The Avalanche made a stunning trade Friday. ...

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Was hoping for -1, but it's not being offered by SugarHouse so we'll risk it as I'm not playing -1.5. Utah is playing as we speak at an excellent Minnesota team, and it's sure hard to see any team potentially win there (HC is up 2-0 as write this) and then at even-better Winnipeg in the span of 24 hours. Plus, the HC might have to Iditarod there late tonight with the weather. Utah just beat Vezina candidate Connor Hellebuyck and the Jets in Salt Lake City on Monday, 5-2. That was one of Hellebuyck's worst games of the season. I expect a major bounce-back effort. The Jets are 18-5-3 at home. I'd play the regulation line if we had that option (soon hopefully).

These clubs played a wildly entertaining game in Nashville on Tuesday with the Preds rallying for a 7-5 win. Not easy to sweep these home-and-home sets (not like we need a win) and the Sharks welcome back top-six forward Tyler Toffoli (17G, 13A) after missing the past three. Nashville has won four straight but all at home. It is 5-14-4 away.

This probably goes up a fair amount tomorrow when it becomes widely known that Wild leading scorer and former Hart Trophy favorite Kirill Kaprizov as well as captain and top blueliner Jared Spurgeon will both return from multi-game injury absences. Utah plays its first road game since Jan. 4 and it's also the front of a B2B. Top defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (30 points) is in doubt after missing the past two.

Former Vezina winner Igor Shesterkin struggled some early this year but the Russian is rolling right now with back-to-back shutouts -- his streak of 164:03 without a goal allowed is just shy of his career high. The Rangers are also fully healthy and have snapped out of their team-wide doldrums of late (6-0-3 in past nine). The Flyers have won three straight all with Samuel Ersson in net, but he hasn't started four in a row all season and the Flyers play again Friday so I'd think we get one of their backups here -- although I'm fine with it either way (would like it certainly more if not Ersson).

Why on earth is Ottawa this big of a road favorite? Yeah, the Bruins are in the second of a back-to-back but it's not like they are on the road again. Ottawa is without top-six forward Josh Norris (17G, 10A) and arguably the team's most talented forward, Brady Tkachuk, is on an eight-game points drought. Goaltender Anton Forsberg has won once in his last five appearances with a 3.25 GAA and an .873 SV. Boston's Joonas Korpisalo -- he did have to play in relief last night but not for very long, so I'm not too worried about that -- is 5-1-2 with a 2.20 GAA at home. B's forward Trent Frederic (7G, 7A) will play after missing last night.

So rare for me to play an Over in the NHL and we have to very good goaltenders here in Connor Hellebuyck and Mackenzie Blackwood, who has been reborn since a trade to Colorado from San Jose. But these teams usually play free-flowing, high-scoring games -- the Over is 7-3 in the past 10, and I assure you those totals weren't set at 5.5.

The Devils are in a bit of a funk -- the goaltending has been pretty good of late but the offense has stalled. But perhaps a sense of urgency on Wednesday with four of the next five away. Coach Sheldon Keefe also shook up the lines at practice on Tuesday. Boston is pretty banged up on the blueline with Hampus Lindholm and Charlie Coyle out. The B's are 3-7 in their past 10 overall and 1-7 in their past eight away.

Second of a back-to-back for Buffalo, which we cashed by fading Monday in Seattle in a 6-4 loss with backup Devon Levi in net because starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is dealing with an injury. Not sure if he will return Tuesday but I like the Canucks anyways -- certainly a bit more if UPL doesn't play and then it's most likely James Reimer. I think Vancouver might have gotten a season-altering home win Saturday over rival Edmonton as this team is way too talented to be currently outside the West playoff field. Many players were saying afterward that victory might have been the impetus for a hot streak.

This might flip to 5.5 at any moment now that Juuse Saros has been confirmed for Nashville in net so we'll play a little as I struggle to see the short-handed Sharks score more than twice tonight -- Saros had a 1.67 GAA in three starts against them last year -- so this play should depend on whether Alexandar Georgiev can hold the Preds to no more than four.

Ottawa is playing some of its best hockey in years and rookie netminder Leevi Merilainen has also been mostly terrific -- but was shelled last time out by Boston so maybe the league is figuring the 22-year-old out. The Rangers appear to have fixed whatever ailed them for a few weeks there and so has Igor Shesterkin. He is undefeated in regulation over his last five outings, posting a 4-0-1 record, 1.73 GAA and one shutout. Since Jan. 2, the Rangers’ 15 points are tied for the most in the NHL and their 32 goals are tied for the third most.

Pittsburgh has just two wins in its past 10 and likely starting goalie Monday Alex Nedeljkovic is a very mediocre 8-7-4 with a 3.33 GAA and an .890 save percentage. Los Angeles has won nine straight at home, where it plays for the first time since Jan. 4 due to the wildfires and then a road trip.

Purely a fade of Lightning backup Jonas Johansson, who has a mediocre 3.18 GAA on the year. He's in there because it's the front of a B2B for the Bolts. Top blueliner Erik Cernak is in doubt. The Leafs have won the past two starts of Joseph Woll, who is 9-4-0 at home with a 2.55 GAA. Toronto has posted a 2-0-0 record against the Lightning this season, outscoring Tampa Bay 10-5. Toronto also is tied for the league lead in home wins.