Sports Picks & Predictions

3-unit Play Take #55 Florida Panthers over St. Louis Blues (8:05pm EST) The Florida Panthers are slowly getting more competitive and are a little under the radar at the moment. They are 11-7-7 on the season, and without some bad luck could be much higher in the standings. The Panthers lead the league in overtime losses, but the good news is that they have had a chance to win almost every game this season. They start a road trip tonight in St. Louis against a Blues team that just got back from one - usually a good spot for the visitors. The Blues don't quite look all together to me this season. They have a solid 17-8-2 record, but it's been a struggle to get there. The team also just signed veteran goaltender Martin Brodeur to shore up a struggling goaltender tandem. That's a pretty desperate move as Brodeur is well past his prime and 29 other teams passed on his services this season. Hopefully Florida gets a crack at him tonight, but if not I still think they have a great shot to win this game. The Panthers have outshot their opponents by a 92-48 margin in their last couple of game and are picking up some steam. The Blues are clearly the better team, but this line is just too high. The value lies with Florida and that's where we go here.

3-unit Play Take #2 Winnipeg Jets (-110) over Anaheim Ducks (3:05pm EST) Today's game matches up a team we are looking to bet against versus a team that we feel is a bit underrated. The team we're looking to fade is the Anaheim Ducks, who really haven't deserved their 17-6-5 record thus far. They only have a +5 goal differential on the season and haven't looked like a complete team at any point in the early going. You have to give them credit for finding ways to win, but no one should expect it to last. Their team is a mash unit right now, with superstar Corey Perry the latest casualty. He suffered a leg injury recently and will be out indefinitely. That's a huge blow to the Ducks as their offense starts with Perry and his teammates feed off of him. The Winnipeg Jets come into today's game at 14-9-4, which is a respectable mark for a franchise that has struggled since moving from Atlanta. But they're even better than that as they've played one of the toughest schedules in the NHL to date. They are also a very tough team to beat at home, and they've played the Ducks very well - winning five of the last seven meetings overall. Both teams are playing solid hockey at the moment, with the Ducks winning three straight and the Jets winners in three of their last four. However, we see some value with how these teams are being rated at the moment, and that value lies with the Jets.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #73 San Jose Sharks over Calgary Flames (10:05pm EST) The Calgary Flames can't keep getting so lucky. Just repeat that over and over. The Flames have gotten so many breaks this season that they surely can't have many remaining. Despite getting dominated in most of their games, the Flames are getting the bounces when they need them to pull out victories. In their last game against the Avalanche, the Flames trailed most of the way and it looked like they were cooked down 3-2 with a little over a minute remaining. But Dennis Wideman scored a late goal and pushed the game into overtime, where the Flames scored in the first two minutes to get the win. That's the kind of season it's been for Calgary. If you look at the advanced statistics, they don't support the record of the Flames. They don't possess the puck very well, don't get as many shots as their opponents and don't have a world-class goaltender. It's been basically the opposite for the San Jose Sharks, as they have great statistics on paper but not enough wins to show for it. It's crazy to see the Sharks as the underdogs in this one, but we'll gladly take it. The Sharks are the much better team, and when the puck luck starts evening out, the Sharks will be higher in the standings. Take San Jose.

4-unit Play Take #2 Minnesota Wild over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) Good matchup between two of the Western Conference heavyweights. The Minnesota Wild are finally starting to get some respect amongst linesmakers and the betting markets. They come in at 14-9-1 overall, but the advanced statistics point to a much better team. They have dominated the puck possession numbers for most of the season, but their power play has been the biggest problem. They are just 1-for-19 with the man advantage over their last six games and are only ahead of the Sabres in power play percentage on the season. They have the skill players to manage a decent power play, but it just hasn't clicked for whatever reason. That will turnaround with time, and when it does this team will catapult towards the top of the West. The Anaheim Ducks haven't been nearly as good as last season. They are middle of the pack in goals scored and allowed, and currently are just +4 in goal differential. They've won more than their fair share of close games to get them to where they are, but I don't value this team as high as others. I see some regression in order for Anaheim and a slide down the standings. Minnesota is the much better club and we'll take them at home today.

5-unit Play Take #68 Arizona Coyotes over Los Angeles Kings (9:05pm EST) The defending champs head down to Phoenix and we like the underdog Coyotes to give them a great game. The Kings are a respectable 13-7-5 in their first 25 games, but they aren't playing anywhere close to their true capabilities. Call it a long Stanley Cup hangover or just pure lack of motivation, but the Kings have really struggled in the early going. Their puck possession numbers are way down from near the top last season to just the middle of the pack. They have gotten great goaltending from Jonathan Quick once again, and that's why they've been able to stay competitive. But the offense is just 13th in goals per game and they've actually been outshot on the season as a whole. Head coach Daryl Suter will eventually get this back on track in time for the playoffs, but this is just a mediocre hockey club at the moment. Arizona isn't nearly as talented as Los Angeles, but they do play hard and get the best out of the guys they have on the ice. There aren't many coaches better than Dave Tippett, and he seemingly overachieves year in and year out. This season they are 10-13-3, but they've been in most of their games with a chance to win. Arizona has also won five straight against the Kings in Phoenix. Good spot here to take Arizona as a home underdog for our 5-unit Game.

3-unit Play Take #4 Chicago Blackhawks (-145) over St. Louis Blues (8:05pm EST) Two Central division rivals do battle tonight in Chicago as the Blackhawks take on the Blues. Both teams are having very solid seasons as expected. But taking a look at all of the advanced statistics, the Hawks have the edge in just about every category. In fact, Chicago is best in the league in puck possession in 5-on-5 situations and that's a huge indicator for future success. The Blues surprisingly are just in the middle of the pack in the league in possession. Chicago is also playing its best hockey of the season right now, winning six of their last seven games (and six were on the road). Now they're back home and have had three days of rest to prepare for tonight's matchup. Chicago had dominated the meetings between these two clubs in recent years. In fact, Chicago has won 21 of the last 27 contests in Chicago between these teams. The price on this game is very reasonable, so we'll go with Chicago to continue their dominance.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #57 Vancouver Canucks (+105) over Washington Capitals (7:05pm EST) The Vancouver Canucks come into tonight's action after losing to the Red Wings 5-3 on Sunday. But they've been a resilient team so far this season, as they have only lost two games in a row one time - and that was all the way back in October. The Canucks are 16-7-1 on the season and are back on track as one of the heavyweights of the Western Conference after a miserable year under John Tortorella last season. Tonight they head to D.C. to take on the Capitals. Washington has had a mediocre season at 10-9-4 as they try to learn new head coach Barry Trotz's system. He's shown some frustration early on and the team hasn't really found a nice rhythm just yet. The Caps have dropped three of their last four games including a 6-2 loss to the Maple Leafs last time out. The players on this team aren't anything close to what Trotz had when he was in Nashville, so this could be a long-term fix in Washington. We're going with the Canucks in this one.

3-unit Play Take #8 Edmonton Oilers (-105) over Arizona Coyotes (9:35pm EST) The Edmonton Oilers come into today's matchup versus the Arizona Coyotes with nine straight losses. While most would stay away from a team mired in that kind of slump, we look for a silver lining and somewhere where there could be potential value. Yes the Oilers have dropped nine straight games, but there are signs that they are about to break out. Their last two losses were in overtime against very good teams - Nashville and St. Louis. In addition, both of those games were on the road in hostile environments. And three games ago, they lost 1-0 in Dallas against a pretty good Stars team. Any of those three games could have been a win if they got a bounce to go their way. Now they return home to play a team that really isn't all that good. Arizona is 9-12-3 on the season and has dropped five of six themselves. There isn't a lot of talent on the Coyotes' roster, but they are a scrappy team that plays hard and competes. Edmonton could learn a little bit from the Coyotes, as the Oilers have the talent but don't play with enough emotion and grit. The Oilers aren't that bad of a team when you look at puck possession and the amount of shots they get. They just need to find a way to put it all together and they can be a playoff caliber squad. I think they break the losing streak tonight and pick up a win against Arizona.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #16 Minnesota Wild (-125) over St. Louis Blues (8:05pm EST) The Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues both won thrilling overtime games last night on the road, and now they'll hook up in Minnesota tonight. We highlighted yesterday how we thought this Wild team was underrated based on their strong puck possession statistics. They are right near the top of the league in possession and that's a strong leading indicator for future success. I fully expect Minnesota to continue climbing up the standings for that reason. This is the beginning of an important four-game home stand against high caliber teams - St. Louis, Montreal, Anaheim and the Islanders. This will tell us a lot more about this team and I think they pass the test with flying colors. The Blues are one of the elite teams in the Western Conference, but I have Minnesota rated slightly higher overall. This line isn't too far off from where it should be, but there is some value on the home team. Take Minnesota.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #71 Minnesota Wild over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) Today's selection for the matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars is all about perception. These teams enter today's game with similar records thus far, and they weren't very far apart last season either. In the minds of the hockey world, Minnesota and Dallas are close to the same team. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Minnesota is playing exceptional hockey this season, while Dallas is mediocre at best. A quick look at the puck possession statistics will show you that Minnesota has dominated most of their games. However, they've been unlucky is several contests going up against hot goaltenders and not being able to get a big goal when they need it. When they start to get their share of the bounces, Minnesota is going to be a legitimate top five team in the league. Dallas will get better as well, but they have some huge issues on defense and I'm not sure they can fix them in the near term. They don't rate well in the advanced stats categories either. We'll gladly grab Minnesota as the underdog in this matchup.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #9 Colorado Avalanche over Arizona Coyotes (9:05pm EST) It hasn't been a good season for the Colorado Avalanche. At 7-9-5, the Avs are on the outside looking in for the playoffs right now. That's quite a step back for a team that won the Central division last season ahead of the Blackhawks and Blues. But last year's Colorado team was very fortunate and was overrated for most of the season. This year's edition may be a bit underrated at the moment however. This certainly isn't a good hockey team, but they have enough offensive firepower to win more than seven games in regulation in their first 21. Patrick Roy couldn't have done a better job at coaching his guys up in last year's campaign, and I have confident that he will turn this squad around. They're not going back to the playoffs any time soon, but this can at least be an average team. Tonight they get a far less talented Arizona Coyotes team. The Coyotes are well-coached and play hard, but Colorado has the talent edge across the board. Colorado has had two full days to prepare for this game and is coming off three wins in their last four games. Arizona has lost six of nine and will be playing their third game in four nights tonight. This is also their first game back home after playing six of their last seven on the road. No doubt that the Coyotes are going to be more tired than the Avalanche in this one. All signs point to Colorado in this one and we get a solid underdog price.

