NHL Wednesday Betting Recap: Flexing Muscles
Another Home Run for Avalanche
Another Home Run for Avalanche
A showdown between two of the teams currently in playoff position in the Western Conference was over by the midway point of the first period to highlight a three-game schedule in the NHL on Wednesday night.
Nathan MacKinnon had three goals and two assists as the Colorado Avalanche rolled to a 9-3 win against the visiting Los Angeles Kings. Those who bet online might be interested to know that it was the eighth time in the last 11 home games that the Avalanche won by at least two goals.
Colorado’s last two games headed into overtime but that was never in danger of happening on Wednesday. The Avalanche chased veteran Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick after scoring three times on their first 10 shots.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel had a pair of goals during the first period to get Colorado off and running to its franchise-record 53rd win. Aube-Kubel entered April with no goals and one assist in his previous 20 games, but he has turned it around with four goals in five games this month.
Valeri Nichuskin also had two goals to become the seventh Colorado player with at least 20 goals while defenseman Cale Makar added a goal and two assists and fellow defenseman Bowen Byram had two assists. Makar’s goal was his 26th, the most by a defenseman since Brent Burns had 29 during the 2015-16 campaign. Makar’s goal gave Colorado defensemen 60 this season, the most since Washington’s 62 during the 1993-94 season.
Colorado coach Jared Bednar announced that forward Gabriel Landeskog, who hasn’t played since March 10 and recently underwent knee surgery, is expected to return to the lineup before the playoffs start.
Los Angeles, trying to hold off Vegas for the third spot in the Pacific Division, got goals from Adrian Kempe, Alex Iafallo, and Phillip Danault while rookie defenseman Jordan Spence had two assists.
The Avalanche, winners of seven games in a row, moved ahead of the idle Florida Panthers for the most points in the NHL and extended their lead in the Central Division to 16 points.
Colorado (+350) continues to have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup championship.
Rangers Inch Closer to Metro Lead
Kaapo Kakko snapped a 14-game goalless streak with a pair of goals as the visiting New York Rangers rolled to a 4-0 win against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Kakko, playing in his third game after missing more than two months due to injury, opened the scoring midway through the first period and scored again at 8:22 of the second period.
Two A’s, two K’s, two goals. 🚨#NoQuitInNY | @JagermeisterUSA pic.twitter.com/Wt1OMBwr6T
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 14, 2022
Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp added goals for the Rangers, who pulled within two points of first-place Carolina in the Metropolitan Division standings.
Alexandar Georgiev had 28 saves as he won his fourth consecutive start for the Rangers.
”It feels great,” Georgiev said. “You need a little bit of luck and the team to play great in front of you. That was all there [Wednesday].”
The Rangers won their 24th road game, which is tied for the most in the NHL. New York winning by four goals carried an NHL Vegas odds moneyline of +900.
Jack Roslovic scored twice as the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the visiting Montreal Canadiens 5-1.
Patrik Laine assisted on both of Roslovic’s goals and added a power-play goal to put Columbus up 3-0. Cole Sillinger and Emil Bemstrom each had a goal and an assist as Columbus swept the season series from Montreal. The four-goal win carried an NHL betting lines payout of +1000.
One of the assists on Sillinger’s goal went to former University of Michigan defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who was playing in his first NHL game.
Elvis Merzlikins had 20 saves to pick up his 25th win of the season.
Ryan Poehling scored his first goal in the last 26 games for Montreal, which has lost three in a row.
Wednesday’s scheduled game between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets was moved to May 1 as a result of a winter storm moving through the Winnipeg area.
