Matt's Picks (1 Live)
Do you remember the 80s? I'm sure many of you not even born, but back then you earned bank to buy something, for some reason, that had Vuarnet on it (or Girbaud). It was just French cool. I have no idea what's cool now, but I expect to have some Vuarnet money with this. Are the Sharks the cash cow they were earlier in the year? No, but we are all over this. San Jose is 24-10 ATS and "Après la pluie, le beau temps." I hope that means I desire a grilled cheese with pickles inside. It does metaphorically ... and now that's happening in next 24 hours. "Florida Man dies after having forgotten to check his cheese is 4 years past date."
Can't deny that I've been in a bit of an NHL malaise for about 10 days, but boy did we get a gift in the Blackhawks' last game when they blew a 2-0 third-period lead and lost 3-2 in Toronto for a third straight defeat. I'll have to fade Chicago almost daily as long as Connor Bedard is out (two total goals in two games without) as it's not a great offensive team even with the former No. 1 overall pick. Montreal runs super hot and cold, so we have to hope for the former. The Habs won 3-2 in Chicago on Oct. 11 and a similar score/push would not surprise here, but maybe we get lucky. I think regulation is fine.
For -160 this is a pretty reasonable price simply as Nashville really has turned its season around and has the major carrot inching one game of reaching .500 for the first time since before Halloween. Better health has certainly helped, and Juuse Saros 6. Saros 5-1-0 with a 2.53 GAA and a .920 save percentage this month. Carolina is certainly the better team but has played three straight past regulation and that's all we care about. The Canes also could be looking ahead a bit to Friday's trip to Florida in the first meeting with the champs since the Panthers beat Carolina in the 2025 East Finals.
I don't know why, yet again, I can't get +1 on Sharks games on here but that's what I'd recommend simply for OT insurance. But this isn't too bad as I'm not really sure why the Flames are favored even if playing better of late. They are still well below .500 away and the Sharks well above at home. It's San Jose's first home game in nearly two months and it stole wins in Toronto and Pittsburgh to conclude a long road trip. One of Calgary's top forwards in Mikael Baklund (16 points, +1) is iffy. The Flames have won the past seven in the series, but that just means SJ is due.
I'm not sure why I am not being offered -1 with the moneyline having dipped this low. I've gotten it before on prices near -240. But I'll play Leafs -1 priced -150 (it's there). Regulation works too. The Hawks put superstar Connor Bedard on IR Monday and he's everything. Top young blueliner Artyom Levshunov will sit for disciplinary reasons. So yeah I'll do two units at -1 as I struggle to see a Toronto home loss barring Spencer Knight standing on his head for the visitors. Chicago is struggling anyways, especially away at 1-5 in the past six on the road. Good injury news for the Leafs with top goalie Joseph Woll activated off IR. He is 2-0 this month with a 1.20 GAA.
There appears to be a bit of a bug going around the Kings' locker room as they will be without two centers in Quinton Byfield (19 points, +5) and Phillip Danault (five points, +3). The Kings are slumping offensively anyways with three total goals in a two-game skid that both included overtime. It is Stars backup Casey DeSmith, but he has better numbers (2.23 GAA, .920 SV) than No. 1 Jake Oettinger does. Dallas is also getting a bit heathier on the blueline. It has gotten points in their last seven games played vs. Los Angeles at American Airlines Center (6-0-1).
Extremely fair price on the Jets after reigning Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck returned from injury over the weekend and dominated in a win over Washington. Third different city since Thursday for Ottawa, which is down three injured regulars in forwards in Lars Eller and Shane Pinto and blueliner Thomas Chabot. The Jets swept this series last season pretty easily.
Can't say I love this as the Devils have some injuries, but the Canucks got significantly worse when they traded All-Star defenseman Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. I don't get that at all but maybe wasn't gonna re-up. Almost feels like a punt year now. Whatever is Canadian for punt (rouge?). Where did Hughes want to go? New Jersey to play with his brothers. Alas, Jack is still out. Maybe the best remining player the Nucks have in Elias Pettersson will not play due to injury. This should at worst push but so should Kings have on Saturday. It's the NHL ...
Calgary is playing much better of late but Dustin Wolf is 3-8-0 away with a 4.05 GAA. And he has been confirmed in net. The Kings are rested and healthy. Regulation is fine. L.A.'s Anze Kopitar has scored 10 power-play goals vs. Calgary, tied for his highest total against any one opponent. He also leads the Kings with seven points over the last two seasons in head-to-head matchups with the "I will be the Flame" -- great 80s hair band song by Cheap Trick.
Will just do a half here because maybe Habs rookie goalie Jacob Fowler is the real deal. He got me Thursday in Pittsburgh, but I mean against Igor Shesterkin? And it's the front end of a B2B. The Rangers are not playing well but it hasn't been Shesterkin's fault as the former Vezina winner has been quite good. The books can't tell what to make of Fowler, either, as the totals are all over the place.
The books keep pricing Edmonton like it is last year(s). I'm not saying they won't win. When you have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, you can always win. But there is no way they should be favored in Toronto. I have been to a Maple Leafs game (back then the fans smoked like chimneys). Just a different vibe, really, really cool. I will go to a Leafs-Habs game in Montreal before I leave this earth. It's just so different up there how they care. Cannot wait for the Olympic hockey tournament (I'll be playing Canada +140 with a splash on Sweden longshot), if, you know, they actually build the arena.
I would crush Under 6.5 if offered, but I'd also crush a grape Kool-Aid right now. Oddly sounds refreshing. I don't think I've had KA in 30 years, not sure why it's in my dome. But you better believe it's in my Amazon cart right now. Along with Laffy Taffy. Pretty sure I will need to see the dentist. The Kraken can't score as it is and one of their top forwards, Jared McCann, is in doubt. I often like to back teams ahead of a long road trip because that final game at home takes on a bit more significance and that's where the Mammoth are. Not playing great otherwise. Probably pushes but therein is the beauty of -1.
Tuesday's Oilers OT loss hurt. They were rolling entering and facing basically some Sabres roadkill in the second of a B2B for Buffalo on the road. I watched (do we say watched or streamed these days?) that on ESPN+. You could see the Edmonton players getting outworked, taking for granted first two periods. Then third, they just went "Kirk: Energize." That's the fun team I like to back, flying around the rink and scoring at will. Alas, Edmonton blew an epic rally and lost in OT. Sadly, goaltending matters. That's hockey folks. But I'm going right back at -1 with the visitors in the second of a B2B.
Purely a goalie play as it's the NHL debut of Montreal's Jacob Fowler in net. The 21-year-old is likely the team's future in net and has been good in the AHL, but facing future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, etc., is a whole different level. Habs forward Jake Evans (4G, 4A) is out. Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry is 4-0-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .915 save percentage over his last six appearances. He's 3-0-0 at home this year.