At 7:38 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (12) versus the Montreal Canadiens (11) in Game Two of their East Division Finals series. THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (34-23-3) had their six-game winning streak snapped on Wednesday with their 5-3 loss to the Canadiens in the opening game of this series. Montreal (29-24-1) has won four games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg may have been shaking off some rust on Wednesday after not playing since May 24th after they swept Edmonton in four games in the opening round of the playoffs. They should be sharper tonight after losing on home ice. The Jets have rebounded to win 24 of their last 36 games after a loss to a divisional opponent. And while they allowed two goals in the third period in Game One, they have then won 8 of their last 13 games after allowing at least two goals in the third period of their last game. Winnipeg will be without their top-line center in Mark Scheifele who got suspended for four games for his ugly hit on the Canadiens’ Jake Evans in the final minute of that game. The loss of Scheifele hurts — but I expect the veteran Jets’ players to rally around each other. The core of his team has won three seven-game playoff series in the last four seasons — and they made a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2018. Despite a shaky game on Wednesday, goalie Conner Hellebuyck can put his team on his shoulders. The reigning Vezina Trophy winner has a 2.01 Goals-Against-Average and a .937 save percentage in these playoffs after frustrating Auston Matthews and the Oilers in the opening round. Winnipeg has won 4 of their last 5 games on their home ice. Montreal has won four games in a row after rallying from a 3-1 deficit to upset Toronto in their opening round of the playoffs. The Canadiens may be due for a flat effort on an emotional letdown. Montreal has lost 7 of their last 8 games after winning at least three games in a row — and they have lost 20 of their last 28 games after winning at least four of their last five games. And while the Canadiens defeated the Maple Leafs by a 3-1 score in that Game Seven, they have lost 12 of their last 16 games after winning two in a row by more than one goal. Additionally, Montreal has lost 17 of their last 22 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game — and they have lost 19 of their last 27 games after a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. The Canadiens keep living out of suitcases to prepare for this game — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games when playing their third game in five days on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Winnipeg has won 28 of their last 42 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals — and they have won 11 of their last 15 games when playing with revenge from a loss on their home ice. Montreal also defeated the Jets by a 5-3 score in their final meeting in the regular season — but the Jets have won 15 of their last 23 games when playing with double-revenge against their opponents. 25* NHL USA Network Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (12) versus the Montreal Canadiens (11). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (12) versus the Florida Panthers (11) in Game Six of their Central Division Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (38-18-4) has lost two of the last three games in this series after their 4-1 loss to the Panthers on Monday. Florida (39-17-5) still faces the possibility of elimination trailing 3-2 in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 39 of their last 52 games after a loss by three or more goals in their last game. They have also won 18 of their last 21 games after failing to score more than one goal in their last game. Additionally, the Lightning have won 14 of their last 21 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. And while Tampa Bay allows two goals in the third period (including one empty netter), they have then won 10 of their last 12 games after allowing two more goals in the third period of their last game. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is not playing bad — he has made +5.6 saves above expectation. Florida is an offensive juggernaut. Vasilevskiy needs more help from his defense. Returning home will help where head coach Jon Cooper gets the final line shift. Vasilevskiy had an 18-2-0 record on home ice this season with a 1.75 Goals-Against-Average and a .936 save percentage. Tampa Bay has won 43 of their last 60 games at home — and they have won 7 of their last 10 home games with the Total set at 6. Florida head coach Joel Quenneville made the desperate move to play rookie Spencer Knight between the pipes on Monday — and the rookie responded with 36 saves on the 37 shots he faced. Quenneville felt compelled to make the move with Sergei Bobrovsky being a failure in goal with a 5.33 Goals-Against-Average and a .841 save percentage in this series (after a 2.91 GAA and .906 save percentage in the regular season) and backup Chris Driedger posting a 3.70 GAA and a .871 save percentage in this series. I have no doubt that Knight is talented — but that was his fifth professional start in his career. He was playing for Boston College two months ago. Now he will be between the pipes in a second elimination game against the reigning Stanley Cup champions who will be throwing the kitchen sink and every trick in the book to rattle the kid — all back at home at Amalie Arena where there will be plenty of fans (because it is Florida). This is a very tough assignment. As it is, the Panthers have lost 7 of their last 10 games as an underdog — and they have lost 9 of their last 11 games in the playoffs as an underdog. Florida has lost 25 of their last 37 games against teams with a winning record. Furthermore, the Panthers have lost 10 of their last 15 playoff games when trailing in the series — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games when trailing in the series.

FINAL TAKE: Just to maintain perspective, Tampa Bay finished third in the Central Division despite playing without their best player, Nikita Kucherov all season. He has not missed a step in his return to action as he leads the team with nine points. There is no shame in losing to the Panthers twice — they are good. This shaped up to be a six-game series. But Tampa Bay has won 15 of their last 20 games when avenging an upset loss — and they have won 9 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a loss by more than one goal. 25* NHL 1st Round Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (12) versus the Florida Panthers (11). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (74) versus the New York Islanders (73) in Game Five of their East Division Semifinals playoff series. THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (39-17-4) looks to rebound from losing Game Four of this series by a 4-1 score. New York (34-19-7) has still lost six of their last nine games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MONEY-LINE ON THE PENGUINS: Pittsburgh has still won five of their last seven games even after their loss on Saturday. The Penguins closed out the regular season on an 18-5-2 run. They should bounce-back with a big effort tonight as they have won 5 straight games after a loss by three or more goals. They have also won 28 of their last 39 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Pittsburgh is 23-5-2 on their home ice this season — and they have won 41 of their last 55 home games when favored. Additionally, the Pens have won 14 of their last 20 games against teams with a winning record. New York has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 11 of their last 17 games on the road after a victory. The Islanders have lost 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog. Furthermore, New York has lost 6 of their last 8 games as an underdog — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games playoff games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: Pittsburgh has won 11 of their last 12 games when avenging a loss by more than one goal. 25* NHL 1st Round East Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (74) versus the New York Islanders (73). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:38 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (52) versus the Florida Panthers (51) in Game Four of their East Division series. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (37-17-4) looks to bounce-back from their 6-5 loss to the Panthers on Thursday. Florida (38-16-5) still trails in this series by a 2-1 margin.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should bounce-back with a strong effort on their home ice this afternoon after blowing a 5-3 lead entering the third period. That was the first time in 29 games this season that Tampa Bay had lost a game after going into the third period with the lead. They also had won ten straight games in the postseason when taking the lead into the third period before this setback. The Lightning have rebounded to win 13 of their last 20 games after a loss. Additionally, Tampa Bay has won 23 of their last 34 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been outstanding when playing at home with a 1.75 Goals-Against-Average and a .936 save percentage which is why he had an 18-2-0 record at home. The Lighting have won a decisive 41 of their last 58 games when playing at home as a favorite. Tampa Bay is generating offense — they scored five unanswered goals in the second period. They have converted on 7 of their 14 Power Play opportunities in this series. They have won 20 of their last 28 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Lightning have also won 6 of their last 8 games in the playoffs as a favorite. Florida has now won seven of their last nine games — but they then lost 18 of their last 27 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. The Panthers have been competitive in every game in this series — and I do take note that they have won the expected goals battle in each contest. After finally breaking through with a victory, they may not be able to help themselves from exhaling just a little bit. This remains a franchise that has lost 18 of their last 25 games in the opening round of the playoffs — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games when trailing in a playoff series. While these teams may be close to even, the big difference is in goaltending. Chris Driedger got the start on Thursday but was benched after the second period after allowing five goals in that 20-minute stanza. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all nine shots in the third period, and he gets the start this afternoon. He has struggled this season — and he was benched in Game Two after allowing four goals in Game One. He had a 3.17 GAA and a .891 save percentage on the road this season. Florida has lost 6 of their last 8 games as an underdog — and they have lost 8 of their last 10 playoff games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: The Panthers have still lost 10 of their last 13 games in Tampa Bay. The Lightning has won 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a loss by just one goal — and they have won 12 of their last 17 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 20* NHL Florida-Tampa Bay NBC-TV Special with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (52) versus the Florida Panthers (51). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (1) versus the Washington Capitals (2) in Game Two of their East Division playoff series. THE SITUATION: Boston (33-16-8) has lost four of their last six games after their 3-2 loss in overtime to the Capitals on Saturday. Washington (37-15-5) has won three straight games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: We had Boston in Game One — and if you would have told me that head coach Bruce Cassidy would get two goals from his third line with Jake DeBrusk and Nick Ritchie finding the back of the net, I might have recommended investing the mortgage on the Bruins. But Boston got very little from their “Perfection” line with Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron combining for just one shot in the game. Taylor Hall has been great in a Bruins’ uniform with eight goals and six assists his 14 games in the regular season — but he only had two shots working the second line with David Krejci. And yet despite those disappointing shot numbers, Boston won the expected goals battle in Game One by a decisive 2.9-1.91 margin. Look for a strong effort from the Bruins tonight. They have won 9 of their last 11 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 11 of their last 15 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last contest. They have won 14 of their last 18 games after losing four or five of their last six games. And while they ended their regular season with a 2-1 loss in Washington, they have won 7 straight games after losing two in a row — and they have won 21 of their last 27 games after losing two games in a row by just one goal. Boston remains a team that has won 12 of their last 17 games when favored — and they have won 5 of their last 7 playoff games when trailing in the series. Washington has still lost 8 of their last 13 playoff games in the first round of a playoff series. They have also lost 3 of their last 4 playoff games when leading in the series. The Bruins face Craig Anderson who will be between the pipes tonight given the in-game injury to Vitek Vanecek on Saturday and Ilya Samsonov not ready for action after just getting off the quarantine list. I am not surprised that Anderson came off the bench to stop 21 of 22 shots — but Boston needed to pressure him more. But now the coaching staff has had almost two full days to dust off the Big Book on Anderson that has been written throughout his long career (he turns 40 on Saturday). The Capitals have lost 7 of their last 10 playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 10 of their last 15 games when playing with at least double-revenge for two straight losses by just one goal against their opponent. 25* NHL 1st Round Monday NBC Sports Network Game of the Year is on the money-line on the Boston Bruins (1) versus the Washington Capitals (2). Best of luck for us -- Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (65) versus the Florida Panthers (66). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (35-17-3) limps into the postseason with three straight losses after their 4-0 loss on the road against the Panthers on Monday. Florida (37-14-5) has won six in a row after that victory that also closed out their regular season.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should bounce back with a strong effort tonight. They have won 35 of their last 45 games after a loss by more than one goal. They have also won 17 of their last 20 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. Furthermore, the Lightning have won 30 of their last 37 games after playing a game where not more than four combined goals were scored. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy may be in line to win his second straight Vezina Trophy — but he has allowed nine goals in his last two games. Look for him to play much better tonight. He was second in the NHL this season with a .875 save percentage in high danger situations. The Lightning have won 4 of their last 5 playoff games when favored. Florida has lost 5 straight games after shutting out their last opponent on their home ice in their last game. They have also lost 7 of their last 10 home games as an underdog. The Panthers earned home-ice advantage in this series with their better regular-season mark than Tampa Bay — but they also benefited from winning seventeen games by just one goal. The playoffs have been a different story for this franchise who has not advanced out of the first round since the Doug MacLean days in 1996. Florida has lost 16 of their last 22 games played in the opening round of the playoffs — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 opening games to a new playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 11 of their last 15 games when avenging a loss by four or more goals to their opponent. 10* NHL Sunday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (65) versus the Florida Panthers (66). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (64) versus the New York Islanders (63). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (37-16-3) takes the ice again after last playing on May 8th when they defeated Buffalo,1-0. New York (32-17-7) has lost four of their last five games after their 3-2 loss to Boston on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh is in great form right now with three straight victories. They are 18-5-2 in their last 25 games, which is tied with Colorado for the best mark over that span. They are scoring a robust 3.88 Goals-Per-Game during that span with a +27 net goal differential. Adding Jeff Carter at the trade deadline gave head coach Mike Sullivan a versatile forward that makes the third line with the underrated Jared McCann a very potent unit. Admittedly, the Pens benefitted from a number of games down the stretch against New Jersey and Buffalo — but in Sidney Crosby I Trust. Pittsburgh has won 12 of their last 16 games against teams with a winning record (so they are not just bottom-feeding). They have won 27 of their last 37 games after scoring no more than two goals in their last game. Goaltending appears to be an issue with Tristan Jarry between the pipes, but three areas of optimism exist. First, Jarry was 14-2-2 with a .918 save percentage in his last 18 games. Second, he had a 5-1 record in his six starts against the Islanders. And third, Jarry was much better when playing at home where he had a 2.35 Goals-Against-Average and a .926 save percentage to go along with his 16-3-2 record. The Pens have won 40 of their last 53 home games when favored. New York limps into the postseason having lost seven of ten games. The Islanders started fast — they were 19-6-4 after their first 29 games before going just 13-11-3 in their last 27 games. I appreciate that Barry Trotz’s team is built for the playoffs (and that the analytics fail to capture how good they are). But Trotz’s team is also built to have Anders Lee at left wing on the top-line. His season-ending injury in mid-March corresponds with the team’s decline in the second half of the season. The Islanders were active at the trade deadline — and they added forward Kyle Palmieri from New Jersey. But Trotz is using Palmieri on the third line rather than taking Lee’s spot next to Mathew Barzal — and he only had four points in his 17 games with his new team. Forward depth is not the problem for this team — it is matching the productivity from the first line. New York is just 21st in the NHL with an 18.8% Power Play conversion rate. Their expected goal share dropped from 55.7% with Lee to 52.7% without him. They were 30th in the league by scoring just 1.95 goals per 60 minutes at even strength in their last 20 games. So while I fully remember the Isles limping into the bubble last August on a seven-game losing streak before flipping the switch, I also remember Lee playing over 20 minutes per game when they made their run to the Eastern Conference Finals. New York has lost 8 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog. The Islanders have also lost 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Pittsburgh should be very motivated to win Game One with the memory of getting swept against the Islanders in the opening round of the 2019 playoffs. The Penguins matched up well against the Islanders in the regular season with six wins in eight contests. 10* NHL NY Islanders-Pittsburgh NBC-TV Special with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (64) versus the New York Islanders (63). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (47) versus the Washington Capitals (48) in Game One of their East Division first-round series. THE SITUATION: Boston (33-16-7) takes the ice for the first time since Tuesday when they lost to the Capitals on the road by a 2-1 score. Washington (36-15-5) has won two straight as well as four of their last five games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston should be feisty to start this series off on the right foot. The Bruins have won 15 of their last 22 games after a loss to a divisional rival — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a loss by just one goal. Additionally, Boston has won 8 of their last 12 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 40 of their last 53 games after a game where no more than three combined goals were scored. The rest should help this veteran team — they have won 9 of their last 13 games when playing with at least three days of rest. The Bruins may be a team of destiny this season. After losing to St. Louis in the Stanley Cup two years ago, they were the runaway President Trophy winners last season. But the stoppage of play thwarted all their momentum — and they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in Tampa Bay in the second round. The case could be made that the Bruins were still the second-best team in the NHL last season — that was my argument a few years ago for this Washington team that could not get over the hump against Metropolitan Division rivals Pittsburgh before finally lifting the Stanley Cup in 2018. Boston is peaking at the right time with fourteen wins in their last nineteen games. They still have the best line in hockey with Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak. General manager pulled off a steal at the trade deadline by acquiring Taylor Hall from Buffalo without unloading a first-round draft pick. Liberated from the Sabres’ organization, Hall scored eight times and register 14 points in his 16 games as a Bruin. He was due to get better shooting luck after scoring on just 2.3% of his shots with Buffalo this season. Playing alongside David Krejci and Craig Smith has done wonders — he owns a superb 68% share of the expected goals when he is on the ice. Boston is outscoring their opponents by a 13-1 margin this season hone Hall is playing the second line with Krejci and Smith. A productive second line takes the pressure off the Marchand top-line while putting opposing coaches in a dilemma as to where to put his top defensive pair. Boston is also getting great goaltending from the veteran Tuukka Rask who has a 1.80 Goals-Against-Average and a .932 save percentage in his 12 starts since March. Washington has won two in a row after a 2-1 win against Philadelphia last weekend before their win against the Bruins on Tuesday. But the Capitals have lost 5 of their last 6 games at home after not allowing more than two goals in two straight games. Washington is missing some key pieces today with Evgeny Kuznetsov still in the COVID quarantine and T.J. Oshie questionable with a lower-body injury. The Caps’ strength is their depth at forward — but losing these two players neutralizes that edge since both forwards are in their top-six. Even if Oshie plays, the loss of Kuznetsov who is the center on the second line really hurts — his production was essential in their Stanley Cup run three years ago. This is not the way first-year head coach Peter Laviolette wants to start the playoffs inheriting a group that has lost 8 of their last 12 games in the opening round of the playoffs. Washington faces a big disadvantage between the pipes having to rely on rookie Vitek Vanecek making his first career start in the Stanley Cup playoffs. At first glance, Vanecek’s 2.69 GAA and .908 save percentage look … ok. But he allowed nine goals above his expected save number this season in 37 games — and he has surrendered 10 low-danger goals over the last six weeks in a sign that he is running out of gas given his unexpected workload. The second-round pick in 2014 was behind both Ilya Samsonov and free-agent acquisition Henrik Lundqvist in their preseason plans. Lundqvist opted out of the season with health issues with his heart. Samsonov was a disappointment in 19 games — and he is now in COVID quarantine.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 15 of their last 23 games when playing with revenge. They have also won 20 of their last 31 opening games of a new playoff series including five of their last six. Washington is experienced — and they are a tough out — but the Bruins should seize the initial upper hand in this series. 25* NHL 1st Round NBC-TV Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (47) versus the Washington Capitals (48). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (38) versus the St. Louis Blues (37). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (31-13-3) has won seven straight games after their 6-3 victory at San Jose on Saturday. St. Louis (21-19-6) has won two in a row with their 4-1 win against Colorado on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Wild have won 18 of their last 24 games after a win — and they have won 7 of their last 8 games after a win against a divisional rival by at least four goals. Minnesota has also won 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. Now after playing their last four games on the road, the Wild return home where have 15 of their 19 games this season with the Total set at 5.5. Cam Talbot gets the start tonight — he is 13-2-2 in his last 17 starts since March 12th with five straight victories under his belt. Talbot has been thought to beat when playing at home where he enjoys a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average along with a .935 save percentage in ten starts. Minnesota has won 25 of their last 35 games against teams with a losing record. St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 8 games after a win at home — and they have lost 9 of their last 14 games after winning two of their last three games. They have also lost 11 of their last 17 games when playing their fourth game in seven days. Now after playing their last three games at home along with eight of their last nine, they go back on the road where they have lost 5 straight. Jordan Binnington gets the start — but while he has a 2.63 GAA with a .912 save percentage at home, those numbers worsen to a 2.75 GAA with a .906 save percentage when he has played on the road this season.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota has lost five of their six meetings with the Blues including their last two meetings after a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on April 10th. The Wild have won 6 of their last 7 games when playing with double-revenge. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (38) versus the St. Louis Blues (37). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (42) versus the Chicago Blackhawks (41). THE SITUATION: Nashville (24-21-1) has lost two in a row after their 3-1 loss at Carolina on Saturday. Chicago (21-19-5) has won three of their last four games with their 4-0 win at Detroit.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PREDATORS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Nashville had been playing great hockey before this recent two-game slide. They have still won thirteen of their last eighteen games to rise to fourth place (and the final playoff spot) in the Central Division. The Predators should bounce back as they have won 6 of their last 8 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Nashville’s loss to the Hurricanes came on the heels of a 4-1 loss at Carolina in the opening game of that two-game series. The Predators have won 4 straight games after losing two in a row on the road by more than one goal. They return home where they have won 6 of their last 8 games — and they have won 19 of their last 26 home games as a favorite. They turn to Juuse Saros as their goalie tonight. Saros is 11-2-0 on home ice this season with a 1.81 Goals-Against-Average and a .940 save percentage. Saros is also tied for fourth in the NHL with his save percentage above his expected save percentage on unblocked shots — one of my go-to metrics for goaltenders. Nashville has won 20 of their last 26 games against teams with a losing record. Chicago has lost 8 of their last 10 games after a win — and they have lost 7 of their last 8 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. They counter with Kevin Lankinen between the pipes tonight. The rookie started the season hot with a 1.97 GAA with a .937 save percentage in his six starts in January. But as the book on Lankinen gets written, he has cooled off. He has a 3.29 GAA with a .884 save percentage this month. Lankinen has also been more effective at home where he has a 10-6-2 record with a 2.71 GAA and a .921 save percentage. But inches 14 starts on the road, he is 6-6-2 with a 2.90 GAA with a .905 save percentage. The Blackhawks have lost 5 straight games on the road — and they have lost 24 of their last 33 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago has lost 16 of their last 21 meetings with the Predators — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 games at Nashville. The Predators have won all five meetings between these two teams this season — and the Blackhawks have lost 8 of their last 11 opportunities to exact revenge on a team that has beaten them a least twice in a row. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (42) versus the Chicago Blackhawks (41). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (20) versus the Boston Bruins (19). THE SITUATION: Washington (25-10-4) looks to bounce back from a 1-0 loss at New York against the Islanders on Tuesday. Boston (20-10-6) comes off a 4-2 win at Philadelphia on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Washington has rebounded to win 11 of their last 16 games after a loss by one goal to a divisional rival. The Capitals have also won 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. They return home where they have won 7 of their last 8 games. Washington has played their last five games on the road — this is their first game back on home ice since March 28th. The Capitals are 38-17-1 ATS in their last 56 games at home after being on the road for at least seven days. They turn to Ilya Samsonov to be between the pipes — he is 9-2-1 in 13 games (12 starts) this season with a 2.87 Goals-Against-Average and a .896 save percentage. He has thrived at home where he sports a 1.77 GAA with a .922 save percentage in four starts. Washington has won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 15 of their last 17 games when favored. Boston has lost 4 straight games after a win — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after a win by at least two goals. The Bruins were hoping to get their star defenseman, Charlie McAvoy, back for this game but he will remain out for another handful of games with an upper-body injury. That does not help rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman making his second career start after stopping 40 of 42 shots against the Flyers on Tuesday. Boston has lost 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Washington will be looking to avenge a 5-1 loss to the Bruins on March 5th — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals. 20* NHL Super Under-Valued Favorite with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (20) versus the Boston Bruins (19). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (37) versus the San Jose Sharks (38). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (21-10-2) had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 loss in a shootout at San Jose on Monday. San Jose (14-16-4) had lost six of their last eight games before the win.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Wild had been off for three days before their game with the Sharks on Monday — the layoff may explain why they were flat. Minnesota has won 8 of their last 10 games when playing with one day of rest. The Wild have also won 7 of their last 11 games after a loss — and they have won 5 of their last 8 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. Kaapo Kahkonen has been confirmed as the starting goaltender tonight. He has not played since March 20th when he got burned for six goals in his worst effort of the season at Colorado. Cam Talbot has made each start since — so Kahkonen is getting his first chance at redemption. For the record, Talbot has been great as of late — I was prepared to invest in the Wild even if he was getting the start tonight. I remain comfortable with Kahkonen who has a 2.29 Goals-Against-Average with a .921 save percentage in 17 games/16 starts this season. Kahkonen has been just as effective on the road as well where he has a 9-5-2 record with a 2.37 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Minnesota has won 10 of their last 12 games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 16 of their last 21 games as a favorite. San Jose has lost 11 of their last 14 games after a win — and they have lost 14 of their last 17 games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. Additionally, the Sharks have lost 9 of their last 12 games after scoring at least four goals in their last game — and they have lost 29 of their last 42 games after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. Despite Monday’s result, they are still only scoring 2.4 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. And San Jose has not had much of a home-ice advantage this season. They have lost 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 6. They have also lost 10 of their last 14 home games as an underdog. Martin Jones is the confirmed goaltender for the Sharks. He is 11-7-2 with a 3.29 GAA and a .897 save percentage in 21 starts. Jones was the goalie on Monday when he stopped 22 of 25 shots before winning the shootout. He does his best work when playing with more than one day of rest. In those 381 minutes this season, Jones has a 2.41 GAA with a .923 save percentage. But in his 721:12 minutes when playing with one day between starts, his GAA skyrockets to a 4.71 mark with a .855 save percentage. That is not encouraging for a team that has lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage of 60% or better.