4-unit Play Take #55 Minnesota Wild over Florida Panthers (7:35pm EST) This is a great matchup of two of the most undervalued teams in the league. The Minnesota Wild have been one of the top teams in the league in shot differential for the entire season. They are currently second to the Blackhawks with +8.0 per game. It hasn't translated into a huge goal differential (+11), but the Wild are dominating the puck and that's a great indicator for future success. They're a team on the rise and one I expect to climb the standings in the coming weeks. The Florida Panthers aren't at the same level, but they've only lost five of their 18 games in regulation this season. That's pretty impressive from a team that was second worst in the entire NHL last season with 66 points. This Florida team is young but improving game-by-game. They really grind down their opponents and with Roberto Luongo in the net, they have a chance every night. Both are teams I am looking to support at the moment, but the Wild are showing more value at the moment. This is also a great spot for them as they catch Florida in their first game back home after a Western road trip. The last two games of that trip went all the way to a shootout, so the Panthers might be a bit more tired than usual. Minnesota comes in winners in four of their last five games and I think they have what it takes to get the W today. Play the Wild.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #2 Winnipeg Jets over St. Louis Blues (4:35pm EST) They don't get a whole lot of attention around the league, but the Winnipeg Jets are putting together a very solid 2014-15 campaign so far. It's a little early to be thinking about the playoffs, but if the season ended today the Jets would be in. There obviously is still a long way to go, but they've played the toughest schedule in the NHL so far and have risen to the occasion. Today they are home against the St. Louis Blues, but this is a great spot for Winnipeg. They catch St. Louis on the second leg of a back-to-back, and the Jets have had two full days of rest to prepare for this one. This is also the final stop on a four-game road trip for the Blues, and those games can be tough when the team is looking forward to heading home. Winnipeg has always been a tough place to play for opponents, but on the back end of a back-to-back it's going to be even tougher for the Blues. We'll go with Winnipeg's fresh legs here this afternoon.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #55 Montreal Canadiens (+100) over Boston Bruins (7:05pm EST) Two heavyweights in the Atlantic Division do battle today as the Boston Bruins host the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs are currently leading the division, with Boston five points back at the moment. This is an extremely tough spot for the Bruins today, and it's going to be tough to make up any ground. Seven guys on are currently on the injury report, including leader Zdeno Chara and there are question marks next to Brad Marchand and David Krejci. Boston has a deep squad, but those guys are impossible to fully replace on the ice. It's surprising that Boston has been able to stay afloat because they've been banged up for most of the season. Today is going to be extra tough because Boston is on the second leg of a back-to-back with a short-handed roster. And on top of that, last night's game went into a shootout. The B's were able to get the win over the Blue Jackets, but they're going to be spent after traveling in from Columbus for today's game. Meanwhile, Montreal comes in with a day of rest to prepare for this game. They also come in winners in seven of their last eight games and have found a very nice groove. They've beaten Boston twice this season and were clearly the better team in both matchups. Today should be more of the same as I expect Montreal to come away with the win.

3-unit Play Take #4 Pittsburgh Penguins over New York Islanders (7:05pm EST) Two hot teams meet in Pittsburgh as the Penguins host the New York Islanders tonight. The Pens have won 10 of 11 games overall, and most of them were in dominating fashion. They are leading the Metropolitan division with a 13-3-1 as new head coach Mike Johnston has his team playing inspired hockey on a nightly basis. They have the best goal margin in the league as they've outscored opponents by a whopping 29 goals in their first 127 games. The Islanders come into town as winners in six of their last seven games, most of which have been on the road. They may be a little more worn down than usual in this one with all of the travel they've been doing over the last couple of weeks, but they did notch some key wins. Pittsburgh has dominated this series over the years. They've won 22 of the last 27 meetings in Pittsburgh and six of the last seven overall. This Islanders team is better than most of those in the recent past, but the Penguins have been a nemesis for a long time and they'll have to prove they can win against them before anyone takes them seriously. I'm surprised to see a moderate line available for the home team, so that's where we'll go today. Take Pittsburgh.

7-unit Play Take #51 Minnesota Wild over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST) The Minnesota Wild are one of the best underrated commodities in the NHL at the moment. For starters, they are second in the league in shot differential as they are outshooting their opponents by an average of 9.4 shots per game. The Blackhawks are first at 9.9, but then the next closest team is only at 3.5. Minnesota also has the 4th best goal differential in the tough Western Conference. They are also riding a three-game win streak heading into tonight's contest. However, they are only 10-7-0 on the season and are being rated very close to what they were last season. But this Wild team is far superior to last year's edition, and they have a legitimate shot at the Stanley Cup this year. Their statistics back it up and I expect them to start notching more wins in bunches as the season progresses. They catch Philadelphia in a tough spot tonight - on their second leg of a back-to-back. The Flyers were shutout yesterday by the Rangers 2-0 and Henrik Lundqvist wasn't even in the net. It was a very poor performance and I'm not sure how they're going to bounce back against an even tougher opponent. Philadelphia is almost pretty banged up at the moment with a possibility of four of their defensemen out for this one. That's too much to overcome, so I expect an easy winner for the Wild here in our Game.

5-unit Play Take #67 Anaheim Ducks over Calgary Flames (9:05pm EST) A quick look at the records of the Ducks and Flames show both teams with 11 wins in 19 games to start the season. There's no question that Calgary is improving as their younger players are developing. And there probably isn't much of a debate to the fact that Anaheim isn't as good as last season. However, there still is a sizable gap between these two clubs, and so far it just hasn't been reflected in the standings. The Ducks have suffered numerous injuries this season and are finally starting to get healthy. The flu was going around their locker room and they were without six or seven guys in each game over the last few weeks. Now Calgary comes in as the team more banged up as they seven guys on the injured list. I don't expect the Flames to play at this high of a level for the entire season. Teams generally don't make this big of a jump from the previous season, and especially with no major additions in the offseason. Their puck possession stats also point to regression, so this is a team I'm looking to bet against in the near term. With a healthy Anaheim squad that is coming off a 6-2 shellacking by the Panthers, I expect a top flight effort from the Ducks. 

4-unit Play Take #53 San Jose Sharks over Carolina Hurricanes (5:05pm EST) One of the main tenets of good handicapping is to find teams that are playing better than what their results tell you. There's often value in these cases, as the linesmakers and betting markets tend to overreact to final scores. We have such an instance in tonight's game in Carolina, as the San Jose Sharks come into town. The Sharks have lost three of their five games on their long seven-game road trip, but it's not because they haven't been playing hard. They have dominated the puck possession for the most part, but have just had a hard time finding the back of the net. Last night's game against the Blue Jackets was a perfect example, as the Sharks held the puck in the Columbus zone for most of the night but could only muster up one goal. Sometimes it takes a few lucky bounces or an off day by the opposing goaltender, but San Jose is bound to get a break here. They'll face a bad Hurricanes team that has only won five of its 16 games this season. I like playing Western teams versus Eastern opponents, as the there is a much larger gap between the talent levels than there should be. Carolina just hasn't shown me much this season and they are going with backup goaltender Anton Khudobin. He's one of the weaker backup goalies in the league, so San Jose should be able to cash in if they get premium chances like they have been. The Canes are also suffering through some significant injuries, including Alexander Semin who missed the last game. All signs point to a San Jose winner tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #3 Minnesota Wild over Dallas Stars (2:05pm EST) Neither one of these teams is living up to expectations so far in the 2014-15 season. The Minnesota Wild enter tonight's contest at just 8-7-0 in 15 games. The Dallas Stars are even worse at 6-6-4. Both teams are currently on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs go at the moment. However, Minnesota has been playing much better overall as they've actually outscored their opponents by a combined nine goals this season and have encountered a rough schedule. Of their 15 games, 11 of them have been against teams that made the postseason a year ago. They are an extremely talented team that got to the second round of the playoffs last year and they improved their squad in the offseason. Dallas also made some good moves over the summer, but their team chemistry just isn't there yet. They just broke a seven-game losing streak with consecutive victories against Arizona and Los Angeles, but they didn't look great in either game. They've had a ton of problems communicating on defense and are 27th in the league in goals allowed per game. That was one of the knocks on this team coming into the season, and until they address those concerns they will continue to be a mediocre hockey team. I like this Wild team much better and they are the underdogs here. Take Minnesota.

10-unit Play Take #57 Chicago Blackhawks over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) Two old rivals square off tonight in Detroit as the Red Wings host the Blackhawks. These two teams share plenty of bad blood after battling for years in the Central Division together. But now the Red Wings play in the Eastern Conference and we only get the pleasure of watching these teams go head-to-head twice each season. Neither team is playing its best hockey at the moment. Chicago has dropped six of its last 11 overall, while the Wings have lost four of five. Detroit has stayed in games with an exceptional power play unit that has put up at least two goals in each of its last three games with a man advantage. However, the Blackhawks can negate that edge as they come in with the top penalty killing unit in the league. The Blackhawks have dominated this series over the last few years as well. Chicago has won 10 of the last 14 games in Detroit and four of the last five overall. And while these teams have similar records, the Blackhawks play a much more difficult schedule in the West. The linesmakers have the right team favored here, but the line just isn't quite high enough. Take Chicago as our 10 unit Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #1 Colorado Avalanche over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) It's been a challenging year for the Colorado Avalanche. In their first 17 contests, they've only managed four wins. That's a far cry from their magical season last year when they won the Central division over the Blackhawks and Blues. They were due for some major regression according to many of the advanced statistics, but nobody thought it would come this far back. The Avalanche still have plenty of talented players and should be able to at least compete for a playoff spot. Tonight presents a nice opportunity to get back on track as they travel to New York to take on the Rangers. New York is without two key defensemen and may be a little overconfident after beating up on the Penguins 5-0 last time out. The West is a much better conference than the East is, so the Avalanche has played a much tougher schedule thus far. In addition, five of the losses by Colorado were in overtime or a shootout as they are just 1-5 in extra time. I think these two clubs are fairly evenly-matched with a slight advantage for the Rangers. However, with the line where it is, I see plenty of value with the Avalanche today.

