We had a solid night on the ice Thursday. Powered by a 3-0 record on shot props, we finished with a 4-2 record across our best bets.

We'll look to build on that with our favorite plays for the weekend ahead.

Flames (+145) @ Maple Leafs (-165)
Nov. 12, 7 p.m. EST

The Maple Leafs are better than their record indicates. They rank second in the NHL in expected goals for percentage at five-on-five. No team has generated more scoring chances or high-danger opportunities than the Leafs. It's not even close, really; they're 66 clear of Florida in the former and 21 ahead of Detroit(!) in the latter.

Despite that, they actually have a negative goal differential at full strength. A big reason why is their team shooting percentages. They rank 27th overall and 26th on high-danger shots. That's not going to continue given all the high-end talent they possess.

What could help them get right in this spot is a Daniel Vladar start. Jacob Markstrom (6.1 goals saved above expectation thus far) is expected to get the night off. But no official announcement has been made, Markstrom's started seven in a row, and this is Calgary's third game in four nights. We're going to put two and two together here.

Vladar isn't as equipped to slow Toronto's attack. He owns a .887 save percentage through seven career games and has allowed 1.5 more goals than expected over his first couple of contests with Calgary.

The Flames are a good team, but the Leafs are playing very well right now, they're rested, and they have the edge in goal based on projected starters (Vladar versus Jack Campbell).

Bet: Leafs in regulation (-115)

Canadiens (+100) @ Red Wings (-120)
Nov. 13, 7 p.m. EST

The Canadiens were an absolute tire fire to start the year, but they appear to be righting the ship.

They own a respectable 2-2-1 record over their last five games and have downright dominated at five-on-five in that span. They've controlled 60% of the expected goals and won the high-danger chance battle 61-38.

Dictating play is half the battle. The other is capitalizing on the chances generated. Right now, the Canadiens are doing both, as Nick Suzuki, Brendan Gallagher, and the team's stars are starting to pile up the points and perform up to expectations.

The Red Wings are a fun story, and they're playing well. But they still have shortcomings defensively and on the penalty kill.

I expect Montreal to get the better of play at five-on-five and its power play, which is trending upward, is in a good spot to do some damage as well.

Bet: Montreal -110 or better.

Quick hit: With Joonas Korpisalo expected to start tonight, back the Washington Capitals (-125).

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

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Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman was ejected in the third period of Thursday's contest versus the Colorado Avalanche for swinging his stick at forward Kiefer Sherwood's head.

Referees handed Poolman a 10-minute match penalty. Sherwood managed to stay in the game.

Here's a slowed-down look at the play:

Poolman joined the Canucks this past offseason. The Winnipeg Jets drafted him in the fifth round in 2013.

The Avalanche won the contest 7-1.

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John Tortorella believes Connor McDavid will have to alter his game come playoff time if he's to lead the red-hot Edmonton Oilers to the promised land.

The longtime NHL head coach, now working as an analyst on ESPN's "The Point" says that despite McDavid's skill, a commitment to defense is the only thing that will get the league's most dynamic player a Stanley Cup.

"I do think he has to change his game a bit. Not turn into a checker, obviously," Tortorella said, per ESPN. "He's talked about culture, he's talked about standards, he's talked about winning. You're not just going to fill the net during the playoffs and outscore teams. You have to play on the other side of the puck. You have to have that business-type attitude of, 'Nothing's going to bother me, no matter how you're going to check me.'

"Don't talk about it, just play hard, play through it, but the other side of the puck is that important too come playoff time."

McDavid and fellow Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl lead the league with 23 points apiece early in the 2021-22 season and have galvanized Edmonton to a scorching 9-2-0 start.

Expectations to deliver in the playoffs are sky-high given the form of the Oilers' top two players, both of whom were placed under the microscope after Edmonton was swept by the underdog Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the North Division playoffs this past spring.

"I think he's learning," Tortorella said. "(Head coach Dave Tippett) is going to have to get that whole group - if they're talking about a Stanley Cup - they're all going to have to play a little bit of a different way, not just try to outscore teams."

Tortorella, who won a Stanley Cup as head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004, did go on to admit he's been wrong before.

