Sports Picks & Predictions

10-unit Play Take #60 Phoenix Coyotes over Nashville Predators (10:05pm EST) It's time to close things out for the Phoenix Coyotes as they take their 3-1 series lead back home for Game 5 tonight. Nobody thought that this team was good enough to get this far, including me, but they're hot right now and doing all of the little things you need to do to win NHL playoff games. A big reason why they've been able to surprise everyone is the play in the net by goalie Mike Smith. Smith has reached a new level this season and has carried the team at times during the regular season and playoffs. He stepped up huge in Game 4 getting the Coyotes a 1-0 win after stopping all 25 shots on goal. Nashville has looked slow in this series and their lack of firepower on offense has really shown. The Predators are built for the regular season and I'm not sure that they'll ever be able to win the cup unless they change the composition of their team. They play great fundamental hockey but don't have the playmakers to step up big when they really need it. The Coyotes have played better in this series and I was surprised to see this line so low with them at home tonight. Take Phoenix to end the series tonight and move on to play the Kings in the Western Conference Finals.

3-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings over St. Louis Blues (3:05pm EST) Complete domination. That's what this series has been all about. It's actually what the entire playoffs have been about for the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings had a great stretch run in the regular season to squeeze into the 8th seed in the Western Conference and they carried that momentum right into the playoffs. The Kings are 7-1 in the playoffs, and that has been against the top two teams in the West - Vancouver and St. Louis. Most of the games haven't even been close as LA has looked like a completely different team than t they were in the middle of the season. They carry a 3-0 lead into today's Game 4 against the Blues and I'm not sure St. Louis even thinks that they have a chance. Kings' goalie Jonathan Quick has been simply amazing and their offense has finally woken up after taking the first half of the season off. For some reasons the linesmakers haven't adjusted for the Kings' current run and we still get a good price on them at home today. Play the Kings as I think they get the sweep today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #24 Los Angeles Kings over St. Louis Blues (10:05pm EST) The line on tonight's game between the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings is somewhat difficult to understand. The Kings just went into St. Louis and won two games rather easily by the scores of 3-1 and 5-2. This was fresh off the beating Vancouver in five games in the first round and after a late rally in the regular season down the stretch. Nobody is playing better hockey than the Kings right now, but for some reason they are only -120 at home tonight for Game 3. The NHL playoffs are all about current form and who's hot and who's not. Jonathan Quick is definitely a hot goaltender for Los Angeles as he's only allowed a total of 11 goals in the Kings' seven playoff games thus far. The Kings also suddenly have an offense, something that they were lacking for almost three-fourths of the regular season. In addition, Blues defensemen Alex Pietrangelo could miss tonight's game and those would be huge skates to fill. Take the Kings tonight in a game that definitely is mis-priced as our Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Nashville Predators UNDER (9:05pm EST) The puck drops on Game 3 of the second round series between the Phoenix Coyotes and Nashville Predators. The series has headed back to Nashville after the Coyotes took care of business on their home ice winning both contests in two rather high-scoring affairs. The Predators are desperate for a win tonight and I think they'll dictate the pace and play their game at home tonight. The Preds made some uncharacteristic mistakes in the first two games that led to some easy chances for Phoenix. They generally play very disciplined hockey and you have to earn your goals against them. Giving up nine goals in the first two games of this series should motivate them to get back to their old ways, as it's the only way they're going to creep back into this series. Don't let the first two games fool you, as the Under is the right play in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Washington Capitals/New York Rangers UNDER (7:35pm EST) Game 1 of this series went Under the total pretty easily with the Rangers winning 3-1 Tonight we like the Under to strike again in Game 2 of the series. The first game featured a grand total of only 32 shots! That's right, only 32 shots on goal in the entire game - 18 for Washington and 14 for New York. While tonight's game will surely see a few more shots this time around, both of these teams are comfortable playing this style and I think we're going to see a lot of low scoring affairs in this series. Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL and he can be a one-man brick well when he's on his game. Washington doesn't have a true #1 goalie, but the Rangers offense doesn't have as many weapons as some of the other teams remaining in the playoffs, so they can get by with what they have. Bottom line, scoring chances will be at a premium tonight as I expect another slugfest between the Caps and Rangers, so take the Under.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #9 Nashville Predators (-120) over Phoenix Coyotes (8:05pm EST) Game 2 of the series tonight between the Nashville Predators and Phoenix Coyotes. Phoenix took the first game 4-3 in overtime but the Predators really missed out on some great scoring chances in front of the net. In fact, Nashville outshot Phoenix 42-24 in the game and looked like the much better team for most of the game. As a result, I don't think the Preds need to make very many adjustments for Game 2 and they should be fine. They were the better team in the regular season by seven points and they play better fundamental hockey. Nashville also has the better goalie in Pekka Rinne so I expect them to walk out of Phoenix tonight with the series tied 1-1.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #1 Los Angeles Kings (+1.5 PL) over St. Louis Blues (7:35pm EST) Game 1 goes tonight between the Los Angeles Kings and St. Louis Blues in Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Kings looked awfully impressive in dismantling the defending Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks in only five games in the first round. They absolutely dominated the series in every way possible and deserved to advance. The Blues also looked pretty good in their first round matchup against the San Jose Sharks, as they won in five games also. However, the Sharks were not playing very good hockey down the stretch and didn't look like themselves in that series. There's definitely going to be a rust factor in tonight's game with both teams winning their first round series early. The Kings have had five days off and the Blues have had six. With so much time off, that should neutralize some of the home ice advantage for the Blues and keep things a little more even. With the way the Kings looked in the first round, I think they'll carry that over and make a statement in the first game in St. Louis.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Ottawa Senator/New York Rangers UNDER (7:05pm EST) It's been a great series between the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers but all good things must come to an end and it will tonight in Game 7. The Senators have hung in there nicely for a #8 seed going against a #1 seed and it's mostly been due to solid defense and great goaltending by Craig Anderson. They knew they would have to play that way to win this series and it's gotten them all the way to Game 7. I think tonight will be more of the same with scoring chances being very hard to come by. Game 7's are notoriously lower scoring and since only one of the first six games went Over the total, I think it's safe to assume that we won't see a shootout here. Take the Under and enjoy a tight defensive battle to advance to the next round.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #73 Washington Capitals over Boston Bruins (7:35pm EST) It's do or die as the puck drops on Game 7 of the series between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins this evening. This has been a poorly played series that has led to lots of scoring chances and shots by each team, which is unusual for the playoffs. However, each game has been decided by only one goal so it's been as tight as it can possibly get at the same time and made for an entertaining series for fans. Washington has actually led for significantly more minutes in this series than the Bruins have and has looked like the sharper team. The price on this game is higher than it should be for a couple of reasons. First of all, the Bruins are the defending champs and that almost always leads to some inflation in the line. Secondly, since the Bruins were such big favorites to win this series before it started, people just assume that they'll find a way to win it. But bottom line, as close as this series has been it could go either way tonight. All of the pressure is on Boston to defend the cup while Washington wasn't expected to do much in this series. Take the Capitals as a healthy underdog in this one getting some nice value.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #68 New Jersey Devils over Florida Panthers (7:35pm EST) Game 6 tonight in New Jersey as the Devils look to stay alive versus the Florida Panthers. This has been a weird series so far as the Devils have definitely blown some big leads and chances to win games. Coming into this series I would have thought that it would have been the Panthers making some of the bone-headed mistakes, but New Jersey has really played undisciplined hockey so far. However, they get another chance to tie up the series tonight and force a game 7 situation. New Jersey was clearly the better team in the regular season and theoretically matches up pretty well against the Panthers. I'll give credit to Florida for hanging around, but I envision this series getting to game 7 because it's very hard to put someone away on their home ice. Take the Devils to keep it alive with a win tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #33 New Jersey Devils over Florida Panthers (6:35pm EST) The pucks drops in Florida for pivotal Game 5 between the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers. The series is tied 2-2 and this is obviously the biggest game yet. New Jersey has been the aggressor early in this series jumping out to some really big leads, but they've lost some focus a couple of times and let Florida back in it. New Jersey has more talent overall, plays better as a team and has a better coach. Florida really doesn't even belong in the playoffs, but made it in due to their weak division. The longer this series goes on, I think the easier it will be for New Jersey to exploit the weaknesses that Florida has - mainly their poor offensive attack and shaky depth. I expect New Jersey to pounce on the Panthers early on as they have for most of this series and to hold onto that lead this time around. Take the Devils as a very small favorite here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Detroit Red Wings/Nashville Predators UNDER (8:05pm EST) It's do or die time for the Detroit Red Wings as they are down 3-1 in the opening round series versus the Nashville Predators. These teams know each other very well since they play in the same division and that generally leads to less quality scoring chances. None of the of the games in this series have gone Over the total and there's no reason to think that tonight's game will either with so much on the line. In fact, none of the previous eight meetings have gone Over. When the Red Wings play a team with a winning record, the Under is 19-4-6. Bottom line, they buckle down when they play the good teams. I expect a high level of intensity tonight and the goalies to be on high alert. This isn't the Pittsburgh-Philadelphia series, so no one is going to be taking any big chances in fear of committing a turnover or costing their team a power play opportunity. The Under is the right side here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Chicago Blackhawks UNDER (7:35pm EST) Tonight's Game 4 is a huge game for both of these teams at Phoenix currently leads the series 2-1. The first three games in this series all went into overtime and were 3-2, 4-3 and 3-2 scores. In fact, during the last game, three of the five goals scored were during a 4-on-4 situation within a one minute span. Both teams have been playing fairly cautious hockey and ensuring that they don't make any huge mistakes. The goaltenders in this series have also been phenomenal, stopping a ton of shots on goal. I expect the shot counts to come down a little with the series getting more intense tonight. Marian Hossa is out tonight for the Blackhawks and that is a huge loss offensively for the Hawks. The Coyotes also have some guys who are banged up and won't be 100%. I think we'll see another physical battle that could potentially go to overtime again, but it should be Under the number.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Ottawa Senators UNDER (7:35pm EST) The puck drops on Game 4 of the series tonight between the New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators. The Rangers lead the series 2-1 and things have gotten a little chippy as we've quite a few scrums so far. Things only get more intense as the series progresses, so we can expect more checks, more fights and more physicality period. As long as no one gets a big lead, this increased intensity should keep the scoring low. The last game was a 1-0 Rangers win and I really think it's going to be the same type of game again in Ottawa. Goalie Craig Anderson and the Ottawa defense have really stepped up their play in this series to try and match the great work of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. New York doesn't have a ton of weapons on offense that scare you, so that should continue. I expect a 2-1 or 3-1 final score in this one, so play the Under here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #8 New Jersey Devils over Florida Panthers (7:05pm EST) Game 3 tonight between the Devils and the Panthers as the series goes to New Jersey tied 1-1. I think this is going to be a back-and-forth type of series, but it's clear that the Devils are the better team and they should bounce back after losing Game 2 in Florida. The Panthers were fortunate to get the #3 seed by winning a weak division but don't be fooled by that. They rely far too heavily on their top line and don't have the depth that New Jersey does. In fact, there were at least a couple of teams that didn't make the playoffs who were more deserving than Florida was. It was a nice year for them to get back to the playoffs with all of the turnover they had in the front office and on the ice, but they're going to have to wait at least another year before they make some waves. New Jersey is more experienced, better coached and does all the little things that win you hockey games. This will be a good learning lesson for the Panthers, but the Devils will grab Game 3 tonight.

