Sports Picks & Predictions

3-unit Play Take #56 Los Angeles Kings over Vancouver Canucks (4:05pm ET) Two of the best teams in the West meet up tonight as the Los Angeles Kings host the Vancouver Canucks. The teams have split their first two meetings earlier this season. I've liked this Kings team all season long as they haven't really gotten the credit they've deserved despite the fact that they won the Stanley Cup last year. The Kings are great at puck possession and have two strong goalies in the net - a lethal combination that leaves opponents with very few quality scoring chances. They're currently tied for fourth in the conference at 17-11-2, which is well ahead of where they were last season. The Canucks have had an up and down season, but they're still tied with the Kings with 36 points. One of the reasons for Vancouver's inconsistent play is all of the injuries that they've had to deal with. Today they'll be without several key contributors including David Booth, Ryan Kesler, Manny Malhorta and possibly Alex Edler with a suspension. That's a lot to overcome against any team, but with the Kings you need every weapon that you have. Los Angeles is 12-3-1 at home this season and they've won five of the last seven in this series. Take the Kings tonight.

4-unit Play Take #62 Winnipeg Jets over Washington Capitals (8:05pm ET) The Winnipeg Jets have it figured out. They are legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference and not many people have acknowledged it yet. They come into today's game atop the Southeast Division with a 16-12-2 mark on the season. I like this team because they play hard and make you earn everything that you get despite some of their shortcomings. They're coming off of a very impressive 3-1 victory against the Bruins and have won four of five (all of which were against good teams). They go up against the Washington Capitals tonight. The Caps are still a mess, and have been playing like one for virtually the entire season. They got off on the wrong foot with a new coach in a shortened training camp and season. Adam Oates just didn't have the time to implement his system, and the team has been playing catch up ever since. It just doesn't feel like this team gives maximum effort every night and for that reason I look to play against them when I can. Take Winnipeg here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #5 San Jose Sharks over Edmonton Oilers (9:35pm ET) The Edmonton Oilers are the worst team in the NHL. No, the standings don't tell you that as there are a handful of teams with fewer points than them. But using the eye test - no one is playing worse than the Oilers are right now. Mental mistakes, odd man rushes for their opponents and poor fundamentals have become commonplace for this team and there's a logical reason as to why. They're young. The Oilers have one of the youngest squads in the league and it shows. They have some terrific young players, but they're not ready to win yet and it may be another couple of years before they are. Tonight they go up against a veteran team in the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have a squad that's been playing together for quite some time and they don't make very many mistakes. The Sharks haven't been playing their best hockey over the last few weeks, but they gave an inspired effort against the Ducks last time out and really dominated the play on the ice despite falling 5-3. Tonight they get a much easier matchup in the Oilers, and I expect them to take full advantage. San Jose is hanging on in the 8th spot in the Western Conference and they really need a win to stay put. They should get there, so take San Jose here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #4 Detroit Red Wings over Minnesota Wild (7:35pm ET) The Detroit Red Wings have been marred by injuries this season and it's certainly affected their performance on the ice. However, they've managed to stay in the top eight in the playoff race for most of the season and you can attribute that to good coaching and quality depth. Today is no different as the Wings are without Darren Helm, Kyle Quincey, Todd Bertuzzi and Mikael Samuelsson. Detroit is coming off of a very impressive win in Vancouver, where they beat the Canucks 5-2 two weeks after bombing them 8-3. Vancouver was fired up for that game, so it made the win even more impressive than normal. Minnesota is starting to play better and has everyone excited about their chance at the Stanley Cup this year. I don't see it. They've been winning some games with smoke and mirrors this season, and their last game was the perfect example of it. They beat the Canucks 3-1, but Vancouver dominated the game from start to finish. The Canucks outshout the Wild 36-25 and had plenty of more quality scoring chances. Sure goalie Niklas Backstrom had a great game, but he's not going to be that good in every contest. Bottom line, we should see some pull back from this Minnesota team in the second half. They're just not playoff material in watching them play the game. Detroit has three days' rest coming into this matchup, and that's another huge advantage in a shortened season. Take the Red Wings at home tonight.

5-unit Play Take #56 New Jersey Devils over New York Rangers (7:05pm ET) The New Jersey Devils look to continue their dominance of the New York Rangers tonight at the Prudential Center. The Devils have won four straight against New York including eliminating them in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. It's been a difficult season for the Rangers who had high expectations coming into the season. They're currently sitting in the 9th spot in the conference, just behind the Devils. The Rangers have definitely showed signs of coming alive at several points in the season, but something is missing for them. The Devils haven't exactly been playing consistently in 2013 either, as they've dropped nine of their last 12 games. However, a lot of those losses were close and several decided in overtimes and shootouts. They've actually controlled most of those games and are playing sound hockey. New Jersey should also be well rested for this game with two days off, while the Rangers are on the second leg of a back-to-back and are playing their third game in four nights. Take the Devils here as our 5-unit Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #9 San Jose Sharks over Anaheim Ducks (10:05pm ET) The San Jose Sharks haven't been playing particularly well of late, dropping five of their last six games. They're now tied in the 8th spot in the Western Conference and there are several teams on their heels. The team realizes that they need to get things straightened out in a hurry to stay in the playoff hunt. Head Coach Todd McClellan gave the players an earful after their last loss to the Kings and several players were quoted as saying that he held nothing back in calling out individuals. But it's what the team needed and the Sharks went on to have one of the best practices they've had all season afterwards. It may not sound like much, but hockey players are prideful and no one likes getting called out. I think this could light a pretty good fire as those guys don't want to be embarrassed any further. The Anaheim Ducks, on the other hand, are sitting pretty atop their division and in the second spot in the Western Conference. They've been winning lately, but a lot they've had some ugly wins and have been fortunate to escape. I have this Anaheim team as one of my most overrated squads in the league. They've been lucky with a higher shooting percentage than normal and have gotten above average goaltender play from goalies that have never demonstrated this level of success. It's too early to be coasting, but the Ducks have this thing on auto-pilot at the moment and that's never a good thing. All in all, I'm expecting regression from the Ducks and will be against them quite a bit until it happens. I like the Sharks as a decent-sized underdog here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #3 Philadelphia Flyers over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:35pm ET) It's tough to say that either one of the teams in tonight's matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Lightning are any good, but one team is downright awful. Tampa Bay has lost 15 of their last 21 games overall and the main reason is their poor play in normal 5-on-5 situations. Yes they have a great power play unit, but when you're relying on special teams to score all of your goals you're not going to be very successful. They also have a problem in the net as neither Lindback nor Garon has done anything worthy enough to be a starting goaltender in the NHL. The Flyers have had a disappointing season thus far at only 13-15-1, but they just picked up a key win in a big game against the Devils and it might be just what they need to start a run. The team has been talking a lot lately about getting back into the playoff chase, and now that they're almost 100% healthy, I think they can make some noise in the East. Tampa, on the other hand, has seemingly given up on the season and is making a ton of mental errors on the ice. This game could get ugly, but I like the Flyers to get the job done.

Both the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets are on my list of underrated teams right now, but I like the Senators this evening for a couple of reasons. First off, both squads are on the second leg of a back-to-back, but the Jets are playing their third game in four nights on top of that. Energy is at a premium during this shortened season, and Ottawa should have a little more of it since they're more rested and are at home. Amazingly, the Senators have played 13 straight games decided by exactly one goal. They've won seven of those games, but playing in tight games has the tendency to raise up your level of intensity and playing ability, so they should have the upper hand in a tight game. I have Ottawa rated as a better team overall, but I would expect this one to be pretty close. The Senators have also been dominant at home this season at 9-1-3 and I think they add another victory to that total this evening. Take Ottawa.

Despite winning the Stanley Cup last season, the Kings have done a pretty good job of staying under the radar this season. Compared to last season, the Kings are actually in a lot better spot right now as they're 5th in the treacherous Western Conference with 30 points. They've dropped two straight games, so I think we'll see a focused effort from Los Angeles tonight. This is the second of a home-and-home series with the San Jose Sharks. San Jose took the first game 4-3 as the Kings just ran out of time. Los Angeles leads the NHL in puck possession and has one of the best goalie tandems in the entire NHL. That's a recipe for success and gives this team a shot at winning the Cup once again. The Sharks have looked old over the last few weeks, especially when on the road where they're 4-7-2. The Kings have been great at home with a 9-2-1 mark. It's tough to win both games of a home-and-home from a team that is better than you are, so the Sharks will have their work cut out for them. I like Los Angeles to win this one with ease.

We've been playing against the Anaheim Ducks here and there over the last few weeks, and they've burned us nearly every time. But the fact of the matter is, this team is clearly overrated and is getting all of the breaks lately. The Ducks are 11-2 in one-goal games this season and they've been winning ugly over the last couple of weeks. They were clearly outplayed in their last three games, but managed to pick up wins in all three behind some really good goaltending. One of those games was against the St. Louis Blues, who they will face tonight. Anaheim was outshot 31-22 in that game and was fortunate to find the back of the net four times in their limited opportunities. Regression is still in order for this Ducks team. The St. Louis Blues have been playing pretty solid hockey here lately. They're coming off of back-to-back wins against the Sharks and Coyotes, and they've won four of five overall. Anaheim will be without Corey Perry for this game, which is a big loss for a team that relies on its playmakers heavily. St. Louis is the better team and with home ice advantage on top of it, I have this game lined closer to -140. Plenty of value to be had on the Blues here, as this is our 5-unit Game of the Week.

No one is giving the Ottawa Senators much credit, but they are in the 5th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and don't seem to be willing to give it up. And that's despite the fact that they've been barraged by injuries, including one of the game's best players in Erik Karlsson and top flight goaltender Craig Anderson. Different guys just seem to step up every night and give them what they need to squeak out a win. It hasn't been pretty but they get the job done. The Buffalo Sabres are basically just the opposite. They have the talent, but can't seem to get that big goal when they really need it. They've lost three games in a shootout and one in overtime over their last seven games. It's been a frustrating season for the Sabres, which has included the firing of their head coach. It doesn't appear that the players' hearts are in it, and that has shown up in the results. I like Ottawa as a dog here.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have won seven straight games while the New York Rangers have dropped three of four. So the choice is easy right - not so fast. The Penguins have been racking up victories lately, but they haven't been dominant and have had to come from behind in their last couple of games. They're the top team in the Eastern Conference right now and that's a tough position to be in when everyone is bringing their best effort to knock you off your pedestal. The Rangers are in desperate need of a victory as they now sit in the 9th spot in the playoff race. I like the way they've been playing recently, but they've caught a few tough breaks and haven't been able to put together any kind of winning streak. This is a much bigger game for the Rangers than it is the Penguins, and I think that will reflect on the scoreboard. The Penguins are also without star Evgeni Malkin, which will eventually take its toll. Go with New York at a juicy underdog price.

