NHL weekend preview: Stars to shine in San Jose
We're heading into another busy weekend of games, with 16 contests scheduled.
Let's dive into a couple of my favorite plays as we look to rebound from a tough night with sides and totals (props went 3-0, at least).
Islanders (+150) @ Rangers (-180)The New York Rangers didn't go big-game hunting at the trade deadline. Instead, they acquired a collection of quality role players to add depth to the roster and push fringe NHLers down - or out of - the lineup.
While it's still early, the returns look very promising. While normally highly mediocre at five-on-five, the Rangers have recently been dismantling their opponents. They've controlled over 57% of the shot attempts and expected goals over the last five games, ranking fifth in both categories.
All season long, the Rangers have been tough to deal with because of Igor Shesterkin and a strong power play. Now, they're showing the ability to not just stay afloat but excel at five-on-five. We're still dealing with a small sample size, but the results are about as good as they could possibly be.
The Rangers should be able to decisively control the run of play against the New York Islanders on Friday night. The Isles have struggled mightily at five-on-five of late, posting a putrid 42.03 expected goals for percentage over the last 10 games. That ranks them 29th in the NHL - ahead only of bottom-feeders like the Philadelphia Flyers, Arizona Coyotes, and Montreal Canadiens.
Additionally, the Islanders are in the latter half of a back-to-back and going up against a strong Rangers team with a rested Shesterkin between the pipes.
I like the home side to take care of business inside 60 minutes.
Bet: Rangers in regulation (-108)
Stars (-157) @ Sharks (+130)The San Jose Sharks are playing some bad hockey right now. They've won just four of their last 10 games, and their five-on-five profile during that span is very underwhelming.
They rank 28th in terms of five-on-five shot share and don't grade out much better in xG, sitting 26th in the NHL.
Over the same period, the Dallas Stars have controlled over 51% of the xG share, good for 15th in the league.
Dallas managed those numbers while playing without Miro Heiskanen for a notable chunk of games. He's one of the best defensemen in the league and is a good bet to finish top 10 in Norris voting.
Heiskanen is very important to the Stars, and I expect his return to the lineup to make them much better. Considering how tight the wild-card playoff race is, Dallas needs every point it can get. That means taking care of business against teams like the Sharks.
Back the Stars to pick up their third win. If you want to do so in 60, I like that too.
Bet: Stars (-157)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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