Sports Picks & Predictions

4-unit Play Take #52 St. Louis Blues (-130) over Florida Panthers (8:05pm EST) The Florida Panthers are making a move in the standings and the league has taken notice. Florida has won four straight and seven of their last eight games overall. They're looking to close out a perfect five-game road trip, with only the St. Louis Blues standing in their way. But before we get too excited, let's take a closer look at some of their recent wins. In their last three games, Florida has been outshot 107-78 collectively (nearly 10 shots per game). Yes they've held the lead for big parts of those games, but they were vastly outplayed in each of those three contests. This will also be their fourth game in six nights, all on the road on the unfamiliar West Coast. The Blues have been playing some pretty good hockey themselves, with six wins in their last seven contests. St. Louis has done a good job of controlling their recent games. Opponents haven't managed to get over 32 shots on goal in the last 10 games versus the Blues, and that's included games against the shot-happy Leafs twice and the vaunted Penguins offense. St. Louis is playing better than Florida right now but just isn't getting as much attention. As a result, we see value in the Blues today at this price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #21 Philadelphia Flyers (-125) over Vancouver Canucks (10:05pm EST) The Philadelphia Flyers head to Vancouver to take on the Canucks Sunday night. The Flyers have dropped five of six games, but they have been playing better hockey than it appears. They have outshot their opponents in five straight games and four of those were by 10 shots or more. They've just run into some tough goalies and couldn't find the back of the net as often as they usually do. This is a very strong situational spot for the Flyers for a couple of reasons. Vancouver will be playing their sixth game in nine nights and they also played last night. They won 2-1 in overtime against the Flames, but it was a hard-fought game that certainly took something out of the Canucks. The Flyers have had two days off to rest and prepare in an effort to thwart their losing streak. I like Philadelphia to get the job done today.

4-unit  Play Take #9 Chicago Blackhawks (-120) over Buffalo Sabres (6:05pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres come in winning three straight games and five of their last seven overall. It's their best stretch of the season, but we're looking in the other direction for several reasons. First off, Buffalo hasn't been as good as the final scores have shown over the last couple of weeks. They were badly outshot in four of their five wins, and the one game they did outshoot their opponent was against the lowly Avalanche. This is also Buffalo's sixth game in nine nights - a historically tough spot. Every team has some general fatigue this time of year, but a heavy workload makes things exponentially worse. The Blackhawks are the more rested bunch for this one, as they just had a six-day bye week break. They came back last night against the Oilers and lost 3-1. Chicago actually outshot the Oilers 39-22 in the game, but they did show some rust at times. They'll be much more in tune today and I think they roll over the Sabres in this one. Take the Hawks.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit  Play Take #62 Minnesota Wild (-160) over Dallas Stars (8:05pm EST) Good spot tonight for the Minnesota Wild tonight to bounce back after a lackluster effort in their last game. The Wild lost 1-0 last time out at home versus the Ducks. It was only the third time all season that they've been shut out, so I'm expecting to see some good aggressive hockey from them tonight. They also catch the Dallas Stars who are playing their fourth game in six nights. Dallas has been terrible of late, dropping six of their last seven games overall. The team is trying to decide if they raise the white flag and trade away some veterans before the deadline. On the ice they've looked lost and I don't see them figuring out against a very good Minnesota team. The Wild are 19-7-1 at home this season and lead the entire Western Conference with a +57 goal differential. The next closest team is the Sharks at only +20. Lay the price here with Minnesota.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #57 Colorado Avalanche (+150) over Buffalo Sabres (7:35pm EST) The Colorado Avalanche are clearly the worst team in the NHL. They come in with a terrible 15-37-2 mark and things are getting worse rather than better. But as bad as Colorado is playing right now, the Buffalo Sabres are actually playing worse right now. The Sabers have been outshot in eight straight games, by a collective margin of 320-224. That's over 12 shots per game! Somehow, Buffalo has managed to pick up four wins during that run but that luck can't go forever. In addition, the team isn't likely to make many adjustments - which works to our advantage. The Sabres also might be without winger Evander Kane, who is dealing an illness. The Avs are playing better right now and we'll gladly take a shot at this big price.

4-unit Play Take #58 Ottawa Senators over Buffalo Sabres (7:35pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres have hit a wall, and they've hit it hard. They're 3-6 over their last nine contests, but it's the way that they've been losing which is concerning. The Sabres have been outshot in seven straight games and to the tune of 279-199 collectively. That equates to getting outshot by roughly 12 shots per game - not exactly a blueprint for winning hockey games. This team is still young and is going to go through some bumps in the road off and on. This is a rather big bump however, so we're looking to the Ottawa Senators today. Ottawa continues to prove the pundits wrong as all they keep doing is winning hockey games. The Sens are in second place in the Atlantic Division and have a real shot of catching the struggling Canadiens for the division title. They're coming off an impressive 3-0 win versus the red hot Islanders. Goaltender Craig Anderson is also back and that's a huge lift in the net for this team. Play the Senators today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #2 Columbus Blue Jackets over New York Rangers (7:35pm EST) The Eastern Conference is a logjam right now with every team still within striking distance of a playoff spot. The final third of the regular season is going to be huge, and tonight's matchup between the Rangers and Blue Jackets certainly falls into that category. These teams are separated by just two points in the standings and playoff positioning is going to be especially important in the Metropolitan Division this year. The Rangers come into today's game with five straight wins, but that's not impressive as it appears. They outshot their opponents in just one of those games, the list of opponents wasn't particularly impressive and four of the five contests were at home. The Rangers also rank poorly in the puck possession metrics for the season, which generally leads to regression in the standings for teams that have seemingly outplayed their underlying numbers. Columbus hasn't been playing as well since their impressive 16-game win streak, but some of it has just been bad luck. They've lost several games recently in which they were the much better team. There's no question in my mind that Columbus is the better hockey team and this line should be at least 10 cents higher with them at home tonight. Take the Blue Jackets.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit  Play Take #26 Edmonton Oilers (-130) over Chicago Blackhawks (10:05pm EST) We played against the Blackhawks last night in what was a tough spot for them and we couldn't cash a ticket. Tonight we're going to give it another shot in what is an even tougher spot for Chicago. The Hawks are playing their sixth straight road game and this will be their third game in four nights. They've won four straight games and this is the last game before heading home for six-day rest period (NHL's mandatory bye week). Backup goaltender Scott Darling will also be in the net tonight for Chicago. He's having a really good season thus far, but he's not Corey Crawford and he's likely to come crashing down to earth at any point. Edmonton has had its best season in years and comes in with a 29-18-8 mark. The Oilers have made some major strides throughout the season and I really like how some of the young players have come along led by superstar Connor McDavid. Edmonton dominated the Canadiens last time out in a 1-0 shootout win. It was a deceiving final score, and the Oilers have actually outshot the competition in four straight games. I like the chemistry this team has right now and they'll certainly be up for a big game at home tonight. The Hawks could be a bit fat and happy looking forward to the week off. We're going with the Oilers as our NHL Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #11 Columbus Blue Jackets (-115) over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets have dropped four of their last five games and looked really flat last time out versus the Devils in a 5-1 loss. This is probably their worst stretch of the season thus far, but I don't think they're that far from bouncing back and looking like the team that won 16 straight games back in December. One of the problems lately is that the Jackets haven't gotten many chances for their dangerous power play unit. Over the last five games, Columbus has had a total of just four power play chances. Drawing penalties has quite a bit of randomness to it, so I think we'll see more chances coming. This is the last road game for Columbus before a long seven-game homestand. Usually you'll see a little bit of a drop off in these types of scenarios. However, with how badly Columbus has played of late and an especially terrible performance in their last game, I expect them to bring a strong effort in this one. The Red Wings have had a hard time getting consistency this season and you can see it in their results. Over the last 13 games, their wins and losses have played out like this: LLLWWWLLLLLWW. In their last game, Detroit beat the Predators 1-0 but they were badly outshot 42-19. Goaltender Petr Mrazek was stellar in net, but that's a game they quite honestly deserved to lose. Columbus is the much better team here and this is a fairly cheap price. Take the Blue Jackets to get the job done.

4-unit Play Take #57 Toronto Maple Leafs over St. Louis Blues (9:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues have looked lost on the ice over the last few weeks. They are 7-11-1 over their last 19 games and have also dropped five of their last six contests. Defense and goaltending have been a major problem of late. In their recent five losses, the Blues have surrendered 6, 7, 5, 5 and 5 goals respectively. That's just not going to get it done. They've shuffled through several goaltenders and nobody has been able to stop anything. That's going to be a problem tonight against an aggressive Maple Leafs team that puts more shots on goal than just about anyone. The Leafs are averaging over three goals per game and their young guys are getting better and better by the day. Toronto is 11-4-2 over their last 17 games and head coach Mike Babcock has done a masterful job of getting the best out of each guy on his roster. Tonight's game could ugly for St. Louis if they don't figure out how to fix their defensive gaffes. We'll gladly take the Leafs at the plus price here.

3-unit Play Take #69 Toronto Maple Leafs over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) The NHL resumes tonight after a four day rest for the All-Star break. One of the hottest teams heading into the break was the Toronto Maple Leafs. This young group is 11-3-2 over their last 16 games and is improving quickly as the season moves along. Head coach Mike Babcock has built up their confidence and is one of the great tacticians in this league. I think we'll see even more strides being made in the second half and they'll be a team we're looking to back quite often. They draw the Stars tonight in Dallas. I've always thought the home team doesn't have its usual home ice advantage after a long break, as travel and fatigue aren't much of an issue for the visitors. Dallas is playing their worst hockey of the season right now, finishing up the first half with just four wins in their last 13 games. The defense and goaltending has been downright awful recently. During that 13-game stretch, the Stars allowed at least three goals in 11 of them. Dallas has also really struggled this season against Eastern Conference foes. They have just a lowly four wins in 16 games against the East. Toronto is the far superior team and I look for them to start the second half on the right foot. Play the Leafs.

