Sports Picks & Predictions

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over Anaheim.  When these two teams last met, the Ducks were dispatching the Oilers in Game 7 of the quarterfinal round of last season's playoffs.  But I expect the Oilers to avenge that playoff ouster with a win tonight, here at home.  The Oilers are off four straight losses (giving up 4+ goals in each), but are a solid 6-1 after giving up 4+ goals in each of their last three games.  Anaheim is off a 5-0 win at Vancouver, but is a poor 10-20 off a road win (and 2-8 off a shutout road win).  Take Edmonton.  NHL PAYBACK PAYDAY.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the San Jose Sharks.  The Leafs enter the second half of the season in third place in the Atlantic Division and perhaps poised as much as any team to make a run at a title.  For one thing, the Leafs were without their best player, C Auston Matthews, for about ten games in the first half due to an upper body injury which sidelined him on two separate occasions -- once in November and then again in December.  Matthews finally appears to be 100% healthy and could be sitting on a huge second half for his team.  Now for the obvious elephant in the room tonight.  The Sharks have won 10 straight meetings with the Leafs and seven straight here in Toronto.  But all things come to an end, and with San Jose having lost three of its last four road games, it is in a position to be on the losing end to tonight's opponent for the first time since January 2011.  The Sharks are 0-4 in their last four road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, while the Leafs are 4-1 in their last five home games vs. a team with a winning road record.  Toronto's also 9-0 its last nine off a division loss by more than a goal.  Take Toronto.  NHL HIGH ROLLER.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over Florida Panthers.  The two current longest winning streaks in the NHL heading into 2018 belong to two of the most unlikely teams.  In the West, the Vegas Knights have won seven in a row, while in the East, the Florida Panthers have not lost in their last five.  The Knights' streak is impressive, featuring victories against some of the top teams, but the same cannot be said of Florida.  Four of the Panthers' five wins have come against losing teams (Montreal, Arizona, Philly, and Ottawa) whose combined record is 53-102.  In fact, the only winning team they've beaten during the streak is tonight's opponent, so this game offers the Wild a chance for some revenge, which it will gladly take.  Florida has some key injuries too, including its veteran goalie Roberto Luongo who has been out since December 4 with a lower body injury.  The Panthers are also without top right winger Radim Vrbata, who is battling an illness.  The Panthers are 5-15 in the last 20 meetings with the Wild and the home team is 5-1 in the last six.  Even worse:  Florida's 15-35 off a home shutout win.  Take Minnesota.  NHL Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Buffalo Sabres.  In today's 10th anniversary of the NHL's annual Winter Classic game, there will be some unknowns as usual for the outdoor contest.  But one thing they won't have to worry about this year is the weather being unseasonably warm -- which has happened on at least one occasion.  Temperatures in Queens, NY this afternoon should be in the low 20s for this game between the Rangers and Sabres.  Although the game will be held at Citi Field -- home of the Mets -- the Sabres are listed as the home team, although it probably won't matter much in terms of the fan base.  It also shouldn't matter in terms of Buffalo's performance, either, as it has been equally bad at home (5-12) as it has been on the road this season (5-16).  In one of the biggest upsets of the first half, The Sabres beat the Division-Leading Devils in NJ in their last game, 4-3 in OT.  But that was only the fourth victory in their last 15 games overall going back to Thanksgiving.  The Rangers are 10-3 in the last 13 meetings and 6-1 in their last seven playing on two days rest.  Meanwhile, the Sabres are an awful 7-20 after scoring more than three goals in their previous game.  Take New York.  NHL ELITE INFO. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Chicago.  The Flames have dropped three straight games, including a 2-1 defeat at Anaheim their last time on the ice.  But Calgary is a super 22-9 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game.  Meanwhile, Chicago is in the midst of a 6-game road trip (this is game #5 of that trip), and it has dropped six of its last seven road games, when it was its 3rd road game in four nights.  It's also a poor 65-81 (minus 26 games on the money line) when it played its previous four games on the road.  Take the Flames.  NHL Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets.  Tonight marks the end of the 2017 portion of the current NHL season. If back in October you had told people that three of the Division Leaders heading into the New Year would be New Jersey, Vegas, and Winnipeg, they'd probably say you needed your head examined.  But that's the case with this unpredictable first half.  And, tonight, one of those teams -- Winnipeg -- takes its leading record into Edmonton.  If there's been a weakness in the Winnipeg performance through the first 3 1/2 months, it's been its record on the road.  With a 14-4 record in Winnipeg and 8-13 record elsewhere, the Jets are the team with the biggest home-road differential in the NHL so far.  The Jets have also been hit with some very costly injuries lately, including #1 C Mark Scheifele who is sitting with an upper-body injury, and #1 D Dustin Byfuglien who just started skating again after a lower-body injury.  The Jets won the last match-up between these two just four days ago at home, but the Oilers were 4-1 against them in the five meetings before that.  And the Jets are an awful 2-12 off back to back home wins (and 13-29 off back to back wins at any venue).  Take Edmonton.  NHL Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Carolina Hurricanes.  St. Louis may not have an NFL team anymore, with the Rams having moved to L.A. after the 2015 season, but the city still has a pretty good professional hockey team.  And perhaps with no football distraction this winter, the City will get behind the Blues and cheer them on to their first-ever Stanley Cup Title.  The Blues are sitting in third place in their division, just two points behind the Jets, and their 100 goals allowed is the third-best such number in the Western Conference.  The Blues have lost two straight against the Preds and Stars, and now they switch to an Eastern team, and they're 10-5 against clubs from the other conference this season (vs. 13-12 against teams from the West).  #1 goalie Jake Allen started in net last night in Dallas, so Carter Hutton should be between the pipes tonight.  Hutton is one of the best backups in the league with a stellar .948 Saves pct and 1.68 GAA.  The Canes are 3-7 in their last 10 road games and 4-10 in their last 14 vs. teams from the West.  Take St. Louis. NHL NON-DIVISION GAME OF THE MONTH! As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The most surprising team through the first half of the NHL season?  That's an easy "no-brainer".  The Golden Knights are an expansion team in one of the unlikeliest places for a professional hockey team, but don't tell them that.  This cobbled-together bunch playing on a sheet of ice in the desert not only sports a winning record, but at 24-11, they are sitting in first place in their division with no signs of slowing down.  Los Angeles is only about a five hour drive from Sin City, but these two clubs have yet to meet here at Staples Center.  That ends tonight as the Knights visit one of the best veteran teams in the NHL's Western Conference.  Vegas comes in having won five straight -- all but one at home -- but if there is a knock against this Cinderella club it's the fact that it is 15-3 at T Mobile Arena, but just 9-8 elsewhere.  The Kings are 5-0 in their last five home games, 5-1 in their last six vs. the West, and 6-1 when playing with revenge from an upset road loss.  And they'll have a huge advantage tonight, in that they will be playing on four days' of rest, while Vegas played last night.  Take the Kings.  NHL GAME OF THE MONTH.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over Boston.  The Capitals lost a heartbreaker last night, as they fell, 1-0, in a shootout at the NY Rangers.  They're back home, though, tonight, and I love them to bounce back, as they're 28-10 after not scoring 2 goals in their previous game.  They're also 13-4 off back to back losses, and 11-0 in the last 11 meetings vs. the Bruins.  Meanwhile, Boston is a poor 2-9 when playing with double revenge vs. an opponent.  Take Washington.  NHL Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Edmonton.  The Jets are off back to back road losses, at Boston, and at the Islanders.  But they're back home tonight, and the Jets are a super 13-3 at home off a road loss, and 8-0 their last eight home games when playing a road game immediately before.  The Oilers did blow out Montreal, 4-1, before the Christmas holiday break.  Unfortunately, the Oilers are 0-6 this season off a win by more than two goals.  Take the Jets.  Hockey Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Perhaps no team in the NHL welcomed the Christmas Break more than the defending Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins.  While the Steelers of the NFL are on quite a roll -- having locked up a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs -- the Penguins are stumbling and bumbling their way to the end of 2017.  The Pens are only one point out of the Metropolitan Division cellar and if the season ended now, they would not make the playoffs, having lost five of their last seven games.  Nobody on the team needed some time off more than goalie Matt Murray who allowed three goals on 13 shots in his last start before being replaced by Tristan Jarry in an embarrassing 4-0 loss to the Ducks here at home.  The good news is that the home team has dominated this series lately, as the hosts have won nine of the last 10 meetings and 16 of the last 21.  And the Pens are 6-1 in the last seven meetings with the Jackets.  Take Pittsburgh.  NHL Roadkill Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Arizona Coyotes.  Arizona will start Antii Raanta tonight, after Scott Wedgewood was between the pipes in last night's win over Washington.  Raanta is an uninspiring 1-2 vs. Colorado, with nine goals given up in 81 shots (.889 saves pct.).  That doesn't bode well for the Coyotes.  Arizona's won just 8 of its 37 games this season, including 0-3 off a home win, and 0-5 when playing without rest.   Take Colorado.  NHL High Roller Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the New Jersey Devils.  The Blackhawks were red hot behind the play of goalie Corey Crawford heading into their last game.  Prior to Thursday's contest in Dallas against the Stars, the Hawks had won five straight by a combined score of 18-7.  Much of that success was due to the performance of Crawford, Chicago's veteran net-minder, who started the season somewhat slowly before catching fire in the month of December.  But he was as cold as the ice surface against the Stars that night, allowing four goals in just 22 shots in a rare clunker of a performance.  His offense didn't help him out either as the Hawks were shut out 4-0.  I expect Crawford and his team to be back in form tonight in New Jersey against the Devils.  Chicago has had good success against the Metropolitan lately, going 10-3 in the last 13 vs. teams from that division.  Take the 'Hawks.  NHL Road Warrior Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over Chicago.  Dallas has dropped three straight games, but it's a fantastic 24-8 off a loss, including 10-1 off 3+ losses the past two seasons.  This will be the 3rd meeting this season between these two clubs, and Dallas won both of the other two.  Take the Stars.  NHL High Roller Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  This is the first meeting of the Pens and Jackets since the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last April.  Pittsburgh dispatched of Columbus quite easily in that series (4-1) and although the Jackets may have taken a step forward since then -- and the Pens perhaps a step back -- if that series were held again today, few would bet against the defending Cup Champs.  The Jackets beat the Leafs last night by 4-2 and it was behind back-up goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who turned aside 39 of 41 shots.  