FINAL TAKE: I waited on this game to (a) get the confirmation of the goaltenders (b) ensuring the money-line price was not trending above my -150 price threshold. The common price seems to be stabilizing at -150 — so I comfortable endorsing the play. If you can only get a price in the -155 range, no big deal (this is a guideline for me regarding what situations to bet — I appreciate the price others will get varies a little). Minnesota has won 10 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games when avenging a loss on the road. 25* NHL Bailout Game of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (37) versus the San Jose Sharks (38). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Calgary Flames (32) versus the Winnipeg Jets (31). THE SITUATION: Calgary (15-6-3) has lost three in a row after a 3-1 loss at Ottawa on Wednesday. Winnipeg (20-11-2) has won two in a row with their 5-1 win at Vancouver on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLAMES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The honeymoon is over for new head coach Darryl Sutter. Calgary had won three of four games under the veteran disciplinarian — but they getting swept in Ottawa against the lowly Senators presents desperate times for this team. The Flames have rebounded to win 6 of their last 7 games after a loss on the road by at least three goals. And they won 5 of their last 8 games after losing two in a row. Now after playing their last four on the road, they return home where they have won 11 of their last 15 games when favored. Calgary has also won 9 of their last 13 games after playing four in a row on the road. The Flames have only scored twice in their last three games but returning to their home ice should help where they are averaging 3.3 Goals-Per-Game. They may be catching Winnipeg on the right night. The Jets have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 13 of their last 18 games after a won on the road by at least two goals. Winnipeg has lost 8 of their last 29 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Jets won their previous game by a 4-0 score at Vancouver — but they have lost 22 of their last 32 games after winning two in a row. They also have lost 6 of their last 9 games after winning two in a row by at least two goals.

FINAL TAKE: Calgary has won 6 of their last 8 opportunities to play Winnipeg at home. Look for the Flames to play inspired tonight. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the money-line on the Calgary Flames (32) versus the Winnipeg Jets (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (40) versus the Montreal Canadiens (39). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (17-9-2) comes off a 4-2 loss at home to Montreal on Monday. Montreal (13-8-7) had lost nine of their last twelve games before their triumph against the Jets.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg has still been playing well — they have won eight of their last twelve games even after the setback on Monday. They have bounced-back to win 9 of their last 10 games after a loss — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. The Jets have also won 5 of their last 6 games when playing their third game in four days. Conner Hellebuyck will be between the pipes tonight — he has a 2.49 goals-against-average with a .913 save percentage in 12 starts at home this season. Winnipeg has won 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog — and they have pulled the upset in 7 of their last 10 games as a money-line underdog. Montreal has lost 6 straight games after a victory — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. The Canadiens have also lost 4 of their last 5 games when playing their fourth game in six days. They stay on the road where they have lost 7 of their last 9 road games — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 road games when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Winnipeg has won 20 of their last 28 games when avenging a loss by at least two goals — and they have won 5 straight games when playing with revenge from a loss at home. The Jets have lost their last two games to the Canadiens this month — but they have won 13 of their last 19 games when motivated by double-revenge. 25* NHL North Division Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (40) versus the Montreal Canadiens (39). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (7) versus the New York Rangers (8). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (13-9-3) has lost two straight and four of their last five after a 5-4 loss to Washington on Saturday. New York (11-12-3) ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-0 win at Boston on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLYERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia should respond with a strong effort tonight after being behind the eight-ball all game against the Capitals with 2-0, 3-1, and 5-2 deficits. The Flyers have won 11 of their last 12 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Philly has also won 14 of their last 18 games after losing four or five of their last six contests. They go back on the road where they have won 15 of their last 22 games — and they have won 22 of their last 29 road games when favored. Carter Hart will be between the pipes tonight. He has struggled this season with a 3.60 Goals-Against-Average and a .887 save percentage. But this is the same goalie who sported a 2.23 GAA with a .926 save percentage in 14 playoff starts in bubble last fall. The Flyers are scoring — they have scored 12 goals in their last three games with at least three in each contest. Philadelphia has won 16 of their last 23 games on the road after winning at least three goals in three straight games. The Flyers have also won 37 of their last 54 games against teams with a losing record. New York may be due for a letdown as they have lost 10 of their last 12 games at home after a win against a divisional rival. The Rangers have also lost 10 of their last 14 games after a win by at least three goals — including losing four of those five games, under those circumstances, this season. This is New York’s fourth game since Wednesday — and they have lost 7 straight games when playing their fourth game in six days. The Rangers return home where they have lost 5 of their last 7 games. This is the first game back at Madison Square Garden since March 2nd after playing their last six games on the road — and they have lost 16 of their last 22 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. New York has lost 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog. And while they have played two straight Under, they have lost 6 straight home games after playing two straight Unders. They have also lost 7 of their last 8 home games after not allowing more than one goal in their last game. With Igor Shesterkin not ready to come off the Injured Reserve with his groin injury, Keith Kinkaid will get a spot start as the team’s third goaltender. Kinkaid has a 1.53 Goals-Against-Average with a .933 save percentage in four games which includes two starts. Kinkaid has been a backup for two seasons after posting a 4.24 GAA with a .875 save percentage as a starter in New Jersey two seasons ago. Kinkaid will try to lead a team that has lost 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers will have revenge on their minds after losing in Philadelphia by a 4-3 score on February 24th — but New York has lost 30 of their last 46 games when avenging a one-goal loss including losing five of their eight revenge opportunities from a one-goal loss this season. 25* NHL Monday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (7) versus the New York Rangers (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (65) versus the Arizona Coyotes (66). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (12-7-1) looks to bounce back from a 5-1 loss in Vegas on Wednesday. Arizona (10-9-3) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 win in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Minnesota had been riding a six-game winning streak when they headed to Las Vegas to begin the week. The Wild had a late 4-2 lead against the Golden Knights before surrendering two late goals and then losing in overtime. That result was marred by Zach Parise staying on the ice too long trying to help a Marcus Foligno register a hat trick on the Vegas open net — but that gesture backfired with Alex Tuch scoring the tying goal with just 42 seconds left in the game. The loss then on Wednesday was closer than the final score indicated — but the Wild now need a win to get back to their winning ways. Minnesota has won 6 of their last 7 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 8 of their last 9 games after a loss by at least four goals. The Wild have also won 9 of their last 11 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. And while this is Minnesota’s third game on the road this week, they have won 4 straight games when playing their third game in five days on the road. The Wild have won 13 of their last 19 road games after losing two in a row. Minnesota confirmed around 2:30 PM ET that they will Kaap Kahkonen will be between the pipes with his 2.41 Goals-Against-Average and .915 save percentage this season. Kahkonen enjoyed a great February with a 1.95 Goals-Against-Average with a .927 save percentage in six starts. Kahkonen is also very good on the road — he has a 1.85 GAA and .932 save percentage in six starts on the road. Arizona has lost 16 of their last 22 games after a win — and they have lost 16 of their last 19 games after a narrow win by one goal. Additionally, the Coyotes have lost 8 of their last 9 home games after a win on the road — and they have lost 5 straight home games after a win by just one goal on the road. They have also lost 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They return home where they are just 6-9 this season — and they have lost 9 of their last 12 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Arizona has also lost 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Coyotes have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record — and the Wild have won 4 of their last 5 road games when favored. 25* NHL West Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (65) versus the Arizona Coyotes (66). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Montreal Canadiens (15) versus the Winnipeg Jets (16). THE SITUATION: Montreal (9-5-4) has lost three straight games after their 5-4 loss in overtime at Ottawa on Tuesday. Winnipeg (11-6-1) has won three of their last four games after their 4-3 win in Vancouver on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CANADIENS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: After an 8-1-2 start, Montreal was sliding — and losing two in a row to the hapless Senators compelled the organization to fired head coach Claude Julien. Assistant coach Dominique Ducharme was promoted to become the new head coach. Expect an inspired effort from the Canadiens in the wake of the firing. As it is, the Canadiens have won 10 of their last 13 road games after a loss by just one goal on the road. Montreal has also won 4 of their last 5 games when playing their fourth game in six days. They stay on the road where they have won 4 of their last 5 games — and they have won 7 of their last 10 road games when favored. Winnipeg has lost 5 of their last 7 games after a win — and they have lost 20 of their last 28 games after winning two in a row against divisional rivals. Furthermore, the Jets have lost 5 of their last 6 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Winnipeg has also lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Winnipeg has won 16 of their last 23 games against the Jets including 4 straight games in Winnipeg. 10* NHL Super Under-Valued Favorite with the money-line on the Montreal Canadiens (15) versus the Winnipeg Jets (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (64) versus the New York Rangers (63). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (8-4-3) has lost two straight games as well as three of four after their 7-3 loss to Boston on Sunday. New York (6-7-3) has won their last two games with their 4-1 win at Washington on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLYERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia is undermanned right now after a positive COVID case required a handful of players to go into quarantine. There is a chance some of these players will be cleared to play tonight — but even if the Flyers do not get the services of players like Claude Lemieux, this team should step up tonight. Philadelphia needs to get back to winning — and they have bounced back to win 12 of their last 14 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Flyers have also won 8 of their last 9 games after a loss by at least four goals. Furthermore, Philly has won 12 of their last 15 games after losing four of their last five games. The Flyers have also won 13 of their last 16 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Goalie Carter Hart surrendered six goals on Sunday — he is being given the night off for their quality backup, Brian Elliott. The veteran has been outstanding this season at home where he has a 1.96 Goals-Against-Average along with a .939 save percentage in three starts/four games. Elliott mostly played on the road last year so he is relishing playing in his familiar arena. Philadelphia has won 28 of their last 41 games at home — and they have won 24 of their last 33 home games when favored. New York has lost 6 of their last 8 games are a win — and they have lost 23 of their last 34 games after a win on the road. The Rangers have lost 39 of their last 57 games after allowing no more than two goals. And in their last 41 games when playing with at least three days between games. They go back not her and where they have lost 6 of their last 8 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: New York has lost 10 of their last 13 games as an underdog. In this must-have game, expect the Flyers who have Stanley Cup aspirations to step-up to get the win. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (64) versus the New York Rangers (63). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (62) versus the Calgary Flames (61). THE SITUATION: Toronto (14-4-2) looks to rebound from a 3-0 loss to the Flames on Monday. Calgary (9-9-1) snapped a three-game losing streak with the victory.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto should respond with a big effort after getting shutout on Monday. The Maple Leafs have won 4 of their last 5 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Toronto has also won 5 of their last 7 games after a loss by three or more goals — and they have won 4 straight games after a loss at home by at least three goals. They stay at home where they have won 6 of their last 8 games — and they have won 6 of their last 8 home games when favored. An injury to Frederik Andersen led to Michael Hutchinson's play on Monday — and he will likely be between the pipes tonight with Andersen questionable. In seven games including four starts last year, Hutchinson had a respectable 2.32 Goals-Against-Average with a .921 save percentage. Toronto has won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. Calgary was without their top goalie, Jacob Markstrom on Monday so who is also questionable for tonight — so David Rittich may have to play again after he stopped 34 shots on Monday. Rittich had a 2.81 GAA with a .914 save percentage in 28 starts on the road last year so he is not likely to repeat his Monday performance. The Flames have lost 12 of the last 17 games after a win on the road against a divisional rival. They have also lost 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has won 11 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss where they did not score more than one goal. 20* NHL Super Under-Valued Favorite with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (62) versus the Calgary Flames (61). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (7) versus the Montreal Canadiens (8). THE SITUATION: Toronto (13-3-2) has won two in a row with their 7-3 win against Ottawa on Thursday. Montreal (9-4-2) takes the ice for the first time since last Saturday when they defeated these Maple Leafs by a 2-1 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I hate this situation for the Canadiens. They have been able to bask in the glow of their triumph against Toronto for an entire week while getting rusty with the six-days off from competition. Expect a slow start for this Montreal team that has lost 5 of their last 7 games when playing with at least three days of rest. The Canadiens have also lost 6 of their last 8 games after a win at home by one goal against a divisional foe. Montreal has not been great at home this season without the support of their fans. They have lost 7 of their last 10 games on their home ice. And while the Canadiens and Maple Leafs appear to be the two best teams in the reconfigured North Division, I don’t buy the Montreal is at the same level as this loaded Toronto team. Led by Auston Matthews who has taken his game to another level this year with a league-leading 16 goals, the Maple Leafs are averaging 29.4 shots-per-game while converting on a scorching 32.7% of their Power Play chances — and Montreal has lost 19 of their last 28 home games against opponents who average at least 29.5 shots-per-game and converting on the Power Play at least 17% of the time. Toronto has won 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a win over a divisional rival. They have also won a decisive 42 of their last 59 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Maple Leafs have also won 4 of their last 5 games when playing their third game in four days. The Leafs have been good road warriors who have won 5 of their last 6 away from home — and they have won 4 of their last 5 road games when priced as a favorite. Toronto has also won 5 of their last 7 road games with the Total at 6 or higher. This is a good team that beat 8 of their last 9 opponents with winning records — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games when favored.

FINAL TAKE: The Maple Leafs have been waiting all week for Saturday night to avenge last week’s loss — they have won 6 of their last 7 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss. Toronto has also won 20 of their last 27 games when avenging a loss where they only scored one goal. 25* NHL North Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (7) versus the Montreal Canadiens (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Islanders (26) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (25) in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: New York (45-25-12) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday with their 4-3 loss in overtime. Philadelphia (50-26-7) still trails by a 3-2 margin in this series. This game will be played on neutral ice at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ISLANDERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York should rebound tonight to win this series. The Islanders have still won 9 of their last 13 playoff games when leading in the series. This team displayed grit by rallying from a 3-1 deficit with under five minutes to go in the third period to force overtime. They won the expected goals battle by a 3.11 to 2.93 xG score — and they generated six more high danger scoring chances than the Flyers. New York has scored at least three goals in six straight games — and they have then won 12 of their last 18 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. This is a team that enjoyed a seventeen-game winning streak during the regular season before injuries slowed them down. The loss of top-line defenseman Adam Pelech obviously hurt before the injury to fourth-line center Casey Cizakas who played an important defensive role for the team. Getting both those players back helps — and the Islanders made some significant moves at the trade deadline by filling their hole at center by adding Jean-Gabriel Pageau from Ottawa and Andy Greene from New Jersey to add depth on defense. Pageau scored the game-tying goal yesterday and has fortified this team by anchoring the third-line. Trotz rolls four lines and his team’s dedication to their aggressive forechecking style of play makes them consistent from game-to-game. Philadelphia still has a big hill to climb to win this series — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win. The Flyers have also lost 8 of their last 12 games when playing on the road for their third game in five days.

FINAL TAKE: Injuries loom large for this game. The Islanders’ center Mat Barzal is listed as questionable after taking a hit in Game Five — but he is trending up to play tonight. The bigger issue is the injury that Philly’s Sean Couturier suffered on Tuesday — he may not be able to return tonight. That would be a huge loss as he is the team’s best player and one of the best two-way centers in the game. New York has won 15 of their last 24 games when avenging a same-season loss so expect a strong performance from them. 25* NHL 2nd Round Metropolitan Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the New York Islanders (26) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (25). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (20) versus the Colorado Avalanche (19) in Game Six of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (45-30-8) looks to bounce back from their 6-3 loss to the Avalanche on Monday. Colorado (50-24-9) has won two of the last three games in this series but still trail by a 3-2 margin. This game will be played on neutral ice in Edmonton.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas was caught flat and very sloppy on defense at the beginning of this game as they allowed the Avalanche to race out to a 5-0 lead in the opening period. Look for the Stars to respond with a strong effort tonight. Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Stars have also won 19 of their last 26 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Dallas is a team that was always much better than their frontline numbers from the regular season suggests. The Stars were only ahead of Detroit with a 1.96 goals-per-game average at even strength during the regular season despite their expected goals mark at five-on-five being at 2.42 expected goals per game at even strength. Regression was bound to finally take hold for this team to start seeing more of their shots get into the back of the net. Head coach Rick Bowness has also had the defense play more aggressively in their opponent’s territory since the restart — and the blue-liners have responded with nine goals along with 27 assists. Over their last six games, the Stars have scored 29 goals. This remains a team that has won the expected goal (xG) battle in eight of their last eleven games with this Avalanche team. I am not sure who will be the goaltender for Dallas tonight after Ben Bishop was the surprise starter for them in Game Five. Bishop allowed four goals on nineteen shots on Monday but his defense deserves much of that blame. I suspect Bishop gets the call tonight as he is one of the best in the business when on his game. Perhaps he was rusty on Monday — but he had a 2.50 Goals-Against-Average along with a .920 save percentage in the regular season so he is likely an upgrade of Anton Khudobin who has played fine in his absence. Colorado may be vulnerable to exhaling just a bit in this game after staving off elimination with their convincing win on Monday. The Avalanche have lost 16 of their last 25 games after scoring at last six goals in their last game. Colorado has scored at least four goals in three straight games — but they have allowed the Stars to score at least three goals in all five games in this series. The Avalanche have lost 16 of their last 24 games after playing at least two straight games where at least three goals were scored — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after playing at least three straight games where both teams scored at least three goals were scored. Additionally, Colorado has lost 14 of their last 19 games after playing at least three straight games where at least seven combined goals were scored — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after playing at least three straight games where at least eight combined goals were scored. The Aves have goaltending problems of their own — but it is much worse after they had to rely on Michael Hutchinson on Monday. He played as good as could be expected after stopping 31 of 34 shots — but there is a reason that they picked him up the scrap heap earlier this season after Toronto cut him outright. Hutchinson had -6.91 saves below expectation before Monday’s game. He may have to play again tonight with Phillipp Grubauer out and backup Johan Francouz — who had been struggling — deemed unfit to play in Game Five.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 7 of their last 9 games away from home when looking to avenge a loss by more than one goal. 25* NHL 2nd Round Playoff Game of the Month with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (20) versus the Colorado Avalanche (19). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:45 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (4) versus the Dallas Stars (3) in Game Two of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (43-28-8) won the opening game of this series on Saturday by a 5-3 score. Colorado (48-22-9) remains the technical home team for Game Two which means they retain the right to make the final line change. This game is being played on neutral ice at the Rogers Place in Edmonton.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Colorado may have been caught flat-footed after easily taking care of Arizona in five games in their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. If getting beaten by two goals was not enough to wake up this team, then the injuries they suffered on Saturday should certainly get the attention of this team. The Avalanche will be without goaltender Phillip Grubauer and defenseman Erik Johnson for this contest. As it is, Colorado has bounced-back to win 11 of their last 17 games after a loss by at least two goals — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by more than one goal against a Central Division rival. Additionally, the Avalanche have won 15 of their last 21 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game — and they have won 8 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. They turn to Pavel Francouz to be between the pipes. The 29-year old is capable after putting up fantastic numbers in the AHL and Russian KHL in his career. Francouz was 21-7-4 for Colorado this season with a 2.41 Goals-Against-Average and a .923 save percentage in thirty-four games which included thirty-one starts. He also has three postseason appearances where he has registered a 1.59 GAA with a .941 save percentage. The Avalanche have still won 21 of their last 30 games when the favorite. Dallas has lost 6 of their last 7 games after a game where both teams scored at least five goals. The Stars have also lost 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. It has been feast or famine for this Dallas team on offense. They have scored at least five goals in four of their last nine games — but they have not scored more than two goals in those other five games while being shutout twice. The Stars were just 30th during the regular season by averaging just 1.96 goals-per-game when playing at even strength.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won 14 of their last 20 games away from home when looking to avenge an upset loss to their opponent. 10* NHL Monday Late Show Bailout with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (4) versus the Dallas Stars (3). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (15) versus the Montreal Canadiens (16) in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Montreal (36-35-9) kept their season alive on Wednesday with their 5-3 victory over the Flyers. The Canadiens will be the technical home team for this contest which gives them the final line change advantage. Philadelphia (47-23-7) retains a 3-2 advantage in this series so they can still close out this series tonight. This game will be played on neutral ice at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLYERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The headlining news for this game is the broken jaw that the Canadiens’ forward Brendan Gallagher suffered in a brutal hit from the Flyers’ top-line defenseman Matt Niskanen. Gallagher is perhaps out for the rest of the postseason while Niskanen has been suspended for this sixth game of the series. While the loss of Niskanen hurts, his absence is not as devastating to the Flyers since they can rotate blue-line players. Philadelphia has been remarkably resilient this season. They have won all 8 of their games after a loss since January 7th this year — including their 1-0 victory in Game Three of this series after losing Game Two by a 5-0 score. Goalie Carter Hart had been outstanding with two shutouts in Games Three and Four where he stopped all 52 of the shots he faced. The Flyers have won 6 straight games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Additionally, Philadelphia has won a decisive 38 of their last 52 games when favored — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss. The loss of Gallagher is devastating to this team as he is their best five-on-five offensive player with 22 goals on the season which is tied for the most on the team with Tomas Tatar. Even with Gallagher, Montreal has scored just five times at five-on-five in this series. And while Gallagher had been silent for most of these postseason bubble games, he scored his first playoff goal on Wednesday with his power-play one-timer. As it is, the Canadiens have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a victory. They also have lost 35 of their last 51 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game (including Game Three of this series) And in their last 8 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, Montreal has lost 6 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia has won 15 of their last 20 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they allowed at least five goals. 10* NHL Philadelphia-Montreal NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (15) versus the Montreal Canadiens (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:40 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vancouver Canucks (77) versus the St. Louis Blues (78) in the fifth game of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Vancouver (41-29-7) has lost two straight games in this series after their 3-1 loss to the Blues on Monday. This series is now even at 2-2. St. Louis (44-22-12) is the technical home team again for this game which gives them the right to make the last line change. This game is being played on neutral ice at Edmonton’ Rogers.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CANUCKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vancouver did win the first two games of this series despite the Blues’ retaining the line change advantage as the designated home team. They dominated the special teams in those opening two games where they scored on five of their nine Power Play opportunities while adding a short-handed goal. Vancouver is a dangerous team because of what they lack in playoff experience they make up for in exciting young talent. The trio of Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, and Quinn Hughes is reminiscent of the Chicago Blackhawks superstar trio of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane,  and Duncan Keith at the beginning of their eventual three-time Stanley Cup run. While the last two games in this series have finished Under the Total with Vancouver scoring only three combined goals, the Canucks have then won 8 of their last 11 games after playing two straight Unders. Vancouver must increase their physicality tonight after the Blues’ amped up their forechecking game — and they do have the players to meet this challenge. This is a team that has won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Canucks have also won 5 of their last 7 games as an underdog. They are getting very good goaltending from Jacob Markstrom who has a .929 save percentage in this series — he has the talent to steal this game. St. Louis may be due for a letdown after playing their best two games since the return to action in the bubble. The reigning Stanley Cup champions have scored at least three goals in each of their last three games — but they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. The Blues have also lost 7 of their last 10 games on the road when playing their third game in four days. St. Louis is a balanced team with depth that plays their system well. But they lack superstar talent which means the loss of Vladimir Tarasenko who left the bubble to get his bum shoulder checked out even more ominous. Goalie Jake Allen has stopped 61 of the 64 shots he has faced in the last two games after replacing the slumping Jordan Binnington. But Allen has never been the lead goaltender for this team when making a deep run in the playoffs. And I worry that the defending champions may let out a deep exhale after finding their game again to even this series after a listless start in the bubble. As it is, St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. And in their last 5 playoff games as the favorite, the Blues have been upset 4 times.

