Welcome to the sixth edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings.These rankings focus on analytics and the all-around ability of defensemen rather than just points or reputation.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said his club was in a somber mood following a crucial defeat to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night."To be honest, I don't think one word has been said since the game ended in the locker room. Not one word," Morrissey said postgame.He added: "The reason for the silence is the frustration. Obviously, we can't afford to lose games right now, and that's a game we shouldn't lose. With their schedule and our desperation, they're playing on a back-to-back. It's frustrating."The loss to the Red Wings - who sit 11th in the East with just 65 points through 71 games - was Winnipeg's third in a row overall. The Jets are now seven points back of the second wild-card spot in the West with 11 contests remaining.When asked about the mood in the team's locker room, interim head coach Dave Lowry echoed Morrissey's comments and sympathized with his players."I would say extreme disappointment. And, obviously, with nothing being said, you can tell how the players feel," Lowry said.He added: "I understand where the players are, I understand the disappointment. That just shows they care."The Jets return to the ice Friday against the conference-leading Colorado Avalanche.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A look at the Buffalo Sabres' 26-34-11 record might suggest the 2021-22 campaign is yet another season to forget.Veteran winger Kyle Okposo doesn't see it that way."It just feels like we're planting the roots a little bit, for this year," he said, according to The Buffalo News' Rachel Lenzi. "We have an attitude in there … I haven't talked about this with the guys, but I don't want the year to end. It's been so much fun, and I have a feeling that a lot of the guys in that room feel the same way."The Sabres rank 25th in the NHL but look to be gearing up to end the season on a high note. They're 6-1-3 in their last 10 games, with victories over the Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Carolina Hurricanes."There's no, 'let's just make it to the end and ride this thing out and get a couple wins.' It's go time every day," Okposo said.He added: "That's a fun feeling to have, and the way that we're building relationships and the culture is going to be what carries over."Okposo has one season left on a seven-year, $42-million pact. The 33-year-old has enjoyed a resurgent campaign with 41 points in 65 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Carey Price will travel with the Montreal Canadiens on their two-game road trip this week but won't play in either game, interim head coach Martin St. Louis announced Wednesday, according to TSN's John Lu.The Canadiens play the New Jersey Devils on Thursday and square off against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.Price has yet to play a game this season following the Canadiens' stunning run to last year's Stanley Cup Final. He underwent knee surgery in the offseason and entered the NHL's player assistance program in October.The veteran goaltender was forced to restart his injury rehab in January as his recovery was slow to progress.Price practiced with the team in mid-March and has occasionally been skating on his own. He participated in Tuesday's optional morning skate and stayed on the ice to work with the scratches and injured players afterward, according to Lu.The 34-year-old was limited to just 25 regular-season games in 2020-21 and posted a .901 save percentage. He rebounded in spectacular fashion in the postseason, logging a .924 save percentage and 2.28 goals against average in 22 outings.Montreal has struggled in his absence and sits last in the league with a 19-40-11 record, but the team's fortunes have improved greatly since St. Louis arrived in February.The Canadiens' next home game is on April 11 against the Winnipeg Jets.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Tuesday was a great night on the ice. Two of our three team bets came through while all three shot totals hit. In total, we went 5-1.While there aren't any sides that stand out Wednesday night - at least before injury or goaltending news - I see value in a total and two props. Let's dive in.Lightning (-140) @ Capitals (+115)The Lightning and Capitals enter this game in a similar place. Both are coming off two defeats, including four-goal losses at home. They'll no doubt be looking to tighten up and get back on track as they jockey for position in the Eastern Conference playoff race.Despite all the firepower in this matchup, there's plenty of value on the under.Washington has struggled to keep the puck out of the net over the last few games. That's not because of defensive issues, though. The Capitals have actually done a great job of suppressing chances for quite some time.At five-on-five, only the Wild and Rangers have allowed high-danger chances at a lower rate than Washington over the last 10 games. The Capitals are keeping opponents away from the blue paint.That's something the Lightning have excelled at all season long. While they haven't been as competent of late, the Bolts sit seventh in high-danger chances against per 60 minutes. The Capitals aren't far behind, placing 10th.With both teams coming off embarrassing defeats, the coaches will likely be preaching the importance of tightening up. And each side has the ability to lock things down. We've seen that firsthand in their meetings this season.The Lightning and Capitals have faced each other twice, combining for three goals in one game and five goals in the other. The low totals weren't due to stellar goaltending, either. The first meeting featured only 3.33 expected goals at five-on-five, while the second featured 2.89 expected goals. Simply put, there was nothing there in terms of chance volume.Bet: Under 6.5 (-125)Trevor Zegras over 2.5 shots (-112)Zegras is cooking, especially on home ice. He's registered at least three shots on goal in six of his last eight games in Anaheim.The Flames are a strong shot-suppression team, but there's plenty of reason to believe Zegras can stay hot in this game. He's hit the over in two of the Ducks' three meetings with Calgary thus far, falling one shot shy in the lone exception.The Flames have also given up plenty of volume to centers of late. They've allowed 10.90 shots per game to centers since the beginning of March, good for 24th in the NHL. They don't rank bottom 10 in shot suppression against any other position during that period.With Zegras averaging 5.7 shot attempts over the last 10 games compared to 4.5 for the season, it seems like a good time to jump on the train.Jack Eichel over 3.5 shots (-112)Eichel is one of the hottest shot generators in the NHL. He's been almost automatic of late, recording four shots or more in eight of his last 10 games, including his last outing against the Canucks.With Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and many other key players out of the Golden Knights' lineup, Eichel is being asked to carry the load at even strength and on the power play. He's Vegas' best scoring threat, and the team is using him accordingly.So long as the shot attempts continue - Eichel has averaged 6.2 during this hot streak - one almost has to back him each night at anything close to even money.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.

Every team has its price - whether it's to bet on or against. That said, you're going to have to make a very convincing argument to get me to fade the Florida Panthers.Maybe that argument is that they've found themselves facing seemingly insurmountable deficits twice in the last week. Unfortunately for anyone brave enough to step in front of the Cats' wagon, they surmounted both. Down 6-2 in New Jersey through two periods, the Panthers scored four times in the third frame to force overtime and an eventual 7-6 win. Then on Tuesday night, they came back from 5-1 down to beat the Maple Leafs in overtime.It's the highest compliment to the Panthers that - when down by four goals to a team as good as Toronto - they were deemed to have as high as a 5% win probability in some metrics. Florida's proven that you'll need to watch all 60 minutes (or more) of its games, as no deficit is safe for its opponents.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 80% of our total rating. Basing 20% 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 would need to bet 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.Thursday, April 7GAMEWIN PROB.(%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETPHI@CBJ46.2/53.8+117/-117PHI +137/CBJ -112PIT@NYR48.6/51.4+106/-106PIT +117/NYR +105NSH@OTT52.5/47.5-110/+110NSH -106/OTT +130MTL@NJD38.5/61.5+160/-160MTL +190/NJD -153BUF@CAR35.4/64.6+183/-183BUF +218/CAR -175SEA@CHI45.2/54.8+121/-121SEA +143/CHI -116TOR@DAL47.7/52.3+110/-110TOR +129/DAL -105VAN@ARI44.7/55.3+124/-124VAN +145/ARI -119CGY@SJS51.2/48.8-105/+105CGY +105/ SJS +116EDM@LAK49/51+104/-104EDM +115/LAK +106Compare the "Price to bet" column with the prices the market offered. From there, compile a list of bets. The only reason not to make a bet is if something is unaccounted for in our team ratings - like a star player being a surprise scratch - or if you've put a team on the "Do not bet" list.After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if line moves created a valuable bet 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.

