Trivigno has reportedly already met with the Rangers' front office. His former adviser, Brett Peterson, is an assistant GM for the Panthers.
He's one of 10 players vying for the Hobey Baker Award, which the NCAA hands out annually to its top men's hockey player. The 23-year-old tied for third in Division I with 49 points over 37 games during his senior year in 2021-22.
Trivigno would be the second UMass player in four years to claim the honor after Cale Makar secured it in 2019. Trivigno is the third Minutemen skater in that span to be named a Hobey Baker finalist, including John Leonard in 2020.
The undrafted free agent helped the Minutemen win their first-ever national championship last season, after which he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. The Setauket, New York-born winger also helped Massachusetts reach the national final in his 2018-19 freshman season.
The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers eliminated the Minutemen in the first round of this year's NCAA tournament Friday, thereby beginning the Trivigno sweepstakes.
"Everybody can talk about Cale Makar, but the guy who will, for me, go down in history for changing this program is Bobby Trivigno," UMass head coach Greg Carvel recently told Walker.
"He's not the hockey player Makar is, but what he did for four years here - two Hockey East Championships, a regular-season championship, and a national championship - he is more responsible for the success of this program than any other player."
Trivigno would've taken part in the Rangers' development camp before this season, according to Walker. However, he wasn't allowed to because NCAA rules prohibit players from missing school for NHL events.
We have a fairly quiet five-game slate to dig through as we kick off the week. While there aren't an overwhelming amount of options to choose from Monday, there's still value on the board.
Let's dig into three of my favorite spots.
Patrick Kane over 3.5 shots (-125)
Patrick Kane has been a consistent target for us all season long, especially when he's playing on home ice. Kane averages 4.1 shots per game in Chicago and has registered at least four in 12 of his last 17 contests. He went over the number in 70% of those games and has gone over in 60% of his home contests for the season. Pretty good!
Kane now finds himself in a very advantageous matchup against the Buffalo Sabres. Their defense has tightened up a little bit of late, but they generally allow plenty of rubber. The Sabres are also in the latter half of a road back-to-back, which won't help their cause.
Oh, and Buffalo bleeds shots to right wingers. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets and Dallas Stars have allowed more per game since the beginning of February.
Anze Kopitar over 2.5 shots (-112)
The Los Angeles Kings captain has been almost automatic at home. Anze Kopitar has generated at least three shots in seven of his last 10 home dates, including last time out against these same Seattle Kraken.
His recent success in Los Angeles is nothing new. Kopitar has gone over this number in 24 of 35 home games this season. That's a 69% hit rate, which aligns perfectly with what we've seen over the last 10 games (70%).
The Kraken play a slow, low-event style and have proven to be quite good at suppressing shots versus centers. That didn't stop Kopitar last time out, and, at this price, I'm happy to take my chances once again.
Leon Draisaitl over 3.5 shots (+100)
Last but not least, we have Leon Draisaitl. He's firing on all cylinders in Edmonton right now, generating shots at a ridiculous rate.
Draisaitl has recorded at least four shots on goal in eight of his last 10 home games. But that's not just due to a high accuracy rate; Draisaitl is averaging a whopping 7.3 shot attempts per contest in that span.
I expect his home success to continue Monday against the Arizona Coyotes. They rank dead last in five-on-five shots allowed over the last 10 games. They're also putrid on the power play, where Draisaitl leads the Edmonton Oilers in shots during this stretch.
As if the play wasn't enticing enough already, the Coyotes also give up a ton of shots to centers. Only three teams have surrendered more shots per game to the position this season.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
The Carolina Hurricanes are poised to go on a run sooner than later. At five-on-five over the last 10 games, the Hurricanes have controlled 59% of the shot attempts, 59% of the expected goals, and 61% of the high-danger chances. They rank at or near the top of the league in each category.
The Washington Capitals have a more impressive 7-2-1 record over the same period, but their underlying metrics don't hold a candle. They've controlled 48% of the shot attempts, 48% of the xG, and 47% of the high-danger chances, slotting in the bottom half of the NHL across the board.
