Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. We won with Dallas on Tuesday as it won in Montreal for its first road win of the season but things will be a bit tougher tonight. After a 6-1 start, Toronto has lost three of its last five games and sits a point behind Tampa Bayt for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs are a perfect 5-0 on the road but are just 3-4 on home ice and that is keeping this line down. They have won five straight games against teams with a winning record while Dallas is 3-17 in its last 20 road games revenging a loss where opponent scored four or more goals. Here, we play on home favorites after one or more consecutive losses, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team in the first half of the season. This situation is 106-43 (71.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (4) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. This is the second game of a home-and-home between the Penguins and Islander and Pittsburgh will be out for payback following a 6-3 loss on Tuesday. They are 4-0 in their last four games following a home loss of three or more goals while going 18-4 in their last 22 games after a loss by two goals or more. The win by the Islanders concluded a perfect 3-0 roadtrip and this will be just their fourth home game of the season. Thomas Greiss will start at goalie for the Islanders, who lost starter Robin Lehner to an injury on Tuesday. They are 5-16 in their last 21 games against teams with a winning record. Pittsburgh falls into a very positive situation where we play on road favorites off a divisional loss going up against an opponent off a divisional win by two goals or more. This situation is 23-3 (88.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (5) Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a play on the CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. We won with Vancouver on Monday as it defeated Minnesota as a significant underdog and it comes into tonight as a dog again but justified. The Canucks are 7-6 and sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference and injuries are now starting to become an issue. Vancouver lost center Brandon Sutter to an apparent shoulder injury against Minnesota. The Canucks are also again expected to be without injured defensemen Alex Edler and Chris Tanev as well as winger Sven Baertschi. This is significant in not only has a lot of scoring hit the bench but so has a lot of ice time which hurts the consistency of their normal lines. They are averaging just 25.8 spg in five home games which is second fewest in the league and going back, the Canucks are 15-36 in their last 51 home games against teams with a winning road record. Chicago lost on Sunday in overtime against Edmonton which was the sixth game that needed overtime in its first 12 games on the season. The Blackhawks were playing for the second night in a row and for the sixth time in nine days, yet the game was indicative of how they have played for most of the season.as except for the debacle against the Lightning on October 21st, the Blackhawks have been in every game. Chicago is 10-4 in its last 14 games when its opponent scores five goals or more in its previous game. 10* (51) Chicago Blackhawks

This is a play on the DALLAS STARS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. After a 1-1-1 start, Montreal has won five of its last seven games with the two losses coming by just one goal including one of those in overtime at Ottawa. The Canadiens are an early surprise as they finished with the third lowest point total in the Eastern Conference last season and their 14 points are already nine more than what they had at this time last season. They come into tonight having won their last four home games but the offense has been nothing special of late as they have scored three goals in five straight games and they have struggled against teams like this as Montreal is 1-15 in its last 16 games against teams averaging three or more shots per game than its opponent. Dallas opened a six-game roadtrip with a 4-2 loss at Detroit with that one looking like its most winnable game on this trek. The Stars are now 0-3 on the road and they have managed to score only three goals in total. Part of the problem has been a lower body injury to forward Alexandre Radulov which has kept him out of the lineup for the past four games but he could return tonight. Here, we play on road underdogs of +100 to +150 after allowing two goals or more in the third period last game going up against an opponent after a win by three goals or more. This situation is 61-44 (58.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (9) Dallas Stars

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Tampa Bay is off to a great start at 7-2-1 but the two regulation losses came against Vancouver and Arizona, considered two of the weaker teams out west, so focus has been an issue against lesser teams. That will not be the case tonight however playing a winning team and the Lightning are 4-0 in their last four games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. They are coming off a five-game roadtrip where a three-game winning streak was bookended by losses, the most recent coming in Arizona 7-1. That came a day after winning 3-2 in Vegas so the back-to-back did not help matters and they come in with a couple days off in trying to extend their three-game home winning streak. New Jersey has played only eight games after opening the season against Edmonton in Sweden. This is just the second true road game of the season for the Devils and the first resulted in a 5-2 loss at Philadelphia. They are averaging 32.1 spg in their home game but managed only 21 shots in that game against the Flyers. New Jersey will be out for revenge after Tampa Bay eliminated it from the playoffs last season but revenge on the road is difficult to achieve against dominant home teams. Here, we play on favorites that are averaging 2.85 or more gpg on the season, after a loss by four goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 84-32 (72.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (12) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the BUFFALO SABRES as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. The Sabres had a three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday against Columbus in a 5-4 overtime loss and they have held their own during a difficult stretch where six of their last seven games have been on the road so a return home is welcomed. Buffalo is tied for sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points after 11 games which is a pretty big turnaround from last season where it took the Sabres 17 games to accumulate 13 points. They are 3-2 at home and going back, the Sabres are 10-2 in their last 12 games after allowing five goals or more in their previous game. They are in a great situational spot as Calgary is coming off an upset win last night in Toronto as it was catching the Maple Leafs in their first game without leading scorer Auston Matthews. This is the first back-to-back of the season for the Flames which closed last year on a 1-4 run playing with no rest. Special teams have been an issue as Calgary has allowed 12 power play goals, tied for second most in the league and Buffalo has been hot with the man advantage, going 5-13 over its last three games. Calgary is 4-18 in its last 22 road games when playing against a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 in the first half of the season. 10* (8) Buffalo Sabres

This is a play on the VANCOUVER CANUCKS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. We lost with Colorado on Saturday as Minnesota extended its winning streak to five straight games, four of those coming at home. The Wild have yet to lose a home game in regulation this season and they are the only team in the NHL remaining without a regulation defeat on home ice. They hit the road with a 1-2 record as the schedule has been favorable with those three games on the highway being tied for the second fewest in the league. Going back, Minnesota is 1-10 in its last 11 road games after allowing two goals or less in two straight games while going 4-14 in its last 18 road games after scoring three goals or more in two straight games. The Canucks finished with the second worst record in the NHL last season but are back in the mix in the loaded Western Conference with 12 points. Vancouver has lost two straight games and three of its last four after a hot start that included impressive wins over Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Vegas on the road. The Canucks are 2-2 at home with the two losses coming against two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference in Pittsburgh and Washington. Going back, Vancouver is 12-5 after allowing four goals or more two straight games and it falls into a great situation where we play against road teams after allowing two goals or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after two straight losses by three goals or more. This situation is 23-6 (79.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (54) Vancouver Canucks

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. Los Angeles skates into Sunday riding a six-game losing streak as it has been outscored 29-8 over this stretch yet it comes in as a favorite. The Kings offense has been shut down despite averaging 30.5 spg during this skid so the chances have been there. The Kings are 2-7-1 overall and while it is not an excuse, they have played the sixth toughest schedule in the NHL and going back, they are 9-4 in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. The Rangers are right about where we expected them to be as they are 3-6-1 and while the Kings offense has been underwhelming, the Rangers are averaging just 2.40 gpg which is fifth lowest in the league. New York has yet to win on the road as it has gained just one point in an overtime loss against Washington and has been outscored 15-7 in its other three losses. The Rangers are 3-17 in their last 20 road games after a loss by two goals or more while going 0-9 in their last nine road games after scoring one goal or less in their previous game. Additionally, we play against underdogs after a loss by two or more goals going up against an opponent after a loss by two or more goals in five or more consecutive games. This situation is 156-65 (70.6 percent) since 1996. 9* (2) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Colorado had its three-game winning streak snapped with a home loss against Tampa Bay on Wednesday as it managed only 22 shots in the 1-0 loss. Despite the defeat, the Avalanche are still tied atop the Western Conference with Nashville with 16 points. They have been stellar on the road this season and they are 4-0 in their last four road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Minnesota has won four straight games to improve to 5-2-2 and it has yet to lose at home in regulation, going 4-0-2. The Wild have allowed just one goal in three of the four wins but have struggled against the elite as they are 1-5 in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Additionally, Minnesota is 1-9 in its last 10 games off two or more consecutive home wins. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 off a home loss where they were shut out, playing a team with a winning record in the first half of the season. This situation is 24-8 (75 percent) since 1996. 9* (67) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. It has been a rough start to the season for St. Louis as it is ahead of only Los Angeles in the Western Conference with seven points. Three of those points came with overtime losses with two of those coming against Chicago so this third meeting comes with a double-revenge angle. Of their seven losses, five have been by just one goal so the Blues have been close but just not being able to close things out. The Blues are 6-2 in their last eight games when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game. Chicago has won two straight games and it brings in a 3-0-1 record on the road to St. Louis. The Blackhawks have been one of the pleasant surprises after finishing last season with the third worst record in the Western Conference. Chicago is 9-20 in its last 29 games after having won two of their last three games and it falls into a negative situation where we play against road teams after two straight wins by two goals or more going up against an opponent after a loss by three goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 51-23 (68.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (66) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. The Sabres are tied for fifth place in the Eastern Conference following its third consecutive win, a 4-3 last-minute home victory over Montreal on Thursday. They are 6-4 overall which is their best start since 2011-12 and the young talent is starting to come together. Buffalo is 3-2 on the road but two of those wins came at Los Angeles and Arizona, two of the three worst teams in the Western Conference and going back, it is 1-13 in its last 14 games after having won four or five of their last six games over the last three seasons. Columbus put up seven goals in its last game on Thursday in its 7-4 win at St. Louis which snapped a two-game slide. Both of those losses came at home and on the season, the Blue Jackets are 2-3 at home with all three losses blamed on the offense as just one goal was scored in each of those. They have 11 goals combined in the two wins and that momentum from the last game can be carried over onto home ice. Here, we play against road teams after scoring four goals or more in three straight games going up against an opponent after scoring six goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 36-14 (72 percent) since 1996. 8* (62) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. Vegas opened the season 1-4 but put together a great defensive effort to win three straight games but that unfortunately came to an end on Wednesday in a shootout loss to Vancouver. The Golden Knights look to bounce back tonight against one of the top teams from the Eastern Conference and they have been lethal in these spots as they are 10-1 against the moneyline in their last 11 games against teams outscoring opponents by 0.65 or more gpg. Additionally, the comfort of home on long homestands have done them good as they are 11-1 against the moneyline in their last 11 home games after playing three consecutive home games. Tampa Bay opened this roadtrip with an overtime loss against Minnesota but has won its last two games against Chicago and Colorado to improve to 6-1-1 on the season. The Lightning have allowed just 18 goals this season which is tied for fewest in the NHL and it will be up to Vegas to get through the special teams as Tampa Bay leads the league in penalty killing at 97 percent, allowing just one goal in 33 chances. The Golden Knights will have a big home ice advantage on Nevada Day with an amped up crowd at a 3:05 local time start. 10* (2) Vegas Golden Knights

This is a play on the CALGARY FLAMES as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Pittsburgh rolls into Calgary rising a two-game winning streak to open this four-game Canadian roadtrip. They are coming off a 6-5 overtime win over Edmonton on Tuesday as the Penguins allowed 46 shots and this has become a trend this season as they have allowed 36 or more shots in five of their seven games. Additionally, they are allowing 41.3 spg on the road which is the most in the NHL but have been fortunate with a .935 save percentage. Matt Murray has made four starts and while he did shut out Toronto, he has allowed five or more goals in the other three games. Calgary is back home following a 3-2 loss in Montreal and it has won its other three games following a loss. The Flames are 2-1 at home with the lone defeat coming against Nashville, the top team in the Western Conference and the defense has done its job, allowing only 25.7 spg, which is fifth lowest in the league. The difference of over 15 shots per game allowed in the splits is huge and that gives Calgary a big edge as it looks to defeat Pittsburgh for the sixth time in the last seven meetings. Special teams will also be imperative as Calgary is 4-12 in power play chances at home while the Penguins have had just six man up advantages on the road. Here, we play against road favorites coming off two or more consecutive road wins, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 19-6 (76 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (68) Calgary Flames