We have a tight battle at the top in our sixth edition of the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy Power Rankings. The final games of the season will play a massive role in who ends up with the coveted trophy.5. Ilya Sorokin, New York Islanders Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyRECORDGAAXGA/60SV%HDSV%GSAA22-14-72.302.60.927.85825.28The Islanders have had a pretty miserable season from start to finish, but Sorokin has been one of their bright spots. New York's goalie of the future has proven in his second NHL campaign that he'll be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. He ranks fourth in high-danger save percentage (.858), second in shutouts (six), and second in save percentage (.927). The Islanders have a few things to worry about this offseason, but their goalie situation isn't one of them.4. Darcy Kuemper, Colorado Avalanche Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyRECORDGAAXGA/60SV%HDSV%GSAA33-9-32.402.81.925.87124.93One of the biggest question marks surrounding Kuemper coming into this season was whether he could stay healthy for the Avalanche. His 49 appearances so far this campaign are already the second most of his career, and he's just six off his personal best of 55. Not only has he remained healthy, but he's played superbly. It helps that he's backstopping the NHL's best team. However, Kuemper still has the fourth-most goals saved above average (24.93).3. Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyRECORDGAAXGA/60SV%HDSV%GSAA32-14-82.192.47.924.84225.60Markstrom is a big reason the Flames are one of the best teams in the Western Conference. He doesn't often have to bail his club out, but his steady play and reliability make it easier on the players in front of him. Markstrom leads the NHL with nine shutouts and has been as solid as can be all season long.2. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes Scott Taetsch / Getty Images Sport / GettyRECORDGAAXGA/60SV%HDSV%GSAA33-12-32.072.69.926.84723.91Andersen is in line to post the best numbers of his career. He's been a model of consistency all campaign, allowing more than three goals just six times and never more than four. Andersen is also neck and neck with Igor Shesterkin in pretty much every statistical category. Depending on how things play out over the season's final weeks, Andersen may be the only one with a compelling enough case to dethrone Shesterkin, who once looked like the clear runaway winner.1. Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / GettyRECORDGAAXGA/60SV%HDSV%GSAA32-10-42.142.90.933.87136.32Even after posting a sub-.900 save percentage in five of his last 10 games, Shesterkin's numbers this season remain spectacular. He still leads all goalies in almost every statistical category. If Shesterkin can string together a handful of solid starts to close out the campaign, the Vezina should be his. But voters will have a much tougher decision if he continues to play subpar hockey and his numbers come down a little more.Honorable mentions: Thatcher Demko, Juuse Saros, Tristan JarryCopyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe took the high road after his club suffered a stunning 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.The Maple Leafs appeared to be cruising to a sixth consecutive win with a 5-1 lead in the second period, but Florida stormed back with five unanswered goals to set up a dramatic overtime victory."I'm going to focus on the fact that we played another good hockey game today," Keefe said, according to The Leafs Nation's David Alter. "We were bad in moments. You can't take a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty. You can't give up a shorthanded goal from a clear shot from the blue line. You can't have your fourth line take a penalty. All those things we can't do in those moments."Keefe continued: "This last little stretch we've been on where we played Florida at home, Boston on the road, Tampa last night, play Florida here. To me, I was looking to come out of this little segment of the schedule with a sense of where we're at as a team and whether we can compete with the very best in our division. And the answer is unequivocally yes."Toronto is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and sits three points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second spot in the Atlantic Division with one extra game played.Florida appears well on its way to locking up the division with a franchise-record 104 points in the bank. The Panthers became only the third team in NHL history to record multiple four-goal comebacks in one season, according to ESPN. They have 23 comeback victories overall through 70 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher isn't happy seeing Ottawa Senators star Tim Stutzle consistently embellishing calls."More than half the games we've played against (Stutzle), he's laid on the ice and is right back out there next shift," Gallagher said, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels. "He lays on the ice, he acts like he's hurt, he sells the call, he's on the ice that same power play. There's kids watching, we're role models, and if I was a teammate of his, I'd tell him to smarten up."It's just not a good look. Very talented player, very good player, (but) he needs to stop laying on the ice. It's embarrassing."Stutzle was on the receiving end of a couple of incidents during Tuesday's 6-3 victory against Montreal. Nick Suzuki tripped Stutzle up on a knee-on-knee collision at the end of the second period to earn a two-minute minor.The 2020 third overall pick has drawn 62 penalties between last season and this campaign, the third-most in the NHL. Stutzle, 20, has 27 goals and 45 assists in 121 career games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes will miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a low-grade MCL sprain to his left knee, the team announced Tuesday.Hughes sustained the injury during Sunday's game against the New York Islanders.The first overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft established himself among the league's best players this season. He scored 26 goals and added 30 assists despite being limited to 49 contests.Hughes, 20, ranks first on the Devils in goals and second in points. The club is slated to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is out with an upper-body injury, the team announced Tuesday. No timeline was given for his recovery.Boeser's arm appeared to bend abnormally during Sunday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights when he collided with teammate Elias Pettersson, who was trying to lay a hit on Ben Hutton.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram is in the lineup Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed, per The Denver Post's Mike Chambers.Byram hasn't played since Jan. 10, missing 37 games in that span. He took an extended leave of absence for personal reasons. The 20-year-old has already missed significant time in his career with concussions.

Ryan Getzlaf is hanging 'em up.The longtime Anaheim Ducks captain will retire at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, he announced Tuesday."It's been an honor to play in the NHL and spend my entire professional career with one organization," Getzlaf said. "None of this would have been possible without my family, who offered unwavering love and support each step of the way. Thank you to our owners, Henry and Susan Samueli, for leading an organization committed to success on the ice, but more importantly, to making a positive impact in our community and to those in need."A special thanks to the general managers, coaches, support staff, teammates, and of course, our fans. Playing for the Ducks and living in Orange County is a dream for an athlete, and much of that is because of you. Thank you all."Getzlaf is Anaheim's franchise leader in games played (1,150), assists (731), and points (1,013). He's spent his entire 17-year NHL career with the Ducks - 12 of them as captain.The 36-year-old is one of the most decorated players of his era. In addition to winning a Stanley Cup in 2007, he's been highly successful on the international stage. Representing Canada, he's won two Olympic gold medals, a world junior gold medal, a U18 gold medal, and a World Cup.He never took home any major individual hardware, but he was named a Hart Trophy runner-up and a second-team All-Star in 2013-14 when he recorded 31 goals and 87 points - four shy of his career high of 91 in 2008-09. Since entering the league as a rookie in 2005-06, Getzlaf ranks seventh in points and fifth in assists among all NHL skaters.Getzlaf also showed up when it mattered most, recording 120 points in 125 career postseason contests. He led the Ducks with 17 points in 21 games during Anaheim's Cup run in 2007, and his career points-per-game rate in the playoffs (0.96) is better than his regular-season mark of 0.88.The Regina, Saskatchewan, native has produced at an adequate rate during his final season. He's only scored three goals, but his 28 helpers are tied for second on the team behind rookie phenom Trevor Zegras.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We turned a slight profit Monday night. While the St. Louis Blues didn't win the first period - naturally, they scored four in the second - the Toronto Maple Leafs came through for us as +115 underdogs.We'll aim for better as we dig into our best bets for Tuesday's massive NHL slate.Islanders (+110) @ Stars (-130)The New York Islanders have won four in a row and are on an impressive 7-3-0 run. Don't let that fool you, though. They're not playing as well as their recent results would have you believe - not even close. Without much high-end talent, the Islanders won't keep their good run going forever.At five-on-five, they've controlled 43.42% of the shot attempts (28th) and 42.12% of the expected goals (29th). That groups them with the Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, and Arizona Coyotes - not where you want to be.The Dallas Stars own the same 7-3-0 record but have a much better underlying process. They're above 50% in shot share and expected goals share while crushing opponents in high-danger chances, sitting at nearly 57% (seventh).Dallas has been fantastic at home this season, posting a 21-9-1 record. It's in much better form than the Islanders - despite matching records over the last 10 - and also has a clear advantage when it comes to talent level.Back the Stars to rebound at home.Bet: Stars (-130)Wild (-110) @ Predators (-110)The Minnesota Wild are an excellent team playing at an extremely high level right now. Even so, I think the value lies with the Nashville Predators.They've been a fantastic home side this season, winning 66% of their games while also looking quite strong under the hood.Nashville dominates teams at five-on-five, controlling nearly 57% of the high-danger chances. That's the seventh-highest home total in the league, placing it ahead of teams like the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, and Maple Leafs. Pretty good.Combine a consistent edge in chances with top-tier goaltending from Juuse Saros, and it's no coincidence the Predators have won so frequently in Nashville.It's also worth noting the Predators have beaten the Wild in Minnesota twice already this season by an 11-4 aggregate score. Across all situations, Nashville controlled 62% and 70% of the expected goals. Utter dominance.I don't think the Predators are getting as much respect as they deserve in this spot.Bet: Predators (-110)Avalanche (-105) @ Penguins (-115)I know, I know. It's always terrifying betting unders in games involving a team with as much firepower as the Colorado Avalanche. That's where there's value, though, so we're going to plug and play.A quick glance at this matchup would have you thinking about all the dynamic offensive players involved but, in reality, it's the teams' defenses that are most potent right now.The Pittsburgh Penguins have given up 2.23 expected goals per 60 at five-on-five over the last 10 games. That ties them for fourth place in the NHL with ... the Avalanche!Neither team is allowing much, and both can rely on their netminders to clean up mistakes when necessary.Darcy Kuemper is hotter than anybody in the league. He's appeared in 18 games since the beginning of February, posting a ridiculous .940 save percentage. He also has an .899 save percentage against Grade A chances, which slots him top in the NHL.Tristan Jarry can't touch those numbers but should be able to hold his own, as he showed when these teams met just a few days ago. He owns a .914 save percentage since Feb. 1 and sits eighth in goals saved above expected this season.There'll be goals in this game but, as was the case in Colorado, I think it goes under the number.Bet: Under 6.5 (-110)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 Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Tuesday.The deal contains an average annual value of $987,500, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.MacDermid has two goals and three assists in 53 games this season while averaging 7:27 per contest. The 28-year-old also played some games as a fourth-line winger when the Avs needed bodies up front.

"Just when I think I'm out, they pull me back in," Michael Corleone said in "The Godfather Part III."The famous quote reflects how value-based NHL bettors must feel about a handful of teams that seem ready to lose interest but score a surprising win every once in a while as they play out the string.After a rough stretch for underdogs last week, this past weekend saw them bark back. Few would have much interest in backing the Canadiens (+260) at the Lightning on Saturday night or the Coyotes (+170), Flyers (+240), and Kraken (+135) on Sunday.It just goes to show that you can't give up on a cohort of teams that had a rough March. The Coyotes had a six-game losing streak last month but still managed profitability, keeping this group near even on your betting ledger.TEAMML RECORD (March) +/- UNITSCoyotes7-7+3.05Kraken5-7-0.70Flyers5-10-2.6Canadiens5-10+0.03Betting on the four worst teams in the league would have resulted in a 22-34 record on the moneyline but just a marginal loss. Four days into April, this collective is 4-4 with a net profit of 4.25 units to the positive. Whether you're actually on the team or merely betting on the team, there's nothing fun about losing. But like a high-end Zamboni, the moneyline odds are there to smooth out the playing surface.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 80% of our total rating. Basing 20% 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 would need to bet 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.Wednesday, April 6GAMEWIN PROB. (%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETTBL@WSH52.9/47.1-112/+112TBL -108/WSH +132DET@WPG41.2/58.8+143/-143DET +169/WPG -137SEA@STL43/57+133/-133SEA +156/STL -127CGY@ANA55.8/44.2-126/+126CGY -121/ANA +149VAN@VGK40.3/59.7+148/-148VAN +175/VGK -142Compare the "Price to Bet" column with the prices the market offered. From there, compile a list of bets. The only reason not to make a bet is if something is unaccounted for in our team ratings - like a star player being a surprise scratch - or if you've put a team on the "Do Not Bet" list.After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if line moves created a valuable bet 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.

