Sports Picks & Predictions

3-unit Play Take Dallas Stars/San Jose Sharks OVER (10:35pm EST) When the Dallas Stars and San Jose Sharks get together, we usually see quite a bit of action. In fact, over their last four meetings in the series, the game total has averaged 6.75 goals. More importantly, both of these teams have gotten plenty of shots on goal during their recent matchups, so there's no reason to believe that this trend will end. In addition, the Over is also 6-1-1 in the last eight road games for the Stars. I also think that both starting goalies had a little bit better first half of the season than expected, and that they will come back down to earth a bit in the second half. This game should see close to 70 shots on goal, so the goalies will get plenty of work, and I expect them to falter tonight. Play the Over 5.5 goals as we get some nice plus juice to boot.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #56 Philadelphia Flyers over Nashville Predators (7:05pm EST) The Nashville Predators come into tonight's matchup winners of 10 of their last 11 games, the hottest team in the NHL. However, after a week layoff for the All-Star break, most of the momentum that built up is lost as it's the start of the second half. The linesmakers don't seem to agree as they made the Philadelphia Flyers a low -130 favorite, when this line should be closer to -150 under normal circumstances. The Flyers have a better goal differential on the season and clearly are a much more talented group. The home team was won the last four games in this series and I expect more of the same tonight.

3-unit Play Take #5 Washington Capitals over Florida Panthers (8:05pm EST) I see a couple of strong reasons to look to the Washington Capitals to get a win tonight in Florida against the Panthers. The Capitals have definitely underachieved in the first half of the season, but they've still found a way to win hockey games and are in first place in the Southeast Division. Second half of the seasons are a new beginning and I look for the Caps to take advantage and get some momentum going here soon. No better time to start against a division rival that is nipping at their heels trailing by on lone point in the standings. The Capitals played last night and lost a tough fought battle in Tampa Bay in overtime. Back-to-back games are usually negatives as teams are tired on the back-end, but in this case I look at this situation as a positive. After a six-day lay-off for the All-Star break, legs are still fresh and getting a game under your belt last night when your opponent hasn't is a huge plus as the rust is now gone. The Florida Panthers come in after a great first half of the season but expectations are now higher and I expect that to affect a younger team that isn't used to winning. Florida came out on top 5-4 the last time these teams played, but it was evenly contested matchup that could have gone either way. I look for the Capitals to jump to an early lead in this one and hold on for a victory.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #61 Buffalo Sabres over Montreal Canadiens (7:35pm EST) The second half of the season is a new beginning for some teams, as they want to put the past behind them and look ahead to the future. One such team is the Buffalo Sabres, who suffered through the beginning of the season and find themselves in 14th place in the Eastern Conference. Things couldn't have gone much worse for Buffalo as they lost close games, suffered some significant injuries and just didn't have the chemistry that fans hoped for before the season. But this team still has a ton of talent and the pressure is now off as everyone has written this team off for the 2011-12 season. The Montreal Canadiens come into the second half of the season with a glimmer of hope as they are 11th in the Eastern Conference and believe they can still find a way to sneak into the playoffs with a strong push. Throughout the season, it seems like the Canadiens have played to the level of their opponent, stepping up in big games but folding in games that they should easily win. In fact, Montreal is only 8-17 in their last 25 games as a favorite. The Canadiens have also lost the last five meetings against the Sabres and have dropped the last four in Montreal. Take the more talented team who matches up better tonight at a nice dog price.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #59 Winnipeg Jets over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST) It happens every single year - the All-Star hangover. You would expect every team to come back a little bit rusty and out of sorts in their first game back after the break, but you don't expect anyone to be tired. However, for the handful of teams that were blessed with several All-Star players, it's inevitable that the players are going to be a little bit tired from the All-Star game and the related festivities. In tonight's matchup, we have a well-rested Winnipeg Jets team who had only one All-Star, Dustin Byfuglien, who didn't even play in the game. On the other hand, the Philadelphia Flyers had five All-Stars that were featured on Sunday. Needless to say, one team is probably going to be coming into this matchup with a little more energy than the other. On top of that, the Jets have dominated this series over the last couple of seasons, winning nine of the last 10 meetings including the last five in Philadelphia. This underdog is way underpriced and I love the Jets' chances to steal one tonight.

3-unit Play Take Dallas Stars/Anaheim Ducks UNDER 5.5 (8:35pm EST) If this game were played two weeks ago it would have had a completely different feel. The Ducks were in dead last in the conference and had very little hope for the playoffs back then. However, they are 8-0-1 in their last nine contests and have currently moved to within 11 points of 8th place in the West. The Dallas Stars have been struggling mightily of late losing six consecutive contests, and are now in 11th place in the conference but only four points away from the last playoff spot. With these teams going in opposite directions and both looking up at the playoffs right now, I feel like this game will have a lot of energy and have a playoff-like atmosphere especially considering this will be the fourth meeting of the season already for these two. As a result, I expect a good fundamentally-played tight matchup with few mistakes, which should keep scoring down. The last two meetings between these two saw the total go Over, but that's only because the goaltenders had poor efforts. There weren't many shots on goal in either game and if we can just get them to play an average game in net we should have no problem keeping the total below the number today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #12 Los Angeles Kings over Ottawa Senators (10:35pm EST) Everyone has jumped on the Ottawa bandwagon recently, and while they're an improved team from last year, I'm still not sold that they are a playoff caliber playoff club. They have quite a few holes on the defensive end and in the net, with goalie Craig Anderson. This will be Ottawa's fourth game on a six-game road trip and they'll come in a little weary while the Kings have been home for their last two games and are well-rested. The Kings will also be the more motivated team tonight as they have yet to register a win on this current homestand and have been getting a lot of pressure from management and fans. The Kings are 8-2-1 in the last 11 meetings between these teams and they've also won four of their last five games against teams with winning records. Bottom line, the Kings have much more talent than the Senators and should win this game if they play to their potential.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #7 Columbus Blue Jackets (+1.5 PL) over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets take on the Nashville Predators for the second time in five days. When these teams met last Wednesday in Columbus, the Predators came out on top 3-0 but it was a very evenly played game. The Jackets outshot the Preds 38-25 and held their own on both ends of the ice. Columbus is a much-improved team from earlier on in the season, and I still don't think that the linesmakers have taken into account. The game today should stay close, especially with Nashville's conservative style once they get a lead. In fact, four of the last five games between these two have been decided by one goal. Play the Blue Jackets on the puck line tonight, as this one should be very tight.

4-unit Play Take #5 St. Louis Blues over Detroit Red Wings (7:35pm EST) Big matchup for first place in the Central Division tonight between the St. Louis Blues and Detroit Red Wings. As it currently stands these are the two best teams in the Western Conference record-wise, and you'd be hard-pressed to say that anyone is in their same category in the conference outside of Vancouver. The Blues come into tonight's matchup with something to prove. They want to prove that they belong with the big boys and that they are going to be a force to be reckoned with for the second half of the season. Goaltender Jaroslav Halak is playing out of his mind lately, allowing only four goals over his last four starts and stopping 85 of 89 shots on goal during that span. In their last nine games overall, the Blues are 8-0-1 and have looked as sharp as anyone. Their last loss in regulation was against these Red Wings by a score of 3-0 in Detroit - a loss that they'll be looking to avenge tonight. The Wings have seemingly been in this position forever, sitting in first place in the division and on their way to another high seed in the playoffs. They're a veteran team that manages the regular season very well and knows how to win. They come into tonight's matchup winners of six in a row, but five of those wins have been by the score of 3-2 in overtime or a shootout. So they're not exactly dominating on the ice. I think the Blues are playing much better hockey right now, have a hot goaltender and should be the more motivated team with something to prove. Take the Blues at a nice dog price.

3-unit Play Take #25 Calgary Flames (-120) over Edmonton Oilers (10:05pm EST) The Calgary Flames are trying to fight through a host of injuries right now, but more importantly they are also fighting for a playoff spot. The Flames have won four of their last six and look to make it a winning road trip with a victory tonight in Edmonton. The Oilers have had a rough time of it since the New Year began, dropping seven of their last eight games and completely crumbling when the pressure is on late in games. They are also dealing with some major injuries and it has seemed to take more of a toll on this team. This team just isn't playing with the same passion that they were earlier on in the season. More importantly, the Flames have dominated the season series winning the first three games by a combined score of 10-4. I look for Calgary to make it five straight with a winner in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #5 Ottawa Senators (+100) over Anaheim Ducks (4:05pm EST) Both of these teams come into tonight's matchup red hot as the Ottawa Senators have won 10 of their last 12 games and the Anaheim Ducks have won six of their last seven. However, only one of these teams is legit and the other is a pretender. The Senators have established themselves as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference and have a chance to jump into first place in the Northeast Division if they win this game. This team wasn't projected to be very good this season, but they've done it with great balance and gritty play all season long with up and coming players. The Anaheim Ducks, on the other hand, have had their best run of the season but are still one of the worst teams in the NHL (if not the worst). They rely on way too many players past their prime and several of their younger players haven't stepped up either. The biggest disappointment has been goaltender Jonas Hiller, who has a 2.93 goals against average in 39 games. The Senators have won their last five road games and their last six as an underdog. Don't let the current run by the Ducks fool you, they aren't nearly that good and have just caught a few breaks lately. Play the Ottawa Senators as our Game of the Week.

3-unit Play Take #57 Florida Panthers over Chicago Blackhawks (8:35pm EST) I love this spot tonight for the Florida Panthers coming into Chicago as a big underdog. Florida has lost three straight games, two of which were in overtime and a shootout, but they've played a very difficult schedule lately and have held their own against the NHL's best. As a result, we get some extra line value as this team really isn't struggling as it appears. The Panthers also know the Blackhawks well as they are run by former Hawks general manager Dale Tallon and have five former Blackhawks on the roster - including four who played regular roles in the Cup-winning season. Chicago is coming off of a win against the Buffalo Sabres in which they caught just about every break in a 6-2 win. The Hawks have won four of their last five but they are without Patrick Sharp in this one and Florida has several key players returning from injury tonight. The last time these teams hooked up was in November, where the Hawks won 3-2 in a shootout. However, the Panthers actually outplayed the Hawks in that game and held the shots advantage 43-33. This time, I like the chances for the Panthers to get a victory in Chicago.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #2 Columbus Blue Jackets over Nashville Predators (7:05pm EST) This Columbus Blue Jackets team got us a win the other night against Edmonton and I like the way they are playing lately. After a very slow start, they've turned things around and are a very competitive team. Since going 2-12-1 to start the season with a -25 goal differential in their first 15 games, the Jackets are 10-15-4 with only a -14 goal differential in their last 29 games. While that's not earth-shattering, it's a vastly improved mark that still hasn't been taken into account by the linesmakers yet. The Nashville Predators sit in the 6th spot in the Eastern Conference currently with 56 points, but I think this squad has peaked and are only at a +2 goal differential on the season. I think they still play too conservatively at times and that costs them some games when they have the opportunity to really take control. Pekka Rinne doesn't look like his old self in the net either and I expect the Columbus to put some pressure on him tonight. Take the Blue Jackets with plus money at home.

