lost three straight games including their last one against Nashville at home. That snapped a three-game home winning streak, but we can expect a bounceback here as Columbus gets Sergei Bobrovsky back in net as he is 8-3 with a 2.38 GAA, good for ninth best in the NHL. The Blue Jackets are 21-8 in their last 29 home games against teams with a losing road record while the Hurricanes are 19-47 in their last 66 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 10* (54) Columbus Blue Jackets

After an extremely slow start to the season where they opened 1-5-2, the Rangers have caught fire as they are 6-2 in their last eight games including four straight wins. They finished fourth in the Metropolitan Division and claimed the first Wild Card spot last season but ended up losing in the second round of the playoffs. Expectations were set high for this season, but the slow start has kept them near the bottom of the division, so this is a run they need to keep going. The power play has been a catalyst during the winning streak as the Rangers are 6-for-13 over the past four games. We won with the Bruins on Monday as they defeated Minnesota at home, but they have struggled on the road in their limited action away from home. They have played only four road games, losing three of those and they are coming off a stretch of seven of their last eight games taking place at home. That puts Boston in an unfamiliar spot tonight as this is the first time it is coming of a home win and playing the next game on the highway. The win against the Wild came without Brad Marchand, David Krejci and David Backes and they will all be out again, so the Bruins are relying on young players which is hard to ask for in a tough road environment. Going back, the Bruins are 0-8 in their last eight games following a win while the Rangers are 56-27 in their last 83 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (54) New York Rangers

Florida and Carolina come into Tuesday on similar runs and we give the edge to the home team based on scheduling situations. The Panthers and Hurricanes have both lost four straight games and we need to figure which team is more apt to snap that skid and we will be going the latter. Carolina is coming off a two-game roadtrip which capped the four-game slide including a bad loss against Arizona in a shootout. That was the first bad loss of the season however as the first seven losses came against teams that will likely be in the playoffs as is the case with their four wins. The Hurricanes have lost four straight home games, three by one goal and the other coming against Toronto. This could be the time for the Hurricanes to crank up some offense as the Panthers have allowed five or more goals in three of their past five games as part of an NHL-worst defense that allows 4.2 gpg. All four of their losses during this streak came at home so they are in a much more difficult spot here with their 1-4 record although that one victory was an impressive one over Washington. Florida has allowed 4.5 gpg in those four road losses and overall, three of the worst nine goalies in the NHL reside in Florida with Roberto Luongo likely getting the start tonight. Despite the rough start for Carolina, it has a +82-shot differential which is third best in the league. 10* (6) Carolina Hurricanes

Boston concludes its three-game homestand after splitting the first two games and looks to remain over .500 for the season. The Bruins are sitting in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with 13 points and this is a big game following a loss to Washington and six of their next seven games taking place on the road. Boston is 4-2-2 at home and going back, the Bruins are 10-2 in their last 12 home games against teams with a losing road record. Minnesota is coming off a six-game homestand where it went 3-3 including a 2-0 loss in the finale against Chicago. This is the first road game since October 21where the Wild are 2-2-1 and the game commences a four-game roadtrip that also takes them to Toronto, Montreal and Philadelphia. The Wild have had to endure some early season injuries which has hurt them in the offensive zone as their depth is a big problem. As mentioned, the Wild were shutout in their last game and they are 4-12 in their last 16 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Boston will be out for some revenge as well as it got swept last season in the two-game series and did not score a goal in doing, losing by a combined 6-0. 10* (54) Boston Bruins

Tampa Bay opened the season 6-0 at home but lost to Anaheim 4-1 and most recently in its last game to the Rangers in overtime so the Lightning will be out to snap a two-game slide at Amalie Arena. Despite losses in two of their last three games, the Lightning still have a four-point lead in the Eastern Conference and their +16-scoring differential is best in the conference. Going back, they are 13-3 in their last 16 games after allowing two goals or less in their previous game including a 4-1 record this season. Columbus has won two straight games including a 7-3 at Florida on Thursday and is now tied with New Jersey in the Metropolitan Division with 18 points. The Blue Jackets have been solid on the road with a 4-2 record but the best victory was against Winnipeg and they have struggled against the top teams in the league. They are 3-4 against the top ten in power rankings compared to 6-0 against the teams outside the top ten. Going back, the Blue Jackets are 4-13 in their last 17 games against teams with a winning record. The Lightning should be a little extra fired up after getting swept at home by Columbus last season. 10* (54) Tampa Bay Lightning