This is a play on the EDMONTON OILERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. It has been an up and down season for the reigning Stanley Cup champions as Washington is 4-4 and has yet to win consecutive games this season. The Capitals are coming off a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Monday which was the fifth time in their eight games they have tallied five or more goals. It has not done them much good as the defense has been a big letdown. Washington is allowing 3.56 gpg which is seventh highest in the NHL and it is even worse considering the Capitals are not allowing a ton of shots. Additionally, Washington is tied with the Devils and Rangers by allowing 5.00 gpg on the road and going back, Washington is 10-21 in its last 31 road games after scoring five goals or more in two straight games. Edmonton could use some help from that porous defense as it has scored more than three goals only twice in its seven games. The Oilers did score five times in their last game against Pittsburgh which came after getting shut out against Nashville on Saturday. They are averaging just 2.67 gpg at home and while Braden Holtby is considered a top-tier goalie after his incredible run at the end of last season, he is allowing 4.51 gpg on the season, fifth worst among qualified goalies. Here, we play on teams after allowing six goals or more going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 79-49 (61.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (66) Edmonton Oilers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Minnesota notched its third straight victory with a 5-4 win over Tampa Bay in overtime as a home underdog but that was all the way back on Saturday so any positive momentum gained after a 1-4 start may have been lost. The Wild improve to 3-0-2 at home as they are the only team in the Western Conference and one of only two teams in the league that has not lost a home game in regulation. There have been good fortunes as they are allowing 38.4 spg at home which is the most in the league. Los Angeles made an early exit from the playoffs last season as it was swept by Vegas and that has carried over into this season as the Kings have lost seven of their first nine games including losses in five straight. The Kings have been outscored 25-7 during this five-game stretch despite outshooting the opponent in four of the five games. That is important as they look to be in line for another scoring chance advantage and it is up to goalie Jonathan Quick to get back to form. Minnesota is 6-13 in its last 19 games after scoring five goals or more in its previous game while the Kings are 6-2 in their last eight games when their opponent scores five goals or more in their previous game. Additionally, we play on road underdogs of +150 or less after allowing four goals or more four straight games. This situation is 54-38 (58.7 percent) since 1996 while netting 29 units. 9* (57) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The Maple Leafs are 6-3-0 in their first nine games but they are coming off a pair of losses against Pittsburgh and St. Louis to close their three-game homestand. Their offensive output in those past two games, one goal, is their lowest in back-to-back games since last December. Overall, the offense has been sparked by a hot start from Austin Matthews, who leads the NHL with 10 goals. The Maple Leafs are leading the NHL with 21 goals while playing five-on-five, while the Jets scored 15 in similar circumstances. Jets winger Patrik Laine, who led the team last season with 44 goals, has just three goals and five points in nine games and has yet to score at even strength. Toronto has 234 scoring chances to the Jets 164. The Jets will present another formidable foe for the Maple Leafs, especially playing at home at Bell MTS Place where they have yet to lose a game in regulation in six outings and are 37-7-3 during the regular season since the start of last year. Winnipeg has won three straight heading into tonight but if there is any cause for concern, only two of its six wins have come against teams with a winning record. Toronto goalie Frederik Andersen is responsible for the two most recent losses but he might be heartened to know that the Jets are one of four NHL clubs that have not beaten him in regulation in his career as he is 6-0-1 against Winnipeg. Her we play on teams against the moneyline after two straight losses by two goals or more going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in two straight games. This situation is 21-8 (72.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (1) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. Both San Jose and Nashville enter Tuesday with solid momentum as the Sharks have won two straight games while the Predators have won five straight games and are 7-1 on the season. San Jose came into the season as one of the Stanley Cup favorites but it has been an uneven start with a 4-4 record. The Sharks allowed 11 goals in their first three games but have given up only 10 goals in their last five games and they have dominated for the most part, outshooting opponents by 12.4 spg which is second in the league. Going back, San Jose is 16-4 in its last 20 games against the moneyline coming off a home win scoring four or more goals. Nashville is tied with Colorado atop the Western Conference with 14 points and are relatively short favorites tonight which is putting the public on their side. The Predators are doing it with defense, allowing three goals or less in all eight of their games but this is the toughest test of the season against an offense that will be peppering the goal. Nashville is 1-7 in its last eight games against the moneyline coming off a road shutout win. Here, we play on underdogs against the moneyline off a home win by three goals or more going up against an opponent off a road win where they shut out their opponent. This situation is 28-14 (66.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (59) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the BOSTON BRUINS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. We won with Ottawa on Saturday as it defeated Montreal in overtime to make it three straight wins for the Senators which now have nine points and are one of the early surprises in the NHL. This is the final game of a five-game homestand where they are guaranteed a winning record but this is far from a strong home ice advantage as Ottawa won just 16 home game last season, tied for second fewest in the Eastern Conference. While Ottawa is riding high, Boston has opened this four-game roadtrip with three straight losses on the west coast including the last two in overtime at Edmonton and Vancouver. The Bruins has won four straight prior to this and while the defense has been sufficient, the offense is sputtering. Boston tallied 22 goals during the four-game winning streak but have managed only five goals over the last three games. The Senators have been fortunate with solid goaltending from Craig Anderson as their 36.7 spg allowed are fourth most in the league. Boston is 17-5 in its last 22 games against the moneyline coming off two consecutive road losses of one goal and it falls into a great situation where we play against underdogs against the moneyline off a win by one goal over a division rival going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 75-26 (74.3 percent) since 1996. 9* (57) Boston Bruins

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS as part of our NHL Tuesday Hat Trick. The Eastern Conference could not be more wide open at this point as there are 12 teams within four points of each other and Columbus is in that mix albeit on the wrong end of it with eight points. The Blue Jackets are tied for third place in the Metropolitan Division and while it is too early to talk about standings, it is important for good teams to take care of winnable games and this is one of those. They are coming off a loss on Saturday at home against Chicago to fall to 2-2 at home but this is their third straight home games and they are 13-2 against the moneyline in their last 15 home games after playing two consecutive home games while going 12-3 in their last 15 games following a loss of three or more goals. Arizona scored just four goals in its first five games but has tallied seven in its last two which has resulted in a split. The Coyotes have been getting their shots as their 36.3 spg are third in the league but their .0393 scoring percentage is by far the worst in the NHL. Here, we play on home teams against the moneyline after a loss by three goals or more in their previous game going up against an opponent after scoring three goals or more in two straight games. This situation is 159-97 (62.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (54) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the CAROLINA HURRICANES for our NHL Monday Breakaway. After opening the season with seven straight losses, Detroit finally got off the schneid on Saturday as it went to Florida and won in overtime after blowing a 3-2 in regulation with just over a minute remaining. To their credit, the Red Wings have played a difficult schedule as six of their first eight games have taken place on the road. The biggest issue is on defense as Detroit has been outshot in all but one game and it is allowing 33.5 shots per game, which is 10th most in the league. The Red Wings are allowing 4.4 gpg and that .869 save percentage is second worst in the NHL. They are 0-9 in their last nine games when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game. That most recent game for Carolina came on Saturday as it lost at home against Colorado 3-1, which made it three straight losses for the Hurricanes after posting four consecutive wins prior to this. The offense tallied 18 goals in the final three games of the winning streak but it has registered only four goals over the last three games but tonight presents the opportunity to get back on track. Carolina is averaging 42.1 shots per game and it has a +17.3 shot differential and both of those lead the league. The Hurricanes are 4-0 in their last four games against teams with a losing record and here, we play on road favorites against the moneyline off a home loss by two goals or more, with a winning percentage of between .450 and .550 on the season. This situation is 40-9 (81.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (3) Carolina Hurricanes

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. Tampa Bay hit the road for the first time this season last night and built a 3-1 over Minnesota but allowed three straight goals before tying the game late in the third period. The Lightning eventually lost in overtime which snapped a three-game winning streak but we expect a rebound tonight. Chicago is off to a 4-1-2 start and is tied for fifth place in the Western Conference in what has been a dramatic fall for the 2015 Stanley Cup Champions. The Blackhawks went from 109 points in 2016-17 where they were swept by Nashville in the first round of the playoffs to 76 points last season, the third fewest points in the league. They have been fortunate as three of their wins have come in overtime so the record is a bit deceiving but what is not deceiving is their lack of power play ability as they are just 2-23 on the man advantage, good for third worst in the NHL. That is a real problem here as Tampa is the only team in the league to not allow a power play goal, stopping all 25 opportunities. The Blackhawks are 1-12 in their last 13 games against teams with a winning percentage above .600 while the Lightning are 21-8 in their last 29 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. 10* (53) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the OTTAWA SENATORS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. The surprise team of the NHL so far goes to Montreal as it is 4-1-1 after its third straight win on Wednesday over St. Louis. The Canadiens opened the season with an overtime loss in Toronto and the other defeat was a 3-0 shutout at home against the Kings. It took them 12 games last season to notch their fourth win and they cannot be trusted on the road just yet despite a win against Pittsburgh as last season, their 11 road victories were the fewest in the entire league. Ottawa has found something after a slow start as it has won two straight games thanks to goalie Craig Anderson allowing just two goals on 75 shots (.973 save percentage) after giving up 13 goals on 124 shots (.895 save percentage) in his first three games. His defense has to respond as he has been peppered with too many shots and since the Senators have been off since Monday, that rest will help. Here, we play on home teams against the moneyline off two consecutive home wins by two goals or more going up against an opponent off a home win by one goal. This situation is 47-15 (75.6 percent) since 1996. 9* (16) Ottawa Senators

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. We played against New Jersey on Thursday as it lost at home against Colorado and while this typically would be a good bounce back opportunity, this is a unique situation this late into the season. The Devils opened the season with a neutral ice game against Edmonton and then came back to the U.S. and played their next four games at home making this their first true road game of the season. Going back, the Devils are 19-40 in their last 59 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Philadelphia is coming off a loss on Thursday as well as it lost in Columbus to fall to 3-4 on the season. It is imperative to win the special teams in this matchup as the Flyers have gone three straight games without a power play goal while New Jersey has scored at least one in all five games while allowing just two all season. Here, we play on home teams when the mone line is -100 to -150 that are getting outscored by 0.2 or more gpg in the third period, after allowing five goals or more two straight games. This situation is 52-18 (74.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (2) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the CAROLINA HURRICANES as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Carolina opened the season with a loss against the Islanders at home in overtime and then went on to win its next four games including impressive road wins at Columbus and Minnesota. The Hurricanes closed their roadtrip with two losses against Tampa Bay and Winnipeg, two of the best home venues in the league, despite outshooting the opposition 40-27 and 43-26 respectively. Back home, we expect Carolina to get back into the win column. We won with Colorado on Thursday as it defeated New Jersey which came after two straight losses, both in extra time. Colorado trails Nashville by just two points in the Central Division thanks to strong home ice. The Avalanche are now 2-2 on the road and going back, they are 8-22 in their last 30 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play on home favorites against the moneyline after one or more consecutive losses, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team in the first half of the season. This situation is 104-39 (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (4) Carolina Hurricanes

This is a play on the FLORIDA PANTHERS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. The Panthers entered the 2018-19 season with high expectations after missing the playoffs a season ago as they were inconsistent enough to end up a point short of the postseason. Four games in and they do not have a victory but it certainly is not because of a lack of competing as two losses have been by a single goal while the other two have come in a shootout. Three of those have come against future playoff teams while the other came against surprisingly good Vancouver so the schedule has been challenging along the way. The Capitals stopped a two-game skid with a 4-3 overtime win against the visiting Rangers on Wednesday night as it continues to be an inconsistent season for the reining Stanley Cup Champions. Special teams will be big for Florida as Washington has scored nine power-play goals in six games but have scored just two even strength goals in its last three games. The Panthers have been solid in the penalty kill, allowing just three goals in 12 man down situations. That 12 is key as it is the fewest in the NHL so Florida does not give opponents many opportunities and that is big in this spot as Washington is second in the NHL in power play percentage and is tied for first with nine power play goals. Here, we play on teams against the moneyline after three straight losses by one goal or extra time going up against an opponent after playing a game where seven or more total goals were scored. This situation is 25-8 (75.8 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 10* (51) Florida Panthers

