NHL GAME PREVIEWS & BETTING TIPS

Hurricanes brace for stern challenge vs. surging Senators The Carolina Hurricanes worked all season to secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference, and now they turn their attention to the next phase of the season on Saturday afternoon. They’ll welcome the Ottawa Senators for the opener of the first-round series in Raleigh, N.C. “We’ve been eager for this for

Stars take win streak into playoffs as Wild goalies await The Dallas Stars are entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs on a different path this season. When they host the Minnesota Wild in Game 1 of their first-round series on Saturday, the Stars will be riding a five-game winning streak. A year ago, Dallas entered the playoffs on a season-long seven-game

St. Louis heads to the Delta Center on Thursday night for its season finale against Utah, with puck drop set for 7:30 PM on ESPN. The Blues come in at 36-33-12 and out of the playoff race, but they are not limping to the finish. They have won three straight and piled up 18 goals across those games, which changes

San Jose heads to Canada Life Centre on Thursday night for an 8:00 PM matchup with Winnipeg on NBCS in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Sharks come in at 38-35-8, while the Jets are 35-34-12, so the records are close enough to make this more competitive than the price might suggest at first glance. Still, the setup matters.

Los Angeles heads to Scotiabank Saddledome on Thursday night for a 9:00 PM ET puck drop against Calgary on ESPN+ in the regular-season finale for both clubs. The Kings come in at 35-26-20 and have already punched their playoff ticket, while the Flames sit at 33-39-9 and are playing out the final game of a disappointing season. That gives this

Seattle closes its season on the road Thursday night, heading into Ball Arena for a 10:00 PM ET puck drop against Colorado on ESPN. The Kraken come in at 34-36-11 and out of the playoff picture, while the Avalanche are 54-16-11, first in the Central, first in the West, and already locked into the Presidents’ Trophy. That changes the feel

The Vancouver Canucks close their season Thursday night with a road trip to Rogers Place for a 9:00 PM ET puck drop against the Edmonton Oilers on ESPN+. Vancouver comes in at 25-48-8 and buried at the bottom of the Western Conference, while Edmonton is 40-30-11 and still playing for something real. The Oilers cannot catch Vegas for the division,

Anaheim heads to Bridgestone Arena on Thursday night for an 8:00 PM ET puck drop against Nashville on ESPN+ in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Ducks enter at 42-33-6 and have already clinched a playoff spot, while the Predators are 38-33-10 and were eliminated earlier this week. So the angle here is a little uneven. Anaheim still has

Mammoth host Blues in final postseason tune-up A spirited surge has afforded the Utah Mammoth the luxury of kicking up their heels in their regular-season finale against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday in Salt Lake City. Nick Schmaltz scored a pair of power-play goals on Tuesday to help the Mammoth (43-32-6, 92 points) clinch the top wild-card spot in