Golden Knights 3, Rangers 2 (OT)

Jack Eichel scored on an end-to-end rush with eight seconds left in overtime, capping a furious late rally as visiting Vegas beat the New York Rangers 3-2. Tomas Hertl had tied it with 52 seconds left in regulation, and Brett Howden — who opened the scoring 36 seconds into the game — won a key defensive-zone draw in OT that led to Eichel’s winner. Shea Theodore banked the puck off the neutral-zone boards, Eichel picked it up, blew past Matthew Robertson and cut across the crease to slide it past Jonathan Quick. The win matched Vegas’ longest streak of the season at four games and delivered the kind of momentum swing that shows up fast on the NHL odds and scores board.

Carter Hart made 21 saves, including a huge stop on Mika Zibanejad with 18 seconds left in overtime, to keep Vegas alive. Quick stopped 26 shots as New York fell to 3-8-3 at home and took its second straight overtime loss. Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere had second-period goals to stake the Rangers to a 2-1 lead before Hertl and Eichel took over late.

Stars 3, Penguins 2 (SO)

Miro Heiskanen scored the tying goal with less than two minutes remaining, and Mikko Rantanen delivered the lone tally in the shootout as surging Dallas rallied past visiting Pittsburgh 3-2.

With Jake Oettinger pulled for an extra skater and the Stars trailing 2-1, Heiskanen’s shot through traffic found the net with 1:49 left. Oettinger finished with 27 saves as Dallas won its third straight and improved to 13-1-2 since Nov. 8 — the kind of sustained form smart bettors look for when applying the basics of how to bet on hockey.

Connor Dewar and Tommy Novak scored for the Penguins, who closed a three-game trip at 2-0-1 while missing Evgeni Malkin (upper-body injury). Sidney Crosby logged an assist, moving within six points of Mario Lemieux’s franchise-record 1,723.

Capitals 2, Blue Jackets 0

Logan Thompson delivered a 39-save shutout — his first of the season and seventh of his career — as Washington blanked visiting Columbus 2-0.

Jakob Chychrun and Aliaksei Protas supplied the goals for the Capitals, who are on a 10-1-1 tear that has pushed them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Thompson was sharp throughout, eliminating rebounds and controlling traffic in front, exactly the kind of goaltending edge emphasized in NHL betting 101.

Jet Greaves stopped 36 shots for the Blue Jackets, who lost on consecutive nights and couldn’t capitalize despite generating plenty of looks.

Ducks 7, Blackhawks 1

Leo Carlsson scored twice and Beckett Sennecke added a goal and an assist as Anaheim unloaded on visiting Chicago 7-1.

Jacob Trouba, Alex Killorn, Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano also scored for the Ducks, who tied a season high with seven goals and improved to 11-4-0 at home. Anaheim fired a season-best 53 shots on goal, including a franchise-record 27 in the second period, while holding the Blackhawks to 20 shots overall. Ville Husso made 19 saves in net as the Ducks’ shot volume and pressure looked like a textbook case for anyone trying to find the best hockey picks all season.

Tyler Bertuzzi had Chicago’s only goal and Arvid Soderblom stopped 46 shots under heavy fire. Connor Bedard logged 19 minutes with one shot and an assist as the Blackhawks were overwhelmed at 5-on-5.

Sharks 4, Hurricanes 1

Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists to lead San Jose to a 4-1 win over Carolina in Raleigh, snapping the Sharks’ eight-game skid against the Hurricanes.

John Klingberg and Alex Wennberg each chipped in a goal and an assist, while Collin Graf also scored. Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves for San Jose, which had last beaten Carolina on Nov. 22, 2021. The Sharks, coming off two straight losses, controlled this one from early on, a reminder of how dangerous NHL underdogs can be when you understand when they’re a wise wager or terrible trap.

Jordan Staal scored the lone goal for the Hurricanes, who were playing the second half of a back-to-back after beating Nashville 6-3 on Saturday. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 18 shots as Carolina’s three-wins-in-four stretch ended.

Avalanche 3, Flyers 2

Mackenzie Blackwood made 23 saves — including a crucial stop on Trevor Zegras’ third-period penalty shot — as Colorado edged host Philadelphia 3-2.

Blackwood turned away 13 shots in the third period alone to preserve the win and a sweep of Colorado’s back-to-back set. Brent Burns, Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche, who capitalized early and then leaned on their goaltender and defensive structure, a classic profile for teams that reward bettors who’ve mastered puck-line wagers.

Sean Couturier celebrated his 33rd birthday and 900th career game by scoring his fifth goal of the season, and Travis Konecny also scored for the Flyers. Samuel Ersson made 25 saves. Zegras had a chance to equalize with 15:06 left after being hauled down by Nathan MacKinnon on a breakaway, but Blackwood denied the penalty shot.

Panthers 4, Islanders 1

Carter Verhaeghe scored for the third straight game — giving him four goals since he and his wife welcomed their first child — as Florida beat New York 4-1 in Sunrise, Fla.

Sam Reinhart and defensemen Uvis Balinskis and Seth Jones also scored for the Panthers, who have now won two straight after a four-game slide. Daniil Tarasov stopped 20 shots in a battle of backup goalies, backing a Florida effort that showed how understanding alternate NHL lines can create extra value when a favorite rolls comfortably.

Mathew Barzal scored the Islanders’ only goal, while defenseman Matthew Schaefer — the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft — recorded an assist. David Rittich made 26 saves as New York’s three-game winning streak ended.

Blues 4, Canadiens 3

Brayden Schenn scored two goals and added an assist to power St. Louis to a 4-3 win over host Montreal.

Dylan Holloway had a goal and two assists, Pavel Buchnevich also scored and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves as the Blues completed a successful back-to-back with two victories. St. Louis’ top forwards drove the offense in a tight contest, the kind of usage and production that ties directly into how to read NHL public betting and decide when to ride or fade a streaking team.

Noah Dobson had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, with Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson also finding the net. Jakub Dobes made 14 saves on the second night of a back-to-back, filling in while Samuel Montembeault was sidelined by illness.