Easter typically marks the first or second weekend of the NHL Playoffs, the start of a two-month stretch during which I spend every night watching teams leave it all on the ice in pursuit of the Stanley Cup.

I remember Tomas Hertl's second-overtime goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019 on Easter Sunday and Alexander Radulov's OT marker against the New York Rangers in 2017 on Good Friday. And, if I really want to date myself, I remember watching Martin St. Louis score in the third overtime in Game 6 of the first round to knock out the Washington Capitals in 2003.

However, we're still six weeks from playoff hockey. The games might not carry the same intensity this Easter weekend, but let's be thankful we have hockey at all.

Flames (+130) at Oilers (-150)
April 2, 9 p.m. ET

This looks like it should be a prime spot for the Edmonton Oilers to bounce back at home against their struggling rivals. But it's really a tough one for the Oilers, who've been on road since March 21. They spent five days in a state of limbo with their three games against the Montreal Canadiens postponed before a tough two-game set in Toronto against the Maple Leafs. Edmonton then flew back to Montreal for the second half of a back-to-back against a rested Canadiens team.

The Oilers now play at home for the first time in 13 days, a typically tough spot for teams, and one they've struggled in. Edmonton has spent more than a week on the road twice this season, and both times it lost its first game back at home. This is especially tricky as it comes against a desperate Calgary Flames team that's been off since Monday.

Calgary is six points back of a playoff spot with four more games played than the team it's chasing. It's been tough to gauge which Flames side is going to show up on a nightly basis, but I expect a spirited effort by Calgary against its in-province rival after an extended rest. The fact that the Flames are catching the Oilers in a tough spot is an added bonus.

Pick: Flames (+130)

Blackhawks (+110) at Predators (-130)
April 3, 3 p.m.

The Chicago Blackhawks were a great story for much of the first half, but fans aren't going to like how this fairytale ends. These teams are tied for fourth in the Central ahead of Saturday's meeting but are trending in entirely opposite directions.

Chicago has lost nine of its last 13, and the underlying metrics are even uglier. Since March 5, the Blackhawks are last in the NHL with a miserable 38.9% expected goal share at five-on-five.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators are finally playing like the team many expected them to be this season. Winners of eight of their last 10, they're now firmly back in the playoff mix. They've posted a really strong 52.57% share of the expected goals at five-on-five since March 8, clearly turning a corner from the club that looked set to be stripped for parts in late February.

The gulf was very apparent when these teams met last weekend for a two-game set in Chicago, with the banged-up Predators winning both. Nashville owned a 58.7 xGF%, 57.97% CF%, and 63.41 HDCF% in those games, and there's no reason to expect any different as they get set to meet again.

Pick: Predators (-130)

Blue Jackets at Panthers (N/A)
April 4, 5 p.m.

These Central Division rivals meet twice this weekend, so take note that this is for Sunday's game. Projecting NHL starting goalies is often a fool's errand, but it feels relatively safe to assume Sergei Bobrovsky will get the call in the first game of this back-to-back, with Chris Driedger going on Sunday after starting Thursday's win against the Detroit Red Wings. That's the hope, as I feel much better backing the Florida Panthers these days with Driedger in goal.

Both Aleksander Barkov and Patric Hornqvist are also expected back at some point this weekend, with Sunday a much safer bet that both will be in the lineup. The Panthers' five-on-five numbers have dipped without the pair, but this is a dominant team with those two, and it appears we can get it at a reasonable price in this game.

The lookahead line is a bit short, and that's largely down to recency bias. The Columbus Blue Jackets were quite competitive in their two games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it's important not to have short-term memory in this business. This is the same team that looked lifeless in losing a pair to the Red Wings last weekend and has posted a 42.3 xGF% at five-on-five since March 7, the third-worst mark in the league.

Pick: Panthers (-150 or better)

Alex Moretto is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, despises how the NHL handles starting goalie announcements, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nathan Beaulieu will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder, the team announced Friday.

The 28-year-old hasn't played since March 9. Beaulieu recorded one assist in 25 games this campaign.

The Jets can now place Beaulieu's $1.25-million cap hit on long-term injured reserve, giving the club increased cap flexibility ahead of the trade deadline.

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The Vancouver Canucks' COVID-19 outbreak grew by six players on Friday.

A total of eight Canucks players and one staff member have now tested positive for the virus, according to TSN's Darren Dreger.

It was announced Thursday that two Canucks players and a staff member tested positive. Vancouver's games through April 6 were postponed as a result.

Forward Adam Gaudette and defenseman Travis Hamonic appeared on the NHL's COVID-19 list Thursday. The list is updated daily at 5 p.m. ET.

The Canucks are the second team in the North Division to get hit by the coronavirus. The Montreal Canadiens recently returned from a 10-day layoff.

Vancouver's last four games have been postponed, and it hasn't played since March 24 against the Winnipeg Jets.