It has been a horrible start to the season for Washington as it sits in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division with 11 points and is currently sitting on the outside looking in for playoff contention. The Capitals are coming off a 1-2 roadtrip and have dropped seven of their last 10 games overall including three straight losses at home so it is time to put together a big effort after being off since Sunday. They have struggled against the better teams as they are one of only two teams that has not defeated a team ranked within the top 16 but that finally changes. The Islanders have won two straight games and five of their last six as the offense has been in fire, averaging 5.0 gpg over this six-game stretch. This may seem like a real problem for the Capitals as they have a 3.37 GAA but the defensive numbers are skewed for Washington based on the goaltending. Braden Holtby has held his own in goal as he has a 2.75 GAA and .919 save percentage while going 5-3. His backup is Philipp Grubauer who has posted a 4.08 GAA and .876 save percentage, both of which are fourth worst in the league. Holtby is getting the start tonight and he is 12-3-3 with a 2.28 GAA versus New York. This is the first time in nearly four years, since Nov. 20-29, 2013, that the Capitals have gone three straight home games without collecting so much as a point. 10* (54) Washington Capitals

New Jersey sits atop the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, tied with Columbus with 16 points. The Devils have won two straight games and are coming off a three-game homestand but hitting the road has not been an issue as New Jersey is 4-0 on the highway, the only team that has yet to lose a road game. While they have been winning, they have been winning clutch as each of the Devils last five wins have come by just one goal with three of those coming in overtime or in a shootout. They are just +.7 in scoring per game differential and are getting outshot on the season by over four shots per game. Despite the winning now, the Devils are 17-37 in their last 54 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Vancouver had its four-game winning streak snapped with a 2-1 overtime loss against Dallas. The Canucks got off to an expected slow start, losing four of its first six games but the offense has been able to find its groove to help what has been a stout defense. Vancouver is allowing just 2.36 GPG which is third lowest in the NHL while projected starting goalie Jacob Markstrom is No. 11 in the league with a 2.40 GAA. Anders Nilsson has been even better in four starts so whoever gets the call is fine. Brock Boeser, the Canucks leading scorer, returns to the lineup after sitting out the Monday contest with a sore foot that resulted from a blocked shot against the Capitals. 10* (6) Vancouver Canucks

Montreal is coming off a 2-1 homestand which came on the heels of a seven-game losing streak which included five road losses. The lone win on the road came in a shootout in Buffalo in its season opener and now it is back on the road for four straight games starting tonight. They have been outscored 26-9 in those games despite averaging 38.5 shots per game in the six games. Overall, the Canadiens are averaging just 2.0 gpg which is horrible considering the shaky defense. Goaltender Carey Price continues to struggle as he is off to the worst start of his career with a 3.60 GAA and a save percentage of .883. He has allowed four or more goals in six of his 10 starts including each of his last games. He has struggled in picking up the new defensive system. It has been a strange season for Ottawa as it has six losses but has points in 10 of its 11 games as five of those losses came in overtime or in a shootout and its 15 points are good for second place in the Atlantic Division and tied for third in the Eastern Conference. The Senators have a 2-1-4 record at home and this is a big three-game homestand before heading to Sweden to face the Avalanche in a pair of games. Going back, the Senators are 6-2 in their last eight home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (8) Ottawa Senators

Anaheim is coming off a huge upset last night in Tampa Bay as the Ducks handed the Lightning their first home loss of the season 4-1 despite getting outshot 32-21. The difference was the special team's effort as the Ducks converted both man-up advantages while the defense killed all four Tampa Bay power play opportunities. One big factor we like to look at is shots on goal and Anaheim is shooting the puck just 30.6 times per game and its -39 overall difference in shots is 6th worse in the league. Carolina meanwhile is +24 in that department, good for the 8th highest mark in the NHL. This is the first back-to-back for Anaheim this season and going back to last season, the Ducks are 2-7 in their last nine games playing on no rest while going 1-7 in their last eight games following a win. Carolina lost at home to St. Louis on Friday which was its third straight loss at home which followed up a victory in its home opener against Minnesota. The Hurricanes have other impressive wins over Edmonton and Tampa Bay, so they have played well against top teams and they catch the Ducks in a great spot on Sunday with the rest advantage. 10* (52) Carolina Hurricanes

