PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOTAL MASSACRE
(NHL) Calgary vs. Tampa Bay,
Total: 5.50 | -109.00 Under
Result: Win
Total: 5.50 | -109.00 Under
Result: Win
The set-up: The Calgary Flames have pushed their way back into serious playoff contention with four straight wins (all one-goal games!), after Dougie Hamilton's overtime goal gave them a 3-2 victory at Minnesota on Tuesday. They are now 22-16-4 (48 points) on the season. The term "playoff contenders" hardly describes what the Tampa Bay Lightning have accomplished so far in the 2017-18, as the Lightning welcome the Flames to Amelie Arena where they have earned points in 18 of their 21 games this season (17-3-1), after edging visiting Carolina 5-4 on Tuesday. Tampa is 31-9-3 on the season overall and its 65 points are eight more than any other Eastern Conference team and five points more than the West's top team, the Vegas Golden Knights!
Calgary: "These last 40-some games are extremely important, and we've put ourselves in a good spot to push to make playoffs here," Calgary right wing Johnny Gaudreau, who was named to the All-Star Game on Wednesday, told reporters. "If we keep playing the way we've been playing the last few games here, we can go (through) the road trip and into the (upcoming) break feeling pretty good about ourselves." Calgary leans heavily on Gaudreau, who has 13 goals and 36 assists for a team-high 49 points. Goaltender Mike Smith, who spent parts of four seasons with Tampa Bay, has not allowed more than three goals in the last 12 games and stopped 33 of 35 shots in Tuesday's victory. "I don't think we're in these games if it's not for him," Dougie Hamilton told reporters of Smith, who owns a .921 save percentage overall.
Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 60 points but fellow forward Tyler Johnson has been a major factor of late while putting up 12 goals and 11 assists with a plus-18 in his last 17 games after scoring a hat trick Tuesday. "We made a switch with lines and I've found chemistry to (Brayden) Point and (Ondrej) Palat," Johnson said. "Things have just kind of taken off and it's really fun playing with those guys." Defenseman Victor Hedman recorded 16 of his 33 points in the last 14 games and boasts a plus-22 rating since Dec. 1 and was named to the All-Star Game along with Kucherov, captain Steven Stamkos and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (NHL-best 27 wins). Kucherov, who shares the NHL lead with Alex Ovechkin at 27 goals, has built a four-game point streak and Stamkos owns three assists in that span to push his season total to a team-high 35.
The pick: Tampa Bay ranks first in the league in scoring (3.67 GPG) and third on the power play (converting 24.7%), even though they've won their last two games -- 5-2 at Detroit and 5-4 against Carolina -- without going on the power play. Here at home, Tampa Bay averages 3.86 GPG and I expect this game to go "over the total." Make the Over a 10* play.
Calgary: "These last 40-some games are extremely important, and we've put ourselves in a good spot to push to make playoffs here," Calgary right wing Johnny Gaudreau, who was named to the All-Star Game on Wednesday, told reporters. "If we keep playing the way we've been playing the last few games here, we can go (through) the road trip and into the (upcoming) break feeling pretty good about ourselves." Calgary leans heavily on Gaudreau, who has 13 goals and 36 assists for a team-high 49 points. Goaltender Mike Smith, who spent parts of four seasons with Tampa Bay, has not allowed more than three goals in the last 12 games and stopped 33 of 35 shots in Tuesday's victory. "I don't think we're in these games if it's not for him," Dougie Hamilton told reporters of Smith, who owns a .921 save percentage overall.
Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 60 points but fellow forward Tyler Johnson has been a major factor of late while putting up 12 goals and 11 assists with a plus-18 in his last 17 games after scoring a hat trick Tuesday. "We made a switch with lines and I've found chemistry to (Brayden) Point and (Ondrej) Palat," Johnson said. "Things have just kind of taken off and it's really fun playing with those guys." Defenseman Victor Hedman recorded 16 of his 33 points in the last 14 games and boasts a plus-22 rating since Dec. 1 and was named to the All-Star Game along with Kucherov, captain Steven Stamkos and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (NHL-best 27 wins). Kucherov, who shares the NHL lead with Alex Ovechkin at 27 goals, has built a four-game point streak and Stamkos owns three assists in that span to push his season total to a team-high 35.
The pick: Tampa Bay ranks first in the league in scoring (3.67 GPG) and third on the power play (converting 24.7%), even though they've won their last two games -- 5-2 at Detroit and 5-4 against Carolina -- without going on the power play. Here at home, Tampa Bay averages 3.86 GPG and I expect this game to go "over the total." Make the Over a 10* play.
