Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, the team confirmed Monday.The 30-year-old sustained the injury Feb. 9. Vegas had initially hoped that rest and rehab would allow him to finish the season, adding that Lehner had attempted to battle through the ailment.Lehner told the organization last Thursday that he'd be getting the procedure, and the team doctor agreed Saturday that surgery was the best choice, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. The Golden Knights reportedly asked Lehner to delay the operation and dress as the backup for Sunday's contest due to cap reasons.Reports surfaced that Lehner would undergo campaign-ending surgery earlier this week, and there was speculation he was playing through a significant knee injury sustained in March. Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer sidestepped the rumors Friday and said he expected Lehner to be available for Sunday's game.The Swedish native struggled through an injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign: Lehner missed five games in February with an upper-body ailment, returned for four contests, then landed on the sidelines with a lower-body issue that kept him out of an additional 12 matchups. He also took to Twitter to deny reports that he'd fractured his kneecap in March.His last appearance came April 20, against the Washington Capitals. He allowed one goal on 13 shots in the first period, but Logan Thompson replaced him for the remainder of the contest.Lehner logged a .907 save percentage and a 2.83 goals against average across 44 appearances this season.Goaltender Jiri Patera was recalled from the team's AHL affiliate in a corresponding move.Vegas is in a dogfight to make the playoffs. It has three games left on its regular-season schedule and sits three points back of the Dallas Stars for the last Western Conference wild-card spot.The Golden Knights take on the Stars on Tuesday night.With Laurent Brossoit still on the shelf due to injury, Vegas will have to turn to Thompson. The 25-year-old authored a serviceable .917 save percentage in 16 showings this campaign.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Dryden McKay sweepstakes.The club signed the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner to a two-year AHL contract.McKay was named the NCAA's top men's hockey player April 8. The goaltender, who'll turn 25 in November, set a national record for wins in a season and helped Minnesota State-Mankato advance to the national championship game. He produced a .931 save percentage over 43 contests in 2021-22, his senior year.The netminder became an NHL free agent when the Mavericks lost the title game to Denver.Earlier in April, just days after winning the Hobey Baker Award, McKay accepted a six-month sanction by the USADA due to a doping violation. He'll be allowed to use the Maple Leafs' facilities as of Aug. 25, and he can play for the Marlies beginning Oct. 11.McKay could've been subject to a four-year period of ineligibility - despite the completion of his college career - but he was able to prove that the positive test for ostarine resulted from a contaminated vitamin D supplement. He was tested while serving as an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team in January.The Illinois-born goalie is named after legendary puck-stopper Ken Dryden, who was the Maple Leafs' president from 1997-2003.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Mercifully, we've reached the last week of the regular season. With just a handful of games left and less at stake, the goal for many teams with Stanley Cup aspirations is to stay healthy.Intrepid bettors need to be aware in the final week of who's in the lineup on a nightly basis and who starts in goal. While it's tough for many teams to decipher who the better netminder is earlier in the campaign, we now have enough data to form a clearer picture.After nearly a full season of results and with help from Evolvinghockey.com, the following are the squads with the biggest statistical drop-off from one goaltender to another by goals saved above expected (GSAx) and the team's record on the moneyline with each goalie in net (as of games played on April 23).TEAMGOALIEGSAxML RECORDRangersIgor Shesterkin38.2136-16Alexandar Georgiev-4.814-11HurricanesFrederik Andersen28.4735-17Antti Raanta8.1614-19Islanders*Ilya Sorokin20.9925-25Semyon Varlamov2.629-18BluesVille Husso17.5124-12Jordan Binnington-9.1518-17FlamesJacob Markstrom17.3137-23Dan Vladar-4.3512-7LightningAndrei Vasilevskiy15.6336-23Brian Elliott0.9311-6AvalancheDarcy Kuemper15.0236-14Pavel Francouz0.2715-5PredatorsJuuse Saros13.5938-28David Rittich-6.045-5PanthersSergei Bobrovsky12.0939-9Spencer Knight-1.0918-11KingsJonathan Quick12.022-22Calvin Peterson-8.0220-15*Will not be participating in 2022 Stanley Cup PlayoffsWhen betting these teams in the final week, there should be a consideration for who's starting. The Islanders, Blues, Panthers, and perhaps the Kings all might have been surprised by who their best goaltender was this season, despite L.A. having a better record in Cal Peterson's starts.Meanwhile, a half-dozen playoff-caliber clubs don't have much statistical difference between netminders should one start over the other.TEAMGOALIEGSAxML RECORDStarsJake Oettinger-0.3628-16Braden Holtby-1.1210-11CapitalsVanecek0.7120-16Samsonov-9.223-15OilersMike Smith3.8815-11Mikko Koskinen-4.8725-15BruinsJeremy Swayman-1.8822-16Linus Ullmark-5.0924-12PenguinsTristan Jarry6.5834-24Casey Desmith-2.310-10The recipeBefore the 2021-22 campaign, we devised a three-part series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.This season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 90% of our total rating. Basing 10% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened during this campaign, which is still a relatively small sample size that includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% without travel.How to use the guideWhat follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet on each side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold and may decide on a higher cutoff for bigger underdogs, like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected could be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make a wager worthwhile.Tuesday, April 26GAMEWIN PROB.(%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETDET@TOR22.8/77.2+339/-339DET +433/TOR -321NJD@OTT53.9/46.1-117/+117NJD -112/OTT +138EDM@PIT48.1/51.9+108/-108EDM +119/PIT +102FLA@BOS51.8/48.2-108/+108FLA +103/BOS +119CAR@NYR50.9/49.1-104/+104CAR +107/NYR +115CBJ@TBL25.9/74.1+287/-287CBJ +358/TBL -272NYI@WSH39.8/60.2+151/-151NYI +179/WSH -145CGY@NSH51/49-104/+104CGY +106/NSH +115ARI@MIN21.1/78.9+373/-373ARI +484/MIN -352VGK@DAL44.7/55.3+124/-124VGK +146/DAL -119STL@COL37.8/62.2+165/-165STL +196/COL -158SEA@VAN31.9/68.1+213/-213SEA +258/VAN -204ANA@SJS45.2/54.8+121/-121ANA +143/SJS -116Compare the "Price to Bet" column with the market's prices. From there, compile a list of wagers. After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if any line movements created value that wasn't there before. At that point, compare the price of your opening bet to its late price to see how much closing-line value you may be getting.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Peter DeBoer knows full well how much his Vegas Golden Knights' late-game letdown against the San Jose Sharks on Sunday could haunt him and his team if they fail to reach the postseason."You hope that it doesn't cost us a playoff spot," the Golden Knights head coach said after his club blew a two-goal lead in the final two-plus minutes of regulation before falling in a shootout. "If it does, that's a tough one to sleep on all summer, but I'm going to look at the glass half-full here."We found a way to get a point, and hopefully that point is the difference between us making it or not."Nicolas Roy gave the Golden Knights a 4-2 lead early in the third period, but Sharks forward Nick Bonino scored with 2:06 remaining and teammate Timo Meier tied the game with less than a second left. No one scored in overtime, and San Jose rookie Thomas Bordeleau produced the only goal in a shootout that also featured Logan Couture, Jack Eichel, Meier, and Shea Theodore.Vegas captain Mark Stone had a chance to seal it late regulation but failed to hit the empty net from inside his squad's offensive zone."I don't think anything got away from us, I think it was just missed opportunities," he said. "Game's over if I put that in, so it's tough for me to look back and say we did a ton wrong. We just have to close out games. We can't allow two goals in the last two minutes, and when you get the opportunities, you've got to finish them. So, (it's a) tough one to swallow for me."Vegas now sits three points behind the Dallas Stars for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference and four behind the Nashville Predators for the first one. All three teams have three games remaining in their regular-season schedules.The Golden Knights hold the tiebreaker over the Stars with three more regulation wins, but the odds aren't in Vegas' favor.