4-unit Play Take #16 Winnipeg Jets over San Jose Sharks (8:05pm EST) As far as situational spots go, this is a very good one for the Winnipeg Jets. First off, they get a tired San Jose Sharks team that will be playing their sixth game in nine nights today. On top of that, the Sharks are traveling in after a game in the high altitude of Denver last night. It's not easy leaving Denver and playing a game the next night without rest. And it's especially tough in the hostile environment that Winnipeg displays. The MTS Centre is one of the loudest arenas in the league and the Jets have done well defending their home ice over the years. The Sharks are clearly the better of these two teams, but this is a really tough spot. San Jose is also coming off of back-to-games against the terrible Avalanche in which they were outplayed for large stretches of time. I think the Jets will keep it close early on and they should be able to wear down a tired Sharks team by the third period. Take Winnipeg at home today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #63 Colorado Avalanches (+240) over Anaheim Ducks (10:05pm EST)

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #53 Ottawa Senators (+150) over Columbus Blue Jackets (7:05pm EST)

3-unit Play Take #6 Detroit Red Wings over Montreal Canadiens (3:05pm EST) The Red Wings have had a tough season thus far, but recently they've shown some signs of getting back on track. On Tuesday they lost a hard-fought game to the Blackhawks in overtime. Last time out they beat the Penguins handily by a 6-3 score. Health has been, and still is, an issue for the Wings. However, they are starting to get healthier and it's helping tremendously with the depth of their lines. 12 of the Detroit's last 14 games have been on the road, and tonight will be the first time they've played two straight home games since December 17th. That should lead a more focused effort against the Canadiens. Montreal has played well all season, but lately their defense has dropped off. Over their last four games they've surrendered 19 goals, and that's with all-world goaltender Carey Price in the net (backup Al Montoya did start one of the games). The Wings can score in bunches and can be a difficult matchup for a struggling Montreal defense. Home underdogs can provide some good value and that appears to be the case here today. Take Detroit.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take #18 Los Angeles Kings over St. Louis Blues (10:35pm EST) Coming into the season, the St. Louis Blues were one of the top contenders in the Western Conference. They've been a great regular season team over the last several years but just haven't been able to break through in the playoffs. We're halfway through the 2016-17 regular season and the Blues don't even look like a postseason team right now. They're just one game above the .500 mark on the season, and over the last few weeks they've looked lost on the ice. The Blues are just 6-8-1 over their last 15 contests and they've been thoroughly outplayed in most of those games (even some of the wins). I'm certain they'll get on a roll at some point in the second half, but right now this team is fade material. They'll go up against a Kings team that isn't playing that great right now either. Los Angeles is just 8-8-3 over their last 19 games overall. However, it's somewhat forgivable as the majority of those games were on the road including a tough nine-game road trip that they recently wrapped up. The Kings rate better than the Blues on most of the advanced metrics, which is more predictive than win-loss records. The Kings have also been really good at home (12-6-1), while the Blues have struggled mightily on the road (5-10-1). St. Louis has also been terrible in Los Angeles over the last few seasons, putting up an ugly 1-11 record over the last 12 games. We like the Kings to get the job done in our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #11 San Jose Sharks (-110) over Edmonton Oilers (9:05pm EST) The Western Conference is a little down this season, but there's no question who the best team out West is. It's the San Jose Sharks. Ever since last year's playoffs, the Sharks have demonstrated that they are a very tough out and they've been atop the Pacific Division for virtually the entire season. Right now they're in a mini funk with three losses in their last four games. However, all of those losses were by a single goal and they could have won each and every one of them (especially against the Wild on Thursday). Before this four-game stretch, the Sharks had won eight out nine and were riding high. This is the same exact roster and they're relatively healthy right now. Today they head to Edmonton to take on the Oilers. Edmonton has certainly taken a step forward this season, but I'm not sold on them being a playoff team just yet. They've been wildly inconsistent on both ends of the ice, especially on the offensive end recently. Over their last 13 games, they've scored over three goals just one time (and that was just four goals). That's putting a lot of pressure on goaltender Cam Talbot, who is having a really nice season so far. Talbot has bailed Talbot out on numerous occasions this season, but the Oilers seem to be riding him way too hard. He's only sat five times this season and the wear and tear will eventually catch up with him. This line should be about 10-15 cents higher, so we're going to back the Sharks here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #56 Winnipeg Jets (-120) over Calgary Flames (8:05pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets are one of the most talented teams in the league. At 19-20-3 they've definitely underachieved so far, but they are playing much better hockey of late. The Jets are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games and five of those wins were by 2+ goals. They are returning from a mini three-game road trip in which they took two out of three (Tampa and Florida) in impressive fashion. They'll certainly miss the services of Patrik Laine, who was knocked out in the last game with a concussion. But this will give an opportunity for some talented players to step up and I think it could be a short-term positive on a team where playing time isn't easy to divvy out. Today they host the Calgary Flames, who will be playing their fourth game in six nights. The Flames have had a solid season but they've overachieved based on their underlying metrics. Winnipeg is one of the tougher venues to play in and I think the Jets are playing better right now. Take the Jets to get this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #10 Ottawa Senators (-120) over Edmonton Oilers (7:05pm EST) The

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #54 Boston Bruins (-150) over Edmonton Oilers (7:05pm EST) On paper this looks like a fairly even matchup as both Boston and Edmonton have won around half of their games this season. However, when putting it in the proper context, it's clear that the Bruins are the much better team. First off, the Eastern Conference is much tougher to navigate than the Western Conference. There are a handful of elite teams out East, while the West has most of its league bunched right around the .500 mark. In head-to-head matchups, the East has come out on top over the West by 20 games thus far. That makes for a much tougher schedule for Eastern teams and it shows up in the record of the Oilers. Edmonton is 14-4-5 against the West, but against Eastern Conference foes they are just 5-9-2. Boston is coming off of a really flat effort last time against the Devils (a 3-0 loss), and they've have two full days to think about it. We should see a max effort tonight from Boston. Edmonton has dropped three of four and just hasn't been playing as well as they did earlier in the season. The defense has improved significantly over the last few seasons, but it's the offense that has sputtered of late. Take Boston at home today.

4-unit Play Take #61 Montreal Canadiens over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) If the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators swapped goaltenders, the line on tonight's game would be about right. However, Montreal still has Carey Price in the goal and that's an enormous edge over the deteriorating Pekka Rinne for the Preds. There's no question Price is the best goaltender in the world and he's having another fantastic season with an 18-5-4 record and 2.07 goals against average to go along with a .930 save percentage. Montreal has lost four of five, but it's been one heck of a stretch with games against the Wild, Blue Jackets, Lightning, Panthers and Penguins. Playing against great teams usually raises your level of play and this is the easiest opponent that the Canadiens have had in almost two weeks. Nashville is still without talented defenseman PK Subban and that is a huge loss. Montreal is the play here at a very nice price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #52 Carolina Hurricanes (-110) over Chicago Blackhawks (7:35pm EST) We're nearly at the halfway point of the regular season and not too many people are surprised that the Chicago Blackhawks are atop the Western Conference with 51 points. They've been one of the best teams in hockey for close to a decade and they've managed to keep the main core intact over the years. However, this year is different. The Hawks are mediocre in terms of puck possession and they're well below where they were in years past from a statistical level. Chicago has won a lot of close games and has come out on top of many games in which they were outplayed. Sometimes good teams can do that from time to time, but in the case of the Hawks some regression is certainly in order. Today they travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes. This is the second leg of a back-to-back for Chicago, which is always a little tougher around the holidays. Carolina is coming off of a great performance last time out against the best team in hockey - the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Canes were definitely the better team in that game, but they took a 3-2 loss because of some great goaltending by Marc-Andre Fleury. If they give a similar effort tonight against Chicago, they'll have a great chance of getting a win. Carolina has taken a step forward this season and I think they should be getting a little more respect. Play the Canes in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #13 Columbus Blue Jackets over Winnipeg Jets (8:05pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets have won an amazing 13 straight contests. On top of that they only have five regulation losses on the season while the next closest team has eight. They also have the best goal differential in the league at +46 right now. In summary, the Jackets are dominating the league. Yet somehow they are only small favorites against bad Winnipeg team. Yes the Jets have won four of their last five, but only one of those teams was a playoff contender. The Jets rank in the bottom half of nearly every advanced metric and they still don't have a reliable goaltender either. Sometimes the betting markets like to get a little too cute in whom they back, and this matchup is a perfect example. Columbus is the much better team and they should be at a much higher price. Play the Blue Jackets at a great price as they go for their 14th straight victory.

5-unit Play Take #57 Philadelphia Flyers (+115) over St. Louis Blues (8:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues were amongst the favorites to represent the Western Conference coming into this season. They had a balanced roster, were well-coached, played physical defense and did a lot of the little things that help you win hockey games. But so far this season they haven't been able to put it all together. They have 18 wins against 17 losses, and it's not certain that they even make it to the postseason. And right now the Blues are playing their worst hockey of the season. St. Louis has lost five of seven and it could have been worse. They were outshot in six of those seven games and were lucky to get a win in overtime versus the Stars in a game that they were absolutely dominated in. They've had a five-day break with the holiday, but because teams don't get much practice time around Christmas, I don't think things are going to change right away. They get a very tough Flyers team on their schedule tonight. Philadelphia has been playing amazing hockey over the last few weeks, with an 11-2-1 mark over the last 14 contests. They've been getting contributions from everyone up and down their lineup and goaltender Steve Mason has really stepped up his game in the net after a slow start to the season (although he did get yanked early last time out). The Flyers are the better team right now and the Blues just can't be trusted. Play Philadelphia in the underdog role for our Game of the Week.

5-unit Play Take #68 Dallas Stars over Los Angeles Kings (8:35pm EST) Very tough spot tonight for the Los Angeles Kings as they head to Dallas to take on the Stars. This is the seventh game of a long nine-game road trip for Los Angeles. They've been traveling all over the East Coast and Midwest and tonight they will be playing their sixth game in nine nights. Fatigue is no question going to be a bit of an issue for the Kings, while the Stars come in with two full days of rest and preparation. Dallas has really underachieved this season with a 13-14-7 mar overall. Injuries definitely deserve some of the blame, as they've shuffled a ton of different lineup combinations as guys cycled on and off the injured reserve list. While they haven't been playing great of late, I really like the way Dallas looked in their last game. They lost to the Blues 3-2 in overtime, but it was clear that the Stars dominated most of the game. They're starting to get healthy and the consistency is going to come. And the good news for Dallas is that they may be seeing the #3 goaltender option for the Kings tonight. Starter Jonathan Quick has been on the injured list all season and backup Peter Budaj was in goal last night. All signs point to a Dallas winner in our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #19 Ottawa Senators over Chicago Blackhawks (8:35pm EST) If you're making a list of overrated teams in the league right now, the Chicago Blackhawks have to be near the top. With a 22-8-4 record and the team's pedigree, it wouldn't initially appear that this team is playing over their collective heads. But after taking a look at some of the advanced metrics, it's clear that the Hawks aren't nearly as good as they've been in years past. Chicago rates in the middle of the pack when it comes to most puck possession analytics, which is well under their usual place in the top five or so. Goaltender Corey Crawford may be making his return to the net tonight after missing a couple of weeks with appendicitis. That could be problematic as there could be a bit of rust he'll have to shake off early on. The Senators are off to a nice 18-11-3 start to the season, well above where they were projected coming into the season. They're still flying under the radar just a bit with so many other teams playing great hockey in the Eastern Conference right now. Ottawa was extremely impressive in their 6-2 dismantling of the Islanders last time out. This game is going to be a lot tighter, but I think we get about 10-15 cents of value on the Sens. Play Ottawa.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #2 Columbus Blue Jackets over Los Angeles Kings (7:05pm EST) One of the hottest teams in the NHL takes the ice on Tuesday night as the Blue Jackets host the Kings. Columbus has won nine straight games and has outscored their opponents by a combined 36-14 score over that span. They're getting contributions from every line and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is playing better than eve in the net. Overall the Jackets are 20-5-4 on the season, but they aren't getting nearly enough attention. Their five regulation losses is the fewest in the entire NHL (Pittsburgh and Montreal are next closest with seven) and they have the second best goal differential in the league (just 1 goal behind the Rangers for the top spot). They get a mediocre Kings team tonight that just isn't the same without their all-world netminder Jonathan Quick. Los Angeles is barely above .500 this season and have outscored their opponents by just one goal overall on the season. They're also coming off two hard-fought battles in Pittsburgh and Boston. Both games finished with a 1-0 score, with the Kings beating the Pens and falling to the Bruins. This is their fourth game in six nights and the fifth road game in a row as part of a long nine-game roadie. Columbus is hitting on all cylinders and I think they beat up a tired Kings team in this one.