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Toronto goalie Frederik Anderson and even if he is able to go, he has not been effective this season with a 3.02 GAA and .899 save percentage. He has gone 4-1 thanks to a potent offense behind him as Toronto has averaged 5.4 gpg during its five-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs lead the Eastern Conference with 12 points, three points ahead of both Montreal and Carolina. They are coming off a 4-1 home win over Los Angeles on Monday following a four-game road sweep and in three home games, they are getting outshot 31.3-29.3. It has been a slow start for Pittsburgh as it has lost two straight games in extra time and those were against teams the Penguins had no business losing to. A 3-2 loss to Vancouver in their most recent game was bad as they managed only 28 shots and since putting up 41 shots in their opener, they have averaged only 25 shots per game over their last four games. The Penguins are 9-2 in their last 11 games when their opponent allows two goals or less in their previous game and with this being their first game as an underdog, we will grab the value spot in what should be a solid bounce back effort for Pittsburgh. 10* (1) Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Philadelphia improved to 3-3 on the season but it was not easy as it had to defeat Florida in a shootout to secure its first home win of the season after losing to San Jose and Vegas on home ice. The Flyers offense has been hit or moss as they have scored 18 goals in their three wins but just four goals in their three losses and after what happened to Columbus in its last game, Philadelphia is here at the wrong time. The Flyers are 0-6 in their last six games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. The Blue Jackets were crushed 8-2 at Tampa Bay on Saturday so they have had a lot of time to stew over that loss and get things back in order defensively where they allowed just 2.8 gpg in their first four games. The Blue Jackets are 5-0 in their last five games when their opponent scores five goals or more in their previous game while going 13-3 in their last 16 games playing on three or more days rest. Additionally, we play on favorites against the moneyline after a loss by four goals or more in their previous game going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 39-9 (81.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (4) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. New Jersey has gotten off to the best start of any team in the NHL as it is the only team yet to suffer a defeat although it has played only four games. The Devils opened the season with a 5-2 win over Edmonton which took place in Europe and they returned home for three more wins including a pair of shutouts. Goalie Keith Kinkaid has been phenomenal with a 1.00 GAA and .961 save percentage but this is not going to last forever and he is in a tough spot here. Colorado opened the season with a 3-1 record, averaging 4.3 gpg in the process but the offense has managed only two goals in their last two games, both of which resulted in losses including a 3-2 loss against the Rangers in a shootout. Special teams has been the strength of the Avalanche as they have converted six of 20 power play opportunities but the penalty kill has been the real force, allowing only two goals in 29 man down situations and that 93.1 percent penalty kill in second best in the NHL. Here, we play against team against the moneyline after allowing two goals or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after losing two consecutive games in overtime or in a shootout. This situation is 71-43 (62.3 percent) since 1996. 8* (5) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. After finishing 14th in the Eastern Conference a year ago with just 71 points, the Canadiens are off to a surprising 3-1-1 start this season. They have won two straight games, the first time they have won consecutive games since March 2 of last season, snapping a six-game losing streak following a victory. The offense has been a big difference as Montreal ranked 29th in offense last season, averaging 2.52 gpg, but following their outburst against the Red Wings where they tallied seven goals, they are averaging 3.4 gpg and currently rank 13th. However, they did average 2.50 gpg in their first four games so we can not get too excited. St. Louis has dropped four of its first five games but two of those were in overtime and another by a single goal. The Blues have enjoyed ample firepower up front, with 15 goals in their five games but the defense has been a surprising letdown as their 4.00 GAA is fourth worst in the NHL. St. Louis received some good news Tuesday when forward Jaden Schwartz returned to practice after missing two games with a bruised foot and he is expected to join David Perron and Brayden Schenn on the top line tonight. Although the Blues have struggled to start the year, they still possess a solid core of veteran players who could turn the corner at any time and the feeling is that it happens tonight. Here, we play against home teams when the moneyline is -100 to -150 that are outscoring their opponents by 0.5 or more gpg, after playing a game where nine or more total goals were scored. This situation is 78-52 (60 percent) since 1996. 10* (53) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. Minnesota is coming off a loss last night in Nashville as it went with backup goalie Alex Stalock who saw his first action of the season, allowing three goals on 27 shots. The Wild get their starter back in net tonight as Devan Dubnyk has been confirmed. They have lost four of five games this season including two of three at home against Vegas and Carolina but they are definitely in a good bounce back spot tonight. Dubnyk is not the reason for its slow start as in four games, he has a .934 save percentage, going 1-1-2 with a 2.64 GAA. Arizona is off to a typical slow start as it is 1-3 with all three of those losses being shutouts. The Coyotes have scored only two goals as the one victory came by way of shootout in Anaheim. They are getting chances as Arizona has propelled at least 30 shots on goal in every game, the first time it has done that in the first four games since 1985-86 and it will not be any easier tonight. In all games Rick Tocchet has coached, his teams are 4-26 against the moneyline in road games off a home loss while the Coyotes are 8-21 in their last 29 games following a home loss of three or more goals. Meanwhile, the Wild are 40-13 in their last 53 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. 10* (14) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the OTTAWA SENATORS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We won with Ottawa on Saturday as it defeated the Kings 5-1 after jumping out to a 3-0 first period lead. Typically, fading underdogs after an underdog win is the preferable way to go, but in this case, the situation is in the Senators favor. Ottawa is 1-1-1 at home and this could be a good momentum boost with this game and Montreal up next before closing this five-game homestand with Boston. After the Saturday 36-save performance, Craig Anderson will start in net again against the Stars. At this point, head coach Guy Boucher is not sure when backup Mike Condon will play again. Dallas is off to a 3-1 start but it has had the luxury of playing those first four games at home making this the Stars first trip on the road this season. Dallas has missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons and a big reason for that is its poor play on the road as the Stars are 28-54 over the last two seasons on the highway. Dallas is 7-18 against the moneyline after scoring five goals or more in their previous game and they fall into a negative situation where we play against road teams against the moneyline after having won 2 of their last 3 games, with a winning percentage of .700 or better playing a team with a winning percentage between .300 and .400 in the first half of the season. This situation is 67-43 (60.9 percent) since 1996. 10* (52) Ottawa Senators

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We played against Winnipeg on Thursday as Nashville was able to get some revenge on the Jets from its seven-game series loss last season but we will grab Winnipeg today in a solid bounce back spot. The Jets are 2-2 on the season as the offense has been stymied over the last three games, scoring a total of three goals. The Jets have won 14 of their last 17 games against the Eastern Conference. Carolina opened the season with a 2-1 overtime loss against the Islanders but it has won its last four games since then including a 5-4 win in Minnesota last night in overtime. The Hurricanes offense has scored 18 goals over the last three games but they face off against Connor Hellebuyck who allowed just one goal in his only home start and posted a 2.31 GAA last season in 38 starts, going 30-5-3. Here, we play on favorites against the moneyline after scoring one goal or less in their previous game going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in five straight games. This situation is 28-4 (87.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (4) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Washington has had a difficult stretch to open the season as it has played the ninth toughest schedule so far. The Capitals opened the season with a 7-0 blowout over the Bruins and after an overtime loss to the Penguins, they once again brought it at home with a win over Vegas in a Stanley Cup rematch. No the fact they laid an egg the following night in New Jersey in a 6-0 loss is not overly surprising. Toronto is the top team in the Eastern Conference to unseat Washington as it is already off to a 4-1 start but it not beaten any team of significance. The Maple Leafs schedule is ranked No. 28 in the league and this is by far their toughest test. The Capitals fall into a spectacular situation where we play on favorites against the moneyline after scoring one goal or less in their previous game going up against an opponent after scoring five goals or more in two straight games. This situation is 27-3 (90 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (60) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the OTTAWA SENATORS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. The jury is still out on the Kings as they are off to a 2-2 starts, with the losses coming against solid opposition and the wins coming against two of the worst teams in the NHL. They are coming off a 3-0 shutout win over Montreal on Thursday and with a game at Toronto to conclude this roadtrip, a lookahead is a possibility. Ottawa has not gotten off to a good start as it is 1-3 with one loss coming in overtime and the other two coming against two very good teams in Boston and Philadelphia. The victory was very impressive as the Senators won in Toronto as +246 underdogs so they are very capable of another upset to grab their first home win of the season, Here, we play against road teams against the moneyline after allowing two goals or less in two straight games going up against an opponent after two straight losses by three goals or more. This situation is 22-6 (78.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (56) Ottawa Senators

This is a play on the EDMONTON OILERS as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Edmonton has gotten off to a slow start as it has dropped both games to open the season halfway through this opening four-game roadtrip. The Oilers conclude at Winnipeg on Tuesday which makes this the most winnable of the two remaining games. The Rangers opened the season with three straight losses before pulling off the upset against San Jose on Thursday in overtime. New York has been dominated the last two games despite the recent win as the first two games resulted in one-goal losses but the Rangers have been outshot a combined 83-51 the last two games. Edmonton has a bounce back situation in its favor as we play on team against the moneyline after two straight blowout losses by three goals or more going up against an opponent after scoring three goals or more in two straight games. This situation is 52-32 (61.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (53) Edmonton Oilers

This is a play on the NASHVILLE PREDATORS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Nashville opened the season with a pair of wins over the Rangers and Islanders on the road but came home and was shutout against Calgary on Tuesday. Even though that was the Predators home opener, they might be guilty for looking ahead to this game. They closed last season by losing to Winnipeg in the Western Conference Semifinals in seven games including Game Seven right here in a 5-1 blowout. The Jets opened the season with a 1-1 split on the road and came home to defeat the Kings 2-1 as Los Angeles managed only 18 shots. Winnipeg lost only nine games at home last regular season but was much more average on the road with a 20-21 record. Going back, they are 2-7 in their last nine road games against teams with a home winning percentage of less than .400. Here, we play on teams against the moneyline with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 off a home loss where they were shut out, playing a team with a winning record in the first half of the season. This situation is 23-8 (74.2 percent) since 1996. 9* (20) Nashville Predators

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Calgary has won two games in a row after dropping its season opener, but a visit to St. Louis is never a sure thing when it comes to the Flames as they have dropped eight of the last 10 meetings here. They missed the playoffs last season, finishing in 11th place in the Western Conference, so they have overhauled in a lot of areas as well as replacing their head coach and so far, so good. The power play has been the season for success over the last two games, going 5-10 after opening the season by going 0-7 at Vancouver in the man advantage. St. Louis has only been able to garner one point so far this season, a 5-4 overtime loss to the Blackhawks all the way back on Saturday. The Blues opened the season with a loss against Winnipeg as a home underdog. The Blues could get some help on the blue line as veteran defenseman Joel Edmundson is expected to make his season debut against the Flames. Edmundson missed the first two games with a sore groin. 9* (22) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the FLORIDA PANTHERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. We won with Columbus on Tuesday as it defeated Colorado 5-2 but we are going against the Blue Jackets as they hit the road for a second time. The first game on the highway resulted in a victory but it took overtime to defeat a bad Detroit team. Columbus struggled on the road last season with losses in 22 of 41 games. Florida opened the season last Saturday and has not played since. The Panthers went to Tampa Bay and ended up taking a shootout loss against the Lightning despite outshooting them 43-29. They have had a lot of time off which can be good or bad this early in the season. With the case of this being their home opener, it is a good thing as they are amped to get this going. The Panthers are 21-5 in their last 26 home games. And they fall into a situation where we play on home favorites of -200 or less against the moneyline coming off a loss by one goal or in a shootout to a division rival, winless on the season. This situation is 34-6 (85 percent) since 1996. 10* (4) Florida Panthers

This is a play on the ARIZONA COYOTES for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. We are going ultimate contrarian here against one of the biggest public consensus plays we have seen in a while. Anaheim is off to a 3-0 start and despite sitting atop the Western Conference, there are a lot of questions still. Goalie John Gibson has been outstanding but not sure long it can last as the defense has allowed 31.7 shots per game which is bottom third of the league. The Ducks are without Ryan Kessler for a while and could be without Ryan Getzlaf again with a lower body injury after he missed their last game against Detroit. Arizona is in a familiar place and that is sitting in last place in the Western Conference with the season just one week in. The Coyotes are 0-2 and have yet to score a goal as they have been shut out in both games on home ice so a trip on the road could be a very good thing here. One of the big issues last season was the health of goalie Antti Raanta as he got hurt three games in and Arizona got off to a 1-11 start which ended its season before it started. He came back and finished last season with a 2.24 GAA and .930 save percentage and the Coyotes went 13-3 over his last 16 starts. He is healthy now and after an average opener against the Stars, he was great against Anaheim last time out as he allowed just one goal on 10 shots. While it is a small sample size, the Ducks are -11 in shooting differential while Arizona is +13 in shooting differential and eventually, the goal scored and allowed are going to flip and this looks like the perfect spot to start. 10* (55) Arizona Coyotes

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. We played on Columbus in its last game which was all the way back to Friday and that resulted in a loss against Carolina 3-1. Prior to that, the Blue Jackets defeated Detroit in overtime despite outshooting the Red Wings 39-20 so it has been a very uneven start for Columbus which is still trying to shake off the loss against Washington in the playoffs from last season after winning the first two games on the road. The Blue Jackets have had three full days off to get more revved up from that loss these breaks have helped in the past as they are 12-3 in their last 15 games playing on three or more days rest. Colorado opened the season with a pair of home games and both resulted in three-goal victories. The Avalanche were a playoff team from last season, barely, as they finished a point ahead of St. Louis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Like most teams, they were solid at home and struggled on the road where they lost 26 of 41 games and going back, they are 17-51 in their last 68 road games. Philipp Grubauer will make his first start in goal for the Avalanche after coming over from Washington in the offseason. This could be significant considering he made those first two starts against the Blue Jackets in the playoffs and allowed four goals in each game on just 49 total shots. Here, we play on favorites against the moneyline that are coming off a loss by two goals or more to a division rival going up against an opponent off a home win by two goals or more. This situation is 66-23 (74.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. We won with Buffalo on Saturday as it took care of the Rangers 3-1 but the Sabres are in a much more unfavorable spot tonight. They were able to take advantage of the power play as two of those three goals were scored with the extra man and on the night, they were outshot 44-29 so a lot of credit has to go to Carter Hutton by posting a .977 save percentage. He will be challenged tonight by a Vegas offense that is ready to erupt after scoring just two goals in each of its first two games. The Golden Knights won in Minnesota on Saturday in a shootout so technically, they have scored just three goals in regulation. This will turn around as Vegas was the fifth highest-scoring offense last season, averaging 3.27 gpg and its 2.98 gpg average on the road was ranked No. 7. There is the potential to even be better as the Golden Knights added former Montreal Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty and former St. Louis Blues center Paul Stastny during the offseason. Marc-Andre Fleury had a good bounce back game, stopping 29 of 30 shots after giving up five goal on just 16 shots in the opener against the Flyers where he was pulled after playing just over 30 minutes Buffalo went 3-18 against the moneyline as a home underdog of +100 to +150 last season while Vegas went 21-8 against the moneyline after a win by one goal in its previous game. 10* (55) Vegas Golden Knights

