Sports Picks & Predictions

#36 ASA PLAY ON 7* Calgary Flames -175 on the Money Line over Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday at 9:05 PM ET - We actually were first considering a top play on this one. It would have been our first one of the season but that was when the line was in the -140 range. It has since jumped up to the -175 range and of course there is no way we could risk a top play rating in this price range but we still think very strongly of this play and will not pass up on this. Calgary has been very strong and Penguins are in the 2nd game of a back to back and their body language on the ice did not look good when they blew their game at Edmonton last night. Penguins actually had a 2-goal lead early on in the 2nd period but then got dominated the rest of the way as the Flames outscored them 5-0 from that point on! Now, in this B2B spot, the Penguins likely will turn to Casey DeSmith in goal since Tristan Jarry started last night. DeSmith has not played much and will be rusty and Calgary is rested and at home and this is a very light part of the schedule for the Flames. Yes they have the Oilers on deck, a rival, but that game is days away and they had multiple days of rest heading into this game as well. In other words, ideal set-up for Calgary and tough set-up for Pittsburgh. Lay it! We think we’re getting some nice value getting this strong home team at -175 in this one with the Flames as it is the perfect set-up for a home win as Penguins struggle in this back to back spot.

#71 ASA PLAY ON 8* Philadelphia Flyers +1.5 -135 on the Puck Line over Nashville Predators, Saturday at 8:05 PM ET - Nashville started the season with two big wins in Europe over the Sharks but then came home flat. They lost to Dallas twice after coming home and still have not won a game since returning from Europe. Now after blowing big lead at Columbus and losing to Blue Jackets, it is becoming evident these Predators can not be trusted right now. We had Nashville in that one and did not like the way they once again imploded in a game they had won. Unlike the Preds, the Flyers have been a resilient group under their new head coach as John Tortorella has really lit a fire under this team. Even if they don't win this outright, the Flyers should cover the puck line here. Philly does not have a loss by more than 1 goal this season and in fact won their first 3 games of the season. Predators on a losing streak and we take advantage of all this here. We think we’re getting some nice value getting this hungry road team at -135 on the puck line in this one with the Flyers as it is the perfect set-up for an away win or, at least, road cover!

#13/14 ASA PLAY ON 8* UNDER 7 Goals - Buffalo Sabres at Edmonton Oilers, Tuesday at 9 PM ET - This line has gone from 6.5 to 7 and we understand the move based on the potency of the Oilers offense. However, Buffalo's season-opening 4-1 win featured two empty net goals. That game was 2-1 with about a minute to go is the point we're making here. Also, the Oilers have been giving up too many goals but now are going to Skinner between the pipes and he was great in relief in Edmonton's most recent game. Look for him to now produce a strong start here after playing so well when coming in to put out the fires in the Oilers most recent match-up. The Sabres could turn to Craig Anderson for this one and he was great in his only start so far this season. Both teams off losses by a 4-3 count so they will be focused on the defensive end and protecting in front of their own cage. Each team willing to work hard to get back into the win column and we look for 5 or 6 goals here at the most. Under is our play here.

#26 ASA PLAY ON 8* Winnipeg Jets -135 on the Money Line over New York Rangers, Friday at 8:05 PM ET - Rangers are in a tough back to back spot here after facing Minnesota last night. New York got the win over the Wild but now face the 2nd game of a B2B which means back-up goalie Halak likely to get the start. The Jets will have their top goalie Hellebuyck starting as this is their season opener.  Also, it should be a great atmosphere in Winnipeg for this one as they have a new head coach and are coming off a disappointing finish last season so they can't wait to get rolling on the ice tonight.  That said, look for the Jets to have all 4 lines rolling well in this one while the Rangers will be a little tired out here as they are playing the 3rd game in 4 nights and the 2nd game of a B2B in which both games were on the road.  We think we’re getting some nice value getting this home favorite at -135 in this one on home ice with the Jets.

#6 ASA PLAY ON 8* Philadelphia Flyers +115 on the Money Line over New Jersey Devils, Thursday at 7:05 PM ET - These two teams finished with nearly identical records in the standings last season. Even though the Devils are projected to, and should, be the better team this season this will not be an easy game for them. Flyers will be fired up at home and under their new head coach John Tortorella. He is a veteran head coach that demands effort on the ice and could be the "kick in the pants" this team needed. Philly being at home here is also key as goalie Carter Hart has had stronger numbers overall on home ice in comparison with road starts throughout his career. Look for the Flyers to surprise here and we love fading the line move in games like this where the line has swung so much. Philly opened as a small favorite and now the Devils are as high as a -135 favorite. If this game was in New Jersey we would feel differently but Philadelphia is going to have a ton of emotion and effort for their first game of the season on home ice and we look for Hart to have a big game between the pipes too. We think we’re getting some nice value getting this underdog at +115 in this one on home ice with the Flyers.

#77 ASA PLAY ON 7* Vancouver Canucks +1.5 goals -155 on the Puck Line over Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday at 10:05 PM ET - The Canucks wrapped up last season on a 19-9-6 run.  Of those 15 losses, 9 were by just a 1-goal margin.  Vancouver was a much better team once they made the coaching change and only 6 of their final 34 games resulted in a loss by 2 or more goals.  That means high odds on a winning result here and we like the value of the +1.5 goals here at a fair price.  As strong as Edmonton is in terms of offensive firepower, they continue to be a club that struggles with defense and goal-tending.  The Oilers last 20 regular season games last season featured only 8 wins by more than a 1 goal margin.  We think we’re getting some nice value laying a reasonable -155 price to have the puck line in this one with the added insurance of +1.5 goals for the Canucks.

#68 ASA PLAY ON 8* LA Kings -115 on the Money Line over Vegas Golden Knights, Tuesday at 10:05 PM ET - The Golden Knights are not what they once were. They enter the season effectively down to a 3rd and 4th string goalie. Remember when Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner were splitting time here and there was sometimes even debates about who the true #1 was? Well Fleury has been gone awhile now and then the #1 Lehner is now out for the season (hip surgery) and that means it was supposed to be Laurent Brossoit as the starter but he is now out to begin the year because of his off-season hip surgery. So the Golden Knights are now down to what is effectively #3 and #4 goalie options in Logan Thompson and Adin Hill. Vegas also has lost some of their offensive firepower from past season's stronger clubs too so this team really has issues at both ends of the ice. The Kings, on the other hand, continue to build and are going in the right direction plus have the much better goalie options for this one with Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen. The latter has played so well he may possibly unseat Quick as the starter. We think we’re getting some nice value laying just -115 in this one on home ice with the Kings.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Colorado Avalanche Money Line -115 over Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday at 8:05 PM ET - This Avalanche team that lost Game 5 on home ice will bounce back here. That is the kind of loss strong teams bounce back from and certainly the Avs have been the stronger team in terms of how they match up with Tampa Bay in this series. Looking at the shots on goal statistics throughout this series, Colorado continues to be the better of the two teams in generating offense as they have registered 41 more shots on goal in the 5 games thus far and have only been outshot in one of the games. The Avalanche, prior to the Game 5 loss, had won an incredible 15 of their 18 playoff games this season. Also, Colorado started the post-season with a win that was off a loss in their regular season finale. This team knows how to respond off defeat and has won their next game all 3 times this post-season when coming off a loss. The Avalanche set up well for a big bounce back here at a solid money line price because they are on the road here and that keeps the price manageable. Colorado has been a "road warrior" throughout post-season as they have won 8 of their 9 contests away from home. Road team keeps coming up in the modeling run from this one per our computer math model. Look for the Avalanche to hoist the Stanley Cup on Tampa Bay ice by the time the final horn sounds on this one. Lay the short money line price with road favorite Colorado as it is a big value play here.

#41/42 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5.5 Goals +110 - New York Rangers at Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday at 3:05 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals. Lightning are down 2-0 in this series and need to respond on home ice. Trouble is they have had a very hard time stopping a relentless Rangers team that continues to pile up goals. Look for TB to join the goal-scoring party in this one. The Bolts most recent home game was a 2-0 win but each of their first 4 home playoff games before that one totaled at least 6 goals. The Lightning have averaged 4.3 goals in regulation time in their last 4 home games. Here they host the Rangers and it is essentially a do or die game as Tampa can not afford to go down 3 games to 0 in this series. Off back to back losses, Tampa Bay responds here. The Bolts are 3-1 and have averaged 4.3 goals in regulation time in this post-season when they are entering a game off a loss. So TB bounces back here and should be a solid win, right? Not so fast! The reason the play here is the over (rather than Tampa) is because there certainly is support for expecting the Bolts to come up big in the offensive zone but, at the same time, continuing to struggle to slow down a Rangers club playing with a ton of confidence. New York has scored an average of 4.5 goals per game in the 6 wins in their current 6-1 hot streak. The Rangers also have won 6 of last 7 against the Lightning. Game 2 fell just short of an over but the prior game totaled 8 goals and we should easily get to at least 6 here. Rangers goalie Shesterkin has a higher GAA on the road than at home and Lightning goalie Vasilevskiy has not been his typical consistent dominant self so far in this post-season. As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one! Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Colorado Avalanche Puck Line (-1.5 goals +155) over St Louis Blues, Friday at 8:05 PM ET - This Avalanche team that blew a 3-0 lead and lost Game 5 on home ice will bounce back here.  That is the kind of loss strong teams bounce back from and certainly the Avs are the much stronger team in terms of how they match up with St Louis.  The Avalanche, prior to the Game 5 loss, had won 9 of the last 11 meetings between these teams.  Also, 8 of last 10 Colorado wins in this series have been by a margin of 2 or more goals. In all games, 9 of last 11 Avalanche wins have come by a margin of 2 or more goals.  Colorado had won 7 of 8 playoff games in this post-season before the Game 5 loss and are set up well for a big bounce back here at a solid comeback price on the puck line with laying the 1.5 goals.  The road team has won 4 straight meetings and 8 of the last 10 between these teams and the strong trend away from home ice continues here.  Road team in a blowout per our computer math model.  Laying the 1.5 goals with road favorite Colorado at plus money (currently +155 range) is a big value play here.

#1/2 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Chicago Blackhawks at Buffalo Sabres, Friday at 7:05 PM ET – This is a fantastic spot for an over.  The Blackhawks are off a dramatic high-scoring shootout win over the Golden Knights Wednesday which made sure Vegas was eliminated from the playoff picture.  Now the Blackhawks travel to Buffalo to take on the Sabres and Chicago will be flat in terms of defensive intensity after that game.  The Blackhawks do still have plenty of talent up front though to insure a solid scoring effort in this one.  After all, it is the final game of the season and these are two teams that have long been eliminated from the playoff picture and there should be plenty of open ice in this one as it should be a wide-open affair.  The atmosphere in Buffalo for this regular season finale will be a raucous crowd and the Sabres do tend to score very well here.  Amazingly, within the month of April, the Sabres allowed an average of 5 goals per game in their 6 losses.  So what about Buffalo wins?  The Sabres have scored an average of 4.6 goals per game in their 7 victories.  All of these are regulation goals too as none of Buffalo's April games have required extra time.  As for Chicago, the Blackhawks have allowed an average of 4 goals per game last 10 games but, again, will have no trouble scoring on a porous Buffalo defense in this one either.  Plenty of scoring opportunities likely in a game set to be played out with a lack of defense and both teams looking for breakouts and setting up odd man rushes.  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

#57/58 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Edmonton Oilers at Minnesota Wild, Tuesday at 8:05 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals. The Wild have allowed an average of 4 goals per game the last 3 games but are off a huge 6-3 win over the Kings.  In two meetings between Minnesota and Edmonton this season the Wild have scored 11 goals!  However, the Oilers outshot Minny by a combined margin of 72 to 48 in those two contests.  Edmonton, after losing both those games to the Wild on home ice, are out for revenge here as they look to return the favor at Minnesota.  However, the Oilers are going to have to score plenty to do that.  The Wild are simply a tough match-up for them in their defensive zone and Minnesota comes into this game rolling with confidence thanks to a run of 10 wins in the last 13 games.  Minny's last two home games have each totaled at least 7 goals and they enter this game on an overall run of 3 straight games totaling 7 or more goals.  The Oilers are off a rare low-scoring 2-1 loss in the shootout versus Colorado.  That ended a 6-game winning streak for Edmonton in which the Oilers scored an average of 4 goals per game.  Connor McDavid and company will be back tonight with a special performance but they just will not be able to stop the Wild.  Edmonton's 13 games before the loss to the Avalanche featured 10 Oilers wins and those 13 games averaged a total of 7.3 goals!  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Minnesota Wild Money Line -105 over Nashville Predators at 8 PM ET - The Wild are red hot right now and so too is goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Conversely, the Predators have been scuffling a bit and have been getting shaky goaltending overall. Nashville is 4-4 last 8 games and has given up an average of 4 goals a game during this stretch! Juuse Saros has allowed 4 or more goals in 3 of last 4 starts. The Predators other netminder is David Rittich and he has allowed 4 or more goals in 2 of his last 3 starts. Then you take a look at this Wild team and note they have won 9 of 10 games since a 6-2 home loss to Nashville in mid-March! That's right, this is also a big-time revenge game for Minnesota so this situation is even stronger as a result. The Wild want to return the favor here at Nashville and bring a 9-1 run into this game and Minny has won its last two road games by a combined score of 8 to 2. The Wild continue to get strong goaltending and Fleury plus Cam Talbot have been piling up the wins and strong efforts. So no matter who is in goal here we like Minnesota but it is expected to be Fleury and he has dominated since coming to the Wild from Chicago! Fleury has made 3 starts and gone 3-0 with a 1.34 GAA and a .958 save percentage. Look for Minnesota to stay red hot here. This price is in the -110 range and the "pick 'em ' price is offering great line value! Lay it! Take the WILD