4-unit Play Take #65 New York Rangers (-120) over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) The New York Rangers are off to a strong 20-10-1 start to the season, but they haven't gotten much love in the betting markets. Money has come against the Rangers in the majority of their contests this season, and that's the case again here today. But what do they do in response - they just keep winning. Tonight they head into Dallas to take on a Stars team that is looking to get back on track after a slow start (12-13-6 record). Both of these teams have endured quite a few injuries this season and neither is at 100%. But the Rangers have played their way through it with strong depth, while Dallas has looked lost on the ice at times. New York welcomes back winger Rick Nash tonight, and that's a big boost to the offense. Henrik Lundqvist is slated to be in the net tonight after riding the bench for an extended period while backup goalie Antti Raanta rode a hot streak. Lundqvist will likely be playing with a chip on his shoulder in this one and I wouldn't be surprised if he shuts down the Stars completely. The Rangers are 10-3 against the Western Conference this season and I think they get the job done tonight as well. Play New York.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #3 Boston Bruins over Pittsburgh Penguins (7:35pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins are on a nice roll, winning six straight heading into tonight's contest. But they run up against an underrated Boston team that has had their number of late. The Bruins have won the last five meetings between these two and eight of the last 10 overall. Boston also rates high in the underlying metrics such as puck possession and shot margin, but some bad fortune has led them to just 16 wins in 30 games. Big edge in the net for the Bruins tonight as Tuukka Rask goes up against Matt Murray (they are the probables currently). Rask is 15-5-2 this season and has a strong .932 save percentage. That means the Bruins backup goalies are 1-7-0 so far this year. Matt Murray is slated to get the start for Pittsburgh. He's had a nice season so far, but I'm still not a believer in him until he does it for a couple of seasons. He has just 25 career starts and seems to have some flaws in his fundamentals. This line is too high, so we're taking the Bruins today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take #69 Columbus Blue Jackets over Edmonton Oilers (9:05pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets have won six straight games and are playing their best hockey of the season. They've beaten their opponents by a combined 25-9 score over that span and are getting terrific goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky. Tonight they head to Edmonton to take on an Oilers team that has scuffled with four losses in their last five contests. The only win, in their last game, was a fortunate result aided by an own goal given up by the Jets. Edmonton is still having major troubles in the defensive zone and goalie Cam Talbot isn't performing like he did earlier in the season. After a red hot start, the Oilers have won just eight of their last 22 games overall. It's clear that Columbus is the much better team right now and it's surprising that they aren't bigger favorites in this game. We'll gladly take the Blue Jackets to get the win here.

4-unit Play Take #67 Anaheim Ducks over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) Keeping this one simple and playing the better team in the better spot. The Ducks come in at 15-9-5 on the season and have played better of late with three straight victories. The Stars are still a little banged up and have underachieved with an 11-13-6 record thus far. Dallas also will be playing their fourth game in six nights tonight. This line should be about 10-15 cents higher, so we're on Anaheim.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #65 Florida Panthers over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm EST) The Minnesota Wild are off to an impressive 15-8-4 mark this season and have the best goal differential in the Western Conference. But they've played the second easiest schedule in the league and have been fortunate to be bailed out by goalie Devin Dubnyk on several occasions. Dubnyk has an unsustainable .946 save percentage in 22 games this season. His career mark is just .917, so regression is clearly in order for the 30-year old netminder. The Panthers come into this matchup with just three wins in their last 10 games. However, three of those losses came in overtime and there were a couple of others where they outplayed their opponent and took a loss. This is a talented bunch that I'm confident is going to improve. I have them rated very close to Minnesota, so this line is a tad too high. Play the Panthers today.

4-unit Play Take #54 Detroit Red Wings (-110) over Philadelphia Flyers (5:05pm EST)

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit  Play Take #16 Dallas Stars (+110) over Nashville Predators (8:35pm EST) The Nashville Predators have had some major problems on the road this season. They have won just three of their 12 road games thus far and last season they struggled as well. Tonight they go into Dallas to take on a Stars team that has been decimated by injuries this season. However, Dallas is getting healthier by the day and I think they're ready to start playing like the team they were last season. Just a season ago they had the best record in the Western Conference and many thought they had what it took to win the Stanley Cup. As a result, I think they'll make their backers some money in the meantime before they ascend up the standings. This is also a tough situation tonight for the Predators, who will be playing their fourth game in six nights. Road teams usually struggle in those situations. We're on the home underdog tonight with Dallas.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #52 Toronto Maple Leafs (-120) over Minnesota Wild (7:35pm EST) There are encouraging signs if you're a Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The Leafs are 10-9-5 this season and have hung around in nearly every game they've played. Sure they still have to work on getting better defensively, but this team is going to get better as the season goes on and should be a nice under-the-radar play going forward. Most encouraging are their puck possession statistics, which rate Toronto as an above-average team in the context of controlling the game. Tonight they get Minnesota, who is a wildly inconsistent club that is a bit hard to figure out. They have won just half of their games this season and have played the softest schedule in the NHL thus far. They've had some depth issues in the early going and the offense has sputtered, but they've been bailed out by some phenomenal goaltending by starting netminder Devan Dubnyk. He's put up a tremendous 1.63 goals against average and a .946 save percentage in 19 games. While Dubnyk is an above-average goalie, there's no way the Wild can count on him maintaining those numbers. That means the rest of the team will need to step up their game, and I don't think that's going to happen. The Leafs are the better team and should get the win here at home today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #2 Buffalo Sabres (+110) over Edmonton Oilers (7:05pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres have won just nine of their 25 games so far this season, but that record is a bit deceiving. Six of those losses were in overtime and the Sabers were decimated with injuries early on. But Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly and Jack Eichel are all healthy now and that means they finally have some weapons on offense. Buffalo has generated at least 32 shots on goal in eight of their last nine games, and it's only a matter of time before they start finding the back of the net with more frequency. Tonight they get the Edmonton Oilers, who have cooled off considerably after a fantastic start to the 2016-17 campaign. The Oilers have won just five of their last 14 contests and they've played one of the softest schedules in the league so far (28th out of 30 teams). Edmonton is certainly better than last year's edition, but I'm still not sure they can play enough defense to stay in the playoff hunt all season long. I like the Sabres at home tonight as the underdog.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #3 Toronto Maple Leafs (-105) over Calgary Flames (8:35pm EST) The Toronto Maple Leafs have been to the playoffs just once in the last 12 seasons, and that was in a lockout shortened season. Needless to say, the Toronto fans have been getting a little restless. However, the excitement is coming back in Toronto as this year's team has made some major strides. The Leafs are 10-8-4 on the season and have a -1 goal differential overall. That's not good enough to qualify for the postseason, but being mediocre is a huge step up from the basement of the league. Last night the Leafs scored an impressive 4-2 win in Edmonton, and that came after a 4-2 against the Capitals in the game before. Tonight they get the Flames. Calgary has taken a step back in the last couple of seasons and they are in a tough spot here. This is their first game home after a long six-game road trip out East, so it's typical to expect a lackluster effort. The Flames are also missing a key player in winger Johnny Gaudreau, who is out with a finger injury. Toronto is the better team right now and I like the price. Take the Maple Leafs to notch another win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #57 Buffalo Sabres over Ottawa Senators (7:35pm EST) This line may appear too low on first glance of just the records of the Sabres and Senators. Buffalo has recorded just seven victories in 21 games so far this season, while Ottawa checks in with a shiny 14-7-1 record. However, records can be extremely deceiving - especially in a sport like hockey where the scoring margins are thin. The Sens are just not as good as they look. They have that sparkling record, but are dead even in scoring differential for the season, which means they are winning the close ones and getting blown away in their losses. They also don't show well in the puck possession metrics, so regression is in order for Ottawa. The Sabres, meanwhile, have lost most of their close games this season including five games in overtime/shootout situations. They've been banged up this season but are slowly getting healthier. Talented youngster Jack Eichel might be making his season debut today and that should provide a huge lift to a team that really struggles to put the puck in the opponent's net. I like Buffalo as the live dog tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #62 Philadelphia Flyers over Calgary Flames (7:35pm EST) If you take a quick look at the records for these two teams you might assume they are of equal caliber. But that couldn't be farther from the truth. If you look at the puck possession statistics, Philadelphia ranks 8th in the NHL on a score/venue adjusted basis. Calgary is in the middle of the pack. If you look at the schedules, you'll see the Flyers have had a tougher one, mostly because they play in the more difficult Eastern Conference. When you talk about health, the Flyers started the season with a ton of injuries and have fought through them while the Flames have been relatively healthy. The Flyers roster is simply more talented than the Flames and I'm confident that their records will reflect as such at the end of the season. But we're only a quarter of the way in so far and there are a lot of anomalies. Philadelphia also has a strong home ice advantage in the Wells Fargo Center and the Flames only come here once a year. I'll take Philadelphia to get the job done today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #16 Los Angeles Kings (-150) over Chicago Blackhawks (10:35pm EST) Really tough spot tonight for the Blackhawks. They are playing their seventh straight road game out West and have logged plenty of miles in the process. This is also their sixth game in the last nine nights and they will be heading home after today's contest. This is usually a good fade spot and the Hawks may also be without star Jonathan Toews today. The Kings have been on a really nice roll with four straight victories. They are still without stud goaltender Jonathan Quick, but Peter Budaj has done an admirable job in his place so far. He owns a great 2.10 goals against average to go along with a solid .916 save percentage in 19 games played. Los Angeles is also near the top in most of the advanced metrics in terms of puck possession and getting scoring chances. On first glance this line appears to be a bit high. But when you consider the situation and how these teams are playing, there is value with the Kings.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #4 Boston Bruins over St. Louis Blues (7:05pm EST) On paper these teams aren't far apart, but the Bruins are the superior team upon closer inspection. They have similar records, but the Bruins have played the toughest schedule in the NHL so far this season. The Eastern Conference has clearly surpassed the West and the Bruins have had tough battles night in and night out. Boston also has a red hot goaltender in Tuukka Rask. The 29-year old netminder is 11-2 this season with a 1.46 goals against average and a .946 save percentage. It just doesn't get much better than that. Boston also comes in winning four of their last five, with their only loss a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Wild. The Blues have been off so far early on. They have won their last three games, but that followed a three-game losing streak before that. They don't show up well in the advanced metrics either, which is a bit perplexing given what they accomplished last season. I'm not sure what's plaguing St. Louis, but for right now they are a go against. Take the Bruins.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #6 New York Rangers over Florida Panthers (7:05pm EST) It's clear early on that the New York Rangers are once again amongst the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference. This season their offense has stepped up in a major way as they lead the NHL with 4.11 goals per game - more than a half goal better than the next closest team. They also have one of the best goaltenders in the world, Henrik Lundqvist, which makes for a great combination with their dynamic offense. As a result, the Rangers have the best goal differential in the sport and it's not particularly close (+32 versus +18 for the next closest team). Today New York catches the Florida Panthers, who come in on the second leg of a back-to-back. That's a tough spot for them against an elite team. Florida is 9-8-1 on the season and they're missing some key guys to injury. Centermen Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjugstad have been out all season and it's clearly led to inconsistency on the offensive end. The Rangers are the far better team and are in a much better spot today. Take New York.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #59 Edmonton Oilers over Dallas Stars (7:05pm EST) After a red hot 9-3-1 start, the Edmonton Oilers have really cooled off with five straight losses. But the good news is that the Oilers outshot their opponents in four of those five games and their overall numbers for the season are fairly good. The defense is a little banged up and has faltered of late, but I like their chances of getting their act together tonight against a hobbling Dallas Stars squad. Dallas is starting to get guys healthy, but no team has been hit harder than they have in the early going with injuries. As a result, I think it's going to take several weeks before we see the Stars at their best. Last season they led the Western Conference with 109 points, and for that reason I think we get a little bit of extra line value today. This is not the same team right now and I like the Oilers to get the job done.