Alex Ovechkin appears to have avoided a significant injury after departing Sunday's loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the third period.The Washington Capitals star is day-to-day with an upper-body ailment.Ovechkin was unable to return to the 4-3 shootout defeat. The 36-year-old missed on a breakaway attempt and seemed to trip over Maple Leafs netminder Erik Kallgren's stick. He then collided into the boards, where his shoulder appeared to take the brunt of the impact.

Robin Lehner dressed as the Vegas Golden Knights' backup goaltender behind Logan Thompson for Sunday's clash against the San Jose Sharks, just days after the club refuted reports claiming he required season-ending surgery.There was speculation Lehner was playing through a significant knee injury sustained in March, but head coach Peter DeBoer said his No. 1 netminder missed practice Friday due to taking a maintenance day.Lehner has battled injuries throughout the season, landing on injured reserve twice for different ailments.The 30-year-old has had a poor season by his standards, with a .907 save percentage and minus-0.5 goals saved above average across 44 appearances.Vegas ultimately lost the game in heartbreaking fashion. The Golden Knights led 4-2 with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, but the Sharks stormed back and forced overtime with 0.9 seconds left on the clock. San Jose rookie Thomas Bordeleau then scored the shootout winner.With the loss, the Golden Knights sit three points back of the second wild-card position in the Western Conference with three games remaining.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens' faithful delivered an unforgettable memorial in the club's first home game since the death of Guy Lafleur.On top of a touching video tribute, the Bell Centre crowd gave a 10-minute standing ovation and participated in a moment of silence before Sunday's contest against the Boston Bruins.Lafleur, one of the most decorated players in NHL history, died Friday at the age of 70. After being selected first overall by Montreal in 1971, "The Flower" went on to win five Stanley Cups, three Art Ross trophies, two MVPs, and a Conn Smythe.He's also the Canadiens' all-time leader in assists (728) and points (1,246).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After the final horn sounded on his last NHL game, Ryan Getzlaf had one more order of business before officially retiring.He had to say goodbye to the Anaheim Ducks' faithful."I don't really know how to start this, but I just want to say thank you so much to everyone in the building tonight," Getzlaf said. "This has been the most special night of my life. ... This has been the best journey of my life. I've got to live out a dream here in Anaheim."

Darnell Nurse's injury doesn't appear to be serious, but it will keep him out short term.The Edmonton Oilers' top defenseman left Friday's game against the Colorado Avalanche with a lower-body ailment and is not with the club on its two-game road trip beginning Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets.Nurse's injury is "nothing major," Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said Sunday, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.Asked if Nurse will be ready for the start of the playoffs, Woodcroft said: "We'll see."Here's the play where Nurse appeared to get hurt:

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews got back into the lineup Saturday night against the Florida Panthers.Matthews missed Toronto's previous three games due to the undisclosed injury he sustained last Saturday against the Ottawa Senators."I’m excited to get back in," Matthews told The Leafs Nation's David Alter before the contest.Matthews has authored an MVP-caliber season in 2021-22 with 58 goals and 102 points in 70 contests. He came into Saturday with four games remaining as he seeks to become the first 60-goal scorer since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12.The Maple Leafs sat second in the Atlantic Division with 108 points - six clear of the Tampa Bay Lightning - before facing the Panthers.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Hart Trophy is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, but if Florida Panthers winger Jonathan Huberdeau had a say, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews would be atop his ballot."Matthews is having a great year, so I think I'd probably give it to him," Huberdeau told reporters ahead of Saturday's meeting between the Panthers and Maple Leafs.Huberdeau added: "He's special. I had to chance to play (in the) All-Star Game with him. ... You give him the puck and he's going to score every time. Not a lot of guys can get close to 60 goals."Matthews leads the league with 58 goals and ranks fifth with 102 points despite missing eight of his team's games this season. He was out for the last three games with an undisclosed injury, but he'll return Saturday where he'll have a chance to become the first player since Steven Stamkos in 2011-12 to reach the 60-goal mark."Hopefully, he doesn't get it tonight," Huberdeau laughed.Huberdeau is no slouch himself. He sits first in the NHL with 83 assists and second with 113 points. However, Matthews is considered by many to be the front-runner for the Hart - not only for his goal-scoring ability, but also for his dominant two-way play. Evolving-Hockey.comIt's shaping up to be a tight race, though. Connor McDavid, Johnny Gaudreau, Roman Josi, Cale Makar, and Igor Shesterkin all warrant consideration, too.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Evander Kane netted a hat trick as the Edmonton Oilers punched their postseason ticket for the third consecutive season with a 6-3 victory over the Colorado Avalanche on Friday.The Oilers can finish no higher than second in the Pacific Division because their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, clinched first place Thursday. The Flames lead the second-place Oilers by eight points with four games to go, and Calgary holds the tiebreaker with six more regulation wins.Edmonton improved to 46-26-6 on the season.The Winnipeg Jets swept the Oilers out of the first round in the 2021 campaign, and the Chicago Blackhawks upset Edmonton in four games of a best-of-five series in the 2020 qualifying round.The Oilers haven't advanced past the first round since bowing out in the next stage in 2016-17, and they haven't gotten past the second round since losing the Stanley Cup Final in 2005-06.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Robin Lehner's campaign is over.The Vegas Golden Knights netminder will undergo season-ending surgery, sources told ESPN's Emily Kaplan.Lehner attempted to play through a major knee injury he suffered March 8, Kaplan added.However, Golden Knights head coach Pete DeBoer said the report isn't accurate to his knowledge."It was a maintenance day today," DeBoer told David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I expect him at practice tomorrow, and I expect him dressed on Sunday."Lehner missed five games in February with an upper-body injury. He then started four more games before going back on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment. The Swede missed 12 more contests before returning to the crease April 3.The 30-year-old finishes his season with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in 44 games. His save percentage was the worst he's posted in a single season since his 2014-15 campaign with the Ottawa Senators, although it's considered league average this season.The Golden Knights will now be counting on 24-year-old Logan Thompson to get them into the playoffs. The rookie goaltender has recorded a 2.56 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 15 games this season.Veteran Laurent Brossoit, who was signed this past offseason to be Lehner's backup after Vegas traded away Marc-Andre Fleury, hasn't played since March 15 due to an undisclosed injury.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The bank accounts for a pair of Toronto Maple Leafs enforcers are a bit lighter following Thursday's chippy affair with the Tampa Bay Lightning.Wayne Simmonds was fined $2,250 by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for charging Mikhail Sergachev, while Kyle Clifford was docked $2,500 for high-sticking Corey Perry.Here's a look at Simmonds' hit:

As we note in every edition of the NHL betting guide, we tried to calculate the home-ice advantage for every team before the season - using the difference between their winning percentage at home vs. on the road - to create our own moneylines.The Ottawa Senators haven't been very good for a while. But the Senators were 36-42 on the moneyline at home between 2018 and the shutdown in 2020 while going 18-57 on the road, so we needed to factor their substantial home-road splits into pricing their games.Does that guarantee the Sens have the same relative success going forward? Of course not - and Ottawa's proven that this season, sitting at 13-27 on the moneyline at home and 16-23 on the road. Variance is simply the best explanation for why the Senators are all of a sudden playing better on the road than at home. Not only are their 79 games this season not a big enough sample size, but the 153 games from 2018 to 2020 likely aren't either.Add it all up, and the Sens win 41.5% of the time on home ice and own a 29.8% win percentage on the road. A difference of 11.7% is much closer to the league average of 6.35%.Here are the moneyline win percentage differentials for each team this campaign compared to the season and a half before the 2020 shutdown:Home/Road win percentage differentialTEAM2018-20202021-2022*Ducks7.3%8.4%Coyotes5.1%-4.6%Bruins11.8%-2.8%Sabres24.6%2.6%Hurricanes4.2%12.2%Blue Jackets3.9%9.0%Flames0.03%-3.2%Blackhawks3.8%-5.0%Avalanche0.1%16.2%Stars8.6%18.6%Red