10-unit Play Take #18 Dallas Stars over Anaheim Ducks (8:35pm ET) No team is as overrated as the Anaheim Ducks are right now. At 19-3-3, the Ducks have the second best record in the NHL behind the Blackhawks. However, they've been extremely fortunate this season evidenced by their high shooting percentage of 12.2%, which ranks 2nd in the NHL. They've also received above average goaltending play, mostly due to the contributions of Viktor Fasth who probably won't be in net tonight. As a result, major regression is in order for the Ducks as their numbers point to a team closer to around the .500 mark. The Dallas Stars, on the other hand, have been flying under the radar all year despite the fact that they've been in the hunt for the playoffs all season long. They're 12-11-2 on the season and have a strong veteran core of players that know how to win. They also have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Kari Lehtonen, who comes in at 9-5-1 with a 2.35 goals against average and .924 save percentage. Those numbers are amongst the league leaders and he's carried the Stars at times this year. I think the Stars are every bit as good as the Ducks and this game is in Dallas, so I'll take them at this low price.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #9 New York Islanders over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:35pm ET) The New York Islanders are finally growing up. After years of trying to battle their way out of the cellar into a respectable franchise, they seem to be well on their way to getting there. The Islanders are 11-12-3 on the season and only three points from the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They've done it with one of the better offenses in the NHL, averaging 2.88 goals per game which is good enough for 9th in the league. Their defense has still been a mess at times, but it's been improving as the season has went on. They'll go up against a struggling Tampa Bay Lightning team that has lost seven of its last nine games overall. The Lightning has been awful in 5-on-5 situations, which is the majority of the ice time. They rely far too heavily on the power play and it has killed them over the last few weeks. New York is the better team and they come in with three days of rest, while the Lighting has only had one. Take the Islanders as the underdog here.

4-unit Play Take #1 Florida Panthers +1.5 goals over Boston Bruins (7:05pm ET) The Florida Panthers have the fewest points in the NHL at only 20, but this team is far from the worst in the sport. The Panthers were plagued by injuries early on in the season, which led to a very slow start and lots of poor results. Florida has also lost seven straight games decided by one goal and is just 2-8 on the season in those contests. They have been blown out a few times this season, but for the most part they've been very competitive. They'll catch a Boston team that is reeling after blowing a 2-0 lead with seven minutes left against Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The Bruins had the game in the bag, but surrendered three goals in the final seven minutes of regulation to lose 3-2. Going up against a team that is perceived as awful, the Bruins may not be as focused as usual and I think the Panthers can keep it close. Take Florida on the puck at +1.5 goals.

4-unit Play Take #54 New Jersey Devils over Philadelphia Flyers (7:35pm ET) Big showdown in New Jersey tonight as the Devils host the Philadelphia Flyers. This is the first game of a home-and-home series between these clubs. Both teams are viewing these two games as the biggest of the season so far as the Devils are in the 8th spot in the playoff race while the Flyers are four points behind them. The Devils have had the upper hand in the series, winning eight of the last 10 matchups. The Flyers have never really been able to adjust to their unique style, which requires discipline and good coaching. Philadelphia has had major problems keeping the puck out of the back of the net this season, allowing 3.00 goals per game. It's been partly bad defense and the rest goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, who still has yet to live up to expectations in a Flyers sweater. Although they've struggled a bit lately, New Jersey has played better than their final scores have indicated. They're dominating puck possession and have just gotten a bit unlucky on the defensive end. The Devils are the much better team and I like their chances at home, especially at this low price.

4-unit Play Take #7 Boston Bruins over Pittsburgh Penguins (7:35pm ET) We have a great matchup in Pittsburgh tonight as the Bruins take on the Penguins. These are two of the best in the Eastern Conference and they are separated by just one point in the standings at the moment. The Bruins have 37 points and the Penguins have 36. Boston, however, has played three less games than the Pittsburgh has and they've been the more consistent team from the beginning of the season. Boston also has a much better shot differential as they are +4.8 shot per game while the Penguins are only +2.3. I also like the goalie tandem for the Bruins much better and they, along with the Bruins defense, have been great at killing off power plays recently. The Bruins have stopped 82 of 91 power play opportunities (92%), which is crucial in beating Pittsburgh. The Penguins thrive on the power play, but they will be a little short-handed tonight without the services of star Evgeni Malkin. All in all, the Bruins are playing better and shouldn't be an underdog in this matchup.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #5 Carolina Hurricanes over Washington Capitals (7:05pm ET) If there's one thing you can count on, it's the effort of the Carolina Hurricanes. The Canes have endured tons of injuries this season, but everyone on their team has stepped up their game when needed and the team has persisted. Carolina is 14-9-1, sitting in first place in the Southeast Division. They're playing their best hockey of the season right now, as they've won five of their last six contests while beating some good teams in the process. Tonight they head to Washington to take on a Capitals team that has been very inconsistent this season. After getting off to a very rough start, the Caps bounced back to win eight of 11 games. But they are now coming off of two straight bad losses to both New York squads and who knows if this is the start of another bad run for this team. Washington is also dealing with several key injuries right now including defenseman Mike Green. This is a huge intra-divisional game for both teams. The Capitals beat the Hurricanes two weeks ago in Washington, so I think this game will mean a bit for more Carolina. They are the better team and need to prove it to everyone by making a statement against a Capitals team that has dominated this division for the better part of a decade. Take Carolina as a small underdog tonight.

10-unit Play Take #15 St. Louis Blue over Anaheim Ducks (10:05pm ET) The last time the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks hooked up it was a wild one. The Ducks stole one from the Blues nearly a month ago in St. Louis, winning 6-5 in a shootout after coming from behind from a 3-1 deficit in the second period. The Blues players certainly remember that game, and tonight they'll get their chance to return the favor in Anaheim. At this point in the season, the Ducks are probably the most overrated team in the NHL. Their 17-3-3 record is not indicative of what we can expect for a couple of reasons. First off, the team has the highest shooting percentage in the league and is converting at levels that just cannot be sustained. Secondly, this team got a good boost early on because they had a core group of veterans that had played together for a long time and the lack of training camp didn't hurt them much. Now other teams are starting to catch up, and that advantage is basically gone. The Blue are coming off of back-to-back wins at Phoenix and at San Jose. They'd like nothing more but to end their five-game road trip with a winning record (they're currently 2-2-0) before they head home. St. Louis doesn't get a ton of attention, but they one of the top three teams in the Western Conference and we're getting an excellent price as a dog here. Take St. Louis as our 5-unit Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #63 Montreal Canadiens (-110) over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:05pm ET) The Tampa Bay Lightning come into tonight's matchup with a 4-12-1 mark in their last 17 games after a hot start to the season. It's not surprising that the wheels have fallen off as this team relies far too heavily on its power play and plays very little defense. Their season isn't over yet, but it almost seems like the team has given in to a certain extent as they're seven points from the #8 seed. The Montreal Canadiens, meanwhile, have been one of the best stories in the NHL this season. They are leading the entire Eastern Conference with 34 points and have been playing great hockey of late. Defenseman P.K. Subban is riding a personal five-game point streak, with three goals and four assists over that span, and he has actually managed to get at least a point in 12 of the 18 games he's played this season. He's not the only one who has stepped it up though. Montreal is getting contributions from all three lines and has made it very tough for opposing coaches in deploying their top defenders. The Canadiens have won five of the last seven meetings and I don't see why they won't add to that total today. Take Montreal at a very short price.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #7 Chicago Blackhawks over Colorado Avalanche (10:05pm ET) The Chicago Blackhawks have put together an amazing run to start the season at 21-0-3. There are tons of reasons why this team has excelled, and there's not enough time to go through all of them. However, one of the main reasons is that they've stayed relatively healthy this season while the rest of the league has suffered through more injuries than usual with the shortened season. For today's game, the story will be a bit different as the Hawks will be without one of their leaders in Patrick Sharp. Sharp is set to miss 2-3 weeks with a shoulder injury he suffered last time out. While injuries are generally viewed as a negative point, I actually think the Hawks will use this adversity to rise to the occasion and play even better. They haven't really faced much adversity this season, and now's there chance to show that they can win when one of their big guns is out. This Chicago team is extremely deep, so the loss of one man isn't overwhelming. They go up against the Colorado Avalanche for the second straight game tonight in Colorado this time. The Hawks won a close one 2-1 in Chicago in the last game, scoring a goal with under a minute remaining to get the victory. As a result, they won't take this team lightly. Take the Hawks to extend their streak.

4-unit Play Take #53 Florida Panthers over Washington Capitals (7:05pm ET) The Florida Panthers head to Washington D.C. to take on the Washington Capitals tonight. It's been a pretty disappointing season for both teams, so the line on this game is a big perplexing. The Capitals haven't played well enough to deserve to be -160 favorites to anyone. Some of it probably has to do with their big 4-3 comeback win last time versus the Bruins and another win against Winnipeg the game before. They looked alright in those contests, but when you look at their complete body of work it just doesn't add up. They're far too inconsistent and have been playing catch up learning new coach Adam Oates' system ever since the start of the season. This is one team that was significantly affected in a negative way due to the lock out. Florida really hasn't been any better than Washington this season, but they've at least shown some signs of improvement. They started the season at 1-5-0, but since then they are much better at 6-6-5. Injuries have been a big issue for the Panthers, but they are healthier now than they were a few weeks ago. This game can go either way, but the price doesn't reflect that. Take the Panthers in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #62 New York Rangers over Philadelphia Flyers (7:35pm ET) The New York Rangers got off to a slow start this season, but it's slowly starting to turn. Lots of experts picked this team to take home the Stanley Cup this year, so that gives you a good idea of the potential that they have. The Rangers have won back-to-back contests after being mired in a mini-slump brought on by the onset of injuries. They're mostly healthy now and they've been good when that has been the case. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist also got off to a slow start this season, but he's been great lately. In his last eight starts, he's allowing only 2.00 goals per game and has his confidence back. The Philadelphia Flyers come to town and they've been about as inconsistent as you can get so far on the 2013 campaign. They're 11-11-1 but have already gone through several ups and downs in the first six weeks of the season. Injuries have definitely played a role and right now they're still dealing with quite a few - the latest being an upper body injury to center Matt Read and a suspension to winger Harry Zolnierczyk. Part of the inconsistencies for this team has stemmed from the uneven performance by goalie Ilya Bryzgalov. He's had another subpar season with a 2.61 goals against average and .907 save percentage. The Rangers are the much better squad in this matchup and they've dominated the Flyers in recent years. Over the last three seasons, the Rangers are 9-1 versus the Flyers and I fully expect that to move to 10-1 after tonight.

10 unit Play Take #54 New Jersey Devils over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:05pm ET) The New Jersey Devils have dropped five straight games and are favored tonight. At first glance this may raise some eyebrows, but the Devils aren't playing terrible hockey right now and their opponent has also dropped five straight games. The Devils have been competitive in every game during their streak, but the third period hasn't been kind to them. They have had leads or have been tied during the third period in four of the five games, but just haven't been able to finish. Those are games the New Jersey usually finds a way to win and I fully expect them to get back on track and start to win them. Tonight is a good matchup for the Devils as they are good at frustrating the high-powered offense of the Tampa Bay Lightning. New Jersey has won five of the last six meetings and has been successful at keeping Tampa's top flight offense at bay. The Lightning is just 9-12-1 on the season and they might not even be that good. They have one of the best power plays in the league, but they are horrible during 5-on-5 situations. I don't think they can continue to rely so much on power play chances. With both teams riding five-game losing streaks, something has to give. My money is on the New Jersey Devils.

10-unit Play Take #8 Los Angeles Kings over Nashville Predators (10:35pm ET) The Los Angeles Kings head back home to take on the Nashville Predators tonight. We've been riding the Kings pretty hard lately, and they've been delivering for us up until the last game in Vancouver. That game was closer than the 5-2 final score indicated and I still think the Kings are one of the best teams in the NHL despite what their record says. The Kings are outshooting their opponents by a wide margin this season and have been a little unfortunate that a lot of those shots haven't found the back of the net. They have one of the best goalie tandems in the league, however, and the two of them have shut down many opponents this season. The Nashville Predators haven't been the same team after losing Ryan Suter in free agency. They play the same style but goals have been much harder to come by as they are dead last at just 2.00 goals per game this season. They have an excellent goaltender as well in Pekka Rinne, but there is way too much pressure for him to carry the load for a futile offense. The Kings have won five out of six while Nashville has lost four out of five. These are two teams going in opposite directions and I like the Kings here tonight.

