Carolina is a Cup contender but has a losing road record. ...

Both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are out for the Oilers on Saturday and, you know, they are kinda good/important. Seattle may be without one of its best offensive guys in Chandler Stephenson (48 points) after leaving the Kraken's last game injured. If this weren't in Edmonton, I'd be all over Seattle but it doesn't really have anything to play for, especially away, so we'll try the total.

Possibly the highest that BetRivers will go while still offering -1. Obviously you can manipulate the puckline at your books, but we are rather limited. The Wings are down a few rotational guys led by blueliner Erik Gustafsson (18 points). Per usual, Vegas is one of the best home teams in the league. If I was a betting man -- oh yeah, I am -- this probably pushes, but I doubt loses so I don't see any downside. I tend to live/bet in quadrants (well, quadrant is four and this is three, but I hate geometry): Get better/stay the same/get worse. Or win/push/lose. If one scenario hits two of those three, that's my decision. I think at worst we get the win/push here.

The Wings don't look in the best shape at the moment; with two wins in their last ten, they've started to peel from East playoff contention. The offense has been mostly stagnant the past few weeks, again on Tuesday at Washington in a 4-1 loss. Dylan Larkin's first-period goal was all the Wings could muster. In the six losses in their last eight, the Wings haven't managed to score more than two goals. Thus, the Puck Line seems teed up for the Golden Knights, still fighting for first place in the Pacific (and avoiding the Oilers in the first round), sharp in their return home Thursday night vs. the Bruins in a 5-1 romp helped by Pavel Dorofeyev's hat trick. Play VGK on Puck Line

The Avs are playing at a very high level and will be looking to close out their current three-game road trip with another win. Colorado notched a 5-1 win over Ottawa in its last outing, and thanks to a couple of crafty moves earlier in the season, goaltending is now a strength for Colorado. If the Avs play like they did against the Flames on Thursday, we should cash this one.

Colorado is obviously the better team but this feels like a pretty solid number on the Habs at home as they are pretty good and need every single point possible battling for a WC spot (obviously if they get a point here, we cash) -- and 19-15 ATS at Bell Centre. Possible trap spot for Colorado at the end of a three-game trip through Canada. I've been to Canada several times and definitely wanted to leave after a while. Nothing whatsoever against the country as I truly love it there, such nice people, but I get addicted to poutine and saying "eh" after about 72 hours up yonder so need to leave before I become Canadian severed/Severance so to speak. It's my Cold Harbor.

The Preds continue to nosedive, losing four straight while scoring just three goals across this slump. The last two of those were limp 4-1 loss at Bridgestone vs. the Blues and Ducks, but Andrew Brunette seems to be doing nothing different, once again sending a beleaguered Juuse Saros (now 16-27-6 this season) out in goal and hoping to post a shutout, otherwise it likely won't be enough. Nashville now ranks bottom in NHL scoring (paltry 173 goals). Meanwhile the Leafs hit tonight fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic, and unlike the Preds, Toronto is winning (three straight) and scoring (12 goals last three), with John Tavares netting twice in Thursday's 4-3 win at the Rangers. Play Maple Leafs on Puck Line

Utah hasn't been able to make up much ground in the race for the last West playoff spot. Salt Lake City also hasn't provided the sort of panacea the Hockey Club had wished; Utah has only won 14 of 34 games at Delta Center (14-13-7), with better success on the road. Though the offense awakened in the 7-3 win over erratic Buffalo on Thursday, for the most part the scoring effort has been inconsistent, as the case in Tuesday's 7-1 loss at Edmonton. All troubling for the visit of the Lightning, winners three straight and 13 of 17, with Andrei Vasilevskiy solid in goal in each win in the current uptick, and a winner in 12 of his last 15 starts. Play Lightning on ML

Apologies for slightly late play, but this was an "only if" type deal regarding some Carolina injuries/illnesses, and Shayne Gostisbehere (38 points), Andrei Svechnikov (43 points) and Jordan Staal (33 points) are all apparently out. The Kings have been the best home team in the league so maybe it wouldn't have mattered, but Carolina is too good to bother otherwise.

The Blackhawks rank 32nd in shot share over the last 10 games and have allowed the third-most shots to wingers in that span. They are ranked 30th in shots allowed per game. Jordan Kyrou has generated at least 10 shot attempts in four consecutive games against the Blackhawks, totaling 22 shots on goal in that span. He has hit over 2.5 shots in 65% of home games this season. I have this line closer to -175.

Rantanen is starting to settle into his role in Dallas, and the 28-year-old remains one of the best pure scorers in the NHL. I like this spot for Rantanen to score his third goal as a member of the Stars on Saturday.

Tage Thompson has been a prolific scorer this season, with 34 goals in 59 games, averaging 0.58 goals per game. In his last 10 games, Thompson has scored seven goals, including two multi-goal games. Thompson's shooting percentage this season is an impressive 18.28%, significantly higher than his career average. With five power-play goals this season, Thompson poses a significant threat during man-advantage situations, which could be crucial against Minnesota's defense. The Wild are ranked 27th in shots allowed per game and 30th in penalty kill percentage, the worst rankings of any winning team.

Nothing to do at all with Pittsburgh but that Columbus is in the second of a B2B after playing the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers to a scoreless regulation draw on Thursday, only to lose in OT and then obviously travel -- fine by me, incidentally, as we cashed Jackets yet again at +1.5 at home. And at home, they are truly unreal ATS. But on the road definitely not. Maybe there was a shot No. 1 netminder Elvis Merzlikins would play the second of a B2B Friday if not tested much Thursday, but I can't imagine that now after OT. Which should mean not-good Daniil Tarasov, who has a 3.52 GAA overall and 3.89 on the road. That's a good GPA, not GAA.

Red flag alert for Columbus, which has completely stalled and its playoff hopes now dwindling in a five-game losing streak featuring a very numbing offensive performance...try one goal across the last four games. Not each game, that's total!. Three shutout losses included and wasting some good work in goal the past two games from Jet Greaves (a 2-1 loser on Monday vs. the Devils) and Elvis Merzlikins (1-0 loss, in OT no less, to Florida on Monday). Meanwhile, the Penguins have amazingly stayed on the fringe of East wild card contention, but need two points almost every game from here out. Pittsburgh still kicks because of a recent four-game win streak scoring 18 of the "G-word" (goals) in the uptick. Play Penguins on Puck Line

A real potential four-pointer here in the race for the last West playoff. More precarious tonight for the Blues, as though level with the Canucks on 75 points, Vancouver has a game--in-hand; barring OT, ST Louis could go two points up, or two points down, to Vancouver with one fewer game to play. Vancouver, winner in three of four, will be leaning on GK Kevin Lankinen, who has been only so-so in the nets this month (4-4-0, 2.63 GAA, .888 saves). Meanwhile, the Blues have been in a playoff push since the 4 Nations break, winners in 9 of 12, and GK Jordan Binnington on a hot streak dating to the 4 Nations, winning eight of his last ten starts. Play Blues on Money Line