Wings10.5%13.6%Oilers-0.8%14.6%Panthers3.4%21.4%Kings16.8%-6.4%Wild-3.3%23.2%Canadiens2%0%Devils9.8%13.9%Predators1.9%14.1%Islanders5.2%9%Rangers2.8%5.9%Senators22.2%-6.8%Flyers12.6%6.5%Penguins9.9%-2.6%Sharks10.5%9.4%KrakenN/A8.7%Blues9.9%9.7%Lightning5.8%6.2%Maple Leafs1.4%18%Canucks16.6%-6.7%Golden Knights11.6%2.4%Jets5.7%12.4%Capitals-4.3%-14.2%*Only includes games played this season up to April 21Beyond the Senators, there's a mediocre-team example in the Canucks, while the Bruins are the good team version that's sustained more home-ice success than on the road - only to see that flip this campaign. The Oilers and Wild have made the most of their home games this season after putting up a better road record in recent years.The Maple Leafs, Panthers, Predators, and Stars all improved their standing this season through home-ice win percentage alone.But the important takeaway is understanding the wild swings in home/road splits from year to year for an individual team. The average +6.35% overall difference in the 2021-22 season isn't far off of the +6.9% average in the 2018-2020 column. Something close to 6.5% is a good way to determine any given club's likelihood to win at home versus on the road.The recipeThis season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 90% of our total rating. Basing 10% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened during this campaign, which includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups.I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% without travel.How to use the guideWhat follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I would need to bet on each side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold - you may decide on a higher cutoff for bigger underdogs, like 6%-7%. On games I've projected could be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make a wager worthwhile.DATE GAME WIN PROB.(%) TRUE ML PRICE TO BETApril 23NYI@BUF52.2/47.8-109/+109NYI -105/BUF +128CAR@NJD51.1/48.9-104/+104CAR +106/NJD +115PIT@DET56.2/43.8-128/+128PIT -123/DET +151NYR@BOS43.5/56.5+130/-130NYR +153/BOS -125NSH@TBL44.6/55.4+124/-124NSH +146/TBL -119TOR@FLA41/59+144/-144TOR +170/FLA -138MTL@OTT44.3/55.7+126/-126MTL +148/OTT -121SEA@DAL35.2/64.8+184/-184SEA +220/DAL -176CHI@SJS45.7/54.3+119/-119CHI +140/SJS -114STL@ARI53.8/46.2-117/+117STL -112/ARI +137VAN@CGY40.7/59.3+146/-146VAN +172/CGY -140ANA@LAK40.3/59.7+148/-148ANA +176/LAK -142April 24EDM@CBJ56.7/43.3-131/+131EDM -126/CBJ +154DET@NJD38.7/61.3+159/-159DET +189/NJD -152CAR@NYI52.8/47.2-112/+112CAR -107/NYI +131PIT@PHI52.1/47.9-109/+109PIT +102/PHI +120TBL@FLA40.3/59.7+148/-148TBL +176/FLA -142COL@WPG52.8/47.2-112/+112COL -108/WPG +132TOR@WSH47.1/52.9+112/-112TOR +132/WSH -108BOS@MTL60.1/39.9-151/+151BOS -145/MTL +179MIN@NSH51.3/48.7-105/+105MIN +105/NSH +117STL@ANA50.7/49.3-103/+103STL +107/ANA +114SJS@VGK35.9/64.1+179/-179SJS +214/VGK -171April 25PHI@CHI45.2/54.8+121/-121PHI +143/CHI -116Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens icon Guy Lafleur died at the age of 70, his family announced Friday.The cause of death was not immediately made known. Canadiens President Geoff Molson released the following statement Friday:"We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Guy Lafleur," he said. "All members of the Canadiens organization are devastated by his passing. Guy Lafleur had an exceptional career and always remained simple, accessible, and close to the Habs and hockey fans in Quebec, Canada, and around the world."Throughout his career, he allowed us to experience great moments of collective pride. He was one of the greatest players in our organization while becoming an extraordinary ambassador for our sport."NHL commissioner Gary Bettman also unveiled a touching statement:"You didn’t need to see Guy Lafleur’s name and number on his sweater when 'The Flower' had the puck on his stick," Bettman said."As distinctively stylish as he was remarkably talented, Lafleur cut a dashing and unmistakable figure whenever he blazed down the ice of the Montreal Forum, his long blond locks flowing in his wake as he prepared to rifle another puck past a helpless goaltender - or set up a linemate for a goal."The Habs selected Lafleur first overall in the 1971 draft following a standout junior career in which he racked up a ridiculous 233 goals and 379 points in 118 games during two seasons with the QMJHL's Quebec Remparts.Lafleur soon became a star, helping lead the Canadiens to five Stanley Cups in the 1970s, including four consecutive championships from 1976-79. He won three straight Art Ross Trophies, three consecutive Ted Lindsay Awards (then-Lester B. Pearson), back-to-back Hart Trophies, and a Conn Smythe Award during that span. He also scored a league-leading 60 goals in 1977-78, though the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy hadn't been created yet."The Flower" is Montreal's all-time assists and points leader with 728 and 1,246, respectively. He also ranks second in career goals in club history behind Richard.Lafleur spent the last three seasons of his career with the New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques. He ranks 29th on the NHL's all-time points list with 1,353 and 40th on the all-time postseason points list with 134 in 128 games.The Thurso, Quebec, native also represented Canada on the international stage multiple times, most notably helping lead the red and white to victory at the first-ever Canada Cup in 1976. He recorded six points in seven games during the tournament.The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted LaFleur in 1988. The Canadiens retired his No. 10 in 1985.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

That's a whole lot of goals.The Florida Panthers broke the NHL's salary-cap era record for most goals scored in a single season during their 5-2 drubbing of the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, according to Sportsnet Stats.The Panthers have lit the lamp 322 times in 77 games so far this campaign, and they still have five games remaining on their regular-season schedule.Thanks to their sheer dominance, the Panthers now find themselves at the top of a high-octane list dating back to the 2005-06 season.Note: All goal totals exclude shootout winnersRankTeamGoalsSeason1Florida Panthers3222021-222Tampa Bay Lightning3192018-193Washington Capitals3132009-104Ottawa Senators3122005-065Detroit Red Wings3012005-06The Panthers are also the first squad to average over four goals per game since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96.Leading the charge for Florida this season is Aleksander Barkov, who has found the back of the net 38 times in 64 contests. Jonathan Huberdeau and Anthony Duclair help round out the Panthers' balanced attack as the team's other two 30-goal scorers.The Panthers have been no slouches on the back end, either; they came into Thursday's action ranking 10th in goals against per game this season (2.83).After their victory over the Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning's win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Panthers secured the Atlantic Division title as well as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Calgary Flames ensured themselves of the top spot in the Pacific Division with a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.It's the Flames' eighth division title in franchise history and only their third in the last 27 years.Calgary is 48-20-10 with four games left in their regular-season schedule. Their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, occupy second place and sit 10 points back with a game in hand.The Flames have completely transformed themselves under head coach Darryl Sutter. The previously moribund Calgary squad went 15-15-0 last season after hiring the veteran bench boss and improved further in 2021-22.Only the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche - the No. 1 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively - have produced a better goal differential than the Flames this season.Calgary has also been one of the best road teams in the NHL, going 24-11-3 away from the Saddledome.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It'd be a difficult call, but Tampa Bay Lightning blue-liner Victor Hedman knows who he'd pick to take home the Norris Trophy this season as the league's best defenseman."You look at the top two, obviously, (Roman) Josi and (Cale) Makar, little bit of different players but really highly skilled offensively," Hedman told reporters Thursday, per TSN. "I don't know. It'll be a tough vote this year, but I'd probably go with Josi."Makar and Josi have dominated the Norris conversation all yearlong, and with less than two weeks left in the regular season, it's looking likely that one of the Central Division rivals will take home the hardware.Josi is having a spectacular campaign with the Nashville Predators, as he currently leads all rearguards with a career-best 89 points in 75 games.The 31-year-old is on pace for an outlandish 97 points in 82 contests, but if he goes on a heater to end the season, he has a chance to hit 100 points. Only five defensemen in NHL history have ever accomplished the feat, with Brian Leetch being the last to pull it off in 1991-92.Makar, meanwhile, has been as dominant as ever for the Colorado Avalanche. The 23-year-old tops all defensemen with 27 goals in 73 games. If Makar were to light the lamp 30 times this season, he'd become only the third blue-liner to do so in the last 30 years.Of course, the Norris Trophy is about more than just offensive output. Both players have registered strong numbers on the backend as well, with each ranking top-five in wins above replacement and goals above replacement among all defensemen.PlayerATOIxGF%WARGARRoman Josi25:2952.53%3.218.4Cale Makar25:3757.36%3.821.8Hedman is certainly still in the conversation to win the Norris Trophy for the second time in his career. He trails only Steven Stamkos for most points on the Lightning with 73 in 76 games while leading his team with an average of 25:19 minutes of ice time per night.New York Rangers star Adam Fox received the honor in 2020-21.