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Date | Match Up | Rating | Score | Result | Profit | Lead Time | Analysis |
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01-24-22 | Blues v. Flames -153 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 100 | 7 h 36 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the St. Louis Blues. The Flames had a big win here at home two games ago, beating the Panthers, 5-1. Their next outing didn't go so well as they lost to the Oilers in Edmonton, 5-3 despite outshooting their hosts by a whopping 47-30. The Blues played last night and beat a bad Canucks team, 3-1. This despite the fact that they allowed 39 shots and registered just 17 of their own. The Blues used red-hot second-year goalie Ville Husso in their win last night -- his third straight game for the team -- so they will go with Jordan Binnington tonight. It wasn't that long ago that Binnington was the darling in the crease for this team, but the 28-year-old has fallen off a bit lately. Binnington is 11-8-3 with a rather pedestrian 3.05 GAA in his 22 games with St. Louis this season. The Blues won in Vancouver last night, but the road has been difficult for them lately as they are just 3-8 in their last 11 road contests and 2-6 in their last eight as a road dog. The favorite is also 36-15 in the last 51 meetings of these two. Take the Flames. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-23-22 | Kings -135 v. Devils | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 23 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over New Jersey. After back to back losses to two of the league's premier teams (Tampa Bay, Colorado), the Kings will no doubt be happy to step down in class, and see the Devils opposite them in the rink this evening. These two teams last met earlier this season in Los Angeles, and the Kings won, 3-2. That match-up featured the Kings' #2 goalie, Cal Petersen, vs. the Devils' #1 netminder, Mackenzie Blackwood. But Jonathan Quick will be between the pipes tonight, and the Kings will have a scheduling advantage given that New Jersey had to play Saturday vs. Carolina, while the Kings have been off since Thursday. Los Angeles is 2-0 this as a road favorite, while the Devils are 3-5 as a home underdog. And New Jersey's also a poor 35-57 when playing with revenge, and a wallet-breaking 4-12 when playing without rest. Take the Kings tonight. Good luck, as always....Al McMordie. |
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01-22-22 | Maple Leafs -170 v. Islanders | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 8 h 38 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the New York Islanders. The Isles won at home again last night, pushing them over the .500 mark overall and marking their seventh victory at the new UBS Arena. But last night's success was pretty much a free square as the Coyotes were in Long Island for the only time this season. The Isles must have been confident, because with another game tonight against a much tougher opponent, they sat their #1 goalie and instead played back-up Ilya Sorokin. The funny thing is, although he's listed second on the depth chart, the 26-year-old Russian has more starts (22), a better won-lost ledger, and superior overall numbers than #1 net-minder, 33-year-old Semyon Varlamov, who will get the start tonight against the Maple Leafs. Toronto has had two days off since its disappointing loss to the Rangers in Manhattan. The Leafs are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings with the Islanders going back to February of 2017. New York is 1-7 in its last eight games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Take the Maple Leafs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-20-22 | Stars -210 v. Sabres | Top | 5-4 | Win | 100 | 3 h 35 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Buffalo Sabres. Dallas will be looking to snap a 3-game slide tonight, after a 5-3 home loss to Montreal on Tuesday. We'll take Dallas on the road, as it's 101-78 (+19 games on the moneyline) off 3+ losses. And it's 113-75 (+29.2 games on the moneyline) off a home loss by 2+ goals. Meanwhile, the Sabres won on the road, 3-1, against Ottawa, on Tuesday. Unfortunately, Buffalo is a woeful 20-35 off a win. Even worse: this will be the Sabres' 3rd game in four nights, and 6th game in 10 nights. And Buffalo's 11-31 when playing at least 6 games over a 10-day stretch. Take Dallas. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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01-19-22 | Coyotes v. Devils -200 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -200 | 10 h 15 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Arizona Coyotes. If the Coyotes could play the Canadiens every night, they might be able to manage a .500 record. Arizona took its 8-24-4 record into Monday's game with the Habs and came away with a 5-2 victory. That's the good news for the visitors coming into this game. The bad news is that on only one other occasion this season when the Coyotes got the W did they manage to come back and win the next time out (against seven defeats). Tonight they travel to the Meadowlands where the Coyotes have not had much success lately. A healthy Arizona club would likely still be an underdog tonight, but the current roster is anything but healthy right now. There are at least four skaters and one goalie (Scott Wedgewood) out on COVID protocol and another five skaters and one goalie (Carter Hutton) out with various injuries. The Coyotes are 8-20 in their last 28 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents as well as 3-9 in the last 12 meetings with the Devils and 1-5 in the last six here at Prudential Center. Take New Jersey. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-18-22 | Canucks v. Predators -180 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -180 | 16 h 32 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Vancouver Canucks. Like some other teams from up north, the Canucks have had a slew of home games postponed due to COVID and the Canadian attendance restrictions. In fact, Vancouver hasn't played a home game in over a month as its last time hosting was on December 14. Tonight will be the Canucks ninth straight road contest, and they've actually done okay away from home, going 4-4. They broke a three game losing streak on Sunday afternoon when they caught a flat Caps team coming off a road game 24 hours earlier. But now it's the Preds who come in off a three game swoon, having lost to the Sabres, Bruins, and Blues -- the latter being last night. With the quick turnaround and regular goalie Juuse Saros having played on Monday, Nashville will turn to capable back-up David Rittich tonight. Rittich has only lost once in regulation coming in and all six of his games so far have been on the road. The Canucks are 2-5 in the last seven meetings in Nashville. Take the Predators. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-17-22 | Penguins v. Golden Knights -104 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -104 | 17 h 25 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Pittsburgh Penguins. When the Penguins beat the Flyers on January 6 by a lopsided 6-2 score, it marked their 10th win in a row. No doubt they had no problem going out on the road for an extended period knowing they were flying high at that point. But the trip out west hasn't gone according to plan for Sidney Crosby and Co. The Pens lost in Dallas to start things off then beat the Ducks in Anaheim, but followed that up with a clunker in L.A., losing to the Kings 6-2. They barely won their last game in San Jose as the over-matched Sharks took them OT before falling. Pittsburgh has gotten a bunch of players back from injury and illness, but back-up goalie Casey DeSmith has been placed on COVID protocol and the way Tristan Jarry has been playing in January, the Pens probably wish they had DeSmith ready to go if needed. The favorite is 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two and the Knights are 50-24 in their last 74 games at home when priced at -101 (or higher) and 4-0 in their last four vs. Metropolitan teams. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-15-22 | Maple Leafs -180 v. Blues | Top | 6-5 | Win | 100 | 7 h 25 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the St. Louis Blues. This is the fourth game of a five-game home-stand for the Blues and it's been very successful so far. The Blues have won all three here at the Enterprise Center, limiting their opponent to just a single goal in each of those three. That could be more difficult tonight against a Maple Leafs club that's averaging better than 3.3 goals per game this season. The Leafs have recently gotten several key players back from COVID protocol, including LW Pierre Engvall and RW Mitch Marner. St. Louis however is still struggling to keep its players on the ice with no fewer than six skaters out on COVID protocol as of this writing. This series has been friendly to the visitors recently as the road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings of the Blues and Leafs. The Leafs have had an extra day off and that's a situation that's been advantageous for them as Toronto is 36-16 in its last 52 when playing on two days of rest. Finally, the Leafs are also 21-5 in their last 26 games as a favorite. Take Toronto. As always good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-13-22 | Rangers -118 v. Sharks | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 8 h 15 m | Show |
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the San Jose Sharks. This is the fourth and final game of the Rangers' western road swing and a win tonight gets them to 2-2 for the trip. Some teams might be happy with that, but that's likely not how the Rangers will feel as they are having one of their best seasons in a while, battling for first place in the tough Metropolitan Division. New York comes in with a 23-10-4 record and 50 points (tied with Carolina) to go with a +12 goal differential. The Rangers are without #1 goalie Igor Shesterkin who entered COVID protocol about a week ago, however backup Alexandar Georgiev has been playing very well when called upon this season. The 25-year-old has posted a 2.71 GAA and .908 saves pct in 17 games (15 starts). Despite their two losses on this trip, the Rangers have been one of the best road teams, going 57-24 in their last 81 games as a visiting favorite. This has been a very one-sided series lately with the Rangers taking the last six meetings with the Sharks going back to January of 2018. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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01-11-22 | Penguins -170 v. Ducks | Top | 4-1 | Win | 100 | 6 h 8 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Anaheim Ducks. The Pens' 10-game win streak was snapped on Saturday, in a 3-2 loss to Dallas. Tonight, they'll travel to Anaheim to face a Ducks team which they defeated in Pittsburgh, 1-0, earlier this season. Anaheim is a poor 21-43 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season, while Pittsburgh is 82-46 off a road loss. Take the Penguins to bounce back tonight. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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01-08-22 | Red Wings v. Kings -136 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 50 m | Show |
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Detroit Red Wings. The Kings are enjoying a seven-game homestand, which, in the middle of a pandemic is perhaps more important than it normally is for a professional sports team. L.A. has split the first four games and they have two very tough teams visiting next week to wrap up the series in the Rangers and Penguins. Which makes tonight's contest against the 16-18 Red Wings -- who are only 4-10-1 on the road -- all that more important. One of the few teams that hasn't had major parts of its roster decimated lately by illness, Detroit really hasn't taken advantage of its good fortune in the health department. The Wings went the entire month of December without a road victory (their last one was on November 30) and Staples Center, er, Crypto.com Arena, hasn't been very friendly to them recently either. The Wings have lost five of their six games in L.A. with their last victory here coming more than five years ago. The favorite is 30-11 in the last 41 meetings of the Red Wings and Kings. Take Los Angeles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-06-22 | Rangers v. Golden Knights -145 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 5 h 47 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the New York Rangers. Goalie Robin Lehner has been upgraded to 'probable,' which is all we need to pull the trigger on the Golden Knights in this game. The Knights have started this 8-game home stand with a 1-2 mark, but they've been without their #1 goalie, Lehner, for each of those games. In Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Nashville, third-string goalie Logan Thompson was between the pipes for the first time this season, and let in three goals on 26 shots. And in the game prior to that, second-string goalie, Laurent Brossoit, allowed 5 goals on 37 shots, in a 5-4 loss to the Jets. The good news for tonight's game is that the Knights have won each of Lehner's last six starts. And they're also 12-2 after back to back losses by a single goal. Take Vegas. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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01-04-22 | Lightning -200 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 7-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 12 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Lightning come into tonight's game in perhaps the biggest funk of the season so far. The Bolts are 0-3 in their last three games, having been out-scored by a total of 17-6 by the Panthers and Rangers. But the good news is that Tampa recently got the game's best goalie back on the ice as Andrei Vasilevskiy played on Sunday for the first time in two weeks. He took the loss against the Rangers, but that rust he exhibited was to be expected and we will likely see a much sharper netminder for the visitors tonight. Even with the poor performance on Sunday, Vasilevskiy still has a 2.21 GAA and .921 saves pct to go with his league-leading 17 victories. And at this point, the rest of the Bolts' roster is near 100% healthy coming in so that combined with the fact that they're playing the Blue Jackets are good indications that they could break out of their funk in this game. The Bolts are 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Jackets and 5-2 in the last seven here in Columbus. And they're 5-0 off a shutout loss, and 29-10 after losing by 2+ goals in their previous game. Take Tampa. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.  |
