Backing NHL conference leaders to get job done Tuesday

We have a fun eight-game slate to look forward to on Tuesday night. Oddly enough, it's the top two teams in the NHL I see the most value in backing.

Let's take a closer look.

The Flames have been pretty competitive this season, hanging around a wild-card spot in a year where little was expected of them. It looks like things are about to take a turn for the worse, though.

They've struggled to keep up at five-on-five of late - the Flames own a 45 expected goals for percentage over the past three weeks - and their power play took a massive hit with the departure of Elias Lindholm. There isn't really a spot for them to make up ground.

Meanwhile, the Bruins continue to chug along like a well-oiled machine. They won seven of their last eight games before the All-Star break, with their only defeat coming against the Hurricanes in a contest that went down to the wire.

They continue to dominate teams at five-on-five, their special teams are excellent, and nobody can match their goaltending tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.

I see edges across the board for the Bruins. With home ice also in their favor, this is a game they should be able to win within 60 minutes.

Bet: Bruins in regulation (-130)

The Canucks are firing on all cylinders. They own a ridiculous 8-0-2 record over the past 10 games and have controlled better than 55% of the expected goals share across all situations.

Vancouver is a very talented team with excellent finishing rates and goaltending. It's difficult to keep up with them if they're coming out even in the chance department, let alone consistently winning in that area. Life will be even tougher on opponents following the addition of Lindholm.

He addresses a need for them in the top six, providing another reliable scorer who's versatile and can play either center or wing. Lindholm also stands to upgrade a power play that already ranks sixth in the NHL in goals this season.

Although the Hurricanes are a good team with the defensive personnel to slow down the Canucks, I don't love their chances in this game.

Pyotr Kochetkov is having a respectable season, but he's made only three starts in 2024, in two of which he posted an .882 save percentage or worse. He doesn't hold a candle to Thatcher Demko.

Andrei Svechnikov is also not quite ready to return, meaning the Hurricanes will be playing without one of their two players averaging more than a point per game. That's not ideal when going up against an elite offensive team (or goaltender).

The Canucks recently closed as -125 favorites against the Maple Leafs in Toronto, implying a 55.6% win probability against a 58-point team. And they didn't have Lindholm in that game.

I don't see how the Canucks, now equipped with Lindholm, should carry an implied win rate of just 44.4% - an 11.2% decrease - against a 61-point Hurricanes team missing one of its best players in Svechnikov.

Bet: Canucks (+125)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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