4 Unit Play. Take #2506 San Jose -1.5 PL over St. Louis (10:05p.m., Monday April 16 NBCS) The San Jose Sharks will look to rebound from a 3-0 loss when they take on the St. Louis Blues tonight at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The two teams return to Northern California for Games 3 and 4 after splitting the first two games of the series in St. Louis. Antti Niemi will get the start in goal tonight for the Sharks. He has been excellent for San Jose this season, posting a 34-22-9 record with a 2.42 GAA and has been good through 2 games in this series, stopping 69 of 74 shots he has faced. Niemi will be opposed by Brian Elliott, who is expected to get the start between the pipes after he replaced Jaroslav Halak midway through Game 2 as Halak had to leave the game due to injury. Elliott led the NHL in GAA this season with a 1.56 but is untested in the playoffs which is why Halak was tabbed to start the series. Despite finishing 7th in the Western Conference, the Sharks have actually had some success in the spot they are in tonight. They are 7-1 in their last 8 playoff games when listed as a favorite of -110 to -150 and have won 7 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. They have also been good against the West, winning 5 of their last 6. The Blues, who had the league's best record for most of the season struggled a bit to end the regular season. They are just 2-7 in their last 9 games when listed as an underdog on the road and have won just 2 of their last 7 games against teams from the Western Conference. They have also been awful in the first round of the playoffs, winning just 2 of their last 14 games. Pair those numbers with the fact that the Sharks have won 13 of the last 18 games in the head to head series played in San Jose and we'll roll with them to get the win on home ice and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

3-unit Play Take #87 Vancouver Canucks at Los Angeles Kings (10:35pm EST) The Vancouver Canucks head to Los Angeles to take on the Kingsin need of a victory. The Kings outplayed the Canucks in both games of the series in Vancouver and were able to come away with identical 4-2 victories to go up 2-0 in the series. They were without Daniel Sedin for the first two games and he'll be out again today. I think Vancouver will make the necessary adjustments without him as there is plenty of talent on this team to cover up that loss. The bottom line is that Vancouver needs to win this game and I think that they will. They are the much better team on paper and the extra motivation to avoid going down 3-0 will be more than enough to propel them to victory tonight. I'm a little surprised that Vancouver is still the underdog in this spot, but I'm not complaining.

4-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/ Philadelphia Flyers UNDER (3:05pm EST) It's desperation time for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they trail 2-0 in the series heading to Philadelphia. No one imagined that they'd be in this predicament when the playoff started, but now they face a game that they must win. It's clear that the defense has let Pittsburgh down in the first two games as they allowed four goals and seven goals, respectively. In order to get back into the series, defense is going to be their number one initiative and I expect it to be a lot better today with everything on the line. Philadelphia knows that they need to be play better on the defensive end as well with all the weapons that the Pens possess. In all honesty, the scores of the first two games were a bit deceiving based on the shots on goal. The first game only had 54 shots on goal and the second game had only 59. As a result, the goaltenders are as much to blame as the defensemen. Collectively, the goalies are stopping only 83% of the shots taken overall. That's a horrible rate and it really can't get any worse than that. I expect more focus in this game as it means a lot more. That should lead to a more fundamentally sound performance on defense and less scoring chances overall. Take the Under here as I see a 3-2 final in this one.

5-unit Play Take #79 Chicago Blackhawks over Phoenix Coyotes (10:05pm EST) The puck drops on Game 2 of the series tonight in Phoenix. These teams played an overtime game on Thursday after the Hawks tied it up with 14 seconds left in regulation, only to fall 3-2 in the extra period. However, there were a lot of positives for the Blackhawks in Game 1. They got their captain Jonathan Toews back after missing almost two months with a concussion. He was quite a spark plug scoring a goal in the opening minutes and then grabbing an assist on the game-tying goal. There's no doubt that the Hawks are a much different team with him on the ice and now that he's had a game to gel with his teammates again, I think Chicago is going to play even better tonight. The Hawks outshot Phoenix 45-34 in the first game and looked like the better team for most of the game. I expect this to be a back and forth kind of series, so it should be tough for anyone to win two straight. It's the Hawks turn to throw a punch and I'll think they'll connect on it tonight and grab the win to even up the series.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils over Florida Panthers (7:05pm EST) Game 1 goes tonight between the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers. The Panthers were fortunate to grab the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference by winning a very weak division and now have home ice advantage against the #6 seed Devils. However, it's clear that the Devils are the better team in every way. They put up 102 points on the season versus only 94 for Florida, and they had a +19 goal differential versus a -24 for Florida. In fact, you can make an argument that this Florida team shouldn't have even been a playoff team at all. Buffalo, who did not make the playoffs, won more games than Florida did and Tampa Bay won just as many. Florida had an inordinate amount of games that went to overtime and shootouts and they were able to at least a point in those game, which catapulted up the standings. While Florida has a very good home record at 21-9-11, I don't think they'll experience much of a home ice advantage. New Jersey was very good on the road this season and actually won just as many games away from home than they did on their home ice. With all of the additions and turnover that Florida had this season, they had a good season and exceeded expectations. However, I think they are one more year away from making a deep playoff run. I like the Devils to go into Florida today and escape with the victory at a nice price of only -110.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Ottawa Senators/New York Rangers UNDER (7:05pm EST) Game 1 of the series between the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers begins tonight. I think this is going to be a much better series than anticipated as I think the Senators can fight and hang in there with the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. If they're going to do it, however, they're going to need a heck of a performance by goalie Craig Anderson. The Rangers don't have the most explosive offense but the key is to limit premium scoring chances and I think Ottawa can do that. On the Rangers side, their probably isn't a goalie in the NHL that I would want to ride with in the playoffs more so than Henrik Lundqvist. He's carried New York through several stretches throughout the season and can win you tough playoff contests. These teams played four times in the regular season and there were two Unders, one Over and a push. I expect the Rangers to play it close to the vest and lean heavily on Lundqvist so we should see a lot of 2-1 type games in this series. As a result, the Under is the play for tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #53 Detroit Red Wings over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) The Stanley Cup playoffs have finally arrived and it's a brand a new season. You can throw all the records out the window and look at things with a new perspective because it's a different brand of hockey come playoff time. That different style of hockey is exactly why the Detroit Red Wings have done so well in the postseason for the last two decades. The Red Wings are built for the playoffs with a roster comprised of savvy veterans who have been there before and know what it takes to win the big game. They have strong coaching, strong leadership and most importantly a confidence about them that almost no one can eclipse. The Nashville Predators, on the other hand, are the completed opposite. They are a scrappy, fundamentally sound team that is better built to take advantage of weak opponents in the regular season. They do have some veterans and a great coach, but they haven't done it before and their style just makes it extremely difficult to win a 7-game series. Everyone plays relatively disciplined in the postseason and everyone gives 100% effort most of the time. As a result, Nashville isn't going to outwork anyone like they do in the regular season. These teams had nearly identical records in the regular season, and that was with Detroit suffering through several major injuries. Now that they're healthy, they clearly have a more talented roster. Throw that in with their experience, leadership and playoff know-how and it's easy to make a case for Detroit coming out on top.

3-unit Play Take #25 Nashville Predators over Colorado Avalanche (9:05pm EST) The Nashville Predators visit Colorado to take on the Avalanche in the regular season finale. I like this one for one major reason, and that's the big difference in motivation. The Predators need a win today to secure the 4th seed in the Western Conference (assuming Detroit wins) and home ice advantage in the first round against the Red Wings. That extra home game is a huge edge so you can bet that you'll get a great effort from Nashville tonight. The Predators play very fundamentally sound hockey and when you raise their awareness levels even more for a big game, they are very tough to beat. The Avalanche come into this game with nothing to play for as they were never really in the playoff chase and have crumbled down the stretch here. They've lost five of their last six games and you can tell that they are looking ahead to the offseason. Their last loss was particularly embarrassing, getting smashed by Columbus 5-2 at home. I'm surprised the price on this game isn't much higher given the circumstances, but I'll gladly lay a relatively small price on a team that has to win tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #28 Los Angeles Kings over San Jose Sharks (10:35pm EST) Big game tonight as the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks duel for the Pacific division title. The teams are currently only one game apart from one another with two games left so this game will go a long way in deciding the division and the playoff picture. From a talent perspective, I think these teams are very close to one another but they've both underachieved this season. Over the last couple of months, the Kings have been playing better hockey and they showed it in the last meeting between these teams a couple of weeks ago. The Kings won that game 5-2 and dominated the game with 42-22 shots advantage. That game was in Los Angeles and so is tonight's game. The Sharks have dropped 17 of their last 22 road games and they don't figure to turn it around against top flight competition. The Kings have won 9 of their 12 games and they should come out on top tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #54 St. Louis Blues over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) Tonight's matchup between the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings could have some big implications on playoff seeding. The Blues are going for the #1 seed in the Western Conference but have stumbled a bit lately. They've dropped their last two games to Columbus and Chicago, respectively. The game against Columbus was particularly troubling as they were outplayed at every position and lost 5-2 on their home ice. St. Louis is just too good of a team to stay down for long and they'll bounce back tonight in a big way. I have them rated as the best team in the Western Conference right now and Detroit is a couple of notches below them. The Red Wings are trying to maintain their position as the #4 seed so they can host a first round playoff series. They've been a bad hockey team the last few weeks, but a lot of that has been due to injuries. They're still a little banged up for tonight's game, but they are getting healthy just in time for the playoffs. Detroit has won the last three in this series, but I think the Blues will be more focused tonight and get the victory.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #9 Florida Panthers over Winnipeg Jets (7:35pm EST) The Florida Panthers will be looking to clinch a playoff spot tonight as they host the Winnipeg Jets. A win tonight gets them in as the season winds down this week. Florida stumbled on their recent four-game road trip, losing three of the games but managing to still collect four points. They'll be happy to be back home where they're 20-9-10 on the season. Winnipeg is a horrid team on the road at 13-21-5 and they have absolutely nothing to play for tonight. About a month ago, they trounced the Panthers 7-0 in Winnipeg and I'm sure Florida didn't forget that beating. With the playoffs at stake and the revenge angle, you can bet that Florida will be very focused in this matchup. I don't expect this one to be very close, as the Panthers should take it in a runaway.

