Sports Picks & Predictions

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

We played on Edmonton on opening night as it defeated Calgary 3-0 but things have not gone well since then as it has lost its last three games and none of which have been against elite competition. The last two losses have come at home which is even more surprising after the Oilers went 25-12-4 at home last season so this is a big game as they hit the road for a three-game trek right after this. Special teams have been the big problem as the Oilers are 1 for 12 with the man advantage (ranked 26th) and have allowed five goals on 17 penalty-kill chances heading into NHL action Tuesday, worst in the NHL. Carolina is 1-1-1 and offense has been sluggish over the last two games that resulted in 2-1 losses, one on regulation and one in overtime. The Hurricanes finished out of the playoffs last season with 87 points and they were a very poor road team as they went 13-19-9 with those 13 wins tied for the second fewest in the Eastern Conference. Projections for this season are not great so this is a team that can steer Edmonton in the right direction and because of the Oilers struggles, we are getting a manageable number. The Hurricanes are 0-5 in their last five road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400 while going 0-5 in their last five games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Meanwhile, the Oilers are 9-1 in their last 10 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 9* (68) Edmonton Oilers

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

We lost a tough one with Arizona on Saturday as it allowed the game-tying goal with just over a minute left in regulation and then lost in overtime against Vegas. The Coyotes went on to lose the second of the home-and-home against the Golden Knights in a very emotional and energetic atmosphere in their first ever home game and are now 0-2-1 to start the season but catch a break tonight. They opened the season in Anaheim, blowing a 4-1 lead, but are back home again and laying a very short number. Detroit is off to a 2-1 start as it won its first two games but is coming off a loss at Dallas on Tuesday. Having finished out of a playoff spot for the first time in 25 years and facing what appears to be a long overhaul, the Red Wings' offseason activity was limited so it is expected to be another long season. Despite a 2-1 record, the Red Wings have been outshot by 24 shots and they have been fortunate with good goaltending from Jimmy Howard who is top five in GAA in a very limited sample size. Last season, he was limited with a knee injury and looks to be healthy again the lack of offense will eventually catch up. While the road team has dominated this series of late, three of the last four wins have come in overtime or in a shootout so those could have gone either way. Detroit finished with the second worst scoring differential in the Eastern Conference last season and we can expect more of same. 9* (10) Arizona Coyotes

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

We played on Anaheim Monday as it hosted Calgary following an overtime loss against Philadelphia and the Ducks could not bounce back as they were shut out 2-0. Losing consecutive games at home is a rarity for Anaheim but losing three in a row at the Pond is even more rare. The Ducks lost consecutive home games on four different occasions last season and went 3-1 to avoid a longer skid and we can expect a big rebound tonight. The power play has been an issue for Anaheim as it has had 11 man-advantage opportunities through three games and the nothing to show for it. This will come around though. The Islanders are off to a 1-1-1 start to the season as they are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss against St. Louis at home on Monday and now they hit the road for their first extended trip of the season as a three-game west coast trek starts tonight and then culminates with a game at the Rangers next Thursday. They have been inconsistent on offense as they have scored just two goals in their two losses but put up six against Buffalo in the lone victory. However, it is the defense that continues to struggle which goes back to last season and that is not a good sign against an Anaheim team that has peppered the opposing goalie with at least 40 shots in two of three games. Going back, the Ducks are 8-3 in their last 11 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. 9* (58) Anaheim Ducks

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

This is a rematch of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs from last season that the Ducks dominated with a 4-0 sweep even though three of those games were decided by just one goal. Calgary will be out for revenge but considering it is on the road and the domination goes back much further, there is no place for revenge talk here. Anaheim is off to a 1-1 start as it opened the season with a one-goal victory over Arizona but fell to the Flyers Saturday in overtime. It was a tale of two games as the Ducks outshot the Coyotes in Game One 41-30 but were outshot by Philadelphia in Game Two 37-23. Those discrepancies make a huge difference as the more shots on goal, the better the chances of scoring. The same can be said for the Flames as they too have been inconsistent with their shots. In their 3-0 loss at Edmonton, they were outshot 45-26 but in their game at home against Winnipeg on Saturday, they outshot the Jets 45-28 in their 6-3 win. 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 and Mike Smith has been average this season. The Anaheim domination cannot be overlooked as the Flames own an abysmal 9-43-6 record against the Ducks since they joined the NHL back in 1994. This includes 29 straight losses at the Pond dating back to 2006. 9* (64) Anaheim Ducks