#7/8 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers, Tuesday at 7:05 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals and this game is at Florida.  The Panthers are the highest scoring team in the league and 75% of their games since December 29th have totaled at least 7 goals.  Florida has played 36 games in this 3 month stretch and 27 of them finished with a tally of at least 7 goals.  The Panthers enter this game off a 5-2 loss and having scored an average of 5 goals in their last 26 wins.  Certainly they should get the win here as they are off a loss and a -400 favorite for a reason.  That said, we can also count on the scrappy Canadiens for some goals too.  The Habs have won 10 of 18 games and have scored an average of 3.3 goals during this stretch.  Montreal has scored multiple goals in all 18 games and we expect them to get to at least 3 here but they will not be able to slow down the best offensive club in the league.  5-3 sounds about right with this one!  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

#13/14 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6 Goals - Ottawa Senators at Winnipeg Jets, Thursday at 8:05 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals. Winnipeg is likely to have a big game on home ice here as they attack the Ottawa net early and often and enjoy success facing a team that has lost 10 of 13 games and allowed 4.6 goals last 9 defeats. The Jets will need to score plenty here because they had been getting some sub-par goaltending of late before a rare shutout win at Vegas. This season, Winnipeg has lost all 3 times when off a shutout win and each of those games totaled at least 7 goals. Off a shutout win and facing a non-conference opponent that is a non-playoff team sets this one up well for Jets to struggle with focus in the defensive end. Also, prior to shutting out the Golden Knights, Winnipeg had allowed 3.8 goals per game in the last dozen games. Connor Hellebuyck - prior to Tuesday - has not been playing as well between the pipes and, of course, Eric Comrie is the #2 netminder with the Jets for a reason. Overall, though struggling in their own zone, Winnipeg has been scoring quite well and that is why 9 of their past 13 games have totaled 7 or more goals and fully expect this one will too. As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one! Take the OVER here

#31/32 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 6* Over 6 Goals - Vegas Golden Knights at Winnipeg Jets, Tuesday at 8:05 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals.  The Golden Knights placed their top goalie, Robin Lehner, on injured reserve yesterday.  The other two goalies for Vegas right now are Laurent Brossoit and Logan Thompson.  Brossoit and Thompson have started 4 of last 6 games for Vegas as Lehner was only able to make two starts.  In those 4 starts handled by Brossoit and Thompson, the Golden Knights ended up allowing a total of 18 goals - an average of 4.5 goals per game.  Winnipeg is likely to have a big game on home ice here as they attack the Vegas net early and often and enjoy success not having to face the Golden Knights #1 netminder.  The Jets will need to score plenty here because Vegas does have a dangerous offense and they got back on track with scoring 4 goals in the loss at Columbus Sunday.  Additionally, the Golden Knights can take advantage of a Jets team also getting some sub-par goaltending of late as Winnipeg has allowed 3.7 goals per game last 9 games.  Connor Hellebuyck has not been playing as well between the pipes and, of course, Eric Comrie is the #2 netminder with the Jets for a reason.  Overall, though struggling in their own zone, Winnipeg has been scoring quite well and that is why 7 of their past 9 games have totaled 7 or more goals and fully expect this one will too.  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

#9/10 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Seattle Kraken at Toronto Maple Leafs, Tuesday at 7:35 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals. The Maple Leafs are in the 2nd game of a B2B and off a 5-4 win at Columbus last night. Toronto is expected to start a struggling Jack Campbell between the pipes here because it is a back to back. Campbell has just 1 win in his last 4 starts and has a 5.15 GAA and an ugly .836 save percentage during this very rough stretch. Toronto should bail him out here with plenty of goal-scoring but they'll need it as the Kraken will enjoy plenty of success against a tired Leafs defense and a struggling netminder in Campbell. With their 5-4 win last night, the Maple Leafs have seen 18 of their last 24 games total 7 or more goals! Yes that is a 75% rate over the past two months! As for Seattle, the Kraken are off a 3-2 loss at Carolina which stayed under the total. However, Seattle had seen 8 of last 11 games - before the loss to Hurricanes - total at least 7 goals! The Kraken allowing 4 goals per game last 12 games and when they hosted the Leafs earlier this season it was a 6-2 loss. Seattle will again struggle to stop the Maple Leafs but, keep in mind, Toronto has allowed 5 goals per game last 5 games no matter who has been manning the crease for them so the Kraken will score their fair share here as well! As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one! Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Florida Panthers Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over Nashville Predators, Tuesday at 7:05 PM ET - Florida is an incredible 23-3 on home ice this season.  The Panthers are a huge money line favorite here because of their home dominance as well as the fact that the Predators are slumping badly.  We can take advantage of this situation by utilizing the puck line and not having to lay any price to have Florida at -1.5 goals.  The Panthers have won 17 of 21 games since late December and scoring at an incredible rate of 4.8 goals per game during this red hot stretch!  Compare this to the slumping Predators.  Nashville has lost 4 straight and 9 of 13 games.  Also, the Predators have lost 5 of last 6 road games and we just do not expect the Preds to be able to score enough to keep up with the most dynamic offense in the league!  Nashville has scored only 2.2 goals per game during their current 4-game losing streak.  Florida, on the other hand, has scored 4 or more goals in regulation time in 15 of the last 21 games.  Home team in a blowout per our computer math model.  Laying the 1.5 goals with home favorite Florida is the value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins -105 over New York Islanders, Thursday at 7:35 PM ET - The Bruins are off a 2-1 loss in the shootout period at the New York Rangers Tuesday. Boston never trailed in the game and led most of the way as they scored very early and the Rangers did not tie it up until nearly the mid-way point of 3rd period. The Bruins are 8-1 the last 9 times this season they were off a loss in which they were held to 1 goal or shutout. We anticipate another strong bounce back performance here as even though the Bruins are still without Brad Marchand - suspension - they get back Patrice Bergeron tonight as he is listed as probable and is ready to go per inside sources and is one of the best players in the league. Boston was knocked out of the playoffs last season by the Islanders but this is not the same Islanders team by any stretch of the imagination. It has been a bit of a "lost season" for New York that is again spiraling downward. New York did defeat Boston earlier this season but the Bruins outshot the Islanders 41 to 28 in that game and the defeat will only strengthen the resolve of a Bruins team fired up for a big bounce back game and ready to avenge the regular season loss and post-season exit at the hands of the Islanders. New York enters this game having lost 3 straight games and 6 of last 8. The biggest concern for the Islanders is the one thing they had going for them this season was Ilya Sorokin had been so strong between the pipes and now he has been in goal in New York's last two games which were losses by a combined 11-5 score. Sorokin has allowed 15 goals last 4 games! Take advantage of the low money line price with the road team here for a Top Game.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Carolina Hurricanes -135 over Boston Bruins, Thursday at 7:05 PM ET - We had our eyes on this spot even before the Patrice Bergeron injury and the Brad Marchand suspension.  Now factoring in that Boston will be without two of their top players for this one, we absolutely love this situation!  The Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the NHL this season and are off B2B losses.  That is a play on situation in and of itself as Carolina has only had one 3-game losing streak this entire season.  After a lackluster effort in their most recent game at Ottawa (was 2nd night of B2B and off heartbreaking loss at Toronto), the now-rested Canes will be ready to roll tonight.  The Bruins are not only without their two best players, the Hurricanes could get a boost tonight with the return of Teuvo Teravainen as he has been close to returning from injury each of the last two contests and has been a game-time decision in each.  Even if he does not play the Hurricanes hold the key personnel edges here with Bergeron and Marchand out for the Bruins.  This Boston team has been scuffling for a while now with losses in 4 of their last 6 games.  Keep in mind, the Hurricanes had won 16 of 20 games before the B2B losses they just had against the Maple Leafs and Senators.  Carolina never should have lost the game at Toronto and then there was a bit of an emotional carry-over into Ottawa that led to them dropping B2B games.  Now one of the best teams in the NHL takes advantage of a slumping - and short-handed - Bruins team here.  Lay the money line price with the road fave here for a Top Game.

#31/32 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Florida Panthers at New York Rangers, Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals.  The Rangers are off a 3-2 win over the Kraken but head coach Gerard Gallant was not happy with his club at all and he let them have it despite the victory.  New York was heavily outshot in that game and Gallant is imploring his team to do a much better job of sustained pressure in the offensive end and generating scoring chances.  The trouble for the Rangers is that they are facing a Panthers team that is one of the best in the league in that realm.  Florida is constantly creating excellent scoring chances game after game and did it again last night at Columbus.  Also, because this is a back to back it will likely be Spencer Knight between the pipes for the Panthers in this one.  Though Knight has played better in his last two appearances this followed a stretch of 20 goals allowed over 4 starts and he also allowed 4 goals when he faced the Rangers earlier this season.  If Bobrovsky starts again it will be the 2nd night of a B2B and he allowed 4 goals in last night's game at Columbus.  The Rangers have been getting solid goaltending from Igor Shesterkin and he is likely to get the start here.  Trouble is that he will face another barrage of shots and this Panthers team much more highly skilled than the Seattle team the Rangers just barely got by on Sunday.  If Georgiev gets the call for Rangers in the crease he has struggled mightily in recent appearances.  Though New York off B2B 3-2 games, 4 of 5 Rangers games before that totaled 8 or more goals and actually averaged 9 goals per game!  13 of the Panthers last 17 games have totaled at least 7 goals and Florida has scored a ridiculous average of 5 goals per game during this stretch!  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* St Louis Blues -140 over Calgary Flames, Thursday at 8:05 PM ET - We had our eyes on this spot ever since these teams met on Monday at Calgary.  That game ended up an embarrassing 7-1 loss for the Blues.  Now the rematch is in St Louis and everything is set up perfectly for payback for the home team here.  The Blues have been off since Monday's loss so they are well-rested here.  The Flames were at Columbus last night so they are in a back to back spot and they used their #1 goalie last night Markstrom.  That means it is likely back-up Daniel Vladar will be between the pipes for the Flames tonight.  He has allowed 17 goals in his last 4 appearances!  As for the Blues, they are expected to have Ville Husso between the pipes for this one as he was the first one to leave the ice at today's game-day skate.  Husso has been superb of late with a 5-0 record in January and a sparkling 1.13 GAA in his 6 appearances this month!  Prior to losing at Calgary, St Louis had won 13 of 17 games!  The Flames, prior to last night's win over a struggling Blue Jackets team, had lost 4 straight road games and 6 of their last 8 away from home.  Home ice edge, goalie edge, revenge factor, rest edge...it all combines for a super spot to back the hosts at a reasonable money line price here.  Lay the money line price with the home fave here for a Top Game.

#33/34 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Florida Panthers at Calgary Flames, Tuesday at 9:00 PM ET – In hockey, when a team is winning and scoring a lot of goals it tends to build momentum like a snowball picking up more and more snow when rolling down a hill.  The Panthers are having a lot of fun right now scoring goals and playing winning hockey and that is why they have not hesitated in piling it on against teams even when up big.  Florida recently had a 9-2 win when they caught Columbus on what was a listless night for the Blue Jackets.  That big Panthers win is all part of a run of 8 wins in 9 games and all 9 of these games for Florida have totaled at least 7 goals!  Yes 9 in a row totaling 7 or more and, in fact, the average score of these games is Florida 6 to 3.  We are looking for another wild one tonight because Calgary has allowed 4 or more goals in 7 of the last 9 games.  The Flames are off a low-scoring loss but this was following a 5-game stretch in which Calgary averaged 3.4 goals per game.  The Flames last 7 games have averaged totaling 7 goals per game and couple that with the crazy run that the Panthers are on right now and we just can not see this game staying under 7 goals.  Look for Florida games to make it 10 IN A ROW in terms of games totaling AT LEAST 7 goals!  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