3-unit Play Take #1 Pittsburgh Penguins (+105) over Washington Capitals (7:35pm EST) Great matchup tonight with two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference taking the ice. The Penguins are absolutely rolling with a 10-3-2 record this season. They are near the top of the league in most offensive categories and have a healthy goal margin thus far. Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have played well and that usually means good things for the Pens. The Capitals have a respectable 9-4-2 record themselves, but lately they've fallen apart. The Caps have lost three of four and looked awful in their last two games against the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets. It's probably just a short-term blip for this talented Washington team, but you really need to be firing on all cylinders if you want to compete with Pittsburgh. Take the Penguins and the gift of an underdog price today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #69 New Jersey Devils (+115) over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) No team has been as devastated with injuries as the Dallas Stars have been this season. They've played most of the season without Cody Eakin, Patrick Sharp, Alan Hemsky and Jiri Hudler amongst others. Jason Spezza is also banged up and questionable for today's game. As a result, this isn't the same team that led the Western Conference with 109 points last season. They've been stripped of too many good players and their depth has been severely challenged. That's led to just six victories in their 16 games played this season. Today they're at home after a five-game road trip that ended with an awful 5-4 loss to the Canucks in overtime. They blew a late lead and had no legs left once overtime hit. The first game back home after a long road trip often feels like another road game as the team still has to travel and they usually have things to take care of upon arriving home. They also had just one day off and will be playing their fourth game in six nights tonight. New Jersey comes in as winners in four straight contests and has built up a nice 8-3-3 record to open the 2016-17 campaign. The offense has looked much better this season and part of the reason is the addition of winger Taylor Hall. He's been in the middle of everything in the offensive end and has racked up 12 points in the early going. New Jersey also has one of the better goalies in the NHL in Corey Schneider. The veteran goaltender has a wonderful 2.24 goals against average and .927 save percentage this season. I think New Jersey is the better team right now, especially considering all of the injuries Dallas is dealing with. Take the Devils at the plus price here.

4-unit Play Take #65 Calgary Flames (+155) over Minnesota Wild (7:05pm EST) The Calgary Flames have lost four straight and six of seven overall, but I think they have a chance to get back on track today in Minnesota. The Stars are back after a four-game road trip and may be a little tired with this game being their fourth in six nights. If you look at the puck possession numbers for both of these teams, they aren't all that far apart. Minnesota is a bit better, but they've also played a very soft schedule thus far. In fact, they have had the third easiest schedule in the NHL to date. The Flames definitely haven't played good hockey of late, but their play on the ice has been better than what the recent final scores indicate. The Flames outshot their opponents in their last three losses, and by a decent margin. This should be a close contest and we think the line is about 10-15 cents too high. Play the Flames.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #60 Edmonton Oilers (-165) over Dallas Stars (9:05pm EST) It’s a difficult spot tonight for the Dallas Stars. They’ve been banged up all year and playing with limited depth as a result. They’re missing guys like Patrick Sharp, Cody Eakin, Alan Hemsky and Jiri Hudler. Jason Spezza is also questionable. Now they go into Edmonton for the second leg of a back-to-back after winning 4-2 last night in Calgary. This is the sixth game in nine nights for the Stars and they’ve traveled for most of those games. They’ll play a rested Oilers squad that is off to its best start in years at 9-4-1. The young talent in Edmonton looks like it has finally come together. Most impressive is their play on defense this season. They are allowing just 2.50 goals per game, which is almost a half goal improvement from last year and goalie Cam Talbot has been more than solid. The Oilers are 4-2-0 at home this season and they’re back after a five-game road trip where they finished 2-2-1. They should be able to handle a banged up Stars team that is running on fumes after a lot of travel. Take Edmonton.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5-unit Play Take #17 Winnipeg Jets (-110) over Arizona Coyotes (9:05pm EST) When you talk about some of the bad teams in the Western Conference, the Arizona Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets are likely to come up in the conversation. There’s no question that both teams are underdogs to make the playoffs this season and both are looking to rebuild in many ways. However, despite similar records so far this season, the Jets are much closer to being competitive than the Coyotes are. Winnipeg rates higher in the puck possession metrics and in most shot metrics. They also have the better goaltender combo as the Coyotes are without Mike Smith at the moment. In addition, the Coyotes are missing a couple of other key skaters in defenseman Michael Stone and centerman Martin Hanzal. The Jets have also dominated this matchup over the last few years, going 8-2 in the last 10 meetings. This line is about 10-15 cents too short, so we’re on Winnipeg as our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #51 Anaheim Ducks (-105) over Columbus Blue Jackets (7:05pm EST)  It’s hard to believe the Ducks come into today’s game against the Blue Jackets as close to a pick em. Yes their records are similar, but we’re still early in the season and I’m quite confident that the Ducks will be well ahead of Columbus at season’s end. Anaheim has also dealt with some injuries and holdouts in the first month of the season but is getting closer to 100% now. Speaking of injuries, the Jackets are down one of their top players in defenseman Seth Jones.  His absence will change the top two pairings and make it difficult to defend Anaheim’s aggressive offense. Anaheim has played much better since getting some guys back and is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. While the Jackets are off to a decent start, I don’t see them continuing to play at this pace. Take the Ducks at a nice low price.

4-unit Play Take #56 St. Louis Blues (-130) over Chicago Blackhawks (8:05pm EST) We’ve been burned fading the Blackhawks a couple of times in the early going, but that’s not going to deter us from going against an overrated team right now. Chicago has been one of the luckier teams in the NHL this season. They are 9-3-1 and have been outshot in nearly every game this season. It’s unthinkable that a team can continue winning when they get significantly less shots than their opponent. The Hawks have also won all three overtime games this season and have had more than their fair share of power play opportunities that they’ve cashed in on. Regression is clearly in order for Chicago. The Blues are off to a solid 7-4-2 start and were extremely impressive last time out versus the Avalanche (5-1 win). The Blues knocked the Blackhawks out of the playoffs last season and I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again. St. Louis has the better overall roster and we’ll see that in the standings in the coming weeks. Take St. Louis at home today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3-unit Play Take #5 Carolina Hurricanes (+115) over New Jersey Devils (7:05pm EST) The Hurricanes and Devils will face off once again tonight in the second leg of a home-and-home. New Jersey took Sunday’s game 4-1 in Carolina, but that was somewhat of a deceiving final score. Carolina outshot New Jersey 34-21 and the Devils added a late empty net goal in the final minute. Teams that lose the first leg of a home-and-home series generally are a good bet in the second game. They will make the proper adjustments while the winning team usually rests on their laurels with what worked the first time around. I also think this Canes team has the potential to be a lot better than what they were last season. They have some nice firepower on offense and some skilled defenders, but they do need their goaltenders to play better. So far this season their goaltending combo has been the worse in the league, but the good news is that it has to improve from where it is right now. Take Carolina to get the win today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3-unit Play Take #53 Buffalo Sabres over Boston Bruins (7:05pm EST)  Once the laughing stock of the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres are quickly improving and turning into a team that isn’t too far from a playoff contender. Despite missing two of their best players (Evander Kane and Jack Eichel), the Sabres have managed a respectable 5-4-2 record and have been improving in every game. Buffalo is 4-1 over their last five games and goaltender Robin Lehner has been a brick wall in the net lately. Over his last five games, Lehner has a ridiculous .953 save percentage and hasn’t allowed more than two goals in any contest. Today they go up against the Bruins in Boston. They have a fine goaltender of their own in Tuukka Rask, but this line is just too high based on how these teams are playing right now. The Bruins are still caught in the middle between being a contender and rebuilding for the future. Their roster contains quite a diverse group of aging veterans contrasted against some youth that is still trying to prove itself. They’re 6-5-0 on the season and they haven’t played a particularly tough schedule. At season end’s I don’t anticipate these two teams being that far apart in the standings. There’s value in Buffalo at this price today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #9 Dallas Stars (+135) over Chicago Blackhawks (7:05pm EST) We had action in the game yesterday between the Stars and Blackhawks and tonight they go at it again in Chicago this time. The Blackhawks won last night 3-2 in a hotly contested game that could have gone either way. The Hawks scored a goal just six seconds into the game and the rest of the way the game was back and forth. Dallas had 33 shots on goal and Chicago ended with 32. However, the Hawks did have six power plays during the game, while Dallas only had three (that could be flipped today). Despite an 8-3-1 record, Chicago hasn’t played all that well this season. They’ve been outshot overall and have managed an unsustainable shooting percentage in the early going. Dallas has been banged up but they’ve had several guys step up and take advantage of increased playing time. They’ve also played a pretty tough schedule this season overall and have been in almost every game. These teams are closer than today’s line indicates. I think the Stars have a great shot of taking the second leg of the home-and-home tonight. Play Dallas.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #70 Dallas Stars (+100) over Chicago Blackhawks (8:05pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks are in first place in the Central Division at 7-3-1, but don’t expect it to last. Yes the Hawks still have their core talent in place from the last few years, but they don’t have as much depth as they usually do after losing several guys in trades and to free agency. Chicago’s puck possession numbers aren’t very good and they are getting outshot on a regular basis this season. It’s only a matter of time before that catches up with them. The Dallas Stars have been dealing with some big injuries in the early going, but they’ve still managed a 4-4-2 record so far. They looked impressive in their last game versus the Blues, winning 6-2 and dominating from the outset. The Stars led the Western Conference last season with 109 points, but the betting markets are basically rating them as a little bit better than an average team right now. That simply isn’t the case and I see value on the Stars as home underdogs today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #59 Buffalo Sabres (+135) over Ottawa Senators (7:05pm EST)  The Buffalo Sabres aren’t quite a playoff-caliber team yet, but they are making some pretty big strides after a roster overhaul in recent years. Buffalo is 4-4-2 on the young season and has recorded three victories in their last four games against some pretty good competition. Their puck possession is getting much better and they have a pair of goalies that have done a nice job. The Sabres are missing some key players right now, including Jack Eichel and Evander Kane, but a lot of guys have stepped in too fill the gaps and they’re proving they have some good depth. Today they go into Ottawa to take on a Senators team that is playing fairly well. The Sens are 7-3-0 this season, which is one of their best starts in years. However, Ottawa has had a soft schedule and a closer look at the analytics shows that they aren’t as impressive as their record indicates. The Senators are also without their top two goaltenders are the moment. Starter Craig Anderson is tending to his sick wife and backup Andrew Hammond is nursing a lower body injury. Newly-acquired goalie Michael Condon is now the main man and he doesn’t have a ton of experience. Buffalo is still a little under the radar and I think they hang in this game and have a good shot to steal it on the road. Play Buffalo at a nice price.

