It’s been a long and relaxing holiday filled with plenty of NHL action, but now that Christmas and New Years have passed, it’s time to get ready for a great second half of the NHL season as well as the upcoming Winter Olympics.

So to kick off my return, here’s a little preview of the two games slated for this Monday night.

Boston Bruins @ New York Rangers
Boston will be traveling to New York for their first game after a fantastic 2-1 OT victory against the Flyers in the Winter Classic while the Rangers are coming in after a 1-2 OT loss to the Hurricanes.

These two teams have met twice already this season, which has resulted in a win for each.  The Bruins are on a high, not only getting a historic win at Fenway Park, but they’ve also won four of their last five games.  They’re currently sitting in second place in the Northeast - five games behind the Sabres.  Center Marc Savard has managed to lead his team to 21 wins with the help of Milan Lucic, Michael Ryder, and Marco Sturm who scored the winning goal in the Winter Classic.

Despite their slow start, the Bruins are now outperforming the Rangers, who conversely started the season out with seven straight wins, but then hit the skids.  They’ve compiled 19 wins, but many top performances from Marion Gaborik and goalie Henrik Lundqvist have been all for naught as the team keeps giving up games.  They’ll need to get back on track after their loss against the ‘Canes - one of their worst performances to date - if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive.  Expect them to play hard.

With the Bruins flying high and the Rangers hoping for a win, expect a tough game between these two teams.  In the end though, I can’t go against the Bruins.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Moneyline
Bruins: Ev
Rangers: -120
Puck Line
Bruins: +1 ½ -300
Rangers: -1 ½ +250

Los Angeles Kings @ San Jose Sharks
This will be the fourth of six meetings between these two teams this season.  The Kings have taken two of the previous three, making them a real contender to snap San Jose’s eight game winning streak.

The Kings are handing losses to some of the best teams in the league this year, and are coming into this game off of a confidence-boosting 2-1 win against the Capitals.  There’s no doubt that their mission this season is to put an end to the six-season playoff drought, and they’ll need to hand the Sharks another loss if they want to continue on their way.  This is a perfect opportunity to gain ground in the standings, as they are the only team in the Western Conference slated for a game this Monday.

The Sharks, despite a five game losing streak, are currently putting up the best record in the league.  With just eight total losses, they are not only leading the Pacific division, but the Western Conference as well.  They have been particularly impressive in recent weeks, shutting down teams left and right with eight straight wins.  A ninth seems imminent as they face the Kings with the home ice advantage.  Though the offense has been helping the Sharks rack up the wins, much credit has to be given to goalie Evgeni Nabokov who has allowed two goals or less in eight consecutive starts.

The Sharks are a good bet to win this one, but expect a tough game, as the Kings know how to play them tough.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Moneyline
Kings: +170
Sharks: -210
Puck Line
Kings: +1 ½ -170
Sharks: -1 ½ +150

Check out the abovementioned odds at BetUS and don’t forget to browse their Olympic futures as they are already offering lines on the men’s ice hockey.

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