Monday eased us into the week nicely but all know the real NHL week starts on a Tuesday. With a giant ten game slate there’s money to be made at every corner with a few road underdogs we really like.

There’s a lot of mismatches as well which can mean one of two things. You can either take the sure thing or risk it for the biscuit, and we’re here to help you make that difficult choice. Time to gear up and kick off another superb night of NHL action.

St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins

The Lines

Moneyline

• St. Louis (+175) at Pittsburgh (-220)

Spread

• St. Louis +1.5 (-165) at Pittsburgh -1.5 (+135)

Total – Over/Under

• 6 (-115 over, -115 under)

It’s officially time to push the panic button in St. Louis. The Blues were bumped out of the third spot in the Central division last week after dropping their third straight game and watching the Nashville Predators win three in a row.

The Blues now have just a one point lead over the non-playoff teams in their first Wild Card spot and with a record of 4-6-0 in their last ten games the trend isn’t just recent.

Now they have to try and snap their losing streak on the road where they’re a dismal 7-12-1 this season against a Pittsburgh Penguins team that has won four in a row and are by far the most dominant home team in the league. Pittsburgh is 20-2-2 this season at home and have lost three fewer games in regulation than any other team in the NHL.

Offense

Part of – scratch that – ALL off Pittsbrugh’s dominance recently has come via their offense. The Penguins have scored an absurd 27 goals over their last five games which is coming in on six goals a game category. For the duration of the season the Pens are averaging 3.67 goals a game which ranks 1^st in the NHL along with their shots per game (34.65) and their third ranked powerplay operating at 23.72 percent on the season.

With other names like Connor Sheary taking over last week, Sidney Crosby reminded everyone why he’s considered the best player in hockey in Pittsburgh’s 5-1 win over Boston last game. Crosby recorded a goal and two assists in the win and now has a shocking 54 points in just 40 games. He’s just two points behind Connor McDavid for the lead league despite playing nine less games and leads the league in goals with 28 in 40 games.

He’s not doing it alone though. Evgeni Malkin is tied with him at 54 points as well and Phil the thrill Kessel isn’t far behind with 45 of his own. Add in Connor Sheary’s 34 and Justin Schultz’s 33 and this team is as dangerous as they are deep on the offensive end.

The Blues can take a bit of solace in the fact that Pittsbrugh’s dominant offense seems to leave a few of it’s skills at home when they take on St. Loiuis. Pittsbrugh scores just 2.30 goals a game in their last ten against the Blues, but we wouldn’t bet on that happening again with the way St. Louis has been playing recently.

The Offense can’t be blames for the Blues’ woes. St. Louis has scored 10 goals in their recent three game slide and the offense is still firing on all cylinders. They average 2.87 goals a game on the season, good for 11^th and have skilled players at every position capable of putting the puck in the back of the net.

Still, this team seems to live and die based on Vladimir Tarasenko’s performance. His 46 points in 47 games lead the team by a wide margin but when he doesn’t score they don’t seem to win and that’s bad news for the Blues recently. Tarasenko hasn’t found the back of the net in five games and has just three points during that span. His plus/minus rating is down all the way to -11 and while the rest of the team has picked up a bit of the slack, it’s not enough to get over their defense.

Defense

Ah yes, the real root of the Blues’ problems. St. Louis is giving up 3.13 goals a game this season which ranks all the way down at 26^th. In their recent three game slide they’ve given up a whopping 18 goals…good for six a game and right in line with how many the Penguins have been scoring lately.

Jay Bouwmeester is dealing with a lower body injury and is a big reason why the defense has suffered so poorly in St. Louis. He’s listed as questionable for the game on Tuesday and if he’s able to go that will be a huge help to the suffering blue line.

Alex Piertrangelo and Kevin Shattenkirk have been good enough chipping in on offense, but their combined plus/minus rating of -18 just won’t get the job done for a team that had Stanley Cup aspirations to start the season.

Luckily for the Blues, their defense won’t be the only bad one on the ice on Tuesday night. It’s a good thing Pittsburgh scores so many goals because they sure can’t stop them. The Pens allow 2.91 goals a game which ranks 21^st in the league and while that number seems like it’s going to improve its still a testament to how focused this team is on scoring.

With top defenseman Kris Letang out indefinitely and Brian Dumoulin out for the next 6-8 weeks the defense is banding together to put a stop to the goals recently. They’ve let just three goals in over their last three games and Olli Maaatta and Justin Schultz have been brilliant in relief while chipping in with a few goals each other that span.

