NHL Top Week’s Games: The Minnesota Wild and the Vancouver Canucks made history in their Monday showdown, which ended with a video game-style 10-7 score. The Wild trailed by three in the second period before running off six unanswered goals, which they scored over just 5:45 of game time. That was the fasted six-goal spurt since February 3, 1999, when the Washington Capitals needed just 4:47 to score six goals in a game. The Wild also set a franchise record for goals in a single game, and this was also the first game in which three different players had hat tricks in 25 seasons. As we move to Tuesday, don’t miss our top NHL betting picks for the upcoming week.
NHL Top Week’s Games in Week 19: Dallas at New York and Nashville at Vegas
Dallas Stars at New York Rangers
When: Tuesday, February 24, 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
NHL Odds: Rangers -1.5 (total 6)
The Dallas Stars (34-14-8) start an East Coast swing in New York where they face the Rangers (36-16-3) in a battle of division leaders. The Stars continue to lead the Central Division despite losing at home in a shootout to the Edmonton Oilers on Monday and now finish a back-to-back at Madison Square Garden. The Stars’ offense (3.73 goals per game) continues to lead the NHL, led by Matt Duchene and his 55 points. The team’s power play scores 23.0% of the time. Goaltender Jake Oettinger has returned from an extended injury and has 20 wins and a .904 save percentage. The team allows 3.02 goals per game, 13th-best in the league, and they kill off 82.0% of opponent penalties. Their defense will get another test as the fatigue of travel and playing back-to-back could cost them against the Blueshirts.
The Rangers pulled off a Stadium Series win on Monday, coming back to beat the N.Y. Islanders, 6-5, in overtime. Artemi Panarin is the top point producer with 74, and the Rangers’ power play (26.6%) is even more potent than that of the Stars. Blake Wheeler and Ryan Lindgren are the only big names on the injury list. With both Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick available in net, the team holds opponents to 2.80 goals per game, which ranks eighth, and the penalty kill stops opponents from scoring on the power play 82.5% of the time. Given the fact that the Stars had to travel and turn around and play again, I like the Rangers to win what should be a close game.
Bet on Dallas at New York to Win Today
Nashville Predators at Vegas Golden Knights
When: Tuesday, February 24, 10:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
NHL Odds: Vegas -1.5 (total 6)
The Vegas Golden Knights (31-17-6) are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games against the Nashville Predators (28-25-2), and Vegas has won both of their meetings this season. The Predators do arrive in Vegas on the momentum of a 5-2 whipping of the St. Louis Blues, behind a goal and an assist apiece from Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg. Juuse Saros stood tall in net, stopping 35 of 37 shots. This was an offensive breakout from the Predators, who have not managed more than two goals in six of their last 10 games. Forsberg is the team leader with 55 points, and O’Reilly has 47. Saros has posted a 3.02 GAA and a .902 save percentage, which tells you the large number of shots the Predators’ defense is permitting.
Vegas will be hosting the Predators on the second night of a back-to-back. Their offense has been clicking lately with at least three goals in eight of their last 10 games. They rank 14th in both goals per game and shots per game, and Mark Stone is the points leader with 52. The goaltending has been outstanding as Adin Hill continues to dominate opponents with a 14-4-2 record, a 2.06 GAA and a .931 save percentage. Backup Logan Thompson has been more htna serviceable with a 2.77 GAA and a .906 save percentage. As well as Vegas has been playing – and as solidly as they’ve controlled the Predators lately – I like Vegas to win.
Bet on Nashville at Vegas to Win Today
2024 NHL Stanley Cup Winner Odds – Top 10
| Edmonton Oilers +770 | Florida Panthers +870 |
| Colorado Avalanche +900 | Boston Bruins +920 |
| Dallas Stars +980 | Carolina Hurricanes +980 |
| Vancouver Canucks +1025 | New York Rangers +1025 |
| Vegas Golden Knights +1300 | Winnipeg Jets +1350 |
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NHL Top Games Week 18
NHL Top Week’s Games in Week 18: Calgary vs New York and Tampa Bay vs Boston
The Edmonton Oilers just saw their winning streak come to an end at 16 when they lost to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Their streak left them one victory short of the 17-game streak the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins ran off. The Oilers started the season in dreadful fashion before the team handed coaching duties to Kris Knoblauch. Since then, goaltender Stuart Skinner has elevated his game; before the coaching change, Skinner had a 3.27 GAA and an .876 save percentage. Since then, those numbers have improved dramatically to 2.10 and .923. The penalty kill was 71.7% before the change, among the NHL’s five worst units. Since then, the kill works 89.3% of the time, the best number in the league. As we start the week, peruse our NHL Top Week’s Games and betting picks from the ice.