The difference between the two? Simply put, finishing. Carolina has scored on just 5% of its five-on-five shots in its last 10 games, besting only the Los Angeles Kings in conversion rate during that spell. Meanwhile, Washington netted better than 9% of their shots and scored more power-play goals than all but three teams.
The Capitals have long out-performed expectations in terms of finishing rate, while the Hurricanes have consistently underperformed. Even so, the contrast we've seen over the last few weeks is too drastic. If Carolina continues to dominate the run of play, it's only a matter of time before the team gets rewarded.
The Hurricanes should get the better of the Capitals at five-on-five, and they're as equipped as anybody to slow down that potent power play. I expect Carolina to best Washington on Monday and pick up its first win of the season against its division rivals.
Bet: Hurricanes (-130)
Kraken (+175) @ Kings (-210)
The Seattle Kraken and L.A. met a couple of days ago. The Kings came through with a 4-2 regulation victory at home, and I'm expecting a similar result this time around.
Los Angeles has continued to chug along despite all the injuries. The Kings have collected at least a point in seven of their last 10 games. They've posted solid five-on-five numbers over that time, controlling nearly 56% of the shot attempts and almost 53% of the expected goals.
Seattle has a decent five-on-five profile over the same period, but it lags well behind L.A. in shot attempts and expected goals. The Kings should get the better of play at full strength.
They also look to have a significant edge in special teams, particularly while up a man. The Kraken are having a heck of a time killing penalties right now, ranking 26th in expected goals against per 60 minutes and 31st in goals against per 60 over the last 10 contests.
I don't think the game will be overly high scoring, but the Kings should take care of business inside regulation.
Bet: Kings in regulation (-127)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
There's one rule to live by when it comes to grading your wagers in the wild world of NHL betting: If you bet on an underdog of more than a modest price, and that team finds itself in the near-coin flip of three-on-three overtime or a shootout, you've made a good bet regardless of the outcome.
Whether your 'dog got there by playing evenly with a more-heralded opponent or on the back of a hot goaltender, you got what you wanted when you made the bet. A +150 or better moneyline suggests you've bought something that has a 40% or worse chance of happening. If the game plays out closer to 50/50, you got a good deal.
So, we can take solace that the four valuable underdogs (Sabres, Blue Jackets, Senators, and Sabres again) that went past regulation this past weekend lost, including two in the shootout.
Despite the setback, our exercise in value-betting the NHL is still up almost 30 units since the post-All-Star break roster stabilization that came when COVID-19 testing policies were relaxed. With great success comes greater demand, and eventually greater supply. So, our once-weekly guide now becomes semi-daily.
How to use the guide
In this space, you'll find my fair price on the matchups before the sportsbook adds the vig (true moneyline), and the moneyline price I'd need to bet either side, a day in advance. With a particular day's lines opening the night before, the idea is to be able to jump on a valuable bet before the line adjusts.
For example, Monday's games opened Sunday night. A guide for those contests, would look like this:
GAME
WIN PROB. (%)
TRUE ML
PRICE TO BET
CAR@WSH
50/50
+100/-100
CAR +110/WSH +110
VAN@STL
43.2/56.8
+132/-132
VAN +155/STL -126
BUF@CHI
37/63
+170/-170
BUF +203/CHI -163
ARI@EDM
31.7/68.3
+215/-215
ARI +260/EDM -205
SEA@LAK
40.8/59.2
+145/-145
SEA +172/LAK -139
Compare the "Price to bet" column with the prices offered by your various sportsbooks. From there, you'd compile a list of bets. The only reason to not make a bet would be if there was something that wouldn't be accounted for in how we've rated teams - like a star player being a surprise scratch - or if you've put a team on the "Do not bet list."
For example, the Capitals opened at +116 at home to the Hurricanes, but that line has dropped as of Monday morning. This matchup rates out to the truest of 50/50 games, so Capitals +110 would be worth a bet, barring new information.
