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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ASA top play on 10* UNDER 5.5 Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars, 8:30 PM ET - These teams just met a week ago and the game went over the total but that was preceded by 3 straight unders in this series and 6 of the last 8 meetings staying under the total.  McElhinney started the most recent game for TB so #1 goalie Vasilevskiy expected to start here.  This is a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals match-up and should be a tight low-scoring battle.  The Stars are off a high-scoring shootout loss to Nashville but 3 of 4 preceding games totaled 5 or less goals.  Per our computer math modeling, this one will total 5 or less as well. Oettinger expected to get the start in the crease for Dallas and he has a 2.23 GAA this season!  The young netminder has played well thus far this season and that includes looking sharp in a pair of appearances versus the Lightning.  More of the same expected here.  We like UNDER here. 

ASA top play on 10* OVER 6 Calgary Flames at Ottawa Senators, 7:00 PM ET - The Senators have a mess at the goalie position right now.  Matt Murray is dealing with an upper body injury.  Joey Daccord just suffered a lower body injury and is likely out for the season.  Marcus Hogberg has been on the injured reserve with a lower body injury as well.  It is likely that 22 year old Filip Gustavsson will get the start for Ottawa here.  The Senators are allowing 4 goals per game this season and now likely will have a rookie netminder in the crease tonight making his first ever NHL start.  Calgary is expected to start Jacob Markstrom here and he has struggled badly in his last 3 starts.  Markstrom has allowed 13 goals in his last 3 appearances and, as bad as Ottawa has been this season, they have been quite competitive on home ice.  The Senators have gone 5-1-2 in their last 8 home games and have scored an average of 3.7 goals per game (not including OT or SO) in their 7 most recent home games.  Our computer math model reflects strong odds on at least 7 goals in this one.  We like OVER here. 

ASA top play on 10* OVER 5.5 Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings, 6:00 PM ET - The value of having a 5.5 here is a big one. Vegas won Friday's game 4-2 and that was the 5th time in the last 6 meetings between these teams that has resulted in an over.  Also, 5 of the last 6 meetings in Los Angeles have also resulted in an over.  The Kings struggle to stop the Knights and have allowed at least 4 goals in each of the 3 meetings this season.  The Kings should enjoy their fair share of success in the offensive zone in this one as well.  Though Marc-Andre Fleury will be between the pipes for Vegas in this one, he has allowed 4 goals in 3 of his last 5 appearances including 2 of his last 3 on the road.  Also, in starts against LA, Fleury has given up 6 goals on 46 shots for an ugly .869 save percentage.  Los Angeles has converted on 5 of its last 12 power play opportunities against Vegas.  The Golden Knights are a solid 3 of 12 on the power play against the Kings in recent meetings.  Overall Vegas has scored 4 or more goals in 4 of its last 5 games and the Golden Knights are on a 5-1 O/U run.  Our computer math model reflects strong odds on at least a 4-2 game in this one.  We like OVER here. 

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON New York Rangers Money Line +125 over Washington Capitals at 7:00 PM ET - Yesterday's game slipped away from the Rangers despite a 33-18 edge in shots on goal.  The Capitals rallied for 2 late goals to get the 2-1 win and that means it is payback time for New York on Saturday.  The Rangers had won each of the first two meetings this season and Washington was hungry for revenge yesterday but now it is New York seeking revenge in this one.  The Rangers looked like the better team for much of yesterday's game and certainly are more dangerous since the return of Panarin to the ice.  He scored their lone goal yesterday but, again, the Rangers could have had more.  They will make up for that here and there is a reason this line has moved toward New York even though the Capitals have won 7 straight and 14 of 17.  Why does a line move against a team like that in this situation?  Sharp money!  Grab the dog here.  Take the RANGERS

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Calgary Flames Money Line +145 over Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 PM ET - Calgary is off an ugly 7-3 loss and will respond here.  The Flames are 7-2 this season when off a loss in which they allowed 4 or more goals.  Calgary also has revenge here as they have lost 3 of 4 games against Toronto this season including the most recent defeat coming in overtime.  The Flames are catching the Maple Leafs at the right time as Toronto has lost 5 of its last 6 games and allowed an average of 4 goals per game during this rough stretch.  The Flames had won 3 straight by a combined score of 9-5 before their 7-3 loss Wednesday.  Calgary will be the better team from an execution standpoint here as they have already played twice this week while this is the Leafs first game since Sunday!  Take the FLAMES

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Ottawa Senators Money Line +130 over Vancouver Canucks at 7:00 PM ET - The Canucks beat the Senators again on Monday.  That was the 4th straight win for Vancouver over Ottawa this season.  However, the Senators rallied from a 3-0 deficit and fell just short in the 3-2 loss.  The Sens outshot the Canucks by a 46-28 margin and Ottawa has outshot Vancouver in all 4 meetings this season with an edge of 30 shots just in the last two games alone.  That said, this is the perfect spot for the Senators to finally get past the Canucks as Vancouver has a big revenge game at Montreal on deck for Friday.  The Canucks have won 5 of 6 games but the lone loss was a 5-1 defeat to the Canadiens.  Vancouver gets caught looking ahead to that game and home dog Ottawa will prove to be the hotter team here.  Take the SENATORS

ASA PLAY 8* ON Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -150 over Dallas Stars at 8:30 PM ET - The Lightning are off a 4-1 home loss versus Nashville yesterday.  McElhinney got the start in goal in the front end of a back to back but that means it should be Vasilevskiy between the pipes for this one.  He is Tampa Bay's #1 netminder and is 17-3-1 this season with a 1.85 GAA and a .934 save percentage.  The Bolts are 3-0 the last 3 times they were off a loss and we expect a big response here after the embarrassing defeat against the Predators yesterday afternoon.  Tampa Bay beat the Stars to win the Stanley Cup last season.  Though Dallas has been seeking revenge this season, the Lightning already won both meetings with Dallas this year and those victories have come by a combined margin of 7-0.  Dallas is off a win entering this game but this victory came on the heels of the Stars losing 15 of 19 games.  This is a great spot to lay the price and look for a road blowout!  Take the LIGHTNING

