Rousing Ovation for 2024 3rd Overall pick Beckett Sennecke (Via: Derek Lee) Thursday has a large slate of NHL action with 11 games and 22 teams in action. Some of th exciting matchups are the The slate gives us a chance to hopefully bounce back after a losing day yesterday and get on a run like the 9-2 record we started the season with. All betting lines are from Bet365 and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. Bet: Kings ML (-115), Kings Habs Under 6.0 goals (+100) To drop both games of a back-to-back is rare to see as most of the time teams rally after their first loss to win the second game. This feels like a perfect spot for the Kings to do the same after they got thrashed by the Maple Leafs Wednesday in a 6-2 loss. The Kings were one of the best defensive teams in the league last season and made their six goals allowed quite surprising. It marked 14 goals they've allowed in just their last two games, which makes people question if the injury to franchise defenceman Drew Doughty is playing a factor. Montreal has been a high-flying team with their young talent like Calder trophy contender Lane Hutson and breakout star Juraj Slafkovsky. This team isn't the easy win they once were and will make the Kings work for a win. Ultimately, this is a bounce back spot for the Kings but it should be a low-scoring game with Montreal starting Sam Montembeault in between the pipes. The 27-year-old Quebec native has started all but one of the Habs games this season and has stopped 97 of 103 shots faced for a .942 save percentage. Bet: Sharks +1.5 (-155), Will Smith Over 0.5 points (+150) The Sharks and Blackhawks have resumed their positions as basement NHL teams that reside near the bottom of the league for another season. Both teams have made improvements to their lineups but with Connor Bedard, the Blackhawks are garnering 93 per cent [https://www.actionnetwork.com/nhl/public-betting] of the bets for this game. The Sharks have the Blackhawks beat on the defensive end with just nine goals allowed this season compared to the Blackhawks, who have allowed 12 goals. Chicago has the offensive advantage with Bedard as they've scored nine goals to San Jose's six. This should be a closer game than people expect with the Sharks only needing to slow down Bedard to have a chance. The 19-year-old superstar has contributed five of Chicago's nine goals this season which means he'll likely help them get one the board at least once tonight but if they can limit his chances, the Sharks will have a good chance. San Jose has lost four of straight versus Chicago but have a new band of youngsters looking to make an impact. Forwards Will Smith and Alex Wennberg both have no points so far this season and are expected to play big roles in the Sharks offence this season. Smith should find a way to get on the board as he plays meaningful minutes on a line with winger Barclay Goodrow. Bet: Golden Knights ML (+120) The Golden Knights have been forgotten about as an elite NHL team as they are 3-1-0 on the season coming off a loss to the Capitals and are underdogs versus Tampa Bay. The Lightning have started hot out of the gates with a perfect 2-0-0 record while outscoring their opponents eight to two so far this season. This should be a high-scoring affair as these two teams have combined for seven or more goals in six of their last seven matchups. Tampa Bay has 84 per cent of the bets on them to win this one which makes me love the Golden Knights in an upset spot on the road here. They'll be lead by star centre Jack Eichel, who is tied for the team lead in points with eight and has four points in as many games versus Tampa Bay since joining the Golden Knights.
