Dan and Bik get into The Open on Canucks Central as they discuss Vancouver's loss to the Kings last night, the fear of the potential lack of scoring come playoff time and dive into just how fierce the competition is in the Western Conference.
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Matt and Irf Gaffar (sitting in for Blake) talk about the Canucks' 3-2 loss to L.A., including whether the Kings are the team to avoid in the playoffs with the way they play and their record against Vancouver this season. The guys discuss Quinn Hughes' heavy workload and his comments post-game about how to waste energy and how he best generates chances; J.T. Miller's comments about the Canucks being a measuring stick, even if they're failing to get to the scoring areas against L.A. Plus, we revisit the Lindholm trade and the impact so far, Hronek without Hughes, the schedule for the Stanley Cup Playoffs & more!
John Shannon stops by to discuss the Canucks-Kings, who he'd want to avoid in Round 1, L.A.'s style of play, the playoffs getting moved up and the reasons why.
Local race-car driver Stefan Rzadzinski joins to discuss the upcoming GT4 series and his chances in the Applewood Auto Group Nissan Z. Presented by Applewood Auto Group.
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Trevor Zegras is in the lineup for the Anaheim Ducks for the first time in months.
The talented forward is facing the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night, the Ducks confirmed. He's slotting in on Anaheim's third line, head coach Greg Cronin said, according to Bally Sports West's Alyson Lozoff.
Zegras hasn't played since breaking his ankle early in a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Jan. 9.
It's been a forgettable season for the 23-year-old, both in terms of production and health. Zegras played only 20 games in 2023-24 before Tuesday's contest, mustering just four goals and three assists.
He missed 20 contests in November and December with a separate injury.
One of Zegras' goals this season went viral, as he netted a lacrosse-style "Michigan" marker during a 3-2 loss to the Kraken on Dec. 23. It was his first game back from the previous ailment, and he did it after Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard scored the same way earlier in the evening.
Zegras buried 23 goals in each of the previous two seasons, notching a career-best 65 points in 2022-23. He was the runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 2021-22. The Ducks drafted him ninth overall in 2019.
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The Colorado Avalanche signed Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension, the club announced Tuesday.
Annunen's new deal carries an average annual value of around $833,000, according to ESPN's Kevin Weekes. The Finnish netminder was a pending restricted free agent whose current pact carries a $775,000 cap hit, according to CapFriendly.
The 24-year-old is 5-2-1 with a .926 save percentage and two shutouts in eight games this season. He's won each of his last four starts, allowing only five goals on 121 shots in that span for a save percentage of .959.
The Avalanche drafted Annunen 64th overall in 2018. He's primarily played for the club's AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, over the last three campaigns. That's included 23 contests this season, 41 in 2022-23, and 48 in 2021-22.
Annunen suited up for a pair of NHL games in each of the two previous campaigns.
Alexandar Georgiev has handled the bulk of the workload in the Avalanche crease this season. He's tied for the league lead with 56 games played in 2023-24. Despite Georgiev's 37-15-3 record, he's underachieved to the tune of a .903 save percentage.
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We have a massive 12-game slate ahead of us on Tuesday night, which features plenty of games with playoff implications.
Let's dive into the best ways to attack it.
This game means a lot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and I see plenty of reason to side with the home team.
At the top of the list has to be goaltending. The projected matchup of Alex Lyon versus Charlie Lindgren massively favors the Capitals, even more so if we zero in on their recent performance.
Lyon is 0-7 with an .876 save percentage during March. He's conceded 5.51 goals above expectation in that span, one of the worst marks in the league.
The Red Wings are giving up a lot of chances, and he just hasn't shown the ability to bail them out anywhere close to as often as needed. He isn't making the saves he's supposed to, let alone any extra.
It's a much different story at the other end of the rink. Lindgren is 7-3 with a .923 save percentage this month. He also ranks third in the NHL in goals saved above expected with a net rating of plus-8.84 through 11 appearances.
He recently gave up seven goals to the Maple Leafs, but his numbers remain good. That shows you the level Lindgren has played on a game-by-game basis.
The Capitals are also in much better form offensively. Led by a resurgent Alex Ovechkin, they sit ninth in goals per minute this month. That's a far cry from the 30th-place Red Wings, who have scored more efficiently than only the Kraken and Ducks.
I see a lot of edges for the Capitals in this spot. Factor in that they also have home ice in their back pocket, and this line appears short.
Bet: Capitals (-125)
If you like fire-wagon hockey, this probably won't be the game for you.
The Blackhawks have struggled at the offensive end all season long. They've scored just 2.2 goals per game while generating an average of only 27.1 shots.