Calgary Flames at New York Rangers
When: Monday, February 12, 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
The Flames (25-22-5) finish an East Coast swing at Madison Square Garden as they face the Rangers (33-16-3). They have won four in a row and are now just three points out of the second wild card position in the West. In 28 road games, the Flames have a 13-11-4 record – and have a five-game road winning streak. Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman have 44 and 43 points respectively, and the goaltending has been absolutely larcenous behind Jacob Markstrom (2.55 GAA, .915 save percentage). In their last game, the Flames beat the N.Y. Islanders, 5-2, behind a hat trick from Mackenzie Weegar and 35 saves from Markstrom.
The All-Star break came just at the right time for the Rangers, who were faltering atop the Metropolitan Division, but since play resumed, the Blueshirts have built a four-game winning streak and lead Carolina by four points in the division. At home this season, New York is 17-7-0 with a +24 goal differential. Artemi Panarin has posted 6 8 points in 52 games, and the goalie duo of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick has combined for a .909 save percentage and a 2.56 GAA. In the Rangers’ last game, Shesterkin stopped 28 of 31 shots, and Adam Fox and Chris Kreider notched four points apiece in a 4-3 win. Rangers to win.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins
When: Tuesday, February 13, 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
The Lightning (28-20-5) visit the Bruins (32-11-9) in the teams’ third meeting of the season. Each team has won one showdown in the rivalry coming in. The Lightning ended a two-game skid in Columbus in their last game, stopping the Blue Jackets, 4-2. Brandon Hagel notched a goal with two assist, Nikita Kucherov had a pair of helpers, and Anthony Cirelli and Nicholas Paul each had a goal and an assist. Andre Vasilevskiy saved 33 of the 35 shots he saw. The offense has been on the rise lately, with at least four goals in six of their last 10 contests, and now the Lightning ranks seventh in the league in goals per game. Nikita Kucherov is the team leader with 89 points and 33 goals, and he is tops in the league in points and assists while ranking third in goals. The defense has been an issue, though, as the team ranks just 24th in goals permitted. Vasilevskiy has a serviceable save percentage (.901), but the team gives up a lot of shots, which is why his GAA is 2.79. Jonas Johansson has a 3.46 GAA and an .889 save percentage.
The Bruins got blanked, 3-0, by the Washington Capitals in their last game despite entering as -270 favorites. They have still scored at least four goals in five of their last nine and rank eighth in goals per game, so Bruins fans hope their team will bounce back. David Pastrnak leads the B’s with 75 points and 33 goals, ranking third in the league in goals. Jeremy Swayman has been solid in goal, with a 2.35 GAA and a .922 save percentage, helping the team rank third in goals permitted per game despite the defense ranking 23rd in shots permitted. Bruins to win.
NHL Top Games Week 17
NHL Top Week’s Games, Analysis and Pick for the Week 17
NHL Top Week’s Games: The Buffalo Sabres have lost defenseman Mattias Samuelsson for the rest of the season as he will need surgery to repair an upper-body injury. He has a seven-year, $30 million deal with the team, and in 150 career games he has 29 points (three goals, 26 assists). He has not played since January 23, a 4-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. In 41 games this season, he has a +4 rating, totaling seven points (one goal, six assists). The Sabres host Dallas early this week as the NHL resumes its regular season after the All-Star break. Check out our NHL betting thoughts on that showdown as well as the Avs-Rangers matchup on Monday night.
Colorado Avalanche at N.Y. Rangers
When: Monday, February 5, 2024, 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
The Avalanche (32-14-3) rode a three-game winning streak into the All-Star break and look to continue that momentum in New York. Their offense has been hot all season long, averaging 3.84 goals per game, but they turned things up before the break, scoring 18 goals in those three wins. On the season, Jonathan Drouin, Logan O’Connor, and Ross Colton have 33 goals and 45 assists among them. From the blue line, Devon Toews and Cale Makar have combined for 20 goals and 67 assists. That aggressive play has led to some issues on the back end, as the team allows 3.10 goals per game, giving their opponents lots of open shots. This has led to that .898 save percentage and 2.91 GAA for starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who has a -6.8 rating on goals saved above average.