10-unit Play Take #51 Boston Bruins over Toronto Maple Leafs (8:05pm EST) The Boston Bruins haven't played up to their usual standards this season. Between injuries and some chemistry issues on the ice in the early going, Boston just hasn't seemed quite right. However, they come into today's game with a 10-6-0 record on the young season. Bottom line - they find ways to win hockey games because they are a team of winners that has done it before. They are still without their leader Zdano Chara as well as some other key pieces, but that shouldn't be a problem for them today. They'll face a Toronto Maple Leafs team that they have absolutely owned over the last decade. In their last 55 meetings, the Bruins are 37-18 in the series including an 8-3 mark in their last 11 in Toronto. Toronto is a little big banged up as well and they've been doing quite a bit of traveling lately. They've bounced back and forth between home and road games that included a trip out West for just two games. It's a rather odd scheduling quirk and the team could be more fatigued than usual coming into this one even with two days off. Boston is coming in with five straight wins and seems to have gotten their act together after a slow start. Toronto is better than it was last season, but it's going to take time before they are a legitimate contender. This line shows a bit of value on the Bruins, so we'll go there.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #19 Dallas Stars over Arizona Coyotes (9:05pm EST) The Dallas Stars haven't gotten off to a good start this season, but the talent is there. Dallas has made several big moves over the last 12 months to improve their team by leaps and bounds. They added Tyler Seguin, Jason Spezza and Alan Hemsky just to name a few. But chemistry is a difficult thing to build with so many new parts working together, and it's still a work in progress. The Stars come in as losers of seven straight games, but that gives us a great opportunity to grab a great number here today. The fact is that the Stars outplayed their opponent in several of those games, but just haven't been able to put the puck in the back of the net when they really needed to. In those seven games, they have just 16 goals on 210 shots on goal for an uncharacteristic 7.6% shooting. Today they get a weak Arizona Coyotes team that is stuck between rebuilding mode and trying to qualify for the postseason in a difficult Western Conference. They clearly don't have all of the pieces to compete for a title and are better off trading away what they have to build it back up. Those moves will likely come later on, but for now they are giving it their all. They check in at 6-7-1 on the young season, but five of those wins were by a single goal. They also have played a weak schedule to begin the season. I'm not too optimistic on the direction of the Coyotes and they are clearly the second best team on the ice tonight. Take Dallas.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #54 Carolina Hurricanes over Calgary Flames (7:05pm EST) After their first eight games, the Carolina Hurricanes looked like they were going to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. They were the last team in the league to earn a victory and looked completely lost on the ice. But part of their problem was some early injuries. And once they got healthy, things started clicking as they have earned a point in five straight games (with four of them wins). Tonight they are at home versus a surprising Calgary Flames team. The Flames check in at 9-5-2 on the young season, but I'm not fully buying into what they are doing. They haven't played the toughest of schedules and the advanced stats don't back them up. They are near the bottom of the league in puck possession and have been outshot by 36 shots on the season to date during 5-on-5 situations. They have excelled on special teams, but that's going to be hard to maintain with so little time on the ice each game. Calgary didn't make enough moves in the offseason to all of a sudden become a playoff team, so we'll see some regression from them soon. Carolina is the better team at the moment and they're at home tonight. That's enough for me to pull the trigger on them here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #8 Anaheim Ducks over Vancouver Canucks (9:05pm EST) The Vancouver Canucks were thrashed 5-1 by the Kings last night and they have to try and get up for another tough road game in Anaheim tonight. This will be third game in four nights on the road for Vancouver; a spot that would be tough no matter the opponent. But they'll go up against a Ducks team that is well-rested and has been great at home the last couple of seasons. Anaheim is coming off of back-to-back home losses in overtime and a shootout, so we should see a focused effort from them tonight. The line on this game is about where it should be if these teams were playing under normal conditions. But with all of the situational indicators point towards the Ducks, that's where we'll go tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #1 Edmonton Oilers over Buffalo Sabres (7:05pm EST) We've been waiting for another good opportunity to go against the Buffalo Sabres, and tonight we have one. The Edmonton Oilers come to Buffalo and are just small favorites over the worst team in the sport. Now the Oilers don't have much to brag about either, but the Sabres are in a league of their own in regards to futility. They are being outshot by an average margin of 36-22 each game, which is hard to even fathom considering that they have been trailing for the majority of their games. The Sabres won only 21 games last season, and this year's edition is even worse. The Oilers are coming off of a 5-2 loss to the Bruins last night, but that final score is deceiving. For the first 49 minutes of the game, the Oilers were either in the lead or the game was tied. But Boston scored four goals in the final nine minutes of the contest to steal the win away. That ending obviously left a bad taste in the mouths of the Oilers players, but they did play really well for the majority of the contest. Going up against the Sabres will feel like a walk in the park compared to playing Boston. If Edmonton just plays half as well tonight as they did last night, this game will be a landslide. We'll take the Oilers here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #61 New Jersey Devils (+155) over St. Louis Blues (8:05pm EST) The New Jersey Devils and St. Louis Blues will conclude their home-and-home series tonight in St. Louis after playing in New Jersey on Tuesday. The Blues won that game 1-0 in a hard fought battle that really could have gone either way. New Jersey is one of the most underrated teams in the league as they should have been in the playoffs last season. They were a horrendous 0-13 in shootouts last year and missed the postseason by just five points. The Devils are off to a bit of a mediocre start in the 2014-15 season at 6-4-2, but I like their roster composition and coaching enough to say they will be a playoff team this year. The Blues come in as winners of six straight games, but they haven't looked as impressive as you would expect during this kind of run. Five of the six wins were by a single goal and three of those were in overtime or a shootout. They outshot their opponents in just one of those six contests and they haven't looked particularly good on special teams lately. I expect this game to be similar to Tuesday's affair, where either team could come out on top. As a result, we'll take the big underdog price tag attached to the Devils.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #3 Detroit Red Wings (+105) over New York Rangers (8:05pm EST) The New York Rangers aren't healthy. They have four defensemen banged up in addition to center Derek Stepan and winger Mats Zuccarello. The Detroit Red Wings certainly know what that feels like as they suffered more game lost to injury than anyone else last season. In fact, Detroit set a franchise record for man games lost with 421. The tables are turned for this game as the Red Wings are actually the healthy squad today. Detroit is also the better team overall and I'm a bit surprised to see an underdog price tag given the Rangers position. New York played the Blues very tough last time out, but in the end couldn't get the job done as they went down 4-3 in a shootout. That made three losses in four games, as the Rangers are really starting to feel the effects of the guys out with injury. Detroit lost last night to the Senators in a hard fought game that could have gone either way. This is the last game of a mini three game road trip, and Detroit has lost the first two. They'll figure out a way to notch a victory tonight so they can hold their heads high on their way back home.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #66 Minnesota Wild (-115) over Pittsburgh Penguins (8:05pm EST) We have a great matchup between two of the best teams in the league tonight in Minnesota as the Wild host the Penguins. This is the biggest game of the young season for Minnesota as they look to validate what they've accomplished so far. They come in 7-3-0 in their first 10 games and have looked like one of the best teams in the NHL while doing so. The 2013-14 season was a nice stepping stone for the Wild as they advanced to the second round of the playoffs and battled the Blackhawks hard before bowing out in six games. This season they've added some pieces and look ready to contend for the Stanley Cup. No team has impressed me more so far this season, and I like their chances at home versus the Penguins. Pittsburgh is off to a nice 7-2-1 start, but this will be their toughest test so far. They are on a four-game win streak and just beat the Sabres 5-0 on Saturday. The line on this game seems fairly accurate given the strength of these two teams, but I just think Minnesota is going to view this game as much more important than Pittsburgh does. We'll take Minnesota at the small price as our Game of the Week.

4-unit Play Take #59 Chicago Blackhawks (-125) over Montreal Canadiens  (7:35pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks have been near the top of the NHL for the last five seasons and have had the same core in place throughout. That continuity has made for great team chemistry and has helped them avoid any prolonged slumps. The Hawks come into tonight's game losing four of their last six, including a 1-0 loss to the Jets last time out. But that's not going to faze this club and I fully expect a maximum effort performance in Montreal. After a hot 7-1-0 start to the season, the Canadiens have cooled off dropping three of four games. In their last game, they were throttled 6-2 by the lowly Flames and looked totally lost on the ice. Normally I'd look for a bounce back effort after a game like that, but going against the Hawks isn't going to make that very easy. Chicago should be the hungrier team and they are also the better team. This line is a touch too short, so we'll lay the price with the Blackhawks.

3-unit Play Take #59 Anaheim Ducks (-115) over Colorado Avalanche (8:05pm EST) We're finally seeing the true Colorado Avalanche team this season. They have basically the same roster as last season's division-winning squad, but fortune was on their side for most of last year. They are no longer getting the pucks to bounce their way and goaltender Semyon Varlamov is proving to be human after all. The Avs are just 3-4-5 through their first dozen games and don't resemble anything close to a playoff contender at this point. Colorado is getting outshot 36-30 on average this season, which is the second worst margin in the NHL. Only the lowly Sabres are worse and they are in a league of their own when it comes to how bad they have played. This Colorado team is young, so they have room for improvement and will eventually be better. But for right now, they are a team to fade as the market hasn't fully appreciated just how poor they've played. Today they get the Anaheim Ducks, who are closing out a four-game road trip tonight. The Ducks have looked good as they have defeated a tough Stars team and the Blackhawks on the trip, with their only loss to the Blues. The Avalanche are playing their second leg of a back-to-back after falling in a shootout to St. Louis last night. The Ducks have had a day of rest, so they will be the fresher team in this game, which may negate the home ice advantage that Colorado gets for the high altitude. Anaheim is the better team and I fully expect them to take care of business tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #20 St. Louis Blues over Colorado Avalanche (8:05pm EST)

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #12 Florida Panthers over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST) The injury bug has been prevalent around the NHL so far this season, and one team it has bitten is the Philadelphia Flyers. They will welcome back center Vincent Lecavalier tonight, but they are still missing three key defensemen and they've paid for it. Over their last three games, the Flyers have given up 37, 40 and 32 shots on goal, respectively. They've managed to escape with two wins in those games, but they can't count on the goaltender saving them every time out. They'll go up against an underrated Florida Panthers team in tonight's matchup. Most just assume that Florida is the same bad team that they've been for years, but I see some steady improvement. They added some good veterans to surround the young nucleus, and they've played pretty good hockey so far in the 2014-15 season. They come in 3-2-3 thru eight games, but five of those were on the road and four of their five losses this season have been by a single goal. Now that they have a high-end goaltender in Roberto Luongo, the Panthers are capable of stealing games even when they don't play as well. But tonight I think their offense can be the hero against a struggling Flyers defense. I will be surprised if the Panthers get less than 30 shots on net, and that's usually a winning formula assuming Luongo doesn't have an off day. Take Florida as a home dog.