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. This line came out late due to both teams playing last night and we will be going against those results tonight. Chicago burnt us last night as Jonathan Toews had three shots on goal and all three found the net including the overtime winner. The Blackhawks are off to a surprising 2-0 start, with both wins coming on the road and the fact they are heading home actually helps us here with the number. This is a team in rebuild mode but winning two straight has them in an overconfident state after two overtime victories. Cam Ward has been average in goal so whether he goes or a backup makes a start, it is advantage Toronto. The Maple Leafs lost to Ottawa last night as -275 favorites so they will be out for some redemption. They outshot the Senators 37-24 but it was goalie Frederik Andersen that struggles as he allowed four goals. There is an interesting dynamic for Toronto as Maple Leafs backup goalie Garret Sparks grew up in the Chicago area and has never skated on United Center ice. He trains there in the summer with friend Patrick Kane and he will be pretty jazzed to make this one count. Toronto is one of the top favorites to win the Stanley Cup so losing back-to-back games against inferior competition simply cannot happen. 10* (3) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. Colorado got off to a good start to the season with a 4-1 victory over Minnesota on Thursday and it remains home in what is already a big game with six of the next seven games taking place on the road. Catching Colorado with a low number at home needs to be taken advantage of as the Avalanche won 28 games last season on home ice which was tied for third most in the Western Conference. We won with the Flyers on Thursday in a win over Vegas and while it was a play on Philadelphia, it was more of a play against the Golden Knights, which were and will be for a while, overpriced based on last season. The Flyers head home after this game so there could be the early season lookahead to that. The Avalanche are 14-5 in their last 19 home games after scoring four goals or more in their previous game while the Flyers are 0-4 in their last four games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. 10* (72) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. The Blues were a point away from making the playoffs last season in the stacked Western Conference and it will be another tough challenge into the postseason so winnable games like this are a must. They lost their opener against Winnipeg which is one of the top teams in the conference and they get a chance to make up for it tonight before a four-day rest. The Blackhawks have fallen on hard times as they went from 50 wins two years ago to just 33 wins last season, finishing in last place in the Central Division and the only team of all seven to have a negative scoring differential. That being said, they won their season opener at Ottawa but the Senators are arguably in for a longer season and the road against good teams is going to be a challenge for Chicago. The Blackhawks have won just three times over their last 15 games coming off a road win and we can plan on that streak to get worse after tonight. 8* (66) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the BUFFALO SABRES as part of our NHL Saturday Hat Trick. While we have heard the story that Buffalo has improved and will be making a playoff run many times before, this could be legit this season. It did not start out good as the Sabres lost their opener 4-0 against Boston but they get a good matchup tonight to bounce back. This is a big early season game with Vegas and Colorado coming to town after tonight and then a five-game west coast road trip to follow. The Rangers dropped their opener as well, losing to Nashville on home ice which started a season that is going to be a struggle. The Rangers had the third worst road record in the NHL last season and this year will not be any different. Here, we play on home teams off a loss by three goals or more to a division rival going up against an opponent off a home loss by one goal. This situation is 21-7 (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (58) Buffalo Sabres

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. The season got underway for both Carolina and Columbus last night and it was opposite results for both teams. Despite outshooting the Islanders 46-20, the Hurricanes lost in overtime as a big favorite while Columbus also went to overtime but was able to pull it out just over two minutes into the extra session. The Blue Jackets also had a big edge in shots as they outshot the Red Wings 39-20 and they return home where their season ended just over five months ago. Columbus won the first two games in its opening round series against Washington on the road but dropped the final four games including all three at home so the Blue Jackets will be out to get back to winning here where they went 26-12-3 during the regular season last year. Columbus head coach John Tortorella elected to start backup goaltender Joonas Korpisalo on Thursday night instead of Sergei Bobrovsky, who struggled during the preseason, but do not read too much into that. Giving him his first start on home ice is the right thing to do for confidence as he posted a 2.18 GAA at home last season, which was tied for third best in the league, compared to a 2.67 GAA on the road, 29th in the NHL. The goaltending situation for Carolina is a lot less ideal. Carolina placed goaltender Scott Darling on injured reserve this week and signed former Columbus goalie Curtis McElhinney to back up Petr Mrazek, who made his Carolina debut with 18 saves last night but gave up the game winning goal just 43 seconds into overtime. McElhinney will likely make the start for the Hurricanes against his former team. 10* (2) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Philadelphia made the playoffs last season after missing out in 2016-17 and after a first round exit at the hand of the Penguins, the Flyers are a team to keep an eye on this season. They are loaded on offense as they landed James Van Riemsdyk, who they drafted 2nd overall in 2007. He should fit into a deep offense that includes Claude Giroux, Sean Couturier, Jakub Voracek, Wayne Simmonds as well as up and coming Travis Konecny, Nolan Patrick and Oskar Lindblom. Goal scoring was not an issue on the road last season as Philadelphia averaged 3.02 gpg which was third highest in the NHL and the Flyers were one of only seven teams in the league with a positive scoring differential on the highway. On the other side, the Flyers have two of the best young defensemen in the league in Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov and the difference in success and failure will come down to goalie Brian Elliott. Last season, he was 23rd with a 2.66 GAA and 32nd with a .909 save percentage, certainly nothing special, but as like the team as a whole, he was better on the road. The story of last year was Vegas which came out of the games red hot and never let up. The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Finals but after winning the first game at home, they dropped the last four games to end a great season in disappointing fashion. They overachieved in many areas last season and it was just one of those scenarios where everything went right. Vegas is in for a regression for sure. They are going to be overvalued for much of the early part of the season and we are seeing that in Game One. 10* (69) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the NASHVILLE PREDATORS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. Nashville won the Presidents Trophy last season but got ousted by Winnipeg in the second round of the playoffs no thanks to losing three of four games at home. The Predators open the season on the road, which is a good thing after losing Game Seven by a 5-1 score on home ice, and they do so against arguably two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference before heading back to Nashville for a four-game homestand. Winning the Presidents Trophy again is not out of the question as the Predators have basically the same team back. Offensively, the top line of Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson are among the league's best. Defensively, the top four of Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm, Roman Josi and P.K. Subban might all profile as a No. 1 for any other team. The concern of all places is between the pipes. After a regular season that won him his first Vezina Trophy, Pekka Rinne collapsed in the playoffs with a 3.07 GAA and .904 save percentage. That hopefully was just an aberration as he looks to become dominant once again. As for the Rangers, they are in full rebuild after trading away their key players last season. No one on this team eclipsed 55 points last season and New York was one of ten teams not to have a 30 goal scorer on their roster. The biggest name left is goalie Henrik Lundqvist but his glory days are over. He has now had three consecutive season decline in wins, TOI, GAA and shutouts. Last season he was 36th in GAA and 21st in save percentage and making it worst this season is the fact he has the thinnest defensive group in front of him. 9* (61) Nashville Predators

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS as part of our NHL Thursday Hat Trick. This is a perfect scenario for Pittsburgh as it opens the season against a hated rival and the one that ended their season last year in the second round of the playoffs. The Penguins want their payback after losing in six games including a brutal 2-1 overtime loss at home. We can expect better goaltending from Pittsburgh as last year was a difficult season for Matt Murray, who battled injuries and coped with the loss of his father, whom he was very close with. His career-low .907 save percentage will improve. The Penguins lost only 11 home games last season, the second fewest in the league. Offensively, this team is one of the best as it finished second in the NHL with an average of 3.63 gpg at home and now have a healthy Phil Kessel to make them more potent. Washington did not suffer through a Stanley Cup hangover as it started right where it left off in a 7-0 trouncing of the Bruins last night. The 7-0 final score marks the largest shutout victory by a defending Stanley Cup champion in a season opener and after lowering the championship banner, this is a big letdown spot no matter who the opponent may be. Last night should not be a surprise at all considering the Capitals came in having won 12 straight meetings with the Bruins. Tonight will be interesting with goalie Braden Holtby coming off that shutout in whether he will go out in back-to-back nights or if backup Pheonix Copley will get the nod. Either way, it is advantage Pittsburgh considering Holtby will be tired and the Capitals said goodbye to backup goalie/stretch run starter Philipp Grubauer. 9* (52) Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Opening Night Enforcer. While not in rebuilding mode just yet, the time is close for Anaheim. Despite finishing with 101 points last season, the Ducks are expected to take a step back this year as they did nothing to get better or younger. And they come into the season already banged up. Ryan Kesler, who was limited to 44 games last season, is out with a hip injury while Corey Perry, who was third in points last season with 49, is out after knee surgery. Anaheim finished fourth in the Western Conference last season and are projected to finish as low as 11th this season. The Ducks had the fifth fewest shots on goal last season and like a lot of teams, take them out of their home arena and the offense goes away as they averaged 2.56 gpg away from home, fifth fewest in the NHL. They did allow the 5th most shots against last year which is off with how good the defense can be. San Jose possesses the best projected defense heading into the season and after signing Erik Karlsson, the trio of him, Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic are as good a defensive trio as you're going to find in the NHL. Goalie Martin Jones allowed just 2.39 gpg at home, which as eighth best in the league. The Ducks will be out for revenge after getting swept in the playoffs last season by San Jose but playing a team based on road revenge is not ideal. 9* (8) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. It is do or die for the Golden Knights as they have to win three straight games to complete their miraculous inaugural season. It starts tonight on home ice where Vegas is 7-2 during the postseason and while one of those losses was against Washington, it was a game it could have taken. It outshot the Capitals 39-26 including 15-6 in the third period where it was unable to take advantage of two power play opportunities. Despite that defeat, the Golden Knights are 16-2 in their last 18 home games against teams with a winning road record. It has been an impressive run for Washington after losing the opener as the defense has led the charge, but it would not be surprising if the stop unit takes a step back tonight as Vegas will be going full throttle on offense. The Capitals offense put on a strong display on Monday, but they have not responded well of late as they are 3-8 in their last 11 games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game including a 1-3 record in the postseason. Vegas falls into a phenomenal situation where we play against road underdogs of +100 to +200 against the moneyline coming off two or more consecutive home wins going up against an opponent off a road loss by three goals or more. This situation is 42-5 (89.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (10) Vegas Golden Knights

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. We were on the Capitals on Saturday and will back them again tonight as the public will be, and already is, all over Vegas. As of Monday morning, according to offshore reports, 60 percent of the betting tickets are on the Golden Knights, but 57 percent of the money is on Washington meaning the big bets or smart money is coming in on the Capitals. You cannot ignore the fact that the depth of Washington is playing aa big difference in this series thus far. All three lines for Washington has been playing at a high level while it has only been the top line that has stood out for the Golden Knights. Coming into the series, it was the opposite that was expected but the Capitals have turned the tables. Additionally, the defense has been great as the Capitals are clogging the middle of the ice and making even the fastest of opponents look slow. There is an interesting stat that is floating around for this game based on the Vegas consecutive losses. Over the last 22 Stanley Cup Playoff games where a team has dropped two straight, that team is 18-4 over the last 22 occurrences. That may sound dominating but only on home ice as home teams are 16-2 while road teams are just 2-2. The Capitals are now 21-8 in their last 29 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (8) Washington Capitals