3-unit Play Take #2 Columbus Blue Jackets (-105) over Montreal Canadiens (7:05pm EST) The Montreal Canadiens are off to a blistering hot start at 9-0-1 to open the season. They have the best record in the NHL and their fan base is ecstatic. However, this is a different team when their leader Carey Price isn’t in the net. Price is the best goaltender in the world and his numbers this season are spectacular in the early going. In six games he owns a 1.17 goals against average and a ridiculous .964 save percentage for a perfect 6-0 record. But Price is getting a routine day off today and that means veteran backup Al Montoya gets the start. Montoya has good numbers in limited action this season, but he’s been subpar throughout his career – even for a backup. Columbus comes in at 4-3-1 and they’re coming off of impressive back-to-back wins against the Ducks and Stars. They’ve played one of the tougher schedules in the league so far and have still managed a quality record overall. I think they have an excellent chance at home today to give the Canadiens their first regulation loss. Take the Blue Jackets here.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5-unit Play Take #67 Colorado Avalanche (+155) over Chicago Blackhawks (8:35pm EST)  The Chicago Blackhawks are 6-3-1 on the young season and it appears on the surface that they are playing well. However, upon closer examination, this Hawks team has some flaws and it’s only a matter of time before we start seeing it reflected in their results. Despite a solid winning record, Chicago has been outshot by 34 shots this season, or an average of 3.4 per game. You simply can’t sustain a winning record with that kind of margin. Puck possession is way down for the Hawks and they’ve been relying way too much on their power play opportunities this season (2nd in the league). They’ve also given up the most power play goals this season (15) and have a horrid 58% penalty kill. Part of the problem is the depth on this team isn’t as strong as it’s has been in recent years. The Hawks have been hit harder by the salary cap than any team in the NHL over the last few years and it seems to finally be catching up with them. Tonight they host the Avalanche for the first time this season. Colorado is 4-4-0 under new head coach Jared Bednar, but there are some good signs that this is going to be a better team than last season. The players have bought into the system and they’ve come a long way defensively in a short period of time. Last season the Avs were 24th in the NHL in goals allowed and they’re sitting pretty close to the middle of the pack so far this year. They are also a little bit better as far as puck possession goes and are starting to do some of the little things that Patrick Roy couldn’t get them to do. All in all, this is a better Colorado team and I think the Blackhawks are a bit down. That creates some value at the current price, so take Colorado for our Game of the Week.

3-unit Play Take #51 Edmonton Oilers (+155) over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) The future has arrived for the Edmonton Oilers and it appears that it’s finally the year the Oilers get back to the postseason. There’s still a long way to go obviously, but the Oilers are playing well on both sides of the ice and their young core should get even better as the season progresses. There are still a few doubters holding out, but that only helps our situation as far as the betting markets go. Edmonton is 7-2-1 thru their first 10 games and all of their wins except one have come by 2+ goals. Tonight’s game might be their biggest test so far this season, as they head to New York to take on the Rangers. The Rangers are 7-3-0 and are coming off back-to-back romps at home versus the Lightning (by a 6-1 score) and the Blues (5-0 score). Those were two huge wins in which New York dominated from the get go, and I have a feeling there could be a little bit of a letdown tonight. It’s extremely difficult to play at such a high level every night and the young Oilers still feel like they have something to prove. The Oilers are live dogs at this price and should give the Rangers all they can handle tonight in Madison Square Garden. Take Edmonton.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3-unit Play Take #74 Los Angeles Kings (-130) over Anaheim Ducks (10:35pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings aren’t getting much respect early on in the betting markets, and it’s probably because they are missing their top two goaltenders. Starting goalie Jonathan Quick and backup Jeff Zatkoff are both on injured reserve, and that’s forced Peter Budaj into the net of late. The career numbers aren’t great for Budaj, but he’s really stepped up his game after taking over the starting job. He’s 4-2 with a 1.99 goals against average and a .916 save percentage in six games. That’s more than the Kings could have asked for. Unfortunately Los Angeles has been shut out in consecutive games against the Blues and Blackhawks on the road. Tonight they are back home as they host the rival Ducks. Anaheim has won just three of its first nine games this season and they haven’t played a stellar schedule. They’ve dealt with some injuries and contract issues in the early going and have yet to field their entire roster. I think it’s going to be a few weeks until the Ducks can say they are at full strength and hitting on all cylinders. In the meantime, we’ll look to fade them and tonight’s game against the Kings is a great start. Take the Kings as small home underdogs.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #59 Boston Bruins (+120) over Florida Panthers (7:35pm EST)  The Boston Bruins are 4-4-0 on the season, but they’ve had some goaltending issues to contend with in the early going. Both of their top netminders have suffered through injuries, but starting goalie Tuukka Rask is back in the goal now. The Bruins are perfect 4-0-0 when Rask has started this season and 0-4-0 when he hasn’t. He just takes the pressure off of the rest of team both defensively and offensively. If Rask could start every game, the Bruins would have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this season. But goalies need lots of days off and it could be problematic for Boston on Rask’s rest days. Luckily Rask is schedules to be in the goal tonight against Florida. The Panthers are back home after a four-game road trip in which they could only muster up a single win despite a softer schedule. They dropped a disappointing 3-2 game to the Maple Leaf s and a downright embarrassing 3-0 loss to the Sabres during the trip. They did get a win on Sunday against the Red Wings, but Florida is clearly not playing up to par right now. One of the big reasons is their current injury list, which includes Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad and Jussi Jokinen. Those are three key offensive players and they don’t have the depth behind them to consistently generate offense. With Rask in the net, I think the Panthers will struggle again today. This will also be Florida’s fourth game in six nights, all of which required travel between them. I like the Bruins at the underdog price in a good spot here.

4-unit Play Take #53 Dallas Stars (-105) over Columbus Blue Jackets (7:05pm EST)  There’s no question that the Dallas Stars are a  banged up team right now. There are four key guys on the injured list and it has them off to a slow 3-4-1 start to the season. However, this was the best team in the Western Conference last regular season (109 points) and they have a competitive club despite what they’re missing. There’s no way they should be lined around EVEN against the Columbus Blue Jackets today. Columbus has been outplayed in nearly every game this season and has the worst shot differential in the league right now. The Jackets have managed to pick up three wins despite their poor play as they’ve caught some struggling teams early in the season. One of their wins was against these same Stars a little over a week ago in Dallas. The Stars were embarrassed 3-0 on their home ice in that one and I don’t think they let that happen again. Take Dallas to get back on track today with a win.

4-unit Play Take #10 New York Rangers (-140) over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:05pm EST) Two of the premier teams in the Eastern Conference square off tonight in Madison Square Garden as the Rangers host the Lightning. Both teams are off to solid starts to the season and expectations are high for both clubs. This is a great spot for the Rangers tonight as they catch the Lightning on the second leg of a back-to-back. It’s also the fourth game in six nights for Tampa and they didn’t look as fast yesterday in New Jersey. The Bolts are also likely missing one of their best players in Nikita Kucherov. He’s nursing an upper body injury and it appears he’ll be held out of action today. The Rangers have done well with puck possession this season and they still have one of the best goalies in the league in Henrik Lundqvist. They’ve won four out of five at home this season and last season were 27-10-4 at Madison Square Garden (one of the best home marks in the league). This price is a little too short, so we’re going with New York in this matchup.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #61 Dallas Stars (+125) over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm EST) The Dallas Stars are banged up right now and it’s showed a bit in their play on the ice. But they’ve still battled to a 3-3-1 record thus far and it’s amazing the amount of disrespect they are getting in the betting markets right now. This is a team that had the second best record in the NHL last season playing in the tough Central division. They kept most of team intact and now they find themselves as a decent-sized underdog to an inferior Minnesota Wild club. The Wild are off to a nice 5-2-1 start, but they’ve played a soft schedule and I still see some big holes. This is also their first game back after nearly a week-long road trip on the East Coast. Sometimes those first games back home after an extended trip can feel like a road game. Dallas is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings between these clubs, and that includes a 5-1 mark over the last six games in Minnesota. This line should be closer to even, so we’re taking Dallas as the underdog here.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #57 Toronto Maple Leafs (+165) over Montreal Canadiens (7:05pm EST)  If you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fans, the future is bright. They finally have a strong management team in place and a head coach that the players believe in with Mike Babcock. The win-loss record isn’t great at 2-2-3 this season, but the Leafs have been in every game except for one (a 7-3 loss to Tampa Bay). Four of their five losses were by a lone goal and three of those were decided in an overtime/shootout period. They may not yet be playoff material, but Toronto is certainly a team that’s flying under the radar and could provide bettors some value going forward. Tonight they head to Montreal to take on their rivals the Canadiens. Montreal is off to a red hot 7-0-1 start to the season, led by all-world goaltender Carey Price. Everyone knew the Canadiens would be improved this season with Price back healthy, but they’re not going to maintain anything close to this level of play offensively. Montreal has scored at least three goals in all eight games this season. They currently have the third-ranked offense is terms of goals per game, while last year they checked in at 16th. After trading away P.K. Subban for Shea Weber in the offseason, you might have expected more defense and less offense. But so far Montreal has come up with the goals when they’ve needed them. I don’t expect it to continue, but they’ll be in every game with Price in the net. I think Toronto can hang around in this one and maybe steal it to hand Montreal its first regulation loss. Take Toronto.

