At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Seattle Kraken.  The Seattle Kraken's dream season continues.  With their win over the Oilers on Tuesday, the Kraken improved their overall record to 20-12-4 in just their second season in the league.  That Tuesday victory was a revenge win as the Oilers beat the Kraken on December 30 in Seattle.  That game also started a grueling seven game road trip for the Kraken who will play the first four of those (including Tuesday) in Canada.  Tonight it will be the very tough environs of Scotiabank Arena to face a very good Toronto squad.  The Leafs have only lost twice in regulation here at home this season, so Seattle has its work cut out for it this evening.  These teams have only met twice in their history, with the Maple Leafs winning each of those (one in February 2022 and one in March).  In each of those games, the Leafs scored six times so look for more of the same from Matthews and company tonight.  Toronto is 9-2 in its last 11 games vs. Western teams and 5-0 in its last five vs. teams from the Pacific.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Detroit Red Wings.  You can bet that the Devils are glad to see the month of December end.  New Jersey's NHL team entered the final month of 2022 with a sparkling 19-4 record.  But they had a dismal December, winning just four times in 13 games to drop their record to 23-13 -- still pretty good, but not nearly as dominant as their first two months.  The Devils are a very talented team, but also very young so big streaks like that are not all that surprising.  Tonight they'll face a team that struggled in the last month as much as they did.  Like New Jersey, Detroit went 4-9 in December to bring its overall record below the .500 mark (16-12-7).  The Wings' roster is missing several key players right now due to injury, including #1 goalie Ville Husso who missed the last two games with an illness and is doubtful to play this evening.  This series has not been very friendly to the hosts lately as the road team is 4-0 in the last four meetings.  The Red Wings are also 11-23 in their last 34 games following a victory.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights.  If the season ended today prior to this game, the defending champion Avalanche would not make the post-season after Seattle's victory last night at home over the Islanders.  The Avs are off to a slower than expected start and have lost three straight coming into tonight -- their third three-game losing streak of the season.  The Knights have had their struggles lately as well, having won just three of their last seven games going back to December 17.  Their biggest problem right now is injuries as no fewer than nine regular Vegas players are temporarily on the shelf, out indefinitely, or lost for the season.  The Knights' goalie tandem of Logan Thompson and Adin Hill has not been sharp lately with Thompson allowing 12 goals over his last three starts and Hill allowing 10 over his last three.  The Avalanche are 49-14 in their last 63 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  They are also 6-2 in their last eight immediately after a home loss of three or more goals.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the New York Islanders.  The Kraken got off to a fast start this season, but ended 2022 with a thud.  On Friday, Seattle was blown out, 7-2, by Edmonton.  Even worse, that loss dropped the Kraken to 5th place in the Pacific division, and out of the playoff picture.  So, Seattle will look to bounce back tonight against an Islanders team on a 3-game win streak after a 2-1 win vs. Columbus.  But each of those three wins by New York came at home.  On the road, the Isles are 1-4 their last five.  And New York's also 76-103 (minus 37.4 net games) off 3 or more wins.  Take Seattle.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The Wild were upset by Dallas at home, 4-1, on Thursday.  But I love them to bounce back tonight.  Last season, the Blues knocked Minnesota out of the playoffs with a 4-2 series win.  No doubt, the Wild have had this date circled on their calendar since the season started.  We'll take the Wild to avenge that playoff ouster, as they're 13-5 off a home loss by 2+ goals.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Vancouver.  The Canucks won their 3rd straight game when they blew out San Jose, 6-2.  Unfortunately, the Canucks are 6-10 after scoring more than 5 goals in their previous game.  The Jets, meanwhile, suffered their 3rd straight loss Tuesday when the Minnesota Wild came into Manitoba, and left with a 4-1 victory.  But the Jets are 11-3 off a division loss, and 6-1 after scoring less than 1 goal in their previous game.  Take Winnipeg over Vancouver.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New York Islanders.  Dating back to November 17, the Pens are 13-4, including 6-1 on the road.  Meanwhile, the Islanders are 4-8 their last 12, including 2-3 at home.  Admittedly, New York did play a great game at home its last time on the ice, as it blew out Florida, 5-1.  But the Islanders are a dreadful 63-85 (minus 44.8 net games) at home after scoring 4+ goals in a home win, and 18-38 their last 56 vs. winning foes.  And they're also 15-24 their last 39 off a win by 2+ goals.  Both teams, of course, had the holiday weekend off to relax with their families.  And the Pens are 9-2 when well-rested following a 3-day (or greater) stretch of no games.  Take Pittsburgh.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New York Islanders.  With more than one-third of the season elapsed, the two New York-based NHL teams have almost identical records.  Both the Rangers and Islanders have 18 victories coming into tonight, with the Rangers winning the scoring differential battle, +18 to +12.  The Rangers lost a tough one on Monday, falling in Pittsburgh to the Pens by a 3-2 final.  They'll try to start another win streak tonight at home as, before the loss in the Steel City, they had won seven straight.  Three of those seven were here at Madison Square Garden and that's a good sign as the Rangers had previously been struggling at home.  The biggest problem for the Isles right now is that #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov (8-3-1 with a 2.65 GAA in 12 games) is nursing an injury and hasn't resumed skating which means he will almost certainly miss tonight's game.  That means backup Ilya Sorokin will man the net and the Isles are 0-6 in his last six starts.  The Isles are also 1-5 in their last six playing on two days of rest.  Take the Rangers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Tampa Bay.  After earning a point in 15 consecutive games, the Leafs stumbled in their last two outings at the Rangers, and at the Capitals.  But Toronto is back home tonight, and it's a stellar 25-4 at home following a road game.  And it's also 55-22 at home when the total was 6+ goals.  Meanwhile, Tampa is a poor 2-6 (minus 7.8 net games) when it was on a 5-game win streak.  The Leafs play this game with revenge from an overtime loss in Tampa earlier this month (not to mention a playoff series loss last spring).  The Maple Leafs are 34-14 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the St Louis Blues.  Vancouver got off to a slow start this season, as it was 0-7 its first seven games, and 4-12 its first 16.  But since then, the Canucks have played much better, and have won nine of their last 14, while averaging 3.50 gpg.  The Canucks' offense didn't show up on Saturday, as Vancouver was blown out at home, 5-1, by the Winnipeg Jets.  They're on home ice once again tonight, and they're a solid 12-5 (but +11.0 net games) off a home loss by 3+ goals.  Take the Canucks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the San Jose Sharks.  James Reimer was in goal for San Jose last night, so back-up Kaapo Kahkonen will be between the pipes tonight vs. Calgary.  When we last saw Kahkonen, he was getting torched by Vancouver, and only lasted two periods before getting pulled.  He surrendered four goals on 19 shots that night, which lowered his save percentage to .877, and raised his GAA to 3.71.  The Sharks have yet to beat a Pacific division rival here, at home, this season, as they're 0-6.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Kraken over the Winnipeg Jets.  At 16-10-3, they still have a winning record and they're still probably the most surprising team in the league, but the Kraken have run into some rough waters lately.  Coming into tonight, Seattle has lost five of its last six games -- all against Eastern Conference opponents.  So maybe they're happy to be playing a team from the West -- albeit a pretty good one in Winnipeg.  For the Jets, they had lost five of their last seven before winning last night's contest against the Canucks.  They will have a quick --less than 24 hours -- turnaround after their 10:00 pm ET Saturday match-up in Vancouver.  The Jets have a stingy defense at home this season, allowing just 2.25 GPG when playing in Winnipeg.  But on the road, that number balloons to 3.08.  The Jets went with regular #1 goalie Connor Hellebuyck last night against the Canucks which means they will use back-up David Rittich tonight.  Seattle is 5-0 in its last five games vs. teams from the Western Conference.  Take the Kraken.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the St. Louis Blues.  Yesterday, St. Louis went into Edmonton, and outlasted the Oilers with a 4-3 shootout victory.  The Blues #1 Goalie, Jordan Binnington, started that game, so back-up Thomas Greiss will be in net tonight.  Unfortunately for the Blues, their opponents have scored at least 4 goals in each of Greiss' 7 starts this season, for an average of 4.57 gpg.  A year ago, for Detroit, Greiss had the worst saves percentage (.891) of his career (not including seasons where he made less than 16 starts).  This season has started off similarly for Greiss, as his saves percentage is a dreadful .899.  The Flames will be looking to snap a 4-game losing streak tonight.  But Calgary hasn't been playing all that poorly, as its last three losses have all come after regulation.  So, it is a decent 3-1-3 in its last seven games.  Still, the Flames will need to break out of their offensive slump (9 goals in last 4 games) tonight.  However, given Greiss' season stats, I believe they will light the lamp several times tonight.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  It was a short road trip that just concluded for the Rangers, but a very successful one.  With victories over the Golden Knights in Vegas and the Avalanche in Denver, the Rangers beat two of the very best that the West has to offer.  Now they return home to face two of the best in the East in the Devils (tonight) and Maple Leafs (Thursday) before heading out for three more on the road.  