4-unit Play Take #15 Los Angeles Kings over Vancouver Canucks (10:05pm ET) The Los Angeles Kings continue to be underrated by the betting markets despite the fact that won the Stanley Cup last season and are playing great hockey right now. The Kings got off to a slow start this season, but they've won five straight contests and have allowed a total of only six goals in those games. This is the style of hockey they played last season when they went on their run and were the best team in hockey. Tonight they travel to Vancouver for a tough battle against the Canucks, but they catch a good break. Vancouver has a couple of key players banged up right now in Ryan Kessler and Kevin Bieksa. Kessler is out with a foot injury and Bieksa will likely miss with a groin injury. It's been kind of an up and down season for Vancouver and they've been embarrassed lately. Two games ago they were bombed by Detroit 8-3 and then followed that up with a 4-2 loss at home versus Phoenix. We'll likely see a more focused effort from then tonight, but it won't matter. The Kings are playing too well right now and don't deserve to be an underdog in this matchup.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #7 New Jersey Devils over Buffalo Sabres (3:05pm ET) Today's games between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres features one team that plays the game the right way and one that doesn't. New Jersey comes in at 10-6-4 this season after making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals last season. Most people dismissed it as sort of a lucky run, but this team plays fundamentally sound hockey and gets the most out of their players with a well-run system. Their numbers don't look great on paper and they don't have a bunch of superstar players, but they still continue to put up results. The Sabres, on the other hand, are a bit of a mess at the moment. After firing their head coach over a week ago, most expected that to be a spark that would ignite this club. However, they dropped their first couple of contests and have since bounced back with two straight victories. Those victories were a bit fraudulent however, as they were both one goal winners against mediocre teams and the Sabres were outplayed in both. I just don't like the attitude of this team at the moment as I'm not sure that they care. Getting the Devils at this low price has plenty of value.

10-unit Play Take Columbus Blue Jackets/Chicago Blackhawks UNDER 5.5 (8:35pm ET) It's been an amazing year for the Chicago Blackhawks. They set a record by earning a point in 20 consecutive games to start the season (which is still going), and this team just keeps looking stronger and stronger each game. Most people think of this Hawks team as having a ton of firepower on offense with Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp. However, the real key to their success this season has been their play on defense and in the net. Chicago is 6th in shots allowed this season and is number one in goals against average at 1.70 per game. Both of the goaltenders for the Blackhawks have been amazing. Corey Crawford has an unreal .943 save percentage and backup Ray Emery is right behind him with a .932 save percentage. Both of those marks rank in the top five of the NHL amongst goalies with at least eight games played. The Hawks opponent tonight is the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they like to really slow down the game. The Blue Jackets take only 26.1 shots per game and average a measly 2.15 goals per game, which is last in the league. These teams faced off last week in Chicago, and the Hawks won the game 1-0. The pace was slow, as Columbus knows that's the only way they have a chance to win. The Blackhawks played last night in a hard fought game against their rival the Blues. Being that they're on the second leg of a back-to-back, they will probably prefer to play this one at a slower pace as well. We probably won't see another 1-0 final between these squads, but we have plenty of wiggle room to stay under the total of 5.5. Take the Under as our 10-unit Totals Game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #16 Dallas Stars over Edmonton Oilers (8:35pm ET) The Dallas Stars haven't made many headlines this season, but they're quietly sitting in the 6th spot in the Western Conference at 10-8-2 at the moment. They are led by a solid group of veterans who are built to win this season, and so far they've accomplished their goal. Barring any major injuries, this will be a playoff team and they have a shot at doing some damage with some good playmakers on offense and an above average goaltender in the net. Today they go up against a team that they have absolutely dominated over the last few seasons - the Edmonton Oilers. The Stars have won nine of the last 10 meetings and are 31-6-1 over the last 38 matchups in Dallas. It just doesn't get much better than that. The Oilers are still very young and have proven that they're not ready to take that next step. They're 13th in the Western Conference and have been outplayed in nearly all of their games this season. Dallas should continue their dominance against this Oilers team, so take the Stars here tonight.

4-unit Play Take #58 Los Angeles Kings over Detroit Red Wings (10:05pm ET) We've been riding the current run by the Los Angeles Kings, and it's definitely paid off for us. This team is just playing great hockey right now and no reason to jump ship now as they have a nice revenge spot tonight versus the Detroit Red Wings. Two weeks ago in Detroit, the Red Wings won 3-2 on a last second goal by Jonathan Ericsson. It was a heartbreaker for the Kings as they completely dominated the game, putting 47 shots on goal. Unfortunately for them, goalie Jimmy Howard had one of his best performances of the season. Tonight they'll get a chance at retribution as they look to win their fifth straight and seven of their last eight. The Red Wings are a mash unit right now with seven guys currently out for this game. They've been keeping it together for the most part, but at 9-7-3 this hasn't been a typical season for the Wings. The Kings are a buzz saw right not, reminiscent of the way they played down the stretch last season. The price is relatively high on this one, but not high enough. Take the Kings to extend their streak.

10-unit Play Take #53 Montreal Canadiens over Toronto Maple Leafs (7:35pm ET) Two of the biggest surprises of this NHL season will square off tonight in Toronto. The Montreal Canadiens come in with a 12-4-3 mark and 27 points, which is tops in the Eastern Conference. They are healthier than they've been in two years and have played great on both ends of the ice this season. Not many had tabbed Montreal as a playoff team before the season, but they're clearly one of the best teams in the league and have one of the best goalies in Carey Price. In their last seven contests, the Canadiens have allowed only 1.2 goals per game including three shutout performances. The Maple Leafs enter tonight's matchup playing very well also, with a 12-8-0 mark overall. However, they've gotten off to fast starts before and always seem to find a way to stumble back down to the bottom of the standings. They currently have the longest playoff drought in the NHL and we should be able to add one more to it by season's end. This team still isn't disciplined enough and I don't believe that Ben Scrivens is the ultimate answer in the net despite a hot start. Toronto has also played very poorly in front of their home fans over the last few seasons and may have the weakest home ice advantage of any team in the league. The Canadiens are the better team here and we get a good price in this one.

10-unit Play Take #14 Minnesota Wild over Calgary Flames (8:05pm ET) The Minnesota Wild hasn't exactly been tearing it up on the ice this season, but they find themselves in a good spot for tonight's game against the Calgary Flames. The Wild lost to the Flames in Calgary 3-1 just three days ago and they've had two days off to think about it. The Flames, meanwhile, had a game sandwiched in between and this will be their third game in four nights. When these teams hooked up a few days ago, the game was tight the whole way with the score tied 1-1 heading into the third period. The Flames connected on a goal with less than eight minutes remaining and then chipped in an empty net goal to make the final score a bit deceiving. The Wild feel that the game just slipped away from them and they should be the more focused squad tonight with revenge on their minds. Minnesota will protect home ice tonight and come through with a win.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #60 Los Angeles Kings over Anaheim Ducks (10:35pm ET) The defending champs have got things back on track and are a dangerous team at the moment. The Los Angeles Kings have won three straight games, allowing only one goal in each of their victories. This was how they made their run to the Stanley Cup last year - strong defense, great goaltending play and timely goals. And we all know when this team gets on a roll, they are very tough to beat. The Anaheim Ducks are playing on the second leg of a back-to-back after winning in overtime against the Avalanche last night. Anaheim has put together a great season so far, but the puck just seems to keep bouncing their way. They're 7-1 in games decided by one goal and have been pretty lucky to avoid any major injuries thus far. I think this Ducks team is playoff bound, but they are not as good as their 13-2-1 record indicates. In terms of value, I'm definitely selling this Ducks team as this is the highest level that they are going to get to. The Kings are the better team and should take care of business at home tonight.

3-unit Play Take Columbus Blue Jackets/Chicago Blackhawks UNDER 5.5 (7:05pm ET) The Columbus Blue Jackets have quietly been playing some good hockey lately. It hasn't translated into victories in each game, but their games have been tight and they've had a shot to win every contest over the last two weeks. The key to their success has been slowing the game down and reducing scoring chances by their opponents. Since they are usually at a disadvantage as far as talent, the Jackets figure shortening the game gives them a much better chance to win and they're right. As a result, Columbus has allowed only two goals in four of their last six contests. Today they'll face the hottest team in the NHL - the Chicago Blackhawks. While Chicago has plenty of firepower on offense, they don't play at the tempo that most casual observers think. The Hawks like to take their time to set up a high quality shot and that can sometimes take a while, burning up the clock in the process. Backup goaltender Ray Emery has filled in nicely for Chicago, and he should be in net tonight. Emery comes in with a 2.10 goals against average and .930 save percentage, amongst the league leaders in both categories. Shots will be limited tonight and I don't expect to see too many pucks in the back of the net. Take the Under .

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take #55 Phoenix Coyotes (-110) over Edmonton Oilers (3:35pm ET) The Phoenix Coyotes head into Edmonton to take on the Oilers with four full days of rest for this one. In the shortened NHL season, four days off is very rare and a huge edge in terms of rest, preparation and game planning. Thus, we're projecting maximum effort and focus from the Coyotes. It's been kind of a back and forth type of season for Phoenix overall. However, they still come in at 8-6-2 and are currently 7th place in the tough Western Conference. This team has great coaching and a great goaltender in the net, so they're never an easy out. This was the year the Oilers were supposed to break out and finally take advantage of their superior talent. So far, not so good in Edmonton. Scoring has somehow been a huge issue for this team despite the plethora of highly-skilled skaters. The Oilers are averaging only 2.3 goals per game on the season and have scored only one goal in three of their last four contests. The team is frustrated, the fans are frustrated and some are already saying wait until next year. Edmonton forward Taylor Hall is suspended for this game and that will make it even more challenging in the offensive end of the ice. Phoenix is the much better team and has had four full days to rest up and prepare for this game. They should cruise past the Oilers in this spot and that's why we've tabbed it as our 6-unit Game of the Month.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Vancouver Canucks/Nashville Predators UNDER (8:05pm ET) Tonight's game between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators has all the makings of a 2-1 grind-it-out kind of battle. That's the style that the Predators like to play and they know that they probably won't be able to beat the Canucks playing this game fast. It also helps that Vancouver is on the second leg of a back-to-back on the road, so they're not going to be 100%. Tired teams generally like to slow it down and save their energy for critical parts of the game. The Canucks beat the Stars 4-3 last night, but the game featured a total of only 47 shots. We probably won't even see that many tonight, and there will be two very tough goalies in net to stop them. Roberto Luongo and Pekka Rinne are two of the very best in the NHL and both are having excellent seasons. Luongo checks in with a 1.63 goals against average and .934 save percentage, while Rinne has similar numbers with a 1.67 goals against average and .935 save percentage. Goals will be very tough to come by and that's why we're on the Under here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #63 Boston Bruins over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:35pm ET) The Boston Bruins are near the top in my power ratings. They have great offensive weapons, strong defensive pairings and a solid goaltender in the net. And most importantly, they've had basically the same roster intact for about three years now. That has been huge for the Bruins in this shortened season where practice time is limited. Boston is out to a fast start at 9-2-2 and I would be shocked if they don't end up winning the Northeast Division this season. They just don't have any glaring weaknesses and no one has better team chemistry. The Tampa Bay Lightning, on the other hand, have a whole slew of problems. They've been dreadful during 5-on-5 ice time this season. If it wasn't for their explosive power play, we'd be looking at a team near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Tampa is a one-way team. They're always looking to score, often times gambling on a break at the expense of their defense. When it pays off, it looks pretty. But when it doesn't, it sure is ugly. They just don't play hockey the right way and will never gain the consistency needed to be an elite team. The Lightning will be fighting for their playoff lives this season, and I'm guessing they come up short. This is just not a good hockey team overall, and the Bruins should make quick work of them tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #53 New Jersey Devils over Washington Capitals (7:05pm ET) A quick look at the standings shows that the New Jersey Devils are in second place in the Eastern Conference with 22 points. This usually wouldn't be too surprising from a team that advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in the previous year, but it is in many people's eyes. New Jersey barely slipped into the playoffs last season, were a year older and lost their one of their best players in Zach Parise. Most experts were calling for this team to the miss the playoffs this season, but so far it looks like they were way off base. New Jersey is successful because they have a great coach, a great system and guys that buy in. Their statistics never quite do this team enough justice. They're tough to play against, always give it their all and they don't beat themselves. The same can't be said of the Washington Capitals, who have struggled with putting it all together this season. They are last in the Eastern Conference with just 11 points and many have questioned their effort and team chemistry. New coach Adam Oates was supposed to be the savior - the one who could get this team back to playing the way they did in prior seasons. However, it's taken him a long time to get his system in place with the shortened season. I just don't think this is the year for the Caps and they may have already given up. New Jersey is coming off of two straight losses, so I think we'll see even more focus from them today. Take the Devils here.

