The evidence is overwhelming. Edmonton and Florida have now played five games in this Stanley Cup Final. All five games have gone Over the total. There have been a minimum of seven goals scored in each contest. The combined average score for the series is 7.8 goals.

Now we've reached the first closeout opportunity with the Panthers ahead 3-2. That could mean a lot of late open-net goals if the favored Panthers are leading during the final few minutes.

Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl draw the attention. Draisaitl has produced a series-best eight points. But the Panthers also have been getting excellent scoring. Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett have combined for 11 goals. Congrats to anyone who had a prop with Bennett to get a point in every game because he has done exactly that.

If you discount a 3-0 loss to Carolina, Florida is averaging 5 goals a game in its last 10 games. The Oilers have scored 4 or more goals in six of their past eight games.

The first two games of this Stanley Cup Finals went Over the total. Both of those games were in Edmonton. Now, with the scene shifting to Florida for this Game 3, I see the landscape changing in terms of a slower pace and more defensive intensity.

The way to beat the Oilers is to slow them down. The way to do that is by being physical and savvy, which the Panthers are masters at. 
There have been 6 or fewer goals scored in five of Florida's seven home playoff games. The Panthers have allowed only seven goals in their last four home games.

The Panthers held the Oilers to seven goals in four games at home during last year's Stanley Cup Finals. Edmonton scored five goals in one game at Florida. But the Oilers could only manage two goals in their other three road games against the Panthers during last season's championship series.

The oddsmaker has anointed Edmonton as the Game 1 favorite. I'm in agreement. The Oilers are home, hot with 12 wins in their last 14 games, getting contributions up and down their lineup and have shown a strong defensive commitment sparked by hot goalie Stuart Skinner.

Defending champion Florida can never be underestimated. The Panthers held off the Oilers by winning Game 7 after nearly blowing a 3-0 series lead in last year's Stanley Cup finals. The Oilers have the bigger stars and are out for redemption. This is their shot and they don't want to blow Game 1 at home like last season.

Superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been as outstanding as ever, ranking first and second, respectively, in points during the postseason. Unlike past years, though, the Oilers have shown more scoring depth with eight players having scored five goals or more in the playoffs and 20 different plays registering at least a point. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ranks fourth in points during the playoffs while Evan Bouchard is fifth.

Sergei Bobrovsky has proven himself to be a big-game goalie for Florida. Bobrovsky is 36, however. It has been the 26-year-old Skinner, who has been red-hot during his past seven games with a 6-1 record, 1.41 goals against average and .944 save percentage with three shutouts.

The numbers show this: The Oilers have scored 3 or more goals in 12 of their last 13 games. If you go deeper into the regular season the numbers are Edmonton producing 3 or more goals in 17 of its last 20 games. The Oilers have had the best power play in the NHL for the past five years and it showed in Tuesday's 4-1 Game 4 victory with two goals. Connor McDavid is the best offensive player in the world and Leon Draisaitl is living up to his superstar billing with 23 points in 15 postseason games this year.

So, in other words, the Oilers are going to hold up their end of the scoring column. Since this is a close-out spot with the Oilers leading the series, 3-1, the dam could burst in the final period if the Stars are trailing late and have to pull their goalie and take other drastic measures.

The key is if the Stars are finally going to show something after being held to two goals in their last three games. They certainly have the talented offensive players to do that. Dallas was the third-highest scoring team in the league during the regular season and had the top power play during the playoffs.

The Stars shouldn't be holding anything back now and the Oilers are less physical after losing rugged Zach Hyman for the rest of the postseason.

The road Stars are not stopping Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and a fast-skating Edmonton offense that has scored 3 or more goals in 10 of its last 11 games. Dallas was the third-highest scoring team in the NHL during the regular season. The Stars are going to have to come out aggressive and emphasize an attacking style down 0-2 in this Western Conference Final after being shut out at home this past Friday in Game 2.

So don't look for the Stars to be passive, especially after center Roope Hintz was slashed by Darnell Nurse in the Game 2 loss.

Dallas was not happy that Nurse didn't get suspended for this. This could mean a chippy  game with lots of penalties. The Stars have been great on the power play during the postseason while the Oilers' power play always is deadly with McDavid and Draisaitl backed by an offensive-minded blue line.

Edmonton ousted the Stars in the Western Conference Finals last season. The Stars won two of the first three games in that series and I see revenge-minded Dallas winning this series opener at home.

What I don't see is the Stars going 0-for-14 on the power play, which happened during last year's series against Edmonton.

No knock on the Oilers, who have won eight of their last nine games, including blanking Las Vegas in their last two games. However, not playing for a week may hurt the Oilers' rhythm and momentum.

Dallas went 2-1 against Edmonton during the regular season. The Stars edged the Oilers, 4-3, in Edmonton during the last meeting on March 26.

The Stars are as close to full strength as they have been all season with Miro Heiskanen logging 20-plus minutes a game. I give the Stars a goalie edge with Jake Oettinger. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner stepped up against the Golden Knights, but I don't trust him. When he runs cold, he's terrible.

I also give the Stars the checkmark on the power play. They led the league, after all, in power play goals not Edmonton. The Oilers' power play is less effective on the road, too.

It's not Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl who are the playoff leaders and points, but the Stars' Mikko Rantanen.

Enough things line up where I can confidently back the Stars in this price range to win this Game 1.

Thanks to Reilly Smith's improbable goal with 0.4 seconds left, the Golden Knights nipped the Oilers, 4-3, this past Saturday to cut Edmonton's lead in the series to 2-1. 

Edmonton didn't play well in that game. Yet the Oilers let a 2-0 lead slip. 

I'm expecting a more focused Oilers' effort in Monday's game. The Oilers have superstar talent - which the Golden Knights do not possess - are on home ice and are the healthier team. 

Las Vegas has three key players not at 100 percent in Mark Stone, Brayden McNabb and Pavel Dorofeyev. It wouldn't shock if any of them sat out, especially team captain Stone. In addition, Jack Eichel is not playing well. 

Perhaps the Oilers got a little too cocky. They had won six straight Stanley Cup games until that defeat. 

Edmonton has won nine of 12 home playoff games the past two seasons. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl give the Oilers the two best players on the ice. 

