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.

Colorado cannot afford to drop both games at home and head back to Dallas down 3-1, and I expect them to step up and avoid such a fate. The Avs were 31-10 at home in the regular season and are 2-1 in Colorado this postseason. I just think this Avalanche team is too good to go down without a fight, so give me a big Nathan MacKinnon game and a Colorado win this evening.

Dallas is excellent, but it still would be moderately surprising for the Avs to lose back-to-back home playoff games. Nathan MacKinnon (9-12—21 in 18 GP), Mikko Rantanen (6-15—21 in 18 GP) and Cale Makar (2-14—16 in 12 GP) have plenty of experience in games where the Avalanche trailed in a playoff round. And Colorado might get back injured forward Jonathan Drouin tonight. He scored a career-high 56 points in 79 games this season but was hurt in the RS finale. Drouin is a game-time call.

Including the playoffs, Colorado is 33-11 at home. They need. They have McKinnon. This seems like a seven gamer.

Though the Avs were involved in their first "under" of the postseason in Saturday's loss to the Stars at Ball Arena, they had scored a whopping 35 goals across their first seven Stanley Cup games this spring. A bit manic, this Colorado, perhaps explaining the 2-1 deficit it must overcome vs. Dallas, but a good flag-bearer for the "over" trend in the second round that now stands 11-3 into Monday's games. Dallas precision has allowed it to score 12 goals across the first three games of this series, so a return to the higher-scoring trends in Game 4 would be no surprise. Play Stars-Avs "Over"

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 price is obviously stupid, but I can't believe the Rangers are home dogs up 3-1 and unbeaten at MSG in these playoffs. Happily take the +1.5 gift. Our max is two units, so that's the play. You can definitely count on this being part of my new daily Twitter (will never say X) parlay as well Monday, but I'm fine solo. While I'm certainly not ruling out the Canes winning (couldn't care less who wins), I would be quite surprised if it's by multiple goals barring some empty net nonsense and that's obviously the risk. Igor Shesterkin has won eight straight home starts dating to the regular season.

This game has 2-2 late third written all over it. I find it hard to believe either team gets 4 goals unless we get an empty netter. Really like first period under 1.5 which I have played in the East every game this round to a whopping win total

On a knife's edge! That's how this series has been conducted, with a succession of one-goal margins and a pair of overtimes in the first four games. Every game has been a toss-up, which is why we think Carolina is hardly out of this series despite being down 3-1 entering MSG tonight. But this series has done its part to sustain the "over" trend in the second round, landing that way in three of the first four games, with plenty of firepower on the ice to make it four of five; note the 14 different goalscorers in the playoffs for Carolina, while the Rangers have had Mika Zibanejad (13 points) and Vincent Trocheck (12 points) producing since the Caps series. Play Canes-Rangers "Over"

This series reminds me why I started liking hockey as a kid. Dudes flying around and scoring plenty of goals. Really an entertaining first two games. Thought maybe the Canucks would go back to Casey DeSmith in net after Arturs Silovs allowed four goals in each of the first two, but Silovs is in there again. Counterpart Stuart Skinner hasn't been any better in this series but had significantly better home numbers during the regular season.

There were oddities associated with Game 3, including a double-minor on the Bruins midway in the second period that gave the Panthers an effective five-minute power play, resulting in two Florida goals. All in all, there were four Panthers power-play goals in their 6-2 win in Game 3. Whatever the dynamics, it looks like Florida has solved Jeremy Swayman, as the Panthers forced him out of Game 2 and peppered him in Game 3, and not sure that a possible switch to Linus Ullmark in goal will help Boston stem the tide. Note that each of the first three games in this series have landed on the "over" side as have ten of the twelve games thus far in the second round. Play Panthers-Bruins "Over"