#13/14 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6 Goals - Buffalo Sabres at Nashville Predators, Thursday at 8:00 PM ET – The set-up here is ideal to expect plenty of goals.  The Predators are off a 5-4 OT win over Colorado.  That was a big win for Nashville and they have a tough match-up at Boston on deck.  That makes this a tricky spot as the Preds take on the lowly Sabres and potentially overlook them which is going to lead to some goal-scoring for Buffalo in this one.  The issue for the Sabres though is that they can not stop opponents and they are dealing with a cluster of issues at the goalie position!  Luukkonen and Subban have injuries and Tokarski has been out due to covid.  Buffalo will turn to Aaron Dell in goal tonight.  Dell has received plenty of goal-scoring support in his starts with Buffalo scoring at least 4 goals in 3 of the 4.  The problem is that the Sabres have surrendered an average of 5.5 goals in his 4 starts!  Now Dell and the Sabres are visiting a Nashville club that has scored an average of 4.20 goals in winning 5 straight games!  In fact, over the last 14 games (12-2 stretch for Predators) it has been a scoring average of just under 4 goals per game!  The Predators have allowed just under 3 goals per game last 7 games and we fully expect a 5 to 3 type game here.  As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect solid goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Philadelphia Flyers +120 over Anaheim Ducks, Tuesday at 10 PM ET - The Flyers are off a 6-3 loss but this was their first loss in regulation time since a shutout loss at New Jersey 4 weeks ago!  Not only had Philadelphia been hot, they also are expected to get Scott Laughton and Carter Hart back from covid protocols for this one.  The Ducks are trending the other direction of late.  Anaheim has lost 4 straight games and have scored an average of only 1.3 goals in the last 3 defeats.  Going further back, the Ducks have lost 11 of 18 games.  They are favored here in this one because they are on home ice but they have actually lost 5 of last 8 games played in Anaheim.  The Ducks have been held to just 1 goal in 3 of those 5 home losses.  The Flyers will be rejuvenated by reinforcements tonight and Anaheim still has some key health question marks entering this match-up.  This is a case of two teams trending opposite directions right now and the Flyers get it done here!  Take the plus money with the road dog here

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Islanders +105 over Detroit Red Wings, Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET - We think the Islanders are going to be a team that should have the "buy sign" on them in the coming weeks.  They had a brutal early season schedule with their first 13 games of the season played away from home.  Then their team got ravaged by a combination of injuries and covid-19.  However, this team has started to get healthy and get a lot of guys back and they are playing much better this month.  We are well aware of the fact that Matthew Barzal has been put into covid protocols and will miss this game but that has flip flopped the line from the Islanders being favored to now being a dog and this is tremendous line value here.  Brock Nelson recently returned to the ice so the Islanders had been without him, among many others, and Nelson can fill in nicely on the top line in the absence of Barzal.  Certainly Barzal is a special player but the point is that Nelson is back now and a lot of other Islanders players have also made their return in recent weeks.  As a result, the Islanders have had only 1 loss in regulation in their 6 games this month and that loss was by a single goal.  Yes they have had some OT/SO losses and that won't do us any good here but they are turning the corner and this team is much better than their record shows and they do enter this game off a win and off wins in 2 of their last 3 and they have revenge against the Red Wings from a loss in OT earlier this month at Detroit.  The Islanders are a respectable 6-4-3 last 13 road games and the Red Wings are cooling off and have lost 3 straight games all by a margin of 3 or more goals!  This is a case of two teams trending opposite directions right now and, even without Barzal, the Islanders get it done here!  Take the plus money with the road dog here

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Tampa Bay +120 over Toronto, Thursday at 7:00 PM ET - The Maple Leafs are playing well overall and just ahead of the Lightning in the Atlantic Division.  However, Tampa Bay is certainly showing signs they are absolutely not ready to be dethroned yet as Stanley Cup Champs after winning each of the last two Cups and continuing to play well this season even without Kucherov for much of it and without Point for the last few weeks - both guys still out.  This is also a revenge game for the Bolts after losing 2-1 at Toronto in OT early last month. The Lightning enter this game having won 7 of last 9 games and the big key is they have allowed a total of only 7 goals in their last 6 wins.  Their strong defensive play and netminding will be the difference in this one.  Toronto enters having lost 2 of last 3 games and having allowed 3 or more goals in 4 straight games.  In fact, the Leafs have allowed an average of 4 goals in their last 4 games.  This looks like a great spot for Tampa Bay and, while each of these clubs is without a couple players currently, the Lightning could get Cernak back tonight.  Just that fact he is so close to returning, whether he plays or not tonight, is also a mental boost for this club.  Look for the visitors to get their revenge for that 2-1 OT loss.  By the way, Marner assisted on both goals in that game and he is currently out for the Leafs with a shoulder injury and that is a big loss for a team in a big game like this.  We don’t see the Maple Leafs winning two in a row over the 2x defending champs.  Take the plus money with the road dog here.

#55/56 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5.5 Goals - Carolina Hurricanes at Dallas Stars, Tuesday at 8:30 PM ET – The Hurricanes are expected to be without 3 defensemen tonight. DeAngelo, Pesce and Bear are all expected to miss this contest due to covid. This certainly is impacting to the Hurricanes in their own end of the ice in particular and the Stars will look to take advantage. Dallas is known more for defense but the Canes might be the best team in the league in terms of forechecking and Carolina is going to score well here (more on that to follow) but the Stars have been scoring well of late too. Dallas has scored 3 or more goals in 9 of 11 games. Carolina has averaged scoring 3.2 goals per game in their dozen road games this season. Off a rare loss, just their fourth in regulation time this season, you know the Hurricanes are going to bring it here in this one! The problem for Carolina is going to be their lack of healthy defensemen but this team is still loaded up front with talent at the wings and center position. Holtby is expected to start between the pipes for Dallas and he just came back from injury and will face a much tougher test here than the did at Arizona Saturday in his first start since he got back. No matter who is goal for the Stars we expect them to face a barrage of shots as Carolina and coach Rod Brind'Amour fired up after they felt a questionable late penalty call changed their end result against the Capitals on Sunday. This Canes team will show no quit on Tuesday night for sure. The last time they were on the road and coming off a loss they scored 6 goals. As you can see per all of the above, plenty of reasons to expect good goal-scoring from both clubs in this one! Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over Buffalo Sabres, Wednesday at 7:05 PM ET - Situations just do not come along much stronger than this one. High quality Bruins team off a rare 4-0 shutout loss is facing a slumping Sabres team that can not keep the puck out of their own net. Buffalo has lost 9 of its last 11 games. Also, the Sabres have allowed 5 or more goals in 7 of their last 8 losses. That is just incredibly bad and when you watch this team they just seem so undisciplined and make so many mistakes. A disciplined and focused and angry team like Boston is going to take full advantage of those mistakes no doubt. Bruins come in highly motivated after the 4-0 loss to the Flames. Boston, prior to that defeat, had won 3 straight games and all 3 victories were by identical 5-2 scores. The Bruins are starting to get healthier too while the Sabres are still without injured goalie Craig Anderson and Aaron Dell has been named the starter for this one and he remains winless on the season and Buffalo has allowed at least 5 goals in all 3 of his starts. The Sabres have lost 11 of 15 games since their surprising 5-2 start so they are starting to look like the Sabres of old and that is bad news. The Bruins, on the other hand, before the loss to Calgary, have been looking again like the Bruins of old and that is good news for Boston fans. They are going to pound Buffalo into submission tonight with a convincing win. Road team in a blowout is highly likely per our computer math model. Laying the 1.5 goals (for plus money return currently in the +110 range) with road favorite Boston is a high percentage value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Edmonton Oilers Money Line -110 over Winnipeg Jets at 8 PM ET - Oilers not only were eliminated from the post-season in May by Winnipeg - they got swept 4 games to none!  Keep in mind, Edmonton was heavily favored entering that series and had won 6 straight regular season meetings over the Jets entering that playoff match-up.  Suffice to say, payback is on the minds of the Oilers here but of course one should ever just loosely play revenge situations.  The key here is that Edmonton has been playing fantastic hockey early this season and has been phenomenal on special teams too which could be a key here.  The Oilers have the league best power play so far this season and and the Jets rank among the league's worst on the penalty kill.  That sets this one up well for the Oilers to continue their early season success.  Also, at the other end of the ice, Edmonton's long-time weakness has been goaltending but they are finally getting stronger play between the pipes to go along with their, as usual, high powered offensive production.  So far this season the Oilers are the highest scoring team in the league!  Also, the Oilers catch the Jets off an OT win Saturday that ended the LA Kings 7-game winning streak.  Though Winnipeg enters this game off back to back wins this followed winning only 6 of their first 12 games.  The Oilers, on the other hand, are a fantastic 11-3 on the season and continue to impress.  Look for that to continue here. This price is in the pick'em (-110) range since the Oilers are on the road and that makes this a bargain price to grab the highly motivated team that has been playing the better hockey of the two clubs early this season!  Take EDMONTON

#15/16 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals - Edmonton Oilers at Detroit Red Wings, Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET – The Oilers are off of a 6-5 OT win over the Rangers and that means 7 of their last 9 games have totaled at least 7 goals.  Edmonton has such a dynamic offense as evidenced by the fact they themselves have scored at least 5 goals in 7 of last 9 games!  That said, it may not take much from the home team Red Wings in terms of goal production to get this over the total.  However, we actually can expect plenty from Detroit as they have been quite scrappy of late plus the Oilers have allowed an average of 3 goals per game last 8 games.  The Red Wings have scored an average of 3.3 goals per game when on home ice this season and have earned at least a point in 4 of those 6 games.  Entering this game off B2B wins, Detroit is playing with confidence but so too are the red hot Oilers.  That said, this is the type of match-up that tends to lead to plenty of goals and with the Oilers starting the unproven Stuart Skinner in goal, we like our chances.  The 23 year old has only one career NHL start and that was last season and he allowed 5 goals in that one.  He could struggle a bit but should have plenty of goal support here from the high-flying Oilers.  As you can see, plenty of reasons to expect good goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

#3/4 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON Over 6 Goals - Edmonton Oilers vs Nashville Predators, Wednesday at 8:30 PM ET – The Predators have been without David Rittich and #1 goalie Juuse Saros played last night.  That means rookie Connor Ingram could be called upon here.  He was successful in his first ever NHL start but the Predators gave up him a 3-0 lead and is much easier, as a goalie, to play with a lead like that.  Tonight Ingram, or whoever gets the call for Nashville here, is unlikely to enjoy such a huge early lead and this situation has the makings of a very high-scoring game.  The Preds have won 4 straight games and have averaged 3.2 goals per game in regulation time of last 5 games and should score well again here as Edmonton has allowed an average of 4 goals per game last 3 home games.  The Oilers production in the offensive zone has been the key to their success as Edmonton is 7-1 this season and has scored an average of 4.1 goals per game in regulation time of their 8 games this season.  This total is a 6 and 6 of the Oilers last 7 games have totaled at least 6 goals.  The Oilers have the #1 power play numbers so far this season with a 46.2% success rate and the Predators power play has also been very strong at 25%.  The Nashville penalty kill has not been so strong this season either and the Oilers can take advantage in this tough back to back spot for the Preds.  As you can see, plenty of reasons to expect good goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Carolina Hurricanes Money Line -130 over Boston Bruins at 7 PM ET - This is a horrible spot for the Bruins.  They are in the 2nd night of a back to back situation.  Boston has lost 2 of its last 3 road games.  The Bruins are off an ugly loss to an undefeated Florida team, now face an undefeated Carolina team, and they have a revenge game against that same 7-0 Panthers team on deck in Boston.  This game, as a result, has the makings of one in which the Bruins are going to struggle badly.  Carolina is rolling and well-rested and has a winless Blackhawks team on deck for tomorrow night.  The full focus for the Hurricanes is this game against Boston.  The Canes are a perfect 5-0 this season and 4 of their 5 wins have been by 3 or more goals so they have been quite dominant.  This is not the Bruins teams of old when they had goalies Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak both available.  In fact, right now the top choice is Linus Ullmark and the back-up is Jeremy Swayman.  With Ullmark between the pipes in last night's 4-1 loss at Florida, Swayman expected to get the call tonight.  Swayman allowed 5 goals in his most recent start and that was a 6-3 loss at Philadelphia over a week ago.  Swayman could be rusty here and though he performed well as a rookie last season he did go only 3-3 in his road starts.  He, just like the Bruins, was better at home than on the road.  That trend likely to continue here as the rested Hurricanes continue their unbeaten start and take advantage of a Boston team in a tough back to back spot facing an unbeaten team for the 2nd consecutive night and on the road again too!  This price is in the -130 range but should prove well worth it!  Lay it!  Take the HURRICANES

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Montreal Canadiens Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday at 8:05 PM ET - The Lightning are on a 13-7 run in the playoffs but 4 of the 13 wins were by just a single goal. That means laying 1.5 goals with Tampa Bay in each of those games would have netted only a 9-11 record. The Canadiens are on a 12-5 run and 1 of the 5 losses was in overtime. That means at +1.5 goals in the last 17 games, Montreal would have a 13-4 record. That is why we're laying the price to have the benefit of having the +1.5 goals on the puck line. While Montreal certainly has a shot at the outright upset here, it is still tough to play against a Cup-winning TB team on their home ice with a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup tonight. However, if the Canadiens do fall short, we are expecting this to be a very close game likely decided by a 1-goal margin. Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and laying about a -140 price in doing so) with road underdog Montreal is the value play here as we expect a huge game from the road team in this one! Note that goalie Carey Price was fantastic in the crease in Game 4 to help the Canadiens fight off elimination and also give them momentum heading into this must win game.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+120) over Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday at 8 PM ET - Montreal did everything but win on Wednesday! The Canadiens had 43 shots on goal compared to just 23 for the Lightning. Also, Tampa Bay was held to 0 for 3 on the power play as Montreal continued its stellar play on the penalty kill which has helped jettison their improbable playoff run to the Stanley Cup Finals. The only power play goal in the game came from the Canadiens and they were truly relentless in 5 on 5 hockey throughout the game as well. That is what led to the huge edge in shots on goal after Montreal got shell-shocked in Game 1 of the series. Yes, the Canadiens are down 2-0 in this series but the series now shifts to Montreal. The Lightning have lost each of their last two road games in this post-season. Also, the stonewall that is otherwise known as TB goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy seems to have the majority of his sub-par efforts on the road. Vasilevskiy was fantastic on home ice this season and certainly still respectable on the road but his goals against average was nearly a full goal higher (2.63 vs 1.75) in road games compared to home games. The fact that Montreal made some solid adjustments and controlled the game in many aspects Wednesday bodes well for what to expect from them tonight on home ice. 6 times in the regular season the Canadiens entered a game on home ice on a losing streak of at least 2 games. They only had one regulation loss in those 6 games. Of course we expect a solid regulation win here as Montreal enters this home game off back to back losses but if this is a tight game that goes to OT, note that the Canadiens have been great in OT (5-1) in this post-season. Carey Price has allowed 2 or less goals in 6 straight home games in this post-season! Per our computer math model, a solid home win in the forecast here with the projections reflecting another dominating effort (won Game 2 except on the scoreboard!) for the Canadiens as they drop the Lightning to 0-3 last 3 road games in this post-season. Bet Montreal Canadiens (+120)

