Dump And Chase: Golden Knights getting Leafs at perfect time

Welcome into Dump and Chase, powered by FanDuel. Join Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo every Tuesday and Thursday of the NHL season as they give their best bets for the evening's slate. Today, Carlo likes Vegas as they play the Leafs after a big emotional win. And AK is eyeing the Florida Panthers to make another big statement.

Aaron Korolnek: Carlo. We have an 11-game slate tonight in the National Hockey League. We begin with the Vegas Golden Knights, who host the red-hot Toronto Maple Leafs. Which side we leaning here?

Carlo Colaiacovo: Well AK, something I'm not too familiar with is betting against really hot teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs. But I'm going crazy on this one. I'm going with the Vegas Golden Knights in this game tonight because I think this is a really bad schedule spot for the Maple Leafs.

Look, they've been really hot. They've won their last five games without Morgan Rielly, but Morgan Rielly returns tonight.

I think that throws off a little bit of the chemistry that the Maple Leafs have created, both five-on-five and with the power play, you see the surge in Timothy Liljegren's play? Does that hurt now? Does that hurt the chemistry?

But most importantly, I just think they wasted so much energy emotionally yesterday because of everything that surrounded Auston Matthews scoring his 50th and 51st goal in his hometown in a back-to-back right now against a Vegas team that's got a lot of Toronto players on it.

I think they want their revenge on Toronto. I look at Vegas coming out strong tonight, facing a little bit of adversity themselves with missing some key players to their lineup.

Korolnek: I'm sure the Carolina Hurricanes would love revenge tonight against the Florida Panthers, the team that swept them in the postseason last year.

Unfortunately for Carolina, that's not happening. I love Florida as the road dog in this one. Not only did the Panthers sweep the Canes last year in the playoffs, they dummied them 5-2 at Sunrise this season already. And They've won eight of their past ten against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers are the best team in the NHL and they prove it again tonight in Carolina.

Lastly, let's talk about the leading point producer in the NHL, Nikita Kucherov. We expect a big bounce back from him tonight against Washington.

Colaiacovo: I absolutely love Kucherov in this spot, and I think this is a get right spot for him and the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have lost two in a row at home in weird ways.

They get blown out into the Florida Panthers 9-2. 

They follow that up with even more embarrassing performance in a loss to Ottawa, and Kucherov goes pointless in that game.

So Kucherov's got to be thinking to himself, 'am I losing ground in all the award races that I'm in contention for right now?'

This is a big bounce back spot for Kucharov to get back on the scoresheet tonight against a Washington team that has been struggling themselves.

I know they won two in a row, but they give up a lot of goals. Tampa is one of the best home teams in the league. I look for Kucherov to get right tonight.

The Dump and Chase crew has combined to go 62-39-1 on the season