This is a paly on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. We won with Washington on Wednesday as it stole home ice away from Vegas and we will back the Capitals once again tonight as they look to seize control of this series. The Capitals are 32-14-4 at home and are back in Washington for the first time since May 21and on the season, the Capitals are 15-3 following three or more consecutive road games. Additionally, they are 20-8 in their last 28 home games against teams with a winning road record. Vegas is certainly the feel good story of the season and while it has a massive home ice advantage, it is not nearly as strong on the road. A big part of that is the offense that averages close to a goal less per game on the highway and the confidence of Capitals goalie Braden Holtby is sky high right now after his performance in Game Two. He has continued his career-long playoff success this spring, going 13-7 with a 2.19 GAA and .921 save percentage. Over his NHL career, Holtby has a 2.04 GAA and .929 save percentage in the Stanley Cup playoffs. To put that in perspective, those numbers are fourth- and second-best respectively all-time among goalies with at least 50 games of experience. 10* (6) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. Washington dropped the opener of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday as it looks to tie the series tonight and grab the home ice advantage. The Capitals have been one of the best road teams leading up to and in the postseason as it went into Game One on a 15-3 run on the highway. They were on their way with a 4-3 lead in the third period but allowed three goals as Washington was outshot in the opener for just the second time in its last eight games. Goalie Braden Holtby has been solid and is coming off his worst game in the playoffs, so we can expect a rebound tonight. He allowed five goals on 33 shots, the most goals he has allowed in 30 games since Feb. 17. Vegas is three wins away from an improbable championship and it was fortunate that Holtby had the bad game when he did as Marc-Andre Fleury allowed four goals and before Game One, during the regular season and playoffs, he had allowed four goals eight times. All losses. Washington can get to him again. Here, we play against home teams in the second half of the season when the moneyline is -100 to -150 that are averaging 2.85 or more gpg, after a game where both teams scored four goals or more. This situation is 101-61 (62.3 percent) since 1996. 10* (3) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The Capitals kept their season alive for at least one more game with a 3-0 shutout victory on Monday as they put an end to the Tampa Bay three-game winning streak. Washington now has to take care of business on the road where it has been great this postseason with a 7-2 record, but we expect the challenge to be too much tonight. Washington goalie Braden Holtby is coming off his best effort of the series, allowing no goals on 24 shots but now the pressure is really on. He is 2-4 in Game 7s in his career and while he has not been a liability in most of those losses, he also has not exerted his will on a game like he did in Game Six. Tampa Bay was shut out for just the second time this season and we could see an offensive show tonight with a lot of that based on one player. After blazing through the start of the playoffs with five goals in his first five games, Nikita Kucherov has scored just once in the Lightning's last seven games. He needs to get his confidence back and we think that happens here. Between the pipes is Andrei Vasilevskiy who has had a solid run in this series as he has seen as least 30 shots in all six games. After allowing 10 goals in the first two games, he has allowed only two goals in each of the last four games with a potent .945 save percentage. Tampa Bay is 17-5 revenging a loss vs opponent of two goals or more this season and it falls into a situation where we play on any team revenging a loss where it got shut out, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .600 and .700. This situation is 72-45 (61.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (54) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Game of the Week. The Washington season is on the line tonight as it has lost three straight games following winning the first two games on the road in Tampa Bay. This is the first time the Capitals have trailed in this series which is nothing new as they trailed in their first two series as well only to come back and win those. This Washington team has differentiated itself from past versions by how it has embraced adversity, and the team rode that scrappy, resilient identity to its first conference finals berth in 20 years. This is their first elimination game of the postseason so that identity will once again come to the forefront. Tampa Bay does have the momentum with three straight wins behind the brilliant goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy as after a 6.00 GAA and .839 save percentage in Games One and Two, he has a 2.00 GAA and .943 save percentage since as the series' biggest difference-maker. Give him credit as he has been peppered with shots during this three-game winning streak and Tampa Bay has been outshot by an average 10.8 shots per game in the series which is an enormous differential. The Lightning was in this position before, leading the Penguins 3-2 in the 2016 conference final before dropping the final two, including Game 6 at Amalie Arena. Washington has not lost four straight games all season and it is 11-1-2 in its 14 games following consecutive losses. Additionally, we play on home favorites in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 192-88 (68.6 percent) since 1996. 10* (10) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Sunday Power Play. The Golden Knights can close out this series today and be the first expansion teams since the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues made it. However, the NHL expanded from six teams to 12 in 1967 and the format guaranteed that one of the six new franchises would reach the Final, so an asterisk goes on that. Do not expect the Jets to go down without a fight however as their season is on the line and while coming back from a 3-1 deficit is slim, they stay alive for at least one more game. Winnipeg opened the series with a win here last Saturday, but it has been Vegas that was unfazed and has gone on to win the last three games, Game Four being the biggest blow to the Jets. The game was tied late in the third but a turnover led to an unassisted goal and Winnipeg lost despite holding a 37-29 shots on goal edge. That has been the case the entire series as they have had more shot attempts in all four games and that I going to cash in eventually although time is running out. Two betting factors favor the Jets here as first, despite 53 percent of tickets being on Winnipeg, the line has gone the other way. Second, while tickets slightly favor the Jets, the amount of money placed on Winnipeg is at 85 percent which is where the large, smart money has come in. Situationally, we play on home favorites after three or more consecutive losses, when playing their 3rd game in five days. This situation is 178-88 (66.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (8) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Saturday Power Play. The Capitals could have all but put this series away or at least put Tampa Bay into a massive hole after winning the first two games on the road. Win one game at home and Washington would have been in prime shape for a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals but instead, it lost both games and gave home ice right back to the Lightning. Now it is Tampa Bay that can take advantage and put the Capitals into a hole that will be difficult to climb out of. The Capitals played a strong Game Four but were stymied by a dominating goaltending performance by Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy. When you consider that the Lightning went more than 21 minutes without a shot on goal at one stretch, it seems fair to say Vasilevskiy stole this game for the Lightning with his 36 saves. The fact that the home team is winless through four games is surprising for sure although both teams have performed well on the road all season. It is surprising because both have been dominant at home and we will see that come out tonight. This is the third time this postseason Washington is tied 2-2 and it broke each of those deadlocks with Game Five victories on home ice which makes this situation extremely more difficult. Tampa Bay is 32-9 against the moneyline in its last 41 home games off two or more consecutive road wins and uses the momentum and confidence to take control of this series for the first time. 8* (6) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. The Lightning came through for us on Tuesday as they avoided a likely insurmountable 3-0 hole, but we expect Washington to put the pressure back on Tampa Bay after tonight. The Capitals were impressive in their two wins in Tampa Bay and with the road team winning the first three games in this series, Washington will be the first to break through at home. Game Three could have gone the other way if not for mistakes as Washington outshot the Lightning 38-23 but did not help goaltender Braden Holtby with six minor penalties. Holtby allowed four goals but was helpless on the one-timers on the power play by Steve Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. We should see the offense bounce back after a dismal .053 shooting percentage last game after averaging a .142 shooting percentage in the first two games and going back, Washington is 39-16 in its last 55 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. The Capitals have been more impressive on the road during the postseason than they have been at home, but this is still a solid advantage. Only five teams in the NHL had more victories at home than Washington's 28 and that total represents seven more wins than the Capitals managed on the road, so we know what it is capable of here. Washington is 18-4 in its last 22 home games after a loss by two goals or more and it falls into a situation where we play on favorites revenging a loss, off a home loss by two goals or more. This situation is 186-92 (66.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (60) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. Vegas is a big consensus play for tonight as it heads home after tying this series after a 3-1 victory in Winnipeg in Game Two and grabbing home ice. It is a legitimate consensus play based on what the Golden Knights have accomplished at home this season, but they are a pedestrian 9-6 over their last 15 home games and are a bit overpriced against what has been one of the best road teams in the postseason. Twice the number of bets have come in on the Golden Knights, yet the line has not budged and based on the smart money moves, Winnipeg has the majority of that action coming in. Winnipeg won its last series thanks to going 3-1 in Nashville and it has only lost once in regulation on the road during the postseason. The Jets had several scoring opportunities early in Game Two but were unable to convert so that outcome could have been different from what took place. The Jets are 23-7 in their last 30 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. This includes a perfect 4-0 record in the postseason, 3-0 on the road, where they have outscored the opposition by a combined score of 18-3. Additionally, Winnipeg is 27-4 against the moneyline revenging a loss this season. It also falls into a contrarian situation where we play against teams against the money line that are coming off a road win by two goals or more, playing their third or fewer game in 10 days. This situation is 59-29 (67 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (3) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. Before the playoffs started, Tampa Bay was one of the consensus favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but it has found itself in a deep hole, down 2-0 after losing the first two games of this series at home. The Lightning will now have to win at least two games on the road to avoid going home earlier than expected with the game tonight representing a must win situation. History is certainly not on their side as of the 41 previous times a team lost the first two games in the Conference Finals, 39 went on to lose the series, including every team that lost its first two at home. But, Tampa Bay can look at these playoffs and see that Washington went down 2-0 to Columbus with both losses at home only to come back and win the next four games. Surprisingly, Washington has been a better bet on the road than at home during the postseason as the Capitals are 7-1 on the highway after the two-game sweep in Tampa Bay while going just 3-3 at home. The same can be said for the Lightning as well as they 3-1 on the road with two underdog wins in Boston compared to 5-3 at home with the three losses coming in at -161, -189 and -185. While the pressure may be different, Tampa Bay has been effective in this spot during the season as it is 13-3 on the road revenging a loss as a favorite while going a perfect 8-0 revenging two losses by two or more goals. Additionally, we play on road teams in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 revenging a loss where opponent scored five or more goals, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 78-49 (61.4 percent) since 1996. 10* (1) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Monday Power Play. We won with the Jets on Saturday and we are going against the bounce angle and backing them again in Game Two. Winnipeg jumped out with a goal just over one minute into the game and it scored the first three first period goals and never looked back. We mentioned for Game One how big Winnipeg has been at home as it has one of the best in the NHL and it does not want to lose this home ice advantage before heading to Las Vegas. There is an area that the Jets have a big edge on the ice and it showed in Game One. With the ability Vegas has to defend the slot area, one thing that works in the Jets favor compared to the other teams they have faced is their ability to score from the perimeter. Not only do they lead all playoff teams in goals from the outside with 15 and Patrick Laine is one of the best weapons out there. The only adjustment the Jets need to make is to do the things they did well in Game One, but better because they are expecting a big effort from Vegas in coming out strong. Winnipeg's mantra throughout the regular season and into the playoffs has been to compartmentalize each game, never getting too high after a win and never getting too low after a loss. The Jets have now won 43 of their last 54 home games while going 20-8 in their last 28 games following a win. While the Golden Knights have been a strong road team this season, they are 2-5 in their last seven road against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. 9* (58) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We recommend a play on the puckline with the Lightning as the moneyline has risen based on their Game One loss and need for a victory tonight. Tampa Bay will be playing with a lot more urgency in Game Two as it had only 10 shots through the first two periods on Friday as it fell behind 4-0. Breaking it down further is even worse as when Washington scored its fourth goal at 6:42 of the second period, the Lightning had only four shots on goal. Heading to Washington down 2-0 is a recipe for disaster so we can expect a more fired up team early in the game and just two weeks ago, the Lightning lost 6-2 to the Bruins in Game One of the second round, then won the next four games to advance. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is coming off a rare poor outing as he allowed all four goals before being pulled. This was just the second time in the postseason he has allowed three or more goals and only the seventh time since early March he has done so. He bounced back all previous six times with strong efforts and allowed 2.0 gpg in those follow up contests. We mentioned in the Game One analysis how good Washington has been playing on the road, but this is a difficult situation it is falling into tonight. Tampa Bay is 16-4 against the puckline revenging a loss of two goals or more this season including a 9-1 record when that loss took place at home. 10* (56) Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 PL