The talented but young group from across the Hudson River looks like not only one of the best in the Conference, but in the entire League right now.  With a goal scoring average of 3.70 and a goals-against of 2.33, the Devils have a scoring differential of 1.37, which is the second-best in the NHL (Boston @ 1.77).  They just took care of business here at Madison Square Garden less than a month ago, beating the Rangers on that occasion by 5-3.  The Devils are a remarkable 11-0 in their last 11 road games while New York is 2-8 in its last 10 vs. teams with a winning percentage above .600.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Vegas Golden Knights.  What did the Bruins do after the Golden Knights broke their home win streak at 14 games?  They shrugged it off and began a three-game road trip with a shutout victory in Colorado over the defending Stanley Cup Champions.  But then they followed that up by going into Arizona and suffering one of the biggest upset losses in the league this season as the Coyotes triumphed 4-3.  That brings us to the Vegas Strip and a huge revenge situation for Boston.  The Bruins will try to avenge that home loss less than a week ago at T-Mobile Arena tonight against a very good Knights club.  But the good news for the Bruins -- and bad news for Vegas -- is that Boston has not lost back-to-back games all season.  And the Knights haven't exactly been tearing it up here lately.  In their last four home games they are 1-3 and have scored a total of just six goals .  That lone victory came here on Friday and Vegas needed overtime to beat the lowly Flyers.  Boston is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Islanders.  The Hurricanes must have felt pretty good when they came to Anaheim near the end of their current road trip on Tuesday.  After all, Carolina had gone 3-0 with wins in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Los Angeles and now they were facing a Ducks team that was 6-17-3.  But Anaheim pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, beating the 'Canes 4-3 in overtime.  That sent the 'Canes packing back to the east coast and tonight they play the Islanders in New York.  The Isles come into tonight having just upset the Devils in New Jersey last night, 6-4.  So now they play at home on zero days of rest which is the opposite of the Hurricanes who come in having had three days off.  With Semyon Varlamov having gone in goal in the big win against New Jersey, the Isles will likely go with back-up Ilya Sorokin tonight.  New York has lost each of Sorokin's last three starts vs. the Blues, Predators, and Flyers.  Carolina is 13-5 in its last 18 games playing on three or more days of rest.  Take the 'Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Anaheim Ducks.  Anaheim comes into tonight's game off a 4-3 win over the Carolina Hurricanes.  Unfortunately, the Ducks are 12-31 at home vs. division rivals, and 18-35 off a win (including 6-22 off a 1-goal win).  And while it's true that San Jose's defense has sprung a leak, lately, with 17 goals surrendered over its last three games, the Sharks are also 5-1 after giving up 5+ goals in each of their three previous games.  Take San Jose.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Montreal Canadiens.  The Glory Days of both the Oilers and Canadiens are clearly behind them now, although Montreal made a surprise visit to the Cup Finals in the Pandemic-shortened 2020-2021 season.  But if one of these two were to hoist the Cup anytime soon, it would likely be Edmonton, which features some very talented players -- both veterans and youngsters.  The Habs' biggest problem right now is staying healthy.  No fewer than seven Montreal players are either questionable for tonight or out for an extended period of time.  Having said that, they Habs have managed to win three of their last four -- all of which have been on the road as is tonight's contest.  This would appear to be a much better match-up for the Oilers, who are 6-1 in their last seven games against teams from the Atlantic whereas the Habs are 6-16 in their last 22 vs. teams from the Pacific.  Montreal is also 11-23 in its last 34 games following a win and 17-38 in its last 55 road contests.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Nashville Predators.  The Predators have won three of their last four games, although it took extra time to get each of their wins.  They needed a shootout to beat the Coyotes on November 21 and then after a shutout loss loss to the Red Wings in their next game, the Preds needed overtime to beat both the Ducks on Tuesday and Devils on Thursday.  From New Jersey, the Predators head east to play the Islanders at the relatively new UBS Arena.  Nashville has a winning record at home this season (7-3-2), but on the road it is just 4-6.  The main reason for the Predators' road struggles is a 3.90 goals-against average when playing away from home.  The Islanders have had two days off since a Tuesday loss in Philadelphia to the Flyers and they're 6-1 in their last seven home games coming into tonight.  The Preds, on the other hand, are 1-5 in their last six games when playing with zero days of rest as well as 2-8 in their last 10 in games vs. teams from the Eastern Conference.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Penguins come into tonight's game off back to back losses on Saturday to Toronto, and on Tuesday to Carolina.  But we'll take Sidney Crosby & Co. to bounce back tonight against the Golden Knights.  The Penguins have won each of the last three meetings between these clubs.  And the Pens are also 37-20 at home when the O/U line was 6+ goals, and 11-4 off a division home loss.  Take the Penguins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Seattle Kraken.  Last season -- their inaugural one -- the Seattle Kraken had one three game win streak and nothing longer than that.  A quarter of the way through 2022-2023 and the surprising Kraken already have a five-game win streak going (and counting) and it's their second of at least five games so far since the season began.  At 13-8, Seattle is probably the most surprising team in the NHL at this early stage.  The Kraken haven't lost since dropping an OT decision to the Jets on November 13 and they've already beaten the Kings twice so far this season.  But let's not hand Seattle the Stanley Cup quite yet.  They still have a lot of work to do, especially on defense as they allowed four goals to the Ducks and five to the Sharks in recent games.  This season's Kings team seems to play to the level of their competition.  Though overall they are a .500 club, the Kings are 5-1 in their last six games vs. teams with a winning percentage of .600 or better.  Take Los Angeles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Washington Capitals.  The decimated Capitals managed to eke one out on Wednesday night, topping the Flyers in OT, 3-2.  DC is still without D Orlov, W Wilson, and C Backstrom with Wilson the first one expected back in mid-to-late December.  The injuries have hurt the Caps deeply and it shows in the numbers.  Last year, this team averaged 3.29 GPG, good for the 10th best scoring rate in the League.  So far in 2022-20223, the Caps are averaging just 2.76 GPG, good for just 26th out of the 32 teams.  The Flames had won four of five before losing to the Penguins in Pittsburgh in a shootout on Wednesday, 2-1.  The Flames' defense and goaltending has been better on the road this season, as they have allowed 3.36 GPG in Calgary versus just 3.00 in eight games away from home.  The road team is 10-4 in the last 14 meetings of these two clubs.  Take the Flames.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Boston Bruins.  The best team in the NHL so far this season is the Boston Bruins who have opened their 2022-2023 campaign at an almost historical pace.  Boston is 17-2, has won seven in a row, and has a league-best +40 goal scoring differential already.  The best team last season had a +94 scoring differential, so if Boston keeps going at this rate, it will basically double that number by season's end.  That +94 was put up by the Panthers last season and after a solid start in October, they've stumbled a bit lately.  Florida has lost three straight coming into tonight but the Panthers are still a very dangerous team, especially here at home as the hosts are 4-0 in the last four meetings of these two teams.  The Panthers' 3.56 goals-per-game at home is one of the best such numbers in the East so far this season.  The Bruins on the other hand have allowed just 1.64 goals-per-game at home but that number goes up to 2.75 when they're playing away.  Both of their losses this season have come on the road.  Take the Panthers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Vancouver Canucks.  They started out the NHL season as hot as a pistol but now the Golden Knights have cooled off, losing three of their last four games coming into Vancouver.  The last one was especially tough as Vegas dropped a 4-3 overtime decision in Edmonton despite out-shooting the Oilers by 11 (34-23).  This is the Knights' first match-up against the Canucks this season.  Vancouver has been struggling so far, winning just six times over its first 18 games.  A big part of the problem for the Canucks has been injuries.  They are currently without their top LW, Tanner Pearson, who is out until late December after undergoing hand surgery.  Vancouver is also missing one of its top blue-liners as D Travis Dermott on the sidelines while waiting to clear concussion protocol and there is no timetable for his return.  The Canucks have allowed 3.89 goals per game this season -- third worst in the League.  The Knights are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings with the Canucks in Vancouver.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the NY Rangers over San Jose.  The Rangers play this game with revenge from a 3-2 overtime loss to the Sharks in New York.  San Jose comes into this game off a 7-4 home loss to the Red Wings.  Unfortunately, the Sharks are 35-60 off a loss, and 10-30 at home when the O/U line was 6+ goals.  The Rangers have won the last 4 meetings here, in San Jose (and 12 of the last 18).  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Chicago Blackhawks.  The Blackhawks are a team with a lot of success over the past 20 years, including three Stanley Cups between 2009 and 2015.  So the current dry spell must be hard for the fans of this proud franchise to stomach.  The Hawks have only been to the post-season once in the past five years, and that was a first-round exit.  They have a new coach in Luke Richardson but it will take more than him to turn this club around after GM Kyle Davidson stripped it down to the core this summer.  The Hurricanes have looked like world-beaters one game, and then an AHL team the next.  