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

Vegas got its franchise off to a roaring start with an upset win at Dallas last night. The Golden Knights were scoreless until the second half of the third period where they tallied both goals to pull off the stunner. It was an emotional victory for sure as the team rallied around the city following the tragedy earlier in the week and this game tonight sets up as a massive letdown while the franchise plays its first back-to-back of the season. Marc-Andre Fleury was one of the stars last night as he made 45 saves but he likely will not be called upon to make a repeat of that as Malcolm Subban is likely to get the start. Subban has only two NHL starts to his credit, both coming with the Bruins in two separate seasons where he allowed three goals in each game. Arizona opened a 4-1 lead behind goals by Anthony Duclair, Clayton Keller, Max Domi and Christian Fischer on Thursday but the Coyotes gave up four consecutive goals to lose 5-4 as the defense and goaltending broke down late. Louis Domingue started strong between the pipes but fell apart which was disappointing but not too surprising as he is the backup to begin with. The Coyotes expect to start No. 1 goalie Antti Raanta, who missed nearly all of training camp and the opener with a lower-body injury, but went through a full practice Friday without problems. Arizona had just 12 road wins all last season which was tied for second fewest in the NHL so a return home will be an advantage. The desert rivalry starts tonight and the Coyotes strike first. 8* (72) Arizona Coyotes

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

Los Angeles opens the season tonight in hopes of getting off to a good start after missing the playoff two of the last three years. The Kings have won two Stanley Cups since 2012 so the sudden digression has been surprising but things are in place to get back to the postseason. There were a few reasons for the disappointing 2016-17 season and the biggest one was on the offensive side but that can be attributed to bad luck and not necessarily bad offense. The Kings tied the Sabres for 24th in offense last season despite ranking seventh in shots per game and it the latter ranking that shows where luck can be involved in a lot of cases. Additionally, Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty should bounce back from disappointing seasons made far more laborious by their participation in the World Cup last year. Jonathan Quick is back in net after playing only 17 games last season following ranking No. 6 in GAA two years ago. Philadelphia won its season opener last night as it upset San Jose 5-3 as a +130 underdog. The Flyers missed the postseason last year as well and started similar with a season opening upset win over Los Angeles only to lost the next night at Arizona. We won with Edmonton last night and part of the reason for going against Calgary was the average goaltending which was the case last season and now Philadelphia has inherited some of that. Brian Elliott came over from the Flames and he was very average and was average last night by allowing three goals. He may sit tonight and the Flyers could go to Michal Neuvirth and that would be no upgrade as he finished last in the NHL in save percentage last season at .891 and that is out of 44 goalies that qualified. Despite the win, the Flyers have lost 21 of 28 road games. 9* (64) Los Angeles Kings

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 has been a road dominated series with the away team taking eight of the last nine meetings including a five-game series sweep last season. With Dallas leading the Western Conference with 46 points, one can argue that the road domination continues but this line is telling us different. The Stars are coming off a win last night against Philadelphia at home and they come in with a very impressive 11-4 record on the road. They have been favored in each of their last eight road games but now they are a substantial underdog but for good reason. St. Louis lost its last game on Thursday against Philadelphia which was its fourth loss in five games. It has not a great run on offense but the defense will be important for tonight. Blues goalie Jake Allen will get back between the pipes after giving way to Brian Elliott in Thursday's loss to Philadelphia. After a brief period of subpar play, Allen looked good in his last start, getting the win and stopping 22 of 23 shots against the Coyotes. Going back, St. Louis is 18-4 against the money line in its last 22 games coming off a home loss over the last two seasons. 9* (62) St. Louis Blues

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