PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* TOTAL MASSACRE >> 23-16-1 NHL Run!
(NHL) Colorado vs. Nashville,
Total: 6.00 | -104.00 Under
Result: Loss
Total: 6.00 | -104.00 Under
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Nashville Predators were the No. 8 seed in the West last year but made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Predators were the NHL's best team in the the 2017-18 regular season, going 53-18-11 for a league-high 117 points. However, the Predators had looked less than dominating against the 8th-seeded Avalanche, surrendering the first goal in each of their first three playoff contests. Yes, the Predators overcame early deficits in the first two to take a 2-0 lead but they were unable to do the same in the third.Nashville took a 3-0 lead in Game 4 of the series but the Avs wouldn't go away. That said, the Preds held on for a 3-2 win and are now one win away from advancing to this year's second round. The Avalanche went from the NHL's worst team a year ago (by a wide margin) to a team that went 43-30-9 this season, while earning the West's final wild card spot with 95 points (one more than the Blues' 94!). Colorado has not backed down this series. Potential Hart Trophy finalist Nathan MacKinnon said, "We're still in it, it's not over yet. We can't win the series if we don't win Game 5."
Colorado: MacKinnon scored twice to help Colorado snap a 12-game winless skid to Nashville in Colorado's 5-3 Game 3 win but he saw his five-game point streak (four goals, three assists) halted on Wednesday.in Game 4. Andrew Hammond has been confirmed to start in Game 5, after fellow goaltender Jonathan Bernier sustained a lower-body while making his eighth straight start contest in place of Semyon Varlamov, who is nursing a knee injury. "We've seen him catch lightning in a bottle before and win some hockey games. Hopefully he can do it again," Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said of the 30-year-old Hammond. Bednar is referring to when Hammond took the hockey world by storm in 2014-15 when he posted a 20-1-2 mark with the Ottawa Senators
Nashville: Filip Forsberg has been instrumental in Nashville's success with five points (three goals, two assists) in the series, including a highlight-reel goal and an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 win in Denver. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm set up a pair of goals in Game 4 to increase his assist total to four in as many contests. The Predators will attempt to close out the series without forward Ryan Hartman, who was suspended one game by the NHL on Thursday for an illegal check to the head of Colorado's Carl Soderberg at 4:42 of the third period. Hartman likely will be replaced on the fourth line by rookie Eeli Tolvanen, who has yet to record a point in three regular-season games since being selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne turned aside 31 shots in Game 4 to give the Predators a commanding series lead heading back to Nashville, where he sports a 23-13-0 career mark in the playoffs with a 2.10 goals-against average.
The pick: The Predators will take the ice having won 13 of their previous 14 games against the Avalanche plus they've won 15 of their last 17 postseason home games at Bridgestone Arena. It would be very hard to go against Nashville in this spot but understandably, the price is prohibitive. However, Nashville has scored five goals in each of its first two home games of this series and tonight will face Andrew Hammond, who has played just one game during the regular season and only 17 1/2 minutes in this series. Make the Over a 10* play.
Colorado: MacKinnon scored twice to help Colorado snap a 12-game winless skid to Nashville in Colorado's 5-3 Game 3 win but he saw his five-game point streak (four goals, three assists) halted on Wednesday.in Game 4. Andrew Hammond has been confirmed to start in Game 5, after fellow goaltender Jonathan Bernier sustained a lower-body while making his eighth straight start contest in place of Semyon Varlamov, who is nursing a knee injury. "We've seen him catch lightning in a bottle before and win some hockey games. Hopefully he can do it again," Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said of the 30-year-old Hammond. Bednar is referring to when Hammond took the hockey world by storm in 2014-15 when he posted a 20-1-2 mark with the Ottawa Senators
Nashville: Filip Forsberg has been instrumental in Nashville's success with five points (three goals, two assists) in the series, including a highlight-reel goal and an assist in Wednesday's 3-2 win in Denver. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm set up a pair of goals in Game 4 to increase his assist total to four in as many contests. The Predators will attempt to close out the series without forward Ryan Hartman, who was suspended one game by the NHL on Thursday for an illegal check to the head of Colorado's Carl Soderberg at 4:42 of the third period. Hartman likely will be replaced on the fourth line by rookie Eeli Tolvanen, who has yet to record a point in three regular-season games since being selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne turned aside 31 shots in Game 4 to give the Predators a commanding series lead heading back to Nashville, where he sports a 23-13-0 career mark in the playoffs with a 2.10 goals-against average.
The pick: The Predators will take the ice having won 13 of their previous 14 games against the Avalanche plus they've won 15 of their last 17 postseason home games at Bridgestone Arena. It would be very hard to go against Nashville in this spot but understandably, the price is prohibitive. However, Nashville has scored five goals in each of its first two home games of this series and tonight will face Andrew Hammond, who has played just one game during the regular season and only 17 1/2 minutes in this series. Make the Over a 10* play.