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. We have won with the underdogs the last two nights in the NHL as the public has gone down in a big way in backing the heavily favored home teams. It is a different story tonight as the public action is favored on the side of Vegas as its story has taken over the NHL and for good reason of what it has accomplished. The significant factor here though is that while nearly 2-1 of the tickets are on the Golden Knights, 2-1 of the actual money is on Winnipeg based on offshore reports which signifies the smart money going on the home team. The Jets had no problem with Nashville in Game Seven as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back, despite getting outshot 37-24 although most of that was in the third period. They head back home where they have actually lost two straight games following a 13-game home winning streak and this is just the third time all season they have lost consecutive games at home. The other two times resulted in victories next time out and going back, the Jets have won 42 of their last 53 home games. Vegas swept Los Angeles in the first round and needed six games against San Jose to advance to here but now comes the toughest challenge. While the Sharks and Kings were solid at home, they actually possessed the two highest amount of regular season home losses of all Western Conference playoff teams. They totaled 34 home defeats. Winnipeg had nine. Here, we play against teams off a road win by two goals or more, playing just their third game or less in 10 days. This situation is 58-29 (66.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (22) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Friday Breakaway. After going through many previews of this series, hardly anyone is giving Washington a chance to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. To do that, the Capitals need to steal a game in Tampa Bay and this could be the one as they come in peaking at the right time. They were able to get rid of the demons take out Pittsburgh in the semis and they have now won 20 of their last 27 games including 10 of their last 11 on the road. The Lightning made quick work of both New Jersey and Boston and are the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for a reason. However, laying a moneyline like this is overaggressive especially against a team playing so well on the road. Tampa Bay allows 2.87 gpg at home which is not very good considering its spot in the standings as that defense is ranked ninth worst in the NHL. The Capitals have a slight advantage on the penalty kill (79.1 percent) over the Lightning (74.2 percent) in the postseason and were significantly better (80.3 percent) than Tampa (76.1 percent) in the regular season. We also give a slight goaltending edge to Washington and Braden Holtby who has taken this opportunity by allowing just 2.04 gpg during the postseason. Washington falls into a great underdog situation as we play against favorites against the moneyline in the second half of the season coming off three consecutive divisional wins with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 59-38 (60.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (23) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. A trip to the Western Conference Finals is on the line tonight and based on this moneyline price, Nashville has a clear edge. That is not the case however. Despite being two of the best home teams in the league, the road team is 4-2 with each team winning twice in their opponents arena. The matchup itself could not be more even as there is little to separate the Predators and Jets. They have each attempted 338 shots and put 177 shots on net during 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick. At 5-on-5, there is only a one-goal difference between the two (Predators 12-11). In shots on goal through six games, the margin is four (Predators 217-213). All of this being said, we should be seeing a line more toward the even range, but it is skewed heavily toward the Nashville home ice. While the Jets should be able to ice their regular lineup, Nashville might have to play without center Mike Fisher, who left Game 6 in the first period because of an undisclosed injury and never returned. Winnipeg is 25-4 against the moneyline (+21.4 Units) revenging a loss this season. Going back, Nashville is 9-16 in its last 25 games against the moneyline off a road win by 2 goals or more and this season, it is 0-4 against the moneyline in home games off a road win by three goals or more. 10* (53) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Monday Power Play. Winnipeg brings in a league-best 36 home wins after stealing Game Five in Nashville to win back home ice following a Nashville victory here in Game Four, which was the Jets first home loss in the postseason while snapping a 13-game home winning streak. This is a must win for Nashville to avoid elimination, but this game is just as important for Winnipeg which cannot afford to go back to Nashville with all of the momentum on the Predators. The are averaging 4.4 gpg in this series which is strong considering the solid defense of Nashville but goalie Pekka Rinne has struggled as he allowed three goals in a 4:31 span of the second period of Game Five to turn a 1-1 game into a 4-1 deficit, and after two goals early in the third was pulled for a second time in this series for Juuse Saros. Conversely, the Jets defense has been solid in this series, and they are allowing just 2.39 gpg at home which has come down slightly from the regular season as they have allowed two goals or less in seven of their 10 games. This season, Winnipeg is 17-5 at home against teams averaging three or more gpg and has a great situation on its side as we play against road underdogs against the moneyline that are revenging a loss where opponent scored four or more goals, off a loss by four goals or more to a division rival. This situation is 95-32 (74.8 percent) since 1996. 9* (4) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Sunday Power Play. We played on San Jose in its last game here as it was down 2-1 and needed a victory to keep the series within reach and it did so with a 4-0 win. Prior to that, the Sharks had a chance to snag home ice advantage but lost in overtime after rallying from a two-goal deficit in the third period as it was unable to carry that momentum into the extra period. San Jose is 28-13-4 at home and is now 9-2 in its last 11 home games against teams with a winning road record. The offense is humming which is great as San Jose is 7-0 against the moneyline in home games after scoring three goals or more in four straight games this season while going 11-2 against the moneyline in its last a13 games after five straight games with 30 or more shots on goal. Friday night, the Sharks gave the world a glimpse of what is to come, pulling to within a goal of the Golden Knights with less than five minutes to play in Game Five after trailing 4-0 at the nine-minute mark of the third. That is big heading into this elimination game as the Sharks are much more experienced and have been here before as Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Brent Burns and even Tomas Hertl have experienced just about every situation that playoff hockey can throw at a team minus winning a Stanley Cup. Hertl put a guarantee on this game and while he sidestepped that yesterday, it does show how confident this team is. 9* (66) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. Give Pittsburgh a lot of credit for evening up this series in Game Four after dropping two straight games following a road win to take home ice away from the Capitals in the opener. You have to give the Capitals even more credit for winning those consecutive games however as after falling down 1-0, that could have been an early end in trying to solve their problems against the Penguins in the postseason. This has been an iconic series already which comes as no surprise as this is the ninth time in 11 postseason meetings the series will go at least six games. The Capitals still possess home ice and tonight is vital to take advantage of that as a loss puts them in a hole that will be hard to recover from. They have been behind 3-1 each of the last two years against Pittsburgh and failed to recover so they are in better shape now but cannot let it slip away. The Penguins held Alex Ovechkin without a shot on goal for just the third time in 107 career playoff games and something says he rebounds after putting up 42 shots in the first nine games of the postseason prior to that. Washington averages 3.3 gpg at home and after allowing just one goal in the first two road playoff games against the Flyers, the Penguins have allowed 11 goals in their last three road games and are allowing 3.3 gpg on the road for the season. Washington is 14-3 against the moneyline after scoring one goal or less in their previous game this season while the Penguins are 1-6 in their last seven games when their opponent scores two goals or less in their previous game. 10* (60) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the BOSTON BRUINS for our NHL Friday Power Play. After dropping Game One at home and temporarily losing home ice, Tampa Bay has seized control with a pair of wins including a 4-1 victory in Game Three on Wednesday. The Lightning jumped out to a 2-0 lead just over three minutes into the game and never looked back to improve to 27-14-3 on the road. They have dominated the shots on goal over the first three games which was uncharacteristic for Boston after dominating that category in the opening series against Toronto. The Bruins did not score over the final two periods as they managed only 15 shots over the 40 minutes. They are now 31-10-5 at home and this is clearly a must win situation as a loss mean they will have to win two games in Tampa Bay and while they have won twice there this season, the Lightning finished tied for second with the most home wins during the regular season. Boston has been exceptional in this situation as it is 21-6 in its last 27 games after scoring two goals or less while going 14-4 in its last 18 games revenging a loss where it scored one goal or less. Additionally, the Bruins are 14-3 this season at home following one or more consecutive losses. Boston falls into the same situation that Pittsburgh was in last night as we play on home favorites after one or more consecutive losses going up against an opponent after a two-game unbeaten streak. This situation is 340-175 (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (24) Boston Bruins

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS for our NHL Thursday Power Play. After Washington lost Game One of this series at home, the thought was here we go again but the Capitals rebounded to split the series and got home ice back following a win in Pittsburgh in Game Three. Now it is the Penguins with their backs against the wall as they need to take care of business at home after dropping their third straight game following only nine regulation losses during the regular season. Pittsburgh has averaged just 2.0 gpg during this three-game home skid after averaging 3.63 gpg here during the regular season and we expect a return to that form tonight. Through nine postseason games, the Penguins have scored 35 goals. Sidney Crosby has been involved in 17 of those and on the ice for 25 of them. Their first forward line (Crosby, Patric Hornqvist, and Jake Guentzel) have combined for 20 goals while the rest of the team has 15 so secondary scoring is vital. The Capitals have allowed 3.26 gpg on the road, but they have improved considerably during their nine-game road winning streak. However, they will be without a key piece tonight as Tom Wilson was suspended for three games. During the playoffs, Wilson is tied for 10th in the NHL with seven even-strength points (two goals, five assists) and he ranks second in the league with 41 hits. The Penguins are 16-5 in their last 21 games after allowing four goals or more two straight games and here we play on home favorites after one or more consecutive losses going up against an opponent after a two-game unbeaten streak. This situation is 339-175 (66 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (20) Pittsburgh Penguins

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The series is on the line tonight for San Jose as falling behind 3-1 will put it in a hole that it will not be able to come out of as winning in Vegas twice in the final three games is a near impossible task. The Sharks had a chance to snag home ice advantage but lost in overtime after rallying from a two-goal deficit in the fourth quarter as it was unable to carry that momentum into the extra period. San Jose fells to 27-13-4 at home and despite the loss on Monday, the Sharks are 8-2 in their last 10 home games against teams with a winning road record. Vegas continues to defy the odds but at this point, we must face facts that it is a threat to win the Stanley Cup, but it is most vulnerable on the road and San Jose must take advantage. The Golden Knights have won five of the seven meetings this season, but it has been a closely contested series with five games being decided by one goal, four coming in overtime including the last two following a 7-0 blowout opening games in this series. The promising fact for the Sharks is that they outshot Vegas in each of the last two games 47-29 and 42-33 and they need to continue to pepper the net. San Jose is 20-9 this season after allowing four or more goals and it falls into a great situation where we play on favorites against the moneyline that are revenging a loss of one goal, off a home loss. This situation is 219-95 (69.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (58) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the WINNIPEG JETS for our NHL Tuesday Power Play. Nashville came through for us in double overtime on Sunday, so it comes in with some positive momentum but lost home ice with a 4-1 setback in Game One. The Predators have been a very strong road team the entire season, but they have struggled of late by going 4-4 over their last eight following a nine-game road winning streak. They have been solid on defense, but the offense is not nearly as strong as it is on home ice and faces the best home defense left in the playoffs. Winnipeg has lost only nine games at home this season thanks to its 1.46 gpg scoring differential. The Jets are averaging a league-best 3.8 gpg at home while putting up 4.0 gpg through their first three playoff games. Winnipeg is 12-1 against the moneyline in home games after playing two consecutive road games this season. That lone defeat came against Nashville where the Jets allowed three third period goals in less than 10 minutes, blowing a 5-3 lead. They have no doubt not forgotten that game, so you can say double-revenge is in play and on the season, Winnipeg is 23-3 against the moneyline revenging a road loss. Additionally, the Jets are 6-0 in their last six games when their opponent scores five goals or more in their previous game. Here, we play on home favorites outscoring their opponents by 0.5 or more gpg, after allowing five goals or more. This situation is 67-26 (72 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (54) Winnipeg Jets

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Monday Power Play. The losing team in Game One of the first three series came back to win Game Two and we are expecting to make that a clean sweep after tonight. Boston blew open a close game with three goals in the third period to win 6-2 despite getting outshot 36-24. It is very rare for a team to convert 25 percent of their shots especially against a goalie as strong as Andrei Vasilevskiy who came into the postseason with a 2.62 GAA. Tampa Bay is now 32-11-2 at home and it was at a disadvantage in Game One being off for an entire week while the Bruins came back after just a two-day layoff. Now that they are on equal rest, the edge goes back to the home team. The Lightning must slow down the Boston top line as it put up 11 points in Game One and in the Toronto series, the Bruins were successful when that top line produced. In the five postseason wins, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak produced 41 points but in the three Toronto wins, the trio went scoreless. Going back, the Bruins are 2-5 in their last seven games after scoring five goals or more in their previous game while the Lightning are 4-0 in their last four games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game while going 15-4 revenging a loss of two goals or more this season. Additionally, we play on home favorites that are outscoring their opponents by 0.5 or more gpg, after allowing five goals or more. This situation is 66-26 (71.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (16) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the NASHVILLE PREDATORS for our NHL Sunday Power Play. Nashville killed us on Friday as despite outshooting Winnipeg 48-19, the Predators dropped the series opener at home making Game Two as close to a must win as there is. Nashville is still on a strong 30-11-4 at home and it cannot hit the road down by two games against the team that owns the best home record in the NHL. The Predators managed only one goal in those 48 shots despite coming in averaging 3.33 gpg at home, the fourth most in the Western Conference but going back, they are 12-3 in their last 15 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game. Predator goalie Pekka Rinne had a surprisingly bad game in the opener as he allowed three goals on just 16 shots, but we can expect a rebound performance here as he carries a sensational 75 percent winning record at home in his career. On the flip side, Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was in the zone and has been for a while as the Predators goal with 18:37 left in the third period finally halted a shutout streak of 163 minutes for Hellebuyck. He has been inconsistent on the road however as prior to the last two games, he allowed 11 goals against Ottawa and Minnesota. Winnipeg is 1-8 against in its nine road games this season after a three-game unbeaten streak and it falls into a negative situation where we play against teams after three straight wins by two goals or more going up against an opponent after a loss by two goals or more in their previous game. This situation is 47-26 (64.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (14) Nashville Predators