We have a jam-packed 10-game slate to look forward to on Tuesday night, which means there is plenty of fruit ripe for the picking.Let's take a look at three of the shot totals that stand out the most.Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots (-108)There's no such thing as a lock, but Huberdeau at home might be the closest thing. Huberdeau has registered at least three shots in 24 of his last 27 games in Florida for a ridiculous 89% rate.Huberdeau is showing no signs of slowing down either. He has piled up 38 shots over the last 10 (3.8 per game), going over the number on nine occasions.While the Toronto Maple Leafs are not generally a team you want to target with shot totals, Huberdeau has proved to be matchup-proof when it comes to games on home soil. The Maple Leafs are also in the latter half of a back-to-back and playing their third road game in four nights, so their defense might not be at its sharpest.At near even money, there's real value in backing Huberdeau.Josh Norris over 2.5 shots (-129)Norris is in the midst of one of his best shooting spells this season. He has taken off since his running mate, Drake Batherson, returned to the lineup.Norris has piled up 16 shots in four contests, going over the total (2.5) each time out. Norris' run doesn't appear to be smoke and mirrors; he's generating a ton of shot attempts, having taken 29 during this four-game spell. If you're attempting more than seven shots a night, it's generally a safe assumption three will hit the net.The volume should continue to be there Tuesday night. Norris draws a Montreal Canadiens team that, while improved, can't defend a lick against the center position. No team has conceded more shots per game to centers since the beginning of March.Timo Meier over 3.5 shots (-125)Alex Ovechkin, David Pastrnak, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews: Those five superstars are the only players in the league with more shots on goal on home soil than Meier. The guy is a shooting machine.While not quite Huberdeau in terms of hit rate, Meier has been no slouch. He has averaged 4.3 shots per contest in San Jose this season, hitting the over in 69% of his home games.Meier is someone we can back against almost any opponent. It just so happens Meier has an encouraging track record of success against the Edmonton Oilers.In two meetings thus far, Meier generated 17 shot attempts and 10 shots on goal while hitting the over both times.Even on this 7-2-1 run, the Oilers are slightly below average in terms of limiting shots. We can definitely target them with a player like Meier.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.

We have a debutant and a new No. 1 in our sixth edition of the 2021-22 Calder Trophy Power Rankings. With less than a month to go in the regular season, this campaign's freshmen are running out of time to establish themselves as worthy finalists for rookie of the year honors.5. Cole Caufield, Canadiens Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images Sport / GettyPrevious rank: N/AGPPATOIXGF%543416:2445%Not many people would have expected Caufield to make his debut on this list in April considering he was the favorite for the award at the start of the season. After a shockingly slow beginning to his first full NHL campaign, Caufield has caught fire under new head coach Martin St. Louis. He's a long shot to be a finalist, but his recent torrid stretch deserves recognition.Since our last edition of these rankings on March 1, Caufield leads all rookies with eight goals and 16 points in 16 games. He finally appears to be playing with confidence and is commanding a central role in the much-improved Canadiens attack. While Caufield's hopes of winning a Calder are all but dashed, Habs fans must be loving what they're seeing from their most dynamic building block.4. Lucas Raymond, Red Wings Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 4thGPPATOIXGF%695218:1948.53%Raymond continues to put together a strong rookie campaign but hasn't outplayed the three players inside the finalist cutline on our list. His age might work in his favor in the eyes of voters, but so would a strong final month of the season.The 20-year-old trails only Caufield with seven goals over the last month, but he's added just three assists and is a minus-16 in that span. Raymond hasn't always consistently produced since flying out of the gates in October. That's expected for a rookie playing top competition, but it's a key problem in his case to bring home the hardware.3. Michael Bunting, Maple Leafs Mark Blinch / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 3rdGPPATOIXGF%695515:3861.74%Bunting's candidacy will be a hot-button issue up until voters make this season's finalists official, but the Maple Leafs' top left-winger continues to prove he's worthy of serious consideration. He's tied for second in rookie points (12) since our last edition, and he now leads the first-year scoring race overall (55). Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Bunting's breakout campaign is his even-strength production as he leads his peers with 51 points on the year - 15 clear of second place.Tie in his sterling underlying numbers and the fact he's the only player on our list positioned to help his team make the playoffs, and it's difficult to form an argument against Bunting outside of his age. League rules that he has no power over shouldn't be held against him.2. Trevor Zegras, Ducks Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / GettyPrevious rank: 1stGPPATOIXGF%645017:5351.99%A modest showing since our most recent rankings dropped Zegras out of the top spot for the first time in months. Sure, he completed another Michigan, but the Ducks superstar has managed only 0.73 points per game in 15 contests since March 1, a lower clip than what he previously produced. Zegras is still very much in the race and can reclaim the top spot with a strong finish to the season.Outside of his Calder case, Zegras deserves credit for calling out Jay Beagle after last week's scrum between the Ducks and Arizona Coyotes escalated and left All-Star Troy Terry injured. It takes courage as a first-year player to speak as candidly as Zegras did, and he appears cognizant of his platform as a budding superstar looking to inspire change.1. Moritz Seider, Red Wings Michael Martin / National Hockey League / GettyPrevious rank: 2ndGPPATOIXGF%694423:0745.95%Seider seems to have discovered that maybe the best way to get voters in your corner is to physically dominate your opponents regularly. Detroit's 20-year-old stalwart has been a wrecking ball on the ice lately. His imposing nature has him on track to be the first Red Wings player to win the Calder since Roger Crozier earned the honor in 1965.Of course, big hits aren't all it takes to win the award. However, it's easy to foresee Seider winning the Calder when you combine his physicality with 44 points, ice time that's on par with the best veteran defensemen, and a poise that can only be fully appreciated by watching him play.Honorable mentions: Matt Boldy (MIN), Tanner Jeannot (NSH), Jeremy Swayman (BOS)(Analytics source: Evolving-Hockey)Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews is looking to become the first player in a decade to score 60 goals in a season, but Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper thinks the sniper could reach even greater heights."I wouldn't be surprised if some time in his career he gets 70. That's how good of a scorer he is," Cooper told reporters ahead of Monday's Atlantic Division clash between the Leafs and Lightning, per TSN.Matthews leads the league with 51 goals this season and is currently on pace for 62 tallies, despite missing five contests due to injury and suspension. He's playing at a 66-goal pace over 82 games.No player has reached the 70-goal plateau since Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne each scored 76 in 1992-93.Cooper, who coached Matthews as an assistant with Team North America at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, is impressed with the variety of ways the 24-year-old can light the lamp."Auston is probably the best in the league at changing his angle at a high rate of speed. So he is just not a traditional 'here it's on my stick, I'm going to shoot it,'" Cooper explained. "He shoots it from his ankles, he shoots it out wide, and it's just the release and the velocity is big time."Lightning captain Steven Stamkos knows what it's like to chase the 60-goal milestone, as he's the last player to accomplish the feat in 2011-12."I did not want to finish at 59, that's for sure," Stamkos told reporters, reflecting on his 60-goal year. "People are like, 'Oh, it doesn't matter.' Well, it matters when you get to that number. I mean, 49 or 59, that would haunt you I think, if you got stuck at that number."However, Stamkos said his 60-goal pursuit is different from Matthews'."It's a little different situation," he said. "We weren't as good of a team as Toronto is at that time, so it was something that the guys were really going out of their way to do, but it was special getting the 60th."Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have just four games on the docket for Monday night. Luckily, there's still value to be had.Let's dive into a couple of my favorite plays as we look to get the week started on a high note.Coyotes (+295) @ Blues (-375)The Blues are coming off an impressive road victory over the Flames. They should have no problem picking up where they left off at home against the bottom-feeding Coyotes.Arizona is playing absolutely dreadful hockey right now. Over the last 10 games, they've controlled just 38.42% of the expected goals and been out-chanced 285-192 at five-on-five. Opponents are walking all over them.I expect the Blues to get an early jump in this game. They've been a potent first-period team this season, netting 63 goals thus far. That's more than the Hurricanes, Penguins, and Rangers, to name a few.On the flip side, Arizona has routinely gotten off to disastrous starts. The Coyotes have conceded 69 goals in the opening frame; only four teams have allowed more.Now they find themselves in the latter half of a road back-to-back against a good team, and they'll have Ivan Prosvetov between the pipes. He has posted a save percentage well below .900 in back-to-back AHL seasons. With numbers like that in the AHL, it's hard to imagine him finding success at the NHL level.I expect the Blues to jump all over a bad, fatigued team by getting an early lead. Backing St. Louis to win the opening frame is where I see the most value.Bet: Blues first period -0.5 (-115)Maple Leafs (+115) @ Lightning (-140)The Maple Leafs are in a very good spot heading into this game. They've won four consecutive contests - all by at least two goals - and beat up on stiff competition in that time, including the Bruins and Panthers.The underlying numbers suggest their 7-3 run is well deserved. They've controlled 56.41% of the expected goals at five-on-five during this spell. That places them sixth in the NHL - ahead of the Penguins, Avalanche, and, yes, Lightning.For all the talk about Toronto's "defensive issues," it's the defensive play that's been most impressive. The Leafs have given up just 2.22 expected goals per 60 over the last 10 games, good for third place.If their goaltending had been a little better, we're likely talking about a team that has won eight or nine of the last 10 - and deservedly so.Given the way Toronto is dominating at full strength and the fact that Tampa Bay is playing its third game in four nights, I think the Leafs will win the five-on-five play.While goaltending is the great equalizer, and the Lightning certainly have the better starter, it's worth noting Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggled a bit over the last couple of months.He has appeared in 16 of Tampa Bay's last 20 games, posting a .911 save percentage overall and .793 versus high-danger shots. The former ties him with Martin Jones, while the latter matches Craig Anderson. Not what you'd expect.Vasilevskiy is absolutely capable of stealing games on any given night, but his recent play makes me skeptical he'll do so against a scorching hot Maple Leafs side.Bet: Maple Leafs (+115)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.