Because they will be playing on back-to-back nights, the Jackets will likely go back to regular #1 Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes.  Bobrovsky has been getting roughed up quite a bit lately, allowing a whopping 18 goals in his last four starts.  A similar performance tonight will likely not end well for Bobrovsky or his team against a very good Pittsburgh offense.  The home team is 8-1 in the last nine meetings of these two and the Jackets are 5-16 in the last 21 meetings in Pittsburgh.  Take the Pens.  NHL Elite Info Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Flyers over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Flyers had their six-game win streak snapped in their last game here at home.  We played on the L.A. Kings in that game, and they came away from Philly with a 4-1 victory.  But the Flyers get a step-down-in-class tonight as the Red Wings come in for the Flyers' fourth consecutive home game.  Watching Detroit play this season, it's hard to believe this is the same franchise that went to the playoffs 25 straight seasons before 2016 and that has won 11 Stanley Cups.  They come into this game off of just their third victory in their last 13 games.  The Wings are clearly in a rebuilding mode and while they have some talented youngsters on their roster, their biggest challenge is on offense as they are averaging just 2.63 goals per game this season (26th in the league). And that number drops to 2.36 when Detroit is on the road.  The Wings are 1-10 in the last 11 meetings in Philadelphia and the home team is 19-5 in the last 24 meetings.  Take Philly.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  The Leafs broke a three-game losing streak on Tuesday afternoon with a victory over the Hurricanes at home.  More importantly, their offense broke out of its slump with a huge eight-goal performance.  With their #1 player -- F Auston Matthews --continuing to miss time with a somewhat mysterious injury, that 8-1 victory looks more like an aberration than anything else.  And it looks like Matthews will be absent again tonight so it wouldn't be at all surprising if the Leafs go back to the type of offense they were exhibiting before the blowout win when they managed only four goals in four games.  The Blue Jackets come back home after a rough two-game road trip, losing back-to-back contests in Carolina and Boston.  But Nationwide Arena has been a friendly place for them lately as the Jackets are 41-18 in their last 59 home games.  The Leafs are 1-4 in their last five road games as well as 14-38 in their last 52 road games vs. teams with a home winning % of greater than .600.  Take the Jackets.  HIGH ROLLER WINNER. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over Washington.  The Stars have dominated the Capitals as much as any NHL team can do to another, as they've won 10 of the past 11 meetings, and 22 of the past 28.  Tonight, the Stars will look to snap a two-game losing streak with a home victory.  And they usually do, as they're 24-7 at home off a loss, and also 10-4 off back to back road defeats.  Take the Stars.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Carolina Hurricanes.  On the surface, this game between the Leafs and Canes may not seem like anything special, but in at least one way, it is.  On December 19, 1917 -- about one mile from where this game will be played -- the Toronto Arenas lost to the Montreal Wanderers in the first-ever NHL game.  That means that this afternoon marks the official 100th birthday of the Maple Leafs and the anniversary of the beginning of the league, and the Leafs will wear Toronto Arenas sweaters to commemorate the occasion.  Having lost three straight games coming into this historic game the Leafs would like nothing more than to turn their losing streak around.  Another good birthday present for the home team would be the return of their best player, Auston Matthews, who is listed as doubtful.  It doesn't appear that he will play, however, as he failed to practice yesterday.  But I'm still on Toronto this afternoon, as the Leafs will play their first home game since a victory over the Oilers on December 10.  And they're 10-5 at the Air Canada Centre this season.  This also is a good match-up for them as Toronto is 3-1 in the last four meetings with the Canes.  Finally, Carolina is a horrid 31-52 off a win (minus 24 games on the moneyline).  Take the Leafs.  NHL Roadkill Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Flyers are on a roll, and Brian Elliott is a big reason why.  The veteran goalie -- who the Flyers signed to a two-year contract in July -- has been in net for all six straight games that Philly has won coming into tonight.  But he's also been one of the busiest net-minders as the lower body injury to Michael Neuvirth has meant that Elliott has started and played all 60 minutes of 10 of the Flyers last 11 games.  He will have to carry the load again tonight as the Kings visit Philadelphia for only the second time in over two years.  By contrast, Kings goalie Jonathan Quick has been getting relief from able back-up Darcy Keumper, who has started every third or fourth game including L.A.'s last one, an overtime loss in New Jersey to the Devils on Saturday.  So Quick will be back between the pipes tonight against a foe that he's had plenty of success against in his career.  In 12 games vs. the Flyers, Quick has posted a 1.64 GAA and .944 saves pct.  The Kings have won three of the last four meetings with the Flyers.  Take L.A.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Vancouver.  The Flames lost at home last night, 2-0, to Nashville.  And that was the third straight defeat for Calgary after it bested these Canucks, 4-2, back on December 9.  I look for the Flames to once again triumph over Vancouver, as the Flames are a solid 21-9 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game.  And they're also a solid 8-3 off back to back home losses.  Vancouver, meanwhile, is an awful 27-47 off a win, including 3-12 off a home win, in which it scored more than three goals.  Take the Flames. NHL High Roller Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the St. Louis Blues.  The Blues beat the Jets last night, 2-0 as both teams played their back-up goaltenders in that game.  For the Blues, Carter Hutton made his first appearance in five games as he has been ailing with a lower body injury.  He added to his stellar record (4-2 with a 1.90 GAA in seven games - six starts) with his shutout at home.  The Jets meanwhile welcomed back their #2 net-minder, Steve Mason, who had been sidelined since the end of November with a concussion he suffered against the San Jose Sharks.  Although they lost, Mason didn't play badly considering the nature of his injury and the time he's missed, and the Jets dominated play on the ice other than on the scoreboard, out-shooting the Blues by a lopsided 48-30.  You could certainly argue that Hutton is just as good as St. Louis' #1 goalie, Jake Allen who will get the start tonight opposite Winnipeg's #1 Connor Hellebuyck (who has been very solid).  Prior to last night's loss the Jets had won six straight meetings against the Blues, and I look for them to resume their winning ways in this series tonight.  Take Winnipeg. NHL Elite Info Play. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Nashville.  The Flames come into this game off a tough, 3-2 loss at home to San Jose.  And they lost 2-1 at Minnesota in their game immediately before that.  But I look for the Flames to rebound tonight, as they're 14-6 off back to back games where they failed to score 3+ goals.  In contrast, Nashville won in a blowout -- 4-0 -- at Edmonton on Thursday.  But the Predators are a poor 6-15 off a win by more than three goals.  Take Calgary.  NHL High Roller.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New York Rangers.  The Rangers notched a big win over the visiting Kings last night, 4-2, but now they head north for a game in Boston and the road hasn't been too kind to them lately.  New York is just 6-15 in its last 21 games away from Madison Square Garden going back to the end of last season.  The Bruins lost their last game to the Capitals, but they had won five of six before that and had allowed two goals or less in those five victories.  And in those two losses, the Bruins started back-up goalie Anton Khudobin with Tuukka Rask going for them in the five victories.  The veteran netminder from Finland has been on fire, and his 2.41 GAA ranks him third in the Eastern Conference and Rask should be back between the pipes this evening in front of the home faithful.  The home team is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings while the Rangers are 2-6 in their last eight road games vs. teams with a winning home record.  Take Boston. NHL Roadkill! As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Anaheim Ducks.  In what could possibly be a Stanley Cup Finals preview, the Lightning beat the Blues on Tuesday, 3-0, breaking St. Louis's four-game winning streak.  The loss to the Bolts is likely an indication of how much better the Eastern Conference appears to be this season than the West and not necessarily an indictment of what looks like a very good Blues team.  So tonight the Blues get back to facing a team from the West as the Ducks visit the Gateway city for the second time this season.  Anaheim won the first meeting, 3-2, despite being out-shot by 39-30.  But the Ducks are very banged up right now, with no fewer than six front-line regulars out with injuries, including #1 RW Corey Perry, #2 LW Nick Ritchie, and #2 C Ryan Kesler.  Anaheim's victory over the Hurricanes on Monday was just its third win in the last 11 games.  The home team is 39-13-1 in the last 53 meetings of these two clubs while the Ducks are 1-4 in the last five in St. Louis.  Take the Blues.  NHL Roadkill Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Colorado Avalanche.  Following their loss to the Islanders, the Caps will be playing on back-to-back nights, traveling south from New York to DC.  And like they do so often in these situations, the Caps will turn to 26-year-old goalie Philipp Grubauer as they give their #1 Braden Holtby the night off.  For the first six weeks of the season, a Grubauer start meant a Capitals loss as the Caps back-up net-minder struggled mightily.  But Grubauer has found his rhythm in his last two starts -- November 24 vs. the Lightning and December 4 vs. the Sharks -- stopping a total of 49 of 51 shots in a pair of dominating victories.  Grubauer looks to do it again against a team that he's beaten in two of three games.  The Avs will look to do what they did in their last match-up against DC on November 16 when they blasted them, 6-2 at home.  But tonight is on the road in Washington where the Caps are 12-5 this season.  Washington is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.  And its also 28-16 revenging a same-season loss.  Take the Caps.  NHL Elite Info Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Washington Capitals.  After winning five out of six games between November 22 and December 4 (including all three away games), the Isles come into this critical match-up with the Caps having lost three straight on the road.  The Islanders lost in Tampa, Pittsburgh, and Boston -- three very tough places for visiting teams -- so they should be happy to get back to Brooklyn tonight to face the Caps.  It's a team that the Isles have had some success against lately, having won four of the last seven meetings, including two here at home.  The Caps, meanwhile, have won four straight and seven of their last eight, but they've also had the good fortune of having played nine of their last ten in DC.  They have a losing record (6-7) on the road this season, while the Isles are 8-3 at Barclays Center coming in.  One of the Caps best players -- and leaders -- F T.J. Oshie hasn't played in two games due to a head injury and he will likely have to miss this one as well.  New York is 8-3 in its last 11 after scoring two goals or less in the previous game.  Take the Isles.  NHL Game of the Week. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Colorado Avalanche.  When Pens goalie Matt Murray went down with injuries last season, the Penguins turned to veteran Marc-Andre Fleury who almost always filled in admirably.  But now Fleury is gone (in the expansion draft to Vegas) and so the Pens will lean on Murray that much more.  But once again their Stanley Cup winning Goalie is on the shelf with a lower-body injury, so now it is up to 22-year-old Tristan Jarry to fill in until Murray is ready to return.  So far, so good, as Jarry is 5-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .914 saves pct. in nine games played (eight starts).  