We've been stuck in the mud since Monday's sweep, splitting the rest of the week to sit 123-113 (+7.41 units) on the season heading into the weekend.

It's time for a final push as we enter the last couple of weeks of the regular season.

Canadiens (-110) @ Flames (-110)
April 23, 9 p.m. ET

A recurring theme for these picks is rest - and fading teams in disadvantageous spots. Fading squads in difficult schedule spots has been profitable this season, and fatigue seems likely to hold added weight over these final few weeks as the grind of an incredibly compact campaign increasingly wearing on teams.

The first spot to offer value is Friday's game in Calgary, where the Flames essentially face a must-win situation against the Canadiens. The Flames have been resting at home since Monday's loss to the Senators and should be fresh for this massive game following three full days off. The Canadiens played the Oilers in Edmonton on Wednesday, and Friday's tilt will be their fifth game in eight days. Playing four games a week, Montreal hasn't had consecutive nights off since its COVID-19 postponements in March.

Much has been made of the Canadiens' inconsistencies of late, but some of those struggles can likely be attributed, at least in part, to a near-impossible schedule. That schedule makes this a good spot to fade Montreal even after a strong showing against the Oilers. It helps that the Flames have largely dominated the season series between these two teams, winning four of the last six meetings while controlling 57% of the expected goal share at five-on-five.

Pick: Flames (-110)

Coyotes (-105) @ Kings (-115)
April 24, 10 p.m.

A surprise success story earlier in the season, the Kings have seen their campaign tail off as they head into the final stretch with a playoff spot largely out of reach. They find themselves in a very difficult spot Saturday when they play their second game in as many nights, this time against a Coyotes team that will have been idle since Wednesday.

The Coyotes have had plenty of success this year against teams below them in the standings. Against the likes of the Avalanche, Golden Knights, and Wild, Arizona is 4-17-1. It's 16-5-4 against the rest of the division. With a healthy Darcy Kuemper back between the pipes and L.A. playing its second game in as many nights, the Coyotes offer good value at this price.

Pick: Coyotes (-105)

Bruins (N/A) @ Penguins (N/A)
April 25, 3 p.m.

The Penguins face the same situation as the Kings, as Sunday's game will be their second in as many nights and comes against a Bruins team that's off Saturday. Pittsburgh has played a ton of hockey recently, and this will be its sixth game in nine nights; it will be Boston's fifth in that span. That may not seem like a big deal, but the extra game is significant, especially considering the Penguins will have left the ice against the Devils less than 24 hours before this tilt.

With the games piling up, the Penguins' underlying numbers have taken a hit. They're 5-1-1 in their last seven - all games against the bottom three teams in the division - but own an expected goals for percentage of just 47.52 at five-on-five over that span. Regression looms. The Bruins, meanwhile, have hit their stride since injecting Taylor Hall and Mike Reilly into the lineup. Boston has won six in a row - three each against the Islanders and Capitals - and owns a league-best 62.89 expected goals for percentage and 58.76 Corsi For percentage over that span. First place in the East Division is now well within reach for the Bruins, who can make a real statement Sunday.

Pick: Bruins (-120 or better)

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, despises how the NHL handles starting goalie announcements, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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Welcome to the 14th edition of "Looking North," our weekly Friday dive into the all-Canadian division. This installment dates back to April 16.

The rundown

The Vancouver Canucks, after weeks of turmoil due to a major COVID-19 outbreak, had an overwhelmingly successful return to the ice. The club topped the division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime in its first game in weeks, then beat Toronto again two nights later. Positive news out of Vancouver after a difficult month is a welcome sight.

The Maple Leafs' troubles in Vancouver marked the low point of a five-game losing streak they snapped Thursday with an important win over the Winnipeg Jets. Toronto has lots to sort out as it gears up for the postseason.

The Edmonton Oilers gained some ground on the Jets this past week, and they're now within one point of second place with a game in hand. The Calgary Flames have fizzled out after a brief push toward the fourth-place Montreal Canadiens, while the Habs had a decent week but once again lost goaltender Carey Price to injury.

The Ottawa Senators are far removed from playoff contention but are the hottest team in Canada. They're a thorn in the side of any opponent and have played some quality hockey of late - as evidenced by their three straight wins since our last edition.

The stars

Forward: John Tavares is starting to put some points on the board. The Maple Leafs' captain has notched two goals and three assists in his last three games while averaging 19:44 of ice time per contest and winning over 55% of his draws. His production has picked up considerably in the second half of the season, and Toronto should be in good shape if he's in similar form come playoff time.

Defense: No North Division blue-liner stole the show this past week, but Quinn Hughes registered three points while logging major minutes in his club's two-game set with Toronto. Vancouver's best players have led the charge in its successful return, and Hughes has played his part thus far.

Goaltender: Matt Murray posted two shutouts and an additional win this past week. He's struggled since joining Ottawa, but a strong stretch run could go a long way in building some confidence and creating a positive mindset for the 2021-22 season.

Canadian of the week

Connor McDavid could realistically win this award every week. The Oilers' captain upped his ridiculous scoring pace with eight points across three games this past week, producing some typically jaw-dropping highlights in the process. McDavid also averaged a whopping 26:16 of ice time over that span.

The moments

McDavid blows past Habs to secure win 💨

Stuck in a 1-1 tie with under five minutes left in regulation, McDavid did what only he can do. The MVP favorite picked up the puck in the neutral zone, effortlessly scorched both Canadiens defenders, and buried a showstopping game-winning goal.

Horvat's the hero 🎉

The Canucks rallied from a 2-0 deficit versus Toronto to force overtime in their first game back, and Bo Horvat completed the stunning comeback with his second goal of the night.