(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler shouldered the blame for his club's frustrating 2021-22 campaign."I certainly take the responsibility for where this team sits," he told reporters Thursday. "I'm hopeful that we have a locker room full of guys doing the same thing. Like I said, I've tried to build this into something we can be proud of, something that can be a championship level every year. And when you fall short of that, you've got to take responsibility for it."The Jets were eliminated from playoff contention when the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Washington Capitals in overtime on Wednesday night, marking the first time since 2016-17 that the team failed to make the postseason.Wheeler gave a grim outlook when comparing this year's club to past Winnipeg teams that missed the playoffs."(Before) it felt like we were building something. A lot of young players, a lot of guys that we really believed in that were going to get us to that next level, and that obviously came to fruition," he said. "Now it just kind of feels like we're searching for answers. Not really sure what happened."The Jets entered the campaign with high expectations after bolstering its blue line with the offseason additions of Brenden Dillon and Nate Schmidt."There have been years in the past where the expectations were really low, and we had really good teams, and we were competing for championships," Wheeler said. "This year seemed like expectations were high, and we've obviously fallen well short."Wheeler has remained productive this season with 55 points in 60 games, but his underlying numbers took a hit. Evolving-Hockey.comThe 35-year-old has two more years remaining on his contract with an $8.25-million cap hit.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a jam-packed 11-game slate on the docket Thursday night, which means there's a ton of value on the board.Let's dive into a couple of my favorite team bets and player props.Rangers (-130) @ Islanders (+110)Games between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders are where offense goes to die. The two sides have met three times this season, going under the number (5.5) in each matchup.They've combined for only 11 goals over those three games, good for an average of less than four per contest.The underlying metrics suggest that's no coincidence. At five-on-five, the New York teams have yet to combine for an expected goal output above four. Even when including special teams, the numbers are still lifeless.It'd be one thing if they weren't generating many chances but had the luxury of shooting on bad goaltenders. However, that's far from the case.Igor Shesterkin is the runaway favorite to win the Vezina, while Semyon Varlamov has played quite well of late. He owns a .914 save percentage in 13 appearances over the last month and change, putting him well above the league average of .902.Beyond the goaltenders, I also think each side's recent form plays into the under. The Rangers have allowed expected goals at a lesser rate than anyone since the deadline, and the Islanders aren't exactly the most potent offensive side.Bet: Under 5.5 (-120)Sabres (+110) @ Devils (-140)The Buffalo Sabres have a respectable 5-5-0 record over the last 10, but they're not playing overly well. They've only controlled 43% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five during that span, sandwiching them between the Arizona Coyotes and Columbus Blue Jackets. That's not great company to be keeping.I think Buffalo's five-on-five struggles will be problematic against the New Jersey Devils. Even without key players like Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler, the Devils have remained formidable during that game state. New Jersey's share of high-danger chances sits at nearly 51% over the same period, which is comparable to playoff sides like the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning.Going up against Craig Anderson is also a big plus given his current form. The Sabres netminder owns a .889 save percentage in 17 appearances since the beginning of March. That ranks him in the bottom five among all netminders with double-digit games in that time.I like the Devils at home in this spot, especially if Mackenzie Blackwood makes his return to the lineup.Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots (-134)You all know the drill by now. If Jonathan Huberdeau is playing at home, we're backing him regardless of the matchup until the market severely adjusts his price point. That hasn't happened yet, so we ride again.Huberdeau's consistency in Florida this season has been unmatched. He's registered at least three shots on goal in 27 of the last 31 games, good for a ridiculous 87% hit rate.Despite a mouth-watering matchup against a Detroit Red Wings team that's given up shot attempts at a higher rate than anyone over the last 10 games, the odds imply only a 57% chance of Huberdeau going over the number. I see a ton of value in backing him once again.Kevin Hayes over 2.5 shots (-125)Kevin Hayes is quietly in the midst of one of the league's best shot-generation streaks. He's registered at least four shots - yes, four - in eight of the last 10 games.The big spike in production isn't a coincidence. He's averaged 6.1 attempts per contest during that spell, up significantly from his season average of 4.2.With Claude Giroux out of the picture and several key forwards injured, Hayes has taken on a bigger role offensively. Clearly, it is making a difference.Hayes finds himself in a great spot to continue his success. The Montreal Canadiens are one of the worst shot-suppression teams in the NHL, and only four teams have conceded more to centers over the last month.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Kraken's inaugural season has been tough, especially compared to their most recent expansion predecessors. In hindsight, the Vegas Golden Knights set the bar too high, artificially inflating hopes for Seattle's first year. The Kraken had a preseason betting market win total of anywhere from 92.5 to 94.5.That point expectation translates to playoff contention and using that point total betting market was the only concrete way to measure Seattle in October. Fast-forward to April, and the Kraken have "clinched" last place in the Pacific Division, something familiar to expansion teams prior to 2017.A 4-1 win in Florida in November is probably Seattle's most impressive victory this campaign, but it wasn't even +200 on the moneyline. Part of that is because the market wasn't ready for how good the Panthers would be. The Kraken beat Florida again on Jan. 23, this time slightly longer than +200 at home as it became clear the Panthers are a truck.Seattle notched its biggest underdog win Wednesday, scoring three times in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche. We've long been aware of how good the Avalanche are. The Kraken hung on for a 3-2 victory after reaching as high as +300 Tuesday and closing at +225 as a home 'dog.Potentially of more significance, Seattle won the expected goals battle at even strength, 1.73-1.49. That's a surprise considering its early lead had Colorado chasing for much of the game.How could we have seen this coming in order to follow the guide and bet on the Kraken? Beyond two wins in a row coming into the contest with the Avalanche, Seattle had shown signs in the even-strength expected goals column:GAME XFG XGAvs. OTT (4-2 win)1.431.45vs. NJD (4-3 win)1.322.15@ CGY (5-3 loss)2.041.59vs. CGY (4-1 loss)1.322.03@ CHI (2-0 win)2.331.58@ STL (4-1 loss)2.472.28The Kraken averaged 1.81 expected goals for while allowing 1.84 expected goals against in their last six games. Playing teams evenly and getting the best of a pair of playoff squads - even in losses - is a better than expected effort for a last-place club in the season's final weeks.Seattle's inaugural campaign hasn't gone as expected, but its late-season competitiveness gives bettors something to think about in the short term and restored hope for the Kraken this offseason.The recipeBefore the 2021-22 campaign, we devised a three-part series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.This season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 90% of our total rating. Basing 10% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened during this campaign, which is still a relatively small sample size that includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% without travel.How to use the guideWhat follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet on each side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold and may decide on a higher cutoff for bigger underdogs, like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected could be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make a wager worthwhile.Friday, April 22GAME WIN PROB.(%) TRUE ML PRICE TO BETOTT@CBJ46.3/53.7+116/-116OTT +136/CBJ -111SEA@MIN37.7/62.3+166/-166SEA +197/MIN -159COL@EDM46.3/53.7+116/-116COL +137/EDM -112WSH@ARI54/46-117/+117WSH -113/ARI +138Compare the "Price to Bet" column with the market's prices. From there, compile a list of wagers. After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if any line movements created value that wasn't there before. At that point, compare the price of your opening bet to its late price to see how much closing-line value you may be getting.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin scored his 50th goal of the season on Wednesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights, marking the ninth time he's reached the milestone in his career.The Washington Capitals star is now tied with Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history.