3-unit Play Take #7 Pittsburgh Penguins over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this one on a three-game winning streak after suffering their through their worst stretch of the season, a six-game losing streak. But not only did the Penguins win those last three games, they absolutely dominated them. They had at least 41 shots on goal in each of the three victories, while holding their opponents to 26 shots or less. They've been pretty banged up also, but I really don't count that against this team as they have plenty of depth and pieces that fit well together. The New York Rangers have been fortunate to stay healthy all year and have gotten great goaltending from both of their netminders. I think the Rangers have peaked however, and we'll continue to see some value fading them for awhile. The last time these two teams hooked up in early January, the Rangers won 3-1 but Pittsburgh won the shots battle 38-21 and skated very well in a game they could have easily won. I look for the Penguins to get the upper hand tonight and notch a win.

4-unit Play Take Detroit Red Wings/Dallas Stars OVER (8:35pm EST) This is an easy Over to pull the trigger on as we have two very suspect goaltenders between the pipes in this matchup between the Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars. Ty Conklin of the Wings is simply one of the worst backups in the NHL and his 0.888 save percentage backs that up. Richard Bachman of the Stars is a rookie that's only played 10 games this season and is still learning to play the net in this league. It's safe to say that both teams will be aggressive tonight against weaker goaltenders and knowing that their own goalies may be giving up a few tonight. On top of that, these two teams have combined for 31 goals in their last four matchups, for an average of 7.75 goals per game. The Over is the clear play in this one as we should see a shootout.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #11 Winnipeg Jets over New Jersey Devils (7:05pm EST) The New Jersey Devils currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with 52 points while the Winnipeg Jets are in 10th place with 47 points. Thus, only 5 points separates these teams but the linesmakers have the Devils as a big favorite here. Martin Brodeur will be in the net tonight for the Devils and that usually spells trouble for New Jersey. The 39-year old netminder is well past his prime and his numbers prove it. In 27 games this year, Brodeur has a 2.90 goals against average and a meager 0.894 save percentage. For some reason New Jersey's management can't seem let it go of its former hero, and they insist on putting him in the net more often than the much more capable Johan Hedberg. We'll take advantage of that as much as we can as this price is just too big against a scrappy, underrated Winnipeg Jets team. Winnipeg looked very impressive in their 2-0 in at Ottawa on Monday, and I expect that to carry over into this one. Take the Jets at a great price.

3-unit Play Take #4 Columbus Blue Jackets over Edmonton Oilers (7:05pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team that I've been keeping a close eye, as they have definitely raised their level of play recently. This will be Todd Richard's fourth game as interim coach and the team has seemed to respond favorably to him. While they're only 1-2 so far under Richards, they had a hard-fought loss to San Jose in their last game 2-1 and their other loss was against a very good Chicago team that was closer than the final score appeared. Bottom line, you have to like the effort that they're bringing every night and I think that will eventually turn into some victories and definite value against the line. The Edmonton Oilers are an interesting team that hasn't played very consistent hockey this season. They've only won 5 of their last 17 contests and have had trouble scoring goals and their goaltenders have struggled of late. It was only a matter of time before the 39-year old Nikolai Khabibulin broke down after an amazing start to the season. The Oilers are at least a year or two from really being competitive and making some noise in the Western Conference. The Blue Jackets have won the last four meetings between these teams in Columbus and that trend should continue here tonight.

3-unit Play Take #53 Colorado Avalanche over Phoenix Coyotes (4:05pm EST) We've been fairly successful playing against this overrated Phoenix Coyotes team all season, and we get another good opportunity to do it again this afternoon. Goaltender Mike Smith has started to come back down to earth over the last several weeks and all of a sudden the Coyotes don't look like much of a contender. Phoenix has lost 9 of their last 11 games and while some of their losses were close, you can tell that this team just doesn't have the same fire that they played with earlier on in the season. They draw a hungry Colorado Avalanche squad that has played well on the road this season. The Avalanche is 11-9-2 away from home thus far and has four road wins in their last five tries (the one loss suffered in a shootout). Phoenix is only 8-8-3 at home this season as the home fans haven't exactly provided much energy. Colorado is also 8-1 in their last nine games playing with a day of rest, which is today's situation. And the Avalanche is 8-3 in their last 11 as underdogs. Some nice trends going for Colorado in this one and plus-money looks really attractive for a team that is playing better hockey right now.

5-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks/Chicago Blackhawks OVER 5.5 (7:05pm EST) There are lots of reasons to favor a high goal-scoring game in this matchup between the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. For starters, the Sharks have been ambushing opponents with shots over the last couple of weeks. In their last 10 games, the Sharks have averaged an amazing 37.5 shots on goal per game (tops in the league). Goaltending isn't one of the strengths of the Blackhawks and with that many shots, I expect a few to get past the likely starter Corey Crawford. The Blackhawks offense is on a roll as well, as they've scored 12 goals in their last three games and have looked sharp. They will likely be going against former teammate Antti Niemi, which always adds a little extra motivation. The last time these teams hooked up about a month ago, the Hawks won 3-2 but there were 71 shots on net, which tells us a lot about how these teams play against one another - aggressively. Another telling trend is that the Over has gone 12-4 in the last 16 games in which the Hawks were playing a back-to-back situation, as they are today. It's also the third game in four nights for both teams, and tired teams generally slip on defense when they're tired. Play the Over as our Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #69 Philadelphia Flyers over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) We have a bit of a clash of styles in today's matchup between the Philadelphia Flyers and Nashville Predators. The Flyers like to get it up and down the ice and get plenty of shots on goal, which they've been very successful doing this season. Philadelphia is sixth in the NHL in shots on goal per game and that has translated to the second best goals per game average. In the net for Philadelphia it looks like Sergei Bobrovsky will likely get the start. In his last eight games (six starts), Bobrovsky is 5-1-0 with a 1.95 goals-against average and .939 save percentage. Nashville counters with a methodical, measured attack that plays conservative and tries to take advantage of mistakes by the opponent. The Flyers are a pretty disciplined team so I don't expect many mistakes coming from them here tonight. They are also true road warriors, leading the NHL with 16 victories on the road so far. Philadelphia has also competed favorably against the top competition lately, boasting a 10-4 record against teams with winning records in their last 14 games. The Flyers are the more talented team in this one and we get a solid price to back them tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #2 Columbus Blue Jacket over Phoenix Coyotes (7:05pm EST) This is the very end of a grueling road trip for the Phoenix Coyotes where they will have played eight games in eight different cities over the course of 14 days. They've only managed to win two games during this stretch and they started to show some fatigue last night against the Red Wings in a 3-2 loss in overtime - a game in which they were outshot 42-27. There's no doubt that they'll still be fairly tired coming into tonight's game, and with their home back in sight they may be a little less focused than usual. Their foe the Columbus Blue Jackets have played better hockey of late, despite not getting too many victories. Interim Head Coach Todd Richards will get to make his home debut behind the Columbus bench tonight. This will be the first home game for Columbus since December 31st, so we should see some good energy in the stands to back the new coach and new look. Another noteworthy stat is that the home team is 4-1 in the last five games in this series. Something tells me that these Blue Jackets will play good spoilers in the second half of the season and I give them a good chance to get the job done here tonight. Take Columbus at the small number.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #63 Colorado Avalanche over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) The Nashville Predators play a very unique style of hockey and they have been very successful executing it over the last few seasons. They've relied on keeping the game close by playing conservatively with heavy reliance on their top-notch defensemen and goaltender. However, the defensemen haven't been playing as well this season and goalie Pekka Rinne has had an awful season so far. The Predators have still managed to get more victories than losses, but I don't expect that continue all season long unless they can make some significant changes. The Colorado Avalanche are somewhat quietly staying in contention this year with their young team. I like the way they've been playing on offense over the last few weeks even though it hasn't necessarily translated into good results. This team will continue to improve and I wouldn't be surprised if they finish ahead of the Predators by season's end. I think the line is too high on this one and I really like the Avalanche as a bigger dog tonight.

3-unit Play Take Carolina Hurricanes/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (7:35pm EST) We have two struggling clubs matching up tonight as the Carolina Hurricanes invade Tampa Bay to face the Lightning. The Hurricanes have dropped four of five games, but four of those games went Over the posted total. In addition, there were a ton of shots put up in those contests so it's clear that the Hurricanes are continuing to play aggressively despite losing efforts. The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost four in a row and are staying fairly aggressive too. The last 10 meetings between these two teams have either gone Over the total are have pushed. The Over is also 21-7-2 in Tampa Bay's last 30 home games overall. Expect to see some more goals tonight as the Over is definitely the play based on the trends and how these teams have been playing of late.

3-unit Play Take Pittsburgh Penguins/Washington Capitals UNDER (7:35pm EST) Both the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins come into this matchup struggling. The Penguins have dropped a season-high five straight games and have only scored a total of six goals over that span. This is partly due to some significant injuries but also due to some bad luck running into some hot goaltenders. Washington has dropped their last two games by the same score of 5-2, games in which they were absolutely dominated by the Sharks and Kings. It's been an odd season for the Capitals, but they have to get things straightened out sooner than later as they are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference. One of the biggest problems has been the poor season by goalie Tomas Vokoun, which I can't imagine lasting an entire season. He has been one of the better goalies in the league during his tenure, but currently has a 2.66 GAA and 0.912 save percentage this season (both well below his career numbers). The last six times these squads have hooked up, the total has went Under and most of them have not even been close. I like this one to stay low scoring as well as both teams try to clamp down and get a much needed victory.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #67 San Jose Sharks over Minnesota Wild (7:35pm EST) We have two teams going in opposite directions tonight and I expect the trend to continue on both fronts. The San Jose Sharks have won four straight games and are 8-1-1 over their last 10 contests. San Jose has been really impressive on the defensive end of the ice as they've only allowed 21 goals over that 10-game stretch. Antti Niemi has also really solidified himself as one of the better goalies in the Western Conference this season and you can see his confidence grow as the season goes along. The Minnesota Wild has dropped 11 of its last 12 (3 of those losses in overtime) and the nightmare doesn't seem like it's going to end. They've gone from having the best record in the NHL all the way down to the number 8 seed if the playoffs were today. Their offense has been lifeless, averaging only 1.42 goals per game over their last 12. They get the wrong opponent today in hopes of turning things around as the Sharks have won 15 of the last 21 in this series. Additionally, the Sharks have won 8 of the last 11 in Minnesota. All signs point to an easy winner for San Jose tonight.