4-unit Play Take #2 Boston Bruins over Ottawa Senators (7:05pm EST) Tonight's Senators-Bruins game presents a unique opportunity to back a strong team when their stock is probably at its lowest point in years. The Boston Bruins are off to a sluggish 6-6-0 start to the season and are missing their best player Zdeno Chara. But this is still one of the best teams in hockey despite what has transpired during these first few weeks. They basically have the same exact roster as last season when they won the President's Trophy for most points in the league with 117. Part of the reason that they have played mediocre hockey so far this season is that they have recorded an unusually low 8.3% shooting on offense. That will improve with time and the goals will come. Tuukka Rask has also struggled a bit in the goal, but he's one of the best in the business and will get things straightened out. It's important not to get too caught up with the small sample, and instead focus on what Boston has done the last few years. Tonight they face a bad Ottawa team that lost some important pieces from the roster. They have a strong 5-2-2 record to begin the season, but this isn't a playoff-caliber team. The Senators are also just 2-8 in their last 10 games in Boston. Take the Bruins at home tonight laying a decent price.

4-unit Play Take #56 Dallas Stars over Anaheim Ducks (8:35pm EST) The Anaheim Ducks have a tough game ahead of them as they head into Dallas tonight. The Ducks will be playing the second leg of a back-to-back and third game in four nights - all on the road. They'll also go up against the Stars team that they knocked out of the playoffs last season. I'm not a huge revenge guy, but in this case I am certain we will see a focused effort from Dallas. The Ducks were the better team when these two squared off in the first round of the playoffs last season, but I think the tables have been turned. Dallas made some big moves in the offseason and they have enough firepower to compete with the elite teams in the West. The Stars have had two full days of rest to prepare for this contest and their last game was also at home. This one will be all Dallas.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take #17 New York Islanders over Colorado Avalanche (9:05pm EST) I'm not very high on either of the teams in tonight's matchup between the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche. However, that doesn't mean there isn't a big enough disparity between them to find value. The Islanders come in at 6-3-0 so far this season after making some nice additions to bolster their squad. I still don't like their defense overall, but this is a good team that will be in the playoff hunt all season long. I can't say the same for the Avs, as they stumble into tonight's matchup at 2-4-4 in their first 10 games. Colorado wasn't a very good hockey team last season to be honest. They rode a hot goaltender most of the year and had the puck bounce their way in plenty of games that they didn't deserve to win. In the playoffs that finally caught up with them as they were bounced in the first round. This season they likely won't even get there. Head coach Patrick Roy isn't going to fire guys up the same way he did in his debut, so he's going to have to make some adjustments. Colorado has allowed 35.8 shots per game this season, which is the third worst in the entire NHL ahead of only Buffalo and Ottawa. The Islanders have a potent offensive attack and will be nearly unstoppable tonight if they get 35+ shots on goal. They are the underdogs here and I love their chances to come out of Denver with a victory. Take the Islanders as our Game.

4-unit Play Take #8 Tampa Bay Lightning (-155) over Philadelphia Flyers (7:35pm EST)

4-unit Play Take #3 Los Angeles Kings over Pittsburgh Penguins (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins are a difficult team to stop. The Devils found that out in their last game as they gave up eight goals in an 8-3 loss to the Pens. But Pittsburgh can be slowed down, and Los Angeles has the kind of personnel to do it. The Kings can get physical and protect the blue line better than anyone else, and those are the two most important things against the Penguins. Jonathan Quick has also been amazing in the net this season with a .950 save percentage and 1.78 goals against average. The Kings have only lost one of their nine games in regulation this season, but they are still searching for their first road win. They are a little bit banged up right now without a couple of their top guys, but this line is just way too high to stay away from. You won't find the Kings at this high of an underdog price very often, so we have to take advantage. Play Los Angeles here.

3-unit Play Take #51 Detroit Red Wings over Washington Capitals (7:35pm EST) The Detroit Red Wings head into D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. These two teams come in with identical 4-2-2 records as they play in their ninth game of the young season. Many believe that the Wings may be on the decline after a mediocre 2013-14 season. But the team was ravaged by injuries like nobody else, suffering a franchise-high 421 man games lost last year. They didn't stop them from managing their 23rd successive playoff appearance - the longest active streak in any of the four major professional sports. They'll get there again this season as Detroit has a nice mix of solid veterans and up-and-coming youngsters. Gustav Nyquist emerged as an unbelievable weapon last season when he scored 21 goals in the team's last 34 games (28 on the season). He's off to a nice start this season, and now that they're healthy this team is going to be in the top half of the Eastern Conference. The same can't be said of the Caps this season. I don't see this team qualifying for the postseason with all of the issues they have. New coach Barry Trotz is implementing a new system and trying to keep the reins on Alex Ovechkin, which is no easy task. No coach has been able to get Ovechkin to buy in on defense, and that's going continue to hold this team back. Both teams are coming off of losses and have had some practice time in between. The Wings dominated the Flyers in their last game but came up on the short end due to some bad goaltending. The Capitals didn't look good against the Canucks in their last contest. Detroit is the better team and we'll gladly take them at this underdog price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #7 Winnipeg Jets over New York Islanders (7:05pm EST) Everyone in hockey circles is extremely high on the New York Islanders this season. They have a nice young nucleus, made some good offseason moves and have been trending up over the last few seasons. But all of that seems to already be in the betting line, as the Islanders are getting way too much respect before they have even accomplished anything. New York is a healthy 6-2-0 to open the season, but they've shown some glaring weaknesses in many of their games. They are allowing 3.38 goals per game, which puts them at 25th in the NHL. They also own the second highest shooting percentage in the league at 11.6%, which certainly is unsustainable. Tonight they go up against a scrappy Winnipeg squad that I feel is a bit under the radar. The Jets play in the toughest division in hockey, so their record is always skewed downward based on their strength of schedule. If you put Winnipeg in the Eastern Conference, I feel like they'd be on the cusp of the playoffs right down to the final week of the season. However, in the West they have absolutely no chance with all of the elite teams they are competing against. Bottom line, this line should be much lower as these teams aren't that far apart. Take Winnipeg here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #5 Los Angeles Kings over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings carry a six-game winning streak to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers. The defending Stanley Cup champions will begin a five-game road trip out East tonight. The story of the season so far has been the sensational play of goaltender Jonathan Quick. He has an eye-popping .953 save percentage and 1.61 goals against average in his seven games. It doesn't hurt that he has some of the best defenders in the world on his side. So far so good in Los Angeles, as they are red hot and there's no reason to believe they'll let up with only minor changes from last year's roster. The Flyers are off to a mediocre 3-3-2 start through its first eight contests. They looked particularly bad against Detroit last time out, as they were outshot 37-17 in a 4-2 win. Coach Craig Berube for Philadelphia was even quoted, ?We didn't play a very good game, but two points is two points.? They won't be able to steal a game like that against the red hot Kings tonight. In fact, I think this one will get away from Philadelphia early on in an easy Kings victory.

3-unit Play Take #51 Minnesota Wild over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) Big things may be ahead for the Minnesota Wild this season. They took a huge step last season when they advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs until eventually falling to the Blackhawks in a tight series. That was a nice stepping stone as they look to battle the elite teams in the Western Conference once again. They have a nice veteran core mixed in with several up-and-coming youngsters, and I think the Wild are a bit underrated at this point. They are off to a nice 4-2-0 start this season and five of their six games were against teams who made the playoffs last year. They head to New York to take on the Rangers tonight. The Rangers are 4-4-0 in their first eight games, but I haven't liked much of what I've seen on the ice from them so far. Three of their four wins have been by a single goal (two in overtime), and they haven't played a very difficult schedule so far. Most teams who go to the Stanley Cup Final the previous year end up with a bit of a hangover in the next season. It's still early, but I would be surprised if the Rangers are above .500 in their first 20 games. The Wild has a much better squad and we get an underdog price with them here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #2 Winnipeg Jets (+100) over Colorado Avalanche (3:05pm EST) Last season the Colorado Avalanche were one of the biggest surprises in the league as they won the Central Division over the Blues and Blackhawks. They didn't make it past the first round of the playoffs, but it was considered a highly successful season by first year head coach Patrick Roy. However, it didn't come without a ton of luck as the Avs really weren't nearly as good as their record indicated. Colorado was outshot on a nightly basis, and for the season their opponents held the shot margin 32.7 - 29.5 on average. Goalie Semyon Varlamov came up huge for the team with a .927 save percentage in his 63 games in the net. Without him, the Avs were a below average team. Varlamov will be hard-pressed to match his numbers from last season as he's just an average goalie in his career. The Avs can't continue to get outshout or else they'll be on the outside looking in come playoff time. Winnipeg probably doesn't sniff the playoff this season either. However, they are one of the tougher teams to beat on their home ice. The MTS Centre is a small venue where the fans really make some noise and can impact the game. The Jets are on the final leg of a four-game home stand and need this one to break even with two wins and two losses. The Avs have dropped four of their five home games this season thus far, with their only win coming against the Bruins on a last second shot. I have these teams rated similarly, but with the Jets at home they should be favored today. Take Winnipeg as our Game of the Week.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #71 Washington Capitals (-115) over Calgary Flames (10:05pm EST)