10-unit Play Take #65 Los Angeles Kings over Edmonton Oilers (10:05pm ET) The defending champs are off to a slow start in the standings at just 5-6-2. They really can't afford to dig themselves any deeper of a hole as they are currently in 14th place in the Western Conference, ahead of only lowly Columbus. It's not like Los Angeles Kings have been playing poorly, as they've been in nearly every game but just haven't been able to score that clutch goal like they did in last year's playoffs. They've been getting enough shots, but just haven't been able to find the back of the net very often. That will likely turn as goal scoring is fluid and teams that shoot more will inevitably win more games. Today they'll go up against the Edmonton Oilers, a team that beat them 2-1 nearly two weeks ago. The Kings definitely haven't forgotten that game. They led most of the game 1-0, but the Oilers were able to score with 4.7 seconds left in the third period to force overtime. Rookie Nail Yakupov scored the tying goal and it was his celebration on the ice that may have left an indelible mark on the Kings. The Oilers ended up winning the game in overtime 2-1. The Kings will definitely be fired up for this one and they are the much better team here tonight and desperately need a victory to avoid falling into the basement of the Western Conference. Take Los Angeles here as our 5-unit Game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #5 Nashville Predators over Colorado Avalanche (3:05pm ET) They don't look pretty doing it, but the Nashville Predators have a knack for getting the job done. Despite some ugly numbers, the Preds come into this afternoon's matchup with a respectable 7-3-5 mark on the season. They have one of the best coaches in the game and play sound fundamental hockey, rarely beating themselves. It helps having one of the hottest goalies in the league in Pekka Rinne, who comes in with a 1.63 goals against average and .936 save percentage. They'll also get a boost today when one of their top offensive weapons, Patric Hornqvist, returns to the lineup. The Colorado Avalanche head into today's game off an embarrassing performance on Saturday against the Oilers. In that game, Colorado gave up an unheard of 56 shots on goal and allowed 6 of them in the back of the net in a 6-4 loss. There's no question that Colorado is struggling without its captain Gabriel Landeskog as well as holdout Ryan O'Reilly. Colorado is the kind of team that Nashville likes to take advantage of - young, undisciplined and over-aggressive at times. I like the Predators to win ugly again today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take Vancouver Canucks/St. Louis Blues UNDER (9:05pm ET) The St. Louis Blues head into Vancouver to take on the Canucks in one of Sunday's top games on the NHL slate. Most hockey fans know the Blues play tough, fundamentally sound defense and make life difficult on their opponents. That hasn't changed much this season, but the Blues have had some trouble in the net with goalie Jaroslav Halak suffering from a groin injury. Normal backup Brian Elliott has really struggled to find his way, forcing St. Louis to call up Jake Allen from the AHL. Allen is just 22 years old and has a lot to learn in the NHL, but he's seemingly rejuvenated the Blues defense. They haven't been spectacular, but have managed to allow only five goals in two games against teams with some pretty good offensive weapons (the Red Wings and Flames). It's a step in the right direction and there's no question that this Blues team wants to get back to playing a defense-first type of game.
The Vancouver Canucks have never really been known as a defensive team per se, as they boast plenty of offensive threats on each line. However, this year they've changed up their style a bit and seem to be slowing things down a lot more. In fact, Vancouver is only 19th in shots on goal this season - they were 6th last season. They've also received some great goaltending play out of both of their goalies, but mainly Roberto Luongo. Luongo should be in net tonight and he comes in at 4-0-2 with a 1.45 goals against average and .943 save percentage. Only Craig Anderson has better numbers early on in the season, so opponents have really had to get creative to try and put pucks past the All-Star. I fully expect tonight's game to be a physical, grind-it-out type of game with very few quality scoring chances. With goals being hard to come by, the Under is our 5-unit Game of the Day.

3-unit Play Take #2 Montreal Canadiens over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm ET) The Philadelphia Flyers are a mess of a team right now. They led the Devils 3-1 last night before falling apart and losing 5-3 in a game that has epitomized their season. Injuries have been a huge reason why this Flyers team has struggled to begin the season as they've played games without Chris Pronger, Daniel Brier, Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds, Kimmo Timonen and a host of others that are still out. Add this to a team that already had some big question marks and this is what you get. The Flyers have still managed to grab six victories this season, but they've also played one of the weaker schedules so far. Tonight they'll go up against and underrated Montreal Canadiens team that looks poised for a playoff run this season. Montreal comes in at 8-4-1 and has been the healthiest they have been in over 2 years. Andrei Markov was one of the key players missing last season and he's been a huge contributor for this team with 10 points already. Montreal is coming off of back-to-back victories on the road and now they return home where they look to redeem themselves from their last home game where they were dropped 6-0 by the Maple Leafs. Montreal is the much better team right now as Philly looks to just keep their heads above water until everyone gets healthy. Take the Canadiens tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #59 San Jose Sharks over Chicago Blackhawks (8:35pm ET) We've stayed away from betting against the red hot Blackhawks all season long, but tonight is a great spot to look for their first regulation loss of the season. There's no question that Chicago has looked very confident and smooth on the ice over the first three weeks of the season. They play well as a team and have had a knack for scoring a big goal when they really need it. However, tonight they go up against a team that is getting desperate for a win and is looking for a little revenge at the same time. The San Jose Sharks have lost six straight games (0-3-3) after starting the season at 7-0-0. They still haven't found a win in February and can't afford to let this go on in a shortened season. These teams hooked up 10 days ago and Chicago prevailed 5-3 in a big comeback win. The Sharks haven't forgotten that and I think we'll see their maximum effort tonight. The Hawks are pretty satisfied right now and it might be tougher to stay as motivated when things have come so easy for them so far. Backup goaltender Ray Emery will be in net tonight for the Hawks and he's a significant drop off from regular goalie Corey Crawford. There should be a lot of shots on goal tonight from both of these teams, so I think San Jose has a big edge in the net with Anti Niemi backing them up. The Hawks can't keep this streak going all season long, and I think the Sharks will hand them their first regulation loss of the season tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #58 Detroit Red Wings over Anaheim Ducks (7:35pm ET) The Anaheim Ducks head into Detroit with their heads held high with a 9-2-1 record. Things couldn't be better for the Ducks early on this season, but don't enjoy it for too long as this team still has plenty of holes. The defense has been a problem, and if it wasn't for new goalie sensation Viktor Fasth, this team would be in some trouble. Anaheim has given up 2.67 goals per game, which puts them at 17th in the league. That's not horrible, but consider that Fasth is 6-0 with a 1.74 goals against average and .933 save percentage, and you can see there's a problem. Fasth isn't going to be able to sustain those types of numbers for long, so the Anaheim defense is going to need to step up. They'll go up against a Red Wings team that knows how to put the puck in the net, so it will be a good challenge for Anaheim tonight. The Wings are coming off a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Blues, and they'll be fired up to bounce back after two days of rest. The Ducks are on the fifth stop on their six-game road trip, so they're not likely to come out with quite the same energy as the Wings. Detroit has won six of the last eight in this series and they should get the victory today at home.

3-unit Play Take #11 Colorado Avalanche over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm ET) The Colorado Avalanche are a banged up team right now with eight skaters injured including team captain Gabriel Landeskog who is out indefinitely. However, they've had guys in and out of the lineup all season and it finally seems like they are getting used to it and are making the proper adjustments. In their last five games they are just 2-3, but they lost two of those games by one goal including their last game in which they dominated Phoenix but lost on the scoreboard 3-2. There's still lots of good young talent on Colorado and I think they can keep it together while they wait to get fully healthy. They'll go up against a Minnesota Wild team that I don't have much hope for this season. The Wild come in at 6-6-1 but haven't looked like a cohesive unit on the ice at all this season. They shook up the roster a bit in the offseason and I think it may take time before this team becomes any kind of threat. Five of their six wins have been by a single goal and they've been lucky to grab some ugly wins. That won't keep up and I expect to see the Wild towards the bottom of the standings before they are competitive. This is also the third game in four nights for the Wild, so the Avalanche will be the fresher team with two full days off coming in. I have the line on this game around 120, so we get great value on the underdog in this one tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #56 Calgary Flames over Dallas Stars (9:35pm ET) Good spot here tonight for the Calgary Flames as they go up against a Dallas Stars on the second leg of a back-to-back on the road. The Flames have had a slow start to the season with new coach Bob Hartley, but they're playing a lot better lately despite what the scoreboard tells you. They're controlling the zone and winning the shots battle in the periods where it matters. It's just a matter of time before they start to turn that improved play into consistent victories. They'll go up against a Dallas team that will be a little gassed after putting together a late charge against Edmonton last night to win 4-1 for their fourth straight win. The Stars have exceeded my expectations so far this season but I think they're playing a bit over their heads. They're a veteran team so they'll be more affected by these back-to-back situations than most teams. Calgary is a much better team at home than they are on the road and they find a way to get the job done here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #17 Dallas Stars over Edmonton Oilers (9:35pm ET) The Dallas Stars come into Edmonton winners of three straight games four of their last five. They added some key veterans in the offseason and are determined to crack the playoffs in this shortened season. The Stars have absolutely owned the Oilers over the last couple of seasons winning nine of the last 10 matchups. Of those nine victories, only two were decided by a single goal. More specifically, Dallas goaltender Kari Lehtonen has owned this Oilers team as he 8-1 with a 1.89 goals against average in his last nine starts against Edmonton. There's no reason to believe that this trend will change today. Sure the Oilers are young and are improving, but they still have lots of learning to do and aren't tested yet. The Stars beat the Oilers in Edmonton last week and I think they can pull the trick once again today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #4 Ottawa Senators over Buffalo Sabres (7:35pm ET) The Ottawa Senators host the Buffalo Sabres for the second time in a week this evening. The Senators won last week's battle 4-3 and controlled the game from the outset. They jumped out to an early 3-1 in the first period and never looked back in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Ottawa is a much better team than their 6-4-2 record indicates as they've been on the wrong side of some close games that could have went either way, including a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh in a shootout and two 1-0 losses to the Hurricanes and Jets. The Sabres looked atrocious in their last two games as they were outshot by a combined 82-41 total. They managed to beat the Islanders in one of those games as goaltender Ryan Miller had a spectacular performance in net. This Ottawa team gets a lot of shots on goal, so Miller will probably need to stand on his head once again just to keep his team in this game. Ottawa has won four of the last five in this series and I like their chances to add to that mark today at home.

