James's Past Picks
In my opinion this is the safest bet for this game. The Avs seem to have moved on from the Val Nichushkin drama, and the Stars look like the most complete team in the NHL. It's hard for me to see this game staying under 6 goals.
The Avs found a spark in Game 5, and seem to be moved on from the Val Nicushkin drama. Colorado's home ice advantage is legitimate, and I expect another big performance from Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. I like the Avs to force a Game 7.
I'm going to chalk Game 3 up as an anomaly. Both goaltenders were very good -- Georgiev allowed two goals (two of Dallas' goals were empty-netters, and Oettenger was simply phenomenal in allowing one. I expect both teams to be better offensively on Monday night. Look for an extreme sense of urgency out of the Avs and the likes of MacKinnon, Rantanen, Makar, and Nichuskin. Colorado may also be welcoming back Jonathan Drouin, who has missed the entire postseason. As usual...SGP will be posted on Twitter.
While this isn't technically an elimination game, the Avs simply cannot afford to lose both home games and fall behind 3-1 in the series. Colorado not only lost in Game 3, but they were thoroughly dominated in doing so. It's hard for me to fathom another lackluster performance from MacKinnon, Rantanen, Makar, and Nichuskin. I love Dallas' team and its depth, but the Avs were the best home team in the NHL this season and I expect that to show on Monday night.
I understand that both teams in this matchup excel on the defensive end, but this number is still too low in my opinion. Three of the four games in this series have hit 7 total goals, and I've seen no reason to believe that will change on Monday night.
MSG will be rockin for this one, and I'm taking the Rangers to close things out on Monday night. New York took Carolina's best punch in Game 4 and hung tight until the end. The difference in this one is the advantage that comes from playing in the Garden. The Rangers have yet to lose at MSG in the playoffs and I expect that to continue.
This will be the first game of this series at Ball Arena, and I fully expect the Avs to push the tempo and try to use the altitude to their advantage on Saturday night. You can count on Alexandar Georgiev allowing at least a couple goals each night, but you can also count on the Colorado attack to make things difficult for Dallas on the other end. I expect a very similar output to what we saw in Game 1 and Game 2 with this contest finishing at 7+ total goals scored.
The Avs got outplayed for two periods in Game 2, but still managed to make things interesting, pulling to within one goal of the Stars in the third period. I expect Colorado to come out firing from the start with the sole intention of trying to avoid falling behind early for the third consecutive game. The Avs were the best home ice team in the NHL this season, and I expect that trend to continue in Game 3. I toyed with taking the Avs at -1.5 on the puck line at +180, but I settled in on the Moneyline as the play at a fairly reasonable price. Bonus: SGP will be posted on Twitter closer to game time.
This is my top play for this game. Both teams are outstanding when it comes to keeping the puck out of the net, but I just have a hard time seeing this game staying under six goals. Carolina is playing for their season, but the Rangers have momentum on their side. Look for some fireworks in this Game 4 matchup.
Analytics and stats would suggest that this series being 3-0 in the Rangers' favor is a fluke. Regardless, there is something special about this NYR team. I am going with my gut and taking the Rangers to close this series out on the road with a modest 0.5 unit play here.
The Avs are rolling and the play of Alexandar Georgiev continues to be hard to figure out. Needless to say, getting this number at plus-money is surprising. I anticipate another high scoring affair in this one, much like Game 1 of this series.
I was hoping to lock this in at 6, but I was a little late. Still, I feel good about this game getting to 7+ goals. The Avs were incredible on the offensive end in their first round series, and Val Nichuskin has added another layer to an already lethal attack. Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon are as good as any trio in the league, and they completely embarrassed the best goalie in the NHL this year, in Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck. Colorado's goalie situation is unclear heading into Game 1, and I do expect Dallas to have plenty of success on that end as well. Getting this number at plus-money is an added bonus. Bonus: I'll post my SGP on Twitter this afternoon.
Alexandar Georgiev wasn't on the ice for Colorado's morning skate, so there is a bit of uncertainty on the Avs' side. Still, there is A LOT to like about Colorado's chances here. The Stars went seven games (G7 was on Sunday) against a physical Vegas team, while the Avs have had a full week of rest. Colorado was dominant against the Jets in Round 1 and look like a team that is dialed in and motivated to make another deep run. Plus...the Avs want revenge for Dallas knocking them out of the playoffs in the second round in 2020.
I'm going to keep this one simple. At this point in the season, I like what I see from Juuse Saros more than what I've seen from Arturs Silovs. Throw in the home ice advantage for the Preds, and it adds up to playing the Nashville ML here.
I'm not in love with this price, but I do think the Oilers ML is the play here. The Kings went on a nice run during the regular season and do a nice job of keeping the puck out of their own net. Nonetheless, the Oilers looked primed for a run this season. I expect McDavid and his boys to end this series at home on Wednesday.