5-unit Play Take #7 Ottawa Senators over Calgary Flames (9:05pm EST)  The Ottawa Senators are off to a strong start to the 2016-17 campaign, going 4-2-0 in their first six games against a pretty good schedule. The Senators made some big changes in the offseason and it started with a new General Manager and a new head coach.  They didn’t make a ton of changes to the roster, but enough tweaks that should show up in the win-loss column by season’s end. The Senators have always had plenty of talent, and bringing in new head coach Guy Boucher to harness it all was a good move. The team is clearly in a win-now mode and is flying under the radar a bit in the stacked Eastern Conference. They’ll take on the Calgary Flames tonight. The Flames took a predictable step backwards last season and they also cleaned some house in the offseason. Head coach Bobby Hartley was fired and new bench boss Glen Gulutzan was brought in. Calgary also got rid of several veteran players and is going through a minor rebuild as they look to shift their focus. While the moves could pay off down the road, I think this team is going to struggle for most of this season. They are 3-4-1 to open the season, but I haven’t been particularly impressed with what I’ve seen on the ice from them. One of their big moves in the offseason was bringing in starting goaltender Brian Elliot from the Blues, and he’s really struggled behind a poor defense. Elliott is yielding a 3.37 goals against average and has a dismal save percentage of .882 thus far. I think Ottawa is the better of these two clubs right now and we’ll go that direction with our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #58 Toronto Maple Leafs (+100) over Florida Panthers (7:35pm EST) The Toronto Maple Leafs are making strides in the second year under their new regime. Coach Mike Babcock has his team playing harder and more competitively than they have in years. It hasn't shown up in the win column just yet (1-2-3 on the young season), but the Leafs have been in every game except their last outing against the tough Lightning. Four of their five losses this season have been by a single goal, and three of those in an overtime/shootout period. And the good news is Toronto has been outshot by more than one shot on goal in their seven games and is +37 in shot differential on the season. Clearly they're headed in the right direction and I think they're an undervalued team at the moment. Tonight they host the Panthers. Florida is playing a little short-handed in early going without talented centerman Jonathan Huberdeau and that's a big hit. Left winger Jussi Jokinen is also nursing an injury along with center men Nick Bjugstad and Jayce Hawryluk. Florida will be a good team once healthy, but I don't think we'll see their best for a while. Take Toronto at home today.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #4 New York Rangers (-180) over Boston Bruins (8:05pm EST) The Boston Bruins are in a bad spot tonight in New York. First off, they’re coming off of a brutal 5-0 loss last night against the Wild and have to reel back tonight to do it again. Back-to-back games are tough, but even more so when you get a beat down like they did last night at home. Second, they’re top two goaltenders, Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin, are both injured right now and they’re utilizing their third and fourth best options in the net in tonight’s contest. That means the Rangers will be licking their chops as they come in with two full days of rest. You have to like what you‘ve seen so far if you’re a Rangers fan. The team is 4-2-0 and they’ve played a pretty good schedule so far with games against the Islanders, Blues, Sharks, Red Wings, Capitals and Coyotes. And the Rangers have also put up significantly more shots than their opponents on the season thus far. Henrik Lundqvist should be in net tonight for New York and he should have an easier night than usual against a struggling Bruins team. Boston has struggled to get good shots over their last three games and only has a total of four goals in those contests to show for it. Take the Rangers tonight.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #67 Ottawa Senators over Vancouver Canucks (10:05pm EST)  The Vancouver Canucks are off to a nice 4-1-1 start to the season, but this isn’t a team that you can back right now. First off, this was one of the worst teams in NHL last season and they didn’t make any big moves in the offseason to rectify their many issues. They did win their first four games of the season, but three of those games were won in overtime or a shootout, and they caught several big breaks in each of their victories. The Canucks are in a particularly tough spot today as this is their fourth game in six nights and they’ve played four different overtime periods over the last 10 days. It’s still early in the season, but this team has to be a little bit gassed right now. It showed in their last game against the Ducks as they were outshot 37-19 in a 4-2 loss, and I think we see a similar result today versus the Senators. Ottawa is 3-2-0 on the season and I have them rated as a much better team than Vancouver.  They come in well-rested as this is only their third game in eight nights. We’ll take the better team in the better situation at a discount price. Play Ottawa.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3-unit Play Take #2 Montreal Canadiens (-160) over Philadelphia Flyers (7:35pm EST) It’s early in the NHL season, but one of the surprise stories is the Montreal Canadiens. They’ve opened the season at 4-0-1 and have looked pretty good in doing it. They’ve outscored their opponents by a combined 20-9 score in those five contests. The offense has been a lot better and everyone on the team is more comfortable knowing that Carey Price is backing them up in the goal. Price is the best goaltender in the world and Montreal is an upper echelon team when he’s in the lineup. When he’s it’s a completely different story. Just look at how poorly this team played last season once Price went down. They immediately went from one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference to one of the very worst. He’s back and healthy now and is scheduled to get the start tonight at home versus the Flyers. Philadelphia is playing short-handed right now with two players suspended and several others on the injured list. They’ve been outshot in four of their five games this season but have managed a 2-2-1 record. It’s only a matter of time before that catches up with them. Take Montreal here.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #9 San Jose Sharks (-135) over Detroit Red Wings (7:05pm EST) We’ve picked on the Detroit Red Wings a couple of times in the early going this season and so far it hasn’t worked out. However, we’re still convinced that the Red Wings have one of their weakest rosters in years. They’ve been outshot by a wide margin this season and it’s only a matter of time before that catches up with them. They get a tough matchup against the Sharks today. San Jose has virtually their entire roster intact from last year’s Stanley Cup ride, so you can put them up near the top of the league again. They also demonstrated that they can win on the road last season. The Sharks were an unbelievable 28-10-3 away from home last season. They were much better on the road than at home and easily had the best mark on the road in the NHL last year. Both teams check in at 3-2 on the season thus far, but I’m confident that in a couple of months the gap between these teams will be substantial. Play the Sharks today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #7 Carolina Hurricanes (+125) over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST)  The Carolina Hurricanes play their fifth straight road game tonight and they’ve hung in there despite a tough trip to begin the season. The Canes visited four of the Canadian cities over the last week and were able to grab four points in the standings. I like what Carolina did in the offseason, keeping their promising young defense in place and adding some firepower to the offense. They brought in four new wingers – two in a trade with the Blackhawks (Teuvo Teravainen and Bryan Bickell). The Flyers are off to a slow start with three straight losses and it’s likely because of their injury situation. They’re missing several key guys right now and they’re depth is certainly getting tested. They’re not the deepest of teams, so I expect the struggle to continue until they start getting guys back. This line is a bit too high, so we’ll scoop up the underdog price with the Hurricanes.

4-unit Play Take #55 Nashville Predators (-115) over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) The Detroit Red Wings are 2-2-0 to open the season, but they just haven’t looked good overall. In their four contests, the Wings have been outshot by a 139-97 count overall (for a huge -42 shots on goal margin). Detroit has made the playoffs for 25 consecutive years, but they are going to have a tough time keeping that streak alive this season. This is an aging team and they just lost one of their leaders in Pavel Datsyuk, who went off to play in the KHL in Russia. The young players haven’t all stepped up yet and I think there are question marks with their goalie tandem as well. Tonight they host the Nashville Predators. The Preds are coming off of a really nice playoff run last year where goalie Pekka Rinne regained his old form and was a brick wall in the net. If he can play like that during the regular season, this team can be one of the better squads out West. I like the moves they made to bring in Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban and they’re a much more balanced team right now than they’ve been in the past. Nashville has only won one of their first three games, but they played a tough schedule with contests against the Blackhawks twice and the Stars. Nashville is the better team and a little bit under the radar right now, so we’ll go in that direction today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5-unit Play Take #15 Los Angeles Kings (+130) over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST)  The Los Angeles Kings are off to a horrible 0-3 start to the 2016-17 campaign, but anyone who follows the league closely knows that this is a marathon sport. There is a tremendous amount of up and down swings throughout the season and nobody knows that better than the Kings. They’ve typically been a team that gets out of the gate a little bit slow, and head coach Daryl Suter usually has to lay into them to get them playing the way they know they are capable of. Last season the King started out 0-3 as well, only to rip off seven straight wins after that. That’s not likely to happen again, but I do expect a great effort tonight as they look for their first win of the season. They did just get some unfortunate news that elite goaltender Jonathan Quick will miss three months due to a groin injury. However, backup goalies are much better these days and Jeff Zatkoff has had a decent start to his career despite some rough efforts so far this season. The Dallas Stars were the darlings of the Western Conference last season, but they’re not going to sneak up on anyone this year. I still think their defense is extremely vulnerable and I’m not certain they have the depth that some of the other squads in the conference have (like the Kings). Los Angeles is 11-5 in their last 16 visits to Dallas, and I think they have a great shot of getting the win tonight. Take the Kings as a nicely-priced underdog here.