Two of the biggest early season disappointments square off Saturday night as the Rangers head to Montreal in a battle of last place teams. New York is coming off a win in its last game on Thursday as it kept Arizona winless on the season in a 5-2 victory. The five goals scored matched their season high and it will be tough to keep it going here. The 3-6-2 start is even more disappointing because the schedule could not have been set up any better for a hot start as nine of the 11 games have taken place at home. This includes a six-game homestand that resulted in four losses. Of the three home wins, one of those was 2-0 shutout over Montreal so the Canadiens will have some extra motivation tonight although there should be plenty of that already after just two wins through its first 10 games. The Canadiens are coming off a 4-0 loss to the Kings on Thursday which as the seventh game they have scored two or fewer goals and their 1.70 gpg average is the worst in the NHL. Making that average even more dumbfounding is the fact that Montreal leads the NHL in shorts with 38.4 per game so while execution has been lacking, bad luck has not. Tonight is the night to get back on track as the Canadiens are 8-0 in their last eight games following a home loss of three or more goals. 10* (14) Montreal Canadiens

The scheduling in the NHL can be a little out of whack at times and we are coming across a situation tonight that heavily favors one team that we can take advantage of. Ottawa is coming off a game last night where it defeated Philadelphia 5-4 where it nearly blew a 5-2 lead and now heads to the States for its second back-to-back of the season. While the Senators took care of business in that first game with a victory, this time it is different with more difficult travel plus being their third game in four nights. On top of it, the Senators will be without two of their top scoring forwards, Bobby Ryan and Kyle Turris. New Jersey meanwhile has not played in a week since getting shutout at home against San Jose last Friday. Getting additional rest is a big edge in the NHL and this is an extreme example of two teams that are on complete opposite ends of that. Prior to that defeat, the Devils scored 31 goals in their first seven games of the season, so the offense is just fine and even with the shutout, they are averaging 3.70 gpg which is third most in the league. Goalie Cory Schneider practiced Thursday and there is a chance he will be activated Friday in time to serve as the backup for Keith Kinkaid who is 2-1 with a 2.13 GAA. 10* (56) New Jersey Devils

We played against Florida on Tuesday and it lost 5-1 to fall to 1-4 on the road but it does bring in a 2-1 record at home into Thursday. The lone loss came by a goal against the defending Stanley Cup Champions Penguins and the wins were against Tampa Bay and St, Louis which is part of what has been a brutal slate. The Panthers have played the toughest schedule in the NHL as five of their eight games have come against the top 16 in the league. The one big positive for Florida early in the season is that it is flying around the ice which has created a lot of scoring opportunities as its 36.3 shots per game is fourth highest in the NHL. After a 2-3-1 start, Anaheim has won its last two games by identical 6-2 scores so both sides on the ice have been playing well of late. The Ducks sent a reeling Montreal team to its seventh straight loss at the time to conclude their homestand and then defeated a solid Philadelphia team on Tuesday as they scored six goals on just 25 shots against Brian Elliott. That was only the second road game of the season for Anaheim as it has had a very favorable schedule which is currently ranked No. 30 out of 31 teams. Going back, the Ducks are 1-6 in their last 7 games following a win. 10* (16) Florida Panthers

The Sabres have won two straight games for the first time this season after a rough start. The 32-save shutout by Robin Lehner on Tuesday gave Buffalo its first home win of the season and the situation tonight is a first. While this is the third back-to-back of the season, this is the first time the Sabres are playing the second game in two nights coming off a win. They went 2-6 last season in such situations. Because Lehner got the start last night, Chad Johnson will be between the pipes tonight and his 3.84 gpg allowed is fifth worst in the NHL among 50 qualified goalies. After a win in Winnipeg to start last week, the Blue Jackets fell to the top two teams in the NHL at home as they lost to Tampa Bay and Los Angeles at home. Not getting any points at home was especially disappointing against the Kings as that game should have at worst been an overtime loss but the Blue Jackets allowed a late goal and it was sealed with an empty-netter. Columbus was 28-12-1 at home last season and did not lose three straight at home at any point during the regular season. The Sabres went 3-9 last season following two or more consecutive wins while the Blue Jackets are 17-5 in their last 22 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (54) Columbus Blue Jackets -1.5 Puckline