4-unit Play Take Carolina Hurricanes/Ottawa Senators OVER (7:35pm EST) Not a whole lot to play for tonight as the Carolina Hurricanes square off against the Senators in Ottawa. The Hurricanes have been out of the playoff picture for months and are just going through the motions as the season wraps up. The Senators are all but locked into the #7 spot in the Eastern Conference where they've been hanging out for quite some time. Both of these teams like to play aggressive hockey and get tons of shots on goal, and I see no reason why anything will be any different tonight. Ottawa's last four games have seen a total of 35 goals scored, all of them wins. This team was built around the offensive weapons and it's the only way that they know how to win. The Hurricanes are 26th in the NHL in defense and their identity hasn't changed much throughout the season either. The Over is 19-7 in Carolina's last 26 road games against teams with winning records. The Over is also 6-2-1 in the last nine meetings between these clubs. The lamp will be busy tonight in Ottawa, as the play is the Over.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #7 Minnesota Wild +1.5 PL goals over Chicago Blackhawks (7:05pm EST) Tonight's matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Chicago Blackhawks presents a good situational spot. The Blackhawks can breathe a little easier after clinching a playoff spot last night after their victory in Nashville. They've been playing some great hockey despite some injuries and suspensions in a push for the playoffs lately. Now that they have earned their spot, I think they may experience a slight let down tonight against an inferior opponent at home. Minnesota doesn't have any hope for the playoffs but they've been doing great at the spoiler. They just beat the Kings and Panthers in their last two games, two teams fighting for their playoff lives. In this series between the Hawks and Wild, the road team has won five of the last seven as well. This one just lines up right for a puck line play (+1.5 goals) as it should be a tight game. Take Minnesota tonight over a Hawks team that probably won't be as sharp as usual.

3-unit Play Take Anaheim Ducks/Phoenix Coyotes UNDER (9:05pm EST) We should see a fairly close to the vest type contest tonight between the Anaheim Ducks and Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes are sitting in the 8th spot in the Western Conference playoff picture right now and there are only four games remaining in the season. They can't afford to make any major mistakes so they'll play fundamentally sound hockey and will be sure to limit any breakaway chances and premium scoring opportunities. We saw this style in their last two games, which saw a total of only six goals combined. The Ducks are out of the playoffs but they've continued to play hard in their role as the spoiler. Being a division rival, you can be sure that they'll be up for this one and be fighting to the end. These two have had an interesting season series. In their first five meetings, three of the games went Over the total but only one game saw more than 50 shots on goal. That means we just saw some poor goaltender play or random luck in those games on the offensive end. This game will be played even tighter and I don't expect a lot of shots on goal again. Everyone should be focused, including the goalies, so play the Under here tonight.

Tonight's contest between the Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators is an important one. They are currently in the 4th and 5th spots in the Western Conference respectively, and are separated by only one mere point. As a result, this game could go a long way in determining home ice advantage with only a few games remaining. The Red Wings are a very tough out at home this season with a 30-5-2 mark. Their record on the road is a horrid 16-21-3 so you can bet that this team is focused on getting at least the #4 seed in the conference. Nashville is better at home but they've proven that they can win anywhere. Neither team is playing great hockey lately, but the Wings have stepped up when they've been at home. Detroit also gets a shot in the arm with starting goaltender Jimmy Howard coming back from his injury tonight. Their top two goalies were out for awhile and they had to play a little bit differently on defense, but things should be back to normal in their own zone now. Nashville doesn't have the firepower that a lot of other teams do, so I think that will make it easier for Howard to get back into his groove right away. There are a lot of veterans on this Detroit team and they always seem to step up in the big spots. Tonight is one of those spots and that's where our money is going for our Western Conference Game of the Year.

Two teams hit the ice tonight that didn't have quite enough to get into the playoffs this season. They're both going to fall a little bit short so tonight's game doesn't mean too much. However, the Hurricanes have turned that negative into a positive and have won five of their last seven games against some decent competition. Now that the pressure is off it seems like their finally playing to their potential and they've looked impressive. The Jets, on the other hand, have all but given up on the season dropping seven of their last 10 games. They were in the playoff race all season long but have crumbled under the pressure during the last couple of weeks and now they're looking ahead to next season. These teams hooked up in Winnipeg last week and Carolina came from behind to steal the game 4-3. Measuring motivation and effort this time of the year is huge, and I know that Carolina is still playing hard while the Jets are on auto-pilot. Take the motivated Hurricanes to pick up a win at home tonight.

The New York Rangers visit Winnipeg to take on the Jets in what has the makings of an ugly game. These are two fairly scrappy teams that play hockey the right way and don't give up a lot of good scoring chances. Winnipeg plays a lot better on their home ice and is very stingy on the defensive end there, while the Rangers have probably the best goalie in the NHL in Henrik Lundqvist. These teams have played seven times over the last two years and six of them have gone Under the total. The Jets are fading fast in the playoff race but they're not eliminated yet and should still be fighting hard, while the Rangers are trying to hold onto the top spot in the Eastern Conference. I expect a hard fought, low scoring affair in this one.

Tonight we get playoff hockey when the Washington Capitals host the Buffalo Sabres. These teams are in a virtual tie for the eight playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 84 points each. Washington coach Dale Hunter called Tuesday's game "like the seventh game of the playoffs." Capitals winger Troy Brouwer expanded on that sentiment, according to the Washington Post, "It's an exciting time of year, obviously a very important game and guys know this," Brouwer said. "We had a good showing (Sunday) night against Minnesota but we're playing a pretty tough team that's playing really well. We feel that this (Tuesday's game) is going to be a very big determination whether we're going to make the playoffs." With so much on the line for these teams, we should see a very fundamentally sound game with very few turnovers or breakaways. Good scoring chances will be hard to come by, and we have two goalies playing at the top of their respective games when the chances do come. It's very difficult to imagine this game becoming any kind of shootout, so the Under is the only way to play it for our Game of the Week.

4-unit Play Take #60 Chicago Blackhawks over Nashville Predators (7:35pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks host the Nashville Predators as these two Western Conference foes fight for playoff positioning with two weeks left in the regular season. Only two points separate the two as they sit in the #5 and #6 seeds in the conference. The Hawks have started putting it all together and might be playing their best hockey of the season over the last two weeks or so. They've won six of seven and beaten some great teams along the way including Vancouver, St. Louis, Washington and the Rangers. Their only loss in the last two weeks was to a red hot Kings team in a shootout. Chicago has had several key players missing with injuries lately, but they've found a way to bond together and get the job done despite the adversity. The Predators come into tonight's game struggling as they've dropped four of six games. This will be the second game of a back-to-back for them and they've had a very difficult travel schedule recently. This will be the eighth game in a row where they've had to travel even though there have been a couple of home games mixed in the middle. In watching the Preds play, you can see that they don't have as much energy as usual and that it's taking a toll on them, especially being so late in the season. Good spot here for the Hawks at home.

4-unit Play Take #22 San Jose Sharks over Phoenix Coyotes (10:05pm EST) Huge game for both teams in the Western Conference playoff race. The San Jose Sharks and Phoenix Coyotes are both within 2 points of being in or out of the playoffs and the season only has two weeks left. The Sharks got a really big victory the other night against Boston and I think that gave them some much needed confidence. The Sharks have been really good at home at 22-12-3 on the season, and it's clear they're much more comfortable on their own ice in front of the San Jose fans. The Phoenix Coyotes have been hanging around the playoff race all season and they have some really tough games coming up. I just think that the Sharks are the superior team talent-wise and will prevail with the pressure on tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/Ottawa Senators OVER (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins have been goal-scoring machines ever since the return of Sidney Crosby. In the last five games since his return, the Pens have averaged five goals per game and they've been dominating their opponents. They run into an Ottawa Senators team tonight that doesn't mind playing an up-and-down type game. The Senators average 2.89 goals per game and allow 2.87 on the season, not exactly a conservative bunch. They're not going to back down to Pittsburgh and their style, so we should see some serious goal-scoring tonight. The last four times these teams have met, the score has gone Over the total as well. This one is pretty simple, as we should see quite a shootout again tonight.

3-unit Play Take #15 New York Islanders over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:05pm EST) Neither one of these teams is heading to the playoffs this year, but one team is still playing hard and the other has seemingly thrown in the towel on the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning has had a disappointing season after their Cinderella season last year. They couldn't repeat that performance again and now it appears that there just going through the motions, dropping six of their last eight games and most of them weren't really close. The New York Islanders, on the other hand, are a young hungry that has been playing better despite being out the of playoff hunt for quite some time. They looked really strong in their last two games on the road against Toronto and Montreal and they'll be carrying some momentum into Tampa tonight. The Islanders have won four of the last five games in this series and I think they get the job done again tonight.

4-unit Play Take #54 Washington Capitals over Winnipeg Jets (7:05pm EST) Tonight's game is an important one. The Washington Capitals host the Winnipeg Jets in a game that both teams really need for playoff implications. The Washington Capitals are hanging on to the 8th position in the Eastern Conference after dropping a 2-1 affair last night in Philadelphia. With only eight games remaining, the pressure is on but I like the Capital's chances in this one being at home. Washington is 23-10-3 on their home ice this season while the Jets are 11-20-4 on the road. Both of these teams are just extremely good at home and can't win games on the road - they're two completely different teams depending on where they play. Revenge will be fresh on the minds of the Capitals tonight as well since they loss at Winnipeg exactly a week ago by the score of 3-2. I had the line for this game at -160, so we get good value here tonight with the Caps.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #16 Los Angeles Kings over St. Louis Blues (10:35pm EST) Over the last couple of weeks, there is no one playing better hockey than the Los Angeles Kings except for maybe the Penguins. The Kings have won five straight contests against stiff competition, and only one of them was really that close. Four of the five were against playoff teams as the Kings have finally started the run that everyone was waiting for before the playoffs begin. Los Angeles is one of the most talented teams in the NHL and it's been frustrating for their fans as they've struggled to put all of the pieces together all season long up until now. Tonight they get an excellent Blues team but I think they catch St. Louis in a really good spot. This is a back-to-back situation for St. Louis and it's game number six on a seven-game road trip for them. They have to be a little tired at this point as it's been one of their most challenging stretches all season long. The Kings match up well against the Blues and they've won two of the three games in the season series so far. Tonight they should make that three out of four as I expect the Kings to keep on rolling at home.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Washington Capitals/Philadelphia Flyers UNDER 5.5 (7:05pm EST) Tonight's matchup between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers will have a playoff-like atmosphere. The Capitals are trying to hold onto the #8 spot in the Eastern Conference while the Flyers are jockeying for position as they still have an outside chance at the #1 seed in the East. There are only nine games left for these teams and the intensity is growing by the day as the end of the season approaches. The Flyers have really tightened things up defensively recently and their last 10 games have all gone Under the total as a result. That's right - 10 straight Unders! The Flyers have surrendered only 13 goals over their last 10 games as goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov is finally starting to earn the big money that Philadelphia is paying him. One of those 10 games was against the Capitals when these teams squared off on March 4th. The Flyers won that game 1-0 and that was the start of their streak. Washington's games have been going Over the total lately, but there haven't been a ton of shots on goal and that generally means that the trend will start reversing. I don't expect another 1-0 game again tonight between these squads, but I also can't envision seeing six goals. The Under is the play as Philadelphia goes for 11 straight below the number.