4-unit Play Take #60 Calgary Flames over Minnesota Wild (9:05pm ET) The Calgary Flames return home to face off against the Minnesota Wild tonight. The Flames come off a successful three-game road trip, winning two games including a big 4-1 win in Detroit. They started this season a little bit slow but I really like what they've been doing lately. They've spent a majority of time in the opponent's zone and have been doing a great job limiting premium scoring chances. They're relying on 24-year old Leland Irving in the net after regular goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff went down with an injury last week. The Flames have confidence in Irving, as they traded their backup goaltender to make way for Irving this season. He'll go up against a Minnesota Wild team that is one of the most overrated teams in the NHL. Minnesota is 5-5-1 to start the season and has a lot of pressure to win after adding the two big name free agents in the offseason - Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. I don't think they can live up to the hype and doubt this team has enough depth and talent to even make the playoffs. The Flames have won four of the last five games in this series and I like them to take care of business today at home.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #10 New York Rangers (-140) over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:35pm ET) Before the season started, there were lots of prognosticators picking the New York Rangers to hoist the Stanley Cup in 2013. After a slow start, some injury issues and a mediocre 5-5 record, it seems like many have already jumped ship to another bandwagon. This is the same Rangers team that nearly made it to the Finals last season, and they added All-Star winger Rick Nash. They still have one of the best goalies in the game Henrik Lundqvist, although he is off to a slow start. Bottom line, they're still very likely to make a deep playoff run so no need to abort mission. The Tampa Bay Lightning have started out the season fairly well, mostly because of an exceptional power play that features all kinds of firepower. The problem is that the Lightning have really been struggling at full strength, and unfortunately that's where most of the minutes are played. They lack the glue guys that keep the team together, instead relying on their superstars on offense to carry the load. I just don't' see Tampa Bay being able to sustain their success without adding some role players and playing better fundamentally. The Rangers are a superior squad and are at home for this one. We get a reduced price based on the Rangers' poor start, so we'll take advantage of it.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #73 Calgary Flames (+170) over Vancouver Canucks (10:05pm ET) When the Calgary Flames started the season, they look unprepared and a little lost on the ice under new coach Bob Hartley. However, the new boss has this team playing very good hockey of late as he's started to implement his system after losing most of their training camp time. The Flames are off of back-to-back wins against at Detroit and Columbus, and they also outplayed the Blackhawks in a tough 3-2 loss in a shootout last week. The Vancouver Canucks come in at 6-2-2 on the season, but they haven't looked as crisp on the ice without center Ryan Kessler. They only have a +0.3 shot differential per game, while the Flames are at +6.4. I have no doubt that the Canucks will be a much better team than the Flames by season's end, but right now the Flames are playing much better hockey. The price on this game is extremely high considering these teams played into a shootout in Vancouver just two weeks ago. We'll take a shot here with the big dog.

4-unit Play Take #58 Ottawa Senators (-155) over Winnipeg Jets (2:05pm ET) They're not getting as much attention as some of the more popular franchises, but the Ottawa Senators are one of the best teams in the league right now. The Senators have a goal differential of +9 on the season, a mark that is bested by only four teams in the entire NHL - the Blackhawks, Lightning, Penguins and Sharks. That's pretty good company and a big reason why they've played so well is goalie Craig Anderson. The 31-year old netminder is playing better than anyone this season with a 1.49 goals against average and .950 save percentage. It doesn't get much better than that, and with a lot of firepower on offense as well, this Senators team is tough to beat. The Winnipeg Jets will take a crack at it today, but they were a very poor team on the road last season and they've started this campaign at 1-4 away from home. Stud defensemen Dustin Byfuglien could also miss today's game, and he's probably the most important skater on the ice for the Jets. Ottawa has won four of the last five in this series and I expect another solid effort in a win tonight.

4-unit Play Take #67 Los Angeles Kings over Nashville Predators (8:05pm ET) I like this Los Angeles Kings team despite their struggles early on. Lots of people have jumped off their bandwagon, but they've played very good hockey everywhere except in the net. Jonathan Quick had back surgery in the offseason and he doesn't seem to be moving around as good as he usually does, but I do see steady improvement. If he can be anything close to what he was last season, the Kings could end up hoisting the Cup once again. On the other hand, the Nashville Predators have some work to do if they want to be in contention for some hardware. They played well the last time out in St. Louis winning 6-1, but this season has been tough for Nashville without defensemen Ryan Suter. They're also without one of their top goal producers in Patric Hornqvist, who is nursing an injury. This is the first game back home for the Predators after a long seven game road trip, so they might be a bit tired. The Kings are the much better squad and getting nearly even money is a steal.

3-unit Play Take Detroit Red Wings/St. Louis Blue UNDER (8:05pm ET) The Detroit Red Wings have a slew of injuries right now, and they've had to change their game plan because of it. Over the first couple of weeks, the Wings have slowed it down a bit in an effort to keep the guys that they have fresh. It hasn't worked as well as they had hoped, but they are hanging in there until everyone is back. As a result, we've seen some games with low shot totals from Detroit. The St. Louis Blue don't let up very many easy goals as they play tight defense and have strong goaltending. I put them in the Under category for sure, and when they play someone they know very well like Detroit, the familiarity generally leads to a much tighter played game with fewer mistakes and fewer scoring opportunities. Everything points to a low scoring affair in this matchup, so we're on the Under in this game.

5-unit Play Take #71 Vancouver Canucks over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm ET) There's no reason to go into very many details here. The Vancouver Canucks are simply a much better team than the Minnesota Wild is. Yes the Canucks are getting a little bit older, but they're still one of the most talented teams in the NHL and have two strong goalies that they can count on. The Wild is a team that will probably be much better later on in the season, but right now they are learning how to play with one another after acquiring Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. I don't envision this Minnesota squad making the playoffs this season, even though everyone says that they have a chance for the Cup. We'll take advantage of a low line in this game as Minnesota is still getting way too much love without accomplishing anything yet. This is our strongest play on the card and our 5-unit Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #60 New Jersey Devils over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:05pm ET) Most, including myself, were expecting some drop off in the performance of the New Jersey Devils this season. They were another year older and had lost one of their best players and leaders in Zach Parise. But with great coaching and a group of guys that play fundamental hockey the right way, anything is possible. So far in 2013 they've been very impressive at 5-1-3 against a pretty tough schedule. They're doing it the same way they always have - with that great trapping defense, solid goaltending and timely offense. It's just hard to bet against this team, and when they go up against someone with as many holes as the Tampa Bay Lightning, you have to look to bet them. The Lightning has gotten off to a fast start in 2013 as well, compiling a 6-3 record on the young season. But this team is about as one dimensional as it gets and isn't a good matchup against New Jersey. Tampa Bay has tons of skill and can score the puck in bunches with the likes of Stamkos, St. Louis and Lecavalier. The problem is they have some gaping holes on the defensive end and an unproven goaltender in Anders Lindback. I don't think Tampa Bay will get as many easy looks as they usually do against the Devils, so they will struggle to hang in this one. Take New Jersey at home tonight.

4-unit Play Take Dallas Stars/Edmonton Oilers OVER (10:05pm ET) The Dallas Stars head into Edmonton to take on the Oilers tonight. Neither of these teams are known as scoring machines, and both have both tabbed as Under teams over the last couple of seasons. However, Dallas added some firepower in the offseason with the additions of Jaromir Jagr, Derek Roy and Ray Whitney (currently injured). That hasn't translated into a ton of offense yet, but they've shown some flashes and are getting more and more comfortable playing together each game. The Oilers have a great young core of players that are offensive-minded and they've certainly been more aggressive this season. It hasn't translated into lots of offense for them yet either, but it's coming on. Both of these should outperform their current numbers offensively so this is a good spot to play the Over on a low total.

3-unit Play Take #1 Boston Bruins over Montreal Canadiens (7:35pm ET) Both the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens have gotten off to great starts to the 2013 season, but only one of these teams has the staying power to keep it up for the entire season - the Bruins. Boston is built to win now with virtually the same roster as they had during their Stanley Cup season two years ago. That continuity has served them well in this shortened season where training camp was only week and where practices are sparse. Goaltender Tuukka Rask has also stepped up to the plate in the absence of Tim Thomas with a strong .919 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average. The Canadiens have been successful this season based on the outstanding play of goalie Carey Price, who is among the league leaders with a .938 save percentage and 1.70 goals against average. Price is an above average goalie, but those numbers aren't sustainable, so Montreal is going to need to stay aggressive on offense. The Bruins have won the last four games in this series and they're the better team. Take Boston at a nice price here.

3-unit Play Take #68 St. Louis Blues over Nashville Predators (8:05pm ET) Tonight's game between the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blue features a high price on the home team, but it's well warranted. Nobody has looked better on the ice this season than this Blues team has. They're great on both ends, are fundamentally sound, have two great goaltenders and one of the best head coaches in the league. Their games are going to be highly priced throughout the season, but I still think we can find some value on them in certain spots. Today is one of those situations as they go up against a Nashville team that looks a little lost early on in the season. The Predators come in 3-2-3, and have played a lot of close games this season with five of their contests going to the shootout. But the offense has been virtually non-existent for this squad as they've averaged only 1.5 goals per game (not including the freebies on shootouts). They've slowed the pace of the game down significantly to increase their chances of winning, but that's not going to be the answer to all of their problems. The loss of Ryan Suter is affecting this team significantly and they just don't look like a playoff team to me anymore. They do have a strong goalie in the net, but he can't carry the team for an entire season. This is a terrible spot for the Predators as they're on the last leg of a seven-game road trip that has seen them accumulate 5,425 miles in the air. They can't wait to get back home after two full weeks of traveling, and there's a good chance their bodies and minds may not be all there tonight in St. Louis. The Blues have already defeated Nashville in their first two meetings in rather easy fashion, so no reason to expect anything different in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #55 Los Angeles Kings over Columbus Blue Jackets (7:05pm ET) Another hockey season, another year that we can proclaim the Columbus Blue Jackets as the worst team in the NHL. Although they've managed to win three games this season, the Blue Jackets have easily been the worst team I've watched this year and the problems are still the same. They don't have enough playmakers on offense and are averaging a meager 1.89 goals per game. They also have one of the game's worst goaltenders in Steve Mason, who has a career save percentage barely above .900. They're also dealing with a handful of injuries right now, the biggest being a concussion for top defensemen James Wisniewski. The worst part is that it's tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel for this team, so it's not likely things are going to change anytime soon. The Los Angeles Kings, on the other hand, are coming off an incredible season in which they took home Lord Stanley's Cup. They started a little slow out of the gate this season (as most champions do), but they've got things headed in the right direction. Despite a 2-3-2 mark, the Kings have looked like the better team on the ice in most of their games this season but unfortunately haven't been able to put the puck in the net very often. They'll be licking their chops against a Columbus team that has problems on both ends. Take the Kings here tonight.

