Can St. Louis defeat an Arizona team that plays particularly well on Saturdays?

After a great Saturday showing (5-1) and an insane run (28-3), I've come back down to earth this week going 5-7, leaving my season record at 158-90 (64%). I'm hoping to finish the week above .500 with a strong showing on Saturday. On to the games!

Record 37 – 23 (62%)

Colorado @ Detroit (1 pm ET)

If you haven't read Kris Draper's Players' Tribune article, I highly recommend it. While the hatred may not be as deep as it once was, these teams will always have a rivalry based on their history. While Colorado may have beat Detroit 3-1 on Wednesday, I'm seeing a different outcome on Saturday. I'm liking Andreas Athanasiou and Henrik Zetterberg to contribute to the victory, which may very well be a close one. 

Pick: Detroit – Home Team Victory – H

Confidence Level: 3/5

Montreal @ Ottawa (7 pm ET)

The battle for the Atlantic Division looks like it could be the game of the night. With Montreal holding a one-point lead over Ottawa, you can expect both teams to leave everything they have on the ice. With the Vegas odds pretty much even, it could easily go either way, but I'm taking Ottawa at home. This may be my pro-Ottawa bias playing into things, but I really like the way they have been playing even if they are 1-1-1 in their last three. Look for Erik Karlsson to continue his dominance, and I'm liking Kyle Turris to start a run. 

Pick: Ottawa – Home Team Victory – H

Confidence Level: 3.5/5

Washington @ Tampa Bay (7 pm ET)

Tampa Bay has been surging and is looking to sneak into the playoffs, but the Capitals may have other plans. Washington is coming off an overtime loss to Nashville, but Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson seem to have awoken. For the Lightning, I've been really impressed with Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov is always dangerous. That said, I'm expecting Washington to make a statement with this game that they are playoff ready.

Pick: Washington – Visitor Team Victory – V

Confidence Level: 4/5

Nashville @ Carolina (7 pm ET)

This game could determine my fantasy playoff fate, as a win from Pekka Rinne and some points from Roman Josi could lock up two close matches for me. Carolina's had some luck finding the back of the net this week putting up 10 goals against the Islanders, but I'm probably not the only one thinking they'll have a tougher time going up against the Predators. Nashville is riding a three-game winning streak and has been playing more defensively as of late, which I'm liking to seal the deal in Carolina. 

Pick: Nashville – Visitor Team Victory – V

Confidence Level: 4/5

St. Louis @ Arizona (9 pm ET)

Not much to say on this one other than I'm dreading the curse I seem to have on betting against Arizona on Saturdays. St. Louis has been gearing up just in time for the playoffs, and while the Coyotes have been playing well themselves, the killer instinct in the Blues’ locker room right now is going to be too much. 

Pick: St. Louis – Visitor Team Victory – V

Confidence Level: 4.5/5

Vancouver @ Edmonton (10 pm ET)

Much like the game above, this should be a pretty lopsided game. Vancouver has lost five in a row, while Edmonton has been a goal factory, scoring 14 goals over their last two games. Take your pick of Edmonton's players as they all seem to be contributing, but as always, look for Connor McDavid to lead the charge. 

Pick: Edmonton – Home Team Victory – H

Confidence Level: 5/5