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Boston Bruins Money Line -110 over Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 PM ET - The Bruins, overall, are a very strong hockey club that is also in a fantastic spot here.  Boston is off a 4-0 shutout loss at home versus the New York Rangers. The Bruins already have won both meetings with the Penguins this season and also have outshot them by a combined 93 to 69 in the last 3 meetings.  Boston is 2 for 5 on the power play in the 2 meetings this season while Pittsburgh is 0 for 14 on the power play in the last 4 meetings with the Bruins.  Special team edges for the Bruins here and you can bet they will be ready here as they look to bounce back from the shutout loss to the Rangers.  Boston has won 7 of its last 11 games played away from home and the Bruins have played very well as travelers except note that they did lose their most recent trip to Pittsburgh (last season) and now they have a chance at payback.  The Penguins are currently 3 points ahead of the Bruins in the division but Boston has 2 games in hand and can start gaining valuable ground in the standings right here right now.  The Bruins are a slight road favorite here for a reason. Do not let the line fool you.  Road team payback here after a shutout loss.  In terms of goal-tending, if Tuukka Rask is back for Boston tonight note that he has allowed just a single goal in each of his last 3 starts.  If it is Jaroslav Halak between the pipes for the Bruins, note that he took the loss against the Rangers but that was preceded by him allowing a total of just two goals over his last 3 starts combined!  Boston had gone 6 straight games without allowing more than a single goal in regulation time and they will resume their strong defensive play after the 4-0 shutout loss to the Rangers.  The Penguins have been hot but we still question their goaltending with Jarry and DeSmith.  Keep in mind Pittsburgh's recent winning run came against the slumping Flyers, the Rangers when Panarin was still out, and a very bad Sabres team.  The Pens took advantage of that schedule but now things get much tougher here.  Take the BRUINS

ASA top play on 10* OVER 5.5 Pittsburgh Penguins at Buffalo Sabres, 7:00 PM ET - The value of having a 5.5 here is a big one. The Sabres have been having goaltending issues but do tend to score better when at home.  The Penguins should continue to score plenty and, with their 5-2 win at Buffalo Thursday, Pittsburgh has seen each of their last 6 games and 8 of their last 9 total 6 or more goals.  The Pens have scored an average of 4.3 goals per game their last 6 games.  The Sabres are on a 9-game losing streak and have allowed an average of 4.8 goals per game in regulation their past 5 games.  Buffalo has scored at least 2 goals in 6 straight games.  Are computer math model reflects strong odds on at least a 4-2 game in this one.  We like OVER here. 

ASA top play on 10* OVER 5.5 Arizona Coyotes at Minnesota Wild, 8:00 PM ET - The Wild have been riding a red hot goalie in Kaapo Kahkonen as they are 8-0 in his last 8 starts!  However, Minnesota wants to give Cam Talbot some work here so he is getting the start in this one.  He has allowed 4 or more goals in each of his last 3 starts.  As you would expect with numbers like that, all 3 of those games went over the total.  With Talbot getting the start here and knowing that the Wild are big favorites here for a reason it is worth mentioning that Minnesota has scored an average of 4 goals per game last 9 victories.  So Minnesota gets theirs here but Talbot struggles again against an angry Coyotes team that is off a loss in a game at Colorado where they were fortunate to hang around as they generated only 14 shots on goal in the defeat.  Arizona will put an emphasis on offensive zone production after a game like that and they'll take advantage of facing Talbot.  Prior to that loss the Coyotes won 3 of 4 games plus scored an average of 3 goals per game during that stretch.  Both Arizona's games with Minnesota this season totaled at least 6 goals and this one will as well.  We like OVER here.

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Boston Bruins Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over New York Rangers, Thursday at 7:05 PM ET - Panarin is back practicing with the Rangers but he won't be playing tonight.  He is the Rangers best player.  Shesterkin is the Rangers #1 goalie and he is still out with an injury.  That said, New York is still a little short-handed at both ends of the ice here and they are facing an angry Bruins team that is off back to back losses.  Boston is a perfect 3-0 this season when off back to back defeats and the last two victories have come by a combined score of 11 to 4.  The Bruins are a big favorite here but we get line value by playing them on the puck line at -1.5 goals to get a big plus money return.  Boston's last 3 wins have been by a combined score of 16 to 5.  The Rangers last 3 losses have all been by multiple goal margins and a combined score of 13 to 4.  The Bruins are offering line value here because goalie Rask is out but Halak has been fantastic between the pipes and comes up with another fantastic start here.  Halak has had just one bad game this season.  He allowed 7 goals in that one but just 1.5 goals per game in his other 8 starts.  Another gem here.  Laying the 1.5 goals (for a solid plus money return, currently in the +150 range) with Boston is the value play here.

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Boston Bruins Money Line -110 over New York Islanders at 7 PM ET - The Bruins, overall, are a very strong hockey club that is also in a fantastic spot here.  Boston is off a 1-0 shutout loss at home versus New Jersey. The Bruins also have lost all 3 meetings with the Islanders this season.  You can bet they will be ready here as they seek revenge and also look to bounce back from the loss to the Devils.  Boston has won 7 of its last 10 games played away from home and 2 of those 3 defeats were at the hands of the Islanders.  In other words, the Bruins have played very well as travelers except against the Islanders and now they have a chance at payback.  The Islanders are currently in first place in the division but Boston has 3 games in hand and can start gaining valuable ground in the standings right here right now.  The Bruins are a slight road favorite here for a reason. Do not let the line fool you.  Road team payback here after a shutout loss.  Take the BRUINS

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6.5 Goals – Edmonton Oilers vs Ottawa Senators, Monday at 9 PM ET – The Senators are in the second game of a back to back and off a 4-3 upset win in the shootout at Calgary. Ottawa used #1 goalie Matt Murray last night. He has not been that strong anyway but is unlikely to play in the 2nd game of a back to back. Senators choices are limited because Marcus Hogberg has been out with an injury. That means Joey Daccord has been the backup but he has very little NHL experience and has struggled in his limited action this season. So it will likely be a tired Murray or a rusty Daccord between the pipes for this one. Neither option is a good one and Edmonton is primed for a huge night of goal-scoring. The Senators have scored 3 or more goals in 8 of their last 9 games. The Oilers are favored here for good reason. In other words, this game should end up at least 4-3 as Edmonton prevails but gives up some goals along the way. Ottawa has been scoring well enough but allows too many and that is why 7 of their last 11 games have totaled at least 7 goals. In fact those 7 games averaged 9 goals! Speaking of high-scoring games, the Senators last 3 visits to Edmonton have seen the game totals average 8.7 goals per game. The Oilers are off a big win versus rival Calgary and resumed the solid play we saw from them prior to the tough 3-game set with the Maple Leafs. Now Edmonton goes from facing the top team in the division to facing the bottom team in the division and their high-scoring ways will resume. The Oilers were averaging scoring 4 goals per game over a 16-game stretch prior to the tough 3-game set with the Maple Leafs. Now after a bounce back win over the Flames and catching the Senators in a back to back, the Oilers will be flying all over the ice in this one and skating well but their goalies have allowed 3.8 goals per game in the last 4 games. Take the OVER here.