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01-03-22 | Oilers -125 v. Rangers | Top | 1-4 | Loss | -125 | 6 h 4 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the New York Rangers. The Oilers come into today's game off of three consecutive road losses while the Rangers come in off of a home-and-home sweep of the defending Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. But Edmonton has had a day off while the Rangers are on a quick turnaround after yesterday's matinee here at the Garden. With regular #1 goalie Igor Shesterkin having played in three straight for the home team, the Rangers will likely go with back-up Alexandar Georgiev tonight between the pipes. On the surface, that doesn't seem like a problem, but you have to consider that the 25-year-old Bulgarian has just come off of COVID protocol and is pretty cold coming in, not having played since December 17. The Rangers will also be without their points-leader as LW Artemi Panarin has been placed on COVID protocol and will miss an undetermined amount of time. This is a great opportunity for the Oilers to get back on track this season as they are 5-0 in the last five meetings with the Rangers, and 20-9 off a loss. Take Edmonton. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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01-02-22 | Lightning +102 v. Rangers | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 6 h 5 m | Show |
At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Rangers. This is the back-end of a home-and-home series between the Rangers and Lightning. Round one was on Friday and the Rangers were successful in Florida in a very close game which required a shootout. Now the two teams have traveled north to Manhattan for this afternoon matinee and critical re-match between two teams with almost identical winning records and it seems likely the Rangers will be slight favorites today. The good news for the Bolts is that they generally do very well in these situations -- i.e., the second half of a back-to-back series. Just a month ago, the Lightning lost the first game of a home-and-home series to the Blues by exactly the same score and came back in the second game two days later to get a big win, 4-2. Despite the Friday loss, the Bolts are 6-2 in the last eight meetings with the Rangers overall and 4-1 in the last five here in Madison Square Garden. And they're a spectacular 25-5 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season. Meanwhile, New York has won just six of its last 20 home games following a road victory. Take Tampa. As always, good luck...Al McMordie |
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01-01-22 | Blues v. Wild -118 | Top | 6-4 | Loss | -118 | 12 h 60 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues. The 2022 version of the NHL Winter Classic will feature the two teams that were supposed to play last year. The 2021 game was postponed due to COVID concerns that ironically still seem to be prevalent in the hockey headlines a year later. The good news is that both of these clubs appear to be relatively healthy compared to others in the league so tonight's games should feature most of the regular players on both sides of the ice. The unfortunate part -- perhaps more for the fans in attendance -- is that the weather will not be cooperating as sub-zero temperatures are forecast. This will be the Wild's first game in 12 days as the League's schedule halted temporarily over the Christmas holiday. The Wild had lost four straight before the pause after winning eight in a row between November 24 and December 9. Minny is no doubt looking forward to getting back to action with a healthy roster albeit in less than ideal conditions. The home team is 6-2 in the last eight meetings of these two clubs. Take the Wild. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-31-21 | Oilers -147 v. Devils | Top | 5-6 | Loss | -147 | 5 h 3 m | Show |
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the New Jersey Devils. The Devils started out the post Christmas break with a win in Buffalo over the depleted Sabres on Wednesday, 4-3. In that game, New Jersey out-shot the woefully over-matched Sabres by 42-22 so although it was a much-needed victory that ended a six-game losing streak, it's not much of a barometer to indicate if the Devils are really any better than they were before play was halted. They take a huge step up in class today at home against the Oilers. Edmonton is fortunate -- and New Jersey not so much -- that its list of COVID-sidelined players does not include any of its big offensive stars; McDavid, Draisaitl, or Nugent-Hopkins, the latter having returned from protocol in time to play in Wednesday's loss to the Blues. The Oilers must love trips like the one they are about to embark on over the next four days as they are 18-5 in their last 23 vs. Metropolitan teams. New Jersey meanwhile is 1-4 in its last five vs. Pacific teams while Edmonton is 6-2 in the last eight meetings. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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12-30-21 | Canucks v. Kings -135 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 15 h 32 m | Show |
At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Vancouver Canucks. No team was likely to be as upset at the temporary halt in the NHL schedule as the Vancouver Canucks. That's because heading into last night's game against the Ducks (an overtime win), the Canucks had won eight of their last nine games, including their last six in a row from December 6 to December 16 when the games were halted. The Kings made their return to action on Tuesday night and unfortunately they had to play the division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Los Angeles equaled Vegas in shot attempts (27), but was outscored, 6-3. Still, prior to Tuesday's loss, the Kings had won two of their last three and those were against the Capitals and Panthers. Los Angeles got yesterday off coming into this game, while the Canucks did not. And Vancouver is 15-37 in its last 52 games when playing with zero days of rest. The home team has also won four of the last five meetings. Take the Kings. As always, good luck....Al McMordie. |
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12-29-21 | Predators v. Capitals -149 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 6 h 28 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over Nashville. Both of these teams haven't played for 10+ days, as the NHL paused its schedule due to COVID-19. The Caps did lose their last game -- also here at home -- but are a super 6-0 this season off a home loss, and 24-9 their last 33 off a defeat at home. And Washington is 9-4 when playing with 3+ days of rest, while the Predators are 4-8 with 3+ days of rest. We'll take the homestanding Capitals tonight. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-20-21 | Wild -101 v. Stars | Top | 4-7 | Loss | -101 | 5 h 53 m | Show |
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Dallas Stars. Minnesota enters this game on a season-long 3-game losing streak. Immediately before this stretch, the Wild had won eight straight games. I look for Minny to bounce back tonight, as it's 20-8 its last 28 off back to back losses; and 20-7 off a home loss. These two teams also met earlier this season, with the Wild topping the Stars in a 7-2 blowout. Unfortunately for Dallas, it's 26-37 (minus 16.6 net games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a loss by more than 3 goals. Finally, this will be Dallas' 3rd game in four nights, while the Wild have been idle over the last three days. And the Stars are a poor 6-18 when playing their 3rd game in 4 days. Take Minnesota. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-19-21 | Blues v. Jets -125 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 7 h 24 m | Show |
At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the St. Louis Blues. The Blues come into today's game with a 17-8-5 record that has them currently tied for second place in the Central Division, just one point behind the Minnesota Wild. But despite the success, St. Louis' hockey team is still struggling mightily when it goes on the road this season. In 14 games away from Enterprise Center, the Blues are 6-5-3 but even more concerning is the fact that they are 1-6 in their last seven on the road heading into this afternoon's match-up. This is a very good team when healthy, but the Blues are anything but that as they go into Winnipeg for the second time this season. St. Louis currently has no fewer than 10 regular players out of action with either an illness or injury, including six forwards who won't be suiting up (Schenn, Thomas, Kyrou, Neal, Perron, Sundqvist). The Jets are 9-6-1 at the Canada Life Centre and they have taken two of the last three overall against the Blues. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-16-21 | Sabres v. Wild -1.5 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -115 | 4 h 37 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild -1.5 goals over Buffalo. The Wild lost at Vegas, 6-4, on Sunday. But they were playing their 3rd game in four nights, and were also unrested. Tonight, they're going to be well-rested, as they haven't played since that Sunday game. It also was their 2nd straight defeat (both on the road), but Minnesota is a perfect 8-0 off back to back road losses, and 20-7 off back to back losses, generally. The Sabres did snap their 7-game losing streak with a 4-2 win at Winnipeg on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the Sabres are also 4-20 away from home off a win. Take Minnesota -1.5 goals. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-14-21 | Islanders -117 v. Red Wings | Top | 1-2 | Loss | -117 | 10 h 5 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit has dropped three straight games -- all in blowout fashion -- as it lost to Nasville (5-2), St Louis (6-2) and Colorado (7-3). Some teams react well off losses, but not Detroit. It's 20-53 off back to back losses (and 16-36 off 3+ losses), including 4-16 off back to back losses by 2+ goals. And it's 11-41 (minus 22.1 net games on the moneyline) off a blowout loss by more than 2 goals. New York comes into tonight off a big win over New Jersey (which was our Division Game of the Month), and it's 35-24 (+7.2 net games) off a division win. Take the Islanders. |
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12-14-21 | Kings v. Lightning -190 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 35 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Los Angeles Kings. The Lightning had a five game win streak going into their last contest on Saturday. It was a win streak that included victories over the Maple Leafs, Bruins, and Blues. And the strange thing wasn't that their streak came to an end last weekend -- all good things end, if even temporarily. What was strange was that is was the Ottawa Senators who did the deed -- and they did by way of a 4-0 shutout despite the fact that the Bolts' defense limited the Sens to only 22 shots. Normal #1 goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy -- considered by some to be the best in the world -- took a seat on Saturday as back-up Brian Elliott got the call between the pipes. As he sometimes does, Elliott threw in a clunker (three goals allowed in those 22 shots). Back home tonight to face the Kings, the Bolts will certainly bring their go-to netminder back on the ice as they attempt to keep pace with the Leafs and Panthers. They are 8-0 in the last eight meetings with the Kings overall and 5-0 in the last five here at home. And they're 4-0 off a shutout loss, and 24-4 after scoring less than 2 goals in their previous game. Take Tampa. |
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12-14-21 | Senators v. Panthers -278 | Top | 8-2 | Loss | -278 | 10 h 34 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers have lost just once at home this season (vs. Seattle, on Nov. 27), and will look to improve to 15-1 at home tonight vs. the Senators. Ottawa shut out the Lightning, 4-0, in its previous game. Unfortunately, the Senators are just 3-17 off a win by more than 2 goals. Take Florida. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-12-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -135 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 100 | 14 h 42 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild. Heading into their game last night in Los Angeles, the Wild was on quite a roll, having won eight straight games going back to November 24. During the win streak, Minnesota has out-scored its opponents by 37-16, so it's not a stretch to say that the Wild is the hottest team in the league right now. Along the way, the Wild has beaten some very good teams including the Maple Leafs, Lightning, and Oilers. But during this win streak, the Wild has always had at least one day of rest and that will not be the case tonight in Vegas against the Knights. In five previous cases this season similar to tonight in which it was playing on zero days of rest, Minnesota has gone 2-3. One of those was here in Vegas on November 11 when the Wild lost to the Knights, 3-2. The Knights on the other hand are 12-2 in their last 14 when playing exactly two days after their prior game, and they're also 5-2 in the last seven meetings with the Wild. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-11-21 | Bruins v. Flames -131 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -131 | 14 h 51 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Boston Bruins. The Bruins have had an up-and-down season, but have generally followed the form where they have played better off losses and poorly off wins. Indeed, this season, Boston is 8-2 off a loss, but 4-8 off a win. On Thursday, Boston upset the Oilers, 3-2, which was also the first time Boston won in an underdog role this season (in five tries). We'll go against the underdog Bruins tonight, as they're off a win, and will also have to face a Flames club which is 28-15 vs. the Eastern Conference. Take Calgary. |