ASA NHL PLAY ON 6* Montreal Canadiens Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday at 8:05 PM ET - The Lightning are 12-6 in the playoffs but 5 of the dozen wins were by just a single goal. That means laying 1.5 goals with Tampa Bay in each game of this post-season would have netted only a 7-11 record. The Canadiens are on an 11-2 run and 1 of the 2 losses was in overtime. That means at +1.5 goals in the last 13 games, Montreal would have a 12-1 record. That is why we're reducing our star rating on this play and laying the price to have the benefit of having the +1.5 goals on the puck line. While Montreal certainly has a shot at the outright upset here, it is still tough to play against a Cup-winning TB team on their home ice. However, if the Canadiens do fall short, we are expecting this to be a very close game likely decided by a 1-goal margin. Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and laying about a -160 price in doing so) with road underdog Montreal is the value play here as we expect a huge game from the road team in this one and goalie Carey Price has been fantastic in the crease throughout this post-season.

#11/12 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Under 5 Goals - New York Islanders vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday at 8:00 PM ET – The Islanders just got blasted 8-0 on Monday and are a tough defensive-minded team.  In other words, that was an uncharacteristic loss for a Barry Trotz led team and the head coach will have his club ready to respond here.  We look for a tight game with an emphasis on protecting their own goal in this game as a result.  This is Islanders hockey and they will resume that here after the ugly loss Monday.  Only 1 of the last 7 games between these teams, prior to Game 5 in this series, had resulted in a game totaling more than 5 goals.  That being said, the Monday result could (and should) be considered a statistical anomaly and tonight's game can (and should) be expected to play out much differently.  Islanders have averaged only 1.5 goals per game in the last 8 games against the Lightning. Tampa Bay, prior to the 8-0 win Monday, had been held to 2 or less goals in 5 of last 6 games against the Islanders!  As you can see, plenty of reasons to expect goals to be tough to come by for both clubs in this one!  Take the UNDER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Montreal Canadiens Money Line (+160) over Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday at 8 PM ET - The Golden Knights might be starting Robin Lehner in goal tonight.  He was the first goalie off the ice at this morning's skate.  No matter which goalie Vegas goes with tonight it should be interesting.  Lehner would be very rusty as he has not played since Game 1 of the post-season series with Colorado and he allowed 7 goals in that one!  If Vegas sticks with Fleury how will his bad error late in Game 3 impact him here?  The mentality, overall, of the Golden Knights could be fragile here...they have lost back to back games, there is some confusion about the goalie situation, and they are on the road.  The Canadiens are on home ice again, rolling with confidence, and have won 9 of 10 games.  Even though Vegas outshot Montreal in Friday's game the Canadiens found a way and they can do so again tonight.  Too much value with the big home dog on the money line here per all of the above.  Hot team, home ice, big dog line.  Bet Montreal Canadiens (+160)

#41/42 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5 Goals - Montreal Canadiens vs Vegas Golden Knights, Friday at 8:00 PM ET – The Golden Knights lost Game 2 on home ice by a 3-2 count.  The last 10 times that Vegas has entered a game off a loss they have gone a fantastic 8-2.  Of course that is a big part of the reason that the Knights are a sizable money line favorite even though they are on the road in this game.  That being said, where we see the value here is with the total.  In those 10 games when off a loss, Vegas has scored an average of 4 goals per game.  The Golden Knights should indeed score well in this bounce back spot but they will struggle to stop a Canadiens team that has momentum right now and is also excited to be back on their home ice.  Montreal has won 8 of 9 games and, not including OT goals, has averaged scoring 3 goals in those 8 victories!  The Canadiens looked very strong in Game 2 and had plenty of good quality chances which helped lead the way to the 3 goals they ended up with.  Montreal should again enjoy success as they were creating great chances in Game 2 but the difference here in Game 3 will be a much more aggressive approach in the offensive zone from the hungry Golden Knights.  That being said, and with this total sitting at 5 goals, it comes as no surprise that our computer math model is calling for a game in the 6 to 7 goal range here.  The Canadiens are on a roll and playing with a lot of confidence as they have won 7 of 8 games.  Vegas, in its last 5 games (not including OT goals), has scored an average of 3.8 goals per game!  As you can see, plenty of reasons to expect good goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

#11/12 ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON Over 5 Goals - Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Islanders, Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET – The Lightning lost Game 1 on home ice by a 2-1 count.  The last 4 times that Tampa Bay has entered a game off a loss they have gone a perfect 4-0.  Of course that is a big part of the reason that TB is a 2 to 1 money line favorite in this game.  That being said, where we see the value here is with the total.  The Islanders looked very strong in Game 1 and had plenty of good quality chances to score much more than the 2 goals they ended up with.  New York should again enjoy success as they were creating great chances in Game 1 but the difference here in Game 2 will be a much more aggressive approach in the offensive zone from Tampa Bay.  We mentioned the 4-0 run above when TB is in this situation (off a loss) and the Lightning have scored an average of 5.25 goals in those 4 victories.  In fact they scored at least 4 goals all 4 times.  That being said, and with this total sitting at 5 goals, it comes as no surprise that our computer math model is calling for a game in the 6 to 7 goal range here.  3 of those 4 TB victories when off a loss resulted in an easy over and this one should as well.  The Islanders are on a roll and playing with a lot of confidence as they have won 7 of 9 games.  New York, in its last 10 games, has scored an average of 3.8 goals per game!  As you can see, plenty of reasons to expect good goal-scoring from both clubs in this one!  Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Islanders Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday at 3:05 PM ET - This is a rematch of a playoff series last year and, in that one, New York was tired in Game One and it showed.  The Islanders got blasted in that first game 8 to 2 but they were short on rest and off a grueling 7-game series with Philly.  This season's set-up is much different and the Islanders are ready to go from the opening drop of the puck in this one.  That being said, a ton of line value here in grabbing the +1.5 goals with the Islanders.  New York has played 12 games in this post-season and only 1 of them was a loss by more than 1-goal margin!  Tampa Bay has played 11 games in the post-season less than half of those games were Lightning wins by more than a 1-goal margin.  The road team won each of the last 3 games between these teams in last year's playoffs.  Also, the only loss for the Islanders as the designated road team in that bubble format that was by more than 1 goal was the game one loss which was a very tricky scheduling situation for them.  Tough defensive-minded team in the Islanders and Tampa Bay will struggle just to win this game let alone win by any kind of margin.  While New York certainly has a shot at the outright upset here, it is still tough to play against a Cup-winning TB team on their home ice.  However, if the Islanders do fall short, we are expecting this to be a very close game likely decided by a 1-goal margin.  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and laying about a -150 price in doing so) with road underdog NY Islanders is the value play here as we expect a huge game from the road team in this one.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins Money Line (-130) over New York Islanders , Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET - The Bruins suddenly have lost back to back games in this series after taking a 2 to 1 series lead with a road win at New York Thursday which appeared to give them a stranglehold on the series.  Now, after back to back losses, Boston finds themselves playing an elimination game but this is a veteran hockey club that will not wilt under pressure.  The fact is they have outplayed the Islanders for much of this series and the oddsmakers are well aware of this too as that is why you are seeing the Bruins as a -130 favorite in this one despite having lost 2 straight and despite being on the road.  About that home ice edge for the Islanders here, note that the road team has won 3 of the last 4 games in this series.  About the 3 to 2 series edge for New York, note that the Bruins have outshot the Islanders by a count of 196 to 143 in this series!  The Islanders won Game 5 by a 5-4 count thanks in part to 3 power play goals.  However, in the Islanders last 7 games on home ice against the Bruins they are only 2 of 20 (10%) on the power play.  The Bruins are 5 of 11 (46%) on the power play in this series and though he was fined for saying it, the fact the Boston head coach criticized the officiating after the Game 5 loss could pay off here.  5 on 5 the Bruins are the better team and we should either see less penalty calls in Game 6 or if there are a fair amount called, don't be surprised if the road team gets at least their fair share in this one.  The Bruins are 8-0 this year when entering a game off back to back losses!  Bet Boston Bruins (-130)

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over New York Islanders, Monday at 6:35 PM ET - Though Saturday's game got away from them late in the game, the Bruins have looked like the better team in this match-up this season including this playoff series too.  Boston, prior to Game 4, had continued to dominate shots on goal statistically over the prior 6 meetings between these teams.  Rather than lay a -185 price on the money line here, the best value is with the puck line which can get you a plus money return in the +150 range.  Though Boston's most recent win was by just a single goal, 4 of the Bruins 5 most recent wins over the Islanders have been by, not only a multiple-goal margin, a margin of 3 or more goals!  The odds of a Bruins win are good here given the money line and you can see why the odds of that win coming by a multi-goal margin are also quite high.  The Bruins can take a 3-2 lead in this series by defending home ice and getting a win in this one, and per our computer math model, Boston is forecast to do just that in convincing fashion.  Look for the Bruins to go up 3-2 in this series.  Laying the 1.5 goals (and getting big plus money in doing so) with home favorite Boston is the value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over New York Islanders, Saturday at 7:15 PM ET - The Bruins have looked like the better team in this match-up.  Boston continues to dominate shots on goal statistically over the last 6 meetings between these teams.  Rather than lay a -150 price on the road here on the money line, the best value appears to be with the puck line which can get you a plus money return in the +190 range.  Though Boston's most recent win was by just a single goal, 4 of the Bruins 5 most recent wins over the Islanders have been by, not only a multiple-goal margin, a margin of 3 or more goals!  The odds of a Bruins win are good here given the money line and you can see why the odds of that win coming by a multi-goal margin are also quite high.  The Bruins can put a stranglehold on this series with a win in this one, and per our computer math model, Boston is forecast to do just that here in convincing fashion.  Look for the Bruins to go up 3-1 in this series.  Laying the 1.5 goals (and getting big plus money in doing so) with road favorite Boston is the huge value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Vegas Golden Knights Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Colorado Avalanche, Wednesday at 10:05 PM ET - Vegas was tired in Game One and it showed.  They played goalie Robin Lehner after a long layoff and his rust showed.  The point is that one should not put too much weight into the 7-1 shellacking that the Golden Knights suffered in Game One.  It was a unique situation in more ways than one given the goalie situation and the scheduling situation.  The latter was particularly beneficial to the Avalanche as they were well rested and took advantage of that.  Marc Andre Fleury has been playing very well and had played the entire series versus Minnesota in the first round and he will be back between the pipes tonight for Vegas.  While Colorado is a very strong team and it is tough to play against them the Golden Knights are really undervalued here.  They had played a grueling 7-game series entering Game One of this series and it showed.  But now they have had a little chance to hit the reset button after getting beat badly in the opener of this series.  While Vegas certainly has a shot at the outright upset here, it is still tough to play against a powerful Colorado team on their home ice.  However, if the Golden Knights do fall short, we are expecting this to be a very close game likely decided by a 1-goal margin.  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and laying about a -150 price in doing so) with road underdog Vegas is the value play here as we expect a huge response from the road team in this one. 