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Philadelphia Flyers Money Line -105 over Washington at 7 PM ET - The Capitals are off a very physical loss to the Bruins Friday.  That 5-1 defeat also saw their most physical player, Tom Wilson, deliver a bad hit on Brandon Carlo of the Bruins and Wilson is now on a 7-game suspension for Washington.  That will hurt this team some and they are taking on a Philly team that is in a back to back spot but on their home ice and with Carter Hart between the pipes.  Hart has shown a long-term tendency for dominating in his home ice starts so he is absolutely in his comfort zone here.  Also, Philadelphia hammered the Capitals 7-4 in the most recent meeting and this Flyers team is, for the most part, healthy again after already dealing with covid issues a few weeks ago.  Philadelphia could get Philippe Myers back here as well. Each team does have a couple personnel issues here but the absence of Wilson could hurt the Caps in a back to back physical match-up as these teams don't like each other to say the least.  Keep in mind, Carter Hart went 20-3-2 with a 1.63 GAA in his home starts last season and has only 1 regulation loss in 6 decisions on home ice this season.  Take the FLYERS

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Dallas Stars Money Line -130 over Columbus at 8 PM ET - The Blue Jackets got a tight 3-2 win at Dallas Thursday for their 2nd straight win.  However, the season is nearly two months in and Columbus has yet to produce a winning streak longer than just 2 games!  We don't see that trend ending here as the Jackets continue to be a team plagued by inconsistency this season.  Prior to this 2-game winning streak, Columbus had lost 7 of 8 games.  Certainly Dallas has not impressed early this season but this is still a Stars team that was representing the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals last season!  The Stars began this season with 4 straight home wins.  Now their last 6 home games have seen 3 regulation losses and 3 OT/SO losses.  A determined Dallas team will take to the ice here and they are favored in the -130 range here with good reason.  Look for the Stars to come out flying in this one.  They will not be denied after Thursday's tight loss to the Blue Jackets.  Take the STARS

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Over 6 Goals – Chicago Blackhawks vs Tampa Bay Lightning, Friday at 8 PM ET – Yesterday's game ended up a 3-2 overtime win for the Lightning.  Both teams used their top goalie last night.  That means their only choice tonight is to go with those guys again (unlikely) in the 2nd of a back to back or go to their back-ups (likely) tonight.  That being said, we like the over plenty in this one.  The Lightning back-up is Curtis McElhinney.  He allowed 4 goals in a 5-2 loss to Chicago the last time he faced them.  The Blackhawks back-up is Malcolm Subban.  He allowed 5 goals when he most recently faced TB and that was in January.  In the other half of that same 2-game set in mid-January, the Hawks also used their other netminder Collin Delia and he also allowed 5 goals to Tampa!  The point is that when it is not starting goalie Kevin Lankinen between the pipes for Chicago, the Lightning have feasted.  If Lankinen did go tonight it would be the 2nd night of a back to back and that is not a good situation.  If Subban goes he allowed 5 goals in his most recent start and that was also his only home start this season.  If the Lightning did go with Andrei Vasilevskiy tonight it would be the 2nd night of a back to back and that is not a good situation.  If McElhinney goes, he is coming off a good start but allowed 6 goals in the start right before that and also struggled against Chicago when he most recently faced them.  We have a total of 6 goals to work with here and Tampa Bay is off back to back low-scoring games but this was on the heels of a 14-game stretch in which TB scored at least 3 goals in 12 of the 14 games!  The Blackhawks lost last night's game on home ice to these Bolts in OT by a 3-2 final but entered that game scoring an average of 4 goals per game on home ice this season.  Given all of the above, we expect each team to get to 3 goals in this one and that would lead to at least a 4-3 final here.  Tampa Bay's only other road back to back this season saw the 2nd game total 7 goals.  Chicago's only other home back to back this season saw the 2nd game total 9 goals!  Based on value and the situation - and the fact the markets have not yet adjusted to a total of 6.5 goals - still holding solidly at 6 as of mid-morning, we like OVER here.

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Winnipeg Jets Money Line +140 over Montreal at 7 PM ET - We successfully used Winnipeg in a 5-2 win over Vancouver on Tuesday as it was payback time for the Jets after that rare loss to the Canucks Monday.  Winnipeg, entering Monday's game, had won 4 straight games and 8 of their last 11 games.  The Canadiens are off a win as well but they had entered Tuesday night's game having lost 7 of 8 games.  This is clearly a case of two teams heading opposite directions for multiple weeks now and one game does not change all that.  The fact is that Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is known for being great in bounce back mode and he was in goal for Monday's loss to the Canucks.  Winnipeg's Hellebuyck is 6-1 this season when he starts a game in which he lost his prior start or in which the Jets are coming off a loss.  We'll take advantage of the line value here because the Canadiens have not responded all that well since the coaching change and still seem to be in a transitional cycle.  That said the big dog comeback price on Winnipeg here is an excellent value as this is the perfect spot to back a strong team facing an over-priced favorite that has still been shaky of late.  Take the JETS

ASA TOP PLAY 10* ON Winnipeg Jets Money Line -115 over Vancouver at 8 PM ET - The Canucks got a 4-0 shutout win yesterday at Winnipeg but the set up was perfect for them and, even in victory, they were outshot 27 to 19 by the Jets.  Going into yesterday's game, Vancouver had 3 full days off since playing on Thursday and the Canucks were highly motivated to end their losing streak of 4 straight games in that one.  They were catching the Jets at the perfect time to do just that.  Winnipeg was coming off an emotional 2-1 OT win over Montreal Saturday.  After back to back wins over the Canadiens, the first of which featured twice rallying from 2-goal deficits, the Jets were likely to be "out of gas" emotionally and physically last night and, sure enough, that proved to be the case.  Last night, the Canucks were proven to be the fresher and hungrier team.  However, now it is payback time for the Jets after that rare loss.  Winnipeg, entering yesterday's game, had won 4 straight games and 8 of their last 11 games.  The Canucks entered last night's game having lost 11 of 13 games.  This was clearly a case of two teams heading opposite directions for multiple weeks now and one game does not change all that.  The fact is that the Jets have been great in bounce back mode this season.  Winnipeg is 6-1 this season when coming off a loss.  Also, the goaltending match-up that is expected in this rematch favors the home side.  The Jets are expected to start Laurent Brossoit.  Even though he is the back-up to Connor Hellebuyck, Brossoit shutout the Canucks in his most recent start and has now allowed a total of just 2 goals in his last two appearances!  He will likely be opposed by Vancouver's Braden Holtby who has been replaced by Thatcher Demko as the #1 guy for the Canucks and this is because of his struggles.  Holtby lost 4 of his 5 starts last month and compiled a 3.86 GAA.  This one will be all Jets as they improve to 7-1 this season when off a loss.  We'll take advantage of the line value here because many would rate Holtby an edge over Brossoit in goal but that is simply not the case based on current level of play for these two.  That said, the lower line on Winnipeg here is an excellent value as this the perfect spot to back a revenging team.  Lay it!  Take the JETS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Vancouver Canucks Money Line +120 over Winnipeg at 8 PM ET - Raise your hand if you also think it’s “fishy” that Winnipeg is such a small favorite in this game against a Vancouver team that has lost 4 straight and 11 of 13 games?  Of course the markets have jumped on this as expected and driven the price a little higher but that just means more value with the underdog Canucks in this one.  This game was priced this way for a reason.  Vancouver has had 3 full days off since playing on Thursday and the Canucks are highly motivated to end their losing streak here.  They are catching the Jets at the perfect time to do just that.  Winnipeg is coming off an emotional 2-1 OT win over Montreal Saturday.  After back to back wins over the Canadiens, the first of which featured twice rallying from 2-goal deficits, the Jets are likely to be "out of gas" here and the Canucks will prove to be the fresher and hungrier team.  Winnipeg has won 4 straight games and this is their longest winning streak of the season.  Look for them to come back down to earth in this one.  Grab the road dog here for an upset that many will be surprised to see but we won't.  The odds makers had this one right when they opened it up at such a small price.  Take the CANUCKS

ASA top play on 10* OVER 5.5 Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Blackhawks, 7:00 PM ET - Yesterday's game me ended up 5-3 even though there were only 2 power play opportunities the entire game.  That said, there was plenty of scoring 5 on 5 and we expect more of the same here.  The Red Wings are off back to back wins and have scored 5 goals in each victory so their confidence is growing.  However, Thomas Greiss is expected to get the start for Detroit here and he hasn't played in over a week and struggled badly in that one against Florida.  The Blackhawks also have some concern between the pipes here too as they have now allowed 5 goals in 3 of their last 4 games!  Kevin Lankinen expected to get the start here and he has allowed 4 or more goals in back to back starts and 3 of his last 5.  The Blackhawks were more of an "over team" last season and we're seeing a return to that in recent action and, with the confidence of the young Red Wings growing, this will "force the issue" here and this turns into another high-scoring affair on Sunday.  Based on value and the situation - and the fact the markets have not yet adjusted to a total of 6 goals - still holding at 5.5 as of mid-morning, we like OVER here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Edmonton Oilers Money Line +105 over Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 PM ET - Edmonton has won 5 straight games and 11 of last 13.  No one has questioned the firepower of the Oilers coming into this season but the concern was always the goaltending.  However, ever since Mike Smith came back Edmonton has been getting a lot of strong play in the crease.  Even Mikko Koskinen has come up with some big starts too.  The Oilers have allowed just 1.3 goals per game in their last 9 victories.  It use to be the only way that Edmonton won games was 4-3 or 5-4 type high-scoring affairs but the Oilers are really on top of their game now.  That being said, and with this being a 1-2 battle at the top of the North Division, we love the line value being offered to the home dog.  Toronto has a great record this but, prior their tight 2-1 OT win versus Calgary (scored late to force OT) the Leafs had lost 3 of last 6 games.  The Oilers are absolutely the hotter team right now and worthy of a strong play as a home dog in this spot.  Edmonton is a different team than the one the Leafs faced back in January and the teams split those 4 games.  Now the home team is playing even stronger and takes the season series edge with a win here per our computer math model.  Take the OILERS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line -125 over Chicago Blackhawks at 7 PM ET - From a situational perspective, this one is a fantastic one in terms of how it sets up.  Columbus has gone a perfect 4-0 this season when they have entered a game off back to back losses.  Their coach John Tortorella is a very demanding coach and you can bet he is on his team big after any loss but particularly back to back defeats.  Sure enough the Jackets have responded each time when in this situation this season and the combined score has been 15 to 7 in those victories.  Columbus has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game on home ice this season.  Chicago got the shootout win, 6-5, in a crazy high-scoring win over the Blue Jackets Tuesday.  That kind of high-scoring effort from the Blackhawks on the road is absolutely the exception rather than the norm this season.  Their prior road game was a 5-3 loss at Carolina and, prior to that, Chicago had played 10 road games and only scored well in one of them.  In the other 9 the Blackhawks scored an average of only 1.6 goals per game.  In other words, their performance Tuesday was most definitely an aberration and the Blue Jackets are set up well to get revenge tonight at a great price. Chicago is expected to start Malcolm Subban in this one and there is a reason that, long-term in the NHL, he has always been a back-up rather than the starter.  The Blackhawks Subban had a 3.17 GAA last season and historically has struggled on the road.  He has been better than expected early this season but that is a very small sample size and his long-term numbers tell the full story.  Look for Joonas Korpisalo to respond in the crease for the Blue Jackets tonight as he had been solid in 2 of 3 starts against Chicago before struggling in Tuesday's shootout loss.  It is payback time for Columbus and Korpisalo in this one!  Considering all of the above factors, look for a home ice blowout in this one.  Take the BLUE JACKETS