"Ovechkin - I didn't think they were ever going to win in Washington, but Ovi changed his game a bit and they ended up winning a Cup," he said.

The Oilers have advanced past the first round just once in the McDavid era (2016-17). In 21 career postseason games, McDavid's put up 22 points.

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The NHL is looking to take some of its All-Star festivities outdoors when Las Vegas hosts the midseason spectacle in February.

The league is talking to city officials about hosting two new skills competition events in the open air on The Strip, reports ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

NHL executives presented a plan to those officials as well as representatives from The Bellagio Hotel and Casino this week, Wyshynski adds.

The league reportedly hopes to hold the typical skills events indoors as usual, while adding a pair of outdoor challenges inspired by the city and created specifically for next year's festivities.

Vegas will host All-Star Weekend on Feb. 4-5. The skills competition will be held on the Friday, while the three-on-three tournament will take place on the Saturday.

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No. 61 is heading to the Nationwide Arena rafters.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will retire Rick Nash's number March 5, the club announced Thursday.

Nash will become the first player in franchise history to receive the honor.

"Rick Nash was the face of our franchise and our best player for a decade and represented our club on and off the ice with excellence, class, and humility," Blue Jackets owner John P. McConnell said. "No one is more deserving of this honor than he, and we are looking forward to celebrating Rick and his family in what will be a historic and memorable night for all of us on March 5."

The Blue Jackets drafted Nash with the first overall pick in 2002. A five-time All-Star during his time in Columbus, he's the franchise's all-time leader in games played (674), goals (289), assists (258), and points (547). Nash also served as the team's captain from 2008-2012.

"This is incredibly exciting, not only for Rick and his family but for our entire organization and our great fans," Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said. "Only one player can be the first to have their jersey retired by a franchise, and with everything that Rick has meant to the Blue Jackets, it is fitting that he is the one."

Nash shared the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2003-04 as a 19-year-old by tying for the league lead with 41 goals. The 6-foot-4 power forward went on to score at least 30 goals in six of the following seven seasons with the Blue Jackets before they traded him to the New York Rangers in 2012.

The 37-year-old currently serves as Columbus' director of player development after he ended his playing career in 2018.

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Shot props are back for tonight's busy 11-game slate. We're 3-1 on the season - falling one Craig Smith shot short of 4-0 - and looking to keep the good times going.

Let's dive into our best bets.

Thomas Chabot over 2.5 shots (-110)

Chabot was good to us last week, so we might as well go back to our old friend. These odds may have lost a little bit of their juice already, but value remains on him to go over.

The blue-liner is logging more than 27 minutes per contest for the Senators. That's insane usage, which leads to plenty of shot opportunities - even more so on home ice. Chabot is averaging nearly seven attempts and 3.3 shots on target through seven home games, which puts his shot prop in play against anybody at anything close to even money. The above-average matchup works in his favor, too.

The Kings are banged up on defense, and it shows. Los Angeles is giving up volume on a nightly basis. Opponents have generated more than 61 attempts per 60 at five-on-five over the last five games, placing the Kings 26th in the NHL.

Since Chabot is a willing shooter and logs an absurd amount of minutes, he stands to benefit the most from this matchup. And on top of that, this is expected to be a close contest - it's a low-game total with the money line odds priced nearly evenly.

If this one does turn out to be neck and neck, Chabot is not going to leave the ice. Back him to go over the number once again.

Sam Bennett over 2.5 shots on goal (+100)

Bennett averages six shot attempts per game. Bennett averages nearly 3.5 shots on goal per game. Bennett has gone over the number in six of eight games this campaign for the Panthers (including against the Penguins), falling just one shot shy in each of the other two.

Despite all of those fun facts, you can get plus money backing him to go over the number.

Pittsburgh is a good defensive team, but - as pointed out - when successfully picking Patrick Kane to go over his total, the team gives up shots. The Penguins are more focused on preventing quality than quantity.

With the implied odds of a coin flip, I like Bennett to get there tonight.