4-unit Play Take #6 Phoenix Coyotes (-125) over Minnesota Wild (9:05pm ET) The Phoenix Coyotes host the Minnesota Wild tonight, as they look to extend their point streak to five games. The Coyotes haven't been at full strength all season, as Raffi Torres served a long suspension and goalie Mike Smith missed four games with a groin injury. Both are finally back and that will make a huge difference to a team that has already been playing pretty well. They're still missing Steve Sullivan and Rostislav Klelsa, but they've done a good job plugging holes in the young season. I wasn't too fond of this Minnesota Wild team when the season began, and I'm even less impressed after watching them play for a couple of weeks. They got a ton of attention with the two big signings of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but these guys clearly haven't jelled yet. The Wild has scraped together a 4-3-1 record, but they've played a lot of close games and five of their eight matchups have been at home. I don't have high expectations for this squad this season. The Coyotes are definitely the better team between these two and they're playing at home. As a result, I feel like this line is about 20-25 cents too low. Take the Coyotes here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Carolina Hurricanes/Toronto Maple Leafs OVER 5.5 (7:05pm ET) Tonights' game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs should be a fun one for the fans. Both teams have been pushing the pace a bit lately and feature lineups with lots of offensive weapons. Carolina goaltender Cam Ward has also been struggling mightily in the net this season with a 4.05 goals against average and .867 save percentage. Those numbers put Ward near the very bottom of the league among starting goalies. Toronto goaltender James Reimer has decent numbers so far this season, but he's been a below average goalie in his career. So don't expect either one of these netminders to pitch a shutout tonight. We should see the lamp lighting up quite a bit in this one, so the Over is the play here.

5-unit Play Take Dallas Stars/Phoenix Coyotes OVER 5 (8:05pm ET) The Dallas Stars and Phoenix Coyotes hooked up last night in Dallas in a wild game that saw the Stars prevail in a shootout 4-3. There were lots of quality scoring chances in the game last night and I expect to see more of the same again tonight. We'll also probably see at least one of the backup goaltenders in this game, and I expect these teams to be a bit tired with travel on a back-to-back. Scoring has been up in the NHL this season, making these low totals of 5 very attractive. The last three times these two teams tangled, the total went Over and I like it again here tonight. Play Over 5 as our 5-unit Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #7 Boston Bruins (-145) over Toronto Maple Leafs (7:05pm ET) With the hot starts from the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blue and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Boston Bruins aren't getting much attention with their 5-1-1 start to the 2013 campaign. Despite what the records say, nobody is playing better than this Boston team is at the moment. They've kept the same squad intact for the last three years and that continuity has helped them tremendously with the short training camp due to the lockout. They're only loss in regulation was the last time out against the Sabres. Even though they dropped that game by a 7-4 score, the Bruins were the better team on the ice but goalie Tuukka Rask was just off his game. He'll look to bounce back tonight in Toronto against a young Maple Leafs team. Toronto has the longest playoff drought in the NHL and many are calling for this team to finally break through this season. I still think they're a year away, but they have shown flashes here and there. They're not a particularly good team at home, so I think the Bruins will come in here and get the job done. They've won six straight in this series and should make it seven tonight. Boston is the play.

3-unit Play Take #62 Anaheim Ducks (-120) over Minnesota Wild (10:05pm ET) Good matchup here tonight between a team that's a little underrated and a team that is being overrated. The Anaheim Ducks have played really well in their five games so far this season, accumulating seven points against a very difficult schedule. They've played Vancouver twice, along with Calgary, Nashville and San Jose. And three of those five games were on the road. A lot of teams would have stumbled out of the gates starting with a schedule like that, but the Ducks have stood tall and have been the aggressors. This is just a good veteran team with solid leadership and an above average goaltender is Jonas Hiller. Since they didn't qualify for the playoffs last season, everyone is down on this team but I think they have a good shot this season with their window closing soon. The Minnesota Wild got all of the attention in the offseason, adding two big time free agents in Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Expectations were immediately raised to Stanley Cup contenders after the signings, and that's just not fair given how bad this team was in the second half of the season last year. It's going to take time for the Wild to jell, and quite honestly they probably need to add another piece or two to really become contenders. They've posted a decent record so far, but they were clearly outplayed in their last two games where they were able to pick up one-goal wins. Anaheim is the just the better squad right now and I like the Ducks at home in this price range.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #11 Winnipeg Jets over Florida Panthers (7:35pm ET) We're only two weeks into the hockey season, but it's already clear that the worst team in the NHL right now is the Florida Panthers. They've been dominated in every game after their season opener and have only scored a total of five goals in their last five games. Injuries are one of the main reasons that Florida has struggled, but quite honestly this isn't really a good team even when they are healthy. They were fortunate to win their division last season even though they were outscored by 24 goals. Today they face an underrated Winnipeg Jets team that has a real chance at the playoffs this year. Winnipeg has a great young core and they bolstered their lineup with the addition of Olli Jokinen in the offseason. The Jets have already notched a very impressive win against the Penguins and nearly beat the Bruins earlier this season as well. The price on this game is well under where I made it, so we'll gladly take Winnipeg here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take #14 Ottawa Senators over Washington Capitals (7:35pm ET) With the lockout shortened season, some teams benefitted while others were adversely affected. For the Washington Capitals, it's been a challenging start to the season thus far. The Capitals went through two different head coaches last season and in the offseason they hired another head coach - Adam Oates. Coach Oates had a lot of new ideas on how to make this Washington team more aggressive, but he didn't get the time to implement his system with only one week of training camp. As a result, the Capitals are learning on the fly and it's showed on the ice. The Caps have just one victory in their first five games and a few of the guys have really looked lost out there, including Alex Ovechkin. This team clearly has the talent to get better, and I'd be surprised if they don't significantly improve as the season goes on. However, they are definitely a team to be playing against at this point in the season. The Ottawa Senators, on the other hand, have looked good ever since the puck was dropped in their first game. They've earned seven points in their five games and have the second best goal differential in the Eastern Conference so far. Goalie Craig Anderson has also been amazing so far with a 0.74 goals against average and a ridiculous .975 save percentage. It just doesn't get much better than that. These teams are on opposite ends of the spectrum right now, so Ottawa is an easy selection here as our 6-unit Game of the Month.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #57 Colorado Avalanche over Edmonton Oilers (9:35pm ET) The Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers come into today's matchup with identical 2-2 records on the young season. However, the Avalanche have definitely looked sharper in the first four games than have the Oilers. Edmonton hasn't even had the lead during any of their four games, coming from behind to win two of them in overtime and the shootout. They've gotten off to slow starts in each of their games, being outscored 9-2 in the first period. Many expected this young Edmonton team to finally take the next step and get into the playoffs this season, but I think they're a year away still. There's just not enough experience there yet and the shortened season wont' help them in that regard. Colorado is coming off of a bad 4-0 loss to the Sharks on Saturday in which they were embarrassed. As a result, I expect them to play more focused and give max effort tonight. Their team is a lot like Edmonton in that they have a good young core that bodes well for the future. The Avalanche core is further along, however, and are more prepared to win now than the Oilers are. I like Colorado to earn the two points today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #15 Vancouver Canucks (+110) over San Jose Sharks (8:05pm ET) The San Jose Sharks are off to a fast start to the 2013 season with a perfect 4-0 record atop the Pacific Division. They've also outscored their opponents by an impressive 19-7 margin. However, if you look at their schedule they haven't played anyone considered a legitimate contender yet - Calgary, Edmonton, Phoenix and Colorado. Today they'll get a true test as they go up against the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver has dominated this series, winning six of the last eight in San Jose and five of the last six overall. This is the same Vancouver team that most experts were picking to win the Stanley Cup the last couple of seasons, but they seem to be flying under the radar just a bit early on. This will also be the second game of a back-to-back spot for the Sharks, which might be a bit for taxing given the short training camp and lack of full conditioning. Don't be fooled by small sample sizes as Vancouver is definitely the better team here and are a good value at plus juice.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #7 Philadelphia Flyers (+125) over Tampa Bay Lightning (6:05pm ET) We rode the Philadelphia Flyers last night and they were good to us picking up an easy win 7-1. Today we'll go to the well again as they face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flyers sputtered a bit in its first few games, but they looked much more focused in their last two efforts and are getting a little healthier. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov looks like he came into this season with something to prove after a mediocre campaign last year. So far in 2013 he's posted a 2.22 goals against average and .923 save percentage, putting him near the top of the league. If he can play at this level for the entire season, there's no question that this Flyers team can win the Cup. The Lightning come into today's matchup with a 3-1 mark, but they haven't looked very impressive to me. They rolled over a weak Washington squad in its first game and were really outplayed in its next three games despite picking up two victories. This will be the best team they've played so far and I expect them to struggle. They picked up Anders Lindback from the Predators in the offseason and he's been less than special with a whopping 3.67 goals against average and .900 save percentage. This is the first time he's been elevated to the starting level, so he could be feeling the pressure a bit. With Philadelphia's offensive weapons, I expect them to keep the pressure on Lindback for the entire game. Take the Flyers again today.

5-unit Play Take #59 St. Louis Blues (-135) over Dallas Stars (8:05pm ET) The St. Louis Blues have looked more impressive than any other team during the first week of the NHL season. They've won three of their four games, but have dominated each opponent they've faced thus far. So far in 2013, the Blues have outshot their opponents by a whopping 133-78 margin. St. Louis plays great fundamental hockey and has one of the best head coaches in the sport in Ken Hitchcock. They go up against an aging Dallas Stars team that is never quite good enough to qualify for the playoffs each season. The Stars have captured five points in their four games, but all four of those games were decided by exactly one goal and could have gone either way. They'll send rookie goaltender Christopher Nilstorp out for his second career start between the pipes. He comes in with high praises, but he's certainly a drop off from starter Kari Lehtonen at this point in his career. With the way the Blues have been playing, he's going to see a ton of shots today and it could shake his confidence if a couple get by him early on. The Blues are an absolute freight train right now and I don't see the Stars slowing them down. Take St. Louis as our 5-unit Game of the Week.

3-unit Play Take #57 Philadelphia Flyers (-130) over Florida Panthers (7:35pm ET) Both the Philadelphia Flyers and Florida Panthers come into tonight's game really banged up. That has translated into some ugly results for these two clubs as they both stand at 1-3 in the early season. However, the Flyers are much more adept at dealing with injuries than the Panthers due to their depth. Florida simply can't afford to have any of their regulars miss time and now they are without four key skaters. The puck bounced their way for the Panthers last season as they won the Southeast Division despite being outscored by 24 goals. I don't think they're going to be as lucky this season, and with a shortened season these injuries are going to be huge for them. The Flyers finally notched their first win of the season on Thursday against the Rangers. They definitely played their best game of the season, outshooting New York 33-19 in a 2-1 victory. That should give them some confidence going forward now that the monkey is off their back. Take Philadelphia in this one.

3-unit Play Take #53 Toronto Maple Leafs (+165) over New York Rangers (7:05pm ET) The Toronto Maple Leafs head to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers for the first time this season tonight. The price on this game seems a little bit high given how the Rangers have performed thus far in 2013. New York is off to a 1-3 start, but it's how they've lost that's more concerning. They've mustered only nine goals thus far on what was supposed to be a much improved offense with the addition of Steve Nash. Their only win was in overtime and they were thoroughly outplayed in the other three contests. All-Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has also struggled to get going, with a horrendous 3.47 goals against average and .895 save percentage. Toronto, meanwhile, has already notched an impressive win on the road against the Penguins by a score of 5-2. Many are calling for the Maple Leafs to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003-04, and I think they could be right. They have a good young group and should make some noise in the Eastern Conference this season. There is too much value to pass up on this one as I think Toronto has a good shot to come away with a victory tonight with the way the Rangers are playing.

