It was a tough night for us on the ice Tuesday. The Bruins were unable to convert on several empty-net opportunities to seal a multi-goal victory. Meanwhile, the Kraken disappointed us once again due to poor goaltending, with Chris Driedger conceding four goals on just 23 shots (.826 save percentage) in a 4-2 loss.

We'll aim to bounce back with our best bets for tonight's three-game slate.

Predators (+120) @ Stars (-140)

The Stars enter this game having dropped five of their last six contests, but they're playing significantly better than the results would indicate.

At five-on-five, Dallas has out-chanced its opposition by 31 during this losing skid. The team has controlled 55.6% of the chances and 54.9% of the expected goals. Those are encouraging signs for their underlying process, but they just haven't been able to score.

Despite getting John Klingberg and Jason Robertson back healthy, the Stars have been unable to finish anything, scoring on just 4.5% of their five-on-five shots over the last six games.

Put another way, opposing goaltenders posted a .955 save percentage against Dallas. Even if they're a subpar finishing team, that's simply not going to last.

At some point, the chances will start to go. What's important is they continue to create more than they give up.

I like their chances of doing just that against the Predators. Their share of the xG is trending downward and things aren't going to get any easier with forwards Filip Forsberg and Nick Cousins now out with injuries.

This seems like a good get-right spot for the Stars at home, especially if Juuse Saros doesn't get the nod for Nashville. He's been one of the best goaltenders since the beginning of last season, while David Rittich's a mediocre backup who appears to have peaked in 2018-19. Rittich hasn't started a game this year, so this seems like a probable spot for his debut.

Bet: Stars (-140)

Maple Leafs (-130) @ Flyers (+110)

The Maple Leafs are annoyingly inconsistent at times, but this is a good matchup for them to bounce back after laying an egg on Monday night.

For all of its faults, Toronto is still an elite offensive team. The Leafs are among the very best at generating shots and scoring chances in bulk.

They rank second in shot attempts at five-on-five per 60 and first in high-danger chances per 60. The quantity and quality are there.

The Flyers are off to a strong start, but there's reason to believe it's just smoke and mirrors. They rank fifth in shooting percentage and third in save percentage, which has masked a lot of their problems, particularly on defense.

Life without Ryan Ellis hasn't been pleasant, and he remains out for tonight's game. Philadelphia ranks 27th in expected goals against per 60 and 28th in high-danger chances against.

So, a Flyers team that bleeds dangerous looks is going up against the league's best at generating high-danger chances. That's not a recipe for success for Philadelphia.

John Tavares' status is in question following an injury Monday night. If you want to wait for an update before pulling the trigger, by all means, do so.

But I think the Flyers have punched above their weight and expect them to come back to earth - at least to an extent - sooner rather than later.

Bet: Maple Leafs -130

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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The St. Louis Blues have re-assigned forward Jake Neighbours to the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings, the team announced Wednesday.

The club won't have the option to call Neighbours up for the remainder of the regular season.

"I think there's been games that I really liked him. He's done some real good things," head coach Craig Berube said. "You have to look at a lot of the games and the score and the time of the game and just a lot of things played into how much ice time he got. It's not easy.

"But overall, I think he did really well. He's a smart player like I've always said, he's killed penalties for us in these games, done a great job, he's scored a goal, he's around the puck all the time, has a nose for the puck. (This is all) going to be a learning process for him, a kid that young coming into the league."

St. Louis selected the 19-year-old with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He skated in nine games with the Blues this campaign, recording one goal and one assist while averaging 9:21 minutes per game.

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The Anaheim Ducks placed executive vice president and general manager Bob Murray on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation related to professional conduct, the team announced Tuesday.

"We recently became aware of accusations of improper professional conduct against Bob Murray," the team said in a statement.

"After internal review, we enlisted Shephard Mullin to perform an independent investigation. Upon recommendation from their initial findings, we have decided to place Bob on administrative leave pending final results. In the interim, vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager Jeff Solomon will assume the role of interim general manager. We will have no further comment until the investigation is complete."

Murray joined the Ducks in 2005 as senior vice president of hockey operations. He took over as GM in 2008 and has held the position since.

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Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price released a statement Tuesday after rejoining the team following his voluntary participation in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

"Over the last few years I have let myself get to a very dark place and I didn't have the tools to cope with that struggle. Last month I made the decision to enter a residential treatment facility for substance use," he said in an Instagram post. "Things had reached a point that I realized I needed to prioritize my health for both myself and for my family. Asking for help when you need it is what we encourage our kids to do, and it was what I needed to do.

"I am working through years of neglecting my own mental health which will take some time to repair; all I can do is take it day by day. With that comes some uncertainty with when I will return to play.

"I appreciate all of the overwhelming support and well wishes. I please ask that the media and our hockey community continue to respect our privacy at this time. Your support and respect of this so far has been a critical piece to my recovery."

Price missed all of training camp while recovering from offseason knee surgery and entered the player assistance program on Oct. 7.

Head coach Dominique Ducharme laid out the conditioning steps for Price's potential return earlier on Tuesday, according to TSN's John Lu.

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We cleaned up with our best bets last time out, as Mathew Barzal and Thomas Chabot both went over their shot totals inside the first 40 minutes of their contests.

Let's hope we can find similar results during Tuesday's 10-game slate.

