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I will gladly repeat what I did yesterday. I opted for the decimated Islanders goals under, and my decision turned out to be right. The team lost their two top players and top forwards, Tavares and Vaken, and they weren't good even when the two of them were on the team. They didn't go over two goals in 8 out of the last 10 games, and I don't believe it would happen today. The odds are slightly lower today, due to a sigthly better defense the Flames have, and the fact this is the second game in two days. But, given the situation, the odds still have value. The Flames are definitely not the bad team they were at the beginning of the season, and the situation is very similar to the situation yesterday, only Calgary are in better form and playing better defense. They won two out of the last four games following the break, having conceded more than 3 goals in only one of them (away), and not conceding more than two goals in 7 out of the last 9 games. They must have gotten a confidence boost after conceding only one goal against Ottawa's fiery offense. The difference between Ottawa's offense and the Islanders' defense is currently quite big. All those are reasons to choose this bet, and besides, a month ago Calgary left the Islanders under this margin away, with Vanek and Tavares, both of which will not play today in the game. A good alternative to this option is counterhandicap on Calgary with the local bookmakers at lower odds. Details

There is nice value hidden in this bet, because the odds are not suited for the situation in my opinion, and here are a few reasons why. The first is that the Islanders have traded away Thomas Vanek, one of their best players and attackers, and they will have a hard time without him. Their forward and best scorer, Tavares, got injured in the Olympics, which means they're entering the rest of the season without two of their three key scoring players. The only one remaining is Okposo, but one cannot realistically expect him to work as usual without two of the best players in the team who jointly authored 67 assists this season. Statistically speaking, they were under 2.5 in 7 of their last 9 games. In some they had both Vanek and Tavares, in some just Vanek, and now both of them are gone. Edmonton are far from the team they demolished at the start of the season, they've turned into an under team with a good defense. Most of the praise is due to their goalie Scrivens, who is holding them up and will be at the posts today as well. He averages 93.5%, which speaks enough of his quality to anyone with some knowledge of hockey. Edmonton have not taken more than two goals in the regular league in 10 of their last 13 games, against much stronger offenses than their next opponents can put on the ice. That is the result of their progress and Scrivens' great form. I expect them to concede no more than 2 goals to the crippled Islanders. Details

Edmonton have shown nothing new after the break, they got two consecutive defeats, both at home and both with very poor attacking performances. Of course, they are the last-placed team in the West which no longer has a chance of doing anything this season, and it doesn't seem likely to expect them to move from the bottom. They are facing pumped up Ottawa who know how important this game is in the play-off race. They beat Vancouver yesterday and they proved they can and want, and I expect them to continue their run. They got back into the race and are only three points away from the play-offs and they've got nothing to hope for if they can't beat written-off teams like this. Their confidence has significantly improved lately and I expect them to win. This is a 50-50 game with many bookies but I think the reality is far from that. Ottawa have a better and more potent team than the Oilers and have a much better offense, and I believe this will decide the game. They also have a stronger squad, a better goalie and have shown more. They are coming very motivated here, which is a huge thing, they are very confident and the odds that are set give a nice value to these odds for a final win of a better and a much more motivated team. Details

The situation is clear as day, Medveščak have to win if they want to reach the sixth spot and play against Lev in the play-off quarterfinals. If Medveščak lose in the play-offs today, they face SKA who are a much stronger opponent, in fact, a Russian giant against whom Medveščak have nothing to hope for. Lev are a different story and that's why Medveščak should be motivated today. First of all, CSKA, who are behind them, are playing against a weak opponent, the worst away team in the league and I expect CSKA to beat them with ease, and since they are playing before this game, this will be a bonus for this game as it will only motivate Medveščak. Slovan are not a difficult opponent as they are out of the play-off race and have 4 defeats in last 5 home games, two consecutive defeats against Donbas. In the last round, Spartak eneded their run of 19 defeats against Slovan and so the team that was the laughing stock of the league beat Slovan in Bratislava by 3-0 and I don't think Slovan deserve much respect. A win against CSKA in Moscow showed that Medveščak can handle the pressure, and a win in Prague in the last round showed that as well as they played two very strong games and I expect more of the same today. They are better than Slovan in every aspect of the game and Slovan's confidence will be shaken after their defeat against Spartak, while the difference on goal is also huge as Dex has been a miracle worker lately. I expect Medveščak to win and take the sixth spot as this is a not-to-be-missed chance. Details