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Everybody loves to see a grizzled veteran end their career on top. Below, we identify six candidates around the NHL who could receive that opportunity leading up to the 2021 trade deadline.

Note: Effective cap hit indicates the total dollars a team will pay any player it acquires ahead of the trade deadline. It's determined by dividing a player's salary by the number of days remaining in the season. All figures dated to April 1, courtesy of Cap Friendly.

Marc Staal, Red Wings

Age: 34
Effective cap hit: $1.818 million

Depth defensemen are a popular commodity at every trade deadline. General managers with championship aspirations often take low-risk gambles on veteran rearguards that can eat up sheltered minutes or be a substitute in the event of an injury. Staal fits that bill. He's not a guy that will drive play or anchor a team's back end against top competition, but the Thunder Bay native has 107 career playoff games under his belt and offers value as a depth defender.

The Rangers bought out Staal last offseason, and he's a pending unrestricted free agent. He very well could be facing his last chance to win a Stanley Cup, and Detroit should sell every asset it can. Staal will have to waive his no-move clause to orchestrate a trade, but a chance to ride off into the sunset as a champion should be a pretty convincing reason to do so.

Ryan Miller, Ducks

Age: 40
Effective cap hit: $318,965

Depth in goal is never a bad thing, and Miller could be a desirable second or third option for a team needing reinforcement between the pipes. He's posted some poor numbers for a terrible Ducks squad this season, but he's a cheap choice that isn't too far removed from being a reliable backup. Miller's made nearly 800 NHL appearances but has logged only 57 playoff games. The former Vezina Trophy winner and All-Star is a prime candidate to chase a ring in what could very well be his last NHL campaign.

Bobby Ryan, Red Wings

Age: 34
Effective cap hit: $318,965

As mentioned above, the Red Wings should hold a deadline firesale, and they could do Ryan a significant favor by shipping him to a contender. The former No. 2 overall pick is back on his feet and contributing for a lowly Detroit squad, and he still displays his offensive prowess from time to time. Ryan can add skill in a depth role or be on a good team's second power-play unit. He's also proven he can step up when he needs to, posting 15 points in 19 games in his most recent playoff appearance with the Ottawa Senators in 2017.

There's no guarantee this is Ryan's final year in the NHL. Still, opportunities at a championship are difficult to obtain for anyone, and the free-agent market in a flat-cap world promises to be a challenge again this summer. There's no denying it would be one of the feelgood stories of the year if Ryan ends up hoisting the Cup.

Patrick Marleau, Sharks

Age: 41
Effective cap hit: $223,275

Unfortunately for Marleau, he's been the face of this list for a few years now. The Sharks veteran is on an expiring deal again and close to breaking Gordie Howe's all-time record for games played. However, the big piece of his Hall of Fame puzzle is still missing, and Marleau's previous sojourns to Toronto and Pittsburgh to win a Cup were ultimately fruitless.

Marleau is open to being dealt again, and it would be a shock if San Jose retained him through the deadline. He doesn't contribute offense like he used to, but the idea of Marleau concluding his playing days in Ray Bourque fashion would be icing on the cake for an already legendary career.

Jason Spezza and Joe Thornton, Maple Leafs

Age: 37, 41
Effective cap hits: $223,275 (players have same salary)

Spezza and Thornton qualify for this list under a different criterion than the rest: they don't need to be moved for their chance to win a Cup. The Leafs are in good shape to make some noise against their North Division foes but will have to prove they have the fortitude to win a playoff series after years of futility and then go on a run with their savvy vets in mind.

Playoff time in Toronto is always a massive story in itself, but Thornton and Spezza's contributions to any potential postseason success would be a major subplot. The two former stars capping their careers with a championship for their hometown team is a story that would go down in NHL history.

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Cam Talbot denied Keegan Kolesar in spectacular fashion not once but twice Friday night.

First, the Minnesota Wild goaltender flashed the leather to disappoint the Vegas Golden Knights rookie:

Then, off the ensuing faceoff, Talbot crushed Kolesar's hopes of redemption with his paddle:

Talbot has been getting more starts than teammate Kaapo Kahkonen lately, and it's hard to say the 33-year-old doesn't deserve them with stops like these.

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Roberto Luongo is expected to be named general manager of the Canadian team heading to the 2021 world championship in Latvia, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's edition of "Insider Trading."

An official announcement could come as early as next week, Dreger added.

Luongo was recently named to Canada's 2022 Olympic brass as an assistant GM. He joined the Florida Panthers' front office prior to the 2021 season and leads the club's goaltending excellence department.

The 41-year-old wrapped up his 18-year playing career in 2019. He represented Canada as a player at the world championships and Olympics, winning two gold medals at each event.

This year's world championship is scheduled to begin May 21. The 2020 event was canceled due to the pandemic.

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