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. After rolling through Anaheim in a four-game sweep by a combined score of 16-4, San Jose got lit up in the opener of this series in a 7-0 loss. It was the worst playoff loss for San Jose in over two decades and it will be up to the players to respond and not let the series get away. We cannot take much from Game One which was over before it started so we can come back to normalcy tonight and give the Sharks a defensive and special teams edge. The Golden Knights, 11th in the league at 21.4 percent on the power play during the regular season, were just 1-for-12 against the Kings, the NHL's best penalty kill. The Sharks were second best on the penalty in the regular season, at 84.8 percent. Clearly, Sharks goalie Martin Jones was rusty after being off for a week and being on the road in a hostile environment did not help. Jones had allowed four goals in four games to the Ducks in the first round, and it took less than half a period for that total to be matched by the Golden Knights. Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was in a similar rest circumstance, but his situation was different as he was at home and was given a four-goal lead which took any sort of pressure off him. As far as value goes, we have it as Vegas closed Game One at -150 and now is as high as -180 in some spots for Game Two. San Jose is 19-9 after allowing four goals or more this season and we play against favorites coming off three consecutive divisional wins, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team in the second half of the season. This situation is 58-37 (61.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (89) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the NASHVILLE PREDATORS for our NHL Friday Power Play. One of the faults of the relatively new playoff format in the NHL is that the two top teams in the Western Conference in points are playing in the semifinals and do not have a chance to meet in the finals (same scenario in the Eastern Conference as well). Both Winnipeg and Nashville are coming off 5-0 wins to clinch their opening round series so both come in with some solid momentum. The difference is that Nashville has been off for two fewer days and because of the length of the overall rest, fewer days is better as the Jets have been sitting for a week. The Predators bring in a 30-10-4 record at home while Winnipeg is 21-14-8 on the road compared to a 35-7-2 record at home. This shows how much home ice is going to matter in this series and stealing a road win is going to be difficult. The home/road scoring splits show this as Nashville is outscoring opponents by close to a gpg at home while Winnipeg is dead even in scoring differential on the road. Nashville took three of the five meetings this season but lost the final meeting a month ago in a shootout and the Predators are 19-4 revenging a same season loss this season. Additionally, they are 29-13 against teams averaging 3.00 or more gpg this season and they fall into a great situation where we play against underdogs in the second half of the season that are outscoring their opponents by 3.00 or more gpg, after allowing one goal or less in two straight games. This situation is 118-46 (72 percent) since 1996. 8* (84) Nashville Predators

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. The Penguins and Capitals will face off in the second round for the third consecutive year with the core groups changed only slightly. It is well documented that Pittsburgh has had the Capitals number as going back, it has won the previous three series despite not having home ice advantage, twice winning Game Seven in Washington on the way to capturing the Stanley Cup. The Capitals have home ice again and this time, they look to take that advantage into a series win but it is Game One that is pivotal. Pittsburgh looks to be more vulnerable this year as the last two seasons, they finished the regular season with 22-15-4 and 19-15-7 road records. This year, the Penguins went just 17-20-4 on the highway and while they did win three games in Philadelphia, this is a bigger challenge with Washington coming in with a 29-11-4 home record. Pittsburgh will also be without Evgeni Malkin, who led the team with 98 points, for at least Game One. Penguins goalie Matt Murray has been up and down against Washington in his brief career and is coming off a Philadelphia series in which he flip-flopped between great (two shutouts) and not-so great (allowing four-or-more goals twice). On the other side, Braden Holtby has only allowed 10 on 137 shots in four-plus games since replacing Philipp Grubauer and he gets the advantage heading into this series. Washington is 18-1 in its last 19 home games after a win by three goals or more. 10* (88) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The only series to go the distance concludes tonight in Boston with the Bruins and Maple Leafs tied at three games each. Toronto has a 6-4 lead in the season series after taking three of four regular season games as well as the final two games to tie the series after falling behind 3-1. The Bruins are going to be a very public play tonight as 58 percent of bets and 62 percent of money placed are on them as of Wednesday morning. Boston has just nine regulation losses at home this season and Toronto is responsible for two of those including one in Game Five so the confidence is there to win on the road in an elimination game. After scoring 12 goals in the first two games, the Bruins looked as if they would dominate the series, but they have managed only nine goals over the last four games. In the three Toronto wins, Frederik Andersen made 116 saves while giving up six goals and he has been the best player for Toronto which is a perfect situation for a team going into a Game Seven. He looks quick, poised and locked into an understanding of how to prepare for Boston's offensive attack. The Bruins have dominated shots on goal overall, but it has meant little as the team with the fewer shots has won the last five games. Toronto falls into a great underdog situation as we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 revenging a road loss by two goals or more, playing a team with a winning record in the 2nd half of the season. This situation is 34-23 (598.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (25) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS for out NHL Monday Breakaway. Washington put an end to the four-game winning streak from the road teams in this series as it won on home ice Saturday in overtime. It was obviously a big win for the Capitals as they had lost four of their previous five home games and they can now win this series without having to win another game in Toronto. They hit the road where they are a solid 23-15-4 including seven straight wins and that is playing into this line. Columbus returns home where it is 26-13-4 and will be out to snap a three-game losing streak on home ice. This is obviously a must win for the Blue Jackets as things have not gone their way after opening the series with a 2-0 lead. They were beaten in double overtime in Game Three at home, struggled in Game Four, and then played possibly their best game of the series on Saturday but were not rewarded. They allowed seven goals in the first two games at home after entering the postseason allowing just 2.37 gpg which is second best in the NBA. This has been a tough spot for the Capitals as they are 9-18 against the moneyline in their last 27 games when attempting to close out a playoff series. Additionally, we play on home teams against the moneyline after allowing four goals or more in a loss to a division rival going up against an opponent after a home game where both teams scored three or more goals. This situation is 32-9 (78 percent) since 1996. 10* (20) Columbus Blue Jackets

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA FLYERS for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. The Flyers once again have life as they took down the Penguins on the road to close the gap in this series to 3-2. This is similar to last night as Columbus and Washington had four straight games where the road team won and now this is the case in this series. The Penguins won both games here but now their line is more inflated than it should be and they could be without Evgeni Malkin and at the very least, he is not close to 100 percent. We were waiting for goalie confirmation for this one and we got what we wanted. The Flyers will give Michal Neuvirth a second straight start as he looked to build momentum from his win on Friday. Even though it is a small sample size, Neuvirth will look for his fourth postseason win in his last five appearances as since Game Four of the 2016 series in Washington, he is 3-1 to go along with a 1.33 GAA and .960 save percentage, stopping 144 of the 150 shots he has faced. He helped shut down the five power play opportunities for the Penguins in Game Five. The Penguins are just 19-20-4 on the road this season and while they have won both in this series, this will be the first time not facing Brian Elliott which has been a big advantage for them. 10* (74) Philadelphia Flyers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPITALS for our NHL Saturday Power Play. Home ice has not been a big factor in the playoffs thus far as home teams are 18-17 which is nearly the same record as the 18-19 mark after the first 10 days of the postseason last year. Four of the 17 road wins have come from this series as Columbus too the first two games against Washington in overtime and then the Capitals returned the favor by winning the last two games in Columbus. The Capitals matched the Blue Jackets two-game road sweep and raised the stakes even more with the victory, which was the first that ended in regulation, so they bring that momentum back home. Washington goalie Braden Holtby will be making his third straight start after two great efforts in Columbus. The fact that Philipp Grubauer got the start in the first two games was surprising considering his lack of playoff experience, which cannot be said for Holtby. Among NHL goaltenders who have made a minimum of 50 starts in the playoffs, he ranks second all-time with a .932 career save percentage in the postseason to go along with an outstanding 1.97 GAA. Columbus is 4-11 this season revenging two straight losses as a favorite while Washington is 17-1 in its last 18 home games after a win by three or more goals. Additionally, we play against road underdogs against the moneyline after allowing three goals or more in four straight games going up against an opponent after scoring three goals or more in five straight games. This situation is 92-33 (73.6 percent) since 1996. 8* (70) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Thursday Power Play. Toronto came through for us on Monday and we expect the Maple Leafs to even up this series after tonight as this is the only series where the home team has taken all three games. We played on the Lightning last night and along with the Predators, they were able to take a commanding 3-1 lead with road wins, but this line is telling us Boston is not in the same strong spot as those two teams. While they have been decent on the road, home ice has been great for the Maple Leafs as they are 30-10-2 here, one of only three teams in the league to have at least 30 home wins. Additionally, they have won five straight home games against teams with a winning road record. Boston has now dropped five straight road games and they have struggled against good home teams most of this season as the Bruins have dropped 10 of their last 14 games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or greater. The Bruins went 0-1 with the power play on Monday and this has been a strength of Toronto as it is 15-2 in its last 17 games against teams making 17.5 percent or more of their power play chances. The home team has won six of seven meetings this season with the lone road win coming by Toronto in Boston and we are banking on home ice coming through again. 10* (2) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING for our NHL Wednesday Power Play. All four home teams won on Monday and three of those are back in action on Wednesday along with the Penguins and Flyers. Nashville and Tampa Bay are in similar spots where they both rolled in their first two games at home but then lost Game Three on the road. These are the two top teams in their respective conferences and the chances of both of them getting their series evened up are slim. Tampa Bay let New Jersey pull away in the third period on Monday and it cannot afford to not play a full game. Game Four will be different as the Lightning simply have to go back to the regular season and see that they lost all three regular season meetings to the Devils, so they do not want to give New Jersey any more chances and would prefer to close out this series at home in Game Five on Saturday. The Devils have been a solid team at home this season, but they finished tied for the second fewest home victories among playoff teams and this has not been a good position as going back, New Jersey is 10-30 in its last 40 games as a home underdog. Tampa Bay meanwhile is 12-3 in its last 15 road games revenging a loss including going a perfect 6-0 revenging a loss where the opponent scored five or more goals. Additionally, we play on favorites against the moneyline that are outscoring their opponents by 0.5 or more gpg, after allowing five goals or more. This situation is 117-57 (67.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (59) Tampa Bay Lightning

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS for our NHL Tuesday Breakaway. This is not what the Kings envisioned as even though they were the underdog in this series, they did not expect to be down 3-0 after three games and making it tougher to swallow is that they were all one-goal losses. They have now lost four straight games and history is not on their side, but they have been part of history. Los Angeles is one of only four teams in NHL history to win a series after falling behind 0-3, doing so in the first round of their Stanley Cup run against the San Jose Sharks in 2014. Additionally, Kings head coach John Stevens coached the 2010 Flyers, one of the other teams to come back from a 3-0 deficit and was associate coach to Darryl Sutter in 2014 so his history is even better. What Vegas has done this season is nothing short of incredible and it no doubt wants to end this series sooner rather than later. The Kings are desperate team and they have 11 holdovers from that 2014 team so there will be no quit. They fall into a situation where we play on home favorites against the moneyline in the second half of the season after losses in four or more consecutive games, winning with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 80-29 (73.4 percent) since 1996. Additionally, Los Angeles is 15-3 in its last 18 games against the moneyline playing with triple revenge while going 15-2 in its last 17 games against the moneyline after scoring two goals or less in four straight games. 10* (56) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS for our NHL Monday Breakaway. This play sets up very similar to the Minnesota play yesterday as Toronto went to Boston and nothing went right as it lost both games by four goals each. Now, the Maple Leafs are in must win mode as a 3-0 deficit in this series means it is over. While they have been decent on the road, home ice has been great for the Maple Leafs as they are 29-10-2 here including a perfect 6-0 record when coming off a divisional loss by two goals or more. Additionally, they have won four straight home games against teams with a winning road record. Boston hits the road where it has lost four straight games and the eight-goal scoring differential in the first two games has kept this moneyline lower than it should be based on the bounce angle. They have struggled against good home teams moist of this season as the Bruins have dropped nine of their last 13 games against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or greater. They also fall into a negative situation as we play against road teams against the moneyline that are coming off two consecutive home wins by two goals or more going up against an opponent off a road loss by three goals or more. This situation is 30-9 (76.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (28) Toronto Maple Leafs

This is a play on the WASHINGTON CAPTIALS for our NHL Sunday Power Play. The worst loss of the playoffs thus far has been by Washington and not because of score but because of how it happened. The Capitals jumped out to a two-goal lead and led late in the third period but allowed a goal with just over four minutes left and eventually lost in overtime. Washington has been the most underachieving team in the NHL when it comes to the playoffs as it is now trying to get past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time in four seasons. The good news is that the Capitals got an extra day off, while the other six teams played with one day of rest, and that should help them get over that stinging loss. It also kills some of the momentum for Columbus which now has a lead in a playoff series for the first time ever. The Blue Jackets are 20-18-3 on the road and they have struggled over the last couple seasons as they have a .283 win percentage on the road against teams with a home winning percentage of .600 or better. The Capitals were 23-8-1 in the regular season after a loss while going 10-2 revenging a loss by one goal. Additionally, we play against road underdogs against the moneyline after allowing three goals or more in four straight games going up against an opponent after scoring three goals or more in five straight games. This situation is 92-32 (74.2 percent) since 1996. 8* (24) Washington Capitals