3-unit Play Take #59 Buffalo Sabres over Toronto Maple Leafs (7:05pm EST) This is the first of a home and home series for these two teams, who will head back to Buffalo on Friday for the second leg. This is an important two-game set for the Buffalo Sabres as they sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and are six points behind the Toronto Maple Leafs, who currently sit in the 7th spot. The Sabres have been sputtering a bit lately and coach Lindy Ruff knows it. "To lose six in a row on the road ? our road play has been very disappointing," Ruff said. "We've got to start winning on the road. I think that's where the biggest damage is going to come from. You're going to have to play your system real solid, get great goaltending, it's going to be a lot of little things." The Leafs, on the other hand, are coming off three straight victories at home against Detroit, Winnipeg and Tampa Bay. Their last win against Detroit was a little misleading as they were outshoot 40-18 but hung on for a 4-3 victory. Toronto has caught some breaks in close games this season and are fortunate to be where they are at right now. I think Buffalo is the better overall team here and we get a good dog price tonight in a game that they need badly. Take the Sabres in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #55 Columbus Blue Jackets (+135) over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) The Columbus Blue Jackets have the worst record in the NHL, and the Anaheim Ducks are right there with the second worst record. However, that doesn't begin to tell the whole story of how far apart these teams really are. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been an extremely competitive team since they got off to a bad start in early October. But the fact that they have been playing at a decent level has been masked by the fact that they've only won 30% of one goal games, the second worst winning percentage in those situations. They scored an impressive 1-0 victory against the Los Angeles Kings yesterday afternoon and you can just see more confidence in this team. As a result, I expect to see some good value with the Jackets for a little while. Despite being slightly ahead of Columbus, the Ducks are the worst team in hockey. They've had major problems in every area this season and some of their veterans that they hoped to rely on are just past their prime. The Blue Jackets are 4-1 in their last 5 meetings in Anaheim and the underdog is also 5-2 in the last seven games in this series. I expect more of the same tonight as we get a good price on Columbus.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #13 Detroit Red Wings over Toronto Maple Leafs (7:05pm EST) The Detroit Red Wings might be the most complete team in the NHL at this point, outside of the Boston Bruins. They have a dangerous offense, gritty defensemen and a top flight goalie. And best of all, they all have valuable experience from which to draw on. That experience goes a long way because their veterans ensure that the team doesn't take any nights off against inferior opponents. Tonight they go up against an overrated Toronto Maple Leafs team. Toronto is 20-15-5 on the season but only has a +1 on goal differential so they are by definition a mediocre team. They are aggressive and score the puck, but are just as likely to make mistakes that cost them on the defensive end. As a result, they're 5th in goals scored and 25th in goals allowed. Toronto is just 6-9-1 in their last 16 games and are quickly falling out of playoff contention. I think they're one year away from really making a run at it, as they often struggling against better, smarter competition - teams like the Red Wings. I think Detroit will take advantage of the Leafs soft spots on defense and dominate a team that is really struggling to put it all together on the ice lately. That's why the Red Wings are my Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #54 Pittsburgh Penguins over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game with a ton of injuries, but that hasn't stopped them all season long. This is one of the deepest teams in recent memory and they haven't missed a beat despite having all of their top players out for periods of time in the first half of the season. As a result, I think there might be a small overreaction in the line for the current injury situation. They haven't been healthy all season long, so this team is used to it and has battled through it well. The New York Rangers are going to be targeted from here on out as they've proven that they are a force to be reckoned sitting atop the Atlantic Division. I'm interested to see how they respond with everyone gunning for them, but I would expect them to regress some. The Rangers are coming off a hard-fought battle against Florida last night that went to overtime, so they might be a little bit gassed. Pittsburgh had the night off but has dropped two straight games and has only lost three straight once all season - way back in mid-October. I think they get their heads screwed on straight against an overachieving Rangers squad.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #5 Columbus Blue Jackets over San Jose Sharks (10:35pm EST) While I usually don't mess around with dogs this big, there is a serious mis-pricing in today's line. The San Jose Sharks are a very good hockey team, but they're only 7-9 in their last 16 games and aren't as sharp as they were early on in the season. The Columbus Blue Jackets are possibly the most underrated team in the NHL right now. After getting off to a horrendous start to the season, Columbus has quietly played very competitive hockey over the last six weeks. Unfortunately for them they haven't been able to translate too many of those games into wins, but they will if this team keeps fighting like it has. Columbus has actually won two of the last three games in this series as well. I like their chances to keep it close tonight and possibly steal another win.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #5 Florida Panthers over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) This is an interesting matchup of two teams that have exceeded expectations in the first half of the season. The Florida Panthers sit in first place in the Southeast Division at 20-12-7, where they have been for most of the season. They have done a good job of molding together their team with lots of new faces, and have done well controlling the puck in their own zone. I think this team will be even better in the second half as they are still learning to play with one another and are young. The New York Rangers have also played exceptionally well so far this season and are in first place in the Atlantic Division at 24-9-4. I don't think the Rangers are quite as good as their record indicates. They have a talented team but their goaltenders have put up numbers that are not sustainable, and they've caught quite a few breaks in addition to avoiding major injuries. In today's matchup, Florida looks to avenge at the hands of the Rangers last week in Florida. The Rangers got off to a fast start 3-0 and basically played keep away for the rest of the game in a 4-1 win. I expect tonight's game to be much more competitive as these teams are very evenly matched. Take Florida as the price on the underdog is just too good to pass up in this one.

4-unit Play Take Minnesota Wild/Vancouver Canucks OVER (10:05pm EST) Even though the Vancouver Canucks have been on an unbelievable run over the last month or so, their defense has been suspect over the last couple of weeks. They've been able to cover it up by putting plenty of goals on the board offensively and the fact that they have two great goaltenders. However, they're allowing way too many shots on goal and it's only a matter of time before that catches up to them. The Minnesota Wild have been struggling a bit on the offensive end of the ice recently, but I liked the way that they've moved it around the last couple of games. They should be getting right-winger Devon Setoguchi on the ice after missing a month, which will be a big boost to the offense. The Over is 9-4-1 in the last 14 meetings between these teams. When these teams met last month, the final score was 4-0 Vancouver, but there were a total of 66 shots on goal. If we get that many again tonight, I like our chances to get over the total.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #10 St. Louis Blues over Phoenix Coyotes (8:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues are quietly one of the better teams in the NHL. While their record is good enough for only sixth in the Western Conference, the Blues have had some bad luck in close games and overtime games this season. They allow only 26.5 shots per (best in NHL) and have enough weapons on offense to be dangerous. They've dropped three straight games, two of which were at Detroit, and are looking to turn things around as they come back home tonight. They have a good matchup against a very overrated Phoenix Coyotes squad that I've been looking to fade as much as possible. I don't expect the Coyotes to fare to well in the second half of the season because they've experienced excellent goaltending that simply can't be sustained. St. Louis is a pretty dominant team at home, winning 16 of their last 21 at the Scottrade Center. The Blues have also been a fairly resilient team, as they are 19-8 in their last 27 games after scoring two goals or less, a situation they face tonight. I look for St. Louis to break through with a convincing win in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #53 New Jersey Devils over Ottawa Senators (7:35pm EST) The New Jersey Devils invade Ottawa to take on a tired Senators team. This will be Ottawa's third game in four nights and the last two went into overtime. In fact, four of the last five Ottawa games have gone into overtime, which takes its toll especially with the holiday season. New Jersey comes in fairly well-rested off two impressive victories against Pittsburgh and Buffalo by identical scores of 3-1. I like the way New Jersey has been clamping down on defense lately, and it's translated well as the Devils have won seven of their last nine contests. New Jersey is clearly the better team between these two clubs and we get good value here tonight with plus money. Take the Devils in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Ottawa Senators/Buffalo Sabres OVER 5.5 (7:05pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres are back home tonight after only scoring two goals combined in their two games on a brief road trip the last few days. With their struggles on the road, I think they'll look to get aggressive tonight at home to put some goals on the board. Being at home, they should be able to dictate the pace a little better and get up and down the ice. It also doesn't hurt that their opponent is the Ottawa Senators. The Senators allow 3.40 goals per game, which is dead last in the NHL by a wide margin. They prefer to play at a quicker pace and take some chances when they can. In the last six meetings between these clubs, the average total has been 6.2 goals. I don't envision too much defense being played in this matchup, especially with the focus possibly being more on the New Year's Eve festivities than the game itself for some of the players. Take the Over in this game.

4-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Minnesota Wild OVER 5 (6:05pm EST) We have overrated goalies in both nets in this matchup between the Phoenix Coyotes and Minnesota Wild. The combination of Jason LaBarbera and Mike Smith for the Coyotes has vastly exceeded expectations, combining to allow only 2.60 goals per game this season (10th in the NHL). Neither of these goalies has any indications in their career that they can sustain these numbers and I expect to see more goals getting past them going forward. It looks like LaBarbera will get the nod in the net tonight. Niklas Backstrom has been even better for the Minnesota Wild, posting a 2.34 goals against average and a 0.924 save percentage so far. He has single-handedly carried the Wild at times this year. While he has more upside and is more talented than the pair for the Coyotes, Backstrom still is playing a bit over his head. Neither of these teams is gifted offensively, but they should be able to get enough pucks in the back of the net against these overrated goaltenders. Take the Over with a very low total of 5 tonight.

