With a whopping 11 games scheduled for Tuesday night, there's an abundance of player props to comb through.
Let's take a closer look at three that stand out.
William Nylander over 3.5 shots (+100)
Nylander has hit a new gear when it comes to shot generation. The ultra-talented winger registered at least four shots in 10 of his last 13 games, including six in a row on home ice.
League-wide, only nine players attempted more shots than Nylander during that stretch. He's been generating shots at the same rate as the likes of Auston Matthews, Tage Thompson, Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, and many of the league's best scoring threats. With volume like that, it's no wonder he's been hitting consistently.
What I especially like about Nylander today is that he's playing in Toronto and has a good matchup. He averages 6.9 attempts per game on home ice this season, compared to 5.9 away from Toronto.
The St. Louis Blues are also a highly pedestrian defensive team, and they're now without the likes of Ryan O'Reilly, Torey Krug, and Vladimir Tarasenko. They should spend a lot of time absorbing pressure and, thus, shots in this game.
Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-140)
Death, taxes, and targeting the Columbus Blue Jackets for shots from defensemen. Columbus concedes an average of 11.11 shots per game to opposing rearguards, which ranks dead last in the league.
The Blue Jackets are weak defensively even at full health, and with injuries across the board, there's no reason to expect meaningful improvement any time soon.
That brings Chabot to the forefront. He registered at least three shots on goal in five of the last six games, which is impressive considering he's had two minutes (or fewer) of power play four times in that span. Even though the Ottawa Senators haven't been getting those extra opportunities to help prop up the totals, he's still gotten the job done.
I expect no different Tuesday in arguably the best matchup Chabot could ask for.
Pierre-Luc Dubois under 2.5 shots (-105)
Dubois is someone I consider a matchup-dependent shooter. The ceiling is never very high with him; he generally needs a weak opponent - or a side that allows a lot of shots to centers - to get the job done.
The Calgary Flames certainly don't match that billing. For all their struggles this season, they've defended well - especially of late.
At five-on-five, only the Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes have done a better job of suppressing shots over the last 10 games. The Flames are not a team you want to attack with shot volume in mind.
They aren't just good at limiting shots - they're good at keeping pucks out of the middle of the ice. A lot of what they give up comes from the wings and the point, and it's been that way since Darryl Sutter took over.
Dubois recorded just five shots on goal over five games against Sutter's Flames, generating no more than two in any contest.
With Dubois struggling to generate much volume overall - he went under the total in 10 of the last 15 - I think this line is quite fruitful given the difficulty of his matchup.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
We have a jam-packed 11-game slate Tuesday night. Let's take a look at a couple of home sides that stand out as we try to start the new year on a positive note.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are playing fantastic hockey. They've won seven of their last 10 games and are full value for their success.
In that time, the Leafs picked up marquee wins over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche - all of whom they beat by at least three goals - and posted some remarkably good underlying metrics.
At five-on-five, the Maple Leafs controlled 61.14% of the expected goal share and 63.54% of the high-danger opportunities during this 10-game stretch. Both of those totals comfortably rank first in the NHL.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that the Leafs - with all their firepower - will win significantly more often than not when consistently generating more chances than their opponents.
There's every reason to believe that'll be the case against the St. Louis Blues. They rank 27th in expected goal share over the last 10 and recently lost three important players - Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, and Torey Krug - for the foreseeable future.
Those absences leave the Blues very thin at center and on defense while also taking a lot of life out of their attack.
I expect the Blues will spend a lot of time on their heels in this game, and I don't think their 28th-ranked goaltending is close to good enough to compensate.
Look for the Leafs to pick up a multi-goal victory on home ice.
The Ottawa Senators sit well outside of the playoffs, but don't let that fool you - they're a pretty good hockey team.
The Sens are on a nice 7-3-1 run over the last 11 games and have steamrolled opponents at five-on-five during that stretch, ranking seventh with a high-danger chance share above 55%.
A nice bonus for the Senators is that their power play has also been firing on all cylinders. Only the Edmonton Oilers - led by the best offensive duo in the NHL - scored more power-play goals over the last 11 games.
With Tim Stutzle healthy again, the floor and ceiling of this Senators team dramatically increase.
That spells trouble for a bad Columbus Blue Jackets team dealing with an absurd amount of injuries. Although Patrik Laine and Cole Sillinger recently returned to the lineup, the Blue Jackets are still missing a pair of top-six forwards and half of their defensive core. That's problematic considering they weren't a good team to begin with.
Only the Anaheim Ducks conceded high-danger chances at a higher rate than the Blue Jackets over the last 10 games. That means Stutzle, Brady Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat, and Co. should be able to generate more than their fair share of good looks.
I expect them to make it count en route to a win inside 60 minutes.
Bet: Senators in regulation (-140)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
It's time for another rookie class vibe check with our first edition of the Calder Trophy rankings of 2023!
It looked like Arizona Coyotes winger Matias Maccelli was going to make his debut on these rankings, but he's expected to miss about five more weeks with a lower-body injury, which threw a wrench into those plans.
There are still two new faces on the list this time around, so let's get into it.
5. Wyatt Johnston, Stars
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
G
P
ATOI
38
11
17
14:31
Johnston may not have been on everyone's Calder Trophy shortlist to start the season, but he went ahead and earned his debut on these rankings thanks to a strong December. He found the back of the net five times last month, drawing him even with Matty Beniers for the most goals by a rookie so far this campaign. Perhaps more impressive, Johnston sees the least amount of ice time out of all first-year players that have reached the 10-goal mark in 2022-23.