With Murray still a few day away, Jarry will go again tonight at home against the Avs.  Colorado won its last game, scoring a season-high seven goals.  But that was against a bad Panthers team that has allowed a conference-high 104 goals this season.  The Avs will have a much tougher time tonight in Pittsburgh, even with Murray's back-up between the pipes.  The Pens are 10-4-1 at home while the Avs are 5-8-1 on the road.  And Colorado's also a poor 12-24 after a win by 2+ goals, while the Pens are 50-19 after allowing more than 3 goals.  Take Pittsburgh.  NHL Roadkill Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Vegas Golden Knights.  After losing three straight games, the Golden Knights have now won three straight.  But before anyone hands the Stanley Cup to the NHL's latest expansion franchise, they should take a closer look at that three-game win streak the Knights are currently enjoying.  Including last night's shootout victory, the Knights needed extra time in all three of those and the first two were against the Coyotes and Ducks.   These two clubs met less than two weeks ago (November 28) and the Stars easily won that one by a 3-0 shutout despite being out-shot by 34-30.  The Stars have lost two straight (to St. Louis and Nashville) but they put together a nice five-game win streak before that, out-scoring their opponents by a total of 23-11.  Dallas has one of the best home goal differentials in the league, scoring 3.46 goals per game on average at AA Center while allowing an average of just 2.23 (a 1.23 differential).  The Stars are 5-0 in their last five vs. teams from the Pacific Division.  Take Dallas.  NHL High Roller Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the Buffalo Sabres.  With their embarrassing 6-2 loss in DC two nights ago, the Blackhawks have now lost five games in a row.  All five of those defeats came against teams with winning records and the combined record of those teams is a very lofty 69-45 (they lost to the Stars twice).  So it must come as a welcome relief that their game tonight will be against the Buffalo Sabres.  If the Hawks wanted to choose a team to break their losing with, they couldn't have hand-picked a better opponent than the Sabres.  Sure, Buffalo won its last game -- in Colorado against a bad Avs club -- but that was just its second victory in the last 13 games overall.  Despite a losing record at home this season (6-7), the Blackhawks have some very good numbers when you break it down.  Here at United Center, they have a 3.54 scoring average vs. a 2.62 Goals-against -- for a 0.92 goal differential which is among the best in the league.  The Sabres are 0-11 in the last 11 meetings and 0-7 in the last seven in Chicago.  Take the Hawks.  NHL Elite Info.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Montreal Canadiens.  The Canadiens were a team that almost couldn't manage a win no matter what they did in October and much of November.  But now they are red-hot, having won five straight coming into tonight.  But before we anoint this team the second coming of the great Montreal franchises of the past, let's consider who the Habs have beaten in their streak.  In only one of those five games did they face an opponent with a winning record (Columbus), while the other three have a combined won-lost ledger of 25-51 (they beat the Red Wings twice, accounting for the last two of the victories).  The Canadiens have been without #1 C Jonathan Drouin in those last two, as the veteran has been out with a lower-body injury and he won't be available for tonight's game either against a much better opponent.  The Blues are 17-10 and have a winning record on the road (8-5) as well as at home (9-5).  St. Louis has won each of the last three against the Habs, the latest of which was last February and they are 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.  Take the Blues.  NHL Elite Info Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars.  Colorado catches Dallas in a great spot, as the Stars had to play last night vs. the Blackhawks, while the Avalanche had the night off.  Colorado's also in the midst of a 5-game home stand, so it hasn't had to travel in 9 days.  Dallas is an awful 5-20 on the road when playing its 3rd game in four nights, 8-22 off a home win; and 48-68 off 4 wins.  Take Colorado.  NHL Roadkill Play.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Caps threw in another one of their clunker efforts as a favorite on Thursday night, losing to the Kings by a 5-2 score at Capital One Arena.  But many times, the Caps follow up a disappointing effort like that with a stellar one and that's certainly what they're hoping for tonight as the Blue Jackets come to town for the first meeting of these two this season.  Columbus comes into DC on a two game winning streak, but those victories were against the Ducks and Hurricanes, two teams with a combined record of 21-29.  The Jackets have the stingiest defense/goaltending in the league when they play at home, as they sport a 1.85 GAA at Nationwide Arena (the only team under two goals per game).  But on the road this season, that number is more than a full goal higher at 2.92.  The Caps are 5-2 in the last seven meetings while the home team is 6-3 in the last nine and the Jackets are 2-8 in the last 10 trips to Washington.  Take the Caps.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is  on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the San Jose Sharks.  The Lightning are a solid 17-8 this season, but have lost four of their last six games, including a 3-2 defeat to Boston on Wednesday.  The good news, though, for Tampa Bay fans is that it is 54-34 off a loss, and 29-13 when playing with 2 days' of rest.  They also will catch a break tonight due to the Sharks having to play last night in Miami against the Panthers.  Take Tampa Bay.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Flyers over the Boston Bruins.  The Flyers are mired in a 9-game losing streak (though five of those nine defeats came in OT or shootouts).  But i love them to snap their losing streak here at home, on Saturday afternoon.  They'll catch the Bruins off a home win vs. Tampa Bay.  But Boston is a poor 0-6 off a home win this season.  Take Philadelphia.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in its team's first year of existence -- after coming to the Mile High City from Quebec in 1995.  They then went on the become a fixture in the playoffs for the next nine years, and won a second Cup in the process in 2001.  But since 2010, Colorado has only made one post-season appearance -- in 2014 -- and only had one winning campaign (that same year).  The Avs are without some key pieces right now, including #1 LW, Gabriel Landeskog, who will miss four games due to a suspension for a cross-check on Calgary's Matthew Tkachuk and won't be eligible to play until Dec. 7.  The Devils may be on the road tonight, but that's not necessarily a bad thing as they are currently sporting a much better record away from New Jersey (8-4) than they are at home (6-6).  The Devils also just beefed up their defense by trading for veteran Sami Vatanen from the Ducks in a three-player deal.  Colorado is 1-5 in its last six home games vs. teams with a road winning % of greater than .600, and it's a poor 26-46 (minus 15 games on the moneyline) off a win.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Los Angeles Kings.  The Kings are on a three-game winning streak, their latest victims being the Caps, who appeared to be suffering from some Thanksgiving hangover last night.  The Caps hadn't played a game in five days and it showed in a lack-luster 5-2 blow-out to the visitors from L.A.  Now the Kings head west to the Gateway City for their second game in St. Louis in a little over a month.  The Blues handled the Kings pretty easily back on October 30, 4-2, and have now won five of the last six meetings.  With Jonathan Quick having played last night, the Kings might turn to back-up Darcy Kuemper tonight against the Blues.  The Kings are still without #2 Center Jeff Carter who has a bad ankle and was seen moving around Staples Center in a motorized scooter, so he is nowhere near returning.  The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings and the Kings are 1-5 in their last six vs. teams from the West while the Blues are 6-2 in their last eight vs. teams from the Pacific.  St. Louis is also 56-33 off a defeat.  Take the Blues. NHL High Roller Winner. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the Dallas Stars.  Both of these teams are treading water a bit at this point in the season, with the Blackhawks sitting at .500 (12-9-3) and the Stars only slightly better at 13-10-1.  Dallas posted its second shut-out of the season on Tuesday, winning in Las Vegas by a 3-0 final.  But the Golden Knights are probably the most injured team in the NHL right now, so a victory against them on the road like that has a bit of an asterisk to go with it.  And while the Stars were taking advantage of their situation in Sin City, the Hawks were in Nashville, playing their Kryptonite from last season and once again the Preds wound up on top.  But now they get to do the same thing to the Stars, who probably aren't looking forward to playing a team that they've gone 0-5 against in the last five meetings.  And Dallas is 0-4 in its last four after allowing two goals or less in the previous game.  Chicago is 4-0 in its last four when playing on one day of rest.  Take the Hawks.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over Tampa Bay.  After breaking out to a 15-4 start, the Tampa Bay Lightning have dropped three of their last five games.  And the reason has been their goal-scoring, which has averaged just 2.2 goals per game over their last five (compared to 4.1 goals per game in their first 19).  Tonight, the Lightning will play the 2nd of a back-to-back set (they were in Buffalo last night) vs. the Bruins, who had both Monday and Tuesday off following their home game on Sunday vs. the Oilers.  Unfortunately for the Lightning, they are a poor 1-3 this season when playing on back to back days (compared to 16-4 when playing with rest), and 110-164 their last 274 when playing on back to back nights.  Boston's won four of its last five games, and is also 13-3 the last 16 meetings in Boston between these clubs.  Take the Bruins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Chicago Blackhawks.  These two teams met in the first round of last season's playoffs and the Predators handed the Blackhawks an old-fashioned butt-whooping, sweeping them in four games.  The Hawks got at least some revenge by beating the Preds in the first meeting of this season back on October 14 before Nashville beat them in the last meeting 13 days later.  Chicago has a very busy schedule in which they play five games in seven days, and they played last night so it is likely that the start in goal tonight will go to Anton Forsberg.  With Scott Darling gone to Carolina in the off-season, Forsberg assumes the role of Corey Crawford's back-up.  The problem is that the 25-year-old has a career Saves Pct of .879 and a career GAA of 4.02.  That won't get it done against most NHL teams, and that certainly includes the defending Western Conference Champs.  After losing a very tough game in Carolina on Sunday in a shootout, the Predators are back home where they are 8-2 in their 10 games.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Nashville Predators.  The Nashville Predators are having a season which is very reminiscent of their campaign a year ago.  That is to say, they are winning the great majority of their games at home in front of their rabid fans, but struggling mightily on the road.  Whether or not they can parlay that uneven play into another trip to the Stanley Cup Finals remains to be seen.  The Preds are back on the road today playing in a venue that hasn't been very kind to them in recent history.  Carolina's offense finished 20th in the NHL last season with a 2.59 GPG average, so it signed some scoring talent -- including former teammate Justin Williams -- and it seems to be helping.  The 'Canes are tied for 14th in scoring currently with 2.91 GPG.  But the area that they have potentially taken the biggest step is at the goalie position with the acquisition of former Blackhawk back-up Scott Darling.  The Preds are 1-4 in the last five meetings in Raleigh and the home team is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings overall.  Take the 'Canes.  NHL Game of the Week!  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Minnesota Wild.  Few pro sports teams can boast of going to the playoffs in 42 of its first 50 years in existence.  