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5 Goals – Boston Bruins vs New York Islanders, Monday at 7:30 PM ET – The Islanders have to respond here and we do expect a response after New York got embarrassed in Game One of this series.  However, the problem for New York is the Bruins have not outshot them by a combined margin of 78 to 40 in the last two games.  There is a dominance the Bruins have been displaying over the Islanders now that they are healthy.  That should equate to Boston again scoring well in this one but, again, a response is forthcoming from the Islanders in this one.  That is what has led us to play on the over in this game as it sits at just 5 goals based on the long-term reputation of these two teams.  The way each is playing right now, this has led to solid value on the over.  The Isles can not just sit back or they will get throttled again.  That said, they have to push a little bit harder in the offensive zone but, again, at the other end of the ice, the Bruins are just proving to be too much.  Boston has averaged 3.6 goals in last 5 games versus the Islanders.  New York has averaged above 3 goals per game last 8 games against the Bruins.  Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5.5 Goals – Carolina Hurricanes vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday at 5 PM ET – Alex Nedeljkovic has been solid for the Hurricanes this season but he has allowed 14 goals in his last 4 post-season starts.  This was against a Predators team that does not have the firepower this Lightning team does.  Tampa Bay enters this game having averaged scoring 4 goals per game last 4 games.  The Bolts have scored 3 or more goals in 5 of their 6 post-season games.  The Hurricanes have scored 3 or more goals in regulation time of 5 of their 6 post-season games.  Of course if each team gets to 3 goals here we are guaranteed of at least a 4-3 game and total of at least 7 goals.  That said, with the fact we only need 6 to punch a winning ticket here, we like our chances!  Tampa's Andrei Vasilevskiy was not as strong on the road as at home in the regular season and that trend has continued into the playoffs as well.  Vasilevskiy had a 2.63 GAA in road games compared to a 1.75 GAA at home this season.  Also, Vasilveskiy has allowed at least 3 goals in 12 of his last 15 road starts including 2 of 3 in this post-season.  Carolina has averaged 3.3 goals per game last 3 games against the Lightning and, again, they come into this series hot in the goal-scoring department.  The Hurricanes first game of their first playoff series totaled 7 goals.  The Bolts first game of their first playoff series totaled 9 goals  Our computer math model is indicating this one, similar to those, gets to 7 or more goals and even if it ends up at 6 goals that is still a winning ticket for us.  Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Islanders Money Line (+170) over Boston Bruins, Saturday at 8 PM ET - The regular season series between these two teams was very streaky.  The Bruins did win the final 3 match-ups but the Islanders won the first 5 meetings.  So which team begins the next streak now that they meet in the post-season?  That is the point.  There is just too much value being given to the underdog Islanders here.  This was a team that proved capable of a strong winning run in meetings with the Bruins this season and yet now they are being priced as if they have no chance in this series.  That is simply not right and offers phenomenal value for a potential upset in the first game.  Boston could be rusty since they have not played in nearly a full week.  Also the road team in Bruins playoff games is 2-2 last 4.  The road team in Islanders playoff games went 3-3 in their first round series with the Penguins.  The point is that home ice is not enough to warrant nearly 2 to 1 money line odds on the Bruins but yet that is what the markets are forcing with Boston.  We'll gladly take a shot with a huge underdog on the other side of the big move.  Bet New York Islanders (+170)

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Under 6 Goals – Florida Panthers @ Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday at 8 PM ET – Spencer Knight ended up having a phenomenal game in Game 5 on Monday. The young Panthers netminder has earned another start and remains with a perfect record in his young NHL career as he also earned the victory in his handful of regular season appearances as a rookie this season. Look for the Lightning veteran netminder, Andrei Vasilevskiy, to match him save for save in this one. It is another potential elimination game for the Panthers and they have proven already they will not go away without a fight in this series. But Vasilevskiy went 19-3 in his starts on home ice this season. Things will tighten up here given the setting and what is at stake and this game should feature plenty of defensive intensity and a low-scoring result. Hard to fade Knight now given he proved himself in a playoff game setting and hard to fade Vasilevskiy on home ice where he has often been strong this season. This total is at an even 6 goals and a tight 2-1 or 3-2 type game seems likely here. That said, value with the under in this one and our computer math model reflects the value here as well. Take the UNDER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6 Goals – Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Monday at 8 PM ET – The over is 14-5-1 in the last 20 games between these teams so the fact that 3 of 4 games in this series have already gone over the total is not a huge surprise. The Panthers are so desperate for some better goaltending that they had Spencer Knight in the starters crease at the morning skate today. He also got extra work Sunday so it appears that they are going with him as the starter tonight. That is because of the struggles of Chris Driedger and Sergei Bobrovsky so no matter who Florida starts we are comfortable with the over here. Knight is expected to start and he just turned 20 years old last month! He has only appeared in 4 games (3 starts) in his NHL career and this would be his first action in 3 weeks. Though he has a 4-0 record he allowed 7 goals in his last two starts and the Lightning will be ready to attack him early. We understand Florida is desperate for a spark down 3-1 in this series but this is really a reach to throw Knight into the fire like this after 3 weeks off. If Driedger or Bobrovsky are involved both those guys have struggled too. As for the Lightning, Andrei Vasilevskiy will be between the pipes and he is a fantastic goalie but the high-powered Panthers have proven to be a nemesis for him. He allowed just 2 goals in Saturday's win but this was after allowing 4 or more goals in 5 of his last 6 starts against Florida. That is why the last 6 overs between these teams have averaged 9 goals per game! This game could very easily fall into that range as well with a 5-4 final but even a 4-3 game gets the job done too. Look for the Panthers goalie struggles to continue here but the Panthers, trying desperately to stave off elimination, produce another big game against Vasilevskiy. Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Edmonton Oilers Money Line (-125) over Winnipeg Jets, Sunday at 7:30 PM ET - Bad news for the Jets here as they are on home ice.  All kidding aside, the road team has been dominant in recent match-ups between these teams.  Winnipeg took both games at Edmonton and, dating back to the regular season, it is a 5-0 run for the road team by a combined score of 17 to 3.  Not only that, the Oilers have not lost 4 straight games all season long.  Having lost their regular season finale and the first two games of this series, Edmonton is now dealing with just its 2nd three game winning streak of the year.  In the regular season, when entering a game off consecutive losses, the Oilers went 4-1.  Edmonton has not played poorly in this series but just simply lost a pair of tight games.  One was in OT and the other was a tie game entering the 3rd period that then included a couple of empty-net goals so was much closer than the final score would indicate.  That being said, the Oilers are going to come out very strong in Game 3 to get back into this series.  The Jets do have a goalie edge with Hellebuyck in the crease but Edmonton's goaltending has actually held up very well so far in this series.  So now if the high-end scoring talent the Oilers have can step up with a big game, Edmonton will get its just rewards.  We expect the Oilers to bring their best effort of the series tonight and make it 6-0 last 6 for the road team.  Earlier in the series the line value was with the Jets on the road as Edmonton was priced too high at home but now they are back on the road, the value is absolutely there with the Oilers as a small road favorite.  After dropping the first two games of this series on home ice, look for a huge response from the road team in Game 3.  Bet Edmonton Oilers -125

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+105) over Vegas Golden Knights, Saturday at 8 PM ET - The Wild won 21 of 28 home games in the regular season. Before losing Game 2 of this series at Vegas, Minnesota's win in Game 1 made it 6 out of 7 victories for the Wild in 7 most recent meetings with the Golden Knights. Is Minnesota better than Vegas? Not on paper no but, prior to getting blasted on Thursday (exceptions happen), the point is that it has already been proven that the Wild do match up very well with the Golden Knights and now they are at home and off an ugly loss! One home ice loss does not change everything for Minnesota and this is a very confident team on home ice and one of their biggest concerns, goaltending, is actually holding up well so far in this series. You can't even pin the Game 3 loss on goalie Cam Talbot. The Wild simply were horrible in front of him and subconsciously let up after a 2-0 first period as they got hung out to dry the rest of the way. Vegas has still been without Max Pacioretty and he is a key part of their offense. If he returned tonight it would be a surprise and also it would be unlikely that he would right away be his usual self too. Pacioretty has missed quite a lot of time and there will be rust and this is now post-season speed and intensity. All factors considered and, per our computer math model, the home team offers tremendous line value in this spot. Prior to meaningless late season games against St Louis when the Wild had wrapped up a post-season spot already, note that the Wild went 5-1-1 in the regular season when off a loss by a margin of 3 goals or more. After getting beat badly in Game 3, look for a huge response from the home side in Game 4. Bet Minnesota Wild +105

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Minnesota Wild Money Line (-105) over Vegas Golden Knights, Thursday at 9:30 PM ET - The Wild won 21 of 28 home games this season.  Before losing Game 2 of this series at Vegas, Minnesota's win in Game 1 made it 6 out of 7 victories for the Wild in 7 most recent meetings with the Golden Knights.  Is Minnesota better than Vegas?  Not on paper no but the point is that it has already been proven that the Wild do match up very well with the Golden Knights and now they are at home too!  This is a very confident team on home ice and one of their biggest concerns, goaltending, is actually holding up well so far in this series.  Vegas has still been without Max Pacioretty and he is a key part of their offense.  If he returned tonight it would be a surprise and also it would be unlikely that he would right away be his usual self too.  Pacioretty has missed quite a lot of time and there will be rust and this is now post-season speed and intensity.  All factors considered and, per our computer math model, the home team offers tremendous line value in this spot.  Bet Minnesota Wild -105

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Winnipeg Jets Money Line (+140) over Edmonton Oilers, Wednesday at 9 PM ET - The Oilers held the upper hand in the regular season series between these teams but playoff hockey is a different animal.  Goaltending is critical in the post-season and Connor Hellebuyck is one of the best in the league when he is on his game.  The Jets netminder had a rough patch late in the season but then finished very strong and he is plenty of capable of stealing Game One for Winnipeg here.  The money move has been big toward Edmonton in this one but the Oilers do not have the goaltending that the Jets do.  In fact, Edmonton allowed 3.8 goals per game in the final 5 games of the season.  That is not the form, win or lose, that a team wants to have entering the post-season.  Hellebuyck, on the other hand, went 3-1 with a 1.26 GAA and a .956 save percentage in the month of May.  Though he had some struggles against the Oilers this season, he was great against Edmonton last season so be careful putting too much weight into that.  Hellebuyck enters the post-season in top form.  Per our computer math model, the road dog offers tremendous line value in this spot.  Bet Winnipeg Jets +140

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Islanders Money Line (+120) over Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday at 7:35 PM ET - The Penguins recent playoff history is not good but this team continues to be popular with the betting markets and this leads to value in fading them.  The bad news for Pittsburgh is they played their style of game and yet still lost Game 1.  Without a doubt the Islanders did not want a high-scoring 4-3 game but that is the way it went.  Yet the Islanders still found a way to win it even though they are more accustomed to winning 2-1 type games.  This is really bad news for a Pittsburgh team that now, dating back to the 2018 Eastern Conference semi-finals, has lost 12 of 14 playoff games!  The Islanders are a very well-coached team and built well for the playoffs but, because they do not have the big stars like a Crosby or Malkin (whom by the way might be back tonight) they are not as popular in the betting markets.  The result is value with a gritty hard-nosed team like the Islanders come playoff time and while everyone will load up on the Penguins here thinking there is no way they will go into an 0-2 hole on home ice, we expect them to lose for the 13th time in their last 15 playoff games!  Per our computer math model, the road team has a great shot at an upset win here and that makes them well worth a play in this plus money price range.  We cashed a nice +140 dog Sunday and then rolled with a -155 favorite that won Monday and now we pivot back again to an underdog Tuesday looking for another plus money pup to surprise many and get the job done in this one!  Bet New York Islanders +120

ASA NHL PLAY ON 8* Carolina Hurricanes Money Line (-155) over Nashville Predators, Monday at 8:05 PM ET - This play is all about the value.  Yes, even in the -155 range there can still be value though this is about the upper limits of where we will go on a money line play.  The key here is this line opened up in the -180 range but has dropped substantially from that.  Perhaps this is due to the Predators winning the last two games over the Hurricanes by a combined count of 8 to 1.  Keep in mind, those were late-season games that were much more important to Nashville than to Carolina and now it is playoff time.  Not only that, the Canes had won each of the first 6 meetings between these teams this season prior to the two late-season losses which, again, were not meaningful to the Hurricanes in the way these playoff games will be.  Carolina won all 4 home meetings with the Preds in the regular season and they hold edges all over the ice in this match-up.  That includes better special teams, better offensive production, better defensive play, etc.  Per our computer math model, the home team has a great shot at a comfortable win here and that makes them worth a play in this price range.  We cashed a nice +140 dog yesterday but we are looking for a favorite to roll in this one!  Bet CAROLINA -155

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Minnesota Wild Money Line (+140) over Vegas Golden Knights, Sunday at 3:05 PM ET - This play is all about the value.  The Wild match up well with the Golden Knights as proven throughout the regular season.  Now Minnesota is a sizable dog in this one and is also the healthier club.  Vegas has been dealing with a few injury issues of late and a few of those guys did not even participate in the team skate yesterday.  The Golden Knights, on paper, are absolutely the better team and have received solid goaltending this season but, as the saying goes, the game is not played on paper.  Our computer math model reflects a solid opportunity for the Wild to pull off the shocker upset in Game One of this series as Vegas is still trying to get fully healthy again.  Bet MINNESOTA +140