The Blues can easily score on the Penguins thin defensive core, but only if they play with pace and forecheck deep into Pittsbrugh’s zone. With the way Sidney Crosby leads this team in backchecking it won’t be as easy for the Blues to get anything going especially with their recent struggles.

Goalies

To be fair to all the other players on the ice a big reason for one team’s success and another’s failure lies on the shoulders of the men between the pipes. In Pittsbrugh it’s been all roses since Matt Murray came back from injury, well at least recently.

Murray made a miraculous 44 of 45 saves against the Bruins in his latest 5-1 win and has now stopped 90 of his last 93 shots since letting in seven goals to the Capitals when he was easing his way back from injury. A healthy Murray between the pipes makes this Penguins team that much scarier.

In St. Louis its scary for a different reason. Jake Allen was given time off by the team and wont start until Thursday after being pulled in three straight games. The Blues hope he gets his head right during that span and in the meantime they’ll turn to Carter Hutton.

Hutton has a 2.80 goals against average with a .892 save percentage. We can already hear the Penguins sharpening their skates.

Key Matchup

Sidney Crosby against Vladimir Tarasenko. It seems obvious to put the two best players up against each other, but this game matters way more to Tarasenko. He needs to get back in the goal column to really help his team win, especially against Crosby and the rest of his high-scoring teammates.

Advice

With Carter Hutton in net, the Blues struggling and the Penguins scoring at a ridiculous rate we just don’t see St. Louis making a game out of this one. Take Pittsburgh on the spread, the moneyline and grab the Over while you’re at it.

LA Kings at New Jersey Devils

The Lines

Moneyline

• LA (n/a) at New Jersey (n/a)

Spread

• LA (n/a) at New Jersey -1.5 (n/a)

Total – Over/Under

• (n/a)

The Kings take on the Devils on Tuesday night in New Jersey with both teams struggling. LA had lost three straight before their game against the Rangers on Monday and then have to play the second night of a back to back on the road again in New Jersey.

The Devils may be struggling a bit on the season, but still sit just three points out of a playoff spot in the incredibly crowded East. They’re 5-3-2 in their last ten games and coming off a 4-1 win over the quickly plummeting Flyers.

The Kings biggest problem has been playing on the road, and showing up for games that seem easy. This game is both of those things. LA is just 8-12-3 away from home this season and now take on a Devils squad that is a respectable 10-7-3 at home this season.

The Devils have also won six of the last ten meetings between these two teams and while they don’t happen often it’s an important stat to consider when making your bet. LA is also dealing with injuries to some important players including Tyler Toffoli, Nick Dowd, Matt Greene and of course Jonathan Quick.

Key Matchup

Taylor Hall against Drew Doughty. Hall is enjoying a nice five game point streak with two goals over that span. He leads the team in scoring and his a huge reason why the Devils are still in contention out East. Matching up against Drew Doughty may be a little tougher than what he’s used to but the budding star is up for the challenge.

Advice

The Kings need this win. Another loss and they slip further down the standings in the cutthroat Western Conference. Based solely on desperation and their seemingly untapped potential we’ll take LA on the spread getting great odds.

Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins

The Lines

Moneyline

• Detroit (n/a) at Boston (n/a)

Spread

• Detroit (n/a) at Boston (n/a)

Total – Over/Under

• (n/a)

The Wings and Bruins collide in Boston on Tuesday with both teams needing a win. Both clubs have lost to straight games but at least they’ve come with a point in Detroit. Both of the Wings’ two losses came in overtime, and while the feeling sucks the point you get in the standings certainly doesn’t.

Detroit enters with the 20^th ranked defense and the 22^nd ranked offense and the fact that they’re still alive in the East is a testament to just how ridiculously crowded that conference actually is. Making matters worse for the Wings is their recent success…or lack thereof against Boston.

Detroit has just two wins in their last ten games against Beantown and now have to enter hostile territory to try and pull out a victory. If there’s a time to do it it’s now. Boston just came off a brutal 5-1 loss at the hands of the Penguins, but there were some good signs. Boston managed to get 45 shots on net and just happened to take on a hot goalie in Matt Murray.

They won’t be playing a hot goalie against Detroit. With Jimmy Howard still out for the foreseeable future the Wings have had to rely on the tandem of Jared Coreau and Petr Mrazek and the results have been less than thrilling.

The situation in Boston isn’t much better. Tuukka Rask left Monday’s game against Pittsburgh with a migraine and is considered day to day, if he can’t start it will be up to Zach McIntyre to try and get the W.

