At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Florida Panthers.  After another sub-par night in Florida, the Oilers are down 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals as the two teams travel north to Alberta for Game 3.  Edmonton may be down, but it's far from out of this series.  The Oilers had a 1-0 lead in Game 2 and, despite the loss they woke up big in the third period, and out-shot the Panthers 12-7 in that stanza.  So what are the keys for Game 3?  First of all, the Oilers need to resist taking costly penalties as Florida had 6 power play opportunities on Monday, including a five-minute major by virtue of a knee-to-knee collision courtesy of Warren Foegele that took out Eetu Luostarinen about nine minutes into the game.  The Oilers' offense needs to play better than it did in Games 1 and 2, and returning home tonight with a boost from the rowdy home fans might be just what they need to put multiple tallies on Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who's been brilliant so far.  The Oilers are 6-1 in their last seven games following two or more consecutive road losses, 11-5 when trailing in a playoff series, and 40-16 when playing with revenge from a same-season loss.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers. The Hurricanes were really hoping to win Game 3 on Thursday night in front of the home crowd in Raleigh, but that didn't happen. Once again, the game went into overtime -- the second straight game of this series to do so -- and once again it was the Rangers who scored (it didn't take very long this time). Now with their backs against the proverbial wall, Carolina knows it has to grab Game 4 tonight. The good news is that once again they out-played their opponents, out-shooting the Rangers by a lopsided 47-25. That's 104 shots over the last two OT games so all they need to do is figure out how to beat New York's goalie, Igor Shesterkin. More good news for the home team tonight -- the 'Canes are 14-2 in their last 16 coming off a home loss to a division rival (5-0 in their last five in those situations). Take Carolina. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Colorado Avalanche.  This will be the sixth time in NHL history that these two teams have met in the playoffs -- most recently in 2020 (second round) when the Stars prevailed in seven games.  Dallas cannot afford to get this series off to the same kind of start it had in Round 1 against the Knights when it lost the first two games at home.  The Stars need to take advantage of the fact that Colorado is not the same team on the road (19-22 regular season) as it is at home (31-10).  Then there's also the question of how well Colorado will do in Game 1 tonight off of such a long rest as the Avs haven't played in seven days.  The Avs have been without winger Jonathan Drouin since April 18 (lower body injury) and he is unlikely to be available again tonight for Game 1.  The Stars go from playing outside their Division in the first round to inside and they are 17-9 in their last 26 games vs. Central division opponents.  Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:00 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Toronto Maple Leafs.  After building up a 3-1 lead in this series, the Bruins seemed set to clinch it in Game 5 at home on Tuesday.  But the Leafs showed up big time in Boston and held the Bruins to just one first period goal before forcing overtime and winning it on a Matthew Knies goal just two-and-a-half minutes into the extra period.  Toronto star Auston Matthews missed Game 5 with his ongoing illness.  The NHL goal-scoring leader this season (69) left Game 4 early and likely won't be able to play tonight in Game 6.  For the Bruins, they usually thrive in situations coming off of sub-par offensive efforts as they are 26-9 in their last 35 games immediately following one in which they scored one goal or less.  The Bruins are also 10-2 in the last 12 meetings with the Leafs and 5-0 in the last five in Toronto.  Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Nashville Predators over the Boston Bruins.  After looking like they were primed for the post-season by winning six games in a row between March 13 and 26, the Predators embarked on a quick, two-game road trip that they probably wish they hadn't had to play.  Nashville lost back-to-back in Arizona and Colorado, allowing a whopping 15 goals in the process after allowing only nine total goals during the six-game win streak.  Now the Preds have to regroup as they host one of the East's best teams in the Bruins tonight at Bridgestone Arena.  Boston has lost three of its last five games with only a narrow victory in Washington last time out (3-2 in a shootout) preventing it from being 1-4 over that span.  The Bruins have some untimely injuries right now and their remaining schedule is one of the toughest in the league.  They won the last meeting between these two teams, 3-2, back at the start of the season on their home ice.  However the Predators are 14-4 in their last 18 games revenging a same season loss vs an opponent.  Take Nashville.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Washington Capitals.  The Wings and Caps are locked in a tight battle for a wild card berth, with Washington currently 1 point ahead.  