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Sunday Breakaway. We played on Minnesota Friday thinking it could get back into the series and steal a game in Winnipeg but the Wild gave it away late after a strong start defensively. They were outshot 44-17, after getting outshot 40-20 in Game One, so a shift to home ice is important to avoid what many are thinking will be a runaway series for Winnipeg. Minnesota is 27-6-8 and those six regulation losses are the fewest in the NHL, so it is in good shape to get back into this series. The Wild have lost three straight games only once this season and they are 13-1 following consecutive losses including going 6-0 following consecutive road losses. The Jets have now won seven straight games, the last four coming at home, and while it has been a solid road team this season, most of the success has come against non-playoff teams. Over its last 29 road games, the Jets have 13 wins but only four of those have been against current playoff teams. Winnipeg is 1-7 on the road this season following three consecutive wins and it falls into a negative situation where we play against road teams when the moneyline is -100 to -150 off a win by two goals or more over a division rival going up against an opponent off a loss by three goals or more to a division rival. This situation is 26-10 (72.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (22) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the ANAHEIM DUCKS for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. The Sharks took Game One of this series to seize home ice and this game is a must for Anaheim as a 2-0 deficit heading to San Jose will put it into a massive hole. The Ducks entered the postseason riding s five-game winning streak while also riding a seven-game home winning streak so the fact they were shut out in the opener was a surprise. On the flip side, it was the fourth straight home loss against the Sharks going back to last season, so the Ducks need to find a way to solve that issue to remain in this series. Overall, they are 26-11-5 at home while winning 20 of their last 27 games at The Pond. San Jose closed the regular season with five losses in its last six games, so it came in with very little momentum which was the case for goalie Martin jones as well. He had allowed at least three goals in five of his previous six games and the shutout on Thursday was his first since March 8. Despite the victory, the Sharks are 3-14 in their last 17 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Here, we play on favorites against the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent, off a home loss by two goals or more. This situation is 182-89 (67.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Anaheim is 15-4 this season revenging a loss where it scored one goal or less. 9* (64) Anaheim Ducks

This is a play on the MINNESOTA WILD for our NHL Friday Breakaway. Winnipeg won the first game of this series on Wednesday as it rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the third period to win the first playoff game in franchise history. That is a letdown if there ever was one but more importantly, the Jets remain overpriced as they finished just 13 points ahead of Minnesota and that does not warrant a 2-1 favorite. They closed at -200 in Game One but the first series opening home playoff game in Winnipeg in over a decade made that price permissible. Minnesota has lost seven games since mid-March with five of those coming by one goal or in a shootout while its six wins over that stretch have all been by more than one goal so there has been some tough luck involved. This is the third straight season Minnesota has lost the opening game and it has dropped the previous two series, so this is a big game and the experience puts the Wild in a good spot as this is their sixth straight year playing in the postseason. The home/road splits are making Winnipeg a huge public consensus tonight but going back, it is 3-13 in its last 16 games coming off consecutive divisional wins. Meanwhile, Minnesota is 14-4 in its last 18 games off a road divisional loss and 14-5 in its last 19 games after allowing three goals or more in two straight games. 10* (53) Minnesota Wild

This is a play on the BOSTON BRUINS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. This should be an excellent series with Toronto having a solid chance to come away with the upset meaning it would have to take one game in Boston but that is not going to be Game One. The Maple Leafs are coming off their best season ever, but it was only good enough for a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference. They took three of four meetings against the Bruins so that bodes well as far as the matchup goes but Boston did outshoot Toronto in three of those including both games in Boston by a combined 69-49. The end of the season was a major disappointment for the Bruins as they lost four of their last five games and that was the difference between first and second place in the conference which will be a big deal should it come down to the Eastern Conference Finals. Losing to Florida at home in the regular season finale was most shocking considering what was on the line but that loss should provide plenty of motivation to start this series. Boston has the ability to control a game but should that somehow not happen, it can adapt as good as any team in the league. Boston can play a physical game, a quick game, an offensive game or a defensive game. However, you want to come at them, the Bruins have an answer. Boston has the sixth-most goals in the league, allowed the fourth-fewest, averaged the ninth-most shots, and gave up the second-fewest. The Bruins are 17-4 in their last 21 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous game and here, we play on favorites revenging a loss of one goal, off a home loss by two goals or more. This situation is 88-31 (73 percent) over the last 5 seasons. 8* (12) Boston Bruins

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES KINGS for our NHL Wednesday Breakaway. The feel-good story in the NHL this season was Vegas taking the Pacific Division in its inaugural season but now things take a different turn. The Golden Knights stormed out of the gates but have slowed over the last couple months as they are just 10-8-3 over their last 21 games. Home ice has not been as good either as Vegas lost just three of its first 21 home games, but it has gone just 7-6 over its last 13. Los Angeles grabbed the first Wild Card spot, but it was only three points away from second place in the Pacific, so this is not a horrible draw for the Kings. It is a contrast of styles with the potent Vegas offense against the stifling Kings defense and the playoffs favor the latter. Vegas finished fourth in the league in goals scored, possesses the 10th best power play and had the ninth most shots per game. Meanwhile the Kings allowed the fewest goals, have the best penalty kill numbers and allowed the eight fewest shots in the league. These teams split the season series at two games each and each splitting on their home ice. One key takeaway was the fact Vegas went 0-13 on the power play in those four games. The Kings fall into a solid situation where we play against home teams when the money line is -100 to -150 with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 off a road loss by 3 goals or more, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 30-14 (68.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (7) Los Angeles Kings

This is a play on the COLORADO AVALANCHE for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. There are numerous games today and tonight with playoff implications but most of those are one-sided situations where the moneyline have been drastically inflated. This is the only game on the slate that features a win-and-in situation and the price is more than reasonable. We won with St. Louis last night as it leapfrogged Colorado into the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but the Avalanche can take it back with a victory. Colorado is 27-11-2 at home this season as it looks to snap a three-game slide, all those losses coming on the road. The Avalanche are 7-0 against the moneyline in their seven home games this season after allowing three goals or more in three straight games. The Blues snapped a four-game losing streak with the win last night so neither team is coming in with a lot of momentum. While they have been a decent road team this season, the Blues are 1-6 in their last seven road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than .600. Additionally, we play on home favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 in the second half of the season after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 191-85 (69.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (72) Colorado Avalanche

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Friday Power Play. The scenario is simple for St. Louis as if its wins out, the playoffs are a guarantee, but should it lose tonight, missing out comes back into play. The Blues have lost four straight games to put them in this must win spot and that includes a loss in Chicago on Wednesday in the first game of this home-and-home set. While they can lose tonight and win tomorrow to gain the final playoff spot, they are at Colorado which is the team ahead of them and the Avalanche are tied for the third most home wins in the Western Conference. This is the final home game of the season for Chicago but there is not much to celebrate as this is the first time in nine years it will be going home without a playoff appearance. Chicago won the first game of this home-and-home, but it is 3-11 in its 14 games coming off a road win this season. Additionally, we play on favorites in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after four straight losses. This situation is 107-45 (70.4 percent) since 1996. 9* (5) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the NASHVILLE PREDATORS for our NHL Thursday Power Play. Nashville is fighting for first place in the Central Division as well as first place in the entire Western Conference. It holds a three-point lead over Winnipeg with two games remaining so if it can win one of its last two games, it will clinch it all, but the goal is to get it done tonight because the Jets are playing two non-playoff teams while the Predators final game is against Columbus which is also still fighting for positioning. Washington has clinched the Metropolitan Division and while we played against the Capitals in their last game and they won a meaningless game in St. Louis, we are going against them again here. Washington is in evaluation mode at this point, mixing and matching lineups to figure out who will be in the plans once the postseason begins. Nashville possesses the best road record in the NHL so winning here is not out of the question despite the solid home ice advantage the Capitals usually possess but like was said, tonight is a different situation. Here, we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .700 in the second half of the season after having lost two of their last three games. This situation is 110-66 (62.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (51) Nashville Predators

This is a play on the NEW JERSEY DEVILS for our NHL Thursday Breakaway. With the playoffs looming, some teams have a lot on the line while some have nothing to play for and we have two teams in both categories tonight. Toronto is coming off a win in its last game but that came against Buffalo so there was not much effort needed for that one. The Maple Leafs have already clinched third place in the Atlantic Division which means they will be facing either Tampa Bay or Boston in a first round playoff series, one in which they will not have home ice advantage. New Jersey is fighting a higher seed as it currently sits in the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference but can still move up as a win tonight will move it into third place in the Metropolitan Division and sit just a point out of second place. A victory also officially clinches a playoff spot as it would eliminate Florida. New Jersey has won four of its last five home games and falls into a fantastic situation where we play against teams against the moneyline off a home win by three goals or more, in a game involving two teams with winning percentages between .501 and .600. This situation is 75-48 (61 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (56) New Jersey Devils

This is a play on the SAN JOSE SHARKS for our NHL Tuesday Power Play. Dallas kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a win over Minnesota on Saturday which was its final home game of the season. The problem is the Stars have to take care of business on the road and get some help along the way, but the road has not been kind. They are 14-19-5 on the highway this season including losses in eight straight with their last road win coming on February 22nd. Going back, Dallas is 1-13 in its last 14 road games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. San Jose is back home after losses in three straight games, all of which came on the road, as it looks to extend its four-game home winning streak and get closer to hosting a first round playoff series. The Sharks are two points ahead of Los Angeles and three points ahead of Anaheim for second place in the Pacific Division, the spot that gets the right to host. Their final three games of the season are at home where they are 24-11-3 and on the season, they are 9-0 in home games after allowing three goals or more two straight games this season. Additionally, we play against road teams off a home win by two goals or more going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive road losses. This situation is 54-24 (69.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 8* (68) San Jose Sharks

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Monday Power Play. St. Louis is playing itself right out of the postseason as it has lost two straight games following a six-game winning streak, but it is in a great position tonight to get back into the win column. The Blues are coming off an embarrassing loss at Arizona on Saturday 6-0 and it is now a point behind Colorado for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, but they can leapfrog the Avalanche with a win tonight. This recent two-game slide came on the road and the Blues are 24-15 at home including four straight. Another big factor making this an excellent spot is the fact Washington is coming off an upset win in Pittsburgh last night which clinched the Metropolitan Division so there is the letdown factor with nothing to play for. The Capitals cannot catch the Bruins or Lightning for the most points in the Eastern Conference, so nothing is in their control for the rest of the season. While they have been playing at a high level, now it is time for a rest. Washington is 4-11 in its last 15 road games when playing on back-to-back days while St. Louis is 13-3 in its last 16 games off two or more consecutive road losses. Additionally, we play on home favorites of -200 or less off two or more consecutive road losses when playing their 3rd game in five days. This situation is 115-52 (68.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 9* (8) St. Louis Blues

This is a play on the NEW JERSEY DEVILS for our NHL Sunday Power Play. The Devils won at home last night and while this game is not a must win, a victory will go a long way in locking up a playoff berth. The win last night coupled with the Florida loss put New Jersey five points up on the Panthers, so a seven-point cushion would all but seal it. The Devils are 20-14-5 on the road this season, tied for the third-most victories away from home in the Eastern Conference behind the Tampa Bay Lighting (25) and the Boston Bruins (22). Montreal also played last night as it lost in Pittsburgh which was its 15th straight loss against teams currently holding down a playoff position. The Canadiens have struggled defensively all season which has really hurt against solid offenses as they are 4-19 in their last 23 games against teams averaging three or more gpg. Additionally, they are 4-27 revenging a loss where opponent scored four or more goals this season. New Jersey falls into a great situation where we play on road favorites in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .450 and .550 coming off a home win scoring four or more goals. This situation is 132-62 (68 percent) since 1996. 9* (55) New Jersey Devils

This is a play on the ST. LOUIS BLUES for our NHL Saturday Breakaway. We played against St. Louis last night as it lost in overtime at Vegas and that loss coupled with the Colorado victory put it into a virtual tie with the Avalanche for the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. The Blues end the season in Colorado which could have huge playoff ramifications, but they need to take care of business prior to that. These winnable games have been good to them as they are 8-0 this season against teams with winning percentages between .250 and .400 while going back, they are 23-4 in their last 27 games against teams getting outscored by 0.5 gpg or more. Arizona is coming off a loss on Thursday in Los Angeles to conclude a respectable 3-3 roadtrip but a return home is not a great thing as the Coyotes have the second worst home record in the NHL. The timing is not good either as they are 0-4 in their last four home games following a roadtrip of seven or more days and they fall into a negative situation where we play against home underdogs coming off a road loss by two goals or more, in March games. This situation is 36-10 (78.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (19) St. Louis Blues