Key Matchup

Matt Belesky against Nicklas Kronwall. Belesky was supposed to be a key cog in the Bruins’ offense and after injuries derailed him throughout the year he now has just six pints in 26 games. Look for him to take advantage of an aging Kronwall and finally start putting some points on the board.

Advice

Detroit is 4-1 against the spread in their last five games and continue to surprise us by staying in games and occasionally grabbing a win. We think the Bruins still might win at home, but they’re tired after playing last night. Take Detroit on the spread.

Columbus Blue Jackets at New York Islanders

The Lines

Moneyline

• Columbus (-135) at New York (+105)

Spread

• Columbus -1.5 (+205) at New York +1.5 (-255)

Total – Over/Under

• 5.5 (-110 over, -120 under)

Look we’re not ones to believe in superstition over cold hard data, especially when it comes to your money, but the New York Islanders did exactly what we thought they would when they rattled of three straight victories under their new interim head coach Doug Weight.

They lost to the Flyers in overtime in their fourth game but still registered a point giving them at least one in every single game since firing their head coach. Now they get a real test when the Blue Jackets come to town. Columbus is 14-5-3 on the road this season and has won two straight including a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Senators in Ottawa.

Cam Atkinson continues to crush it for the Jackets just as everyone thinks he’ll slow down. HE scored the game winner in overtime on the breakaway against the Senators. It was his second goal of the night and he now has 45 points on the year. As hot as he’s been it doesn’t compare to John Tavares.

Tavares has five goals in his last five games for a total of six points and despite not scoring in his latest game he’ll be itching to pull the trigger all night against Ottawa. He has one of the quickest and nastiest shots in the league and it’s great to see him break out of his mini slump earlier in the season.

Key Matchup

Sergei Brobovsky against Thomas Greiss. Greiss has been incredible recently for the Isladners and despite his most recent 3-2 loss still stopped 44 shots in that game. His goals against average is down to 2.32 and he rocks a tidy .928 save percentage.

He’ll be staring back at Brobovsky on the other side of the ice who sat out the six goal performance by Ottawa and is coming off a two goal performance where he stopped 35 shots. He just keeps winning games.

Advice

The Islanders run has been great, but we expect it to come to an end with Brobovsky back in net and the Jackets coming to town. Take Columbus on the spread getting good odds.

Washington Capitals at Ottawa Senators

The Lines

Moneyline

• Washington (n/a) at Ottawa (n/a)

Spread

• Washington (n/a) at Ottawa (n/a)

Total – Over/Under

• (n/a)

The Capitals just keep winning. Sure their nine game win streak was snapped earlier in the month but they still have the best record in all of hockey at 31-9-6 and are 9-0-1 in their last ten games. They have to play Carolina the night before they travel to Ottawa, but rest doesn’t seem to be a concern for a team this deep.

The Capitals are winning because they just keep scoring. In their last ten games they’ve scored one goal just once (a game they won), four goals twice, and every other game have registered at least five goals. Those are shocking statistics for a team that also lets in just 2.67 goals a game this season.

Led by Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovheckin the team is much deeper than just their two superstar Russians. T.J. Oshie is second on the team in plus/minus with a +20 rating despite being a forward.  Justin Williams is third in goals scored on the team with 16 and John Carlson is third on the squad in powerplay points with ten. The production is coming from absolutely everywhere and that’s bad news for the Senators.

Ottawa is coming off a loss where they let in seven goals. Yes, those goals came courtesy of a strong and talented Columbus team, but no one should be dropping seven goals on you no matter what the circumstances.

A large part of the problem has been the Senators goalies. Craig Anderson won’t join the team until late February or March as he tends to the health of his wife and Andrew Hammond is out indefinitely with an ankle sprain. That leaves Mike Condon who has allowed four or more goals in three of his last five starts. The Senators have no option but to keep rolling him out there for now.

Key Matchup

Evgeny Kuznetsov against Erik Karlsson. It’s bad enough Karlsson has to worry about Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie and Williams, but now Evgeny Kuznetsov is heating up as well. He has five points over his last four games and is just another dangerous skater for Ottawa to worry about.

Advice

Capitals on the road on the second night of a back to back is perfect for getting good odds, and yet they’re not. Still, you have to take them on the spread against a team with as many goaltending problems as the Senators have.