With some teams having completed as much as 87% of their schedules, we are in the home stretch of the NHL regular season.A handful of players still have a chance at the Hart Trophy, but it's realistically a two-horse race. Let's take a closer look at each candidate's chances and determine who you should back to claim the hardware.PLAYER ODDSAuston Matthews+175Connor McDavid+200Igor Shesterkin+500Johnny Gaudreau+1000Jonathan Huberdeau+1000We'll start with Auston Matthews, who's emerged as an ever-so-slight favorite to win his first Hart Trophy. It's not hard to see why.Matthews has piled up a league-leading 51 goals through 63 games, which is a ridiculous 66-goal pace over 82 games. His rate of production would put him at 114 points over a full schedule.While Matthews lags behind Connor McDavid in points, the Toronto Maple Leafs star is superior in several areas - the obvious one being goal-scoring. McDavid is 11 behind Matthews despite having played six more contests.Both players are electric offensive producers, so what really separates Matthews is defensive impact.McDavid has improved defensively compared to a few years ago. His numbers remain a tier below Matthews', though. The Edmonton Oilers allow about two fewer shot attempts and 0.08 fewer expected goals per 60 minutes with McDavid on the ice. Those are solid numbers - especially for the league's most dynamic player - but they don't really move the needle. They're essentially the same team defensively with or without McDavid on the ice.It's a much different story for Matthews and the Maple Leafs: They concede 7.19 fewer attempts and 0.35 fewer expected goals per 60 minutes with Matthews on the ice.In simpler terms, the Leafs give up around 54 attempts and 2.40 expected goals per 60 without Matthews on the ice. When he's out there, those numbers dip to 47 shot attempts and 2.05 xG. That moves the needle.Both players are exceptional talents having exceptional seasons. While Matthews trails in overall production (124 point pace versus 114 point pace), he has a big edge in goals, his defensive impact is much more significant, and his team is 11 points ahead in the standings – despite playing in a division featuring powerhouses in the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins.It'll come down to the wire, but ultimately, I think the Hart is Matthews' to lose.When it comes to the other players listed, I just don't see it happening. Igor Shesterkin has played in 46 games and owns a .902 save percentage over the last 10.Johnny Gaudreau, while spectacular, lags well behind Matthews in goals and McDavid in points.Jonathan Huberdeau skates on his team's second line, is not a plus defender at five-on-five, and has an offensive zone start percentage above 80. Put another way, he plays supremely cushy minutes. That doesn't add up to a good case.This is down to Matthews and McDavid. I like the former to pull through at +175.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.

On Friday, we dug into our predictive power ratings for every NHL team without any preconceived notions that hockey enthusiasts would all agree on every team's placement. That's just not how sports fandom is built.On Dec. 21, after the NHL extended their shutdown through the holiday break, we took the opportunity to review our own situation - putting the teams in order of how we expected them to perform going forward.Below is a list of every team's moneyline record before Dec. 21, our rating at the time, and their betting record since.TEAMRECORD (-Dec. 25)RATINGRECORD (Dec. 25-)Panthers18-111.1730-10Lightning20-101.1423-15Wild19-111.1223-14Maple Leafs20-101.1124-14Oilers18-111.1021-19Capitals18-131.0819-18Flames15-131.0825-15Kings14-161.0824-17Avalanche17-101.0732-10Penguins17-131.0724-16Bruins14-121.0529-13Stars15-141.0424-14Golden Knights20-121.0418-20Jets14-161.0419-21Hurricanes21-81.0324-16Predators19-111.0320-18Blue Jackets14-14.9918-23Rangers19-11.9825-14Devils10-20.9814-25Canucks14-17.9818-20Ducks17-15.9711-27Blues17-14.9621-16Sharks15-15.9614-24Red Wings15-16.9511-27Flyers12-17.929-30Islanders8-18.9224-18Sabres10-20.8815-25Kraken10-20.8711-27Senators9-19.8416-24Coyotes6-23.8315-24Blackhawks11-19.8213-26Canadiens7-24.8112-26Placing the Panthers atop the ratings in December was validated by their record since Christmas. The numbers suggested they were better than their record indicated, and they were. The Flames and Kings were around .500, but the numbers predicted their improvement, and now they are securely in a playoff spot.Conversely, our predictive metrics suggested tempering expectations about the hot starts from the Hurricanes, Golden Knights, and Predators. Elsewhere in the middle of the pack, an educated guess suggested a bigger sample size might be needed to accurately define teams like the Rangers, Devils, and Blues.Near the bottom of the standings, the numbers gave hope that the Coyotes, Canadiens, and Senators weren't as bad as their record suggested. While their talent is clearly limited, their records now better reflect their on-ice performance.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 85% of our total rating. Basing 15% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened this season, 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 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. For bigger underdogs, you may decide on a higher cutoff, like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected to be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make it a worthwhile wager.April 5GAME WIN PROB. (%) TRUE ML PRICE TO BETCBJ@PHI40.9/59.1+145/-145CBJ +171/PHI -139COL@PIT49.9/50.1+100/+100COL +110/PIT +110CAR@BUF53.8/46.2-116/+116CAR -112/BUF +137NYR@NJD48.3/51.7+107/-107NYR +118/NJD +103OTT@MTL48.5/51.5+106/-106OTT +117/MTL +104TOR@FLA38.6/61.4+159/-159TOR +189/FLA -153BOS@DET51.2/48.8-105/+105BOS +105/DET +116MIN@NSH50.5/49.5-102/+102MIN +109/NSH +113NYI@DAL44.4/56.6+125/-125NYI +147/DAL -120EDM@SJS56.7/43.3-131/+131EDM -126/SJS +154Compare the "Price to bet" column with the best prices offered by the market. From there, compile a list of bets. The only reason not to make a bet is if something isn't accounted for in how we've rated teams - like a star player missing out - or if you've put a team on the "Do not bet" list.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.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes exited Sunday's 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders after taking a big hit from forward Oliver Wahlstrom and was unable to return for the third period.There was no update on Hughes' status after the game, according to team beat reporter Amanda Stein.Wahlstrom laid out Hughes in the Islanders' zone during the second frame. He appeared to extend his knee and Hughes' leg seemed to take the brunt of the impact. The young star left the ice with the help of a trainer.