3-unit Play Take #52 Carolina Hurricanes over Florida Panthers (7:05pm EST) Two red hot teams square off tonight as the Carolina Hurricanes host the Florida Panthers. This one is a pretty straight forward handicap for me. Both teams are playing really well of late with the Panthers winning five straight and the Hurricanes winning three straight. However, the Hurricanes have been more impressive in their run and are just playing better overall hockey. The Hurricanes went into Winnipeg and escaped with a victory in regulation, which is very difficult to do. They also beat St. Louis very soundly 2-0, which doesn't happen very often. Four of the five wins for the Panthers came at home, including one against the Hurricanes 10 days ago. As a result, Carolina will be playing with the bad taste of that defeat still in their mouths. In fact, Florida has won all four in the season series so Carolina will also be playing to avoid the sweep. The Hurricanes are still holding onto a slight chance of making the playoffs as well, so I expect a max effort. Take Carolina here as a small home favorite.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Dallas Stars UNDER (7:05pm EST) It's going to be a playoff-like atmosphere tonight when the Phoenix Coyotes take on the Dallas Stars. Both teams are tied atop of the Pacific Division with 83 points, but they are also both one point away from missing the playoffs entirely. San Jose and Los Angeles are both only one point away, so each game from here on out is vitally important for these squads. This will be the sixth meeting of the season between these clubs and they know each other very well. None of the previous five meetings have gone Over the total, and most weren't even close. In fact, there has not yet been an Over in this series during the last nine meetings. With the increased intensity of the playoff chase, we usually see more focus on the defensive end of the ice and less good scoring chances. These teams already limit the scoring chances when they hook up, so it will be very difficult to imagine many goals getting by the netminders tonight. This game has all the makings of a 2-1 affair, so the Under is the clear play in this one.

10-unit Play Take Winnipeg Jets/Pittsburgh Penguins OVER (7:05pm EST) Tonight we have one of those situations where absolutely everything points in one direction, and it's the Over in the game between the Winnipeg Jets and Pittsburgh Penguins. Since Sidney Crosby has returned to the lineup five days ago, the Penguins have been playing with a renewed vigor and he's given them the late season boost that they needed. Although Sid the Kid hasn't put any goals into the back of the net himself, he's assisted on five of them in three games and has given the defense another weapon to think about on the ice. There's no doubt that this is a different Penguins team with him here and it simply means that there will be more scoring. The Pens will also be going with their third-string goaltender tonight as starter Marc-Andre Fleury is getting some rest and normal backup Brent Johnson is injured. The Jets come into this game having played in some high-scoring affairs lately as well, seeing a combined 27 goals in their last four games. There have been plenty of shots on goal and they've seemed to break out of their usual mold of playing a bit conservatively. Additionally on the road, their defense just isn't as good and it's been that way all season long. "At home we play great defensively, and then you get your chances and then you score the goals," Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec told the Winnipeg Sun. "It's simple enough. We can do it at home, but we are not able to do it on the road." The last time these two teams hooked up in early February, the Penguins won 8-5. While I don't expect to see 13 goals again, we'll get plenty of them tonight to get us Over the total making this our Game of the Day.

4-unit Play Take #60 Minnesota Wild over Vancouver Canucks (8:05pm EST) I don't like to get involved with heavy dogs very often, but tonight presents a great opportunity to do so. The Vancouver Canucks are pretty well locked into the #2 seed in the Western Conference barring a complete collapse. They have looked a bit disinterested lately dropping six of their last nine contests and it's obvious that they're looking ahead to the playoffs now. This is the first game of a four-game road trip for them as they head to Minnesota to take on the Wild. The Wild have dropped three straight games, but they were all very close and could have gone either way. Two of the losses were by a lone goal and the third was decided by two because of a late empty net goal. With the season winding down, I expect that Minnesota will be up for this one as they don't have anything to look forward to in a couple of weeks. Vancouver has won seven of the last eight in the series, but this will be a perfect spot for the Wild to exact some revenge. Vancouver just doesn't seem like they care right now and getting a home underdog at +170 in this situation is too good to pass up.

3-unit Play Take Buffalo Sabres/Tampa Bay Lightning UNDER (7:35pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres are making one last push to try to squeeze their way into the Eastern Conference playoffs as they head into Tampa Bay tonight. Over their last 14 games, the Sabres are 9-2-3 and they've been wining primarily due to an increased focus on the defensive end. During this current stretch, they have allowed only 2.21 goals per game and several of their contests have gone into overtime and shootouts. Goaltender Ryan Miller has been in the net in all but one of those games and it seems like he may have regained his form from past seasons. With only 10 games left on the schedule and Buffalo only 2 points out of the playoffs, I expect them to keep up the defensively intensity. Tampa Bay's season is all but over after dropping five of their last six games in ugly fashion - only one game was decided by one goal. They haven't been as crisp on offense and with Buffalo's latest surge in their own zone, I don't expect Tampa to get too many scoring chances. This should be a tight, low scoring affair so the Under is the play in this one.

5-unit Play Take #10 Anaheim Ducks over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) Very difficult spot tonight for the Nashville Predators as they wrap up a four-game road trip in Anaheim tonight. This will be their third game in four nights and nobody likes playing Sunday night on the road before having to head back home. I've mentioned before how I think this Predators team is a bit overrated as their gritty style doesn't always translate into long-term success and victories. It's going to be an even tougher challenge for them tonight as starting goalie Pekka Rinne will be given the night off. Roughly two months ago, the Anaheim Ducks were the worst team in the NHL, but they've made quite a push since then and have crept back into playoff contention. While it looks like they're going to still fall short, there's no question that this team isn't just throwing in the towel. I expect a max effort tonight and for them to take advantage of a Nashville team in a bad situational spot. That's why the Ducks tonight is our Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Colorado Avalanche/New York Rangers UNDER (7:05pm EST) The New York Rangers had been and Under machine this season, and most of that had to do with having one of the best goalies in the NHL - Henrik Lundqvist. However, he's been out of the lineup a little more recently missing four of the last nine games. Over the last nine games, the Rangers have not had a single Under. There have been six Overs and three pushes. However, Lundqvist should be back in the net tonight and the Rangers are aware that they need to pick it up defensively. After a 5-2 loss against the Penguins last time out, defensemen Marc Staal had this to say. "You always have to look at your own game and how you're playing," Staal said. "I thought certain plays could have had better reads and better decisions. With a skilled team like that, you have to be sharper in your end zone, and we weren't." The Rangers have been a very consistent team all season long and I think they get it straightened out defensively real quick. They draw a tired opponent in the Colorado Avalanche in this one. This will be Colorado's third game in four nights on the road and their last four contests have all gone to overtime. New York will be able to dictate the pace at home in this one and that means it will be a slow, grind-it-out style. Take the Under at plus-juice as New York will get back to playing hockey the way they've won all year long.

4-unit Play Take St. Louis Blues/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (7:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues are in the middle of a seven-game road trip and they haven't looked very comfortable in their first three contests. They've dropped two of those games and have had some major problems on the defensive end yielding 110 shots on goal over the last three. Defense has been this team's calling card all season but it's a long season and every team gets in a funk every now and then and long road trips do that to teams. They still have surrendered only seven goals over those three games but their sloppy play will eventually catch up with them and they get a dangerous opponent tonight in the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning have a potent offensive attack and five of their last seven games have gone Over the total. They play an aggressive style and being at home they should be able to dictate the pace against a Blues team that usually likes to slow it down. The last time these teams hooked up in Tampa, the Lightning won 4-3 and there were 72 total shots on goal. We get some plus-money on the Over today and that's too generous.