After you make your bets, come back before puck drop on game night to compare the price of your opening bet to its current price to give you an idea of how much closing line value you may be getting.
Since many of these bets will be plus-money, you won't need to win at even a 50% rate to be profitable. However, you will need a little better luck after regulation, to take advantage of those valuable coin flip situations. Over the long term, the better the price you get, the more profit you'll accumulate.
This season's on-ice predictive metrics make up 80% of our total rating. Basing 20% of the ratings on preseason "priors" allows us to emphasize team metrics without going all-in on what's happened during this elastic campaign with a still relatively small sample size that includes some tainted results from when COVID-19 ravaged lineups.
I also have a 5% win probability consideration for a side playing in the second game of a back-to-back with travel and 3% for without travel.
The cheat sheet
What follows is my fair price on the matchups (true moneyline) and the moneyline price I would need to bet each side. I just need a 1% edge for a favorite if we're getting better than a fair price on the team more likely to win. For the underdog, I'll need 4% or better to make it a bet. You can establish your own threshold. For for bigger underdogs, you may want a bigger cutoff like 6-7%. On games I've projected to be a near coin flip, a 2.5% edge is enough to make it a worthwhile wager.
Tuesday, March 29
GAME
WIN PROB. (%)
TRUE ML
PRICE TO BET
MTL@FLA
30.9/69.1
+223/-223
MTL +272/FLA -213
NYR@PIT
44.7/55.3
+124/-124
NYR +146/PIT -119
TOR@BOS
46.5/53.5
+115/-115
TOR +135/BOS -111
CAR@TBL
39.3/60.7
+155/-155
CAR +184/TBL -148
NYI@CBJ
53.7/46.3
-116/+116
NYI -111/CBJ +136
PHI@MIN
39.7/61.3
+152/-152
PHI +180/MIN -146
OTT@NSH
39.3/61.7
+155/-155
OTT +184/NSH -148
COL@CGY
49.5/50.5
+102/-102
COL +113/CGY +109
DAL@ANA
53.6/46.4
-115/+115
DAL -111/ANA +136
Matt Russell is a betting writer for theScore. If there's a bad beat to be had, Matt will find it. Find him on Twitter @mrussauthentic.
This is the 13th edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings for the 2021-22 campaign. Check back for updated rankings every second Monday during the regular season.
In this edition, we're highlighting one eyebrow-raising statistic for each of the league's 32 clubs.
1. Florida Panthers (44-15-6)
Previous rank: 1
The Panthers are producing plenty of eye-popping numbers this season, and many pertain to their explosive offense. But one figure that really jumps out illustrates Florida's resilience. The Panthers lead the NHL in winning percentage when trailing after two periods (.364).
2. Colorado Avalanche (46-14-6)
Previous rank: 3
Cale Makar has his sights set on 30 goals after setting a franchise record for defensemen with his 24th of the campaign on Friday. Hitting the next benchmark would put the 23-year-old Avalanche star in rarified air among blue-liners in NHL history, and he'd be the first to do it since Mike Green in 2008-09.
3. Carolina Hurricanes (43-15-7)
Previous rank: 2
The Hurricanes are one of the most electrifying teams in the league, but they don't get enough credit for how well they prevent goals. Carolina sits atop the NHL with an 89.2% penalty-kill rate.
4. Calgary Flames (40-17-8)
Previous rank: 4
Johnny Gaudreau is working his way into the Hart Trophy discussion. The Flames star leads the league with a whopping 70 even-strength points. That's 10 more than the players tied for second, and it accounts for nearly 80% of his overall point total.
5. Boston Bruins (41-19-5)
MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images / MediaNews Group / Getty
Previous rank: 8
It's no wonder the Bruins have won four straight games and eight of their last 10. Boston sits atop the NHL in expected goals for percentage at five-on-five (56.7).