The Florida Panthers are heading to the postseason.They became the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season after they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-3 on Sunday afternoon. The win also marked the club's 48th victory of the year, establishing a new franchise record.This will be Florida's third straight postseason appearance - the longest streak in franchise history."Guys have been working hard all year. To clinch, obviously, it's fun," forward Jonathan Huberdeau said postgame, according to team reporter Jameson Olive. "The rest of the season is really important as well. We've got to play well. We want to finish first and get home-ice advantage."Huberdeau recorded his 97th point of the season in the contest, which propelled him past Aleksander Barkov's single-season franchise points record from 2018-19."He deserves it the way he's been playing. It couldn't happen to a better guy," Barkov said of Huberdeau. "We still have a lot of games left, so it's going to be fun to see where he ends up. I'm lucky to be his teammate."The Panthers sit first place in the Atlantic Division with a 48-15-6 record, the second-best overall mark in the league.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes forward Nick Ritchie has been suspended one game for slashing Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk during Friday's contest, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday.Right as time expired on the opening period of the Coyotes' 5-0 loss, Ritchie checked the veteran blue-liner into the boards, and Shattenkirk responded by shoving the winger. Ritchie then struck Shattenkirk in the face with his stick.The Department of Player Safety noted that although Ritchie didn't use much force, the slash was controlled and purposeful.Ritchie has been suspended once and fined three times in his 400-game NHL career. He was banned two games for roughing in 2017.He'll forfeit $12,500 in salary.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson was stunned after his team blew a 6-2 lead to the Florida Panthers in the third period of Saturday afternoon's defeat."They're a really good hockey team. I'm not taking anything away from them. But when you're up 6-2 in the NHL, you shouldn't lose the game in overtime 7-6," Severson told reporters postgame. "Simple as that. That's brutal."Despite an opening two periods that featured Yegor Sharangovich's first career hat trick, the Panthers overwhelmed the young Devils in the third. Florida outshot New Jersey 23-5 in the final 20 minutes while controlling 86.45% of the expected goals at five-on-five.Panthers star Aleksander Barkov forced overtime with his second goal of the final period, and defenseman Gustav Forsling delivered the dagger in the extra frame.Saturday's loss followed the Devils' thrashing at the hands of the Boston Bruins on Thursday, which officially knocked New Jersey out of playoff contention."We just got hammered 8-1 in Boston and got embarrassed in their building," Severson said. "Come home to our building ... start the homestand off with a great first two periods, couldn't ask for anything better. And then, all of a sudden, we just let them score, score, score. It's just frustrating."Severson added that he wasn't looking to blame anyone for the late collapse, but noted the Devils lost out on a chance to grow their game."When you're playing one of the best teams in the league, you can get some confidence when you win these hockey games, take full control, and not let them come back," he said.The Devils will have an opportunity to bounce back Sunday against the New York Islanders.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Calgary Flames forward Sean Monahan will undergo season-ending surgery on his hip and will hit the long-term injured reserve list, the team announced Saturday.This surgery is on the opposite hip of the one he had repaired last summer, according to Postmedia's Wes Gilbertson.The 27-year-old has had a slew of tough injuries over the years, undergoing a wrist, groin, and two hernia surgeries in 2018 and an additional wrist surgery in 2017."Most people out there couldn't play through a third of what he has," GM Brad Treliving said Saturday, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.Monahan has played a largely diminished role in Calgary this season, often skating on the team's fourth line. He managed eight goals and 15 assists in 65 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Keith Yandle will be a healthy scratch on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, interim head coach Mike Yeo confirmed, according to TSN's Mark Masters.Yandle's played in an NHL-record 989 consecutive games, having passed Doug Jarvis for the ironman title earlier this season.When asked about how he reacted to the news, Yandle said he wasn't upset and understands the decision."You gotta respect that out of the business side of it and what they're trying to do here. For me, it's just continuing to come to the rink, help young guys out, and be a good teammate and be here for guys," Yandle said."It's tough to have a bad day in the NHL. Obviously, getting the news that you're not playing is not what you want to hear."Yeo elaborated on the reasoning behind Yandle being scratched."We're at the point in the season where, as an organization, it's important to get some young players in. Not to say that we're not playing hard for what's going on right now, but obviously we have to have an eye on the future and what's going on down the road to give some new guys an opportunity," Yeo said.Yandle hasn't missed a game since March 22, 2009, when he was a member of the then-Phoenix Coyotes. He's played with the Coyotes, New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, and Flyers during the length of the streak.When reflecting on his ironman streak coming to an end, Yandle said he's just happy with everything he's been able to accomplish in the NHL."I'm fortunate to play one game in this league," he said. "I say it all the time, I've been blessed to be in this league as long as I have, and I owe pretty much my whole life to this league. It's been a great journey, too."The 35-year-old inked a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Flyers during the offseason. He has 15 points in 67 games this season, along with an NHL-worst -39 plus/minus rating.With Yandle's streak ending, Phil Kessel will become the NHL's active ironman leader. He ranks second all time with 968 consecutive games, trailing Yandle by 21.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Anaheim Ducks star Trevor Zegras wasn't happy seeing teammate Troy Terry get pummelled in a one-sided fight against Arizona Coyotes forward Jay Beagle.Late in Anaheim's 5-0 blowout win, Zegras poked goalie Josef Korenar's glove to try to free the puck. Zegras took a cross-check from Beagle as a result, and when Terry stepped in to defend his teammate, Beagle went off."There's two minutes left in the game, we're up 5-0, our best player, our leading goal scorer, one of the best players, in my opinion, in the whole league takes a shot, or I take a shot, he comes in to help me," Zegras said postgame."I get that he's gonna punch him maybe once, but the fact that he's down and he's not engaged in the fight, and you're gonna hit him three more times? I think it's embarrassing. I think he should be embarrassed."You don't punch a guy when he's down. Especially a 32-goal scorer in the NHL who is a superstar. I think it's embarrassing. I think it's a bad look for the league and for the player that did it. It's humiliating, and I think he should be f------ punished."Terry, who actually has 31 goals on the season, left the game with what appeared to be a deep cut on his face. Beagle was assessed a fighting major, a cross-checking minor, and a game misconduct on the play. Terry, who never dropped his gloves, received a roughing minor.Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins also ripped into Beagle for his antics."Coward," Eakins said, according to The Orange County Register's Elliott Teaford. "It was cowardly. (Terry) was cut wide open and basically defenseless. Not a good sight."There was a scrum at the front of the net, and usually, that just turns into a scrum, and our 31-goal scorer is there. I’ve coached Troy Terry for four years now, and I’ve never seen him in any kind of a fight. A guy who’s got two goals is pounding away on him. It’s not a good look."Terry had two assists in the contest to bring him up to 57 points on the year. The right-winger's status remains unclear.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Chicago Blackhawks interim head coach Derek King was brutally honest following his team's 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday."Eventually, that's the kind of team we want to be. Obviously, we're not there. ... We competed. We do. We try. We just can't compete with that type of team," he said, according to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "We're not there. We don't have the players for it."The game was tied 2-2 heading into the second period, but the Lightning eventually overpowered the Blackhawks. Tampa Bay outshot Chicago 43-23 and controlled 76.39% of the expected goals and 68.29% of the shot attempts at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.Former Blackhawk Brandon Hagel was among the Lightning players to score, sealing the victory with an empty-netter."I was ready to run out on the ice and tackle (Hagel) myself. You could see it coming," King said, per the Chicago Tribune's Phillip Thompson.He added: "Obviously, we miss a guy like that, but happy for him that he's on a team like this. He might have a chance to win a Stanley Cup, so good for him."The Blackhawks dealt Hagel and two fourth-round draft picks to the Lightning prior to the March 21 deadline in exchange for a pair of first-round picks in 2023 and 2024, as well as forwards Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk.Shortly after the move, Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said the trade marked the clear start of a rebuild.The Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015 but have struggled in recent years. They've made the playoffs just once over the last four seasons and currently sit in seventh place in the Central Division with a 24-35-10 record.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant wasn't pleased with his team's effort in a 3-0 loss to the rival New York Islanders on Friday night."Islanders played a good game. We were horseshit," Gallant told reporters postgame. "But at least we do it together as a team. Like the great games we played in Pittsburgh we (did) it as a team. Tonight, (we) get the other side of it."The Rangers actually outshot the Islanders 27-18 and controlled 67.5% of the expected goals at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick. That doesn't mean squat to Gallant, though."Nothing, not a bit," he responded when asked about the shot differential. "The way we played, we were skating in quicksand all night."Gallant was specifically displeased with his blue line."You guys see the defensemen," Gallant continued. "When we move the puck up the ice we're a pretty good team. We start dancing around with it, spinning around with it, turning it over, that's what you get."Rangers leading scorer Artemi Panarin agreed with his coach's assessment."We came out and we kind of dirtied up our pants a little bit out there," the Russian winger said via translator.This isn't the first time Gallant has ripped his team this season. Last month he said his skaters "should be embarrassed" for hanging goaltender Igor Shesterkin out to dry after a blowout loss to the St. Louis Blues.The Rangers are still one point up on the Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Blueshirts will get a chance to rebound on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers signed free-agent forward Bobby Trivigno, the team announced Friday. The terms of the deal are unknown.Trivigno recently completed his senior season at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, recording a career-high 20 goals and 29 assists in 37 games. He finished third among NCAA skaters in points and was named Hockey East Player of the Year, College Hockey News Player of the Year, and a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.The New York native helped guide UMass to a national championship last season and was named the Most Outstanding Player at the Frozen Four. He recorded 131 points in 139 college games.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell will return to the crease against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday for the first time since March 8, head coach Sheldon Keefe announced Friday, according to The Leafs Nation's David Alter.Campbell was initially slated to miss two weeks due to a rib injury, but he ended up missing three. Keefe announced Thursday that backup goalie Petr Mrazek is expected to miss six weeks with a groin injury.Rookie forward Nick Abruzzese will also make his NHL debut Saturday, Keefe confirmed, according to Alter. The 22-year-old just wrapped up his season at Harvard where he scored nine goals and added 24 assists in 28 games.Campbell was struggling before being sidelined, posting a save percentage below .900 in five straight appearances. Campbell said Friday that he suffered the injury on Feb. 22 and played in three games afterward, according to The Athletic's Jonas Siegel.The 30-year-old has a 24-9-4 record with a .914 save percentage and 2.65 goals against average this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

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.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

For the third straight year, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will start later than hockey fans are accustomed to. With the calendar's turn to April still leaving a month's worth of play, let's lay out our predictive power ratings for all 32 teams.In order to read the power ratings, the first step is understanding that an average team would be 1.0. A club with a 1.16 rating, for example, is 16% better than an average team, while a club with a .82 rating is 18% worse. All ratings are an indication of what to expect from a club going forward and have nothing to do with its record in the standings.TEAMRATINGPanthers1.16Avalanche1.11Oilers1.11Flames1.10Leafs1.09Lightning1.08Bruins1.08Wild1.08Penguins1.06Stars1.06Golden Knights1.05Hurricanes1.05Kings1.05Predators1.04Rangers1.02Blues1.02Islanders1.02Capitals1.01Devils.99Jets.98Canucks.98Kraken.94Ducks.91Sharks.91Blackhawks.90Flyers.90Blue Jackets.90Coyotes.89Senators.89Sabres.88Red Wings.88Canadiens.82The Panthers lead the way despite being second in the overall standings, but there's more intrigue down the list. The Rangers have gotten Vezina-quality goaltending from Igor Shesterkin, which has driven their placement in the standings. However, that's more difficult to sustain than quality team play.The Hurricanes have gotten similarly great goaltending from Frederik Andersen. They also banked points early in the season to augment their place in the standings. On the flip side, the Islanders had a horrific start, but their rating here indicates they're better than their record.The Oilers are rated much higher than their mediocre standing this season. Bet on Connor McDavid and Co. like a middle-of-the-pack team at your own risk. The Devils are also rated higher than their record, though they're on a different tier. New Jersey is closer to mediocre despite being in the bottom six. A strong finish is there for the Devils if they bring the effort required to compete this month.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.With the calendar turning to April, this season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 85% of our total rating. Basing 15% 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 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 that's more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold. For bigger underdogs, you may decide on a higher cutoff like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected to be a near-coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make it a worthwhile wager.DATEGAMEWIN PROB.(%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETApril 2FLA@NJD55.5/45.5-125/+125FLA -120/NJD +147PIT@COL44.4/55.6+125/-125PIT +147/COL -120CBJ@BOS36.7/63.3+172/-172CBJ +206/BOS -165LAK@WPG49.1/50.9+104/-104LAK +115/WPG +107MTL@TB39/61+156/-156MTL +186/TB -150MIN@CAR49.7/50.3+101/-101MIN +112/CAR +109TOR@PHI55.7/44.3-126/+126TOR -121/PHI +148STL@CGY38.4/61.6+161/-161STL +191/CGY -154DAL@SJS53.5/46.5-115/+115DAL -110/SJS +135April 3DET@OTT43.7/56.3+129/-129DET +152/OTT -124FLA@BUF53.7/46.3-116/+116FLA -111/BUF +136NYI@NJD45/55+122/-122NYI +144/NJD -117ARI@CHI46.7/53.3+114/-114ARI +134/CHI -110PHI@NYR35.5/64.7+183/-183PHI +219/NYR -175MIN@WSH48.4/51.6+106/-106MIN +118/WSH +104VGK@VAN48.4/51.6+106/-106VGK +118/VAN +104EDM@ANA57.2/42.8-134/+134EDM -128/ANA +158DAL@SEA48.4/51.6+107/-107DAL +118/SEA +104April 4BOS@CBJ55.9/44.1-127/+127BOS -122/CBJ +149TOR@TBL47.5/52.5+111/-111TOR +130/TBL -106ARI@STL35.2/64.8+184/-184ARI +221/STL -177CGY@LAK47.8/52.2+109/-109CGY +121/LAK +101Compare the "Price to bet" column with the prices offered by the market. From there, compile a list of wagers. The only reason not to make a bet is if something isn't accounted for in how we've rated teams - like a star player being a surprise scratch - or if you've put a team on the "Do not bet" list.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.