ASA top play on 10* OVER 6 Calgary Flames at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:00 PM ET - The Maple Leafs were handed a 3-0 shutout loss by the Flames on Monday.  Toronto has scored an average of 4.2 goals per game when off a loss this season.  Certainly the Leafs will again respond off defeat here but this is also a team that has now allowed 3 or more goals in 4 of the last 5 games.  In those 4 games the Maple Leafs have allowed an average of 3.5 goals per game.  We are absolutely looking for a 4-3 type game here.  Calgary had allowed an average of 4.3 goals per game in the 4 games previous to the shutout win at Toronto Monday.  Also, the power play performance (0 for 7) for Toronto in that game Monday was entirely unexpected as the Maple Leafs, even including that rare 0 for 7, have converted 33% of their opportunities with the man advantage this season.  An average Leafs game this season is 6.3 goals and this one has a posted total of 6 even though it could easily be higher given the Maple Leafs track record of scoring well off of losses this year.  Based on value and the situation - and the fact the markets have not yet adjusted to a total of 6.5 goals - still holding at 6 as of mid-day, we like OVER here.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line -120 over Chicago Blackhawks at 7 PM ET - The Blue Jackets enter this game off a home loss to Nashville.  Columbus is a perfect 4-0 this season in a game that follows a home ice loss.  The Jackets also enter this game seeking revenge against the Blackhawks.  The most recent meeting between these teams resulted in a 3-2 OT loss for Columbus at Chicago.  The Blackhawks have won 9 of their 19 games this season overall.  However, Chicago is a perfect 4-0 against the Red Wings this season and Detroit is absolutely the worst team in this division.  That is significant because the Blackhawks have lost 10 of 15 games against teams not named the Red Wings this season!  Overall, on the road this season, other than a 2-0 at Detroit, the Blackhawks have lost 7 of 9 games as travelers.  Now Chicago takes on an angry Blue Jackets team that is at home and 4-0 this season when off a home loss.  Per our computer math model, the home team prevails in convincing fashion in this match-up.  Take the BLUE JACKETS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Tampa Bay Lightning Money Line -125 over Carolina Hurricanes at 7 PM ET - This is a rare chance to take a strong team off back to back losses.  The Bolts have lost back to back games and they are the defending Stanley Cup Champs for a reason.  Last season they responded in the post-season each time off a loss.  In the regular season they had 5 two-game losing streaks last season.  Only two losing streaks the entire season went beyond two losses.  This is a team that has proven time and time again they know how to respond and, after a 4-0 loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday, you can bet on the Lightning making the most of this chance to respond here immediately.  Carolina will again be without Teuvo Teravainen and he is a key contributor for them.  After Alex Nedeljkovic got the shutout win for the Hurricanes Saturday, James Reimer is expected to get the start between the pipes tonight.  He has a great record this season but it hasn't been based on his dominant play.  In fact, Reimer has allowed at least 3 goals in each of his last 7 starts.  This includes 19 goals in his last 5 starts for an average of 3.8 goals per game.  To put this in proper perspective, Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggled a little in recent starts and yet he has a stellar 2.01 GAA on the season!  Before his loss to the Hurricanes on Saturday, Vasilevskiy had allowed 2 or less goals in 9 of his first 12 starts this season.  He and the Lightning are poised for big-time revenge here on Monday.  Tampa Bay lost the first meeting between these teams last month so this is now a double revenge spot for them and that defeat was in overtime.  That was a 1-0 OT loss and the Lightning are too strong of a team to get shut down 3 straight times by a Hurricanes team whose biggest problem this season has actually been keeping pucks out of their own net!  Revenge road rout expected here.  Lay it!  Take the LIGHTNING

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Los Angeles Kings Money Line +138 over Arizona Coyotes at 7 PM ET - This line has dropped from its opener even though Arizona is the popular choice here.  What does that tell us?  It means the sharp money is coming in on Los Angeles.  That makes perfect sense with us and also is in direct correlation with the result our computer math model is predicting for this one as well.  The Kings are supposed to be a bad team this season but don't tell that to them!  They have won 3 straight games and their confidence is growing with each victory.  After back to back wins by a combined 10-2 score they then beat the Coyotes by a 3-2 count in the shootout Thursday.  Though it took OT for them to get that victory, the Kings took a 2-goal lead in the first period and never trailed in that game.  Simply put, the Coyotes are a gritty but unimpressive team.  Arizona has now lost 5 of its last 7 games on home ice.  They simply don't merit being this large of a favorite right now and this is particularly true against a Los Angeles team that is surging.  Grab the underdog value here.  Take the KINGS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Columbus Blue Jackets Money Line -115 over Nashville Predators at 7 PM ET - From a situational perspective, this one is a fantastic one in terms of how it sets up.  The Blue Jackets began this season with back to back losses at Nashville and now finally are getting their shot at revenge.  Columbus was a different team earlier this season as that was before the big trade with Winnipeg too.  The Blue Jackets were clearly having some team chemistry issues that have improved since the deal with the Jets.  After those back to back wins for the Predators to open the season, they have since won just 4 of 13 games!  Also, the Preds enter this game off a loss and that is noteworthy because it followed a win and Nashville has yet to have a standalone loss this season.  In other words, every time Nashville has had a loss it has begun a streak of at last two in a row.  That pattern is very likely to continue here as the Predators have lost 5 of 6 road games this season and just had their most recent games against Dallas cancelled by weather issues.  Now the Preds face a Blue Jackets team off back to back to back losses and this is the other side of the equation in terms of what is making a powerful situation.  Columbus has gone a perfect 3-0 this season when they have entered a game off back to back losses.  Their coach John Tortorella is a very demanding coach and you can bet he is on his team big after any loss but particularly back to back defeats.  Sure enough the Jackets have responded each time when in this situation this season and the combined score has been 12 to 7 in those victories.  Columbus has scored an average of 3.5 goals per game on home ice this season.  Nashville has had one high-scoring road win this season but lost each of its other five away games and scored an average of only 1.6 goals per game in those defeats.  Considering all of the above factors, look for a home ice blowout in this one.  Take the BLUE JACKETS

ASA NHL PLAY ON 8* Toronto Maple Leafs Puck Line (-1.5 goals) over Ottawa Senators, Wednesday at 7:05 PM ET - The Maple Leafs are looking for immediate revenge in this one after getting embarrassed and blowing a 4-goal lead and losing to Ottawa Monday night.  That being said, the value here is with the puck line.  Toronto is a -300 favorite on the money line but available right around -125 money on the puck line.  Can we expect a win by two or more goals here?  Yes!  Look for at least a margin of 2 goals in this one!  The Maple Leafs were guilty of relaxing too early against the Senators Monday night but will make up for that tonight.  Ottawa came into this season projected to be one of the worst teams in the league while the Maple Leafs are projected to be one of the best.   Each of Toronto's 4 wins already this month have come by at least a 2-goal margin and, per our computer math model, this one will too.  As for Ottawa, the Senators last 11 defeats have featured 9 losses by at least a 2-goal margin!  The Sens are set up to get blasted again here.  Laying the 1.5 goals (and having to lay only a small price, currently in the -125 range) with Toronto is the value play here.

ASA PLAY ON 8* Los Angeles Kings Money Line +110 over Minnesota Wild at 10 PM ET - The Wild are favored here and that may make sense based on long-term results and the market perception of these teams.  However, Minnesota has not played a game since February 2nd.  Now, two weeks later, the Wild are finally back in action after a bunch of issues due to the covid protocol.  Facing the Kings at Los Angeles is no easy task.  Despite the Kings overall long-term record being rather unimpressive, LA is known for being tough on home ice.  Last season Los Angeles struggled on the road but went 19-13-2 in home games!  This season the Kings have earned at least a point in 5 of their 7 home games.  So, again, the overall record is not that impressive but the Kings are a different team when on home ice and LA will take advantage of a Wild team that will have a lot of rust after two weeks without a game.  Also, Minnesota entered their unwanted break having lost 4 of 6 games and having scored just a single goal in each of the final 3 losses in that stretch.  The Kings are off a confidence-boosting 6-2 home win and are now 2-1-1 in their last 4 home games and LA has played 5 games already this month while the Wild come in with a lot of rust!  The Kings have scored at least 3 goals in each of their last 3 games.  Take the KINGS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Islanders Money Line -120 over Buffalo Sabres at 7 PM ET - Just as it has greatly impacted other sports, the covid pandemic has also been impactful to the hockey world as well.  In the NHL yesterday, we saw a Capitals team playing for the first time in over a week and they looked out of sorts as the Penguins took advantage in an eventual 6-3 win.  The Avalanche were also playing for the first time in over a week and a half and they suffered a shutout loss at Vegas.  The point is that both games Sunday involved teams off a long layoff and it didn't go well for either hockey club that was in that situation.  Next up in that situation is a very difficult spot for Buffalo Monday.  The Sabres haven't played a game in even longer - a span of two weeks between contests - and now they host an Islanders team that has not lost a game in regulation in over 2 weeks.  Indeed New York is on a 6-game points streak and has won 3 of the last 4 games with the only loss in a shootout.  Today is the 15th of February and this will be the first game that Buffalo has played this month.  Not only that but the Sabres weren't exactly dominating on home ice either.  Buffalo has lost 4 of 6 home games and one of their two wins came in the shootout.  In summary, this match-up features an Islanders team playing its best hockey so far this season - they have found their stride - and taking on a Sabres team that has major issues with time off and conditioning issues for players and guys being stuck in quarantine.  We are getting line value here because the Islanders are on the road and expected to start back-up goalie Ilya Sorokin.  He has allowed a total of only 5 goals in regulation time of his last two starts and with how well his teammates have been playing that will be in front of him tonight coupled with the struggles for the Sabres skaters to return to game-ready form here, this one should turn into a road rout.  Take the ISLANDERS

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Arizona Coyotes Money Line +105 over St Louis Blues at 8 PM ET - The Blues won last night's game but the back to back situation favors the Coyotes.  St Louis will likely go with back-up goalie Ville Husso here and he has struggled this season.  While Arizona is also going with the back-up goalie here, Antti Raanta gets the call and he has been solid this season and long-term in his career.  Significant edge between the pipes expected here as it is likely to be a battle of back-up goalies given the back to back situation.  Prior to last night's loss, Arizona had won 3 straight meetings with St Louis this season.  The quirky scheduling situation this season has been further impacted by health protocols with covid and that is why it seems like the Blues and Coyotes are constantly playing each other.  Now, off their first loss in the last 4 meetings between the teams, the Coyotes get back on track with a big win tonight per our computer math model.  Bounce back time here.  Take the COYOTES

ASA PLAY ON 8* Montreal Canadiens Money Line -140 over Edmonton Oilers at 7 PM ET - The Canadiens are off a home loss to the Maple Leafs last night.  Even though this is a back to back, Montreal has been strong at goaltender as Jake Allen has played extremely well.  He will likely be between the pipes because Carey Price was in goal last night.  The Habs are 4-0 this season when off a loss.  Montreal also has won 4 of the 5 starts made by Allen this season.  The Senators are by far the worst team in the North Division this season.  What does Ottawa have to do with this match-up?  Well, the Oilers have been "hot" recently but a lot of it has to do with 4 of their last 5 games coming against Senators.  Edmonton went 4-0 in those match-ups but has lost 7 of 11 games against teams not named Ottawa this season.  Also, against the Canadiens, the Oilers have lost both games this season and the combined score of those two was 8-2.  Montreal is set up well to dominate again here as they improve to 5-0 this season when off a loss.  This is a very good Habs team that outshot the Maple Leafs by a solid margin yesterday but suffered a tight loss due to some rare 3rd period struggles.  Bounce back time here.  Take the CANADIENS

ASA PLAY ON 8* New York Rangers Money Line +145 over Boston Bruins at 7 PM ET - The Rangers are at home off a shutout loss.  That was New York's first loss in regulation time since the 26th of January.  Also, the Rangers allowed just 2 goals in the defeat and have given up a total of only 5 goals in their last 3 games.  New York has been playing very well and battled hard with the Islanders in the 2-0 loss to them Monday which was scoreless until very late in the game.  Most impressive has been the play of the Rangers defense and their goaltending and they offer great value here as a home dog.  The Bruins have the flashy record and are, of course, a strong team but they enter this game off an emotional series sweep of the Flyers and are now 4-0 against them so far this season.  Prior to those back to back wins at Philadelphia, Boston was on a stretch that saw them lose 3 of their last 4 road games.  The Bruins are overpriced here and the home dog off a loss should prove to be the hungrier hockey club in this one.  Take the RANGERS

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Detroit Red Wings Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Florida Panthers, Tuesday at 7 PM ET - The Panthers won their opening game this season in a big way by a 5-2 count.  Since that big opening victory Florida has won 5 of 8 games and not a single Panthers win was by more than 1 goal.  That said, the fact our computer math model is forecasting another very close game here is not surprising.  The Panthers have taken 2 of 3 from the Red Wings this season but both wins were by just a single goal while the loss (Sunday) was by a 3-goal margin.  That is why Detroit is a much smaller dog in this one on Tuesday in comparison with Sunday's game.  That said, the value is with the +1.5 goals here.  Despite their last 7 games featuring 3 against this hot Florida team and 2 each against last year's Stanley Cup Finalists - the Stars and Lightning - the Red Wings have only had 3 losses during that stretch by more than a single goal and this was a "murderers row" slate of games.  In recent seasons Detroit goalie Thomas Greiss has dominated the Panthers.  Look for the Red Wings netminder to continue to be a thorn in Florida's side on Tuesday.  Grabbing the +1.5 goals with Detroit is the play here

ASA play on 8* OVER 5.5 Carolina Hurricanes at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:00 PM ET - The Blue Jackets defense is normally dominated by their top pairing of Seth Jones and Zach Werenski.  However, Werenski is currently out and missed yesterday's game which was a 6-5 Carolina win.  Now the Hurricanes and Blue Jackets meet again for a second straight day and another wild game is likely.  Columbus is not only hurt without one of their top defensemen, they also are dealing with a goalie issue.  Elvis Merzlikins has been out with an injury and that makes this back to back situation very tough.  Joonas Korpisalo got the start yesterday and that means he now plays the 2nd game of a back to back too or they turn the duties over to someone else.  They had hoped that someone else would be Matiss Kivlenieks but now he is dealing with an injury too.  That is why the Jackets called up Cameron Johnson from the American Hockey League and he actually had spent the last two seasons in the ECHL which is a step down from the AHL.  If Korpisalo gets the start again not only is it a back to back but he has now given up 14 goals in a span of about 2 and 1/2 games worth of ice time this month!  Plenty of goals again likely here as the Hurricanes also have a goalie injury issue.  Petr Mrazek had been their top goalie this season but he is hurt and that is why James Reimer has been the starter but he has allowed 5 goals in each of his last two starts.  With this being a back to back Alex Nedeljkovic could get the start but he has only made 4 NHL starts in his career.  The Blue Jackets last 3 games have all totaled 7 or more goals and have averaged 9 goals per game and we have a total, again, of only 5.5 posted on this game!  The Hurricanes last 4 games have all totaled 7 or more goals and have averaged 8.8 goals per game!  If you like goals, tune into the Nationwide Arena tonight!  Based on value and the situation, we like OVER here. 

ASA top play on 10* OVER 6.5 Vancouver Canucks at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:00 PM ET - Below is our write-up from Thursday's easy winner on the over - game finished 7-3 - with some slight tweaks to update it for tonight's game. Both these clubs are struggling badly on the penalty kill.  Both power plays, particularly the Maple Leafs, have been strong to start this season.  Some special teams goals are likely tonight and we also should see plenty of scoring in 5 on 5 action as well.  Vancouver has struggled to stop anyone this season other than a bad Ottawa club.  In their games other than the 3 against the Senators, the Canucks have allowed an average of 4.7 goals per game!  Vancouver will absolutely have their hands full here trying to contain a potent Maple Leafs team that blasted them for 7 goals Thursday and is fully capable of another strong performance on home ice here.  Toronto has averaged a full 4 goals per game in its 8 wins this season.  The key to the value here is the total at 6.5 goals and the fact that the Leafs have allowed 3 goals in regulation time of each of the last 4 games.  Vancouver is fired up after getting shellacked at Montreal in back to back games and then hammered in the first game of this series too!  The Canucks are very capable of scoring well - they just can't stop anyone is the problem!  Looking at the Canucks last 10 games heading into this one, the average goals scored by Vancouver is a solid 4 goals a game.  Per our computer math model, this one falls in the range of a 5-4, 4-3, or 5-3 type game.  If you like goals, tune into the Scotiabank Arena tonight!  Based on value and the situation - and the fact the markets have not yet adjusted to a total of 7 goals - still holding at 6.5 as of early morning, we like OVER here. 

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Nashville Predators Money Line +105 over Florida Panthers at 7:00 PM ET - The Predators rallied last night with two late goals and an eventual overtime victory at Florida. Of course the Panthers will be looking for payback here and many in the betting markets will likely be backing the home team here. However, Florida has issues and is fools gold in terms of their strong record. 4 of the Panthers 5 wins have come against the Blackhawks and Red Wings. Chicago and Detroit are two of the weaker teams in the NHL, the Wings in particular, and have combined for only 6 wins in 23 games this season. Nashville's schedule has been much tougher early this season than that of Florida's. The Predators have played 4 games already against the teams that met in the Stanley Cup Finals last year - Dallas and Tampa Bay. Nashville also has had 3 other games against Columbus and Carolina - both solid playoff teams from last year. All of this is not being properly factored into the equation here by the betting markets and there is value in the Preds here. Pekka Rinne relieved Juuse Saros in goal yesterday and stopped all 12 shots he faced and will likely get the start here. As for Florida, they used Sergei Bobrovsky last night so Chris Driedger likely gets the start here. Though he has played well early this season he also shut out Nashville last season and the Predators want payback here. Look for Nashville to build off the momentum of last night's exciting win and remember that this is a Preds team that has won 5 of 6 games this season when not facing the Stanley Cup finalists from last season. The scheduling factor is being overlooked by the markets here. Take the PREDATORS

ASA play on 8* OVER 6.5 Vancouver Canucks at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:00 PM ET - Both these clubs are struggling badly on the penalty kill.  Both power plays, particularly the Maple Leafs, have been strong to start this season.  Some special teams goals are likely tonight and we also should see plenty of scoring in 5 on 5 action as well.  Vancouver has struggled to stop anyone this season other than a bad Ottawa club.  In their games other than the 3 against the Senators, the Canucks have allowed an average of 4.5 goals per game!  Vancouver will absolutely have their hands full here trying to contain a potent Maple Leafs team that also enters this game off a loss which means added motivation for a strong performance here.  Toronto should bounce back with a win here and has averaged nearly a full 4 goals per game in its 7 wins this season.  The key to the value here is the total at 6.5 goals and the fact that the Leafs have allowed 3 goals in regulation time of each of the last 3 games.  Vancouver is fired up after getting shellacked at Montreal in back to back games and the Canucks are very capable of scoring well - they just can't stop anyone is the problem!  Looking at the Canucks last 9 games heading into this one, the average goals scored by Vancouver is a solid 4 goals a game.  Per our computer math model, this one falls in the range of a 5-4, 4-3, or 5-3 type game.  If you like goals, tune into the Scotiabank Arena tonight!  Based on value and the situation, we like OVER here. 

ASA NHL TOP PLAY ON 10* Detroit Red Wings Puck Line (+1.5 goals) over Tampa Bay Lightning, Wednesday at 5:35 PM ET - The Lightning, of course, are the better team here and they are the defending Stanley Cup Champions and they are huge favorites on the money line for a reason.  But the Red Wings are very likely to be the more motivated team plus should get solid goal-tending here and we like the value available with the +1.5 goals on the puck line.  Thomas Greiss will be between the pipes for Detroit and, in his 6 starts he has allowed a total of only 14 goals in regulation.  He has been very consistent in his starts for the Red Wings and not allowed more than 3 goals in any of them.  That average of 2.3 goals in regulation time of the 6 starts that Greiss has made is also a big reason that 4 of 6 losses have been by just a single goal and two of those were in overtime.  Look for another 1-goal game here.  Last season Tampa Bay was also a huge favorite in both games but both were 1-goal games and the Red Wings even got the outright upset in one of those games.  Detroit has some guys on the quarantine list but they have already been playing without them and gotten adjusted to that and have still been ultra-competitive most games as you can see from all the tight losses they have had this season.  The Tyler Bertuzzi injury hurts but the Red Wings just battled Florida to a 3-2 loss without him on Sunday.  Tampa Bay is off a 5-2 win but they entered that game on a 2-1-1 run where each win was by a single goal.  Look for another close game here early Wednesday evening.  Grabbing the +1.5 goals (and getting a come back price too, currently in +110/115 range) with Detroit is the play here

ASA PLAY ON 7* Colorado Avalanche Money Line -165 over Minnesota Wild at 8:30 PM ET - We rarely lay prices in this range in money line sports such as NHL and MLB. However, this is a rare exception that is too good to pass up on. The Avalanche have some injury issues but this is a very resilient team that is use to battling through injuries - remember last season and last year's playoffs? The fact is that with Nathan MacKinnon's health now in doubt too this line has been pushed down very far from where it would normally be. In a situation like this the Avalanche would have been at least a 2 to 1 favorite at home and likely would have fallen into the -200 to -250 range. That said, seeing a line as low as -165 on this one as of early Tuesday is a great value. The injury situation actually gave us the value we needed to get involved. The Wild just beat the Avalanche in overtime on Sunday but that was in Minnesota. Now the Wild play their first road game in nearly two weeks and they face a Colorado club out for revenge. The Avalanche are a perfect 3-0 this season when off a loss and they have won those games by a combined score of 18 to 5. The Avs entered Sunday's game allowing an average of just 2 goals per game over an 8-game stretch. The Wild entered Sunday's game losers in 3 of their last 4. It is payback time here. Lay it! Take the AVALANCHE.

ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* New York Rangers Money Line -105 over Pittsburgh Penguins at 7 PM ET - Yes the Penguins have the much better record but they have been very fortunate early this season and the injuries continue to pile up for Pittsburgh early this season.  All of their 5 wins have come by a single goal and 4 of those were after regulation and the one that was not was decided on a late goal with a minute and a half to go.  The Penguins have 4 losses this season and 3 of those losses have come by a 3-goal margin.  The point is that, thus far this season, Pittsburgh has shown they might get blown out but they have never shown that they will be on the right of a blowout.  Now they face a Rangers team that has its sights set on revenge and that is a much better team than its record indicates.  New York's last 5 losses all have come by a single goal margin and two of those were after regulation.  The Rangers are facing Pittsburgh for the 4th time this season and so far have lost a game on the aforementioned late goal in regulation plus have a shootout loss and an overtime loss against these Penguins.  After this game they don't face the Penguins for about 5 weeks and, suffice to say, New York is looking to get their payback tonight as they don't want to wait another month.  The Rangers are outshooting opponents by 6 shots on goal per game while the Penguins are only a +1 in that department.   Also, New York allowing only 3 goals per game this season while the Penguins are allowing 4 goals per game.  The Rangers have been getting the better goaltending thus far this season and will make up for the crazy overtime loss to the Penguins on Saturday by responding with a big win here on Monday.  Take the RANGERS.

ASA PLAY ON 8* Columbus Blue Jackets -137 over Chicago, Sunday at 7 PM ET - The Blackhawks had their chance against the Blue Jackets Friday and still could not get it done.  Columbus was in the 2nd game of a back to back and off a hard-fought shootout win and Chicago could have pounced on them and been very aggressive.  Now Chicago faces a rested Blue Jackets team that proved on Friday, even when tired, that they are so much better than this Blackhawks team.  Things are getting worse for Chicago too because more and more players are injured and/or dealing with quarantine issues relating to covid.  It is a real problem and note that the Blackhawks have scored only 4 goals in their last 3 games combined.  As for the Blue Jackets, they have allowed an average of only 2 goals per game in regulation time of their last 7 games.  Columbus is so tough defensively with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski making such a formidable top pairing defensively.  Now these guys, unlike Friday, are also rested coming into this one too.  We will reduce our star rating here some due to the price but this money line should still prove well worth it as these are two teams at opposite ends of the spectrum right now.  Lay the price with the away team in this one as our computer math model projects a road rout for Columbus