No, you don't have to check your calendar to make sure today is in fact Sunday, because it is. My editor (the amazing Ian Gooding) and I simply decided it would be a good idea to publish the Saturday picks on Sunday this weekend, as today we have three games scheduled compared to the one we had yesterday.

Just like with everything else that I put effort and time into, I'd like to think that, as the weeks go by and I gain experience as a picks writer, I learn from my mistakes and get better at what I do. Well, week after week I'm still baffled by the rookie mistakes I can make along the way. Because while some of my L's can be explained by the sheer unpredictability of the league, you can look back on many of them and identify where I went wrong.

Well, worry not, because I'm not one to rest on my laurels or overlook my mishaps, I shall keep learning and get the accuracy of my picks to an unprecedented level.

Gold Pick

Carolina Hurricanes @ New York Rangers– Pick: Rangers

As this series goes on, my confidence in Carolina to make it to the next round grows bigger. Alright, reading that back, it's painful how uninspired that statement is considering they're currently leading two-to-nothing, but it goes beyond just the wins. Their squad reeks swagger. No matter the situation, they can always control the flow of the game on both ends of the ice. Regardless, that's not what this pick is about. We're focusing on tonight's matchup in which I go against what I just said and am actually favoring New York to come on top.

In the first round against Pittsburgh, the Rangers won three of the four games played at home. The fourth one? Yeah, that one was decided in the third period and overtime. Again, I'm not making any groundbreaking discoveries here as home teams are always statistically favored, but it's undeniable that there's something special about playing at Madison Square Garden in front of some of the most passionate fans in the league. With the likes of Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox, New York have more than enough grit and talent to avoid going down 3-0 in the series and I predict they will show it in a fashionable way this afternoon.

Silver Pick

Connor McDavid for 2+ points @ 1.57

I am sorry. Please don't come after me. After all, it's your money that you're putting on the line by following my advice. So, as original and entertaining as I'd like to get with these picks, it's always better to go the safe and wealthy route. And, at this point in the playoffs, it seems pretty obvious that there's nothing safer than this. It seems pretty simple and obvious to me, the day the Flames can shut down McDavid and keep him below two points, their victory will be guaranteed. That is a bet I'd make any day. But, in the meantime, there's nothing pointing towards that happening anytime soon. I don't know that any teams currently left in the playoffs have what it takes to stop him considering Jacob Markstrom is probably the strongest goaltender left. And, don't get me wrong, these eight remaining teams are probably the most talented squads I've ever seen in the second round. But McJesus is just that good.

Bronze Pick

Florida Panthers @ Tampa Bay Lightning (Over/under 6.5) – Pick: Over

Considering I picked Florida to win the cup before the postseason started, I am so tempted to pick them to win the game tonight. Especially considering the fact they're currently losing 2-0. They, just like the Rangers, look too talented to go down three-nil. That being said, I am too biased to make that call, and, especially, I don't know what to think about these two teams anymore. On one end, Florida have been disappointing time and time again during these two rounds and have proven to me they're not the consistent machine I thought they were. On the other end, Tampa, whom I naively believed to be a shell of their cup-winning versions, have shown that they yet again remain a threat and that they could very well become the first three-peat team in the NHL since the Islanders.

All that being said, I can't believe that the Panthers will enter today's game with anything but blind rage and hunger. After being kept to a single goal for two games in a row, they will get the offensive gears turning in order to give the Lightning a run for their money. The issue here is that Tampa will certainly be ready to respond in a similar way, leading me to believe that we'll be witnessing a real bloodbath here.

Side Bets

Calgary Flames @ Edmonton Oilers – Pick: Oilers

Matthew Tkachuk Anytime Goalscorer @ 2.55

Mika Zibanejad Anytime Goalscorer @ 2.75