This is the first of two meetings in the next eight days between Pittsburgh and Edmonton which is a possible preview of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins were riding a three-game winning streak before heading to Tampa Bay on Saturday and they did not get off the bus as they allowed a goal within the first two minutes and eventually lost 7-1. It was the second bad loss for Pittsburgh as it also lost in Chicago 10-1 compared to its other two losses that were by one goal each. The Penguins have won their last two games following a loss and going back, they are 43-16 in their last 59 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Edmonton lost at Philadelphia in its last game on Saturday and it has been a surprisingly bad start to the season as it is 2-5. The offense has been the issue as the Oilers are averaging just 2.0 gpg despite averaging 38.9 shots per game. That could be attributed to facing great goaltending but that has not been the case most of the time. The Oilers are at a disadvantage in special teams as well as the Edmonton penalty kill has been a bit of an issue lately, sitting 30th in the NHL at a dismal 72.4 percent. That is not good news as the Penguins boast the second-best power play in the league at 32.4 percent. 10* (8) Pittsburgh Penguins

Los Angeles is the lone remaining team in the NHL that has yet to lose in regulation as it is 6-0-1 following a win at Columbus on Saturday to open a six-game roadtrip. Five of the first seven games for the Kings came at home so the schedule has been on their side and while a win at Columbus was very solid, the challenge gets tougher tonight. The Kings came into this season with more questions than answers as their most glaring flaw was a lack of offense. The team tied the Sabres for 24th in offense last season despite ranking seventh in shots per game and while it has improved, the average this season has been skewed by the last two games. Toronto lost its second game of the season at Ottawa on Saturday and we can expect a bounce back effort here as the Leafs are 6-1 in their last seven games following a loss of three or more goals. Toronto is the highest scoring team in the league, averaging 4.58 gpg and should be able to keep it going Monday/ The Kings have been one of the best penalty killing teams in the league, stopping 25 of 25 man-down situations but they face a tough task tonight as Toronto owns the third-best power play in the NHL. Toronto has had this one circled on the calendar as it is coming off a pair of losses last season to the Kings including a 7-0 loss at home. 10* (54) Toronto Maple Leafs

The Flyers are off to a solid start at 4-2 and fall into our first revenge situation of the season. They are coming off a pair of wins over Washington and Florida and the offense has been on high octane as they scored 13 goals in those victories and Philadelphia has scored five or more goals in four of six games, all of which have come in regulation time. The Flyers are one of just three teams averaging four or more goals per game and they will be motived to keep that offense going against Nashville which they lost to nine days ago despite scoring five goals. Making the loss even tougher, they allowed five straight goals including a pair of power-play goals in the final 1:17 for the final margin. They have won both home games and going back to last season, Philadelphia is 8-1 in its last nine home games where last season, it finished with the fourth best home record in the Eastern Conference. Nashville is coming off a win over Colorado to improve to 3-0 at home but the Predators have yet to break through on the road where they have lost all three games. Nashville is averaging just 1.33 gpg in those three road games compared to 4.67 gpg in its three home games. 10* (52) Philadelphia Flyers

St. Louis opened the season a perfect 4-0 including very impressive victories against the Penguins, Stars and Islanders but it failed to keep the momentum going as it is now on a two-game losing streak, falling at Florida and Tampa Bay. The Blues are tied for second place in the Central Division with Colorado and they have a chance to move into first place with a victory tonight. The schedule has been very difficult for St. Louis as it has played the No. 1 ranked slate as not only have five of its six games come against teams ranked within the top 16 but five of six games have come on the road. While it would be nice to get an extended stint at home, the Blues head back out on the road for two straight games after this against Colorado and Vegas, two of the top teams in the Western Conference. That makes this home game a vital one. We won with Chicago on Saturday as it defeated Nashville in overtime thanks to a late goal in the third period to send it into extra time. The Blackhawks are coming off a two-game homestand and have played four of their six games in Chicago and the one road game against a winning team resulted in a loss in Toronto. Going back, the Blues are 11-3 in their last 14 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while the Blackhawks are 2-8 in their last 10 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (4) St. Louis Blues