3-unit Play Take #69 Florida Panthers over Arizona Coyotes (9:05pm EST) Tonight's game between the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes will be ugly, but somebody has to win it. I've had the Coyotes on my fade list ever since the season began. They lost Radim Vrbata and Mike Ribeiro in the offseason and didn't do much to offset the big losses. Arizona is a team that plays the game the right way and is very well coached, but if you don't have the players then it is very difficult to win. I'm also down on Coyote's goaltender Mike Smith. He doesn't look quite right in the goal and isn't putting up numbers anywhere near where he did a few years ago. The Panthers shook things up quite a bit in the offseason and are off to a decent start to the 2014-15 season at 2-2-2. I thought it might take a while for this team to completely jell, but they seem to have pretty good chemistry in the early going. They have won two of three on the road and their loss was in a shootout to the Capitals. I have the Panthers rated as the better of these two teams, so taking them at an underdog price is a no brainer. Let's go Florida.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #2 New Jersey Devils over Dallas Stars (7:05pm EST) I like the New Jersey Devils to be one of the surprise teams of the 2014-15 season. For starters, they were extremely unfortunate last season. The Devils lost all 13 shootouts that they participated in and had the best defense not to qualify for the postseason last year. New Jersey plays a lot of tight lowing scoring games because of their style, so winning those close games is part of their DNA. New Jersey also added a couple of nice pieces in the offseason in Mike Cammalleri and Marty Havlat (injured). Those two guys should provide a nice boost on the offensive end and give them a couple of solid shootout options when needed. I think the Devils improve by at least 6-8 points this season with just average luck and the increased production on offense, and that should be enough to propel them into the playoffs. The Dallas Stars made some upgrades in the offseason and I like their firepower a ton. They have one of the best top sixes in the league and should be a shoe-in for the postseason. However, New Jersey generally plays very well against highly-skilled offensive teams due to their trapping style. Thus far, both teams come in with three wins in six games. We'll pull the trigger with New Jersey tonight as I think this is a great matchup for them.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #53 Pittsburgh Penguins over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) The early returns on the new Pittsburgh Penguins are good. They have a new GM, new head coach and made some big moves in the offseason to give the team a fresh look and a better shot at advancing in the postseason. I like the makeup of the team now, and they've started the season 3-2-0 despite adjusting to lots of changes. Pittsburgh has played a tough schedule and has outscored their opponents by a 19-13 margin in those five contests. Meanwhile, the Red Wings are 3-1-2 to begin the season and playing well. But there's a huge talent gap between these clubs and I'd somewhat surprised to see the Penguins at this low of a price. They did play last night and were beaten by the Flyers 5-3, but that Philadelphia has had their number over the last few seasons. I fully expect the Penguins to shut down an overrated Wings team tonight, and the price is right as an underdog.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #55 Toronto Maple Leafs over New York Islanders (7:05pm EST) The New York Islanders are 4-1-0 to start the 2014-15 season and most feel that they have finally turned the corner. Fans are excited and they like the direction this team is heading, but let's not get too excited about the fast start. To begin, the first two wins of the season were against a woeful Hurricanes club. They followed those up with more impressive victories against the Rangers and Sharks, but then fell to a better Penguins team. But New York has given up three goals in each of their five games so far this season, and that's not going to cut it in the NHL. Offensively they've been great, but they can't rely on the offense to score 4+ goals in every game to win. They will face Toronto tonight and this is a team that they should handle on paper. However, it's the kind of game that they haven't been able to win in the past. Coming off a hot start, the team is expected to win this game and they've proven time and time again that they aren't as good when expectations are higher. The Leafs are coming off a tough 1-0 loss in Detroit in which they dominated the Wings. If they play like that again tonight, they should be able to get the victory against the Islanders. This price is a tad too high, so we'll play Toronto.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #52 Boston Bruins over San Jose Sharks (7:05pm EST) Two veteran squads match up in an early season battle in Boston as the Bruins host the Sharks. Both of these teams have had a nice run over the years, but there are some question marks surrounding whether or not their respective windows are closing. I do think both teams are still Stanley Cup contenders, but there's certainly more question marks for the Sharks. Their GM Doug Wilson made several statements to that point in the offseason despite not making any major moves to fix it. The toughness of the team has been question as San Jose hasn't been able to make it to the elusive Stanley Cup Final despite some great production in the regular season. I foresee some drop off from the Sharks in 2014-15 with several guys passing their prime. This will be the final game of a five-game road trip for San Jose and their third game in four nights. That's not an ideal spot versus a Bruins team that will be on two days' rest. Boston hasn't been sharp so far, but with a couple of days to practice I have confidence they'll come to play tonight. This is a good early season test, and I like the Bruins to pass it.

3-unit Play Take #57 St. Louis Blues (+120) over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues head into Anaheim to take on the Ducks on Sunday night. It will be the third road game in four nights for the Blues, so it's not a particularly easy spot. However, they've played extremely well in the first two road games coming into this one. First, they went toe-to-toe with the defending champion Kings in a 1-0 shootout loss. Actually, the game was a complete domination by the Blues who outshout the Kings 43-18 but just happened to run into a great goaltending performance by Jonathan Quick. Last night they beat up on the Coyotes 6-1 in a game that again was dominated by St. Louis, who had a 36-25 shots advantage. Today they get a tough Anaheim Ducks team who I think will drop off a little this season. They lost several of their leaders in the locker room, and have some issues on the defensive end. The Ducks' goaltending situation is also a bit worrisome as they are relying on unproven commodities in Frederik Andersen and John Gibson. The Blues are the better hockey team and I love the way they are playing at the moment. Take St. Louis here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #19 St. Louis Blues over Arizona Coyotes (9:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues haven't advance very far in the postseason over the last few years, but they have the regular season all figured out. For three straight years, the Blues have secured one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference. But they haven't made it past the second round of the playoffs in any of those seasons, falling victim to the Kings twice and the Blackhawks once. If not for those two rivals, the Blues could have their name etched on the Stanley Cup already. This season they have another great shot and finishing near the top of the Western Conference. They added some firepower on offense to compete with the more skilled teams, and they'll be extremely tough to score on once again. Tonight they get a team that I am very down on for the 2014-15 season - the Arizona Coyotes. This team has gotten by in the past with a lot of smart hockey players, a little bit of grit and toughness and some great coaching. But with their overall talent level down quite a bit right now, I don't think those intangibles will be enough to win them very many games unfortunately. St. Louis is coming off of a very tough 1-0 loss in a shootout versus the Kings. They outshot the Kings 43-18 in that game, but couldn't get a single shot past goaltender Jonathan Quick. They should have an easier go of it against Coyotes netminder Mike Smith, who has really fallen off since putting up a couple of spectacular seasons in Phoenix. The Blues should dominate once again and we like the price here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #61 Minnesota Wild over Anaheim Ducks (10:05pm EST) The Minnesota Wild look for their third straight win to open the 2014-15 season on Friday night. I love how this Wild team has come together over the last few seasons, and especially how they battled in the postseason last year. They won a thrilling seven game series against the Avalanche and then battled hard against the Blackhawks in the second round before being ousted in six games. This year they take another step forward and I think they can legitimately compete for the Stanley Cup. They are right on par with their opponent today, the Anaheim Ducks, but the betting markets have them as a sizable underdog here. This is the home opener for the Ducks who opened the season with four straight road games and winning three of them. I think this is the year where the Ducks take a step backwards as they've lost a lot of leadership with veterans Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu and Jonas Hiller all leaving. They did add center Ryan Kesler to bolster the second line, but the issues for this team our on the defensive end and they didn't really address that problem in the offseason. Minnesota is on the rise and I like them here in the underdog role.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #53 Florida Panthers over Buffalo Sabres (7:05pm EST) It didn't pay off in our last attempt, but we are going to continue to look for spots to fade the Buffalo Sabres. This is easily the worst team in the sport and appears to be worse than last year's edition that could only muster up 52 points in the standings. In Buffalo's four games this season, they have been outshot by a combined 156-83 margin. That's the worse in the NHL and you're not going win many games when you are accruing only half the shots your opponent does. The Florida Panthers aren't anything special either, but they are still head and shoulders above the Sabres. Florida played tough in a 1-0 loss to the Senators last time on the ice and also took Tampa Bay to overtime in their first contest of the season. They are looking for their first win of the season and this is a great place to get it. The Panthers also have a goaltender in Roberto Luongo who could steal games all by himself. He hasn't looked as sharp so far, but the Sabres don't have much of an attack so he should be able to settle in nicely tonight. This might be one of the best prices you will see all season for fading Buffalo, so we're going to take advantage here. Take Florida as our Game of the Week.

3-unit Play Take #1 San Jose Sharks over New York Islanders (7:05pm EST) The streakiest team in the NHL has started another one of their patented runs to kick off the 2014-15 campaign. That would be the San Jose Sharks, who are 3-0-0 as they head to Long Island to take on the Islanders. New York is also 3-0-0 so far this season, so something will have to give. I think the Islanders are getting a little too much credit for their hot start however. Two of their wins were against a hapless Carolina team and the other versus an injury-riddled Rangers squad. They also gave up nine goals in those games, so they have some issues to work through defensively. San Jose started last season with six straight victories and a 8-0-1 record in their first nine contests. That's the kind of team the Sharks have been over the last several seasons. When they get on a roll, they are a freight train that cannot be stopped. But when they're off, they're a really bad hockey team. Right now they are rolling and are clearly the better of the two teams here today. The Islanders get their first big test of their season and I don't see them passing it. Take San Jose at the short price.

3-unit Play Take #54 Detroit Red Wings over Boston Bruins (8:05pm EST) It's been a struggle so far for the Boston Bruins so far this season as they have dropped three of four despite having three of those games at home. The offense has been a huge problem in Beantown as they've only scored a total of 4 goals this season on 107 shots. Obviously that shooting percentage is going to improve, but there are some questions about the lack of firepower for the Bruins. They had to let go of right wingers Jarome Iginla and Shawn Thornton in the offseason, without really finding a replacement. Some of their guys are also getting up there in age, so we would expect some production to drop off. I think they'll eventually find their groove, but right now they are certainly in a funk. Today they get a matchup with the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings have had three days off after losing to the Ducks 3-2 on Saturday. That was following a 2-1 win against these same Bruins in their season opener. I like Detroit quite a bit this season mainly because they were ravaged by injuries last season and still managed to find a way to get into the playoffs. They are currently without Pavel Datsyuk, but that's the only guy on their injury report at the moment which is a huge difference from last year. You don't see Detroit as a home underdog very often, but that's the case in this one. If Boston we're playing decent hockey this would be a pass, but right now they are still trying to find themselves. As a result, we like Detroit at this price.

4-unit Play Take #14 Carolina Hurricanes over Buffalo Sabres (7:35pm EST) If you're looking for the worst team in the NHL, there's no debate that it's the Buffalo Sabres. They finished with by far the fewest points in the NHL last season with just 52 (next closest was 66 points) and this season they look like they may even be worse. The Sabres have been thoroughly outplayed in their first three games of the season, losing by scores of 3-1, 6-2 and 5-1 to the Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and Ducks. Their opponent today the Carolina Hurricanes isn't at the same level as those clubs, but they are still miles ahead of where Buffalo is. The Sabres are in a complete rebuild although they did bring along a couple of veterans in the offseason to serve as mentors for the young guys. Clearly the message isn't getting through and the Sabres just look dreadful. The Hurricanes won't be registering very many victories this season either, but they will get wins against teams like the Sabres. This is also the second leg of a back-to-back for Buffalo and their third game in four nights. The Canes are well-rested with two full days off heading into this one. Play Carolina as we start a long season of fading the Sabres.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #57 Ottawa Senators over Florida Panthers (7:35pm EST) It's difficult to figure out exactly what the management of Florida Panthers are trying to do with their team. The Panthers have a nice group of youngsters that have some promise for the future, but they need playing time to develop. Based on where they've finished in the standings the last few seasons, it would seem that a total rebuild strategy would be appropriate. However, Florida has added several older veterans to the squad for the second straight year and has many people perplexed about the true direction of the team. Are they trying to rebuild, trying to win now or some something else? It's an extremely confusing path they are taking and probably leaves them somewhere in the middle without as much hope for the future. With so many new faces brought in, it's going to take a little bit of time for the youngsters and veterans to get on the same page. As a result, the Ottawa Senators seem to be catching them at the right time. The Sens are coming off of a thrilling 3-2 shootout win in Tampa Bay against a very good Lightning team. Ottawa has been an underrated squad over the last few years and I think they will be in that role for the 2014-15 season as well. They haven't been picked as a playoff team by very many experts despite having a ton of talent and a pair of solid goaltenders. This is a small price on what looks like a mismatch tonight. Take the Senators to come away with the victory.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #69 Dallas Stars (+105) over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) One of the teams that I am highest on for the 2014-15 season is the Dallas Stars. I'm not sure anyone did a better job of upgrading during the offseason as they brought in Jason Spezza and Ales Hemsky to bolster their top six. Offensively, they should be able to create a lot of matchup problems for their opponents this season. Dallas made big strides last season and played the Ducks very tough in the first round of the playoffs, but this year they'll take another step forward if they stay healthy. Nashville made some changes of their own as they let go of the legendary Barry Trotz and brought in Peter Laviolette. The style of play is going to drastically change in Music City as the Preds are going to play faster and try and create more scoring chances. That's a far cry from their grinding defensive style, so I expect some bumps in the road early on as the team adjusts. This will be a tougher matchup for Nashville than the Senators were on Thursday. The Stars played to Blackhawks extremely well on Thursday as they took them to a shootout. The wrong team is favored in this game so we'll take Dallas as our 5-unit Game of the Week.