Craig Smith over 2.5 shots on goal (+125)

The Ottawa Senators are one of my favorite teams to target for shot props. Why? Simply put, they bleed shots.

They've allowed 67.47 shot attempts per 60 minutes at five-on-five over the last six games, which ranks 31st in the NHL.

I don't see the Senators tightening the screws against one of the league's best shot-generating teams, especially since they're missing a couple of regulars due to COVID-19 protocols.

While David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron are the sexy targets, I think the most value lies with Smith.

For years, he's been one of the NHL's most efficient shot takers, particularly at five-on-five. He'll avoid Ottawa's best players - Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, etc. - and instead see a lot of the team's underwhelming middle-six.

Smith has recorded three shots or more in five of his last six meetings against the Senators, averaging five shots per game in that time.

That dates back to 2018, sure, but this Ottawa team has consistently bled shots over the years, and this season looks to be no different.

There's real value at +125.

Patrick Kane over 3.5 shots on goal (+110)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are a strong defensive side. They do a good job of keeping teams to the outside and suppressing high-danger chances. They're only in the middle of the pack at preventing shot attempts, though. That's good news for those willing to shoot from range, such as Patrick Kane.

Kane is averaging more than seven shot attempts, and nearly five shots on goal, per game. He's been even more potent at home.

The 32-year-old Kane is averaging 8.2 attempts, and 5.4 shots on goal, in his own building. That's hardly surprising given that his line is placed in as many favorable situations as possible.

While the Penguins aren't near the top of my target list, it's not as if they're a black hole where shots go to die.

Kane doesn't even have to match his season averages to hit this number, and we're getting plus money for him to do it.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Alex Tuch is excited to start a new chapter of his career with the Buffalo Sabres.

"He (general manager Kevyn Adams) talked about the opportunity I have here," Tuch said, according to The Athletic's John Vogl. "I talked about how excited I was to come and play for my favorite team growing up."

He added: "I'd like to be as big of a part of this organization as possible."

The Syracuse native grew up as a Sabres fan and now has the chance to be one of the franchise's cornerstone players. Tuch's contract runs through the 2025-26 season and is the second-longest on the team behind Jeff Skinner.

The Sabres officially started a new era when they dealt Jack Eichel to the Golden Knights last week in exchange for Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and a couple of draft picks. In addition to trading Eichel, Buffalo also offloaded Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen in the offseason.

Tuch took it as a compliment that he was one of the main pieces in a blockbuster deal for one of the NHL's biggest stars.

"It was an honor just to be traded for a guy like Jack Eichel," Tuch said. "I know it wasn't one for one, but to be a part of that trade and just to have someone that really wants you in their organization means a lot."

The 25-year-old is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and won't hit the ice for a couple more months. The versatile winger scored 18 goals and added 15 assists in 55 games last season with Vegas.

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Monday was a mixed bag on the ice. We rightfully saw value on the New York Rangers as home underdogs against a banged-up Florida Panthers side. Unfortunately, we couldn't complete the double-dip as Florida netted a pair of goals inside the final 90 seconds to spoil the under.

We'll look to improve Tuesday as we comb through our best bets for an action-packed 10-game slate.

Kraken (+100) @ Golden Knights (-125)

We've been fading the Golden Knights - and backing the Kraken - quite often of late, so it'd only make sense for that trend to continue with the two sides set to meet Tuesday.

The Golden Knights remain without four top-nine forwards, and that's not including the newly acquired Jack Eichel. They have very little scoring pop, play-driving ability, or depth due to all the injuries.

This has proven to be problematic, as Vegas ranks 28th in expected goals share at five-on-five over the last 10 games.

That's less than ideal when heading into a date with the Kraken. Seattle is controlling better than 55% of the xG at five-on-five over the last 10 contests, which ranks fifth during that span.

The Kraken play a smothering brand of hockey. The reason they haven't been successful to this point is, by and large, goaltending. Philipp Grubauer owns a .886 save percentage through 10 starts and has conceded more goals above expectation than all but Marc-Andre Fleury and Carter Hutton. Not good.

Luckily, Chris Driedger, one of the NHL's save percentage leaders since entering the league, appears healthy and is expected to get the nod in goal Tuesday. He doesn't need to be a savior, though. If he can just make the saves he's supposed to, the Kraken should be in good shape, considering they're likely to get the better of the chances at five-on-five.

Bet: Kraken (+100)

Senators (+250) @ Bruins (-300)

The Senators enter play on a four-game losing skid, and it's tough to envision that ending in Boston.

Ottawa is playing terrible hockey right now. The Senators rank 29th in expected goals against per 60 at five-on-five during this losing streak and have controlled only 43% of the xG.

By comparison, the Bruins have controlled a whopping 58% of the xG over the same period of time. They're dominating the run of play, which should continue at home in such a favorable matchup.

This is also a fantastic spot for Boston's power play to get on track. Only the injury-plagued Golden Knights have given up scoring chances at a higher clip on the penalty kill than Ottawa.

The Bruins have advantages across the board, which will become even more evident with the Senators a little undermanned due to an internal COVID-19 outbreak. That means a few regulars - headlined by Connor Brown - will be unavailable for this game.

Expect Boston to take care of business with relative ease.

Bet: Bruins -1.5 (-115)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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