It has been an up and down season for Washington with three wins and three losses and it is coming off its worst effort of the season on Saturday against Philadelphia. The Capitals tied the game at 1-1 midway through the first period but then it was all Flyers which went on to win 8-2 with goalie Philipp Grubauer taking responsibility for all those goals. They get Braden Holtby back between the pipes tonight who is No. 9 in the NHL in GAA at 2.47 in four starts. This is good news for Washington which is 11-1 in its last 12 after allowing five goals or more in its previous game. This is the first meeting this season following the epic playoff series from last year in which Washington won 4-2 with five of the six games going into overtime and other game being decided by one goal. This puts Toronto into a revenge spot but the Maple Leafs will have the Capitals attention because of their solid start. Toronto is 4-1 including a perfect 2-0 on the road following a win in Montreal on Saturday in overtime. The Leafs are the highest scoring team in the NHL with 5.12 gpg so it will be a challenge for Holtby and the defense but the Capitals have allowed no more than three runs in regulation in any game prior to the Philadelphia game. The Maple Leafs are 6-14 in their last 20 games when their opponent allows five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (56) Washington Capitals

You might have to forgive Chicago with its effort on Thursday against Minnesota as it lost 5-2 with a good possibility it was looking ahead to this one. The Blackhawks have not seen Nashville since the playoffs last season when they were swept in the quarters by the Predators, ending their Stanley Cup hopes in what was one of the biggest NHL first-round upsets ever. Back in 1994, San Jose upset Detroit as a No. 8 seed and more recent Montreal took out Washington in 2010 but both of those series went the distance. Chicago flat out was outplayed last April by the Predators and this game has been circled since then. Coming off a loss makes it stronger as does the fact Nashville has won two straight games and on the season, the host in 4-0 in Predators games. They took care of Philadelphia and Dallas as the offense scored 10 goals after putting just three pucks through the net in their first two games. Revenge is in play for the team but even more so for the goaltender after an awful series. Corey Crawford is likely to start for Chicago with a three-day break coming up after this game. He is 3-1-0 with a 1.50 GAA and .956 save percentage to start the season and in 25 career games against Nashville, he is 15-9-1 with a 2.52 GAA and .913 save percentage despite the poor play last April. The Blackhawks are 39-13 in their last 52 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400 and revenge will be sweet tonight. 10* (18) Chicago Blackhawks

We lost a tough one with the Capitals on Wednesday as they could not get the expected payback against the Penguins in a 3-2 defeat. They are now 2-1-1and one of the real surprises is that Washington has been outshot in all four games and its -48 shots on goal differential is the worst in the NHL. This is not sustainable with a team as talented on offense as the Capitals and this could be the turnaround game to flip the switch. New Jersey is one of the surprising teams early in the season as it is off to a 3-0 start with the offense leading the way. The Devils scored the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference each of the last two seasons so the fact they have scored 16 goals through the first three games is very surprising. The defense had held up its own end as well as the Devils are allowing just 2.0 gpg but that is all on goaltender Cory Schneider who has gotten off to a great start. The overall defense has not done him any favors though as the Devils have allowed 41 and 50 shots in two of those three games. Colorado and Toronto were not able to take advantage but Washington can and there is a decent possibility that Schneider will not be in goal with the Devils having a game tomorrow night. New Jersey has also scored a short-handed goal in each game so it has been fortunate on the offensive end as well. Going back to last season, the Capitals are 21-8 in their last 29 games against teams with a winning record and the fact the Devils are 3-0 are surely going to attract their attention tonight. 10* (53) Washington Capitals

St. Louis is off to a perfect 4-0 start and its eight points lead the Western Conference in the early stage of the season. The Blues finished third in the Central Division last season and made it to the second round of the playoffs before falling to eventually Western Conference champion Nashville. The opening winning streak is even more impressive as all four wins have been against teams that are expected to compete for playoff spots this season but this run cannot continue forever. One big reason for that is the luck factor which can go a long way in hockey. The Blues have been outshot in three of four games and overall, they have been outshot by 35 shots which is second most in the NHL. Florida comes in as a slight favorite which may be surprising to some but this is a team on the rise and one that could make some noise if they stay healthy. The Panthers have played only two games as they split their home-and-home set with Tampa Bay and are playing their first game since Saturday. That is a big edge considering this is the third game in four nights for the Blues. Their top line of Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and KHL transplant Evgeni Dadonov could be among the most dynamic in the Eastern Conference and the trio has already accumulated seven points through the first two games. Florida is +29 in shots on goal which is very impressive considering it has played just twice. The Panthers are 18-8 in their last 26 games playing on three or more days rest. 10* (4) Florida Panthers