10-unit Play Take #2 Washington Capitals over Buffalo Sabres (7:05pm EST) It's been a disappointing season for the Washington Capitals so far. They've sputtered to a 18-15-2 record, which would put them out of the playoffs if the season ended today. Expectations were high coming into the season for this talented team, but as things spiraled out of control management was forced to fire head coach Bruce Boudreau on November 28th. Since then, the Capitals have played better hockey although their record doesn't necessarily reflect it. I feel like this team is on the verge on breaking out and going on a run soon as they have too many quality players to play mediocre hockey all season. Tonight they'll be avenging a loss at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres a few days ago. That game was in Buffalo, while this one is in Washington D.C. The Capitals are an excellent team at home this season at 12-5, while the Sabres are only 8-7 on the road. More impressively, the Capitals are 38-15 in their last 53 home games against teams that are better than .500 dating back to last season. The Sabres are also very banged up right now so they'll be a little shorthanded in this one. Take the Washington Capitals as our Game tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #11 Vancouver Canucks over San Jose Sharks (10:35pm EST) There's no reason that the red hot Vancouver Canucks should be an underdog to anyone right now. They've won 16 of their last 22 games and are playing fabulous on both ends of the ice. The bad news for the rest of the league is that they're starting to get healthier too, after being banged up quite a bit for the majority of the season. It looks like Roberto Luongo will be in net, who I'm not crazy about, but he has been better lately in the battle against Cory Schneider for the top goaltending job. The Canucks draw the San Jose Sharks tonight, a team that has looked impressive at times but has been marred by inconsistency. The Canucks have won three straight in this series and six of the last seven including the playoffs last year. No reason to believe that tonight will be any different. Take the Canucks in a dog spot that you will rarely see all year.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #64 Colorado Avalanche over Winnipeg Jets (9:05pm EST) The Colorado Avalanche come into this matchup playing great hockey winning six of their last seven games. The won last night in Minnesota in dominating fashion, and now they come back to Colorado where they've won eight straight games. They're a young team that feeds off the energy from the crowd in Denver and is a much better home team than they are on the road. The Winnipeg Jets have played 11 of their last 12 games at home and are hitting the road where they have really struggled this season. This team has played much better than I thought this season, but still isn't as good as their record indicates. I expect some regression as we approach the second half of the season. I think Colorado should be a favorite in the -140 range for this one, so take the Avalanche tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #5 New York Islanders (+1.5 PL) over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) These teams hooked up just last week with the Rangers taking the game 4-2 in Madison Square Garden. That game was pretty hotly contested and about as even as it gets, with the Rangers outshooting the Islanders 26-25 in the win. I expect another battle tonight, as the Islanders will be out for revenge against their in-state rivals. While the Rangers are on top of the Atlantic Division and the Islanders in the basement, you can be sure that both teams will be bringing it tonight for this rivalry where all records go out the window. The mini break for Christmas has a way of re-setting the mentality of the coaches and players and I think that will benefit an Islanders team that has struggled of late. The Islanders are a young team and one that I expected to get better throughout the season, while the opposite could be said for the veteran Rangers team. As a result, I think this line is just a little too high in a game that I think will be extremely competitive. Take the big dog the Islanders tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take Los Angeles Kings/San Jose Sharks OVER 5 (10:35pm EST) It's no secret that the Los Angeles Kings have struggled to score goals over the last 15 games, as they have averaged only 1.80 goals per game over that span. However, that statistic is very deceptive as the Kings have actually gotten off a ton of shots recently, but have just found some bad luck as they haven't hit the back of the net very often. Over their last eight games, Los Angeles has averaged a whopping 36.5 shots per game but has only scored 15 goals in those games. So the team is playing aggressively and it's only a matter of time before some of those shots turn into goals. They go up against another team that has been firing away lately in the San Jose Sharks. The Sharks have put up 15 goals in their last three games and have 114 shots in that span. Neither one of tonight's goaltenders has been anything better than average this year so I don't expect any dominating efforts that will hurt us tonight. The Over is also 5-2 in the last seven games in San Jose overall. I feel very confident that we'll see aggressive play in this one and plenty of goals getting past the netminders. That's why Over 5 is our Total.

3-unit Play Take #14 Edmonton Oilers over Minnesota Wild (9:35pm EST) Another good spot to play against a team that has been overrated for the entire season and it's finally catching up to them. Roughly one week ago the Minnesota Wild had the best record in the NHL and everything seemed to be going their way. However, they didn't get those same breaks over their last five games, all resulting in losses. They no longer prevailed in tight games like they did before, as four of their five losses were by one goal. They've really been shut down on the offensive end, which has been the main problem. They've only scored six goals in their last five games even went to overtime. This is the last game before they head back home and I think they'll be eager to get some home cooking this time. The Edmonton Oilers have dropped four in a row of their own, so they need to get things turned around too. However, they've been playing some stiff competition lately and have hung in there nicely in my opinion. The home team is 24-8 in the last 32 meetings between these two clubs, and I like that trend to continue tonight.

3-unit Play Take #52 Carolina Hurricanes over Phoenix Coyotes (7:05pm EST) I love this spot for the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. They've been struggling lately but this is a good situation to grab a win at home. The Phoenix Coyotes come into Carolina after a hard-fought victory against the Panthers in Florida last night 2-1. Phoenix was actually outplayed in the game and was fortunate to escape with a win. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are also coming of a game with the Panthers on Sunday in which they fell 3-2 in overtime. The game was very evenly-matched and could have gone either way. Phoenix is heading back across country to go home after this game and I just don't think they'll be coming out with full intensity in this one. I also don't think the Coyotes are as good as their record and the linesmakers give them too much respect. Take the home team Hurricanes tonight to get a win at a very nice price.

10-unit Play Take Buffalo Sabres over Ottawa Senators (7:35pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres and the Ottawa Senators are both coming off of games against the Pittsburgh Penguins, with totally different results. However, those results were rather deceiving. The Sabres lost on Saturday in Pittsburgh by a score of 8-3 in a game that wasn't really that much of a mismatch. The Penguins got a couple of goals very early and the game got out of hand, but the Sabres were only outshot 26-19 and played better on defense than it appeared. The Senators just beat the Penguins on Friday night 6-4 in a game where the wrong team probably won. The Penguins outshot the Senators in each period and looked like the crisper team on the ice. Of course this was only one game for each of these teams, but the linesmakers seem to be giving too much credit to one team here and not enough for the other. The Sabres are a much better team than Ottawa and shouldn't be a dog in this one. In fact, the Sabres have won 6 of the last 7 in this series and are also nine goals better than the Senators in goal differential this season. Take the better team here in the Sabres as an underdog in our Game of the Day.

3-unit Play Take Vancouver Canucks/ Minnesota Wild OVER (10:05pm EST) The Vancouver Canucks have been on a very nice run for the last few weeks, and their offense is the number one reason. Over their last 22 games, the Canucks have averaged 3.55 goals per game. They've been getting contributions from a variety of their players on different lines, and have managed to come together despite being pretty banged up. This is the Vancouver team that struck fear into the NHL last year. They're the fourth best offense in the league this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if they keep climbing up the charts into the number one spot by year-end. They face a Minnesota Wild squad that is in a mini-slump, losing their last three games and only scoring a combined four goals. They've vowed to play a little more aggressively after three straight lackluster performances on the offensive end. "There should be more urgency and desperation in our game," coach Mike Yeo said. "I'm understanding of the fact that we have guys out ... but right now, I'm a little edgy just because I expected something different. The Over is 9-3-1 in the last 13 meetings between these teams. I expect to see lots of pucks in the back of the net again tonight, so take the Over here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Calgary Flames/Chicago Blackhawks OVER (7:05pm EST) Things have changed in Chicago since the beginning of the season. Ray Emery has taken over as the starting goaltender for the time being while previous starter Corey Crawford is riding the bench due to poor results. Since the change about two weeks ago, the Blackhawks have gone 5-1 and have been playing a little bit more aggressively. I'm not sure if it's because they feel that they need to give some support for the new goalie, but the Hawks have definitely been on the attack more frequently and have scored at least three goals in seven straight games. Tonight they face Miikka Kiprusoff and the Calgary Flames. Kiprusoff is past his prime and is not having a particularly good year, which has also put more pressure on the Flames offense. The Over is 11-4 in Flames last 15 in the third game of a 3-in-4 days situation, which they face tonight. For the Blackhawks, the Over is 13-6-1 in Blackhawks' last 20 home games. I expect to see two very aggressive teams on the ice tonight, leading to a high scoring affair.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #65 St. Louis Blues over Nashville Predators (8:05pm EST) Both teams come into this matchup riding four-game winning streaks. The St. Louis Blues have been riding the coattails of red hot goaltender Brian Elliott. This season, Elliott is 13-2-0. He has the best goals-against average (1.43) and best save percentage in the League (.948) and is tied for the League lead with four shutouts. But hockey is a team game and much of his success can be attributed to an excellent Blues defense that only allows a mere 26.2 shots per game, which is best in the NHL by a wide margin. Tonight they'll get a Nashville Predators team that isn't very aggressive and is 27th in shots on goal, making their job even easier. The Predators are known for their conservative style, especially when they get off to an early lead. Even though Nashville has won four straight, I don't like the way that they looked in their last game, as they were outshot by Detroit 40-21 in a 4-3 come from behind win. St. Louis is the much better squad and they should take care of business tonight.

3-unit Play Take #67 New York Islanders over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm EST) This isn't the first time I've said it, but the Minnesota Wild is an overrated team. Yes they lead the NHL in victories and points, but a closer look at the numbers shows that they're barely an above average team. They're tied for 12th in the league in goal differential in 5-on-5 situations and have won a lot of close games so far this season with some good breaks. They're finally starting to get a little banged up and have several key players out for tonight's matchup, so I expect only a mediocre effort. The New York Islanders come in as a young hungry team looking for a win after dropping four straight games. However, they should get two key ingredients back into the mix tonight. Injured defensemen Andrew MacDonald and Mark Eaton both could return to the lineup Saturday. "Those are both guys that block a lot of shots and log a lot of minutes on our penalty kill," coach Jack Capuano told the team's website. "There's no question it would help in that area for sure. Special teams have been a big issue for our team over the last 10 days and (MacDonald) can play the power play, as well. Just their leadership and their experience back on the blue line will help." Good chance we get an upset tonight and there is excellent value at the current price of +150, so take the Islanders here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #8 Buffalo Sabres over Toronto Maple Leafs (7:35pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres are a talented team, but based on some of the post-game interviews lately, I can sense that they are getting desperate to turn their season around before it slips away from them. After a suffering a loss against the Ducks on Tuesday after holding a lead most of the game, the team was very frustrated. "We've been nowhere near good enough at home all year," said goalie Ryan Miller who finished with 41 saves. "I don't think it's time to panic, but it's time to build the game that we need to be competitive and be a playoff-caliber team." They Sabres are a big banged up, but I really think they're going to start pulling things together to avoid falling too far out of contention. The Toronto Maple Leafs are basically in the opposite situation. They have been playing above their heads a bit and find themselves in unfamiliar territory - in playoff contention. With things going pretty well, I can see this team resting on their laurels a bit and slipping. The young kids aren't used to success, and I think they are one year away from the playoffs. I like Buffalo to bounce back tonight and get the victory, and it's my Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Edmonton Oilers/Phoenix Coyotes OVER (8:35pm EST) This is an automatic play on the Over based on overrated goaltender performance alone. The total on this game is set at a low number of five because Nikolai Khabibulin of the Edmonton Oilers and Mike Smith of the Phoenix Coyotes have been absolutely amazing this year. Khabibulin has a 1.95 goals against average and a 0.933 save percentage while Mike Smith is at 2.49 goals against and a 0.923 save percentage. However, these numbers are simply not sustainable for these goalies for the entire season based on their numbers the last few years. Khabibulin is past his prime and Smith has never been a good netminder. Bottom line, we will see some regression and their numbers will come crashing back down to earth. Both of these squads allow over 30 shots per game, which makes it even tougher on the goalies. I look for a big score tonight as at least one of these goalies will melt down.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #65 Washington Capitals over Winnipeg Jets (8:35pm EST) The Washington Capitals were embarrassed in their last game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Not only did they lose 5-1 in a game that was built up to be an important matchup, but the Flyers were without their star Claude Giroux. Hockey players don't like getting embarrassed, especially in big spots, so I expect this Capitals team to come in steaming in Winnipeg. They've underperformed all season long and this just might be the motivation that they need to get things back on track. The Winnipeg Jets have been playing well lately but they are not nearly as talented as Washington and have been getting by with substandard goaltending all season long. The Capitals should be able to put a handful of pucks in the back of the net tonight. Take Washington in this one.