But if things keep going the way they have so far this season, then the Blues will be able to brag about that accomplishment come April.  And what better way to mark their 50th year in the league than to win their first Stanley Cup?  It could certainly happen as St. Louis has won 16 of its first 23 games coming into tonight.  Last night was not one of those winning occasions, but then again the Blues started their back-up net-minder -- Carter Hutton -- in the loss to Nashville here at home and tonight they will have #1 goalie Jake Allen back between the pipes.  The Wild also started its back-up last night -- Alex Stalock -- but that may have been due to the performance of #1 Devan Dubnyk more than anything else.  Dubnyk -- who was one of the top goalies in the league last season -- has struggled lately, allowing four goals in each of his last three starts.  Minny is 1-5 in the last six meetings while St. Louis is 10-3 in its last 13 home games.  Take the Blues.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Vancouver Canucks.  Going from "worst to first" in a single season is difficult to do in any major pro sports -- including the NHL.  But if any team has a chance to do that in the next year, it just might be the Devils.  New Jersey finished in last place in the Metropolitan Division last season, and the 70 points the team totaled was the worst in the Eastern Conference.  Fast forward to the present and the Devils are currently just one point behind Columbus for the lead in the Metropolitan and their record could be a lot better were it not for a slew of bad beats in overtime and shootouts.  The Canucks are coming off back-to-back dominating 5-2 road victories over the Flyers and Penguins, but they continue their east coast road swing against a team that has owned them in recent history.  The Devils are 6-0 in the last six meetings against Vancouver going back three years.  The Canucks are 7-26 in their last 33 after scoring five goals or more in their previous game and they're 1-4 in their last five following a win.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Arizona Coyotes.  After winning just three of their first 20 games -- and not being able to win two in a row during that time -- the Coyotes have all of a sudden gone on a three-game winning streak.  And even more unlikely is the fact that all three of those wins came on the road in Canada against the Canadiens, Senators, and Leafs.  They're back home tonight, but against a much more familiar foe in San Jose which is on a streak of its own.  But it's three LOSSES in a row for the Sharks coming into tonight, and they've only managed three total goals in those.  But when you consider that they out-shot their opponents in each of those games -- and by a total of 114 to 78 -- then it certainly looks like the Sharks were more unlucky than anything else.  San Jose is 4-1 in its last five vs. teams from the Western Conference and 20-7 in its last 27 road games vs. teams with a home winning % of less than .400.  The Coyotes are 1-8 in their last nine home games.  Take the Sharks.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Chicago Blackhawks.  It's early in the season, but it appears the clear-cut #1 team in the NHL power rankings is the Tampa Bay Lightning.  First, the Bolts have scored a league-leading 3.95 goals-per-game.  And although their 2.55 goals-against isn't tops in the NHL, those two numbers result in a league-leading 1.40 goal-differential so far.  And the Lightning dominate in the individual categories as well.  The four major scoring categories (goals, assists, points, and plus/minus rating) are led by three different members of the team (Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Anton Stralman).  Not to be outdone by his offensive players, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy leads all net-minders with 14 victories and is eighth with a .928 saves percentage.  The Blackhawks draw their second straight tough Eastern Conference road assignment, having beaten the Penguins in Pittsburgh in their last game.  But that was four days ago and the Lightning appear to be a much more formidable opponent right now.  The Hawks are 2-7 in the last nine meetings in Tampa. Take the Bolts.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over Vancouver.  The Pens have had the last three days off (following their loss to Chicago on Saturday), while the Canucks had to play the Flyers in Philly last night.  So, that's a big advantage for the defending Stanley Cup champs, who are 16-5 their last 21 when playing with 3 (or more) days' of rest.  Pittsburgh's a powerful 61-32 off a loss, and we'll take Sidney Crosby & Co. in the Igloo tonight.  Take the Penguins.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Anaheim Ducks.  Who's the most under-appreciated goalie in the NHL?  For my money, the answer is San Jose's Martin Jones.  Throughout his four-plus seasons, Jones has been a consistent winner with some of the best individual statistics of any net-minder in the league.  And so far, 2017-2018 is shaping up to be one of his best campaigns.  Through his first 13 games, the now-28-year-old is 8-5 with a 2.13 GAA and a .926 saves pct.  But without a Stanley Cup or Vezina Trophy to his credit, Jones continues to fly under the radar -- and that may be just fine with him.  He will get his 14th start tonight against a team -- Anaheim -- that he's done very well against in his career (1.84 GAA and .930 Saves pct).  And the Ducks offense he'll be facing tonight is extremely banged up right now with no fewer than five regulars out of action with various injuries -- including the top two Centers (Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler).  The Ducks are 3-10 in the last 13 meetings in San Jose and the home team is 19-7 in the last 26.  When these two teams met earlier here this year, the Sharks not only won, 2-1, but also outshot Anaheim, 45-26.  San Jose will dominate once again.  Take the Sharks.  NHL High Roller.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Avs had a huge victory at home on Thursday over the Washington Capitals, 6-2.  But goalie Philipp Grubauer was in net for the Caps that night and DC has not won a game yet this season with Braden Holtby's back-up playing (0-5-1).  They will likely have a much tougher time tonight in Nashville against the defending Western Conference Champions, especially when you consider how the Preds have dominated this series lately.  The Predators also beat the Caps - on Tuesday - which turned out to be their fifth win in a row, but they lost against the Wild two nights later.  That was a tough loss for a Nashville club that had been playing very well of late, especially here at Bridgestone Arena where the Predators have averaged four goals per game this season.  That number pales in comparison to what the Avs have done at home (4.63 GPG) but on the road that number sinks to 2.44.  The Avs are 0-7 in the last seven meetings.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over Florida.  Los Angeles has dropped four straight games, and they scored 2 goals or less in each of those defeats.  But LA is 10-0 its last 10 at home after four straight games where it scored 2 goals or less.  Take Los Angeles.

At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Ottawa Senators over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Coyotes won for just the third time in a league-leading 21 games on Thursday.  They beat the Canadiens on the road by a 5-4 margin, and as impressive as that might sound, a lot of clubs have been beating up on the Habs in their home arena this season so it could be a bit misleading.  The other big problem for them today is that the Coyotes have yet to win back-to-back games and in fact are 0-5 in their last five when coming off a win.  The Senators are finally healthy for the most part and playing some pretty good hockey although they lost their last game.  But getting beaten by the defending cup champions (Pittsburgh) by a 3-1 margin is nothing to hang your head about and they have an excellent shot at rebounding back at home this afternoon.  The Coyotes are 2-8 in the last 10 meetings in Ottawa while the 'Nats are are 29-14 in their last 43 vs. teams from the Pacific Division. Take the Senators.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Chicago Blackhawks over the New York Rangers.  After a slow start that saw them go 3-9 in their first dozen games, the Rangers have come out of nowhere to turn things around.   With six straight victories, New York has now evened its record at 9-9.  But a closer look at the winning streak shows that only two of those six teams - the Lightning and Golden Knights - had winning records at the time New York played them.  And four of the six wins were at MSG where the Rangers have won seven of their nine games and tonight they have to go to Chicago to play a struggling Chicago team that is very dangerous in this situation. There's good-and-bad news with the 'Hawks play lately.  The bad news is that they just allowed a season-high seven goals in their last game against the Devils, but the good news is that they seem to have broken out of their offensive slumber with nine goals in the last two games.  The Rangers are 0-5 in their last five playing on three or more days' rest while the Blackhawks are 8-2 in their last 10 vs. teams from the Metropolitan division.  Take Chicago.  NHL High Roller Winner!  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Edmonton suffered a tough loss on Sunday in DC to the Capitals.  The Oilers out-shot the Caps by a whopping 30-19, but they got a big dose of Braden Holtby in net as Holtby stopped Edmonton's star -- and the player considered by some to be the best in the world -- Connor McDavid, including a huge save in the shootout.  The Oilers likely won't have to worry about a Holtby-like performance tonight as the Knights are down to their fourth-string goaltender.  The losses of Marc-Andre Fleury, Malcolm Subban, and Oscar Dansk leaves the Knights with the choice of rookies Maxime Legace and Dylan Ferguson, the latter of which is a 19-year-old who has yet to play a single minute in the NHL.  Vegas loves its new home in the desert (7-1), but has struggled on the road in its inaugural season, going 3-5 in games away from T-Mobile Arena.  That could be just what the doctor ordered for the 6-11 Oilers as they are 12-5 in their last 17 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars.  The Stars are off to a decent start with a winning record at 9-7.  But they've struggled on the road so far (3-5).  This pretty much mirrors what happened to them last season when they missed the playoffs for the seventh time in the last nine seasons, thanks in large part to one of the worst road records in the league (12-29).  The biggest problem for them away from Dallas has been their defense.  At home, the Stars feature the #1 defense in the league based on a 1.75 GAA.  But on the road, that number is almost two goals higher at 3.63 and that's something that the Hurricanes will try to take advantage of tonight at home.  New goalie Scott Darling has improved the 'Canes' performance between the pipes this fall, but the offense has struggled at times.  They've made some adjustments and have been better lately putting up three goals in each of their last three.  Dallas tallied five goals in its last game, but that's not necessarily a good thing for tonight as the Stars are 2-10 in their last 12 after scoring five goals or more in the previous game.  Take the 'Canes.  NHL High Roller.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the San Jose Sharks.  The Kings missed the playoffs last season for the second time in three years and despite the struggles, the roster for 2017-2018 remains largely unchanged.   The biggest alterations came in the coaching ranks and in the front office as L.A. fired general manager Dean Lombardi and skipper Darryl Sutter, the architects of their Stanley Cup victories in 2012 and 2014.  Longtime franchise figure Rob Blake is the new GM, and veteran assistant coach John Stevens assumes the top job behind the bench.  Despite the status quo on the ice, the Kings are looking like they'll be a threat for another Cup run as they are 11-3-2 (24 points) and in first place in the Pacific Division, although it's obviously still early.  The Sharks on the other hand are treading water a bit so far (8-6 and eight points back).  The Sharks are 0-4 in their last four games playing on zero days rest and the Kings are 3-1 in the last four meetings of these two.  Take Los Angeles.  