Stuart Skinner is getting ripped for allowing Las Vegas' winning goal. That was a bad play. Skinner, though, has been OK in net. Las Vegas goalie Adin Hill isn't playing great either. 

I find the Oilers to be the superior team. So this is a reasonable lay price given that Edmonton is home, the healthier team and shouldn't play that bad twice in a row.

Each of the first three games in this series have gone Over. The total was 5 1/2 every time - until this game. Now we're finally seeing a 6 for the total. It's still not high enough to keep me from playing Over.

There have been 9, 7 and 9 combined goals scored in the three games for an average of 8.3 goals. I don't see things veering off course for this Game 4.

Toronto has scored at least 3 goals in 11 of its past 12 games. Take away a shutout loss to the Senators and the Maple Leafs are averaging 4 goals per game during their eight other Stanley Cup games. And this is with Austin Matthews scoring one goal in his last six games. Matthews had 33 goals during the regular season. He's way overdue.

Florida is averaging 4.4 goals in its last five games.

But why I like the Over to continue to cash is the goaltending.

Sergei Bobrovsky is 36 and showing his age. He isn't playing nearly as well as he did during last year's Florida Stanley Cup run. He has an .875 save percentage in the playoffs. It was .906 last season during the Stanley Cup.

Joseph Woll is projected to start again in net instead of injured Anthony Stolarz for Toronto. Stolarz had the better regular season statistics. Woll's game isn't suited well against the Panthers' dump-and-chase forecheck style because he lacks Stolarz's puck-handling skills.

Well, the letdown happened. The Jets lost at home to the Stars in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup series. This came after the Jets defeated the Avalanche in Game 7.

If the Jets lose this Game 2 they may not see Winnipeg again because the Stars could sweep them with Games 3 and 4 set for Dallas.

I'm fully expecting a much better performance from the Jets.

"...That was a game where we weren't at our best," Jets coach Scott Arniel admitted following the loss to Dallas.

Winnipeg has Mark Scheifele back healthy and its star goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, plays better at home in the playoffs.

This game just might be Washington's season - and the Capitals know it. Carolina controlled Game 1 while outshooting the Capitals, 33-14. Yet, it took overtime for Carolina to win, 2-1, in Tuesday's series opener. 

The Capitals have a goalie edge with Logan Thompson, home-ice and tremendous incentive knowing they can't fall behind 2-0 in the series with the scene shifting to Carolina following this game. 

So I'm fully expecting the Capitals to get back to playing their style of hockey, not letting the Hurricanes bottle them up. Washington certainly has the talent, with 44-goal scoring legend Alex Ovechkin, to accomplish this.

Thompson has a .926 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average in six postseason games this season. Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen is less consistent and has rust after missing the Hurricanes' opening-round series due to injury. The Capitals failed to test Andersen this past Tuesday. Look for that to change in this Game 2.

Dallas has scored 14 goals in its last three games. The Stars should be able to take advantage of Winnipeg's faulty defense and the inconsistent goaltending of Connor Hellebuyck, who hasn't been nearly as effective in the postseason as he was during the regular season.

The Jets have given up an average of 4.6 goals during their last five games.

Winnipeg, though, has Mark Scheifele back in its lineup. Scheifele was the Jets' second-leading goal scorer during the regular season with 39 goals.

The Stars have a history of not playing well in the first game of a playoff series. Dallas also has allowed an average of 3.75 goals in its last four games.

Kudos to the Oilers for taking out the Kings in their first-round series. But Edmonton has too many defensive and goalie weaknesses for me to back them on the road against a well-coached, steady Las Vegas team.

The Golden Knights held the Wild to an average of 2.3 goals during the last three games of their opening-round series with two of those games decided in overtime.

The Oilers held the Kings to one goal in Game 5 of their series. However, in the other five games, Edmonton surrendered an average of 4.6 goals. The Oilers remain without their best defenseman, injured Mattias Ekholm, and I don't like either of Edmonton's goalies, Stuart Skinner and journeyman Calvin Pickard.

Edmonton has had the Kings' number. The Oilers don't have the Golden Knights' number.

Las Vegas held Edmonton's superstar duo, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, in check when it eliminated the Oilers in a playoff series two seasons ago on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. Aiden Hill played well in net for Las Vegas in that series with a .934 save percentage. Hill was shaky early against the Wild, but has since settled down and is playing well.

Home ice along with a strong defensive and goalie advantage put me on the Golden Knights in this series opener.

Edmonton is averaging 4.2 goals during the first five games of this playoff series. The Oilers are a dangerous scoring team with a healthy Connor McDavid and Leon Draisitl back in their lineup. Their defensemen are offensive-minded with an attack style. Their goaltending is sub-par.

That makes the Oilers an Over team, which is how four of the five games in the series have played out. 

The Kings were averaging 4.7 goals through the first four games of the series. They had scored three or more goals in 12 of their last 14 games - until this past Tuesday when they lost, 3-1. 

LA coach Jim Hiller got too conservative in that game, having his team play not to lose rather than win being at home. That attitude should - and better - change here with the Kings going back to Edmonton. 

Edmonton is vulnerable defensively, especially without injured Mattias Ekholm. If the Kings play their natural game they can exploit this.

The record shows the Stars had a better regular season record than the Avalanche and Dallas leads this series, 2-1.

But I don't believe the Stars are superior to Colorado. Dallas has only led Colorado for fewer than two minutes during the series, yet is up two games to one because of a pair of overtime victories the past two games. The last coming three day ago, 2-1, in Colorado.

What was notable about that game was the return of Gabriel Landeskog. He played for the first time in nearly three years and looked comfortable playing on the Av's third line. The Avalanche plan on moving Landeskog to the second line tonight and use him on their power play.

The Avalanche ranked higher than the Stars in expected goals percentage and now they have Landeskog, an offensive force and spark, to go with superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Jake Oettinger has not been playing well for Dallas, giving up at least four goals in four of his past six starts. During this span, he has an .879 save percentage and 3.64 goals against average.

I see this as a kill spot for Colorado at home where the Avalanche take out their bad luck and frustrations on the Stars.

If there's something we learned about the Canadiens this season it is never to count them out.

Montreal has played Washington extremely tight in this series, losing in overtime and by two goals when the Capitals scored an empty net goal with one second left.

The Canadiens won 30 times as an underdog this season. They have beaten their last nine Eastern Conference opponents at home.