3-unit Play Take Ottawa Senators/Nashville Predators OVER (8:05pm EST) Look for a brand new style of hockey in Nashville as head coach Barry Trotz was pushed out and in comes the recycled Peter Laviolette. Trotz was a true grinder that stressed defense and played it conservatively on offense. That style was successful and Trotz enjoyed a long run with Nashville because of it. Laviolette is the exact opposite as he wants to play at a faster pace to try and create some additional scoring chances. He's not afraid to take a chance and leave his defense exposed, so the Predators go from one extreme to the other this season. It's not easy to shift gears this quickly and I have little doubt that the Preds will struggle a little bit early on until they learn the system. But one thing that appears certain is that Nashville games will feature more shots and more goals. The Senators don't mind playing an up and down pace either, as they have the personnel to keep up. Against the Western Conference, Ottawa games have gone over the total 15 of the last 22 contests. We'll look that way again with the over today.

3-unit Play Take #53 Anaheim Ducks over Pittsburgh Penguins (7:05pm EST) Things have changed in Pittsburgh in a big way. Gone are GM Ray Shero and head coach Dan Bylsma, and in are Jim Rutherford and Mike Johnston. And with the new management came quite a bit of shuffling of the roster. Four skaters with over 1,000 minutes of ice time last season were sent packing and several new faces are now in the fold. I think the changes are for the better in the long-term, as the Penguins have struggled in the postseason in recent years. However, it's going to take time for the team to get familiar with one another and learn how to play in Johnston's system. The Anaheim Ducks are once again one of the favorites in the West as they tweaked a roster that had a conference leading 116-points last season. Ryan Kesler was the big addition for the Ducks and he will man the number two center position. They did lose some veteran leadership in Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, but this is now a younger team that probably sets up better for a playoff run. Both of these squads will need some time for the chemistry to form, but I think the Ducks will be in sync a little more early on. They didn't make quite as many changes as Pittsburgh and they were the better team last season as well. Take Anaheim.

3-unit Play Take #6 Los Angeles Kings over San Jose Sharks (10:05pm EST) The defending Stanley Cup champions will have their ring ceremony tonight as they open the 2014-15 season at home versus the San Jose Sharks. I generally try to avoid backing the champs with an emotional ceremony preceding the game. However, I think that fact is baked into this line and the Sharks have some huge question marks heading into this season. San Jose GM Doug Wilson was so frustrated with the playoff collapse to the Kings last season, that he publicly commented that it might be time to tear it down and start a rebuild. He later backtracked a bit with that statement and only made a few minor tweaks with the roster, but the Sharks get a year older and their window is closing. The Kings kept virtually the entire squad in place and will look to be the first team to repeat in 16 years. There's no question that they have the talent to do it, but the only question is can they stay hungry. The home team has dominated this series with a 37-18 mark in the last 55 games, including a 10-1 mark for the Kings over the last 11 meetings in Los Angeles. The Kings are still the much better team and this line is about 10-15 cents too short.

3-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/Toronto Maple Leafs OVER (7:05pm EST) The 2014-15 NHL season gets underway with a fantastic rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs. These teams have had some great battles over the last few seasons and they've usually included quite a few goals. Eight of the last nine meetings have gone over the total, including each of the last five. Both teams experienced quite a bit of turnover in the offseason, so it stands to reason that we'll see some sloppy play from both squads for the first couple of weeks. That generally leads to more defensive gaffes and more scoring chances, so I expect both goalies to get plenty of work. Goaltenders usually aren't as sharp early on, so I think this game has an excellent shot at going over the posted total.

3-unit Play Take #59 New York Rangers (+150) over Los Angeles Kings (8:20pm EST) The New York Rangers look to extend the Stanley Cup Final at least one more game as Game 5 goes tonight in Los Angeles. The Rangers haven't played as poorly in this series as the media is making it seem. They could have easily won the first two games of the series and it would be a totally different series if they had. The problem for the Rangers has been holding a lead and they finally were able to do that last time out. Getting over that mental hurdle was big for New York and should pay dividends if they get into that situation once again. Los Angeles is definitely the better team overall, but today's line is just too high. The Rangers go from being a -140 favorite at home in Game 4, to now a +150 underdog on the road. That's a huge 90-cent swing, which is far greater than what the home ice advantage difference normally is. As a result, we're going to go where the value is and play the Rangers.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

2-unit Play Take #58 New York Rangers over Los Angeles Kings (8:05pm EST) The New York Rangers are in full desperation mode trailing the Stanley Cup Final 3-0. Most hockey fans have already written the Rangers off, but I think we see them fight hard with nothing to really lose. The series has been very close, with the Kings winning the first two games in overtime and coming from behind from two goals in each contest. In Game 3, New York was stymied by Jonathan Quick, but they dominated the puck possession. The Kings have also been down this road before, two years ago when they won the Stanley Cup. They were up 3-0 in the Final that year against the Devils, and then promptly lost Games 4 and 5 before winning it in Game 6. So the precedent is there for a bit of a letdown as the Kings are probably feeling a bit overconfident at the moment. As a result, I think there's a good chance the Rangers can get the win at home tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings /New York Rangers OVER (8:05pm EST) If we've learned one thing from these Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2014, it's been to look towards betting the Over. We've seen an unusually high number of goals scored this postseason and the Los Angeles Kings have been partially responsible. Games involving Los Angeles have gone over to the tune of 14-5-4 during their 23 games in the playoffs. The New York Rangers are dead even on their over/unders, but they're going to have to play fast to take advantage of their speed in this series. As a result, we should see plenty of shots on goal from both teams, which will put extra stress on the goaltenders. Neither Jonathan Quick nor Henrik Lundqvist has been very sharp lately, so they're going to let up some goals. The total is set at five once again and that allows us to easily pull the trigger on Over here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

2-unit Play Take #54 Los Angeles Kings over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) It's Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final and we learned quite a bit after seeing the first game. First off, the Rangers are going to have to rely heavily on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist if they want to win this series. But even then it might not be enough. Lundqvist was magnificent in net and stopped 40 shots in Game 1. However, the Kings were still able to get three shots past him winning 3-2 in overtime. The Rangers came out strong but the Kings dominated the third period and the short overtime session. New York is going to have to push the pace and look for more scoring chances as they were only able to get 27 shots on goal. The one advantage they have on Los Angeles is their speed, so they'll have to use as much as possible. However, the Kings are great at stopping odd man rushes and slowing down their opponents. They rarely give up an easy chance, and when they do they have one of the best in the world at stopping it in Jonathan Quick. I also love this Kings team because they are always playing like they are the team trailing regardless of the score. It's that aggressive nature that has gotten them this far and is what will propel them through this Final. The Kings come in as the more experienced squad as well as they have been to at least the Western Conference Final three years in a row and they won the Cup two years ago. There are just too many things going against New York and I don't think they are up to snuff against a great Kings team. The Kings had the much tougher path getting here and are far more tested than the Rangers. We'll go with Los Angeles tonight at home.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Series Play Take Los Angeles Kings over New York Rangers The Stanley Cup Final begins on Wednesday with the Los Angeles Kings hosting the New York Rangers. We picked these teams to play in the Final before the playoffs began, so this one is not a surprise to us. Both squads are masters of puck possession and have great goaltenders backing them up. The Kings, however, come in as the more experienced squad. Los Angeles has been to at least the Western Conference Final three years in a row and they won the Cup two years ago. The Kings also have home ice advantage as they were the better team in the regular season. But most importantly, the Kings represent the Western Conference, which has dominated the East in recent years. The records for these teams are very similar, but the Kings play much tougher competition on a nightly basis in the West. The Kings also had a much tougher path to get the Final, as they had to navigate the Sharks, Ducks and Blackhawks - arguably the three toughest teams in the West after Los Angeles. The Rangers, however, caught a break by playing the Capitals, Penguins and Canadiens during their playoff run. They avoided the Bruins, who were clearly the best team in the conference all season long. Finally, I give the Kings the edge in coaching and mental toughness. Add it all up, and I don't see how the Rangers can compete in this series. We'll take the Kings to take home Lord Stanley's Cup and lay the price. 

