Over 6 and a Sprinkle on Hawks vs. Kings

Kings vs. Blackhawks, 7:00 ET

The NHL has still been kind to us for just over a week's worth of plays now. With a winning record, I'm happy to have started well, but again, that could be beginner's luck as I delve into this hockey handicapping journey. Either way, this is a popular football Sunday, but I'm over here looking for a winner on the ice. Let's see if I can get us one.

The Kings come into this game with the better record and it really isn't even that close. The bad thing is they have been playing very poorly lately. They've lost their past three games and just played yesterday in Nashville. Now they have a quick turnaround and have to face the Blackhawks. They are putting Jonathan Quick in goal tonight and he hasn't been very good this season. He has an 8-11-4 record and is allowing 3.34 goals per game on average. That isn't what you want out of your goaltender. Still, Quick is better than what the Kings are getting from him lately. Maybe they switch goalies and play someone else because Quick has played the past two games. He didn't start either of them though. He came into the game against Dallas and the team was already down 4-0. He stopped the bleeding though. Yesterday he allowed three goals in the 5-3 loss. The Kings haven't won a game that Quick has played in since the 1st of December.

The Blackhawks are surprisingly good lately. With how terribly they played to start the year, this is quite a turnaround recently. They are winners of four of their past five and six of their past seven games. Before that, they had only won nine games over their first 38 games. I'm not sure anything, in particular, spurred this winning streak, but this just might be the team this year - streaky. They won four consecutive early in the year, and after that lost 27 of 31 games. Tonight they have a shot to win against a struggling Kings team. They won the first matchup against them in the season in Los Angeles. They have no rest advantage as they have to come into this game after beating the Blue last night in St. Louis. As of now, they are sending Petr Mrazek to the pipes. He has allowed 3.98 goals per game, and (not that this is surprising) he has a losing record as well. Someone has to take this game though.

I think I'm going to sprinkle on the Blackhawks moneyline at +195. They are at home, have beaten the Kings once, and are playing better, so it is worth at least a half unit or more. I am going to play the game total over 6 though. The Blackhawks are scoring well right now, and the Kings are giving up goals. I think the teams can combine for six with ease and that would be a push, but we just need that empty net goal or something to give us a victory.

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