4-unit Play Take #3 Chicago Blackhawks over Minnesota Wild (7:35pm EST) The Minnesota Wild lead the league in victories right now but this is not even one of the five best teams in the NHL. They have holes all over their team, but they've been really fortunate to get superb goaltending so far this season to mask some of their deficiencies. They've been getting outshot by an amazing 6.3 shots per game, and have still managed a +14 goal differential. It's just a matter of time before the gap is closed on that discrepancy. The Wild has their seven game winning streak broke last night against Winnipeg in a close 2-1 battle. I think the Chicago Blackhawks will take advantage of a team that is a little bit tired after an amazing run recently. The Hawks are 4-1 in their last five meetings in Minnesota and have dominated the series overall. Chicago has won their last four games on the road overall and still haven't reached their full potential as a team yet. Take the Blackhawks as a small favorite in a beneficial spot tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #67 New York Islander over Montreal Canadiens (7:35pm EST) The New York Islanders have been playing great hockey of late and I really like what I've seen on the ice. Although they stumbled in their last contest against probably the best team in the league in the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Islanders have still won four of their last seven games. And all seven matchups were against playoff caliber teams. There is tons of young talent on this squad, and you can see it starting to mesh pretty well as the season goes along. They are going to be very competitive and I'll definitely look to play them in underdog roles against teams that don't deserve to be big favorites. Tonight we get one of those chances against the Montreal Canadiens. Nothing really has impressed me with Montreal all season long. They've played with quite a few injuries all season, which has contributed to some poor efforts, but that aside I just don't see this being a playoff team. Montreal is 1-7 in their last eight games as a home favorite as they are actually a better team on the road this season than they are at home. Take the Islanders to sneak away with a victory tonight in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #61 Los Angeles Kings over Boston Bruins (7:05pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings travels across country to take on the Bruins in Boston for this one. The Kings have dropped four straight games and really need to turn things around before the season gets away from them. They sit at 13-12-4 and wouldn't be in the playoffs if the season ended today. This team is very talented and I just don't see them laying down and digging a hole too deep to climb out of. They get a tough matchup tonight against Boston, but I think the Bruins are a little overrated in the marketplace right now due to their recent run where they won 14 of 15 games. However, they have lost two of their last three now and have come back to Earth a little. They are also without their leader Zdeno Chara, who just went out with a lower body injury. The Kings have dominated this series, winning the last five games. The Kings are also 4-1 in their last five games as a road underdog, which they are by a wide margin tonight. Take the big dog here in this matchup.

5-unit Play Take #16 Nashville Predators over Anaheim Ducks (8:05pm EST) Both of these teams come into tonight's game struggling lately. The Anaheim Ducks have won only three of their last 19 games and have had major trouble scoring the puck. The Nashville Predators have been inconsistent all season and have won only three of their last 10 games. But I really think the Predators have a leg up in this matchup based on their style of play. Nashville plays very fundamentally sound hockey and grinds you to death, while the Ducks are undisciplined and erratic. That's probably why Nashville has won the last four games in this series by a healthy margin. I look for the Predators to take advantage of the Duck's mistakes and get the victory here tonight, as this is our Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #9 Vancouver Canucks over Ottawa Senators (7:05pm EST) I said that we'd be on the Vancouver Canucks quite a bit during their hot run, and there's certainly no reason to jump off of them yet as they've made us some good money. They've won eight of their last nine games and half of those wins have come on the road. The team is a little big banged up right now, but I think that's bringing the team closer together and has improved their level of play despite the holes. The Ottawa Senators have given up five goals in each of their last two games and that doesn't bode well with a hot Vancouver offense coming to town. The Canucks have scored 24 goals in their last five games and have been putting a ton of shots on net. Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson isn't exactly the goalie you want back there getting pelted by shots, as he only has a 0.897 save percentage and has a 3.39 goals against average as a result. The Canucks have won four straight in this series and tonight should be no different.

3-unit Play Take #55 Carolina Hurricanes over Winnipeg Jets (8:35pm EST) The Winnipeg Jets have been playing much better hockey that most would have imagined before the season, but this is an excellent spot to fade them. There one of those teams that are great to play as underdogs, but I don't think they should ever laying this much juice as a favorite. In fact, the Jets are just 5-11 in their last 16 games against teams with a winning percentage below .400. The Hurricanes have been struggling but they are coming off an impressive win at Edmonton and I think they will begin to straighten things out with a new coach in place. Winnipeg is coming off an emotional win versus Boston, ending the Bruins impressive run of zero losses in regulation in their last 15 games. As a result, the Jets may have a small let down here tonight in a much less inspiring game. Take Carolina at a nice dog price here.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #13 Vancouver Canucks over Montreal Canadiens (7:35pm EST) The Vancouver Canucks have been rolling for quite some time, winning seven of their last eight contests in rather dominating fashion. I knew that the defending Western Conference champions couldn't be held down for long. This is the beginning of a five-game road trip for the Canucks, but this team has demonstrated that they are road warriors by going 8-6-0 away from home and have won their last three on the road. I love the fact that Cory Schneider has gotten more time in the net as he's the better goalie, and there's a good chance he's in there tonight as Roberto Luongo is a little banged up. The Montreal Canadiens are really a mess right now, with several significant injuries of their defensemen and it's showing up on the ice. They've allowed at least three goals in six of their last seven games, and have lost each game in which they have. In watching them play over the last couple of weeks, they just look a little lost out there and that doesn't bode well for them against a red hot Vancouver team. I look for the Canucks to take this one in convincing fashion tonight.

3-unit Play Take Phoenix Coyotes/Detroit Red Wings OVER (7:35pm EST) When these two teams met in the playoffs last season, the Red Wings won in a sweep. But the games were certainly fun to watch as all four games went over the total and the teams combined for 28 goals in the short series. I expect tonight to be much of the same story as Detroit leads the league in shots per game and Phoenix is in the top half of the league. That's not good news for the goaltenders Jimmy Howard and Mike Smith. Both of them have put up unbelievable numbers thus far on the season, but I look for some regression and think that some pucks will definitely get by them tonight. The Over is 5-2 in the Red Wings last seven games as favorites and the Over is 16-6-4 in the Coyotes last 26 games as underdogs. Things seem to be lining up perfectly for another shootout tonight, so play the Over 5.5 goals.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #54 Buffalo Sabres over Philadelphia Flyers (7:05pm EST) Both of these teams come into tonight's matchup with three full days of rest, which will benefit one team and hinder the other. The Buffalo Sabres have not been playing very well of late, dropping five of their last seven games, most of which were at home. They definitely needed a break to regroup and get some things figured out during practice sessions. The Philadelphia Flyers, on the other hand, have won four of their last five games heading into their three day break. They had tons of momentum built up and most of that will be lost with a few days off. On top of that, this is the last game of road trip that has had them away from home for nearly two weeks due to some odd scheduling. This should favor the Sabres tonight and I expect them to come out with much more energy in this one as they really need this game to get things back on track. Take Buffalo as we get a very nice price for them at home as a small dog.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #12 Winnipeg Jets over Boston Bruins (8:35pm EST) There's no question that the Boston Bruins are red hot and one of the best teams in hockey. They hoisted the Stanley Cup last year and seem poised to make another run this season. They're an amazing 14-0-1 in their last 15 games, and can seemingly do no wrong. But I think this is the perfect spot for their long streak to end, as they just beat a very good Pittsburgh team last night in an emotional game that they really got up for. They were actually outshot in the game last night 46-27 and probably didn't deserve the win that they got. This is a classic letdown spot and Winnipeg is viewing this game as much bigger to them than the Bruins are. Winnipeg has won two straight games and seems to have built up some confidence after a miserable first couple of weeks to the NHL season. This game would really prove to themselves that they are a playoff caliber team and can compete for a playoff spot this season. They also have an excellent home ice advantage in a small rink, evidenced by their 7-4-0 mark on the year. Take the Jets as a nice dog here tonight as they have a great shot at upsetting Boston.

2-unit Play Take #1 Tampa Bay Lightning over New York Islanders (7:05pm EST) The Tampa Bay Lightning have been playing decent hockey lately if you pay close attention, but you'd never know it from just their final scores. The Lightning has lost four straight contests, each by two goals. However, they've gotten plenty of scoring chances and just have failed to score the puck on offense. They're moving the puck well also, but one of the biggest problems is goalie Dwayne Roloson. Plain and simple he doesn't belong in the NHL, but we get his backup Mathieu Garon in net tonight, who is a vastly better netminder. The New York Islanders come in at 3-0-1 in their last four games, their best run of the season. Even more impressively, all four games were on the road and against really good competition. They're coming home tonight and I think that has the potential to mess with their rhythm a bit and knock this team back to mediocrity. The Islanders are a young and exciting team but they don't play good fundamental hockey and are still learning. I look for the fortunes of both of these teams to change tonight as the Lightning will get back on track and send the Islanders back to where they belong.

4-unit Play Take #60 Chicago Blackhawks over Phoenix Coyotes (8:05pm EST) In an odd scheduling situation, the Phoenix Coyotes invade Chicago for the second time in a week to take on the Blackhawks. The Coyotes won the game last week 4-1 even though they were outshot by the Blackhawks in that game. Phoenix has dropped its last two games in very unimpressive fashion against the Flyers and Jets. They seem to have lost a pep in their step after getting off to a hot start to begin the season. The Blackhawks are coming off a highly impressive win in St. Louis 5-2 in a game where the Blackhawks completely dominated the ice. I don't think the Blackhawks will let the Coyotes win another one in Chicago with last week's loss fresh in their minds. Take Chicago to get the victory tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Boston Bruins/Pittsburgh Penguins UNDER 5.5 (7:05pm EST) Tonight we have a matchup of two of the hottest teams in the NHL as the Boston Bruins hit the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Bruins have won 13 of their last 14 games and have been brilliant on both ends of the ice. Most impressively, the goalie combination of Tukka Rusk and Tim Thomas has not allowed more than three goals in a game since before Halloween. After shaking off the Stanley Cup hangover, this Bruins team has played near perfect fundamentally and especially so on the defensive end. The Penguins come in riding a high ever since the return of Sidney Crosby. They're 5-2 since he returned, but the unsung hero of the Pittsburgh team is goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He is 14-4-1 and has a 2.11 goals against average and a 0.923 save percentage on the season. Pittsburgh hasn't played as well on defense as they would have liked recently, but I expect them to turn it up a notch against a red hot Bruins squad. Take the Under tonight as I don't envision too many getting past these top tier goalies.