Calgary Flames at Montreal Canadiens

The Lines

Moneyline

• Calgary (+160) at Montreal (-190)

Spread

• Calgary +1.5 (-185) at Montreal -1.5 (+155)

Total – Over/Under

• 5.5 (+120 over, -150 under)

It’s an all-Canadian matchup Tuesday night in Montreal when the Flames and Canadiens battle in the Bell Centre. It’s part of a back to back to back Canadian trio for the Flames who got pounded 7-3 by Edmonton before heading to play Toronto on Monday.

After taking on the high-flying Leafs last night they’re in Montreal for another game on the road. That’s a brutal stretch for any team, but at least the Flames have been respectable on the road this season. They’re 11-9-3 this season and are locked in a battle for playoff spot out West.

They continue to find ways to win despite their -8 goal differential and despite two straight losses before Toronto’s game they were 4-5-1 in their last ten games. That success carries over against the Canadiens as well where the Flames are 6-2-2 in their last ten games against Montreal.

Calgary’s goaltending has been sketchy as of late and a big reason why the find themselves in danger of falling out of playoff contention out West. Chad Johnson and Brian Elliot were both absolutely shelled by the Oilers in their combined last game, and while we think they can both bounce back a date with the Leafs followed by the Habs isn’t the best recipe for recovery.

Montreal has a bit of a goaltending issues of their own. Despite making 35 saves against the Sabres in his last outing Price still lose and has now just one win in his six last starts. He’s not entirely to blame as Montreal continues to get out-shot in those matchups but he’s also not playing at the Vezina level we’re used to.

Key Matchup

Thomas Plekanec against Mark Giordano. With Alex Galchenyuk re-injuring his knee and David Desharnais still sidelined that leaves Plekanec to center the top line and eat up a ton of minutes for Montreal. He’ll be up against one of the best defensemen in the league in Giordano and may find it difficult to get anything going.

Advice

Price and the Canadiens are struggling, but they’re still first in their division, well-rested and taking on a struggling tired Flames team. Take Montreal on the spread at home and hope Price starts to recapture his form.

San Jose Sharks at Winnipeg Jets

The Lines

Moneyline

• San Jose (n/a) at Winnipeg (n/a)

Spread

• San Jose (n/a) at Winnipeg (n/a)

Total – Over/Under

• (n/a)

As the kids say these days, the Sharks are “well and truly on one”. San Jose has won four straight before their matchup with the Avalanche last night and they are rounding into the dominant team everyone projected when their season started. They’re just a point back of Anaheim for first in the division and are 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

They’re coming off playing Colorado on the road the night before and while some fatigue may be evident the Jets also had to battle with the Ducks on Monday night so neither team will have particularly fresh legs when the puck drops at center ice.

Both teams have five wins in their ten meetings this season so neither carries a statistical edge in terms of their actual matchup, but the Sharks have been the far superior team all season long. San Jose has the fourth ranked defense and allows the third least shots in the league.

Led by Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic the team feeds off their completely different skill-sets. While Burns continues to lead the team in points with  47 despite being a defensemen Vlasic always has his back and plays some of the best defense in the entire NHL.

Winnipeg is without Patrik Laine still as he recovers from a concussion but they’ve still managed to score goals. They’ve now won two in a row and while it won’t be easy to penetrate the Sharks’ stellar defense they’re still capable of finding the back of the net.

Key Matchup

Brent Burns against Dustin Byfuglien. Both players are offensively gifted defenders who know how to score goals, and stop them. They’ll be instrumental to getting their teams offense going with both squads being a little tired after playing the night before. Whoever brings more energy may very well lead their team to a win.

Advice

This has a trap game for the Sharks written all over it. After coming off a game against a far less skilled team in Colorado just the night before they may take the Jets easy. Winnipeg is getting good odds at home so go ahead and take them on the moneyline in a risk vs reward scenario.

Buffalo Sabres at Nashville Predators

The Lines

Moneyline

• Buffalo (+150) at Nashville (-180)

Spread

• Buffalo +1.5 (-200) at Nashville -1.5 (+165)

Total – Over/Under

• 5 (-135 over, +105 under)

The Sabres are trying their hardest to stay relevant, and it’s working. They’ve won two straight including a huge road win over the Montreal Canadiens in overtime and suddenly find themselves just five points out of a playoff spot.

We still; think they lack the experience and depth to go on a deep run, or even make the postseason, but they’re a dangerous team on a nightly basis. They’ve won two tight 3-2 games against decent teams and its starting to look like they’re learning how to hold on to a lead.

