USA Today Sports. Pictured: Auston Matthews, Luis Severino
- BlackJack Fletcher is hitting the NHL opening night betting slate hard with three plays.
- He's also backing the Yankees in the AL wild-card game, but not on the moneyline.
It’s been a long wait, brother. Since the Stanley Cup Playoffs ended last June in Las Vegas, with the Washington Capitals hoisting their first Cup, we’ve all been waiting for this moment.
Not that the offseason has been dull. It’s been the opposite. John Tavares held the hockey world hostage for more than a week before deciding to return home to Toronto. The Senators took their sweet time in deciding to move Erik Karlsson to San Jose, and the Knights added Max Pacioretty from Montreal.
And those were just some of the bigger moves. Tonight we get to see the fruit of all that work. Tonight we get back to the ice. Tonight we get back to making cold, hard cash on the ice.
WINNERS
Montreal Canadiens at Toronto Maple Leafs (-240)
7 p.m. ET
The Maple Leafs are the team everyone wants to see on the ice tonight. How will Tavares pair with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri and such. And will Freddy Andersen be the No. 1 goaltender the Leafs need to be true cup contenders?
Montreal on the other hand is in true rebuilding mode and moved Pacioretty, so I expect the Habs offense to be on the punchless side this season.
Realistically, the Canadiens will go as far as Carey Price can take them. You can’t lay this kind of juice with the Leafs tonight, but the puckline seems juicy.
THE PICK: Toronto -1.5 (+110)