5-unit Play Take #60 Tampa Bay Lightning over New York Rangers (7:05pm EST) The New York Rangers are clearly a better hockey team than the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, I really like this spot for the Lightning as they're coming off back-to-back losses on the road, but are now back home where they've played well this season at 7-3-0. It seems like they're finally starting to figure out that Dwayne Roloson is not the answer in the net, as goaltender Mathieu Garon has started to get more playing time and has responded very well. He should get the nod tonight. The New York Rangers are riding a really nice run where they've won 11 of their last 13 games. But they went 0-4 versus Tampa Bay last year and don't really match up as well against the Lightning. We get an excellent price on the home team tonight, as the linesmakers are giving the Rangers a little bit too much credit for their recent run. Take the Lightning to get the win tonight in our Game of the Week.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #3 New Jersey Devils over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm EST) This is a classic undervalued versus overvalued spot. The New Jersey Devils are in fourth place in the Atlantic Division at 12-10-1 on the season. Seems like a mediocre team until you consider that they play in the toughest division in hockey (think Toronto Blue Jays in the American League East in Major League Baseball). The Minnesota Wild comes in at 15-7-3 and leads the Western Conference in points so far this season. The Wild plays in a relatively weak Northwest division, especially when you consider the struggles of Vancouver. As a result, we get some value because the Devils are actually the better team in this matchup and should be favored tonight. On top of that, the Devils are coming off of a brutal 6-1 loss to Colorado in which they managed only 19 shots on goal. "No excuses. There haven't been many nights this year where I had to stand here and tell you that we didn't show up and play," coach Pete DeBoer said in the Newark Star-Ledger. After those comments, I think they'll be motivated to get things back on track tonight in the second game of their road trip. Minnesota is also a little bit banged up in this one. Take the Devils to get the job done tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #51 Pittsburgh Penguins over Washington Capitals (7:05pm EST) We have a big Eastern Conference matchup tonight as Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins invade Washington to take on the struggling Capitals. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the most points in the NHL and have been one of the most consistent teams in league all season. They are supremely talented, very deep and have an excellent goaltender to boot. Not only that, they just got back the best player in the league who gave the team another shot in the arm. In the five games since Crosby's return, the Penguins have scored 20 goals and have averaged a whopping 35.6 shots on goal per game. They have so many weapons now that the opposition doesn't know who to focus on. If there was a team that could say that they have almost as much talent as the Penguins, it would be the Capitals. However, this is not the same Capitals team that everyone thought we would see before the season began. Washington is only 12-10-1 on the season and they recently fired head coach Bruce Boudreau for the team's lack of production. The head coaching change didn't seem to light any fires for the Capitals as they dropped their last game to St. Louis in an effort where they were outshot 30-19. It was their third straight loss and seventh in their last nine, and to make matters worse they are without their top defenseman Mike Green. Bottom line, this Washington team is a complete mess right now and the Penguins can't seem to be playing any better. Take Pittsburgh tonight as this is my Eastern Conference Game.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #10 Anaheim Ducks over Montreal Canadiens (10:05pm EST) The Anaheim Ducks are not a good hockey team and we've played against them this season with good success. However, they are also not as bad as they've played recently and we get a good price as a result. The Ducks have dropped 13 of their last 14 games and managed only five points over that span. They've had problems scoring goals, problems on special teams and have had problems in the net. But they do catch a mediocre Montreal Canadiens team that has several players out due to injuries and suspensions. Left winger Max Pacioretty was recently suspended and there are host of defensive injuries that leave the team very short-handed. This is also the first game of a West Coast road trip for the Canadiens and the travel combined with the lack of depth will make this game a tough one for them. Great opportunity for the Ducks to break through with a win tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #62 Chicago Blackhawks over Phoenix Coyotes (8:35pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks aren't getting enough respect by the linesmakers and tonight's game against the Phoenix Coyotes provides us with great value. The Blackhawks come into this game in first place in the Central Division and tied for the most points in the Western Conference. They have one of the best shot differentials in the NHL and a very impressive 7-1-2 at home this season. They've been successful this season despite the struggles of goaltender Corey Crawford, who is barely about a 90% save percentage on the season. I think he'll pick up his game from here on out and put Chicago near the top of the list of Stanley Cup favorites this season. They catch an overrated Phoenix team tonight that is heading on the road for four of its next five games. The Coyotes are 1-5 in their last six games following a win and haven't fared well against Chicago recently. They've dropped the last three meetings to the Hawks by a combined score of 11-6. Take the Blackhawks as you're getting a bargain price in this matchup as the line should be near -180.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Toronto Maple Leafs/Anaheim Ducks OVER (9:05pm ET) Many reasons to play the Over in tonight's matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks. First off, Toronto just doesn't know how to play low-scoring games. Only once all season has a Toronto game totaled less than five goals, and that was the season opener. The Over is 14-9 in Toronto's games this season and they are an aggressive offensive unit that likes to move it up and down the ice and take their shots when they can. The Leafs go up against a struggling goaltender tonight in Jonas Hiller of the Ducks. He has given up 14 goals in his last three games and is having the worst season of his career with a save percentage below 90% on the season. The Ducks have been struggling to score goals this season but their offense has been a little better of late and their last four games have all gone over. They also get the benefit of going up against a weak goalie tonight as they face Jonas Gustavsson of Toronto. Gustavsson has a save percentage below 90% as well and never should have been given a starting job this season. In his 12 starts in the net this season, 11 of them have gone over. These teams are going to try and get as many shots on goal as they can tonight as I fully expect a classic shootout. Everything clearly points to the Over tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #19 Vancouver Canucks (+125) over San Jose Sharks (10:05pm ET) This is a rather straightforward play tonight. The Vancouver Canucks are red hot, and we've been on them several times during the current steak including yesterday's Game of the Week winner. No reason to jump off this bandwagon yet. The Canucks have turned in some dominating performances in winning five of their last 7 games, and they're looking to move up the standings in a hurry after a dismal start to the season. Vancouver has outscored opponents 10-1 while winning their last three games, including shutouts in Colorado (3-0 on Wednesday) and Phoenix (5-0 on Friday). Vancouver still owns the best power-play conversion rate in the NHL (24.5 percent) despite scoring all eight goals during the two shutouts at full strength, which is very impressive. While everyone knows the Canucks can put the puck in the back of the net, the real story of this run has been the great work of backup goaltender Cory Schneider. He has stopped 73 of 74 shots in the last three games and has looked like an All-Star goalie all season in relief of Roberto Luongo. The San Jose Sharks are a very solid team, but I think they just run into a buzz saw tonight. This is the first of four meetings between last season's Western Conference finalists, and I like Vancouver to continue to do what they did to the Sharks in last year's playoffs - dominate.

Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #11 Pittsburgh Penguins over Montreal Canadiens (7:05pm ET) Sid the Kid is back with the Penguins, and team has definitely responded earning points in three consecutive games. Not that this team really needed a shot in the arm, as they already own the best record in the NHL, but they'll take it to an even higher level now. This will be Crosby's first trip back to Canada since his injury in December of 2010. Crosby is a game-changer no doubt and seems to have picked up where he left off, racking up 7 points in his three games since his return. Pittsburgh is an exceptionally deep team and the Montreal Canadiens are quite the opposite. The Canadiens are still a little thin in the defensive end of the ice due to some injuries, which doesn't bode well against the firepower that the Pens have. Pittsburgh is seventh in the league in goals scored and that was mostly without Crosby. Backup goalie Brent Johnson gets the nod for Pittsburgh tonight, but nothing to worry about there as he is one of the top backups in the NHL and could start for many teams. This Pittsburgh team has some serious momentum right now and tonight's line doesn't seem to reflect it. Take the Penguins in this one.

10-unit Play Take #75 Vancouver Canucks over Phoenix Coyotes (9:05pm ET) The Vancouver Canucks are starting up their first real hot streak of the season and we need to ride this one until it ends. The Canucks have won five of their last seven contests and are moving the puck around great. Corey Schneider has been in net the last few games and I think he's the better goaltender long-term for the Canucks. I think he'll prove that this season and likely be getting a big contract somewhere next year. I'm definitely not buying the 11-6-3 mark by the Phoenix Coyotes so far this season. They've gotten unbelievable goaltending by Mike Smith, and there's no question that he is going to regress. I've said it before, but not even Tim Thomas can maintain the numbers that Smith is putting up this season. The Coyotes don't have the supporting cast on defense to prevent good scoring chances, so it's only a matter of time before we start seeing some ugly defeats in Phoenix. Last season, the visiting team won every game in this series. The Canucks are the much better team and we get some excellent line value in this matchup, making it the Game of the Day.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take Columbus Blue Jackets/New Jersey Devils OVER (7:05pm EST) We've been looking for opportunities to fade an aging Martin Brodeur of the New Jersey Devils wherever we can lately. Tonight gives us the chance to do that by playing the Over. The Columbus Blue Jackets have scored four goals in each of their last two games and have actually played well recently. Teeing off against future hall of famer Brodeur almost seems unfair as he comes in with a putrid 0.888 save percentage on the season. Some say that this is only a bad stretch for him and that he'll pick it up, but honestly he's probably done and should have hung it up a couple of season ago. Curtis Sanford should be in goal for the Blue Jackets and he has been superb in the net since getting his chance to start. He has a 1.46 goals against average and a 0.943 save percentage in his four starts. These are great numbers but don't expect them to last, as Sanford wasn't a starting goaltender in the NHL for a reason. I expect the Devils to get a few past him tonight and bring him back to reality. The Over is the play tonight.

4-unit Play Take #6 Washington Capitals over Phoenix Coyotes (7:05pm EST) This game is all about value, and we have it here with the favorite today. There

2-unit Play Take #52 Carolina Hurricanes over Toronto Maple Leafs (5:05pm EST) At first glance, this line looks a bit high for a team that is spinning their wheels to find themselves heavily favored against a first place team. However, I love this spot for the Carolina Hurricanes. They've lost 7 of their last 8 games but have faced some of the NHL's best in that span including Buffalo, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, the Rangers, Dallas, and Washington. Thus, they're not playing as badly as it would appear. Their main problem has been on the defensive side, as they have given up way too many shots on goal as goalie Cam Ward has just been all over the place. Today they go against a Toronto team that doesn't get as many shots off and plays a little different style that most teams. As I've been saying all year, this Maple Leafs team is severely overrated and will come back down to earth. They don't have a quality goaltender and are very young and make plenty of mistakes as a result. The Hurricanes are getting desperate and don't want the season to slip away from them early on. The Maple Leafs are coming off of an impressive 7-1 win last night against the Washington Capitals, so this has the potential to be a big letdown spot for them. Take Carolina and lay the juice today.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #19 St. Louis Blues (-110) over Minnesota Wild (8:05pm EST) This St. Louis Blues team is going to break out this year and turn a few heads. They've been hovering slightly over .500 for the entire season but they are going to steadily get better and find themselves in the playoffs by season's end. Their underlying numbers are much better than their record indicates as they outshoot opponents by over five shots per game and have had a decent amount of injuries on the season that have slowed them down. Jaroslav Halak has also gotten off to a rough start in the net and I expect him to right the ship and show that he can be a legitimate starting goaltender in the NHL. The Minnesota Wild has started the season nicely at 11-5-3 but this is about as good as it's going to get for them. Their goalie tandem has been standing on their heads for the entire season as they have stopped 94% of shots on goal this season. That rate is not sustainable for two goalies that aren't even close to elite. Once they regress back to the mean, this Wild team will be below average once again. Take the Blues tonight as they are the much better team in this matchup.