3-unit Play Take #4 Winnipeg Jets (-125) over Washington Capitals (8:35pm EST) Tonight we'll stick with what's been working and make another play on the Winnipeg Jets at home. It's hard to argue that anyone in the NHL has a stronger home ice advantage than the Jets as they're 22-10-4 at home and only 11-19-4 on the road. The Washington Capitals do have a similar home/road splits and are only 13-18-3 away from home. The scrappy style of the Jets has always given the Capitals problems and Winnipeg has taken five of the last seven in the series. I still don't think the linesmakers are giving enough credit for the home ice discrepancy in tonight's matchup. Washington has won four straight but I still think they are not very good and make too many bonehead mistakes which could prove costly against a fundamentally sound team. I made this line around -140, so we get decent value playing on the Jets here tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #66 San Jose Sharks over Nashville Predators (10:35pm EST) There's no question that the San Jose Sharks have been struggling lately. In fact, if the playoffs were to start today, they would be starting without the Sharks as they sit in the 9th spot out West. This team is just too talented to be left behind and they know it. San Jose is back home after a four game road trip in which they went 1-1-2, and they've lost six of seven overall. They've been a much better team at home this year at 19-11-3 and should have better focus with so much on the line as we head down the stretch. They have six of their next seven at home and the team has circled this home stand as a sort of do or die for them. The Nashville Predators are their opponent - a scrappy team that gets under everyone's skin. I still think this team is a touch overrated and that they're going to hit a rough spot before the season ends. However, they come in winners of three straight and playing pretty well. On paper, San Jose should be a much bigger favorite (somewhere around -150), but we know that games aren't played on paper. But I like the Sharks in this desperation spot and they definitely aren't going to just roll over when the pressure is on. This is also a big revenge spot for the Sharks as they were destroyed by the Predators 6-2 roughly two weeks ago in Nashville. Take the Sharks as a small home favorite tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #6 Winnipeg Jets over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets still aren't getting enough respect from the linesmakers, especially when they're at home. The Jets have put together a very strong 21-10-4 mark at home this season and it's largely gone unnoticed due to their struggles on the road. The Jets come into tonight's matchup with four full days of rest following a short road trip in which they dropped both games. They'll need that rest to go up against a red hot Dallas Stars team. The Stars have won six straight contests but this is going to be a tough matchup for them. This will be the first time the Stars have visited Winnipeg since their old franchise and they'll be dealing with a hostile crowd in a small arena that they're not familiar with. I just think that this price is over-compensating for the recent run for the Stars and is undervaluing the home ice advantage for the Jets. Take the home team here at a very small price.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take Boston Bruins/Tampa Bay Lightning UNDER (7:35pm EST) The Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning square off in a game that might not play out like most observers think. Getting inside the heads of the teams is important in handicapping, and based on the results of the last several games for these teams it appears that both teams are looking at this matchup as a big game. The Bruins come into this game off of two straight losses - 5-2 to the Penguins and 4-3 to the Capitals. It's not very often that Boston surrenders nine goals combined in back-to-back games, especially with Tim Thomas in net. He should get another chance to redeem himself tonight and I don't expect him to fail for the third game in a row being one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. The Lightning have lost three straight games and given up 14 goals in the process. Rookie goalie Dustin Tokarski has been in the net for the last two games and he's slated to get another chance again in this one. I'm confident that the defense will step up in this one and provide a little more support than usual to protect him. With both teams coming into this game on losing streaks, the intensity will be high and that generally leads to more checking and better effort defensively. Even though both teams have surrendered a ton of goals lately, I have little doubt that they'll buck the trend and play a tight, fundamentally sound game tonight. That's why the Under in this one has been pegged as our Game of the Day, especially at a nice plus-juice price.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Calgary Flames/Minnesota Wild OVER (6:05pm EST) The Calgary Flames invade Minnesota to take on the Wild in a game that promises to have plenty of mistakes and defensive lapses. Both of these teams have been struggling mightily in their own zone of late; turnovers, mental lapses, poor goaltender play and whatever else you can think of. Calgary has given up at least 38 shots in three of their last four games, including 45 in their last contest against Winnipeg. The Flames have struggled offensively for most of the season, but they've taken more chances on the offensive end lately and it's paid off as far as goal scoring. However, they have sacrificed defensively and have given up a few more breakaways and odd-man rushes than usual. The Wild have also been an absolute mess defensively, ever since starting goalie Niklas Backstrom went down with an injury. They've allowed 22 goals in their last five games between their two backup goaltenders. Backstrom is still out so it won't be any prettier tonight. The Over is also 5-0-2 in Calgary's last seven games as a favorite. All signs point to plenty of scoring opportunities, so the Over looks enticing at only 5 tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Dallas Stars/Anaheim Ducks OVER 5 (7:05pm EST) The Dallas Stars and Anaheim Ducks have both been playing some really aggressive hockey recently. The last three games for the Stars have seen 83, 60 and 78 shots respectively and they've made an effort to get good scoring chances and have compromised a bit defensively. Their last game against San Jose was an absolute shootout, literally and figuratively, and I expect some carry over to occur in this one. The Anaheim Ducks had a stretch earlier in the season where they couldn't score a goal to save their lives, but they've looked a little bit better recently and a lot of that has to do with some shuffling on the lines and getting some guys back healthy. When these teams get together, the game generally has a faster pace and that has translated into six overs in the last eight matchups. I'd be shocked if we don't at least get a push on the Over in this game, and more likely will get a winner. Play the Over here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/New York Islanders UNDER 5 (7:05pm EST) Small number for the total in this game between the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders but that shouldn't scare anyone off the Under in this one. This is the second of a home-and-home between these teams and the third meeting in a week. New Jersey has been one of the top defensive teams in the NHL for the last few seasons and they've locked it down even tighter lately. Over their last four games, they've only allowed a total of four goals. They also have the better of their two goaltenders in net tonight in my opinion - Johan Hedberg. The Islanders have surrendered quite a few goals lately but they've actually been able to keep shot counts down and I expect them to bounce back after allowing five goals against the Devils on Thursday. I like playing the Under when teams play each other twice in a row, as they generally learn the other team's tendencies and the defenses clamp down. That should be the case tonight, especially with these squads seeing one another for the third time in a week. There has also only been one over in the last seven meetings, so the play is definitely the Under again tonight.

3-unit Play Take #58 Calgary Flames (-135) over Winnipeg Jets (9:05pm EST) This Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets don't hook up very often, as this will only be there third meeting since December 2009. I like the Flames in this one for a couple of very simple reasons. First off, I don't think that the home-road splits for these two teams is fully reflected in the line. While the Calgary Flames are only 17-10-5 at home, that's much better than their road record of 13-15-7. For the Jets, their split is even greater as they are a putrid 11-18-4 away from home and 21-10-4 at home. Home ice advantage is generally around 20 cents for most teams, but in this instance it should be closer to 35 cents or more. The second reason this is a strong play is the scheduling situation. The Jets are playing a back-to-back game tonight after a tough 3-2 loss at Vancouver last night in a hard-fought battle. I think they may be a little bit drained after giving maximum effort against a very good team, which leaves little in the tank in this one. The Flames, meanwhile, have had the last couple of days off and have been at home resting as they are in the middle of a homestand. Pretty simple analysis today but I think it works and the Flames should walk away with the victory here tonight.

5-unit Play Take #17 San Jose Sharks over Dallas Stars (8:35pm EST) We have a great situation tonight where we can play the better team at basically an even price. The San Jose Sharks are a far superior team than the Dallas Stars, but the last few games are really impacting the price of this game. The Sharks are coming off of three straight losses at home, but they still played well in two of those games and they could have gone either way. One was a shootout loss to Edmonton and the other a 1-0 loss to Buffalo in which the Sharks really were the aggressors. The Stars come into this game with three straight wins on the road and now come home tonight for this one, which could cut into their momentum a little bit. Recent history between these two clubs shows absolute dominance by the Sharks. San Jose has won the last five meetings and they have all been blowouts by at least three goals each. In addition, the Sharks need this game more than ever after losing three in a row in front of their own fans. So we have the better team overall, the team that should be more motivated, and the team that has dominated the recent history. That all adds up to our Game of the Day.

3-unit Play Take #9 Los Angeles Kings over Columbus Blue Jackets (7:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings have slowly been building up momentum after adding Jeff Carter in a trade recently. They've won four of their last five and are still a bit undervalued by the market place in my opinion. The good news is that they've found their way on offense and have scored 18 goals in their last five games - not bad for the last-ranked offense in the NHL. The Columbus Blue Jackets have won three games in a row, but they were against Phoenix twice and Colorado. The Blue Jackets aren't going anywhere this season and I think it's going to be hard for them to stay motivated night in and night out. The Kings are fighting for their playoff lives sitting in the ninth spot in the Western Conference, and should give a focused effort every night. Los Angeles has won the last four in Columbus and I think they make it five straight tonight.

3-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Colorado Avalanche OVER (9:05pm EST) Based on the final scores of the last few games played by the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche, you'd be hard pressed to pull the trigger on the Over in this spot. However, a closer look inside the numbers shows that the Over definitely has some value today. The Wild have been shut out in three of their last four games but two of those games still went Over the total and the Wild still put quite a few shots on goal in three of the games. They've been dealing with a lot of injuries lately but the guys out there understand that they can't focus on that. "We've used that excuse already -- injuries, injuries, injuries," right winger Devin Setoguchi said. "If the effort's there then we can be satisfied if we lose the game or if we play hard, but if the effort's not there and the mentality isn't there to play the game right -- even with all the injuries -- then that's not an excuse, win or lose." The Avalanche have only scored a total of three goals in their last three games, but they too have put a healthy amount of shots on net but haven't been able to put many in. These teams have been playing aggressively, but have just had a bit of bad luck lately. In addition, Minnesota will be going with its backup goalie Josh Harding as Backstrom is still sidelined with a strained groin. That's a huge drop off in the net, and we could see a couple of easy ones get past Harding as he's struggled with consistency in his starts. The value is with the Over tonight.

3-unit Play Take #12 Tampa Bay Lightning over Ottawa Senators (7:05pm EST) The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a disappointing season to say the least, but they're still in the playoff hunt and have been playing much better hockey of late. Tonight they host the Ottawa Senators on their home ice, where they have compiled a 20-9-2 mark on the season, one of the best in the NHL. The Lightning have won four straight games and seven of nine and suddenly find themselves only four points away from the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa has won all three meetings so far this season and there's no doubt that the Lightning players are aware of that. The Senators are still without starting goalie Craig Anderson, who lacerated his pinky finger during an accident at his home last month. I expect to see full intensity from Tampa Bay in this one, especially on their home ice. Take the Lightning as a home underdog with some bite.

4-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Columbus Blue Jackets UNDER (7:05pm EST) This is the second game of a home-and-home series between the Phoenix Coyotes and the Columbus Blue Jackets. Three days ago in Phoenix the Blue Jackets came out on top 5-2 in a final score that was a little bit deceiving. Columbus scored an empty net goal with a minute left and there were a total of only 58 shots on goal for the game, so this one could have easily gone Under the total. I like playing Unders in the second game of a home-and-home matchup as the teams generally tighten up the defenses after seeing each other for the second time in a matter of days. Additionally, the Under is 10-4 in the last 14 games for the Coyotes and they've really seemed to be focused on the defensive end of the ice recently. Last night they played a tight 2-1 game against the Penguins. I think we get a little extra value based on the score of the last game between these two, so the Under is the play tonight.

4-unit Play Take #54 Winnipeg Jets over Buffalo Sabres (8:05pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets know how to defend their home ice and have one of the best home advantages in the NHL. Tonight they'll get another chance to show that as they wrap up their seven-game homestand with the Buffalo Sabres. Winnipeg is a mediocre team overall but has a 20-10-4 mark at home, one of the biggest home/road splits in the league. They've only won three games on their current homestand and it's important that they win tonight to make it a winning homestand. They are coming off a very impressive 7-0 win against the Florida Panthers the other night and are 12-5 in their last 17 games as a favorite. The Sabres have been a very disappointing team this season sitting at 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Their team chemistry has been off and they've had several late-game meltdowns. This is their final game on a five-game road trip and they've already won three to secure a winning trip. After 10 days on the road, this team may be looking ahead to sleeping in their own beds and probably won't have razor sharp focus today. Winnipeg has won the last two meetings between these two and I think they make it three in a row tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #10 Florida Panthers over Ottawa Senators (6:05pm EST) The Florida Panthers host the Ottawa Senators in a game where it appears that the wrong team is favored. The Panthers have been a first place team for most of the season but their struggles lately give us a little bit of value here today. The Senators have overachieved this season and there's no doubt that Florida is more talented and the better team. The Panthers have dropped their last two games and their last one was a 3-1 home loss to the Predators where Florida outplayed them on the ice. These teams played about two weeks ago in Florida and Ottawa won handily so I would expect the Panthers to come back for a little revenge and defend their home ice much better. The line on this game should be at least -120 for Florida so I'll gladly grab even money and take our chances.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #68 Los Angeles Kings over Anaheim Ducks (10:35pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings are one of the most talented teams in the NHL and they seem to be playing with a renewed spark after the acquisition of Jeff Carter last week. They've won two of their last three games, including two 4-0 victories against the Blackhawks and Wild and a tough 2-1 loss to the Predators in a game that they very well could have won. With all of the talent assembled on this squad, they're primed to make a nice run down the stretch to position themselves for the playoffs and that run may be starting now. The Anaheim Ducks have been on a pretty good run themselves of late, but I still think they have too many holes especially on the defensive end of the ice. They also have still struggled pretty badly on the road going 9-19 in their last 28 away from home. I think the Kings resurgence will be too overwhelming for the Ducks and I expect an easy winner in our Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Detroit Red Wings UNDER (7:35pm EST) The Minnesota Wild square off against the Detroit Red Wings in another game that might be considered a yawn fest for goal scoring enthusiasts. In their last six meetings dating back to December 2010, five of the games have gone Under the total and most haven't been close. The Red Wings have had some wild games lately, but I expect things to tame down some now that it looks like goaltender Jimmy Howard is back in the net for good. In addition, Detroit's best offensive player Pavel Datsyuk is out with a knee injury and that will have a trickle-down effect on every scoring line. The Minnesota Wild have some injuries to some of its skill position players including center Mikko Koivo. This should turn into a grind-it-out type of battle and I wouldn't be surprised to see one of these talented goaltenders pitch a shutout tonight. Take the Under in this spot.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take New York Rangers/Tampa Bay Lightning UNDER (7:35pm EST) The New York Rangers have been an Under machine this season as their games have gone Under in 28 of 49 games this season (not including pushes). Their games are even lower scoring when goalie Henrik Lundqvist takes the net, as he has established himself as one of the best goalies in the league. Defensively, the Rangers rank 7th best in shot prevention and they've been especially adept at that lately. Last night they held the Hurricanes to 23 shots and the game before they held the Devils to a paltry 13 shots on net. It's tough to score against a team when you can't even get shots off and no question it will be an uphill battle for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning come off two games in which there were only 84 shots on goal combined and they generally play to the Rangers style when these teams hook up. Three of the last five meetings have gone Under and I have a hard time believing that there will be enough shots to get too many goals tonight.