The 2022 NHL Draft lottery will be held May 10, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.The event will be held remotely, with general managers or executives patched in.Here's a look at the estimated odds for the current bottom-five teams in the standings.RankTeam2021-22 PointsChance at No. 1 pick1Arizona Coyotes4916.6%2Montreal Canadiens5112.1%3Philadelphia Flyers5710.9%4Seattle Kraken569.7%5Columbus Blue Jackets (via CHI)618.5%Columbus owns Chicago's first-rounder as a part of the Seth Jones trade last summer.Last March, the NHL announced changes for the 2022 lottery. Teams now can't move up more than 10 spots if they win one of the lottery draws, and clubs can't win the lottery more than twice in a five-year span. Lottery winners prior to 2022 won't be counted in the total.The Buffalo Sabres selected defenseman Owen Power after winning last year's lottery. The Kraken and Anaheim Ducks rounded out the top three.This year's projected No. 1 pick is forward Shane Wright of the OHL's Kingston Frontenacs. The 18-year-old recorded 94 points in 63 games this season and was named to Canada's world junior squad, which will compete in August after a COVID-19 outbreak last winter.The 2022 NHL Draft will take place July 7-8 in Montreal.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tom Renney announced Wednesday he's retiring as Hockey Canada's CEO.Renney took the position in 2014 and will be replaced by Scott Smith in July."This is a decision I have been preparing for over the past year and while it is never easy, I know the time is right and I am grateful for the past eight years," Renney said.During Renney's time atop Canada's hockey program, the men's, women's, and paralympic teams combined to win nine gold medals and 28 medals overall across multiple levels of competition.Smith has worked for Hockey Canada since 1995. He was named chief operating officer in 2007.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday was a very good night for us on the ice. We enjoyed a 3-0 sweep with our best bets while winning two of the three player props.We'll look to keep the ball rolling Wednesday with a combination of sides and player props. Let's get to it.Capitals (+110) @ Golden Knights (-130)You often hear the term "must-win game" thrown around, at times a little too loosely. Not Wednesday. This is the definition of a must-win game for the Vegas Golden Knights.Prior to their last contest against the New Jersey Devils, the Golden Knights needed a 4-1-1 record to have a real shot at making the playoffs. They dropped that game in regulation. The margin for error is now slim to none; Vegas has to win. I expect the team to do just that against the Washington Capitals.The Golden Knights are starting to get healthy, and their recent form reflects that. They own a 6-3-1 mark over the last 10 contests and have controlled 54.28% of the expected goals at five-on-five. That's good for seventh in the NHL during that period.Washington hasn't fared nearly as well at five-on-five. The Capitals' expected goal share is below 50%, mostly due to issues defensively. They're 24th in expected goals against per 60 during the last 10 contests.With Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty recently rejoining Vegas' lineup, the team has more firepower to take advantage of those defensive shortcomings.The Golden Knights aren't the powerhouse they were supposed to be, but they're still a good team, they're at home, and they're desperate. I see value in this line.Bet: Golden Knights (-130)Leon Draisaitl over 3.5 shots (+115)Leon Draisaitl has been a shooting machine of late, especially on home soil. Draisaitl's piled up at least four shots in eight of his last 10 games in Edmonton, averaging 4.5 over that span.It doesn't matter who the Oilers star is going up against, either. He's enjoyed success against teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, and Colorado Avalanche during this hot streak.While Draisaitl hasn't hit in either matchup against the Dallas Stars this season, there's reason to believe things could be different this time around. For one, it's not a road game. Draisaitl's hit rate is 23% higher in Edmonton, so that should make a big difference.The Stars, in their current form, are also conceding a lot to centers. They're in the bottom 10 in shots allowed per game to the position over the last month, and only three teams have given up more goals. A sniper like Draisaitl is more than capable of taking advantage of this matchup.Seth Jones over 2.5 shots (-118)The Arizona Coyotes have been the best matchup for defensemen all season long. No team has given up as many shots to defenders. In fact, there's no squad even close.Arizona has allowed 861 shots to opposing blue-liners. For perspective, the Columbus Blue Jackets (806) are the only other team that's given up more than 751. The Coyotes are 110 shots clear of the 30th-ranked side. It's craziness.Seth Jones, like almost every notable defenseman, has greatly benefited from dates with the Coyotes this year. He's recorded 16 shots on goal and 24 attempts over three meetings against them while going over the number (2.5) each time.With Arizona missing several key players and looking closer to an AHL team than an NHL club, I expect Jones' success to continue in this game.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You probably looked down the oddsboard for Tuesday night and had the moneyline pricing for the Red Wings and Lightning jump out at you. For much of the 24 hours between Monday night's open and puck drop at Amalie Arena, the Lightning were -500 on the moneyline - an implication that the defending Stanley Cup Champions would win 83.3% of the time.Thanks to a three-goal second period, the Red Wings beat Tampa 4-3 and cashed for those brave enough to believe that Detroit's likelihood of winning was closer to 35%. The Red Wings didn't even have the luxury of facing backup goaltender Brian Elliott - enough of a downgrade from Andrei Vasilevskiy to make a significant pricing difference.Naturally, the Wings' win validates whatever chances anyone gave them for victory. Even if they really only had a 17% chance to come out on top, Tuesday's game might have been part of the 17 out of 100. A +400 win also negates four lost bets on recently vanquished underdogs.Two nights later, they travel south to Sunrise, and if they were +400 against the Lightning, there's no reason to believe a similar price won't be on the board against the Panthers - one of few teams rated higher than Tampa Bay.This is even more frightening for underdog bettors based on how you interpret the Panthers' on-ice results into their moneylines. The following depicts Florida's record in various situations and what that would imply if we built moneylines in hindsight:SITUATIONML RECORDWIN %IMPLIED MLOverall55-21.723-261Since Feb. 623-6.793-382Overall home32-6.842-531Not only have the Panthers' results improved throughout the season, but they're also nails at home. This doesn't bode well for a below-average team like the Red Wings coming to town. Florida has proven valuable at the hypothetical astronomical moneyline of -500.Unlike their champion state-mates to the north - who are a solid but unspectacular 46-30 on the season and a slightly better 24-14 at home - the Panthers might not be worth messing with, even if the moneyline is eye-popping on the board.The recipeBefore the 2021-22 campaign, we devised a three-part series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.This season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 90% of our total rating. Basing 10% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened during this campaign, which is still a relatively small sample size that includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% without travel.How to use the guideWhat follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet on each side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold and may decide on a higher cutoff for bigger underdogs, like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected could be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make a wager worthwhile.Thursday, April 21GAMEWIN PROB.(%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETPHI@MTL51/49-104/+104PHI +106/MTL +115BUF@NJD39.2/60.8+155/-155BUF +184/NJD -149DET@FLA31.4/68.6+218/-218DET +264/FLA -208BOS@PIT48.6/51.4+106/-106BOS +117/PIT +104WPG@CAR40.3/59.7+148/-148WPG +175/CAR -142NYR@NYI49.1/50.9+104/-104NYR +115/NYI +106TOR@TBL47.1/52.9+112/-112TOR +132/TBL -108VAN@MIN42.2/57.8+137/-137VAN +162/MIN -132DAL@CGY41.6/58.4+141/-141DAL +166/CGY -135STL@SJS53.1/46.9-113/+113STL -109/SJS +133CHI@LAK35.4/64.6+182/-182CHI +218/LAK -174Compare the "Price to Bet" column with the market's prices. From there, compile a list of wagers. After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if any line movements created value that wasn't there before. At that point, compare the price of your opening bet to its late price to see how much closing-line value you may be getting.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Marc-Andre Fleury isn't ready to hang up his skates just yet."I would like to play at least another season. I decided that recently," Fleury said, according to La Presse's Katherine Harvey-Pinard. "I still love to play, I still have fun, the body's holding up - most of the time. But yes, one more season, and we'll see after."The veteran goaltender is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The Chicago Blackhawks acquired him from the Vegas Golden Knights during the summer and dealt him to the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline.The reigning Vezina Trophy winner is still keeping pace as one of the league's best goalies. He has a .910 save percentage and 2.90 goals against average in 52 games this season, with a .921 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average in seven games since joining the Wild.The 37-year-old has appeared in the most contests out of all active goaltenders (935). He won the Stanley Cup three times while with the Pittsburgh Penguins and helped guide the Vegas Golden Knights to a finals appearance in the club's inaugural season.Fleury ranks third in NHL history with 517 wins, trailing Patrick Roy by 34 for second place.