Bonus round: If you're hungry for more, Aaron Ekblad over 2.5 shots (-125) also stands out. He leads Florida in total attempts this season and registered six shots the last time these two sides met. Pittsburgh generally keeps shots to the outside, which is not something that will hurt Ekblad.

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

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Wednesday served us up yet another split. The Maple Leafs blanked the Flyers, but the Stars lost for the sixth time in seven games to put us back to square one.

We'll aim for more with our best bets on this busy Thursday.

Oilers (+125) @ Bruins (-145)

Stepping in front of Connor McDavid is always a scary thought, but we're going to try our luck.

The Oilers aren't as good as their record indicates. Nobody's doubting their star power, but the team remains too top-heavy. That's why, despite owning a remarkable 9-2-0 mark, they've been outchanced and are only +1 at five-on-five.

Edmonton is relying on the power play to do the heavy lifting, which it's clearly capable of. But being so reliant on the man advantage could be problematic against a team like the Bruins.

Led by Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Charlie McAvoy, Boston is once again a strong penalty-killing side. The Bruins rank sixth in chances against per 60 and seventh in suppressing expected goals. They don't give up much in the way of quality looks.

They're also not one to spoon-feed opponents opportunities with the extra man. Only seven teams have spent fewer minutes killing penalties this season.

A lot of this game should be played at five-on-five, where the Bruins look to have a big edge. They rank third in expected goals share at 56%, while the Oilers sit 19th at 49%.

Expect Boston's five-on-five edge to shine through in this one.

Bet: Bruins (-145)

Wild (-105) @ Golden Knights (-115)

It's a day that ends with "y," and you know what that means: We're fading the Golden Knights.

Mark Stone and Nolan Patrick are starting to practice and could return in the near future, providing some much-needed skill and depth to the Golden Knights' forward group. Assuming they're out Thursday, though, the value remains on their opponents.

The Wild are off to a strong 9-3-0 start, and they're full value for it. They've steamrolled their opponents, controlling a league-leading 58% of the expected goals share at five-on-five.

Vegas, as undermanned as the team is, has unsurprisingly struggled in that game state. Its xG share at five-on-five sits at 45%, good for 29th in the NHL.

Yes, the Golden Knights are rested and at home. But a healthy Minnesota side is far superior to this version of Vegas' team, and the Wild have saved their best goaltender - Cam Talbot - for Thursday's game.

Bet: Wild -105.

Kings (-110) @ Senators (-110)

This game screams under to me. The Kings are a defensive-minded team playing its third game in four nights. Los Angeles will undoubtedly try to bottle things up, which it's well-equipped to do with Anze Kopitar and Phillip Danault centering the top two lines.

On the flip side, the Senators are dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak. They're missing a handful of regulars, including speedsters Connor Brown and Alex Formenton. Ottawa's forward depth isn't impressive at the best of times, so losing them is problematic.

I expect the Senators to play a simple, north-south-style game. They don't have much in the way of quick-strike attackers, and the quality they do have should see a lot of Kopitar and/or Danault.

The goaltending matchup is also much better than it seems on paper. Jonathan Quick has been surprisingly good thus far, saving 4.9 goals above expectation through seven starts. He's in the same ballpark as Jacob Markstrom, Robin Lehner, and Andrei Vasilevskiy on a per-game basis.

Meanwhile, Filip Gustavsson has outperformed Ottawa's regular tandem of Matt Murray and Anton Forsberg. Gustavsson's not just some random recall; he's an NHL goaltender.

Don't expect much action in this one.

Bet: Under 5.5 goals (+100)

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

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The Ottawa Senators have placed goaltender Matt Murray and winger Alex Formenton in the NHL's COVID-19 protocol, the team announced Thursday.

Forward Andrew Agozzino and defensemen Dillon Heatherington and Lassi Thomson were recalled in corresponding moves.

The Senators' COVID-19 list now features eight players from the active roster. In addition to Murray and Formenton, Connor Brown, Josh Brown, Dylan Gambrell, Nick Holden, Victor Mete, and Austin Watson, as well as associate coach Jack Capuano, are all in the protocol.

Ottawa is scheduled to play the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. Here's the Sens' projected lineup:

No NHL games have been postponed due to COVID-19 yet this season.

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