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Vancouver Canucks Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Edmonton Oilers, Saturday at 3:35 PM ET - The Canucks are available at about -135 on the puck line in this match-up.  Having that extra 1.5 goals on your side could prove very valuable in this game as it should be a rather close match-up.  The Oilers are going to the post-season and their spot is locked up as well as their position and so their main focus here is just staying healthy as they tune up for their first-round playoff series against the Jets.  As for the Canucks, they still have 3 games left against the Flames after this one.  Vancouver had the long pause not too long ago as the covid-19 pandemic was particularly rough in the BC province of Canada.  That said, the Canucks are still looking to make the most of these final few games and to build some early momentum for next season which will be here before you know it!  The NHL is looking for an October start and getting back to a traditional October start time table for their seasons going forward.  If you grabbed the road team at +1.5 goals in each of the last 7 meetings between these teams you went a perfect 7-0!  5 of the 7 wins were outright wins and 2 of the games were losses by just a single goal.  With Oilers likely to be the much less focused team here, we feel there is excellent line value with the +1.5 goals and the Canucks.  Vancouver is off back to back ugly losses and they want to absolutely hit the "reset button" and work to finish the season the right way these next 4 games.  Edmonton has won 3 of its last 4 games but all 3 wins were by just a single goal.  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and laying a reasonable price in doing so) with road underdog Vancouver is the big value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Vegas Golden Knights Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over San Jose Sharks, Wednesday at 9:05 PM ET - San Jose is certainly not going to lay down here against rival Vegas but the Sharks just do not have it this season.  In fact, the Golden Knights have won 7 straight meetings and the average margin of victory has been 2 goals which is what we need here to cash this ticket on the puck line.  This is the regular season finale for the Golden Knights and they are still mathematically alive for the top spot in the division.  With a win tonight and the Avalanche just losing once in last two games, Vegas would get the top spot.  Yes the loss to Colorado Monday really hurt the Golden Knights but they will not hang their heads here.  They want to end the season on a high note heading into the playoffs and, as you can tell from the -200 money line on this game, Vegas is expected to do just that.  While this line is too pricey on the money line we do see excellent line value with the plus money available on the puck line.  The Sharks most recent loss was in overtime but this followed a stretch in which 12 of 16 defeats were by a margin of 2+ goals.  San Jose has lost 13 of 16 games overall entering this one.  The Golden Knights, prior to the loss to Colorado, had won 14 of 16 games!  11 of last 16 wins for Vegas have been by 2+ goals.  Laying the 1.5 goals (and getting solid plus money in doing so) with road favorite Vegas is the big value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Colorado Avalanche -105 over Vegas Golden Knights at 10:05 PM ET - This is a huge game to determine the winner of this division.  There are still some games to follow (2 for the Avalanche and 1 for the Golden Knights) but the winner of this game is absolutely in the drivers seat for the division and, potentially for home ice throughout the post-season.  In other words, this is a huge game!  The last time these teams met Vegas was a -140 favorite and this time the line is a pick'em.  The difference?  The Avalanche were without Donskoi, Rantanen, and Grubauer when the Golden Knights got the 5-2 win less than 2 weeks ago.  All 3 of those guys are now back in the lineup for Colorado.  Also, we are aware of the MacKinnon injury (questionable) for the Avalanche but this is offset by Pacioretty's questionable status for Vegas in this one.  The biggest key is the Avs now having those 3 other players back including goalie Grubauer.  While he is unquestionably the #1 netminder for the Avalanche, the Golden Knights once again enter a post-season with uncertainty in the crease.  Will it be Fleury or Lehner?  This is already impacting tonight's game because it is Lehner's turn in the rotation but he has been a little shaky in recent appearances.  So does Fleury then get the start?  How will this impact the mindset?  Goaltenders are known for liking routine and consistency.  This will be interesting tonight for Vegas and revenge-minded Colorado has no such questions entering this game.  The Avalanche have outshot the Golden Knights in 4 of the last 5 games and have had a shot edge of 10 shots per game in those contests.  They are out to prove they are the top team in the West and we look for them to do just that tonight as there is a reason the Golden Knights are on home ice and yet are priced as a pick'em in this game.  The sharp money will be on the road team in this one and that should prove to be the right bet in convincing fashion in this one as we expect Colorado to play one of its best games of the season!  Take the AVALANCHE

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Buffalo Sabres Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday at 3:05 PM ET - The Sabres won the first two starts that Michael Houser made in goal for Buffalo.  Then he and his Sabres teammates had an awful game in Thursday's 8-4 final.  As a result, the line on Saturday's game is offering a rare "plus plus" opportunity as you can get Buffalo +1.5 goals and also plus money!  The current line sits as high as +1.5 +140 as of about two hours before puck drop and we are stepping in on this one because we have confirmation that the Penguins are starting Maxime Lagace.  He has a 3.92 GAA in his NHL career of 17 games (15 starts) and we feel Pittsburgh will try to prevent opportunities in front of the inexperienced netminder.  At the same time the Sabres will want to hold the fort at the other end after they (and Houser) were embarrassed on Thursday.  That said, this game could be a bit tight and certainly should be much lower scoring than the Thursday game.  That means getting the goal and a half at plus money with a relaxed Sabres team playing with no pressure and wanting to end their season on a high note is absolutely the way to go here the way we see it.  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and getting solid plus money in doing so) with road underdog Buffalo is the big value play here.

ASA NHL PLAY ON 10* New Jersey Devils Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over New York Islanders, Thursday at 7:05 PM ET - The Islanders have a great home record this season but how motivated can they be here?  They really can not catch the #1 or #2 spot in the division and being #3 or #4 does not matter so much when you do not even know who will be #1 or #2 in the division.  The playoff match-ups are a complete unknown in the East right now is the point.  That said, this is an Isles team that has lost 8 of 13 games.  Also, the Islanders have only 5 wins by more than a single goal margin in last 14 victories.  The odds of a Devils outright upset or at least of New Jersey staying within 1 goal here are quite strong as you can see.  The Devils enter this game having won 4 of 5 games and the loss that preceded this recent winning stretch was a defeat by just a single goal.  This one likely goes down to the wire as the Devils continue to play loose and relaxed pressure-free hockey as they know they are not making the playoffs.  The Islanders recent struggles continue.  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (and only laying small juice to do so) with road underdog New Jersey is the value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5.5 Goals – Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday at 7 PM ET – The Canadiens are still working to clinch a playoff spot but the Senators have shown no quit at home.  Montreal has allowed 3.4 goals per game in the last 5 road games.  The Canadiens have won 3 straight games and scored 5 goals in one of those victories.  Ottawa has shown absolutely no quit and the Senators have won 7 of 10 games.  Ottawa has averaged 3.6 goals in the 7 wins but Montreal seeking revenge here for a 4-0 shutout loss in the most recent meeting between these teams.  Per our computer math model, the Senators continue to be ultra competitive here but struggle to stop the revenge-minded Canadiens and the result is a game that gets over the very favorable total here of 5.5 goals.  Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins Puck Line (-1.5 goals +115) over New Jersey Devils, Monday at 7:05 PM ET - The Devils took advantage of a struggling Flyers team that stumbled down the stretch and that is why New Jersey enters this game winners of 3 straight games.  The Devils face a much different animal now and lets not forget that New Jersey had lost 10 straight games before that 3-game run versus Philadelphia.  Now the Devils take on a Bruins team that is still fighting hard to make sure they secure a playoff berth.  Also, Boston has been getting healthier of late and this is a Bruins team which has won 3 straight games and 9 of 11.  Each of Boston's last 8 wins have come by a multiple goal margin.  The average margin of the 8 Bruins wins was exactly 3 goals.  Here we just need a win by 2 or more goals and this will be a road team in a blowout per our computer math model as Boston makes it 9-0 L9 wins in terms of those coming by a multi-goal margin.  9 of the Devils last 11 losses have come by a multi-goal margin and this one shapes up to be all Bruins!  Laying the 1.5 goals (and not having to lay any juice to do so) with road favorite Boston is the value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* St Louis Blues Money Line +130 over Minnesota Wild at 8:05 PM ET - After the Blues rallied for the win Wednesday night they then managed to survive a Minnesota rally Thursday night and got the OT win and we should not be surprised by that. St Louis has now won 7 of 10 games. The 6 victories have all come against the top 3 teams in the division - Wild, Avalanche, and Golden Knights. On the other hand, Minnesota entered Wednsday's game red hot on a 7-game winning streak but all 7 of those games during their winning streak had come against the 3 weakest teams in the division. Now, just because the Wild have a great home record and are out for double-revenge, they are getting bumped up on the money line price today. The markets are all over them (AGAIN!) and there is a ton of value as a result with an underdog Blues team that still has plenty of championship pedigree on its roster from their 2019 Stanley Cup winning team! They are fighting for a playoff spot and when they play like they are capable of (witness 3rd period Wednesday and OT Thursday for evidence of this) they have been dominant. Look at what they did to Avalanche in their game prior to his series as they also put on a clinic in that contest. The Blues have won 14 road games already this season and have been better away from home than at home. Ton of line value here given all of the above variables. Take the BLUES

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Colorado Avalanche Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over San Jose Sharks, Friday at 9:05 PM ET - The Sharks have won back to back games but both contests were against an Arizona club that has lost 9 of 11 games so San Jose knocking off the struggling Coyotes was not a total surprise.  Prior to this, San Jose had lost 8 straight games and they do enter this game at Colorado having lost 4 straight road games.  6 of the 8 losses have come by at least 2 goals.  Also, all 4 meetings between the Sharks and Avs this season have been decided by a multi-goal margin and the Avalanche have taken 3 of these by a combined score of 14 to 3.  However, the Avs enter this game on their first 3 game losing streak of the season.  That means Colorado is certainly not going to overlook anyone and they host a struggling Sharks team they should dominate here.  Of course that is why the Avalanche are a 3 to 1 money line favorite here but where the value can be found is with the puck line and there is no hesitation in being comfortable with laying the 1.5 goals here.  Not only is Colorado on a 12-1 run in home games, 9 of the Avs last 11 home wins have been by 2+ goals.  Additionally, their #1 goalie should be back for this one as Grubauer is now back from injury.  However, if he does not play in this one, it will be Dubnyk between the pipes against the team he started this season with!  He will be ready for revenge.  We are 100% comfortable with either goalie here and the fact is the Avalanche are the better overall team all over the ice.  That is why Colorado has outshot the Sharks by a combined 153 to 104 margin in their 4 games this season.  While the Avalanche have scored at least 1 power play goal in 5 straight meetings with San Jose, the Sharks are just 1 for 15 on the power play in last 4 games against Colorado.  The Avalanche also could have Rantanen and Danskoi back for this one and that will further boost one of the top teams in the NHL!  Home team in a blowout per our computer math model.  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (at a very fair price currently in the -120 range) with home favorite Colorado is the value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* St Louis Blues Money Line +135 over Minnesota Wild at 8:05 PM ET - The Blues rallied for the win last night but we should not be surprised by that.  St Louis has now won 6 of 9 games.  The 6 victories have all come against the top 3 teams in the division - Wild, Avalanche, and Golden Knights.  On the other hand, Minnesota entered yesterday's game red hot on a 7-game winning streak but all 7 of those games during their winning streak had come against the 3 weakest teams in the division.  Now, just because the Wild have a great home record and are out for revenge, they are getting bumped up on the money line price today.  The markets are all over them and there is a ton of value as a result with an underdog Blues team that still has plenty of championship pedigree on its roster from their 2019 Stanley Cup winning team!  They are fighting for a playoff spot and when they play like they are capable of (witness 3rd period last night for evidence of this) they have been dominant.  Look at what they did to Avalanche in prior game as they also put on a clinic in that contest.  The Blues have won 13 road games already this season and have been better away from home than at home.  Ton of line value here given all of the above variables.  Take the BLUES

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Colorado Avalanche Money Line +125 over Vegas Golden Knights at 9:35 PM ET - The Avalanche had a rare off game against the Blues Monday while St Louis played spectacularly well.  That happens sometimes but that is helping to give some line value because Colorado is not getting near the respect they should be in this spot.  Yes, Vegas is a great team but the Avalanche are right there with them and that is regardless of who is between the pipes for Colorado in this one.  The Avs will be skating very well and will be very crisp as they respond off a blowout loss to the Blues.  The road team has won 2 of the last 3 meetings.  That includes the Golden Knights winning the most recent meeting which was at Colorado.  Prior to that the Avalanche had won 3 of the last 4 games between these two.  Colorado is 11-3 when off a loss this season and enters this game off B2B losses but has never lost 3 straight games this season.  Vegas enters this game red hot but all their recent games during their winning streak have come against the 4 weakest teams in the division.  Take the AVALANCHE

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Rangers Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over Buffalo Sabres, Tuesday at 7:05 PM ET - The Rangers are still very much alive in the playoff race. New York trails Boston by only 4 points in the standings and they finish the regular season with back to back games against the Bruins in less than 2 weeks. That means New York is certainly not going to take their foot off the gas now and they host a struggling Sabres team here that has nothing to play for. Of course that is why the Rangers are a 3 to 1 money line favorite here but where the value can be found is with the puck line and there is no hesitation in being comfortable with laying the 1.5 goals here. The Rangers have won 6 of 8 games. 21 of New York's 25 wins have been by 2+ goals this season. That means 84% of the time a Rangers win is by a multiple-goal margin! The Sabres enter this game having lost 26 of 33 games! Buffalo's last 3 defeats have been decided by a 13 to 4 combined margin and this included a 6-3 loss to the Rangers. Huge goalie edge for New York in this one. The Rangers start Igor Shesterkin and he is 4-0-1 with a 2.12 GAA versus the Sabres this season. The Sabres start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and he just turned 22 years old last month. It will be just his 2nd NHL appearance. He won his first start last week but allowed 4 goals to the Bruins. Even at the AHL level this season and last season he has not been overly impressive as he had a 3.15 GAA last season and has a 3.60 GAA this season. This is a team and goalie and situational mismatch. Home team in a blowout per our computer math model. Grabbing the 1.5 goals (at a very fair price currently in the -110 range) with home favorite New York Rangers is the value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Vancouver Canucks Money Line -115 over Ottawa Senators at 7:00 PM ET - The Senators were riding a hot goalie, Matt Murray, and getting some surprise victories as a result.  Overall though this is another poor hockey club this season and now Murray got hurt.  That is why Marcus Hogberg is going to make the start tonight and it will be just his 3rd appearance since mid-February.  Hogberg has a 3.47 GAA in his career and has not looked overly sharp this season either as he has a 4.14 GAA!  The Canucks still have playoff hopes and have returned from their extended absence due to covid to come right back and win 3 of 4 games.  Now they catch an Ottawa team dealing with a tough goalie situation and they will take full advantage to send the Senators to their 6th home loss in their last 7 games as a host.  Vancouver has won 6 of 7 meetings with Ottawa this season and that series dominance continues Monday.  Take the CANUCKS

