NHL Friday Roundup: Avalanche Surge, Islanders Rebound, Ducks Roll

Friday’s NHL slate showcased top-tier execution and bounce-back form across the board. Colorado’s stars carried their momentum, New York snapped a skid, and Anaheim’s young core flashed upside. Bettors focusing on pace and special teams saw strong returns via the Odds & Scores market.

Avalanche 4, Golden Knights 2

Martin Necas led Colorado with a goal and two assists just one day after signing an eight-year, $92 million extension, pacing a 4-2 victory over Vegas. Cale Makar contributed a goal and assist, while Brock Nelson and Brent Burns added insurance tallies. Scott Wedgewood made 21 saves for his league-leading seventh win.

Vegas suffered its first home loss of the year despite efforts from Tomas Hertl and Mitch Marner, who both posted a goal and assist. Rookie goalie Carl Lindbom made 22 saves in his second career start.

Capper Insight: Ross Walker highlighted Colorado’s “motivational spike” after Necas’ new deal, projecting an emotional edge that aligned with sharp money on the puck line. His clients found that angle through pregame analytics on the Handicappers dashboard.

Islanders 3, Capitals 1

Bo Horvat’s third-period strike broke a 1-1 tie and lifted New York over Washington. Ilya Sorokin stopped 22 shots, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s short-handed goal in the second shifted momentum. Mathew Barzal added an empty-netter one night after being scratched for discipline.

Washington’s Tom Wilson opened scoring early in the second, but the Capitals’ attack again faltered, managing only two goals across their last three losses.

Capper Insight: Diego Garcia advised “fade teams with scoring droughts until chemistry returns,” a simple approach he’s ridden to +$185 profit this week, per the Picks Leaderboard. The Islanders fit his buy-low window perfectly.

Ducks 5, Red Wings 2

Troy Terry scored twice and Leo Carlsson delivered a four-point night as Anaheim rolled past Detroit. Mason McTavish and Chris Kreider also tallied, and Lukas Dostal made 28 saves.

Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat had a goal and assist each for the Red Wings, whose three-game win streak ended. John Gibson returned to Anaheim and faced 32 shots in his old building.

Capper Insight: Andrew McInnis, who’s been consistent on west-coast totals, tagged this matchup as a “perfect pace-over setup” in his morning release — another case of spot timing from the Bettors Handbook.

Handicappers Roundup

Diego Garcia and Ross Walker share the top weekly mark at +$185, with Andrew McInnis close behind at +$100. All three leaned on situational reads—momentum, fatigue, and emotional edges—that drove Friday’s board cleanly.

Access all expert breakdowns and tonight’s confirmed cards inside the Free Service Plays section.