Atlant have to win this match if they want to stay in for the playoffs before the last round, and everything they need is on their side. They don't depend only on themselves, but on Lokomotiv, too, who don't have an easy opponent today, and the win is their biggest imperative right now. They're playing great after the break, I' say they even played their two best matches of the season. They're really motivated so, with a handicap, they defeated two opponents who are much stronger than the demoralized Ugra, who don't have a chance for the playoffs. Ugra were defeated convincingly twice after the break, they conceded 10 goals in two matches against the opponents as good as Atlant, so I expect them to lose convincingly today, as well. Atlant are much better than Ugra right now, the difference in their motivation is huge, they're playing in front of their own fans, in the full arena, and I don't doubt they'll win, and I don't think their win will be with less than 2, 3 goals considering the situation. Details

Even though I'm not a huge fan of overs in hockey, the situation here is vary favorable for this bet. First of all, this is a huge derby, the oldest in the NHL as both teams are rivals and these games usually have spectacular hockey, as was the case in three games this season which ended with 7,6 and 8 goals, which provides the statistical basis for this game. The teams are safe in the play-off zone so there is not much pressure for an overly eager defense. The situation is ideal in terms of previous games as both teams have shown unorganized defenses and strong offenses, so Montreal had a game with 11 goals, while Toronto played a 9-goal match. The second reason for this are the leaky defenses. One can expect something similar today, and the injury of the first-choice goalie for Montreal, Price, will make the Leafs' job of scoring somewhat easier. But they're a run'n'gun team anyway and do not care too much for defense, while Montreal seem to accept that system of playing. As much as 6 overs in 8 games in last 2 season, one game had exactly 5 so this seems like a good bet considering this margin, as I think it's more likely to expect 7 than 4 goals here. Details

The Swiss have played three games here at the Olympics and all three ended with a single goal. One of those three was against Latvia at the opening and they score only seconds before the end. They Swedes conceded only a single goal against the mighty Swedes but Berra was the goalie in this game. Jonas Hiller, who was the goalie in two games including the one against Latvia, still hasn't conceded a goal here and he's one of the best goalies in the world at the moment. The Swiss tactics are clear, they're very defensive and I see no reason why they would change that today, especially as the stakes are so high - the Olympic quarter-finals. The Latvians accepted the trench war in the first game and I expect them to do the same. They have the same goalie as in that game and there should be no difference. This cannot even be upset by an early goal as it wasn't against the Czech Republic and I believe we are in for another football-like score, and we have the Swiss defense, one goal in previous H2H, and outstanding Hiller working for us here. Details

This time we have to go against the stats of the Czech team that I believe are not an "over" team as they have shown in the last two games. The reason for that is simple - too much is at stake today. The team that wins will take the second spot in the group and there is even a chance of being the best-placed second team, but even if they aren't, they will have the easier task in the next stage. The Swiss have played two games with one goal, one against Latvia one against very strong Sweden and I expect them on an even higher level today. Their game is very defensive, they have one of the best goalies in the world at the moment., the goalie from the leading NHL team Jonas Hiller. The Czechs have erred in the first two games, they played two six-goal games, but I believe this will not be the case today. They're a strong, hard team and they will put up a good defense here to save themselves from major errors. Their pre-match statements underline the importance of doing better today and I expect them to fulfill that. They have more quality than the Swiss, but this will be a tough one, a lot like the game at the WC last year which ended in three goals. With defensive and careful game from the Swiss, huge importance, and the firm attitude from the Czechs, we could see a football-like scoreline here. Details