Washington opened the season with a shootout win over Ottawa and followed that up with a convincing 6-1 victory over Montreal on Saturday. The Capitals travelled to Tampa Bay on Monday and jumped out to a 2-0 lead and then led 3-2 entering the third period but failed to come back out onto the ice after that. Washington was outshot 22-7 in the third period and in overtime and lost 4-3 and those last 22 minutes could very well be blamed to looking ahead to this game tonight. The Capitals will be out to avenge their seven-game series loss against the Penguins in the second round of the playoffs last season including a 2-0 loss in Game Seven at home. Washington is 35-11-2 at home since the start of last season including playoffs. The Penguins are the favorites to three-peat as Stanley Cup Champions and it has not been a great start as they are 1-1-1. A 10-1 loss at Chicago was a complete embarrassment but Pittsburgh did rebound with a win over Nashville on Saturday 4-0. As good of a season as it was for the Penguins last season, they were average on the road with a 19-15-7 record during the regular season including a pair of losses here by a combined score of 12-3. Tonight, it is about payback as players, coaches and management acknowledged that the team was still in the process of moving on from that disappointment during a training camp that head coach Barry Trotz described as "miserable." 10* (54) Washington Capitals

Nashville opened the season with a pair of tough road games at Boston and Pittsburgh and it is no surprise it rolls into Tuesday with a 0-2 record. The Predators are back home for the first time since Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals where they lost 2-0 and had to watch the Penguins celebrate so there are some bad memories they need to get rid of from this arena and a victory tonight goes a long way in doing that. Nashville has dropped four straight games going back to last season where it went 24-9-8 and those nine regulation losses were second fewest in the Western Conference and part of the reason the Predators finished No. 8 in the conference was their poor road play. Philadelphia ends its four-game season opening roadtrip tonight after starting 2-1 with a season opening win over San Jose and an overtime win against Anaheim last time out. We played against the Flyers in the game in-between as they were shutout in Los Angeles 2-0 and we are going against them in a similar spot even though there is more rest involved this time around. They skate into a very tough situation tonight based on opponent and venue and peeking ahead to their home opener against Washington would not be surprising. Going back, the Flyers are 8-22 in their last 30 road games while gong 4-12 in their last 16 games following a win. Meanwhile, the Predators are 9-4-1 all-time under head coach Peter Laviolette following a shutout. 10* (8) Nashville Predators

We played against Buffalo on Saturday as it was in a very tough situation having come off a shootout loss against Montreal at home on Thursday and playing its first road game of the season against an Islanders team that was shutout the night before in Columbus. After taking 45 shots in the opener against the Canadiens, the Sabres were limited to only 29 shots on Saturday and we can expect a repeat of the former on Monday. New head coach Phil Housley has installed a quicker offense which as on display in the opener but the strong defense of the Islanders put them in check in Game Two. New Jersey opened the season with a win over Colorado at home 4-1 despite allowing 41 shots but they took care of business by scoring three of those goals on the power play while stopping the Avalanche six times in the man advantage. This is not a good team as the Devils finished last in the Eastern Conference last season with only 70 points. They ranked last in the conference in goals per game (2.20) and second to last in goals allowed (2.94) so it is clear they struggle on both sides even though that may not have been apparent in their first game. They won just 12 road games last season and won back-to-back games only 11 times. Additionally, New Jersey was just 3-7 last season on the road following a home win in its previous game. 10* (56) Buffalo Sabres

We played against the Islanders last night as they got shutout 5-0 in their season opener with the goaltending being an issue as expected. What was not expected, the offense sputtered and had only 29 shots on goal but a quick turnaround for their home opener is the perfect elixir. Confidence should not be lost by just one game for New York which went 6-0-2 in the preseason and was led by spectacular goaltending. Thomas Greiss allowed all five goals on just 26 shots before he was relieved by Jaroslav Halak who made 11 saves and will get the start tonight after putting in 28 solid minutes last night. This is a situation the Islanders have thrived in as they went 10-1 in their last 11 games last season when allowing five or more goals while going a perfect 8-0 in their last eight games following a loss by three or more goals. Buffalo also lost its season opener and it was a tough one to take as it lost in a shootout to Montreal at home and while that can be considered an encouraging defeat, the fact the Sabres had 45 shots and only two goals is concerning. Same with the other side. The Sabres were not happy they allowed 40 shots but that should not be a surprise though as they did that 17 times last year. Throw in the loss from Thursday and the Sabres are 11-30-5 in October since 2013 as slow starts have plagued Buffalo the last few years. Buffalo finished 13-22-6 on the road last season which was the second worst road record in the Eastern Conference. 10* (64) New York Islanders