The Rangers (30-16-3) are still on top in the Metropolitan Division but have only won four of their last ten contests.Their offense has been solid, putting up 3.27 goals per game and scoring seven goals in the last two contests. Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin have posted 60 goals and 98 assists combined. Defensemen Erik Gustafsson and Adam Fox have chipped in a dozen goals and 48 assists between them. The defense has been good this season, permitting 2.86 goals per game, but that defense has slid off lately, leaving goalie Igor Shesterkin in a bind. This has contributed to his .899 save percentage and 2.86 GAA. I see the Rangers bouncing back and taking advantage of holes in the back of the Colorado defense. Rangers to win.
Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres
When: Tuesday, February 6, 2024, 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
Buffalo (22-23-4) has just an 11-12-1 record at home, but when they can get three or more goals, they’re hard to beat (22-5-2). Casey Mittelstadt leads the Sabres with 12 goals and 31 assists, while John-Jason Peterka has turned things up lately, with six goals and two assists in the last 10 games. Over their last 10 games, Buffalo has gone 6-4-0, scoring 2.9 goals per game while permitting just 2.0. In addition to Samuelsson’s injury, Zemgus Girgensons (upper body) is day-to9-day. Jack Quinn (lower body) and Erik Johnson (upper body) are also out.
The Stars (30-13-6) have an impressive 14-5-4 road record. Minimizing penalties is key for them; they are 11-3-2 when the opposition is whistled for more penalties. Matt Duchene leads Dallas with 17 goals and 28 assists. Roope Hintz has six goals and five assists in the last ten games. Jerad Rosburg (undisclosed) is out for Tuesday’s game. In their last ten games, the Stars have turned up the offense, scoring 4.1 goals per game in a 7-2-1 stretch, while allowing just 2.9 goals per contest. Stars to win.
NHL Top Games Week 16
NHL Top Week’s Games, Analysis and Pick for the Week 16
With the NHL approaching the All-Star break, and the Edmonton Oilers riding a record-breaking winning streak, there are still a few games to be played before the league shuts down for a long weekend. The Vancouver Canucks have ridden Elias Pettersson this season and are an elite team in the West. Pettersson is on his way to another 100-point season, and this Canucks team could finally be a dangerous entity in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once again. Let’s look at a NHL Top Week’s Games for a couple of games to include in your betting plans for the last few days before the All-Star festivities begin.
Nashville Predators at Ottawa Senators
When: Monday, January 29, 2024, 7:00 pm ET
TV: NHL Network
The Preds (26-22-1) have dropped three of four, including a 4-1 beating at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers their last time out. Colton Sissons was the only Predator to light the lamp, and while Kevin Lankinen only saw 20 shots, three of them made it into the net. This game was a bit of an outlier, as the Predators had scored three or more goals five times in their last 10 contests. Even so, they are just 19th in goals scored per game and 17th in shots per game behind top scorer Filip Forsberg (50 points). They are also in the middle of the league in goals permitted per game (17th) and shots permitted per game (14th). Lankinen has a 3.12 GAA and an .895 save percentage, numbers that will need to improve. This will be a good night to do it, though, as the Predators are 6-1-3 in their last ten games against Ottawa.
The Senators (18-25-2) were taken to the woodshed by the New York Rangers in their last game, losing 7-2 despite entering as a -115 favorite. Jakob Chuchrun and Brady Tkachuk scored for Ottawa, and Joonas Korpisalo was lit up for four goals on just 17 shots before getting an early end to his night. Mads Sogard came on in relief in the second period but wasn’t much better, permitting two goals on 11 shots. The Senators have tallied at least four goals in five of their last eight showdowns and are 11th in goals scored per game. On defense, the Senators have been porous, ranking 30th in goals allowed per game. Korpisalo has a mammoth 3.44 GAA with a .888 save percentage, but Sogaard has been even more generous with a 4.55 GAA and an .841 save percentage. Predators to cover.
Columbus Blue Jackets at St. Louis Blues
When: Tuesday, January 30, 2024, 8:00 pm ET
TV: NHL Network
The Blue Jackets (15-24-10) are struggling this year and arrive in St. Louis having dropped seven of their last nine, including a 4-2 loss to Seattle in their last game. Daniil Tarasov did stop 22 of 25 shots, but the Columbus offense could not bail him out. That’s been a troubling trend as the Blue Jackets have scored three or fewer goals six times in their last 10 games. On the season, they rank 21st in goals scored and 22nd in shots per game. Johnny Gaudreau is the team points leader, with just 31. On defense, the team is 31st in goals permitted per game and 29th in shots permitted per game. Their goalie with the best numbers is Elvis Merzlikins (8-10-7, 3.35 GAA, .901 save percentage).
