The Buffalo Sabres continue to impress and boss the NHL Betting Lines cashier’s cage in their quest for their first playoff appearance since 2011. Head coach Lindy Ruff was at the helm for that postseason campaign, and it would be apropos for Rupp to apply the coup d’ grace to Buffalo’s playoff drought.
Meanwhile, Lightning has struck the NHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning, that is. Tampa Bay has joined the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres as three of the hottest teams in the NHL. For many fans, the success of this trio of teams is a major surprise. Also, Tampa Bay has been written off as yesterday’s news by most NHL observers and gamblers. It was said that the Lightning’s Stanley Cup window had closed. Instead, they are within striking distance of the Carolina Hurricanes for the lead in the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Bruins were also written off as a team whose Stanley Cup window had closed. And the 2025-26 season has been a roller coaster for the Bruins. But a recent hot streak by the Bruins has put them in 5th place in the Eastern Conference Playoff race. But while the Lightning, Sabres, and Bruins are in the best of times, the Los Angeles Kings are in danger of missing the playoffs after four consecutive years in the postseason.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars continue to rank among the Western Conference’s elite and remain the top threat to the Colorado Avalanche. However, the Stars have hit their roughest stretch of the season. Dallas is 27-12-9 and in second place in the Western Conference. However, the Stars are 2-9 in their last 11 games. The Stars went under the total in three of their last five games. In turn, Dallas remains one of the more balanced sports betting teams in the NHL, ranking 7th in goal scoring, 3rd in power-play efficiency, and 5th in fewest goals against.
The loss of Tyler Seguin due to an ACL injury on December 18 has not helped. But at some point, the Stars are capable of more and need to start showing it.
Another concern is that Dallas fired their taskmaster head coach, Peter DeBoer, after last year’s playoff meltdown, hiring the less acerbic Glen Gulutzan for his second tour of duty behind the Dallas bench. After a strong start, the Stars are reeling, and it is fair to question whether Gulutzan can get them back on track to do the hard work required for consistent winning.
On January 20, the Stars host the red-hot Boston Bruins at 7:30 p.m. ET with coverage on TNT. Dallas hits the road for a January 22 game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Next is a January 23 home game with the St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. ET.
Los Angeles Kings
At the onset of the week, the Los Angeles Kings were in a 5-team fight for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference, with only one point separating the teams.
With only five wins in their last 19 games, the Los Angeles Kings are in free fall. The Kings went under the total in five of their last six games. Los Angeles had a miserable weekend, getting swept in two games by the Anaheim Ducks. To illuminate, Los Angeles lost the first game in a 3-2 shootout loss on Friday night. On Saturday night, the Ducks prevailed 2-1 at home in overtime. That was after a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker for LA at home against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Kings are 19-16-13 and 20-28 under the NHL Betting Odds total. Los Angeles ranks 30th for goal scoring and 27th for power play efficiency. Defensively, the Kings rank 4th for fewest goals permitted. These metrics indicate a team that plays too tight, with a boring style that offers little entertainment value and little success.
On January 20, the Kings host another low-scoring team that emphasizes defense, the New York Rangers, at 10 p.m. ET. Next comes a brutal 6-game road trip, starting on January 24 against the St. Louis Blues at 8 p.m. ET.