In addition, nine of the youngster's goals have come at even strength, good for the third-most on the Stars.Johnston's producing at a fantastic rate of 1.15 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five, which is the highest clip among all rookies to play at least 300 minutes this season and ranks within the top 40 when accounting for all skaters. Not too shabby for a 19-year-old working through his first few months in the NHL.
Johnston has also been centering a line with Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment recently with some promising results despite the small sample size. The trio could potentially pay dividends for the Stars if Johnston continues to exceed expectations.
4. Logan Thompson, Golden Knights
Ethan Miller / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
SV%
GAA
SO
28
.915
2.61
2
Let us start by acknowledging that Thompson has cooled down considerably from his red-hot start. He went 5-5-1 in December, posting a .905 save percentage and 2.92 goals against average, as well as an increasingly shoddy minus-4.64 goals saved above average and minus-5.49 goals saved above expected at five-on-five.
All that said, his 18 wins on the season are tied for the second-most in the league, alongside Connor Hellebuyck, while his save percentage and goals against average rank within the top 20 of goalies to make at least 10 starts this campaign.
To be completely fair to Thompson, the Golden Knights have been grappling with substantial absences, especially on the back end, with the likes of Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, Alex Pietrangelo, and Zach Whitecloud all missing time in December. This is also Thompson's first year as a starting goalie; the 25-year-old has already far surpassed his previous career high of 17 starts in a single season, so his little slump might just be growing pains as he continues to find consistency at the NHL level.
Either way, Vegas is one of the top dogs in the Western Conference, so Thompson will likely continue to rack up wins while discovering his groove.
We've mentioned Power's playing time as a major factor in his Calder Trophy contention in the past, and guess what? We're going to do it again. The Sabres defenseman sees almost three more minutes of ice time per game than Jake Sanderson, the league's second-busiest rookie.
What's more, Power's underlying metrics only got stronger in December.The 20-year-old ranks within the top three among all rookies to play at least 300 minutes at five-on-five in goals for percentage (60.9%) and shot attempts for percentage (54.2%) while placing in the top 10 in expected goals for percentage (51.8%) and shots for percentage (50.4%) this season.That's impressive, especially considering his workload.
Power missed three games with a lower-body injury last month, but he returned to action with a two-point performance on Dec. 29. He has yet to score a goal this season,but it feels like a matter of time as Power continues to grow his game. Buffalo is an exciting team to watch, and Power is a key member of the youth movement that drives the Sabres.
2. Pyotr Kochetkov, Hurricanes
Josh Lavallee / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
SV%
GAA
SO
15
.928
1.94
3
Clearly, Kochetkov thought we were all fawning over Thompson too much, so he decided to force his way into the spotlight.
You may be wondering why it has taken until now for Kochetkov to debut on these rankings, and the answer is playing time. He suited up for just seven contests during the entirety of October and November, but he made seven starts in December, including a run in which he won five straight games while surrendering just five goals.
The 23-year-old is rocking a record of 10-1-4and is tied for the most shutouts this season alongside the likes of Ville Husso, Darcy Kuemper, Hellebuyck, and Ilya Sorokindespite seeing significantly less game action than his peers.He boasts the second-best save percentage and goals against average of all netminders to make at least 10 starts in 2022-23, trailing only Vezina Trophy candidate Linus Ullmark.
The only threat to Kochetkov's Calder case is what might happen once all of Carolina's goaltenders are healthy, seeing as Frederik Andersen has been sidelined since Nov. 6. Andersen and Antti Raanta won the William M. Jennings Trophy last season as the league's top tandem, so the Canes may be reluctant to part with that duo. Kochetkov also hasn't played since Dec. 20, and coach Rod Brind'Amour said he hasn't been 100%. Carolina has since turned to Raanta, whose stellar play will make it hard for Kochetkov to seize the crease.
1. Matty Beniers, Kraken
Steph Chambers / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
P
ATOI
35
11
25
17:09
We'd love to switch things up by picking someone else for the No. 1 spot, but Beniers keeps forcing our hand.
The Kraken youngster hasn't been as hot lately - only registering one goal and four points in 11 games since the last publication of these rankings on Dec. 6 - but he still tops all rookies in points while tying for the lead in goals.It's also important to mention that his shooting percentage during his mini-lull dropped to a mere 5%. For comparison, his career average is 16.3%,so it's reasonable to expect a few more goals from him in the near future.Even with the drought, Beniers is on pace for a respectable 59points over the course of an 82-game season.
Beniers seemingly has had no problem carrying the pressure as the Kraken's first-ever draft pick. He's been producing at a rate of 2.38 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five, good for the highest pace among all rookies to suit up in at least 10 games this season. He's also second in the class in goals above replacement (7.8) and wins above replacement (1.3).
The 20-year-old center is still the front-runner for the Calder Trophy, but Kochetkov certainly has the potential to push him for the top spot if he sees substantial playing time down the stretch.
Canada will play the United States in the semis. Czechia will play Sweden in the other final-four contest.
Bedard has already rewritten the Canadian WJHC record book, setting new benchmarks for most goals and points all time, as well as most points and assists in a single tournament. Now, he's an overtime hero.
O'Reilly will be reevaluated in six weeks due to a broken foot while Tarasenko will be on the shelf at least four weeks with a hand ailment, the team announced.