Goaltending can be a touchy subject for half of the NHL's franchises. It's such a vital yet volatile position that it can sometimes feel like high praise when a netminder earns the tepid "reliable starter" label.The issue has ballooned in 2021-22 as the league-wide goal-scoring rate has reached a 25-year high, and elite goalies have become exceedingly rare.Goaltending stability is a storyline to track over the regular season's final month - specifically with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, and St. Louis Blues. Through Thursday's games, all three squads are in a playoff spot despite employing goalies who don't inspire much confidence. Michael Martin / Getty ImagesIn Toronto, the problem begins with availability. Starter Jack Campbell is still working his way back from a rib injury, and backup Petr Mrazek is out at least six weeks with a groin injury. When healthy, Campbell's play has ranged from excellent to terrible in a career-high 39 starts. Mrazek has posted subpar numbers in 18 starts. Plan C is Erik Kallgren, a virtual unknown with seven games of NHL experience. So, the pressure's on Campbell to rebound.In Edmonton, the Oilers have been playing with fire all season. Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen rank 42nd and 50th in save percentage among the 63 goalies who've logged 500 minutes. Both also place poorly in goals saved above average and goals saved above expected, underlining how the Oilers' team defense, while not world-beating, isn't the core concern. Could Connor McDavid and the skaters conceivably minimize the goaltending woes by winning games 6-5, 5-4, and 4-3? Sure, but that's a risky gamble.In St. Louis, Jordan Binnington, the starter to begin 2021-22, has been up and down all campaign, never really settling into a groove. Meanwhile, his partner, Ville Husso, has crashed back to earth after an exceptional first half. The traditionally physical Blues now play an up-tempo brand of hockey, and they'll be in trouble come playoff time without solid goaltending. Andy Devlin / Getty ImagesOther major storylines to keep an eye on:Finalizing MVP cases: Usually, the hockey world has homed in on the three likely finalists for the Hart Trophy by this point in the season. However, the field is as crowded as it is diverse this campaign, with 100-point man McDavid and 50-goal guy Auston Matthews leading the charge at forward. Roman Josi is also making a compelling Hart case on the back end, while Igor Shesterkin has staked his claim between the pipes. And it wouldn't be shocking if Leon Draisaitl, Jonathan Huberdeau, or Johnny Gaudreau squeezed into the conversation before games wrap on April 29.Jockeying for position: The eight teams in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference are safe. Nobody's catching them. Matchups still need to be determined, though, and the Atlantic Division is especially fluid. Out West, it's a three-horse race for the final wild-card spot. Dallas (79 points in 66 games) owns it right now, but Vegas (78 in 69) and Winnipeg (76 in 69) are on its heels. The heat is on the Golden Knights, whose season has featured countless injuries, the Jack Eichel acquisition, and that bungled deadline deal.Kreider's crazy season Icon Sportswire / Getty ImagesMatthews is on pace for 62 goals in 77 games. Draisaitl's on pace for 59 in 82. Chris Kreider, 56 in 82. Alex Ovechkin, 51 in 80. And Kyle Connor, 49 in 80.The last time more than three players hit the 50-goal mark was in 2005-06. Connor being placed in COVID-19 protocol earlier this week greatly diminishes his chances, but the other four should reach the milestone.Kreider, who has 46 goals in 68 contests, is the group's outlier when it comes to his resume.According to the league's stats and information department, the speedy, net-crashing New York Rangers winger could become only the seventh player in history to record their first 50-goal season at age 30 or older (Kreider turns 31 on April 30). Incredibly, the Massachusetts native has never even registered a 30-goal season, falling short by two goals in 2016-17 and 2018-19.Another interesting nugget: Kreider has scored 16 of his 46 goals off tipped shots. Heading into the season, nobody recorded more than 12 since the NHL started tracking shot types in 2009-10. (Note: a "tip" is a shot attempt off an offensive player's stick, while a "deflection" is an attempt off an extension of the player, such as a piece of equipment or body part.)Kreider debuted in 2012-13. He's racked up 64 career goals via tip to lead all players in that span. Here are the rest of the top-five tippers:Another layer to Kreider's story: He's scored 24 of his 46 goals on the power play. He leads the league in that category, too, and already surpassed Brayden Point's 20 in 2018-19, the last time the NHL played an 82-game season.Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant's recent remarks on Kreider's 45th goal provided a concise breakdown of what he brings to the table offensively."Big power-play goal," Gallant told reporters Tuesday. "That's what Kreids does - shot from the point, (puck) missed the net, and he's right there for the garbage. He scores a lot of goals in the blue paint, and he's doing a great job."Tampa Bay's School Bus Line Mike Carlson / Getty ImagesWith the trade deadline in the rearview mirror and finally at full health, Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has an embarrassment of riches up front.Seriously, these are the four forward lines Cooper rolled out Tuesday:

Jason Zucker can't catch a break.The Pittsburgh Penguins winger had to be helped off the ice Thursday against the Minnesota Wild after crashing awkwardly into the boards. He didn't return.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon returned to the lineup Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks.MacKinnon suffered an upper-body injury against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. The exact injury is unknown, but he appeared to hurt his hand in a fight with Wild defenseman Matt Dumba.The 26-year-old flew back to Colorado to be evaluated earlier this week, and Bednar said his concern for the injury was "high." MacKinnon missed Tuesday's 2-1 win against the Calgary Flames.MacKinnon has been in and out of the lineup all season due to injuries and a bout with COVID-19 but has managed an impressive 22 goals and 48 assists in 51 contests.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A philosophical question to ponder before your hockey betting this weekend: If every game goes to overtime, should anyone be a favorite or an underdog?We may hyperbolize about every contest needing complimentary hockey to find a winner, but three more valuable underdogs sat drawn with their opponent at the end of regulation Wednesday. Unfortunately, all of them lost in overtime or the shootout.The short-term variance of 3-on-3 and the breakaway competition is supposed to benefit a bettor getting a plus-money price. However, as it occasionally can, the sample size has bit our guide's valuable side nine straight times - a fact that sounds like a cruel April Fools' Day prank.The Sabres themselves have lost three games in extra time in the last week alone, only broken up by their amazing comeback win over the Blackhawks. Does that mean Buffalo shouldn't be a bet at an average price of better than +180? Of course not. The fact that the Sabres continuously play in games that could go either way proves they are a valuable bet at such a good payout - even if the result is sub-optimal for a young team that has refused to lay down late in the season.It's never easy to chalk things up to variance - a fancier term for luck. However, studies have shown that there's very little correlation between a team's record in regulation and its record in 3-on-3 overtime and the shootout. The best bettors can do is continue to put themselves in position to win over the long-term, and getting plus-money bets into overtime is one way to do that.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 80% of our total rating. Basing 20% 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 would need to bet 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.Friday, April 1GAMEWIN PROB.(%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETCHI@TB33/67+203/-203CHI +244/TB -194NSH@BUF52.7/47.3-111/+111NSH -107/BUF +131NYI@NYR44.1/55.9+127/-127NYI +149/NYR -122OTT@DET44.5/55.5+125/-125OTT +147/DET -120STL@EDM42.6/57.4+135/-135STL +159/EDM -130VGK@SEA53/47-113/+113VGK -108/SEA +132ANA@ARI42.8/57.2+133/-133ANA +158/ARI -128Compare the "Price to Bet" column with the prices the market offered. From there, compile a list of bets. The only reason not to make a bet is if something is unaccounted for in our team ratings - like a star player being a surprise scratch - or if you've put a team on the "Do Not Bet" list.After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if line moves have created a valuable bet 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.

Denver forward Bobby Brink, Minnesota State goalie Dryden McKay, and Minnesota forward Ben Meyers have been named the three finalists for the Hobey Baker Award.The Hobey Baker is awarded annually to the top college men's ice hockey player.Brink, who the Philadelphia Flyers selected with the 34th pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, recorded 14 goals and 42 assists in 39 games with Denver this season. He led the nation in points, assists, and points per game (1.44).McKay appeared in 41 contests with Minnesota State, achieving a .934 save percentage and a sparkling 1.28 goals against average while earning an NCAA-record 37 wins. He was a finalist for the award last year as well.Meyers scored 14 goals and added 24 assists in 33 games with Minnesota. He co-captained the Golden Gophers to the Big Ten regular-season title this season.The winner will be announced on April 8. Montreal Canadiens rookie Cole Caufield won the award last year.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We won two of our three shot prop plays Tuesday, making for a successful night. We'll look to pick up where we left off as we dig through the best values for Thursday's meaty nine-game slate.Teuvo Teravainen over 2.5 shots (-125)Teuvo Teravainen has extreme splits. He's gone over the number (2.5) just 42% of the time on the road, compared to a whopping 65% on home ice. This makes Teravainen a guy we frequently back when he's playing in Carolina, especially when he has a juicy matchup.That's the case Thursday. Only four teams have conceded five-on-five shot attempts at a higher rate than the Montreal Canadiens over the last 10 games. They're giving up an insane amount of volume to left wingers, having allowed more shots per contest than all but the Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers since the beginning of February.Teravainen is expected to play the left side in this game, so he's as likely as anyone to take advantage of this juicy spot. He did so in both prior meetings with Montreal, piling up nine shots and 11 attempts while going over each time.Kirill Kaprizov over 3.5 shots (-118)Death, taxes, and Kirill Kaprizov on home ice. He's on another level right now, having registered at least four shots in 10 of his last 12 games played in Minnesota. Kaprizov has hit against teams like the Rangers, Boston Bruins, and Colorado Avalanche in that time, so it's not as if we're cherry-picking results in easy matchups.The Pittsburgh Penguins are an above-average shot-suppression team, but they're not bulletproof. Look no further than Kaprizov's last game against the Penguins; he generated five shots and seven attempts despite Pittsburgh having the ability to control matchups in its own building.Look for Kaprizov's home success to continue Thursday night.Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots (-155)I generally try to find more fruitful lines, but this is a spot where I think laying the juice is a good idea.Forget the last 10 games; Huberdeau has been an absolute God in Florida for nearly the entire season. He was a little slow out of the gate, hitting in two of seven home games. Since? Huberdeau has registered three shots or more in 23 of 26 for an absurd 88% success rate. No, that's not a typo.Now he draws a terrific matchup against a Chicago Blackhawks team that's bled shots this whole season. Eat the juice and back Huberdeau at home.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.

