With a great slate comes great responsibility. Eleven NHL games tonight means we have plenty of room to throw some money around. Have no fear, I am here to guide you through the weeds and offer my three best picks for tonight’s lineup.
Flames (-137) @ Canadiens (+114) (7:00 p.m. EST)
We all hate hangovers, right? You go out with some friends for a fun night at the bar and the next thing you can remember, you’re waking up in your bed with a splitting headache and no idea how you got there. Let me present to you the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs are currently suffering from the worst case of Stanley Cup hangover I have seen in years. It started with a fairytale run to the cup finals last year and now the Habs are in the midst of an abysmal season (3-10-1). Unfortunately for our French-Canadian friends, this hangover cannot be cured with Pedialyte and Waffle House; they just need better players. Playoff hero Cole Caufield can’t get anything going (1 point in 10 games) and Hall of Fame goalie Carey Price is still on the IR. While the Habs struggle, the Flames are off to a solid start (7-2-3). They are coming off a tough loss to San Jose and look to get back on track tonight. Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau is in a contract year and is RED HOT to start the season (14 points in 12 games). Flames win easily in Montreal.
(Pick: Flames ML -137 odds at Fanduel)
Over 6 goals (-110) Capitals @ Red Wings (7:30 p.m. EST)
Let’s move to Hockeytown where the Caps come to Detroit to take on the Wings. Detroit’s hometown captain, Dylan Larkin, is flanked by the soft-handed magician Tyler Bertuzzi and odds on ROY favorite, Lucas Raymond. The Wings’ top line continually lights the lamp, and there is no reason to predict any lapse in production tonight against a Capitals team that struggles defensively. Ovechkin may be aging, but that snap-shot from the left circle still beats goaltenders on a nightly basis as he currently leads the NHL in goals. Normally I would stay away from a higher over line, but this game screams goals. Both teams are trying to prove they are playoff contenders so expect the stars to show off some firepower tonight. Washington and Detroit’s combined last 20 games clipped over 6 goals at a 60% rate and both teams have to score to win. All of the goalies with potential to start in this game have looked less like brick walls and more like swiss cheese to start the year. Let’s have some fun and cheer for goals. The Red Wings keep rolling at home, 5-3.
(Pick: Over 6 -114 odds at Fanduel)
Kraken ML (-166) Ducks @ Kraken (10:00 p.m. EST)
The Anaheim Ducks visit Seattle in a battle of countervailing mascots. First the Kraken, a mythical apex predator that indiscriminately takes life without any remorse. Whether you’re a sea boat captain trying to make ends meet or a cute duck in the wrong place at the wrong time, a meeting with the Kraken leads only to your demise. Next is the Duck, a wobbly, long-necked bird that can barely support its own weight when flying.
Unfortunately for the Ducks, they are flying through Seattle when the Kraken are most hungry. Back to back devastating road losses has the Kraken out for blood on their home ice. Three of their four wins have come at home, and the Kraken seem to perform well in front of their home crowd. The Ducks come to town on a 5-game win-streak, but with plenty of baggage. Anaheim GM, Bob Murray, resigned yesterday following a workplace misconduct scandal. This Ducks win-streak can be analogized easily to the mythological character Icarus. For a refresher, Icarus learned to fly by attaching wings to himself using wax. Unfortunately, he did not heed his father’s warning: “don’t fly too close to the sun or the wax will melt.” In this case the quote should be: “don’t win too many in a row or your GM will resign and you’ll lose to an expansion team.” I expect the Ducks to come out flat and get run through by a hungry Seattle squad.
