We have a jam-packed 10-game slate to look forward to Thursday night. Let's waste no time in getting to our best bets.

Rangers (-165) @ Red Wings (+145)

The Red Wings are hot, having won seven of their last 10 games to get back in the race for a wild-card spot.

Although the Wings have done some good things defensively and been opportunistic in finishing, this run does not appear to be sustainable.

Detroit has really struggled to create offense at five-on-five. The team is 31st in high-danger chances per 60 during this spell, narrowly ahead of the Blue Jackets. Nobody has fared worse than the Red Wings in terms of generating expected goals.

They deserve credit for making the most of their chances, but a lack of volume generally won't lead to success against a goaltender like Igor Shesterkin.

He predictably hasn't been as dominant this season as last. Even so, he still owns a save percentage well above league average and is top 10 in goals saved above expected.

Converting three or four times on a shot count that is likely to hover around the mid-20s is a tall order for the Red Wings. That's likely what they'll need to do to hang around - let alone win - against a sizzling Rangers squad.

The Rangers have picked up points in nine of 10 and are firing on all cylinders offensively. Aided by the recent addition of Vladimir Tarasenko, they have a loaded three-line attack that opponents are having a miserable time slowing down.

I expect the Wings to have a tough time. Look for them to drop this game inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Rangers in regulation (-105)

Wild (-190) @ Blue Jackets (+160)

The Wild finally appear to be turning a corner and gaining some traction in the Western Conference.

They have won three games in a row on the back of stout defense and strong goaltending. While their offense still has definite room for improvement, a date with the Blue Jackets should help bring out the best in them.

Columbus has controlled only 42% of the high-danger chances at five-on-five the past 10 games. The Blue Jackets spend a lot of time absorbing pressure, which is not what you want to be doing - especially against a team featuring weapons like Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy.

I think this matchup gives the Wild a welcome opportunity for regression. Nobody will confuse them for a high-flying offensive team, but they've shot 4% at five-on-five over the last 10 games and about 5.5% overall. Whether the lineup lacks finishing or not, numbers that low are not sustainable for any club, let alone one holding down a playoff position.

Elvis Merzlikins getting the nod in goal for Columbus would be preferable - Joonas Korpisalo is having a pretty strong season - but the Wild hold enough advantages that they should be able to grind out a much-needed win regardless.

Back Minnesota to claim two points inside regulation.

Bet: Wild in regulation (-110)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Despite winning at a record-setting rate through 56 games, Brad Marchand insists the Boston Bruins aren't hung up on any potential regular-season glory.

"People have talked a lot about some of these records, that we could potentially hit or we have hit," Marchand said, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. "Nobody cares about those in this room. We could care less about any of these regular-season records. Because they really don't mean anything."

The Bruins (43-8-5) are currently on pace for 133 points and 63 wins, which would set two NHL records. The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens hold the benchmark in wins (132), while the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning share the title for victories (62).

"Before we were going through this season, if you asked any of the guys on this team who owned any of those records, nobody would know because nobody cares. Because it's not about the regular season," Marchand said. "As soon as somebody brings it up, it's in one ear and out the other."

The 1977 Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, but the Red Wings and Lightning were ousted in the playoffs. Tampa was famously eliminated in a first-round, four-game sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This year's Bruins - who set an NHL record with 15 consecutive home victories to start the season - look like they'll cruise to the Presidents' Trophy, but that's not the hardware Marchand is after.

"If you win the Presidents' Trophy but you don't win the Cup, nobody cares," Marchand said. "That's what we know on this team."

Only eight teams have won the Presidents' Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season, most recently the Chicago Blackhawks in the lockout-shortened 2013 campaign.

The Bruins are looking to win their first Stanley Cup since 2011 - Marchand's second year in the league. Boston returned to the final in 2013 and 2019 but fell short each time.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators have traded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev, a second-round pick in 2023, and a fourth-round pick in 2026 to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations, the teams announced Wednesday.

The move is purely a cap dump from Ottawa's perspective, as Zaitsev carries a $4.5-million cap hit through 2023-24 with a base salary of $2.5 million. He signed the contract in 2017 while a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Zaitsev has only appeared in 28 contests this season, notching five assists while averaging over 17 minutes per night. He suited up in 203 games for the Senators across four campaigns.

Ottawa only has three defensemen under contract for next season - Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Jake Sanderson - and has long been rumored to be in the market for a blue-liner with term throughout much of the season. This deal has now given the franchise more financial flexibility to potentially add one.

The Senators aren't expected to be buyers at the March 3 deadline. The club sits six points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference despite a 7-2-1 run in its last 10 games.

Chicago, on the other hand, is fully in sell mode leading up to the deadline as the team stares down a significant rebuild. The Blackhawks' biggest trade chip is former MVP Patrick Kane, who controls his own destiny with a full no-movement clause.

The Senators and Blackhawks previously connected on a blockbuster trade in the summer, with Chicago shipping winger Alex DeBrincat to Canada's capital for three draft picks.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nashville Predators forward Ryan Johansen will undergo emergency surgery Wednesday after having his leg cut by a skate blade during Tuesday's victory over the Vancouver Canucks, reports Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean.

It's unclear how much time Johansen will miss. An update is expected from the team once surgery is completed.

The Predators are already without star forward Filip Forsberg, who's missed five games with an upper-body injury. Johansen's absence will not help Nashville's minuscule playoff chance as the club currently sits seven points back of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Johansen's logged 28 points in 55 games this season while averaging 15:46 per contest. The 30-year-old is in the sixth season of an eight-year, $64-million contract signed in 2017.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights appear to be positioning themselves for additional moves ahead of the NHL's March 3 trade deadline.

Vegas traded Shea Weber's contract and a fifth-round pick in this year's draft to the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Dysin Mayo, the clubs announced Wednesday.

Weber hasn't hasn't played since 2021 due to injury. The 37-year-old is under contract through 2025-26 at a cap hit of approximately $7.86 million, according to CapFriendly. The Montreal Canadiens dealt his pact to the Golden Knights for forward Evgenii Dadonov in June 2022.

Vegas assigned Mayo to its AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, upon making Wednesday's trade. The 26-year-old played for both the Coyotes and their farm club, the Tucson Roadrunners, this season. He was held without a point over 15 games with Arizona in 2022-23.

The Golden Knights will now have around $8.75 million in cap flexibility at the deadline.

Arizona has a long history of acquiring picks in exchange for taking on the contracts of players on long-term injured reserve, including Pavel Datsyuk, Marian Hossa, Chris Pronger, and Bryan Little.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.