NHL GAME PREVIEWS & BETTING TIPS

Game 6 lands at the Bell Centre on Friday night with Montreal one win away from moving on and Tampa Bay one loss away from an early exit. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM on ESPN2, and the setup is pretty simple now. The Canadiens lead the series 3-2, they are back on home ice, and they have a

Game 6 heads to TD Garden on Friday night with Buffalo holding a 3-2 series lead and a real chance to finish this first-round matchup on the road. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM on ESPN, and this one carries a pretty clear tension on both sides. The Sabres have already won twice in Boston during this series, while

Game 6 shifts to Delta Center on Friday night with Vegas carrying a 3-2 series lead and a real chance to finish this first-round matchup on Utah’s home ice. Puck drop is set for 10:00 PM ET on ESPN, and it feels like one of those playoff spots where the pressure lands on both benches a little differently. Vegas has

Dallas heads to Grand Casino Arena on Thursday night for Game 6 with its season on the line. Minnesota leads this first-round series 3-2, so the setup is pretty clean now: the Wild can close it out at home, while the Stars have to win to force a Game 7 back in Texas. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM

The Edmonton Oilers head to Honda Center on Thursday night for a 10:00 PM start on TNT knowing there is no margin left. Anaheim leads this first-round series 3-2, so Game 6 is simple for Edmonton: win and drag this matchup back to Rogers Place, or the season ends on the road. The Ducks, meanwhile, are one win from closing

Game 5 is where this series starts to feel different. Montreal and Tampa Bay are tied 2-2, and after four games of thin margins, one bounce, one special-teams mistake, or one goalie stretch can swing the whole matchup. Puck drop is set for 7:00 PM at Benchmark International Arena, with ESPN2 carrying the broadcast. The Canadiens had a real shot

Game 6 heads to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Wednesday night with the Flyers holding a 3-2 lead and the pressure finally shifting a bit. Philadelphia had this series at 3-0, then dropped Games 4 and 5, so this is no longer just a closeout spot. It is a response spot. Puck drop is set for 7:30 PM ET, and the

Game 5 shifts back to T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday night, and this series feels exactly like what a 2-2 first-round matchup should feel like. Utah heads to Las Vegas for a 10:00 PM ET puck drop on TNT after letting a 4-3 third-period lead slip away in overtime in Game 4. That stings a bit, obviously, but it also says

Boston heads to KeyBank Center with no margin left. Game 5 is set for Tuesday at 7:30 PM ET, and the Bruins are trying to extend a series that now sits 3-1 in Buffalo’s favor after the Sabres rolled to a 6-1 win in Game 4. The setting matters here because Buffalo is back home with a closeout chance, while