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6 Goals – New York Rangers vs Buffalo Sabres, Sunday at 6 PM ET – Both teams off big wins.  The Sabres upset the Bruins Friday.  The Rangers got a key win, after back to back losses, over the Flyers Friday and that keeps them alive in the playoff hunt.  Ironically the Sabres win over the Bruins helped the Rangers and now they face each other in their very next game.  Buffalo has had 8 games total 6 or more goals in last 11 games.  With each team off big wins, could be a defensive lapse here.  The Rangers have scored an average of 3.7 goals last 11 games.  Shesterkin has allowed at least 3 goals in each of his last 3 starts.  Tokarski has allowed an average of 3 goals his last 4 games.  This series has trended under but this one is the ideal situation to buck that trend.  Both teams score well in what should be a very entertaining high-scoring match-up.  Take the OVER here

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Buffalo Sabres Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Boston Bruins, Thursday at 7:05 PM ET - The Sabres have lost all four meetings with the Bruins this season.  However, 2 of the 4 games have been 1-goal losses and this is an interesting match-up.  Buffalo cleaned house not too long ago and they are still fighting hard.  Taking a look at their last 14 games, only 2 were losses by more than a goal.  That's right, if you took the Sabres at 1.5 goals in each of their last 14 games you would have a 12-2 record!  Buffalo is still competing and they are out for revenge for a season-long beating they have been taking at the hands of Boston.  The Sabres seemed to be headed for disaster with Hutton out and then Ullmark getting hurt.  However, Dustin Tokarski has really stepped up in goal for Buffalo and has allowed just 2.2 goals in his last 5 starts.  The Sabres confidence is growing as they have had 7 straight strong performances against quality opposition.  Only 1 of the 7 was a 2-goal loss and that was against Boston Tuesday in a 2-0 final where the Sabres arguably deserved better.  Jeremy Swayman will start for Boston here and he has made only 5 NHL starts.  He has played very well yet is still very inexperienced at this level.  Also, he has allowed at least 2 goals in each of his 3 road starts.  Considering that as well as Tokarski's success between the pipes for Buffalo, it is hard to envision the Bruins getting much of a margin, if any, in this one! Grabbing the 1.5 goals (at a very fair price currently in the -105 range) with home dog Buffalo is the value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5.5 Goals – Arizona Coyotes vs Minnesota Wild, Wednesday at 9 PM ET – The Coyotes and Wild have each been trending over recently and this total is posted at a 5.5 mostly based on long-term performance that does not really apply here.  Entering this game 12 of the Coyotes last 16 games have totaled 6 or more goals.  Yes long-term Arizona is known for being involved in lower-scoring games but that simply has not been the case over the past 5 weeks.  Entering this game 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games have totaled 6 or more goals.  This is Arizona's final match-up with the Wild this season so surely they will go strong here and be on the attack but the Coyotes have struggled to stop Minnesota all season long.  As hot as the Wild have been with scoring lately, that is likely to continue to be a problem here.  As a result, both teams score well in what should be a very entertaining high-scoring match-up.  Take the OVER here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 5.5 Goals – Florida Panthers vs Columbus Blue Jackets, Monday at 7 PM ET – Columbus ranks among the worst in the league for goals allowed this season and the Blue Jackets have been trending the wrong direction since Zach Werenski got hurt.  The defensive pairing of Seth Jones and Werenski is what made Columbus a tough team in the past but they really did not have the same level of performance this season and now, worse yet, 50% of that pairing is out for the season.  Since the game in which Werenski got hurt - the final game played through in pain, the Blue Jackets have allowed an average of 4.6 goals per game and lost all 5 games.  Elvis Merzlikins has been announced as the goalie for tonight and he is 2-7-1 with a 3.10 GAA in road games this season.  He will face a Panthers team that is off a huge win at Tampa Bay.  Beating the Lightning is the type of big victory that can leave a team flat defensively in its next game.  So Columbus could surprise the Panthers early in this one and Sergei Bobrovsky, former Jackets goalie, has shown some inconsistencies when facing his prior team.  Bobrovsky gets the call for Florida tonight against Columbus and he has given up at least 3 goals in 3 straight starts.  The Panthers have won 4 straight home games and scored an average of 3.5 goals per game in those games.  Leading scorer Aleksander Barkov is getting going again after missing some time with an injury and now has 2 goals and an assist in his last 4 games.  He has 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 3 match-ups with Columbus as he has been trouble for them to contain and this is the type of match-up where not having Werenski really hurts the Blue Jackets.  Both teams score well in what should be a very entertaining high-scoring match-up.  Take the OVER here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +135 over New York Islanders at 6:30 PM ET - The East Division is hands down the toughest division in the NHL this season.  In any other division, the Flyers would be a playoff team and in one of the top four spots within the division.  Instead, they currently sit 6th in the East Division but that is precisely why they are offering tremendous home dog line value in a spot like this.  The Islanders have lost 3 of 4 games and are a much better team at home than they are on the road.  Also, each of the Islanders last 4 wins have been by a single goal margin and 3 of the 4 were decided after regulation!  The Islanders have bigger games on deck with their next 6 contests including 3 against the rival Rangers and 3 against the division leading Capitals.  This game will be a tough one for the Islanders from a situational perspective.  The Flyers always play them tough and will have Brian Elliott back between the pipes today after Alex Lyon struggled yesterday.  Carter Hart is currently out with a lower body injury.  The Flyers are off an embarrassing home loss and should respond well here.  Grab the home dog as they fight to remain alive in the playoff picture.  Take the FLYERS

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Buffalo Sabres Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Pittsburgh Penguins, Saturday at 3:05 PM ET - The Sabres have an awful history against the Penguins this season.  However, this is an interesting match-up.  Buffalo cleaned house a little bit and they are still fighting hard.  Taking a look at their last 11 games, only 1 was a loss by more than a goal.  That's right, if you took the Sabres at 1.5 goals in each of their last 11 games you would have a 10-1 record!  Buffalo is still competing and they are out for revenge for a season-long beating they have been taking at the hands of Pittsburgh.  The Sabres seemed to be headed for disaster with Hutton out and then Ullmark getting hurt.  However, Dustin Tokarski has really stepped up in goal for Buffalo and has allowed just 2 goals in each of his last two starts.  The Penguins are off a frustrating loss in the shootout versus the Flyers.  The Sabres confidence is growing as they have had 3 straight strong performances against quality opposition.  Look for this to be another one here!  Grabbing the 1.5 goals (at a very fair price currently in the -115 range) with Buffalo is the value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6 Goals – Washington Capitals vs Buffalo Sabres, Thursday at 7 PM ET – Tricky spot for the Capitals but you know they will score plenty.  But Washington could get caught looking ahead to a 4-game road trip that features rival Philly, and big games with Boston and the Islanders (twice).  The Islanders are right behind the Caps in the standings and even though the Bruins are further back they have 3 games in hand on Washington.  As for the Sabres, they have the worst record in the NHL this season.  So what that means here is that the Capitals may not have the defensive intensity you would typically see from them.  But the Caps are on fire in the offensive zone.  Washington has scored an average of 6 goals per game during their current 3-game winning streak.  Here they take on a Sabres team that is down to their #3 goalie!  Hutton was already hurt and now Ullmark got hurt.  That means Tokarski gets the start tonight and he is winless in all 6 appearances this season with a 3.54 GAA.  On the other end of the ice, as disappointing as the Sabres season has been, they are still showing plenty of fight here late in the season.  They have earned at least a point in 7 of their last 9 games and the most recent was a tight, low-scoring shootout loss to Boston 3-2.  But, prior to that 6 of Sabres 8 games totaled 6 or more goals.  Those 8 games averaged 7 goals per game and that is where this one should get to at the very least as well.  The over is 5-2 in meetings between these teams this season and that trend continues.  8 of the Capitals last 10 games have totaled 6 or more goals and those 8 games averaged 8 goals.  This should be an entertaining affair as we would not be surprised to see Buffalo enjoy some early success and then the Capitals impose their will and score a pile of goals in this one.  Take the OVER here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +140 over Washington Capitals at 7 PM ET - Yesterday is a perfect example of what you see happen a lot at this point in the season...upsets! 4 of the 7 NHL games were won by the underdogs and one of the only 3 that wasn't sure came very close! In fact the only game decided by just a single goal margin was one in which a favorite (Blackhawks) won in OT. So it was very close to a 5-2 day for dogs and, the point is, this is a lot of value and something that often starts happening late in the season and we only have about 4 weeks of regular season NHL left to go. There is a lot of zig zag late in the season. The Capitals are in a pattern of 2 wins - 2 losses - 2 wins - 2 losses and now enter this game off back to back wins including a huge one in their most recent game. That 8-1 win over Boston could absolutely leave Washington a little flat for this game. As for Flyers/Caps, these teams have met 4 times this season and the road team has won all 4 meetings! Philadelphia got a big win Saturday over Boston but then fell apart late versus Buffalo Sunday. Philly still enters today's action still alive in the playoff picture in the East and should prove to be the hungrier team in comparison with a Capitals team off a revenging win versus the big, bad Bruins which was also a potential first round playoff preview - that was a big game for Washington! Take the FLYERS

ASA top play on 10* OVER 6 Winnipeg Jets at Ottawa Senators, 7 PM ET - Even though the Senators have had a disappointing season and enter this game off 4 straight losses, they have not stopped fighting.  Ottawa has scored an average of 3.4 goals per game over its last five games.  All 4 of those games totaled at least 6 goals and that is the total we have to work with here.  Winnipeg is off a shutout win at Montreal.  It was a big 5-0 win and the type of victory that can leave a team a little slow on the skates in the early going in their next game.  There is a natural let up off a big shutout win like that typically and this is particularly true in the defensive zone.  That said, we would not be surprised to see the Senators enjoy some early scoring here but then the Jets will wake up and come roaring back.  After all, Winnipeg is a high-priced road favorite for a good reason and the Jets have won 7 of the last 10 and 3 straight and have scored at least 4 goals in all 3 of the wins in the current hot streak.  More of the same expected in this one.  We like OVER here. 

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Washington Capitals Money Line -120 over Boston Bruins at 7 PM ET - Boston will start Vladar between the pipes here.  He has not played in almost a week and the Bruins have lost each of his last two starts.  Washington has the goalie edge with Vanecek getting the start in this one.  He is off of a hard-fought win where he played better than the 3 goals allowed plus he allowed just 1 goal in each of his two prior starts.  Look for Vanecek and the Capitals to get the better of the Bruins in this one.  Boston is battling some key injuries to their defense plus continues to be without their top two goalies.  This one is all Caps as they seek revenge for the 4-2 loss Thursday.  They are happy to have the chance at immediate revenge and will make the most of it.  Washington gets payback here.  Take the CAPITALS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Minnesota Wild Money Line -120 over St Louis Blues at 8 PM ET - The Wild got thoroughly embarrassed 9 to 1 by St Louis last night as we easily cashed in right here with the Blues.  Of course there will be a huge response from Minnesota as a result in this one.  The 9 goals were, as you would expect, the most allowed by Minnesota all season.  Unlike last night's match-up of Binnington versus Kahkonen this one should be Husso versus Talbot and that favors the Wild in our opinion.  Husso is 0-4 with a 4.78 GAA in his 4 home starts this season.  Talbot has had only 1 rough start over his last 8 starts.  He gave up 5 goals in that tough game but has allowed only 1.7 goals per game in the other 7 games.  Quite consistent has been Talbot and he and the Wild come up huge here after last night's embarrassing loss which certainly did not sit well with this respectable team.  They are happy to have the chance at immediate revenge and will make the most of it.  Minnesota gets payback here.  Take the WILD

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* St Louis Blues Money Line +105 over Minnesota Wild at 8 PM ET - Despite an incredible 37 to 11 edge in shots on goal, the Blues lost at Minnesota when these teams met two weeks ago.  It was a 2-0 defeat despite that massive advantage.  The Blues now come into this one fighting for their playoff lives and a 3-1 win over Vegas in their most recent game restored hope.  St Louis is still getting strong goal-tending as Jordan Binnington has been playing well and has a .933 save percentage over his last 5 appearances.  The Wild are off a win versus Colorado but that was at home.  Minnesota is now back on the road where they have lost 7 of their last 10 games and plus they are playing right into the teeth of revenge in this one.  St Louis gets payback here.  Take the BLUES

