Rest and fatigue continue to be important factors when handicapping NHL games throughout the final month of the regular season. This week’s article highlights the rest mismatches for the week of March 24-30.

The table below shows how home-ice advantage was influenced by rest last season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %	Implied Odds
Home >	373	59.0%	55.9%
Home =	690	53.8%	55.4%
Home <	249	47.8%	50.8%

Here’s how rest has impacted home-ice advantage this season:

Rest Diff	Games	Home Win %	Implied Odds
Home >	336	59.5%	56.2%
Home =	571	55.9%	54.7%
Home <	216	49.1%	52.3%

Monday, March 24th

The week kicks off with a four-game slate on Monday; however, just one game features a rest mismatch, as the Columbus Blue Jackets return from a two-day break with hopes of ending their six-game losing streak. They’ll face off against the New York Islanders, who are two points ahead of them in the Eastern Conference wild card race.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	VAN	NJD	1
	2	CBJ	NYI	1
	1	MIN	DAL	1
	1	DET	UTA	1

Tuesday, March 25th

Tuesday’s schedule features 10 games and several rest mismatches, including two teams playing the second half of a back-to-back. The Minnesota Wild will conclude their back-to-back when they host the Vegas Golden Knights, while the Detroit Red Wings will play their second game in as many nights on the road against the Colorado Avalanche, who have had a couple of days off.

Additionally, the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers will all have one-day rest advantages over their opponents, and eight teams will be playing their third game in four days.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	2	OTT	BUF	1	3/4
3/4	1	PHI	TOR	2
	1	PIT	TBL	1	3/4
3/4	1	NSH	CAR	1	3/4
	2	MTL	STL	1	3/4
3/4	1	VGK	MIN	0	2/2
	2	WSH	WPG	1
2/2	0	DET	COL	2
	2	SEA	CGY	2
	2	NYR	LAK	1	3/4

Wednesday, March 26th

There are just four games on Wednesday, three of which feature well-rested teams. The Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks will go head-to-head after having a couple of days to rest. Elsewhere, the Chicago Blackhawks will have a one-day rest advantage over the New Jersey Devils, and the Edmonton Oilers will have a two-day rest advantage over the Dallas Stars.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	VAN	NYI	1
	1	NJD	CHI	2
	1	DAL	EDM	3
	2	BOS	ANA	2

Thursday, March 27th

Thursday’s 10-game slate features several rest mismatches, including both Dallas and Edmonton concluding back-to-back sets. The San Jose Sharks will have a three-day rest advantage when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Utah Hockey Club will have an extra day off before visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning, who will be playing their fourth game in six days. The St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres, Philadelphia Flyers, and Nashville Predators will also play their fourth game in six days. The Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild will play their third game in four days.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	PIT	BUF	1	4/6
	1	OTT	DET	1	3/4
	2	UTA	TBL	1	4/6
	1	MTL	PHI	1	4/6
4/6	1	STL	NSH	1	4/6
	1	WSH	MIN	1	3/4
4/6	1	LAK	COL	1
2/2	0	DAL	CGY	1
2/2	0	EDM	SEA	1
	1	TOR	SJS	4

Friday, March 28th

All six of Friday’s games feature some sort of rest mismatch. The Utah Hockey Club will play their second game in as many nights when they visit the Florida Panthers, who will be coming off a four-day break. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens will also play the second half of a back-to-back when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes, who will be coming off a two-day break.

The Columbus Blue Jackets will return from three days’ rest to host the Vancouver Canucks, giving them a two-day rest advantage, while the Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights, and New York Rangers will all have one-day rest advantages over their opponents.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
2/2	0	UTA	FLA	4
2/2	0	MTL	CAR	2
	1	VAN	CBJ	3
	1	NJD	WPG	2
	2	VGK	CHI	1
	2	NYR	ANA	1

Saturday, March 29th

Saturday is the busiest day of the week, with 11 games on the docket. The New York Islanders will continue their quest to qualify for the playoffs when they return from a two-day break to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Boston Bruins will also have two days’ rest when they visit the Detroit Red Wings.

Meanwhile, four road teams, the New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Rangers will all conclude back-to-back sets. Finally, the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers will both be playing their third game in four days.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
	1	BUF	PHI	1
	2	NYI	TBL	1
	1	STL	COL	1
2/2	0	NJD	MIN	1	4/6
2/2	0	VGK	NSH	1
2/2	0	CBJ	OTT	1
	1	TOR	LAK	1
	2	BOS	DET	1	4/6
	1	CGY	EDM	1	3/4
2/2	0	NYR	SJS	1
3/4	1	DAL	SEA	1

Sunday, March 30th

Six teams will conclude back-to-back sets on Sunday: the Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs, San Jose Sharks, and Los Angeles Kings. However, the Sabres and Kings will also be playing their sixth game in nine days. Washington and Pittsburgh will both return from two-day breaks.

Other	Rest Days	Visitor	Home	Rest Days	Other
3/4	1	MTL	FLA	1
6/9	0	BUF	WSH	2
	1	VAN	WPG	1
3/4	1	UTA	CHI	1
2/2	0	OTT	PIT	2
2/2	0	NYI	CAR	1
2/2	0	TOR	ANA	1
2/2	0	SJS	LAK	0	6/9