In their previous game, they lost a tough one to the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche, so they look to bounce back tonight against a team they've dominated lately.  Top net-minder Frederik Andersen has been placed on the IR but is eligible to return tonight.  Regardless, the 'Canes have gotten solid reserve play from the tandem of Antii Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov.  Carolina is 5-1 in the last six meetings with the Hawks and 6-2 in the last eight in Chicago.  Meanwhile, the Blackhawks are 11-40 their last 51 vs. foes with a winning record!  Take the 'Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Washington Capitals.  These two teams met just two nights ago, and Washington walloped Tampa, 5-1.  We'll take the Lightning in this rematch, as they're 24-3 at home vs. an opponent which won the season's previous meeting  And Tampa's also 23-5 after scoring less than 2 goals in its previous game.  Take the Lightning.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Which version of the Islanders will show up tonight at UBS Arena?  Will it be the one that beat the Flames and Rangers on back-to-back nights last Monday and Tuesday?  Or will it be the one that got shut out by the Red Wings in Detroit just before those two wins and then -- even worse -- was blanked in its last game here in New York by the lowly Coyotes?  They get a chance to bounce back tonight against another bad team as the 4-9 Blue Jackets come to Queens for the first time this season.  The Jackets made a huge move signing F Johnny Gaudreau in the off-season to a seven-year contract.  Gaudreau now plays on the top line alongside fellow star Patrik Laine, but will this pairing be enough to overcome the Jackets' serious defensive and goaltending shortcomings?  Through the first 13 games, Columbus has the worst goals-against in the East at 4.38 (second-worst in the NHL to the Ducks).  The Jackets are 3-8 in the last 11 meetings (1-5 in the last six here in NY).  Take the Isles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Washington Capitals.  The Pens are mired in a long, 7-game losing streak, after dropping a 3-2 decision to the Seattle Kraken four days ago.  But we'll play on them tonight in Washington, against their division rival.  The Penguins are a solid 57-39 in division games, and they're 35-16 when playing with at least 3 days' of rest.  Take the Penguins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over the Arizona Coyotes.  No Jack Eichel, no problem should be the theme for the Sabres this season.  Buffalo is 7-5 in its first 12 games and they no longer have the ultra-talented but oft-disgruntled 26-year-old superstar Center on the team.  The Sabres finally traded Eichel to the Golden Knights last season and although Vegas seems to be thriving with Eichel, Buffalo is doing just fine too.  Last season, the Sabres had a revolving door of goaltenders that included no fewer than six net-minders, led by veteran Craig Anderson.  With the off-season signing Eric Comrie from the Jets, Buffalo seems to be set on going with him and the 40-year-old Anderson as its tandem this season.  Team defense has been a weakness of the Sabres for quite some time, but there’s reason to believe they have a group trending in the right direction, led by 2018 #1 overall draft pick Rasmus Dahlin.  The Coyotes are 6-16 in the last 22 meetings with the Sabres.  And they're 17-33 off a win. Take Buffalo.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Detroit Red Wings.  The Rangers (and goalie Igor Shesterkin) were smashed, 5-2, by the Boston Bruins last Thursday night.  Still, there isn't much shame in losing to Boston these days, as it has the league's best record.  And that was Shesterkin's first loss in regulation this season (the Rangers are 6-1-2 in his starts).  After having the last two days off, New York will be the fresher team tonight, given that Detroit played in the Motor City yesterday vs. the Islanders.  We'll take the Rangers to bounce back off that loss, as they're 29-19 (+9.2 net games on the moneyline) after allowing 4+ goals in their previous game.  Meanwhile, Detroit is 2-5 off a shutout win; 12-22 off a home win; 6-14 off a win by 3+ goals.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over New Jersey.  The Devils will look for a 3-game sweep in Western Canada, as they defeated Vancouver (5-2) and Edmonton (4-3) earlier this week.  But the Devils are 17-27 after scoring 4+ goals in their previous game, and 8-13 off back to back wins.  Even worse:  this will be New Jersey's 3rd game in five days.  And it's a wallet-breaking 32-68 when playing 3 games in five days, including 4-10 if all three games came on the road.  Take Calgary.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Last season's Stanley Cup winners are once again most people's favorites to bring home the hardware next June.  The Avalanche managed to keep most of their core from the 2021-2022 Cup winning team and they even added some quality players as well.  At no point in the playoffs did the Avs trail a series and they never lost back-to-back games on their way to their third Championship.  On the goaltending front, the Avs replaced Darcy Kuemper -- now with Washington -- with Alexandar Georgiev, a once-promising young goaltender with the Rangers who got passed on the team’s depth chart by Igor Shesterkin.  Colorado will roll with a tandem of Georgiev and Pavel Francouz for 2022-23.  This will be the first of two games these two teams play in Finland, as part of the NHL's Global Series.  The Blue Jackets are 8-21 in their last 29 games overall and 1-15 away from home after allowing more than 3 goals in back-to-back games.  Meanwhile, the Avalanche are 12-2 in their last 14 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Montreal Canadiens.  The Jets had another unremarkable season in 2021-2022, finishing with a 39-43 record and missing the playoffs.  Some would say it was a long time coming, but Winnipeg finally parted ways with coach Paul Maurice less than half-way through last season's campaign.  They originally signed Dave Lowry to act as their interim skipper but cut him loose and have now settled on 67-year-old Rick Bowness to take over behind the bench on a permanent basis.  Bowness has been around the NHL block, holding jobs with the Jets, Bruins, Senators, Islanders, Coyotes, Canucks, Lightning, and (most recently) the Stars. He reached the Stanley Cup Finals as head coach of Dallas in 2020.  So far, so good, as the Jets have a winning record (5-3-1) with Bowness this season.  They'll face a Montreal team which finished last season in the cellar of the league (22-49-11).  This season, the Habs are 5-5 following a 4-1 loss at Minnesota.  We'll take Winnipeg tonight, as Montreal is 7-23 in its last 30 games following a loss of three or more goals.  Take the Jets.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Seattle Kraken.  As the NHL's newest expansion team, the Kraken begin just their second season in the league.  The biggest question for 2022-2023 for this club is will it "unleash" some significant offense, something it was not able to do on a regular basis last season.  After a disappointing inaugural season, the Kraken were productive in the off-season and not surprisingly, most of the activity centered around offense. They filled holes at forward with the additions of Burakovsky and Bjorkstrand.  But the truth is they still have a long way to go to match the productivity of most of their rivals, including the Flames.  There's also trouble on the other end as well as #1 goaltender Philipp Grubauer has landed on injured reserve with a bad back and there is no timetable for his return.  That leave's Seattle's net-minding duties to 33-year-old Martin Jones who had a 12-22 record and 3.42 GAA with Philadelphia last season.  The Kraken have never beaten Calgary (0-4) and aren't likely to do so tonight, either.  Take the Flames.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Anaheim Ducks.  To say Toronto's first west coast road swing of the season is not going as planned would be a huge understatement.  The team many think can go all the way this season started out with a victory in Winnipeg, but has since lost three straight in Vegas, San Jose and Los Angeles.  They end the trip tonight in Anaheim.  The Ducks have had a roller coaster ride in the last 12 months.  First, GM Pat Verbeek took a flame-thrower to the club and sold off many of its assets.  Then this past summer he apparently decided that he wanted to go shopping to replace what he had lost.  Whether that strategy works remains to be seen, but the early returns are not good.  The Ducks currently sit at 1-6-1, with their lone victory coming against the Kraken in overtime.  The Leafs are 19-7 in the last 26 meetings with the Ducks and the favorite is 8-1 in the last nine meetings.  Anaheim is also 0-6 in its last six games vs. teams from the Atlantic Division.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Philadelphia Flyers.  Are the Flyers really as good as their start to the season suggests?  The answer to that remains to be seen, but you have to admire the 5-2 start that this team has had.  Any success the Flyers have this season will be considered a victory for them as there are few expectations for this club.  That's not the case with the Hurricanes.  Carolina has been knocking on the door of a Conference championship for several years now, but hasn't been able to break through.  However many people think that this is the team that will finally do it.  Frederik Andersen is considered the #1 goalie for the 'Canes, but it's been back-up Antti Raanta who's been performing better.  With Andersen having played last night, it will be Raanta's turn tonight.  Despite their early success this season, the Flyers are 13-40 in their last 53 games vs. the Eastern Conference, and 17-36 their last 53 off a win.  The favorite is also 5-1 in the last six meetings of these two.  Take the 'Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Penguins' glory days may be fading fast what with players like Crosby, Malkin and Letang all reaching their upper 30s soon.  So, the question is whether or not this team has one more big playoff run in them before those players (and others) are gone.  Whatever happens, this is still a club with plenty of fire-power, as evidenced by the fact that in each of the Pens' victories they scored six goals.  Of course, with a suspect defense and net-minding, the Pens can also have six goals scored against them almost as readily.  They've lost two in a row coming into tonight but those were to the Flames and Oilers.  Tonight, they'll step down in class with a match against Vancouver .  The Canucks are a team in transition, and are 1-5-2 this season.  Vancouver is 1-10 in its last 11 vs. Eastern teams and the favorite is 5-0 in the last five meetings of these two.  