They don't create a lot of volume and, save for Connor Bedard, have very little high-end offensive talent that can help them make the most of the opportunities they do get.
The expectation is that Jacob Markstrom will start in goal for the Flames. He's been one of the best netminders in the NHL all season long and is unlikely to give the Blackhawks many (if any) goals they don't necessarily deserve.
Even if the Flames throw a curveball and go back to Dustin Wolf, the Blackhawks' offense will likely still be in a tough spot. The talented youngster is really coming on, having allowed two goals or fewer in three of his past four starts.
Conversely, I don't expect a whole lot from the Flames' offense. They've really struggled since the deadline, ranking 26th in goals per minute and 28th in finishing rate.
Blackhawks starter Petr Mrazek has hit a bit of a wall of late, but he's largely played well this season. A date with a struggling Flames attack is a good spot for him to get back on track.
Bet: Under 6.5 (-135)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.
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Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has never been one to shy away from a chance at some light humor.
In the middle of a glowing review for pending unrestricted free-agent forward Sam Reinhart, Maurice quickly realized he may be talking up the 50-goal-scorer too much.
"He never cheats the game. Not once. He's really good ... unless you're trying to sign him as a free agent, in which case there's a little attitude problem, and he's hard to deal with," Maurice said, according to team reporter Jameson Olive.
Reinhart's career year has put him in line to cash in as a UFA this summer. The 28-year-old has registered 50 goals and 83 points in 71 games. He leads all NHL skaters with 27 power-play goals, five shorthanded goals, and a 25.8 shooting percentage.
Reinhart's previous career highs in goals and points were 33 and 82, respectively.
The Panthers will certainly hope to keep Reinhart, who's been an excellent fit since the Buffalo Sabres traded him to Florida in 2021. The club projects to have $20 million in cap space this summer, but it has several other pending free agents, including defenseman Brandon Montour as a UFA and forward Anton Lundell as an RFA.
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We started the week on a strong note with our player props, cashing two of three plays during a quiet night in the NHL.
We'll look to keep the ball rolling with three more plays for Tuesday's juicy card.
MacKinnon is on a different planet right now, especially when playing at home. He has at least six shots (yes, six!) in eight of his past nine games, averaging just under seven shots on target per night in that span.
The only time he didn't get the job done was against an improved Maple Leafs squad, and MacKinnon still recorded three points. He made his mark offensively - he just didn't hit the net with his shots.
The Avalanche star should have little problem piling up the shots against the Canadiens, a poor defensive side that has given up more volume to opposing centers than any team in the league over the last 10 games.
It's also worth noting MacKinnon has at least one point in all 34 home games this season and has finished with multiple points 74% of the time. He is in the midst of a truly historic campaign, chasing down Wayne Gretzky for the most consecutive home games with a point.
MacKinnon is an ultra-competitive player. He is not only chasing history as an individual but the No. 1 seed as the lead dog of his team. He has every incentive to continue firing on all cylinders, and I expect he'll do just that in a mouthwatering matchup.
Odds: -140 (playable to -150)
Jones has been one of the most consistent shot-generating defensemen for a while. He has soared over this total in eight of the past 10 games and 12 of 15 overall.
He's averaging 3.8 shots on nearly eight attempts in that span, which is the volume you'd expect from a marquee shooting winger carrying a 3.5 total like William Nylander or Filip Forsberg. Yet his total remains at 2.5.
The Blackhawks blue-liner is in a great spot to go over again at home to the Flames. They have really loosened up since selling a few regulars (including two of their top defensemen, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev) at the trade deadline in early March.
The Flames sit near the basement in five-on-five shot suppression the last 10 games. They have given up a lot of volume to defenders in that span; only eight teams have fared worse.
As a bonus, the Flames have played at the eighth-highest five-on-five pace over the same period. A high-event matchup should raise the shooting floor and ceiling of a minute-muncher like Jones.
Odds: -122 (playable to -140)
Johnston has been a road warrior this season. His hit rate on the road is 13% higher than at home and the volume numbers suggest that is no coincidence.
The Stars forward is producing 6.6 shot attempts per game on the road, a noticeable boost from the 5.3 he averages when playing in Dallas.
His road success should continue Tuesday night in San Jose. The Sharks have played abysmal defense all season, giving up more shots per night than every other team in the league.
Johnston has faced the Sharks twice already and taken full advantage, recording five and six shots on goal while combining to generate a whopping 19 attempts.
I don't know that I'd expect five or six shots, but he should have little problem going over his total once again.
Odds: -134 (playable to -150)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.
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