FINAL TAKE: Vancouver has won 12 of their last 18 games when playing with double-revenge from two losses to their opponent where they allowed at least two goals. 10* NHL Wednesday Late Show Bailout with the money-line on the Vancouver Canucks (77) versus the St. Louis Blues (78). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the Carolina Hurricanes (58) with the money-line versus the Boston Bruins (57) in the fourth game of this Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Carolina (42-26-6) looks to bounce back from their 3-1 loss to the Bruins in Game Three of this series on Saturday. The Hurricanes remain the technical home team for Game Three tonight which gives them the advantage of the last shift change. Boston (46-18-12) now enjoys a 2-1 lead in this series. This game is being played on neutral ice at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: As if losing Game Three was bad enough, Carolina also saw their star 20-year old right-winger, Andrei Svechnikov, suffer a gruesome leg injury in a freak 3rd-period play which will likely keep him out the rest of this series (at least). His loss is devastating — but look for this gritty team to rally around each other in this game. They have outplayed the Bruins for most of this series — and they remain motivated to avenge the four-game sweep they suffered at the hands of this Boston team in last years’ Eastern Conference Finals. This is a team that feels that they can make a run to the Stanley Cup Finals after defeating the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals in last year’s playoffs. They have won 6 of their last 8 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 8 of their last 11 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. Additionally, the Hurricanes have won 5 of their last 7 games on the road when playing their third game in five days — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games when playing their fourth game in six days. Boston probably played their best game in the bubble on Saturday perhaps inspired to rally together themselves after starting goalie Tuukka Rask left the team by opting out of the bubble to return to his family. Of course, those actions occurred on the heels of him claiming that they playing without fans did not feel like the playoffs. The Bruins may be due for a letdown now as they look to sustain their energy after losing the in Stanley Cup Finals last season. Boston has been upset in 4 of their last 5 games as a favorite — and they have lost 7 of their last 8 games when favored in a playoff game. The Bruins also are missing a critical piece to their offense with head coach Bruce Cassidey declaring that David Pastrnak will not be available to play for a third straight game in this series. Pasternak’s 48 goals this season are tied for the most in the NHL.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina should be a tough-out tonight as what they are lacking after Svechnikov’s injury, they make up for in heart. While the Hurricanes were not playing in front of their home fans, they did have the home-ice edge on Saturday with the right to make the last line change — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss “at home” against an opponent by more than one goal. 10* NHL Boston-Carolina NBC Sports Network Special with the Carolina Hurricanes (58) with the money-line versus the Boston Bruins (57). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 12:00 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (43) versus the New York Islanders (44) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Washington (42-23-9) finds themselves down 0-2 in this series after losing Game Two of this series to the Islanders by a 5-2 score on Friday. New York (40-24-10) becomes the technical home team for Game Three tonight which gives them the advantage of the last shift change. This game is being played on neutral ice at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Look for this Washington team just two summer removed from being Stanley Cup champions to play their best game in the bubble this afternoon. Washington has been listless in the return to play with a 1-4 record where they have been outscored by a 16 to 9 margin. But the core of this team that won that Stanley Cup remain with this group — and this crew has bounced-back to win 41 of their last 61 games after a loss by at least three goals including 15 of their last 21 games after a loss by at least three goals when playing at home. Of course, the Capitals were not the home team on Thursday with these games being played on neutral ice without fans. But having the advantage of the last line change does mean something which the “home” team retains so I think those trends mean something. Everyone needs to step up for this one — and it will start on defense. Washington has won 41 of their last 60 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. And while the Capital have allowed four goals in each of the first two games in this series, they have then won 15 of their last 20 games after allowing at least four goals in two straight games including all five of these situations in 2020. New York may be due for a letdown as they have lost 9 of their last 13 games on the road when playing their third game in five days. The Islanders have also lost 8 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 11 of their last 14 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has won 24 of their last 35 games on the road when looking to avenge a loss by at least two goals. 10* NHL Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with money-line on the Washington Capitals (43) versus the New York Islanders (44). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (14) versus the Montreal Canadiens (13) in Game One of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (44-21-7) won all three games in the seeding round-robin last week culminating in their 4-1 win over Tampa Bay on Sunday. Montreal (34-32-9) defeated Pittsburgh in the qualifying playoff series in four games after their 2-0 shutout victory on Saturday. This series will be playing on neutral ice without fans at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLYERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia was playing as good of hockey as any team in the NHL before the stoppage of play in March as they had won nine of their last ten games. They were dominant against the cream of the crop of the Eastern Conference last week as they outscored Boston, Washington, and the Lightning by an 11 to 3 margin. They should build off their momentum in this game as they have won 11 of their last 12 games after a victory — and they have won 23 of their last 35 games after scoring at least four goals in their last contest. Furthermore, the Flyers have won 9 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. Additionally, Philly has won 11 of their last 14 games on the road after being unbeaten in at least three straight games — and they have won 19 of their last 28 games when playing just their second game in five days. The Flyers have won 4 straight games against teams with a losing record — and they have won 36 of their last 51 games as a favorite. They will be challenged by a hot goaltender in Carey Price — but they have an underrated goalie themselves in Carter Hart whose 2.42 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season was the 8th best amongst qualifying goalies. He allowed only two goals in his two starts last week. Goaltending has been the missing link for this team for years — but Hart immediately stabilized the position for this team when the 22-year old was called up from the minors in December of 2018. Montreal may be due for an emotional letdown after being carried by Price for their victory over the Penguins. Price held Pittsburgh scoreless for the last 94 minutes of that series. It is hard to tell if the Canadiens' victory speaks to their quality of play or the state of disarray that the Penguins have descended into. Pittsburgh general manager Jimmy Rutherford is promising significant changes after his team’s second straight early exit from the playoffs. The Canadiens only scored ten goals in their four games with the Pens. Top-line forward Tomas Tatar failed to register a point in those four games. Montreal has lost 11 of their last 15 games after going unbeaten in two straight games — and they have lost 4 straight games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. The Canadiens have also lost 15 of their last 22 games when playing with at least three days between contests.

FINAL TAKE: Philadelphia will not be taking Montreal lightly after they were upset by them at home by a 4-1 score back on January 16th. The Flyers have won 13 of their last 18 games when avenging a same-season loss — and they have won 6 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least three goals. 10* NHL Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (14) versus the Montreal Canadiens (13). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:45 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (62) versus the Vancouver Canucks (61) in Game Four of their Western Conference Playoff Qualifying Round. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (36-29-7) looks to stave off elimination tonight after losing Game Three of this series yesterday by a 3-0 score. Vancouver (38-28-6) has won the last two games in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE MINNESOTA WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Wild should respond with a strong effort tonight. They have won 4 straight games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 4 straight games after being shutout. Additionally, Minnesota has won 36 of their last 52 games after losing two straight games — and they have won 12 of their last 17 games away from home after losing two in a row. The Wild need to get their offense going after failing to score on their last thirteen Power Play chances over the last two games. Minnesota should be much better on the Power Play — they ranked 2nd in the NHL with their Power Play unit in the last twenty-five games of the regular season. And they are facing a Canucks’ team that was just 26th in the regular season in expected goals allowed on their Power Play kill unit. The Wild have won 5 straight games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. And while Minnesota has allowed six goals in these last two games, Minnesota has won 27 of their last 41 games after allowing at least three goals in two straight games. Head coach Dean Evason may turn to veteran goaltender Devan Dubnyk to be between the pipes tonight. And this team may be without defenseman Ryan Suter who did not play in the last seven minutes yesterday after blocking a puck. But this is a veteran club with plenty of playoff experience — they had in eight straight postseasons before missing the playoffs last year. Look for leadership to come from 35-year old Zach Parise and 34-year old Eric Staal along with the 36-year old Mikko Koivu and 32-year old Mats Zuccarello who have tons of playoff experience. This is a team that has still won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games as a favorite. Vancouver has some very nice young talent in 20-year old Elias Pettersson, 20-year old Quinn Hughes, and 23-year old Brock Boeser — but this trio is in their first playoff series so they have no experience in trying to close out a playoff series. This franchise has not been in the playoffs since 2016 back in the Sedin brothers era. And this is an organization that has lost 10 of their last 12 playoff games as an underdog. Additionally, the Canucks have lost 6 of their last 7 games after shutting out their opponent in their last game. Furthermore, Vancouver has lost 5 of their last 7 games when playing without rest — and they have lost 15 of their last 23 games when playing their straight game on the road in two days.

FINAL TAKE: The Canucks were dominant when playing at home during the regular season with a 22-9-4 record — but they were just 14-18-2 on the road. If there is a benefit from playing without rest, it is that Minnesota can quickly get the bad taste out of their mouth and completely change the tenor of this series with a climactic final game on Sunday. Look for the Wild’s veteran core to force one more game in this series. 25* NHL Playoff Qualifying Round Game of the Year with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (62) versus the Vancouver Canucks (61). Best of luck for us — Frank.

Take the Toronto Maple Leafs with the money-line versus the Columbus Blue Jackets. Toronto (38-26-9) looks to avoid elimination tonight after they blew a 3-0 lead yesterday to the Blue Jackets to lose in overtime by a 4-3 score. The Maple Leafs must win this contest to force a climactic fifth game of this Playoff Qualifying Round series. Toronto has won 22 of their last 33 games in the playoffs when trailing in the series. The Maple Leafs have also won 4 of their last 5 games against Eastern Conference foes. Columbus (34-24-15) has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win. The Blue Jackets have also lost 8 of their last 11 games as an underdog. Take Toronto with the money-line. Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer’s Hollywood Sports EASLIY DELIVERED their 25* NHL CNBC-TV Total of the Year last night with the Calgary-Winnipeg Under to further their RED HOT 19 of 27 (70%) NHL run along with a longer-running 50 of 79 (63%) NHL mark before the stoppage of play in March! Now Frank spots a SUPER O/U SITUATION for Friday night! CA$H-IN Frank’s Friday Night Discounted Deal — IT’S A STEAL!

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (54) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (53). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (36-15-6) has won three of their last four games with their 5-1 win at home against Detroit on Sunday. Toronto (31-21-8) has two of their last three games as well as five of their last eight contests with their 5-2 loss at Buffalo on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh is playing great defense as of late as they have not allowed more than two goals in four straight games. The Penguins have then won 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than two goals in at least four straight games. Goaltender Tristan Jarry should be between the pipes tonight. he has a 1.86 Goals-Against-Average in his sixteen games (fifteen starts) at home with a .938 save percentage. Jarry also enjoys a 1.50 GAA with a .957 save percentage in his three starts this month. Pittsburgh has won 10 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. They stay at home where they are 21-9 this season while scoring 3.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Penguins have won 11 of their last 14 games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 20 of their last 27 games as the favorite. Pittsburgh has also won 5 of their last 7 games against Eastern Conference opponents. The Maple Leafs allow 3.3 Goals-Per-Game this season with their play on the defensive end of the ice still suspect even after head coach Mike Babcock was fired. The Penguins have won 25 of their last 35 games against teams who allow at least 2.85 Goals-Per-Game. And while Pittsburgh scores 3.4 Goals-Per-Gam, Toronto has lost 8 of their last 9 games in the second half of the season agains teams who score at least 2.85 Goals-Per-Game. The Maple Leads are tired according to new head coach Sheldon Keefe — and they have lost 8 straight games when playing their fourth game in six days. Toronto is scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They stay on the road where they have lost 8 of their last 11 road games as an underdog. They also have lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference.

FINAL TAKE: The Maple Leafs are looking to avenge a 6-1 loss at Pittsburgh back on January16th — but they have lost 9 of their last 12 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss. Toronto has also lost 10 of their last 14 games against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. 10* NHL Toronto-Pittsburgh NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (54) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Devils (33) versus the New Jersey Devils (34). THE SITUATION: Columbus (30-18-11) has won lost four straight games with their 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers on Friday. New Jersey (21-26-10) has lost two of their last three games with their 5-2 loss at Carolina on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JACKETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Columbus had been one of the hottest teams in the NHL after going on an 18-2-5 run which included a 9-0-1 finish to that hot streak. Two of their four losses in their current downturn took place in overtime. Injuries have played a role with defenseman Seth Jones going on Injured Reserve to begin the week. But this remains a team that has bounced-back to win 20 of their last 31 road games after a loss by at least two goals. The Blue Jackets have also won 10 of their last 13 road games when playing their fourth game in seven days. Columbus needs to tighten things on defense after allowing seven goals in their last two games. The Blue Jackets have won 14 of their last 19 games after allowing at least three goals in their last two games. Columbus has still allowed only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game in its last five contests. Elvis Merzlinkins will be between the pipes for this game — he has an outstanding 2.18 Goals-Against-Average along with a .930 save percentage this season. Merzlinkins has a 1.51 GAA along with a .943 save percentage in six starts this month. The Blue Jackets have won a decisive 44 of their last 65 road games as a favorite. They have also won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record. New Jersey has lost 12 of its last 15 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Devils have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. New Jersey returns home where they are just 9-20 this season while surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have lost 17 of their last 24 games on home ice — and they have also lost an incredible 60 of their last 86 home games as the underdog. They turn to Mackenzie Blackwood in goal tonight who has a 2.79 GAA along with a .912 save percentage. Blackwood has not been as effective at home where he sees those marks rise to a 2.82 GAA along with a .902 save percentage. Furthermore, New Jersey has lost 54 of their last 72 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Devils have lost nine straight meetings with the Blue Jackets with their last contest being on January 18th where they lost by a 5-0 score in Columbus. New Jersey has lost 16 of their last 25 games when playing with at least double-revenge — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games when attempting to avenge a shutout loss. The Blue Jackets have won their last 6 games in New Jersey against the Devils. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Devils (33) versus the New Jersey Devils (34). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (4) versus the Nashville Predators (3). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (32-15-10) has lost three straight games as well as five of their last six games after their 6-5 loss in overtime at Vegas on Thursday. Nashville (27-22-7) snapped their two-game losing streak with their 5-0 shutout victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis blew 4-2 and 5-4 leads against the Golden Knights to lose that game in overtime. This has been a tough week for the reigning Stanley Cup champions who saw defenseman Jay Bouwmeester suffer a cardiac incident during Tuesday’s game at home against Dallas. Now after suffering two straight losses in overtime and allowing Vegas to attempt a whopping 52 shots, the Blues return home in need of a victory. St. Louis has won 8 of their last 9 games after losing at least three games in a row. St. Louis has also won 13 of their last 17 games after a game where at least four goals were scored — and they have won 22 of their last 33 games after a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. The Blues have also won 6 of their last 7 games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. They return home where they ahem won 10 of their last 13 games — and they have won 17 of their last 24 games against teams with a losing record. Nashville has lost 7 of their last 11 games after a win on their home ice. The Predators have also lost 11 of their last 15 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than one goal in their last game. Additionally, Nashville has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: The Blues have lost the first two meetings between these Central Division rivals this season after their 3-2 loss in Nashville on November 25th. St. Louis has won 23 of their last 34 games when playing with double revenge. The Predators have also lost 11 of their last 16 meetings with the Blues in St. Louis. 10* NHL Saturday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (4) versus the Nashville Predators (3). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (79) versus the Minnesota Wild (80). THE SITUATION: Dallas (27-16-4) has lost two of their last three games after their 4-1 loss at home to Buffalo on Thursday. Minnesota (21-20-6) snapped a four-game losing streak on Thursday with their 3-2 upset win against Tampa Bay where they were priced as a nice +135 dog.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should respond with a strong effort tonight. They have won 36 of their last 52 games after a loss at home by at least three goals — and this includes them winning ten of these last fourteen situations. The Stars have also won 6 straight games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Goalie Ben Bishop only allowed two goals on Tuesday before the Sabres scored two late empty netters. Bishop might be the leader of the pack for the Vezina Trophy this season with his 2.22 Goals-Against-Average along with a .929 save percentage. Bishop has a sparkling 1.51 GAA along with a .951 save percentage in four starts this month. Dallas has still won seven of their last nine games — and they are allowing just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They have won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have won 11 of their last 16 road games with the total set at 5 or lower. Minnesota is just 4-5-1 in their last ten games — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a victory. The Wild have also lost 35 of their last 52 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They stay at home where they have lost 17 of their last 25 games in the second half of the season. They will likely use Devan Dubnyk between the pipes who is struggling with a 3.35 GAA with a .892 save percentage this season — and, despite having a strong tendency in the past to play much better at home, he has just a .897 save percentage on home ice this season. Even worse, over his last three starts, Dubnyk has a 4.03 GAA with a .846 save percentage. Minnesota has lost 9 of their last 13 games against Central Division foes. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record, the Wild have lost 5 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 5 of their last 6 encounters with Minnesota — but their most recent meeting ended in a 3-2 upset victory for the Wild. The Stars have won 13 of their last 20 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss in their last meeting with their current opponent. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (79) versus the Minnesota Wild (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (57) versus the Winnipeg Jets (58). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (28-15-4) has lost two of their last three games after their 3-2 loss in Minnesota last night. Winnipeg (25-18-4) snapped a two-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 4-0 shutout victory over Vancouver.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 31 of their last 39 games after a loss on the road — and they have also won 18 of their last 21 games after a narrow loss by just one goal on the road. Additionally, the Lightning have won a decisive 44 of their last 56 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. And they have won 5 of their last 7 games when playing without a day of rest. Curtis McElhinney was between the pipes last night so it will be Andrei Vasilevskiy who will be in goal tonight for Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy has a 2.58 Goals-Against-Average with a .916 save percentage this season — but he sees those numbers improve to a 2.32 GAA along with a .924 save percentage in his fifteen starts on the road. Furthermore, Vasilevskiy has been on fire this month with a 1.15 GAA along with a .961 save percentage with two shutouts in his six starts. The Lightning have allowed only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. They stay on the road where they have won 5 of their last 7 games — and they have won a decisive 35 of their last 52 road games when favored. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has won 4 straight games against teams with a winning record. Winnipeg has lost 5 of their last 6 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 games after a win by at least four goals. The Jets have also lost 6 straight games after a shutout victory. It was not all good news for Winnipeg on Tuesday as they lost defenseman Carl Dahlstrom for four to six weeks with a hand injury after he was playing in his first game back since being out for two weeks with another injury. That is a tough loss for a team that was already dealing with a depleted blue line. The Jets stay at home where they have lost 6 of their last 7 games. They have also have lost 10 of their last 14 games as an underdog including five straight home games when trying to pull the upset. Connor Hellebuyck should be tonight’s goaltender for Winnipeg — and the best time to get him is in night games. Hellebuyck has an outstanding 1.89 GAA along with a .940 save percentage in his nine starts during day games — but those numbers plummet to just a 2.79 GAA with a .910 save percentage in his thirty appearances at night. The Jets average 30.7 shots per game — but the Lightning have won 12 of their last 15 games against teams who average at least 29.5 shots per game. Winnipeg has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. The metrics are not bullish on the Jets underachieving this season either with their Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage ranking 22nd and 26th in the league. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, ranks 6th and 8th in the NHL in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For.

FINAL TAKE: The Lightning will be motivated to avenge a 4-3 loss at home to Winnipeg back on November 16th. Tampa Bay has won 34 of their last 55 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (57) versus the Winnipeg Jets (58). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (60) versus the Boston Bruins (59). THE SITUATION: Nashville (19-15-7) has lost four of their last five games after their 5-4 loss in overtime at Anaheim on Sunday. Boston (24-8-11) has last three straight games as well as eleven of their last fifteen contests with their 4-1 loss at home to Edmonton on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PREDATORS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: That loss was the final straw for Nashville President of Hockey Operations and General Manager David Poile who fired head coach Peter Laviolette along with associate coach Kevin McCarthy yesterday. Look for the players to respond with a strong effort with the entire organization now being put on notice. The Predators made the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago before being ousted in the second round and then the first round of the playoffs last year. There is still time for this team to turn this season around like the St. Blues did last season after firing their head coach midseason before regrouping for their Stanley Cup championship run. But if Poile could also embrace a fire sale of the roster before the trade deadline if this group does not immediately start playing better. With an interim head coach still not named as of this writing, the onus is squarely on the veteran players. Expect a strong effort from this team tonight. As it is, the Predators have won 15 of their last 23 games after losing a game in overtime. Nashville has also won 18 of their last 27 games after losing three of their last four games. What has been frustrating for this team is that they too often play up or down to their completion. They rank 4th and 3rd in the NHL in Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage measuring puck possession. They also have won 33 of their last 50 games against teams who outscore their opponents by at least +0.5 Goals-Per-Game including five of their last eight games this season against those opponents — and the Bruins are outscoring their opponents by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. The Predators have also won 5 of their last 6 home games as an underdog. Boston had their nine-point game streak end on Saturday in that three-goal loss to Edmonton — and they have lost 12 of their last 18 games after a loss. They also have lost 7 of their last 10 games after a loss at home — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after losing three of their last four games. The Bruins have also lost 7 of their last 8 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Boston is averaging only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Tuukka Rask should be between the pipes tonight — but he has been more effective at home where he owns a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average with a .926 save percentage as opposed to his 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage on the road. The Bruins rank a middling 13th and 14th in the league in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For Percentage. They have lost 7 of their last 10 games against teams with a losing record. And while the Predators average +4.4 more shot attempts per game than their opponents, Boston has lost 6 of their last 9 games against opponents who outshoot their opponents by at least +3.0 shots per game.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins will be motivated to avenge a 4-3 loss at home to the Predators on December 21st — but they have lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a loss at home to their opponent. Boston has also lost their last 5 games in “Nashvegas” against the Predators. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (60) versus the Boston Bruins (59). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (49) versus the Florida Panthers (50). THE SITUATION: Dallas (20-12-4) has won two of their last three games with their 4-3 win in overtime in Tampa Bay last night. Florida (16-12-5) snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday with their 6-1 win over Ottawa.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas has won 11 of their last 15 games after a win — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a win on the road. The Stars have also won 9 of their last 11 games after winning two of their last three contests. Additionally, they also have played 8 of their last 10 games after a game that finished Over the Total — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after a contest where at least seven combined goals were scored. This team is 5-2-2 in December — and they are 3-1-1 under interim head coach Rick Bowness after he took over after Jim Montgomery was terminated for unprofessional conduct. It was Anton Khudobin between the pipes last night for the Stars which means that Ben Bishop will get the start tonight. Bishop has a 2.07 Goals-Against-Average this season with a .933 save percentage. In his six starts this month, Bishop has a 1.65 GAA along with a .947 save percentage. Bishop is also making his first start since Monday — and he owns a 1.88 GAA with a .937 save percentage when playing with at least three days of rest. The outstanding goaltender rotation with this team makes them very good even when playing in back-to-back days as they have won 4 of their last 5 games when playing without rest. The Stars play outstanding defense as they allow only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game — and they are giving up just 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games. Dallas has won 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a losing record — and they have also won 4 straight games against Eastern Conference foes. The Stars have also won 5 of their last 6 road games as an underdog. Florida struggles against elite defensive teams as they have lost 9 of their last 11 games at home against teams who are not allowing more than 2.55 Goals-Per-Game. The Panthers have lost 6 of their last 8 games after a win by more than one goal — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 home games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest. Florida has also lost 6 of their last 9 games after a win at home. This is a team likely to be rusty tonight after getting the week off — they have lost 8 of their last 11 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been hot this month with a 1.69 GAA and a .953 save percentage. But Bobrovsky owns a rough 3.50 GAA with an .883 save percentage in his six starts this season with at least three days between games. He owns just a 2.75 GAA with a .918 save percentage at home this year. Defense is an issue for this team as they are allowing 2.9 Goals-Per-Game at home. This is a potent scoring team that averages 3.5 Goals-Per-Game — but they are scoring just 3.0 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games. This offense-first approach does well against the lesser teams in the league but they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Panthers have also lost 18 of their last 27 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 51% to 60% range in the first half of the regular season.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 games on the road against this Florida team. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (49) versus the Florida Panthers (50). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (34) versus the Buffalo Sabres (33). THE SITUATION: Philadelphia (18-11-5) snapped a three-game losing streak on Tuesday with their 4-1 win at home over Anaheim. Buffalo (16-12-7) has lost two straight games with their 5-3 loss at Toronto on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLYERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Philadelphia has won 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. And while the Flyers have still lost four of their last six games, they have then won 7 of their last 8 games after losing four or five of their last six contests. Those three previous losses had been on the road before they returned home on Tuesday — they are 11-2-4 in their seventeen home games this season. Philly is scoring 3.6 Goals-Per-Game at home while holding their opponents to just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game. They have won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 9 of their last 13 home games with the Total set at 6 or higher. This team is dealing with a host of injuries and they now are dealing with the emotional news of Oskar Lindblum being diagnosed with bone cancer. But the team did get forward Travis Konecny back on the ice in their victory over the Ducks on Tuesday. Goaltender Carter Hart was outstanding in that game with 41 saves. The second-year goalie has been sensational when playing at home this season where he owns a 9-1 record along with a 1.57 Goals-Against-Average and a save percentage of .944. Moving forward, the Flyers have won 6 straight games against Eastern Conference foes. Buffalo ha lost 28 of their last 38 games after a loss to an Atlantic Division rival. The Sabres have also lost 5 of their last 7 games after losing two in a row — and they have lost 23 of their last 29 road games after dropping two of their last three games. Buffalo stays on the road where they are just 6-9-4 while surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game and getting outscored by -0.9 Goals-Per-Game. They have lost a decisive 40 of their last 55 games on the road — and they have lost 21 of their last 25 road games when playing their second game in five days. And while the Flyers are scoring 3.1 Goals-Per-Game this season, the Sabres have lost 25 of their last 34 road games against teams who are scoring at least 2.85 Goals-Per-Game. They counter with Linus Ullmark between the pipes tonight — but while the veteran has a solid 2.55 GAA along with a .923 save percentage in nine starts at home, those numbers plummet to a 3.19 GAA along with a .905 save percentage in eleven starts on the road. Buffalo has lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: This is the first meeting between these two teams this season. The deeper analytics like this Philadelphia team with their Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage ranking them 6th and 8th in the NHL respectively. Buffalo ranks just 17th and 19th in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For. With the money-line price below my -150 price threshold, let’s attack. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the Philadelphia Flyers (34) versus the Buffalo Sabres (33). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (25) versus the Chicago Blackhawks (26). THE SITUATION: Colorado (21-9-3) saw their two-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 5-2 loss in St. Louis. Chicago (13-15-6) snapped their four-game losing streak on Sunday with their 5-3 victory over Minnesota.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Colorado has bounced-back to win 3 of their last 4 games after a loss on the road by at least two goals. The Avalanche have also won 7 of their last 9 games after allowing at least four goals — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. This Colorado team stays on the road where they are 11-7 with an average winning margin of +0.6 Goals-Per-Game. They have won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have also won 10 of their last 15 road games with the Total set at 6 or higher. The Avalanche opened as a money-line favorite above my -150 price threshold — but that number has dropped before that ceiling with the announcement that Phillip Grubauer will get tonight off with backup Pavel Francouz getting the start between the pipes tonight. Francouz has been outstanding as a backup this season with a 2.26 Goals-Against-Average along with a .932 save percentage in twelve starts and fourteen games. He also has been quite good on the road where he owns a 1.91 GAA along with a .946 save percentage in five starts and six overall appearances. He will be supported by a team that has won 19 of their last 26 games as the favorite. Chicago has struggled with their defense as they are allowing 4.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Goalie Corey Crawford has just a 2.81 GAA in his nine starts at home with a .911 save percentage. The Blackhawks are just 8-10 at home this season — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games at home. Chicago has also lost 25 of their last 36 home games as an underdog. Furthermore, the Blackhawks have lost 23 of their last 30 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. Additionally, the Blackhawks have lost 7 of their last 8 games against Western Conference opponents. Chicago does look to get Duncan Keith back tonight but this is not a good active roster at this point that he is rejoining. The Blackhawks are 28th in the league in both Corsi-For Percentage and Fenwick-For Percentage that measures puck possession deeper analytics.

FINAL TAKE: Chicago has lost the first two meetings between these two teams this season with a 5-2 loss a home on November 29th followed up by a 7-3 loss in Colorado on November 30th. The Blackhawks have lost 10 of their last 12 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. They also have lost 9 of their last 13 games when playing with double-revenge. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (25) versus the Chicago Blackhawks (26). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:30 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on Arizona Coyotes (26) versus the Anaheim Ducks (25). THE SITUATION: Arizona (14-8-3) has lost two of their last three games after their 4-3 loss to Edmonton on Sunday. Anaheim (11-11-3) snapped their three-game losing streak on Monday with their 3-0 shutout win at home over the New York Islanders.

REASONS TO TAKE THE COYOTES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Ducks have been overachieving relative to their deeper analytics. Anaheim ranks 28th in the NHL in Corsi-For Percentage and 30th in the league in Fenwick-For Percentage which are metrics analyzing puck possession and control. This is a good opportunity to fade the Ducks at a price that is not above my -150 price threshold. Anaheim has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games after a shutout victory. The Ducks have also lost 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing with one day of rest. Now this team goes back on the road where they are just 4-8 this season with an average losing margin of -0.8 Goals-Per-Game due to them scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. John Gibson will be between the pipes tonight — and although he has a 2.51 Goals-Against-Average with a .924 save percentage at home, those numbers rise to a 3.27 GAA with a .899 save percentage in nine starts on the road. Anaheim has lost 20 of their last 28 road games as an underdog. Arizona has remarkably consistent this season as they enjoyed a 7-4-1 record in October before entering this contest with a 7-4-2 mark so far in November. The Coyotes have bounced-back to win 7 of their last 10 games after a loss — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on their home ice. Additionally, Arizona has won 5 of their last 6 games after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games after a game at went Over the Total. Furthermore, the Coyotes have won 4 of their last 5 games when playing with two days of rest. It’s Antti Raanta’s turn in the time-share for this team between Darcy Kemper and him. Raanta has a 2.62 GAA with a .926 save percentage but he has been sensational at home where he has a 2.00 GAA along with a .942 save percentage in three starts. Raanta also sports a 1.69 GAA with a .930 save percentage in his seven career games against Anaheim. Arizona stays at home where they are 6-6 this season despite outscoring their opponents by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. The Coyotes have won 5 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Arizona has also won 5 of their last 7 games against teams from the Pacific Division — and the Ducks have lost 4 of their last 5 games against Pacific Division rivals.

FINAL TAKE: The Coyotes will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss on the road at Anaheim back on October 3rd — and they have won 10 of their last 12 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Month with the money-line on Arizona Coyotes (26) versus the Anaheim Ducks (25). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (28) versus the New Jersey Devils (27). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (11-7-4) has lost two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 4-3 loss in overtime at New York against the Islanders last night. New Jersey (7-9-4) saw their two-game winning streak snapped last night with their 5-1 loss to Boston on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh has won 4 of their last 5 games after playing a game that went into overtime. This Penguins team is banged up right now with Sidney Crosby, Nick Bjugstad, Kris Letang, and Justin Schultz all out for this team with injuries. But Pittsburgh did get back Patric Hornqvist back into the mix last night after he was out with an injury. The Pens need to tighten up on defense after allowing nine combined goals over their last two games — and they have won 15 of their last 22 games after allowing at least four goals in two straight games. With Matt Murray in goal last night, it will be backup Tristan Jarry between the pipes for this team tonight. Jarry has done a great job keeping himself sharp for his limited opportunities to play for this team. He has a 1.98 Goals-Against Average with a .938 save percentage in five games (four starts) this season — and he has a 1.01 GAA with a .964 save percentage in his two starts at home this year. Pittsburgh is scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game at home this season while outscoring their opponents by +1.0 net Goals-Per-Game. The Penguins have won a decisive 38 of their last 53 home games when priced as a favorite in the -110 to -150 range. They also have won 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or less. New Jersey has lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Furthermore, the Devils have lost 8 of their last 11 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. This is a team that has only won five times in regulation this season. The rank 29th and 27th in the advanced metrics of Corsi-For and Fenwick-For percentages — as compared to the middle of the pack Pens who rank 15th and 14th in the league in those respective metrics. New Jersey has lost 19 of their last 24 games after winning two of their last three games. This team has also lost a decisive 40 of their last 51 games against teams with a winning record. Now they go back on the road where they are only scoring 1.9 Goals-Per-Game while being outscored by -1.5 Goals-Per-Game. The Devils have lost 39 of their last 54 games away from home. New Jersey will counter with Mackenzie Blackmon in goal tonight — he has a rough 3.28 GAA with a save percentage of .899 in six road starts. The Devils have lost 10 of their last 12 games when playing with two days of rest.

FINAL TAKE: Pittsburgh will have the extra motivation to avenge a 2-1 loss at New Jersey in the last meeting between these two teams back on November 15th. The Penguins have won 4 straight games when avenging a loss where they scored only one goal — and they have won 21 of their last 24 games when playing with revenge from a loss of just one goal to their opponent. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (28) versus the New Jersey Devils (27). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (21) versus the Arizona Coyotes (22). THE SITUATION: Toronto (9-10-4) has lost six straight games after their 4-2 loss in Las Vegas to the Golden Knights on Tuesday. Arizona (13-7-2) has won two straight games as well as four of their last five contests with their 3-0 win over Los Angeles on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Head coach Mike Babcock was fired yesterday with this Toronto team with Stanley Cup aspirations reeling out of control. Management needed to make a move — and the proverbial old saying that you can’t fire the players applies in this spot. The writing was probably on the wall last year when President Brendan Shanahan hired the analytics wonder boy, Kyle Dubas, to be his general manager. Babcock is more of an old school coach — and it is always a bit icy when the head coach was not the selection of the general manager. Dubas’ top choice was presumably assistant coach Sheldon Keefe who has worked for Dubas in the minor leagues where they both had success culminating with the Toronto Marlies. The players understood this dynamic — so their lack of effort over the last few weeks helped seal the fate of Babcock who can be hard on his players. Expect this Maple Leafs team to step up with one of their best efforts of the season to validate Dubas’ decision to sack a Stanley Cup-winning coach. I am not sure about the construction of this roster to make a deep playoff run — but this is still a very good team. Toronto ranks 5th in the NFL in Corsi-For percentage which measures puck possession which indicates they should be seeing better results. Injuries have not helped — but captain John Tavares is back in the mix. The Maple Leafs have lost eight of their eleven games decided by one goal. But even without the team having the extra motivation to prove themselves after the griping to their agents that got back to Toronto management got Babcock removed, this team was likely to respond with a strong effort tonight. The Maple Leafs have won 9 of their last 14 games after a loss by at least three goals. Toronto has also won 15 of their last 21 games after losing five or six of their last seven games. And while they surrendered three goals in the third period on Tuesday to Vegas, they have then won 20 of their last 28 road games after allowing at least two goals in the third period in their last game. Lack of focus and discipline on defense has been the biggest issue for this team — they have allowed at least five goals in five straight games. But Toronto has then won 16 of their last 25 games after allowing at least four goals in three straight contests. And while they have lost their last three games by multiple goals, they have then won 5 of their last 6 road games after losing at least two in a row by two or more goals. Arizona has shut out their last two opponents — but they have then lost 52 of their last 71 games after not allowing more than two goals in two straight games. The Coyotes are getting outstanding goaltending from Darcy Kuemper and Antti Raanta — they lead the NHL in on-ice save percentage of .913. Unfortunately for Arizona, that is a fickle metric that is susceptible to regression — it suggests to me that this team that missed the playoffs last year is overachieving. As it is, the Coyotes have lost 16 of their last 25 games after a win at home by at least two goals. Arizona has also lost 30 of their last 47 games at home in the first half of the regular season. And in their last 7 games against teams with a winning percentage at 40% or worse. The analytics also suggest this Coyotes team is overachieving — they rank 23rd in the league in Corsi-For Percentage and 25th in the NHL in Fenwick-For Percentage.

FINAL TAKE: As if the Maple Leafs needed even more motivation, this is a homecoming game for their superstar, Auston Matthews, who grew up in nearby Scottsdale. Look for one of the best efforts of the season from Toronto which should translate into a victory over an upstart Coyotes team. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (21) versus the Arizona Coyotes (22). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (58) versus the Vancouver Canucks (57). THE SITUATION: Dallas (11-8-1-1) has won three straight games as well as seven of their last eight contests with their 5-4 win in Edmonton on Saturday. Vancouver (10-7-3-1) has lost two straight games as well as six of their last seven games with their 5-4 loss to Colorado on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MONEY-LINE ON THE STARS: After starting the season with a rough 1-7-1 mark, the Western Conference finalist has since gone 10-1-1 over their last eleven games. Dallas’ winning streak has come from a surge in their offense as they defensive-minded team has scored 3.6 goals-per-game over their last five games. The Stars have then won 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. Dallas has also won 6 of their last 7 games after winning four of their last five games. The Stars have also won 8 of their last 9 home games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. Now they return home for the first time since November 5th after playing their last four games on the road. Dallas is allowing just 2.1 Goals-Per-Game on their home with goalie Ben Bishop sporting a 1.73 Goals-Against-Average with a .941 save percentage in seven starts at home. The Stars have won 5 of their last 6 games at home — and they have won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Vancouver has lost 22 of their last 31 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Canucks have also lost 9 of their last 12 games after a game where both teams scored at least four goals — and they have lost 16 of their last 25 games after playing at home in a game where both teams scored at last three goals. Goalie Jakob Markstrom has a .914 save percentage this season but he has lost his last three starts where he has allowed nine goals over that span with a save percentage of just .901. Now Vancouver goes back on the road where they have lost 37 of their last 54 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. The Canucks have also lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Vancouver will be looking to avenge 4-2 loss at home to Dallas last Thursday — but they have lost 18 of their last 24 opportunities to avenge a loss at home by two or more goals. The Canucks have also lost 7 of their last 10 games played in Dallas against the Stars. 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Month is with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (58) versus the Vancouver Canucks (57). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Islanders (29) versus the Ottawa Senators (30). THE SITUATION: New York (6-3-0) has won five straight games as well as ten of their last eleven contests with their 4-2 loss at home to Arizona last night. Ottawa (2-6-1) snapped a four-game losing streak on Wednesday with their 5-2 win over Detroit.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ISLANDERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York is scoring 3.2 Goals-Per-Game during their five-game winning streak while allowing only 1.8 Goals-Per-Game over that span. They should build off their momentum from last night as they have won 20 of their last 28 games after a loss — and they have won 8 straight games after allowing two goals or less in their last contest. Furthermore, the Islanders have won a decisive 24 of their last 28 games when playing with no days of rest. Head coach Ken Hitchcock is rotating his two goaltenders in almost a complete 50-50 timeshare between Semyon Varlamov and Thomas Griess. It is Griess who gets the start tonight who is 3-1-0 this season with a 2.21 Goals-Against-Average and a .930 save percentage. New York has won 7 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have won 5 of their last 6 road games against teams with a losing record at home. The Islanders have also won 6 straight games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. Ottawa beat a hapless Red Wings team that has lost six straight games — but they have lost 8 of their last 9 games after scoring at least five runs in their last game. The Senators have also lost 24 of their last 33 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Ottawa stays at home where they have lost 5 of their last 7 games — and they have lost 7 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. The Senators have also lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% overall. Ottawa has been a mess with their Power Play this season where they have converted just once in their twenty-seven opportunities this season. That is not a good sign for a team that is scoring only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests.

FINAL TAKE: The Islanders have won their last four meetings with the Senators with Ottawa losing one of those games in overtime. Look for New York to take care of business on the road in this very winnable game for them — they are a team that struggled a bit more against the elite competition of the league last season. 5* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Month with the money-line on the New York Islanders (29) versus the Ottawa Senators (30). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:05 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Anaheim Ducks (32) versus the Calgary Flames (31). THE SITUATION: Anaheim (6-2-0) has won their last two games with their 4-2 win over Carolina on Friday. Calgary (4-4-1) looks to rebound from their 4-1 loss in Los Angeles against the Kings.

THE SITUATION: The Ducks are playing good hockey so far this season — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games after a victory. Anaheim has also won 7 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. The Ducks have proven themselves very tough to beat in the Honda Center where they have won 7 straight games. Anaheim is 4-0-0 at home this season where they are scoring 3.5 Goals-Per-Game while holding their guests to just 1.5 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie John Gibson boasts a sparkling .961 save percentage in his first three starts at home this season and he looks to be between the pipes tonight. This is the Ducks’ third straight game at home — and they have won 11 of their last 13 games after winning their last two games at home. Calgary has lost 7 of their last 8 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Flames have also lost 6 of their last 8 games when playing without rest. It will likely be Cam Talbot in goal tonight for Calgary’s first-stringer David Rittich. Talbot has just a .893 save percentage in his two previous games this season — and this will be just his second start of the year. The Flames are just 1-4-0 on the road this year in large measure because they are allowing 4.0 Goals-Per-Game in those five contests. Calgary has lost 13 of their last 18 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their four meetings last year with the home team winning all four contests. Look for that trend to continue tonight with the Ducks continuing their hot streak at home. 25* NFL Pacific Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Anaheim Ducks (32) versus the Calgary Flames (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:35 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (36) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (35). THE SITUATION: Edmonton (5-1-0) lost its first game of the year on Monday with their 3-1 loss at Chicago. Philadelphia (2-1-1) has lost their last two games after their 3-1 loss in Calgary last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE OILERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Edmonton is catching the Flyers on a tough road trip right now with this being their third game in a row on the road with this game being played on the second of back-to-back nights. Philadelphia has lost 10 of their last 13 games after losing two straight games on the road. Additionally, the Flyers have lost 6 straight games on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home. Philadelphia has also lost 6 straight games when playing without a day of rest. The Flyers have only scored three combined goals over their last two games. Furthermore, Philadelphia has lost 17 of their last 22 games after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Flyers have also lost 4 straight games against Western Conference opponents — and they have lost their last 4 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Edmonton had won their first five games of the season in come-from-behind fashion. Now after playing their last four games on the road, the Oilers return home for the first time since October 5th. Edmonton has won 5 straight home games after being on the road for at least seven days. The Oilers have also won 10 of their last 11 games after playing at least four straight games on the road. And in their last 10 games as the favorite, Edmonton has won 7 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Oilers have playoff aspirations this season under new general manager Ken Holland who came over from Detroit along with first-year head coach Dave Tippett. Led by Connor McDavid, this Edmonton team has one of the best young players in the league. Look for the Oilers to overwhelm a road-weary Flyers team. 25* NHL Wednesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (36) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (35). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (11) versus the St. Louis Blues (12). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (60-37-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Thursday with their 2-1 victory on the road in Boston. The Bruins (63-32-9) look to stave off elimination and force a climactic Game Seven back on the home ice.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bruins’ loss on Thursday was as frustrating setback as it gets in the NHL. Boston outshot St. Louis by a decisive 39 to 21 margin. They controlled the momentum in the third period and they looked close to tying the game at 1-1 before they were absolutely robbed by a no-call from the officials. The Blues’ Tyler Boak clearly tripped Noel Acciari (who would not return to the game) — but rather than putting the Bruins on the Power Play, the referees kept their whistles silent which gave St. Louis a de-facto 5-4 advantage which they took advantage of with David Perron scoring their second goal just after the midway point of the third period. Boston did finally score a goal but the two-goal deficit was simply too much to overcome. The result was infuriating because we had a big play on the Bruins. After two days of decompressing from that loss, the level-headed side play is to take Boston on the road as a money-line underdog. The Blues would be mistaken to think this series is over simply because they won Game Five under very challenging circumstances on the road. They face the risk of letting their guard down with their 3-2 series lead amidst the talk regarding which of their played will win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff Most Valuable Player. Don’t underestimate the pressure this St. Louis team will face as they attempt to hoist the Stanley Cup as champions on their home ice in front of the rabid fan base that has never seen a Stanley Cup winner. The Blues are just 6-6 at home in these playoffs — and they have lost 4 of their last 6 home games with the Total set at 5 or less. St. Louis has also lost 11 of their last 17 sixth games in a playoff series. If Boston outshoots St. Louis by close to 18 shots again tonight, they should win this game. They have won 11 of their last 15 games after losing two in a row — and they have won 17 of their last 25 games on the road after losing their last two games. Additionally, the Bruins have won 12 of their last 15 games after losing three of the last four contests. Boston has still yet to see their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak scored a goal at even strength in this series (although there were excruciatingly close on Thursday). Expect this cold streak to end tonight with the Bruins facing elimination. Boston has won 11 of their last 13 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 17 of their last 22 games following a contest where no more than three combined goals were scored. The extra day of rest should help this veteran team be ready to go tonight — and they have won 27 of their last 36 games when playing with two days of rest. If there was a silver lining from Game Five, it was that Zdeno Chara was able to play more than 16 minutes despite suffering from the broken jaw he received in the fourth game of this series. Boston has won 4 straight games when trailing in these playoffs — and they also won 4 of their last 6 playoff games when facing elimination. Remember, they were in exactly this spot in the opening round of the playoffs against Toronto before they won Game Six on the road before returning home to Boston to win Game Seven.

FINAL TALE: The Bruins have won 11 of their last 15 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they scored only one goal. Look for Boston to play one of their best games of this postseason tonight as they force a final seventh game of the season. 25* NHL Sunday Night Special Feature with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (11) versus the St. Louis Blues (12). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the St. Louis Blues (9). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (59-37-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Monday with their 4-2 victory over the Bruins. Boston (63-31-9) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The biggest question entering Game Five regards the status of Boston’s captain, Zdeno Chara, who took a puck to the face that broke his jaw. Without any evidence, I suspect Chara will play. If Chara chooses to have his jaw wired shut, while he will experience pain, the bigger issues will be if with some difficulty breathing along with an inability to communicate with his voice on the ice. On the other hand, Chara may decide to delay wiring his jaw shut and rely on playing with a protective mask/cage over his face. Chara would not be the first NHLer to play with this malady although the three-day turnaround is likely unprecedented — but, then again, these are the Stanley Cup Finals. But, even if Chara does choose to play in Game Five, I still feel strongly that the Bruins win this game. Either way, the remaining Boston players are going to be inspired one way or the other by having to make up for his absence or follow his lead with him playing in pain. Chara remains a good player at 42-years old — but he has been surpassed by Charlie McAvoy as the team’s best defenseman. If Chara cannot play, John Moore would be elevated to the top defensive pairing with McAvoy with the Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo remaining together as their second blue-line pairing. The Bruins are likely getting some depth back on defense as well with Matt Grzelcyk skating again in practice and perhaps ready to return after being out since taking a brutal hit from Oskar Sundqvist in Game Two. Boston has depth on their blue line so a potential loss of Chara is not as devastating as some pundits have suggested. The Bruins should respond with an inspired effort as they bounced-back to win 15 of their last 23 games after a loss on the road. And while the Blues have won two of the last three games in this series, Boston has won 20 of their last 31 games after losing two of their last three games. Boston has been very good at home all season where they are 36-13-2 this season. The Bruins have won 17 of their last 24 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Boston has also won 25 of their last 33 home games against teams from the Western Conference. Additionally, the Bruins have won 18 of their last 25 games after playing their last two games on the road. The extra day of rest will help this veteran team as well — and they have won 27 of their last 35 games when playing with two days of rest. St. Louis is 8-3 on the road this postseason but they were only 21-13-7 on the road during the regular season. This Blues team demands respect given their 30-10-5 record to close out the regular season which was tops in the NHL. But the deeper metrics from the playoffs are not bullish on this St. Louis team entering this series. Their Expected Goal Share entering this series in the playoffs has been only 49.7% which is 10th best of the sixteen playoffs teams. They enjoyed a 57.8% Expected Goal Share mark after January during their big regular season run. Their Expected Goals Scored per 60 minutes is 2.71 in the playoffs and exactly the same as their Expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in the playoffs. Both those marks call for regression from their 2.71 Goals Scored per 60 minutes in these playoffs along with the 2.45 Goals Allowed per 60 minutes this postseason. Boston has the edge in goal with Tuukka Rask as the former Vezina Trophy winner entered this series has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. While Rask has been outstanding, much of the credit should go to the strong and consistent play from the Bruins’ blue line. Rask’s save percentage in five-on-five play entering this series in the playoffs has been .946 — and that is not much higher than his expected save percentage of .930 in five-on-five in these playoffs entering this series. Rask also has a significant edge given his playoff experience — he had a 2.21 GAA with a .932 save percentage in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals where he started all six games — and he has a solid .919 save percentage in the first four games of this series after stopping 113 of the 123 shots he has faced. St. Louis’ rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, has been good in the playoffs — but his .914 save percentage entering this series was a few notches below that of Rask’s. Binnington has been up and down in this series as he has stopped 90 of the 102 shots he has faced for a disappointing .882 save percentage.

FINAL TAKE: Binnington was pulled in Game Three — the last time this series was tied — after he allowed five goals on the nineteen shots he faced in that game. The Blues were crushed by a 7-2 score in that contest. Look for this veteran Bruins team making their third Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 2013 to do what it takes to win this fifth game of this series. Lastly, the money-line is hovering between the -150 and -155 price line in most spots. With enough -150s (or lower) out there with less than 24 hours before the puck drops, I am committing to this strong play. Even if the money-line price rises tomorrow, I still recommend this strong play despite my -150 threshold. If we start taking too many heavy favorites, we are going to get burned. However, except for Game Two, this series is going as expected (and I suspected this would be even at 2-2). If this was the middle of February, I would still feel comfortable with the price since about half the lines are not higher than my -150 threshold — and I love the situation. 25* National Hockey League Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the St. Louis Blues (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (8) versus the Boston Bruins (7). THE SITUATION: Boston (63-30-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Saturday with their 7-2 victory on the road against the Blues. St. Louis looks to even this series at 2-2 on their home ice before traveling to Boston for Game Five on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis should respond with a strong effort tonight after suffering that embarrassing loss at home in front of their home fans in their first opportunity to host a game in the Stanley Cup Finals since 1970. The Blues have bounced-back to win 7 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least three goals. St. Louis has also won 14 of their last 22 games after a loss at home. Additionally, the Blues have won 7 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have won 11 of their last 14 games after playing a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. St. Louis has responded to losses in this postseason by playing very well as they bounce-back from that setback. The Blues have won 6 of their 8 playoff games after a loss while winning their last four contests after a defeat. Goaltender Jordan Binnington has stopped 194 of the 207 shots he has faced in those eight playoff games after a loss for a .935 save percentage along with 1.84 Goals-Against-Average. St. Louis is also getting two important pieces back in Vince Dunn and Oskar Sundqvist who did not play on Saturday. Dunn has not played in this series after getting hit in the face with a puck in the third game of the Western Conference Finals which has left the Blues without one of their top four defensemen. Sundqvist was suspended for Game Three of this series for an illegal hit — so St. Louis was without their co-leader in the +/- in these playoffs along with one of their key players on their Power Play Kill Unit. Boston scored all four times in their four Power Play opportunities on Saturday — so the Blues will be very happy to have Sundqvist back tonight. St. Louis has won 7 of their last 9 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Blues have won 19 of their last 27 games at home — and they have also won 6 of their last 8 home games when priced as a favorite in the -110 to -150 range. St. Louis also needs to get back to playing disciplined hockey after getting burned by the Bruins’ Power Play on Saturday. The Blues entered the Stanley Cup Finals averaging just 6.32 Penalty Infraction Minutes per game in the postseason which was the lowest for all teams in the playoffs. Boston achieved its primary goal of taking back home-ice advantage in this series. But the Bruins have also lost 8 of their last 13 games when playing their fifth game in thirteen days. Boston’s top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak finally got on the board with Bergeron and Pastrnak scoring goals while registering the first two points in this series for that top forward group. But both of those goals were on the Power Play which continues a disturbing trend that has seen this top line score only one goal at Even Strength since the start of the Eastern Conference Finals. While the Bruins are 7-2 on the road in this postseason, they were just 20-15-6 on the road during the regular season.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis closed out the regular season going on a 30-15-5 in their last fifty games which was the best record in the NHL over that span. Look for the Blues to even this series at 2-2 with their roster back at full strength. 10* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (8) versus the Boston Bruins (7). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (5) versus the St. Louis Blues (6). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (58-36-9) evened this series at 1-1 on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory in overtime over Boston (62-30-9). The Blues return home to the Enterprise Center to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston had been on an eight-game winning streak before taking the loss on Wednesday in a game where they were pretty much outplayed. St. Louis outshot the Bruins by a 37 to 23 margin. Perhaps this Boston team was overconfident after shaking off the rust from a 2-0 deficit in the opening game of this series to win that game by a 4-2 score. Look for the Bruins to be razor sharp tonight in this critical third game of this series. Boston has won 45 of their last 63 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Their top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak has yet to register a point in this series while being burdened by a minus-7 net rating —but they are probably the best forward line in the NHL so I do not expect their slump to last much longer. The Bruins have also yet to score on the Power Play in this series in their five chances after entering this series with 34% success rate in their fifty Power Play chances which was the best mark in these playoffs. Boston has been very good on the road this postseason with four straight victories and a 6-2 overall mark away from home. The Bruins have won 4 straight road games when priced in the +110 to +150 price range — and they have also won 16 of their last 21 road games against teams with a winning record at home. Boston has also won 5 of their last 6 playoff games as an underdog. The extra day off should help this veteran team — and Bergeron looks to be injured so the extra day of rest should really help him. The Bruins have won 26 of their last 34 games when playing with two days of rest. St. Louis has not been dominant at home in this postseason as they have lost 5 of their 10 playoff games at home. The Blues will also be without a key piece in Oscar Sundqvist who was suspended for his hit on Matt Grzelcyk. While Sundqvist plays on their fourth line, he is tied for the team lead in the playoffs with his +/- rating. He also plays on their Power Play Kill Unit which has successfully thwarted their last eighteen opponent Power Plays.

FINAL TAKE: With St. Louis not possessing a strong home-ice advantage in these playoffs, the Bruins offer great value as a small money-line underdog. 10* NHL Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (5) versus the St. Louis Blues (6). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (2) versus the St. Louis Blues (1) in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: St. Louis (57-35-9) reached the Stanley Cup Finals last Tuesday with their 5-1 win in San Jose in the sixth game of that series. Boston (61-29-9) has won seven straight games after sweeping Carolina in four games with their 4-0 victory on the road back on May 16th. The Bruins host the first two games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston risks being rusty with eleven days off since last being on the ice against a hostile opponent — but the extended time off will also help this veteran team that is playing in their third Stanley Cup Finals over the last nine seasons. The Bruins have won 23 of their last 31 games after a straight-up win — and they have won 11 of their last 13 games after a victory on the road where they scored at least four goals. Boston has also won 21 of their last 27 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 20 of their last 27 games after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Bruins have home-ice advantage where they are 35-12-2 this season. They have won 4 of their last 5 home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have also won 13 of their last 15 home games against Western Conference opponents. Boston has an edge in goal with Tuukka Rask as the former Vezina Trophy winner in Tuukka Rask who has a 1.84 Goals-Against-Average along with a .942 save percentage in these playoffs. Over his last seven games, Rask has a 1.29 GAA along with a .961 save percentage. We should expect some regression for Rask since his high level of play is likely unsustainable. But much of his success can be attributed to the outstanding play from the suffocating Bruins defense. Task’s save percentage in five-on-five play in the playoffs has been .946 — and that is not much higher than his expected save percentage of .930 in five-on-five in these playoffs. Rask also has a significant edge given his playoff experience — he had a 2.21 GAA with a .932 save percentage in the 2013 Stanley Cup Finals where he started all six games. St. Louis’ rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, has been good in the playoffs — but his .914 save percentage is a few notches below that of Rask’s. The Blues had the best record in the regular season after January 3rd so it should not be a surprise that they reached the Stanley Cup Finals. But they needed seven games to defeat a solid but unspectacular Dallas team while then facing a San Jose team that appears to have been the beneficiary of good fortune (and officiating) to reach the Western Conference Finals before being exposed by the Blues who outscored them by a 10-1 margin in the last two games of that series. The deeper metrics are not bullish on this St. Louis team. Their Expected Goal Share in the playoffs has been only 49.7% which is 10th best of the sixteen playoffs teams. They enjoyed a 57.8% Expected Goal Share mark after January during their big regular season run. Their Expected Goals Scored per 60 minutes is 2.71 in the playoffs and exactly the same as their Expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in the playoffs. Both those marks call for regression from their 2.71 Goals Scored per 60 minutes in these playoffs along with the 2.45 Goals Allowed per 60 minutes this postseason. St. Louis will also still be without one of their top four defensemen in Vince Dunn who will be missing his fourth straight game after being struck in the face by a snapshot.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has owned the best Power Play in the postseason by scoring 17 times in their fifty chances for a strong 34% success rate. With the edge with the best line in hockey of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Patrnak, the Bruins should seize the opening game in what should still be a competitive series. 10* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (2) versus the St. Louis Blues (1). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (22) versus the St. Louis Blues (21). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (55-35-9) evened this series at 2-2 on Friday with their 2-1 win on their home ice over San Jose (56-35-7). The Sharks return home to the SAP Center to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks should respond with a strong effort after their slow start on Friday ultimately cost them that game. San Jose fell behind by a 2-0 score in the first period and could never score the tying goal despite outshooting the Blues by a 30 to 22 margin while applying furious pressure on them late in the third period. The Sharks have won 19 of their last 25 games after failing to score more than one goal in their last game — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest. San Jose has also won 19 of their last 27 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They return home where they are 32-14-3 this season. The Sharks have won 9 of their last 12 home games when favored — and they have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. This San Jose team should be very focused to redeem themselves from their 4-2 loss to St. Louis in their last game at home. The Sharks are 7-3 on home ice in these playoffs while outscoring their visitors by a 39 to 20 goal differential. San Jose has won both their previous Game Fives in the first two playoff series this postseason against Vegas and Colorado. The Sharks have won 9 of their last 11 home games with the Total set at 5.5. And in their last 6 playoff games when the series was tied, San Jose has won 5 of these games. St. Louis has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win this postseason. Their rookie goaltender, Jordan Binnington, was outstanding on Friday as he stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced. But Binnington has an unspectacular 2.58 Goals-Against-Average with a .908 save percentage in seventeen starts in these playoffs. The Blues have lost 16 of their last 23 games in the playoffs when priced as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range. This franchise has also lost 10 of their last 14 games in the Western Conference Finals.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won 7 of their last 10 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they only scored one goal. They are hosting a Blues team that has lost 4 of their last 5 games played in the SAP Center against the Sharks. 25* NHL Third Round NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (22) versus the St. Louis Blues (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (18) versus the San Jose Sharks (17). THE SITUATION: San Jose (56-34-7) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 5-4 win in overtime. St. Louis (54-35-9) hosts the fourth game of this series tonight looking to make this a three-game series going back to San Jose for that Sunday afternoon clash.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis has to bounce-back emotionally from the bad non-call in overtime with the Sharks’ Eric Karlsson being the beneficiary of an illegal hand pass that set up his game-winning goal at the 5:23 mark in overtime. I like the way head coach Craig Berube has responded which encourages me that the Blues will be completely focused on the task at hand tonight. This St. Louis team has been very tough when responding to adversity — particularly their goaltender, Jordan Binnington. The Blues were a perfect 6-0 after a loss with Binnington between the pipes during the regular where he posted a .935 save percentage in those contests. Binnington then stopped 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the second game of this series as the Blues’ rebounded from an opening 6-3 loss in Game One to upset the Sharks in San Jose in Game Two by a 4-2 score (in a game in which they dominated). St. Louis has won 4 of their last 6 games in these playoffs bouncing-back from a loss with Binnington posting a .932 save percentage in those games. The Blues have won 6 of their last 8 games after a loss by just one goal at home. St. Louis has also won 11 of their last 17 games after a game where both teams scored at least four goals. Additionally, the Blues have won 28 of their last 40 games when playing with just one day of rest — and they do have the younger legs in this series. St. Louis has found the back of the net at least three times in their last three games — and they have won 16 of their last 24 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. The Blues have won 17 of their last 24 games on their home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Despite their win on Wednesday, San Jose is just 23-21-4 on the road this season. They have lost four of their seven road games in these playoffs while being outscored by a 25 to 17 margin. The Sharks have also lost 7 of their last 10 games on the road. San Jose has not responded well after winning in this postseason as they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 16 games after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. Defense remains an issue for this team as they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they give up 3.4 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. The Sharks have lost 5 of their last 7 games in the playoffs as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has lost their last 5 games when leading in a playoff series. Look for the Blues to even this series at 2-2 tonight. 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (18) versus the San Jose Sharks (17). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (12) versus the Boston Bruins (11). THE SITUATION: Boston (59-29-9) took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday with their 6-2 win over Carolina (54-34-7). This series moves to Charlotte with the Hurricanes hosting the third and fourth games.

REASONS TO TAKE CAROLINA WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Hurricanes should play much better returning to their home ice where they have won all 5 of their last playoff games this season. For the year, Carolina is 29-13-4 when playing at home — and they have won 21 of their last 27 games at home. The Hurricanes have also won 5 straight home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And in their last 11 home games with the Total set at 5.5, Carolina has won 10 of these contests. Despite being outscored by an 11-4 margin in the first two games of this series, this remains a very good team that led the entire NHL in the regular season in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For that measures puck possession numbers. The Hurricanes should respond with a very strong effort tonight as they have won 5 of their last 7 games after a loss by at least three goals. Carolina has also won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Additionally, the Hurricanes have won 23 of their last 28 games when favored — and they have won 17 of their last 21 games when favored in the playoffs. Boston won the opening game of this series by a 5-2 score — but they have then lost 4 of their last 6 games after winning two straight games by at least three goals. And while the Bruins have scored at least three goals in five straight games, they have then lost 6 of their last 9 games after scoring at least three goals in two straight contests. Now Boston goes back on the road where they are 24-17-6 this season — but they have lost 12 of their last 17 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Bruins have also lost 5 straight third games in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour has not announced if he will continue with Petr Mrazek between the pipes or tap Craig McElhinney to play in goal tonight. This decision does not impact my thoughts on this game since both goaltenders platooned this season — and McElhinney played well to help the Hurricanes close out their series with Winnipeg after Mrazek suffered an injury. Carolina has won 12 of their last 17 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road by three or more goals. The Hurricanes have also won 5 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss of at least four goals — and they have won 4 straight games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals on the road. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (12) versus the Boston Bruins (11). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Wednesday we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (28) versus the Colorado Avalanche (27). THE SITUATION: Colorado (45-34-14) forced a climactic seventh game in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory in overtime at home against San Jose (53-33-7). The Sharks host Game Seven in their SAP Center.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks return home where they have won 5 of their 7 playoff games in this postseason for a dominant 30-13-3 mark overall this season. San Jose has won 4 straight home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Furthermore, the Sharks have won 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. This is a battle-tested team that has already won one Game Seven in these playoffs with their overtime victory against Vegas last round where they rallied from a 3-0 third-period deficit. San Jose has won seven of their eleven Game Sevens in their franchise history. Their roster has also combined to play 55 Game Sevens which gives them a significant experience edge over this Avalanche team. Goalie Martin Jones raised his level of play when the Sharks were trailing 3-1 against the Golden Knights last round as he stepped up to post a .946 save percentage by stopping 122 of the 129 shots he faced in Games Five, Six, and Seven. San Jose has also won 3 straight games when facing elimination in the playoffs. Colorado has lost 14 of their last 20 games after a win at home by just one goal — and they have lost 17 of their last 23 games after winning their last game in overtime. The Avalanche have also lost 22 of their last 34 games after scoring at least four goals in their last contest. Colorado’s players have participated in just twenty combined Game Sevens in their career — and the Avalanche have lost six of their ten Game Sevens in their franchise history. Now Colorado must play on the road where they are just 20-19-8 this season. The Avalanche have lost a decisive 43 of their last 62 games on the road with the Total set at 5.5 — and they have lost 35 of their last 51 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Colorado has lost 13 of their last 16 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 playoff games when priced as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: The SAP Center has been a house of horrors for the Avalanche as of late as they have lost 20 of their last 24 games played there against the Sharks. San Jose has also won 17 of their last 26 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 10* NHL Colorado-San Jose NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (28) versus the Colorado Avalanche (27). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (16) versus the San Jose Sharks (15). THE SITUATION: San Jose (53-32-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 2-1 win over Colorado (44-34-14). This series returns to Denver with the Avalanche hosting Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Colorado has won 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 12 of their last 15 games when playing with just one day of rest. The Avalanche will likely get more from their star, Nathan MacKinnon, who did not register a point on Saturday. MacKinnon has three goals with two assists in this series. They are getting outstanding goaltending from Philip Grubauer who has a 2.16 Goals-Against-Average in this series. They return home where they have 9 of their last 10 games. Colorado has also won 3 straight playoff games when trailing in the series. San Jose has lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. They also have lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. And in their last 23 Game Sixes in a playoff series, the Sharks have lost 17 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Look for the Avalanche to force a climactic seventh game of this series. 20* NHL San Jose-Colorado NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (16) versus the San Jose Sharks (15). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (14) versus the Boston Bruins (13). THE SITUATION: Boston (56-29-9) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 4-3 victory over Columbus (53-34-4). The Blue Jackets host the sixth game of this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE COLUMBUS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Blue Jackets should not be counted out just yet in this series — this team has only lost four times since March 24th. Columbus has won 21 of their last 33 games after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. The Blue Jackets have also won 7 of their last 10 games when playing with one day of rest. Columbus is doing a good job of pressuring the Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask. They have peppered Rask with 40, 34, and 41 shots in each of the last three games — and they have won 5 of their last 7 games after generating at least 33 shots on net in three straight games. Columbus returns home where they have won 8 of their last 10 games. The Blue Jackets need to get their Power Play going as they have not scored in their last six opportunities over the last two games. Columbus scored five Power Play goals in their ten opportunities in their opening round series with Tampa Bay while converting in three of their seven Power Plays in Games Two and Three of this series. The Blue Jackets have won 7 of their last 9 games when favored. Boston has lost 7 of their last 10 games in the playoffs as an underdog. The Bruins have also lost 6 of their last 8 games when leading in a playoff series — and they have lost 11 of their last 13 road games when attempting to close out a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Look for Columbus to extend this to a climactic final game in this series. 25* NHL Second Round Eastern Conference Playoff Game of the year with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (14) versus the Boston Bruins (13). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (4) and the Colorado Avalanche (3). THE SITUATION: Colorado (44-33-14) evened this series at 2-2 on Thursday with their 3-0 shutout win at home over the Sharks. San Jose (52-32-7) returns home to host the fifth game of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SHARKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: San Jose should respond with a strong effort back on their home ice. The Sharks have won a decisive 38 of their last 56 games after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning twelve of their last sixteen games after losing their last game by at least three goals. San Jose has also won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss on the road where they were shutout. The Sharks have also won 7 of their last 8 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. San Jose returns home to the SAP Center where they are 28-13-3 this season. The Sharks have won 6 of their last 8 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. San Jose has also won 5 of their last 6 home games as a favorite priced in the -110 to -150 price range — and they have won 7 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Colorado has lost 9 of their last 13 games after generating a shutout victory — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after earning a shutout win on their home ice. Furthermore, the Avalanche have lost 14 of their last 23 games after a win by at least three goals — and they have lost 14 of their last 23 games after playing their last two games at home. Now Colorado goes back on the road where they are just 19-18-8 this season. The Avalanche has lost 36 of their last 53 road games against teams who are winning at least 60% of their games on their home ice. Colorado has also lost 12 of their last 15 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Additionally, the Avalanche have lost 11 of their last 13 games in the Western Conference Semifinals.

FINAL TAKE: San Jose has won 12 of their last 16 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals. The Sharks have also won 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a shutout loss to their opponent. Colorado did win the second game of this series on the Shark Tank — but they are still just 3-16-5 in their last twenty-four trips to the SAP Center to play San Jose. 25* NHL Second Round Bailout Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (4) and the Colorado Avalanche (3). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Islanders (79) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (80). THE SITUATION: Carolina (53-32-7) took a commanding 3-0 lead in this series on Wednesday with their 5-2 victory at home over New York (52-30-7). The Hurricanes look to close out this series at home in their PNC Arena tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE ISLANDERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: This has been a much closer series than the 3-0 lead the Hurricanes currently enjoy suggests. New York lost Game One in overtime after the first 60 minutes were scoreless before losing Game Two by a 2-1 score. The Islanders were trailing 3-2 on Wednesday when they pulled their goal out of desperation which allowed for Carolina to score two late empty netters. The Islanders allowed the fewest goals in the NHL in the regular season — but they were just 21st in the league in goals scored. The problem with living on the edge eking out low-scoring games is that a team can suddenly drop three in a row. However, the plus side of being a stout defensive team is that those fundamentals should put them in a position to win most of their games. Head coach Barry Trotz has overseen a number of comebacks in a playoff series during his tenure in the league — he can point most recently to his Washington Capitals rallying from a 0-2 deficit to Columbus last year in the opening round of the playoffs when they lost their first two games at home. Certainly, an 0-3 deficit makes the situation even direr — but this Islanders team should continue to play very hard for Trotz. New York has won 12 of their last 17 games after a loss on the road. The Islanders have also won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 8 of their last 11 games after a loss by at least three goals on the road. New York has also won an incredible 16 of their last 18 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. The defensive identity of this team under Trotz does keep them competitive on the road. They are allowing only 2.0 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. The Islanders have won 5 of their last 6 games on the road. New York is also a dangerous underdog at all times. The Islanders have won 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog — and they have won 9 of their last 13 road games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Carolina has won five games in a row after rallying from their 3-2 deficit to the Capitals in the opening round of the playoffs — but they have then lost 3 straight games when trying to extend a winning streak to six games. The Hurricanes led the NHL in Corsi-For and Fenwick-For analytics that measure net differential in shot attempts. But this Carolina team is not a high-scoring team either — they ranked 16th in the NHL in goals scored despite their strong possession numbers. This Hurricanes got a great performance from goalie Curtis McElhinney on Wednesday as he stopped 28 of the 30 shots he faced. Petr Mrazek has been declared out for tonight’s game so McElhinney will be called on again by head coach Rod Brind’Amour. McElhinney was in a regular platoon during the regular season with Mrazek — but his 2.67 Goals-Against-Average along with a .910 save percentage after the All-Star Break left much to be desired. This remains a team that lacks deep playoff experience — so they may have to learn the old lesson that winning the fourth game in a playoff series is usually the hardest. The Islanders have lost 5 of their last 7 home games where they were hosting the Hurricanes.

FINAL TAKE: New York has won 9 of their last 13 road games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals — and they have won 8 of their last 9 road games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least two goals. The underdog has won 20 of the last 27 meetings between these two teams which makes the Islanders a very intriguing proposition tonight. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Underdog of the Year with the money-line on the New York Islanders (79) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (78) versus the San Jose Sharks (77). THE SITUATION: San Jose (52-31-17) won the third game of this series on Tuesday with their 4-2 victory over Colorado (43-33-14) to take a 2-1 lead in this series. The Avalanche host Game Four of this series before things move back to San Jose.

REASONS TO TAKE COLORADO WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Avalanche head coach Jerad Bednar was not happy with his team’s effort or the decisions regarding the puck on Tuesday. Perhaps they were a bit overconfident after seizing home-ice advantage with their upset victory in San Jose on Sunday. Bednar can take some confidence in their improved play in the third period when they rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the game. Unfortunately for Colorado, they then allowed the Sharks to immediately take the lead again. That final goal was a late empty netter so that final score was not indicative as to how close this game was. Look for the Avalanche to respond with one of their best efforts in the postseason. They have won 11 of their last 13 games when playing with one day of rest. Colorado has been tough at home as of late having won 8 of their last 9 home games. The Avalanche have scored 34 goals over those last nine games for a robust 3.78 Goals-Per-Game average — and they have allowed just 19 goals (even after the four goals the Sharks scored) 2.11 Goals-Allowed mark over those last nine home games. Colorado has also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. San Jose has lost 9 of their last 15 games after a victory on the road where they scored at least four goals. While this team is playing better defense as of late, they are still surrendering 3.5 Goals-Per-Game when playing away from home. The Sharks have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Goalie Martin Jones had a troubling 3.14 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season on the road with a .894 save percentage. Furthermore, San Jose has lost 5 of their last 7 playoff games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. This team will remain without Joe Pavelski and his 38 regular season goals as he is still not ready to play after taking that big hit in Game Seven of their series with Vegas.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won 14 of their last 21 games when looking to avenge a loss at home by at least two goals. Look for the Avalanche to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Second Round Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (78) versus the San Jose Sharks (77). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (74) versus the St. Louis Blues (73). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (51-31-9) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 4-3 victory over Dallas (48-36-7). The Stars stay at home for Game Four trying to even this series at 2-2.

REASONS TO TAKE DALLAS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Stars should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 13 of their last 17 games after a loss on their home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss at home by just one goal. Head coach Jim Montgomery will be making an adjustment in this game by moving rookie Rope Hintz on to the Jamie Benn-Alexander Radulov line while moving Tyler Seguin to the Mats Zuccarello-Jason Dickinson line with the goal being Seguing will make that second line a little more potent. Dallas’ tough-checking defensive structure makes them a difficult opponent — there is a reason they defeated Nashville last round in six games. The Stars have won 4 of their last 5 home games when favored. They also have won 7 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. St. Louis has now won four straight games on the road in the playoffs after winning three games in Winnipeg in their opening round series — but that is a difficult streak to maintain. The Blues have still lost 15 of their last 21 playoff games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. St. Louis has won their two games in this series by just one goal. They have only scored once in their nine Power Play chances after peppering the Jets for five Power Play goals in their nineteen opportunities for a 26.3% success rate. This remains a franchise that entered this series having lost 23 of their last 38 games in the Western Conference Semifinals — and they have dropped their last three Game Fours of a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: St. Louis has lost 4 of their last 5 trips to Dallas to play the Stars. Look for Dallas to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (74) versus the St. Louis Blues (73). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (67) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (68). THE SITUATION: Columbus (52-32-4) evened this series at 1-1 on Saturday with their 3-2 victory in overtime versus Boston (54-28-9). The series moves to Columbus for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MONEY-LINE ON THE BRUINS: Boston should respond with a strong effort tonight after losing home-ice advantage on Saturday. The Bruins have won 13 of their last 17 games after suffering a loss by just one goal. Boston has also won 43 of their last 60 games after scoring two goals or less in their last contest. Remember that this Bruins team was 22-7-4 in their last thirty-three games of the regular season after overcoming injuries to start the season. Their 107 points in the regular season were tied for the second most in the NHL (with Calgary and Tampa Bay now eliminated from the playoffs). The extra day off since Saturday should help their veterans retool for this contest — Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron have yet to register points in this series. Head coach Bruce Cassidy certainly used the extra day to tinker with his team’s Power Play that has only scored once in eight chances so far in this series. The Bruins have won 24 of their last 31 games when playing with two days of rest. Boston has also won 4 of their last 5 games on the road — and they have won 12 of their last 16 road games against teams with a winning record at home. They should continue to get goaltending from Tuukka Rask who has a strong 2.24 Goals-Against-Average in these playoffs. The Bruins have also won 4 of their last 5 games as the underdog. Columbus has lost 4 straight games in the playoffs when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. They also have lost 8 of their last 12 playoff games on home ice in their franchise history. The Blue Jackets are seeing great production from their Power Play as they have scored seven times in eighteen opportunities with the man advantage in these playoffs. However, that 38.9% success rate on the Power Play is simply not sustainable. This is just Columbus’ third game over the last fourteen days. Not only have the Blue Jackets lost 5 of their last 6 games when playing no more than their third game in ten days but they have also lost 9 of their last 12 home games when playing no more than their fifth game in the last fourteen days. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky played much better in the second half of the season for Columbus — but he still ended the regular season with an unappealing 2.73 Goals-Against-Average at home along with a .907 save percentage. This Blue Jackets franchise has lost 3 straight playoff games when the series is tied — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 third games of a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 16 of their last 25 games when playing with revenge. The first two games of this series have seen three combined overtime periods played in addition to the 120 minutes of regulation. While the value in this close series is with the underdog tonight, I like the Bruins to bounce-back to earn the win to retake home ice advantage. 25* NHL Underdog of the Month with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (67) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (68). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) versus the Boston Bruins (44). THE SITUATION: Boston (54-27-9) seized a 1-0 lead in this series on Thursday with their 3-2 win overtime over Columbus (51-32-4). The Bruins host Game Two of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUE JACKETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Columbus had been on a six-game winning streak before losing in Boston on Thursday. They looked rusty after having eight days off from their opening round sweep of Tampa Bay. They entered the third period trailing by a 1-0 score before taking a 2-1 lead in a thirteen-second span where they scored twice — but the Bruins scored again to force overtime where they eventually won that coin flip of a game. The Blue Jackets have won 18 of their last 25 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Blue Jackets are still scoring 4.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five games — and they average 3.1 Goals-Per-Game when playing on the road. This Columbus team absolutely dominated the President’s Trophy winners in the Lightning. After falling behind by a 3-0 margin in the first period of the opening game of that series, they then outscored Tampa Bay by a whopping 19 to 5 margin. This is a team that only lost once since March 24th as the roster moves this team made at the trade deadline proved to be the right mix for John Tortorella. Remember that this team took a 2-0 lead over Washington in the opening round of last year’s playoffs before losing four straight to the eventual Stanley Cup champions. This is a talented team. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was outstanding in Game One to keep them in that game as he stopped 34 of the 37 shots he faced. Bobrovsky enjoyed a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage after the All-Star Break to close out the regular season. And while Columbus has allowed six goals over their last two games, the Blue Jackets have won 10 of their last 12 on the road after allowing at least two goals in their last game. Columbus has won 7 of their last 8 games on the road. They are also dangerous underdogs as they have won 5 of their last 6 games as an underdog — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games in the playoffs as a money-line underdog. Boston may be without center David Krejci in this game after he was hit hard by Rick Nash in Game One — he is a game-time decision tonight. Krejci had moved up to the Bruins’ top-line with Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak which allowed head coach Bruce Cassidy to drop center Patrice Bergeron to the second-line. While Bergeron will likely go back to form what be the best line in the NHL, it leaves the Bruins thin after those top three forwards — and that is what triggered Cassidy’s recent move. Boston had scored at least three goals in three straight games — but they have lost 11 of their last 17 games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Boston has still lost 4 of their last 5 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: Look for the Blue Jackets to even this series at 1-1 before this series returns to Columbus for Games Three and Four. Remember that the Bruins lost twice at home in their opening round series against Toronto. 25* NHL NBC-TV Game of the Month with the money-line on the Columbus Blue Jackets (43) versus the Boston Bruins (44). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (24) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (23). THE SITUATION: Carolina (49-32-7) forced a climactic Game Seven on Monday with their 5-2 victory at home against the Capitals (51-29-8). This series returns to Washington for the final game tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Washington should respond with a strong effort after being outplayed on Monday. The Capitals have won 35 of their last 52 games after a loss by at least three goals. Washington has also won 29 of their last 43 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 8 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. And while the Capitals have lost three of their last four games in this series after winning the first two games at home, they have then won 22 of their last 27 games after losing three of their last four games. Even without the injured T.J. Oshie, the reigning Stanley Cup champions have too much star power for the Hurricanes. This team will also be playing in its twelfth playoff Game Seven in the Alex Ovechkin era — so they have a significant experience advantage over this Hurricanes team that entered this series with just 342 combined games of playoff experience (as compared to the 1282 combined playoff games of experience for the Capitals). Washington is very tough at home where they have won 40 of their last 58 games with the Total sent at 5.5. The Capitals have also won 7 of their last 8 home games when priced as the favorite in the -110 to -150 price range. Carolina has lost 10 of their last 12 road games off a victory of at least three goals. This Hurricanes team remains undermanned with Andrei Svechnikov still out after suffering a concussion at the hands of an Ovechkin's fist — and Micheal Ferland also remains out with an upper-body injury. Carolina has lost 6 of their last 8 games on the road — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 road games with the Total set at 5.5. The Hurricanes have also lost 38 of their last 52 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. Furthermore, the Hurricanes have lost 13 of their last 16 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range — and they have lost 6 straight playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has won 28 of their last 40 games when avenging a loss on the road to their opponent. With their playoff experience, a significant edge at goalie between Braden Holtby versus Petr Mrazek and the best two players on the ice in Ovechkin and (albeit an underachieving) Evgeny Kuznetsov, the Capitals have too many advantages for this upstart Carolina team. 20* NHL Carolina-Washington NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (24) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (23). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (9). THE SITUATION: Boston (52-27-9) extended this series to a climactic seventh game on Sunday with their 4-2 victory in Toronto against the Maple Leafs (52-27-9). The Bruins return home to host Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE BOSTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Bruins should build off their momentum from winning Game Six. Boston has won 9 of their last 11 games for a victory where they scored at least four goals. The Bruins have also won 12 of their last 16 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Now this team returns home where they are 30-11-3 this season. Boston has won 20 of their last 28 home games against teams with a winning record on the road — and they have won 10 of their last 14 home games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. The Bruins have also won 12 of their last 17 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Boston has a big edge in playoff experience going into tonight. Zdeno Chara is playing in his thirteenth Game Seven in a playoff series while veterans Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci will be playing their 11th, 10th, and 8th seventh game in a playoff series. The Bruins are also the better defensive team as the 128 goals they allowed during the regular season on 5-on-5 situations was the second lowest in the NHL. Furthermore, Boston has been getting more production from their Power Play in this series as they have scored 7 times in their 16 Power Play chances (43.8%). Toronto has scored just 3 times in their 14 opportunities with a man advantage (21.4%). The Maple Leafs have had two opportunities on their home ice to either take a commanding 3-1 lead or to close the series out — but they failed in both instances. They are getting outplayed in this series — they have allowed 3.4 Goals-Per-Game in the last five games while scoring only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game over that span. Toronto has lost 4 of their last 6 games after losing at home to an Atlantic Division rival. The Maple Leafs have also lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring two goals or less in their last contest. Additionally, Toronto has lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. And in their last 11 playoff games as an underdog, the Leafs have lost 8 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has lost Game Sevens in Boston both last year and 2013. Mental toughness has been an issue for this team all season — and it simply does not appear they have resolved that concern after blowing their best opportunity to win this series at home on Sunday. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (10) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (90) versus the Washington Capitals (89). THE SITUATION: Washington (51-28-8) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Saturday with their 6-0 shutout victory over the Hurricanes (48-32-7). This series returns to Carolina for Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should respond with a strong effort as they have won 4 of the last 5 games after a loss by at least three goals. The Hurricanes have also won 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. This Carolina team was tops in the NHL during the regular season in both Corsi-For percentage and Fenwick-For percentage which measures puck possession. Those sound fundamentals help explain why the Hurricanes had the third most points in the NHL with a 31-12-2 record since December 31st. Now Carolina returns home where they have won 18 of their last 24 games — and they have won 8 of their last 10 home games when priced as a -110 to -150 favorite. The Hurricanes have also won 9 of their last 10 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Washington has lost 5 of their last 7 games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Carolina has also lost 14 of their last 20 playoff games when priced in that +110 to +150 price range. While the reigning Stanley Cup champions stepped on home ice on Saturday, this may be the game they miss T.J. Oshie and his 25 goals in the regular season after he suffered an upper body in Game Four which will keep him out of the playoffs indefinitely.

FINAL TAKE: The Hurricanes have won 11 of their last 15 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning six of these last seven situations. 20* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (90) versus the Washington Capitals (89). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (58) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (57). THE SITUATION: Vegas (46-33-7) seized a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Tuesday with their 5-0 shutout victory over the Sharks (47-30-7). This series returns to San Jose tonight for Game Five with the Sharks looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas has been dominant over their last three games as they have outscored the Sharks by a 16-6 margin. They have won all three of these games by at least two goals. But the Golden Knights have then lost 6 of their last 8 games after winning their last two games at home by at least two goals. Vegas has also lost 6 of their last 8 games after scoring at least four goals in two straight games. Now the Golden Knights go back on the road where they are just 20-21-2 this season while allowing 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was not as effective on the road during the regular season where he had a 2.64 Goals-Against-Average along with a .908 save percentage as compared to his 2.40 GAA and .917 save percentage when playing at home. Vegas has lost 5 of their last 6 games on the road. The Golden Knights have also lost 10 of their last 12 road games when priced and an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have lost 11 of their last 18 games when playing on the road with the Total set at 6. San Jose was undermanned on Tuesday with Joe Thornton suspended and defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic still injured from taking a puck to the body early in Game Two. Getting Thornton back not only re-establishes the center on their third-line back while allowing Joe Pavelski to return to right wing on the top line but it also sees the heart and soul leader of this squad back on the ice. Vlasic’s return is even more critical because it allows head coach Peter DeBoer to become flexible with his defensive pairings. The Vegas “second” line of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Paul Stastny has been destroying the Sharks and both their goaltenders. Back on home ice, DeBoer gets the final choice to place his best pure defender in Vlasic on the ice to counter that outstanding line with the option of pairing him with either Erik Karlsson or Brent Burns. That, of course, frees up the third defenseman to anchor the second defensive pairing which can play more aggressively. The soft underbelly of this Vegas team is last year’s top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith have regressed so significantly from last year that they are playing closer to what the original projections of what that line would be for an expansion team. San Jose remains a very good team who took the Golden Knights to six games in last year’s playoffs before acquiring Karlsson in the offseason. The Sharks have won 37 of their last 55 games after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning thirteen of their last fourteen games when playing at home after a loss by at least three goals. Back home in San Jose, the Sharks are 26-12-3 this season where they are scoring 3.6 Goals-Per-Game and outscoring their guests by +0.7 Goals-Per-Game. San Jose has won 10 of their last 14 home games against teams with a losing record on the road. Martin Jones will get the start between the pipes again tonight after being pulled in two of the last three games. While Jones has a history of inconsistent play during the regular season, he did enter this postseason with a .926 career save percentage in 42 playoff games which included a run to the Stanley Cup Finals three years ago.

FINAL TAKE: The Sharks have won 8 of their last 9 games when looking to avenge an upset loss to their opponent. San Jose has also won 5 of their last 6 games when playing with revenge from a loss by at least four goals to their opponent. And in their last 16 opportunities to snap a losing streak of at least three games to their opponent, the Sharks have won 11 of those contests. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (58) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (57). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (48) versus the Nashville Predators (47). THE SITUATION: Dallas (44-34-7) looks to bounce-back from a 3-2 loss at home to Nashville (49-30-6) on Monday. The Predators are up 2-1 in this series with the prospects of getting to host Game Five of this series back in Nashville.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should respond with a strong effort in this game after dropping the last two games in this series. The Stars have won 45 of their last 65 home games after a loss — and they have also won 20 of their last 26 home games after a loss to a Central Division rival. Dallas has also won 6 of their last 8 home games after a loss by a single goal. The Stars won Game One of this series by a 3-2 score before losing Game Two in overtime by a 2-1 margin. Dallas has then won 8 of their last 10 games after losing two straight games by just one goal. Furthermore, not only have the Stars won 10 of their last 14 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 14 of the last 19 games after scoring two goals or less in their last two games. There is no question that this team wants to put more pressure on the Predators’ goalie Pekka Rinne — but peppering with 42 shots like they did on Monday should eventually reap more goals. Dallas has only converted once in their thirteen Power Play chances in this series — and they were a solid Power Play team during the regular season where they ranked 11th in the NHL by converting on 21% of their chances with a man-advantage. Rookie head coach Jim Montgomery abandoned the Stars’ run-and-gun philosophy over the last few seasons for a more defensive approach that is likely better suited for playoff hockey. This team is second in the NHL by allowing 2.44 Goals-Per-Game. Don’t be surprised if they get an outstanding effort from goalie Ben Bishop after he gave up three goals on Monday. Bishop had a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average during the regular season with a .934 save percentage and seven shutouts. When playing at home, Bishop improved those numbers to a 1.90 GAA with a .937 save percentage. Bishop is also battle-tested in the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 2.09 GAA along with a .927 save percentage in 36 playoff games entering this series. Dallas was also tough at home with a 24-14-3 mark this season — and they have won 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. The Stars have also won 8 of their last 11 games against Central Division foes. There is no question that Rinne was outstanding on Monday — but he struggled on the road in the playoffs at times last year which played a large role in his middling 3.07 GAA along with a .904 save percentage in last year’s playoffs. Rinne had a 2.42 GAA with a .918 save percentage during the regular season — but he saw his GAA rise to a 2.72 mark with his save percentage drop to a .915 mark when on the road. The Predators were just 22-15-4 on the road this year as compared to their 25-14-2 mark at home during the regular season. They have a questionable bottom six group of forwards. And there were simply awful on the Power Play this season ranking last with a mere 12.9% conversion rate. Too many slap shots with their players trying to be heroes explain much of the reason for their poor success on the Power Play. Their star defensemen are also beginning to regress or underachieve. Nashville has lost 3 of their last 4 games after winning two straight games against Central Division rivals. And in their last 18 games after a victory over a Central Division foe, the Predators have lost 12 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas plays lower scoring games more often than not — but look for them to expose the shaky Rinne tonight and even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL First Round Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (48) versus the Nashville Predators (47). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (38). THE SITUATION: Columbus (50-31-4) seized a 3-0 lead in this series on Sunday with their 3-1 victory over the Lightning (62-19-14) in Game Three of this series. The Blue Jackets hope to sweep this series tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay played their best game in this series on Sunday but still could not overcome this Columbus team. The Lightning were undermanned in that game with their top defenseman, Victor Hedman, out with an upper-body injury and Nikita Kucherov serving a one-game suspension. While Hedman will again miss this game, Kucherov does return to the ice tonight. This team is facing plenty of adversity for this game — and I expect them to respond with a very strong effort. Tampa Bay has still won 40 of their last 55 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Going on the road may be a small blessing in disguise for this team as they can avoid all distractions and focus all of their energies on the business at hand. The Lightning are 30-10-2 on the road this season — and they have won an incredible 41 of their last 58 games away from home. Tampa Bay has also won 44 of their last 55 games against fellow Eastern Conference opponents. And in their last 51 road games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range, the Lightning have won 36 of these games. Tampa Bay needs to generate Power Play opportunities after failing to secure the man-advantage even once on Sunday. The Lightning led the NHL by converting in 28.2% of their Power Play opportunities in the regular season. They have yet to convert a Power Play in their five chances in this series. These few chances are also allowing the Blue Jackets to roll four lines and flex their muscles with their strong depth. Columbus has scored eight goals in their last two games in this series — but they have lost 8 of their last 11 home games after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Blue Jackets have also lost 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. And in the last 8 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, the Blue Jackets have lost 6 of these games. Winning three games in this series is the first time in franchise history that Columbus has accomplished that feat. They have lost 16 of their last 24 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: There is only one President’s Trophy team to lose the first three games in the first round of the playoffs. That was Vancouver in 2014 — and they extended that playoff series to five games by winning Game Four. Winning the final fourth game is usually the hardest thing accomplish in the Stanley Cup Playoffs — and I suspect the Blue Jackets to feel the pressure tonight. 25* NHL First Round Eastern Conference Playoffs Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (37) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (38). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (32) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (31). THE SITUATION: Washington (50-26-8) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Saturday with their 4-3 win in overtime against the Hurricanes. This series goes to Carolina (46-31-7) for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should respond with a strong effort tonight in this must-win situation. The Hurricanes have won 11 of their last 16 games after a loss to a fellow Metropolitan Division rivals — and this includes them winning five of their last six games after a loss by just one goal to a divisional foe. This is a good Carolina team that generated the third most points in the NHL since December 31st by compiling a 31-12-2 record in the regular season. The Hurricanes play sound fundamental hockey who routinely controls puck possession — they led the NHL in both Corsi-For and Fenwick-For metrics this season that measure net shot differentials. Returning home should help in what should be an electric environment for the franchise’s first home game in the playoffs in ten seasons. Carolina needs to feed off the crowd and score first in this game after falling behind in both games played in Washington. Home ice advantage will also help head coach Rod Brind’Amour make the last change to help his top forward line featuring rising star Sebastian Aho have a better chance to succeed. The Aho line has been bottlenecked by the Capitals’ Evgeny Kuznetsov along with Washington’s defensive pairing of Dimitry Orlov and Matt Niskanen. The Hurricanes have won 4 of their last 5 games on their home ice. Washington has now won six straight playoff games after winning four straight games against Vegas to lift the Stanley Cup last June. But the Capitals have lost 6 of their last 9 games after a win against a divisional rival where they scored at least four goals. Washington has also lost 6 of their last 9 games after winning at home by just one goal. Furthermore, the Capitals have lost 10 of their last 15 games after a home game where both teams scored at least three goals. And in their last 19 playoff games as a money-line underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, Washington has lost 13 of these games.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals entered this series with a massive advantage in playoff experience over this Carolina team. Two games later, that edge has been mitigated somewhat. Washington was a middle-of-the-pack possession team that was also last in the NHL by winning just 45.7% of their face-offs. The defending champions are vulnerable — look for the Hurricanes to make this a series tonight. 25* NHL First Round Metropolitan Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (32) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (23) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (24). THE SITUATION: Columbus (49-31-4) seized a 2-0 lead in this series on Friday with their 5-1 victory over the Lightning (62-18-14) in Tampa Bay. This series moves to Columbus for the next two games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay finds themselves in a must-win situation just two games after earning the President’s Trophy for having the best record during the regular season in the NHL. And this team will be undermanned with Nikita Kucherov suspended for a boarding hit in Game Two and their Norris Trophy defenseman Victor Hedman a game-time decision with an upper-body injury. This team is facing plenty of adversity for this game — and I expect them to respond with a very strong effort. The Lightning have won 8 straight games after losing at home by at least three goals. Tampa Bay has also won 40 of their last 54 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Going on the road may be a small blessing in disguise for this team as they can avoid all distractions and focus all of their energies on the business at hand. The Lightning were 30-9-2 on the road this season — and they have won an incredible 41 of their last 57 games away from home. Tampa Bay has also won 44 of their last 54 games against fellow Eastern Conference opponents. And in their last 54 games when favored in the -110 to -150 price range, the Lightning have won 44 of these games. Columbus underachieved during the regular season but have played very well without the pressure of high expectations. That now changes with their 2-0 lead in the series with the next two games at home. The Blue Jackets play at home for the first time since April 2nd — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Columbus has also lost 5 of their last 7 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. And in the last 7 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range, the Blue Jackets have lost 6 of these games. Columbus has also lost 16 of their last 23 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 6 of their last 7 games in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. They need to amp up their intensity for playoff hockey which they should do now down 0-2 in this series. The loss of Kucherov and, potentially, Hedman, hurts — but they remain a deep and talented team. 20* NHL Tampa Bay-Columbus NBC Sports Network Special with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (23) versus the Columbus Blue Jackets (24). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (66) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (65). THE SITUATION: Toronto (47-28-6) took the opening game of this series on Thursday with their 4-1 victory over the Bruins. Boston (49-25-9) looks to even this series at 1-1 before the Maple Leafs host the third and fourth games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto certainly boasts one of the best rosters in the NHL on paper — but consistency has been an issue for head coach Mike Babcock’s team. The Maple Leafs have lost 6 straight games after a win — and they have lost 20 of their last 30 games on the road after a loss by at least two goals. Toronto has also lost 7 straight games when facing an opponent that did not score more than two goals in their last contest. The Maple Leafs limped into the postseason with just a 4-7-3 mark in their last fourteen games. While they have a dynamic group of scorers, their defense remains a question after finishing 12th in the league by allowing 3.04 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Frederick Andersen was outstanding between the pipes on Thursday by stopping 37 of the 38 shots he faced. But AndersonThis team lacks the players to successfully engage in the physical style of play that often characterizes success in the playoffs. Mental toughness is also a concern with this team. Toronto has lost 5 of their last 7 games against teams with a winning record. The Maple Leafs have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road. Furthermore, Toronto has lost 7 of their last 10 games in the playoffs as an underdog — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Boston has won 40 of their last 57 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last 57 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. After overcoming injuries to begin the season, the Bruins closed out the regular season on a 22-7-4 hot streak. They were 29-9-3 at home this season — and they have won a decisive 51 of their last 72 games on home ice. This is Boston’s third game in a row at home — and they have won 22 of their last 26 home games after playing their last two games at home. And in their last 13 home games against teams with a winning record on the road, the Bruins have won 9 of these home games. They still have one of the best goaltenders in the NHL in Tuukka Rask who has entered this series with a 2.25 Goals-Against-Average along with a .924 save percentage in 65 career playoff games.

FINAL TAKE: The Bruins should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have won 5 of their last 7 games when avenging a loss of at least two goals — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games when avenging a loss that was by at least three goals. Boston defeated the Leafs in seven games in the opening round of last year’s playoffs — so this looks destined to be another long series. 25* NHL First Round Playoff NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (66) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (65). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (56) versus the St. Louis Blues (55). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (46-28-9) won the opening game of this series on Wednesday with their 2-1 victory. Winnipeg (47-31-5) hosts the second game of this series as they look to even things at 1-1 before traveling to St. Louis for Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg should bounce-back with a strong effort as they have won 14 of their last 16 home games after a loss by one goal. The Jets have also won 21 of their last 28 games after a loss to a fellow Central Division rival. Winnipeg has also won 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss by just one goal. The Jets did take their foot off the accelerator in the second half of the regular season as they went just 13-14-3 in their last thirty-one regular season games. Winnipeg has lost six of their last eight games — but they have then won 6 straight games after losing six or seven of their last eight contests. Furthermore, the Jets have won 15 of their last 20 games in the month of April going back to last season where they reached the Western Conference Finals. Winnipeg remains a dominant 25-13-4 on home ice this season — and they have won 28 of their last 36 home games with the Total set at 5.5. St. Louis may be due for a letdown after seizing home-ice advantage in this series. The Blues have then lost 4 of their last 6 games after a win by just one goal against a fellow Central Division rival. Their comeback from a 1-0 deficit in the third period was out of character for this team when considering that they were just 2-23-6 this season when trailing after two periods. Rookie Jordan Bennington has been spectacular between the pipes for this team this season — but he remains untested in the playoffs even after Wednesday’s success. St. Louis has lost 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. The Blues have also lost 4 of their last 5 playoff games as an underdog in the +110 to +150 price range.

FINAL TAKE: Even after Wednesday’s victory, St. Louis has lost 11 of their last 15 games against the Jets. Look for Winnipeg to even this series at 1-1. 25* NHL CNBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (56) versus the St. Louis Blues (55). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:38 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (53) versus the New York Islanders (54). THE SITUATION: New York (49-27-7) won the opening game of this series on Wednesday with their 4-3 victory in overtime. Pittsburgh (44-26-12) looks to even this series tonight before returning home to host the third and fourth games of this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PENGUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Pittsburgh has bounced-back to win 7 of their last 11 games after a loss on the road by just one goal. Losing the first game of a new series in hostile territory in the playoffs is nothing new for this veteran team as they have now lost seven of their last nine games on the road to begin a new playoff series in the Sidney Crosby-Evgeny Malkin era. This team will be very happy to return to Pittsburgh with this series tied. The Penguins have lost two straight games after closing out the regular season with a 4-3 loss to the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh has then won 24 of their last 33 games after allowing at least four straight goals in their last two games — and they have also won 30 of their last 44 games after losing two straight contests. The Pens have been tough road warriors this season as they are 21-12-8 when playing on the road. Goalie Matt Murray has been more effective away from home this season where he has a 2.27 Goals-Against-Average with a .931 save percentage as compared to his 3.13 GAA and .906 save percentage when playing at home. Pittsburgh has won 16 of their last 21 games in the playoffs when favored in the -110 to -150 price range. New York is happy to escape Game One with a victory — but head coach Barry Trotz has to be concerned that the game was played at an up-tempo pace preferred by the Penguins. The 44 shots that Pittsburgh put on goalie Robin Lehner were the most that any team has peppered the Islanders with since October 4th early in the season. New York closed out their regular season with a 3-0 win over Washington — but they have then lost 8 of their last 10 home games after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. The Islanders have also lost 4 of their last 5 home games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Moving forward, New York is a franchise that has lost 6 of their last 7 games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: The Penguins have won 14 of their last 17 games when playing with revenge from a loss by just one goal. 10* NHL Friday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Pittsburgh Penguins (53) versus the New York Islanders (54). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:35 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (60) versus the Colorado Avalanche (59). THE SITUATION: Dallas (34-27-5) has won three straight games after their 1-0 win over New York Rangers on Tuesday. Colorado (29-26-11) snapped a two-game losing streak with their 4-3 win in overtime over Detroit.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas has won 6 of their last 8 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. This team has surrendered only 2.2 Goals-Per-Game over their last five contests. Getting goalie Ben Bishop healthy and back on the ice has been a jolt of adrenaline for this team that would make the Western Conference playoffs if they started today. Bishop has a red hot 1.43 Goals-Against-Average in his seven starts since the All-Star Break with a .956 save percentage. Bishop has been outstanding when playing at home all season where he enjoys a 2.06 GAA with a .933 save percentage in 22 starts. The Stars stay at home where they are 20-10-2 this season while scoring 2.9 Goals-Per-Game while allowing only 2.4 Goals-Per-Game. Dallas has won 6 of their last 8 games at home — and they have also won 9 of their last 12 home games against teams with a losing record. Colorado finds themselves on the outside-looking-in the Western Conference playoffs as they are 2 points behind Minnesota for the eighth and final slot. But the Avalanche have lost 11 of their last 14 games after a win — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games after a victory at home. Furthermore, Colorado has lost 18 of their last 27 games after scoring at least four goals in their last game — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least four goals on home ice. Now they go back on the road where they are 15-14-5 this season. But they have lost 46 of their last 68 road games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Most recently, the Avalanche have lost 19 of their last 26 games as an underdog priced in the +110 to +150 price range. Goalie Sergei Varlamov struggles on the road where he has a 2.99 GAA with a .909 save percentage in 22 starts. Colorado has also lost 12 of their last 17 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has lost the first two meetings between these teams this season with the last meeting being back on December 15th in Colorado where the Avalanche won by a 6-4 score. The Stars have won 13 of their last 19 games when playing with revenge — and they have also won 5 of their last 6 opportunities to host Colorado on home ice. I am surprised this situation is priced below -150 — so, let’s attack. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (60) versus the Colorado Avalanche (59). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (16) versus the Nashville Predators (15). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (33-23-5) has lost two of their last three games after their 2-1 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Nashville (37-23-4) has won three of their last four contests with their 3-2 win in overtime over Edmonton yesterday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Predators look due for a letdown tonight as they travel to St. Louis to play this game. They have lost 5 of their last 6 games after winning a game in overtime in their last game. Nashville has also lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, the Predators have lost 5 of their last 7 games when playing without a day of rest — and they have also lost 8 of their last 10 games when playing their third game in four days. With Pekka Rinne playing last night, it will likely be backup Juuse Saros between the pipes tonight. Saros has struggled this month with a 3.24 Goals-Against-Average in four starts with a .904 save percentage. He has also allowed five goals in his last two starts against the Blues. Nashville did make two nice trades yesterday as they acquired Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund at the trade deadline — but only Simmonds look like he will take the ice tonight. The Preds remain a team that is last in the NHL with a Power Play that is converting only 12.3% of the time. And in their last 15 road games with the Total set at 5.5, Nashville has lost 10 of these games. St. Louis has completely turned their season around — and they have still won 11 of their last 13 games in the month of February despite their recent woes. The Blues have won 8 of their last 11 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 8 of their last 10 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last contest. They return home where they have won 6 straight games as the favorite — they have also won 4 of their last 5 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. St. Louis has also won 4 of their last 5 games when priced as the favorite in the -110 to -150 price range. They will likely turn to their rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington who has been spectacular with a 14-2 record along with a 1.70 GAA and a .934 save percentage. Binnington is 9-1 this month with a 1.58 GAA and a .941 save percentage. The Blues have won 6 straight games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: The Predators have struggled against this St. Louis team as they are just 0-2-1 in their last three meetings against them this season after a 5-4 loss at home to them on February 10th. The Blues have won 8 of their last 11 games against fellow Central Division rivals. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (16) versus the Nashville Predators (15). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (71) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (72). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (31-15-1) takes the ice again after the All-Star break by looking to bounce-back from a 4-2 loss in Dallas back on January 19th. Philadelphia (19-23-6) entered the break on a three-game winning streak after their 5-2 win at Montreal two Saturdays ago on January 19th.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg had been on a four-game winning streak so they should be eager to get the bad taste out of their mouths with that disappointing loss to the Stars. The Jets have won 14 of their last 16 games after a loss — and they have won 13 of their last 14 road games after a loss to a Central Division rival. Furthermore, Winnipeg has won 8 of their last 10 games when playing with at least three days of rest. The Jets stay on the road where they are 13-9 this season while scoring 3.1 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. Winnipeg has won 9 of their last 13 games on the road. They have announced that backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit will be between the pipes tonight — but that is fine news. Brossoit has a 5-1 record in six starts on the road this year with a 2.22 Goals-Against-Average and a .930 save percentage. Brossoit is also 8-1 this year with a 1.71 GAA and a save percentage of .952 when playing with at least three days between starts. Furthermore, the Jets have won 25 of their last 34 games against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia has lost 7 of their last 10 games against Western Conference foes. They are playing better hockey as of late — but they have still lost 7 of their last 10 games after a victory. Additionally, the Flyers have lost 13 of their last 16 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. This team is 10-13 on home ice this season but they have an average losing margin of -0.4 Goals-Per-Game. Philadelphia has lost 5 straight home games against teams with a winning record on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Flyers will have revenge on their minds after losing in Winnipeg back on December 9th by a 7-1 score in the last meeting between these two teams. But Philadelphia has lost 11 of their last 16 games at home when attempting to avenge a loss where they allowed at least five goals. 25* NHL Monday NBC Sports Network Game of the Month with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (71) versus the Philadelphia Flyers (72). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (36) versus the Nashville Predators (35). THE SITUATION: Vegas (29-18-3) has lost three of their last five games after their 4-2 loss at home to Minnesota on Monday. Nashville (29-18-3) had lost four of their last five games before rebounding to defeat the reeling Avalanche team (that just fired the general manager) in Colorado on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Head coach Gerard Gallant has been very good in getting his team to respond with a strong effort after a loss. Vegas has bounced-back to won 38 of their last 58 games after a loss — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games after a loss by at least two goals. The Golden Knights’ success in their 1 1/2 years of existence has been predicated on having an outstanding home ice advantage. Vegas does not lose often when playing at T-Mobile Arena — and when they do, they have then won 5 of their last 7 games while also winning 6 of their last 9 games after a loss by at least two goals on home ice. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have won 10 of their last 15 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. With the All-Star Break beginning tomorrow and a challenging four-game trip to the east coast on deck next week, Vegas needs this victory. Gallant was very disappointed with his team’s effort on Monday: "I don't think we played good (against the Wild). I don't think we showed up ready to play a team that was aggressive for points. I don't think we played hard enough. ... I don't think we played good. That's not everybody, but it's a fair amount." Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has been steady once again this season with a 2.50 Goals-Against-Average along with a .911 save percentage — but he has been much better with a 2.17 GAA along with a .923 save percentage when playing at home. Furthermore, in eight starts this month, Fleury has a 2.28 GAA with a .913 save percentage. Vegas is 16-5-3 at home this season while scoring 3.3 Goals-Per-Game and holding their visitors to just 2.2 Goals-Per-Game. The Golden Knights started slow with an early scheduled front-loaded with road games — and early season injuries did not help. But this team cemented their spot in the upper tier of the Western Conference once again this season once newcomers Max Pacioretty and Paul Stastny starting playing together to provide this team a powerful second line. Nashville has lost 13 of their last 21 games after a win on the road by at least three goals. The Predators have also lost 6 of their last 8 games after allowing no more than two goals in their last game. Furthermore, Nashville has lost 10 of their last 14 games after a win on the road against a fellow Central Division rival. Despite their good defensive effort on Monday, they have allowed their last five opponents to score 3.6 Goals-Per-Game. Goalie Pekka Rinne thrives at home where he has a 2.19 GAA along with a .917 save percentage — but those numbers are much worse on the road with his 2.75 GAA along with a .913 save percentage. Rinne has not had a great January as he holds a 3.33 GAA with a .896 save percentage in seven starts. The Predators have lost 13 of their last 18 games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Nashville ranks 4th in the NHL in both Corsi and Fenwick ratings that attempt to evaluate puck possession numbers — but Vegas ranks 3rd in both those metrics (which is why I was bullish on them in December despite their slow start). The Golden Knights will be looking to avenge a 4-1 loss in Nash-Vegas back on October 30th — and they have won 8 of their last 11 opportunities to avenge a same-season loss. 25* NHL Pre-All Star Break Game of the Month with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (36) versus the Nashville Predators (35). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (22) with the money-line versus the Colorado Avalanche (21). THE SITUATION: Vegas (21-15-3) takes the ice again after losing three of their last four games with their 4-3 in overtime on Sunday. Colorado (19-12-5) has lost three of their last four games as well with their 6-4 loss at Arizona on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas has been snake-bit with two straight losses in overtime by a 4-3 score. This team should show the resolve necessary to bounce-back with a victory tonight. Vegas has bounced-back to win 4 of their last 5 games after losing two games in a row — and they have won 15 of their last 21 games after losing three of their last four contests. Additionally, the Golden Knights have won 8 of their last 12 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Vegas stays at home where they are 11-3-2 this season and they have won a decisive 21 of their last 26 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. This is the Knights’ fourth straight game at home — and they have won 12 of their last 14 games when playing at least their fourth game in a row at home. Marc-Andre Fleury gets the start between the pipes tonight. Fleury has a strong 2.22 Goals-Against-Average at home this season with a .922 save percentage in seventeen starts. Vegas has won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record — and they have also won 7 of their last 10 games against Western Conference opponents. Colorado has lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least six goals in their last game. The Avalanche have also lost 4 of their last 5 games when playing with at least three days of rest. Now this team stays on the road after the holiday break where they have lost 26 of their last 36 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. They likely with stay with their backup goaltender Phillip Grubauer tonight with Semyon Varlamov dealing with an illness from the weekend while struggling mightily as of late. But Grubauer has just a 3.38 Goals-Against-Average with a .900 save percentage on the road this season. He also has a 3.33 GAA in the month of December with an .892 save percentage. Lastly, the Avalanche have lost 5 of their last 6 games against Western Conference opponents.

FINAL TAKE: I have been waiting on an update to Varlamov’s status for tonight — I am still only seeing that he is questionable. After being called away for some holiday family obligations, let's commit to this one and hope everyone can still catch it (especially with the price under -150 for a Vegas team that will be very motivated to end their home losing streak). 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Month with money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (22) with the money-line versus the Colorado Avalanche (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 6:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (64) versus the Calgary Flames (63). THE SITUATION: Vegas (10-12-0) has won two of their last three games with their 3-2 win in overtime at Arizona on Wednesday. Calgary (13-8-0) has won three straight games after they defeated Winnipeg on Wednesday by a 6-3 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas was a prime candidate to take a step or two back this season after their miraculous inaugural season last year where they reached the Stanley Cup Finals as the representative of the Western Conference. But the Golden Knights made two very acquisitions in the offseason when they picked up left winger Max Pacioretty and center Paul Stastny in the offseason to profile the team some real star power. Stastny has not played much this season as he deals with a lower-body injury and Pacioretty has struggled in the transition to his new team after playing for years in Montreal. But Pacioretty has is beginning to heat up as he has scored four goals in his last three games. Vegas find themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings but it would be a mistake to count them out of the playoff race. For starters, they have played thirteen of their first twenty-two games on the road — so more games back at home in T-Mobile Stadium will help this team. While they host a Flames team that is 6-5-0 on the road, the Golden Knights have won a decisive 18 of their last 22 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. Vegas has also won 6 straight home games after a game that went into overtime. The deeper metrics also suggest this team is underachieving. The Golden Knights rank 3rd in the NHL in Fenwick-For percentage while rising to 2nd best in the league in Corsi-For percentage — these are metrics that dissect puck possession advantages. Vegas has also been perhaps the most unlucky team in the NHL with the third lowest shot percentage on offense and the highest opponent’s shooting percentage in the league. The Golden Knights were definitely the beneficiaries of puck-luck last year — William Karlsson saw an incredible 23.4% of his shots going into the back of the net last season. But the Regression Gods are over-correcting now with this team only seeing 6.8% of their shots score goals. Furthermore, Vegas thrives when facing fellow Pacific Division opponents — yet this will be just their seventh game against a divisional rival this season. With their win over the Coyotes, the Golden Knights have won 30 of their last 42 games against Pacific opponents. Vegas now gets the opportunity to avenge an ugly 7-2 loss to the Flames back on Monday of this week where backup goalie Malcolm Subban struggled by allowing five goals in the first period. It will be Marc-Andre Fleury between the pipes for this one. The emotional leader of this team has a 2.22 Goals-Against-Average along with a .917 save percentage at home this season — and he also enjoys a 1.56 GAA along with a .937 save percentage against Pacific Division teams so far this year. Vegas should play well in this one as they have won 10 of their last 12 games after a victory by one goal over a divisional rival. Calgary built on the momentum of their win at home against the Golden Knights on Monday with their win over the Jets on Wednesday — but they have then lost 5 of their last 7 games after winning their last two games by at least three goals. The Flames have also lost 9 of their last 14 games after scoring at least four goals in their last two contests. Now after playing their last four games at home, Calgary goes back on the road where they have lost 10 of their last 12 games against teams with a winning record on home ice. The Flames have also lost 5 of their last 8 games after playing their last four games at home. They have been having goaltending problems with the aging veteran Mike Smith. David Rittich has played more in goal and has a strong 2.04 GAA along with a .930 save percentage this season. But those numbers are not likely sustainable especially considering he had a 2.92 GAA with a .901 save percentage last year. Calgary has won four of their last six games but they have then lost 5 of their last 7 games after winning four or five of their last six games.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas is better than their record indicates — and they will be very motivated to avenge their loss of earlier this week. This is exactly one of the situations I have been looking for in the first-half of the season. With the Golden Knights being priced below my -150 money-line threshold, let’s attack. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (64) versus the Calgary Flames (63). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (15) versus the Los Angeles Kings (16). THE SITUATION: Toronto (11-6-0) saw their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 5-1 loss at Boston. Los Angeles (5-10-1) has lost two games in a row with their 1-0 loss to Calgary on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto is playing without their star player Auston Matthews but there is still plenty of talent still on this team. The loss to the Bruins was their first loss on the road this season — they have won 6 of their last 7 games away from home. The Maple Leafs should bounce-back to play well tonight as they have won 4 straight games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Toronto has also won 12 of their last 17 games after failing to score at least two goals in their last game. Additionally, this team has won 16 of their last 23 games against teams with a losing record. They will have Frederik Andersen between the pipes tonight who has been outstanding this season with a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average along with a .932 save percentage when playing on the road. Los Angeles is a mess with an aging roster of physical players that have become outdated in a league where speed has become the calling card for the best teams. The Kings fired their head coach John Stevens two weeks ago but new coach Willie Desjardins cannot make his team faster. Los Angeles has lost 16 of their last 24 games after a loss by at least two goals. The Kings have also lost 6 of their last 8 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games after not allowing more than one goal in their last contest. Los Angeles is also dealing with injuries with their goaltenders with Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell both on the shelf. Peter Budaj will be in goal tonight after he posted a subpar 3.76 GAA along with an .876 save percentage in seven starts (eight games) last season. As it is, the Kings have lost 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning percentage over 60%. This is LA’s seventh straight game at home — but they have lost 9 of their last 13 home games at the Staples Center. The Kings have also lost 12 of their last 17 games after playing at least four straight games at home. Lastly, Los Angeles will be looking to avenge a 4-1 loss to the Maple Leafs back on October 15th — but they have lost 8 of their last 11 home games when looking to avenge a loss by at least two goals against their opponent.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto should be motivated to get back to their winning ways tonight after losing in Boston in their last game. The Maple Leafs speed should be too much once again for the plodding Kings. 10* NHL Tuesday Late Show Bailout with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (15) versus the Los Angeles Kings (16). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:35 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (9) versus the Buffalo Sabres (10). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (12-4-1) saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with their 6-4 loss to Ottawa. Buffalo (9-6-2) has won two straight games as well as three of their last four contests with their 4-3 win over Vancouver on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay has rebounded to win 27 of their last 34 games after a loss. The Lightning have also won 5 straight games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. This team begins a four-game road trip with tough visits to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Nashville following this opening contest — so the Lightning will want to get a win to put in their pocket before those challenges. Tampa Bay has is 5-2 on the road this season — and they have won 6 of their last 7 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Lightning have also won 25 of their last 32 games when playing with two days of rest. Backup goalie Louis Dominique will get the start between the pipes with head coach John Cooper giving his top goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, the night off. Dominique does little to inspire confidence — but Tampa Bay should still outscore the Sabres. The Lightning have scored at least four goals in five straight games — and they have won 10 of their last 11 road games after scoring at least three goals in four straight games. Buffalo has lost a decisive 40 of their last 58 games after a victory — and they have also lost 8 straight games after winning three of their last four games. This young Sabres team is improving — but they are not quite ready to stay competitive with the elite teams in the league who are playing at full attention (like Tampa Bay should be tonight). Buffalo has lost 19 of their last 27 home games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on the road. The Sabres will be relying on Carter Hutton in goal tonight — but he has been mediocre at best this year with a 2.78 Goals-Against-Average along with a .912 save percentage this season. Buffalo has lost 4 straight games when playing with two days of rest.

FINAL TAKE: Dominique’s playing for Vasilevskiy may scare some bettors off — but goaltending often gets overvalued relative to the play of a team’s blue line. Tampa Bay should overwhelm the Sabres tonight. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (9) versus the Buffalo Sabres (10). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (54) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (53). THE SITUATION: Vegas (1-2-0) looks to bounce-back from their 4-2 loss in Buffalo on Monday. Washington (1-0-1) has had six days of rest and preparation for this rematch of the Stanley Cup Finals after they lost in overtime in Pittsburgh last Thursday by a 7-6 score.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Golden Knights began this season as prime candidates for a big letdown after their miraculous run the Stanley Cup Finals as an expansion team last year. Vegas saw twelve of their players experience career-highs in points scored — and that is simply not something that can be replicated. Their leading scorer was William Karlsson who enjoyed a sensational — but unsustainable — 23.4% shooting percentage last year which goes a long way to explain how he scored his career-high 43 goals. But those critics who are quick to dismiss the Golden Knights do so at their own peril given the significant upgrades the team made in the offseason by acquiring Max Pacioretty from Montreal while signing Paul Stastny as a free agent. The addition of these two star forwards gives Vegas a potentially prolific offense attack that is as impressive as any team in the league. Unfortunately, Stastny will not be available for this game with an injury which will not help Pacioretty who has struggled so far wearing a Golden Knights’ jersey. There are issues on the defense for this team that probably lacks a true number one defender with their top player from last year in Nate Schmidt being suspended for the first twenty games of this season for PEP use. The Regression Gods seemed to have already paid a visit to goalie Marc-Andre Fleury who has endured a 3.93 Goals-Against-Average with an .841 save percentage after enjoying his career-year in his fourteenth season in the league last year. Vegas cannot get their offense clicking as they have failed to score on the Power Play in their first eight chances this year — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least two goals in their last game. The Golden Knights have also lost their last 6 games against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington may suffer a Stanley Cup hangover — but facing the team they defeated to lift the cup should motivate them for this contest. The defensive lapses from their loss to their arch-rival Penguins should also ensure that this team is at full attention for rookie head coach Todd Reirden. While the circumstances for the team not resigning last year’s head coach Barry Trotz were unusual, this team respects Reirden as their leader after he served as the group’s associate head coach who specialized in their blue line players. The Capitals have won 19 of their last 26 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest — and they have won 8 of their last 11 games after allowing at least six goals in their last game. Washington has also won 14 of their last 18 home games after a narrow loss by one goal against a Metropolitan Division rival. The Capitals are tough at home where they were 28-11-2 during the regular season — and this included them winning 14 of their last 18 home games in the first-half of the regular season.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas snuck up on the league last year with their fast style of play that emphasized forechecking to create scoring opportunities. But this Capitals team is now well-versed in this style — and they have defeated them four times in a row from that Stanley Cup Finals. Their advantage on their home ice against this now slumping Vegas team is greater than what these odds indicate. 10* NHL Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (54) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (10) versus the Washington Capitals (9). THE SITUATION: Washington (65-32-7) took a commanding 3-1 lead in this series on Monday with their 6-2 victory over the Golden Knights. This series goes back to Las Vegas for Game Five.

REASONS TO TAKE VEGAS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: It might seem tough to talk up how well the Golden Knights played in a 6-2 loss in what was a critical game for them — but that is precisely what their head coach Gerard Gallant did in proclaiming that Game Four was probably their “best game” of the series. Vegas started very strong in the opening ten minutes of that game — but they hit two posts and missed an empty net before committing a penalty that the Capitals took advantage of to score the first goal. If the Knights had found the back of the net first in just one of those golden opportunities, the tone of Game Four changes as they are 11-2 when scoring first in the playoffs. Vegas outshot Washington in that game by a 30 to 23 margin — and they have outshot the Capitals in three of the four games in this series. The Golden Knights needed to be more aggressive with their forecheck on Monday which they succeeded in doing. They simply were on the bad side of the Hockey Gods which does happen from time-to-time. Expect Vegas to play a very good game in this one as they have won 6 of their last 8 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 5 of the last 6 games after losing their last two games on the road. Furthermore, the Knights have won 9 of their last 12 games after losing three of their last four games — and they have won 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss by at least four goals. Additionally, Vegas has won 6 of their last 7 games after allowing at least five goals — and they have won 20 of their last 27 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. They do return to the Vegas strip for this game where they are 7-2 in these playoffs — and they have won a decisive 16 of their last 18 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. If they can score first, they should extend this series. Washington has lost 8 of their last 11 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. The Capitals have also lost 4 of their last 6 games after a win by at least four goals. Furthermore, Washington has lost 7 of their last 11 games after winning their last two games by at least two goals. And while the Golden Knights have scored only five goals in their last three games, the Capitals have lost 3 straight games after not allowing more than two goals in their last three games.

FINAL TAKE: With the Stanley Cup in the building for this game with the Washington players entertaining the vision of hoisting the prized trophy in victory, they might not be able to help from being overconfident after winning three straight games in this series against what remains an expansion team. But bettors should have abandoned the “expansion team” meme months ago. It takes an elite team to only lose three times en route to the Stanley Cup Finals — so this Golden Knights team should not be discounted even after a clunker like what they experienced on Monday. 10* NHL Thursday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (10) versus the Washington Capitals (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (7) versus the Washington Capitals (8). THE SITUATION: Washington (64-32-7) took a 2-1 lead in this series on Saturday with their 3-1 victory over the Golden Knights. Game Four of this series stays on Washington.

REASONS TO TAKE VEGAS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Golden Knights have lost two straight games for the first time in these playoffs — and this is the first time they have trailed in a playoff series this postseason. Vegas responded to losing the first game in the Western Conference Finals against Winnipeg by going out to win the next four games. Expect the Golden Knights to work very hard in this game as they focus on getting all five of their skaters to push their forechecking game to create scoring opportunities. After outshooting the Capitals by a 73 to 54 margin in the first two games in this series, Vegas only managed 22 shots on net on Saturday. The Golden Knights have won 14 of their last 21 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games after a loss by at least two goals on the road. Vegas has also won 8 of their last 11 games after suffering at least two straight losses. Furthermore, the Golden Knights have won 20 of their last 26 games after scoring no more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 12 of their last 15 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. Vegas has also won 21 of their last 26 games after a low-scoring game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Golden Knights have been very reliable on the road in the playoffs where they have a 6-3 record — and they have won 15 of their last 23 road games with the Total set at 5.5. Additionally, Vegas has been very good when motivated by revenge as they have won 16 of their last 22 games when avenging a loss — and this includes them winning seven straight games when avenging a loss by just one goal. The Capitals have been at their shakiest in these playoffs when they give themselves some breathing room. Remember that they lost three straight games in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Lightning after winning the first two games of that series in Tampa Bay. Washington has lost 15 of their last 23 home games when leading in a playoff series.

FINAL TAKE: The Capitals are likely to exhale just a little for the first time since they took a 2-0 lead last round against the Lightning — and it took them three games to get their edge back. Vegas has yet to play as well in these Finals as they have during the first three rounds of the playoffs — but expect the urgency of the situation to produce their best game in this series. 25* NHL Game of the Year with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (7) versus the Washington Capitals (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (6) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (5). THE SITUATION: Washington (63-32-7) evened this series at a game apiece on Wednesday with their 3-2 victory over Vegas (64-28-7). The Capitals see this series return to DC where they will be hosting Games Three and Four.

REASONS TO TAKE WASHINGTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Capitals should build off the momentum of their triumphant victory on Wednesday which had them seize home-ice advantage in this series. Washington has won 6 of their last 8 games after allowing two goals or less in their last game — and they have won 33 of their last 46 games after a game that finished Under the Total. The Capitals return home where they may have lost five of nine playoffs games this postseason — but they have still won 21 of their last 31 home games with the Total set at 5.5. This veteran team has also won 20 of their last 28 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. They return home for the first time since May 21st after playing their last three games on the road — and they are 35-16-5 in their last 56 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. Washington has also won 15 of their last 22 games after playing their last three games on the road. Furthermore, the Caps have won 17 of their last 25 games when playing with at least two days of rest. Vegas has lost 4 of their last 5 games when playing with two days of rest. While goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has been resilient in these playoffs after subpar games, the fact that he has looked shaky in the first two games of this series while allowing seven goals (three less than the ten goals that he allowed in five games last round against Winnipeg) may be cause for concern. Scoring depth is a growing issue for this team. While their top two lines have scored 27 goals in the playoffs, they have only received 12 goals from the forwards on their third and fourth lines. The Golden Knights entered this series scoring 2.87 Goals-Per-Game with a 17.6% success rate on Power Plays which were both below the 2.92 Goals-Per-Game and 22.6% Power Play averages for all teams in the playoffs.

FINAL TAKE: Evgeny Kuznetsov practiced on Friday and he did not exhibit any difficulties in taking shots despite his injured left wrist from Game Two. Look for the Capitals to take a 2-1 lead in this series. 10* NHL Saturday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (6) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (5). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (3) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (4). THE SITUATION: Vegas (64-26-5) won the opening game of the Stanley Cup Finals on Monday with their 6-4 victory. This series stays in Las Vegas for Game Two tonight.

REASONS TO TAKE WASHINGTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Capitals (61-32-8) are no strangers to facing adversity in these playoffs. Washington lost the opening games in their first two playoff series against Columbus and Pittsburgh. They later lost three straight games to Tampa Bay to fall behind a by a 3-2 margin in the Eastern Conference Finals before rallying to win that series. Goalie Braden Holtby entered this series on a 159:27 minute streak without giving up a goal after pitching two shutouts against a Lightning team that was the highest-scoring team in the NHL during the regular season. The five goals Holtby allowed on Monday (the final goal was an empty-netter) were the most he has allowed since February 17th — so he should play better tonight. Washington has won 19 of their last 24 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. They also have won 20 of their last 31 games on the road after a loss by at least three goals — and this includes them winning ten of these last fifteen situations. Additionally, the Capitals have won 9 of their last 11 road games when avenging a loss by at least two goals. Washington has been very reliable road warriors who have still won 13 of their last 16 games away from home. The Capitals have also won 4 of their last 5 playoff games when trailing in the series. Vegas has lost 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least six goals in their last game. They were fortunate to get three goals in the third period from their fourth line to pull out Game One — but getting production from their second and third lines remains an issue for this team. The Golden Knights entered this series with only ten goals from forwards outside their top-line — and their second and third line forwards accounted for only two assists with those six goals on Monday. Furthermore, Vegas only had to defend one Power Play in Game One despite their aggressive style that resulted in them leading all playoff teams in hits-per-game along with the most forced turnovers per games. The Capitals entered the Stanley Cup Finals second in the playoffs with a Power Play Unit that scored on 28.8% of their opportunities. The Golden Knights entered the Finals being outscored by 10-9 goal margin with special teams in these playoffs.

FINAL TAKE: Both teams were rusty on Monday — with the results being disappointing play from their defenses and goaltenders. The Capitals proven resiliency should serve them well in Game Two. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (3) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (4). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (1) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (2). THE SITUATION: Washington (61-31-8) reached the Stanley Cup Playoff Finals with a 4-0 win in Tampa Bay in the seventh game of that series last Wednesday. Vegas (63-26-5 ) had earned their spot in the Finals last Saturday with their 2-1 win in Winnipeg that ended that series on five games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: There is a case to be made that Washington has been the second-best team in the entire NHL over the last three seasons while having the misfortune of playing in the same Metropolitan Division as the two-time reigning Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. They might have the best player in the world in Alex Ovechkin who is playing with a passion and sense of team spirit that has never been greater in his career. The Capitals have been outstanding road warriors in these playoffs as they have won 15 of their last 18 games away from home. Washington has also won 4 of their last 5 games when playing with three or more days of rest. Additionally, the Capitals have won 16 of their last 20 games after a shutout — and they have won 16 of their last 21 games after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. Washington also shutout Tampa Bay by a 3-0 score in Game Six of that series — and they have won 5 straight games after playing two straight games where no more than four goals were scored. These two teams last played on February 4th where the Golden Knights won by a 4-3 score in Washington. The Capitals have then won 21 of their last 30 games when playing with same-season revenge — and they have won 13 of their last 16 games when avenging a loss by just one goal. This is a very long layoff for this Vegas team that was rusty in the opening game of the Western Conference Finals in what was their lone loss to the Jets.

FINAL TAKE: The biggest advantage Washington has in this series is their proven history in facing adversity over the years that this Golden Knights team has simply not had to endure. I think the Capitals will appreciate the sense of urgency of this moment a bit more than Vegas. 10* NHL Washington-Vegas NBC-TV Special with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (1) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (54) versus the Washington Capitals (53). THE SITUATION: Washington (61-32-7) forced a climactic Game Seven on Monday with their 3-0 shutout victory over the Lightning. This series returns to Tampa Bay (64-29-7) for Game Seven to determine the Eastern Conference champion.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay should respond with a very strong effort tonight with their proverbial “Get Out of Jail Free” card after blowing their chance to end this series on Monday. The Lightning have won 8 of their last 9 games after a loss on the road by at least two goals — and they have won 4 straight games after a loss by at least three goals. They also have won 6 of their last 7 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Being at home will certainly help this team as they have won 37 of their last 52 home games — and they have won all 3 of their opportunities to host a Game Seven in the playoffs. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has won 17 of their last 22 games when avenging a loss by at least two goals — and they have won 9 of their last 11 games when avenging a loss by at least three goals. The Lightning have also won 14 of their last 22 potential closeout games in the playoffs including winning two of these three opportunities this season. The Tampa Bay roster has an experience edge tonight with 15 of their likely 19 players that will get ice time tonight having played in at least one prior Game Seven in the Conference Final. This is new territory for most of this Washington team that was stymied by Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in the previous two seasons. I like the Capitals — but I just don’t like these circumstances for them to maintain their intensity after surviving Game Six with that shutout. The biggest flaw for this team remains their lack of a killer instinct which continued to display itself in this series after they took the first two games in this series on the road. Washington has lost 18 of their last 29 opportunities to closeout a playoff series. The Capitals have also lost 7 of their 10 franchise Game Sevens — and this includes losing three of their four when on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The home team is 100-71 (.585) in Game Sevens which is often not a high enough clip relative to their money-line price — but home teams success rate rises to a 21-11 mark in Game Sevens in the Conference Finals of the NHL Playoffs. I would never use that stat to guide my pick (especially since it does not take into account the money-line price) — but it is a nice closer for this argument. I suspect that if Washington had it in them to win this Game Seven, this series would not have reached this Game Seven given that they won the first two games of this series. 10* NHL Washington-Tampa Bay Game Seven Special with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (54) versus the Washington Capitals (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (10) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (9). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (64-28-3) has won the last three games in this series on Saturday with their 3-2 victory. Washington (60-32-7) returns home looking to stave off elimination.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Capitals should respond with an outstanding effort tonight. They have won 6 of their last 7 games after losing three straight contests — and they have also won 12 of their last 15 games after losing three of their last four games. They have scored only two goals in each of their last three games — but they have won 8 of their last 10 games after failing to score more than two goals in two straight contests. They were 28-9-4 on their home ice during the regular season so I am not giving any credence that they are not strong at home despite their 3-5 home record in the playoffs. Washington has won 27 of their last 40 games when playing with revenge — and this includes them winning twelve of their last fifteen games when avenging a one-goal loss. The Lightning are winning these games despite being outshot by the Capitals in all five games in this series. Overall, Tampa Bay has been outshot by a decisive 175-121 margin in this series — and they have also been outshot by a 106-65 gap in the last three games. That is not a good look for a team that won only 48.2% of their face-offs in the regular season while ranking 28th in the NHL with a Penalty Kill Unit that allowed their opponents to score 23.9% of the time. Washington is a battle-tested playoff team that has won 3 of their 4 games this postseason when trailing in the series. The Capitals have also won 5 of their last 6 Game Sixes in the playoffs including both in the previous two rounds in the playoffs.

FINAL TAKE: I see this as a close series that will require seven games to resolve. Washington might have been the second-best team in the NHL in the previous two seasons and will play well with their backs against the wall. 10* NHL Monday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (10) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (9). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:10 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (8) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (7). THE SITUATION: Vegas (54-30-7) seized a 3-1 lead in this series on Friday with their 3-2 victory over the Jets. This series returns to Winnipeg (61-26-11) for Game Five. 

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg may have lost the last three games in this series by they have outshot the Golden Knights in each of these last three games totaling at least 30 shots on net in each of these contests. Overall, the Jets have outshot Vegas by a 103-87 margin which is a good sign that they can turn things around. Despite that edge, the Golden Knights have scored the first goal in each of these games. Look for that to change with Winnipeg returning home where they led the NHL with 32 wins in the regular season and where they have won 43 of their last 55 games. Additionally, the Jets have won 10 straight home games after a loss on the road — and they have also won 13 of their last 16 home games after losing three straight games. Furthermore, Winnipeg has won 23 of their last 32 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Jets have also won 10 of their last 11 home games when playing with double revenge — and they have won 12 of their last 16 games when looking to avenge at least three straight losses to their opponents. Almost everything has gone right for Vegas in these last three games. But goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has allowed at least three goals in three of his last five games on the road in these playoffs. The Golden Knights are only scoring 2.29 Goals-Per-Game away from home in their seven playoff games.

CONCLUSION: Winnipeg has won eight of their last nine games when they score first. Look for the Jets to get on the board first in this contest with them playing with desperation to stay alive in this series — and that momentum at home should lead them to victory. 10* NHL Sunday Afternoon Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (8) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (7). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (61) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (62). THE SITUATION: Vegas (53-20-7) seized a 2-1 lead in this series with their 4-2 win over the Jets on Wednesday. They host Game Four.

REASONS TO TAKE WINNIPEG WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Jets have lost two straight games in the playoffs for the first time this postseason. The last time they lost more than one game in a row was back on March 10th-13th. But a victory on Friday has them return home with home ice advantage once again with this series tied at two games apiece. They started slowly on Wednesday perhaps being uncomfortable with the rowdy Vegas crowd — but they outplayed the Golden Knights for most of the 2nd and 3rd periods where they peppered goalie Marc-Andre Fleury with 30 of their 35 shots on they put on net overall. Expect Winnipeg to play their best game in this series tonight as they have won 10 of their last 12 games after a loss on the road by at least two goals. The Jets have also won 8 of their last 10 games after losing their last two games. Winnipeg had won four of their last five games on the road in these playoffs before that loss on Wednesday while averaging 4.2 Goals-Per-Game in those contests. Overall, the Jets have won 7 of their last 10 games on the road going back to the regular season. They have also won 23 of their last 31 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last contest — including winning ten of those last eleven situations. Furthermore, Winnipeg has won 27 of their last 32 games when playing with same-season revenge which includes them winning fourteen of their last fifteen games when avenging a loss of at least two goals. And in their last 20 opportunities to play with revenge from two straight losses, the Jets have won 15 of these games. Vegas won Game Two of this series by a 3-1 score — but they have then lost 7 of their last 11 games after winning two straight games by at least two goals. And while it was the Golden Knights’ depth combined with head coach Gerard Gallant’s commitment to rolling four forward lines with three defensive pairs in the first rounds in the playoffs, this Winnipeg team matches their roster depth. Lastly, while Fleury was spectacular on Wednesday, he has been inconsistent as of late as he has allowed at least three goals in five of his last eight starts this postseason since posting a shutout in the opening game of the San Jose series.

CONCLUSION: This shapes up to be a long series. Look for the Jets to even this series at 2-2. 25* NHL Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (61) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (62). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:10 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (1) versus the Washington Capitals (2). THE SITUATION: Washington (62-27-3) returns home with a commanding 2-0 lead in this series after their 6-2 win over the Lightning on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE TAMPA BAY WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Capitals have played much better on the road in these playoffs away from their home fans who quickly turn on their team if things don’t go swimmingly after years of being burned with playoff disappointments after winning the President’s Trophy for the best record in the regular season. Washington is just 3-3 on their home ice in this postseason. The Caps have lost 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. They have also lost 5 of their last 8 games after a win on the road by at least three goals. And while Washington have won their last four games, they have then lost 6 of their last 8 games after being unbeaten in at least four straight games. This Capitals team may return home a bit overconfident with two wins on the road after confronting their demons in the Pittsburgh Penguins last round. Scoring first has been critical in these first two games as it allows the Caps to sit back and play their 1-1-3 zone defense that has found success in forcing turnovers to trigger odd-man rushes. Tampa Bay (62-27-3) remains a very good team that has won 4 of their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Lightning may have struggled in these first two games after slaying their proverbial dragon in Atlantic Division rival Boston last round. They should be scared straight now — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games are a loss by at least thee goals. They also have won 37 of their last 50 hames after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored. They should get better goaltending play from Andrei Vasilevskiy who has an .839 save percentage in the first two games after entering the Eastern Conference Finals with a 2.20 Goals-Against-Average and a .927 save percentage in the playoffs. Not making him try to stop odd-man rushes will certainly help. It will also help for the Lightning to score more goals — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. Tampa Bay has won 23 of their last 34 games when trailing in the playoffs. They also have won 12 of their last 17 games when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least five goals. Lastly, the Lightning have won 8 straight games when looking to avenge two straight losses to their opponents by at least two goals.

CONCLUSION: This Tampa Bay team is more experienced than the Capitals with most of the core players remaining on this roster from the group that reached the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (1) versus the Washington Capitals (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (22) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (21). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (60-23-11) advanced to the Western Conference Finals by defeating the Predators in Nashville on Thursday by a 5-1 score in the seventh game of that series. Vegas (51-29-7) takes the ice again after disposing of San Jose in six games with their 3-0 win last Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE WINNIPEG WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Jets should benefit from still being in the rhythm in their intense series with the Predators. Winnipeg has won 16 of their last 22 games after a win. The Jets have also won 5 of their last 7 games after scoring at least five goals in their last contest — and they have won 11 of their last 14 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Winnipeg entered these playoffs with a roster generally lacking in playoff experience — but that has quickly been rectified over the last month. Years of high draft choices has loaded this team with elite young talent that is superior to the albeit scrappy castaways that make of the Golden Knights’ team. And while Vegas has enjoyed a depth advantage all season with head coach Gerard Gallant committed to rolling with four forward lines and three defensive pairs, this Jets team can match their depth. Winnipeg’s physical play was able to neutralize the speed edge of Nashville last round — and that spells trouble for Vegas now. The Golden Knights are likely to be rusty tonight after being off for six days. Vegas has also lost 4 of their last 6 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice. The Jets have won 42 of their last 53 games at home. And while they lost to the Golden Knights by a 3-2 score in the last meeting between these two teams on February 1st, they have won 26 of their last 30 games when looking to avenge a same-season loss.

CONCLUSION: Winnipeg has two situational advantages with them still in the zone from their grueling series with the Predators and Vegas having almost a week off with rest that may help them as the series moves along. 25* NHL Western Conference NBC-TV Game of the Year with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (22) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

Take the Tampa Bay Lightning with the money-line versus the Washington Capitals. Washington (57-30-7) overcame their White Whale by finally defeating Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL Playoffs after losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions in each of the last two seasons. But don’t be surprised if the Capitals suffer a big emotional letdown tonight after overcoming that hurdle. As it is, Washington has lost 12 of their last 18 games when playing with at least three days rest as they take the ice again for the first time since Monday. Tampa Bay (62-25-3) has won eight of their last ten games — and they have won 26 of their last 35 home games in expect higher scoring games with the Total set at 6 or higher. They take the ice again after disposing of Boston in five games with their 3-1 win last Sunday. The Lightning have won 15 of their last 22 games after allowing one goal or less in their last game. Take Tampa Bay with the money-line (or even better: lower the investment price on the Lightning by taking Tampa Bay with my Over/Under play in a two-team parlay). Best of luck — Frank.

Frank Sawyer’s Hollywood Sports had a bad night in the Stanley Cup Playoffs last night (losing the Total with another empty-net goal) — but Frank remains on a SIZZLING 7 of 11 (64%) NHL Playoff run! Frank BOUNCES-BACK TONIGHT with the Washington-Tampa Bay O/U winner on the NBC Sports Network at 8:10 PM ET for their Game One showdown! CA$H-IN Frank’s Friday Discounted Deal — IT’S A STEAL!

At 8:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (54) versus the Winnipeg Jets (53). THE SITUATION: Nashville (60-22-4) forced a climactic Game Seven in this series with their 4-0 win over the Jets in Winnipeg on Monday. They host Game Seven back at Bridgestone Arena.

REASONS TO TAKE NASHVILLE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Nashville has a significant edge in playoff experience with the core of the group that reached the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Predator players have combined to play 44 Game Sevens with their head coach Peter Laviolette having overseen victories in five of the seven Game Sevens he has coached. This is the first Game Seven for this Winnipeg franchise (59-23-11) that languished in its first ten years in Atlanta as the Thrashers. This young Jets team entered the season with a roster that played just 282 combined games in the playoffs. Nashville should build off the momentum of their key win on Monday as they have then won 5 of their last 7 games after a win by four goals or more — and they have won 11 of their last 16 games after a win on the road where they scored at least four goals. The Predators have also won 22 of their last 30 games after allowing two goals or less in their last contest. Additionally, Nashville has won 4 of their last 5 games when playing with two days of rest. Home ice advantage should finally pay off for this Predators team that has lost two of their three games at home in this series. Nashville was 9-2 at home in the playoffs last season while enjoying a 28-9-4 at home during the regular season. If they can score first at home, they should be in command as they can then deploy the trapping zone schemes that helped them win Games Four and Games Six by a combined 6-1 score. The Jets have struggled when facing adversity as they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after a loss at home by at least three goals — and they have lost 4 straight games after being shutout at home. Winnipeg has also lost 6 of their last 8 games when attempting to avenge a loss at home by at least three goals — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a shutout loss to their opponent. The Predators have won 5 of their last 8 opportunities to close out a playoff game.

CONCLUSION: Playoff and Game Seven experience combining with the home-ice advantage should help see the Predators through tonight. 25* NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Game Seven A-List Special with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (54) versus the Winnipeg Jets (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (66) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (65). THE SITUATION: Vegas (58-29-7) took a 3-2 lead in this series on Friday with their 5-3 victory over the Sharks. This series returns to San Jose (51-30-10) for Game Six.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks were dominant in their last game in San Jose in this series where they won by a 4-0 score. Expect a strong effort from this veteran group — they have won a decisive 43 of their last 65 games after a loss by at least two goals. San Jose has also won 21 of their last 30 games after allowing four goals in their last game. Goalie Martin Jones was pulled in that game but he has shown resiliency to bounce-back with strong efforts after a bad game. Returning home will help as the Sharks have won 9 of their last 11 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. San Jose is doing a good job of generating offense — they have tallied at least 33 shots on net in each game of this series while scoring at least three goals in each of their last four games. The Sharks have won 11 of their last 13 games after generating at least 30 shots on net in five straight games. San Jose has also won 7 straight home games after scoring at least three goals in three straight games. Vegas (58-29-7) has lost 7 of their last 9 games after a contest where both teams scored at least three goals. And while the Golden Knights raced to a 4-0 lead in the 3rd period on Friday, they showed some cracks in their armor by allowing three goals over a 6:09 span before scoring an empty netter to clinch that game. Vegas has then lost 10 of their last 16 games after allowing two or more goals in the 3rd period of their last game. And in their last 5 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% at home, the Golden Knights have lost 4 of these games.

CONCLUSION: Expect this to be a seven-game series to be decided on Tuesday. 25* NHL Sunday Night Special Feature with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (66) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (65). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:45 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Nashville Predators (62) versus the Winnipeg Jets (61). THE SITUATION: Nashville (59-21-4) evened this series at 2-2 on Thursday with their 2-1 win in Winnipeg. The Predators return home to Bridgestone Arena to host this decisive fifth game of this series. Nashville opened as a money-line favorite at -160 but Jets’ money has pushed that price down to the -150 (or lower range) in most locations.

REASONS TO TAKE NASHVILLE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg (58-23-11) may have blown their chance to win this series with that loss on Thursday. The Jets are very talented — but they also lack playoff experience. Ten of their players are taking part in their first postseason while they began these playoffs with a roster with just 282 combined playoff games under their belt. This is now a very difficult test to bounce-back in the very hostile environment in Nashville. Winnipeg has lost 11 of their last 16 games after facing a Central Division rival at home. The Jets have also lost 10 of their last 15 games when avenging an upset loss on their home ice — they were favorites in the -145 range on Thursday. The tone of this series seems to have changed in Game Four as the Predators they committed only three penalties after playing too loose and undisciplined in Game Three of this series which saw them blow a 3-0 first-period lead in a 7-4 loss. Goalie Pekka Rinne stopped 32 of 33 shots in playing his best game of this series. Nashville found success by committing to focusing more of their energies playing defense to stifle this potent Jets offense. This is the Predators formal for success. They have won 13 of their last 16 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Nashville has also won 9 of their last 14 games after a win on the road by one goal or less. Additionally, they have won 18 of their last 24 games after playing their last two games on the road. And in their last 36 home games with the Total set at 5.5, the Predators have won 23 of these games. This team has the best blue line in the NHL with the Ryan Ellis-Mattias Ekholm and P.K. Subban-Roman Josi pairings. This is a battle-tested playoff team after they made their run to the Stanley Cup Finals last year. Winnipeg’s blue line is not nearly as experienced in the playoffs while supporting a goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck who is playing his first postseason.

CONCLUSION: With the price on Nashville dropping to the -150 range which is my ceiling for endorsing money-line favorites, let's pounce on this talented Predators team with a huge edge in playoff experience and a strong home-ice advantage. 25* NHL Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Nashville Predators (62) versus the Winnipeg Jets (61). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:15 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (60) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (59). THE SITUATION: Pittsburgh (53-33-6) evened this series at two games apiece on Thursday with their 3-1 victory. The decisive fifth game of this series returns to Washington.

REASONS TO TAKE WASHINGTON WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I think this is an undervalued Washington team (55-30-7) that has a case to be made that they have been the second best team in the NHL in each of the last two seasons but have had the misfortune of being in the same division as the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions in these Penguins. The Capitals should respond with a very strong effort after losing Game Four. They have won 24 of their last 37 games after a loss — and they have won 14 of their last 17 games after a loss by just one goal. Furthermore, Washington has won 28 of their last 40 games after a game that finished Under the Total. And in their last 25 opportunities to avenge a loss, the Capitals have won 18 of these contests. Pittsburgh may feel just a bit too comfortable tonight with the knowledge that they won the previous two Game Fives against Washington in their last two meetings in the postseason these last two years. The Penguins have lost 7 of their last 10 games after a win at home over a Metropolitan Division opponent. Pittsburgh has also lost 6 of their last 8 games after allowing two goals or less in their last game. And in their last 19 road games after a game that finished Under the Total, the Penguins have lost 13 of these games.

CONCLUSION: Look for Washington to take a 3-2 lead in this series on their home ice. 20* NHL Pittsburgh-Washington NBC-TV Special with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (60) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (59). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (18) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (17). THE SITUATION: Vegas (57-28-7) seized a 2-1 lead in this series with their 2-1 win in overtime in the third game of this series on Monday. This series stays in San Jose (50-29-10) for tonight’s Game Four.

REASONS TO TAKE SAN JOSE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks showed grit and resolve by rallying from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime on Monday. They could have easily won that game in overtime if not for a fantastic save by Marc-Andre Fleury who robbed Logan Couture of his roaring slap shot over the goaltender’s shoulder. Just over five minutes later, the Golden Knights’ William Karlsson scored on a spectacular slap shot of his own (that should eliminate all doubt that Vegas has superstars of their own despite being an expansion team) to win that game. But look for San Jose to rebound with a strong effort — they have won 20 of their last 29 games after allowing at least four goals in their last contest. The Sharks have also won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss to a Pacific Division rival — and they have also won 4 straight games when that loss was on their home ice. San Jose has still won 8 of their last 10 home games against teams with a winning record on the road. And while the first three games in this series have been Overs, the Sharks have won 6 of their last 8 games after playing three straight Overs. Vegas has lost 6 of their last 8 games after playing a game where both teams scored at least three goals — and they have also lost 9 of their last 14 road games after a game where both teams scored at least three goals. And in their last 6 road games against teams with a winning percentage over 60% on their home ice, the Golden Knights have lost 4 of these games.

CONCLUSION: Vegas has won five of their six games in these playoffs decided by one goal — and that is a very tough trend to keep up. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (18) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (17). Best of luck for us — Frank.