Take the Pens.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the San Jose Sharks.  All Toronto hockey fans are wondering the same thing right now:  will this be the season that the Maple Leafs finally break through to make it to their first Stanley Cup Finals since 1967 (they won it that year too).  The Leafs feature the most prolific goal scorer in the East, if not the entire league.  C Auston Matthews is the current favorite to win the Rocket Richard trophy after his 60-goal season in 2021-2022.  The Leafs aren't exactly tearing it up so far as they've had some injuries early on.  Perhaps a trip to San Jose to play the Sharks is what the doctor ordered.  Even at 90% health, Toronto should be able to handle a Sharks team which is very much in transition and likely to finish near the bottom of the standings this season.  They've already lost seven games this season -- most in the NHL.  San Jose averaged 2.57 goals per game last season, third fewest behind Arizona (2.51) and Philly (2.56), and that's not likely to get better.  The favorite is 16-5 in the last 21 meetings of these two.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Colorado Avalanche.  In what could be a Stanley Cup Finals preview, the Avs visit Madison Square Garden for the first and only time this season.  At 3-2-1, the Avs are off to a slower start than many people may have expected, but it's really not all that surprising.  Team Captain Gabriel Landeskog underwent knee surgery earlier this month and will be out until sometime in January.  It's a tough blow to a team trying to defend its championship, but it's better that it happened now as opposed to the Spring.  Meanwhile the Rangers -- also 3-2-1 -- are healthy and ready to take it to the next level in the East.  They lost in the Conference Finals to the Lightning last season but with Tampa finally looking like it's going to be in rebuilding mode, the torch may indeed be passed to the team from Manhattan.  The addition in the off-season of veteran C Vincent Trocheck may be the last piece of the puzzle for this squad.  The home team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings of these two clubs.  Take the Rangers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning shocked the Avs on Friday night, winning Game 5 in Denver in OT to bring the series back to Tampa for a final home game this season.  Once again, Colorado probably did enough to win the game and hoist the Cup on Friday, out-shooting the visitors by 37-29.  But a few bounces didn't go its way so here we are with Game 6 tonight.  The Avs could get a huge boost by the expected return of winger Andre Burakovsky from his hand injury tonight.  He is listed as "possible" but the 27-year-old star will travel with the team to Tampa and if there is any way he can be out on the ice tonight, then you can bet he will.  Before the Avs lost Game 3 here, they were 7-0 in road games in these Playoffs.  And with their win in Game 4, they are now 8-1 coming into tonight.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  If the Avalanche players are hoisting the Stanley Cup for the third time in their franchise's history in a week's time or less, they will no doubt look back at Wedneday's Game 4 as the game that made it all possible.  Out-shot and out-played through most of the first three periods, the Avs had to come from behind on two occasions in Tampa's home arena in front of a deafening roar of 20,000 Lightning crazies.  They somehow managed to get it to the overtime period and then -- for the second time in this series -- ended it before the 20 minute extra stanza was completed.  Now they come back to Denver with a 3-1 lead and a chance to end it in their home building in front of their own rabid fans.  They don't want to go back to Tampa because they know what the Bolts can do in a Game 6 and 7 scenario, so look for Colorado to pull out all the stops and leave nothing on the ice at the end of 60 minutes.  The Avs are 59-13 in their last 72 home games and 36-15 in their last 51 playoff games as a favorite.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  For the Lightning to just win Game 3 at home after getting blown out in Game 2 in Denver would have been okay.  But what they really wanted to do was make a statement.  Well, statement made as on Monday night the Bolts pretty much did to the Avs what the Avs did to them in Game 2, blasting the visitors 6-2 to get within a win of leveling the series.  But despite their worst loss of the post-season so far, the Avs needn't panic.  Once again they out-shot the Lightning on Monday, 39-33 and they pretty much threw in the towel after the second period, removing starting goalie Darcy Kuemper from the game and replacing him with back-up Pavel Francouz.  The move saved Kuemper -- who was obviously not at his best -- from having to play more in a game which was already decided and should help him recover for tonight's critical Game 4.  The Avs are 21-5 in their last 26 games immediately following a loss by three goals or more, and they're 7-1 in their last eight road games.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  It was a tight Game 1 for the home team as the Avs prevailed here in Denver when Andre Burakovsky scored just 1:23 into the overtime period for a 4-3 win.  Even though Colorado never trailed, it's better that the Avs had that type of game in the Stanley Cup Finals opener rather than one of the high-scoring blowouts we've become so accustomed to with this offensive machine of a team, as blowouts can sometimes lead to complacency.  The Avs did exactly what they needed to, firing 38 shots on the Tampa net-minder while holding the Bolts' offense to just 23 shots on Darcy Kuemper.  In some ways, Colorado flipped the script on the tight-checking Lightning, beating Tampa at its own game.  Tonight's game is crucial before the Avs head to Tampa, where the Bolts are 7-1 in these playoffs.  With the victory, Colorado is now 4-1 in the last five meetings with Tampa going back to October of 2019.  And it's 15-1 its last 16 at home vs. top-level goalies with a saves pct. of 91.5 (or better). Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  This year's Stanley Cup Finals will be a classic match-up between a high-powered offense vs. a two-time defending champion team which thrives on tight checking and goaltending.  The Avalanche easily dispatched of the Oilers in their Western Final series 4-0, while the Lightning needed six tough games to get past a pesky Rangers team.  But what this time off has done for the Avs is allow them to get healthy.  Number 1 goalie Darcy Kuemper left the Conference Finals Game 1 with an injury, so back-up Pavel Francouz had to go the rest of the way.  And LW Andre Burakovsky only played in 1 1/2 games of the Oilers series due to a lower body injury.  Now both are healthy and ready to go, while it appears the Bolts will still be without C Brayden Point -- at least for the beginning of the Finals.  Heading into this series, four of Colorado's skaters are among the top 10 scorers of the 2022 post-season while only one of Tampa's is (Kucherov).  The favorite is 15-4 in the last 19 meetings of these two teams.  And Colorado is 14-1 its last 15 at home vs. top-level goalies with a saves pct. of 91.5 (or better).  Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Rangers.  We played on the Rangers in Game 1, passed Game 2, and then took Tampa Bay on Sunday, in Game 3.  We'll come right back with the Lightning on Tuesday, as they've outshot the Rangers in all three playoff games, including 52-30 in Game 3.  Additionally, the Rangers are now 1-6 their last seven as a road underdog, while the home team has cashed six of the last eight meetings between these teams.  Tampa is 7-1 its last eight when trailing in a Playoff series (and 32-15, +15.7 net games, its last 47).  Take the Lightning.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:00 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Rangers.  After a four-game sweep of the Presidents Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the second round, the Lightning probably didn't imagine they would be down 2-0 to the Rangers -- especially with Andrei Vasilevskiy's record after a loss in the post-season.  But the Lightning are now back at home in what has to be considered a must-win situation given how the Rangers and their goalie, Igor Shesterkin, are playing right now.  But the Bolts have some positive take-aways from their two games at Madison Square Garden.  They out-shot the Rangers in each of those contests and they easily could have won Game 2 if not for some unfortunate puck bounces.  The Rangers find themselves in the role of road underdog this afternoon, a scenario in which they are just 1-5 in their last six games.  With the wins by the Rangers in New York, the home team is now 5-2 in the last seven meetings of these two.  And, of course, Tampa is still a not-too-shabby 17-1 off a loss in the Playoffs the past three years. And it's 24-5 its last 29 at home off a loss.  Take the Lightning.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Colorado Avalanche.  The Oilers couldn't score a goal on Colorado's back-up goaltender and are now down 2-0 in this series.  Certainly, it's a result they didn't want, but they also need to realize that this is no time to panic.   If they can come back strong tonight at home, they will be just a game down and right back in these finals.  They know that 24 shots on goal will not get it done in any game, so don't be surprised if Jay Woodcroft and the rest of the Edmonton coaching staff decide to try some lineup changes tonight in an effort to shake things up.  The Oilers have three of the top six point producers in these playoffs in Kane, McDavid, and Draisaitl.  So, they have to find a way to get those three -- and others -- producing for them tonight.  One bit of good news for the Oilers is that this has been a very host-friendly series lately as the home team is 7-1 in the last eight meetings going back to 2019.  The Oilers are also 21-9 (+11.5 net games) off a blowout loss by 3+ goals.  And the Avalanche are a poor 12-14 (but minus 11.9 net games) on the road after scoring 3+ goals in three straight games.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Edmonton Oilers.  The Western Conference Finals features the best regular season team from the Central Division (and best overall team from the Conference) vs. the second-best from the Pacific.  The Oilers only finished the season with the fifth-best point total in the Conference, but they've managed to punch their ticket to their 10th Conference Finals -- one series victory away from their eighth appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.  But they have a tall -- call it a Rocky -- mountain to climb.  The Avalanche have done little wrong in getting to the semi-finals, sweeping the Predators in the first round and then dispatching of a stubborn Blues squad in six games.  Having home ice advantage could prove crucial in this series as the home team has won five of the last six meetings going back to April of 2019.  Colorado hasn't played since Friday and that should help its cause tonight as the Avs are 16-5 in their last 21 games playing on three or more days of rest.  Take the Avalanche.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  With a loss to the 'Canes in Game 5, the Rangers find themselves one game away from elimination.  But they probably feel pretty good about their situation tonight given that the home team has won every game of this series.  And despite their success thus far, the 'Canes are just 16-35 in the last 51 meetings of these two teams.  If the Rangers are going to have any chance of keeping the home team success going in this series, they're going to have to do better than the 17 shots on goal they managed in Game 5.  If they can get back to the level of play they displayed in Games 3 and 4, when they beat the 'Canes by a combined score of 7-2, then the Rangers will for certain force a seventh and deciding contest for a chance to play the Lightning in the Conference Finals.  The Hurricanes have won just 7 of their last 17 road games, while the Rangers are 20-6 in the last 26 meetings here at Madison Square Garden.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.  