4-unit Play Take #2 Philadelphia Flyers (-115) over Anaheim Ducks (7:05pm EST) The Anaheim Ducks are 0-3-1 to start the season and I’m not sure they have the quick fix to turn it around. They’re missing some key players who are injured (or holding out) and that’s tested their depth in the early going. All four contests for the Ducks have been close on the scoreboard, but they’ve been outplayed in terms of shots on goal in three of them. That’s not a good sign when you’re trailing. This will also be the fifth consecutive road game to start the season, and they could be a little gassed as this is their fourth game in six nights as well. They’ll travel to Philadelphia for this one to take on the Flyers. Philadelphia is also dealing with several injuries, but the rest of their team has responded fairly well in their absence. They’re 1-1-1 in their first three games, but all of them were on the road and two of those contests were against Los Angeles and Chicago. This will be the home opener for Philadelphia and the Flyers were an impressive 23-10-8 at the Wells Fargo Center last season. I think this line is about 15 cents too short, so we’re on the Flyers here.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #52 New York Rangers (-155) over Detroit Red Wings (8:05pm EST) The New York Rangers are off to a good start to the 2016-17 campaign and their offense is the main reason. The Rangers have scored a total of 14 goals and have 103 shots on goal in their first three contests of the season. And when you combine a red hot offense with one of the best goaltenders in the world in Henrik Lundqvist, you have a pretty good shot of getting a W every night. Tonight they get the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have dropped two of three to begin the season and this could finally be the year they don’t get into the playoffs (Detroit has made the postseason for 25 straight years). Pavel Datsyuk decided to move on and play in the KHL this season, and that’s a bigger loss than most are giving it credit for. He was certainly on the decline, but his leadership and playmaking abilities will be sorely missed. They also have several other aging veterans and some of the younger talent isn’t coming along as quickly as originally planned. The Rangers have won 7 of the last 10 between these two clubs and are 6-0 in the last six meetings at home. Take New York to notch the victory today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

4-unit Play Take #14 Nashville Predators (-130) over Dallas Stars (8:05pm EST) The Nashville Predators have made some bold moves over the last calendar year to reshape their team in an effort to be more balanced on both sides of the ice. Last season they traded away young stud defenseman Seth Jones to the Columbus Blue Jackets for star center Ryan Johansen. Over the offseason, they followed that up with the acquisition of two-way defenseman P.K. Subban for long-time Predator Shea Weber. Both moves were made to shore up the offense and allow head coach Peter Laviolette to better execute his system. There was skepticism surrounding both moves, but I think the Predators are better suited to compete in the difficult Central division now. Today they host the Dallas Stars, who put together an excellent regular season last year. They were the #1 overall seed in the Western Conference playoffs, but I’m expecting some regression this season after they didn’t address their biggest weakness. Dallas has an inexperienced defense and they don’t have a top flight goalie to bail them out if the defense does falter. Nashville has one of the better home ice advantages in the NHL, and they posted a strong 23-11-7 mark at home last season. Take the Predators here today.

Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

3-unit Play Take #3 Buffalo Sabres over Edmonton Oilers (9:05pm EST) One of the trendy picks for a surprise team this season is the Edmonton Oilers. Everyone seems to think their young core will come together and that they'll finally realize their potential. But people have been saying that over the last few years to no avail. The fact of the matter is that the Oilers have missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons and they've never really even been close over that stretch. I do think they'll be better this season, but the betting market is rating this team far too highly in the early going. They'll need to prove it to me first before I become a believer. The Buffalo Sabres are a bit banged up right now without young star Jack Eichel and a couple of others nursing injuries. However, I like the progress they made last season on the ice even though their record didn't really fully show it. These two teams are closer in ability than the line indicates, so we're going with the underdog Sabres in today's matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #72 Colorado Avalanche (+105) over Dallas Stars (9:05pm EST) The Colorado Avalanche are starting fresh with new head coach Jared Bednar after a couple of disappointing seasons under Patrick Roy. I never thought Roy was a good fit for the Avs and he clearly had some communications problems with his players. It's sometimes hard for a Hall of Fame player to relate to ordinary players as they expect greatness from everyone. The good news is Bednar has retained all three assistant coaches, so he doesn't have to completely start from scratch this season. There's a ton of talent on this Colorado youngster, and if Bednar can get the best of them they can be a scary team to face. The Dallas Stars will once again be formidable in the Western Conference, but they have some injury issues right now and the three lines haven't practiced together very much in camp. I expect some early season struggles from the Stars before they eventually get rolling. Take Colorado tonight as the home underdog.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #4 Calgary Flames (-130) over Edmonton Oilers (9:05pm EST) The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers played against one another on Opening Night (Wednesday) and now they meet up again in the second leg of a home-and-home. The Oilers took the last game 7-4 in Edmonton in what was a wild up and down game with plenty of action and a wild pace. The scene shifts to Calgary for this one and I think we see a different result. The Flames were the better team on the ice for long stretches of that last game and they certainly are more equipped to compete this season. The Flames big problem last season was their weak goaltending, but they made an effort to fix that problem by bringing in two new netminders - Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson. Obviously Elliott didn't look good in his debut on Wednesday, but I think he'll bounce back after shaking off the nerves. They could also call on Chad Johnson for this one, and he's one of the better backup options around the league. Last season in Buffalo he was 22-16 with a strong .920 save percentage for a team that wasn't very good overall. If he can replicate those numbers again, Calgary will be very happy.

For years NHL pundits have been saying that the Oilers are going to get better and that they have too much talent to fail. Well, it hasn't happened yet as Edmonton has missed the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons. They may improve this season after making some dramatic moves in the offseason (namely flipping Taylor Hall for Adam Larsson), but they'll have to prove it to me first before I believe it. I like the Flames to get the job done tonight at home.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #63 Washington Capitals (+100) over Pittsburgh Penguins (8:05pm EST)  The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins meet up in their season opener after a fantastic playoff series last year. The Penguins won that series in six games, but every game but one was decided by a single goal and three different games went into overtime. Clearly that series could have gone either way with a bounce here or bounce there. Pittsburgh went on to win the Stanley Cup and the Capitals fans couldn’t help but wonder what if. Don’t forget that the Caps won the President’s Trophy last season with 120 points, which was 11 points higher than the next closest team (Dallas). They just dominated the regular season from start to finish. Washington didn’t make many offseason acquisitions and I think that was the right move. Pittsburgh kept the majority of their team intact as well, but they’ll be without their superstar Sidney Crosby for today’s game. Crosby is dealing with yet another concussion issue and no one knows when he’ll be back. Pittsburgh will be raising the championship banner before the game tonight, and that generally works against you due to the emotional aspect. That also might give the Capitals a little more fire at the outset of the game. Play Washington in the underdog role today.Best of Luck – Doc’s Sports

5-unit Play Take #52 Columbus Blue Jackets (-120) over Boston Bruins (7:05pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets are coming off a disappointing season in which they ended up in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division. But they weren’t the same team at the end of the season as they were in the beginning. The Jackets got off to a terrible 0-8 start to the 2016-16 campaign. By the time they got things headed in the right direction, the hole was just too big to climb out of. Over their last 33 games, Columbus was a solid 17-13-3 and they won four of their last five games to close out the season. They have a really nice young core, but it took the team a little longer to jell than they had hoped for. Bringing over Brandon Saad last year was big and he produced in a big way with 53 points, which led the team. They also made a huge trade at mid-season when they dealt star center Ryan Johansen for defenseman Seth Jones. The move wasn’t well received by fans and NHL pundits, but they quieted the critics when they played their best hockey after Jones came over. This is just a more well-rounded team than it was last season and I think they will be in the playoff hunt from start to finish.

The Boston Bruins experienced a tough 2015-16 season as well, missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season. They are still in the process of rebuilding and I think things are going to get worse before they get better in Boston. The defense is the biggest concern, as Zdeno Chara is now 39 years old and they get pretty thin after Torey Krug. Defensemen Kevan Miller and Adam McQuaid are both out with injuries for today’s game. Tuukka Rask has done a great job of bailing his team out over the years, but last season he regressed and had a mediocre season. Centerman Patrice Bergeron is also out for this contest with a lower body injury. That’s a big loss to a team that’s going to need all of the scoring punch they can get with the defense looking weak. Take Columbus at the small price at home.

10-unit Play Take #60 Pittsburgh Penguins over San Jose Sharks (8:05pm EST) It's time for the Pittsburgh Penguins to take home the Stanley Cup once again. Pittsburgh has been the far superior team in this series and has been the best team throughout the entire playoffs. Coming into this series, most thought it would be very competitive. But the Sharks are having a really tough time matching up with the Penguin forwards and keeping them at bay. The Pens have had a ton of premium scoring chances in this series. Overall, Pittsburgh has outshot San Jose by a wide 133-98 margin. The scores have been close, but those have been extremely misleading in every game. You have to Sharks' goaltender Martin Jones some credit for making some unbelievable saves in this series, but he can't stop them all from this Pittsburgh attack. The Penguins are the far better team and we're willing to lay the favorite here. Take Pittsburgh to get Game 5 and win the Stanley Cup.

