NHL GAME PREVIEWS & BETTING TIPS

Avs to put ‘dangerous’ offense up against upset-minded Kings The Colorado Avalanche are prohibitive favorites in their first round Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings, which begins with Game 1 on Sunday at Denver. The Avalanche (55-16-11, 121 points) won the Presidents’ Trophy as the team with the best regular-season record. They also led all

Ottawa opens its playoff run on the road Saturday night at Lenovo Center, and this is not an easy first draw. Carolina gets home ice, carries the stronger market respect, and comes in priced like the more complete team. That part is not surprising. The Hurricanes usually control games with structure, pressure, and territorial play, especially at home, and that

Minnesota opens its first-round series on the road Saturday at American Airlines Center against Dallas, with Game 1 set for 5:30 p.m. ET. This is one of those playoff matchups that has felt inevitable for weeks. The Wild finished 46-24-12 with 104 points, the Stars closed 50-20-12 with 112, and now the reward for Dallas is home ice in a

Philadelphia heads into Pittsburgh for Game 1 on Saturday night at PPG Paints Arena, and this opener feels tighter than the price suggests. The Flyers closed the regular season on a strong run, while the Penguins did enough to secure home ice in the matchup. That matters, of course, but so does current form, and Philadelphia looked a little cleaner

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