We have a juicy nine-game slate scheduled for Thursday, which means there are a lot of enticing options on the betting board.Let's take a look at three that stand out as we look to rebound from a tough night on the ice.Penguins (+100) @ Wild (-120)The only other matchup this season between the Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins featured a whopping nine goals. However, I see value in the under here.Minnesota is playing defense as well as anybody in the NHL. Over the last 10 games, the Wild comfortably rank first with just 1.74 expected goals allowed per 60 minutes of five-on-five play. That mark stems from an unmatched stinginess in preventing high-danger chances. Minnesota has allowed 6.4 per 60, which equates to just over one high-danger chance for every 10 minutes of hockey. That's remarkable.The Penguins also rank near the top of the league in both categories over their last 10 games, although they're a little behind the Wild. Pittsburgh has conceded 2.2 expected goals (fourth) and 10.27 high-danger chances (ninth) per 60 minutes during that stretch. Neither team is giving up much at full strength.The goaltending matchup looks pretty good as well. Cam Talbot has gone through ups and downs this season, but he's riding a high right now. Talbot has posted a .920 save percentage or better in seven of the last eight games.Meanwhile, Tristan Jarry owns a .921 save percentage this season and sits eighth in the NHL in Goals Saved Above Expected (+16.2).Both teams' collective firepower makes this pick a little scary. However, their stingy defenses, backed by capable goaltending, should get us to the finish line.Bet: Under 6.5 (-105)Devils (+205) @ Bruins (-255)The New Jersey Devils are a better team than their record indicates. Much better.Take their last 10 games, for example. The Devils controlled 59.49% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five. That ranks them fifth in the NHL during that stretch, sandwiched between the Calgary Flames and Carolina Hurricanes. That's great company to be keeping.While the Devils haven't always won as a result, they've covered spreads whenever the goaltending has been remotely decent.Nico Daws is not yet a good NHL goaltender. He's much better than Jon Gillies, though, and he's competent enough to keep the Devils in games they belong in.New Jersey has either won, or lost by a single goal, in eight of Daws' last 10 starts. It's not like the competition has been soft, either. The Devils have wins, or covers, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Washington Capitals, and Colorado Avalanche during that span.I expect the Boston Bruins to come out with purpose following a somewhat embarrassing home loss to the Maple Leafs. While they're likely to prevail, I like New Jersey's chances of keeping this game within striking distance.Bet: Devils +1.5 (-120)Jets (+190) @ Maple Leafs (-230)Betting a Maple Leafs game to go under is about as scary as it gets. That's where the value lies in this game, though.Believe it or not, Toronto has played strong defense of late. The team ranks sixth in attempts against, fifth in high-danger chances against, and third in expected goals against per 60 over the last 10 games. Shaky goaltending has made the Leafs look a lot more vulnerable than they actually are.The good news is they're drawing a Winnipeg Jets side that currently has a lot working against them. They're without their best offensive weapon in Kyle Connor due to COVID-19 protocols. The Jets are also in the latter half of a road back-to-back, which means they'll almost certainly try to avoid a track meet.Connor Hellebuyck's status isn't yet confirmed, but he's expected to start with the Jets in desperate need of every point. Hellebuyck enters on a high note, owning a .926 save percentage while appearing in nine of Winnipeg's last 10 contests.At plus money, we have to roll the dice that the Maple Leafs can get a save and keep the scoring in this game reasonable.Bet: Under 6.5 (+110)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.

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour announced forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi will miss at least a couple of weeks due to a lower-body injury suffered against the Washington Capitals on Monday, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.Kotkaniemi took a big hit from Lars Eller in the final seconds of Monday's blowout 6-1 victory.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe announced Thursday that goaltender Petr Mrazek will likely be sidelined for at least six weeks with a groin injury, according to The Canadian Press' Joshua Clipperton.Mrazek suffered the injury in the opening period of Tuesday's contest against the Boston Bruins. It's his third groin injury of the season.Keefe added that Jack Campbell is on the cusp of returning from his rib injury and is expected to practice with the team Friday, according to The Leafs Nation's David Alter. Campbell last played on March 8.Rookie Erik Kallgren is expected to be in the crease against the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday. Toronto recalled goaltender Michael Hutchinson on an emergency basis.Mrazek has struggled immensely this season after inking a three-year pact during the summer. He has an .888 save percentage and 3.34 goals-against average in 20 appearances.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes star Clayton Keller was stretchered off the ice during Wednesday's contest against the San Jose Sharks.Keller crashed into the end boards after trying to skate past Sharks blue-liner Nicolas Meloche in the offensive zone.

Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor and defenseman Nate Schmidt have both tested positive for COVID-19, interim head coach Dave Lowry announced Wednesday, according to Winnipeg Free Press' Mike McIntyre.The pair entered the NHL's COVID-19 protocol in Buffalo after receiving their positive tests ahead of Wednesday's game. Connor and Schmidt will need to remain in the U.S. for the next five days, meaning they will miss Winnipeg's three upcoming contests, McIntyre adds.Winnipeg is still clinging to playoff hopes as the season winds down. With 15 games remaining on their schedule, the Jets have a 32-25-10 record and are in sixth place in the Central Division.Connor ranks fifth in the league with 41 goals and is tied for seventh with 82 points. Schmidt has four goals and 31 points in 66 games this season.Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Intrepid Flames bettors got a good price in their game against the Avalanche on Tuesday night - if they got to it fast enough. The Flames opened as short favorites, but by the time the puck dropped at the Saddledome, they were as high as -145 on the moneyline.The reason for that was simple. Nathan MacKinnon was announced as a scratch that morning, which sent the Avalanche from +100 to +125. When we take those moneylines and convert them to implied win probabilities, the Avs go from 50% to win the game to 44.4%.Instantly, we know how the market values one of the best players in the game - the Avalanche are deemed 5.6% less likely to win when MacKinnon is out. Whether you believe that's too high or low is up to you as a bettor, as you decide which side to back.You might think 5.6% is an insult to a player of MacKinnon's stature. I might suggest that it's a compliment to the depth of Colorado, that missing a top-five player in the league would only hurt its chances of winning by less than 6%. Losing someone like MacKinnon for a game would matter more to a team that wasn't capable of making up for his absence.The Avalanche were 12-3 (80%) on the moneyline in 15 games without MacKinnon before Tuesday night's contest in Calgary. Meanwhile, they are 34-17 with him - a 66% win rate. No one is suggesting that the Avalanche are better without MacKinnon. It's a small sample size that's causing high variance. However, looking at it this way allows us to understand that a 5% adjustment is appropriate.As far as one game goes, the Avs overcame the absence for a tight 2-1 win. That shouldn't change how the market views Colorado, but we'll need to be on our toes about whether MacKinnon plays against the Sharks on Thursday. At least we know now what to expect from a line adjustment if he doesn't.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 80% of our total rating. Basing 20% 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 would need to bet 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. For bigger underdogs, you may decide on a higher cutoff like 6%-7%. On games that I've projected to be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make it a worthwhile wager.Thursday, March 31GAMEWIN PROB. (%)TRUE MLPRICE TO BETMTL@CAR37/63+170/-170MTL +203/CAR -163NJD@BOS40.8/59.2+145/-145NJD +172/BOS -139CHI@FLA35/65+186/-186CHI +223/FLA -178CBJ@NYI41/59+144/-144CBJ +170/NYI -138WPG@TOR37/63+170/-170WPG +203/TOR -163PIT@MIN47/53+113/-113PIT +132/MIN -108SJS@COL31.9/68.1+213/-213SJS +258/COL -204LAK@CGY38.5/61.5+160/-160LAK +190/CGY -153DAL@ANA53.6/46.4-115/+115DAL -111/ANA +136Compare the "Price to bet" column with the prices offered by your various sportsbooks. From there, compile a list of bets. The only reason not to make a bet is if something isn't accounted for in how we've rated teams - like a star player being a surprise scratch - or if you've put a team on the "Do not bet" list.After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to see if line moves created a valuable bet 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.