NHL Game of the Week! As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  These two teams played north-of-the-border last night, and the Leafs stunned the Bruins by scoring the tying goal in the game's final minute before winning in overtime, 3-2.  But I love Boston to get some revenge tonight, as #1 goalie Tuukka Rask will be in goal tonight vs. the Leafs' #2 goalie, Curtis McElhinney.  Also, Toronto's #1 center, Auston Matthews remains sidelined, and won't make the trip to Boston.  It's true that Toronto's won its last three games, but it's a poor 3-11 off three straight home wins, and 15-35 on the road off back to back home wins.  Take Boston. PAYBACK PAYDAY! Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Carolina Hurricanes.  It became painfully obvious that despite having one of the best defenses in the league last season, the Hurricanes were going nowhere fast with the goalie tandem of Cam Ward and Eddie Lack.  So the 'Canes traded a third-round draft pick to the Blackhawks for Scott Darling -- better known as the back-up for Corey Crawford -- and then they locked him up with a four-year contract worth almost $17M.  About a month into this season the results are mixed as Darling has seen most of the action in net, and although his GAA is solidly where it was last season at 2.35, his saves percentage has gone down from .924 to .910.  And the other problem is that while the team's goals-against-per-game number of 2.77 is decent, it's still higher than their goal-scoring rate, which is 26th in the league at 2.62.  Now they have to head into Columbus, where the Jackets are averaging just 2.13 goals-allowed -- fourth-best in the NHL.  The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings and Carolina is 18-38 in its last 56 road games.  Take Columbus.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Wings were hoping to reload with some valuable free agents in the off-season after missing the playoffs for the first time in 25 years.  And in the past, big name players looking for big contracts would jump at the chance to go to Detroit.  But those days appear to be over -- despite the fact that Detroit has a new arena in a rejuvenated downtown.  So the Wings -- who are also severely challenged with the salary cap -- were left with just a single signing of note, a defenseman named Trevor Daley who has already won two Stanley Cups and is probably past his prime now at age 33.  So despite the new home ice, it could be a very challenging season for the 11-time Stanley Cup Champions.  This game caps a very tough stretch in which Detroit has had to play seven of eight games on the road.  The Wings are 1-4 in the last five meetings and the Flames are 12-4 in their last 16 vs. Eastern Conference teams.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators.  If the Predators are going to win their second-straight Western Conference Title, they're going to have to do better than a .500 record.  Right now, the Preds are just 7-5-2 after 14 games, including just 4-5 on the road.  The team that almost met them in the Stanley Cup Finals will try to take it one step further this season as the Blue Jackets attempt to improve on their franchise-best 108 points of 2016-2017.  They're off to a good start with 19 points and a tie for first place in the Metropolitan Division.  In what could be an Eastern Conference Finals preview, the Jackets lost a tough one to the Lightning on Saturday, 5-4 in overtime.  After being on the road for their last three games, the Blue Jackets get to enjoy some home cooking for seven of their next 11 starting with this game.  That could be very important tonight as the home team is 3-1 in the last four meetings of these two.  It's also important for this game because the Jackets are 35-16 in their last 51 at the Nationwide Arena.  Take Columbus.  NHL High Roller.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Vegas Golden Knights.  It's hard enough being an expansion team in a major professional sport.  But try being an expansion team in the NHL when your first three options at goalie are out with injuries.  That's the situation that the Golden Knights find themselves in as Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion), Malcolm Subban (lower body), and more recently, third-string Oscar Dansk (also lower body) are sidelined for an extended period.  That leaves 25-year-old rookie Maxime Legace and the just-called-up Dylan Ferguson to share the load in net for the Knights while the other three are mending.  The talented Maple Leafs on the other hand are almost 100% healthy as they make a legitimate run for their first division title since the turn of the century.  They should be glad to get home for their next three games from a tough west coast road trip in which they went 1-3.   The Leafs' 6-4 loss in St. Louis on Saturday, and 5-3 loss at the LA Kings on Thursday, should bode well for them tonight as they are 83% the past 3 seasons after giving up 5+ goals in each of their two previous games.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Islanders moved to Brooklyn before the 2015-2016 season and their new home through the first two seasons has been lukewarm for them, to say the least. But so far this fall, there’s been no place like home for the Isles as, despite being 7-5-1 overall, they are 4-0-1 at Barclays Center.  Meanwhile, the Avs have almost an identical record to the Islanders (7-5, including 5-1 at home).  However they are on the road tonight where they are just 2-4 so far.  When healthy, the Avs have a decent lineup but health is an issue right now as five front line regulars (Jost, Compher, Grimaldi, Wilson, Borque) are sidelined with injuries or illness and not playing.  Wilson was one of the Avs' few off-season acquisitions but he’s been sidelined since October 19 and has amassed just two assists in eight games.  And although he’s playing, disgruntled #1 Center Matt Duchene thought he would be traded in the off-season and is now more of a distraction than anything else.  Colorado is 1-8 in the last nine road meetings between these clubs, while New York is 24-8 its last 32 vs. the Western Conference. Take the Isles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Buffalo Sabres.  Few teams made bigger moves this off-season than the Stars, who badly missed the playoffs this spring after winning the Division in 2016. They fired coach Lindy Ruff and hired Ken Hitchcock, a defensive guru.  Then they turned attention to their goalie needs by trading for the rights to Ben Bishop and signed him to a six-year contract. They also dealt for D Marc Methot and added depth down the middle by signing big two-way C Martin Hanzal to a three-year contract.  And, as if that wasn't enough, a few days after free agency started, the Stars won the sweepstakes for winger Alexander Radulov.  So Dallas went from pretenders to contenders while the Sabres -- although they made almost as many moves -- don't appear to be much (if any) better than last season (though it's still early).  Even worse for the Sabres:  they're already banged up, with no fewer than six regulars on the sideline, including three of their D-men (Bogosian, Beaulieu, and Gorges).  The Sabres are 1-4 in the last five meetings while the home team is 6-1 in the last seven.  Take the Stars.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the New Jersey Devils.  Despite the talent on their team, the Oilers are struggling lately, having lost four of their last five.  But take a look at who they've been matched-up against and you will see that two of those losses were against the defending Cup Champion Penguins and a third was against the Capitals.  And stuck in between the two pairs of defeats is a very nice win over a very good Dallas Stars club.  The Devils on the other hand come into tonight on a three-game win streak, but their quality of opposition has been somewhat the opposite of Edmonton's as New Jersey's victories have come at the expense of three pretty mediocre teams (the Canucks, Senators, and Coyotes).  Like his team, Connor McDavid, the consensus #1 player in the world, is off to a bit of a slow start -- at least by his lofty standards.  But McDavid will surely turn things around as the season gets going.  The Devils are 1-4 in the last five meetings and 4-12 in their last 16 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  They're also an awful 30-44 (minus 28 games on the moneyline) on the road off a shutout win.  Take the Oilers.  NHL Game of the Month.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Ottawa Senators over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Sens play with revenge from a 2-1 defeat here at Canadian Tire Centre on Opening Night, and also look to bounce back from their last two games, where they lost 5-4 at New Jersey, and 8-3 here at home.  The good news, though, for Ottawa is that #1 Center Kyle Turris will be back on the ice tonight after missing the three previous games with a viral infection.  The Sens are a super 11-1 at home when playing with revenge from a 1-goal loss, and they're also 8-1 after allowing more than three goals in each of their three previous games (and 6-0 after giving up more than 5 goals in their previous game).  Take Ottawa.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils are about to embark on a three-game road trip after taking two of their last three -- all at home.  But the two victories were against the Senators and Coyotes -- not exactly the cream of the NHL crop -- and they won both of those by a single goal.  Playing games across conference lines hasn't been kind to New Jersey recently as the Devils are 3-8 in their last 11 vs. teams from the Western Conference and 1-5 in their last six vs. teams from the Pacific Division.  They've also gotten banged up quite a bit lately as three of their top center ice men are out with injuries (Travis Zajac, Brian Boyle, and Michael McLeod) as well as their top RW (Kyle Palmieri) and one of the top D-men (Andy Greene).  The Canucks certainly don't seem to have a problem playing inter-conference games lately as they are 4-1 in their last five vs. teams from the East.  Take Vancouver.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Anaheim.  The Leafs were my preseason pick (at 14-1 odds) to win the Stanley Cup, so I will be on them a lot this season.  And this situation tonight is a great one, as we get Toronto off 3 straight losses, and at a short price.  The Leafs lost those three games by scores of 6-3, 4-2 and 3-2, but they're 19-15 (+11 games on the moneyline) after allowing 3+ goals over each of their 3 previous games.  Also, Anaheim's #1 center, Ryan Getzlaf will miss tonight's game after getting hit by a puck in his face on Sunday.  Take Toronto.  NHL HIGH ROLLER.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Anaheim Ducks.  Two teams with identical records so far meet for the first time in 2017 as the Ducks visit Raleigh.  Midway through last season it became painfully clear that despite having one of the NHL's best defenses, the Hurricanes would not be a playoff team with an aging Cam Ward and inconsistent Eddie Lack as their goalie tandem. GM Ron Francis hopes he corrected the situation by acquiring Scott Darling from the Blackhawks for a third-round draft pick, then signing him to a four-year contract.   Darling has seen most of the work this season, although he had the night off in Carolina's last game, a 2-1 loss to the Blues.  The 'Canes also brought 36-year-old F Justin Williams back to be a veteran presence on the offense, and Williams thinks this fast-improving team will give him a shot to win his fourth Stanley Cup (he won his first here back in '06).  There's no questioning the level of talent on a mostly unchanged Anaheim team, but the Ducks are off to a slow start compared to 2016.   Injuries have certainly played a part, most notably the losses of #2 C Ryan Kesler and #1 D Cam Fowler.  Both are expected to be out until December.  The Ducks are 2-7 in their last nine games playing on 0 days rest.  Take the 'Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the New York Rangers.  Two of the proudest franchises in NHL history are having seasons that no one would be proud of right now.  The Canadiens are 2-8 in their first ten games while the Rangers are only slightly better at 3-8 in their first 11.  Both veteran goalies -- Montreal's Carey Price and New York's Henrik Lundqvist -- have struggled mightily so far, and Lundqvist won't get the start tonight.  While the Habs have a solid back-up in Al Montoya (.912 sv pct and 2.67 GA last season), the Rangers traded away their #2, Antti Raanta over the summer, possibly when they were going to need him most as Lundqvist is now 35 years old.  Now they have to rely on Ondrej Pavelec tonight and that could get very ugly.  