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Our best bets were a mixed bag to start the week. The Carolina Hurricanes took care of business and came through for us on the puck line. Unfortunately, the Dallas Stars laid an egg in Vancouver.We'll aim for better results on a very busy Tuesday.Jets (+175) @ Rangers (-210)I love the under in this spot. Love it.After a bit of a rough patch, Igor Shesterkin seems to have found his superhuman form again. He's conceded just four goals over his last four starts, picking up a pair of shutouts in that span and posting a .955 save percentage or better in three of those games.It was pretty much automatic that you'd play an under of 6 in any contest he played for most of the season. I think we're reaching that point again, especially against someone like Connor Hellebuyck.While Hellebuyck's surface stats aren't overly impressive this season, his overall save percentage (.909) is several points above league average (.902). Plus, he grades out much better in terms of Goals Saved Above Expected, sitting ninth in the league at +13.7. That sandwiches him between Thatcher Demko and Tristan Jarry. Pretty good company.I expect the goaltending to be very good in this game. I also think Winnipeg is going to have a very tough time generating chances.The Jets don't have Mark Scheifele or Cole Perfetti in the lineup, which hurts. New York is also in suffocating defensive form, ranking first in expected goals against per 60 since the trade deadline.Bet: Under 6 (-105)Blue Jackets (+110) @ Sharks (-130)Even though the San Jose Sharks have lost 10 consecutive games, I think there's real value in backing them Tuesday.They've played better than their record suggests. The Sharks have controlled nearly 49% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five during their skid, which ranks them 19th in the league in that time.Believe it or not, they're several tiers above the Columbus Blue Jackets during that span. The Blue Jackets' recent share of high-danger chances sits at 43%, putting them in company with teams like the Seattle Kraken, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, and Arizona Coyotes.Their issues mostly stem from defensive play. At five-on-five Columbus has allowed 2.99 expected goals per 60 over the last 10, putting the team 26th in the league during that span. There's not much reason to expect things to get any better, as there's a very real chance Zach Werenski will be out of the lineup.San Jose isn't a deep team, but it has more than enough firepower - headlined by Timo Meier, Tomas Hertl, and Brent Burns - to expose Columbus' defensive issues.Bet: Sharks (-130)Senators (+195) @ Canucks (-240)This is a pretty big total considering both teams are in the latter half of a back-to-back, but I think it's warranted. I expect fireworks.For one, the Vancouver Canucks' offense is firing on all cylinders. They've scored five-on-five goals at a high rate of late and absolutely blown teams away on the man advantage. They rank first in expected goals per 60 and actual goals per 60 over the last 10 games. No team can stop their power play right now.It just so happens the Ottawa Senators have the league's second-best power play over the last 10. They're only 0.07 xGF behind Vancouver, and they've scored more than 10 power-play goals per 60. Expect both teams to be clinical on the man advantage.The goaltending situation should lend itself to high goal outputs as well. Filip Gustavsson, who's expected to start for Ottawa, has been brutal this season, conceding 9.4 goals more than expected through just 16 appearances.While Vancouver could potentially throw out Thatcher Demko, goaltenders who play consecutive nights own a save percentage in the range of .885 this season. If he starts, don't expect him at his best. It's more likely that Jaroslav Halak, who's been mediocre at best this season, will get the nod.So, we're looking at two lethal power plays and a bad goaltending matchup. That should lead to goals.Bet: Over 6.5 (-125)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The rescheduled 2022 world juniors will run from Aug. 9-20 in Edmonton, Hockey Canada confirmed Tuesday.The original event was postponed in December during the preliminary round due to a COVID-19 outbreak. Results from the original dates will not carry over, and players born in 2002 or later will remain eligible.Austria, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States make up Group A. Canada, Czechia, Finland, Latvia, and Slovakia will form Group B.Russia will not be competing as part of IIHF sanctions against the country for its invasion of Ukraine.The United States enter the tournament as defending champions after defeating Canada in the 2021 gold-medal game.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The moneyline underdog drought ended Monday night, and much of the NHL betting community rejoiced.After 22 straight games over the weekend without winning, three moneyline 'dogs cashed a ticket: the Devils (versus the Golden Knights), the Capitals (against the Avalanche), and the Canucks (versus the Stars).But not every underdog was a winner Monday. Both the Blackhawks and Coyotes failed to beat the respective favorites in the Flames and Hurricanes.Parsing out who's going to pull off the upset is the difference between betting for value and truly handicapping the teams.After more than a full year of tumult, the Canucks are finally focused, healthy, and they have the right head coach. The talent on the roster, and their interest in playing "playoff hockey," has manifested itself in a six-game winning streak, leaving them two points out of a postseason spot with six contests to go. Winning a home game against the Stars - a team that's less successful on the road - should've been more expected than the price suggested.The Devils (+260) beat the Golden Knights as a larger underdog than the Blackhawks were to the Flames (-270). But ask anyone in Vegas about the Golden Knights' season so far, or listen to clips from Peter DeBoer - there are cracks in the armor. Meanwhile, the Devils are a team that our metrics suggest is better than its record.As for the Blackhawks, they're 1-9 on the moneyline in their last 10 games, so it's not like there should've been much hope against a Flames team that's rolled through the latter half of the season. Similarly, after a nice run in March, the Coyotes are 2-8 on the moneyline, so there was little reason to back them against the Hurricanes. Meanwhile, as highly regarded as the Avalanche are, the Capitals are a playoff team that has a much better record on the road (24-13) than at home (19-20).The NHL betting guide exists to understand how pricing works, and to measure the true value in a game. However, you can find an extra edge by putting in more work and showing discipline in your betting, as well as knowing what's going on with each team inside and out, like you would your favorite team.The recipeBefore the 2021-22 campaign, we devised a three-part series on how to use the regular-season point-total market to create team ratings, how to interpret home-ice advantage, and then how to use those to create your own moneylines.This season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 90% of our total rating. Basing 10% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened during this campaign, which is still a relatively small sample size that includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups. I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% without travel.How to use the guideWhat follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I'd need to bet on each side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold and may decide on a higher cutoff for bigger underdogs, like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected could be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make a wager worthwhile.Wednesday, April 20GAMEWIN PROJ. (%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETDAL@EDM44.6/55.4+124/-124DAL +146/EDM -119WSH@VGK44/56+127/-127WSH +150/VGK -122COL@SEA58.4/41.6-141/+141COL -135/SEA +166CHI@ARI47.1/52.9+112/-112CHI +112/ARI -108Compare the "Price to Bet" column with the market's prices. From there, compile a list of wagers. After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if any line movements created value that wasn't there before. At that point, compare the price of your opening bet to its late price to see how much closing-line value you may be getting.Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews will miss his second consecutive game Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers due to an undisclosed injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to TSN's Mark Masters.The NHL's leading goal scorer will travel with the club for its upcoming three-game road trip, which begins Thursday in Tampa Bay.Matthews was held out of the lineup for Sunday's win over the New York Islanders after sustaining a minor injury against the Ottawa Senators one night prior.At the time, Keefe said the decision to sit Matthews was out of an "abundance of caution" with the playoffs around the corner.Matthews missed three games at the start of the campaign while recovering from offseason wrist surgery and sat out two for a cross-checking suspension in March. The 24-year-old has put together a dominant season, with 58 goals and 102 points through 70 contests.Toronto currently sits second in the Atlantic Division with 106 points and six games remaining.