New Jersey was down 4-2 with two minutes left in the third period on Saturday when Jack Hughes corralled a pass deep in the Devils' end.Skating backward, Hughes turned his body 180 degrees in one smooth motion to maintain his speed and keep control of the puck. The Devils had an extra attacker on the ice and the Washington Capitals were sitting back, an ideal scenario for a burner like Hughes. Your browser does not support the video tag. MSG / NHL LiveAs he zoomed through the neutral zone, Hughes looked similar to Connor McDavid - the master of skating. Then, as he went inside-out on veteran defenseman Dmitry Orlov and entered the offensive zone, he looked like Patrick Kane - the one-on-one genius.Hughes ultimately failed to get a shot on goal, his attempt negated by a stick check. Ten seconds later, he slammed his own stick in frustration after a teammate opted to shoot the puck instead of passing to him while he was wide-open."He's only 20 years old, and I like that at a young age he's got that kind of bravado," said Ken Daneyko, the longtime Devils defenseman turned TV analyst for MSG Networks.Daneyko added: "It's not a selfish act. It's him saying, 'When we need a big play, just know where I am. I will get it done.'" Rich Graessle / Getty ImagesNew Jersey eventually scored with the extra attacker and Hughes picked up the primary assist. But that tally was all they could muster in the 4-3 road loss.Those final two minutes against the Capitals are representative of Hughes' current place in the NHL universe: he's a tantalizing, highly productive, and super-competitive center in his third season playing for a team mired in a lengthy rebuild.Since Dec. 29, Hughes has accumulated 19 goals and 27 assists for 46 points in 33 games. It's easily the best three months of his career, with a points per game rate of 1.39, which ranks ninth in the league over that stretch. This type of breakout had been a long time coming for the 2019 first overall draft pick.What should we make of Hughes' rise to stardom? Below, we dive into some statistics and identify areas of his game where he's leveled up.The statistical profile Mark Blinch / Getty ImagesHeading into the 2019 draft, scouts peppered reports with the word "elite" as Hughes set a new points record at the U.S. National Team Development Program. He was literally skating circles around junior- and college-level competition; he was can't miss material, the no-brainer pick for first overall.Fast forward a year and pockets of the hockey community had grown dismissive of the pre-draft hype. Hughes was underwhelming as an NHL rookie - a hotshot kid who looked out of place in all three zones on the ice.Still only 18 years old, he collected just 21 points in 61 games, a rate of 0.34 points per game. Patrik Stefan, who went first overall in 1999 but failed to live up to lofty expectations, posted 0.35 points per game as a 19-year-old rookie.The Stefan comparison was an easy reference point for fans and pundits, although perhaps not entirely fair due to the management and personnel turnover in New Jersey. As Hughes told theScore recently: "I was just a young guy figuring it out."It's safe to say Hughes has managed to reboot the narrative and recalibrate his ceiling. Thursday's Devils-Bruins game will be the 164th of his career - the equivalent of two full seasons - and the second 82-game block has been far more productive. This year, the confident, perhaps even cocky, playmaker-sniper hybrid is on pace for 32 goals and 40 assists in 62 games. (Hughes missed 17 games in the fall due to a dislocated shoulder, and another three in January after being placed in COVID-19 protocol.)Only 11 players in the salary cap era have finished a season with a point per game or better before turning 21. At a 1.17 rate, Hughes currently ranks sixth, sandwiched between 2016-17 McDavid and 2009-10 Steven Stamkos.Ty Smith, the young Devils defenseman who shares a New Jersey apartment with Hughes, believes his close friend is "going to be a 100-point guy" one day. Good luck crafting a compelling argument against that, as both the numbers and eye test indicate Hughes is one of the game's transition kings.In fact, according to Sportlogiq data cited during a recent Devils-Rangers broadcast, nobody in the NHL generates more scoring chances off the rush per game than the fast and audacious Hughes. Nope, not even McDavid."He could be one-on-four. Most guys would just dump it in, but he tries to beat them," Smith said. "And he might do it."The blue-liner added: "Sometimes he gets to a point where it kind of just looks like he's floating on the ice. It's just effortless, and he's flying around."Focus on Hughes' busy feet here: Your browser does not support the video tag. MSG / NHL LiveHughes is the Devils' top facilitator at even strength and on the power play, where he helps quarterback the first unit from the right-point position.This year, Hughes has skated at five-on-five with sharpshooter Yegor Sharangovich and either Jesper Bratt or Dawson Mercer. Hughes, Sharangovich, and Mercer - a rookie - have found their rhythm as a trio, leading to 12 goals for and 12 against despite unstable goaltending behind them.Generally, when Hughes is on the ice, the Devils win the territorial battle. So far in 2021-22, the club has owned 52.8% of the shot attempts and 54.7% of the expected goals in Hughes' 711 five-on-five minutes, per Evolving Hockey.As the HockeyViz heatmaps illustrate, Hughes' offensive-zone impact at even strength has intensified over his career. The Devils' offense has generated 14% more expected goals for per 60 minutes than the NHL average when he's on the ice this season, a significant jump over his rookie season.Hughes' five-on-five minutes in 2019-20 Hughes' five-on-five minutes in 2021-22 Hughes has also excelled at avoiding the penalty box since Day 1 while putting the Devils on the power play fairly often.As a rookie, Hughes finished with a plus-12 penalty differential (17 minors drawn, five minors taken). Last year, he was plus-16 (19-3). This year, he's making a strong case for the Lady Byng Trophy at a cool plus-15 (15-0)."I feel like I have way more than 15? Is that it?" Hughes said. "There's nothing really to it. I just put my stick in the right place so I don't take penalties. And the other way, when you have the puck a lot, that's what's going to happen."Areas of progressHughes was listed at 5-foot-10, 170 pounds ahead of the draft. He's now listed at 5-foot-11, 175. Despite growing an inch and (apparently) packing on only five pounds over three years of off-ice training, there's a noticeable difference in how Hughes handles himself along the boards and in the slot."He doesn't get pushed around as much as his first year, if at all," Devils assistant coach Alain Nasreddine said. "The thing with Jack is that he's so competitive. He doesn't shy away from the hard areas. He'll go into traffic, go into one-on-one battles, and every time he wants to get the puck back." Ethan Miller / Getty ImagesThat "inner drive," as Daneyko calls it, has helped Hughes elevate his defensive game. To be competent defensively, awareness and timing are key."Look, he's not going to win a Selke Trophy because you want him to do what he does best and create offense," Daneyko said. "But he's gotten smarter. In his own zone, he's one of the most effective guys at stealing pucks."Of course, it always comes back to skating with Hughes.Dynamic, crossover-heavy skating has been his bread and butter for a decade, and the added muscle has made him an even better skater. Smith, for one, thinks Hughes' already elite skating is "at another level" right now.It's a hard claim to confirm, but there's enough evidence to suggest Hughes is stronger on his skates, which in turn allows him to maintain a high rate of speed while fighting through stick and body checks.Below is a sequence that seems innocuous but is actually instructive. Pay attention to how Hughes reacts to the defenseman trying to bump him: Your browser does not support the video tag. MSG / NHL LiveNick Quinn of Power Edge Pro, a skating and skills company with dozens of NHL clients, has worked with Hughes for seven years. He notes Hughes' ability to "give off false information" - or deceive opponents - has improved."That's what's made Jack so effective as he's gotten comfortable in the NHL," Quinn said. "He's not the biggest guy, but he puts defenders in bad positions when he moves pucks into open space and he moves his feet at the same time. Not many players can do that on a regular basis."Based on the eight-year, $64-million contract extension Hughes inked in November - before he had truly broken out - the Devils weren't fretting the first two-plus seasons of his career. The team was banking on his awful shooting percentage (5.7% and 7.7% in his first two seasons, respectively) normalizing over time. They projected the franchise cornerstone would grow into an all-world passer and shooter. So far, so good in 2021-22 - 24 goals scored on 14.8% shooting."It's more accurate. It's got more velocity. He gets it off quicker," Daneyko said of Hughes' shot. Nasreddine believes "the game has slowed down for him - even though he plays at a high pace, extremely high pace."If the game is slowing down for a burner like Hughes, look out.John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).Copyright © 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It was a mixed bag on the ice Tuesday. We went 1-2 with sides and 2-1 with player props. We'll aim for a winning night as we look at the best ways to approach Wednesday's six-game slate.Rangers (-155) @ Red Wings (+130)The Detroit Red Wings are not a good team. I won't try and make you believe otherwise. But they're also not as bad as their recent stretch - headlined by an 11-2 loss - would make you believe.Take their last 10 games, for example. The Red Wings have controlled approximately 45% of the expected goals, generating 27.51 and allowing 32.96. That's an expected net of -5.45 goals, a little more than half a puck per contest. In actuality, the Red Wings were outscored 49-26 in that span; a -23 net.The number of goals for aligns almost exactly with what they should've scored based on the chances they've created. Their goaltenders have conceded more than 16 goals above expected, though.Thomas Greiss is past his best-before date, while Alex Nedeljkovic's rookie season in Carolina no doubt fooled people into believing he was better than he is. Even so, it's reasonable to suggest the goalies aren't going to give the Red Wings an .864 save percentage over their next 10 games. There should be at least some level of positive regression.Detroit's offense should be able to contribute meaningfully in this game as well. The New York Rangers aren't great at five-on-five, their penalty kill has been conceding a lot, and Igor Shesterkin likely won't be there to mask their problems Wednesday. He hasn't started on consecutive nights all season, so it's fair to assume Alexandar Georgiev will get the nod.Georgiev has his moments, but the overall body of work is quite poor. He owns an .894 save percentage and, among those with 20-plus starts, ranks bottom-10 in goals saved above expectation per 60.I like the Red Wings to show real pushback following an embarrassing defeat. With Georgiev in goal and a fatigued Rangers team in town, there is value in backing Detroit outright.Bet: Red Wings (+130)Sharks (-150) @ Coyotes (+125)The San Jose Sharks are a bad team in bad form. At five-on-five, they've controlled just 41.48% of the shot attempts and a hair under 44% of the expected goals over the last 10 games. Not good; and yet they are a tier - or two - above the putrid Arizona Coyotes.Arizona has posted unfathomably bad numbers of late. The Coyotes' share of the shot attempts sits at just over 36%, while their xG share sits at 32%. Yikes.A simpler way of putting that: for every xG they generate, they allow two. Not that a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning would ever post such numbers, but those kinds of differentials would be disastrous for a side with their level of shooting talent and goaltending. For Arizona? It's a death sentence.They don't have enough finishing in their lineup to outperform expectations to the extent necessary to win games. They also don't have the goaltending; especially under these circumstances. Their options are Karel Vejmelka for the third time in four nights or Josef Korenar, an .853 goaltender in the AHL this season.Neither should be able to match what the Sharks get from James Reimer, who has quietly enjoyed a solid campaign. He owns a .917 save percentage and sits just one spot below Jake Oettinger in GSAE per start.As poorly as the Sharks are playing, I see edges across the board. Back them to take care of business inside 60.Bet: Sharks in regulation (+102)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.