It's a quick turnaround for the Canucks tonight after their win in Dallas on Thursday, and that means Thatcher Demko is due for a rest in goal, with Kevin Lankinen (not sharp in a loss vs. the Blues on Monday) penciled in to work between the nets tonight at United Center for Vancouver. We admit liking what we're seeing from the revived Blackhawks, who blew out those same Blues in St Louis on Wednesday, as emerging Frank Nazar is now giving Chicago some bite on its top three lines with Connor Bedard and Teuvo Teravainen continuing to excel with their own linemates. Play Blackhawks on the Money Line.

It took me a long time to come to accept a push in football at 3 or 7. Who wants a tie after all that homework? Like football, I'm coming to grips with it in the NHL even on dogs. In the early season, the books give us stupidly high +1.5 prices while they focus their attention elsewhere. And I can't justify paying -200 (+1.5) on the Blackhawks on anything short of missing the playoffs. But they really have looked better, and it's the second of a B2B for the Nucks off a much more important game (I'd imagine in the players' minds) in Dallas. Former Blackhawk Kevin Lankinen thus should start in net Friday and he looked bad in his lone outing thus far.