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Winnipeg Jets Money Line +105 over Montreal Canadiens at 7 PM ET - The Canadiens are in the 2nd night of a back to back.  Montreal has only won once the last four times they have played the 2nd game of a back to back and that lone win came in the shootout.  Making this situation even tougher on the Canadiens is the fact that their top goalie, Carey Price is dealing with an upper body injury.  He did not even travel with the team to Toronto for last night's game.  Though there is a chance could play tonight, he would not be 100 percent if he does.  The only other options for Montreal include Cayden Primeau or Charlie Lindgren or simply starting Jake Allen again but playing back to back nights is tough on a netminder and Allen started against the Maple Leafs last night.  On top of all this, though the Jets recently lost Blake Wheeler his +/- on the season is -15 and he is not nearly the loss to Winnipeg that Brendan Gallagher's absence is to the Canadiens.  Gallagher is a key winger for Montreal and has a +/- of +11 on the season and he is out with a broken thumb.  If Allen gets the start in goal for the Canadiens here, it is worth noting he has won only 1 of his 5 home decisions this season.  As for Winnipeg, they are starting Connor Hellebuyck between the pipes and he is one of the top goalies in hockey.  Also, the Jets have won each of their last 4 road games that he has started and they won those by a combined 17 to 4 score.  Another dominating win expected here.  While the Canadiens are in a tough back to back, the Jets are very well rested as their most recent game was Monday and that match-up followed having Saturday and Sunday off too.  Winnipeg lost their most recent meeting here in Montreal in ugly fashion as it was a 7-1 defeat despite outshooting the Canadiens.  This is now the ideal set-up for big-time payback from the Jets and they will take full advantage of the situation and should roll big in this game!  Take the JETS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Islanders Money Line -125 over Washington Capitals at 7 PM ET - The Islanders are 15-1-2 at home this season.  Yes the Capitals have revenge for an 8-4 beating on Long Island last week but revenge can only take you so far.  The Isles are coached by Barry Trotz and he is the one that led Washington to the Stanley Cup Championship just 3 years ago.  He does not like to lose to his former team and he'll have the Islanders ready again here.  The Islanders can tie the Caps at the top of the division standings with a regulation win here so there is no shortage of motivation here for the home team even though it is the road team with revenge on their minds.  Another factor to like here is that, even though the Capitals are off back to back wins they were against a struggling Devils team.  Not only that, the first win was after regulation and the second win was a 5-4 win but Washington was outshot 39 to 19 and was very fortunate to emerge victorious in that one.  The Capitals will not be so fortunate here and the Islanders get a big win to continue their season-long home dominance and move into a first-place tie with Washington in the standings.  Take the ISLANDERS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Calgary Flames Money Line +145 over Toronto Maple Leafs at 9:30 PM ET - This is the 2nd game of a back to back situation and the Flames used #2 goalie Rittich last night which means it will be #1 netminder Markstrom tonight.  The last time that Calgary beat Toronto it was the last time Markstrom started against them.  Look for him to get the job done again in this one.  The Flames are 3-1 this season when they enter a game on a losing streak of 3 or more games.  The most recent time was also a situation in which they were at home, in the 2nd game of a back to back, and facing the same opponent that just beat them.  They won that game 4-2 and we expect a similar result here.  Toronto is 1-4 the last 5 times they have entered a game on a winning streak of 3 or more games.  Given all of the above we like the situational value with the home dog here with a Calgary team hungry to gain points on the #4 spot in the division as they look to remain alive in the playoff hunt.  Take the FLAMES

ASA top play on 10* OVER 5.5 Dallas Stars at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 PM ET - These teams battled to a 3-2 final yesterday in a game that fell just short of going over the total.  Now, in a back to back situation that stresses the goalie situation, we like the over here. The Stars Ben Bishop has been out with an injury and Anton Khudobin has been in covid protocol.  That is why Jake Oettinger made the start between the pipes yesterday but now what will Dallas do in the crease in this back to back spot?  Exactly!  That said we also like the fact that the Hurricanes fired away with 43 shots on goal in yesterday's loss.  After falling just short of the win yesterday Carolina will again be peppering the Stars netminder with shots in this one.  We are expecting James Reimer to be in goal for the Canes here since it was Alex Nedeljkovic yesterday and Petr Mrazek has been out with an injury.  The over is 11-4 in Reimer's starts this season.  Prior to yesterday's under, the over was on a 3-0 run in games between these clubs and each game totaled at least 7 goals.  Look for this one to as well and we only need get to 6 to cash this ticket at over 5.5 goals.  We like OVER here. 

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Philadelphia Flyers Money Line +160 over New York Islanders at 7 PM ET - We cashed with the Islanders Thursday in their big win over the Capitals.  You know New York wanted that game as Washington is the team Islanders coach Barry Trotz formerly led.  Prior to the 8-4 win over the Capitals the Islanders had lost back to back games and 4 of 7.  The way we see it there is far too much underdog value on the Flyers to ignore here.  Philadelphia is off an embarrassing 6-1 loss at Buffalo.  Yes, those same Sabres you had been hearing about for their very long losing streak which had reached 18 games before they upset the Flyers Wednesday.  Now, having had extra time off to get even more fired up after that defeat, the Flyers should come out flying in this one.  This team has been left for dead by many but they enter today's action only 3 points behind the Bruins for a playoff spot in the East Division.  Though it will be a challenging stretch, Philadelphia does have back to back games coming up against the Bruins Monday and Tuesday in a home and home set that begins in Boston.  The point is that the Flyers are far from dead yet and this game today at the Islanders offers exceptional line value when you consider the situational aspects for each club and the fact that Philadelphia is such a huge dog here.  Given all of the above, we have no hesitation in taking a "flyer" on the big dog Flyers in this one as we have seen the Islanders come out flat on more than one occasion this season!  Take the FLYERS

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON New York Islanders Money Line -115 over Washington Capitals at 7 PM ET - This is always a big match-up for Islanders head coach Trotz as he faces his former team, the Capitals.  Certainly Trotz and New York enjoyed eliminating the Caps from the post-season last year.  However, Washington has now gotten revenge with a perfect 3-0 mark in the 3 meetings in this regular season.  That said, some payback is on order here and we expect home ice to make a big difference.  Each of the first 3 meetings this season were in Washington.  Now this one is on Long Island and the Islanders are a fantastic 13-1-2 as a host this season.  Also, the Islanders are 6-1 this season when they are at home and off a loss.  In this case the Islanders enter off back to back losses and they have had only one losing streak of more than 2 games this season and that was way back very early in the season.  In other words, a big Islanders response and a resulting home win is quite likely in this one.  Take the ISLANDERS

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Tampa Bay Lightning Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over Columbus Blue Jackets, Tuesday at 7:05 PM ET - The Lightning are in a great spot for a blowout home win here.  Tampa Bay has been off back to back days so they are well-rested here and have had extra time to build plenty of motivation here.  That extra hunger stems from multiple factors here.  For one thing, the Bolts are off back to back losses and this is a team that has not lost 3 straight games this entire season.  For another thing, the Lightning did lose the most recent game against the Blue Jackets and that was a 5-2 loss at Columbus in late January.  A lot has changed since then and that includes the fact that the Jackets have struggled badly.  Columbus enters this game having lost 4 straight games and 15 of their last 21 games!  Of course that plus the revenge factor as well as Tampa Bay's situation is the reason that TB is a money line favorite in the -250 range here.  Where we get the value in playing on the Lightning here is with the puck line.  We can comfortably lay the -1.5 goals here and get a price of about -105 and we say comfortably because the Blue Jackets have 11 road losses this season and 8 have come by a multiple goal margin.  In fact the average margin of those 8 defeats is 3 goals.  The last 4 road losses for Columbus, including back to back defeats at Detroit, have come by a combined score of 15 to 3.  Our computer math modeling reflects this one getting very ugly for the road team and we completely agree!  Laying the 1.5 goals (at a pick'em price currently in the -105 range) with Tampa Bay is the value play here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Philadelphia Flyers Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over Buffalo Sabres, Monday at 7:05 PM ET - 17 straight losses for the Sabres.  Of course that, plus the Flyers domination of Buffalo this season, is why Philadelphia is a -200 favorite on the money line in this game.  While we will not lay that kind of price here we are going to get involved in this one by utilizing the value of the puck line.  By laying the 1.5 goals with Philly here we actually lay no juice and get a +125 return on our investment.  Of course the key here is that the Flyers must win this game by 2 or more goals.  That being said, Buffalo is off a 1-goal loss but this was preceded by 12 of 15 (80%) defeats coming by 2 or more goals.  The Flyers most recent win over the Sabres was by a 1-goal margin but this followed 6 straight meetings between these clubs that each were games decided by 2 or more goals.  Brian Elliott will be in goal for the Flyers tonight and the veteran is 3-0 with a 0.92 GAA and a .967 save percentage in 4 games (3 starts) versus the Sabres this season.  Philadelphia had stumbled lately but are off a key win over the Rangers and they know that if they are going to continue to stay alive in the playoff race, they must get wins against teams like Buffalo.  Look for the Sabres losing streak to reach 18 games as a result.  Laying the 1.5 goals (for a solid plus money return, currently in the +125 range) with Philadelphia is the value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON New Jersey Devils Money Line +165 over Boston Bruins at 5:30 PM ET - The Devils have had the Bruins number this season with 3 straight wins in their most recent meetings.  Of course, Boston would love to do something about that but this situation strongly favors New Jersey.  The Bruins are in the 2nd game of a back to back and they barely got by a bad Sabres team yesterday that has now lost 17 straight games.  Why did Boston barely win?  They are very short-handed right now between injuries and covid protocol.  The Bruins are without #1 goalie Rask and also check out the other names on their current report: Marchand, Kuraly, Debrusk, Carlo...just to name a few. The Bruins now host a Devils team hungry to bounce back off a 4-0 shutout loss at Washington Friday.  While New Jersey is rested and ready, Boston is worn out and limping into this game.  Tremendous underdog line value in this one as a result and we will not hesitate to get involved.  Take the DEVILS

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Florida Panthers Money Line +100 over Dallas Stars at 8 PM ET - We will come right back with the Panthers here.  We lost with them on Thursday at Chicago but they thoroughly dominated the game.  Florida outshot the Blackhawks in every single period by convincing fashion and the final tally was 41 to 21 for the game.  Now the Panthers might even get Aleksander Barkov back for this game but, either way, you can already see that Florida was able to generate plenty of shots on goal without him.  The Panthers should bounce back here off that tough shootout loss as they are a solid 10-5-1 in road games this season.  They are visiting Dallas where the Stars have, rather surprisingly, lost 11 of 18 games this season.  That being said, there is excellent line value here with Florida available at no juice and on a rare losing streak and catching Dallas off a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay.  Remember the Lightning won the Stanley Cup Finals over the Stars last year so that victory carries even more meaning for this Stars team.  That makes this situation an ideal one for the road team.  Take the PANTHERS

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Florida Panthers Money Line -120 over Chicago Blackhawks at 8 PM ET - Very strong line value here.  The Panthers are without Aleksander Barkov here and they are on the road.  However, the situation was exactly the same on Tuesday and yet Florida went off the board as a -160 favorite.  Now the Panthers are priced in the -120 range in the rematch because the markets have over-reacted to Barkov's absence.  Even without Barkov on Tuesday Florida still outshot Chicago.  The Blackhawks hung on for the 3-2 win but now the Panthers will get their revenge.  Prior to that loss, Florida had won all 4 meetings with Chicago this season and the combined score of those games was 20 to 11.  That said, the Panthers have dominated for long stretches in these match-ups this season.  Now Florida enters this game off back to back losses and they have not lost 3 straight games this entire season.  In fact, the Panthers are 9-2 this season when they enter a game off a loss.  The Blackhawks, prior to the 3-2 win Tuesday, had lost 4 straight games and 6 of their last 7.  Given the situation, if this game was at Florida and Barkov was healthy, this line would be about a -200 on the Panthers.  That shows you what kind of value we're getting here.  Given that fact as well as the revenge factor and coach Joel Quenneville again facing his former team but this time off a loss, you know what kind of effort Florida is going to bring here and others will step up with Barkov set to miss this game.  The better team laying a very small price here and they send the Blackhawks to their 7th loss in the last 9 games!  In the process Florida improves to 10-2 this season when off a loss!  VALUE!  Take the PANTHERS

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 6 Winnipeg Jets at Vancouver Canucks, 10:30 PM ET - These teams just met Monday and the 4-0 shutout win for the Jets was the 8th under in the last 11 meetings between these two teams.  The Canucks are continuing to deal with a lot of injuries impacting them at both the winger and center positions.  Vancouver has been held to 2 or less goals in regulation time of 7 of their last 8 games.  Our computer math model indicates strong probabilities for this game totaling 5 or less goals as many models call for a 3-2 final.  Working with a total of 6 goals on this one we have excellent value for the under.  9 of the Canucks last 13 games have totaled 5 or less goals.  Winnipeg had averaged only 2 goals per game in regulation time of their last 4 games before coming up with a 4-0 win here in Vancouver Monday.  That being said, you can see why a 2-2 type game here that ends up a 3-2 final is quite likely.  Should be a tight battle as the Canucks, still hurting up front, focus on strong play in their own zone and try to battle to a tight low-scoring home win here.  Whether or not they get the upset win, this one is likely to see very few goals as Vancouver dictates the style of play on their home ice. for this one.   We like UNDER here.