4-unit Play Take #60 Winnipeg Jets over Florida Panthers (8:35pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets have been a dominant force on their home ice all season long at 19-10-4. However, today they try to avoid three straight home losses when they host the Florida Panthers. The Jets lost to the St. Louis Blues a few days ago in a shootout, but the game was dominated by Winnipeg. They outshot the Blues 41-16 and the game couldn't have been more one-sided except for the fact that Winnipeg lost. In their last game, they lost to Edmonton 5-3 in another game where they handily outshout their opponent and played very well. Bottom line, this Jets teams isn't really struggling despite a couple of losses, they're just getting a bit of bad luck. They haven't lost three home games in a row all season long and I think we'll see even more motivation from them to avoid that tonight. The Panthers come in pretty banged up with five players out and a few more not 100%. This is their fourth game in six nights and they are 6-16 in their last 22 such occurrences - a tough spot for any team. I just don't see the Panthers having a lot of energy and the Jets will be the more focused team so they get my money.

3-unit Play Take #7 St. Louis Blues over Edmonton Oilers (10:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues head into Edmonton tonight for their fourth road game of a six-game trip. They've successfully won the first three on the trip against some really good home teams and should be carrying some nice momentum into tonight's contest. All things considered, I value this St. Louis team right on par with Detroit, Vancouver and the other heavyweights in the NHL. They don't get as much publicity as those teams, but that's a good thing from a betting standpoint as we can still get a little bit of value in games like these. Detroit would easily be a -150 favorite in a game like this. The Oilers' season for all intents and purposes is over. They are in 14th place out of 15 teams in the Western Conference and have only amassed 56 points all season long. They have some talent, but they've been very inconsistent and haven't quite found the chemistry for long periods of time during the season. Bottom line, their motivation right not is questionable and it's been really disappointing for the. The Blues have won five of the last six meetings between these two and I think their strong fundamental style will give the young Oilers team some problems tonight. Take the much better St. Louis team in this one at a modest price.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Ottawa Senators/Boston Bruins OVER (7:05pm EST) This will be the fifth meeting of the season between the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins and all four previous meetings have gone Over the total - by a wide margin. In fact, the teams have combined to score 30 goals in the four games, for a whopping average of 7.5 goals per game. Ottawa has been an Over team all season long and nothing has changed lately as they've had five straight Overs in their last five games. In addition, Ottawa is going with backup goaltender Robin Lehner again tonight, and he has yet to prove himself in the NHL. The Bruins have had a surprisingly great offense this season and only the Flyers average more goals per game than they do. On the defensive side, goalie Tim Thomas is still a monster in the net, but his numbers have not been nearly as good as last season and he has the occasional off game. I expect a fast-paced game with lots of shots on goal and that should get us the Over tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #53 New York Islanders over Washington Capitals (7:05pm EST) Tonight we get a matchup of two teams that have been disappointed with their respective seasons thus far. The Washington Capitals were predicted by many to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals this year, but instead they are fighting for their playoff lives. They've made a coaching change, several lineup changes and have endured injuries and nothing has really changed all season long for them. They've won two straight but have still dropped six of their last nine games and at this point it's hard to imagine them just all of a sudden turning things around. While the Islanders didn't have as high of hopes as Washington they've still played beneath the level of their talent as they sit in 13th place in the Eastern Conference. They've shown flashes of brilliance at times but inconsistency has been their downfall. I think the price on this game is too big for two teams that are basically in the same boat. The Islanders have also won the last two meetings against the Caps and the games weren't particularly close. Take the Isles in this one with a nice underdog price tag attached to them.

3-unit Play Take #3 Los Angeles Kings over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings invade Nashville tonight to take on the Predators with some renewed confidence. The Kings made the biggest trade of the season just a few days ago when they acquired Columbus winger Jeff Carter. They needed a shot in the arm for their bottom-ranked offense and it seemed to pay dividends in their first game as they defeated the Blackhawks 4-0. Los Angeles has a ton of talent and I think this trade might be exactly what they needed to get more focused and play better together. The Predators continue to defy logic by racking up victories with poor underlying statistics. I still think that it will catch up with them at some point and that they are an overvalued commodity at this point in the season. I think that the Kings are a better team than the Predators and that's enough for me to pull the trigger on a +125 underdog, especially after the addition of Carter.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

6-unit Play Take New York Islanders/Ottawa Senators UNDER 5.5 (5:05pm EST) The New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators meet up for the second time in a week tonight. The Senators got the upper hand in the first meeting in a dominating 6-0 victory on Long Island this past Monday. After being thoroughly embarrassed, especially on the defensive end, I expect the Islanders to buckle down here and make it a grind-it-out type of game. The Islanders offense has also been struggling lately and has averaged only 1.9 goals per game over their last 10. So they know that they'll need to step it up on the defensive end to win this game. The Under is 10-4 in the last 14 games in which the Islanders have been underdogs. While the Senators are an offensive-focused team, the Under is 5-2 in their last seven games with no rest. They played last night and surrendered five goals in a loss to the Bruins, so I think they'll be focusing their efforts on defense tonight also. There is a lot of public money on the Over in this one, providing us great value in playing the Under as our Game of the Month.

3-unit Play Take Chicago Blackhawks/Los Angeles Kings UNDER 5 (8:05pm EST) Here's another game tonight that will be difficult to watch if you're looking for great offensive play. The Los Angeles Kings are an Under machine recently, seeing only two Overs in their last 17 games - a pretty amazing statistic. They yield the fifth fewest shots on goal per game and have one of the best goaltenders in the league in Jonathan Quick, a deadly combination. The Chicago Blackhawks have been very streaky lately and haven't had more than 29 shots on goal in any of their last five games. Goalie Corey Crawford has also seemingly found some rhythm after a rough stretch a few weeks ago. The icing on the cake is the recent matchup history between these teams. The Under is 10-1 in their last 11 meetings spanning the last three years. This one has the potential to be a 1-0 type of game very easily, and don't be surprised if we see less than 50 total shots in this one. The value is with the Under once again.

3-unit Play Take Buffalo Sabres/New York Rangers UNDER 5 (7:05pm EST) If you like tons of shots and aggressive play, then tonight's game between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers probably won't be for you. When these teams get together, it's usually a grind-it-out style that leads to tight lowing scoring affairs. As a result, the last five meetings between these two clubs have gone Under the total. The Rangers will be playing a back-to-back game tonight as they were beaten by the Islanders 4-3 last night in a shootout. After surrendering four goals, I expect their defense to really step it up tonight. In addition, their starting goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will be back in the net after a night off last night. He's one of the best in the business and usually arises to the occasion when he needs to. The Rangers have been struggling lately, so they'll be leaning on their leader in this one. Despite a couple of high scoring games lately, the Sabres games have been playing at a fairly slow pace and low shot rates. They battled the Bruins to a 2-1 victory last night in a shootout. The Rangers prefer that conservative style most of the time as well since they are a chip and chase team, so don't expect too many odd-man rushes. The Under is the safe play tonight.

3-unit Play Take #52 New York Islanders over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) We get another good spot to fade the New York Rangers tonight as they take on their arch rivals the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum. The Islanders were dominated in their last two games in which they were beaten by a combined score of 8-1. Hockey teams usually take it personally when they're embarrassed on consecutive nights, and they usually respond with a good bounce back game. Given that their rivals are on tap tonight, there's no doubt that their intensity will be even greater as they look to avenge three straight losses to the Rangers. I still think the Rangers team is a bit overrated and they could be losing a bit of their edge. They've dropped two of their last three and the game that they won was in overtime at home against the weak Blue Jackets. The price on this game is just seems to be a little bit too high based on the overall talent of these teams. Take the home underdog in a good spot for the Islanders.