Columbus enters the season with some unfinished business. The Blue Jackets ran off 16 straight wins between November 29 and January 3 but it was the end of the season that will have them highly motivated. They lost six of their final seven regular season games and gave Pittsburgh little challenge in the first round of the playoffs as they lost in five games. Columbus finished third in the NHL in scoring differential last season and its 108 points were fourth best in the league and added to its offense in the offseason as it got left winger Artemi Panarin from the Blackhawks. This is a sound team defensively led by goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who led all starters in goals-against average (2.06) and save percentage (.931) and finished third with 41 wins, one fewer than Braden Holtby and Cam Talbot. The Islanders missed the playoffs by a single point last season so there is plenty of motivation there as well. New York finished sixth in the Eastern Conference in goals so the offense is fine but defensively, the Islanders were bad as they allowed 211 goads which was No. 11 in the conference. Goaltending was a big issue as Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak both finished in the bottom third of the league in GAA and while both had solid preseasons, the regular season is a different story. Greiss is expected to get the start tonight and he struggled in his lone start in Columbus last season, allowing three goals on 17 shots. Columbus won both meetings at home last season by a combined score of 13-2. 10* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

Many people will remember Nashville making a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to the Penguins in six games. What some will not remember is the improbable run it took to get there as the Predators came into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference so the fact they made it that far was shocking. As we head into this season, bettors' memories are on the Predators appearance in the finals which is keeping this first game number down for the home team which should be a lot higher. Nashville can make another run but must do so without center Mike Smith who retired and that leaves a big void. Of the 16 teams to make the postseason last year, Nashville had the worst road record at 17-20-4. Boston heads into the new season pretty much the same team as last season and that is not necessarily a bad thing. The Bruins clearly were a different team after head coach Bruce Cassidy took over for Claude Julien in early February, going 18-8-1 and securing the third playoff spot in the Atlantic with 95 points. They did lose in the first round of the playoffs to Ottawa in six games, all of which were decided by one goal and three of those losses coming in overtime. Boston is predicted to make the postseason again by most and it will come into this season with plenty of motivation for the opener after ending last season with five straight home losses. This is an aggressive system with two very strong top lines and an above average defense. Goalie Tuukka Rask set a career high with 37 wins last season, and he lowered his goals-against average from 2.56 to 2.23. 10* (54) Boston Bruins

Edmonton made it back to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006 and had a very good postseason. The Oilers took out San Jose in the first round before falling to Anaheim in an epic seven-game series as they lost Game Seven 2-1. While it was not how they wanted it to end, it only adds motivation to this season and Edmonton is a Stanley Cup contender and odds-on favorite to win the Western Conference. The Oilers obviously have one of the best players in the NHL with Connor McDavid but it is the continuity around him that makes this team a dangerous one to make a deep run this season. Because it is the season opener, we can get Edmonton at a decent price and if the predictions to take place, they will not be a cheap home team, especially after going 25-12-4 at home last season. Calgary made it to the playoffs last season as well but was ousted in the first round as it got swept by the Ducks. Offensively, the Flames are average and while the defense is above average, goaltending has been a big issue for the Flames the last couple seasons as they have used five netminders the last two seasons with not even one able to provide even the league-average numbers to take a step forward. Calgary brought in Mike Smith but it is not an upgrade which is not good in this matchup after Edmonton scored 21 goals in four meetings last season, all won by the Oilers. 10* (6) Edmonton Oilers