3-unit Play Take #28 Chicago Blackhawks over Los Angeles Kings (8:05pm EST) Game 7 of the Western Conference Final goes tonight in Chicago between the Blackhawks and Kings. This has been a difficult series to project as there have been some unusual twists and turns throughout. The Hawks were left for dead and trailing 3-1 in the series and getting thoroughly outplayed in three straight contests. But they have roared back with two straight wins and now it's all squared up with everything on the line. The Kings have probably outplayed the Hawks overall, but you get the feeling that they missed their opportunity to close things out and could be in a bad spot mentally. Chicago has the heart of a champion and has too many playmakers to ever be out of a series. With the momentum on their side, I like the Blackhawks to win Game 7 at home and advance to the Stanley Cup Final to build their dynasty.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

2-unit Play Take #24 Los Angeles Kings over Chicago Blackhawks (9:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings have been the better team in this series, and it's time for them to finish the job tonight in Game 6. The series is back in Los Angeles, where the Kings have been dominant on their home ice for the last couple of years. The Hawks took Game 1 in the series as they caught the Kings just off a 7-game win versus Anaheim, where Chicago had much more rest. But once the Kings were able to catch their breath, they dominated the next three games. Game 5 was a tossup in Chicago, with the Hawks winning in double overtime. The Kings' offense has been the biggest surprise in this series, as they have produced at least four goals in every game except Game 1. Los Angeles has one of the top defenses and goaltenders in the league, so if they can keep producing offensively they are extremely difficult to beat. Take the Kings to close out this series and head to the Stanley Cup Final.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

2-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/New York Rangers UNDER (8:05pm EST) It's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final after a sloppy 7-4 win by Montreal in Game 5. That was one of the uglier games of the entire playoffs as both teams played poor defense and the goalies gave up some rather poor goals. Both teams will undoubtedly tighten things up for this game and I can't see Henrik Lundqvist getting pulled again. It was one of the most embarrassing efforts of his entire career, and he's one of the best in the world. Game 5 was only the second game to go over the total in this series, so staying under tonight isn't a stretch. There actually haven't been very many shots on goal in this series either. Only two games have seen more than 57 shots on goal and two of those went to overtime. I expect a defensive battle and a 2-1 or 3-1 type of final. Play the under tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #20 Chicago Blackhawks over Los Angeles Kings (8:05pm EST) We're going to remain a bit stubborn here and take the Chicago Blackhawks once again. Yes the Hawks have been outplayed for most of this series, but these are the defending Stanley Cup champions and they aren't going to go down easy at home. Remember that Chicago has still beaten Los Angeles 20 of the last 29 meetings despite losing the last three in this series. Chicago also beat the Kings in five games in the Western Final last season and the rosters haven't changed much. The separation between these teams is very small overall, so with their backs against the wall I expect Chicago to play better tonight. The big concern is in net where Corey Crawford has cooled off after a great start to the postseason. He is an underrated netminder, but his last three games may have been his worst of the playoffs. My money says he's going to bounce back and the Hawks will respond with a victory tonight. We'll take Chicago as our 10-uint May Game of the Week.

2-unit Play Take #15 Chicago Blackhawks over Los Angeles Kings (8:05pm EST) There's no question that the Chicago Blackhawks have been outplayed in this series so far. They've given up 10 goals over the last two games and have looked lost at times on the ice. But the Hawks have been down this road before. They fell behind 2-0 to the Blues in the first round and came storming back to win four straight. They also came from behind in a 3-1 series deficit to the Detroit Red Wings in last year's playoffs. Chicago is one of the most resilient teams in the NHL and they have proven that they get better as a season wears on. Attribute it to great coaching and smart players that learn something in each game. It's the reason that Chicago is knocking on the door of a dynasty right now. This is about the best price you will see on this talented Blackhawks team and it's way too good to pass up. Despite losing the last two games, the Hawks have still won 20 of the 28 against the Kings overall. They get the job done here tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

2-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/New York Rangers UNDER 5 (8:05pm EST) We have a series again the Eastern Conference Final. The Montreal Canadiens were left for dead down 2-0 in the series and losing goaltender Carey Price to injury. But they battled the Rangers in Game 3 in New York and emerged victorious in overtime. When the momentum in a series shifts like that, the intensity increases and both teams generally get a little more physical on both ends. That generally leads to better defense and less scoring chances, so I don't expect to see many goals. The Rangers are also missing two key forwards today in Daniel Carcillo and Derek Stepan. Losing a couple of playmakers this time of year is huge and will impact their offensive production. I expect both defenses to play great and keep this one under the posted total.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #11 Chicago Blackhawks over Los Angeles Kings (8:05pm EST) The defending champions were gutted 6-2 in Game 2 and they look to bounce back as the series shifts to Los Angeles. The Blackhawks haven't been embarrassed like that at home during the playoffs in quite some time. As a result, I expect to see their best effort of the entire playoffs today. These teams are very even on paper and it's hard to assign an edge either way. However, the Hawks match up extremely well with Los Angeles and have won 20 of the last 27 meetings overall. It's hard to account for all of the speed and niftiness of the Hawks forwards, especially for an entire series. Last season the Hawks beat the Kings in five games and these are basically the same rosters. Corey Crawford has been amazing in the postseason over the last two seasons, but he finally had a stinker last time out. He'll be more focused today and I expect him and his teammates to come up big. We'll play Chicago as a rare underdog here.

2-unit Play Take #10 New York Rangers over Montreal Canadiens (8:05pm EST) The New York Rangers smell blood and tonight's their chance to put a stranglehold on this series. The Canadiens dropped the first two games of the series at home and they never really had much of a chance in either game. To make matters worse, superstar goaltender Carey Price is now out for the series. He's the heart and soul of this Montreal team and is now being replaced by 24-year old Dustin Tokarski. The last game was his first NHL playoff experience, so nobody is expecting him to be anything like Price. The Rangers offense is clicking on all cylinders right now. A once struggling power play is now 7 for its last 21 over the last five games. All five were wins. The line on this one is big, but I have it about 20 cents higher. The play is the Rangers.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #6 Montreal Canadiens over New York Rangers (8:05pm EST) It wasn't pretty for the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers were the more aggressive team and seemed much more prepared than the Habs did. Montreal lost 7-2 in embarrassing fashion in front of their home fans. But one thing is for certain - we will see a much better effort from them tonight. You generally don't see bounce back type of games in the NHL like you do in the NBA, but the circumstances are so extreme here that I think that will be the case. The Canadiens were resilient against the Bruins after falling behind 3-2 in the series. They showed tons of heart and showed that they belong. I think we will see the same tonight. Goalie Carey Price is questionable for this game, but I will be shocked if he doesn't play. Montreal needs this game and he's their leader. Take the Canadiens to even up the score in this series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #4 Chicago Blackhawks over Los Angeles Kings (2:05pm EST) The Western Conference Finals get underway in Chicago this afternoon and this should be a great series between the Kings and Blackhawks. However, the Hawks look to have the advantage in at least the first game. Chicago has had a full four days' rest since wrapping up their series against the Wild in six games. The Kings have gone the full seven games in back-to-back series, coming from behind in dramatic fashion in each. They just finished off the Ducks on Friday, so their energy levels aren't going to be the same as the Hawks. The Kings also may still be without defensemen Robyn Regehr and Willie Mitchell one again. Chicago has won five straight against Los Angeles dating all the way back to their playoff series last season. Chicago won that series 4-1 in rather easy fashion. This series should be a little more nip and tuck, but I like the Hawks to jump out to an early series lead. Play Chicago here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #1 New York Rangers over Montreal Canadiens (1:05pm EST) The Rangers have the edge in the net and then we cannot pass them up especially at this price. If New York can find any offense I believe that they will win this game comfortably. Montreal is coming off a hard fought series with Boston and may be a little banged up for this game. 

4-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/Anaheim Ducks UNDER (9:05pm EST) We'll stick with the theme of Game 7 unders as they have been good to us this week. Betting under in these do or die situations has been a pathway to profits for years in the playoffs. Referees swallow their whistles and the defenses are able to get away with just about anything. Teams also don't take as many chances and we don't see the same quantity of scoring chances as usual. The Kings and the Ducks both have capable defenses and both goalies have been on top of their game. Only one game has gone over the total in this series so far and we don't see Game 7 bucking the trend. Take the Under 5 here tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Montreal Canadiens/Boston Bruins UNDER (7:05pm EST) It's another Game 7 and another great opportunity to take a hard look at the Under. There are several reasons that Game 7's are historically good for Under bettors, and one of them is the fact that referees have historically swallowed their whistles in Game 7 situations. Refs don't want to be the ones deciding the game, so they let the defenses get away with more and we generally see fewer power play opportunities as a result. That will result in less scoring chances in a series where the defenses have put the clamps on more and more as it has went on. The first three games of the series went over the total, but the next three games saw a total of only 11 goals. We have two of the top goaltenders in the world on the ice for this one, and I expect both to be on top of their games for the deciding game here. We'll play the Under.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Pittsburgh Penguins UNDER 5 (7:05pm EST) It's Game 7 tonight in Consol Energy Center as the Pittsburgh Penguins host the New York Rangers. This has been a great back-and-forth series in which the defenses have really dominated play overall. Only two of the six games have gone over the total those were both by just one goal. I like the way both goalies have looked in the net, particularly Marc-Andre Fleury who has a reputation for getting small in big spots. The Pittsburgh defense has also played much better than they have in recent years in the playoffs, so no reason to expect any different tonight. Game 7 unders have historically been good bets if the series has played under and we have that situation here. We'll stick with the trend and go under as our 5-unit Game.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #69 Los Angeles Kings at Anaheim Ducks (10:05pm EST) The puck drops on Game 5 tonight in Anaheim in what has been an intense series so far. The Kings took the first two games of the series in Anaheim and the Ducks came back to win games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles to tie the series. Now the series shifts back to Anaheim for a pivotal game. Most will say that the Ducks have the momentum, but this series hasn't really played out that way and I like the angle that the road team has won all four contests. I still have the Kings rated as the better team overall, so we'll gladly take them at a plus price. They've been great at bouncing back when things have gone against them all season. There was no better example than in the first round against the Sharks when they trailed the series 3-0 and won four straight games to advance. This situation isn't nearly as dire, but the Kings need to turn things around and they've done it before. We're on Los Angeles tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/New York Rangers UNDER 5 (7:05pm EST) Not many folks thought this series would see a Game 6, but here we are in Madison Square Garden. The Rangers managed an emotional 5-1 win in Pittsburgh on Friday after the passing of Martin St. Louis' mother. Whenever a series takes an unexpected turn like it has, the Under is generally a good place to look first. The Penguins probably didn't bring their A-game last time around because they had a big 3-1 series advantage. But there's no question they will be re-focused here as they avoid a trip back to Pittsburgh. There haven't been very many shots on goal in this series, and this game could feature the fewest. Both goalies have had some big games, but they just haven't come on the same night. This might be the night that they both come up big and keep this a low-scoring affair. Our play is the Under tonight.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Anaheim Ducks/Los Angeles Kings UNDER 5 (9:35pm EST) Game 4 goes tonight in Los Angeles with the Kings leading the series 2-1. We've seen a pretty strong pattern in the first three contests of this series. None of the games have gone over the total and shots on goal have been limited by aggressive defense and a fiery intensity by both squads. This game should be no different after the series has tightened up following the Ducks win on Thursday. In fact, only one of the last nine meetings between these squads has gone over the total. This one feels like another 2-1 or 3-1 type of final, so the Under is in play here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

The Minnesota Wild know that they can play only one way if they want to have a shot to win this series. They have to slow down the pace of the game and deny the dynamic Hawks offense from doing what they do best. They've been pretty successful so far, allowing Chicago just 63 shots combined in the first three games of the series. That includes a shutout at home in Game 3 behind a raucous Minnesota crowd. The atmosphere should be wild again and I think Minnesota can keep this a lower scoring affair. Corey Crawford will also want to make amends for one of his worst playoff performances in the last game, so I expect him to be extra focused here. This one feels like a 2-1 final, so we're on the Under as our 5-unit Game of the Week.

The Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens have played a great series so far. Both teams have taken turns throwing punches and I feel like this one is destined for seven games. All three games have come down to the wire with the Canadiens leading 2-1 in the series currently. I like Boston's chances to tie things up today because they've been there before. They have the veteran leadership, they've won a Stanley Cup and they have come through in similar circumstances. The Canadiens don't have a ton of playoff experience and they know the ball is in their court as far as keeping the home ice advantage. That's a lot of pressure and I think that could pose some problems tonight. This will no doubt be another close game, but I give the Bruins the edge here.

It's Game 4 in Madison Square Garden with the Penguins leading the Rangers 2-1 in the series. New York has been shut out in the last two games, but it isn't completely due to lack of offense. The Rangers had 57 shots on goal in those games, including several premium scoring chances. Marc Andre-Fleury has been a brick wall in the net, but I don't expect it too last. Fleury has been extremely inconsistent throughout his playoff career and he wasn't very good in the First Round series versus Columbus. Eventually those shots will reach the back of the net. Coming into this series, I had the Penguins rated as only a slightly better team overall. As a result, the Rangers should be a little bit bigger favorites at home. This is basically a must-win game for them and I think they respond by showing their best effort of the series. Take the Rangers tonight to even things up 2-2.

3-unit Play Take #18 Anaheim Ducks over Los Angeles Kings (10:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings are the better team in this matchup, but they didn't play like it in Game 1. The Kings were lucky to escape with a dramatic 3-2 win in overtime after tying the game with just seven seconds remaining in regulation. Anaheim dictated the tempo and played very well after a lengthy layoff, but they couldn't seal the deal. Tonight's game becomes virtually a must-win situation for the Ducks, as they can't go to Los Angeles down 0-2 against a Kings team that is very tough at home. Anaheim had actually won four straight versus the Kings coming into this series, so they definitely know how to attack them. It won't be easy but I expect Anaheim to fight their way back into the series with a close win tonight. Take the Ducks.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (7:35pm EST) Game 1 between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins was an absolute thriller and I expect plenty of more drama in this series along the way. The Penguins were slow out of the gates in the last game but they will try to push the envelope early on tonight in a game that they must have. The Pens know that the only way they are going to win is when they get the offense flowing and force the Rangers to play a high-scoring affair. As a result, I expect them to take more even more chances here to make that happen. Five of the six games in Pittsburgh's series against Columbus went over the total in the first round. This series won't feature quite as many goals, but the total on this one is low at just five. The Rangers have plenty of firepower on offense, so if Pittsburgh takes an early lead we could see the kind of pace that gets this game over the total very early. Our selection is Over 5 in Game 2. 

3-unit Play Take #7 Los Angeles Kings over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) We like the Los Angeles Kings to win this series (see above) and they also have a big advantage in Game 1 of this series. The Ducks wrapped up their series with the Stars last Sunday, so they will surely be rusty with five days off. Los Angeles had two days off after beating the Sharks, which is the ideal amount of time to regroup and not lose any rhythm. Take the Kings to get off to a good start tonight in this series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Chicago Blackhawks OVER 5 (9:35pm EST) Both the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks survived a thrilling series to advance to the second round. The Wild knocked off the Avalanche in 7 games, while the Hawks beat the Blues in 6. Each game of their respective series featured plenty of drama - and plenty of goals. 5 of the 7 games in the Wild series went Over the total, while the Over went 4-1-1 in the Blackhawks series. Things shouldn't be all that different in this series as both teams like to get up and down the ice quickly. In their five meetings during the regular season, the Over was 3-1-1. The Wild have had huge problems in the net with their top two goalies out with injuries. Rookie Darcy Kuemper has stepped in and did a nice job, but he's a below average goaltender overall. He was actually pulled in the deciding Game 7 against the Avs, so his confidence can't be high right now. That could mean that backup and #4 goalie Ilya Bryzgalov could get the start. Either way, the Minnesota goalie position is in disarray and a potent Blackhawks offense should be able to cash in as a result. Corey Crawford had some nice numbers in his series versus the Blues, but the Chicago defense didn't look as sharp as it usually does. All in all, I expect the Over trend to continue starting with Game 1 tonight.

4-unit Play Take #84 San Jose Sharks over Los Angeles Kings (10:00pm EST) Just when it looked like the San Jose Sharks were going to sweep the Los Angeles Kings, the tides suddenly turned. Now we're staring at Game 7 after the Kings roared back with three straight victories. One could argue that Los Angeles has all of the momentum right now, but Kings' coach Daryl Suter even admitted that he doesn't believe in momentum in the playoffs game-to-game. Game 7 is about who wants it more and which team plays better. The Sharks are still looking for that elusive trip to the Stanley Cup Final, while the Kings won it just a few years back. San Jose also was the much better team all season long and they've been fantastic at home. Including this series, the Sharks are 31-8-5 on their home ice and it will definitely be a raucous environment tonight. Take San Jose to get the job done and advance.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #77 New York Rangers over Philadelphia Flyers (7:35pm EST) It's time for the New York Rangers to close out the series tonight in Philadelphia. New York has been the better team throughout and today is their first chance at eliminating the rival Flyers. Looking over the numbers, the Rangers have outscored Philadelphia 15-10 in the series and hold a 152-123 shots on goals advantage. The Rangers are also 16-6 in the last 22 meetings overall, dating back three seasons. I don't expect anything to change tonight as the Rangers should roll.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10--unit Play Take #72 Minnesota Wild (-125) over Colorado Avalanche (9:05pm EST) It's Game 6 tonight and this one sets up just about perfectly for the Minnesota Wild for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, the Wild has been the better team in this series overall despite trailing the series 3-2. The Avalanche pulled off two game-tying goals late in regulation in Games 1 and 5; otherwise this series would probably be over by now. But if you look at the overall shots on goal, Minnesota has a huge 175-129 edge. They have been the aggressor, but haven't been able to overcome the home ice advantage by Colorado. The home team has won all five games in this series, so that should play a big factor again tonight. Minnesota's crowd has been a huge factor and the team seems to be much more confident on its home ice. Minnesota dominated Games 3 and 4 at home despite only winning each game by a single goal. If they play the same way again, I expect the Wild to cruise to a relatively easy win. The price on this game is a bargain given the way this series has gone, so we'll take Minnesota as our 7-unit Game of the Week.

10-unit Play Take #66 Dallas Stars over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) Game 6 gets underway in Big D as the Ducks lead the Stars 3-2 in the series. Home ice has proven to be the difference in each game as the home teams are 5-0 this series. That shouldn't be a surprise given the home records for each team this season. The Ducks are 32-8-4 at the Honda Center while the Stars are 25-11-7 at American Airlines Center. Historically, the Ducks have also had a very difficult time in Dallas with a 16-37-2 mark over the last 55 meetings. The Stars were the better team in Games 3 and 4 in Dallas and they should be once again today. Take the Stars at a very reasonable price at home in Game 6.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/San Jose Sharks OVER 5 (7:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings were left for dead after falling behind 3-0 in the series, but they finally pulled out a win in Game 4 to force the series back to San Jose. The Kings realized that they weren't going to be able to play their normal style to beat the Sharks. They were going to have to score goals early and often and keep up with the Sharks to have a chance to win. These games have been fast-paced and speed has prevailed. Nothing should change tonight. All four games have gone Over the total so far, and they weren't even close. Three of the games have featured a total on nine goals and the other one had seven. The total on tonight's game is still holding at just 5 as the market isn't adjusting for the speed that has been displayed. We'll gladly take advantage and play the Over here as our Game.

3-unit Play Take #31 New York Rangers over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST) It's Game 4 of the first round series between the Rangers and Flyers, with New York leading 2-1. Our best series play was on the Rangers and we're not going to shy away from them now. They've clearly been the better team over the first three matchups, with a 10-6 edge in total goals and a 92-72 advantage in shots on goal. This is nothing new as the Rangers have dominated the Flyers in recent years. New York is 15-5 over the last 20 games between these squads. Henrik Lundqvist is the biggest advantage in this series, as he's one of the top goaltenders in the world. The Flyers, meanwhile, are trying to get by with an injured Steve Mason and backup Ray Emery. It's not a good pair as both have huge weaknesses and should get exposed again tonight. Take the Rangers to go ahead 3-1 in this series.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Boston Bruins/Detroit Red Wings UNDER (8:05pm EST) If you've watched the first three games of the Bruins-Wings series, then this play shouldn't come as a surprise. Goals have been extremely hard to come by and so have good scoring chances. We've only seen a total of nine goals in the three games and there's no reason to expect anything to change in this one. Boston was tops in the NHL in goals allowed this season at just 2.05 per game and Detroit was respectable at 2.70. They both have great goaltenders who have been here before, so the pressure shouldn't affect them. As far as trends go, the Bruins haven't had an Over in their last six games and Detroit hasn't had one in their last five. All signs point to another low scoring affair, so we're on the Under here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take St. Louis Blues/Chicago Blackhawks UNDER (9:35pm EST) The Blackhawks and Blues have played 13 periods of hockey in their first three games and most of it has been with a tied score or with the teams separated by a single goal. The intensity and physicality have grown as the series has progressed, so there's no reason to expect things to change tonight. This will be a hard-fought battle where goals will be extremely tough to come by. The goaltenders have stepped up in a big way as well this series. Corey Crawford was amazing in the net in Game 3, stopping all 34 shots by the Blues. Ryan Miller has been brilliant for most of the series, stopping 87 of the 94 shots on goal. These rivals know each other well and it's tough to create good scoring chances when your opponent knows your tendencies. We'll play under the total here.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #20 Dallas Stars over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) We played the Dallas Stars in Game 2 and captured an easy 3-0 winner. We'll go back to the well once again as Dallas played really well in front of their home fans. This could be one of those series where home ice is the difference, as I have these teams power-rated very evenly. Dallas had one of the bigger home/away splits in the NHL this season, finishing with a 23-11-7 mark in the regular season. Look for the Ducks to try to increase the tempo even more in this one, which shouldn't bother the Stars very much. They have an adaptable style and might be able to take advantage of some mistakes by Anaheim on the defensive end. The plays is the Stars.