The Blues (26-20-2) lost to Columbus when the teams played up in Ohio but look to avenge that defeat tomorrow night. They entered their last game against the L.A. Kings as +140 underdogs but rolled to a 4-3 victory in overtime, thanks to Brayden Schenn’s game-winner. Jordan Kyrou added a goal and two assists. Joel Hofer got peppered with 33 shots but stopped 30 of them. The Blues have now scored at least four goals five times in their last nine games, but they are still just 25th in goals scored and 23rd in shots per game. The defense is 20th in goals permitted and 25th in shots permitted. Jordan Binnington has serviceable numbers (17-12-2, 2.97 GAA, .907 save percentage) indicating that the problem may more have to do with the defense than the netminder. Blues to cover.
NHL Top Games Week 15
NHL Top Week’s Games, Analysis and Pick for the Week 16
Are the Dallas Stars returning to last year’s nightmare when it comes to the third period and overtime? In 2022-23, the Stars went 47-21-14, losing 14 games either in overtime or on the shootout. So far this season, the team has a 27-13-6 record, including a 3-2 loss to the N.Y. Islanders in their last game that saw the team go into the third period up 2-1, blow that lead, and then give up the game-winning goal in the extra frame. Once again, the Stars lead the Central Division in overtime losses, a sign that defense during crunch time may again be a concern for a team that has designs on a deep playoff run. Let’s look the NHL Top Week’s Games and some primo sports betting picks from this week’s NHL action.
Dallas Stars at Detroit Red Wings
When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 7:00 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
NHL Odds: Dallas (-140) vs Detroit (+115) (O/U 6.5)
Don’t look now, but the Detroit Red Wings (24-17-5, 53 points) are contending for a playoff spot in the East after several years in the basement. They welcome the Dallas Stars (27-13-6, 60 points) who sit in third place in the Central Division but have some warning signs on defense despite the return of starting goaltender Jake Oettinger. The Stars still have the third-best penalty kill in the NHL (84.9%), but their defense has slid to 14th, as they permit 3.02 goals per game, and they permit 30.3 shots on goal per game, which ranks 16th. Their defense does jump into the offense a great deal as Miro Heiskanen is the top scorer among NHL defensemen with four goals and 23 assists. Defenseman Thomas Harley leads the Stars’ blueliners with nine goals. Their offense ranks third in the NHL (3.63 goals per game), and they rank fifth in face-off wins (54.0%). However, if that defense keeps wavering, you can expect the Stars to keep giving up late leads.
The Red Wings stopped Tampa Bay, 2-1, in their last matchup behind goals from Daniel Sprong and Lucas Raymond. Dylan Larkin is the team’s top scorer with 18 goals and 41 points, and he also leads the offensive skaters in ice time (20:00 per game). The Red Wings are sixth in the league in scoring (3.48 goals per game), and their power play (21.8%) ranks 14th. Their top-scoring defenseman is Shayne Gostisbehere (seven goals and 31 points), and Olli Maata leads the blueliners with a +12 rating. Their penalty kill is average (80.7% kill rate, ranking 14th), and they permit 3.28 goals per game (22nd). No matter which team ends up on top, this game has the ability to turn into a goalfest. Detroit to win, take the over.
Vegas Golden Knights at N.Y. Islanders
When: Tuesday, January 23, 2024, 7:30 pm ET
TV: ESPN+
NHL Odds: Vegas (+125) at N.Y. (-155) (O/U 5.5)
The Vegas Golden Knights (27-14-6) are in fifth in the West as they look to make another deep postseason run. They head to New York to take on the Islanders (20-15-11), who are in ninth place in the East and on the edge of the playoff race. The teams met in Vegas in early January, with the Golden Knights winning, 5-2. Vegas lost at New Jersey on Monday, 6-5, to end a three-game winning streak, and now they face the Islanders on the second night of a back-to-back. Their defense has actually been elite this season, ranked seventh (2.72 goals allowed per game). Their offense averages just 3.17 goals per game. Adin Hill will return to the net tonight for Vegas after having been on the shelf since December 17. They are still missing Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and the second-leading scorer, Jack Eichel.
The Islanders beat the Stars in overtime, 3-2, in their last game – which was also the debut for head coach Patrick Roy. Their defense has been a bit porous, permitting 3.33 goals per game (24th) and 35.2 shots per game (second-worst). If the arrival of Roy can change the discipline on defense, the Islanders will return to the model that saw them make some interesting playoff runs the past few years. The offense only averages 2.93 goals per game, a number that will need to rise. Can the Islanders continue to ride the momentum of a new coach and take advantage of the Golden Knights’ injuries? Islanders to win.
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