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The situation is identical as a few days ago when I had a tip against Vancouver, especially as I trust Toronto even more now. Vancouver have 6 defeats in a row, five of which were by 2 points, that is, by a not-so-narrow margin. They are having some injury problems, they are without their captain and their best player Henrik Sedin, who has the most assists in the team and without whom many things do not function at all. Their four defenders are out, three of which are very important and this is the reason for their poor performances lately. This Vancouver will have a hard time coping against the red hot Toronto who have four wins in last 5 games, who are filled with confidence after the away game against Tampa. The Leafs have won six home games in a row, they are in good form on both ends, Bernier is reliable on goal and they have a huge advantage over the injury stricken Canucks who are in poor form and have only a minimal chance of winning the game here. Details

Vancouver are coming to Montreal with a run of 5 defeats and without almost their entire defense and I can't ignore that. And they didn't just barely lose those games, these were five convincing defeats and bad performances on both ends make me inclined to betting on the home team. Vancouver are definitely missing four defenders, two are in doubt, even though I think they won't play, and this will be their fourth away game in a row which is why fatigue should be a major factor. Montreal have been good lately, they're out of the slump, they've improved their confidence, they're playing great defense, and their coach is happy, which is a good sign. I trust Montreal this season, and when both teams are complete, the Habs have shown more this season and they've already beaten Canucks once this season. Both teams were complete then and Montreal won the game convincingly which is why they have a huge advantage here - in form, injuries and home court. Details

Without Alfredsson, Franzen, and Datsyuk, Detroit are clearly not doing so great on offense. They've scored more than two goals only once in their last six games, and even often stayed at one or no goals. The absences have limited them offensively, and along with the three names stated above, the list of absent players also includes Andersson, Emmerton, and even Weiss. It is simply hard to play with half your offense missing. As the defending champions, Chicago are once again one of the strongest teams of the league, they've tightened their defense lately which means they no longer have goal-fests, and things are looking better. They beat the best two offenses of the league, Boston and Anaheim, limiting them to below 3 goals. I believe that will happen here as well, as Detroit's form and absences in offense leave them a chance only if they play defense. In 7 of their last 10 matches Chicago conceded under 3 in regular time, they are back in form and are the favorites here. However, as the odds on end totals are not exactly stellar, and extra time is always a possibility, I'm going to choose under on Detroit, for which there are plenty of reasons, and I also think that would be the best option in this match. Details

It's enough to look at last games from St. Louis to see what their defense is all about and they as they haven't conceded over 2 goals per game in 7 games, even though they lost the last game. They are in good form and I trust them because they are one of the best teams in the league at the moment and because Phoenix are in poor form. They have some problems with efficiency as they lost last 11 out of 14 games and I don't see them getting 3 goals here in any scenario. A win for the home team plays similar to this under but I'd rather go for an under for the Coyotes as there is always a chance for over-time in NHL. The reason is simple, I trust the home team's defense but not their offense as they are without their best forward Steen. In the first game this season, Phoenix scored two goals in the regular time and won the game in over-time but that's not realistic to happen, and after all, the Arizona team failed to go over two goals in the two games against the Blues last season. They once got 0 goals and once goat a single goal and if the visitors will do anything here it will be in a very tough game. Details

Anaheim are the best team of the league at the moment, and also the best host with 18 wins out of 20 home games so far. They have six consecutive wins, 16 out of the last 17 matches, and I really can't remember the last time someone owned the NHL for that long. They defeated Detroit in their first match this season, in the away game, and very convincingly, scoring five goals, which is another reason for this bet, but not the most important one. Detroit celebrated in Los Angeles yesterday. LA had problems with their game, but were completely outshot and outplayed, and it was the goalie Howard who basically helped them win. Howard got injured yesterday, and will be out today. Their second goalie Gustavsson is also out, so the third goalie, young Mrazek, who only has three starts this season and not a lot of NHL experience, will take the goal tending. They're also missing three out of their four best forwards, Alfredsson, Franzen and Datsyuk who are the leaders of this team, so I don't think Zetterberg can deal with Ducks by himself. There are three more absences and that's just too much. With an inexperienced young goalie against the hellish Ducks' offense, and without almost all of their best and most experienced players, I don't see them standing a chance, even more so because Anaheim are in a perfect shape, and they already easily defeated them once before in this season. Details