He was Winnipeg’s third-string goalie in a non-playoff season and he had a 3.55 GAA in eight NHL games.  New York also lost Derek Stepan in the off-season which creates a big hole in the depth chart at the center position.  The Canadiens are 8-0 in their last eight games following a home loss of three or more goals.  The Rangers are 0-5 in their last five road games and 0-4 in their last four vs. Eastern Conference Teams.  Take the Habs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Ottawa Senators.  The Senators won all three meetings with the Devils last season, but the Devils turned the tables in their first meeting this fall, 5-4 in overtime on October 19.  And we'll give them the decided edge tonight again mainly for one reason.  The Senators just played a tough game down the road in Philly last night -- a 5-4 victory over the Flyers -- while New Jersey has had a full 7 days' of rest since its last game (a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Sharks).  The 'Nats are having a particularly tough time in close games this season, losing four of five overtime contests, including three in the shootout.   After finishing with the worst record in the East, the Devils have nowhere to go but up this season, and so far they've done just that with a 6-2 record in their first eight games.  Their #1 overall pick in June's draft, 18-year-old C Nico Hischier has already made his presence known on the ice, logging seven points and a +1 rating through his first eight games.  Hischier may not have the hype of previous #1s Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid.  But like those two, Hischier will see plenty of ice time in his rookie season and will make an impact.  Ottawa is 2-5 in its last seven vs. teams in the Metropolitan.  Take the Devils.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the New York Islanders.  It's early in the season, but so far, home ice has not been very kind to the Minnesota Wild.  The team that had the most wins at home in the Western Conference last season (27) is 0-2 so far here at the Xcel Energy Center.  It should be mentioned however that those two home losses were both by a single goal, with one of them being an overtime defeat at the hands of the Blue Jackets.  All of the ingredients that made the Wild successful last season are returning this fall, including goalie Devan Dubnyk who showed why he is one of the most underrated net-minders in professional hockey.  For the Islanders, they had plenty of late-season success under coach Doug Weight, but it may prove difficult for them to maintain that level of play across an entire campaign, especially with the departures of D Travis Hamonic and forwards Ryan Strome and Mikhail Grabovski.  Minnie is 16-6 in its last 22 home games vs. teams with a losing road record while the Isles are 1-5 in their last six vs. teams from the Central division.  Take the Wild.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Buffalo Sabres.  After their most successful regular season ever -- a season in which they topped 50 wins and 100 points for the first time in franchise history and won 16 straight games at one point -- the Blue Jackets will try to take it to the next level over the next six months.  After all that success in last year's regular season, the Jackets made an early exit in the post-season, losing in the first round to the eventual Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins.  In the off-season, they acquired dynamic left winger Artemi Panarin from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for popular center Brandon Saad.  Although Saad was third on the Jackets in goals (24) and points (53), Panarin has scored 61 goals in his first two NHL seasons (17 of them on the power play), and gives Columbus a legitimate sniper from the left side.  Columbus has a big advantage tonight, in that it hasn't played since Saturday's game vs. the Kings, while Buffalo skated last night vs. Detroit.  And the Blue Jackets are 8-0 in their last 8 games playing on three or more days rest!  Also, the home team is 5-2 in the last seven meetings of these two.  Take Columbus.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Florida Panthers.  Montreal hasn't won any of its last seven games, which is its worst losing streak since it dropped nine in a row in 1940.  So, it goes without saying that the 2017-2018 version of the Montreal Canadiens is a far cry from the franchise that has won 22 Stanley Cups (and three NHL Championships in the years before the Cup).  But this team is clearly better -- at least on paper -- than its unfortunate 1-6-1 record to start the season.  For one thing, the Canadiens still feature the goalie who is widely considered to be the best on the planet in Carey Price, and new coach Claude Julien (he took over in the second half last season) should be given plenty of time to work out the kinks on a team that changed quite a bit in the off-season.  Perhaps a home game against the Panthers (who will start backup goalie James Reimer tonight) will help get the Habs back on track.  The Bell Centre is still one of the toughest places in the league for opposing teams, and the Canadiens have only hosted two of their eight games here so far this October.  Montreal has won the last three meetings with Florida and the Panthers are 2-8 in their last 10 road games and 2-6 in their last eight vs. teams from the Atlantic Division.  Take the Canadiens.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Los Angeles Kings.  Needing some change after another disappointing season, the Kings fired GM Dean Lombardi and coach Darryl Sutter, the architects of their Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. Franchise icon Rob Blake is the new GM, and longtime assistant coach John Stevens moves up to the head bench position.  Last season, Jonathan Quick was limited to just 17 games due to injury, but that wasn't the Kings' main problem.  Their most glaring flaw was a lack of offense. The team tied Buffalo for 24th in offense despite ranking seventh in shots per game. That the team's only offensive addition was 35-year-old Mike Cammalleri, who notched a career-worst 10 goals last season in New Jersey, doesn't inspire confidence.  Now, it's true that the Kings broke out for six goals in their last game -- a 6-4 win at Columbus.  But Los Angeles is 0-6 after scoring 6+ goals in its previous game.  And it's also true that Toronto gave up 6 goals in a defeat, at Ottawa, on Saturday.  However, it's 7-1 following a game where it allowed six goals.  The home team is also 4-1 in the last five meetings.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Red Wings have a mission for the 2017-2018 season -- get back to being a playoff contender.  Detroit failed to make a playoff appearance last season for the first time in 26 years and so now with a new arena to play in, the Wings look to start another streak.  They're not off to the best of starts, having gone 4-3-1 so far including three straight losses coming into tonight.  But those losses were to the Lightning, Maple Leafs, and Capitals, three of the best teams that the Eastern Conference has to offer.  Tonight they will go from that to one of the worst teams in the West in the Canucks.  Vancouver has lost four of its last six games, however the two victories were against the Sabres and Senators -- not exactly the cream of the NHL crop.  That last one against the Sabres was not all that surprising, but it doesn't bode well for tonight as the Canucks are 2-10 in their last 12 games following a win.  They are also 2-6 in the last eight meetings and 1-4 in the last five in Detroit.  Take the Red Wings.  Game of the Week.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Los Angeles Kings.  Two of the hottest teams in the NHL meet tonight in an East-West match-up in Ohio's capital city as the 5-0-1 Kings visit the 5-2 Blue Jackets.  The Jackets logged 50 wins and 100 points (108) for the first time in their history, but were a big disappointment in their third post-season appearance, losing in the first round to the Penguins.  Columbus was on a four-game winning streak before being shut out by the Lightning in its last game Wednesday night.  But there's no shame in losing a close one to the Bolts this season as Tampa looks like one of the league's elite teams so far.  After a season that included an incredible 16-game winning streak, head coach John Tortorella returns for his second season behind the bench despite the big disappointment in the playoffs.  The Jackets are 7-1 in their last eight games vs. teams from the Pacific Division and the home team is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings of these two.  Take Columbus.  NHL Roadkill Winner!  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Vancouver Canucks.  It's been an up-and-down season so far for the Boston Bruins.  Boston came out and won its first game here at home on October 5, beating the defending Western Conference Champion Predators, 4-3.  But it has stumbled a bit since then and look to get back on track tonight against a team that was one of the worst in the NHL last season.  The Bruins must be happy with the way last season turned out, because they made very few moves in the off-season and return with pretty much the same crew that got them to the post-season for the first time since 2014, but no further (they lost in the first round).  What they hope to do is carry the momentum they had when they switched coaches in early February.  Since taking over behind the bench for Claude Julien, coach Bruce Cassidy led the team to an 18-8-1 record and a bit of a slow start isn't going to concern him or his team too much.  The Bruins are 13-3 in their last 16 vs. teams with a losing record, while the Canucks are 0-8 in their last eight in the same scenario.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Chicago Blackhawks.  After playing five of their first six games of the season on the road, the Blues will come home to face the Hawks tonight in a huge divisional match-up.  St. Louis started out red-hot, beating the defending Penguins on their home ice in Pittsburgh on the night when they raised their Stanley Cup Banner to the rafters.  The Blues then reeled off three more victories -- including their only one so far here at home -- before losing their last two.  Of course what they did to the Pens is nothing compared with what their opponents tonight did to Pittsburgh in a game earlier this season.  The 'Hawks blasted the Pens by a 10-1 score at home one day after the Blues beat them.  But Chicago's offense has been much quieter lately, netting just four goals in their last two.  And now they have to play a team that's known for its stout defense and solid goaltending.  St. Louis has won eight straight off back to back road losses, which bodes well for the Blues tonight.  Also, the Blackhawks have not been at their best lately when they've played inside their conference as they are 1-8 in their last nine games against teams from the West.  Take the Blues.  NHL High Roller Winner!  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Predators were soundly beaten in the first two games of their first ever Stanley Cup Finals, pulling their goalie in Game 2 because it was so bad.  But there likely is no panic in the young upstarts from Music City.  And there are at least several reasons for this.  First is the fact that the atmosphere at Bridgestone Arena will be electrifying tonight.  And that atmosphere has contributed to Nashville's incredible success here lately.  The Predators are 19-7 in their last 26 games at Bridgestone.  And for the 2017 playoffs, they are 7-1 in their eight contests here.  (They're also 6-0 at home their last six when trailing in a playoff series.)  Second, although they were beaten by a combined score of 9-4 in those first two games, the Preds out-shot the Penguins by a huge margin in both games (26-12 in Game 1 and 38-27 in Game 2).  Third, the Penguins have won just 10 of 28 road games after not allowing more than 1 goal in their previous game.  Finally, the home team has been dominant in this series in recent history, as the hosts have gone 5-0 in the last five meetings going back to March of 2016.  Take Nashville.  NHL Game of the Month!  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Nashville Predators.  The 2017 Stanley Cup Finals is a tale of two very different franchises.  On the one hand, you have the Penguins, who seem to be building a dynasty with the most consistent team we've seen in the past decade or so and on the other hand, you have the upstart Predators who will be appearing in their first-ever Finals.  