Xam’s Daily Gems:
Sabres 60 Minute Money Line -140
This play is as much about the state of affairs that is the Anaheim Ducks right now. The last 2 games they’ve lost have been complete routs, and both have come on the road. They lost those two games by a combined score of 14-2! They’ve given up the 4th most goals all year, at an eye popping 190! They have also been one of the worst teams in the league on offense, with just 139 goals on the year. They just don’t look like they’re playing with a lot of confidence or that they even want to be on the ice. The Sabres haven’t been particular good this year, but they still have an outside shot at making a wildcard run if they can string some wins together. The Sabres should be able to get their offense going against a team that is so bad defensively. If guys like Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch can get the offense going early, the crowd will get behind them and demoralize the Ducks.
Maple Leafs Money Line -154
The Maple Leafs have won 3 straight games and are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They’ve been hot and successful this year off the back of a dominant offense, with 193 goals this season. The Maple Leafs just beat the Blues 4-1 in Toronto last week. The Blues have been competitive largely because of their defense. They’re averaging less than 3 goals per game on the year. The Maple Leafs have proven they can win at home and on the road. They’re 14-6-6 on the road. They have the better offensive weapons in this game. The Blues have been inconsistent on offense this year, but they’ve scored 4 or more goals in 6 of their last 10 games, including games with 6 and 7 goals. If the Maple Leafs can play some defense and contain guys like Jordan Kyrou and Pavel Buchnevich, the Leafs should be able to ride their dominant offense to a win.
Stars/Bruins Over 5.5 Goals -132
Both of these teams have been dominant on offense this year. They have combined for a whopping 393 goals this season! Both teams boast elite offensive personnel that can go off at any time. The Stars have been particularly dominant, with 205 goals on the year. The Bruins have been solid for most of the year on defense, giving up just 147 goals. That is one of the bigger concerns coming into this game, but the Stars have the talent to score on anyone. 10 of Dallas’s last 13 games have gone over, which shows their offense is consistent, and other teams are able to do enough to keep games relatively close. Expect the Bruins to come out with their hair on fire in this game. They’re in a bit of a freefall, having lost 4 straight games and a crushing OT loss to the Kings in their last game. The Stars lost their last game in OT at home as well. Both teams should be chomping at the bit to get after it. Given that both teams can score in a hurry, we should be in store for plenty of action in this game.
Canucks Money Line -122
The Canucks are coming off a tough home loss to the Jets in their last game. They currently have a 5-point lead in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference, but that can be erased in a hurry by the Stars. The Canucks have to keep the pressure and intensity up. The Minnesota Wild are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and have vaulted themselves into the wildcard race, but they’ve been bad defensively this year. They’re giving up 3.25 goals per game this year, and are barely scoring over 3 goals per game themselves. They’re a tough team, but it feels like their recent run is a bit of a mirage. The Canucks right now are the best overall team in the league and their 18-8-4 record on the road shows they can win games in hostile territory. The Wild don’t play particularly good defense and that’s a bad sign against a team like the Canucks that can and do score in bunches. If the Canucks can play some solid defense, they should be able to score enough to get the win and get back on track.
Red Wings/Kraken Under 6.5 Goals -128
This is a matchup of two teams that have completely opposite strengths. The Red Wings like to score a lot and don’t play great defense, while the Kraken don’t score or get scored on very much. However, the Red Wings don’t score as much on the road as they do at home. The Kraken have scored 2 or less goals in 4 of their last 5 games. They’ve also been dominant defensively at home this year, giving up just 2.79 goals per game at Climate Pledge Arena. This game in all likelihood comes down to how well the Red Wings play offensively. The Kraken can play defense with the best of them, as evidenced by their 4-1 win in Boston in their last game. If they can control the Red Wings, this game should have a slower pace without much action. The Red Wings should be better defensively than they usually are, as evidenced by the putrid 149 goals the Kraken have scored in 54 games this year.
Golden Knights 60 Minute Money Line -170
The Golden Knights have lost 2 straight games and need to win this game tonight to get back on track. They have been a consistent combination of good scoring and tight defense. The defense in particular matches up well in this game, as the San Jose Sharks have only scored 116 goals this year. They’re also giving up tons of goals. They have given up the single most goals in the entire league at 207! The Sharks are 5-3-1 in their last 10 games, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they’re in the conversation for the worst team in the league. The Golden Knights shouldn’t have any issues scoring tonight. If they can contain a weak Sharks offense, they should be able to get behind their powerful offense and get back on track.
Oilers 60 Minute Money Line -175
What else needs to be said that hasn’t already been said about the Coyotes? They’re total freefall, having lost 9 straight games. They did play a tough game against the Avalanche yesterday, but this is still a team that has been wildly uncompetitive in several recent games. They’re also at a rest disadvantage in this game. This will be the second game of a back-to-back and their 3rd game in 4 nights. The Oilers, meanwhile, have played just one game since February 15th. They’ve been hot recently, winning 7 of their last 10 games and are coming off a very impressive road win against the Dallas Stars. The Oilers also have several elite goal scorers, which is bad news for a tired team that can give up plenty of goals. The bottom-line is that the Oilers have Stanley Cup Finals aspirations, and to get there they need to win games like this. They’re the better team and more rested team. Expect Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman, and Leon Draisaitl to come out strong. They smell blood in the water. If they can contain guys like Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse, the Oilers shouldn’t have any issues winning tonight.
Lightning Money Line -160
The Lightning have lived and died by their offense this year. They’re scoring just about as much as they’re giving up. They have scored 193 goals this year but have given up 189! The Senators are in a similar situation, with 172 goals scored and 184 given up. This has the makings of a shootout, but the Senators have been terrible on the road this year. They have a 7-14 road record. A big reason for that is they’re allowing 3.71 goals per game on the road! That’s bad news when you’re facing a team that’s 18-6-3 at home with 1934 goals scored. This whole game comes down to what the Lightning do defensively. If Tampa Bay can play any defense tonight, Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, and Nikita Kucherov should be able to do what they’ve done all year and put the puck in the net tonight.