6. New York Rangers (42-19-5)
Previous rank: 6
The Rangers are a very good team, but extraordinary efforts from Igor Shesterkin and Chris Kreider have masked New York's deficiencies. The Blueshirts' offense hasn't clicked as a whole, as illustrated by the fact that they're generating only 28.8 shots per game. That ranks third-worst in the league.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning (41-18-6)
Previous rank: 5
It's mostly been business as usual for the two-time defending champions, but one concerning trend is on special teams. The Lightning sit in the middle of the pack in terms of power-play efficiency. Tampa Bay has converted at only 20.7% this season, which puts them 16th in that department.
8. Minnesota Wild (40-20-4)
Previous rank: 13
The Wild have done a lot of things well in 2021-22, but one trend that stands out as a potential problem come playoff time is their penalty kill. Minnesota sits 23rd in that category at 76.2%.
9. Pittsburgh Penguins (40-17-10)
Previous rank: 7
Tristan Jarry has been fairly consistent in the Penguins' crease this season, and he's raised his game recently. The netminder who struggled mightily in last year's playoffs authored a superb eight-game run from Feb. 26 to March 22, going 7-1-0 with a dazzling .945 save percentage.
10. Toronto Maple Leafs (41-19-5)
Kevin Sousa / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 9
There's a reason the Maple Leafs' goaltending has been such a consistent talking point. Toronto has the NHL's worst save percentage at five-on-five (.888) since the calendar flipped to 2022. That figure was compounded by Erik Kallgren's .823 showing against the lottery-bound Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
11. Washington Capitals (37-20-10)
Previous rank: 10
Since Alex Ovechkin entered the NHL in 2005-06, the Capitals' power play ranks No. 1 in the league. This season, though, they sit 20th. That stands to be their worst power-play rank since they finished 24th in 2006-07 - Ovechkin's sophomore campaign.
12. Los Angeles Kings (36-22-9)
Previous rank: 14
The Kings are due to have some puck luck go their way. They rank 27th in the NHL in PDO (shooting percentage plus save percentage) at all strengths, which is the worst among any current playoff team.
13. Nashville Predators (38-24-4)
Previous rank: 12
While the same can be said for all teams, Nashville would be a significantly better squad if its players were more disciplined. No team takes more penalties than the Preds, and they only have a league-average penalty kill.
14. Winnipeg Jets (32-25-10)
Previous rank: 18
Kyle Connor has emerged as the face of the Jets amid a roller-coaster campaign for the club. If you disagree, consider that the 25-year-old sniper is 20 points clear of Mark Scheifele for the team lead.
15. St. Louis Blues (35-20-9)
Scott Rovak / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 11
Are the Blues the sharpest shooting team in the league? Or are they riding some puck luck? Either way, they own the best shooting percentage in the leagueat 11.4%.
16. Edmonton Oilers (36-25-5)
Previous rank: 15
Starting on time has been an issue for the Oilers. They've scored the first goal of the game just 23 times in 66 opportunities - the second-worst mark in the league behind Seattle. When they do score first, though, their .913 winning percentage is the NHL's best.
17. Dallas Stars (36-25-3)
Previous rank: 16
As a veteran, battle-tested team, this may come as no surprise, but the Stars are tied for second in terms of winning percentage (.690) in one-goal games. Dallas may be on the bubble of the playoffs, but it'll be a tough out if it manages to squeak in.
18. Vancouver Canucks (32-26-9)
Previous rank: 17
The Canucks' slow start really set them back. Since Bruce Boudreau took over as head coach on Dec. 5, Vancouver's been a top-10 team in terms of points percentage.
19. Vegas Golden Knights (36-28-4)
Previous rank: 19
The Golden Knights were considered a Cup favorite at the start of the year, but they've been decimated by injuries and are now scrapping for a wild-card spot. Their 408 man-games lost as of March 26 was the second-highest total in the league and easily topped all playoff clubs.
20. New York Islanders (28-27-9)
Kavin Mistry / National Hockey League / Getty
Previous rank: 23
The future isn't looking too bright on Long Island. Not only are the Islanders set to miss the playoffs this season, but they're also the oldest team in the league with an average age of 30. Yes, Zdeno Chara drives that total up, but the Isles are clearly in need of a youth movement.