34 for 34 🚨

Auston Matthews kick-started a high-octane clash between the Maple Leafs and Jets on Thursday night, notching his league-leading 34th goal of the season just 27 seconds into the contest. Matthews now has 10 tallies in 10 April games, padding his lead in the race for the "Rocket" Richard.

The question

Toronto is battling injuries and performing terribly on the penalty kill, but one issue trumps all others at the moment: Who can the club rely on in goal?

David Rittich, acquired from the Flames for a third-round pick at the trade deadline, has lost all three of his starts since joining the team and gave a game away with a series of weak goals against Vancouver. He hasn't proven to be a reliable depth option behind Jack Campbell, who has come back down to earth after setting an NHL record with 11 straight wins to start the season.

Campbell toughed out a win against the Jets to snap his and Toronto's slumps, but he's allowed at least three goals in five consecutive starts. It's difficult to determine if the starter's workload is affecting his performance or if his struggles are just a blip on the radar.

Frederik Andersen remains unfit to play, and Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe can't simply throw him into the fire if he's healthy come playoff time. If Andersen returns during the regular season, he'll need to prove he's moved past the dreadful form he was in before being sidelined.

The Maple Leafs need someone to take the reins in goal if they're to go anywhere in the playoffs, and they need to find an answer before it's too late.

Stat of the week

Yup, you guessed it: Time to talk about McDavid again.

As recently pointed out by Sportsnet Stats, McDavid has been involved in a whopping 51.8% of all Oilers goals this season - the sixth-highest percentage in NHL history.

That figure doesn't include his three-point effort in Wednesday's loss to the Canadiens. McDavid leads the NHL with 1.71 points per game and can reach the 100-point plateau in a 56-game season with 23 points in his final 11 contests. Don't rule it out just yet.

Games to watch

The Maple Leafs and Jets go at it again Saturday night in their penultimate regular-season matchup. With Toronto six points up in the standings, Winnipeg needs to find a way to win if it wants first place in the division.

Elsewhere, the Oilers have two games against the Jets and two more against the Flames next week. Edmonton's clashes with Winnipeg have major implications in the standings, while the Battle of Alberta is always appointment viewing.

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Elvis Merzlikins is ready to leave the building - and the 2020-21 campaign behind him.

The Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender spoke candidly about his team's struggles and the effect it's having on him following a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

"I think we played good. Only thing, I'm tired. I'm tired of losing the game. I know we are trying but this is getting embarrassing," Merzlikins said postgame.

The netminder also said he just wants to "delete this year and not think about it."

He even admitted it's affecting his personal life.

"It's bothering me," Merzlikins added. "I can't sleep."

The Blue Jackets have lost eight games in a row, with only one coming in overtime. They've sunk to 27th in the league's overall standings.

Merzlikins has performed admirably. The 27-year-old stopped 25 of 27 shots he faced Thursday against the defending Stanley Cup champs and owns a .911 save percentage in 23 games this season.

The netminder even brought up the Buffalo Sabres' 18-game losing streak this season, adding that he hopes his team doesn't get to that point.

"I don't want to get to, like Buffalo. I don't want to get to that point, like Buffalo," he said, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "Even for them it was hard, but they got somehow through and they find a win. We have to find that way, too."

The Blue Jackets have seven games remaining this season. Their next one is a rematch with the Bolts on Sunday.

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The NHL and the players' association want a decision from the International Olympic Committee regarding the league's participation in the 2022 winter games by the end of next month, TSN's Frank Seravalli said on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

"The NHL, NHLPA, and the IIHF are putting a little bit of heat on the IOC. They've set a late-May deadline to get an answer from the IOC on things like a financial commitment for the 2022 Olympics because they need to set their schedule," Seravalli said. "The NHL schedule for next season is usually announced in June and they need to know whether they're gonna have a three-week break for the NHL players to go to the Olympics.

"The problem is, this isn't exactly priority No. 1 for the IOC at the moment. They're trying to get this summer's Olympics in Tokyo off the ground before they can then handle what's left with the NHL."

The NHL and NHLPA agreed to Olympic participation in 2022 and 2026 as part of a modified collective bargaining agreement, which was ratified in 2020 prior to the league's return to play. Some details - including finances and travel insurance, among others - still need to be ironed out by the league and IOC before NHL players can officially participate.

NHLers weren't sent to PyeongChang in 2018, ending a run of five straight Olympics featuring the world's best.

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The Minnesota Wild and forward Ryan Hartman agreed to a three-year extension carrying an annual cap hit of $1.7 million, reports The Athletic's Michael Russo.

Hartman has registered six goals and 12 assists in 40 games this season while averaging a career-high 14:48 of ice time per contest. His 37-point pace over 82 games would be a personal best.

The 26-year-old spent the bulk of his career as a winger until 2020-21. He's spent a large portion of this season playing center.

Hartman was set to become a restricted free agent at season's end, according to CapFriendly. The Wild now have three pending RFAs remaining: Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and Joel Eriksson Ek.

Minnesota projects to have nearly $21 million in cap space, since UFAs Marcus Johansson, Nick Bonino, Nick Bjugstad, Ian Cole are coming off the books.

The Chicago Blackhawks selected Hartman 30th overall at the 2013 NHL Draft. The Wild signed him as a UFA in 2019.

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Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury, the team announced Thursday.

Garland suffered the injury during practice Tuesday, according to Jose M. Romero of AZCentral.com. He subsequently missed Wednesday's contest against the Minnesota Wild.

The 25-year-old has been one of the Coyotes' most productive players this season, recording 10 goals and 22 assists in 45 games. He's tied for second on the team in points.

Arizona currently sits fourth in the West Division with a 20-22-5 record. The St. Louis Blues trail by one point but have four games in hand.

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