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12-11-21 | Hurricanes v. Oilers -122 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -122 | 14 h 49 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Carolina Hurricanes. After dropping 3 in a row (and five of six), the Hurricanes have won three straight coming into this game at Rogers Place. Unfortunately, the 'Canes are a woeful 38-67 on the road off 3+ wins. Even worse, the Oilers will be looking to bounce back off their 3-2 loss on Thursday to Boston -- a loss made even more frustrating since the Oilers outshot the Bruins, 43-30, in that game. But Edmonton is a solid 41-27 (+11 net games on the moneyline) off a loss. Take Edmonton. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-11-21 | Devils v. Islanders -153 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 11 h 22 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the New Jersey Devils. The Islanders have tried seven times, but despite coming close, they have yet to win a game in their new home venue. Perhaps tonight will be the night that the Isles will finally break through at the beautiful UBS Arena. It would certainly seem fitting, as the Devils are a team that the Isles have dominated at home recently, taking 13 of the last 16 meetings in New York going back to March of 2014. The Devils played last night and used #1 net-minder Mackenzie Blackwood and so with the injury to second-string Jonathan Bernier (IR - hip), the visitors will go with the 21-year-old rookie goalie who was just called up from the Minors -- Akira Schmid -- to make his NHL debut. This will be a revenge game for the Isles, as the Devils shut them out in their only other meeting this season back on November 11 despite New York out-shooting New Jersey by 42-34. New Jersey is 1-5 in its last six games as a road underdog. Take the Islanders. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-11-21 | Blackhawks v. Maple Leafs -230 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 50 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Leafs were my choice to win this year's Stanley Cup (at 7-1 odds), and are in a tight battle with Florida and Tampa Bay for the #1 spot in the Atlantic Division. Tonight, goalie Petr Mrazek will make his return to the ice after being sidelined in late October. He'll face a Blackhawks team coming off a 2-0 shutout win over Montreal. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they're 0-6 their last 6 off a shutout win. Take Toronto. |
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12-10-21 | Panthers -1.5 v. Coyotes | Top | 3-1 | Win | 100 | 13 h 15 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers minus 1.5 goals over the Arizona Coyotes. Aleksander Barkov left Florida's last game due to an undisclosed injury (though it was unrelated to his knee injury which sidelined him for eight games). But he practiced yesterday, and looks to be good-to-go tonight. Also, left wing Anthony Duclair has been upgraded to 'probable' for tonight. In net will be Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida (11-1-2, 2.41 GAA) and Scott Wedgewood for Arizona (3-5-1, 2.89 GAA). Arizona has scored 2 goals or less in seven of its last eight games, while Florida has scored 3 goals or more in eight of its last 10. Florida did lose its last game, 4-3, but is 42-20 after surrendering 4+ goals. And of the Coyotes' 20 losses this season, only five have been by just a single goal. There's just too much firepower on the Florida side. The Panthers rank 2nd (behind Colorado) with 3.80 goals per game. And when Arizona has played the 8 teams ranked among the upper 25% in goals scored per game (at least 3.3 per game), Arizona has gone 1-9. And zero of its nine losses were by a single goal (the average loss was 5.11 to 1.89). Take Florida minus 1.5 goals. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-09-21 | Hurricanes v. Flames -124 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -124 | 12 h 38 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over Carolina. Calgary dropped its last two games -- both on the road -- but is back home tonight to face a Hurricanes team off back-to-back wins. The Flames' previous game was particularly irksome to head coach Darryl Sutter. Calgary gave up four goals in the final 30 minutes of the game, so Sutter expressed much displeasure afterwards, and said his team has "got to be better." I expect his message will be received loud and clear, and that his team will come out strong tonight. Calgary is 28-14 its last 42 vs. foes from the Eastern Conference, and 33-20 after allowing more than 3 goals in its previous game. Meanwhile, Carolina is a poor 50-72 off back to back wins by 2+ goals. Take the Flames. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-07-21 | Wild v. Oilers -123 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -123 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over Minnesota. The Oilers were blasted, 5-1, here at home by Los Angeles on Sunday, which followed a 4-3 loss to the Kraken, on Friday. That blowout loss to the Kings particularly rankled their coach, Dave Tippett, who claimed his team wasn't playing hard or fast enough. The good news is that the Oilers typically bounce back from poor games, as they're 29-12 off a loss by 2+ goals, and 22-8 after surrendering more than 4 goals. Edmonton is also 15-7 off back to back losses. Take the Oilers on Tuesday night. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-07-21 | Blue Jackets v. Maple Leafs -1.5 | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -104 | 10 h 49 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs minus 1.5 goals over the Columbus Blue Jackets. These two teams haven't played since what was then called the "qualifying round" in the 2019-2020 playoffs. The Jackets came away with the upset victory in that one, taking the fifth and final game here in Toronto back on August 9, 2020, by a 3-0 margin. That's the last time Columbus' hockey team stepped foot in the Scotiabank Arena and this version appears to be quite inferior than that one of just a little more than a year ago. The Leafs had their recent five-game win streak snapped, losing on back-to-back nights to the Wild (in OT) and Jets. The latter loss two days ago was with Toronto's back-up goalie, rookie Joseph Woll, in net. Tonight, they'll be back to using regular #1 Jack Campbell. The veteran net-minder is leading the league in Wins (13), GAA (1.78), and saves PCT (.942) so the Leafs will no doubt be glad to have him back on the ice. The Blue Jackets are 19-40 in their last 59 games vs. teams with a winning record and 11-26 in their last 37 following a win. Take Toronto minus 1.5 goals. |
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12-07-21 | Islanders -140 v. Senators | Top | 5-3 | Win | 100 | 10 h 48 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Ottawa Senators. The Isles were hit hard by COVID-19, and have lost 11 straight games in large part due to the absences forced by the protocols. But everyone other than Casey Cizikas is back in the fold now, so the team should soon start to look like the one which reached the Playoff semifinals last season. This is Ottawa's second game in as many nights, as it played at New Jersey yesterday. And it's also its fifth game in seven days, with travel before and after each of the five games. Take New York. |
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12-06-21 | Kings v. Canucks -125 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 47 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Los Angeles Kings. The Canucks cleaned house by firing their general manager and coach after Saturday's 4-1 home loss to Pittsburgh, and hired the well-traveled Bruce Boudreau (Capitals, Wild, Ducks) to be behind the bench. In 14 seasons as head coach, Boudreau's teams have won eight division titles, but he's never got a team to the Stanley Cup finals. Still, I like the move to replace Travis Green at this time, given Vancouver's horrible start to the season, as well as the fact that Boudreau's first five games will all be at home. We'll take the Canucks in this game, as the Kings played at Edmonton last night, and will turn to backup Cal Petersen to be between the pipes. Vancouver is 21-14 (+9.8 games on the moneyline) off a home loss, and 8-3 off a blowout home loss by more than two goals. Take the Canucks. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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12-06-21 | Senators v. Devils -182 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -182 | 12 h 46 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Ottawa Senators. The Devils gave up a season-high eight goals in their lopsided loss to the Jets in Winnipeg on Friday. But since it was the second half of back-to-back road games, New Jersey played back-up goalie Jonathan Bernier in that one. Bernier wasn't very good to say the least and the Devils pulled him for their #1 net-minder Mackenzie Blackwood. He wasn't much better than Bernier but then again Blackwood wasn't ready to play and was clearly unprepared to enter the sinking ship. Blackwood should be rested and ready to go against a Senators team that has won just six times in 22 games this season. Not only has Ottawa won two straight coming into the Meadowlands tonight -- its first two-game win streak of the season -- but they've come against two of the better teams in the league in the Avs (6-5) and Hurricanes (3-2). The Devils are 4-1 in the last five meetings with the Senators, while Ottawa is 1-3 in the last four trips here going back to October 2017. And the Senators are also 0-7 their last seven after scoring more than 5 goals in their previous game. Take New Jersey. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-04-21 | Islanders -108 v. Red Wings | Top | 3-4 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 39 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Detroit Red Wings. Home isn't always the place to be. The Islanders opened their brand new venue on Long Island November 20 in the first of five games in a row there, and they proceeded to reel off five straight losses. There will be plenty of victories at UBS Arena in the future, but for now let's just say that the Isles are probably feeling good to be out of New York. They only have tonight's game at Detroit before returning to the Island for another try at their new home against Chicago on Sunday. If they're going to escape for a game, Detroit is not a bad place to visit as the Isles are 4-1 in the last five meetings here going back to February of 2017. Top winger Tyler Bertuzzi (18 points in 20 games) has landed on the COVID protocol list for Detroit and will miss at least four games, so that is a big blow to the home team tonight. The Wings are 14-43 in their last 57 games vs. the East (and also 13-38 in their last 51 vs. teams from the Metropolitan Division). Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-02-21 | Sharks v. Islanders -127 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -127 | 11 h 55 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the San Jose Sharks. This will be the Islanders' fifth game in their new arena in Elmont, NY, and so far, the fans at UBS Arena have had little to cheer for. But despite an 0-4 start here, the Isles are not in panic mode as they've had seven days to prepare for a Sharks team which hasn't won in the Islanders' home in over five years (October 2016). Unlike the Islanders who have had plenty of time off lately, the Sharks have been going almost non-stop and this will be their 3rd game in 5 nights, and 9th game in the last 16 days. And because this is the first of two back-to-back games in New York, back-up goalie Adin Hill (4-5 in 10 games; nine starts) will get the first half tonight while #1 net-minder James Reimer will get the nod in the second part on Friday versus the Rangers. This will be Hill's first start since November 20 when he allowed three goals on 20 shots in a 4-0 home loss to Washington. The home team is 5-0 in the last five meetings of these two clubs. And San Jose's also 5-20 when it was playing its 3rd game in 5 days. Take the Islanders. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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12-02-21 | Blues v. Lightning -140 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 10 h 26 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the St. Louis Blues. This is the second game of a home-and-home, East vs. West miniseries. And Game 1 in St. Louis on Tuesday couldn't have been any closer. The Blues prevailed at home in a shootout, 4-3, with both of these teams registering 33 shots in the process. Now the two elite teams head to the southeast for what could be another barn-burner in Tampa. The Bolts have been tough here at Amalie Arena while the Blues have a losing record this season on the road at 5-4-2. And with the win in St. Louis two days ago, the home team is now 6-3 in the last nine meetings of these two. Lightning star Steven Stamkos sat out Tuesday's game for personal reasons but is expected to be back on the ice tonight for the home team and that should give them a big boost. The fact that the Blues won the front end of this miniseries may not bode well for them tonight as they are 1-6 in their last seven following a win. They are also 0-4 in their last four road games. Take the Lightning. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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12-01-21 | Golden Knights -138 v. Ducks | Top | 5-6 | Loss | -138 | 13 h 52 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Anaheim. The Ducks won a shootout last night vs. rival Los Angeles, and will host Vegas tonight, on Wednesday. Unfortunately, captain Ryan Getzlaf was injured last night, so his point production (20 points) will be sorely missed. Even worse for Anaheim: the Golden Knights are 18-3 in the last 21 meetings, including 9-1 here, in Anaheim. The Knights are looking to bounce back off their loss to Edmonton, and they're 22-12 off a division loss, and 71-35 vs. division rivals, overall. Take Vegas. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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11-30-21 | Capitals v. Panthers -133 | Top | 4-5 | Win | 100 | 11 h 59 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Washington Capitals. The Panthers had a home winning streak that stretched from the beginning of the season until last Saturday (11 games). And the team that broke the streak? None-other than the expansion Seattle Kraken, who beat Florida here by a 4-1 margin. The Panthers look to begin a new streak tonight but it won't be easy against a Caps team that has won nine of its last 11. But the Caps are still without forwards Nicklas Backstrom (hip), T.J. Oshie (foot), and Anthony Mantha (shoulder) so the mountain they have to climb tonight is probably higher than Florida's. Plus, this is a revenge game for the Panthers as they were one of the victims in the Caps' latest run, falling in DC back on November 26, 4-3. And home ice would seem to be important in this series as the host team has won four of the last five meetings between these two. The Panthers are also 4-0 in their last four games following a home loss of three or more goals, and they're an incredible 23-4 in their last 27 games here at FLA Live arena. Take Florida. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-27-21 | Blue Jackets v. Blues -161 | Top | 3-6 | Win | 100 | 12 h 48 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over Columbus. After a 5-0 start to the season, the Blues have gone 5-7-3 since, including an overtime loss in Chicago last night.  And what made last night's loss even more frustrating was that St. Louis blew a 2-0, first period lead. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets won for the 3rd straight game, with a 4-2 home victory over Vancouver last night. But their win streak should be halted tonight in St. Louis, as they've lost 20 of the last 25 meetings played here vs. the Blues. Even worse: Columbus is 7-14 after a home win, in which it scored more than three goals. Take St. Louis to bounce back on Saturday. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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11-26-21 | Jets +116 v. Wild | Top | 1-7 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 4 m | Show |
At 3:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota is a first place team in its Division (the Central), and although it's early in the season, the Wild must be feeling good about that. But it's interesting to note that the Wild also has a goal differential of just +6, by far the lowest number of any of the Division Leading teams (Carolina +22, Florida +25, Calgary +30). In fact, two other Central Clubs have goal differentials higher than Minnesota's +6 (St. Louis +10 and Colorado +15). So this would seem to indicate that the Wild has been fortunate up to this point and that a regression may be in order. Minnesota has a goals-allowed-per-game of 3.16, and there are only nine teams in the entire league with higher averages than that. At home, that number is even worse, as the Wild has allowed 3.57 GPG when playing here at Xcel Energy Center (the third-highest home number in the league). The Jets are 9-4 in their last 13 games vs. teams from the West and 6-2 in their last eight against teams from the Central Division. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-24-21 | Rangers v. Islanders +112 | Top | 4-1 | Loss | -100 | 8 h 16 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the New York Rangers. After 13 straight games on the road to open the season, the Islanders finally got to play at their new home last Saturday night. But after two games here at the UBS Arena, the Isles are still looking for their first victory in the shiny new building. Home has not been "sweet home" for the Isles as they have been out-scored so far at home by a combined 8-2 in losses to the Flames and Maple Leafs. COVID-19 can be blamed at least somewhat for the Islanders swoon as no fewer than seven players have been out on protocol the last few games. They may get some of them back tonight for their first cross-town battle at UBS Arena with the Rangers. The Islanders are hoping recent history repeats itself so they can finally get their first win in their new home tonight and no doubt the fans will be pumped for the first meetings with the Rangers this season. The Isles have won the last four meetings and 20 out of the last 28, including 10 of the last 14 at home. Take the Islanders as a home dog. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-22-21 | Penguins v. Jets -110 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -110 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh's NHL team is 2/3 of the way through a Canadian road trip and if the first two games are any indication, the Penguins may not want to return to the U.S. The Pens have won the first two games in Montreal and Toronto by a combined 8-0 and tonight they go further west to Winnipeg to take on the Jets. The Pens have Sidney Crosby, Brian Dumoulin, and Jeff Carter back in the lineup but are still without C Evgeni Malkin, who continues to nurse a damaged knee. This could be a tough match-up for the visitors against a Jets team that has only lost one home game in regulation so far this season (7-1-1). The Penguins' victory in Toronto on Saturday was their first in their last six immediately following a victory. Pittsburgh is also 0-4 in its last four games against teams from the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Jets are 5-1 in their last six games against teams that have lost more than half their games. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-21-21 | Maple Leafs v. Islanders +110 | Top | 3-0 | Loss | -100 | 11 h 53 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Toronto Maple Leafs. After 13 straight games on the road to open the season, the New York Islanders finally opened their home schedule last night at the brand new UBS Arena in Elmont. Unfortunately, the home team couldn't deliver a win to christen the new rink as the visiting Flames won the game, 5-2, thanks to two empty-net tallies late in the game. The Isles have a quick turnaround against a very talented Maple Leafs club tonight (and one which I tabbed in the preseason to win the Stanley Cup this season), but there are at least a couple of reasons to believe New York will get its first win in its new home this evening. First off, despite a 12-5-1 overall record, the Leafs are just 3-3 on the road this season, including their 2-0 loss in Pittsburgh last night. Second, this has been a very host-friendly series lately as the home team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings of these two clubs. Take the Islanders. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-18-21 | Stars v. Wild -135 | Top | 2-7 | Win | 100 | 11 h 14 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Dallas Stars. The Stars have seen some solid play from young stars like C Roope Hintz (three game scoring streak), W Jason Robertson (three points in Tuesday's win), and D Miro Heiskanen (tied for fifth in points for D-men with 13). In addition, veterans like Joe Pavelski (points in seven straight) have stepped it up recently. But those offensive gains are somewhat nullified due to the fact that two of their top three goalies -- Braden Holtby and Ben Bishop -- are sidelined with injuries. And Anton Khudobin -- who is scheduled to start tonight -- has also been dealing with a non-COVID illness that kept him out of Tuesday's game with Detroit. That could be a problem tonight in Minnesota where the Wild have scored at a rate of 3.83 GPG (4th best GPG at home). The Stars are 3-4-1 away from home this season -- not a bad road record on the surface. But they have yet to win on the road in regulation, and that task is made more difficult tonight at Minneapolis where Dallas is just 2-6 in the last eight meetings. Take the Wild. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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11-17-21 | Blackhawks v. Seattle Kraken -145 | Top | 4-2 | Loss | -145 | 8 h 32 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago's on a 3-game win streak. But all three wins were at home. And the first two came via overtime/shootout, while the 3rd was in regulation, but against the 2-13-1 Arizona Coyotes. On the road, the Blackhawks have yet to win, as they are 0-6, and have been outscored 25-11. Chicago is 11-16 (minus 6.1 net games on the moneyline) off back-to-back wins; 15-27 (minus 11.0 net games) off back-to-back home games; and 12-20 (minus 8.7 net games) off a home win. The Kraken's Philipp Grubauer has just been confirmed as tonight's goalie following the morning skate. It's true that Grubauer has been a disappointment in the early going, and ranks near the bottom in the major statistical categories. But the one goalie who has been worse than Grubauer is Chicago's Marc-Andre Fleury! This game sets up well for Grubauer, who has had to play the lion's share between the pipes this season, as back-up Chris Driedger had been sidelined until November 3rd. The Kraken have been off since Saturday, so Grubauer will be very well-rested when the team takes the ice tonight. Take Seattle. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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11-15-21 | Red Wings v. Blue Jackets -123 | Top | 3-5 | Win | 100 | 12 h 18 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroit Red Wings. These two teams will meet tonight for the second time this season. The Wings got the better of the Jackets on October 19 by a 4-1 margin. It was another win for the home team in this series as the hosts have been dominant lately, taking seven of the last eight meetings between Detroit and Columbus. Among the Jackets five home wins this season are victories over the Islanders, Stars, and Avalanche. The Red Wings will get back to what they were in their glory days with the young talent they have. It just won't be this season, although they can consider it a success so far with a .500 record (8-6-2) after just 19 wins in 56 games last season. With the loss in October, this is a revenge game for Columbus, which is 15-6 in the last 21 meetings with Detroit. The favorite is also 42-16 in the last 58 meetings of these two. Take the Blue Jackets. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-14-21 | Flames -178 v. Senators | Top | 4-0 | Win | 100 | 10 h 42 m | Show |
At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Ottawa Senators. The Senators pulled off a big upset last night, easily beating the Pittsburgh Penguins here at home, 6-3. But before we hand them the Stanley Cup or even think they can do it again this evening, let's keep in mind that the Pens were still missing three of their best players last night (Crosby, Malkin, and Dumoulin). And even with those three, they're still far from the same team that won back-to-back Cups four years ago. Ottawa's win last night is made even more unexpected when you consider that the Sens have no fewer than eight players unavailable due to COVID protocol -- including former Pens goalie Matt Murray. They won't be available tonight either against a healthy Flames team that has lost its last three games. Calgary has done its best work on the road this season where it is 5-2-1 in eight games (vs. 2-1-3 at home). The Senators are 1-6 in their last seven games as a home underdog and 0-5 in their last five games vs. teams from the Pacific Division. Take the Flames. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-13-21 | Canadiens v. Red Wings -115 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 16 h 35 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Montreal Canadiens. Nobody is predicting a Stanley Cup for the Detroit Red Wings this season. But it might not be too long before the franchise notches its 12th NHL Championship. The reason that folks in Detroit may be very optimistic about the future right now is because the Wings have arguably the two best rookies in the League in winger Lucas Raymond (14 points in 15 games) and Defenseman Moritz Seider (11 points). These two young stars -- together with some solid veterans like Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi -- are the main reasons why the Wings are 7-6-2 and in third place in the Atlantic Division behind only Florida and Toronto. Things aren't nearly as uplifting if you're a fan of the Canadiens. So far, the 2021-2022 season seems to be showing us all that Montreal's surprise appearance in last season's Cup Finals was a fluke. The Habs are just 4-10-1 and have only won once on the road so far (out of six games). Montreal is 0-5 in its last five immediately following a victory. Take the Red Wings. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-11-21 | Sharks v. Jets -173 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 58 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks. NHL teams have been hit by the COVID protocol this season, but none harder than the San Jose Sharks. Currently, the Sharks have no fewer than six regulars out on COVID protocol and none of them made this Western Canada road trip. Another one, winger Evander Cane, violated the league's policy so bad that he has been suspended until the end of this month. San Jose's head coach, Bob Boughner, is also out on COVID protocol and has not joined the club and will be replaced on the bench by assistant John MacLean. The Jets lost a tough one to the Blues in a shootout on Tuesday, but overall they've played very well here at home this season (4-1-0-1). This is a revenge situation for the Jets as well as the Sharks won both meetings in October -- while playing at home. The Sharks are 19-39 in their last 58 games as a road underdog while the Jets are 10-1 off an overtime/shootout defeat. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-10-21 | Maple Leafs -127 v. Flyers | Top | 3-0 | Win | 100 | 12 h 23 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Maple Leafs were flying high on a five-game win streak when they ran into a bit of a buzz saw in the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. On paper, the Leafs are a far superior team (as evidenced by the -250 line) but for whatever reason, they went to sleep and the Kings cruised to an easy 5-1 victory in Toronto. The Leafs will simply move past that game as they now head to Philadelphia for their first match-up with the Flyers in almost two years. The Flyers are 2-2 in their last four games with victories against a bad Arizona Coyotes team and a banged-up Caps club while dropping decisions to the Penguins and Flames. That home loss to the Kings could actually be a good thing for the Leafs tonight as they are 5-2 in their last seven games following a home loss by three or more goals. Meanwhile, the Flyers are 8-20 in their last 28 games following a victory and they are also 4-10 in their last 14 games as a home underdog. Take the Maple Leafs. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-09-21 | Kings v. Canadiens -145 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -145 | 12 h 22 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Los Angeles Kings. After three games against the Knights, Red Wings, and Islanders, the Canadiens will catch a bit of a break tonight, as the Kings come to Montreal after playing in Toronto last night (while the Habs are rested). The defense has been showing up lately for the Canadiens as they held the Wings to just 22 shots on goal in their 3-0 shutout a week ago. In their last game, they did it again, holding Vegas to just 16 shots the entire game although they somehow lost, 5-2, to the Knights. (But that game was really 3-2 as the Knights got two empty-net tallies with time running out.) Tonight is a revenge situation as the Kings just beat the Canadiens in Los Angeles in their last meeting on October 30. Because this is the 2nd of a back-to-back for the Kings, Jonathan Quick will not be between the pipes tonight. Instead, it will be 27-year-old journeyman Cal Petersen's duty. The lack of rest is one of the key factors for tonight, as the Kings are 1-5 in their last six in the second game of a back-to-back situation. Additionally, the Canadiens are 10-4 after losing at home by more than two goals. Take Montreal. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-08-21 | Panthers v. Rangers -105 | Top | 3-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 4 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Florida Panthers. Two teams (Florida + Carolina) without a regulation time loss on their ledger met on Saturday in South Florida and the Panthers came out on top, beating the Hurricanes by a 5-2 margin. And they did it without their #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who is still nursing an upper body injury sustained in Florida's overtime win over the Capitals on November 4. Bobrovsky had been brilliant prior to his injury, posting a league-leading .948 saves pct. and 1.72 GAA. Spencer Knight has filled in well for Bobrovsky, so he'll have to do it again tonight against a very good Rangers team which should be glad to be back home after a tough four-game swing out west, where they dropped their last three games. Bobrovsky's injury is far from the only one that the Panthers are dealing with. They will be without no fewer that four center-icemen tonight in New York City (Barkov, Bennett, Thornton, Acciari). The Rangers are a solid 111-84 (+30.2 net games on the moneyline) off 3+ losses. Take New York. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-06-21 | Avalanche -170 v. Blue Jackets | Top | 2-4 | Loss | -170 | 16 h 40 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is a home-and-home revenge situation for the visiting Avalanche who lost in overtime at home to this Columbus team just three days ago. But the good news for the Avs is that they're starting to crank up their normally high-powered offense which seemed to be snoozing a bit over the first three weeks of the season. In each of the last three games, the Avs have managed to net four goals, so the scoring seems to be coming around. The other bit of good news is that the visitors will have the services of their #1 netminder, Darcy Kuemper tonight. Kuemper took a seat in the loss to the Blue Jackets while back-up Jonas Johansson played and allowed five goals in defeat. It was also a costly victory for the Jackets who lost star winger Patrik Laine to an oblique injury in the Wednesday game. The Blue Jackets are 69-88 (minus 16.3 net games on the moneyline) off an overtime win. Meanwhile, the Avs are 5-1 in their last six in the second game of a home and home situation, and 27-16 after allowing more than three goals. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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11-05-21 | Predators +106 v. Canucks | Top | 3-2 | Win | 106 | 14 h 27 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Vancouver Canucks. The Predators lost their last game to a very good Oilers team on Wednesday. But prior to that, the Preds had won four straight by a combined 14-7. They weren't beating the cream of the NHL crop, but these days it's hard to have a four-game win streak no matter who you're playing. The Canucks beat the Rangers in their last game but prior to that, Vancouver had lost three straight. Vancouver's biggest problem right now is health, especially on the front lines. The Canucks currently have no fewer than five regular forwards out with either an injury or illness. The Preds will be without one of their best forwards in Filip Forsberg (upper body) but other than that they are healthy. Nashville's scoring is led by defenseman Roman Josi who has 11 points in 10 games (3 Goals, 8 Assists). The Canucks have been terrible at home, as they have the second-lowest offensive output this season when hosting (1.75 GPG). Vancouver is also 1-8 in its last nine games following a win. Take Nashville. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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11-04-21 | Islanders -132 v. Canadiens | Top | 6-2 | Win | 100 | 11 h 17 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Montreal Canadiens. It's hard to believe that the Canadiens team we're seeing so far this season is the same one that made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals just a few months ago. There are pieces that contributed to the Habs' astounding run last summer that aren't here this season but the biggest issue has been the losses Shea Weber (IR) and Carey Price (personal) to start this season. Weber won't be back anytime soon -- he might be done playing -- but Price should complete the 30-day Player Assistance program and be back in goal shortly. But for now, this 3-8 team is likely going to continue to tread water until the missing players return and new ones become fully indoctrinated into the system. The Isles on the other hand, haven't been setting the world on fire, but they are healthy and talented so look for them to make another deep run this season. The Canadiens are 1-7 in their last eight games as a dog while New York is 4-0 in its last four as a favorite. Take the Isles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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11-02-21 | Devils -118 v. Ducks | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -118 | 14 h 10 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Anaheim Ducks. The Devils begin a west coast swing tonight that will take them into Anaheim, then up to Los Angeles, and then north to San Jose. The question for the first game of this road trip is -- which version of the Devils will show up in Anaheim? This team has been a bit of a Jeckyll and Hyde story lately. They had inspiring efforts in beating the Penguins and Sabres, but have also lost three of their last five interwoven with those two victories. But you have to consider who they've lost to as well. The Flames and Caps look like two of the best teams in the league and the Blue Jackets are 5-3 in their first eight games. So the Ducks (and their 3-4-3 record) will be a step-down in class tonight, even if this game is in Anaheim's home arena. The Ducks broke a three-game losing streak in their last game, but it was against the 2-8 Canadiens. The Ducks are also just 5-23 in their last 28 games as a home underdog while the favorite is 14-4 in the last 18 meetings of these two. Take New Jersey. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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10-30-21 | Panthers v. Bruins -122 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 13 h 56 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers. It's a bit unusual for a 7-0 team (now 8-0) to have its Head Coach resign, but the situation that led to Joel Quenneville stepping down as skipper of the NHL's best team had nothing to do with his job as Florida's bench leader. Still, it's not a distraction the Panthers need right now as they look to extend their historic winning streak against a good Bruins' team. Boston has revenge on its mind tonight as two games ago it wound up on the short end of a 4-1 decision in South Florida to this club. With the Panthers having played -- and defeated -- the Red Wings last night, regular #1 goalie Sergei Bobrovski will sit this one out and Florida will go its with 20-year-old back-up, Spencer Knight. The youngster from Stamford, CT hasn't done anything wrong in his two starts thus far but it's a lot to ask of him tonight against a healthy Bruins team and the likes of Bergeron, Marchand, and Pasternak. Florida is 4-13 in the last 17 meetings here in Boston. Take the Bruins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.Â
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10-29-21 | Blue Jackets v. Rangers -170 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 12 h 34 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Rangers come into tonight having had their win streak snapped at four games -- all on the road -- in a 5-1 drubbing by a very good Flames squad. That game was on Monday so the Rangers have had three days off to lick their wounds and get ready for this match-up with the Jackets. Nobody figures to benefit more from the three days of rest than Goalie Igor Shesterkin, who has been in net for five of New York's first seven games, including Monday's beat-down. Despite that tired performance, the 25-year-old Russian still sports a 3-1-1 record with a 2.17 GAA and .933 saves pct in his five starts. The Rangers should get a big boost tonight from the return of 2019 #1 draft pick, F Kaapo Kakko, who has been out since October 16 with an upper body injury. It's not 100% but all signs point to the 20-year-old Finnish winger returning to the ice for this game, as he's been upgraded to 'probable.. Columbus is 1-5 in its last six (and 19-39 in its last 58) games vs. division rivals. Take the Rangers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.Â
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10-28-21 | Flames v. Penguins -115 | Top | 4-0 | Loss | -115 | 11 h 1 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Calgary Flames. On the NHL's opening night of the 2021-2022 season, the league featured a marquee match-up of two teams that have won four of the last six Stanley Cups. And on that night, the Penguins embarrassed the Lightning in their home arena, 6-2. So, two nights ago the Bolts figured they'd return the favor in the Steel City, and pounded the Pens by a 5-1 margin. It's been a rollercoaster of a season like that for the Penguins -- literally -- as they have alternated wins and losses since that opening night. With veteran stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the twilight of their careers (not to mention newly-acquired Jeff Carter), the Pens have been highlighting some exciting young talent this season (Drew O'Connor, John Marino). But as expected, that has resulted in uneven play thus far. Still, we're going to take Pittsburgh tonight, as the Pens have won four of the last five meetings going back to the end of 2017. Pittsburgh is also 4-0 in its last four immediately after allowing five or more goals, and 18-3 its last 21 home games off a loss. Take the Pens. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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10-26-21 | Wild -115 v. Canucks | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 20 h 19 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Vancouver Canucks. Could this be the season that the Minnesota Wild finally breaks through and makes it to the Stanley Cup Finals? Since Dean Evason took over the reins of this team from Bruce Boudreau at the end of the 2019-2020 season, the Wild has gone 47-21-5 including a 4-1 record to start this season. Gone are two players who were stalwarts for nine years in Minnesota in Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. That may seem like a lot to overcome, but the Wild has a young star in 24-year-old Russian winger Kirill Kaprizov. Kaprizov was the Calder Trophy winner last season as the top rookie and he's looking to take his game to the next level and so far, he seems on track to do just that with five points in Minnie's first five games. Veteran Cam Talbot returns as the #1 goalie for the Wild and so far he is a perfect 4 for 4 coming into tonight. The Wild is 5-2 in the last seven meetings with the Canucks in Vancouver and the road team is 4-1 in the last five. Take Minnesota. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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07-02-21 | Lightning v. Canadiens +116 | Top | 6-3 | Loss | -100 | 7 h 51 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Tampa Bay Lightning. After being blitzed, 5-1, in Game 1 of this series (and outshot 27-19), the Canadiens took the action to Tampa Bay in Game 2, and significantly outshot them, 43-23. Unfortunately, the scoreboard didn't reflect that higher level of play, and Montreal lost, 3-1. The good news is that Montreal generally bounces back off games where they outshot their opponent, but lost, as they're 12-7 this year in those situations. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is 10-12 this year following a game where it won, but was outshot by its opponent. Of course, 10-12 doesn't sound awful, but to the extent Tampa was favored to win 21 of those 22 games, it is. Montreal is 35-20 after scoring less than 2 goals in its previous game, and 12-8 when playing with double-revenge. Take the underdog Canadiens tonight. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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06-28-21 | Canadiens v. Lightning -195 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 15 h 40 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Montreal Canadiens. The Stanley Cup finals are set and one side of the match-up is no surprise. The Lightning defeated the Isles, 1-0, in Game 7, to earn the opportunity to defend their Cup crown (and try to become just the second team to repeat since the 1997-1998 season). The other side however is a pretty big surprise. The Canadiens were as high as 50-1 underdogs (at William Hill) to win the Stanley Cup prior to the start of the playoffs, but they beat three heavily favored teams -- including a very good Knights squad in the last round -- to get to this point. There is almost no way that the Bolts are going to take them for granted. You have two goalies with tons of Stanley Cup experience and it must be said that the Habs wouldn't be here without the play of Carey Price. Having said that, you still have to give a pretty big edge to the Bolts in that department as Andrei Vasilevskiy is considered the best net minder on the planet right now. Tampa is healthy and ready to begin its title defense. The Lightning are 20-3 after scoring less than two goals in their previous game. And the favorite is also 14-3 in the last 17 meetings of these two. Take the Bolts. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-25-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -161 | Top | 0-1 | Win | 100 | 14 h 13 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders. In Game 5, the Lightning not only ran over the Isles 8-0, but they out-shot them 42-21 as well. They should have saved some of those shots for Game 6 in New York as the Bolts only put 24 shots on net Wednesday night. Although they led the game 2-0 more than halfway through, the Lightning couldn't seal the deal and they fell in overtime, 3-2. They will put all that behind them as the Bolts hit the reset button tonight and will have plenty of fans in the stands at home for what will be the last game of the season for one of these teams. The home team is 4-2 in this series and Tampa hopes that trend continues tonight at Amalie Arena. The Bolts thrive on these next-game revenge situations as they are 9-1 (+7 games on the moneyline) in their last 10 when revenging a one-goal loss to an opponent. They are also 5-0 in their last five immediately following an overtime loss while the Isles are just 5-6 in their last 11 following an OT victory. Take the Lightning. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-24-21 | Golden Knights -140 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -140 | 16 h 49 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs did it again, taking a must-win Game 5 in hostile territory on Tuesday night -- but at this point that shouldn't surprise anyone. The Montreal win in Vegas puts the Canadiens one win away from one of the most improbable Cup Finals in their storied history. But if you're the Knights, this is no time to panic. They were here in Montreal just four days ago coming off a similar loss and they held the Habs to just 21 shots on goal en route to a 2-1 overtime victory. Another reason for the Knights to have confidence going into tonight is the fact that they tend to shine in these revenge situations. Vegas is 6-1 (+7 games on the moneyline) in its last seven games revenging a loss of four or more goals to an opponent. Even though Vegas lost on the scoreboard, 4-1, it actually outshot the Canadiens. And it's 9-1 this season off a loss, in which it outshot its opponent. Meanwhile the Canadiens are 8-10 (-4 games on the moneyline) in their last 18 coming off a road victory by three or more goals. They are also 5-10 in their last 15 after allowing one goal or less in their previous game. Take the Knights. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-21-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -182 | Top | 0-8 | Win | 100 | 15 h 8 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders. If the Lightning didn't realize they were in for a major fight when the Islanders became their opponent for this semi-finals series, they certainly realize it now. With their win on Saturday, the Isles tied up this series at two games apiece. However, I expect to see a different Tampa team tonight back at home -- one that plays with the urgency and power that it displayed in the last two games of the series vs. Carolina. Tampa knows it has the benefit of the best goaltender in the game today and the offense needs to force the play in the Islanders zone without worrying too much about what could happen behind the play. The Bolts thrive in these revenge situations. They are 8-1 (+6 games on the moneyline) in their last nine when revenging a one-goal loss to an opponent (and 59-22 off any loss). They are also 4-0 in their last four when in a situation in which they are tied in a playoff series. Take the Lightning. As always good luck...Al McMordie. |
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06-20-21 | Golden Knights -174 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-1 | Win | 100 | 14 h 27 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Montreal Canadiens. Despite out-shooting them on Friday night by a lopsided 45-27 margin, the Knights somehow fell again to the Canadiens to go down two-games-to-one in this semifinals series. That's back-to-back 3-2 losses to this Cinderella Montreal team which at this point has earned the respect of just about anyone following the NHL playoffs. It's pretty much do-or-die tonight for Vegas, which must try to win again in hostile territory before the series moves back to the Strip for Game 5. Look for the Knights to change up some of their lines tonight in an attempt to get to Carey Price, who so far has proven to be almost as impenetrable as a Knight's armor. The Knights are 9-2 (+9 games on the moneyline) in their last 11 coming off of a road loss while the Canadiens are 19-30 (-18 games on the moneyline) in their last 49 after two consecutive victories. The Knights are also 11-3 (+10 games on the moneyline) in their last 14 revenging a loss as a road favorite. Take Vegas. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-18-21 | Golden Knights -159 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -159 | 15 h 53 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens surprised just about everyone by beating the heavily favored Knights on Wednesday in Vegas to even this series at 1-1. The Habs took a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 2 and never looked back. It was not one of Marc-Andre Fleury's best nights as he allowed three goals on 16 shots through the first two periods before settling down finally in the third period. But by then it was too late. The good news is that the veteran net-minder almost always uses a bad performance like that as motivation for his next one, so look for Fleury to play like his old self tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal. And the offense should pick it up tonight as well as the Knights are 9-2 in their last 11 after scoring less than three goals in their previous game. Finally, the Canadiens are 2-5 in their last seven coming off a one-goal road victory and 10-20 (minus 16 games on the moneyline) if they've won at least four of their previous five games. Take the Knights. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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06-15-21 | Islanders v. Lightning -195 | Top | 2-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 43 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders. The surprising Islanders keep on surprising their opponents. They took Game 1 of this series, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon and can now advance to the Stanley Cup Finals simply by winning all of their three home games in this series. Tonight is pretty much a 'must-win' for the Bolts who can ill-afford to go to Long Island down 2-0. The Lightning can take some comfort in the fact that the only times the Islanders beat the same team on the road in back-to-back games during the regular season was in Buffalo on February 15 and 16 and in New Jersey on March 14 and 15. It's a much taller order to do it against the defending Cup Champions before a full house in Tampa. And when the Bolt's offense is quieted in a game like it was on Sunday, they almost always come out firing in their next game as they are 30-5 (+22 games on the moneyline) in their last 35 after scoring one goal or less in their previous. Take Tampa Bay. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-09-21 | Bruins -130 v. Islanders | Top | 2-6 | Loss | -130 | 15 h 43 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New York Islanders. Just like they did against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Islanders have taken all the air out of the sails of their opponent with a huge Game 5 win on the road to take a 3-2 series lead. But even though the uniform colors of the Pens and Bruins may be very similar, there is reason to believe that the Isles will have a tougher time wrapping up the series tonight at home. For one thing, in the regular season, Boston only lost nine games in regulation on the road (Pittsburgh had lost 12), one of the lowest such numbers in the league. Second, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask was not 100% for Game 5 and had a rare off-night (four goals on 16 shots) before being replaced by rookie Jeremy Swayman. With a day off to recover, Rask should be ready to go tonight and eager to show everyone -- especially his teammates that -- Monday was a fluke. To wit: Rask's career GAA vs. New York is 1.88. Finally, the Bruins are a perfect 8-0 in their last eight games following back-to-back losses. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-08-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -138 | Top | 3-2 | Loss | -138 | 15 h 9 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights. After the Avs took games one and two of this series by a combined score of 10-3, Knights fans had to wonder if a move to the Vegas Strip would result in a turnaround. And it did, as the Knights not only won games three and four to even this series up, but they pretty much dominated both of those contests in the process. Now that attendance at most of the U.S. arenas is near full capacity, the home ice is becoming a much more important factor it would appear. Which is why this series is likely to shift yet again tonight when it returns to the Ball Arena -- a place which has wreaked havoc on most visitors all season long (even when there was nobody attending the Avs home games). The Avalanche are an incredible 20-0-1 over their last 21 home games and 12-2 in their last 14 immediately following a loss by three or more goals. Meanwhile, the Knights are 11-16 (-14 games on the moneyline) in their last 27 coming off a win by more than three goals. Take the Avalanche. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-07-21 | Islanders v. Bruins -185 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -185 | 14 h 27 m | Show |
At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New York Islanders. The Isles prevailed in their must-win game on Saturday and now the series swings back to Boston, knotted up at two games apiece. The final score on Saturday was 4-1, but this was really a one-goal game as New York scored a pair of empty-netters at the end. That's three extremely close games in a row, so although the Bruins look like a comfortable favorite tonight, they cannot make any mistakes. Tuukka Rask has been sensational in goal for Boston and he will need another stellar performance tonight if the Bruins are to go up 3-2. And the key stat for us tonight is that the Bruins are 13-1 their last 14 home games after scoring less than 2 goals in their previous game! Additionally, the hosts have had the edge between these two recently as the home team is 9-3 in the last 12 meetings and the Isles are just 1-4 in the last five here at TD Garden. The Isles are also just 12-16 (-8 games on the moneyline) in their last 28 coming off a home win by three or more goals. And the Bruins are 11-2 (+9 games on the moneyline) in their last 13 revenging a loss where the opponent scored four or more. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-06-21 | Avalanche +102 v. Golden Knights | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -100 | 9 h 17 m | Show |
At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Las Vegas Knights. Newsflash: The Avalanche have lost a post-season game. After sweeping the Blues in the first round and taking the first two over a strong Knights team, the Avs finally succumbed, 3-2 on the Vegas Strip on Friday. Vegas dominated the game, outshooting the Avs 43-20 which indicates that the score really shouldn't have been that close (Colorado actually held a 2-1 advantage five minutes into the 3rd period). This indicates that if the Avs can turn those shots-on-goal numbers around and/or compete at a much harder level (which coach Jared Bednar lamented was the REAL problem for Colorado in Game 3), they stand a good chance to head back to Denver with a commanding 3-1 series lead. The other good news for the Avs is that they tend to thrive in revenge situations. They are 13-2 (+10 games on the moneyline) in their last 15 (and 38-16 their last 54) revenging a same season loss vs. an opponent and they are 9-1 (+7 games on the moneyline) in their last 10 revenging a road loss. They are also 13-4 in their last 17 following a loss (6-1 in their last seven following a loss of one goal). Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-05-21 | Hurricanes v. Lightning -153 | Top | 4-6 | Win | 100 | 10 h 59 m | Show |