3-unit Play Take New Jersey Devils/Tampa Bay Lightning OVER (7:05pm EST) You'd be hard-pressed to find a matchup that featured two more overrated goalies than this one. The New Jersey Devils send 39-year old Martin Brodeur to the net while the Tampa Bay Lightning go with 42-year Dwayne Roloson. Brodeur was an excellent goaltender for a long time but he should have hung it up a couple of years ago. He comes in with a hefty 3.02 goals against average and weak 0.885 save percentage so far this season. Cleary he has lost his edge. Roloson is even older and is definitely past his prime, if he ever really had one. His numbers are equally as bad with a 3.07 goals against average and a 0.902 save percentage. Tampa likes to move the puck around and get up and down the ice pretty quickly, while the Devils like to slow it down usually. However, with these goalies in net, I have a feeling this will turn into a good ole shootout. Take the Over knowing that these goaltenders aren't going to be able to stop them all.

3-unit Play Take Chicago Blackhawks/Calgary Flames OVER (9:05pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks are third in the NHL in shots per game at 33.4 and fourth in goals per game at 3.42. They love to get up and down the ice and take advantage of their talented youngsters. The Calgary Flames are near the bottom of the charts in shots per game and scoring goals but they recently brought up talent from their minor league system to shake things up a bit. They're hell bent on putting the puck in the net more often and I think you'll see some changes on offense to make that happen. They go against somewhat of a cold goaltender in Corey Crawford of the Hawks. Crawford has surrendered 22 goals in his last 6 games and has looked out of sorts after a strong start to the season. Finally, when these teams hook up, there usually are some fireworks. In the last 9 meetings between these teams, the average score has totaled 6.89 goals per game. No reason to expect anything differently here tonight, as the Over is the play.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #6 New York Islanders over Montreal Canadiens (7:05pm EST) The New York Islanders have lost 10 of their last 11 hockey games and things are looking pretty grim. However, these are often the times when you find the most value with a team. The Islanders are not this bad and actually have a fairly talented roster that is capable of playing pretty good hockey. They've struggled in the defensive zone of late, partly because they can't figure out who their starting goaltender should be and also due to frequent mental lapses. This is their second game of a four-game homestand and they catch the Montreal Canadiens in a pretty good scheduling spot tonight. The Canadiens are coming off a win last night against the Carolina Hurricanes, but this will be their third game in four nights and sixth in the last 10 nights. Fatigue should play a factor in this one, especially with Montreal's injury situation, which has forced some of the key players to be on the ice more than usual lately. The Canadiens are also likely going with backup goaltender Peter Budaj in this matchup, who is a huge downgrade from normal starter Carey Price. Everything is set up beautifully for the Islanders to finally end their dreadful streak and get a win tonight. And we a get good price as the home team, making this another can

3-unit Play Take #58 Los Angeles Kings over Anaheim Ducks (10:35pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings look like they're on the verge of a run. After a slow start to the season, the Kings have looked much better in their last three games as their talent begins to show what it's capable of. "I really liked the focus coming into the game [Saturday]," said Kings coach Terry Murray. "The players came out right away with the kind of intensity and attitude of moving their feet, getting pucks north, and recovering pucks." The players appear to be focused and are treating this game as if it's very big also. "We have to put some wins together now," Cam Fowler told the Los Angeles Times. "It starts on Wednesday. We should be going into those two games like Stanley Cup Game 7. It's a big rivalry. Playing those guys back-to-back, home-and-home, it could get us going in the right way or it could set us back again. We have to be ready." The Anaheim Ducks, on the other hand, seem to be lost on the ice and have been struggling to put the puck in the net. They've lost 7 of their last 8 games and find themselves in the cellar of the Pacific Division. The Ducks have combined for only 14 goals in over that stretch. There are a ton of holes on this team and I expected them to take a huge step back this season, which they have. Take the Kings to take care of business at home tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #55 Chicago Blackhawks over Vancouver Canucks (10:05pm EST) The Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks have put together a nice rivalry over the last few years, battling in some great playoffs series and regular season contests. These teams don't like each other and don't think that the Blackhawks forgot about the game 10 days ago where Vancouver embarrassed the Hawks in Chicago by a score of 6-2. The Blackhawks are playing great hockey and are sitting in first place in the Central Division, have the best record in the NHL, and have the best goal differential in the Western Conference. This is the first game of a long six-game road trip for the Blackhawks and they'll look to start out on the right foot. The Canucks have struggled out of the gate and can't seem to get any kind of rhythm going yet. While the Blackhawks embark on a long road trip, the Canucks just came off of a similar trip, in which they went 3-3-0. I don't expect them to get that rhythm tonight against a very motivated Blackhawks squad. Take the underdog in this one.

4-unit Play Take New York Rangers/New York Islanders OVER (7:05pm EST) You can expect to see some fireworks when these two fierce rivals square off in the battle of New York. These teams love to go up and down the ice when they hook and the statistics back it up. The total has gone Over in 7 of the last 8 meetings between these two teams. In those games, the average goals scored is an amazing 7.75 per contest. The Rangers have won six straight games and have done a good job of preventing shots on goal and pucks in the net during that stretch. However, you can throw all of that out the window when these teams get together. The Islanders have struggled on the defensive side of the ice and have problems figuring out who their starting goaltender is going to be on a nightly basis. It looks like they'll be going with Rick DiPietro in the net tonight, who is the worst of the bunch. Hard to imagine us not getting over the posted total of 5 goals in tonight's matchup with everything pointing up.

3-unit Play Take Edmonton Oilers/Chicago Blackhawks OVER 5.5 (7:05pm EST) Today's matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and the Chicago Blackhawks will be all about style of play and which team can impose their will on the other. The Blackhawks like to get up and down the ice and possess the puck for long periods of time while firing away as many shots as they can. As a result, the Hawks are third in the league in shots on goal per game at 33.6, but they also surrender 29.7 shots per game. Their young guns thrive on the aggressiveness and they take advantage of the offensive talent that they possess. The Oilers, on the other hand, play a little bit slower and not nearly as aggressive. They average only 25.4 shots per game and allow 29.0 per contest. With the game in Chicago and the Hawks playing better hockey of late, I expect the Hawks style to prevail tonight. If Edmonton trails early they'll be forced to be on the offensive and that shoot lead to enough goals to get us over the hump in this one. Play the Over 5 goals in tonight's matchup.

6-unit Play Take #70 Los Angeles Kings over Minnesota Wild (10:35pm EST) The Los Angeles Kings haven't quite reached their potential yet at only 7-6-3 so far this year. They've dropped six of their last seven games, but they've played a tough schedule and have lost some tight games. The Kings are talented enough to go deep into the playoffs, and I expect them to be a very tough team to beat all season long. They are much better than they are playing right now and get a Minnesota team tonight that has played over their heads this season. The Wild has won five of their last six and are in the middle of a five-game road trip. They are 8-4-3 on the season but don't let their record fool you. They've been outshot by an average of 4.5 shots per game and haven't looked all that impressive on the ice in my opinion. The Kings need this game to turn things around and will be the much more motivated squad in this one. Take Los Angeles to get the win tonight for my Game of the Month.

5-unit Play Take #4 Pittsburgh Penguins over Dallas Stars (7:05pm EST) The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this one having five days of much needed rest, as they've been one of the most banged up teams in this early season. It hasn't affected their results too much, however, as they've managed to stay at the top of the Eastern Conference with a 9-3-3 mark so far. The Penguins played a lot of games early on in a short period of time, so with the days off they should have fresh legs now. Sidney Crosby is still not back, but Evgeni Malkin is and the team has had a ton of guys step up to fill some of the holes. They face off against the Dallas Stars, who have also started off the season with a nice record at 11-3. I still don't believe in this Dallas team however. They rely far too heavily on their goaltender Kari Lehtonen, who has seen 33.1 shots per game. So far he's fended off most of those shots with a .936 save percentage and a 2.13 goals against average. But you can't expect him to keep that up and I don't see their defense improving enough to make a difference. The Penguins have won five of the last six meetings between these two clubs, and tonight should be no different.

4-unit Play Take New York Islanders/Colorado Avalanche OVER (9:05pm EST) This game screams Over for one main reason - poor goaltenders in the net tonight. Rick DiPietro goes for the New York Islanders and he has only 3 starts this year due to early injuries. He was awful in net last year yielding 3.44 goals per game and doesn't deserve to be in the NHL quite honestly. Colorado counters with the ageless Jean-Sebastien Giguere. Once a dominant netminder, Giguere has regressed significantly from a skills standpoint. Don't let his 2011 numbers fool you as he hasn't played enough games to demonstrate just how much he has lost from his game. In keeping a close eye on all of the goalies in the NHL, I can safely say that these are two of the worst ones in the NHL of the ones who actually get decent playing time. On top of the poor goaltending, neither one of these team's defenses do them any favors as both teams allow over 30 shots per contest. With 60+ shots likely on net tonight, it's hard to imagine not seeing 6 or 7 in the back of the net. Take the Over here.

3-unit Play Take #56 St. Louis Blues over Toronto Maple Leafs (8:05pm EST) While their record doesn't indicate it, this St. Louis Blues team is very talented and will contend for the playoffs this season. Their shot prevention is excellent as they allow only 26.4 shots per game, good for second in the NHL. They also have an underrated goalie in Jaroslav Halak, who has struggled this season but is fighting for his starting job so I expect him to step it up immediately. The Blues are coming off an impressive 3-0 win versus the Blackhawks and have a record of 4-1-0 at home on the young season. St. Louis is 7-3 in their last 10 home games as a favorite. They square off against an overrated Toronto Maple Leafs team that I haven't liked all year. They have a very poor backup goaltender in Jonas Gustavsson, who has been forced into action with injuries to James Reimer. They also have given up a ton of shots and make a lot of fundamental errors on the ice. Both teams are a little banged up tonight, but St. Louis should come out ahead in this one.