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a juicy 10-game slate to look forward to Tuesday night, meaning there's plenty of value on the board.Let's take a look at three of my favorite props.Joel Eriksson Ek over 2.5 shots (-114)The Montreal Canadiens have been a frequent target for shot totals, and there's not much reason to reconsider that strategy. The Habs continue to give up insane volume at five-on-five and on the penalty kill, ranking bottom-five in shot attempts against per 60 in each of the last 10 games.A lot of the shots Montreal has allowed over the past month have come from opposing centers. In fact, only four teams have conceded more shots per game to the position during that time.That makes Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek a prime target. Not only is he scorching hot away from home - he has at least three shots in nine straight road dates - but he also excelled the last time he faced the Canadiens, piling up four shots on six attempts.Expect similar success this time around.Kirill Kaprizov over 3.5 shots (-106)Double-dipping? Double-dipping! The matchup is too mouthwatering to target just one Wild player - especially when they have somebody as hot as Kirill Kaprizov.The team's franchise player is scorching hot when it comes to generating shots, recording at least four in seven of his last 10 games. While he is generally more productive at home, it's not as if you can only target Kaprizov in Minnesota. He has hit in three of the last four home dates, with those hits coming against playoff teams like the St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators.What makes Kaprizov so appealing in this spot is the power-play matchup. Montreal is giving up shots on the penalty kill at a higher rate than every team in the league. Kaprizov just so happens to lead the Wild in attempts, shots on goal, and scoring chances on the man advantage this season. He is the focal point and stands to benefit most on the PP.The Wild are fighting for home ice, so they won't hesitate to ride their best players. Back Kaprizov in Montreal.Victor Hedman over 2.5 shots (-114)The Detroit Red Wings are not the Arizona Coyotes, but they might be the next best thing when it comes to stopping shots from defensemen. The Red Wings have given up more points to defenders than every club in the NHL this campaign, and they're also one of the worst at limiting shots against the position.The team's struggles have been very evident each time it's gone up against Victor Hedman, with the star Swede combining for 12 shots on goal and 24 shot attempts through three meetings versus Detroit.The blue-liner hit in two of those games while falling one shot shy in the lone exception. The volume was there for success, though, as he attempted six shots but just failed to hit the net.Hedman has been very consistent at home this season, going over the number 62% of the time. I like his chances of improving upon that tonight in a top-tier matchup.Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hobey Baker Award winner Dryden McKay will accept a six-month period of ineligibility handed down by the USADA for an anti-doping rule violation.The goaltender confirmed his decision so he'll be allowed to play in October. McKay recently completed his senior year at Minnesota State-Mankato and can now sign with an NHL team.McKay, who was an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team ahead of the Beijing Games, tested positive for ostarine on Jan. 23. He could've been banned from competing for four years, but he ultimately proved the positive result came from a contaminated vitamin D supplement.The USADA notified the 24-year-old of a provisional suspension on Feb. 1, according to McKay.McKay said he immediately sent all of his supplements to an independent lab upon learning of the positive test. The lab then identified an opened bottle of D3 immune booster as the source. He added he was taking the vitamin for its anti-viral benefits to decrease the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 on the advice of a trainer.An independent arbitrator lifted the ban on Feb. 3, which enabled McKay to continue playing until the USADA rendered its final decision.The netminder excelled in his senior year at MSU-Mankato, setting an NCAA record for goaltending wins while leading the Mavericks to the national championship game, which they lost to Denver.Earlier in April, McKay won the Hobey Baker Award, which the NCAA hands out annually to its top men's hockey player.McKay will get credit for serving part of the provisional suspension from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. He can begin practicing with a team on Aug. 25 and play in games as of Oct. 11, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.The Illinois-born goalie told Friedman he'll be honest with NHL teams when they ask about the incident."I’m just going to tell them, 'I accept the risk that I took the non-certified supplement,'" McKay said. "That’s something I can’t hide from. At the same time, I’m not a cheater. I’m not someone who is trying to get an advantage. I was trying to take care of my body, avoid COVID and stay healthy so I could play the rest of the season. There was no intent."McKay said on Twitter he's looking forward to starting his pro career in the fall.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Johnny Gaudreau's spectacular season just won't stop.After recording two goals in a 5-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, the 28-year-old has reached 85 even-strength points on the season. The last player to record more was Jaromir Jagr when he had 95 during the 1995-96 campaign.Only 17 other players in NHL history have recorded over 85 even-strength points in a single season, according to The Canadian Press' Darren Haynes.Gaudreau was quick to credit his teammates when asked about the feat postgame."Playing with some good players, obviously," Gaudreau said, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson. "You don't do that by yourself."Gaudreau has set a career high in goals (38), assists (69), and points (107) and still has six games left. He also leads the NHL with a plus-61 plus-minus rating.The big night didn't stop there. Gaudreau, who's spent his entire career in Calgary, also became the fifth player to record 600 points with the Flames, according to StatsCentre. He joins Jarome Iginla, Joe Nieuwendyk, Theo Fleury, and Al MacInnis.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Cale Makar's brilliant campaign became a historic one Monday, as he notched his 83rd point to set a new record for points in a season by a blue-liner in Colorado Avalanche franchise history.The 23-year-old surpassed Steve Duchesne, who collected 82 for the Quebec Nordiques in 1992-93.Makar earned a secondary assist on Valeri Nichushkin's first-period goal against the Washington Capitals to break the record in his 72nd game of the campaign.Duchesne required 82 contests to achieve his mark, posting 20 goals and 62 assists. Makar has racked up 26 markers and 57 helpers, with six regular-season games remaining after Monday's tilt.Makar is jockeying with Nashville Predators rearguard Roman Josi for the Norris Trophy in 2021-22. Makar finished second to Adam Fox of the New York Rangers for the award last season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Michael Pezzetta has been suspended two games for an illegal check to the head of Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Monday.Pezzetta was given a two-minute minor for the hit, which occurred during Washington's 8-4 win Saturday.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will be re-evaluated in a week for the injury he sustained in Saturday's loss to the Colorado Avalanche, head coach Rod Brind'Amour said Monday, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.Andersen was helped off the ice late in the third period after an awkward-looking fall. He'll undergo an MRI, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, but no details have emerged about the injury.Antti Raanta will start Monday's game against the Arizona Coyotes. Pyotr Kochetkov was recalled from the AHL on Sunday.Andersen had been sensational this season, cementing himself in the Vezina Trophy conversation with a 35-14-3 record, four shutouts, and a .922 save percentage.The Hurricanes are currently tied with the New York Rangers atop the Metropolitan Division with 104 points and six games remaining.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin underwent core muscle surgery Monday and will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season, the team announced.The full recovery period is expected to be 8-10 weeks.Larkin leads the Red Wings with 31 goals and 69 points in 70 contests this season.Detroit has six games remaining on its schedule. The club sits sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 29-37-10 record and will miss the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Claude Julien has been named Canada's head coach for the IIHF Men's World Championship in May with D.J. Smith and Andre Tourigny serving as assistants, Hockey Canada announced Monday.Arizona Coyotes icon Shane Doan will pick the team as general manager. Rick Nash and Scott Salmond were named AGM's.Doan and Julien held the same positions for Canada at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, where they missed the podium.Julien hasn't held an NHL position since the Montreal Canadiens fired him last season.The 61-year-old was also on the Canadian coaching staff for the 2014 Olympics in Sochi and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, with Canada winning both events.Canada won gold at last year's world championship under Gerard Gallant, who landed a head coaching gig with the New York Rangers shortly after.This year's tournament runs May 13-29 in Tampere and Helsinki, Finland.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

You'd have been more likely to get struck by lightning.For bettors who backed underdogs over Easter weekend, that rare occurrence might have felt preferable to what happened from Friday night to Sunday night.Out of the 22 contests, not one team priced with a plus sign on their moneyline managed to win. The closest thing to an underdog victory were road wins by the Sabres in Philadelphia and the Blues in Nashville in a pair of consensus pick'em games.According to Moneypuck.com, the odds of Saturday's 14-0 sweep by the favorites were astronomic:

Retired NFL running back Marshawn Lynch and Seattle-born rapper Macklemore joined the Kraken's ownership group as investors, the team announced Monday.Lynch is one of the most beloved players in Seattle Seahawks history. He played seven seasons in the Pacific Northwest, highlighted by winning Super Bowl XLVIII."On God, I've been a part of a lot of things," Lynch said. "But this is something I never would have imagined. As a young hyena, I always dreamed of playing on a professional team but owning one is something special."As I look back on some of my accomplishments - I retired before I was 30 and now being an owner of a professional club at the age of 35 - I'm gonna continue to count my blessings. Being a part of the Seattle Kraken is something big for me."