At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes have to be very disappointed that they couldn't win at least one of the first two games at home in Raleigh against the Lightning. But with their backs against the wall in Game 3 in Tampa, the 'Canes came through and scored in overtime to take a hard-fought 3-2 victory on Thursday. But if you're the Lightning, you have to feel pretty confident despite the loss. The Bolts out-shot the Canes, 37-27 and only the incredible play of Carolina goalie Petr Mrazek kept the Canes in the game. The Bolts don't want to go back to Raleigh with the series tied 2-2, with all of the momentum having swung Carolina's way. So look for them to come out more aggressive early on to try to establish that dominance on the ice -- and the scoreboard. The Bolts also know that despite Carolina's win on Thursday, the Hurricanes are still just 17-35 in the last 52 meetings overall and just 4-13 in their last 17 tries here at the Amalie Arena. Meanwhile, the Lightning are 57-22 off a loss. Take the Lightning. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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06-04-21 | Avalanche v. Golden Knights +104 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 104 | 15 h 58 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Colorado Avalanche. Our preseason pick to win this year's Stanley Cup was Colorado (at 7-1 odds), and the Avalanche have done nothing yet to dispel our belief that they will eventually be crowned the champs. They've won their last 11 games, and also earned the Presidents' Trophy for garnering the most points in the regular season. But Vegas tied Colorado for points in the regular season (it lost on the tie-breaker), and actually outplayed the Avs in Game 2, though it lost in overtime, 3-2, on a power play goal by Mikko Rantenen. Indeed, the Golden Knights struck the goal post five times on shots that got by Philipp Grubauer (and outshot the Avs, 41-25), so they were enormously unlucky on Wednesday night. The good news for Vegas is that it will be back home at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, where it went 21-5-2 this season. Even better: Vegas is 48-26 (+19.4 games on the moneyline) off a road loss, and 63-40 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season. Take the Golden Knights. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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06-02-21 | Canadiens v. Jets -132 | Top | 5-3 | Loss | -132 | 14 h 11 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Montreal Canadiens. Montreal surprised heavily favored Toronto, coming back from a 3-1 games deficit to advance to the second round. Now the Habs will try to do the same to the upstart Jets, who also pulled off an upset of their own (over the Oilers) in their first round series. But this may be more difficult than beating Toronto, whose offense went to sleep in the seven-game series. For one thing, the Jets have had the Habs number lately, taking seven of the last 10 meetings. Second, Winnipeg has had 10 days to rest, recover and prepare for this game while the Habs played two days ago and are still licking their wounds from that tough series. Including their first round four-game sweep of Edmonton, the Jets have now won six straight coming in so you could say they are peaking at just the right time. Montreal has won three straight but it is just 1-13 (-17 games on the moneyline) in its last 14 following a three-game win streak. And it's also a poor 24-37 (minus 19.9 games on the moneyline) off a win by 2+ goals. Take Winnipeg. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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06-01-21 | Lightning v. Hurricanes -110 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -110 | 16 h 27 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Tampa Bay Lightning. This series has the makings of a great one, as both clubs rightfully have championship hopes. The Lightning drew first blood with a Game 1 victory, 2-1, behind 37 saves from Andrei Vasilevskiy. We'll take the homestanding Hurricanes to bounce back in Game 2, as they are 23-9 here, in Raleigh, this season, including 6-2 if they lost their previous home game. And the Hurricanes are also 16-8 when playing with revenge. The Lightning, meanwhile, are an unprofitable 17-14 (minus 6.8 games on the moneyline) on the road this season, and are 8-8 (minus 6.7 games on the moneyline) off a road win. The revenge-minded team has won each of the last four meetings in this series, and we look for Carolina to extend that streak to five games. Take the Hurricanes. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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05-31-21 | Canadiens v. Maple Leafs -195 | Top | 3-1 | Loss | -195 | 17 h 54 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs had hoped to come into Montreal this past Saturday night to wrap up this series in six games, but had those hopes dashed when the Habs won in overtime. That was the second straight overtime contest won by the Canadiens, which has forced this Game 7 in Toronto tonight. Montreal had some fans in the stands on Saturday but it doesn't appear that will be the case tonight, in Toronto. So, key Leafs players, like Auston Matthews (only four points in six games so far), will have to step up tonight without the help of the Ontario faithful. Winning three straight could be a tall order for the Canadiens who are just 14-29 (-23 games on the moneyline) in their last 43 after taking two straight. And Toronto is 58-34 when playing with revenge, including 18-5 their last 23. Take the Maple Leafs to wrap up this series with a resounding victory on Monday night. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-30-21 | Golden Knights v. Avalanche -175 | Top | 1-7 | Win | 100 | 17 h 25 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights. Here is the match-up that almost everyone predicted and many want to see. The Avs and Knights finished the regular season with identical point totals (82) but it was Colorado's final win over Vegas on May 10 which gave it a chance to lock up the division title and Presidents Trophy provided it won its final two regular season games vs. the Kings (which the Avs did, easily). And just to show that their blowout wins at the end of the regular season (6-0 and 5-1) were not a fluke, the Avs then proceeded to dismantle a pretty good Blues team in the first round. In its four game sweep of St. Louis, Colorado out-scored the Blues by an embarrassing 20-7. No such easy time for the Knights, however, as they had to go to seven games to put away a very good Minnesota Wild club. So, Colorado is fresh and Vegas is anything but, after its grueling series which ended less than 48 hours ago with a 6-2 win in Game 7. The Avs are 11-0 at home in their last 11 after two straight wins by two or more goals, while the Knights are a poor 11-15 off a win by more than three goals. I predicted in the preseason that the Avalanche (at 7-1 odds) would win the Stanley Cup (last year, I correctly forecast the Lightning would win), and there's absolutely no reason to back off now, given the Avalanche's 9-game win streak. Take Colorado. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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05-29-21 | Maple Leafs -175 v. Canadiens | Top | 2-3 | Loss | -175 | 17 h 58 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Montreal Canadiens. This series looked like it might be over quickly after the Leafs swept Games 3 and 4 on the road in Montreal. But the Habs came back strong in Game 5 on Thursday, beating Toronto on its home ice in overtime as a huge underdog. So, Game 6 swings back to the Bell Centre which may sound like an advantage for the home team, but not so fast. Unlike the games in the U.S., these Canadian playoff series have been played without fans in attendance. And although there will be fans allowed for the first time tonight, it will be limited to 2500. More importantly, this series in general has not been friendly to the hosts recently. The road team is 4-1 in the last five meetings and Toronto is 5-2 in the last seven here in Montreal. Toronto is also very good in these revenge situations as the Leafs are 11-1 (+8 games on the moneyline) in their last 12 when revenging a one-goal loss vs. an opponent. Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-28-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -172 | Top | 2-6 | Win | 100 | 16 h 58 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild. Those who are surprised that this series has gone to a seventh game tonight probably weren't paying close enough attention to the games between these two recently. Few would argue that the Knights are the more talented club, but match-ups in the NHL can often be deceiving (look what happened in the East division's first round of games). Heading into this first-round Playoff match-up of #2 and #3 seeds, the Wild (the #3) had won five of the last six meetings -- all this season. So it really shouldn't be surprising at all that this series comes down to a seventh game on The Strip. In Game 6, the Wild shut out the Knights, 3-0 (their second shutout of the series). And while that was obviously a disappointing outcome for Vegas, it may bode well for tonight, as the Knights are 8-0 in their last eight games following a loss by more than two goals. Vegas is also 7-1 in its last eight games after scoring less than three goals or less in its previous game, and 62-38 when playing with revenge (including 11-0 its last 11 if it lost on the road by 3+ goals in the previous meeting). Take the Knights. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-26-21 | Panthers v. Lightning -138 | Top | 0-4 | Win | 100 | 15 h 27 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers. On paper, this does not appear to be a must-win situation for the Lightning, but fans of this team know better. The Bolts have a history of losing first round series (it happened to them two seasons ago despite winning the Presidents Trophy and posting a franchise-record 128 points). So Game 6 tonight at home is critical for Tampa. For technical support, consider that the home team is 22-11 in the last 33 meetings between these two, while the favorite is 20-6 in the last 26. After playing Florida pretty even through 40 minutes in Game 5, Tampa got careless with penalties in the final period and gave up a power play goal and then one into the empty net for a 4-1 loss. Look for the Bolts to be more disciplined tonight. Tampa is a spectacular 29-5 (+21 games on the money line) in its last 34 after scoring one goal or less in the previous game. Take the Bolts. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-25-21 | Predators v. Hurricanes -186 | Top | 2-3 | Win | 100 | 14 h 12 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Nashville Predators. This series seemed as though it might be a runaway when the first-place Hurricanes easily won the first two games at home and the Predators looked over-matched. But Nashville put it together in Games three and four and now the series is tied heading back to Raleigh tonight. And while this is starting to have the makings of a seven game series, the fact that Nashville will have to win at least one road game is not a good thing for the Preds, as the home team has won 10 straight in this series. And Nashville is also just 2-12 in the last 14 meetings here in North Carolina. Moreover, the Hurricanes are 10-5 (+3 games on the moneyline) in their last 15 coming off two or more consecutive road losses, while the Predators are 2-12 (-14 games on the moneyline) in their last 14 immediately after two straight wins by a single goal. Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-24-21 | Lightning v. Panthers +100 | Top | 1-4 | Win | 100 | 14 h 53 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida's first-round of the 2021 NHL playoffs is a case of good news/bad news. The bad news is somewhat obvious. The Panthers are down in this series by 3-1 and need a win to stay alive. The good news is that despite the fact that they lost both previous games here at home, the Panthers took Game 3 in Tampa, and are 20-10 here at home this season. It's perhaps easy to forget that the Panthers finished ahead of the Lightning in the Central Division by four points and also that they took the regular season series, five games to three. Florida has a way of bouncing back strong after having defensive lapses. The Panthers are 15-5 (+10 games on the moneyline) in their last 20 after allowing three or more goals in two straight and 14-5 (+9 games on the moneyline) in their last 19 after allowing four goals or more in their previous contest. Take Florida. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-23-21 | Oilers -125 v. Jets | Top | 4-5 | Loss | -125 | 14 h 17 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets. In what is probably the biggest surprise of the NHL post-season so far, the Winnipeg Jets have take a 2-0 lead on the road against a heavily-favored Oilers team. Never mind that Edmonton has the consensus #1 player in the world in F Connor McDavid, but they also featured the most productive defenseman this season in 29-year-old Tyson Barrie (48 points in 56 games). Now the Oilers have to win two on the road just to even the series and it starts tonight at the Bell MTS Place, a venue that's been pretty good to them this season. In the last five meetings here, the Oilers are 4-1, including taking the last three by a combined score of 12-2. And the Oilers are also 8-1 on the road off a loss, while the road team is now 5-0 in the last five meetings between these rivals. The Jets have now won four in a row but that may not bode well for tonight as they are 1-6 (-7 games on the moneyline) in their last seven immediately following a four-game unbeaten streak. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-22-21 | Canadiens v. Maple Leafs -165 | Top | 1-5 | Win | 100 | 16 h 2 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens surprised the favored home team in Game 1, beating the Maple Leafs in a very close 2-1 contest. Despite the disappointing loss, Toronto comes into Game 2 knowing that they out-played the Habs for most of the 60 minutes and they came out ahead in the shots department, 36-30. Montreal's win was its first in the last six games going back to May 5 and that included two straight losses to this Toronto club on May 6 and 8. But the Habs have a way of letting down after a big defensive effort, as they are 1-6 in their last seven after allowing two goals or less in their previous game. For the Leafs, Jack Campbell was very good in his NHL Playoff debut in goal, which wasn't a surprise given his strong season. The Maple Leafs are 10-1 (+9 games on the moneyline) in their last 11 revenging a home loss, and 23-11 (+17.2 games on the moneyline) when trailing in a playoff series, while Montreal is a poor 8-16 off a win, and 13-20 (minus 8.9 games on the moneyline) when leading in a playoff series. Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-21-21 | Jets v. Oilers -162 | Top | 1-0 | Loss | -162 | 17 h 12 m | Show |