21. Columbus Blue Jackets (32-29-5)
Previous rank: 20
The days of Columbus being a juggernaut defensive team are long gone. The Blue Jackets' expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five (2.84) is the worst in the NHL.
22. San Jose Sharks (29-28-8)
Previous rank: 22
The Sharks' offense lacks bite, to say the least. San Jose generates only 45.09% of shot attempts (Corsi For percentage) at five-on-five, the second-worst clip across the league.
23. Buffalo Sabres (23-33-10)
Previous rank: 28
Tage Thompson entered the year with 35 points in 145 career games. In 2021-22, he's got 49 points in 62 appearances. The Sabres must be hoping his emergence is a sign of things to come for a perpetually rebuilding franchise looking to turn a corner.
24. Chicago Blackhawks (24-32-10)
Previous rank: 25
The Blackhawks still have some high-profile offensive weapons but often need more than 60 minutes for them to make a difference. Chicago's 15 regulation wins on the year put them in a tie with two other clubs for 31st.
25. Philadelphia Flyers (21-34-11)
Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Previous rank: 30
The lowly Flyers have had two losing streaks of at least 10 games this season. Enough said.
26. Montreal Canadiens (18-37-11)
Previous rank: 29
The Canadiens were 8-30-7 under Dominique Ducharme and are 10-7-4 under Martin St. Louis. Montreal's new coaching hire looks like a slam dunk.
27. Detroit Red Wings (26-32-8)
Previous rank: 24
The Red Wings have now had games this season where they've given up 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 goals against
Hard to encapsulate the Red Wings' season better than that.
28. Anaheim Ducks (27-29-11)
Previous rank: 21
Anaheim's hot start was never meant to be. Since the calendar turned to 2022, the Ducks have been a bottom-five team in the league. To nobody's surprise, that also coincides with John Gibson's save percentage, from .915 in his first 25 games to .891 in his last 22 appearances.
29. Ottawa Senators (23-36-6)
Previous rank: 27
Life is tough as a rebuilding team in the Atlantic Division. The Senators have faced the toughest schedule in the league this season, according to Hockey Reference.
30. New Jersey Devils (24-37-5)
Previous rank: 26
All of New Jersey's top five scorers this season are 23 or younger. Team results haven't shown up yet, but the Devils appear to be building something promising.
31. Seattle Kraken (20-39-6)
Previous rank: 32
The Kraken's team save percentage of .877 is by far the NHL's worst. Average goaltending would have given Seattle a chance in its inaugural season. To make matters worse, the duo of Philipp Grubauer and Chris Driedger is under contract for at least the next two years with a hefty combined cap hit.
32. Arizona Coyotes (20-40-5)
Previous rank: 31
Arizona hasn't produced many memorable moments on the ice in 2021-22, but the Coyotes have accrued a whopping seven picks in the first two rounds of this year's draft. Gotta start somewhere.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are in elite company after Sunday's offensive explosion.
The Pens walloped the Detroit Red Wings 11-2 on Sunday, becoming the first team in the salary-cap era to score at least 11 goals in a game. The last team to accomplish this feat was the Washington Capitals in 2003 when they pummeled the Florida Panthers 12-2.
The NHL record for most goals in a game by a single team is 16, set by the Montreal Canadiens in 1920.
Pittsburgh's 11 goal-output is one shy of the club record. The franchise has scored 12 twice - in 1975 against the Capitals and again in 1991 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Ottawa Senators inked top prospect and defenseman Jake Sanderson to a three-year, entry-level pact on Sunday that takes effect immediately.
Sanderson will join the Senators this week and may play in NHL games within the month.
The 19-year-old posted eight goals and 18 assists over 23 games in his recently concluded sophomore season at the University of North Dakota. He ranked third on the team in points despite missing 16 contests due to injury.
Sanderson is currently working his way back from a hand ailment.
The Montana-born blue-liner represented the United States at the Olympics in Beijing and the World Junior Championship. Ottawa selected him fifth overall in 2020.