Getting a lead in the first place is going to be tough for them against a Nashville Predators team that may finally be figuring out how to win. The Preds have won three straight, leapfrogging the Blues and sliding into third place in the Central division and now they get to come back home and host the Sabres.

Nashville is 12-5-5 at home this season and while that number is deceiving with all the overtime losses they’re still a tough team to beat in their own building. Pekka Rinne is starting to look himself again and that’s bad news for the Sabres.  He’s coming off a 21 save performance against the Wild and has now won four of his last five starts without letting in more than two goals during those victories.

Key Matchup

P.K. Subban against Jack Eichel. Subban’s return is great for the Predators, but it also means he’s going to have to do a lot more now that Roman Josi went down. Josi was the stay at home defender that compliment Subban’s offensive instincts. Now that he’s injured Subban has to worry way more about playing defense, and that includes shutting down Jack Eichel in this game. Eichel has two goals and four points in his last four games and is one of the most dangerous young players in all of hockey.

Advice

The Sabres are finally instilling some confidence in their fan base and winning a few really clutch games, but we just don’t see them pulling it off in Nashville where the Predators have been so successful this season and finally look like the team many predicted them to be. Take Nashville on the spread and the moneyline.

Minnesota Wild at Dallas Stars

The Lines

Moneyline

• Minnesota (n/a) at Dallas (n/a)

Spread

• Minnesota (n/a) at Dallas (n/a)

Total – Over/Under

• (n/a)

The Wild roll into Dallas fresh off a loss to the suddenly hot Predators but have still lost just three times in their last ten games and remain tied with the Blackhawks for first place in the Central Division. They’re arguably the best team in hockey and the Stars’ leaky defense is going to be in trouble.

The Wild rank 4^th in goals scored per game this season with 3.30 a contest while the Stars shaky blue liners let in 3.15 goals a game, good for 27^th on the year. At least the Stars can score. Dallas is 18^th in goals for per game at 2.69, but are capable of scoring in spurs as evidenced by their seven goal outburst against the Rangers just three games ago.

The Stars might be scoring seven goals on Tuesday night. They are dealing with a list of injuries longer than almost anyone in the NHL. With Tyler Seguin added to that list with an illness they may be without one of their most talented goal scorers when they take on the league’s 4^th ranked defense. Devan Dubynk has been a big reason for the success of the Wild’s D.

He has five shutouts on the year to go along with his excellent .935 save percentage. If he can turn aside a few of the Stars’ shots early on Dallas may get frustrated and result to some poor shots on net.

Key Matchup

Eric Staal against John Klingberg. Staal has been a force to be reckoned with in his comeback season with the Wild and now gets to go up against Klingberg. Despite being a “number on defenseman” Klingberg is having one of the worst seasons of his career and it wont get any easier against Staal on Tuesday night.

Advice

The Wild don’t like to lose two in a row, in fact they’ve hardly done it at all this season. We expect that trend to continue with them getting decent odds on the road. Take the Wild on the spread.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Chicago Blackhawks

The Lines

Moneyline

• Tampa Bay (+130) at Chicago (-160)

Spread

• Tampa Bay +1.5 (-230) at Chicago -1.5 (+180)

Total – Over/Under

• 5 (-135 over, +105 under)

We made it! Our tenth and final game of the night is a showdown in the Windy City between the Lightning and the Blackhawks and unfortunately for Lightning fans it might be one of the biggest mismatches of the night.

Tampa has done all they can to stay relevant with injury after injury plaguing their season but it feels like the nail in the coffin may be finally ready for the hammer. Tampa is last in the East after two straight losses and now have a brutal 2-7-1 record in their last ten games.

It only gets harder when they travel to Chicago to take on one of the best teams in the West. The Blackhawks are 7-2-1 in their last ten games and have won three straight. They’re 18-5-4 at home and have won six of their last ten games against Tampa Bay.

Jonathan Toews may be ready to break out after a four paint night against the Canucks on Sunday. He registered a goal and three assists and after battling injuries earlier in the season he may be rounding into playoff form.

That’s scary for the Lightning who continue to deal with injury after injury. Not even Ben Bishop could save them in his return to the net. He gave up five goals on just 17 shots in his last start and things are starting to fall apart fast in Tampa.

Key Matchup

Victor Hedman against Jonathan Toews. Hedman will be responsible for stopping the Blackhawks’ captain and as good as he’s been all season he has virtually no help along the blueline. We wish him all the best.

Advice

We’ll keep it simple for you. Take Chicago on the spread in what is shaping up to be a blowout.