At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets surprised the Oilers in Game 1 here in Edmonton, taking what seemed a somewhat lopsided 4-1 victory. And if you think most of the blame on Edmonton's side must lie with goalie Mike Smith, you may be mistaken. Despite only facing 20 shots, Smith actually stopped all but two of them with the game knotted at 1-1 through most of the 60 minutes of play. Yes, Smith was out-played by the brilliant Connor Hellebuyck, but there were two empty net goals at the end of the game that made the score look more one-sided than it really was. So while the result was obviously disappointing for the Oilers and their fans, they go into Game 2 knowing that they out-shot their opponents by 33-20 and that it was just the first time they lost back-to-back games in a couple of months (March 13 & 15). Despite their win on Wednesday night, the Jets are still just 2-6 in the last eight meetings with Edmonton, and an awful 2-10 off 3+ wins in a row. Meanwhile, Edmonton is 15-4 off back to back defeats, and 22-13 (+14.4 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a home loss by 2+ goals. Take the Oilers. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-20-21 | Penguins v. Islanders -108 | Top | 5-4 | Loss | -108 | 15 h 38 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Unlike last season's playoffs, when all the games were played at a neutral site, this season's games are being played at the home rinks of the various teams. And some teams (like the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins) have out-performed at home this season. Indeed, the Penguins were 22-6 at home in the regular season, but just 15-13 (minus 3 games on the moneyline) on the road. Likewise, New York is 21-7 at home this year, including a perfect 6-0 against teams that outscore their opponents by at least a half-goal. That bodes well for New York tonight. As does the fact that the Isles are a super 33-20 (+14 games on the money line) after scoring less than two goals in their previous game. With the Islanders off a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh in Game #2, we'll take the Islanders at home tonight, on Thursday. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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05-18-21 | Wild v. Golden Knights -159 | Top | 1-3 | Win | 100 | 16 h 12 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild. With their 1-0 overtime victory over the Knights in Game 1 on Sunday, the Minnesota Wild made it 12 wins in 17 meetings with Vegas since the Knights came into the league in 2017. That's a pretty dominant advantage and you can bet that if Vegas could have hand-picked someone else to play in the first round, it probably would have. But the Knights won 40 games in the regular season and they only lost five home games in regulation, so they have to put all that recent history behind them and just focus on what they do best and they should be able to even this series on the Strip tonight. If the Knights can take one thing from Game 1 and use it for momentum tonight it's the fact that they dominated play on Sunday, out-shooting the visitors by a lopsided 42-30 margin. Only the play of Wild goalie Cam Talbot kept that game close. The Knights are 8-3 (+6 games on the moneyline) in their last 11 games after getting shutout in their previous contest (and 39-17 after scoring 1 goal or less), while the Wild are an awful 3-10 off a shutout win. Take Vegas to turn the tables on Minnesota tonight. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-18-21 | Islanders v. Penguins -130 | Top | 1-2 | Win | 100 | 14 h 43 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New York Islanders. Four of the first seven 2021 NHL playoff games have gone to OT and a fifth easily could have. If this second game of the Pittsburgh-New York series heads there, it's likely bad news for the Pens, who lost Game 1 and need to dominate tonight before this series heads to Long Island. The Pens could get a huge boost by the return of C Evgeni Malkin who's been battling a lower body injury, but even if the 34-year-old can't re-join his team, Pittsburgh should still have enough firepower to level this series. Despite their victory on Sunday, the Isles are just 2-6 in the last eight meetings with the Pens and 16-35 in the last 51 here at the Igloo. The Isles will likely get #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov back tonight, which will be welcomed, even though Ilya Sorokin performed very well in Game 1. But I don't think that will be enough, as Pittsburgh is 17-4 (+12 games on the moneyline) in its last 21 revenging a loss vs. an opponent. And it's 15-2 at home off a loss in its previous game. Take the Penguins. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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05-17-21 | Predators v. Hurricanes -179 | Top | 2-5 | Win | 100 | 14 h 39 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Nashville Predators. With most of the focus being on the Maple Leafs, Lightning, Knights, Penguins, Capitals, and Avalanche, the Carolina Hurricanes have quietly put together one of the best seasons on record. Their 80 point total (36-12-8) is more than all but two teams in the league (Vegas and Colorado) and they only lost three games at home in regulation all season. Their first round series comes against a Predators team that many didn't think would be in the post-season right now. They finished the regular season strong, winning four of their last five games, including their last two against this 'Canes club to punch their ticket to the playoffs. But despite those two victories to end the regular season, the Preds are just 3-13 in their last 16 games vs. Carolina including 0-4 in their last four meetings here in Raleigh. Nashville is just 6-16 (-13 games on the moneyline) in their last 22 coming off of two consecutive wins against a Division rival. Take the Hurricanes. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-17-21 | Bruins -129 v. Capitals | Top | 4-3 | Win | 100 | 13 h 10 m | Show |
At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Washington Capitals. The Caps prevailed in Game one of this series in OT, but that important home victory came with a price. Up 1-0 and seemingly in control of things, goalie Vitek Vanecek sprawled to make a save on Jake DeBrusk but instead gave up the tying goal and remained face down on the ice. He was helped off with an obvious lower-body injury and the veteran Craig Anderson had to fill in for the Caps the rest of the game. Although Anderson acquitted himself well the rest of the way, he will have to carry the load for the Caps tonight and maybe beyond and that's a lot to ask of a 40-year-old third string goalie who has appeared in a total of four regular season games for his team. On the other side, Tuukka Rask was brilliant for the Bruins and he'll no doubt get the call again tonight in net for Game two. Normally the veteran goalie in a game, Rask is seven years Anderson's junior. Rask has a career 51-42 record with a 2.20 GAA in 93 NHL post-season starts. Take Boston. As always, good luck...Al McMordie. |
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05-11-21 | Canucks v. Jets -164 | Top | 0-5 | Win | 100 | 13 h 5 m | Show |
At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Vancouver Canucks. The Jets have already wrapped up a spot in the post-season, and will finish either 3rd or 4th, depending on whether the Montreal Canadiens can catch them. Winnipeg is only one point ahead of Montreal (but has played one less game), so it will do everything possible in its last two games to hold onto that position. The Canucks won't be skating in the post-season, as they've fallen to the cellar of the Division and will have to rebuild in the off-season. Last night, though, Vancouver didn't mail it in, as they defeated the Jets, 3-1. But I love Winnipeg in this rematch, as Vancouver is still just 7-20 in the last 27 meetings and 3-10 in the last 13 meetings in Winnipeg. And the Canucks are also a dreadful 13-24 off a road win. Meanwhile, Winnipeg is 33-19 (+25 games on the moneyline) off a division loss. Take the Jets. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.
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05-10-21 | Lightning +110 v. Panthers | Top | 0-4 | Loss | -100 | 16 h 52 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers. Both teams will be highly motivated for this final regular season game. If Florida secures at least one point, then it will have home ice advantage over Tampa in the opening round of the playoffs. But if the Lightning win in regulation, and earn two points, then they'll leapfrog Florida into second place, and host the Panthers for the first two playoff games. In Saturday's game, the Panthers dominated, and won by a 5-1 score. But off that blowout loss -- Tampa's 2nd straight defeat -- we'll take the defending Stanley Cup champs tonight. The Lightning are a super 7-0 on the road off back to back losses, and 38-19 when playing with revenge. And they're 28-4 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game. Finally, the Panthers are 36-53 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) after winning by more than three goals in their previous game. Take the Lightning tonight. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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05-08-21 | Lightning -108 v. Panthers | Top | 1-5 | Loss | -108 | 12 h 32 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers. These two teams are tied in the division standings for second place, with a two-game series at Florida over the next three days to decide which of the teams will have home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Florida got the better of Tampa Bay in the last meeting, as it won, 5-3, at Tampa on April 17. And the Panthers are currently riding a 4-game win streak. Still, we will play on the Lightning tonight, as they're 11-3 this season, and 38-18 their last 56 when playing with revenge.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an awful 67-83 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) off 3+ wins. Take Tampa. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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05-07-21 | Avalanche -273 v. Kings | Top | 3-2 | Win | 100 | 13 h 57 m | Show |
At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over Los Angeles. The Avalanche are in a tight battle with the Minnesota Wild for home ice advantage in the Playoffs' opening round, so they will remain focused down the stretch of this season. Tonight, Colorado will look to bounce back off a loss to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, on Wednesday. But, if history is any indication, the Avs will bounce back, as they're 12-4 this season off a loss. Los Angeles has won its last two games, but is a wallet-breaking 7-13 (minus 5 games on the moneyline) its last 20, and 28-50 (minus 11 games on the moneyline) its last 78, off a win in its previous game. And the Kings are 11-24 (minus 9 games on the moneyline) their last 35 off a road win. Take Colorado. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. |
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05-06-21 | Devils v. Islanders -240 | Top | 2-1 | Loss | -240 | 12 h 60 m | Show |
At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the New Jersey Devils. It seems not that long ago, the Islanders were the team to beat in the East Division. Fast forward and now the team that calls Long Island home is sitting in fourth place, although the Isles have locked up a coveted playoff spot. But the last thing you want to do is go into the post-season having lost a string of games to bad teams, yet that's exactly what the Isles are faced with tonight if they drop this one to the Devils. They come in having been swept in a pair by the Buffalo Sabres. So you can bet that, although the Isles don't have to win in these final few games, they certainly want to (and need to) if they're to go into the playoffs on the right note. They're in a great position tonight to do just that as the Devils are 2-12 in the last 14 meetings here on the island and 1-7 in their last eight games as a road underdog. New York is 30-18 (+12 games on the moneyline) in its last 48 immediately after allowing three or more goals in two straight games. Take the Isles. As always, good luck...Al McMordie
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