The Pens would be strong favorites in this game and series if the Predators were healthy.  But right now, the Western Conference Champs are anything but healthy heading into game one in Pittsburgh.  The Predators number one Center, top points producer (tied), and team leader, Ryan Johansen is out until next season with a serious thigh injury that required surgery.  Also, #2 LW Kevin Fiala is out with a fractured femur and RW Craig Smith is questionable at best with a lower body injury.  So the Preds have to match the Pens mighty scoring lines with a patch-work offense on the road.  Nashville is 2-8 in the last 10 meetings and 1-4 in the last five trips to Pittsburgh.  Even worse:  the Preds are 14-30 after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game, while Pitt is 24-9 at home in a game with an over/under line greater than 5 goals.  Take the Penguins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators.  Stanley Cup Finals seem to come in pairs for the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Tonight they will attempt to get to the finals for the second straight season, something they've done twice before - 1991 & 1992 (when they won the Cup both times) and 2008 & 2009 (when they won it in the latter).  Meanwhile, for the decidedly underdog Senators, a victory tonight in front of a hostile Pittsburgh crowd will enable them to reach the Cup Finals for just the second time in franchise history (2007).  There is really very little reason to think that Ottawa has a great chance tonight, especially given what happened to them last time they set foot (skate) in this building.  That would have been game five, when the Pens embarrassed the 'Nats by a 7-0 final score.  The home team is 7-2 in the last nine meetings of these two clubs.  And Pittsburgh is also 6-1, 86% at home this season when the total was less than 5.5 goals (and 30-12 their last 42).  Take the Pens.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Anaheim Ducks.  It looked like the Predators might make quick work of the Ducks in this series (like they did with the Blackhawks) when they went up 2-0 in Anaheim before some people had even arrived in their seats.  But the Ducks came off of life support in that game two and ended up winning by a 5-3 score as the series now moves to Music City.  And the other good news for Anaheim is that Preds goalie Pekka Rinne finally had a bad game as the veteran net-minder stopped just 22 of 26 shots in that one - hardly Conference Finals type numbers.  But there is some bad news as well for the Ducks as the series moves to Nashville, and perhaps the most obvious is the difference between that team's defense on the road vs. playing at home.  In their 41 regular season games at Honda Center, the Ducks allowed just 2.00 goals per game (2nd-best in the NHL) but in the same number of games in other arenas, that GAA ballooned to 3.49 - making their defense the worst in the league as a visitor.  And Anaheim's 17-24 record on the road in the regular season makes them the only 2017 Division Champion with a losing road record.  The Preds are 5-1 in their last six after allowing five goals or more in their last game.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators.  In one of the biggest game one upsets of the season, the Ottawa Senators came into Pittsburgh on Friday night and stunned the defending Stanley Cup Champs, limiting them to 26 shots and one goal in regulation before winning it five minutes into overtime.  Was it a case of a letdown after that huge seventh-game victory in DC?  Did the second round take too much out of Pittsburgh?  Or did Ottawa simply exploit the same weaknesses that the Caps exposed in that very difficult series?  The truth is that it's probably a combination of all of the above, but now the only thing that really matters to the home team and fans is that the Pens win tonight's Game 2 before heading north of the Border.  It's probably easier to say what didn't cost the Pens in game one - specifically the play of goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who once again was brilliant between the pipes.  The offense needs look no further than the mirror in the locker room when trying to figure out who's to blame.  Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and company simply must generate more chances on the visiting team and goalie Craig Anderson.  Look for them to do just that tonight and even this series.  The Pens are 9-2 in the last 11 meetings at home, and they're also 51-27 off a loss (+12 games on the moneyline).  Take Pittsburgh.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Anaheim Ducks.  Game one of the Western Conference finals is happening tonight in Anaheim and it features one team that we would have expected to be here (the Ducks) and one that is a bit of a surprise.  The Predators made it into the NHL playoffs by grabbing the final Wild Card Spot in the West, yet they've arguably looked more impressive than any other club so far.  So, we're going to take them tonight for a couple of reasons.  First, the Predators probably had the tougher road to get here, and they've made it to this point in a fewer number of games than any of the other three conference finalists (10).  Second, they're the healthier of the two teams right now, as the Ducks' roster is somewhat depleted going into this series.  Anaheim's defensive line especially has two key players who will definitely be sitting out (Bieksa and Despres) and a third (Clayton Stoner) who may be able to play, but will be very rusty at best.  Finally, the Ducks are an awful 11-15 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) after not allowing 2+ goals in their previous game.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  It's been well documented how dominant the Caps have been in this series, even in the three games which they lost.  But they took that domination to another level in game six in Pittsburgh on Monday night, not only beating the Pens 5-2 (after taking a 5-0 lead in the 3rd period), but embarrassing them in the process.  There was virtually no aspect of that game that was not completely controlled by the visitors, and the once impenetrable Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury looked exhausted and lost by the end.  The final shot tally was 26-18 in favor of the Caps, but it could have been a lot worse because once they scored to go up 3-0 16 seconds into the third period, the Caps seemed to go into more of a defensive posture (even through they tallied two more goals).  Could the Pens come back tonight and pull off what would be a big upset?  Anything's possible - and it's happened before with these two clubs - but Washington has been playing on an entirely different level the last two games and the Caps will have a full house of rowdy fans in attendance who finally are starting to believe that they can win a Stanley Cup.  The home team is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings of the Pens and Caps.  And the Capitals are 10-0 their last 10 at home following a game where they scored 5+ goals.  Meanwhile, the Penguins are a poor 47-79 following back to back losses by 2+ goals.  Take Washington.  NHL Game of the Week.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  As the Caps head into yet another must win situation in the second round of the NHL Playoffs, they would be well served to remind themselves just how dominant they have been in this series, despite being down 3-2.  First, there's the issue of shots on goal.  The Caps have out-shot the Penguins in the entire series.  But they've not only logged more shots in each of the games so far by a whopping 174-115, but that works out to just 23 shots on goal per game for Pittsburgh.  That's remarkable when you consider that during the regular season, the Penguins led the NHL with an average of 33.6 shots/game.  Second, they've been the more physical team throughout the five games, registering more hits than the Penguins and to a large extent, neutralizing some of Pittsburgh's biggest weapons.  In fact, when summarizing why the Pens are leading in this series, you only need to know one name: Marc-Andre Fleury.  Were it not for the Pens' net-minder, this series could very easily be over right now with the Caps moving on to the Conference Finals.  But the third period of game five exposed some weaknesses in Fleury and for perhaps the first time in the series, he looked mortal.  That period was the best that the Caps have played in the five games and if they can repeat that in period one tonight, then they should be able to bring this series back home for a game seven.  Take Washington.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Anaheim Ducks.  If their game five loss to the Anaheim Ducks doesn't motivate the Edmonton Oilers, then likely nothing will be able to.  Edmonton looked all but home free on Friday night, taking a 3-0 lead in the game that lasted deep into the third period.  But the Ducks fought back and got three unanswered goals in the final four minutes and then scored the game-winner in double overtime to deal a crushing loss to the visitors from Canada.  This was also perhaps the greatest goaltending performance by a losing net-minder who allowed four goals as Edmonton's Cam Talbot had to face an incredible 64 shots in the marathon.  But the Oilers are 11-3 in their last 14 home games, and I look for them to force a deciding 7th game tonight.  Take Edmonton.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the St. Louis Blues.  Of all the second round series, this one is probably the most evenly matched, and usually that means that home ice will end up deciding things.  That's pretty much been the case here as, after a road win in game one by the Predators, the home team has reeled off four straight, closely contested victories.  Now the series heads back to the Music City with the Preds having a chance to advance to their first-ever Conference Championship with a victory here this afternoon.  The Blues not only have their backs against a wall today, but they may be at even more of a disadvantage if top winger Alex Steen misses his second straight game.  Steen is battling a lower-body injury and he didn't suit up for Game 5 and is questionable to be ready for today's critical contest.  At this stage, even if Steen somehow makes it onto the ice, you have to wonder how effective he will be.  The Blues are 0-5 in their last five trips to Nashville.  Take the Predators.

At 7:15 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Just like the scene in the movie "Groundhog Day", the Capitals keep waking up every post-season to the same old song.  And that song isn't a happy one.  Once again the Caps find themselves on the brink of elimination, down 3-1 against the Penguins and if there's ever a scene that's been repeated time and time again in the NHL playoffs over the past decade, it's this one with the Caps about to exit early after having dominated just about everyone in the regular season.  Tonight they come home where they've yet to beat the Penguins in this series, but they're the decided favorite in game five in an obvious must-win situation.  One can certainly see a scenario play out where the Caps win tonight with the Pens holding Sidney Crosby out one more game, and then going to Pittsburgh for a game six where they are decided underdogs against Crosby and his mates.  It's no secret by now that the Caps have out-played the Pens in just about every aspect of the game through the first four contests, and they probably feel like if they can do it again, then they could actually win convincingly tonight and go into game six at least with some momentum.  The home team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings; Washington is 12-3 when playing with 2 days' of rest; and the Caps are 58-24 at home then the total was 5 goals or less.  Take Washington.  NHL GAME OF THE MONTH.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the St Louis Blues over Nashville.  The Blues dropped both road games in Tennessee to fall behind in this series, 3 games to 1.  But with their backs against the wall, we'll back the Blues on Friday night.  At the very least, St. Louis will gain confidence from the knowledge it has dominated Nashville here at Scottrade Center, with 11 wins in the last 15 meetings.  St. Louis has been at its best off back to back losses, as it's 29-13 its last 42.  And it's 12-3 off back to back road losses.  Additionally, the Blues are a solid 17-9 at home when the total is 5 goals or less.  Meanwhile, Nashville's an awful 1-6 after winning 8+ games of their previous 10.  And it's won just 9 of 27 road games off a win in its previous game.  Take the Blues.