3-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Florida Panthers OVER 5 (7:35pm EST) The Florida Panthers come into tonight's game losers of three straight games and the main culprit has been lack of goal scoring. They've only scored three goals combined in their last three games but it's not due to lack of aggressiveness as they've put 98 shots on goal, but have been a bit unlucky. They should come into tonight's game even more focused on the offensive end of the ice so I expect them to put close to 40 shots on net tonight and that should hopefully lead to three or four goals. As for the Minnesota Wild, they are coming off of a 2-0 shutout against the Boston Bruins. They did, however, yield 48 shots on goal in that game and didn't look too stellar in their own zone. Goaltender Niklas Backstrom has posted very solid numbers this season but hasn't looked as good as he did back in October and November. The Panthers should be able to get a few past him tonight. The Wild offense hasn't been as consistent as it needs to be, but I expect them to take advantage of a Florida team that is clearly going to be focused on the offensive end of the ice rather than on its defense. This definitely feels like good value and with the way we've been nailing our totals all season long, I think we have a good edge here again tonight on the Over.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #15 Vancouver Canucks over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) Even though the Nashville Predators have seemingly won hockey games via smoke and mirrors for the last several seasons, I'm not buying into them this year. The Predators have had an excellent record in close games this season and they don't seem to be playing with the same kind of intensity as they have in prior seasons. They've dropped four of their last six games and I wouldn't be surprised if this team goes into a prolonged tailspin during the second half of the season. The Vancouver Canucks meanwhile have been dominant lately going 10-0-3 in their last 13 games and I still don't think that this talented team has peaked yet. Both Vancouver goaltenders have been on top of their respective games as they've been in a healthy competition all season long. The road team is 7-1 in the last eight games in this series, so it's clear that home ice isn't too much of an issue for the Canucks to overcome. In fact, Vancouver is 20-9-2 on the road this season. Take the Canucks against an overrated Predators squad tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #4 Pittsburgh Penguins over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) Big matchup between Atlantic Division rivals as the Pittsburgh Penguins play host to the New York Rangers tonight. However, this game is much bigger for the Penguins than it is for the Rangers. Pittsburgh has been sliding a bit as they've dropped four of seven and now find themselves all the way down to sixth place in the Eastern Conference. In my opinion this is the most talented team in the Eastern Conference and they will get their act together to make sure they finish in the upper half of the conference before the playoffs begin. They've battled a ton of injuries all season, but they've got virtually everybody back now except for Sidney Crosby, who they've learned to play without for the last couple of seasons. The Rangers, on the other hand, have a huge lead atop the Eastern Conference as they have a nine-point margin over the second place team. I don't necessarily think they're just going to coast for the rest of the season, but I do expect them to lose a bit of their edge as it's a long season and they don't have anyone challenging them yet. Pittsburgh is a much better team at home than they are on the road with a 17-8-2 mark at the Consol Energy Center. Pittsburgh is our Game of the Day as they are the better team in my opinion and are playing at home where they've dominated all season long.

2-unit Play Take Washington Capitals/Carolina Hurricanes OVER 5.5 (7:35pm EST) Tonight we have a matchup of two teams that might be a little bit more tired than usual. The Washington Capitals will be playing their third game in four nights, all of which have been on the road. All of their recent games have been tight and have featured a lot of shots on goal, but not too many goals are finding the back of the net. The Carolina Hurricanes are also playing their third game in four nights and they have scored at least three goals in each of their last four games. They've had five straight games that have seen 60+ shots on goal in the game combined. I expect to see some fatigue setting in for both teams, especially as the game wears on, and that usually leads to sloppy defense and some easy goals. Seeing how aggressive these teams have been playing lately, the pressure will be on the goalies in this one and so far this season neither goaltender has been able to step up and deliver. Take the Over tonight.

10-unit Play Take #18 Winnipeg Jets over Colorado Avalanche (8:35pm EST) We have a great situational spot that I love tonight with the Winnipeg Jets hosting the Colorado Avalanche. These two teams don't square off very often give that it's not a conference game, and I think that benefits the Jets with their scrappier style that you don't see very often. In addition, this will be the first time that the Avalanche is coming to Winnipeg since they left the league initially. The MTS Centre is a very difficult place to play, even for teams that are familiar with it, so it will be a challenge for the visitors in this one. It's a small arena that gets very rowdy, has a lot of energy and has propelled the Jets to a 17-9-2 record at home. Winnipeg is coming off a very impressive 4-2 win against the defending champion Bruins on Friday night and that should instill even more confidence in a team that is fighting for their playoff lives right now. This will be the second game of a long eight-game homestand for the Jets, so they are definitely settling in and getting comfortable.
For the Avalanche, this will be the final game of a four-game road trip where they have gathered three points so far. They got a win in Edmonton on Friday so I think they may be a little complacent tonight given that they are coming off of a win and are heading home immediately after the game. I think Sunday night road games are tougher on most teams, especially when it's the last game of an extended road trip. It also looks like Colorado goaltender Jean-Sebastian Giguere will be sitting this one out again, which is a plus for Winnipeg as they don't have a great backup in Semyon Varlamov. On paper, these teams are very close to the same, but once you factor in home ice advantage, a backup goalie for Colorado and a great situational spot for the Jets, it's clear that the line on this game is way too low. Take Winnipeg with confidence as this is our NHL Game (10-units).

3-unit Play Take Washington Capitals/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (7:05pm EST) Neither one of these teams is proud of the season that they've had so far, but a matchup between the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning is always sure to have some fireworks. They are currently 9th and 12th in the Eastern Conference, respectively, and both are fighting for their playoff lives. These rivals have always played up-tempo styled-games evidenced by Overs going 6-1 in their last seven meetings. Tampa Bay's defense has been hideous over the last several games as they've given up a ton of shots and 13 goals over their last three contests. They surrendered 50 shots on goal in their last game against San Jose, which was actually a 6-5 win in overtime. Washington has been putting a lot of shots on net lately but they've had problems finding the back of the net consistently. I don't expect that to be a problem tonight with Mathieu Garon in net for the Lightning. He's had a down year and has been even worse over the last couple of weeks. Tomas Vokoun hasn't really been any better for the Capitals so don't expect any shutout performances from tonight's goalies. I think we'll see close to 70 shots on goal in this game and with two struggling goalies, and that should be plenty to get us Over the total tonight.

5-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/Carolina Hurricanes OVER (7:05pm EST) We've been locked in on totals of late and tonight presents another great opportunity as the San Jose Sharks head into Carolina to take on the Hurricanes. Both of these teams have been playing at a faster pace since the All-Star break and have been firing away plenty of shots on goal. For San Jose, seven of their last 8 games have gone Over the total and the last two games have seen an average of 76 shots on net. For Carolina, their last three games have seen a minimum of 67 shots on goal and two games were easily Over the total. Neither goaltender is having that great of a season and I think it's going to be a long night for Antti Niemi and Cam Ward. The last five matchups between these two teams have gone Over the total as well. On top of all that, San Jose is coming off of an overtime game last night and will surely be a bit winded for this game, which usually translates to some hiccups on the defensive side. All signs point to an easy Over here tonight, and that's why this is our Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Buffalo Sabres/Philadelphia Flyers OVER (7:05pm EST) When the Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers get together, there's usually plenty of action on the ice. We have seen six Overs in the last eight meetings between these clubs and five of the games featured at least seven goals. These teams know each other well and it seems like they can break down the opposing defense with ease each time out. It appears that Ryan Miller will be in net for the Sabres and that bodes well for Philadelphia, unlike in past years. While Miller has played a bit better of late, he is struggling through his worst season yet with a 2.75 goals against average and 0.909 save percentage. The Flyers counter with goalie Ilya Bryzgalov who is going through a tumultuous season of his own putting up even worse numbers. As a result, neither goalie can be trusted to fully shut down these offenses. Bottom line, these teams know that this will be a shootout coming into the game and we should see plenty of scoring chances. Throw in two struggling goaltenders and getting to six goals should be rather easy. Take the Over in tonight's Buffalo-Philly game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Anaheim Ducks/Pittsburgh Penguins UNDER 5.5 (7:05pm EST) Over the last four five weeks or so, the Anaheim Ducks have actually played pretty good hockey. They've come a long way since having the worst record in the NHL in early January, and now have hopes of contending for a playoff spot. How did they do it - great defense and stellar goaltending. This team has started to play a different style hockey lately and it's worked out well for them. They'll have a good challenge tonight as they face a high-powered Pittsburgh Penguins squad. But the Penguins have scored 12 goals in their last two games and I can see the offense losing a little bit of its edge and resting on its laurels tonight. Jonas Hiller has been amazing in the net for the Ducks and he usually gets up for the big games. Unders are 8-2 in Anaheim's last 10 games and I expect a tight, low scoring affair again in this matchup.

4-unit Play Take New York Islanders/Winnipeg Jets UNDER (7:05pm EST) I like this Under spot primarily because the Winnipeg Jets got blasted 8-5 by the Penguins last night in Pittsburgh. It was an embarrassing loss, especially on the defensive end of the ice and I don't think they let it happen two games in a row, especially with this one being at home. In fact, the Under is 8-0 following a Jets' loss of three or more goals this season. Winnipeg has also been a much better team at home this season (16-8-2), and they usually control the tempo at home - which usually means it will be slow. The New York Islanders haven't exactly been a juggernaut on offense lately either, averaging only 1.83 goals per game in their last six contests. In their last nine games in the underdog role, the Islander games have had a record of 8-1 on Unders. Finally, the last four times these teams have met have all resulted in Unders also. This one feels right as I just can't see these teams getting to six goals unless we see some unusual breaks.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #56 Boston Bruins over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) Tonight's game between the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers will be a statement game. The New York Rangers have been on top of the Eastern Conference for a good portion of the season, but the Boston Bruins are the defending Stanley Cup champions. I think the linesmakers are giving the Rangers a little bit too much respect for only a half season worth of accomplishments, when the Bruins are clearly the much better team overall. New York has been very fortunate to avoid any significant injuries all year. The Bruins, conversely, had to deal with the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover, several major injuries and they are getting everyone's best effort with the targets on their back. Despite these facts, the Bruins are only seven points behind the Rangers, and this is a great opportunity for the Bruins to show everyone that they are still the best. New York has won the last three contests, so I think Boston will be coming in with a chip on their shoulders for this one as well. Boston also comes in with two full days of rest while the Rangers only had one day and had to travel to Boston. All signs point to the home favorite to get the job done here tonight.

3-unit Play Take #54 Tampa Bay Lightning over Ottawa Senators (7:05pm EST) The Tampa Bay Lightning haven't been able to match last year's magical season thus far this season, but there is one thing that they do very well - they take care of business on their home ice. Despite sitting in a tie for only 12th place in the Eastern Conference, the Lightning come in to today's game with an impressive 15-8-2 mark at home. That was one of their trademarks last year and they're carrying that forward again. This is Tampa's first game at home after a three-game road trip where they went 1-1-1. The Ottawa Senators have been one of the surprise teams of the 2011-12. I believe they are a decent team, but almost no one expected them to be contending for a playoff spot. They've started to come back to earth lately losing eight of their last nine games, including their last four on the road. I expect by season's end this team will be on the outside looking come playoff time. We get the better of the two Tampa Bay goalies tonight, Mathieu Garon, and I think the Lightning take advantage of a struggling Senators team at home in this one. The line on this game should be in the -140's, so plenty of value to be had in this matchup.