3-unit Play Take #10 Detroit Red Wings (-115) over Minnesota Wild (7:35pm ET) There's no question that the Detroit Red Wings are not the team that they were five years ago. Their veterans are aging and they've even had a few retirements recently. However, this team still knows how to play and they play the game the right way. Today's line against the Minnesota Wild is about the cheapest you'll ever find on the Wings at home against a mediocre team. Part of the reason is that Detroit is a little banged up, but the primary reason is the perception of Detroit is that this team is over the hill and no longer a contender. Minnesota's perception is that they are a Stanley Cup contender with the additions of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. But don't forget that this Minnesota team was one of the worst in the NHL in the second half of last season. Two guys don't convert you from a bad team to a great one, as it's going to take time before the Wild are a legitimate contender. So we have two overreactions on these teams that combine to make the Red Wings an excellent play today with great value.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #53 New York Rangers over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm ET) The New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers have both struggled to start the season, so this is a big early season game with a shortened schedule. New York dropped its first two games of the season before finally righting the ship last night against the Bruins in a 4-3 win in overtime. It was understandable to expect the Rangers to begin a little bit slower as they integrated the newly-acquired Steve Nash into the lineup. He seems to be getting more comfortable and that's bad news for the rest of the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Flyers come into this game a complete mess. They have dropped their first three games of the season, getting outscored by a combined 11-3 margin in the process. To make matters even worse, center Brayden Schenn is suspended for this game, left winger Scott Hartnell is out with a foot injury, center Daniel Briere is out with a wrist among others who are also banged up. As a result, Philadelphia is going to have to play way over their heads to win this one. On top of all that, the Rangers have won eight straight games in the series between these two clubs. I expect that streak to increase to nine today as the Rangers should win going away.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #67 San Jose Sharks (-115) over Edmonton Oilers (10:05pm ET) The Edmonton Oilers have a great young nucleus of players and have been tabbed many as the next great up and coming team of the NHL. Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle are an exciting trio that's fun to watch. However, their time is not now as they still have plenty to learn before they're contenders. Don't forget that this team finished with the 2nd fewest points in the entire NHL last season with only 74. Only Columbus was worse. This rebuilding project is well underway, but don't expect this team to be playoff-bound in 2013. One team you can count on to advance to the postseason is the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are regular season machines and they return the same cast of characters as last season. San Jose is 7-2 in their last nine meetings in Edmonton and have won 11 of the last 15 meetings overall. I expect the veterans on the Sharks to teach a lesson or two to the young Edmonton team today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #57 Philadelphia Flyers (-105) over New Jersey Devils (7:35pm ET) The Philadelphia Flyers have one thing on their mind tonight, and that is to get revenge against the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season - the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers fell in five games against the eventual Eastern Conference champions, losing four straight after taking Game One. It definitely left a bitter taste in their mouths, and they're hoping they can get rid of that in this one. The Flyers are a young team with plenty of playmakers that can light up the scoreboard. When they lost last season, it was usually due to lack of discipline and play in the crease. With another year of experience for the youngsters, I expect them to play more focused hockey and make less mistakes. I'm also expecting Ilya Bryzgalov to bounce back after having a mediocre season in goal last year. On the other hand, I'm expecting the Devils to regress some in 2013. Nobody remembers how bad Marty Brodeur was during most of the season last year because he had a great stretch run that extended into the playoffs. He nearly lost his starting job on several occasions, and may have retired if that had occurred. Instead he's back at it again at the age of 40, with his better years well behind him. The Flyers have dropped their first two games of the season, and they really need this one to avoid a disastrous start to an already shortened season. I think they pick up a win today in New Jersey.

3-unit Play Take #51 Winnipeg Jets/Washington Capitals OVER 5.5 (7:05pm ET) After a miserable regular season in which the Washington Capitals fired their head coach Bruce Boudreau and replaced him with Dale Hunter, it was time for some fresh blood this season. They hired former NHL great Adam Oates, a move praised by many. Upon taking over, Oates promised to transform the Capitals offensive attack. He immediately moved Alex Ovechkin from right wing to left wing and promised that the offense would be much more aggressive. Defensemen are now encouraged to join the rush and goaltenders will be looking to set up the skaters better. As a result, you could expect higher scoring games from the Capitals and that came to fruition in the first game of the season when they lost to the Lightning 6-3. Tonight the Caps will face the Winnipeg Jets and we should see more of the same. I like what the Jets did in the offseason, adding center Olli Jokinen which should add to their scoring punch. I'm not a big fan of either goaltender in this one, as both are young and unproven. Ondrej Pavelec is 25-years old and Braden Holtby is only 23. We should see lots of shots tonight and I'd be surprised if these two netminders will be able to keep the puck out of the net all night. Take the Over 5.5 goals here.