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Edmonton Oilers.  The Flames almost pulled off a come-from-behind victory on Tuesday night in Edmonton, after trailing 3-0, as they tied the game mid-way through the third period.  But ultimately, Calgary fell short and now it finds itself in a must-win situation, down 3-1 back at home.  Calgary limited Edmonton to just 25 shots the entire game on Tuesday, but goalie Jacob Markstrom will have to play better tonight.  Certainly, he's capable, and he's been terrific here at the Saddledome.  Markstrom had a 22-8-7 record and 2.17 GAA average in Calgary this season, so I look for him to bounce back strong in Game 5.  The Flames' offense will also need to set the tone with early offense, as it did in Game 1.  In that game, Calgary scored three times in its first 10 shots and knocked Mike Smith out of that game before going on to a huge 9-6 victory.  The Flames are 46-29 (+10 games on the moneyline) in their last 75 after allowing four or more goals in their previous game.  Take Calgary.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.

At 1:30 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Panthers earned the Presidents' Trophy this season by virtue of having the NHL's best regular season record.  But if they don't win this afternoon, they'll be in danger of being the 9th straight Presidents' Trophy winner to fail to win the Stanley Cup.  Florida averaged a league-best 4.14 goals per game this season, but have been held to just 1 goal in each of its first two games in this series.  However, there is room for optimism in this Game 3, as Florida is 13-2 after scoring less than 2 goals, while Tampa Bay has gone 2-6 (but -10.4 net games) following 4+ wins in a row.  Take Florida in Game 3.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Just as they did in their first round series against the Caps, the favored Panthers lost Game 1 at home -- this time against their cross-state rivals.  But the Bolts are a decidedly better team than the Caps so Florida has to be careful that it doesn't let down again tonight and go into a 2-0 hole, from which it would be very difficult to crawl out.  What the Panthers need to do tonight is to simply play like the team which had the best home record in the NHL this season -- and one which is 46-9 in its last 55 games as a home favorite.  Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky needs to play better than he did in Game 1 and he's certainly capable of it.  In the first round series, Bobrovsky came back after a lackluster performance in Game 1 and had one of his best games in Game 2 -- stopping all but one of the shots he faced from the high-flying Capitals.  Florida is 20-6 (+15 games on the moneyline) in its last 26 games after scoring one goal or less in its previous while the favorite is 23-9 in the last 32 meetings of these two.  Take the Panthers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Edmonton Oilers.  Both of these teams needed Game 7 wins at home in order to advance to this round -- and both came through.  If you're looking for clues in the regular season as to who might have the upper hand in this series, you might not find many.  The Flames and Oilers split their four games with Edmonton winning the first two and Calgary coming back later in the season to take the last pair.  But one thing that seems consistent when these two meet is the strength of home ice.  The home team has won 10 of the last 12 meetings including each of the last five, so you can expect the packed Saddledome to have a major impact in Games 1 and 2.  The Flames should get another big boost from the probable return of physical defenseman Chris Tanev who left Game 6 of the Dallas series with an injury and didn't return for Game 7.  In the four home games of the previous series, Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed four goals in 87 combined shots (95.4 SV %).  Finally, the favorite is 4-1 in the last five meetings of these two.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers.  The Rangers played perhaps the toughest first round of any advancing favorite, coming back from a 3-1 series deficit and needing a goal in overtime of Game 7 at home.  How much those very demanding seven games against a depleted Pens team took out of them remains to be seen, but things certainly don't get any easier against the 'Canes.  Unlike New York, Carolina's seven-game series win over Boston went according to plan with the home team winning every meeting.  What makes the 'Canes hard-fought victory even more impressive is that they did it without their #1 goalie, Frederik Andersen, who has been sidelined since mid-April.  If there's any question about the importance of a veteran back-up net-minder with playoff experience, the 'Canes and Antti Raanta proved it without a doubt.  The 33-year-old Finn was 'money in the bank' and he'll be asked for more of the same in this quarterfinals round.  The Rangers are 15-36 in their last 51 playoff games as an underdog.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are going for a rare Stanley Cup Title three-peat and the first step is complete with their upset win over the Maple Leafs in the first round. But the mountain gets steeper in round two as they battle with their cross-state rivals to the south. Florida not only won the Atlantic Division, but the Presidents Trophy and finished with an almost-unprecedented +94 goal differential (only a meaningless final regular season game in which it rested all their regulars prevented it from finishing with +100). Just how steep is this mountain that the Bolts have in front of them? Consider that the Panthers finished the season with a 34-7-0 home record -- the best in the NHL. That zero at the end means that they were 8-0 in overtime games in South Florida -- also almost unprecedented and not good news for Tampa, which needed OT to win Game 6 over Toronto. Also not good news for the Bolts: the favorite is 35-17 in the last 52 meetings of these two and the home team is 5-2 in the last seven. Take Florida. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Lightning won a dramatic Game 6 at home on Thursday to force this final game in a series that seems more appropriate as a Conference Final than a first-round match-up.  The game couldn't have been any closer as the two clubs went into overtime tied at three goals apiece.  And it concluded with the winning goal out of Brayden Point 18 minutes into the fourth period.  Unfortunately for the Lightning:  they're a poor 15-19 (minus 16.4 net games) off an overtime win.  Tonight, Tampa will have to contend not only with the Leafs, but also the crazed Toronto fans who could give the home team the upper hand.  And what started out as a series which didn't seem to favor the home team has turned into one as the hosts have won the last three now.  Tampa is 0-4 its last four off a win, and 2-6 in its last eight games as a road underdog, while the favorite is 5-2 in the last seven meetings of these two.  And Toronto's a solid 25-12 after giving up more than 3 goals.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Welcome to the Rangers must-win Game #2.  Down three games to one, New York had to have a win at home on Wednesday to stay alive and it did just that.  They have to do it again tonight and it will have to be in hostile territory but there are at least a couple of reasons to think the Rangers can force a Game 7 back in Manhattan.  First, the Penguins will be forced to use their third-string goalie again tonight for the fifth straight game.  Although 30-year-old journeyman Louis Domingue has been outstanding at times, it seems the Rangers have figured him out for the most part and the lapses he's been experiencing will only likely become more frequent.  Look for Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and company to really turn up the heat on Domingue tonight.  Second, Pens Captain Sidney Crosby was hit by the Rangers Jacob Trouba and had to leave Game 5 with an upper body injury.  He is currently questionable for Game 6.  The favorite is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The Maple Leafs won a huge Game 5 on Tuesday at home, defeating the Bolts 4-3 to take a 3-2 series lead.  Technically, tonight in Tampa is not a must-win situation, but the last thing the Leafs want to do is give the defending two-time Stanley Cup Champions a chance at a Game 7 back in Toronto -- especially considering how close Game 5 was.  Key to the Tuesday night victory was Toronto Coach Sheldon Keefe showing confidence in goalie Jack Campbell after he fell apart in Game 4 (5 goals in 16 shots) and was replaced in the 3rd period by his back-up, Erik Kallgren.  Keefe stuck with Campbell for Game 5 and the veteran net-minder came through, stopping 32 of 35 shots (.914) from one of the top scoring teams in hockey.  On the other side, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy had his second sub-par game in a row, allowing four goals on just 25 shots (.840).  With the Tuesday loss, the Bolts are now 5-12 in their last 17 games vs. teams with a winning % above .600.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  After four playoff games, the only one of the eight NHL series where a team holds a 3-1 lead is this one.  That's good news for the Penguins and bad news if you're a Rangers fan.  New York must now win three games in a row to advance and even if it wins tonight, it has to go back to Pittsburgh where it was blown out on Monday.  The Rangers smartly pulled Igor Shesterkin from the net in that game after two periods and six goals allowed.  That should give the League's leading goalie a chance to regroup and come back fresh tonight.  But if the Rangers are going to win tonight, they're going to have to up their shot output as they registered just 24 on Pens rookie (third string) goalie Louis Domingue in Game 4.  A return to their form in the last game here where they logged 40 shots on goal (and won) is what we would expect to see tonight.  The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings and the Penguins are 2-5 in the last seven here at Madison Square Garden.  Take the Rangers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  The NHL and TV networks must be very happy that all four of the series that are on tap for a Game 5 tonight are tied at two games apiece.  Some of the teams however are not likely sharing in the joy.  The Toronto Maple Leafs looked like they would potentially put Tampa away early when they won the first game in a rout and then did it again in Tampa in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead.  But every time Toronto takes the air out of Tampa's balloon, the Bolts have re-energized and made a statement of their own.  Game 5 has now become absolutely critical for the home team after the Lightning put up seven goals on the Leafs in Game 4 chasing Toronto goalie Jack Campbell in the process.  It remains to be seen if the Leafs go with back-up Erik Kallgren -- who stopped all 10 shots he faced -- tonight, but based on statements made by Coach Sheldon Keefe, he'll be sticking with Campbell.  Andrei Vasilevskiy had his own problems in Game 4, stopping just 22 of 25 shots (.880).  And Tampa's a wallet-breaking 5-7 (minus 11.4 net games on the moneyline) off a blowout home win by 3+ goals.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Washington Capitals.  Two nights after the Panthers routed the Caps in Florida to even the series at a game apiece, the Caps returned the favor at home in Game 3.  Now Florida is faced with going down 3-1 against a very good road team if it plays another lackluster game like the one played here on Saturday afternoon.  The Caps went with Ilya Samsonov in goal for Game 3 and they will likely go back to the 25-year-old Russian again tonight.  Sammy -- as he is called in DC -- stopped 29 of 30 shots he faced on Saturday while his counterpart, veteran Sergei Bobrovsky, had an off night.  Look for Bobrovsky to bounce back strong here in Game 4 as the Panthers are 16-5 in their last 21 games immediately a game where their opponent scored five or more goals.  They're also 29-11 in their last 40 games after scoring two goals or fewer.  Despite the loss, Florida is 19-7 in its last 26 games as a road favorite while the Caps are 0-4 in their last four after allowing two goals or fewer in their previous.  Take the Panthers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars.  Calgary was poised to take a commanding 2-0 lead in this series when it played Game 2 at home on Thursday night.  But the Stars somehow managed an upset win despite only registering 22 shots on goal.  Still, the Flames' defense has been superb in this series, allowing just 38 shots in the first two games.  This will be the 2nd meeting in Dallas this season between the clubs.  In the only previous meeting here at American Airlines Center this season, the Flames came away with a hard-fought 4-3 victory.  The Stars tend to let down after big wins recently as they are just 1-4 in their last five following a victory.  Meanwhile, the Flames are 10-4 in their last 14 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  And the favorite is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  After a resounding 5-0 shutout win on Monday, the Maple Leafs seemed poised to take a 2-0 series lead at home when they took the ice on Wednesday for Game 2.  After all, it was the same team that had so decisively taken Game 1.  But the Bolts summoned their great teams of the past and dominated play early and often in Game 2 and got out of Canada with a 5-3 victory.  Now the series shifts to Florida and although it might be easy to think that Tampa has the upper hand and will go up 2-1, there are some things to consider.  First and foremost is the fact that the Leafs are 3-1 in their last three meetings with the Lightning here in Tampa going back to January of 2019.  Second is the fact that although the Bolts finished the regular season strong, they did most of their damage against sub-par opponents who weren't playing for anything.  Going back to the beginning of March, Tampa is 3-10 in their last 13 regular season games vs. teams with a winning pct of 60% or better.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Carolina Hurricanes.  With all Eastern Conference teams having played their first two playoff games, the Hurricanes are the only one that has managed to win both of its home openers.  That puts them in a dominant position in this first round series but it certainly doesn't mean it's over.  If you're the Boston Bruins, this is no time to panic with two games coming up on home ice -- a home ice that was very good to them in the regular season.  Carolina's success in Games 1 and 2 didn't come without a price.  Already without #1 goalie Frederik Andersen heading into the playoffs (lower body injury), the 'Canes lost #2 Antti Raanta to an upper body injury in Game 2 after being hit by Boston's David Pastrnak.  The injury is not thought to be serious, and Raanta was at practice yesterday, however his status has yet to be determined for tonight's game.  If Raanta is unable to play, then 22-year-old rookie Pyotr Kochetkov will mind the net for the visitors.  Regardless of which goalie is between the pipes, we'll take the Bruins, as they are 9-3 in the last 12 meetings here in Boston.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The NHL Post-season opened on Monday night, and while the two Eastern Conference Game 1's went according to plan -- big wins for the favored home teams Hurricanes and Leafs -- the West was a different story on Monday.  Edmonton was upset at home by the Kings, while the Wild laid an egg at home against the Blues.  Minnesota has lost in the first round of the playoffs in five of the last six seasons (the sixth season they didn't participate in post-season play) but this is arguably the best team it's ever had.  With the series going to St. Louis for two games after tonight, this is pretty much a must-win for the Wild, who came into the first round having won seven of its last eight regular season games.  This is no time to panic as the Wild out-shot the Blues in Game 1, 37-31.  The Wild leaned on Marc-Andre Fleury Monday for his Stanley Cup experience, but they could easily make a change to Cam Talbot in Game 2 as the veteran goalie has a career 2.45 GAA and 92.3 save % in 32 post-season games.  Regardless of which netminder is between the pipes, we'll take the Wild, as they're 9-2 their last 11 off a shutout loss, and 27-8 their last 35 off a home defeat (including 8-0 this season off a home loss by 2+ goals). Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie. 

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  We cashed the Maple Leafs in Game 1 of this series -- a 5-0 blowout -- as they were my highest-rated NHL play of the season-to-date.  Admittedly, the Lightning have been spectacular off a loss in the Playoffs. Indeed, Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is 14-0 his last 14 games following a playoff defeat, with a 1.20 GAA, and a 95.2% SVS %.  Last season, the Lightning went 7-0 in the 2021 playoffs in games immediately following a loss en route to a second straight Stanley Cup.  But it's important to note that all seven of those rebound wins last season came at home, while tonight, the Lightning must do it in hostile territory.  And it's also important to note that in none of those games last season did he face a goal scorer as dynamic as the Leafs' Auston Matthews.  Matthews has already made his mark on this series, scoring twice in Game 1 and there will likely be many more to come from the regular season goals leader (60).  A hot goalie is key to a deep Stanley Cup run and Jack Campbell (who was maligned earlier this season) appears to be in peak form now, stopping all 24 Tampa shots in Game 1 while earning Star of the Game.  With the victory, the Leafs have now won five of the last seven meetings going back to February 2020.  And it was 7-0 this season off a shutout win.  Take Toronto in Game 2.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Dallas Stars.  The Flames just concluded their most successful season -- 111 total points -- since they won it all way back in 1989 (they finished that season with 117 points).  Perhaps that will serve as an omen for what is about to happen in this post-season.  After all, we're talking about a club that hasn't made it out of the first round in their last three trips to the playoffs (2017, 2019, 2020), so even getting past the Stars will be seen as a victory of sorts.  And as if they needed any more motivation, this is a huge revenge situation as it was the Stars who knocked Calgary out in six games in August of 2020.  Dallas had the home ice advantage in that series but now it's the Flames who will enjoy four games at home in this opening round.  The Flames took two of three games from the Stars this season, including each of the last two on February 1 and April 21.  Three of Dallas' last four victories were against the Kraken, Sharks, and Ducks and it is 2-4 in its last six vs. teams with winning records.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The 2022 Eastern Conference playoffs feature the most compelling match-ups in recent memory. In one series you have the Presidents Trophy Winner (Panthers) vs. the greatest goal scorer of our generation (Alex Ovechkin). In another, you have a legend like Sidney Crosby vs. the team (Rangers) with the best goalie in the world right now. And let's not forget this game, which pits the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champs (Lightning) vs. the team (Maple Leafs) with perhaps the next great goal scorer, Auston Matthews (to whom Ovechkin will be passing the torch). Let's also not forget that Toronto has a huge chip on its shoulder this year after being eliminated in the first round in five straight seasons coming into these playoffs. But the Leafs are a lot more than just Matthews. RW Mitch Marner put up 97 points and LW Michael Bunting (who won't play in Game 1) is the favorite for Rookie of the Year. Toronto finished the season strong with 15 win over its last 19 games, including a 5-2 blowout of Boston on Friday. Toronto's 39-15 off a win by 3+ goals, and 11-1 its last 12 at home. Admittedly, the Leafs lost the previous meeting vs. Tampa (a game which Matthews and goalie Jack Campbell missed), but have won four of the last six meetings between these two going back to the start of 2020. Toronto is a solid 18-6 when playing with revenge from a loss in which it scored less than 2 goals (and 50-31 its last 81, overall, when playing with revenge). Take Toronto. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the Calgary Flames.  While Calgary is locked into the #2 spot in the Western Conference, behind Colorado, the Wild are battling the St Louis Blues for home ice advantage in the opening round.  Minnesota has been on fire over its last 22 games, as it's lost just twice in regulation, and is 17-2-3, overall.  We'll take the Wild, as they're 26-8 off a home loss, including 7-0 if they lost by 2+ goals in their previous game.  With Minny, indeed, off a 5-3 home loss to Arizona, we'll take the Wild to bounce back tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the Carolina Hurricanes.  New York's road to the division championship is certainly a difficult one.  It would need to win tonight in regulation, and then follow that up with two more wins against Montreal and Washington to end its season.  And, while that is very possible, it's the 2nd part of the equation which is the most unlikely.  New York would also need the Hurricanes to lose at home to New Jersey in their season finale.  So, the Rangers understand that even a win tonight won't probably change their playoff seeding.  But the team is still focused on playing well, and carrying that momentum into the post-season.  New York is 7-2 its last nine, and will be looking to avenge a 4-2 home loss to these Hurricanes two weeks ago.  New York is a solid 12-6 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the year, while Carolina is 1-6 off 4+ wins.  These two teams are the #1 and #2 teams in the league in goals allowed (Carolina 196, New York 197), though the Rangers gave up 3 goals in each of their two previous games.  But New York is 14-3 after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games.  We'll take New York at home tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Seattle Kraken.  If the Kraken want something to be positive about heading into the off-season having been eliminated from the playoffs a while ago, it might be their recent three-game win streak -- their first of the season.  The first two games of the streak were no big deal (the Senators and Devils), but in the third game, Seattle beat the Avalanche, holding the best offense in the West to just 27 shots.  But let's not kid ourselves, this is still a 26-50 team and all three of those wins were at home where they've played their best hockey.  They've had to go on the road now to play the Wild last night, and now the Stars in Texas.  Dallas is fighting for one of two Wild Card spots in the West and the Stars need to finish strong to have any chance of competing in the post-season.  The good news is that three of their final four games are against losing teams (Kraken, Coyotes, and Ducks) and the fourth is against Vegas who they're two points ahead of for that last spot.  Seattle is 2-6 in its last eight playing without rest.  Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over New York.  Both the Bruins and Rangers will be incentivized to win this afternoon, as each is jockeying for playoff positioning.  New York has its eyes on moving to the #1 seed in the Metropolitan division, while the Bruins would like to avoid finishing 8th in the conference (and thereby drawing Florida in the first round).  The Bruins come into this game off a 4-0 shutout loss to Pittsburgh.  We played on the Pens in that game, but will take the Bruins to bounce back here.  Boston is 21-8 this season off a loss, and 7-2 off a shutout defeat.  Meanwhile, the Rangers bested the Islanders, 6-3, on Thursday.  Unfortunately, New York is a wallet-busting 56-63 (but minus 19.6 net games on the moneyline) after scoring more than 5 goals in its previous game.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the San Jose Sharks.  With just five games to go in the regular season, the Blues would seem to have their position as a top-three finisher in the Central Division solidified.  They can't catch the #1 Colorado Avalanche, but that doesn't mean these remaining games aren't important.  With the Stanley Cup Playoff format, the #2 and #3 seeds from each Division play each other in the first round and right now the Blues are tied with the Wild at 103 points (Minny has played one less game, however).  So finishing above Minnesota would mean home ice in that first round series, making tonight and the rest of their games very important.  The good news is that this series has been about as one-sided as any in the league lately.  The Blues have won each of the last four meetings with the Sharks and seven of the last eight here in San Jose.  Additionally, the Sharks are 0-7 in their last seven vs. Central Division teams, and 0-9 their last nine as an underdog.  St. Louis is 6-0 in its last six vs. teams with losing records and 4-0 in its last four road games.  And it's 9-1 its last 10 as a favorite.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Washington Capitals. The Caps head southwest after their big win in Colorado on Monday. Tonight will be a rematch of the 2018 Cup Finals on the Vegas Strip as the Knights go for the Season sweep (they shut out the Caps in DC back on January 24). The Knights have lost two straight and sit 5 points behind the Stars for the final Wild Card berth, with five games to play (though Dallas has 6 games left). If Vegas wins tonight and then beats the Sharks in the next game -- which it should -- then its next game is against Dallas, the team immediately in front of it. So, Vegas still has some hope left, though it probably has to go 5-0 to end the season for any chance at all. The Knights were upset on Monday by the Devils, 3-2, despite out-shooting New Jersey 44-28. Robin Lehner was in goal in that game and allowed three goals on just 28 shots so don't be surprised if Logan Thompson (2.55 GAA; .922 saves pct) is back in the crease tonight. Thompson's won five of his last six outings. Vegas is also 6-2 in its last eight home games and 5-2 in its last seven when playing on one day of rest. Finally, the home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings of these two. Take the Knights. As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the San Jose Sharks.  The red-hot Minnesota Wild were 12-3 in their last 15 games coming into Saturday's all-important match-up with the St. Louis Blues.  Unfortunately for them, the Blues prevailed in overtime, 6-5, thereby knocking them out of a tie for second place in the Central Division.  Minnesota hopes that setback is temporary as it regroups today to host the 29-45 Sharks at the Xcel Energy Center.  Unlike the Wild, San Jose isn't playing for anything as it looks ahead to what it hopes will be a productive off-season leading to a winning campaign in 2022-2023.  The Sharks have been particularly bad on the road, winning just five times in their last 24 games away from the Bay Area.  They are also 7-20 in their last 27 vs. teams from the Western Conference including 0-6 in their last six vs. Central clubs.  Meanwhile Minnesota is 4-0 in its last four vs. the Pacific Division and 65-29 in its last 94 vs. teams with a winning percentage of .400 or less.  Take the Wild.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Kings are locked in a tight battle with the Vegas Golden Knights for a playoff spot.  Los Angeles sits 1 point ahead of Vegas, but has also played 1 more game.  The good news for Los Angeles is that each of its last six games are against teams that are outside of the Playoff picture.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are a poor 3-10 their last 13 against teams that would be in the Playoffs with their current point totals.  We played against Los Angeles in its last game, and were rewarded with a 9-3 blowout win by Colorado.  Off that horrible game, we'll switch gears and take the Kings tonight, as they're 24-15 (+14.2 net games on the moneyline) off blowout loss by 3+ goals.  And they're 22-9 this season vs. Eastern conference teams.  Take Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Winnipeg Jets.  It's looking like the Panthers will earn the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the post-season but also still wants to make a push to overtake the Avalanche for the #1 NHL record.  In addition to having the best record in the Eastern Conference -- and the only team in there with over 50 victories -- the Panthers' +89 goal differential is also tops.  They've done it with a balanced attack, which is evident when you look at all the offensive leaders in the league and the only Florida name you see is Jonathan Huberdeau, who leads in assists (77) and is second in points (105).  The Panthers come into this home contest against the Jets having won eight games in a row, including a huge 7-6 OT win over the Maple Leafs that could serve as a Quarter-Finals preview.  They have been putting the puck on net with a frequency rarely seen, posting 40 shots or more in seven of those eight games, including 55 in their last one -- a 3-2 win over the Ducks.  The Jets are 1-4 in their last five games against teams with a winning record.  And they're also 9-19 (minus 6.65 net games on the moneyline) as an underdog, including 1-6 when the O/U was more than 6 goals.  Meanwhile Florida is 11-5 in the last 16 meetings of these two, and 14-1 its last 15 when priced as a favorite of -180 (or more).  Take the Panthers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Los Angeles Kings.  The Avs are on a major roll right now, with six straight wins.  And they'll have an advantage tonight against an unrested Kings team which played at Chicago last night.  Even worse for the Kings:  they're playing their 3rd game in four nights, and have to play without rest in a high-altitude city (Denver).  In contrast, Colorado is extremely well-rested, as it has been four days (April 9 vs Edmonton) since it has played.  The Avalanche are a terrific 22-2 at home off 3 (or more) wins.  And Colorado is 8-0 vs. the Kings since March 12, 2021, with the average win by 2.88 goals.  Take Colorado.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the St. Louis Blues.  The red-hot Bruins lost a tough one on Sunday afternoon in DC as the surging Capitals got the better of them in a tough, close-checking affair.  Despite now losing two of its last three, Boston needn't panic as it is still sitting in a very good position in the East with the #1 Wild Card spot looking secure and only one point behind the Lightning for a top-three finish in the Atlantic.  