The Capitals will look to win their 3rd straight game after winning home games vs. Carolina (7-6) and Winnipeg (3-0).  Unfortunately, the Capitals are a soft 23-31 at home off a win, and 21-29 off back to back wins.  The road team has won six of the previous nine in this series, and we'll take Detroit to win this critical matchup.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12:35 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Red Wings over the Buffalo Sabres.  These teams met just four days ago in Buffalo, and the Sabres smashed the Red Wings, 7-3.  Detroit followed that loss up with another loss -- at home vs. Arizona -- for its 7th straight defeat.  The Wings are now on the outside looking in at the Playoff picture, so they'll need to get back into the win column if they want to try to qualify for the Playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.  The Sabres are a poor 9-22 off a win, and 0-6 after back to back blowout wins by 3+ goals.  Take Detroit.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Boston has not won a game in regulation in any of its last nine games, dating back to its 4-0 win over Vancouver on February 8 (which was our NHL Game of the Month).  The Bruins are 2-7 overall in its last night games, but I like Boston to get back into the win column tonight, and snap its 3-game losing streak.  Boston is a solid 23-11 (+9.9 net games) off 3+ road losses, and it's also 101-77 (+12.3 net games) off 3+ losses (regardless of venue).  The Bruins suffered a 2-1 loss in overtime last month at Vegas.  However, the Bruins are 23-5 when playing with revenge from a road loss.  Take Boston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  With less than 8 weeks remaining in the regular season, the Devils sit 4 points behind Detroit for the 2nd wild card berth in the Eastern conference, so each game is critical for their playoff hopes.  The Devils were embarrassed on Tuesday night, as Washington blew them out, 6-2.  But New Jersey is a solid 15-9 after giving up 4+ goals this season (and 6-2 after surrendering 6+ goals).  The Devils are 11-6 their last 17 off a loss, while the Rangers have lost 6 of their last 9 road games.  Take New Jersey.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the New York Rangers.  The Rangers won their 7th straight game, with a comeback, 6-5 win over the rival Islanders, on Sunday.  Today, they'll welcome the Stars to Madison Square Garden.  And Dallas will be looking to bounce back from losses to Edmonton and Boston -- both by 4-3 scores, settled after regulation.  We'll take Dallas in the underdog role tonight, as it is 50-24 (+15.7 net games) after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games.  And it's a stellar 23-8 on the road off a loss (and 9-1 on the road off back-to-back losses).  Meanwhile, the Rangers are 4-9 after scoring more than 4 goals in their previous game.  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Seattle Kraken.  The game time was moved up 5 hours so as to not conflict with the Steelers/Bills game at 4:30 pm today.  Pittsburgh enters this contest off back to back overtime losses, while the Kraken are currently riding a 9-game win streak, following a 7-4 win at Columbus.  And Seattle's 9-game streak has followed closely on the heels of an 8-game losing streak, which stretched from Nov. 24 thru Dec. 10.  I like the Penguins to snap Seattle's streak, as Pittsburgh is 73-34 at home after allowing 3+ goals in back to back games.  And it's 5-3 this season off back to back losses.  Meanwhile, the Kraken are 1-4 this season after scoring more than 4 goals.  Take the Penguins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Philadelphia Flyers.  The Penguins missed the NHL playoffs last Spring for the first time since 2006 and if they're going to avoid another absence, they need to get busy.  Pittsburgh is currently in 7th place in the Division and out of the post-season picture but the good news is that it still has a healthy Crosby, Letang, and Malkin on the team -- three players that were key to the Pens' back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.  And Crosby is having an outstanding campaign with 41 points in 38 games and a +14 rating while being named to his 6th All Star roster this past week.  The Flyers took both meetings with the Pens so far this season when the two played a home-and-home series in early December.  But Pittsburgh has been pretty dominant in this series otherwise, taking seven of the previous eight meetings before those, going back to May of 2021.  Take the Pens.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Edmonton Oilers.  We played against the Kings on Thursday and got the $$$ with Vegas, in a 3-2 home win.  Los Angeles was playing that game without rest, and it's now 1-5 this season when doing so.  Of course, that also means that Los Angeles is 19-7 this season when playing with rest.  Edmonton is allowing 3.31 goals per game, and the Kings are 47-20 (+19.9 net games on the moneyline) when playing an opponent which is giving up at least 3+ goals per game.  Additionally, the Kings will no doubt be emotionally charged for this game, given it was Edmonton which knocked it out of last year's playoffs in 6 games.  Take the Kings.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Los Angeles Kings.  