Now the Canadiens get to come home to Bell Centre, one of the best home ice advantages in the NHL. It's the first time the Canadiens will host a Stanley Cup playoff game in front of a sold-out home crowd since 2017.

Home teams have won 70 percent of the time going 14-6 in the playoffs so far this season. Washington is 0-6 hitting the road following a victory.

I have added confidence in the Canadiens seeing how well goalie Sam Montembeault is playing for them.

The Blues came close in Winnipeg. But find themselves down 0-2 in their first round Stanley Cup playoff series. 

Now is the right time for the Blues to break through coming home where they haven't lost since Feb. 23. The Blues have won a franchise record 12 straight games at Enterprise Center. That's the longest win streak in the NHL this season.

The Jets scored the winning goal in the third period to nip the Blues, 2-1, this past Monday. Winnipeg also edged the Blues, 5-3, in Game 1 breaking a 3-3 tie with 1:36 left. An empty net goal accounted for the two-goal victory margin. 

Winnipeg has lost Game 3 of the playoffs each of the past two years after opening with a playoff win. 

The Blues aren't likely to win this series. But I do like them a lot for this Game 3 returning home in desperation mode.

The Kings won a crazy, 6-5, Game 1 matchup of this playoff series. I see another high-scoring game here, which has been the series history between these two teams with 15 of the last 19 games having six or more goals.

The Oilers are stressing offense more without their best defenseman, injured Mattias Ekholm. Edmonton is back to being dangerous with the return of its superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

The Kings have scored 5 or more goals in five of their last six games.

Revenge time for Tampa Bay as it opens at home against the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who knocked the Lightning out of the playoffs last season.

The Lightning improved this season. Nikita Kucherov led the league in scoring. Tampa Bay played much better down the stretch than Florida.

Look for that momentum to carry the Lightning - at least in this Game 1 home matchup. Florida is just 3-6-1 in its last 10 games, averaging only 2.1 goals during the final month of the regular season.

The Panthers battled injuries and lethargy. Maybe they can light up the go switch and turn things around. But I don't see that happening here.

This season is different starting with this Game 1. The Oilers have eliminated the Kings in the playoffs each of the last three years.

Not this time.

The Kings are playing better than the Oilers. They are the healthier team, have home ice where they went an NHL-best 31-6-4 and have more confidence, size, experience and depth than in the past.

Since Drew Doughty returned from a broken ankle, the Kings have gone 21-9-3. That's 13 points more than the Oilers earned during this time span.

The Kings should get much better playoff goaltending, too, from Darcy Kuemper. He might be the second-best goalie in the league, finishing tied for first in goals against average and third in save percentage. Cam Talbot collapsed in net for the Kings during last season's playoffs against the Oilers. I don't see that happening with Kuemper.

Edmonton's feared power play, the best in hockey two seasons ago, didn't even rate in the top 10 this season. The Oilers ranked just 11th in scoring. The Kings were the No. 3 defensive team.

The Oilers will have back their superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but won't have their top defenseman, injured Mattias Ekholm.

The Kings beat the Oilers in three of the four regular season meetings, including two games this month by a combined 8-0 score.

There's been a huge move to the Avalanche and I have to join the crowd on this one.

It's been quite a while since I've seen a good team enter the Stanley Cup playoffs on such a low note. But that's the case with the Stars, who enter this game having lost seven in a row. Dallas has allowed an average of 4.8 goals a game during this span.

Making matters worse for Dallas is it just lost second-leading scorer Jason Robertson after he suffered an injury in the Stars' meaningless final game against the Predators.

Remember, the Stars remain without their top defenseman, Miro Heiskanen.

Seattle is 4-2 in its last six games. The Kraken close their season with this home game. They should catch the Kings flat and resting players. That's because the Kings clinched home ice for their first-round playoff series against the Oilers by shutting out the Oilers, 5-0, at Edmonton on Monday night.

The Kings now have to fly to Seattle for this game that they have little interest in.

It's difficult to exaggerate how bad the Sharks are defensively and in net with Alexander Georgiev. But here are the facts:

San Jose is giving up an average of 5.1 goals per game during its past 10 games. The Sharks rank last in the NHL defensively. Georgiev is expected to be in net since Georgi Romanov was in goal on Sunday when the Sharks lost, 5-2, to the Flames in Calgary. San Jose also is shorthanded on the blue line because of injuries.

Georgiev has a hideous 4.03 goals against average and a miserable .870 save percentage in 29 appearances this season, including 28 starts. He's permitted 26 goals during his last five starts. 

Vancouver has scored at least three goals in nine of its last 13 games. The Canucks are averaging four goals per game in their last three games. 
The Canucks rank 19th defensively. Their best goalie, Thatcher Demko, is ill and won't play. Vancouver is short-handed, too, defensively after losing defenseman Derek Forbort to injury in their last game this past Saturday. 

San Jose is averaging 3.2 goals in its last four games.

Neither team is going to the playoffs. The Sharks are on a nine-game losing streak. These types of games with non-contending teams often are played loose with players trying to reach scoring incentives.

After road losses to the Maple Leafs and Senators in their last two games, the Canadiens return home where they should break out against the hapless Blackhawks.

Chicago has the second-worst defense in the NHL. The Blackhawks aren't selling out defensively without any playoff hopes. They've allowed four or more goals in 11 of their last 15 games.

Montreal ranks 25th defensively. The Blackhawks are averaging 3.2 goals during their last 10 games.

The Blues are in stop-the-pain mode after consecutive away losses to the Oilers and Jets. Now, though, the Blues are stepping down in class facing Seattle.

St. Louis is the better team and has a strong history versus the Kraken. The Blues are 8-2 against Seattle, including five consecutive victories. St. Louis is 2-0 versus Seattle this season winning those games by a combined six goals.

The spot isn't good for Seattle either. The Kraken just concluded a five-game road trip two days ago.

The biggest choke job during the past five days wasn't Duke against Houston in the NCAA Tournament. It was the Dallas Stars blowing a 5-2 lead at home to Vancouver by giving up three goals during the final minute and losing, 6-5, in overtime this past Tuesday. Never before had an NHL team scored three times during the final minute to pull out a victory.

So not only are the Stars playing to regain their pride, but also to keep alive their chances to earn the top spot in the Central Division and Western Conference. Winnipeg holds a four-point lead over the Stars for that honor. Both teams have four regular season games remaining.

The Jets can take a loss knowing they need five points to clinch the West's No. 1 spot and conclude with games against the Blackhawks, Oilers and Ducks. If the Stars lose this game, they would have to win their final three games in regulation and hope the Jets lose their three remaining games in regulation. That's not going to realistically happen.

It is a must-win spot for Dallas and the oddsmaker has made the Stars the favorite. I agree.

The Stars beat the Jets by two goals when they hosted them earlier this season. Backup goalie Case DeSmith was in net for Dallas against Vancouver. Starter Jake Oettinger is the better goalie and he's projected to be in goal here.

The Wild halted a four-game losing streak and greatly aided their chances of holding on to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference by upsetting the Stars in overtime at home this past Sunday. 

Minnesota hasn't played since. The Wild don't want to give that important victory back by losing to the lowly Sharks, who have the worst record in the Western Conference and have lost six in a row. 

The Wild have defeated the Sharks six consecutive times. That includes a 2-0 record this season with each win coming by more than one goal. 
San Jose only has scored 10 goals in its last six games. If the Sharks can't find the net, they are in big trouble as they have the worst defense in the NHL allowing an average of 3.7 goals a game. 

The Wild are not a dynamic team. But they've had ample rest and should take care of business while the Sharks hit the road for the first time in eight days.

Kudos to the Kraken for upsetting the Kings, 2-1, in Los Angeles last night. But now Seattle has to travel into high altitude to play Utah tonight.

Seattle is 0-11 this season when playing in the second of back-to-back games. All but one of those losses were by more than one goal, too. 

It's the Kraken's third game in four days and fourth road contest in the last seven days. Utah, which has a winning home record, last played on Saturday.

Making matters worse for the Kraken is they are expected to start backup goalie, Philipp Grubauer. He has a 3.52 goals against average. Seattle starting goalie Joey Daccord has played in the past three games. Daccord is much better than Grubauer with a 2.60 GAA.

The Oilers carry a heavy fatigue factor. This marks the end of their four-game, seven-day West Coast trip. Starting goalie Stuart Skinner remains out for Edmonton with a head injury. Backup Calvin Pickard has started Edmonton's last five games.

But the Oilers are going to rest Pickard here calling up career minor leaguer, Olivier Rodrigue, to make his NHL start in goal. Rodrigue is fade material. He only had an .899 save percentage with Bakersfield in the AHL this season.

Remember, the Oilers remain without Connor McDavid and their other superstar, Leon Draisaitl, missed the team's last game and is doubtful for this one.

The Ducks have won five of their last eight home games.

The Blue Jackets are playing better with three victories in their last four games. They are going for a playoff spot and play better at home. But why I really like the home 'dog Blue Jackets is the situation.

The Avalanche couldn't leave Chicago until this morning after a late night shootout victory against the Blackhawks. That just increases the fatigue factor for the Avalanche, who not only are playing without rest but also for the sixth time in eight days.

The Jets have been sailing along with a three-game win streak and being four points ahead of the Stars in the Central Division.

Now, though, the Jets head into rough waters. They take to the road for the first time since March 20 drawing the Kings in LA. The Kings have the best home record in the NHL. The Kings have won eight of their last nine home games and should be highly motivated for this challenge, especially trying to catch the Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper is right there with Connor Hellebuyck as the top goalie in the NHL this season.

The kick-the-Bruins-while-they're-down tour continues today in Anaheim. Boston has lost six in a row. The Ducks are on-pace for a 20-point improvement from last season.

I'm going to ride the Ducks' improvement and the Bruins' continued spiral descent having dealt away a number of key players. This is the Bruins' fourth straight West Coast game following losses to the Kings by five goals, a two-goal loss to the Sharks and a four goal defeat to Las Vegas.

The Ducks have had a few days to stew about a 5-2 home loss to the Hurricanes this past Sunday. They should be the more motivated team, are at home and catching the Bruins in a serious downward trend.

The Penguins have gone Over in each of their last four games. They are averaging 4.3 goals during their last six games.

Pittsburgh, though, ranks 32nd defensively. The Penguins have allowed at least three goals in 13 of their last 16 games.

The Panthers have a top-10 offense and should come out firing after a 6-3 road loss to the Capitals yesterday. 

The Blues might carry this number themselves. St. Louis is averaging 4.8 goals in its last five games. The 27th-defensively ranked Predators are projected to start backup goalie Justus Annunen. He's been terrible all season.

The Predators broke out of their scoring slump with five goals against the Maple Leafs on Saturday. 

This game has a sluggish aspect to it with a rare 1 p.m. West Coast starting time for a Kings home game.

The Kings just finished road games against the Wild and Blackhawks with a Thursday night game in Chicago. LA is not going to be helped by this early start time. Neither is Carolina. The Hurricanes just got past the Sharks in San Jose this past Thursday night.

Both teams are in excellent defensive form.

The Hurricanes haven't permitted more than two goals in each of their last eight games. They are giving up an average of only 1.2 goals a game during this stretch.

The Kings have been just as stingy recently allowing only five goals during their past five games.

The Jets are an underdog for only the second time since February. Winnipeg is 47-18-4 and has an NHL-best plus 77 point differential. 

Yet the oddsmaker has installed Edmonton as the favorite because the Oilers are home, riding a three-game win streak and Winnipeg is off a bad loss.
Note that the Oilers have built their win streak against Utah, the Rangers and Islanders. 

It's also worth noticing that Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm didn't participate in Edmonton's Wednesday practice. So it wouldn't be shocking if any of them missed today's game.

Even if all four of these key players are in the lineup, I still like the prideful Jets to bounce back after an embarrassing, 6-2, road loss to the Canucks two days ago. The Jets had won five of their previous six games before that defeat.

Just based on history, I have to take a shot on the Over here. The Over has cashed 12 of the last 13 times the Blues and Predators have met, including nine of the past 10 times. There were 11 goals scored in the earlier meeting between these teams this season.

The Blues are averaging six goals a game during their past two games. They've reached at least three goals in 12 of their last 13 games.

The Predators are averaging four goals a game during their past couple of home contests. They also draw St. Louis backup goalie, Joel Hofer.

Not only have the Canadiens been outstanding following the break, but they catch the Flames in a vulnerable situational spot.

Montreal is 5-1 coming off the 4 Nations tournament. The Canadiens' lone loss during this span came to the Oilers on the road in overtime this past Thursday.

The Flames just concluded a six-game road trip, their longest of the season, with an overtime loss against the Stars in Dallas this past Thursday. All together, the Flames' flew nearly 7,000 miles on their road swing. This will be their fifth game in eight days.

Calgary hasn't played a home game since Feb. 23. Not only could the Flames' concentration be off since they were gone from home for so long, but they carry a high fatigue rating and are having trouble putting the puck in the net.

If you discount a six-goal performance versus the defensively-challenged Flyers, the Flames have scored just three goals in their past four games. They have scored three or fewer goals in 11 of their last 12 games.

Montreal, by contrast, has scored four or more goals in five of its last six games.

This is a kill spot for Colorado. The Avalanche have won three in a row, all by more than two goals.

Have to ride Dallas' hot offense and Over streak. The Stars have gone Over in 10 of their last 11 games. Dallas has scored 4 or more goals in 10 of these past 11 games. The Stars are averaging 5.3 goals per game in their last six games.

The Devils have a better than average offense and should play with a great deal of urgency offensively after being shut out by the Golden Knights two days ago. The Devils catch a break with Dallas backup goalie Casey DeSmith getting the start.

As good as the Golden Knights are, I don't see them beating the Kings in LA. The Kings have the best home record in the NHL at 18-3-2. The price certainly is low enough to back the Kings.

Los Angeles ranks sixth defensively and sixth in penalty killing. Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper is having a big season with a .917 save percentage, 2.22 GAA and a 12.1 goals saved above average. 

The Golden Knights rank seventh defensively, but are 22nd on the penalty kill. Las Vegas also is without one of its better defensemen as Shea Theodore is week-to-week with an upper body injury suffered during the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. 

Las Vegas is riding a three-game win streak. Prior to that, though, the Golden Knights had dropped four in a row. Las Vegas also is just 3-6 during its past nine road games.

The Avalanche buried the Blues, 5-0, in the first meeting between the two teams. Colorado has been solid on the road going 17-13 while the Blues have a losing home record.

Both teams played on Saturday and lost. The Avalanche outshot Nashville, 32-17, yet still lost, 2-1. Colorado is 4-0 the past four times when playing without rest. I like the Avalanche to bounce back.

Backup Eric Comrie has been confirmed as the starting goalie for Winnipeg. Joel Hofer is probable to start in net for St. Louis.

I like the goalie matchup enough for St. Louis that I'm going to back the home underdog Blues.

Comrie is journeyman of limited talent. It's a monster drop-off from Connor Hellebuyck to Comrie.

Hofer is from Winnipeg. He's going to be extremely motivated. Hofer stopped 22 of 23 shots when the Blues beat the Jets, 4-1, in Winnipeg this past December.

The Stars are likely to catch a big break as I don't think Jack Hughes, the Devils' leading points producer, is going to play after his participation in the  4 Nations tournament that didn't conclude until late Thursday night.

Dallas has defeated New Jersey in six of the last nine meetings. The Stars also have beaten the Devils four consecutive times on the road.

As road chalk, the Stars have won 13 of the past 20 times.

I'm backing the home underdog Predators in the belief the Avalanche will be resting  their two major stars, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Those two played in the 4 Nations tournament and would only have one day of rest before having to suit up again.

Colorado plays at St. Louis on Sunday. So it makes more sense to rest MacKinnon and Makar on Saturday.

Unlike the rest of the NHL teams, the Capitals were not represented in the 4 Nations Tournament, which was decided late Thursday night.

So the Capitals enter this matchup fully rested and prepared.

Not so for the Penguins. Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan and team points leader, Sidney Crosby, were involved in the 4 Nations Face-Off with Sullivan coaching Team USA. Sullivan isn't going to have enough time to fully game plan for this game, especially with an early start time. Crosby is likely to be sitting out due to the short turnaround.

Washington is far superior to Pittsburgh with 25  more points in the standings. Throw in the situational edge and Pittsburgh's 32nd defensive ranking and I see a Capitals' blowout here.

Goalie Thatcher Demko is looking like his old self. That's great news for Vancouver. Demko has given up only five goals in his last four starts. Vancouver has yielded two or fewer goals during regulation in six of its last seven games. The Canucks are 5-1-1 during this span.

Yet the Canucks find themselves home underdogs to Toronto. I get it. The Maple Leafs have the better record and are 3-0 on their current road trip with victories against the Kraken, Flames and Oilers. This is the finale of their four-game road swing.

Vancouver, though, beat the Maple Leafs, 3-0, at Toronto on Jan. 11. The Canucks also defeated the Maple Leafs at home last season.

The Canucks are off an ugly road win against the Sharks from Thursday. They should play much better here. The Maple Leafs are fat and happy. This marks their third road game in five days. I don't see them sweeping their road trip.

These two teams met two weeks ago in Ottawa. Neither team could score during regulation. The Capitals won, 1-0, in overtime.

The low score is not surprising. It's part of a 10-game streak where there have been fewer than six goals scored in Washington's games. All 10 of the Capitals' last 10 games have gone Under.

Logan Thompson has been outstanding in net for Washington. The Capitals are giving up an average of one goal per game in regulation during their past 10 games. Thompson has been in goal for all but two of those games.

Amazingly, the Senators are 19-2-4 to the Under in their last 25 games. Ottawa has surrendered two or fewer goals in eight of its last 10 games, while managing only seven goals in its past five games.

Not only are the Penguins just 8-14-5 on the road, they've only scored one goal in four of their last five games. If the Penguins aren't scoring goals, they're doomed because they rank 32nd defensively giving up 3.6 goals a game. 

The Penguins are struggling as they conclude their seven-game, two-week road trip with this game against Utah. This marks Pittsburgh's fourth game in seven days, all at different arenas. The Penguins have lost their last three games by an 11-to-3 margin falling to the Sharks, Kraken and Ducks. Pittsburgh is 3-11 in its last 14 overall games.

Making this even more of a road challenge for the tired Penguins is this game is being played at an elevation of 4,265 feet, which is around 3,500 feet more than what the Penguins are used to in Pittsburgh. 

Utah has had two full days of rest to get ready for this home matchup after losing its past two games at Ottawa and at Winnipeg. 

Utah ranks 16th defensively, 16 spots higher than Pittsburgh. Utah also has won its past two home games, beating the Jets and Blues.

The Kings and Jets are the only Western Conference teams with fewer home losses than Calgary. The Flames are 14-6-3 at home this season. They last played on Saturday and have had a couple of strong practices in anticipation of this matchup.

Buffalo, by contrast, is playing its third road game in four days. The Sabres are giving up 4.2 goals per game in their last five games. Calgary has allowed two or fewer goals in five of its last six games.

The Flames are the superior team, are home and have a far better situational edge going. The price is low enough to back them.

This is a good price to get the Flames at home where they play much better. Calgary is 13-5-3 at home compared to 5-8-4 on the road. 

Nashville is playing without rest after shutting out the Canucks, 3-0, at Vancouver last night. Juuse Saros was in net for the Predators in that one so backup goalie Justus Annunen is expected to be in goal tonight. The Predators lost, 5-3, to the Wild on the road in Annunen's last start five days ago.

The Flames won't lack motivation after a 5-3 home loss to Utah two days ago. 

I'm expecting a strong offensive effort from the Lightning after they've scored a combined three goals in their last two games, upset losses to the Sharks and Canadiens. Tampa Bay is the No. 1 scoring team in the NHL averaging 3.9 goals a game.

The Kings have been very tough at home. They've won eight in a row at home while scoring 4 or more goals during each of their seven home contests. 

It's hard for the oddsmaker to hang a 7 on a total. But it would have been justified in this matchup.

The Lightning are the No. 1 scoring team in the NHL averaging 3.9 goals a game. Tampa Bay has scored 3 or more goals in 12 of its last 14 games. The Lightning are averaging 5 goals a game in each of their past two contests. 

Now Tampa Bay draws Montreal, which allows an average of 3.6 goals a game. That ranks 31st. 

Montreal has been hot, too, averaging 4.6 goals in each of its last five games. During this span, the Canadiens have scored at least 4 goals each time. 

Have to fade the Kings, who are playing their seventh road game in 12 days. This is the last game of the Kings' long road trip. It's LA's third game in four days and second in two days after losing in overtime to the Predators in Nashville on Saturday. This is a day time start, too, which doesn't help the Kings' fatigue factor.

The Capitals are 10-4-2 at home and have a better record than the Kings.

The Islanders are the better team and this spot sets up well for them. 

New York last played this past Saturday, shutting out Buffalo, 3-0. Montreal will be playing for the third time in four days.

The Canadiens are the worst defensive team in the NHL giving up an average of 3.8 goals a game. They also are the third most penalized team in the league, while the Islanders have drawn the fewest penalty minutes. 

The Islanders have a huge edge in net, too, with Ilya Sorokin, who has a 2.52 GAA and a .915 save percentage. 

The Blues are 2-0 since Jim Montgomery took over as head coach. The Blues scored 3-0 and 5-2 road victories against the Devils and Rangers in this span. 

Now the Blues come home and their fans are sure to be fired up. 

The visiting Flyers are in a letdown spot after upsetting the Rangers at home on Friday. It's also the Flyers' fourth game in six days. 

The Jets have cooled off going a mediocre 3-3 in their last half dozen games. This marks Winnipeg's fourth road game in six days so the Jets face a fatigue factor.

The Kings are out for redemption after an embarrassing, 7-2, road loss to the Sharks two days ago. The Kings were huge favorites in that game. Before that defeat, the Kings had given up only four goals in their previous four games.

Note, too, that teams are 5-1 following a loss to the Sharks this season. 

The Panthers nearly covered this total by themselves when the two teams met three days ago scoring five goals. Florida is the fifth-highest scoring team in the NHL.

The Jets should be going all out with rapid revenge for that 5-0 loss to the Panthers this past Saturday.

Winnipeg is the highest-scoring team in the league averaging 4.4 goals per game. The Jets also rank No. 1 on the power play. 

Even against the Ducks, the Golden Knights can't be such a big road favorite. Las Vegas is 1-5 in its six away games this season. Las Vegas hasn't been getting good goaltending from Aiden Hill and is 0-2 in its last two games. 

The Ducks play much better at home where they are 3-4. Anaheim also has a rest advantage having lasted played on Sunday. 

This isn't an ordinary home opener for the Blue Jackets. The team and fans are going to honor the lives of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, who were tragically killed by a drunk driver. It's going to be highly emotional - and I want Columbus going for me in this spot.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers just nipped the Bruins, 4-3, in Boston on Monday. So it's a back-to-back situation for Florida.

Sergei Bobrovsky was in net against the Bruins. That means the Blue Jackets will see backup goalie Spencer Knight. The Blue Jackets catch another break in that Matthew Tkachuk is ill and won't play for Florida.

The Blue Jackets showed they are capable of pulling upsets as they defeated the Avalanche in Colorado, 6-4, this past Saturday in their last game.

The Canucks are going to be steaming mad after blowing a 4-1 lead to the Flames in a 6-5 opening season loss two days ago. Vancouver is going to get goals, but its defense needs fixing. I don't think the Canucks can fix it this early in the season. They also are starting third-string goalie Kevin Lankinen, who I have little faith in. Starting goalie Thatcher Demko is sidelined with a knee injury. 

The Flyers should have plenty of energy with this being their first game. They scored 5 goals in their last preseason game against the Devils.

The Oilers are the flashier team and of course they have Connor McDavid. Credit to them for not giving up after the Panther won the first three games of this Stanley Cup Final. But I don't see Florida losing three in a row to Edmonton.

The Panthers are the strongest road team in the NHL with a 33-13-5 record. They have won 70 percent of their away games during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Oilers have drawn 11 penalties in the last two games. Sergei Bobrovsky has cooled off in net. Look for the well-coached Panthers to curb their penalties and for Bobrovsky to regain his earlier elite form. That will prove enough for the Panthers to get out of Edmonton with the series-clinching winner.

The bad news for the Oilers is they are down 2-0 in their Stanley Cup Final against Florida. The good news is they finally get to play in Edmonton and 11 of the past 14 Stanley Cup finalists who trailed 2-0 in a series won Game 3.

The Oilers have played better than the final scores in the first two games indicate.

Sergei Bobrovsky has been a difference-maker in goal for the Panthers. He can't play better, only worse and now he's on the road.

Edmonton is 0-for-7 in power play opportunities in the series. I don't see that continuing. I regard the Oilers' power play as the most deadly in hockey.

The situational factor is more than just Edmonton getting to play at home. The Oilers have been in Edmonton for the past two days while the Panthers' flight was delayed three hours by storms. They didn't arrive in Edmonton until this morning. That's not ideal traveling.

I have the Oilers going for me in this Game 3. If my handicap is correct, then I don't see a low-scoring game. So that is the basis for me liking the Over.

Edmonton has been stopped by the great goaltending of Sergei Bobrovsky. But now the Oilers get to play at home. Bobrovsky can only get worse. Being home should rejuvenate the Oilers, who are in must-win mode down 2-0 in the series.

The Oilers are averaging four goals a game in their nine Stanley Cup home games. They have a top-four offense and one of the most deadly power plays. Florida has killed off all seven of the Oilers' power-play opportunities during the series. I see that changing here.

I get that Sergei Bobrovsky is a problem for Edmonton, a serious problem. He's an outstanding goalie and he's hot having given up two or fewer goals in 11 of his last 12 games.

But I want the Oilers at an underdog price going for me in this Game 2.

Yes, the Panthers and Bobrovsky shut out the Oilers, 3-0, in Game 1. But there are takeaways from that game that have me believing the Oilers are an excellent value here.

Edmonton outshot Florida, 32-17. That's not a surprise since the Oilers led the NHL in shots on goal. However, the Oilers showed they were the faster skating team and dangerous on the attack where the Panthers are more counter punchers. The Oilers had breakaway chances and opportunities in the slot. Florida caught a lot of luck in that game.

The Oilers also have the stars in Connor McDavid, Leon Draisitl and Zach Hyman. I don't see them coming away empty for a second straight game.

The Oilers lack the Panthers' Stanley Cup Championship Series experience. The Panthers have the superior goaltending with Sergei Bobrovsky and are the better 5-on-5 team. They've gone against stronger goaltending in the playoffs, too.

Home ice can't be discounted either with the Panthers' getting the last line change. The Oilers only were 21-20 on the road during the regular season. I don't trust them for this opening game of the finals being the road team.

So far in the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Rangers beat the Capitals twice on the road and also defeated the Hurricanes two times on the road. They defeated the Panthers earlier this series in Florida and certainly are capable of doing it again. 

The Rangers are 5-2 in playoff road games. They are resilient and due to break out of a 1-for-14 power play slump having ranked third in the NHL in power play percentage. 

Florida actually had a better road mark than home record during the regular season. 

Each of the last four games in this series has been decided by one goal, with three games going into overtime. 

So at this plus price, I'm going to back the Rangers.

This Western Conference Stanley Cup Finals is tied 2-2 with the teams now playing in Dallas. But I'm convinced the Oilers are the better team. I backed them in Game 4 and they came through scoring five unanswered goals in a 5-2 home victory two days ago.

I'm riding with the Oilers as an underdog for this Game 5. Edmonton is 5-3 on the road in the Stanley Cup with all of the losses being extremely close.

The Oilers have dominated shots on goal in this series and I give them a big edge on special teams. Edmonton hasn't surrendered a power play goal in its last eight games and has a deadly power play.

Then there's the matter of Dallas defenseman Chris Tanev. He suffered a foot injury in Game 4 and could be out.

The Oilers have been down this road before. They trailed the Canucks, 2-1, in their previous Stanley Cup playoff series. Edmonton won that crucial Game 4. The Oilers also won Game 4 in their opening-round series against the Kings.

I like the Oilers to even the series with a home victory here against the Stars, down 2-1 in the best-of-seven series following a 5-3 home loss to Dallas this past Monday.

Edmonton has taken more shots on goal than Dallas in each game of the series. The Oilers have the deadlier power-play and Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane are past due for big performances. They've combined for just one goal in the series after combining for 83 goals during the regular season.

I respect the Stars' ability to win on the road. The Oilers, though, are averaging 4.75 goals during their past eight home games. Their defense is better than it showed in Game 3 when they allowed five goals, one on an empty-netter, after giving up a 2-0 first period lead. Edmonton had allowed just eight goals in their previous four games, an average of two per game during that span.

The total went Over in Game 1 of the Bruins-Panthers series. The total also went Over in Game 1 of the Rangers' last series, played against the Hurricanes. I expect at least six goals in this Game 1 matchup. 

The Rangers last played six days ago. The Panthers have been idle for five days. So look for fast legs and goalie rustiness. 

The Panthers took the second-most shots during the regular season, ranked eighth on the power play and 11th in scoring.

The Rangers were seventh in scoring and had the third-most effective power play. The Rangers have produced 3 or more goals in 11 of their last 12 games. 

Dallas finished with the best record in the Western Conference and the Stars have taken over this series against Las Vegas winning three in a row. The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are on the verge of elimination now. I don't see them getting up to make the count.

Las Vegas hasn't been able to get its attack in gear. The Golden Knights are going against a hot Jake Oettinger and haven't scored more than two goals in any of the last three games.

The Stars had a season-best 26-10-5 road mark. They look fresher and more confident than Las Vegas.

Credit Toronto with a gutty, 2-1, road win against the Bruins in Game 5 to stay alive in their Stanley Cup series.

But do you trust the Maple Leafs to follow up that victory with a home win?

I don't. Toronto is 1-5 in its last six home games, including 0-2 during this series. The Maple Leafs were 1-5 at home in Stanley Cup action last season.

The Bruins didn't play up to their standards in Game 5 yet still almost won.

The Maple Leafs are averaging only 1.8 goals a game during the series and could be minus Auston Matthews, the NHL's leading goal scorer. He's questionable due to illness.

After a pair of one-goal road losses to the Panthers, the price is right to back the Lightning at home for Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Series. The frustrated Lightning probably should have won Tuesday's Game 2, but were defeated in overtime.

Florida lost second-line center Sam Bennett in its Game 2 victory.

Tampa Bay is 25-11-4-1 on home ice. The Lightning have the top power play unit in the NHL. It's hard to imagine Sergei Bobrovsky being as good in net as he was in Game 2 when he was absolutely spectacular for Florida.

There's a lot of built-in pressure on the Canucks hosting their first Stanley Cup game in nine years. I believe the Predators - an excellent road team at 24-14-3 - can steal this first one in Vancouver.

I have a lot of faith and respect for forward Filip Forsberg, defenseman Roman Josi and goalie Juuse Saros, all of whom rank among the best at their respective positions. 

Vancouver did sweep Nashville, 3-0, during the regular season. However, all three of those victories came before Christmas. The Predators became a much stronger team during the second half of the season.

Boston owned Toronto during the regular season winning all four games, including capturing the last two meetings by three goals apiece in each game. 

Toronto has a sad playoff history and enters this opening game matchup on a four-game losing streak giving up 22 goals during this span.

Defense always is a key especially in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Bruins ranked sixth defensively. They held Toronto to one goal each during the previous two meetings. 

The Maple Leafs were 21st defensive and 23rd on the penalty kill.

At this price, I'm going to take a shot on the Blackhawks. The Kings have clinched a playoff berth. So they could be resting players to get ready for the Stanley Cup.

The Kings still could clinch third place in the Pacific Division if they win and somehow the visiting heavily underdog Ducks upset the Golden Knights. But even if that were to happen, the Kings would meet the Oilers in the first round. That's not an ideal matchup for the Kings, who have been eliminated in the first round by Edmonton each of the past two seasons.

Chicago has lost five in a row. Prior to that, though, the Blackhawks upset the Stars. The Blackhawks also played the Golden Knights tough in Las Vegas during their previous game. Chicago trailed by one goal late in the game before pulling its goalie and losing by two goals when the Golden Knights scored an empty net goal.

I'm going to accept this price on the home underdog Coyotes, who are likely playing their final game in Arizona. The team is expected to move to Salt Lake City next season.

The Coyotes are 4-2 in their last six games. Playing at 5,000-seat Mullett Arena on the Arizona State campus is tough enough for opponents, but it should be especially difficult for the Oilers because of the Coyotes' added motivation.

"We want to play our last game with class, with respect and give the best effort that crowd can expect," Coyotes coach Andre Tourigny was quoted as saying. "We want to make sure we are remembered as a group who fought with every last ounce we have in our body."

The Oilers have had a wild ride this season. But they have secured home-ice advantage for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. This is just their second road game in two weeks.

I see the Red Wings winning this game by multiple goals. It's Detroit's final regular season home game and the Red Wings are fired-up after upsetting the Maple Leafs on the road this past Saturday. That dramatic overtime victory keep the Red Wings' playoff hopes alive.

The Canadiens are 1-5 in their last six games and out of playoff contention. 

Vancouver is leading the Pacific Division. But the Canucks have been struggling since losing their top goalie, Thatcher Demko, to a lower body injury.

The Canucks are 2-4 in their last six games and 5-6 in their past 11 games. None of the victories during this span have been against a playoff team.

The Golden Knights are the best team the Canucks have played in this time frame. Las Vegas is going to be highly motivated after shockingly blowing a 4-1 lead to Arizona in a stunning, 7-4, road loss to the Coyotes this past Friday. The Golden Knights had the weekend to stew about that defeat.

That loss snapped a three-game Golden Knights' win streak. Las Vegas is 6-2 in its last eight games.

The Golden Knights will get a boost, too, with Tomas Hertl in the lineup for the first time since he was acquired from the Sharks a month ago. He had been out with a knee injury.

Las Vegas has scored four or more goals in four of its last five games. The Canucks have allowed 13 goals in their last three games. There's a huge drop-off from Thatcher to backups Casey DeSmith or Arturs Silovs.

The Coyotes have a winning record at Mullett Arena. They've won five of their last seven home games.

Vancouver is not in good form. The Canucks have lost three of their last four games, including a bad, 6-3, road loss to the Golden Knights last night.

Third-string goalie Arturs Silovs is expected to be in net for the Canucks today. This would only be his second NHL start of the season. Arizona has scored 19 goals in its last three games.

Nashville is a blistering 15-2 in its last 17 games with five consecutive victories. The Predators are riding a franchise-record 17-game point streak.

The Predators are home and have had ample rest and preparation time. Their last game was this past Saturday in Nashville.

Las Vegas has won three in a row, but played bad offenses during this stretch and have a high fatigue rating. The Golden Knights also could be starting third-string goalie Jiri Patera.

This is the Golden Knights' fourth game in six days and second in two nights. Their three straight victories have been against the Blues (26th in scoring), Blue Jackets (31st in scoring) and Kraken (29th in scoring).

The last time Las Vegas played a strong offensive team was four games ago in a 5-3 home loss to the Lightning.

The Golden Knights just got through nipping the Blues on the road, 2-1, in overtime Monday night. Logan Thompson was outstanding in goal for Las Vegas.

Las Vegas, though, brought up Patera this past Sunday with the expectation that he likely would be in net for this game since Thompson played last night and Adin Hill was injured this past Saturday. Patera has by far the highest goals against average of Las Vegas' three goalies at 3.75. Patera has made five appearances this season and has a 1-3 record.

The Predators rank 12th in scoring and have allowed only five goals during their past five games.

The home 'dog Blues are not getting enough respect here. All the Blues have done is go 6-1 in their last seven games with the only loss during this span coming to the Avalanche by one goal.

St. Louis has scored at least three goals in each of its last seven games. The Golden Knights' defense is down from last season. 

Colorado is fat and happy having won the first three games of its road trip. This is the Avalanche's final game of that road trip. 

The Avalanche also are going with backup Justus Annumen in net. 

The Blues are playing well having won four in a row. They've given up only six goals during this four-game span. 

Where did this come from? The Blackhawks have scored seven goals in each of their last two games blasting the Coyotes, 7-4, and Ducks, 7-2.

Star rookie Connor Bedard is sparking the Blackhawks producing eight points during these past two games.

The Kings have allowed three or more goals in three of their last four games.

LA, though, should score a lot here. The Blackhawks rank 29th defensively surrendering 3.5 goals per game. They will have Arvid Soderblom in net. He's one of the worst goalies in the league.

This is more than a fair price to back the Red Wings, off an embarrassing nationally televised road loss to the Avalanche two days ago. You couldn't ask for more of a step down spot for Detroit as the Coyotes have dropped 16 of their last 18 games. 

Arizona is playing without rest and the team is in a transition stage due to trades.