Three of these four teams don’t have much to play for aside from pride, contracts for next season, or maybe the opportunity to get traded to a contender. There is one team that is desperate for a win and points in the standings. Whether the points matter or not, there are still wagers to be made.
Moneyline: Washington Capitals (-155) vs New York Islanders (+125)
The Islanders likely won’t make the playoffs, but they enter the game on a three-game win streak with a 10-12-4 record on the road. Ilya Sorokin and Anders Lee are single-handedly earning the team wins of late, with Sorokin winning four of his last five games with two shutouts in that span, while Lee has seven goals during his current four-game goal streak.
The Capitals enter the game with a 14-11-5 home record and are 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Alexander Ovechkin hasn’t scored in two games and will be looking to snap that streak, while Evgeny Kuznetsov is coming off a hat-trick in his last game and riding a five-game points streak. The Caps are tied for tenth in goals for in the league while the Islanders struggle to score, sitting third last. Washington should find a way to break down New York’s defense and emerge victorious in this one.
Moneyline: Montreal Canadiens (-165) vs Arizona Coyotes (+140)
The Arizona Coyotes are playing in back-to-back nights after Scott Wedgewood got the win last night against the Ottawa Senators. Although Arizona won the game, they faced 43 shots and were chasing the puck for most of the game. Considering they will travel from Ottawa to Montreal after a long and difficult game, their energy levels should be running low. Nick Schmaltz has done the heavy lifting for Arizona on offense, with 16 points in his last six games, while Karel Vejmelka will be the one getting the nod in a back-to-back situation after coming off a loss to the Boston Bruins.
Montreal is firing on all cylinders and much improved under their new head coach. Cole Caufield looks like a completely different player under Martin St. Louis and is coming off a two-point game in which he scored the overtime winner. The Canadiens should be well-rested after returning home from Philadelphia with a day in between their games. Jump on the Canadiens in this game because of the back-to-back set and the fact that the Coyotes only mustered up 15 shots on goal in their last game.
Odds via BetMGM and Yahoo