3-unit Play Take #13 Anaheim Ducks over Calgary Flames (9:05pm ET) We were successful betting against this Calgary team last night and today we will fade them once again. The Flames are up against it with a brand new head coach that had almost no time to prepare for the season with only a week of training camp. Coach Bob Hartley may do some good things in Calgary this season, but right now he's just trying to teach his system and get his guys in shape. The Flames are also an aging team that is caught in between going into full rebuilding mode and trying to make the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Anaheim Ducks were very impressive the other night in their debut against the Canucks, winning by a 7-3 margin. They have a lot of high-skill guys who have played together for a few years, which is big early on in the season without a full training camp. Anaheim has won six of the last eight meetings between these clubs and I think they get the job done again tonight. Take the Ducks at a nice low price here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #55 San Jose Sharks over Calgary Flames (6:05pm ET) Over the last 10 years, the San Jose Sharks have a better regular season record than any team not named Detroit. They've been remarkably consistent from year-to-year, keeping a core group of guys together and adding the right pieces when needed. The problem for San Jose has been advancing deep in the playoffs. That won't be an issue today, however, as this is the regular season where the Sharks excel. Nearly half of the Sharks' regulars played overseas or in the AHL during the lockout, a huge advantage for them early on as they should be in good game shape. Their opponent today, the Calgary Flames, had only four players playing overseas and they're also breaking in a new head coach. Without much of a training camp, Flames coach Bob Harley surely didn't have enough time to implement his full system. As a result, I expect their guys to be a little bit lost out there for the first few games of the season. The Sharks are the better team and will be much more prepared in this one. San Jose is the right side.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/Los Angeles Kings UNDER (8:20pm EST) We're going to stick with what's been working and look at the Under again in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight. We've yet to see an Over in this series and both teams are playing great defense backed by two great goaltenders. The deeper we go into the series, the more it favors the respective defenses as they've seen everything that the opposing offenses can throw at them. These teams know each other pretty well by now and I don't think we'll see any tricks up anyone's sleeves. With shot totals remaining low in each game, the only way we see an Over is if one of the goaltenders turns in an uncharacteristic performance. We haven't seen any evidence of that happening throughout the playoffs and with the series on the line there's very little chance of it today. The market hasn't seemed to adjust to the totals in this series yet, so we'll jump on the Under once again tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/New Jersey Devils UNDER (8:20pm EST) Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final goes tonight in New Jersey and one thing has been abundantly clear in this series - goals are very hard to come by. Every game of this series has went Under the total and we've only seen 14 combined goals in the first four games - two of which were in extra overtime periods. There haven't been very many good scoring opportunities either as the shot totals have been very low. Only one game featured more than 46 shots on goal, so the goaltenders have had an easier time of it. Jonathan Quick and Marty Brodeur are two of the best in the game, so they definitely don't need much extra help. But if the shot counts are lower, they just get that much better. We have another elimination game tonight, and with New Jersey trying to crawl back into this series, so I think we'll see these teams playing more tight, fundamental hockey. This one feels like another 2-1 or 3-1 type of final, so we'll ride the Under once again in tonight's Game 5 in New Jersey.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/Los Angeles Kings UNDER (8:15pm EST) This could be the end as the Los Angeles Kings hold a 3-0 series lead heading into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight. It really hasn't been as lopsided of a series as it appears on the surface, but one thing for sure is that Jonathan Quick and the Los Angeles defense has been superb. Los Angeles has only allowed 72 shots in the first three games and Quick has stopped all but two of them. He's definitely elevated himself as one of the best, if not the best, goaltender in the league. New Jersey's defense has been very solid in this series as well, but Marty Brodeur is past his prime and hasn't been able to keep the puck out of the net as often. All three games have gone Under the total in this series and I don't see much changing in Game 4 tonight. Both of these teams play tight, fundamental hockey and I look for another 2-1 or 3-1 type of game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #5 New Jersey Devils over Los Angeles Kings (8:05pm EST) Tonight is Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings. We've been treated to a pair of excellent games already in this series, as both went to overtime and were won by the Kings 2-1. Both games could have easily gone either way as each team had numerous chances to win it in the third period and overtime in the first two games. But the fact of the matter is that the Kings are now up 2-0 and the series heads back to Los Angeles for a very important Game 3. The Devils may actually be happier than the Kings that the series is shifting venues. That's because the Kings have been absolute road warriors in the playoffs to the tune of a 10-0 mark. The Kings have been good at home as well going 4-2, but they've definitely played better in that underdog role away from home. Tonight's game is clearly do or die for the Devils as they can't fall behind 3-0 in the series. I'm not surprised that the line is this high for the Kings, but I do know that New Jersey is not that far behind them. There's been a lot of public money continuing to pour in on the Kings, and I think it's finally got to a point where they're overvalued despite how well that they've played in the playoffs. We'll gladly take +145 for the Devils in tonight's game with how evenly matched these teams were in the first two games.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/New Jersey Devils UNDER (8:05pm EST) The puck drops on Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight in New Jersey. The first game was a goalie's delight as the game featured a total of only 42 shots including overtime. That is an extremely low quantity of shots considering these teams had not seen each other since October of 2011. Not that Jonathan Quick and Marty Brodeur need many breaks as they've both been absolute brick walls in the playoffs. Quick has an amazing 1.53 goals against average in the postseason and Brodeur has stepped up with the spotlight on him as well. Both teams play sound defense and don't allow many easy scoring chances, which makes it even more difficult for the opponents to score. These playoffs have seen quite a few Unders, and I don't expect anything to change in the Finals. Game 1 was a 2-1 final and that is the kind of score we should see again tonight. Play the Under as our NHL Game of the Month.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings over New Jersey Devils (8:05pm EST) Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals gets underway on Wednesday night between the Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils. As we stated above, this Kings team has tons of momentum and is hitting on all cylinders right now. They've dominated Game 1's in each series so far wining all three and outscoring their opponents 10-5. The Kings are also an amazing 8-0 on the road this postseason and seem to relish playing on their opponent's ice. The Devils have actually struggled when they've had more rest, losing five of their last seven games with 3 or more days to rest. I think the Kings will get off to a quick start in this series and take Game 1 tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #24 New Jersey Devils over New York Rangers (8:05pm EST) Tonight the New Jersey Devils come back home and try to eliminate the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. It's been a pretty good series so far, but New Jersey has definitely played better hockey overall. If not for some unbelievable efforts by Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, this series would already be over. However, Lundqvist looked very human in Game 5 as he allowed four goals on 16 shots on goal. It was easily his worst performance of the playoffs and it will be interesting to see how he responds tonight. New Jersey has been a great team at home all season long and I think they're playing a level higher than the Rangers are right now. The price on this game is very reasonable and I think the Devils win this one to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/New York Rangers UNDER (8:05pm EST) We've seen some mixed results on the Under in this series so far, but one thing for sure is that goals are not easy to come by for these two teams. This will be the 11th meeting of the season (regular season and playoffs) between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers and over the first 10 games the combined total has averaged 4.2 goals per game. That's obviously below our total today which is at plus juice and it's much more difficult to score goals in the playoffs. Without a late empty net goal in the last game, it's also Under the total. The Rangers should be able to dictate the pace a little bit more since the game is in Madison Square Garden, and that means it will be slower. The Rangers don't like taking too many chances and tend to rely more on goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to do what he does best and carry the team. Game 5 is a pivotal game for this series and it feels like a 2-1 final, possibly in overtime. Take the Under here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #17 Los Angeles Kings over Phoenix Coyotes (9:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings make their second attempt to finish off the Coyotes tonight in Phoenix for Game 5. Despite dropping Game 4 by a score of 2-0, the Kings still dominated that game as they outshot Phoenix in every period but were shut down by an amazing performance by goaltender Mike Smith. Smith's not an elite goaltender and it's going to be a lot to expect him to turn in that type of performance again. It was probably the best game of his entire career stopping all 36 shots Los Angeles shots to keep his team alive for at least one more game in the playoffs. Don't forget that the Kings are 11-2 in the playoffs and most of their games have not even been close. They have also been absolute road warriors in the playoffs winning all seven road games and nullifying any home ice advantage. They are just on another level right now above any other NHL team by far. Goalie Jonathan Quick has only surrendered more than two goals once in the entire playoffs is playing the best net by far. I think the price on the Kings is reasonable tonight and they should get it done and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take New York Rangers/New Jersey Devils UNDER (8:05pm EST) We've been riding a lot of Unders during the NHL playoffs and especially when the New York Rangers are involved. So far it's paid big dividends and tonight we look that way again for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Rangers and Devils. The first three games of the series were extremely physical with both defenses playing well around the net making scoring chances tough to come by. This will be the tenth meeting between these teams on the season and they've only averaged 4.0 goals per game during the first nine. It's safe to say that these rivals know each other very well and you won't see many tricks up anyone's sleeves. That certainly favors the defense over the offense and I'm comfortable playing Under the total again. As I keep saying, goals are going to be tougher and tougher to score as these teams get deeper and deeper into the series.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Los Angeles Kings OVER (3:05pm EST) The Kings have dominated the Phoenix Coyotes this series and look for the sweep this afternoon in Los Angeles. This isn't your typical elimination game as no one is giving the Coyotes any real chance to make this a series and the Kings have already been penciled into the Stanley Cup Finals. However, I don't think the Coyotes will go down without a fight and they'll be much more likely to take whatever chances they need to with the pressure now off. That should translate into more scoring chances and more goals. Believe it or not, we've actually already seen a decent amount of shots on goal in this series already with the average being at 62 per game. That's enough shots to produce more than 5.5 goals per game based on the goaltenders in the net. Since today's pace expects to be a little more frantic, I believe we'll see more shots today and that will give us a great chance to see even more action. This is a very low total and we could get there in the second period today, so take the Over.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take New York Rangers/New Jersey Devils UNDER (1:05pm EST) The first two games of the series between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils were extremely physical with both defenses playing well around the net. As we mentioned for the last game between these teams, that' s what should be expected as defense is what got these teams to where they are now. Neither team surrenders very many breakaways or easy scoring chances and that has resulted in some low scoring matchups between these two. In their eight meetings, including the playoffs, they combine to average under 4.1 goals per game. Goals are going to be get tougher and tougher to score as these teams get deeper and deeper into the series, so we're on the Under again tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #10 Los Angeles Kings over Phoenix Coyotes (9:05pm EST) There's not much to elaborate on for this play. The Los Angeles Kings have dominated the NHL playoffs in a manner that quite honestly hasn't been seen in years. They're now 10-1 in the playoffs and only one of theirs wins was by a lone goal. It's been a real team effort as the offense has been stellar, the defense extra stingy and Jonathan Quick has been fabulous in the goal. The price on today's game is high, but it's fully warranted as the Kings are a freight train right now and I certainly don't want to get in their way. Take the Kings tonight to continue their amazing run.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/New York Rangers UNDER (8:05pm EST) It's Game 2 in Madison Square Garden tonight between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. The first game of the series was very physical with plenty of great defense around the net. We also witnessed a sensational effort by Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist, who stopped all 21 New Jersey shots. None of what happened in Game 1 was very surprising to anyone as this the way that these teams play. In their seven matchups this season, a total of only 29 goals were scored for both teams. That's only 4.1 goals per game and with the intensity being even greater in the playoffs, you can't expect it to be anything but an even tighter game. These teams don't surrender very many breakaways or easy scoring chances. They both play safe, fundamental hockey and that usually leads to low scoring affairs. It's going to get tougher and tougher to score as these teams get deeper and deeper into the series, so we'll be looking to play the Under as much as possible, and it starts with tonight's game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #5 Los Angeles Kings over Phoenix Coyotes (9:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings are on a mission. With a 9-1 record in the playoffs, including a 6-0 mark on the road, the Kings are clearly playing the best hockey of the four teams remaining. They are doing everything right on the ice and getting key contributions from virtually their entire team. The MVP for them so far has been goaltender Jonathan Quick. Quick comes in with a 1.60 goals against average in the playoffs and has only allowed more than two goals once - the Kings only loss. But the most impressive thing about the Kings run is just how dominant they have been. In their nine wins, only two of them have been by one goal and the other seven have been by two or more goals. Considering how close games are in the playoffs, that is just an amazing statistic. The Coyotes, on the other hand, have barley been getting by in the playoff. Of their eight wins, six of them have been by one goal and four of those were in overtime. Momentum is everything in the NHL playoffs and the Kings have it right now. They dominated Game 1 in this series with 48 shots on goals versus only 27 for the Coyotes, in a 4-2 win that could have been much worse. Absolutely no reason to believe that tonight will be any different as the Kings are the only way you can go with tonight's game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #4 New York Rangers over New Jersey Devils (8:05pm EST) The Eastern Conference Finals begin tonight in Madison Square Garden between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils. This is a great rivalry matchup that has plenty of NHL fans excited and should be a fairly evenly matched series. The Rangers have gone the distance in their last two series against the Senators and Capitals, wrapping up Game 7 on Saturday night against Washington. The Devils, on the other hand, have had five full days off since beating the Flyers in five games in the last series. In my eyes, that is a huge disadvantage for the Devils as they will surely have some rust, especially in the early going. You can argue that the Rangers might be a bit tired, but they're a young team and NHL players are the best conditioned athletes in the entire world. And the Rangers have only played two more games than the Devils in the playoffs, so it's not as big of a difference as one might think.
The Rangers have gotten off to fast starts in each of their first two playoff series by winning Game 1 rather easily. Coach John Tortorella is one of the better ones in the league, and I give him the leg up for the first game of the series in game planning. Let's also not forget that the Rangers had the best record in the Eastern Conference and the second best record in all of hockey this season. They've done so because they play disciplined hockey and don't allow any easy scoring chances. It also helps that they have one of the top three goalies in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist has come up huge in the playoffs when they needed him the most. He has a 1.86 goals against average in the playoffs and, like the Rangers defense, he doesn't give up any easy ones. Sure New Jersey has Martin Brodeur, one of the best goalies of all-time, but he's 40 years old and well past his prime. He doesn't even rank in the top ten goalies this season and a decent playoff run has overrated his current abilities a bit. That's going to be the biggest advantage for the Rangers in this game - the difference in the net. I expect the Rangers to jump out to a quick lead in this one due to the rust factor for the Devils. And once New York gets a lead on you, it's very difficult to come back on them. The price at home is also very reasonable here, so take the Rangers as our 10-unit play.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/Phoenix Coyotes OVER (8:05pm EST) The Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles have waited a long time to start their Western Conference Finals series. To be exact, it's been a full week for the Kings and six days for the Coyotes. That's a lot of time for some rust to begin to form and I think that will play a factor in this one. Whenever there is a long layoff, the defense usually suffers the most as there are usually a few mental lapses and missed assignments resulting in easy scoring chances. These Pacific division foes squared off six times during the regular season and scored a combined 25 goals in those games for a 4.17 average. However, all of those matchups occurred before the Kings acquired Jeff Carter and before they had a major resurgence offensively. The Kings were a completely different team down the stretch of the regular season and that carried over to the playoffs as well. The Kings have averaged 3.0 goals per game in the playoffs, which is third best after Pittsburgh and Philadelphia - who played zero defense in their opening round series. I expect the Kings to continue to play aggressively on the offensive end since it's translated into them winning 8 of their 9 playoff games thus far. The Coyotes aren't exactly afraid of getting into an offensive battle either and I think we'll see plenty of shots on goal tonight. Take the Over on a low total in this one.

4-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Washington Capitals UNDER 4.5 (7:35pm EST) The Under in Game 6 gave us an easy winner on Wednesday and we'll be riding it again tonight in the decisive Game 7. As we mentioned last time out, goals have been very hard to come by for both teams in this series and it always gets tougher as the series goes on. Except for the triple overtime Game 4, these teams haven't had many scoring chances and are playing some unbelievable defense. There have been a ton of blocked shots and some great saves by both goalies. Elimination games are usually played a little bit safer and that should depress scoring even more with both teams' playoff lives on the line. We haven't had an Over yet in this entire series and absolutely no reason to believe that we see one tonight. I called the 2-1 final in the last game and tonight's game should be very similar.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Washington Capitals UNDER 5 (7:35pm EST) What a great series we've experienced so far between the New York Rangers and the Washington Capitals. Every game has been tight and Game 5 takes the cake as the best game of the playoffs so far as the Rangers tied it with six seconds left in regulation and then won it in overtime. Goals have been very hard to come by for both teams in this series and it gets tougher as the series goes on. Except for the triple overtime Game 4, these teams haven't had many scoring chances and are playing some great defense. There have been a ton of blocked shots and some great saves by both goalies. Elimination games are usually played a little bit safer and that should depress scoring even more as the Rangers look to land a knockout punch tonight. Tonight's game feels like a 2-1 final so we'll gladly take the Under 5 as I don't see much of a chance of six goals being scored in this one. Take the Under as our Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

7-unit Play Take #61 New Jersey Devils over Philadelphia Flyers (7:35pm EST) The Philadelphia Flyers took game 1 of this series in overtime, but the New Jersey Devils responded in a big way winning the next three games to take the series lead 3-1. Not only did the Devils win the last three games, but they really dominated. Over the last three contests, the Devils have outscored the Flyers 12-7 and have outshot them 109-70. Momentum is everything in the NHL playoffs and right now New Jersey has it. Philadelphia also suffered a big loss when they found out that center Claude Giroux was suspended for game 5 based on his hit in the last game. That's not only the loss of a great player, but a loss of an emotional leader for the Flyers. New Jersey has the Flyers on their heels and is playing much better hockey right now, so there's no reason to think that they won't give them the knockout punch tonight and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. I think this line should be a lot closer to pick em, so getting +115 seems like a gift.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports