At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders.  If the Lightning didn't realize they were in for a major fight when the Islanders became their opponent for this semi-finals series, they certainly realize it now.  With their win on Saturday, the Isles tied up this series at two games apiece.  However, I expect to see a different Tampa team tonight back at home -- one that plays with the urgency and power that it displayed in the last two games of the series vs. Carolina.  Tampa knows it has the benefit of the best goaltender in the game today and the offense needs to force the play in the Islanders zone without worrying too much about what could happen behind the play.  The Bolts thrive in these revenge situations.  They are 8-1 (+6 games on the moneyline) in their last nine when revenging a one-goal loss to an opponent (and 59-22 off any loss).  They are also 4-0 in their last four when in a situation in which they are tied in a playoff series.  Take the Lightning.  As always good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Montreal Canadiens.  The Canadiens surprised just about everyone by beating the heavily favored Knights on Wednesday in Vegas to even this series at 1-1.  The Habs took a 2-0 lead in the first period of Game 2 and never looked back.  It was not one of Marc-Andre Fleury's best nights as he allowed three goals on 16 shots through the first two periods before settling down finally in the third period. But by then it was too late.  The good news is that the veteran net-minder almost always uses a bad performance like that as motivation for his next one, so look for Fleury to play like his old self tonight at the Bell Centre in Montreal.  And the offense should pick it up tonight as well as the Knights are 9-2 in their last 11 after scoring less than three goals in their previous game.  Finally, the Canadiens are 2-5 in their last seven coming off a one-goal road victory and 10-20 (minus 16 games on the moneyline) if they've won at least four of their previous five games.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Colorado Avalanche.  Our preseason pick to win this year's Stanley Cup was Colorado (at 7-1 odds), and the Avalanche have done nothing yet to dispel our belief that they will eventually be crowned the champs.  They've won their last 11 games, and also earned the Presidents' Trophy for garnering the most points in the regular season.  But Vegas tied Colorado for points in the regular season (it lost on the tie-breaker), and actually outplayed the Avs in Game 2, though it lost in overtime, 3-2, on a power play goal by Mikko Rantenen.  Indeed, the Golden Knights struck the goal post five times on shots that got by Philipp Grubauer (and outshot the Avs, 41-25), so they were enormously unlucky on Wednesday night.  The good news for Vegas is that it will be back home at T-Mobile Arena on Friday, where it went 21-5-2 this season.  Even better:  Vegas is 48-26 (+19.4 games on the moneyline) off a road loss, and 63-40 when playing with revenge from a loss earlier in the season.  Take the Golden Knights.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over the Montreal Canadiens.  Montreal surprised heavily favored Toronto, coming back from a 3-1 games deficit to advance to the second round.  Now the Habs will try to do the same to the upstart Jets, who also pulled off an upset of their own (over the Oilers) in their first round series.  But this may be more difficult than beating Toronto, whose offense went to sleep in the seven-game series.  For one thing, the Jets have had the Habs number lately, taking seven of the last 10 meetings.  Second, Winnipeg has had 10 days to rest, recover and prepare for this game while the Habs played two days ago and are still licking their wounds from that tough series.  Including their first round four-game sweep of Edmonton, the Jets have now won six straight coming in so you could say they are peaking at just the right time. Montreal has won three straight but it is just 1-13 (-17 games on the moneyline) in its last 14 following a three-game win streak.  And it's also a poor 24-37 (minus 19.9 games on the moneyline) off a win by 2+ goals.  Take Winnipeg.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  This series has the makings of a great one, as both clubs rightfully have championship hopes.  The Lightning drew first blood with a Game 1 victory, 2-1, behind 37 saves from Andrei Vasilevskiy.  We'll take the homestanding Hurricanes to bounce back in Game 2, as they are 23-9 here, in Raleigh, this season, including 6-2 if they lost their previous home game.  And the Hurricanes are also 16-8 when playing with revenge.  The Lightning, meanwhile, are an unprofitable 17-14 (minus 6.8 games on the moneyline) on the road this season, and are 8-8 (minus 6.7 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  The revenge-minded team has won each of the last four meetings in this series, and we look for Carolina to extend that streak to five games.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Here is the match-up that almost everyone predicted and many want to see.  The Avs and Knights finished the regular season with identical point totals (82) but it was Colorado's final win over Vegas on May 10 which gave it a chance to lock up the division title and Presidents Trophy provided it won its final two regular season games vs. the Kings (which the Avs did, easily).  And just to show that their blowout wins at the end of the regular season (6-0 and 5-1) were not a fluke, the Avs then proceeded to dismantle a pretty good Blues team in the first round.  In its four game sweep of St. Louis, Colorado out-scored the Blues by an embarrassing 20-7.  No such easy time for the Knights, however, as they had to go to seven games to put away a very good Minnesota Wild club.  So, Colorado is fresh and Vegas is anything but, after its grueling series which ended less than 48 hours ago with a 6-2 win in Game 7.  The Avs are 11-0 at home in their last 11 after two straight wins by two or more goals, while the Knights are a poor 11-15 off a win by more than three goals.  I predicted in the preseason that the Avalanche (at 7-1 odds) would win the Stanley Cup (last year, I correctly forecast the Lightning would win), and there's absolutely no reason to back off now, given the Avalanche's 9-game win streak.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Unlike last season's playoffs, when all the games were played at a neutral site, this season's games are being played at the home rinks of the various teams.  And some teams (like the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins) have out-performed at home this season.  Indeed, the Penguins were 22-6 at home in the regular season, but just 15-13 (minus 3 games on the moneyline) on the road.  Likewise, New York is 21-7 at home this year, including a perfect 6-0 against teams that outscore their opponents by at least a half-goal.  That bodes well for New York tonight.  As does the fact that the Isles are a super 33-20 (+14 games on the money line) after scoring less than two goals in their previous game.  With the Islanders off a 2-1 loss to Pittsburgh in Game #2, we'll take the Islanders at home tonight, on Thursday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the New York Islanders.  Four of the first seven 2021 NHL playoff games have gone to OT and a fifth easily could have.  If this second game of the Pittsburgh-New York series heads there, it's likely bad news for the Pens, who lost Game 1 and need to dominate tonight before this series heads to Long Island.  The Pens could get a huge boost by the return of C Evgeni Malkin who's been battling a lower body injury, but even if the 34-year-old can't re-join his team, Pittsburgh should still have enough firepower to level this series.  Despite their victory on Sunday, the Isles are just 2-6 in the last eight meetings with the Pens and 16-35 in the last 51 here at the Igloo.  The Isles will likely get #1 goalie Semyon Varlamov back tonight, which will be welcomed, even though Ilya Sorokin performed very well in Game 1.  But I don't think that will be enough, as Pittsburgh is 17-4 (+12 games on the moneyline) in its last 21 revenging a loss vs. an opponent.  And it's 15-2 at home off a loss in its previous game.  Take the Penguins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Washington Capitals.  The Caps prevailed in Game one of this series in OT, but that important home victory came with a price.  Up 1-0 and seemingly in control of things, goalie Vitek Vanecek sprawled to make a save on Jake DeBrusk but instead gave up the tying goal and remained face down on the ice.  He was helped off with an obvious lower-body injury and the veteran Craig Anderson had to fill in for the Caps the rest of the game.  Although Anderson acquitted himself well the rest of the way, he will have to carry the load for the Caps tonight and maybe beyond and that's a lot to ask of a 40-year-old third string goalie who has appeared in a total of four regular season games for his team.  On the other side, Tuukka Rask was brilliant for the Bruins and he'll no doubt get the call again tonight in net for Game two.  Normally the veteran goalie in a game, Rask is seven years Anderson's junior.  Rask has a career 51-42 record with a 2.20 GAA in 93 NHL post-season starts.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers.  Both teams will be highly motivated for this final regular season game.  If Florida secures at least one point, then it will have home ice advantage over Tampa in the opening round of the playoffs.  But if the Lightning win in regulation, and earn two points, then they'll leapfrog Florida into second place, and host the Panthers for the first two playoff games.  In Saturday's game, the Panthers dominated, and won by a 5-1 score.  But off that blowout loss -- Tampa's 2nd straight defeat -- we'll take the defending Stanley Cup champs tonight.  The Lightning are a super 7-0 on the road off back to back losses, and 38-19 when playing with revenge.  And they're 28-4 after not scoring 2+ goals in their previous game.  Finally, the Panthers are 36-53 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) after winning by more than three goals in their previous game.  Take the Lightning tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers.  These two teams are tied in the division standings for second place, with a two-game series at Florida over the next three days to decide which of the teams will have home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.  Florida got the better of Tampa Bay in the last meeting, as it won, 5-3, at Tampa on April 17.  And the Panthers are currently riding a 4-game win streak.  Still, we will play on the Lightning tonight, as they're 11-3 this season, and 38-18 their last 56 when playing with revenge.   Meanwhile, the Panthers are an awful 67-83 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) off 3+ wins.  Take Tampa.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over Los Angeles.  The Avalanche are in a tight battle with the Minnesota Wild for home ice advantage in the Playoffs' opening round, so they will remain focused down the stretch of this season.  Tonight, Colorado will look to bounce back off a loss to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, on Wednesday.  But, if history is any indication, the Avs will bounce back, as they're 12-4 this season off a loss.  Los Angeles has won its last two games, but is a wallet-breaking 7-13 (minus 5 games on the moneyline) its last 20, and 28-50 (minus 11 games on the moneyline) its last 78, off a win in its previous game.  And the Kings are 11-24 (minus 9 games on the moneyline) their last 35 off a road win.  Take Colorado.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild.  Since the end of March -- more than a month now -- the Golden Knights have turned to a goalie strategy that not many teams have employed recently in NHL.  Specifically, since March 27, Vegas has alternated between Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury for 20 games.  Other teams may want to take note, as the strategy has been successful with the Knights posting a 14-6 record during that time.  As a result, Vegas has catapulted past Colorado into first place in the West.  This is a revenge situation tonight as the Wild beat the Knights on Monday, 6-5.  That game had Lehner in net for Vegas, so we should expect to see Fleury this evening.  That win makes five in a row for the Wild over the Knights so you can be sure that Vegas wants to put a stop to the bleeding.  Allowing five goals in the last last game may be just what the doctor ordered for Vegas in this one as it is 5-0 in its last five after allowing five or more goals in its previous game, and it's 64-37 after allowing more than 3 goals in its previous game.  Meanwhile, the Wild are a dismal 13-23 (minus 17 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than three goals in each of their three previous games.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Buffalo Sabres.  Last night, the Isles were stunned, 4-2, by Buffalo, as Michael Houser -- a career-minor league goalie -- won his NHL debut.  In that game, Houser stopped 34 New York shots, and the Sabres fought back from a 2-0 second period-deficit to garner the victory.  That win snapped the Sabres 4-game losing streak.  Unfortunately, though, it's 1-10 its last 11 off a win, 11-27 off a win by 2+ goals, and 21-38 (minus 14 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than three goals in its previous game.  With the Isles 10-2 in the last 12 meetings, we'll the New York tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over Arizona.  Last night, the Coyotes shut out Vegas, 3-0, here in Phoenix.  We'll take Vegas in this rematch, as it's 45-25 off a road defeat, including 15-3 if it lost its previous game to a division rival.  Moreover, after scoring less than two goals in its previous game, Vegas is 37-18 its last 57, including 10-4 off a shutout defeat.  Take the Golden Knights.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St. Louis Blues.  The Blues have certainly had the Wild's number, of late.  St. Louis not only won the first two games of this 3-game set, but also won two other games earlier in April, for a 4-game win streak vs. Minnesota, overall.  But I love the Wild to snap this losing streak tonight, as it's a solid 26-11 when playing with revenge from four losses, and a perfect 6-0 this season off back to back defeats.  Take Minnesota.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Washington Capitals over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  These two played a classic Caps-Pens game on Thursday, with the Pens winning in overtime, after 60 minutes of back-and-forth hockey with basically the same number of shots on each side.  So if the Caps need something to swing it to their favor tonight in the rematch, then perhaps that something just might be named Alex Ovechkin.  Ovechkin hasn't played since April 22 due to a lower body injury, but he may make his return tonight.    Meanwhile, the Penguins will still be without star center Evgeni Malkin, who is out indefinitely with a lower body injury.  This is a super situation for Washington, which is a perfect 8-0 in its last eight games revenging a home loss vs. an opponent.  And the Penguins are 10-13 (-10 games on the moneyline) in their last 23 games off a road win against a division rival.  Take the Caps.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the San Jose Sharks.  The Avalanche lost, 5-2, on Wednesday to their biggest rivals in the Division -- the Golden Knights.  And that defeat placed Colorado  six points behind Vegas for first place.  With only one game left to play vs. the Knights, it's imperative that the Avs win games like the one they're playing tonight.  The Sharks are just 20-24-5 and sit 21 points behind Colorado, so they're not a threat but can still play the role of spoiler.  The good news is that the Avs have dominated this series recently, winning five of the last six meetings overall and going 5-0 in the last five here at Ball Arena.  The Avs are also dangerous right after they get beat like they did on Wednesday.  In their last 13 games following a loss by three or more goals, the Avs are 11-2.  Meanwhile, the Sharks are 7-12 (-6 games on the moneyline) in their last 19 immediately off a win against a division rival.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Winnipeg Jets over Edmonton.  The Oilers thrashed the Jets on Monday, 6-1.  And that was Winnipeg's fourth straight defeat, overall.  But the Jets have generally been a reliable bet to bounce back off a bad game, as they're 59-35 (+24 games on the moneyline) off a loss, and 21-14 (+9 games on the moneyline) off a loss by 4+ goals.  That bodes well for the Jets on Wednesday.  As does the fact that Edmonton is a soft 45-61 (-20 games on the moneyline) after scoring 6+ goals in its previous game.  Take Winnipeg.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars.  The Hurricanes lost here last night, 4-3, in overtime.  But off that defeat, we'll take the visitors in this rematch.  Carolina is 8-1 on the road following a 1-goal loss to a division rival.  And it's also 10-6 off a loss, generally.  Meanwhile, the Stars are a poor 29-39 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) after back-to-back division wins.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Nashville Predators.  The Preds blew out the Panthers, 4-1, last night.  But that big loss places Florida in several of its best situational roles tonight, and Nashville in its worst.  To wit:  Florida is 31-16 its last 47 after allowing 4+ goals in its previous game.  And it's 13-5 its last 18 off a loss.  With respect to the Predators, they're 22-36 (minus 26 games on the moneyline) off back to back wins.  And they're a soft 17-25 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) after allowing less than 3 goals in each of their two previous games.  Take Florida to bounce back on Tuesday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  These two teams played about as close a game as can be played on Sunday with the Penguins finally prevailing, 1-0 at home.  The rematch is tonight and you can bet that with the Bruins falling even further behind in the East -- and with the Rangers trailing them by only four points -- the visitors will come out much more physically than they did in the first game.  Despite the loss, Boston still has the upper hand in the season series, leading four games to three with tonight being the last meeting of the season.  However, Pittsburgh is still without the services of Evgeni Malkin, a critical piece of the Penguins' overall structure (and Malkin hasn't played a game since March 16 against these Bruins).  When teams hold the Bruins' offense down, the Bruins typically rebound in the next game, going 8-1 in their last nine immediately after scoring two goals or less.  Boston is also 6-0 in its last six following two or more consecutive losses.  Take the Bruins.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Washington Capitals.  The Caps did what no other team has been able to do this season, and that's to hand the Islanders back-to-back home losses.  Tonight's game will instead be played in the nation's capital, and we'll back the revenge-minded Islanders.  New York is a solid 16-6 when playing with revenge from a home loss, and 26-16 off back-to-back losses.  Take the Islanders.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the San Jose Sharks over the Arizona Coyotes.  Tonight, the Sharks will try to snap their losing streak, which reached 8 games with their 6-3 home loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.  Meanwhile, their opponent tonight, Arizona, comes into this game off a 4-0 shutout of the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.  Unfortunately, the Coyotes are a poor 36-62 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) off a division win, and 35-61 (minus 18 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Additionally, San Jose generally rebounds off blowout home losses, as it's 71-48 (+20 games on the moneyline) off a home loss by more than two goals.  Take the Sharks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Dallas Stars.  If not for two overtime losses to two of the best teams in Division, the Hurricanes would be 5-0 in their last five games coming into tonight.  On April 19, the 'Canes dropped a tough 3-2 decision to the Lightning and then on the 24th, they lost 4-3 in OT, this time to the Panthers.  They revenged the Tampa loss one night later on April 20.  But they won't get the chance to do the same thing to Florida as, instead, the Canes have to travel to Dallas to take on the Stars.  This is a great match-up for Carolina, which is 5-1 in the last six meetings with Dallas going back to the start of the season.  The Hurricanes are also a solid 14-6 in their last 20 games coming off a one-goal loss to a division rival, and 10-5 in their last 15 coming off a loss.  Take Carolina.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the St. Louis Blues.  The Avs, Knights, and Wild have all locked up a spot in the post-season but that doesn't mean they can cruise for the next eight games.  Vegas has wrested first place away from Colorado and that could be a big deal with the likelihood of fans in the stands come playoff time.  So don't look for the Avs to take a breather heading into the final 18 days of the season as they desperately would like to leapfrog the Knights to get back into first place.  They are looking for revenge tonight in the third game of a three-game set in St. Louis.  This is the rubber match, as Colorado took the first one on Thursday, then the Blues returned the favor on Saturday, scoring five goals in the process.  That loss snapped a five-game win streak for the Avs who are hoping to get more players back from the COVID-19.  The win on Saturday also snapped five straight for the Avs in this series.  For technical support, consider that the Avs are 11-0 in their last 11 when revenging a same-season loss vs. an opponent.  Take Colorado.

At 3:05 pm, on NBC TV, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  There are few teams in the league as hot as the Penguins right now.  Pittsburgh has won six of its last eight games and it's been having all of this success despite the loss of C Evegeni Malkin who continues to miss time due to a lower body injury.  The Pens actually took over first place in the East briefly after they beat the Devils yesterday afternoon -- that is, until the Caps won later in the day and jumped back on top.  Boston currently sits in fourth place, six points behind the Caps.  But Boston has also played two less games than each of the other three contenders.  Don't be surprised if the final eight games is a real back-and-forth between the Caps, Pens, Bruins, and Isles who have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in their Division.  So this is a quick turnaround for the Pens.  The Bruins come into today's game also off a loss to the Sabres but they are still 21-10 in the last 31 meetings with the Pens.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Tampa Bay Lightning.  Tampa Bay won last night against Carolina, 3-2, but we'll take the 'Canes in this rematch.  Carolina is a fantastic 13-5 this season vs. winning teams, and 25-12 (+11 games on the moneyline) when playing without rest.  It's also 28-17 off a division loss.  Meanwhile, the Lightning are a poor 16-17 (minus 13 games on the moneyline) after winning its previous game in overtime.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the New York Rangers.  These two teams met on Friday, and the Rangers blew out the Isles, 4-1, in Uniondale.  But I love the Isles to avenge that home loss, back at home this afternoon.  The Islanders are 13-3 this season vs. losing teams, and also a perfect 6-0 at home after giving up 4+ goals in their previous game.  The Rangers, meanwhile, are an awful 10-23 (minus 11 games on the moneyline) off a win by more than 2 goals, and 13-28 off a road win.  Take the Isles to bounce back on Sunday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the St Louis Blues.  Last night, the Wild suffered one of their worst defeats in the history of the franchise when they lost, 9-1, to St. Louis.  But off that huge embarrassing loss, we'll take Minnesota to bounce back on Saturday afternoon.  Indeed, the Wild generally do just that, as they're 32-22 after allowing 6+ goals in their previous game, and 20-8 their last 28 (+13 games on the moneyline) off a loss by more than 4 goals.  And they're 10-2 when playing with revenge from a loss by more than 3 goals.  Take the Wild over St. Louis.  Good luck, as always.....Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets.  If you're a Lightning fan, you may be a bit concerned over the team's recent struggles, but it's certainly no reason to panic.  After all, this is a club that usually saves its major problems for the playoffs -- last season notwithstanding.  The fact that Tampa has lost five of its last seven games may not look that good on the surface, but there are plenty of reasons to think it will be the conference favorite heading into the post-season, which begins in a little more than a month.  First, there is the fact that this is a very healthy team going into the final month of the season.  And, second, despite their stumbles of late, the Bolts still feature the top net-minder in the game in veteran Russian Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is sporting the best numbers of his career (2.00 GAA; .931 Sv Pct).  This is a revenge situation for the Bolts and they are 8-2 in their last 10 revenging a loss as a favorite; 26-9 off a road loss; and 31-8 (+18 games on the moneyline) in their last 39 after a loss by two or more goals.  Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are a wallet-busting 13-21 (minus 12 games on the moneyline) off a home win, in which they scored more than three goals.  Take Tampa.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers.  Boston won the first five meetings between these two teams this season, but faltered last night, when it lost, 3-2, in overtime.  But off that loss, we'll take the Bruins to resume their winning ways vs. Philadelphia.  Carter Hart will be in goal tonight for the Flyers, and he's 0-2-2 with a 5.32 GAA and an awful .843 Saves Pct. vs. Boston this season.  The Bruins are a solid 10-5 this season off a loss, and 39-28 when playing with same-season revenge.  Meanwhile, the Flyers are a wallet-busting 209-240 (but minus 76 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Take the Bruins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Minnesota Wild.  There's not much separating the Knights, Wild and Avalanche right now in the Honda West Division.  There's only a four points difference in the standings among those three, and the 4th place team is eight points behind.  The fact that these three are in a dogfight with each other was borne out on Thursday night.  The Wild and Knights played to a 3-2 shootout final won by Minnesota.  And the shots-on-goal in that game were 37 apiece.  But there are several reasons to think that the Knights will come through tonight in the rematch.  First, there's the fact that the Knights are 7-3 in their last 10 coming off a home loss to a division rival and 4-1 in their last five off of a close loss (one goal or less) to a division rival.  Second is the fact that despite Thursday's result, the home team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings of these two.  Finally, Vegas is 8-3 (+7 games on the moneyline) in its last 11 games when revenging a loss vs. an opponent.  Take the Knights.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Arizona Coyotes over the Anaheim Ducks.  In their last game, the Coyotes were embarrassed by Colorado as the Avalanche scored 9 goals on 38 shots.  That 9-3 defeat was Arizona's worst loss this season, and the most goals it has given up since it lost to Detroit, 9-2, on Oct. 11, 2006.  But off that defeat, we'll take the Coyotes tonight, as they're 5-0 this season after giving up 5+ goals.  And looking out further finds Arizona 31-23 (+14 games on the moneyline) after allowing 4+ goals.  After facing the Avalanche, there's no doubt the Coyotes will be happy to see the Ducks tonight.  And Anaheim has been out-shot 122-63 over its last three games.  That doesn't bode well for the Ducks tonight, as they're 1-6 after three straight games of 24 (or less) shots on goal, and 3-8 after being out-shot by 8+ shots in three straight games.  Even worse:  Anaheim lost the previous meeting with Arizona, 5-1.  And the Ducks are 27-48 their last 75 when playing with revenge, including 0-9 this season when playing with revenge from a loss by 2+ goals.  Take the Coyotes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Nashville Predators.  The defending Western conference champion Stars are on a 3-game losing streak after dropping a 3-2 decision in overtime on Tuesday to these Predators.  Dallas has been horrid this season when games go past regulation (2-10), so if it fails to make the playoffs, it can point to that as the reason why.  We'll take Dallas tonight, as it's 81-64 (+15 games on the moneyline) off 3+ losses, while Nashville is a dreadful 21-33 (minus 24 games on the moneyline) off back-to-back wins.  Even better:  Dallas is 101-59 (+43 games on the moneyline) off a division road loss.  Take the Stars.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Tampa Bay Lightning over Columbus.  The defending Stanley Cup champions are on a rare 3-game losing streak after dropping a 3-1 decision to these Blue Jackets on Tuesday.  I look for the Lightning to bounce back tonight, as they're 48-19 (+17 games on the moneyline) off a loss.  And Tampa's an eye-popping 25-3 (+20 games on the moneyline) after not scoring 2+ goals in its previous game!  Meanwhile, Columbus is a poor 4-9 (minus 5 games on the moneyline) off a win, and 23-36 (minus 16 games on the moneyline) when playing its 3rd road game in five days.  Take the Lightning.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Washington Capitals.  New York returns home today after losing back-to-back games at Pittsburgh on Saturday and Monday.  And the Isles also play with revenge from a 3-1 loss at Washington on March 16.  The good news for New York tonight is that it's 24-16 (+7 games on the moneyline) off back to back losses.  And it's 26-13 (+14 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a game where it failed to score 2+ goals.  Take the Islanders.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over the San Jose Sharks.  The Wild come into this game off a 4-3 loss to San Jose, and have 4 games against the Avalanche and Golden Knights on deck, so this game is important for Minnesota to win, as it tries to jockey for playoff positioning in the rugged West division.  The Sharks are 3-10 off a win this season, and 33-41 (minus 17 games on the moneyline) after scoring more than 3 goals, while the Wild are 8-2 when playing with revenge from a loss to its opponent earlier in the season.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Sabres over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Sabres have tied the all-time NHL record for the most consecutive losses at 18 and tonight they "go for" the outright record.  But not so fast.  You have to feel that if they're going to break out of their losing ways, it's going to be against the Flyers.  For one thing, it almost happened on Monday, as the Sabres raced to a 3-0 lead by the end of the second period.  But the Flyers came back in the final 20 minutes to tie it and then they won it OT, thus extending the Sabres' misery.  But that was the second straight Flyers-Sabres contest that had gone into overtime, and you just feel that Philly is the shakiest team -- defensively anyway -- in the division right now.  So we're counting on tonight being the night that the Sabres put one up in the win column (but don't count on a win streak after that).  Philly's defense and goaltending has been awful of late.  In their last 12 games, the Flyers have allowed a total of 54 goals, or a GAA of 4.50.  Take the Sabres.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Winnipeg Jets.  These two teams met earlier this month in Toronto, and the Jets took 2 of 3, including the most recent meeting by a 5-2 score.  We'll take Toronto to avenge that defeat, as it's 52-31 when playing with revenge, including 12-2 this season.  Meanwhile, the Jets come into tonight off a 5-2 win at Calgary.  But the Jets are a horrible 69-93 (minus 23 games on the moneyline) off a road win, and 2-9 at home after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game.  Take Toronto.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New Jersey Devils.  Boston was shut out, 1-0, by New Jersey on Sunday.  So, the Bruins will want to avenge that defeat tonight.  In Sunday's loss, Boston threw 40 shots at Mackenzie Blackwood, but none got by the goalie.  Interestingly, the last three times Boston had 40+ shots on goal, they lost all three games, and scored 0, 1 and 0 goals in those games!  Still, if a team gets 40+ shots on goal, you will generally take your chances with the result.  I look for Boston to bounce back on Tuesday, as the Devils are a horrid 31-49 (minus 35 games on the moneyline) after a road shutout win.  Meanwhile, the Bruins are 21-11 (+6 games on the moneyline) off a shutout loss, and an awesome 51-21 (+18 games on the moneyline) off a strong defensive effort where they didn't allow 2+ goals.  Take Boston tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Islanders over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  The Pens come into tonight's game off a 6-3 win over these Islanders.  And that triumph closed the gap between the 2nd Place Isles, and 3rd Place Penguins to a mere two points.  Pittsburgh has now won each of its three previous games (all at home), but will be hard-pressed to extend its win streak to four games tonight.  For technical support, consider that the Pens are a dismal 16-23 (minus 13 games on the moneyline) off three straight home wins, and 70-69 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) off a win by 3+ goals over a division rival.  Meanwhile, New York is 29-17 (+12 games on the moneyline) after giving up 3+ goals in each of its two previous games.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Anaheim Ducks.  When you look up the definition of "frustrating loss" you might just get directed to the result of the Blues game against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.  On the scoreboard, it looks like a three-goal win for the underdogs, but it was really a one-goal affair with some lucky bounces for the winners.  After a scoreless first period, the Ducks got a pair in the second period including a fluky goal in the final minute.  The Blues answered with a third period goal before Anaheim put a pair in an empty net in the final 1:03, resulting in a 4-1 final.  Still, the Blues out-shot the Ducks 34-24 and dominated play over most of the 60 minutes.  Today they have a chance to get on the right side of the score in this rematch.  It could be tough for the Ducks to make it two in a row as they are just 10-28 in their last 38 coming off of a win, and 31-54 (minus 21 games on the moneyline) within the division.  The Blues are 13-7 in their last 20 after three or more consecutive losses, and they're 9-3 after not scoring 3+ goals in any of their previous three games.  Take St. Louis.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Calgary Flames over the Winnipeg Jets.  The time for Calgary to get back into the playoff chase is getting shorter by the day.  Yesterday, it lost its 4th straight game, 3-2 to these Jets, and Calgary now sits 4 points behind Montreal (but the Canadiens have played four less games).  With the two #1  goalies (Jacob Markstrom, Connor Hellebuyck) having played last night, the two teams will turn to their #2 goalies for this contest (David Rittich, Laurent Brossoit).  I look for Calgary to get back into the win column today, as it's cashed 63.1 the past three seasons off a 1-goal home defeat.  Meanwhile, Winnipeg is a wallet-busting 14-26 off back-to-back road wins, and 11-28 on the road off 3 wins overall.  Take Calgary tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Last season, our preseason pick to win the Stanley Cup was on Tampa Bay, and we cashed the Lightning at 7-1 odds.  This season, our choice was Colorado, also at 7-1 odds.  The Avalanche got off to a slower-than-expected start, but have come on strong lately to get to within 2 points of the Golden Knights for 1st place in the division.  So, this 2-game series here in Denver could catapult the Avs to the top of the standings.  The Avalanche are 7-1 in their last eight games, and have outscored their opponents by 36-13 over those eight games (including a 6-0 mark in regulation).  Colorado did lose the previous meeting this season against Vegas.  But that's not necessarily a bad thing, as they Avalanche are 9-0 this season when playing with revenge.  And over the last 3 seasons, Colorado is 34-18 (+18 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a loss by 2+ goals.  Meanwhile, Vegas does come into this game off a blowout 5-1 win.  But the Golden Knights are a poor 8-11 (minus 10 games on the moneyline) off a win by more than 3 goals.  Take Colorado.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over San Jose.  We played on the Sharks when these teams met two nights ago, and got the $$$$ in a thrilling 2-1 victory which saw San Jose's netminder, Martin Jones (and the post behind him), make some incredible saves late in the game to preserve the win.  Los Angeles peppered Jones with 42 shots, but just were unable to catch a break.  Cal Petersen (92.6% Saves Pct.) was given that game off in favor of the veteran goalie, Jonathan Quick (89.8% Saves Pct.), but Petersen should be back in goal for the Kings tonight.  We'll take the Kings, as San Jose is a poor 2-9 off a win, while L.A. is a solid 36-32 (+16 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge.  Take Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Vancouver Canucks.  The Canucks won, in overtime, 3-2, last night.  But that was just Vancouver's 4th win in the last 17 games here vs. the Canadiens.  Moreover, they also extended their streak of NOT winning in regulation at Montreal to 17 straight games.  We'll take Montreal to bounce back tonight.  Goaltender Carey Price should be back in net after backup Jake Allen got the start last night.  With last night's loss, Allen is now 0-2-4 his last six starts.  Meanwhile, Price is 3-0-2 vs. Vancouver this season (2.14 GAA).  It's unclear who will man the pipes for Vancouver.  But with Thatcher Demko playing last night, it's very possible backup Braden Holtby will get the call tonight.  And Holtby is 1-2 with a 4.90 GAA vs. Montreal this season.  Regardless, we'll take the homestanding Canadiens to bounce back on Saturday night.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Calgary Flames.  For the early part of this NHL season, Toronto was the league's best team.  It sprinted out to an 18-6 record, but has dropped six of its last seven games, including a 4-3 loss to these Flames last night.  Still, there's no reason to panic.  And there's every reason to believe Toronto will right its ship tonight vs. Calgary.  The Leafs are 25-11 off back to back losses (and 7-3 off 3+ losses).  And Toronto is also 50-31 (+8 games on the moneyline) when playing with revenge from a loss.  Meanwhile, Calgary is 1-6 after scoring more than 3 goals;  5-14 (minus 17 games on the moneyline) off a road division win; and 81-117 (minus 41 games on the moneyline) after a road win in which it scored more than 3 goals.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Calgary Flames.  With their regular #1 goalie, Frederik Andersen having played the entire game last Saturday, the Leafs figured they were safe giving him the day off on Sunday against the lowly Senators.  So they started back-up Michael Hutchinson and paid dearly for that decision when the 31-year-old journeyman allowed two goals on the first three shots he faced.  Toronto never recovered -- despite promptly replacing its back-up net-minder -- and went on to drop a 4-3 decision.  Thankfully, Andersen has had four days now to recover as he steps back in goal tonight to face a team that the Leafs have taken three of four from this season in the Flames.  Calgary goalie Jakob Markstrom had his own issues when he allowed seven goals in his last start -- a 7-3 loss to the Oilers on Wednesday which broke a three-game Flames win streak.  The Flames are 1-9 (-11 games on the money line) in their last 10 coming off of a blowout home loss by three or more goals, while Toronto's 25-10 off back to back losses.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the St. Louis Blues over the Los Angeles Kings. These two teams were scheduled to play Monday night, here in Los Angeles, but a Denver blizzard stranded the Kings in the Mile High City.  So, the Blues' road trip will start tonight, which is probably fine with the visitors, as they got the benefit of some time off.  For the Kings, they're hoping that the extra rest will mean the return of goalie Jonathan Quick from his upper-body injury, but all indications are that Quick will remain on the shelf tonight which leaves them once again with Cal Peterson as the likely starter.  The 26-year-old former 5th round pick has won just four of his 14 starts in goal this season.  Morevoer, the road team in this series is 4-1 in the last five meetings.  And St. Louis is also looking to rebound from back-to-back home losses last week to Vegas, including a 5-1 defeat on Saturday.   The good news is that St Louis has cashed 67% the past 3 seasons off back to back home losses, and is also 10-6 off a home loss by 3+ goals.  Take the Blues.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Pittsburgh Penguins.  This will be the second straight night of a two-game series for these clubs.  Although the Penguins won the first one on Monday in a convincing fashion on the scoreboard at least -- 4-1 -- there is reason to believe that the Bruins will bounce back tonight.  First there is the fact that Boston pretty much dominated play throughout most of Monday's game, out-shooting Pittsburgh by a lopsided 43-25 margin.  Second, with #1 goalie Tristan Jarry carrying the load and playing brilliantly last night for the home team, the Pens will almost certainly be forced to go with back-up Casey DeSmith tonight.  Third is the fact that the Pens have three regular defensemen -- Riikola, Friedman, and Marino -- sidelined with injuries, which is likely a major reason why the Bruins dominated in the shots department on Monday.  The Bruins are 20-11 in their last 31 after scoring one goal or less in their previous game.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 5:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over Columbus.  The defending Western Conference champs wouldn't make the playoffs if the season ended as of last night, as they're in 7th place in the Central division.  But there's still enough time for the Stars to get back into the thick of things, and it will try to rebound off last night's overtime loss to this Blue Jackets team.  Unfortunately, the Stars have been dreadful in overtime and/or shootouts, as they've lost their last six that have stretched past regulation.  But if there is a silver lining so far for the Stars, it is that they have a positive scoring margin on the season.  Indeed, Dallas's scoring margin ranks 4th in the Central division (and tied for 15th in the league).  In contrast, Columbus' minus 18-goal scoring margin ranks #25 of the 31 NHL teams!  Dallas is a solid 174-122 (+28 games on the moneyline) off a division loss.  Take the Stars this afternoon.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Philadelphia Flyers over the Washington Capitals.  The Flyers were allowed to have about 3,000 fans in the stands since returning home earlier this month.  In the three games since, Philly has lost twice to the Caps and had to go to a shootout to beat the lowly Sabres.  Needless to say (and true to Philly form), the team has been serenaded with a chorus of boos from the home faithful.  They tried to mix it up in goal in the last game, by using Brian Elliott instead of #1 Carter Hart.  But that didn't work as the Caps rolled to a 5-3 win on Thursday.  That's not necessarily a bad thing for them for tonight as Philly is 15-3 in its last 18 when allowing five or more goals the previous game.  And it's 7-0 its last seven after a home loss by more than a goal.  Hart will be back in net tonight as the Flyers look to bounce back.  With Tom Wilson still serving his seven-game suspension, look for the Flyers to be much more physical tonight, a recipe which should not only help reverse things on the scoreboard, but also turn the boos into cheers.  Take Philly.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over Winnipeg.  This is the 2nd of a 3-game series played here in Toronto.  And the Leafs dropped Game 1 by a 4-3 score, which was their 3rd straight loss, overall.  But Toronto has been very good off back to back defeats, as it's 24-10 (+12 games on the moneyline) its last 34.  And it's also 6-0 this season when playing with revenge after losing the previous meeting by a single goal.  Meanwhile, Winnipeg is a wallet-busting 67-90 (minus 22 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Take Toronto to bounce back tonight.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the New York Islanders.  The Islanders are currently riding a 5-game win streak.  But three of those wins were against Buffalo, which has lost seven straight games, while another of those wins was against the Devils, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.  So, New York's 5-game win streak must be put in its proper perspective.  Tonight, New York will have to step-up greatly in class.  It's not often that you get a team as good as Boston in a triple-revenge situation.  But that's the case this evening, as the Islanders have won each of the three previous meetings this season, including a 7-2 shellacking in the last one.  With revenge on its mind, we'll take Boston tonight, as it's 13-7 when playing with revenge from a blowout loss by 3+ goals.  Even better:  Boston suffered a shutout loss, 1-0, at the hands of the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.  And the Bruins are 6-1 their last seven off a shutout loss.   Finally, the Isles are a horrible 25-39 (minus 20 games on the moneyline) off 4+ wins.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the Arizona Coyotes.  The Avs had to go to overtime twice against arguably the worst team in the league -- the Anaheim Ducks -- and they split that two-game series.  They will need to play better tonight against a Coyotes club that has shown some signs of life in recent games.  The #1 problem for the Avs so far has been injuries as they have no fewer than seven regulars right now who are either out of action or questionable for tonight's game.  The biggest name in that group by far is All Star C Nathan MacKinnon who missed both of the Ducks games with a head injury.  But Colorado could get a huge boost tonight as MacKinnon might be able to suit up for the team, as he took part in skating yesterday.  Even if he can't play, there is plenty of offense on this club.  It just needs to be more consistent, and play 60 solid minutes of Avs hockey.  For technical support, consider that the Avs are 7-1 in their last eight immediately off of a loss, while the Coyotes are 11-26 (-17 games on the moneyline) in their last 37 coming off a win over a division rival.  Take Colorado.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Montreal Canadiens over the Winnipeg Jets.  The Canadiens lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games when they fell, 4-3, in overtime on Thursday to this Winnipeg team.  And that loss moved the Jets' record in overtime to 5-0, while Montreal's record after regulation fell to 0-6 (0-4 OT, 0-2 shootout).  So, it would seem that Montreal would be in great shape if it can just have this game decided in regulation.  We'll go against Winnipeg tonight, as it's 8-13 (minus eight games on the moneyline) after winning a game in OT.  And it's 19-26 (minus 7 games on the moneyline) off a road win.  Meanwhile, Montreal is a solid 40-22 (+20 games on the moneyline) if it has lost at least eight of its previous 10 games.  Take the Canadiens.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.