Los Angeles throtted Vegas here last month, 4-1, so the Knights will be playing with revenge.  And that bodes well, given that Vegas is 23-7 when looking to avenge a loss earlier in the season.  Admittedly, the Knights have lost their last four games.  But each of those was on the road, where Vegas has a losing record on the season.  At home, the Knights are 12-5.  Both of these teams played last night, and that also bodes well for Vegas, as Los Angeles is 1-4 this season when playing without rest.  We'll take Vegas to get back into the win column on Thursday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over Minnesota.  These two teams met 4 days ago in Boston, and Minnesota came away with a 4-3 victory, in overtime.  Boston, though, did put 43 shots on goal (to Minnesota's 30), and was 9-1 (going into the Minnesota game) when it outshot its opponent.  So, that was an unusual result.  I expect Boston to avenge that defeat, as it's 42-21 its last 63 when playing with revenge.  Take the Bruins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Knights are looking like they mean business and want to defend their Stanley Cup title from less than 6 months ago.  A big part of their success has been the play of Adin Hill, who sits atop the league's goaltending leaders with a 1.93 GAA and .933 saves percentage.  Unfortunately for Vegas however, Hill was removed from the team's last game on Sunday with an unspecified injury and is unlikely to suit up tonight for this match-up in Raleigh against the 'Canes.  With regular back-up Robin Lehner already on the long-term injury list (hip), Logan Thompson will likely be called upon for the net-minding duties this evening.  The Knights come to Raleigh after one of the easiest four-game homestands on their schedule which saw them go 3-1.  The four teams they played (Ottawa, Buffalo, Calgary, San Jose) have a combined record of 45-64-11 and the Knights needed OT for two of the wins.  Carolina is 2-1 in the last three meetings here.  Take the 'Canes.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Vancouver Canucks over the Calgary Flames.  Calgary comes into this game off back-to-back overtime victories over Vegas and Dallas, while Vancouver checks in off a 4-1 home loss to the Golden Knights.  Unfortunately for Calgary, it's a wallet-breaking 4-13 off back to back wins.  Even worse:  Vancouver is 5-0 its last 5 road games off a home loss, and 6-1 after allowing more than 3 goals.  Take the Canucks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Kings over the Florida Panthers.  Last Thursday, the Kings returned from a successful four-game road trip that saw them sweep the likes of the Maple Leafs, Senators, Flyers, and Golden Knights.  And not only did they go 4-0 as a visitor in those, but they out-scored their opponents by a combined 19-4.  Unfortunately for them, the Kings couldn't keep it going at home as they've now lost two straight here to the Penguins and Flyers.  They've had a nice long four days off to regroup as they stay home to face the Panthers tonight for the first time since last January.  The Kings hope to continue their recent history in this series as Los Angeles has won the last five meetings with Florida going all the way back to February of 2020.  Legendary goalie Jonathan Quick may be gone now but the Kings have a pretty solid replacement in Cam Talbot who is 7-3-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .923 save percentage in his first season in Tinseltown.  Florida is 2-11 in the last 13 meetings here.  Take Los Angeles.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:05 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Wild over Dallas.  The Wild will be looking to avenge last season's playoff ouster at the hands of the Stars.  And Minny will also be looking to snap a 2-game losing streak.  The Wild are a super 30-16 (+7.9 net games) off back to back losses with Dean Evason as head coach.  And the Wild will also have an advantage tonight by being rested, while Dallas had to play Saturday in Winnipeg.  Take the homestanding Wild.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Seattle Kraken.  The Oilers have gotten off to an almost-unimaginable 2-9-1 start this season.  We'll take Edmonton to snap its current slide, as it's 30-12 on the road vs. division rivals, while Seattle is a woeful 8-19 at home vs. division foes.  Edmonton is also 57-48 (+18.3 net games) off back to back division defeats.  Take the Oilers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Avalanche over the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils won at Chicago, 4-2, on Sunday, and are 7-3-1 on the season.  The Avs have a similar record, at 7-3, but were routed, 7-0, by the Golden Knights on Saturday.  And that was Colorado's 3rd shutout loss in its last four games.  All three of those defeats, though, were on the road; tonight's game is at home, where Colorado is 3-0, and is averaging 4.67 goals per game.  Colorado is 39-22 (+5.2 net games) after allowing 4+ goals, including 3-0 when it lost its previous game by 5 or more goals.  Meanwhile, New Jersey is a poor 21-32 (minus 20.0 net games) off a win by 2+ goals.  Take Colorado.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars.  The Oilers got off the schneid Sunday when they won the Heritage Classic against rival Calgary, 5-2.  That game snapped the Oilers' 4-game losing streak, and also saw the return of star Connor McDavid from injury.  The Oilers then had three days off to rest, and prepare for this game.  Coach Jay Woodcroft took advantage of the unusual gap in the schedule, and held important practices the last two days to reinforce the good traits the team displayed in its win over the Flames.  I expect Edmonton to come out focused tonight, and notch its first win of the season at its home arena (after dropping the first three to Vancouver, Winnipeg and the NY Rangers).  Take the Oilers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:20 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  Those rooting for close games in the Stanley Cup Finals are disappointed so far as the Knights took Games 1 and 2 convincingly -- by scores of 5-2 and 7-2.  But now the series shifts to South Florida and the Panthers and their faithful have some good news coming into Game 3.  For one thing, despite losing those first two games, Florida out-shot Vegas in both of those.  Second, this will be the first Finals games in South Florida since 1996 -- the Panthers' third year in the League -- and it will be the first in their current home -- FLA Live Arena.  Panthers Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been solid for them all playoffs, but the veteran simply didn't have it in Game 2, so the coaches pulled him after he allowed four goals in the first 13 shots.  Expect Bobrovsky to be right back in net tonight and for the 19,000 home fans to give him a rousing ovation.  This has historically been a host-friendly series as the home team is now 11-1 in the last 12 meetings and Vegas is 1-4 in the last five here.  Take Florida.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Panthers lost Game 1 by a 5-2 score, on Saturday.  But Vegas also had good fortune, as three shots by the Panthers clanged off the goal post in the first two periods, when the game was still in the balance.  We'll take Florida to bounce back tonight, as it's 59-36 (+8.5 net games) off a loss, and 18-9 (+7.9 net games) after allowing 5+ goals.  And Paul Maurice's troops have won all three Game 2s this playoffs season.  Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are a soft 47-46 (but minus 20.6 net games) off back to back games where they scored more than 3 goals, and 13-14 (minus 10.2 net games) off back to back blowout wins by more than 2 goals.  Take Florida.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Florida Panthers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Panthers were almost eliminated from the playoffs with 1 second to go in their opening-round Game 5 vs. Boston.  The Bruins were already up 3 games to 1, and the game was tied at 3 when Boston forward Brad Marchand skated in on Sergei Bobrovsky.  But the 2-time Vezina Trophy winner made the save (one of 43 for the game), and the Panthers won, 4-3, at 6:05 into the overtime session.  That improbable victory (Boston was a -270 favorite in the Game 4) triggered an even more improbable streak by the 8th-seeded Panthers.  Florida has now won 11 of its last 12 games (vs. the top shelf Bruins, Maple Leafs and Hurricanes).  And the Bruins, Leafs and 'Canes owned the 1st, 2nd and 4th-best records in the regular season.  Here, the Panthers will attempt to upset the team with the 5th-best regular season record.  Vegas's path to the finals (by virtue of its #1 seed in the West) was understandably easier, and it ousted the league's 6th (Edmonton), 8th (Dallas) and 14th-best (Jets) teams to earn this berth in the Stanley Cup.  Many bettors will shy away from the red-hot Panthers, under the belief that the 10 days since their last game will have cooled off any momentum.  But I've never been on that side of the "rest vs rust" debate in pro sports.  Indeed, we just saw the Denver Nuggets (who had the exact same amount of time off before their NBA Game 1) annihilate the Miami Heat, 104-93.  So, I'm perfectly fine with the Panthers' long layoff, and don't believe we'll see any "rust" tonight.  The Golden Knights do come into this game off a 6-0 blowout win to close out the Dallas Stars, but are a soft 7-11 (minus 11.5 net games) following a win by more than 4 goals, and are 23-22 (minus 8.5 net games) off a shutout win.  Take the underdog Panthers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers.  The Hurricanes are down 2-games-to-none, but the series has been exceptionally close.  Game 1 went into the 4th overtime, while Game 2 was decided in the 1st overtime.  And neither team has led by 2 or more goals at any point in time in the first two games, covering a span of over 201 minutes.  Off back to back overtime losses at home, we'll take the Hurricanes to bounce back on this Monday night.  Carolina is a solid 25-11 its last 36 off back to back losses, and 29-20 on the road off 2 home losses.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an ugly 3-12 off back to back 1-goal road wins.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 3:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Knights won Game 1 in this Western Conference finals in what was one of the closest matches of the post-season.  These two teams went into overtime tied at 3-3 with the exact same number of shots on goal (36).  It didn't take long for Vegas to end it and send their fans home happy.  But the Stars know all about this scenario and it likely doesn't bother them one bit.  In each of the first two rounds, they dropped the opening game (to the Wild and then the Kraken) and in both cases they came back with an emphatic victory in Game 2 to even things up. The Stars will put Game 1 in their rear view mirror, and take confidence from the fact they went 3-0 vs. Vegas in the regular season.  The Stars are 14-5 on the road off a loss, and 6-0 their last six when trailing in a playoff series.  And the underdog is also 6-2 in the last eight meetings of these two.   Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers.  If you were wondering what the Panthers were going to do for an encore after upsetting both the Bruins and Maple Leafs, the answer is, well, something pretty spectacular.  On Thursday night, the -- once again -- underdog Panthers prevailed in the sixth-longest game in Stanley Cup Playoff history when Matthew Tkachuk scored at 19:47 of the fourth overtime period here in Raleigh to win Game 1, 3-2.  If there's one thing the 'Canes won't have any trouble getting tonight in Game 2 it's motivation after that marathon loss.  It was Florida's fifth comeback win of the playoffs, and with the victory, the Panthers became just the third team in NHL history to win each of their first five games that required overtime in a single postseason.  Carolina out-played and out-shot Florida in Game 1 and should be poised for a big bounce back tonight.  The 'Canes are 9-4 in their last 13 revenging a close loss vs opponent of one goal or less.  Take Carolina.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:35 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Dallas Stars.  The Knights have made it to their fourth NHL semi-finals in their six-season franchise history -- truly a remarkable feat.  They also finished first in their division for the fourth time.  In less time than a two-term Presidency, Vegas has assembled not only one of the best teams in the league, but has also shown that T-Mobile Arena is one of the most exciting venues in pro Sports (and one of the toughest for opposing teams).  This series is not only a chance for the Knights to earn another shot at an NHL Finals -- but also a shot at some revenge.  It was Dallas which knocked them out when they appeared in the semi-finals in 2020.  And while the Stars have beaten the Knights the last four times they played, it's Vegas which is on a roll right now, having beaten the Oilers in six games.  The Knights are also 4-0 in their last four games vs. teams from the Central Division.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the Florida Panthers.  Both of these teams have had a long time to rest and prepare for this Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.  Florida ousted Toronto last Friday, in Game 5, by a 3-2 score.  Carolina also took five games to send New Jersey packing, as it won its quarterfinal Game 5 last Thursday, 3-2.  The Hurricanes have been getting terrific goaltending from Frederik Andersen.  In his last six games, he's notched five wins, and allowed 1 goal four times, and just 2 goals in another.  Unlike Carolina, which is 108-52 (+24.6 net games) off a win (and 58-23 (+17.1 net games) its last 81 off back to back wins), the Panthers are a poor 22-27 (minus 16.3 net games) off a win this season.  The Hurricanes are also 9-4 their last 13 home meetings vs. Florida, and 29-4 at home off back to back games where it didn't allow more than 2 goals.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  While almost none of the other second-round series in the NHL playoffs have gone according to plan, this one has for the most part.  The Knights and Oilers traded Game 2 and 3 losses at home, but the home teams got back on track in Games 4 and 5 and as a result, Vegas is now one win away from returning to the Conference Finals for the third time in its six-year history.  Jack Eichel was the hero in Game 5, tallying three points to get the Knights the win.  But the Oilers can feel good about the fact that they put 35 shots on goal in that game, four more than they allowed their opponent.  And Captain Connor McDavid appears to be heating up as he had a pair of goals on Friday but his team fell just short in the 4-3 defeat on the Strip.  At home it should be a different story as the Oilers are 12-3 in their last 15 games here at Rogers Centre.  Edmonton is also 26-8 in its last 34 games vs. Western Conference foes.  Take the Oilers.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  The clock has yet to strike midnight on the Cinderella Florida Panthers' playoff run, even if they couldn't finish the deal at home on Wednesday.  The Maple Leafs squeaked out a 2-1 road victory with some stingy defensive play to stay alive in this series and bring it back to Toronto for another must-win game.  You can bet that Scotiabank Arena will be very loud tonight because a victory in Game 5 makes this a brand new series.  The Panthers know they can win in Toronto -- they took Games 1 and 2 here -- but the Leafs did not lose three straight home games the entire regular season so they have to feel pretty good about their chances in this home revenge situation.  The Leafs gave rookie goalie Joseph Woll his first postseason start on Wednesday and he was more than up to the task, stopping 24 of 25 shots.  Look for the 24-year-old to be back in net tonight.  Despite wins in the first two games of this series, Florida is still just 4-9 in the last 13 meetings in Toronto.  Take the Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:10 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  After the Oilers took Game 2 in Vegas in dominant fashion last Saturday, the Knights returned the favor on Monday night in Western Canada.  That sets up a Game 4 tonight at Rogers Place that is critically important for the Oilers.  The days of Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton have given way to the days of Connor McDavid, who has yet to carry his team to a Stanley Cup like Gretzky did four times, despite being the best player on the planet.  Both starting goaltenders on Monday were replaced, but while Edmonton's Stuart Skinner took a seat due to his sub-par play, Vegas starter Laurent Brossoit exited in the first period due to a lower body injury.  Skinner should benefit tonight from getting the hook while Brossoit's availability is unknown.  Regardless of who the Knights put out there, expect the Oilers to come out firing tonight in an effort to even this series.  Despite the loss here on Monday, the Oilers are still 11-3 in their last 14 home games.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, on Wednesday, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  The Leafs never thought they would be down 3-games-to-none in this quarterfinal series, but that's the situation.  We'll take Toronto in this do-or-die Game 4, as they're 46-21 when playing with revenge; 25-13 (+11.6 net games) when trailing in a playoff series; and 26-9 (+12.0 net games) off a loss this season.  And, notwithstanding the Panthers' current hot streak, they're still just 22-26 (minus 12.8 net games) off a win this season.  Take Toronto.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Carolina Hurricanes.  The Devils knew they needed to send a message at home on Sunday in Game 3 of this series.  After all, they had pretty much been embarrassed and run out of Raleigh in Games 1 and 2 by being outscored by a total of 11-2.  They won Game 3 alright but what they did at home on Sunday may have even surprised the Devils themselves.  New Jersey jumped out to a 4-0 lead less than a minute into the second period and never looked back, taking a lopsided 8-4 decision.  And the eight goals came from seven different players, something that has to delight the team and the coaches. The important thing for tonight's Game 4 in the Meadowlands is that the Devils keep it going and not have a letdown after that huge effort.  They know they can't afford to go back to Carolina down 3-1 so look for the Devils to keep up the pressure.  With the Game 3 win the Devils are now 8-2 in their last 10 home games.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:40 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  People were wondering what the Panthers would do for an encore after one of the biggest first round upsets in NHL history.  Well, the answer in this quarterfinal round against the heavily-favored Maple Leafs appears to be -- exactly the same thing they were doing against the Bruins.  With only one day off after their historic Game 7 win over Boston, the Panthers went into Toronto and beat the Leafs in Game 1 and then did it again on Thursday.  Now they come back to South Florida to try to take a near-insurmountable 3-0 lead.  But the Leafs are a dangerous team which won't go quietly.  Despite losing Game 2, 3-2, Toronto out-shot Florida by a 37-29 margin.  And the Leafs went ahead 2-0 in the first five minutes on Thursday before giving up three unanswered goals.  The road team is 5-0 in the last five meetings of these two and the Leafs are 26-8 (+13.5 net games) in their last 34 off a loss.  Meanwhile, Florida is an ugly 6-13 (minus 8.6 net games) off 3 road wins.  Take Toronto.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 3:40 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the Carolina Hurricanes.  If the Devils need any extra motivation coming into their 1st quarterfinal home playoff game in over 10 years, all they need to do is put up a poster with the scores from the first two games with the Hurricanes in Raleigh on the locker room wall.  It was all 'Canes on Wednesday and Friday as they treated themselves to some Carolina home cooking with 5-1 and 6-1 dominant victories in Games 1 and 2.  But being a young team with really nothing to lose at this point, New Jersey is in an excellent position to put those behind and make the changes necessary to turn the tables in Game 3 and 4.  It's what the Devils did to the Rangers in Games 5 and 7 when they needed to, winning both of those at home by lopsided 4-0 margins.  Some more good news for the Devils this afternoon:  the favorite is 8-1 in the last nine meetings of these two and the home team is 14-4 in the last 18.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights.  The Knights struck first in this series, taking Game 1 on Thursday, 6-4 (it was actually 5-4 before an empty net goal at the end).  The Oilers may be looking for answers, but they sure can't blame their All Star Center Leon Draisaitl as the 27-year-old German scored all four of Edmonton's goals.  Besides Draisaitl's incredible performance, the other good news is that the Oilers scored their four goals on just 27 shots so if they can get their other stars like Connor McDavid to pick up their game tonight while tightening up their defense a bit, then they should be able to send this series to Edmonton all tied up at 1-1.  Prior to Thursday's disappointment, the Oilers had won not lost in regulation in any of their 21 previous games (18-0-3).  And the Oilers had won six of eight meetings with the Knights.  The Oilers are 9-1 on the road off a road loss, and 23-9 when playing with revenge.  Take Edmonton.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over Carolina.  The Devils lost Game 1 to the Hurricanes, 5-1, but I expect them to bounce back tonight.  The Devils are 29-15-1 on the road this season.  And when they were playing back-to-back road games, and lost the first one, then they were a perfect 6-0 in the road game off a road loss.  Meanwhile, the Devils are a soft 7-10 (minus 4.5 net games) when leading in a playoff series.  And, finally, the Devils are 13-6 on the road when playing with revenge from a loss by more than 2 goals.  Take New Jersey.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  The Leafs were turned back at home in Game 1 of this series, 4-2, by the Panthers.  We'll take the Leafs to bounce back tonight, as they're 25-11 when trailing in a Playoff series, and 14-1 their last 15 home games after losing their previous game by 2+ goals.  Meanwhile, Florida is a wallet-busting 19-27 (minus 18.8 net games) after scoring more than 3 goals in their previous game.  Take the Maple Leafs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:10 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Hurricanes over the New Jersey Devils.  These two teams split the season series, 2 games apiece, with each team going 1-1 in its two home games.  New Jersey won the most recent two games, while Carolina won the season's first two meetings.  We played on New Jersey in its last game -- a 4-0 win over New York -- but will switch gears and go against the Devils in Raleigh.  New Jersey is a poor 8-17 (minus 13.3 net games) off a home win by 2+ goals, and 2-8 off a shutout win.  Meanwhile, the Hurricanes are 19-12 when playing with double revenge, and 105-51 off a win (including 26-6 off an overtime win).  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:35 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Stars over the Seattle Kraken.  Being the home team and having home ice advantage doesn't guarantee success in these playoffs -- not by a longshot.  If you don't believe it, just ask the Boston Bruins who came in as the top seed in the entire league and were sent packing in seven games.  So the Stars know that even though they will be home for the first two games of this series, they still have to perform.  And the fact that they're playing an expansion team that's only been in the league two seasons probably won't make them rest any easier.  After all Dallas is a team that is hungry for a championship with its last -- and only -- Stanley Cup coming almost 25 years ago. So you can bet they won't take the Kraken for granted.  These two have met only six times and the Stars are 4-2 in those games so they do have some history on their side.  Although they advanced by beating the defending champion Avs in seven games, the Kraken are just 7-19 in their last 26 vs. teams with a winning record.  Take Dallas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers.  In the biggest of Round 1 upsets, the Panthers knocked off the record-setting (135 total regular season points) Bruins in Boston on Sunday night, 4-3 in overtime to advance to the second round.  If ever there was a team that was ripe for a Game 1 let down, the Panthers are it.  With just one day off since their historic David beats Goliath victory, no one would be surprised -- perhaps not even themselves -- if the Panthers didn't have a full tank tonight in Toronto.  Even under normal circumstances, this would be a tough task for Florida as the home team is 15-5 in the last 20 meetings and the Panthers are 2-9 in the last 11 here in Toronto.  The Leafs also had a tough series against a very game Lightning club, but they closed it out in six games in Tampa on Saturday and have had two days off to rest and prepare for Round 2.  Take the Maple Leafs.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:10 pm, our selection is on the New Jersey Devils over the New York Rangers.  The two rival teams from the biggest sports and TV market in North America meet tonight for a Game 7 in the Meadowlands.  The Rangers have hung tough every step of the way so far, including a huge 5-2 victory at home in Game 6 on Saturday to force this final clash.  The Devils made a name for themselves during much of the regular season by winning tough games on the road; now they must win the biggest of the season right at home in front of their loyal fans.  They'll look for a Game 5 repeat as they completely dominated play here at Prudential Center and skated away with a huge 4-0 win. They have a way of bouncing back after a dull offensive effort, as they are 14-3 in their last 17 after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.  Take New Jersey.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 6:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers.  In what was the wildest game of these playoffs so far, the Florida Panthers forced a final Game 7 this evening by beating the Bruins on Friday night, 7-5.  Boston was seemingly in control after scoring twice in the first four minutes of the final period on Friday to take a 4-3 lead.  But what ensued from there was a whirlwind 16 minutes in which neither goalie -- especially the Bruins' Linus Ullmark -- could keep the puck out of the net.  Look for the 29-year-old Swede to rebound tonight with plenty of support from the home crowd.  After all, it was largely Ullmark -- and his league-leading 1.89 GAA and .938 Saves Pct -- who was responsible for Boston's record-setting campaign.  The Bruins are 18-4 off back to back losses, and 10-2 after allowing more than 5 goals.  Meanwhile, the Panthers are an ugly 18-26 (minus 19.3 net games) this season off a win. Take Boston.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  After winning the first two games of this series on the road, the Rangers have now dropped three straight, the latest being an embarrassing 4-0 shutout in New Jersey on Thursday night.  With their backs against the proverbial wall tonight, expect the Rangers to come out fighting at Madison Square Garden in this must-win Game 6.  Both Games 3 and 4 here in Manhattan were very close even though they didn't go the Rangers way and they managed to hold the Devils to just 28 and 23 shots respectively in those.  The Rangers are very good in what are called "double-revenge" situations -- they are 12-4 in their last 16 games revenging two straight losses against an opponent.  They are also 7-2 in their last nine games when revenging a road blowout loss of four or more goals vs. an opponent (3-0 in their last three in those blowout situations).  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:35 pm, our selection is on the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers.  Just about everyone assumed that the Bruins would wrap up this series at home on Wednesday night.  Just about everyone that is except for the Florida Panthers.  The visitors pulled off a stunner in Game 5 two nights ago, beating the heavily favored Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Tkachuk.  What do the Bruins need to do now?  Most importantly is what they shouldn't do -- panic and make any unnecessary changes.  The good news for Boston is that after its win at home in Game 1, the road team has now taken four straight in this series -- including the Bruins winning both Games 3 and 4 right here in South Florida.  The Panthers will have the crowd behind them tonight but that's about it as you can expect Boston to throw everything and the kitchen sink at goalie Sergei Bobrovsky who, despite his heroics on Wednesday, is just 4-9-2 with a 3.72 GAA lifetime vs. the Bruins.  Boston is 21-10 in the last 31 meetings with the Panthers here in Florida.  Take the Bruins.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils made a name for themselves this season by winning games on the road.  In fact their 28-9-4 road record was second in the NHL only to the record-setting Bruins.  But towards the end of the season, that road magic faded quite a bit.  And, in fact, in its last eight road games of the season, New Jersey was just 4-4.  It's true that the road team has won all three games in this first round series so far.  However, if there's one place that's been tough for the Devils recently, it's probably Madison Square Garden.  In their last seven games at the Garden, the Devils are just 2-5 and it took overtime to win Game 3 here.  The Rangers out-shot the Devils in that game on Saturday, 36-28 and they appear poised to wrest control of this series back with a win tonight. The Devils are just 1-4 in their last five Conference Quarterfinals games while the Rangers are 5-1 in their last six and 19-9 in their last 28 home games.  Take New York.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.

At 10:00 pm, our selection is on the Vegas Golden Knights over the Winnipeg Jets.  Instead of flowing out into the Vegas night in a big celebration, the stunned home crowd from Game 1 of this series was sent quietly out to the Strip by the visiting Winnipeg Jets.  It was an embarrassing 5-1 loss for the heavily-favored Knights, who managed just 17 shots on goal the entire game (compared with 31 for the Jets).  You can bet that the Knights will use the day off to plan for some line adjustments as another outcome like the one on Tuesday would be disastrous for the Western Conference's number one seed.  After all, the last time this team won 51 regular season games was its inaugural season when it went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.  The Knights should bounce back tonight and take this season to Winnipeg all tied up 1-1.  They are 9-2 in their last 11 after allowing five goals or more in their previous game and 5-0 in their last five immediately after scoring two goals or less.  Take Vegas.  As always, good luck...Al McMordie.