Phoenix haven't been in a good shape lately, with three defeats out of their last four matches, they have problems with the realization, and the only ones they defeated were the weak Calgary who played their second match in two days. But, Phoenix aren't the main reason for this bet, it's the ratio between these two clubs this season, 4-0 for the Ducks, who are the leading team of the league. They defeated them twice in the regular time, twice in the overtime, and they defeated them even here, in an away game. Anaheim play well both at home and away, with five wins in a row, and they seem unstoppable at the moment. The Ducks are in a better shape, 4-0 score this season speaks for itself, and their win seems like a good pick. Details

This teams are in completely different forms. Colorado have started a great run, they have 3 home wins in a row, they have the momentum working for team and are facing a team that they've beaten twice this season in regular time. They have been playing great lately, but that's not the sole reason for this bet but the fact that Calgary are in a terrible run of form, having four consecutive home defeats and scoring only a single goal in those 4 games which is very bad. They are missing their most important offensive defenseman Russel and they've shown how difficult playing without their forwards Jones, Glencross and Stempniak is as they're absence is really felt. Their absence has been reflected on the results and I expect Colorado to win this one with easy as Calgary don't have a chance with this form and list of absent players, all the more so as Colorado have already beaten them twice when they were complete. Details

The Ducks are the best home team in the league, their home score is 15-2, they're the second team in the league and are one of the title contenders. They play great hockey, have 11 wins in last 12 games, they beat the Sharks 3 days ago and have rested before hosting the last team of the West who got crushed in San Jose last night. The Oilers conceded 5 goals and they have three consecutive defeats and are the worst defense in the league. The Ducks have one of the most fearsome attacks especially at home and I don't see any chance for the away team who are very tired and demoralized after yesterday's defeat, while the Ducks are waiting for them rested and hungry for new wins. The Sharks beat the Oilers by 5-1 last night and the Ducks scored 6 goals against those very same Sharks in their last game. The Ducks have already beaten Oilers, they didn't cover the spread but considering the b2b game for the away team, the situation is somewhat different today. Details

Anaheim are going for the tenth consecutive win that I believe will happen for a number of reasons. The first one is their top shape at the moment, and a great game on both ends. Almost all of the injured players are back, and this season, the score between these two teams is 3-0 for Anaheim. Only the first one was won outside the regular time, the two others easily with a handicap, and I believe the same scenario will play out here. Phoenix haven't been brilliant lately - five defeats in six matches and a weak realization mark the period behind them. The main reason for such a state is the captain and the main forward Shane Doan's absence - he's a heart of this team, and it's obviously not working out without him. Defenseman Michalek's absence is also harming them. Another reason is that they played an exhausting game in San Jose last night, they must have spent a lot of strength to catch up with the result, they played the overtime and took penalty shots, and ended up losing which definitely won't help them mentally. That's why I don't expect them in their full neither physically nor mentally, and they're also without Doan, so this should be a one way street. Details

For me, these odds are too high for an under of the good defense that Chicago and Colorado both have and these things should be taken. Even though this is their only game this season went over by a single goal, I don't believe this should happen and I don't believe there will be a trashing here. Colorado are an "under" team although they get an over here and there as witnessed in 10 unders in 15 games. On average, they are one of the best defenses in the West. Chicago, the reigning NHL champions are ea very hard team and their stats might be misleading as their defense is much better than the stats would suggest. They have 3 unders in last 4 games and some very good defensive performances which is crucial for this game. Raanta is great on goal whileColorado have crazy Varlamov as goalie and he has been brilliant this season. This makes the chances of an under in this game much higher than for an over and these odds have to be used. Details

Three head to head games these teams played this season and three unders at this margin are enough to place this bet with acceptable odds. Minnesota are a defense oriented team in which defense plays the crucial part. Only two overs in the last 16 games confirm that. Their offense is doing quite bad lately, which only goes to give you another reason to bet on this, because on the other hand, the Jets can't destroy them either - they're not good in offense either lately. The Jets have quite a good defense as well, especially in games against great teams such as Minnesota. That was clear in head to head games this season, and I believe similar will happen here. Details