Most important, six of the Bruins last 10 games are here at home, beginning with this Monday night affair against a Blues squad that they haven't faced since October 2019.  The Blues come in having won their last five, however three of those victories were against the likes of the Islanders, Kraken, and Coyotes -- and all three at home.  They may be 42-30 overall, but on the road, the Blues are just a .500 team this season (17-17).  They are also just 3-8 in their last 11 games against teams from the East.  The Bruins come home after a week on the road, and they are 16-5 in their last 21 home games after a road trip of at least seven days.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Washington Capitals.  The Pens come into this afternoon game having lost three games in a row for the sixth time this season.  In all but one of those previous five, Pittsburgh was able to snap its losing streak in its next contest.  They're hoping to do the same today against their biggest rival so they can solidify their third place lead over the Caps -- which right now stands at six points.  It's worth nothing that those three losses came against the Rangers and the Avalanche (twice) -- and two of the losses were on the road.  But both the Rangers and Avs are stronger opponents than the Caps -- at least as far as the point totals are concerned.  The Caps do come in having won three of their last five, but they are just 1-4 in their last five games against teams with a winning record, and 17-20 (minus 10.1 net games on the moneyline) off a win in their previous game.  The Pens were shut out at Madison Square Garden, 3-0, in their last game but are 5-1 in their last six games immediately following a loss by more than two goals.  Take Pittsburgh.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  While some playoff-bound teams in the NHL seem to be wilting late in the season (e.g., Tampa Bay), others are doing just the opposite.  The Minnesota Wild are one of those teams that could be peaking at just the right time.  The Wild have lost just two of their last 11 games and one of those was a 4-3 OT defeat at the hands of a very good Penguins club (while the other was a 6-2 loss at Nashville on Tuesday).  It seems as though one of the shrewdest moves at the deadline was Minny's acquisition of Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Marc-Andre Fleury from Chicago (for a conditional first-round pick in 2022).  Fleury has been spectacular with his new club so far (3-1 in four games with a .930 saves pct and 2.30 GAA).  And having Fleury between the pipes gives the Wild a bit of a two-headed monster as Cam Talbot is also an All Star-caliber net-minder in his own right.  So, now Minnesota has the luxury of choosing between the two on almost any given night.  The Wild are a solid 13-5 in their last 18 games after scoring less than 3 goals in their previous contest.  And they're 15-5 off a blowout loss by more than 3 goals.  Take Minnesota.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over Colorado.  This is the 2nd of a home-and-home series between the two clubs.  Colorado won in Denver, 3-2, on Saturday.  We'll take the Penguins in this rematch, as they're 30-11 when playing with revenge, including 11-0 at home if they lost the previous meeting by a single goal.  And they're 46-22 (+7.4 net games on the moneyline) at home when the total was 6 (or more) goals.  The Pens are also 7-3 the last 10 meetings here, in Pittsburgh, vs. Colorado.  Take the Penguins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Los Angeles Kings.  The top two teams in the Pacific Division face off tonight for the second time in less than a week.  The Kings just beat the Flames in Calgary on the last day of March (although it took a shootout to do it), so this is a revenge situation tonight.  The lead that the Flames had enjoyed over the Kings in the Pacific has been dwindling of late, thanks to a home-stand that didn't go as planned in Calgary.  In the just-concluded six straight games that the Flames enjoyed at home, they managed only two wins.  Maybe a trip south to the recently re-named Crypto.com Arena (it sounds so strange not calling it Staples Center) will reverse their fortunes.  The Kings are anything but healthy right now, with no fewer than eight regular skaters currently out with various ailments.  Los Angeles also hasn't exactly been tearing it up at home this season (18-18) -- and in their last nine here they are just 4-5.  Even worse:  the Kings are 1-5 in their last six games following a victory, while Calgary is 5-2 in its last seven road games.  Finally, the Flames are an awesome 42-25 (+11.2 net games on the moneyline) after giving up 4+ goals.  Take Calgary.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Both of these teams are on the outside-looking-in when it comes to the Western conference playoff race.  But Vancouver is in the MUCH WORSE position, as it is 8 points behind Dallas, while Vegas sits just 1 points in back of the Stars.  So this game is critical for the Canucks' post-season hopes.  We'll take the homestanding Canucks, as they have had the last three days off, and are 12-3 when playing with 3 days (or more) of rest.  Additionally, the Golden Knights have won just two of their last nine road games.  Both of those wins (by scores of 3-0 and 5-2) were against Seattle in Vegas' two most recent games.  Unfortunately for Vegas, it's a poor 10-14 (minus 13.2 net games on the moneyline) off back to back blowout wins by 3+ goals.  Take Vancouver.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Minnesota Wild.   Unlike the West, the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference of the NHL is pretty clear.  There is a 13-point gap between the Caps -- in the final Wild Card Spot -- and the next team (NYI).  Exactly where the Caps finish the season is still up for grabs, and they certainly would like to improve their position between now and the end of the month.  Washington has had almost a week to think about one of its worst losses of the season -- a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of the Hurricanes last Monday.  With the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament coming into Minneapolis, the Wild have had to leave town after a hugely successful nine-game home-stand (7-2).  They upset the Hurricanes in Raleigh last night, but are just 2-5 in their last seven games playing on zero days of rest.  The Wild are also 2-7 in their last nine trips to Washington.  On the flip side, the extended break should do the Caps good as they are 18-8 in their last 26 playing with three or more days of rest.  Take Washington.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New Jersey Devils.  The Bruins were shellacked by Toronto, 6-4, on Tuesday, but were arguably the hottest team in the league for the month of March.  In fact, since February 19, Boston's NHL team has compiled a blistering 14-4 record.  But nobody knows better than the Bruins that having a great six week run a month before the playoffs could mean absolutely nothing, and that's why Boston wants to stay focused on playing at the same level into April.   And it's game like the one tonight where keeping that focus is ultra-critical.  Sure, the Devils are going nowhere this season and they would seem to be completely out-manned in this situation, but a caged dog can be awfully dangerous and the Bruins can ill-afford to have a let-down against a bad team, especially given how close the standings are (Boston is just three points ahead of the Capitals for the final Wild Card).  This is not a friendly place for the Devils as they are just 5-16 in their last 21 at TD Garden.  The Bruins are also 31-12 in the last 43 meetings of these two, while the favorite is 36-17 in the last 53.  Finally, the Bruins are a solid 7-1 this season after allowing 5+ goals (and 10-1 after allowing 3+ goals in back-to-back games).  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Florida.  Petr Mrazek (finally) played a solid game in goal for Toronto when he stopped 20 shots en route to a 3-2 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday.  And, per his coach, Sheldon Keefe, he had an exceptional practice on Friday.  Mrazek has never been one to lack confidence -- even when things were going poorly this season -- and will be back between the pipes tonight in this critical division game vs. Florida.  I expect him to once again play very well.  We'll take the Leafs, as Toronto is 47-24 (+9.1 net games on the money line) vs. winning teams, and 15-3 at home vs. explosive offensive teams that score 2.85 (or more) goals per game.  Take the Maple Leafs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over San Jose.  The Sharks acquired goalie Kaapo Kahkonen from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline, on Monday.  And Kahkonen will make his Sharks debut tonight.  But in his last five starts, the Wild were 0-5, and he gave up 19 goals in those five games.  The Oilers come into this game off a 5-3 loss to Dallas.  But the Oilers are 26-13 (+13.6 net games on the moneyline) after allowing more than four goals in their previous game.  And they're 59-42 (+8.9 net games) vs. division foes.  San Jose does play with revenge from a 3-0 shutout loss to the Oilers last monthy.  Unfortunately, the Sharks are 22-43 (minus 16.9 net games) when playing with revenge, and 39-57 (minus 13.3 net games) vs. division rivals.  Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (7 goals; 30 assists) has been upgraded to 'probable' to play tonight, after missing 11 games with a shoulder injury.  And his presence will especially be felt on special teams.  Take Edmonton.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Philadelphia Flyers.  There was a whirlwind of activity as the NHL trade deadline came and went last night and few teams were as busy in the selling market as the Flyers.  The volume of players headed elsewhere was not the big news as one name in particular stood out when Philly sent F Claude Giroux to the Florida Panthers (along with two other players).  Giroux had been with the Flyers since being drafted in 2008 -- a total of 14+ seasons (a record bested only by the great Bobby Clarke).  Even at age 34, Giroux was still one of the most productive players on the team, posting 42 points in 57 games.  So don't be surprised if a bad Flyers team is even worse the rest of the way.  The Red Wings come home tonight after a four-game road trip that didn't go so well (1-3) and that's key for this match-up as the hosts have been dominating this series (25-9 in the last 34 meetings).  The Flyers are a dismal 5-21 in their last 26 road games, including 0-12 their last 12.  And the favorite is 6-1 in the last seven meetings of these two.  Take the Red Wings.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.