This number is a bit chalky but the situation sets up great for Nashville. The Predators are coming off a home loss against Colorado on Saturday and while home ice has been pretty this season, they have not lost a home game following a home loss in its previous game, going 3-0 in these spots. The Flames are coming off a five-game homestand where they went undefeated and going back, they have won nine straight games at Scotiabank Saddledome after Saturday's 5-4 overtime victory over the Rangers. The road has been a different story however as Calgary has lost four straight on the highway and is 3-11 on the season. This is the first road game since November 28th and the Predators are 41-13 in their last 54 home games against teams with a road winning percentage of less than .400. Nashville falls into a solid situation where we play on home favorites against the money line after a loss by one goal in their previous game going up against an opponent after scoring three goals or more in five straight games. This situation is 93-39 (70.5 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Nashville is 12-1 against the money line in its last 13 home games when playing with two days rest while Calgary is 49-110 against the money line in its last 159 road games after scoring three goals or more in two straight games while going 0-8 in its last eight road games against the money line off two or more consecutive home wins. 7* (16) Nashville Predators

This is the second game of a home-and home between Chicago and Nashville and the Predators will be out to avenge a 4-1 defeat on Tuesday. It has been a pretty rough couple weeks for Nashville which has lost eight of its last 11 games but the schedule has not done it many favors as eight of those games came on the road. The disturbing issue though is that the three home games came against teams with a losing record and the Predators went just 1-2 in those games. Nonetheless, home ice has been solid while the road has been a big issue for Chicago this season. The Blackhawks are 5-9 on the highway compared to 10-4 at home so this is a big reason they sit 10 points behind Dallas in the Central Division. Nashville is not only playing with revenge from Tuesday but this is the first home meeting with Chicago since losing in the first round of last years playoffs four games to two. Going back, Nashville is 15-5 in its last 20 games revenging a loss where it scored one goal or less while Chicago is 12-25 in its last 37 games coming off two consecutive home wins by two goals or more. Additionally, the Blackhawks fall into a negative situation where we play against road teams that are coming off two consecutive home wins by two goals or more going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 119-69 (63.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (58) Nashville Predators

Detroit hits the road following a six-game homestand where it went 4-2 including wins in the final three games. The Red Wings have won two straight games on the road but dates all the way back to November 16th which shows the infrequency of their road play. Additionally, only two of those six games came against teams with a winning record. Washington meanwhile is back home following a three-game roadtrip where it started 2-0 but lost the final game in Winnipeg on Sunday. The Capitals also have a three-game roadtrip on deck so they need to take care of business at home where they are 10-4 on the season. Washington is 11-3 against the money line in its last 14 games after losing their previous game in overtime while going 9-1 this season following a non-conference games. Detroit meanwhile is 6-14 in its last 20 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600 and it falls into a negative situation where we play against road teams against the money line after scoring four goals or more in three straight games. This situation is 93-58 (61.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (60) Washington Capitals

Nashville bounced back from an embarrassing home loss against Buffalo by defeating Arizona 5-2 on Tuesday. The momentum of scoring four third period goals should carry over into this one. The Predators could use another win before embarking on a brutal three-game roadtrip at Detroit, Boston and Chicago. Overall, they are 8-4 at home and going back, the Predators are 52-22 in their last 74 home games against teams with a losing road record. Florida meanwhile has won three straight games, all as an underdog, including a 3-1 win at St. Louis on Tuesday as a +150 underdog. This is not the place to keep the streak alive though as the Panthers are winless in their last nine road games against the Predators with their last win coming way back in 1999. Florida is just 3-13 in its last 16 games after a two-game unbeaten streak while Nashville is 52-21 in its last 73 home games after scoring five goals or more in its previous game. Additionally, it falls into a great situation as we play against road underdogs of +100 to +200 in the first half of the season with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 after a two game unbeaten streak. This situation is 63-20 (75.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (12) Nashville Predators

Colorado looks to bounce back from a home loss to Ottawa on Wednesday and catches a very good spot tonight to do so. The Avalanche fell 5-3 to the Senators and they were not in fact in a good spot then as they were two days removed from coming home from a seven-game roadtrip where they went 4-3. One of those victories came at Winnipeg and while the Jets will be out to seek revenge, they will have a very tough time in doing so. They are coming off an upset win over Minnesota last night and it was a rare road win as after a 5-2 start on the highway, they have dropped their previous six road games. The Jets are just 15-42 in their last 57 games playing with no rest while going 0-6 this season after scoring three goals or more in two straight games. Colorado meanwhile is 7-1 in its last eight games after allowing five goals or more in its previous game and going back further, the Avalanche are 17-3 in their last 20 games coming off a home loss by two or more goals. 10* (70) Colorado Avalanche