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  At the start of the season, our pick was on Washington at 9-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup, and I am still convinced they will win it this season.  Indeed, we played on Washington in Games 2 and 3 of this series, and certainly won't back off them tonight, after what happened on Monday.  When Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby went down in a heap at the start of the last game, you could hear everyone in the PPG Paints Arena gasp.  It was a nasty cross-check to the head by the Caps Matt Niskanen that put Crosby down and Niskanen was rightfully assessed a game misconduct (although the replay clearly shows that there was no bad intent in Niskanen's action).  Still, the Caps will take that trade any day of the week, and now the Pens have to play without their star captain for at least one game, while the Caps go into tonight knowing that another win like the one they had on Monday puts them right back in this series.  The fact of the matter is that - Crosby or no Crosby - the Caps have out-played the Pens in each of the first three games.  They out-shot them again on Monday, though not to the extent they did on their home ice, and they've out-hustled and out-hit them as well.  We have finally started to see Pens' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury show some vulnerability.  And Fleury is pretty much the only reason the Caps don't lead this series 3-0.  The Caps got another huge monkey off their backs on Monday by winning in Pittsburgh for the first time in their last seven trips here, and they're 8-1 after notching 33+ shots on goal in their three previous games.  I look for them to even up the series on Wednesday.  Take Washington.  NHL High Roller Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over Pittsburgh.  We played on Washington in Game 2, and lost.  But the Caps have to be heartened, somewhat, by the fact that they've dominated the Penguins in terms of shots on goal (71-45 in the series), even though they have nothing to show for it.  The problem on Saturday was that Vezina Trophy finalist Braden Holtby allowed three goals on 14 shots through the first two periods.  So, after two periods, the Capitals trailed 3-1, even though they had 27 shots on goal (to Pittsburgh's 14) and 59 total shot attempts (to Pittsburgh's 27).  After Game 2, the players had a private meeting, and one of the focal points of discussion was that they did a lot of things right in the first period of that game, but got frustrated by not being able to score a goal, so they lost their patience in the 2nd period, and unraveled.  I expect Washington to play a much better game at the Igloo tonight.  Washington is a solid 20-8 on the road (+12 games on the moneyline) when playing with double-revenge.  And it's 11-1 after allowing more than 4 goals in its previous game, and 14-3 after a loss by more than 2 goals.  Take the Capitals.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Caps have fallen behind in yet another playoff series against the Penguins, so the fact that they are down 1-0 at home is certainly no surprise.  What is a bit surprising is that Washington out-played, out-shot, and out-hit their Eastern rivals almost the entire game, yet still came up short.  The Penguins managed just 21 shots on goal in game one on Thursday night, but thanks to one 52-second stretch to begin the second quarter, they were able to upset the President's Trophy winners at Verizon Center, where game two will take place tonight.  Without question, this is a must-win situation for DC, who was more physical in game one as the Caps out-hit the Penguins by a lopsided 41-17 margin.  So the Caps have to be feeling at least a little positive about the fact that the game one result was more about bad luck and bad timing than anything else.  That being said, the Caps will have to find a way to get the Pens to draw some penalties in games two (DC had zero power play opportunities in game one).  Also, look for the Caps to be even more aggressive tonight in an effort to even the series.  The Caps have a habit of coming back strong in situations like this, as they are 67-36 off a loss and 63-28 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game (and 19-4 at home off back to back games of scoring 2 or less goals).  Moreover, notwithstanding the result of Game 1, the home team has still won eight of the last nine in this series.  Finally, Washington is 28-14 when playing with double revenge, including a perfect 5-0 if it lost each of its two previous games to its opponent by exactly one goal.  Take Washington.  NHL Game of the Year.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the St Louis Blues over Nashville.  The Predators continued their perfect run through these playoffs, as they defeated the Blues in Game 1 for their 5th straight post-season win.  But St. Louis is a sensational 23-6 at home off a home loss, and 69-44 off a loss, generally.  Meanwhile, the Predators are an awful 31-51 after scoring more than 3 goals, including 2-10 after scoring more than three goals in a road win.  Take St. Louis to even things up tonight.  NHL Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over Edmonton.  After getting shut out in Games 2 + 3, the Sharks erupted for 7 goals in Game 4 to even up the series at 2 games apiece.  But they lost on Thursday, 4-3, to put themselves in this 'must-win' situation at home tonight.  We'll take the home team in this Game 6, as San Jose is 46-23 (+17 games on the money line) when playing with revenge from a loss in which they gave up more than three goals.   Also, the Sharks are 23-12 at home this season where the Total was 5 goals or less, while Edmonton is a poor 18-29 on the road their last 47 games when the Total was 5 goals or less.  Take the Sharks.  NHL High Roller.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over New York.  The Habs are down 3 games to 2 after dropping Game 5, at home, on Thursday.  But I love Montreal to tie up this series tonight, as it is 16-12 (+11 games on the money line) when facing elimination in a Playoff series, while New York is 17-21 (minus 7 games on the money line) when leading in a Playoff series.  The Canadiens are also 22-15 off a loss, and 9-5 off back to back losses this season.  And they've won five of the last six meetings at Madison Square Garden.  Take Montreal.  NHL Game of the Month.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Ottawa Senators.  No first round series looked to be as tightly contested early on as this one between division rivals Boston and Ottawa.  The Bruins jumped out to a somewhat surprising 1-0 series lead when they beat the Senators on their home ice in game one by a 2-1 score.  But the Senators came back, winning games two and three by identical 4-3 overtime scores .  Then Boston - with its 2017 season virtually on the line, held Ottawa to just one goal in game four, but it wasn't enough.  The Senators took that game on Wednesday, holding on for a 1-0 shutout and thereby sending this series back to their home ice with a commanding 3-1 lead.  The Bruins know they need to play better than the paltry 20 shots on goal in game three and 22 in game four (both at home).  Look for them to come out with a sense of desperation tonight as that is exactly what the Bruins need right now.  That has worked well for this team in the past, but they have work to do to keep the series alive.  The road team is 5-1 in the last six meetings.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  One of the only first-round playoff series of 2017 that went according to plan in the first two games when the Penguins took a rather easy 2-0 lead, things then got very dire for the Jackets when the Pens also took game three in Columbus.  With their backs against the wall, Columbus came through in game four, beating Pittsburgh by a 5-4 margin while limiting the Pens to a relatively low (for them) 31 shots on goal.  It seems like the Pens took the night off on Tuesday just a bit (and they still almost won the game).  But the Pens would love to close this series out at home - they have a habit of clinching playoff series on the road - so look for them to come out with the same intensity that they did in games one and two in front of their packed house tonight.  The bad news for the rest of the teams in the post-season is that the Penguins are getting healthy again.  C Evgeni Malkin is back and looks to be 100%, playing like his old self.  LW Carl Hagelin (lower body) is skating and is very close to a return (he will likely play if this series goes to a sixth game).  The Pens are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings with the Jackets, and 35-14 after giving up more than 3 goals.  They're also 22-6 at home when the over/under line was more than 5 goals.  Take Pittsburgh.  NHL Roadkill Winner.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over St Louis.  The Wild entered the Playoffs on a 4-game win streak.  And they had scored 17 goals in those four games.  But Jake Allen has stonewalled Minnesota in the first three games.  The Wild have had an average of 39 shots per game, but have only scored 1 goal in each of the three games.  Still, if you're a Minnesota fan, there's some room for optimism that it can win tonight.  Minnesota's outshot the Blues by an average of 12.67 shots per game.  And the Blues are a poor 1-6 at home off a home win by 2+ goals.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over Ottawa.  We played on Boston in Game 3, and lost a tough game in overtime.  And that was the second straight loss by a 4-3 score for the Bruins.  But we'll come back with Boston in Game 4, as I look for the Bruins to even the series at 2 games, apiece.  Boston is a stellar 22-8 off a 1-goal home loss, while Ottawa is 1-5 this season off back to back 1-goal wins, and 6-11 after scoring more than 3 goals in back to back games.  Take Boston.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  In past seasons, the Caps have faced teams in the first round like the Rangers, Flyers, and Bruins.  These are all NHL clubs with plenty of recent playoff history - and plenty of losses to the Caps, so there were generally few surprises in those first rounds.  But now the Caps are facing a totally different beast in the young and hungry Toronto Maple Leafs.  Not only have the Leafs participated in just one post-season since 2004 (2012-2013), but they have never faced Washington in the playoffs before, so this is probably the last team that the Caps wanted to see in the first round.  And sure enough, it's deja vu all over again as the Caps are on the brink of an early playoff exit after winning yet another Presidents Trophy by logging the best record in the league.  So now it's the Caps with their backs against the proverbial wall after losing game three on Monday night and falling behind in the series, 2-1.  They started out game three looking like they were going to steamroll the Leafs, but blew two separate two-goal leads before falling in overtime by a 4-3 final.  They will need to keep that early energy they had for a full 60 minutes tonight so they can send the series back to DC knotted up at 2-2.  The Caps are 10-4 in the last 14 meetings going back to 2014.  Take Washington.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Edmonton Oilers.  The Sharks must have been feeling pretty good after scoring three goals in the first game of this series in Edmonton and taking a 1-0 series lead by the virtue of that 3-2 overtime victory.  But things can turn on a dime in the NHL and fast forward less than a week later after laying goose-eggs in games two and three - the latter here at home - the Sharks must be scratching their collective heads as to what went wrong.  In a word, San Jose's offense has been awful, producing a total of just 39 shots on goal combined in games two and three.  So look for them to switch some things up on the lines tonight for game four back at the SAP Center.  The Sharks would be well-served by going back to the speed game that was so effective for them in the regular season.  The bump and grind strategy they've been employing so far in this series clearly is not working.  The Sharks can't blame injuries for their recent problems as they are essentially 100% healthy at this point and they have to start playing like the defending Conference Champions that they are or they will be making an early exit this Spring.  The Oilers are 27-87 in their last 114 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600, while the Sharks are 26-12 when playing with double revenge.  Take San Jose.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.