We ended last week on a high, winning both of our bets heading into the holiday weekend.We'll look to pick up where we left off as we head down the homestretch of the regular season.Stars (-115) @ Canucks (-105)The Dallas Stars enter play on a 6-2-2 run, and it's probably fair to say that record doesn't even do them justice - they're playing remarkably well.At five-on-five, the Stars control a whopping 56.04% of the expected goal share. That's the third-highest output in the league, behind only the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins.Their reward for that dominance at full strength is *checks notes* a negative goal differential. That's right - they're minus-2 at five-on-five over that span despite being plus-5 in terms of expected goals. A seven-goal swing would definitely help make the difference in a game or two.Even though Dallas isn't a high-end finishing team, we should still expect its shooting percentage to rise a little bit, which will help convert some of those expected markers into actual tallies.The Vancouver Canucks' record matches the Stars' over the last 10, but their five-on-five results are better. The process lags well behind, though. Vancouver controls less than 48% of the expected goals, slotting it just ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers and Seattle Kraken.Dallas should be able to tilt the ice in its favor during this game. While Thatcher Demko is more than capable of stealing two points on any given night, the Stars can also rely on quality goaltending with the way Jake Oettinger and, surprisingly, Scott Wedgewood have played of late.Look for Dallas to end Vancouver's five-game winning streak and put a severe dent in the latter's slim playoff hopes.Bet: Stars (-115)Hurricanes (-360) @ Coyotes (+285)The Arizona Coyotes are a disaster. An absolute disaster. They're outplayed on a nightly basis, and their goaltending is cooling off a little, leading to some borderline disturbing results.The Coyotes have dropped six games in a row, being outscored 33-7. That's a minus-26 differential, good for an average margin of defeat of more than four goals per game.While they're not going to lose by four goals a game forever - you'd think, anyway - I'm not sure this is the spot they snap out of their funk. Not having Clayton Keller, Jakob Chychrun, or to a much lesser extent, Lawson Crouse against a team like the Carolina Hurricanes is nightmare fuel.The Hurricanes spend the bulk of games on the front foot. They sit fourth in expected goal share and second in high-danger chance share over the last 10 games. They walk all over opponents on most nights.Having dropped two in a row - and being in the midst of a heated battle with the New York Rangers for top spot in the Metro - I expect the Hurricanes to come out and take care of business in Arizona.Bet: Hurricanes -1.5 (-140)Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The 2021-22 Toronto Maple Leafs etched themselves in the record books Sunday night, establishing new franchise marks for points (106) and wins (50) in a regular season with a victory over the New York Islanders.Toronto accomplished the feats with six games remaining in its regular-season schedule following the 4-2 win.Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe downplayed the records postgame."I don't know if it means a lot," he said, according to Sports Illustrated's Mike Stephens. "Especially with where we know this team needs to go."The franchise has existed since 1917. However, the NHL added a point for overtime and shootout losses in 2005-06 - this season's Leafs have six of those in total - while increasing the likelihood of wins by eliminating the tie.Toronto is 50-20-6 through 76 games this campaign. The Leafs clinched a playoff berth April 9. They currently occupy second place in the Atlantic Division and sit eight points behind the Florida Panthers, though the first-place squad holds a game in hand.Despite regular-season success in recent years, the Leafs haven't advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2003-04.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Auston Matthews is out Sunday against the New York Islanders due to a minor injury, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said before the game, according to TSN's Mark Masters.It's a minor ailment he sustained in Saturday's win over the Ottawa Senators."Considered pretty minor at this point, but given the back-to-back, the quick turnaround and that kind of stuff, we're going to give him the night off," the bench boss said."Just really out of an abundance of caution, we will give him the day off and reassess it from there," he added, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan.Matthews leads the NHL with 58 goals and ranks fifth with 102 points in 70 games this season. He's the favorite for the Hart Trophy.The 24-year-old has missed five contests in 2021-22. He sat out three at the start of the campaign as he recovered from offseason wrist surgery and two more when he was suspended for cross-checking Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during the Heritage Classic in March.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen had to be helped off the ice late in a loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night.Andersen slipped and fell after appearing to catch an edge with under five minutes remaining in the game.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Mike Smith is getting hot at the perfect time.Smith became the sixth goaltender in NHL history to record consecutive shutouts at age-40 or older on Saturday. He made 39 saves against the Vegas Golden Knights after stopping all 30 shots he faced against the Nashville Predators on Thursday.Dominik Hasek and Johnny Bowers each accomplished the feat twice, while Martin Brodeur, Dwayne Roloson, and George Hainsworth each did it once."At this time of the season, you want to be on the top of your game and be a big reason why you’re headed to the playoffs and in the playoffs and playing your best games to give the team the best chance to win,” Smith said."That’s all I’ve been focused on. I’m not dwelling on what’s happened before or in the past. That’s out of my control now, so I’ve been focused on my next game and I've really been working hard to get it back on the rails and feel like my last month or so I’ve been really playing some solid hockey."The veteran netminder has been in and out of the Oilers' lineup all season long due to injury. Prior to the six-game win streak he's currently on, Smith appeared in 19 contests and struggled mightily, owning a .896 save percentage and 3.41 goals against average over that stretch.On the season, Smith now has a 13-9-2 record with a .911 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average. The Oilers are in second place in the Pacific Division with a 44-26-6 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry is week-to-week with a lower-body injury, head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed Saturday.Casey DeSmith will assume starting duties down the stretch run as Pittsburgh jockeys for playoff position in the Metropolitan Division. Entering Saturday's contest, the Penguins sit five points clear of the Washington Capitals for third place but have played two extra games.DeSmith is 8-4-5 with a .906 save percentage this season.Jarry bounced back from a miserable playoff showing last spring and put together a career campaign. The 26-year-old has posted a 34-18-6 record with four shutouts along with a .919 save percentage and 19.9 goals saved above average this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat will miss at least the next two weeks, the team announced Friday.Horvat will be re-evaluated at the end of the month for the lower-body injury he suffered vs. the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night. He took a slap shot off his leg and did not return.Nils Hoglander will also be out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to repair a core muscle/groin injury. There's no timeline for his return.The Canucks' regular season is set to end on April 29 with seven games remaining on their schedule. The club is clinging to playoff hopes, sitting in fifth place in the Pacific Division.Horvat has 31 goals and 21 assists in 70 games this season.Hoglander has 10 goals and eight assists in 60 games this year. He's been out of the lineup since March 15.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price made his season debut Friday against the New York Islanders.Price has been sidelined for the duration of the 2021-22 campaign after undergoing offseason knee surgery and entering the NHL's player assistance program in October.The 34-year-old restarted rehab for his knee in January, delaying his return to the ice."You see all the work an athlete does," St. Louis said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "The success of a player is judged on the ice, but there's so much an athlete has to do off the ice to have success on it ... With what Carey has been through and the work he's put in, it's fun to have him here today."Price was limited to 25 games last season due to injury but put together a spectacular playoffs. He produced a .924 save percentage across 22 games in the Canadiens' run to the Stanley Cup Final.With Price unavailable, the last-place Canadiens have turned to five different netminders this season: Jake Allen, Sam Montembeault, Andrew Hammond, Michael McNiven, and Cayden Primeau.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.