NHL Picks

The Montreal Canadiens will be trying to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Buffalo Sabres when these 2 teams tangle again in Montreal on Tuesday night. Having won consecutive contests by a combined margin of 11-3, the Habs have a ton of momentum heading into Game 4. I think they should be able to maintain it, so my Sabres vs Canadiens pick is for the home team to prevail. As a 6-2 scoreline in Game 3 suggests, the Canadiens were by far the superior side on Sunday. They produced more shots and more hits, won more faceoffs and compiled fewer penalty minutes. The Sabres scored just 1 goal in 5-on-5 situations. Montreal found the back of the net 4 times in 5-on-5, and none of its goals came on an empty net. It was simply legitimate domination from start to finish.

Perhaps even more alarming for Buffalo is that it got clobbered in Game 2 at home even though it came up with more shots and more hits while taking fewer penalty minutes. That would indicate that Montreal is getting more high-danger scoring chances and also better goaltending. And that would be true. Jakub Dobes has amassed a 2.13 goals-against average and .918 save percentage during these playoffs. The Sabres, on the other hand, have a decision to make regarding goalies Alex Lyon and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. Neither one inspires much confidence. Luukkonen started the first 2 games of round 1 against the Bruins, during which he was saddled with a dreadful 4.19 GAA and a .821 SVP. UPL hasn’t been seen on the ice since. Lyon came out hot when he got his opportunity, but he has allowed a ridiculous 9 goals in his last 2 starts. The Habs have won 3 of the last 4 head-to-head matchups and 8 of the last 11. Seven of those 8 victories have come by multiple goals.

Sabres vs Canadiens Game 4 prediction: Montreal ML (-134) available at time of publishing. Playable to -140.

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The Anaheim Ducks aim to maintain their momentum in Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. After securing a 4-3 victory, they have tied the series at two games apiece. However, winning at least one more game on the road remains a significant challenge. Throughout the season, Anaheim has struggled to generate offence on the road, as evidenced by the first two games of the series. While they managed to steal Game 2, they faltered in Game 3, losing 6-2. Goaltending continues to be a concern, but there is a positive note: Lukas Dostal performed well in his two starts at the beginning of the series.

Vegas is the stronger team on paper and has shown they can get contributions from all players in the lineup. Mark Stone is questionable for Game 5, and although his absence would affect both the offence and defence, this is a veteran group that knows how to succeed. The Golden Knights need to increase their shots on goal, as it’s only a matter of time before some find the back of the net. This game is likely to be closely contested, but we expect Vegas to take care of business in regulation and secure the win.

Ducks vs Golden Knights Game 4 prediction: Golden Knights 3-Way ML (+105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number or better.

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Game 4 between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild is here, and boy do we have a series now. After Colorado stormed out to a commanding 2-0 lead, Minnesota bounced right back to win Game 3 in a convincing 5-1 victory — making this upcoming game highly enticing. It is time for an Avalanche vs Wild pick to get you prepared for Game 4.

From the very get-go of this series, each team has shown an explosion of offense. In this series alone (3 games), Colorado has scored 15 goals and Minnesota 13. Furthermore, these teams are tied for the highest goals-per-game average in the playoffs at 4.00. Both starting goaltenders in the series (Jesper Wallstedt and Scott Wedgewood) have been pulled at least once already, and it looks like the constant defensive-zone headaches will not be over any time soon. The Avalanche remain healthy and deep, and in a rebound effort I expect them to find the back of the net more than the 1 goal they posted in Game 3. Meanwhile, the Wild are facing some injury drama without Joelle Eriksson-Ek and Jonas Brodin, but their elite players are fully leading the way in all aspects — and in an attempt to tie the series, they will do the same. No matter how this one finishes, goals should be flying back and forth as they have all series. I’m going with Over 6.5 for this Avalanche vs Wild prediction.

Avalanche vs Wild prediction: Over 6.5 (+100) available at time of publishing. Playable to -125.

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