3-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/Washington Capitals OVER (7:35pm EST) The San Jose Sharks invade Washington to take on the Capitals in this matchup tonight. The Sharks are coming off a loss to the Blues yesterday in which they were shutout 3-0, so I expect the offense to get extra aggressive tonight to prove a point. That may take the edge off a little on the defensive end, especially on a back-to-back situation, so we should see some action on both sides. It looks like Washington will be going with backup goaltender Michael Neuvirth, who has had an awful season with a 3.07 goals against average and 0.894 save percentage. That should make things even easier for the Sharks if they can put enough shots on the struggling netminder. These teams faced off about a month ago and the Sharks won 5-2 and there were a total of 69 shots on goal. I expect this game to be very similar, and if that's the case, our Over should be a solid play.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #63 Philadelphia Flyers over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) After getting thoroughly embarrassed yesterday afternoon, the Philadelphia Flyers head on the road to take on the Detroit Red Wings. But this isn't quite the same Red Wings team since they are missing one of their leaders in the net in Jimmy Howard. In his place, 32-year old Joey MacDonald will get the nod. He has only 91 career games in the goal, and that spans over seven seasons in the NHL - not a good sign. Detroit has looked rather sloppy over the last few weeks, but has still managed to put wins on the board winning a lot of close games. While they were able to slip past some weaker opponents, I expect them to struggle tonight against a motivated Flyers team after an embarrassing loss. Ilya Bryzgalov should also be back in the net tonight for the Flyers which should give them a nice energy boost. Philadelphia is too good of a team to be this big of an underdog in this situation, so the Flyers are the play in this one.

5-unit Play Take #18 Minnesota Wild over Columbus Blue Jackets (8:05pm EST) The Minnesota Wild square off against the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second time in five days, this time in Minnesota. Last time out, the Blue Jackets got the best of the wild winning 3-1 in a pretty good game at Columbus. The Wild look for their revenge tonight as they try to right the ship after a dramatic fall from first place in the Western Conference less than two months ago to barely hanging on in playoff contention. The Wild generally take care of weak opponents at home as they are 4-0 in their last four games as a larger favorite (-150 or higher). Overall, Minnesota is a very respectable 13-8-1 on their home ice this season. Columbus is also a pretty banged up team right now and they have been horrific on the road this season. They are just 6-19-3 away from home so far this season and were 1-4-1 on their most recent road trip. The struggling Wild desperately need a win to keep pace with the host of teams vying for the eighth spot in the Western Conference. A home game against the last-place Blue Jackets is one they cannot afford to lose and I expect them to come out strong in this one. The price is a touch higher than what I usually will lay on a favorite, but this game should be at least -180 so we have some great value and that's why this our Game of the Day.

3-unit Play Take #58 San Jose Sharks over Chicago Blackhawks (10:35pm EST) We have a good matchup tonight with the San Jose Sharks hosting the Chicago Blackhawks, although both of these teams are struggling a bit. The Blackhawks have dropped six straight contests and they haven't been particularly close in most of them. Some of it can be attributed to the All-Star hangover since they had more than most teams, but they've also been battling the injury bug recently. The flu has been going around and several of the Hawks' players are listed as questionable for tonight. San Jose has lost their last two games, but both were close and they could have gotten wins with a break or two. The Sharks have been dominant at home this season at 17-9-2 on the season, and they were even better last season. The home team was won the last four meetings between these two also. I look for the Sharks to take advantage of a beaten up Chicago squad again tonight.

3-unit Play Take #14 Ottawa Senators over Nashville Predators (7:35pm EST) Hockey teams don't like being embarrassed and they usually turn that embarrassment into aggression on the ice against whomever their opponent is. The Ottawa Senators have lost three straight games on their home ice and haven't looked very good while doing it. In fact, the Senators have dropped a total of seven straight games going back to January 21st. But this isn't a team that's just going to curl up and cry for mercy. They're still in the thick of things in the playoff race, as they currently sit in the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference. I expect them to give maximum effort tonight after some embarrassing performances recently, as this is the last game of their homestand and they don't want to leave winless on it. The Nashville Predators are their opponent and although these teams don't matchup very often, I like how the aggressive style of the Senators matches up against the Preds tonight. Nashville has been knocked off their usual conservative style in their couple of games against the Canucks and Blues, and I think Ottawa is getting them at the right time. You won't see Ottawa as a home underdog too many times the rest of the season as I expect this team to get back on track. Take the value here while you can.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #8 New York Islanders over Montreal Canadiens (7:05pm EST) On the surface we have two fairly evenly-matched teams in tonight's game between the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens. However, a closer look yields several reasons why the Isles are the play in this one. This New York team is young and I've seen them progressing well throughout the season and getting better and better each game. They've seemed to really put things together following the break, going 3-0-1 with the three victories all on the road. This team lacked some confidence early on in the season, but you can definitely start to see better chemistry and inspired play on the ice lately. On top of that, goaltender Evgeni Nabokov should be in the net tonight and he has been red hot over the last couple of weeks. He's coming off an impressive victory over a high-powered Philadelphia team that put 45 shots on goal without a single one getting through. In his last 9 starts, he has a miniscule 1.33 goals against average. The Canadiens are only 6-15 in their last 21 games as an underdog and have struggled away from home recently (1-6 in their last seven). The Islanders are playing better right now and are riding a hot goalie, so the price is very fair.

3-unit Play Take Boston Bruins/Buffalo Sabres OVER (7:35pm EST) Tonight's matchup is between Northeast Division rivals who know each other very well - the Boston Bruins versus the Buffalo Sabres. In this series, the offenses have definitely gotten the best of the defenses as the Over is 7-0-4 in the last 11 meetings between these two clubs. It's been almost three years since we've seen an Under in this series and based on the way these teams have played post-All Star break, there's no reason to believe that anything will change. While the scores haven't really indicated it, the Bruins' four games since the break have seen plenty of action. In those contests, there has been an average of 66 shots on goal per game and none of the games have seen overtime. The Sabres have played three games since the break and their games have seen even more shots, averaging 68.7 shots on goal. Again, you have to look deeper than the final score to see how the games have been played, and I think we get some good value given how aggressively these squads are playing on the offensive end right now. Take the Over in this spot.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #18 Winnipeg Jets over Toronto Maple Leafs (8:35pm EST) This is a nice situational spot tonight for the Winnipeg Jets as they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Winnipeg Jets are coming home after a successful 2-2 road trip that featured three playoff caliber squads. The Jets are also one of the best home teams in the NHL playing in small arena with raucous fans as they are 15-8-2 on the season. The Maple Leafs are coming off of a win at home against Edmonton last night and have to quickly head on the road in a back-to-back spot. The Leafs are only 12-11-2 on the road so far this season and I still think they're of the most overrated teams in the league. The Jets are 8-3 in their last 11 games as a home favorite while Toronto is only 2-5 in their last seven road games. While the Maple Leafs have more talent, the Jets play better as a team and their scrappiness is hard to quantify. They're a tough team to beat at home and I like our chances tonight hanging a very short price.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take St. Louis Blues/Ottawa Senators OVER (7:35pm EST) These teams haven't seen each other in almost 15 months, but when they face off tonight I expect to see some aggressive fast-paced action. The St. Louis Blues are coming off of a 3-1 loss to Nashville on Saturday night in which they had 43 shots on goal but could only put one in the back of the net. The Ottawa Senators had an even rougher time of it on Saturday as they lost 5-0 to Toronto in a game that they were able to get an amazing 49 shots on goal without scoring. Even though neither team could put goals on the board, I like the aggressive play and that should translate to some goals tonight. St. Louis was a huge Under team during the first half of the season (28 unders vs. 12 overs), but that trend tends to regress to the mean over the course of the season so I expect more Overs in the second half. Take the Under 5 in tonight's matchup that should see plenty of action.

3-unit Play Take Detroit Red Wings/Phoenix Coyotes OVER (8:05pm EST) The Detroit Red Wings and Phoenix Coyotes hook up in a game that promises to see aggressive play. Detroit is coming off a 5-4 loss in Edmonton on Saturday in a contest that saw 71 shots on goal. This is the last game of a 4-game road trip for the Wings and their defense has looked worse and worse as the trip has progressed. The All-Star break has definitely thrown them off their rhythm and to make matters even worse, the Wings have lost their star goalie Jimmy Howard to an injury for a few weeks. As a result, they'll have Ty Conklin in the net, which is a significant downgrade as he's one of the weakest backups in the NHL. The Coyotes were also involved in a thriller in their last game as they won 5-3 versus San Jose. The Over is 7-3-3- in the last 16 games that Phoenix has played on one day of rest. They should come out aggressive knowing that they have a weak opponent in the net. Finally, the Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these squads. All signs point to an Over tonight and that's where your money should be especially with plus juice.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #67 San Jose Sharks (-135) over Phoenix Coyotes (8:05pm EST) The San Jose Sharks have gotten out of the gates with a bang following the All-Star break winning two convincing games by the scores of 5-2 and 6-0 versus Dallas and Columbus, respectively. They go on the road tonight to face off against a Phoenix Coyotes team that has continued to slide out of playoff contention after a very strong start to the season. The Coyotes were dominated by the lowly Anaheim Ducks in their last contest by a score of 4-1 and looked very lethargic and disinterested. Even though there are over 30 games remaining I get the impression that Phoenix has already raised the white flag and has lost all hope. Goaltender Mike Smith has lost his magic touch that carried the team early on in the season and the offense has gone through some major scoring droughts over the last several weeks. San Jose has clearly dominated this series as they've won 10 of the last 12 contests, including four of the last five in Phoenix. The Sharks are also 9-3 in their last 12 games as a favorite and appear to be an extremely focused club. Backup goalie Thomas Greiss looks like he will get the nod tonight for San Jose, which might be a good thing as he has outperformed Antti Niemi in his 13 games this season, with a 1.83 goals against average. I like the short price for a Sharks team that clearly outclasses the Coyotes and should get an easy win tonight, and that's why this is our Game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #9 Columbus Blue Jackets over Anaheim Ducks (10:05pm EST) It's crazy to think that the Anaheim Ducks could be this big of a favorite against anyone in the NHL. The Ducks did go on quite a tear right before the All-Star break but that's old news and we're still talking about one of the worst teams in hockey here. Momentum just doesn't carry over when you have a full week off, and they have the same talent that they did earlier in the year. Anaheim looked more like their old selves on Monday against the Stars as they were dropped easily 6-2. They take on an underrated Columbus Blue Jackets team tonight that should play the spoiler role well in the second half of the season. Columbus has some talent but they just have been very unfortunate with injuries, on the wrong end of some late-game heroics, and endured a difficult coaching change. They have nothing to lose now and I think they can hang tough with some of the lower level teams such as the Ducks here tonight. Tonight's price is just too good to pass up and I like the Blue Jackets to steal one here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #4 Florida Panthers over Winnipeg Jets (7:35pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets have gotten off to a fast start after the All-Star break winning their first two games on the road against good teams. However, they were tightly contested contests that each went to overtime (one went to shootout), and were 2-1 victories by the Jets in games that could have easily gone either way. This will be Winnipeg's third game in four nights on the road and it's an even tougher battle than before going into Florida. The Panthers are 13-5-6 at home this season and they are coming off of a dominating performance against the Capitals on Wednesday night. With that win the Panthers catapulted into first place in the Southeast Division and I think they will bring some extra confidence in the second half of the season. I think the Jets are going to be a little too winded after playing two overtime games on the road, and this being their third game in four nights. Take the Panthers here as a home favorite.