3-unit Play Take #1 New York Rangers over Ottawa Senators (7:35pm EST) The Ottawa Senators are reeling right now while the New York Rangers have been playing inspired hockey of late. We get a perfect matchup of two teams going in opposite directions tonight. The Senators have dropped three straight games after getting off to a good start to the season. They've simply been spending too much time in the defensive zone and letting up too many scoring chances over the last couple of weeks. The Senators are 24th in shots allowed on the season, due in part because they are 26th in the league for most penalties leading to more power play opportunities for opponents. The Rangers have won four straight games and have finally gotten their legs back after a long road trip to start the season. They too have been yielding quite a few shots, but the difference is that they have Henrik Lundqvist, one of the top five goaltenders in the game. He's been sensational and the team plays with confidence behind him. The Rangers are the superior team and with these teams going in opposite directions, I expect New York to pick up an easy win tonight.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take #64 St. Louis Blues over Chicago Blackhawks (8:05pm EST) The St. Louis Blues have played 5 of their last 6 games on the road and they're finally back in St. Louis for an extended period of time. Despite spending a considerable amount of their schedule traveling this season, the Blues have stayed afloat at 6-7-0 on the campaign. They also have starter Jaraslov Halak back in goal, which is an upgrade over backup Elliott in my opinion. They'll be geared up at home to face their rival the Blackhawks tonight. They catch Chicago at a good time as the Hawks have been struggling with two straight losses to Vancouver and Tampa Bay, and two narrow wins post-regulation before that. The Hawks haven't been skating well and needs to figure some things out on defense. In their last four games, they've surrendered 17 goals and haven't looked very sharp. Don't sleep on this Blues team as they are better than most people think and should get a victory at home versus a slumping Hawks team.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #53 Florida Panthers over Toronto Maple Leafs (7:05pm EST) The Florida Panthers have been hard luck losers in their last three games, falling in the shootout in each contest. Although they earned a point in each matchup, this Panthers team is better than that and is contending for the playoffs this season. They've been very competitive in nearly every game this year and have won 4 of their last 6 games against tonight's opponent - the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs have gotten off to a quick start at 9-4-1 but this is not a very good team. They've been outscored this year and are getting off four shots less than their opponents on average. I don't like backup Jonas Gustavsson in goal as he's put up horrid numbers this year and has been forced into action with injuries. Florida is the more talented team in this game and I like them to start knocking the Leafs back down to earth.

10-unit Play Take #2 Carolina Hurricanes over Tampa Bay Lightning (7:05pm EST) There's many reasons to like the Hurricanes in tonight's matchup versus the Lightning. For starters, they have the much better goaltender in net tonight. Cam Ward has been one of the top goalies in the league for a few years now and he's backing it up again tonight with a 2.34 goals against average and .928 save percentage. It looks like he'll be opposed by Lightning goalie Dwyane Roloson who has been horrible on the 2011 campaign with a 3.43 goals against average and a dismal .891 save percentage. Carolina has also proven to play well when they have two days rest like they do tonight. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games in that scenario. The Lightning come into this game a little banged up with left winger Ryan Malone questionable and defenseman Mattias Ohlund out. The Canes are healthy and looking to avenge a loss three weeks ago to the Lightning in Carolina. Take the home favorite here to get the job done.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take #6 Colorado Avalanche over Edmonton Oilers (9:05pm EST) The biggest surprise of the young NHL season has been the Colorado Avalanche. With a record of 6-3-0, Colorado sits on top the Northwest Division and is playing some inspired hockey. They've gotten great efforts by both of their goaltenders - Jean Sebastien Giguere (2.00 GAA and .924 save percentage) and Semyon Varlamov (2.41 GAA and .929 save percentage). But the main reason that they have been successful is that their young offense has finally starting clicking and they lead the Western Conference with 28 goals. They go up against a tired Edmonton Oilers team who played last night and this will be their third game in four nights. The Oilers have gotten off to a good start to the season, but their youngsters aren't nearly as far along as the Avalanche. I expect Edmonton to have their struggles this year until they get a little more experience. Colorado is the better team overall, is at home and are the more rested team. We should see a good effort and a victory tonight over the Oilers.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

10-unit Play Take #63 Vancouver Canucks over Edmonton Oilers (9:35pm EST) The defending Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks haven't opened the season like they wanted to, but they're starting to find their groove. The Canucks were without star forward Ryan Kesler for the first couple of weeks but he has recently returned and the team has responded with two straight wins against Nashville and Minnesota. And even though Vancouver is only 4-3-1 on the young season, they have outshot their opponents by an average of over six shots per game - one of the largest margins in all of hockey. Part of their struggles have stemmed from weak efforts in the net by Roberto Luongo. I don't expect Luongo to continue to struggle for long as he is one of the top five goaltenders in the NHL. The Edmonton Oilers come into this game at 3-2-2 but they have not looked good on the ice. They have been aided by an excellent effort in the net by Nikolai Khabibulin, which he cannot sustain. Last year, Khabibulin was simply awful. He posted a 3.40 GAA and a .890 saves percentage. So far this year his numbers are among the league leaders with a 0.72 GAA and a .969 saves percentage. Bottom line, there will be regression and he will fall somewhere in between, but likely closer to last year's numbers. Rookie Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has been a great shot in the arm for Edmonton and is the team's top scorer with five goals and seven points. However, the Oilers only have six players who have scored a goal so far this season. If it was not for the unsustainably good goals against average, this Oiler team would be in the race for last place in the league. The Canucks are playing much better hockey overall and they should win this one going away.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

4-unit Play Take Florida Panthers/Montreal Canadiens OVER (7:35pm EST) The Montreal Canadiens have been an absolute mess on the ice ever since they were plagued by injuries a couple of games into the season. The injury list includes 3 of their top 6 six defensemen, which has led to absolutely dismal results on the defensive end of the ice for Montreal. Over their last five games, the Canadiens have surrendered 21 goals and the damage could have been much worse if goaltender Carey Price hadn't stepped up his game. However, Montreal is going with backup goalie Peter Budaj tonight, so who knows what kind of effort they will get. With their top defensemen still on the sidelines and the backup goaltender in net, there doesn't seem to be any relief on the way. Florida just made a trade with Vancouver to shake things up on the offensive end and it paid off as the Panthers put in four goals in their last game. This team has potential on offense and I think they step it up against a weak Montreal defense. On the other end of the ice, Florida will also be going with a backup goaltender in Jacob Markstrom tonight, which is a step down in talent. I expect him to let in at least two or three goals against a Montreal offense that has been clicking of late. Play the Over tonight in this one as it is set fairly low at 5.

10-unit Play Take #16 Washington Capitals over Detroit Red Wings (7:05pm EST) It's the battle of two unbeaten as the Washington Capitals host the Detroit Red Wings. While these have arguably been the two best teams in hockey so far this season, there are a couple of reasons that the Capitals stick out as the clear play tonight. First of all, this is the second game in a back-to-back spot for Detroit, which affects all teams but especially so for older teams like the Red Wings. Secondly, Detroit is going with their backup goaltender tonight as Jimmy Howard is getting some rest. That means that Ty Conklin will be in net, who is one of the worst backup goalies in the NHL with a .881 save percentage last season. Washington goaltender Tomas Vokoun will be tending the goal tonight and he has been on fire lately after his first outing of the year. I look for the Capitals to continue to roll at home tonight and hand the Red Wings their first loss of the season.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take #16 Calgary Flames over New York Rangers (9:35pm EST) The Calgary Flames are in a great spot in tonight's matchup against the New York Rangers. This is the second game of six-game home stand for the Flames. On the other hand, the Rangers have been traveling all over the world and have not yet had a home game in Madison Square Garden. They opened the season in Sweden for two games before traveling back to take on the Islanders and Canucks on the road. The Rangers have traveled a total of 10,710 miles so far this season, far more than any other squad. These teams have only met four times over the last three seasons, with Calgary winning three of them. The Rangers have also been struggling to put the puck in the net this season, ranking 23rd in goals per game. They beat the Canucks 4-0 in their last game but were severely outplayed in that matchup for the first 50 minutes of action. I expect a more rested Calgary team to take care of business against a tired, struggling Rangers group.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

5-unit Play Take Toronto Maple Leafs/Boston Bruins OVER (7:05pm EST) There are several indications that we are going to see some goal-scoring tonight in this matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. First and foremost, the Bruins have been struggling on offense this season and head coach Claude Julien has made it a point recently to focus on this in practice. They are long overdue for a breakout game and they have a great chance to do it tonight against the backup goalie for Toronto, Jonas Gustavsson, who is one of the weaker backup netminders in the NHL. Toronto has gotten off to a great start offensively, led by leading scorer Phil Kessel, and are 6th in the NHL in goals per game. They will likely go up against Tim Thomas, who is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL if not the best. However, there is no way he can repeat the numbers he had last season and I expect significant regression. Finally, these teams played four times last season and they scored seven goals in each of the last three meetings. The Over is the easy choice in this game and that's why this is my Game of the Week.

7-unit Play Take #7 Buffalo Sabres over Montreal Canadiens (7:35pm EST) The Buffalo Sabres were picked by many to win the Northeast Division this season and make a deep playoff run. So far, they haven't disappointed. The Sabres have a record of 3-1-0 early on and they have played three teams that made the playoffs last year and one that missed it by one game. There seems to be good chemistry with all of their new additions and with Ryan Miller in net, this team is capable of dominating anyone. The Sabres catch the Montreal Canadiens at a very good time, as they have several key defensive players missing from the lineup. Blueliners Jaroslav Spacek, Chris Campoli and Andrei Markov are all out for this one as well as winger Michael Cammalleri. These are huge losses that are hard to overcome and it's shown in the team's recent performance - especially on the defensive end. In their last two games, the team has surrendered a total 10 goals resulting in two losses. It's going to be tough sledding for the Canadiens until they get fully healthy, so the Sabres are the easy play in this one.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports

3-unit Play Take San Jose Sharks over Anaheim Ducks (10:35pm EST) These two teams faced off last Friday in Anaheim and the Ducks got the victory by a score of 1-0 in a tight defensive battle. You can be assured that the San Jose Sharks won't let it be a similar style game at home. They'll pick up the tempo and take advantage of their multitude of weapons on offense. Goaltender Antti Niemi should be back in the net for the Sharks tonight after missing the first 3 games, which should also be a big boost that they didn't have in the previous matchup. In addition, the Sharks really outplayed the Ducks in last Friday's game, as they put 31 shots on goals versus only 23 for Anaheim. With the recent loss to the Ducks on the minds of the Sharks players and a slow start to the season at 1-2-0, the Sharks will be highly motivated to get a victory tonight and I expect them to do it in easy fashion.
Best of Luck - Doc's Sports