6-unit Play Take #57 Pittsburgh Penguins over San Jose Sharks (8:05pm EST) Game 4 gets underway and on the surface it looks like the Sharks are hanging right there with the Penguins this series. The Pens lead 2-1 in the series and each game has been decided by a single goal, including the last two games that went into overtime. But San Jose is fortunate that they have a win at all, as Pittsburgh has really dominated the action for the better part of each game. In fact, the Pens have outshot the Sharks by a combined 113-74 in the series. They've had more high danger chances as well, so Sharks goalie Martin Jones has been on his toes early and often in each game. San Jose has tried to play more physical and slow things down a bit, but it really hasn't slowed down the star power of the Penguins. It's hard to imagine anything being different in Game 4, so we're taking the Penguins to get the win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/San Jose Sharks UNDER (8:05pm EST) It's clear that the San Jose Sharks weren't quite ready for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first two games of this series. Pittsburgh dominated the action for the better part of both games and came out victorious in each. However, the Sharks definitely came away with some lessons and I expect a slightly different gameplan back in San Jose. There's no way San Jose can keep up with Pittsburgh's speed and aggressiveness offensively. They are going to need to play a physical, grind-it-out type of style that slows the game down overall. You saw them do it a little bit in Game 2, as they realized the Pens are on another level with the puck. Pittsburgh's shots on goal were cut down from 41 in the first game to just 30 in the second game which included overtime. The Sharks have to continue to limit the quality chances the Penguins got in Pittsburgh, and I'm confident they'll do a better job of that at home in Game 3. The referees may let a few more calls go on the Sharks at home, allowing them to play a rougher style that puts Pittsburgh in a vulnerable spot. As a result, I think this game has a great chance of staying UNDER the total. Take UNDER 5.5 as our Playoff Total of the Year.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #54 Pittsburgh Penguins over San Jose Sharks (8:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins dominated Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and there's no reason to believe they won't do it again in Game 2. Pittsburgh outshot San Jose by a 41-26 margin and controlled the action for most of the contest in a 3-2 Game 1 win. The Sharks had a hard time slowing down the Pens and I'm not sure they'll be able to the entire series. San Jose tried to play physical early on but it didn't faze Pittsburgh as they jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period. I mentioned yesterday that I prefer Matt Murray in the goal over Martin Jones, and that's an edge that should hold true in every game. The Penguins have more firepower and I think they get the job done once again tonight. Take Pittsburgh in our big 7-unit selection.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #52 Pittsburgh Penguins over San Jose Sharks (8:05pm EST) Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final gets underway in Pittsburgh as the Penguins host the Sharks. These were clearly the best two teams in their respective conferences during the postseason, so this should be a fun series. While both squads are playing at the top of their game, it's clear that the Penguins' best is a bit better than the Sharks' best. Pittsburgh just has more firepower than San Jose and can score goals in bunches. San Jose didn't see a team like that during their postseason run, so they may be in for a surprise tonight. Of course they've watched plenty of tape, but until you see their speed up close it's hard to adjust for. I also like Pittsburgh's goaltender situation a little better than San Jose's. Rookie Matt Murray has come up huge this postseason and is in a really nice groove. I think Pittsburgh gets off to a good start in Game 1 with a win.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #26 Pittsburgh Penguins over Tampa Bay Lightning (8:05pm EST) We get the pleasure of watching another Game 7 tonight in Pittsburgh as the Penguins and Lightning conclude an entertaining series. Many seem to be jumping off the Pittsburgh bandwagon, which is a little perplexing to say the least. Yes they haven't played their very best in this series, especially defensively, but this is still the better team by a pretty healthy margin. The Pens have outshot the Bolts in every single game in this series and have dominated for long stretches in nearly every contest. Their scoring chances have been of a much higher quality and I think they have the better netminder now that they've decided to stick with rookie Matt Murray. Tampa Bay is still without starting goalie Ben Bishop, and I don't think that's been given enough attention. He was one of the best goaltenders in the league this season and Andrei Vasilevskiy isn't exactly a premier backup. I generally don't like laying a price this big in a Game 7, but Pittsburgh has earned my respect and I see them advancing to the Stanley Cup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #24 San Jose Sharks over St. Louis Blues (9:05pm EST) The time has come for the San Jose Sharks to eliminate the St. Louis Blues. They lead the series 3-2 and are at home for Game 6 on Wednesday night. The Sharks have been the better team in every game in this series with the exception of Game 4 and it hasn't been particularly close. Coming into this series, I really thought the Blues would put up a much better fight. But I really think the 7-game series against the Blackhawks and Stars took a lot out of this St. Louis squad. The Blues are switching back to goaltender Brian Elliott in Game 6 after going with Jake Allen in the last two games. It's hard to believe that a team this good is playing around with the goaltender position this late in the season, and I think it's going to really mess with their rhythm. The Sharks are the better team and they should get the job done at home tonight and move onto the Stanley Cup Final.

7-unit Play Take #21 Pittsburgh Penguins (-135) over Tampa Bay Lightning (8:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins come into Game 6 with their proverbial backs against the wall. Not many expected the Pens would have to win two straight elimination games to advance against a banged up Tampa Bay Lightning squad, but here they are. Even though they are down 3-2 in the series, I think the Penguins have been the better team overall. Pittsburgh has outshot the Lightning in every single game in this series, and by a total of 40 shots in the two games they won. Their scoring chances have been of higher quality and they are possessing the puck for long stretches. The problem for Pittsburgh has been in the net. Backup goalie Matt Murray isn't having a good showing, and Marc-Andre Fleury looked rusty in his debut last time out. Fleury should be much better today after getting on the ice and shaking off that rust. Ben Bishop is still questionable for the Lightning and that's a big negative for them. I trust Pittsburgh's offense much more than Tampa's and I think they get the job done in a must win Game 6.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (8:05pm EST) Three of the first four games went OVER the total in this series, and there's no reason to believe that Game 5 will be any different. The Lightning and Penguins both like playing at a fast pace and are aggressive on offense. We've seen a ton of premium scoring chances in the first four games. I don't have much confidence in either of the goaltenders right now. Pittsburgh has been working with backup goaltender Matt Murray for the entire playoffs. He's been really good at times, but he's also shown why he's a backup at times. Tampa looks like they'll be without starting netminder Ben Bishop once again. That means Andrei Vasilevskiy will be tending the goal and that's a definite downgrade. The offenses should feast again, so we're taking the OVER in Game 5.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/St. Louis Blues OVER (7:15pm EST) The St. Louis Blues haven't scored a goal in the last two games in the Western Conference Finals. They looked absolutely terrible in both contests and I think we'll see some changes going into Game 4. The Blues will be more aggressive and take more chances to generate offense. I think we'll see the defensemen getting more involved in attacking and that could lead to some odd man rushes the other way. Either way, the Blues know they need to get better shots even if they have to sacrifice a bit on defense. Martin Jones has looked good so far in this series, but we know that he's no world class goaltender. The San Jose offense has been firing on all cylinders the entire playoffs and they should get plenty of good chances themselves. Jake Allen will be taking over in the St. Louis goal and he hasn't played the entire postseason. I expect to see some rust, especially early on. Take OVER 5 in today's game at a nice plus price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #12 San Jose Sharks over St. Louis Blues (9:05pm EST) The series shifts to San Jose as the Sharks host the Blues in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. The series is tied 1-1, but there's no question who the better team has been thus far. The Sharks were better in both games, and were especially dominating in Game 2 winning 4-0. The Blues were lucky to escape with a win in the first game, but they surely realize that adjustments need to be made. The biggest problem is slowing down San Jose's forwards, who have made life hell on opposing defensemen the entire postseason. The Blues have some very good defensemen, but they're more physical and don't prefer the style that the Sharks play. I see San Jose playing another brilliant game tonight, and taking the series lead 2-1.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER 5 (8:05pm EST) We played the OVER 5 in Game 2 of this series and were off to a great start with four goals in the first period. Unfortunately, nobody could score in the next two periods and we had to settle for a push in overtime. That game featured 62 shots and many of the premium variety. That shouldn't change much in Game 3 and I suspect more than five will get past the goaltenders this time around. Tampa Bay may still be working with their backup goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy in this one. Pittsburgh, of course, has been using backup Matt Murray for the entire playoffs. Both teams have no problems getting up and down the ice and I think we see Game 3 easily get OVER the total.

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10-unit Play Take #7 San Jose Sharks over St. Louis Blues (8:05pm EST) We were lucky to cash a ticket with St. Louis in Game 1 of this series, but now we have to look in the other direction. In watching that game, it was clear that the Sharks were the better team for the majority of the contest. They outshot the Blues 32-23 and were the aggressors throughout. More importantly, the Sharks had a ton of high danger scoring chances that just didn't get through. Brian Elliott is a decent goaltender for St. Louis, but even he would admit that he played one of the best games of his career on Sunday. I don't see him matching that performance again, and he could easily give up three or four goals today against the same type of shots. These teams are very evenly matched, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a back-and-forth kind of series where each teams trades blows. San Jose is going to give its best shot tonight, and I think they find a way to win it as an underdog. Take the value with San Jose as our May Game of the Month.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Tampa Bay Lightning/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (8:05pm EST) Game 1 in this series went to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a final score of 3-1. The Lightning played a great game despite a long layoff, but the series is only going to get tougher for them as it goes on. The Penguins don't get held to just one goal very often. In fact, it's happened only one other time in the entire postseason. The Pens did manage to get off 35 shots on goal in Game 1, so they certainly had the chances. The pressure is going to be on for backup goaltender Andrew Vasilevskiy of the Lightning. He came in relief for an injured Ben Bishop last game. But now the expectations are going to be higher, and I think we see why he's a backup today. These teams were up and down the ice at a nice pace in Game 1, and I don't think anything changes today. Take the OVER in this one.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #83 Nashville Predators over San Jose Sharks (9:05pm EST) We get another Game 7 tonight in San Jose as the Sharks and Predators end a great series. After San Jose jumped out to a 2-0 series lead, most thought that this series was over. But Nashville has fought hard to win three of the last four games and was clearly the better team for long stretches in those contests. They are getting better as the series has gone, while the Sharks are clearly off their game right now. Given that the Sharks have been one of the streakiest teams in the NHL over the last few years, I'm not sure we will see them at the top of their game tonight. Clearly there are some questions out there, and for that reason this line is just too high. We were able to cash with the road team in a Game 7 last night with the Blues, and we'll look to do it tonight with the Preds.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #77 St. Louis Blues over Dallas Stars (8:05pm EST) There aren't too many things more fun in all of sports than a Game 7 in the NHL playoffs. The intensity will be high and we should see a great game between the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars tonight. This series could have easily been over with already had the Blues caught a break here or there. All of the Stars wins in this series have been by a lone goal, including Game 6 where the Blues nearly came from behind after a 3-0 deficit in the first period. The Blues, meanwhile, have dominated two of their wins and have played better overall in the series. Another thing we have going for us is that the road teams have fared really well in Game 7 situations in recent years in the playoffs. At this point in the series, there really isn't much of a home ice advantage with both teams playing having played six games against one another. I think the Blues are the better team and will find a way to advance in this one. Take St. Louis in our NHL Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #75 Washington Capitals over Pittsburgh Penguins (8:05pm EST) What a great series this has been between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. There's been a lot of fast-paced action and periods of domination on each side of the ledger. The Capitals, however, seem to have some momentum now after a great Game 5 effort on Saturday. The Caps held the Pens to just 19 shots on goal in that contest - well below their seasonal average. While I don't think they will be able to do that again, I do think they will carry over some of that momentum today. Remember that Washington was the much better team throughout the entire regular season. Pittsburgh is the hot team everyone wants to ride, but I think that's already in the price. There is value backing Washington in Game 6 here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #72 St. Louis Blues over Dallas Stars (8:05pm EST) It's time for the St. Louis Blues to wrap up their series against the Dallas Stars tonight. The Stars have played the Blues tough, but they are just a little bit worse in every facet of the game. Both of Dallas' wins in this series were extremely tight games, while the Blues have notched two blowout wins by a combined 10-2 score in Game 3 and in Game 5. The loss of Tyler Seguin is really starting to affect Dallas, who seems to lack the firepower they had during the regular season. I give the Stars credit for fighting hard and playing a good series, but it's clear they are the second-best team here. Take the Blues at home in Game 6 to wrap things up tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #65 Nashville Predators over San Jose Sharks (10:00pm EST) It's hard not to be impressed with what the Nashville Predators did in Game 3 and 4, getting two wins that they absolutely needed. Now the series is tied up and the momentum has shifted to the Preds side. The pressure is on the Sharks as the series changes venues to San Jose. The Sharks weren't a very good home team this season and it's hard to gauge where their heads are at right now. The Predators clearly played better hockey in the two games in Nashville and there's no reason to believe they won't carry that into Game 5. Goaltender Pekka Rinne has been sensational in the net for them, and he could be the difference in this series. He was one of the main reason the Preds were able to defeat the Ducks in the first round, and he could be the hero once again. This price is just too tall, so we're on the Predators in Game 5 tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports