At 8:20 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (52) versus the Florida Panthers (51) in Game Five of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: Vegas (66-26-11) has won four of their last five games after their 3-2 victory on the road against the Panthers on Saturday. Florida (55-40-7) has lost four of their last five games as they now trail attempt to stave off elimination trailing 3-1 in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Many bettors will be tempted to zig-zag by backing Florida in this game because it is a simple and easy formula —  but what I observed was a beaten team in the waning moments of Game Four. The Panthers got their first power play opportunity with 17 seconds left in game after Alex Pietrangelo drew a delay of game penalty by knocking the puck into the stands. With a six-on-four advantage with goalie Sergei Bobrovsky pulled Florida could not beat Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill in a furious fury as time expired. Frustrated, Brandon Montour of the Panthers skated a few feet forward to cheat shot Vegas’ Brayden McNabb with his back turned. His actions triggered a post-game melee that even Hill got involved with for a few moments before getting out of there. That event provided a synopsis of this series: Florida, the bully, now getting bullied (and out-maneuvered) by a season Golden Knights team. The Panthers' physical style had great success against Toronto and Carolina en route to their Eastern Conference Finals triumph. But this mentality along with the commitment to forechecking is standard operating procedure to play against for this Golden Knights team that has learned to engage and thrive with these tactics since their inaugural season in the Pacific Division. The Los Angeles Kings became the standard bearer for this approach a decade ago— and the San Jose Sharks adopted it. The Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer later became the coach for the Knights — and it was the DeBoer’s latest team the Dallas Stars that Vegas had to beat in the Western Conference Finals. The underlying metrics support the Golden Knights’ dominance in this series. They registered 3.7 expected goals (xG) in Game Four while holding Florida to 2.49 xG. In their 3-2 overtime loss on the road in Game Three, they won the xG battle by a 3.71-2.9 margin. The only game that the Golden Knights lost the xG numbers was in Game Two by a narrow 2.84-2.65 margin. The scoreboard has Vegas taking that game by a 7-2 score (showing the limitations of xG as not the end-all, be-all). For the series, the Golden Knights are dominating Florida by a 14.85-10.82 xG margin. And now Matthew Tkachuk is hurt with a left shoulder that seems to be a by-product of the hit he took in Game Three. Despite trailing in the third period, he stayed on the bench for 10:41 straight minutes before going on the ice late in that game. He did not practice on Monday and is questionable to play. Even if he plays, he will not be 100%. His three overtime-winning goals have been critical for the Panthers to win all seven of their overtime games in these playoffs. Florida’s success in winning close games obscures that they have actually been outscored this postseason. Is this a team that simply rode the hot goaltending of Bobrovsky? The Panthers will have resolve tonight with the confidence that they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to upset the President Trophy-winning Boston Bruins. But that was a divisional rivalry against a Bruins team playing with tons of pressure after their historic regular season. Florida did win last year’s President’s Trophy — but this is still a team that lacks deep playoff experience before now. This Golden Knights team has been building to this moment since their expansion season when they reached the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Washington. This team has been underrated by the analytics and the oddsmakers entering the postseason given all the injuries they sustained during the regular season — most notably with Mark Stone missing most of the season. Before Jack Eichel arrived, he was the team’s best player. Now he anchors a third line away from the Eichel line that is thriving with Jonathan Marchessault. Vegas may have the best fourth line in the NHL. And the other forward line involves William Karlsson, the best offensive player on the 2016-17 squad that reached the Cup Finals — and who is the team’s best defensive forward. Back at home, head coach Bruce Cassidy has the advantage of the last-line choice — so he can ensure Karlsson is always playing against Tkachuk who only scored once in the first two games in this series in Las Vegas. Remember, it was Karlsson that was critical for the Knights’ slowing down Connor McDavid in the Western Conference Semifinals against Edmonton. Vegas outscored the Panthers by a whopping 12 to 4 margin in the first two games at home in this series. They have won 20 of their last 26 games at home. Additionally, the Golden Knights have won 20 of their last 29 games after a win by one goal — and they have won 11 of their last 15 games after a win on the road by one goal. Hill continues to exceed expectations — but the unsung heroes are his supporting cast willing to put their bodies on the line to block shots. In Game Four, Vegas blocked 30 shots to Florida’s 15 blocks. And Cassidy deserves tons of credit for implementing a defensive scheme that operates as a passive 1-4 zone approach from the New Jersey Devils of last decade. It has allowed the Knights to continually have success despite rotating goaltenders all season.

FINAL TAKE: Florida has lost 9 of their last 13 games when attempting to avenge a loss by one goal to their opponent — and they have lost 7 in a row in Las Vegas against the Golden Knights. The money-line price opened in the -145 price range — and I released the play soon after. News of the Tkachuk’s injury has pushed the price up to the -160s range, which is above my -150 price threshold. That threshold is a guideline rather than a rule written in stone. It helps keep me from investing in pricy favorites which can be Fool’s Gold. If you can’t get a price at -150 or lower, it’s fine — and I still recommend the play. While the early bird catches the worm, dealing with line movement is part of the business. Under the short-term microscope of a Stanley Cup Finals game, the price is fine as I expect Lord Stanley’s Cup to be raised on Tuesday. 25* NHL Game of the Year with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (52) versus the Florida Panthers (51). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:20 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (49) versus the Florida Panthers (50) in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: Vegas (65-26-11) had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 3-2 loss on the road against the Panthers on Thursday. Florida (55-39-7) ended their two-game losing streak to win their first game in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas outshot the Panthers on Thursday by a 27 to 23 margin — and they won the expected goals battle by a 3.71 to 2.9 mark. But the Golden Knights failed to take a 3-0 series lead by losing this coin-flip game in overtime after Matthew Tkachuk tied the game with just over two minutes left in the third period. Head coach Bruce Cassidy has some things to clean up on defense after a shot off the boards left them exposed on that game-winning goal. Vegas has been resilient in these playoffs — and they have a big edge in deep playoff experience over the Panthers in this series. The Golden Knights have won 12 of their last 17 games after losing on the road in their previous game — and they have won 10 of their last 12 games after a loss by just one goal on the road in their previous contest. Vegas has also won 15 of their last 21 games on the road. Florida avoided truly dire straits by trailing in this series by a 3-0 margin by forcing overtime with just over two minutes left in regulation time. But the Panthers are losing in the special teams battle in this series. Vegas has scored six goals on the power play in this series while converting 35.3% of the time against Florida when they have the man advantage. Both their goals on Thursday were on the power play. The formula for success for the Panthers has become clear: stop trying to out-muscle the Golden Knights, settle for lower-scoring games, and make it a battle between Sergei Bobrovsky and Hill. Florida was able to bully Toronto and Carolina — but Vegas is well-versed in playing heavy hockey so these tactics are old hat to them. Bobrovsky had his best game in this series as he stopped 25 of the 27 shots he faced. Vegas entered this series seeming to struggle with their Power Play Kill Unit in the postseason — but much of that is due to having to deal with the historically elite power play of the Edmonton Oilers this season. Connor McDavid and company scored 14 power-play goals in 23 chances in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Golden Knights have been perfect in this series by thwarting the Panthers in all 12 of their power play chances. Hill played his worst game in this series by allowing three goals — but he did not play badly, per se, as he posted a -0.1 GSAx indicating he was about average. I do not see a sudden blow-up coming from Hill since he is protected by head coach Bruce Cassidy’s sophisticated defensive system which is a passive version of the old New Jersey Devils’ 1-4 scheme. Cassidy is happy to have his team counter-attack with all their scoring talent. We had the Over in Game Three as I expected Florida to come out very aggressive (and perhaps the early injury to Matthew Tkachuk compelled them to change tactics). But after attempting 35 and 31 shots in the first two games of this series, the Panthers only took those 23 shots on Thursday including the game-winner in overtime.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas has beaten the Panthers in 7 of their last 10 games against them. 10* NHL Vegas-Florida TNT Special with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (49) versus the Florida Panthers (50). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:00 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (44) versus the Florida Panthers (43) in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: Vegas (63-26-10) has won six of their last eight games after their 6-0 victory in Dallas to win the Western Conference Finals in six games on Monday. Florida (54-37-7) has won five games in a row — and 11 of their last 12 — after their 4-3 win at home against Carolina to complete their four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals back on May 24th.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been spectacular in the postseason with +19.6 Goals Saved Above Expectation. He has masked what has been other ways mediocre play from the Florida defense. The Panthers are allowing 3.61 expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in these playoffs which is the worst mark of all 16 teams to play in the postseason. With ten days off since last taking the ice, will Bobrovsky experience any rust? Because if Bobrovsky does not have his A-Game, Florida is probably in trouble. The Panthers have allowed 10 or more High Danger Chances in six straight games. They have arguably been outplayed in six straight playoff games — including all four games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Hurricanes — but it was Bobrovskys’ stellar play that made the difference. Florida has an expected Goals-For share of 46.6% in the playoffs which ranks last amongst playoff teams. In their last six games, they only have a 41.7% expected Goals-For share. They have been outshot by 12 or more shots in three straight games after their epic four-overtime affair in the opening game of their series with Carolina — and they have then lost 32 of their last 52 games after taking at least eight fewer shots than their opponent in three straight games. Florida has also lost 8 of their last 11 opening games to a new series. The Panthers have played in six overtime games in these playoffs — and they have won them all. They have played won five straight games decided by one goal including all four games against the Hurricanes. After three losses by more than one goal in the first four games against Boston, they have won nine of their last ten games that were decided by one goal. The margins have been razor-thin. Vegas has won eight of their 12 games in the postseason by more than one goal. They have won 6 of their last 9 games decided by four or more goals. They have also won 5 of their last 7 games when playing with three or more days of rest. The Golden Knights host the first two games in this series — and they have won 6 of their last 9 home games at home with the Total set at 5.5.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams split their two regular-season games with the Panthers winning the last meeting by a 2-1 score at home on March 7th. Vegas has won 10 of their last 13 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they scored only one goal. 10* NHL Florida-Vegas TNT Special with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (44) versus the Florida Panthers (43). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (22) versus the Dallas Stars (21) in Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Vegas (62-25-10) had their five-game winning streak snapped on Thursday with a 3-2 loss in overtime on the road against the Stars. Dallas (55-26-18) still trails by a 3-1 margin in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas has bounced back to win 12 of their last 16 games after losing on the road — and they have won 10 of their last 11 games after a loss on the road by one goal. The Golden Knights have also won 11 of their last 12 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last contest. The last three games in this series have finished Under the Total — and Vegas has won 15 of their last 21 games after playing two or more Unders in a row. Despite the loss, the team continues to get great goaltending from Adin Hill who stopped 39 of 42 shots on Thursday. Hill had +1.81 Goals Saved Above Expectation in Game Four -- giving him an impressive +7.81 GSAx mark in the postseason. He has won six of his eight postseason starts with a 2.07 Goals-Against-Average and a .938 save percentage. Vegas is better than their regular season statistics suggest due to a slew of injuries — but they are close to full strength now. Having Mark Stone back on the ice to anchor one of the forward lines while joining Jack Eichel on the power play makes the Golden Knights one of the most explosive scoring attacks in the league. They have won 37 of their last 55 games against teams with a winning record. Vegas has also won 23 of their last 32 games at home including six of their last seven in these playoffs. Home ice advantage is of particular importance tonight for head coach Bruce Cassidy given the suspension of the Stars captain Jamie Benn. Dallas only has two formidable scoring lines with Benn serving the second game of his two-game suspension and right wing Evgenii Dadonov out with an injury — they both anchored the third line. The home team gets the final shift change which will help ensure Cassidy gets his preferred blue-line pairings against the Stars' top-two lines while getting his choice as to when he wants his William Karlsson forward line on the ice to deploy his elite defensive skills. Dallas has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 16 of their last 26 games after a victory at home. The Stars have also lost 4 straight games after allowing two goals or less in their last contest — and they have lost 13 of their last 17 games after playing three straight Unders. They got their best game in this series from goalie Jake Oettinger who stopped 37 of the 39 shots he has faced. But Oettinger has been inconsistent this postseason with a 2.94 GAA and a .899 save percentage in 17 starts — and he has been pulled three times due to poor play.

FINAL TAKE: The Stars won the overtime battle on Thursday — but when Benn lost control and drove his stick into Stone’s throat to “brace his fall to the ice” early in Game Four, Dallas probably lost the war. Playing on the road down the street from the Hollywood Sports office was already going to be tough enough — but to do it without their captain (and Dadonov) is too much to overcome against a Golden Knights team that has won 28 of their last 39 games when motivated by revenge. 25* NHL Western Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (22) versus the Dallas Stars (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (14) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (13) in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Dallas (54-25-18) has lost three of their last four games after their 3-2 loss in overtime on the road on Sunday. Vegas (61-25-9) has won four games in a row while taking a 2-0 lead in this series with both victories coming in overtime.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas outplayed the Golden Knights on Sunday. They held them to just 24 shots — and they won the expected goals battle by a 3.24 to 2.88 margin. The Stars have a 52.39% expected goals share mark in this series. They should play well tonight in this crucial third game. Dallas has won 13 of their last 20 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 9 of their last 13 games after losing two games in a row. They have won 7 of their last 9 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Additionally, while the Stars have given up seven goals in the two games in this series, they have then won 15 of their last 21 games after allowing three or more goals in two straight games. Goalie Jake Oettinger has been inconsistent in this series — but he has been quite good in his career when coming off a loss. Forgive me for not recalculating his up-to-date data after he stopped 21 of 24 shots on Sunday — but he had a 22-1-3 record this season coming off a loss with a .933 save percentage along with a 5-0 record with a .929 save percentage in the playoffs before the loss in Game Three. Returning home will help where Dallas has won 5 of their last 6 games. They have also won 6 of their last 7 playoff games when trailing in the series. They should tighten things up on defense considering that they lead all teams in the playoffs with an expected Goals Allowed (xGA) mark of 2.25. Vegas has lost 4 of their last 6 games after winning two games in a row at home by one goal. They have scored three or more goals in four straight games — but they have then lost 8 of their last 12 games after scoring three or more goals in four straight games. And while the Golden Knights have only lost three times in their last 15 games, they have then lost 7 of their last 11 games after winning 12 or more of their last 15 contests. Vegas is getting it done despite shaky special teams play. They are only seventh in the postseason with a Power Play that is scoring on just 18.6% of their chances. Their Power Play Kill Unit ranks 14th of the 16 playoff teams with a success rate of 68.6%. The team is getting near miraculous goaltending from Adin Hill who is pretty much a fourth-stringer. But while he had a 2.30 Goals-Against-Average and a .920 save percentage in his 15 games at home in the regular season (14 starts), those numbers decline to a 2.67 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 12 games (11 starts) on the road in the regular season. I worry that the bubble is about to burst for Hill — and the Golden Knights have lost 4 of their last 5 games in Dallas against the Stars.

FINAL TAKE: The Stars have won 5 of their last 7 games when playing with double-revenge of two losses by one goal. 25* NHL Tuesday ESPN Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (14) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (13). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (8) versus the Florida Panthers (7) in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Carolina (59-24-11) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in a 3-2 loss in four overtimes at home to the Panthers. Florida (51-37-7) has won eight of their last nine games while taking a 1-0 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: How will these teams respond to playing 139:47 minutes on Thursday in what was the sixth-longest game in the history of the NHL? The TNT commentary team suggested that Florida may be galvanized by the win while Carolina may be deflated by the loss. The past results do not bear this out. I did a deep dive into how teams respond after playing in four overtime games in the Stanley Cup playoffs. We are dealing with a small sample size but the results do suggest that the Panthers are not in an automatically better situation simply because they pulled out Thursday’s game. The winners of playoff games that went into the fourth overtime then lost 7 of their next 12 games going back to 1933. Admittedly, not all of those 12 games are directly comparable. Three of those four overtime games decided the series — and it is telling that those surviving teams went on to lose their next game in the opening round of the next playoff series. Clearly, playing four overtimes is draining — but both teams are feeling in this instance. When the series continued after a four-overtime game, the triumphant team did win the next game in four of seven occasions — but one of those games was in 1936 when the Detroit Red Wings were playing the Montreal Maroons in the semifinals and coming off the longest game in NHL history that went into the sixth overtime period. In 2020, Columbus rebounded to a 3-2 loss in five overtimes in Game One to upset Tampa Bay in their building in Game Two. So I think there is enough evidence to indicate that the Hurricanes are not screwed for losing Thursday’s marathon. We want to fade Florida in this spot as they have now survived four overtime games on the road. This team is winning lots of coin flips. They lost the expected goals battle in Game One with Carolina generating 6.5 expected goals to the Panthers’ 4.41 expected goals. In their previous game at Toronto that ended that series, they lost the expected goals battle by a 4.67 to 3.2 margin but won the game in overtime by a 3-2 score. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has been the difference as he is playing at the highest level in his career. He leads all goaltenders with +13.8 goals saved above expectation in the playoffs. But he is the one I am most concerned about recovering for this game after facing 65 shots on Thursday. As it is, Bobrovsky underdoes a rigorous in-game and post-game special hydration program. Head coach Paul Maurice has confirmed he is playing tonight — but it is a lot to ask of the veteran. In his 24 games on the road in the regular season, Bobrovsky had a 3.27 GAA and a .892 save percentage. Florida defensemen Brandon Montour, Gustav Forsling, and Aaron Ekblad all logged in over 50 minutes on Thursday. This is a team that has lost 6 of their last 9 games after winning two games in a row by one goal — and they have lost 12 of their last 14 games on the road after winning two games in a row by one goal. They have lost 21 of their last 35 games after not allowing more than two goals in two straight games. The Panthers are just 14-37-2 in their last 53 games at the Hurricanes’ PNC Arena. Carolina has not lost two straight games in this postseason. The Hurricanes have won 5 straight games after not scoring more than two goals. They still hold a big edge on their home ice where they have won 42 of their last 58 games — and they have won 14 of their last 17 contests at PNC Arena. Head coach Rob Brind’Amour has the luxury of resting Frederik Andersen tonight and turning to Antti Raanta who was the rotational starter during the regular season. Raanta had an 11-0-1 record at home during the regular season with a 2.06 Goals-Against-Average and a .916 save percentage. In his 13 games (11 starts) at home in the playoffs in his career, Raanta has an 8-1 record with a 1.78 GAA and a .933 save percentage. The Hurricanes have played two straight Unders — and they have won 23 of their last 28 home games after playing two straight Unders.

FINAL TAKE: The flip side of the “Carolina will be deflated” theory is that Florida may be lulled into letting up in their intensity since they will lack the urgency that the Hurricanes will have to avoid going back to Florida with an 0-2 series deficit. Carolina has won 15 of their last 22 games when playing with revenge — and they have won 9 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss by just one goal. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (8) versus the Florida Panthers (7). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (2) versus the Florida Panthers (1) in Game One of their Eastern Conference Finals series. THE SITUATION: Carolina (59-24-10) has won five of their last six games after defeating New Jersey by a 3-2 score last Thursday to end that series in five games. Florida (50-37-7) has won seven of their last eight games after their 3-2 win at Toronto in overtime last Friday which ended that series in five games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES: Carolina has one of the best home-ice advantages in the NHL — they have won 42 of their last 57 games at home including five of their six games in this postseason. The Hurricanes should build off their momentum as they have won 39 of their last 55 games after winning their previous game. They have also won 19 of their last 26 games when playing with three or more days of rest. Frederik Andersen has been outstanding in the postseason with a 1.80 Goals-Against-Average and a .931 save percentage. In his 18 starts at home in the regular season, Andersen had a 2.27 GAA. Florida has gotten outstanding play from their goalie Sergei Bobrovsky — but the bubble may be about to burst. While he has a 2.82 GAA and a .918 save percentage in his ten postseason appearances, he has stood on his head with a +9.3 Goals-Saved Above Expectation mark in these playoffs which is not sustainable. There is a reason why Alex Lyon was the starting goaltender for this team when their opening-round series with Boston began. In his 24 games on the road in the regular season, Bobrovsky had a 3.27 GAA and a .892 save percentage. The Panthers are just 14-37-2 in their last 53 games at the Hurricanes’ PNC Arena.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina took two of the three games between these teams in the regular season after a 6-4 victory on April 13th. Florida has lost 21 of their last 34 games when avenging a loss where they gave up four or more goals. 8* NHL Florida-Carolina TNT Special with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (2) versus the Florida Panthers (1). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (37) versus the Seattle Kraken (38) in Game Six of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (53-24-16) has won two games in a row in this series after their 5-2 victory at home against the Kraken on Thursday. Seattle (52-34-8) has lost three of their last four games to fall behind in this series by a 3-2 margin.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas has taken control of this series by winning three of the last four games. This series would probably be over if the Stars had pulled out the opener in the series which the Kraken won in overtime. The Stars have outscored Seattle by a decisive 11-5 margin in the last two games of this series. Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. They have also won 7 of their last 10 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. The Kraken got an inspired goaltending effort from Philip Grubauer in the first round of the playoffs who seemed motivated to prove something to his old team — he posted a .934 save percentage in that seven-game series with Seattle upsetting Colorado and dethroning the reigning Stanley Cup champions. But Grubauer has regressed back to his underwhelming play in this series which has made him a big disappointment for this expansion club that targeted him as their big free agent signing before their inaugural season last year. Grubauer has allowed nine goals in the last two games while posting a .786 save percentage. His postseason numbers of a 3.06 Goals-Against-Average and a .903 save percentage look very close to his regular season numbers. At home during the regular season, Grubauer had a 3.06 GAA and a .886 save percentage. All five games in this series have gone Over the Total with at least six combined goals scored. The Kraken have lost 8 of their last 11 games after playing four or more Overs in a row.

FINAL TAKE: Seattle has lost 22 of their last 31 games against teams with a winning record — and Dallas has won 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. 8* NHL Dallas-Seattle ESPN Special with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (37) versus the Seattle Kraken (38). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (24) versus the New Jersey Devils (23) in Game Five of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Carolina (58-24-10) has won four of their last five games after their 6-1 victory in Game Three of this series. New Jersey (56-28-9) has lost four of their last six games while now trailing in this series by a 3-1 margin.   

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Except for their 8-4 loss in Game Three, Carolina has dominated this series. They have outscored the Devils by +10 goals in this series. They have also outscored New Jersey by an 11 to 2 margin in the first two games in this series at their PNC Arena. The Hurricanes enjoy a significant home-ice advantage. They have won 11 of their last 13 playoff games at home including 4 of their 5 home games this postseason. They have also won 41 of their last 56 games at home including regular season contests. Carolina should continue to build off their momentum as they have won 18 of their last 23 games after beating a divisional rival in their last game — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a win against a Metropolitan Division opponent by three or more goals. They have won 16 of their last 23 games after beating their last opponent by three or more goals. Furthermore, the Hurricanes have won 14 of their last 19 games after scoring five or more goals — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after scoring six or more goals in their last contest. And in their last 23 games after not allowing more than one goal, they have won 17 of those games. Carolina got a good bounce-back performance from goalie Frederick Andersen who stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced. Despite getting pulled in Game Three (but not getting the technical loss in that game), he has a 4-0-0 record in the postseason with a 1.80 Goals-Against-Average and a .930 save percentage. In his 12 career starts against the Devils, Andersen has a 2.10 GAA and a .930 save percentage. New Jersey is a young team that is getting valuable playoff experience — but they are probably a year away from being a serious playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. The Devils have lost 22 of their last 33 games after a loss at home to a divisional rival. They have also lost 12 of their last 16 games after a loss by four or more goals — and they have lost 7 of their last 11 games after a loss by four or more goals against a Metropolitan Division rival. New Jersey has also lost 7 of their last 10 games after losing four or five of their last six games. While the Devils have exciting scoring talent led by Jack Hughes, their blue line and the play of their goaltenders remain problems. They have allowed four or more goals in four straight games and five of their last six contests — and they have then lost 14 of their last 18 games after allowing four or more goals in their last four games. Vitek Vanecek is probably unplayable at this point after allowing five goals on 12 shots on Tuesday. He has allowed at least four goals in all four of his playoff starts this year. Head coach Lindy Ruff probably has to turn back to Akira Schmid who played well last round against the New York Islanders but has been saddled with a 5.40 GAA and a .830 save percentage in this series. Even Mackenzie Blackwood has to be considered an option despite his 3.20 GAA and .893 save percentage. He has not played since April 13th in the regular season when he was torched for four goals on 11 shots against Washington. It’s bad. The Devils have lost 8 of their last 11 games against the Hurricanes — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 games against them in Carolina.

FINAL TAKE: The Devils have lost 11 of their last 16 games when attempting to avenge a loss by four or more goals. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (24) versus the New Jersey Devils (23). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (22) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (21) in Game Four of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Edmonton (55-26-10) lost for the second time in their last three games with their 5-1 loss at home on Monday. Vegas (57-24-9) has won six of their last seven games to take a 2-1 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE OILERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Edmonton should rebound with a strong effort tonight with their back’s against the wall. They have won 12 of their last 15 games after a loss by two or more goals — and they have won 5 straight gamers after a loss by two more goals to a Pacific Division rival. Additionally, Edmonton has won 5 of their last 6 games after not scoring more than one goal in their last game. The last two games in this series have finished Under the Total — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games after playing two straight Unders. Vegas is overachieving on defense in this series. After allowing their last 20 opponents in the regular season to 3.12 expected goals allowed (xGA) per 60 minutes at five-on-five, the Golden Knights are limiting the Oilers to 2.13 xGA per 60 minutes at five-on-five in this series. Adin Hill gets the start tonight given the injury to Laurent Brossoit who left in the second period in Game Three. Hill stopped all 24 shots he faced — but now Edmonton has had two days to study his tendencies and weaknesses. While Hill had a 2.30 Goals-Against-Average and a .920 save percentage in 15 games (14 starts) at home, those numbers declined to a 2.67 GAA and a .909 save percentage in his 12 games (11 starts) on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Oilers have won 24 of their last 33 games when motivated to avenge a loss to their opponent. 8* NHL Vegas-Edmonton ESPN Special with the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (22) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:10 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (19) versus the Florida Panthers (20) in Game Four of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Toronto (54-25-120 has lost four of their last five games after their 3-2 loss in overtime on Sunday. Florida (49-36-7) has won six games in a row to take a 3-0 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Game Three was actually the first game in this series that Toronto lost the expected goals battle by a 3.57 to 2.33 xG mark. The Maple Leafs won the xG battle in Game One by a 5.80 to 2.78 mark before winning Game Two by a 4.12-2.80 xG clip. In all situations in this series, Toronto has generated 12.12 xG with the Panthers only coming in at 9.24 xG. Expected goals do not tell the whole story — but these numbers do suggest that the Maple Leafs have been much more competitive in this series that the win tally suggests. Their big four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander have yet to score in this series — and this is the first time in the history of this franchise that no one from this group has scored in three straight games. After converting on 26% of their power plays in the regular season, Toronto has only scored once in their 11 power plays in this series. I suspect the goals are coming tonight after the disaster of losing the first three games of this series. Winning four games in a row will be a difficult task for this team — and I think that actually eases some of the pressure on this group tonight. As it is, the Maple Leafs have won 26 of their last 35 games after losing their last game. They have also won 11 of their last 15 games after a loss by just one goal — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games after a loss by one goal on the road. Furthermore, Toronto has won 14 of their last 20 games after losing four or five of their last six games. They have also won 20 of their last 27 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. And in their last 7 games on the road, the Maple Leafs have won 6 of these games. Ilya Samsonov left Game Three with an upper body injury which opens the door for Joseph Woll to get his first NHL playoff start. The 24-year-old lacks experience having played in only 12 games at the NHL level. He allowed all three goals on Sunday after Samsonov left the game. But Woll is talented — he had a 2.16 Goals-Against-Average and a .932 save percentage in his seven starts in the regular season this year. Florida is riding high with six straight wins after rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to Boston last round. But the Panthers have lost 9 of their last 14 games after winning five or six of their last seven games — and they have lost 5 of their last 7 games after winning six or seven of their last eight games. They have scored at least three goals in each of their games during this winning streak — but they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after scoring at least three goals in five straight games. They have lost 5 of their last 8 games after winning two games in a row by just one goal. And in their last 9 fourth games in a playoff series, Florida has lost 7 times. They are getting some great saves from goalie Sergei Bobrovsky that help explain why Toronto’s expected goal advantage is not translating into victories. But Bobrovsky still has just a 3.13 Goals-Against-Average and a .909 save percentage in the postseason this year.

FINAL TAKE: Toronto has won 17 of their last 25 games when playing with same-season revenge. 25* NHL Atlantic Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (19) versus the Florida Panthers (20). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (17) versus the Seattle Kraken (18) in Game Four of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (51-24-16) has lost two of their last three games in this series after their 7-2 loss on the road to the Kraken on Sunday. Seattle (52-32-8) has won three of their last four games while evening this series at 2-2.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: After a scoreless first period, Dallas got ambushed by the Kraken who scored four unanswered goals in just over a six-minute stretch in the second period. Goalie Jake Oettinger got pulled in the third period after giving up his fifth goal on just 17 shots. His .706 save percentage was the lowest in a game in his career. Oettinger still has a career .933 save percentage in the postseason — and he should bounce back with a strong effort tonight. He has a 17-1-3 record in the regular season with a 1.97 Goals-Against-Average and a .936 save percentage in his 21 games following a loss. After his three losses in the playoffs, he has a 3-0-0 record with a 2.34 GAA and a .920 save percentage. Dallas should play well tonight as they have won 6 of their last 8 games after a loss by three or more goals. They have also won 11 of their last 17 games after a loss on the road. Additionally, the Stars have won 6 of their last 7 games after not scoring two goals or less. They have also won 11 of their last 14 road games after allowing four or more goals — and they have won 4 straight games after allowing five goals in their last contest. And in their last 27 games after losing two of their last three games, they have won 18 of their contests. Dallas has won 12 of their last 17 games on the road. The Stars have been quite good in the postseason. They lead all teams with an expected Goals-For share of 56.43% — the best mark of the remaining eight teams in the playoffs. They are scoring on 31.4% of their power plays. They are second in the postseason by allowing 2.24 expected goals per 60 minutes which is the second-lowest mark in the postseason. They are holding their opponents to scoring on just 18% of their power play opportunities in the playoffs. Seattle has just a 43.57% expected goals share in the postseason — and they are scoring on just 14.8% of their power plays. The Kraken have lost 7 of their last 9 games at home after a win by three or more goals. They have also lost 10 of their last 14 games at home after winning two of their last three games — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 home games after winning three of their last four games. And while the last three games in this series have finished Over the Total, Seattle has lost 13 of their last 20 games after playing three straight Overs.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen is a game-time decision after leaving Game 3 after taking a puck to the face. He did participate in this morning’s practice playing with a mask — so he intends on playing. The Stars have won 6 straight road games when they are playing with revenge from a loss on the road to their opponent. 25* NHL Western Conference Semifinals Game of the Year with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (17) versus the Seattle Kraken (18). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:40 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (9) versus the Seattle Kraken (10) in Game Three of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (57-23-16) has won four of their last five games after their 4-2 victory at home against the Kraken to even this series on Thursday. Seattle (51-32-8) has still won four of their last six games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Stars should build off their momentum as they have won 7 of their last 10 games after winning their previous game — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Goalie Jake Oettinger did not see a drop off in play when he was on the road this season — he posted a 2.16 Goals-Against-Average and a .929 save percentage in 27 games (26 starts) in the regular season. Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 games on the road. Seattle has lost 10 of their last 13 games at home after winning two of their last three games. They return home for Games Three and Four — but they have lost 16 of their last 25 games at home with the Total set at 5.5. Philip Grubauer is likely the Kraken’s starting goaltender tonight despite struggling in the first two games in this series. He gave up four goals on 37 shots in Game Two. He returns home where he was saddled with a 3.06 GAA and a .886 save percentage in 22 games (20 starts) at home.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record — and Seattle has lost 20 of their last 28 games against teams with a winning record. 8* NHL Sunday Late Show Bailout with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (9) versus the Seattle Kraken (10). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Rangers (14) versus the New Jersey Devils (13) in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: New York (48-25-14) has lost three games in a row in this series after their 4-0 loss on the road against the Devils on Thursday. New Jersey (54-24-9) has won five of their last seven games while taking a 3-2 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE:   New York has now lost five of their last seven games — but they have then won 14 of their last 17 games after losing five or six of their last seven games. And while no more than four combined goals have been scored in the last three games of this series, the Rangers have then won 14 of their last 22 games after playing two or more games in a row where no more than four combined goals were scored. Goalie Igor Shesterkin holds a .938 save percentage in this series to continue his stellar form in the second half of the season. In his final 15 regular season starts since the beginning of March, Shesterkin has a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average with a .934 save percentage. New Jersey has gotten great goaltending from Akira Schmid who has a .976 save percentage in three games since replacing Vitek Vanacek in this series — but he has a career 2.46 GAA and a .902 save percentage in just 24 appearances in the regular season before making his postseason debut in this series. The Devils have lost 5 of their last 7 games after a shutout victory at home in their last game. They have only allowed two goals in their last three contests — but they have lost 29 of their last 46 games after not allowing more than one goal in three straight games. New Jersey has also lost 27 of their last 41 games on the road after playing three or more games in a row where no more than four combined goals were scored.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers have won 9 of their last 12 games when avenging a loss where their opponent had three or more goals — and they have won 27 of their last 42 games when playing with double revenge. 8* NHL Saturday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the New York Rangers (14) versus the New Jersey Devils (13). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:08 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (7) versus the Seattle Kraken (8) in Game Six of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Colorado (53-26-8) has lost two games in a row after their 3-2 loss at home to the Kraken on Wednesday. Seattle (49-30-8) has a 3-2 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The reigning Stanley Cup champions find themselves on the brink of elimination after their upset loss in Game Five. They do get their superstar defenseman Cole Makar back for this game after he was suspended for Wednesday’s game. Makar is second all-time to Bobby Orr in NHL playoff history by averaging 1.068 points per game in the postseason. He has generated 12 shots in his four games in this series — so getting him back on the ice will help. Colorado has won 13 of their last 19 games after a loss at home — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games after losing by one goal on their home ice. The Avalanche have lost each of the last two games in this series by a 3-2 score. But they have then won 41 of their last 53 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game — and they have won 11 of their last 15 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. This remains a team that ranked third in the NHL expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes in the regular season. On the road, Colorado has won 39 of their last 53 games — and they have won 27 of their last 38 road games with the Total set at 6 or higher. Seattle has lost 15 of their last 23 games after winning two of their last three games. They have also lost 12 of their last 19 games after not allowing more than two goals in two straight games. The Kraken have scored more than three goals in this series just one time. They ranked 21st in the NHL in the regular season in expected goals per 60 minutes. They have lost 8 of their last 11 games against teams winning 60% or more of their games this season.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won 16 of their last 24 games when playing with revenge — and they have won 8 of their last 12 games when motivated by double-revenge. 25* NHL 1st Round Western Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (7) versus the Seattle Kraken (8). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:40 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (1) versus the Florida Panthers (2) in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (68-14-5) had won 11 of 12 games before their 4-3 loss in overtime at home to the Panthers on Wednesday. Florida (44-36-7) had lost five of six games before pulling within a 3-2 margin in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston should bounce-back with a strong effort to close out this series after winning the President’s Trophy in the regular season. The Bruins have won 39 of their last 52 games after losing their previous game. They have ways won 29 of their last 35 games after losing two of their last three games. Florida has lost 13 of their last 20 games after winning on the road in their previous game. They have also lost 9 of their last 14 games after winning their last game by one goal. And in their last 43 games after scoring four or more goals, they have lost 27 of those contests. The Panthers have also lost 5 of their last 7 games against teams winning 60% or more of their games.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 20 of their last 24 opportunities for revenge against their opponent. They have beaten the Panthers in 36 of their last 52 games against them — and they have won 21 of their last 31 games against them in Florida. 8* NHL Boston-Florida TNT Special with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (1) versus the Florida Panthers (2). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (52) versus the Seattle Kraken (51) in Game Five of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Colorado (53-25-8) had won two games in a row in this series before their 3-2 loss in overtime on the road against the Kraken on Monday. Seattle (48-30-8) evened this series at 2-2 with the win.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Even without a suspended Cole Makar and Valeri Nichushkin who is away from the team, Colorado should respond with a big effort tonight after losing in overtime on Monday. The Avalanche have won 22 of their last 35 games after losing by one goal in their previous game. Colorado has won 4 of their 6 games this season after losing in overtime. They return home to host this crucial Game Five having won 4 of their last 5 games at home with the Total set at 5.5. Seattle has lost 18 of their last 23 games on the road with the Total set at 5.5.

FINAL TAKE: The Avalanche have won 43 of their last 61 games when attempting to avenge a same-season loss to their opponent. 8* NHL Wednesday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (52) versus the Seattle Kraken (51). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (44) versus the Minnesota Wild (43) in Game Five of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (48-23-15) has won eight of their last ten games after their 3-2 victory on Sunday in Game Four of this series to even things at 2-2. Minnesota (48-28-10) has lost four of their last six games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas should build off their momentum as they have won 5 of their last 7 games after winning their last game. They have also won 5 of their last 6 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. They return home where they have won 5 of their last 6 games. The Stars have also won 10 of their last 13 games against Central Division rivals. Minnesota has lost 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. They have also lost 15 of their 21 games in the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

FINAL TAKE: The Wild have lost 9 of their last 13 games when attempting to avenge a loss at home to their opponent. 8* NHL Minnesota-Dallas TBS-TV Special with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (44) versus the Minnesota Wild (43). Best of luck for us — Frank.  

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (42) versus the New York Islanders (41) in Game Five of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Carolina (54-22-10) has won five of their last six games after their 5-2 victory on the road against the Islanders on Sunday. New York (43-34-9) looks to stave off elimination down 3-1 in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina led the NHL in Expected Goals Allowed (xGA) per 60 minutes in the regular season while ranking fourth in the league in xG per 60 minutes on offense — and they led the NHL in both metrics in the second half of the season. They should build off their momentum tonight as they have won 36 of their last 51 games after winning their previous game. The Hurricanes have won 16 of their last 19 games after beating a Metropolitan Division rival — and they have won 8 of their last 9 games after winning on the road against a division rival. Furthermore, they have won 35 of their last 51 games after scoring five or more goals in their last game — and they have won 15 of their last 20 games after a win by three or more goals. They return home where they have won 39 of their last 53 games at home — and they have won 6 of their last 8 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Carolina has also won 9 straight home games in the first round of the playoffs. Goalie Antti Raanta thrived at home in the regular season where he posted a 2.06 Goals-Against-Average with a .916 save percentage in 12 starts. New York has lost 14 of their last 18 games on the road after losing to a division rival by two more goals— and they have lost 4 straight games after a loss at home by three or more goals. The Islanders are a mediocre team that ranked 15th in xG per 60 minutes and 18th in xGA per 60 minutes in the regular season. Their chances are dependent on goalie Ilya Sorokin standing on his head — but he has a middling 2.96 GAA and a .910 save percentage in this series. Sorokin is very tough to beat at home where he had a 1.91 GAA and a .935 save percentage in the regular season — but those numbers declined to a 2.88 GAA and a .911 save percentage in 29 games (27 starts) on the road. New York has lost 5 games in a row on the road — and they have lost 14 of their last 19 games on the road with the Total set at 5.5. The Islanders have also lost 5 of their last 7 games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: New York has lost 12 of their last 15 games against the Hurricanes — and they have lost 8 of their last 10 games against them in Carolina. The Islanders have also lost 28 of their last 40 games on the road when avenging a same-season. I am pleasantly surprised that Carolina is priced right around my -150 price threshold tonight — let’s attack. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (42) versus the New York Islanders (41). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (31) versus the Los Angeles Kings (32) in Game Four of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Edmonton (51-24-10) has lost two of the first three games in this series after their 3-2 loss in overtime on Friday. Los Angeles (48-26-11) has won four of their last five games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE OILERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Edmonton should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss on the road by just one goal — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games after losing to a Pacific Division rival. The Oilers did get a performance from rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner who stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced. They stay on the road where they have won 7 of their last 8 games. Edmonton has also won 8 of their last 11 games against teams with a winning record. Los Angeles is not at full strength with their offensive attack with Kevin Fiala out since April 1st with a lower-body injury. He scored 23 goals and added 49 assists in the regular season. While he is skating in practice, he does not appear ready to return to action just yet. The Kings have lost 7 of their last 9 games in the second half of the season against teams winning 60-75% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: The Oilers have won 10 of their last 13 games when avenging an upset loss on the road to their opponent as the favorite. 8* NHL Sunday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Edmonton Oilers (31) versus the Los Angeles Kings (32). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Thusday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (2) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (1) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Toronto (50-22-11) had won four games in a row before their 7-3 loss at home to the Lightning in the opening game of this best-of-seven series. Tampa Bay (46-30-7) has won two games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto should rebound with a strong effort after their embarrassing showing on Tuesday. They have won 13 of their last 16 games after a loss by three or more goals — and they have won 5 straight games after a loss at home by three or more goals. They have also won 23 of their last 31 games after allowing five or more goals in their last game. The Maple Leafs ranked seventh in the NHL in executed Goals-For  per 60 minutes when playing at even strength during the regular season. They have still won 58 of their last 83 games at home. Toronto felt they have upgraded their goaltending situation this season with Ilya Samsonov between the pipes. In 25 games (23 starts) at home in the regular season, he had a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average and a .927 save percentage. He was not very good in Game One by allowing six goals on 29 shots but he was not helped out much by his teammates since four of those goals were scored with the Lightning playing at a man advantage.

At 9:38 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Dallas Stars (68) with the money-line versus the Minnesota Wild (67) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Dallas (46-22-15) closed the regular season on a six-game winning streak but dropped the opening game of this best-of-seven series by a 3-2 score in double-overtime. Minnesota (47-26-10) snapped a two-game losing streak with the win.

REASONS TO TAKE THE STARS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas won the expected goals battle last night by posting a 54.55 expected goals share at even strength on Monday — but they did not score at 5-on-5 with both their goals coming on the power play. The Stars have won 22 of their last 35 games after a loss — and they have won 12 of their last 19 games after a loss at home. Dallas has also won 4 of their last 5 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game. The Stars are generating pressure as they have attempted at least 34 shots in three straight games — and they have then won 7 of their last 9 games after attempting 33 or more shots in three straight games. Dallas still has an edge at goaltender in this game. Jake Oettinger posted a 1.28 Goals-Against-Averageg with a .947 save percentage in five starts in April before stopping 45 of the 48 shots he faced from the Wild in Game One. The Stars have won 4 of their last 5 games at home — and they have won 8 of their last 10 games against Central Division opponents. Minnesota has lost 13 of their last 21 games after a win on the road — and they have lost 10 of their last 14 games after a win against a divisional rival on the road. The Wild got a spectacular effort from goalie Filip Gustavsson who stopped 51 of the 53 shots he faced. He was saddled with a 2.91 GAA and a .914 save percentage in his last four starts in the regular season this month. Minnesota has lost 7 of their last 9 playoff games when leading in the series — and they have lost 12 of their last 15 Game Twos in a playoff series. They have also lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams with a winning record. The Wild are banged up with both Oskar Sundqvist and John Klingberg questionable to play tonight.

FINAL TAKE: Dallas has lost two straight games to Minnesota after Monday night’s loss — but they have won 9 of their last 14 games when playing with double revenge. The Stars have still beaten the Wild in 31 of their last 43 opportunities to host them in Dallas. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Dallas Stars (68) with the money-line versus the Minnesota Wild (67). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (66) versus the New York Islanders (65) in Game Two of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Carolina (52-21-10) extended their winning streak to three games by winning the opening game of this series by a 2-1 score on Monday. New York has lost two of their last three games.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should build off their momentum as they have won 15 of their last 17 games after winning their previous game against a Metropolitan Division rival. They have also won 25 of their last 30 games at home when beaten in three or more games in a row. Additionally, the Hurricanes have won 35 of their last 45 games after a victory by just one goal. And while they only scored twice on Monday, they have then won 6 of their last 8 games after scoring two goals or less in their last game. Carolina has won 8 games in a row at home in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Goalie Antti Raanta has thrived at home where he had a 2.06 Goals-Against-Average and a .916 save percentage in 12 starts at home in the regular season. The Hurricanes have won 24 of their last 35 games against teams with a winning record.

At 7:38 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (54) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (53) in Game One of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Toronto (50-21-11) has won five of their last six games to conclude their regular season after a 3-2 win in New York against the Rangers last Thursday. Tampa Bay (45-30-7) snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-0 win against Detroit last Thursday to conclude their regular season.

REASONS TO TAKE THE MAPLE LEAFS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Toronto enters the postseason with their offensive attack clicking. The Maple Leafs rank seventh in the NHL in executed Goals-For per 60 minutes when playing at even strength. They have won 35 of their last 51 games when playing with three or more days of rest. They have also won 58 of their last 82 games at home. Toronto feels they have upgraded their goaltending situation this season with Ilya Samsonov between the pipes. In 25 games (23 starts) at home, he has a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average and a .927 save percentage. Tampa Bay has lost 4 of their last 5 games after beating an Atlantic Division rival by two more goals in their last game. Defense has been the biggest problem this season as the Lightning rank 19th in the league in expected Goals Allowed per 60 minutes at even strength. Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.57 GAA and a .918 save percentage in 32 starts at home — but those numbers rise to a 2.75 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 28 starts on the road. Tampa Bay has lost 6 of their last 7 games on the road.

FINAL TAKE: The Lightning have lost 11 of their last 15 games against winning teams — and the Maple Leafs have won 5 of their last 6 games against teams with a winning record. 8* NHL Tuesday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Toronto Maple Leafs (54) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:07 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vancouver Canucks (54) versus the San Jose Sharks (53). THE SITUATION: Vancouver (30-34-6) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 4-3 loss at home to Vegas on Tuesday. San Jose (19-39-13) has lost seven straight games after a 5-4 loss at Edmonton on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CANUCKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: The Sharks are playing out the string and tanking for the NHL draft having lost 12 of their last 13 games. They have lost 19 of their last 26 games after allowing five or more goals in their last game. And while scoring was up on Monday after not scoring more than two goals in five of their last six games before that, they have lost 17 of their last 22 games after scoring four or more goals in their last game. San Jose has lost 10 straight games to teams with losing records in the second half of the season. Vancouver has still won seven of their last nine games down the stretch despite being out of the playoff race. They are getting better play from their defense and better goaltending from Thatcher Demko  — they have held their last five opponents to 2.4 Goals-Per-Game and 27.8 shots per game which is a -3.0 drop from their season average for shots allowed. The Canucks have won 4 straight games after a loss at home by one goal. They have also won 15 of their last 23 games after a loss to a Pacific Division rival. Vancouver has won 36 of their last 53 games against opponents not winning more than 40% of their games.

FINAL TAKE: The Canucks have beaten the Sharks in 10 of their last 11 meetings after a 6-2 win at home on December 27th. Vancouver has now won eight in a row against San Jose while scoring at least four goals in each of those games — and the Sharks have lost 18 of their last 23 games when attempting to avenge a loss where they allowed at least three goals in two or more of those losses in a row. 8* NHL Thursday Late Show Bailout with the money-line on the Vancouver Canucks (54) versus the San Jose Sharks (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:07 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (28) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (27). THE SITUATION: Colorado (41-22-6) has won six games in a row after their 5-0 win against Chicago on Monday. Pittsburgh (34-27-9) has lost four games in a row after their 2-1 loss to Ottawa on Monday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Colorado is stepping up their game with three straight victories where they scored five goals. The Avalanche have then won 6 of their last 8 games after scoring five or more goals in three straight games. They beat Detroit by a 5-1 score over the weekend — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after winning two games in a row by four or more goals. Pittsburgh is ravaged with injuries with center Nick Bonino out the season and a number of their defensemen out including Dmitri Kulikov and Jeff Petry who is questionable for tonight. Goaltender Tristan Jarry is struggling this month — and he has a 3.11 Goals-Against-Average and a .904 save percentage in 17 starts on the road. The Penguins have lost 13 of their last 20 games after losing two or more games in a row. They have lost 19 of their last 29 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado will be looking to avenge a 2-1 loss in Pittsburgh on February 7th — and they have won a decisive 39 of their last 55 games when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. 8* NHL Pittsburgh-Colorado TNT Special with the playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (28) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (27). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:37 PM ET on Wednesday, wxe will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (81) versus the St. Louis Blues (82). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (38-21-8) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 5-4 loss at Arizona on Sunday. St. Louis (29-32-5) snapped a two-game winning streak with a 5-3 loss to Vegas on Sunday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: It has been a lost season for the Blues who have lost three of their last five games as well as nine of their last 12 contests. They have lost 25 of their last 35 games after losing their last game — and they have lost 22 of their last 29 games after a loss by two or more goals in their last contest. They stay at home where they have lost 5 of their last 6 games on their home ice. They have also lost 5 in a row when playing a team with a winning record. Minnesota has still won six of their last eight games — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games against Western Conference opponents.

FINAL TAKE: The Wild will be motivated to avenge a 3-0 loss at home to the Blues on January 8th — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a loss where they did not score more than one goal. 8* NHL Wednesday Night Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (81) versus the St. Louis Blues (82). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:07 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (16) versus the Calgary Flames (15). THE SITUATION: Vegas (34-18-3) was on a five-game winning streak before their 3-2 upset loss at Chicago in a shootout on Tuesday. Calgary (27-22-9) has won two of their last three games after their 6-3 victory at Arizona last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Vegas should respond with a strong effort tonight as they have won 8 of their last 11 games after losing their previous game by just one goal. They have also won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss on the road by one goal. They return home where they have won 4 games in a row at the Fortress at T-Mobile Arena. Laurent Brossoit gets the start between the pipes tonight after stopping 37 of the 39 shots he faces against the Blackhawks on Tuesday before losing the game in the shootout. The veteran makes his 88th career start tonight with the door wide open for him to take the number one goaltender job in Las Vegas given the injuries at the position. He has been out all season until this week with an injury of his own. The Golden Knights have won 4 of their last 5 games against Western Conference rivals. The Flames have lost 4 in a row after winning their previous game — and they have lost 8 of their last 13 games after a victory by two more goals. Additionally, Calgary has lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring five or more goals in their previous game — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after scoring six or more goals in their last contest. And while this will be the Flames’ third game since Monday, they have lost 5 of their last 6 games after scoring six or more goals in their last contest. Jacob Markstrom is expected to get the start for Calgary tonight. He has a disappointing 2.97 Goals-Against-Average and a .890 save percentage in 18 starts on the road. And in his first six starts this month, Markstrom has a 3.37 GAA and a .862 save percentage. The Flames have lost 5 of their last 7 games against the Golden Knights — and they have lost 7 in a row against them in Las Vegas.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas will be looking to avenge a 3-2 loss at Calgary on October 18th — and they have won 29 of their last 39 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (16) versus the Calgary Flames (15). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:37 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (25) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (26). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (35-16-3) had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 1-0 loss in overtime at Arizona on Wednesday. Vegas (33-18-4) has won four games in a row after their 2-1 victory against San Jose on Thursday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay has raised their level of play lately — they beat the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche twice in their three-game winning streak along with a nice win on the road against Dallas. They got stung by a hot goaltender in Brian Elliott on Wednesday despite outshooting the Coyotes by a 47-26 margin. The Lightning have won 9 straight games after getting shutout in a loss on the road in their last game. They have also won 5 straight games after playing a game where neither team scored more than one goal — and they have won 50 of their last 72 games after playing a game that finished Under the Total in their last contest. Additionally, Tampa Bay has won 12 of their last 18 games after losing their previous game — and they have won 15 of their last 19 games after losing in overtime in their previous contest. They have also won 13 of their last 18 games after a loss on the road by just one goal. Andrei Vasilevsky should be their goaltender tonight as he looks to continue his nice 2.70 Goals-Against-Average and .929 save percentage since the All-Star Break. Vegas has lost 9 of their last 11 home games after a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. They stay at home where they are only scoring 2.9 Goals-Per-Game and have just a 16-13 record this season. This team desperately missed Mark Stone who is out indefinitely with his second back surgery in twelve months. Adin Hill is the Golden Knights’ number one goaltender with Logan Thompson injured -- and while he has played well as of late, he has struggled in his career against the Lightning. In his 107:18 minutes against Tampa Bay in his career, he has been saddled with a 3.95 Goals-Against-Average and a .865 save percentage. The Lightning are outscoring their opponents by +0.6 Goals-Per-Game — and Vegas has lost 9 of their last 14 games against teams outscoring their opponents by +0.3 or more Goals-Per-Game.

FINAL TAKE: The Golden Knights have lost 4 of their 6 games in the second half of the season against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay has won 6 straight games against teams with a winning record — and they have won 40 of their last 53 games against teams from the Pacific Division. 25* NHL Game of the Month is with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (25) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (26). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Rangers (46) versus the Florida Panthers (45). THE SITUATION: New York has lost two of their last three games after their 3-1 loss to Boston on Thursday. Florida (23-21-4) has won two in a row and four of their last five contests after a 5-3 victory against Minnesota on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York started the season slow — but they have the third-best record in the NHL since the beginning of December. They have won 5 of their last 7 games after failing to score more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 8 of their last 12 games after playing a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. They stay at home at Madison Square Garden where they have won 7 of their last 10 games on home ice. They have also beaten 38 of their last 55 games against teams with a losing record. Igor Shesterkin’s improved play has been a big part of their success of late. Since December 1st, Shesterkin has a 2.32 Goals-Against-Average and a .921 save percentage in his last 17 starts. Florida has lost 20 of their last 28 games after winning their last game — and they have lost 7 of their last 9 games after a win at home where they scored four or more goals. Additionally, the Panthers have lost 5 straight games after going unbeaten in their previous two games — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 games after winning three of their last four games. Now they go back on the road where they are allowing 3.6 Goals-Per-Game. Alex Lyon is their goaltender tonight playing for just the third time this season. In his career 14 games on the road, he has a 3.20 Goals-Against-Average and an .880 save percentage. Florida has lost 11 of their last 15 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: These two teams last played on January 1st when the Rangers upset the Panthers in Florida — and the Panthers have lost 6 straight games when attempting to avenge an upset loss at home to their opponent. Florida has lost 4 of their last 5 games in New York against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Month is with the money-line on the New York Rangers (46) versus the Florida Panthers (45). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (54) versus the Washington Capitals (53). THE SITUATION: Winnipeg (18-7-1) has won four straight games — and seven of their last eight contests — after their 3-1 win at Chicago on Friday. Washington (13-12-4) has won three games in a row after their 4-1 win against Seattle on Friday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE JETS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Winnipeg has been one of the surprises of the season — but they have combined good defense with great goaltending to consistently put themselves in a position to win games. They are holding their opponents to 2.5 Goals-Per-Game — and they are scoring 3.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five contests. They have won 5 of their last 6 games after winning their previous game — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last contest. They return home where they are holding their opponents to 1.8 Goals-Per-Game — and they have won 14 of their last 17 games on home ice. Conner Hellebuyck is one of the best goaltenders in the world — and he is enjoying one of his best starts to a season in his career. He sports a 2.24 Goals-Against-Average with a .932 save percentage — and his save percentage improves at home to a .956 mark. The Jets have won 20 of their last 27 games against teams with a losing record. Washington has lost 12 of their last 17 games after winning their previous game. And while they have scored eight goals in their last two games, they have then lost 13 of their last 19 games after scoring four or more goals in two straight games. They go back on the road where they are allowing 3.2 Goals-Per-Game. Charles Lindgren has taken over as the team’s number-one goaltender with Darcy Kuemper faltering. But Lindgren only has a 2.87 GAA and a .907 save percentage this season. The Capitals have lost 8 of their last 11 games on the road — and they have lost 11 of their last 15 games against teams with a winning record.

FINAL TAKE: Washington has lost 5 of their last 7 trips to Winnipeg to play the Jets. 10* NHL Super Under-Valued Favorite with the money-line on the Winnipeg Jets (54) versus the Washington Capitals (53). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (46) versus the Edmonton Oilers (45). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (3-1-0) had their three-game winning streak snapped on Monday with a 4-0 loss at Winnipeg. Edmonton (3-3-0) has won two of their last three games after a 6-3 victory against Pittsburgh.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: After playing only two games in the first 11 days of the regular season, St. Louis will be playing for the third time in the last six days tonight. They should respond to being shutout in their first loss of the season as they have won 10 of their last 14 games after a loss by three or more goals. This is a team that scored 3.77 Goals-Per-Game last season with eight of the nine players who scored at least 20 goals last year back on the roster. The Blues reached the second round of the NHL playoffs last spring with goalie Jordan Binnington rebounded from a  subpar regular season — and so far he has maintained the form he regained in the postseason last year. Binnington has a 1.65 Goals-Against-Average with a .940 save percentage in his three starts. He got the night off in the loss to the Jets. St. Louis has won 30 of their last 43 games against fellow Western Conference opponents. Edmonton has lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring five or more goals in their last game. The Oilers made a splash in the offseason by signing goalie Jack Campbell from Toronto with the idea being that shoring up their defense was the final piece to help this team reach the Stanley Cup finals. But the inconsistent Campbell has struggled with a 3.62 GAA and a .895 save percentage in his five starts. Frankly, Edmonton needs help on their blue line as well — they are allowing 33.2 shots per game and 3.3 Goals-Per-Game. Binnington is getting the night off — so it will be back up Stuart Skinner between the pipes tonight. He has been effective with a 1.69 GAA and a .944 save percentage in two appearances including one start — but that is not a sample size I trust. In his 13 games/12 starts last year, he had a 2.62 GAA and a .913 save percentage. In his eight games/seven starts on the road, those numbers declined to a 2.63 GAA and a .903 save percentage last season. Edmonton has lost 7 of their last 9 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 games against teams from the Western Conference.

FINAL TAKE: The Oilers have lost 14 of their last 19 games in St. Louis against the Blues. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (46) versus the Edmonton Oilers (45). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (32) versus the Colorado Avalanche (31) in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (64-29-10) staved off elimination on the road in the Avalanche’s Ball Arena with their 3-2 victory in Game Five on Friday. Colorado (71-22-7) has lost two of the last three games in this series but still holds a 3-2 lead.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I expected this to be a seven-game series before the puck dropped for Game One — and now that Tampa Bay return home to Amalie Arena after foiling the Avalanche’s attempt to lift the Stanley Cup on Friday, I sill expect the title to be decided in the seventh game. This has been a close series with both teams owning a blowout win and Colorado winning both games that went into overtime. Now the experience of this corps group of Lightning players really begins to kick in. Tampa Bay has played 70 playoff games over the last three seasons while winning the last two Stanley Cups. They have won 8 of their last 11 games after a win. They have also won 18 of their last 25 games after winning their last game by just one goal — and they have won 10 of their last 12 games after winning their last game on the road by one goal. Additionally, the Lightning have won 38 of their last 54 games after not allowing more than two goals in their last game. Tampa Bay has held the Avalanche to just seven goals in the last three games of this series — and lowering scoring games is their recipe for success. The Lightning have won 50 of their last 69 games after playing two straight Unders. Back at home, Tampa Bay has won 41 of their last 57 games — and they have won 9 straight home games in these playoffs. Playing at home gives head coach Jon Cooper the advantage of the last line change which is critical in this series. Cooper has two elite defensive forward groups — and at home, he can play the Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Alex Killorn group against Colorado’s top forward line featuring Nathan MacKinnon. That group enjoyed a 77% expected goal share last round against the New York Rangers. This team also has a big edge between the pipes in goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy who stopped 35 of the 37 shots he faced in Game Five. He posted +0.42 Goals Saved Above Expectation — and he has a +14.12 GSAx in this postseason. After the disastrous Game Two when the Lightning defense let him down, Vasilevskiy has stopped 106 of the 113 shots he has faced for a .934 save percentage. In his ten playoff games at home this year, last year’s Conn Smythe Award winner for winning Most Valuable Player in the postseason has a 1.82 Goals-Against-Average and a .944 save percentage. Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper is a weak link for his team — and he demonstrated that on Friday by letting the slap shot from Jan Rutta slip between his arm and his pads to let the first goal in. The expected goals metrics projected that shot only had a 1.2% chance of scoring. Kuemper posted a -0.9 GSAx mark in Game Five — meaning he played below the expectation of the average goaltender. Kuemper now has a -4.8 GSAx in these playoffs — Colorado is trying to win their first Cup in the MacKinnon and Cole Makar era with below-average goaltending. In his six starts on the road in the playoffs, Kuemper has a 2.98 GAA and a .894 save percentage. This is the first Stanley Cup finals for the MacKinnon/Makar core after not even reaching the Western Conference Finals before this season. They are still learning how to win playoff games against elite competition — and now they face the pressure of blowing a 3-1 lead. Furthermore, they may not be at full strength for Game Six with Valerie Nichushkin questionable after leaving Game Five with an injury — and Andre Burakosky has not played since Game Two of this series after missing Friday’s contest.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 9 of their last 13 games in the Stanley Cup Finals. They have won 34 of their last 51 playoff games when trailing in the series — including nine of their last twelve games during their recent three-year run. They have also won all 4 of their potential elimination games in the postseason in the last three seasons. And in their last 6 Game Sixes in a playoff series, the Lightning have won 5 of these games. 25* NHL Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (32) versus the Colorado Avalanche (31). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (26) versus the Colorado Avalanche (35) in Game Three of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (63-29-9) returns home trailing 0-2 in this series after a 7-0 loss on the road against the Avalanche on Saturday. Colorado (70-21-7) has won seven games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay does not get humiliated like they did on Saturday too often. They have won 8 straight games after getting shutout in their last game — and they have won 10 of their last 15 games after allowing five or more goals in their last contest. The Lightning have won 25 of their last 30 games at home after losing two games in a row — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after losing two in a row on the road. They return home where they have won 7 straight games in the playoffs — and they have won 40 of their last 55 home games when favored. They have also won 20 of their last 30 home games with the Total set at 6 or higher. Tampa Bay has also won 33 of their last 49 playoff games when trailing in the series. The fault from Game Two lies with the play of the Lightning’s defense rather than goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Returning home where head coach Jon Cooper gets to make the final line change will help. Tampa Bay has allowed only five goals in their last five games at home in these playoffs with a .971 save percentage. Darcy Kuemper remains a weak link for the Avalanche despite his shutout on Saturday. The Lightning only put 16 shots on him in Game Two. That will change. Kuemper has a .901 save percentage in 12 playoff games this year. Colorado has also lost 7 of their last 9 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 23 of their last 26 games at home when playing with revenge from a same-season loss. They have also won 18 of their last 20 home games when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least four goals. 25* NHL Monday Television Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (26) versus the Colorado Avalanche (35). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:15 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Rangers (50) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (49) in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: New York (62-30-8) had been on a four-game winning streak but has now lost two in a row after their 4-1 loss on the road against the Lightning on Tuesday. Tampa Bay (61-28-8) has won eight of their last ten games after leveling this series at 2-2.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York returns home to Madison Square Garden where head coach Gerard Gallant gets the advantage of the final line change. This will allow Gallant to get Mika Zibanejad away from the Lightning forward line of Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn, and Brandon Hagel who stymied Zibanejad in the two games in Tampa Bay. Zibanejad scored a goal in both Games One and Two of this series — and his line scored four of the eight goals the Rangers generated at even strength five-on-five. New York has won 9 of their last 12 games after losing their last game by three or more goals — and they have won 11 of their last 13 games after losing two games in a row. Furthermore, while the Rangers did not score more than two goals in the two games in Tampa Bay, they have then won 13 of their last 19 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. And while they allowed seven goals in those games on the road, New York has then won 18 of their last 24 games after allowing at least three goals in two straight games. The Rangers return home where they have won 9 straight playoff games this postseason — and they have won 44 of their last 64 games on home ice. During their eight-game winning streak at home, they have scored 4.38 Goals-Per-Game and held their guests to just 2.00 Goals-Per-Game. They have also won three home games in a row in the playoffs after suffering a loss on the road. Igor Shesterkin is outstanding on home ice where he had a 2.04 Goals-Against-Average and a .948 save percentage in the playoffs after putting up a 1.85 GAA and a .940 save percentage at home in the regular season. Tampa Bay has lost 7 of their last 8 games after winning eight of their last ten games. They will be without forward Brayden Point once again tonight after he was declared out with his lower-body injury despite participating in skating drills the last few days. Andrei Vasilevksiy has not been nearly as effective away from home both in the playoffs and in the regular season. In 30 regular-season games, he had a 2.77 GAA and a .912 save percentage — and he has a 3.03 GAA and a .906 save percentage in eight road starts in the postseason. The Lightning have lost 5 of their last 6 games on the road when favored. They have also lost 4 in a row against the Rangers in Madison Square Garden.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers may be undermanned with centers Ryan Strome and Filip Chytil both game-time decisions. Even if neither play, I like New York to take a 3-2 series lead. The Rangers have won 10 of their last 13 games at home when avenging a loss — and they have won 8 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from a loss by one goal on the road. 25* NHL Thursday ESPN Game of the Year with the money-line on the New York Rangers (50) versus the Tampa Bay Lightning (49). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:07 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (35) versus the New York Rangers (36) in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (59-27-8) looks to bounce back from their 6-2 loss on the road against the Rangers on Wednesday. New York (61-28-8) has won five of their last six games after taking a 1-0 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay had been on a six-game winning streak before losing to the Rangers to begin this series. The eight-day layoff they earned after sweeping Florida probably left them rusty. But now after a spirited practice yesterday, the Lightning should be laser-focused tonight — and this team has been extremely reliable in bounce back situations. Tampa Bay has won 17 straight games after a loss in the playoffs -- and it all starts with goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. Last year’s Conn Smythe winner was the starting goaltender for all 17 of those playoff victories — he has allowed on 28 goals in those contests for a sensational 1.47 Goals-Against-Average and a .942 save percentage. He has five shutouts in those 17 games as well. Additionally, the Lightning have won 40 of their last 52 games after a loss by three or more goals — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games after a loss by four or more goals. Furthermore, Tampa Bay has won 38 of their last 55 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. In the second games of a new playoff series, head coach Jon Cooper’s team has won 14 of these last 17 showdowns. They have also won 6 straight games when trailing in the series. New York has scored 17 goals in their last three games after head coach Gerard Gallant called them out for their lackluster effort in Game Five of their series with Carolina last round. They have won each of their last three games by at least three goals — but they have then lost 6 of their last 9 games after winning three in a row by two or more goals. They have also lost 24 of their last 38 games at home after scoring at least four goals in their last contest. And in their last 8 games as an underdog, they have lost 6 of these contests.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 12 of their last 13 games on the road when avenging a loss on the road by two or more goals. 25* NHL Friday ESPN Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (35) versus the New York Rangers (36). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:07 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (22) with the money-line versus the New York Rangers (21) in Game Seven of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Carolina (61-26-8) looks to rebound from their 5-2 loss in Madison Square Garden against the Rangers on Saturday. New York (59-28-8) has won three of their last four games to force this Game Seven.

REASONS TO TAKE THE HURRICANES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Carolina should play better tonight as they have won 8 of their last 10 games after a loss by three or more goals. They have also won 6 straight games after allowing five or more goals in their last game. The Hurricanes actually won the expected goals battle in Game Six by a 3.81 to 2.38 margin but were stymied by goalie Igor Shesterkin who made 37 saves. But now Carolina returns home where they are 7-0 this postseason. The Hurricanes have outscored their guests in the playoffs by a 25 to 8 margin — and they have outscored the Rangers at home at PNC Arena by a 7-2 margin. It is not just the energy the team gets from playing in front of their home crowd in Raleigh — head coach Rod Brind’amour has a big advantage in getting to choose the final lines to battle against the Rangers. Jordan Staal is a great defensive forward — and his line has contained the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad line to zero points in the three previous games in Carolina. The Hurricanes have won 44 of their last 58 games at home when favored — and they have won 14 of their last 18 home games with the Total set at 5.5. Additionally, Carolina has won 28 of their last 36 playing games when favored — and they have won 4 of their last 5 playoff games when trailing in the series. They should get better goaltending from Antti Raanta tonight after he was pulled early in the second period on Saturday. Raanta has won all six of his starts at home in the postseason while posting a 0.97 Goals-Against-Average and a .965 save percentage. The Rangers have lost 6 of their last 7 games on the road. They are not getting the same level of scoring production away from Madison Square Garden. The Artemi Panarin line has not registered a point in the three games in Carolina. New York has lost 6 straight games as an underdog — and they have lost 38 of their last 52 games in the playoffs as an underdog. The Rangers have also lost 6 of their last 7 games played against the Hurricanes in Raleigh.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina has won 4 of their last 5 games when avenging a loss where their opponent scored at least five goals. 25* NHL Monday ESPN Game of the Month is on the money-line on the Carolina Hurricanes (22) with the money-line versus the New York Rangers (21). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:37 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Calgary Flames (68) versus the Edmonton Oilers (67) in Game Five of their Western Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: Calgary (55-28-10) looks to snap a three-game losing streak in this series after dropping Game Four by a  5-3 score on Tuesday. Edmonton (56-31-6) has won five of their last six games while taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE FLAMES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Calgary needs to stave off elimination with a victory tonight. They have won 7 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. They have also won 4 of their last 6 games after losing three in a row to a Pacific Division rival. The Oilers have won all six games in the postseason when they scored first — but the Flames can take some confidence in the fact they enjoyed 3-0 and 2-0 leads on home ice in the first two games of this series. Calgary is winning the five-on-five possession battle against Edmonton. They have outshot the Oilers — and they are playing on special teams. And they are winning 56.1% of the faceoffs in the series. They are losing because of the disappointing play of goaltender Jacob Markstrom. He has an .850 save percentage in this series — and he has a 5.28 Goals-Against-Average in the last three games. But this was a Vezina Trophy finalist because his strong play in the regular season. The Flames have won 25 of their last 35 games on home ice — and they have won 7 of their last 9 games at home when favored. Edmonton may be due for an emotional letdown after holding serve at home for Games Three and Four. The Oilers have lost 8 of their last 12 games after winning two straight games by more than one goal in their last game. They have also lost 12 of their last 14 road games after winning two in a row by multiple goals. Furthermore, Edmonton has lost 14 of their last 22 games after winning three in a row against divisional rivals. Even if Markstrom continues to struggle, the Oilers’ Mike Smith does not really offer them an advantage between the pipes. Smith played out of his mind in the opening round against Los Angeles — but he has a -1.0 goals save above expectation in this series with several terrible gaffes. Edmonton has lost 15 of their last 22 games as an underdog — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 road games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: Edmonton took Game Two of this series — but they have still lost 4 of their last 5 games played against the Flames in Calgary. The Flames have won 35 of their last 51 games when favored. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the Calgary Flames (68) versus the Edmonton Oilers (67). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 3:37 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Rangers (46) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (45) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. THE SITUATION: New York (56-27-8) has lost the first two games in this series after a 2-0 loss on the road against the Hurricanes on Friday. Carolina (60-23-8) has won three games in a row while taking a 2-0 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York has only scored once so far in this series — and they are scoreless in their last 116:05 minutes. But the Rangers have won 10 of their last 12 games after losing two games in a row. They have also won 7 of their last 9 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. They return home where they are 3-1 at Madison Square Garden in this postseason. They have scored four goals in their 12 Power Play opportunities in those four home games. New York has won 14 of their last 22 home games with the Total set at 5.5. They have also won 6 of their last 8 home games when the underdog. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin has been outstanding when playing in front of the home fans this season. In 30 games (29 starts) at MSG in the regular season, Shesterkin had a 1.85 Goals-Against-Average with a .940 save percentage and five shutouts. After some shaky moments last round against Pittsburgh that may have been triggered by his Herculean performance in the opening game overtime marathon, Shesterkin has regained his regular-season form with 44 saves against 47 shots for a .936 save percentage in this series. He has +1.07 goals saved above expectation. Carolina has lost 5 of their last 8 games after playing a low-scoring game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Hurricanes have now won 12 of their last 15 games — but they have then lost 4 of their last 5 games after winning at least 12 of their last 15 games. They have also lost 6 of their last 7 games on the road after not allowing more than one goal in two straight games. Carolina continues to get surprisingly good goaltending from Antti Raanta who has stopped 48 of the 49 shots he has seen in this series. But Raanta was at his best when playing at home in the regular season where he sported a 2.06 GAA and a .924 save percentage in 13 starts. In his 15 starts on the road, Raanta had a 2.87 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Furthermore, in his two starts on the road in Boston last round, he gave up four goals in both losses and had an .867 save percentage. The Hurricanes were winless in their three games on the road against the Bruins last round — and they were outscored by a 14 to 8 margin. The Carolina offense has not been much better than the Rangers in the postseason either. While New York ranks seventh of the remaining eight teams in expected goals scored at even strength, the Hurricanes rank sixth despite playing six of their nine playoff games on home ice.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers have won 10 of their last 13 games when avenging a loss on the road — and they have won 8 of their last 9 games when playing with revenge from an upset loss. 25* NHL Metropolitan Division Game of the Year with the money-line on the New York Rangers (46) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (45). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (56) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (55) in Game Six of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Series. THE SITUATION: Boston (52-30) has lost four of their last six games after their 5-1 loss on the road to the Hurricanes on Tuesday. Carolina (57-22-8) took a 3-2 series lead with the victory.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston looks to stave off elimination and force a decisive seventh game in this series. Attrition on their blue line has not helped their cause. They got back Charlie McAvoy on Tuesday who was out due to a positive COVID test — and now they expect to see his partner of their top defensive pair return with Hampus Lindolm probable after missing the last three games after taking a big hit in Game Two. Getting their top two defenders back and playing together is huge. And getting back home to TD Garden where head coach Bruce Cassidy gets to make the final line change also helps enormously. The fans won’t hurt either. Boston has won 36 of their last 51 home games when favored. Cassidy will put David Pastrnak back on the second line with Taylor Hall -- but he may still give extra shifts to him re-pairing with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand for the “perfection” line. The Bruins have won 23 of their last 33 games after a loss — and they have won 13 of their last 18 games after a loss on the road. Boston has also won 10 of their last 13 games after a loss by three or more goals — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games after a loss by four or more goals. Furthermore, the Bruins have won 8 of their last 10 games after losing four or five of their last six games — and they have won 10 of their last 13 games after allowing at least five goals. Rookie Jeremy Swayman is between the pipes tonight after taking over after Game Two. While he struggled on Tuesday, he posted a solid .925 save percentage in Games Three and Four at home which Boston won both. Carolina has outscored the Bruins by a 19-13 margin — but the Hurricanes are overachieving their expected goals numbers and actually have a negative 46.78% expected goals-for mark in this series when playing at five-on-five. Carolina had the number one Power Play Kill Unit in the regular season but surrendered four Power Play goals in the two previous games in Boston in this series. Antti Raanta has been playing over his head in this series with a .942 save percentage. In 15 games (13 starts) on the road this year, he has a mediocre 2.87 Goals-Against-Average and a .942 save percentage. The Hurricanes have lost 5 of their last 6 road games as an underdog. They have also lost 16 of their last 21 playoff games as a dog.

FINAL TAKE: Carolina has lost 11 of their last 14 games played in Boston against the Bruins. Expect this to be a seven-game series. 25* NHL Thursday Night Special Feature with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (56) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (55). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the New York Rangers (48) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (47) in Game Five of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: New York (53-26-7) returns home after losing both games on the road to the Penguins after a 7-2 loss on Monday. Pittsburgh (49-27-10) has taken a 3-1 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE RANGERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: New York lost Game Three of this series by a 7-4 score. Goalie Igor Shesterkin was pilled after the first period in Game Three after giving up four goals on 15 shots — and he only survived two periods on Monday after giving up six goals on 24 shots. But it has been the Rangers’ defense in front of him that has been the bigger problem. Shesterkin has +1.2 saves above expectation in this series. In the first two games of this series, he stopped 118 of the 124 shots he faced for a .952 save percentage. During the regular season, the likely Vezina Trophy winner posted a 1.85 Goals-Against-Average and a .940 save percentage in 30 games (29 starts at home). New York is a well-coached team under Gerard Gallant that should play better tonight back in from of their home crowd when facing elimination. The Rangers have won 8 of their last 11 games after a loss by three or more goals — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Furthermore, New York has won 15 of their last 22 games after losing two of their last three games. Additionally, the Rangers have won 24 of their last 35 games after playing their last game Over the Total — and they have won 14 of their last 17 games after playing two straight Overs. Back at home, New York has won 28 of their last 41 games on home ice — and they have won 21 of their last 30 home games when favored. And in the last 12 games coached by Gerard after his team allowed at least five goals in two straight games, his teams have then won the game 9 times. Pittsburgh has lost 7 of their last 10 games after a victory — and they have lost 6 of their last 9 games after a win by five or more goals. They have also lost 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. Additionally, the Penguins have lost 20 of their last 29 road games after a win by four or more goals against a Metropolitan Division rival — and they have lost 7 of their last 8 games on the road after playing a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. The Pens have lost 12 of their last 19 games on the road after scoring at least three goals in two straight games. On the road, Pittsburgh has lost 6 of their last 8 games — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 road games as an underdog. The Penguins are dealing with injuries on their blue line with both Brian Dumoulin and Richard Rakell out tonight. And Pittsburgh remains reliant on third-string goaltender Louis Domingue with both Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith out with injuries. Dominque has just a .906 save percentage in this series — and he has a -2.3 saves below expectation rate.

FINAL TAKE: The Rangers have won 9 of their last 11 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a loss by two or more goals on the road. Pittsburgh has lost 5 of their last 7 games at Madison Square Garden against the Rangers. 25* NHL 1st Round Metropolitan Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the New York Rangers (48) versus the Pittsburgh Penguins (47). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (26) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (25) in Game Four of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (52-25-8) looks to rebound from their 5-2 loss at home to the Maple Leafs on Friday. Toronto (57-27-7) took a 2-1 lead in this series with the victory.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay may not pull off the three-peat this season — but the defending champions remain very talented and will be a very tough out. They have been very reliable when bouncing back from a loss in the playoffs. Since 2020, they have won all 15 of their games after a loss in the postseason. Goaltender Andre Vasilevskiy has started in all 15 of those victories — and he has posted a 1.31 Goals-Against-Average with a .948 save percentage and five shutouts in those contests. Tampa Bay has also won 39 of their last 52 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 20 of their last 26 games after a loss at home by three or more goals. Furthermore, the Lightning have won 29 of their last 43 games when trailing in a playoff series. Toronto has lost 21 of their last 30 games when leading in a playoff series. While the Leafs are scoring 4.33 Goals-Per-Game in this series, they are not finding success on the Power Play. After leading the NHL with a Power Play that enjoyed a 27.3% success rate in the regular season, they are only converting on 13.3% of their Power Plays against the Lightning, ranking 11th in the playoffs. Toronto has lost 7 of their last 10 road games as an underdog — and they have lost 9 of their last 13 games in the playoffs as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 28 of their last 36 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals — and they have won 10 straight home games when playing with revenge from a loss at home. 25* NHL 1st Round Atlantic Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (26) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (25). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Boston Bruins (2) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (1) in Game Three of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Boston (50-29-5) returns home trailing 0-2 in this series after losing by a 5-2 score on the road against the Hurricanes on Wednesday. Carolina (56-20-8) has won eight games in a row.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BRUINS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Boston has outshot the Hurricanes in both games of this series while winning the five-on-five battle — but they have not been able to put enough shots into net. Head coach Bruce Cassidy has responded to this situation by deciding to reunite the “perfection” line by moving David Pastrnak back with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand after moving Pastrnak on the second line with Taylor Hall. The Bruins should play well tonight as they have won 12 of their last 17 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 9 of their last 12 games after a loss by three or more goals. Boston has also won 6 of their last 8 games after losing three of their last four games. They have also won 9 of their last 12 games after allowing at least five goals in their last contest. Cassidy turns to rookie Jeremy Swayman after Linus Ullmark allowed eight goals on 57 shots in the first two games of this series. The rookie had a 23-14-3 record as a starter in the regular season with a 2.41 Goals-Against-Average and a .914 save percentage. He stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced in his lone game against the Hurricanes this season. The Bruins have won 35 of their last 51 home games when favored. Carolina committed nine penalties on Wednesday in what was a wild game — and they have lost 6 of their last 7 games after taking at least eight penalties in their last game. The Hurricanes have lost 28 of their last 42 games after winning their two previous games at home by more than one goal. And while they the Hurricanes have scored at least four goals in five straight games, they have then lost 4 of their last 5 games after scoring at least four goals in five straight games. Goalie Antti Raanta left Game Two midway through the first period with an injury which means rookie Pyotr Kochetkov will make his fifth appearance of the season. While he stoped 30 of the 32 shots he faced on Wednesday, this is a difficult assignment in making his first career postseason start in hostile territory. As it is, Carolina has lost 5 of their last 7 road games as an underdog. They have also lost 8 of their last 10 playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Boston has won 9 of their last 12 opportunities to host the Hurricanes on home ice. 25* NHL 1st Round Eastern Conference Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Boston Bruins (2) versus the Carolina Hurricanes (1). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:37 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (66) versus the St. Louis Blues (65) in Game Two of their Western Conference Quarterfinals series. THE SITUATION: Minnesota (53-23-7) had their two-game winning streak snapped in a 4-0 loss at home to the Blues on Monday. St. Louis (50-23-10) has won four of their last six games while taking a 1-0 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Minnesota actually won the expected goals battle by a 3.44 to 3.129 margin — but their inability to score on their six power-play opportunities let them down. The Blues scored on their first two power plays to seize an early lead — and they got a surprising shutout performance from goaltender Ville Husso making his first career postseason start. Minnesota outshot St. Louis by a 37-31 margin. The Wild should play better tonight. They have won 9 of their last 10 games after a loss at home — and they have won 15 of their last 18 games after a loss at home to a Central Division rival. Furthermore, Minnesota has won 8 straight games after a loss at home by more than one goal — and they have won 13 of their last 15 games after a loss at home by three or more goals. Additionally, the Wild have won 14 of their last 20 games after not scoring more than two goals — and they have won 9 of their last 11 games after getting shut out in their last game. They stay at home where they have won 51 of their last 68 games — and they have won 43 of their last 54 home games when favored. They have also won 24 of their last 33 home games with the Total set at 6 or higher. Marc-Andre Fleury will be between the pipes again tonight after stopping 27 shots on Monday but surrendering four goals in that game with three of them coming off rebounds. Fleury is a veteran with plenty of successful playoff experience — and he posted a 9-2-0 record in his 11 starts after being shipped to Minnesota from Chicago at the trade deadline. St. Louis has lost 3 of their last 4 games after a road victory where they shut out their opponent. They have also lost 6 of their last 9 games after playing a game where no more than four combined goals were scored. The Blues have scored at least three goals in six straight games — but they have then lost 14 of their last 20 games on the road after scoring at least three goals in their last four contests. Let’s fade Husso who has been a journeyman goalie before his career season this year as he got more playing time for the fading Jordan Binnington. While Husso had a 2.34 Goals-Against-Average with a .926 save percentage in 21 starts at home, those numbers rose to a 2.82 GAA on the road in 19 games (17 starts) with a .911 save percentage. St. Louis has still lost 6 of their last 7 playoff games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota has won 5 of their last 6 games when avenging a loss at home by four or more goals. 25* NHL 1st Round Central Division Playoff Game of the Year with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (66) versus the St. Louis Blues (65). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:07 PM ET on Sunday, we will be playing the money-line on the Washington Capitals (14) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (13). THE SITUATION: Washington (44-23-11) has won three of their last four games after their 2-0 victory at Arizona on Friday. Toronto (51-21-7) has lost two games in a row after their 3-2 loss in overtime at Florida.

REASONS TO TAKE THE CAPITALS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Washington is safely in the Eastern Conference playoffs — but they still want to pass Pittsburgh in the standings to avoid playing the red-hot Florida Panthers in the first round. They are two points behind the Penguins going into tonight’s game. The Capitals are 7-1-1 in their last nine games — and they are scoring 3.8 Goals-Per-Game in their last five games. Washington has won 5 of their last 7 games after winning their last game on the road with a shut out. They return home for the first time since April 12th — and they have won 21 of their last 31 home games after being on the road for at least seven days. The Capitals have beaten playoff teams like Tampa Bay, Colorado, Boston, and Pittsburgh during their recent run. They have won 11 of their last 13 games against Eastern Conference opponents — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games when favored. Toronto has lost 8 of their last 12 road games after losing to an Atlantic Division rival on the road in their last game. They have lost 8 of their last 11 games after playing in overtime the previous day. They have also lost 4 of their last 5 games when playing their second game on the road in two days. The Maple Leafs have little to play for being locked into the second slot in the Atlantic. Head coach Sheldon Keefe may elect to rest key starters — Auston Matthews is listed as questionable as it is and defenseman Michael Bunting left the game against the Panthers with an injury that will probably keep him out tonight at least out of precaution. Erik Kallgren is the confirmed goaltender tonight. He has a 4.76 Goals-Against-Average and an .841 save percentage in six games and five starts on the road. Toronto has lost 7 of their last 9 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Washington will be motivated to avenge a 7-3 loss at Toronto on April 14th — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games when playing with revenge from a loss on the road. The Capitals have also won 9 of their last 14 games when avenging a loss by four or more goals. And in their last 15 opportunities to host the Maple Leafs, they have won 11 of these games. 10* NHL Sunday Daily Discounted Deal with the money-line on the Washington Capitals (14) versus the Toronto Maple Leafs (13). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:05 PM ET on Friday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (78) versus the Boston Bruins (77). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (43-20-7) has lost three straight games after their 4-3 loss at Washington on Wednesday. Boston (43-22-5) had their three-game winning streak end in a 5-3 loss at Detroit on Tuesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: As the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champions, this team appears to be lacking much motivation in the dog days of the regular. This will be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. But when they are motivated, the Lightning can still play as good of hockey as anyone. They have won 9 of their last 14 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 4 of their last 5 games after losing by just one goal on the road. Losing three straight games should provide enough of a wake-up call for head coach John Cooper’s team. They above won 13 straight games after losing three of their last four games. Tampa Bay is still potent on offense — they are fifth in the NHL by averaging 13.19 High Danger Chances per game. But their defense has been an issue after they have allowed at least four goals in three straight games. They have won 13 of their last 20 games after allowing at least three goals in their last two games — and they have won 6 of their last 9 games after allowing at least three goals in at least three straight contests. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been off after allowing 10 goals from 67 shots in his last two games. But he returns home now where he has a sparkling 2.20 Goals-Against-Average and a .921 save percentage in 28 starts this season. The Lightning have won 40 of their last 60 games at home with the Total set at 6. Boston lost at Detroit despite outshooting them by a 50-28 margin. But the Bruins have now lost 4 of their last 5 games on the road as an underdog. Additionally, Boston has also lost 16 of their last 21 games against the Lightning — and they have lost 7 of their last 10 games against them in Tampa Bay. Linus Ullmark is their goaltender tonight. He is the weaker link of the duo with Jeremy Swayman and him. He has a 2.52 Goals-Against-Average and a .919 save percentage in 18 starts on the road.

FINAL TAKE: Boston won the last meeting between these two teams by a 3-2 score on March 24th. The Lightning have won 20 of their last 24 games when avenging a loss on the road. They have also won 17 of their last 19 games at home when avenging a same-season loss — and they have won 11 straight games at home when playing with revenge from a loss by just one goal. 20* NHL Super Under-Valued Favorite with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (78) versus the Boston Bruins (77). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:05 PM ET on Saturday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (79) versus the Edmonton Oilers (80). THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (37-14-6) has lost two in a row after their 4-1 loss at Calgary on Thursday. Edmonton (31-24-3) snapped a three-game losing streak with their 4-3 victory against Buffalo on Wednesday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Tampa Bay does not lose often by multiple goals — and they have dropped two in a row by three goals after losing in Calgary by a 7-4 score on Tuesday. The Lightning have won 7 of their last 10 games after a loss on the road — and they have won 39 of their last 51 games after a loss by three or more goals. Tampa Bay has also won 28 of their last 32 games after failing to score more than one goal in their last game — and this includes them winning seven of their last eight games after not netting at least two pucks in their last game. Furthermore, the Lightning have won 15 of their last 22 games after losing two in a row — and they have won 6 of their last 9 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is getting the night off for rest which is why the price has dropped below my -150 price threshold — but Brian Elliott has been serviceable as his backup this season. The veteran last played on March 3rd when stopped 22 of 23 shots in a 3-1 victory against Detroit. In eight games and seven starts on the road, Elliott has a 2.42 Goals-Against-Average with a .911 save percentage this season. Tampa Bay has won 43 of their last 63 road games when favored. Edmonton has lost four of their last six games - and they have lost 10 of their last 14 games after losing four or five of their last six contests. Mikko Koskinen gets the start in net tonight. In 15 games with 13 starts at home, he has been saddled with a 3.49 GAA and an .889 save percentage. The Oilers have lost 41 of their last 60 games at home as an underdog — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 games as a dog this season.

FINAL TAKE: Tampa Bay has won 13 of their last 18 games against Western Conference opponents — and they have won 5 in a row against Edmonton. 20* NHL Saturday Late Show Bailout with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (79) versus the Edmonton Oilers (80). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:05 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (44) versus the Calgary Flames (43). THE SITUATION: St. Louis (25-12-5) had their three-game winning streak snapped on Monday with their 7-1 loss in Calgary against this Flames team. Calgary (20-12-6) has won three of their last four games after following that victory with a 6-0 shutout win at Columbus last night.

REASONS TO TAKE THE BLUES WITH THE MONEY-LINE: St. Louis returns home rested and ready to avenge that bad loss on Monday to the Flames. The Blues have won 11 of their last 16 games after a loss this season — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games this season after a loss on the road. Furthermore, St. Louis has won 8 of their last 11 games after playing a game where at least eight combined goals were scored. Back at home at the Enterprise Center, the Blues have won 13 of their last 16 games — and they have won 16 of their last 21 games at home when favored. They are enjoying a breakout season right wing Jordan Kyrou who leads the team with 41 points in his 38 games played. Backup goaltender Ville Husso get the start tonight for Jordan Binnington who got roughed up in Monday’s game — and he is having an outstanding season. Husso has a 1.88 Goals-Against-Average with a .943 save percentage in 12 starts (13 appearances) this season. At home, Husso has been even better with a 1.74 GAA and a .940 save percentage in seven starts. And in his five starts (six games) this month, Husso has a 1.13 GAA and a .965 save percentage. St. Louis has won 7 of their last 8 games against teams from the Western Conference — and they have won 6 of their last 8 games against teams with a winning record. Calgary is on a heater right now with their offensive attack -- they have averaged a whopping 52.3 shots in their last three games. But the Flames have lost 5 of their last 7 games after putting up at least 33 shots in three straight games. They stay on the road where they have lost 4 of their last 5 games — and they have lost 4 straight road games as the money-line underdog. They counter with Daniel Vladar between the pipes who will be making just his fifth start since December. Vladar has a 2.73 GAA and a .910 save percentage in his nine starts this year — but his best work was early in the season. In his four starts since December, he has a rough 4.17 GAA and an .869 save percentage. He has allowed at least four goals in his last three starts — and he got burned with six goals in his most recent start in Carolina on January 7th. Calgary has lost 4 of their last 5 games as an underdog overall. Additionally, the Flames have lost 8 of their last 10 games against teams with a winning record — and they have lost 15 of their last 18 games against teams with a winning percentage in the 51-60% range.

FINAL TAKE: The laptops like Calgary with their good underlying five-on-five metrics — and those numbers are not so high on the Blues. But those numbers have limitations that the team trends referenced above expose a bit. It is a bad situation for the Flames playing the second game on the road without rest with a rusty and struggling goaltender. Calgary has lost 4 of their last 5 games against the Blues — and they have lost 10 of their last 13 games in St. Louis. The Blues have won 8 of their 10 opportunities for revenge this season — and they have won 7 of their last 8 games when avenging a loss where they allowed at least four goals. 25* NHL Game of Month with the money-line on the St. Louis Blues (44) versus the Calgary Flames (43). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 10:38 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (40) versus the Seattle Kraken (39). THE SITUATION: San Jose (15-12-1) has won two of their last three games after their 2-1 win against Dallas on Saturday. Seattle (9-15-3) has lost three in a row after a 5-4 loss to Columbus on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE SHARKS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: San Jose should continue to build off their momentum as they have won 10 of their last 14 games after a win at home by just one goal — and they have won 8 of their last 9 home games after not allowing more than one goal in their last contest. The Sharks have not scored more than two goals in each of their last two games — but they have won 5 of their last 7 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. They have also won 6 of their last 7 games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. James Reimer should be between the pipes tonight — he has a 1.98 Goals-Against-Average with a .931 save percentage in 15 games (14 starts). This is the first meeting between these two teams — and San Jose has won 5 of their last 6 games against teams not winning more than 40% of their games. Seattle has lost 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least four goals in their last game. The Kraken has allowed at least three goals in six straight games. Seattle has lost 9 of their last 13 games after allowing at least two goals in their last game — and they have lost 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least three goals in three straight games. Furthermore, the Kraken have lost 4 of their last 5 games after allowing at least three goals in at least four straight games. Chris Driedger is the confirmed goaltender for Seattle tonight. He has played in only five games this season with four starts while battling injuries — but he has struggled with a 3.60 GAA and an .876 save percentage. The Kraken has lost 8 of their last 10 games on the road — and they have lost 5 of their last 6 road games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Seattle has lost 5 of their last 6 games against Pacific Division rivals — and San Jose has won 4 of their last 5 games against Pacific Division foes. 25* NHL Pacific Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the San Jose Sharks (40) versus the Seattle Kraken (39). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Wednesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (29) versus the New Jersey Devils (39). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (11-6-1) have lost two straight and three of their last four after their 5-4 loss in a shootout at Tampa Bay on Sunday. New Jersey (8-5-3) snapped their three-game losing streak with a 5-3 win at Tampa Bay on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Minnesota should respond with a strong effort tonight. They have won 15 of their last 22 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. The Wild have also won 10 of their last 11 games after losing two in a row. Additionally, Minnesota has won 5 of their last 6 games when playing with two days of rest — and they have won 15 of their last 21 games when playing their third game on the road in a five-day stretch. Goalie Cam Talbot got the day off in the loss to the Lightning so he should be between the pipes again tonight. While he has a 3.55 Goals-Against-Average with an .872 save percentage in five home starts, he sports a 2.60 GAA with a .921 save percentage in nine starts on the road. The Wild have allowed at least four goals in two straight games — but they have then won 9 straight games after allowing at least four goals in two straight games. Minnesota has also won 9 of their last 12 road games when favored. New Jersey has lost 23 of their last 32 games at home after a game where at least seven combined goals were scored — and they have lost 14 of their last 18 home games after playing a game that finished Over the Total. The Devils have allowed at least three goals in four straight games — and they have lost 19 of their last 27 games after allowing at least three goals in four straight games. MacKenzie Blackwood should be in goal tonight with six starts under his belt since returning from an early-season injury. He has an unappealing 3.03 Goals-Against-Average so far this year. New Jersey returns home where they have lost 24 of their last 34 games — and they have lost 28 of their last 41 home games with the Total set at 6. The Devils have also lost 28 of their last 41 home games as an underdog.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota has won 37 of their last 53 games when favored. Look for them to end their losing streak tonight against a young Devils team still playing without an injured Jack Hughes. 25* NHL Game of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (29) versus the New Jersey Devils (39). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (16) versus the Dallas Stars (15). THE SITUATION: Minnesota (10-5-0) has lost two of their last three games after their 4-1 loss to San Jose on Tuesday. Dallas (6-6-2) has won two in a row with their 5-2 win against Detroit two days ago.

REASONS TO TAKE THE WILD WITH THE MONEY-LINE: Dallas is overvalued by the market just over a year ago from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in the bubble. They did not make the playoffs last season — and their record this year is propped up by them winning four of their six games in overtime or shootout. The Stars have only won two of their eight games decided in regulation time. Dallas has lost 5 of their last 7 games after a win — and they have lost 10 of their last 11 road games after a win or tie in their last game. They go back on the road where they have lost 5 of their last 7 games — and they have lost 19 of their last 27 road games with the Total set at 5.5. Anton Khudobin is the confirmed goalie for the Stars tonight. He has a 3.03 Goals-Against-Average and an .897 save percentage in five starts and six games this season. In his four games and three starts on the road, Khudobin has a 3.39 GAA and .891 save percentage. The Stars have lost 4 of their last 5 games against fellow Central Division rivals. Minnesota is off to a fast start despite only getting three goals in their best player, Kirill Kaprizov. They took a tough loss to the Sharks on Tuesday — but they have rebounded to win 19 of their last 26 games after a loss at home. The Wild have also won 4 of their last 5 games after a loss by at least three goals — and they have won 8 of their last 11 games after a loss by three or more goals on home ice. Minnesota has won 6 of their last 7 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game. Goalie Cam Talbot has underwhelmed so far this season with a 2.91 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Talbot was the goalie on Tuesday — and he does have a 2.36 GAA and .927 save percentage in his three starts when playing with one day of rest this year. The Wild stay at home where they have won 24 of their last 32 games — and they have won 35 of their last 51 home games when favored.

FINAL TAKE: Minnesota has won 16 of their last 23 games against teams with a losing record — and Dallas has lost 22 of their last 32 games against teams with a winning record. 25* NHL Central Division Game of the Month with the money-line on the Minnesota Wild (16) versus the Dallas Stars (15). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 7:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Florida Panthers (13) versus the New Jersey Devils (14). THE SITUATION: Florida (10-1-1) had their two-game winning streak snapped last night with a 4-3 loss at New York against the Rangers. New Jersey (5-3-2) had their three-game losing streak snapped with a 3-2 victory at San Jose on Saturday.

REASONS TO TAKE THE PANTHERS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I have been waiting on the determination of the starting goaltender for Florida with Sergei Bobrovsky questionable with the upper-body injury that kept him out of the final two periods of his last game against Washington on Thursday. If the Panthers would have turned to Evan Patrick, I would have likely passed on this game — but Spencer Knight is going to start again tonight after giving up four goals last night. He should be feisty to redeem himself from last night’s subpar effort. He still has a 2.29 Goals-Against-Average and a .915 save percentage in his three other starts on the road. He starred in the playoffs last year with a 2.06 GAA and a .933 save percentage in two starts last year. Florida has won 17 of their last 23 games after a loss — and they have won 21 of their last 29 games after a loss on the road. The Panthers have won 17 of their last 22 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. And in their last 5 games played without rest, Florida has won 4 of these games. They are scoring 4.1 Goals-Per-Game — and they have won 7 of their last 10 games on the road. New Jersey has lost 4 of their last 5 games after a win — and they have lost 12 of their last 15 games after a win by just one goal on the road. The Devils have lost 12 of their last 14 games on home ice after losing three of their last four games. They do return home where they have lost 23 of their last 31 games. MacKenzie Blackwood is the confirmed goalie for New Jersey after making his first start of the season on Friday when he allowed three goals on 29 shots in Los Angeles against the Kings. In 19 starts at home last year, Blackwood had a 3.32 GAA and an .882 save percentage.

FINAL TAKE: Florida has won 7 of their last 10 road games when favored. The Devils have lost 37 of their last 51 home games as an underdog. 25* NHL Eastern Conference Game of the Month with the money-line on the Florida Panthers (13) versus the New Jersey Devils (14). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Monday, we will be playing the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (21) versus the Montreal Canadiens (22) in Game Four of the Stanley Cup Finals. THE SITUATION: Tampa Bay (50-20-6) took a commanding 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals with their 6-3 victory. Montreal (36-28-12) hosts this game looking to avoid a sweep and force a fifth game back in Tampa Bay.

REASONS TO TAKE THE LIGHTNING WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I passed on the side play in Game Three and used that contest as a “wait and see” opportunity for Game Four. Montreal needed Game Three — and they were simply dominated. The Canadiens’ game is dependent on scoring first where they can then play defensively and lean on goalie Carey Price. They are 11-2 in the postseason when scoring first — but they have lost 6 of their 7 games when their opponent scores first. Montreal was trailing 2-0 in this crucial Game Three less than 3:30 minutes into the first period. The Canadiens are getting outplayed — and they have been outscored by a 14-5 goal margin. But the biggest difference has been the decline of play in Price. After the veteran goaltender has carried his team in the first three rounds of the playoffs, Price has not played well at all in this series. Besides allowing 13 goals, in the first three games of this series, he has a -6.2 saves below the expected number for the average goalie. Price has a .835 save percentage in this series after posting a .931 save percentage in Round One, a .941 save percentage in Round Two, and then a .933 save percentage in Round Three against Vegas. Maybe Montreal is tired? Maybe they are simply facing a team that is better against them? Maybe both. But I do not see the Canadiens picking themselves off the mat tonight. Montreal has lost 4 straight games after allowing at least five goals in their last game — and they have lost 13 of their last 19 games after playing a game where at least nine combined goals were scored. They surrendered two goals in the third period — and they have lost 16 of their last 25 games after allowing at least two goals in the third period. They are playing at home — but they have lost 13 of their last 17 games at home on a three-game losing streak. Tampa Bay is 15-2 when they score first in these playoffs — and they have three lines that can score the first goal in this game against a goalie in Price that is now lacking in confidence. They are scoring 4.67 Goals-Per-Game in this series. The Lightning have won 7 of their last 10 games after scoring at least five goals in their last game. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the better goaltender in this series — and the entire playoffs. He has a 1.67 Goals-Against-Average and a .948 save percentage in this series — and he has a 1.94 GAA and a .938 save percentage in the postseason overall. Tampa Bay has won 6 of their last 8 road games when favored — and they have won 26 of their last 36 games in the playoffs when favored.

FINAL TAKE: The Lightning have won 14 of their last 16 meetings against the Canadiens — and they have won 5 of their last 6 games against them when playing in the Bell Centre in Montreal. Tampa Bay’s recent playoff experience should really help them tonight as they look to lift the Stanley Cup twice in a ten-month span. While there may be a fleeting thought about the positive benefit of losing this game to then win the Stanley Cup back at home in Game Five after not winning the Cup win fans in the stands last fall — but this is a too savvy a group to be foolish enough to give away games against a goaltender who can get on a hot streak again. 25* National Hockey League Game of the Year with the money-line on the Tampa Bay Lightning (21) versus the Montreal Canadiens (22). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 8:08 PM ET on Thursday, we will be playing the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (21) versus the Montreal Canadiens (22) in Game Six of the Stanley Cup Semifinals. THE SITUATION: Vegas (50-19-5) is on the brink of elimination in the playoffs after a 4-1 loss at home to the Canadiens on Tuesday. Montreal (35-25-12) has won ten of their last twelve games as they seized a 3-2 lead in this series.

REASONS TO TAKE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I am investing in Vegas tonight with full appreciation that this Canadiens team is good. General manager Mark Bergevin made some savvy offseason moves in bringing over Tyler Toffoli (the team’s leading points-scorer in the postseason), Josh Anderson (an absolute steal from Columbus), and the veteran forward Corey Perry. Midseason acquisitions of Eric Staal, Erik Gustafsson, and Jon Merrill added more veteran talent for depth and playoff experience. The absence of head coach Dominique Ducharme has not been as devastating because this group is loaded with veterans with playoff experience. This is a team built for the playoffs — and they demonstrated their potential by winning six of their first nine games before injuries and later COVID outbreaks wreaked havoc on their season. A condensed schedule down the stretch did not help matters as they made up for lost games to COVID in the early months of the year. But seeding — and home-ice — means little in the Stanley Cup playoffs. All the Canadiens needed was to get into the tournament. And now their elite goalie Carey Price has once again flipped the switch to demonstrate why he deserves to get paid over $10 million per year. This Montreal team has a profile that is similar to a Minnesota Wild group that gave the Knights in the regular season and playoffs — only with a better goaltender. That all said, I think beating this good Knights team for the fourth time in five games will be a challenge. The Canadiens have shortened their bench so much that they are using their top-line units at forward and defense over 80% of the time. Vegas remains committed to rolling four forward lines in a strategy that eventually wore down an outstanding Colorado team. Montreal has basked in the role of the underdog in this postseason with upset wins against Toronto and now their 3-2 lead over the heavily favored Knights — but now they are the favorites to win this series. And while they are at home tonight, these Game Sixes at home are dangerous because they carry with it the pressure of winning the series now or risk going on the road into a very hostile environment in a Game Seven. And Montreal does not have many fans in their stands still — so the home edge is not that prevalent. Don’t be surprised if this team suffers an emotional letdown. They have lost 20 of their last 33 games at home after a win by two or more goals. They have lost 9 of their last 13 home games after not allowing more than two goals in their last two games. Vegas needs to find some answers in getting their forwards going — but they should be on fire tonight in terms of work rate and effort. The Golden Knights have won 9 of their last 10 games after a loss by three or more goals. They have won 10 of their last 14 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 10 of their last 14 games after allowing at least four goals in their last game. Robin Lehner will be the goaltender tonight which is fine — he had a 2.29 Goals-Against-Average and a .919 save percentage during the regular season after being the first-string goalie in the postseason last year. The team needs a momentum change — and placing Lehner between the pipes may light the fire under this team. Lehner did win Game Four in his start in Montreal to even this series. Vegas has won 20 of their last 27 road games when favored. They able also won 4 of their last 5 playoff games this season when trailing in the series.

FINAL TAKE: Vegas has won 26 of their last 34 games when playing with revenge from a loss by more than one goal — and they have won 6 of their last 7 games when motivated to avenge a loss by three or more goals. 25* NHL Stanley Cup Semifinals Game of the Year with the money-line on the Vegas Golden Knights (21) versus the Montreal Canadiens (22). Best of luck for us — Frank.

At 9:08 PM ET on Tuesday, we will be playing the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (36) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (35) in Game Five of their West Division Finals series. THE SITUATION: Colorado (45-15-4) has lost the last two games of this series after their 5-1 loss in Las Vegas on Sunday. Vegas (46-17-4) has evened this series at 2-2.

REASONS TO TAKE THE AVALANCHE WITH THE MONEY-LINE: I suspected that Colorado’s 7-1 victory in Game One of this series might turn out to be Pyrrhic if it gave this young team too much confidence. Despite winning Game Two in overtime, the metrics suggest that the Golden Knights outplayed them — and that means Vegas has outplayed them in each of the last three games. Head coach Jared Bednar claimed his team is trying to “be too fancy” with their shots — and likely product of them sharpshooters finding so much success in Game One against Vegas goaltender Robin Lehner (while listening to everyone tell them how good they are). The Avalanche lacks the deep playoff experience that this Vegas team possesses. The Knights have lulled Colorado into a more physical type of series that they want. That all said, it will be tough for Vegas to win three straight against this talented Avalanche team. Colorado only put up 18 shots on Sunday — and they have been outshot by a 110 to 52 margin in the last three games in this series. The Ave’s simply need to start peppering Fleury with more action to generate more scoring chances after scoring only three goals in the last two games. Colorado has won 36 of their last 53 games after not scoring more than two goals in their last game — and they have won 5 straight games after not scoring more than two goals in two straight games. The Avalanche have also won 12 of their last 14 games after a loss by at least three goals. And in their last 9 games after losing two of their last three, Colorado has won 8 of their last 9 games. Goalie Philip Grubauer had his worst game in the postseason by allowing five goals on 35 shots. He should play better at home where he had a 19-4-1 record with a 1.60 Goals-Against-Average and a .935 save percentage. The Avalanche has won 6 of their last 8 games after allowing at least five goals in their last game. Colorado has won 13 straight games at home — and they are 20-0-1 in their last 21 games at home in Ball Arena. It may be hard for Vegas to sustain the intensity they have felt since getting blown out in Game One. They have lost 16 of their last 27 games after allowing a victory by at least four goals. The Knights have not been great underdogs as they have lost 5 of their last 7 games as a dog — and they have lost 27 of their last 38 road games as an underdog. Vegas has also lost 7 of their last 10 playoff games as an underdog. Furthermore, this Golden Knights team has developed a reputation of not being able to close out playoff series — and they have lost 4 of their last 5 Game Fives.

FINAL TAKE: Colorado has won 10 straight games on their home ice when avenging a same-season loss — and they have lost 24 of their last 30 games when motivated with revenge from a loss by four or more goals. 25* NHL 2nd Round Tuesday NBC Sports Network Game of the Year with the money-line on the Colorado Avalanche (36) versus the Vegas Golden Knights (35). Best of luck for us — Frank.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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