The NHL Daily: It’s getting late early for Edmonton

Welcome to the NHL Daily. Go inside the NHL’s card for Tuesday, Nov. 21, as we explore betting angles and try to find value in this volatile, cruel, good-for-nothing sport. 

A few years ago, John Tortorella had coached himself into the butt of many jokes around the Hockeysphere. So when the Blue Jackets appointed Tortorella as their new head coach, it was met with much criticism and even more snark. In his third year with the Jackets, Torts has the team humming again. It definitely helps that he has arguably the league's best goaltender, Sergei Bobrovsky, on his roster, but that isn't the only reason why the Blue Jackets look primed to contend in the Metropolitan Division. Columbus has been fantastic at 5-on-5, and if they find a way to correct their league-worst power play, the Jackets could make some serious noise toward the end of the season.

Last night's action: How about those Arizona Coyotes? The 'Yotes came out fast and caught the Maple Leafs on an off night in Toronto on Monday, cashing as a +197 underdog. It was their third win in a row, all on the road. The New Jersey Devils nearly derailed our hot streak before it got going by allowing a game-tying goal late in the third, but they stayed in our good graces by winning the game in overtime. It isn't often that you play three big underdogs and go 3-for-3, but the Ducks held on and won in a shootout over the Sharks to  put a cherry on top of a wonderful night on the ice.

Tonight's slate:

At this point we all know the Oilers are close to the proverbial panic button, but a look underneath the hood paints a somewhat more encouraging picture for the Oilers. They are a great team at 5-on-5 until it comes to actually putting the puck in the net. The Oilers take on the Blues tonight as +134 underdogs. The Blues are one of the league's strongest outfits and have one of the league's best rearguards in Alex Pietrangelo. Even with the Blues being the correct favorite, there is value on the Oilers. Let's just hope that positive regression starts tonight.

Picks: Oilers +134

Season to date: 55-60, +4.88u

Be part of the Action

You can be a part of our growing community by simply downloading the SportsAction App through the [App Store]  or [Google Play].