I took a long break from my last disappointing night of 3 losses, but I’m back tonight with some picks on this busy Thursday night in the NHL.
Season Record-: 44-87 for -43.72 units.
Dallas Stars @ Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers are flying high right now. They’ve won 3 in a row and they continue to solidify themselves in the playoffs in the Atlantic division. The Stars on the other hand are slipping a bit. They’ve lost 3 in a row and now sit on the outside looking into the Western Conference playoff picture. I like Giroux and company to continue to take care of business tonight.
Play: Flyers 1.725 (5Dimes)
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Detroit Red Wings
The Penguins haven’t been them dominant selves of late and have fallen quite a bit behind the Bruins for the top spot in the East. Tonight they play the Wings who are still in the playoff hunt. I like the Penguins to get their act together and pull out a big win against this rival that they played against in two straight Stanley Cup Finals a few years back.
Play: Penguins 1.752 (5Dimes)
Buffalo Sabres @ Edmonton Oilers
The Sabres have lost 7 in a row and are a completely dismantled team since the trade deadline. The Oilers are playing some fairly average hockey which is good for them. They’ve won two in a row and should make it three playing against the worst team in the league. The Sabres have won 7 of 32 games on the road this year. Don’t expect that number to increase tonight.
Play: Oilers 1.578 (5Dimes)
Florida Panthers @ Phoenix Coyotes
The Coyotes are playing pretty well, but the Panthers aren’t playing horribly right now. I don’t think the Coyotes deserve to be such a massive favourite in this game. I’m rolling the dice here and picking the Panthers to pull off a minor upset with major upset odds.
Play: Panthers 3.10 (5Dimes)
I had another 1 and 1 night on Tuesday. It seems like I can’t gain any traction towards working my way back to break even on the year. Hopefully tonight can turn into a big win.
Season Record: 44-84 for -40.72 units.
San Jose Sharks @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The Sharks haven’t been overly great on the road this year and they currently boast a record of 17 wins and 16 losses in road games. The Blue Jackets on the other hand are 19-11-2 at home and have been playing very well of late in their push towards a playoff position. I like the Blue Jackets in this one at home to continue to separate themselves from 9th in the East.
Play: Blue Jackets 2.10 (Sports Interaction)
Florida Panthers @ Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning haven’t been good for the past several games, dating back even before the Olympic break. Losing St. Louis has not helped their cause and I think they may play themselves out of the playoffs. I still think they should be the favourites in this game, but not the massive favourites that they are. I like the Panthers as big underdogs to pull off an upset tonight.
Play: Panthers 2.85 (5Dimes)
Toronto Maple Leafs @ LA Kings
The Kings are a very streaky team and right now they are on a crazy hot streak. They’ve won their last 8 games and if they can continue to play like they are I would pencil them in as one of the favourites for the Cup this year. The Leafs continue to play ok hockey, but they will be outclassed tonight in Los Angeles. Toronto also has a 13-13-7 road record, which is quite bad for an above .500 team. I expect a similar result to the 6-2 beating Toronto took in San Jose on Tuesday.
Play: Kings 1.53 (Sports Interaction)
Lots of games in play tonight. 20 NHL teams in action. Even with 10 games on tap I’m only seeing 2 play that I will be making tonight.
Season Record: 43-83 for -40.63 units.
New York Rangers @ Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have plummetted out of playoff contention and have won only 2 of their last 10 games. They must feel deflated right now and I don’t expect them to bring their best effort tonight against the Rangers. New York continues to play well having won 2 in a row after dropping their first game with Martin St. Louis. They beat Detroit 3-0 on Sunday and they should be able to make it 3 wins in a row here in Carolina tonight.
Play: Rangers 1.671 (5Dimes)
Phoenix Coyotes @ Florida Panthers
The Coyotes are still battling for a playoff spot in the West and games against weak Eastern opponents such as the Panthers are must wins. Phoenix has not been good on the road this year with an 11-13-8 record, but the urgency of the game and the fact that they can jump ahead of the Stars with a win tonight should play a factor in the Coyotes bringing their A-game to Florida. Phoenix did play to an overtime win in Tampa Bay last night, but I don’t expect fatigue to set in because they know this is a crucial game, especially with Boston next on the list where a win will be difficult.
Play: Coyotes 1.909 (5Dimes)
Five games on tap in the NHL today. This is going to be a quick post and then I will likely not get anything up for the weekend.
Season Record: 42-82 for -40.47 units.
New York Rangers @ Carolina Hurricanes
The Rangers are close to dropping out of playoff contention and they have not been playing well since the break. They did pull off a win in San Jose a few nights ago, but I don’t think they will be able to add another tonight. The Rangers lost their first game with Martin St. Louis and you can be sure he won’t want them losing another. He will have now had a day to rest and I expect a big game from Marty tonight. The Rangers are not out of the woods in the East either so this is a huge game for them.
Play: Rangers 1.84 (BetOnline)
New Jersey Devils @ Detroit Red Wings
The Devils are only two points back of the Red Wings and a win tonight will move them into a tie with the Wings having a game in hand. The Red Wings played last night losing in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche and these back-to-back games may not bode well for a Red Wings team that is having to play guys who aren’t used to it more in the absence of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. I like the Devils to pull of a big win on the road tonight.
Play: Devils 1.98 (BetOnline)
The trade deadline came and past yesterday so some teams have a pretty different look going into tonight’s games. Last night the significant changes didn’t seem to help teams with the Rangers losing in their first game with Martin St. Louis and Ottawa losing with Hemsky in the lineup for the first time.
Season Record: 41-82 for -39.47 units.
LA Kings @ Winnipeg Jets
The Kings are on a tear since coming back from the Olympic break, but the Jets are also playing some very good hockey. I think the fact that the Jets left their team the same at the deadline will help them against a Kings team that made some tweaks and will have to adapt to these new players. As underdogs at home I like the Jets.
Play: Jets 2.20 (SportsInteraction)
Colorado Avalanche @ Detroit Red Wings
No Zetterberg and no Datsyuk will be a problem for the Red Wings. The Avs are on a 3 game winning streak and will make it four in Detroit tonight.
Play: Avalanche 2.00 (BetOnline)
Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have not been themselves lately. They’ve only won 4 of their last 10 dating back before the Olympic break and the Blue Jackets are on a 3 game winning streak having put themselves into a playoff position in the East. I like Columbus as big dogs in this one to keep their streak alive.
Play: Blue Jackets 2.75 (SportsInteraction)
My last post was back on Friday, where the Wild pulled out a shootout win for me in my only play. Today there is plenty to choose from and it’s an extra interesting night because it’s the last night in the NHL before the trade deadline hits tomorrow afternoon.
Season record: 41-79 for -36.47 units.
Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The Stars have been playing very well even before the break and have got themselves into a playoff position in the Western Conference. The Blue Jackets are attempting to do the same in the East and a win tonight could put them in that position. Both teams played last night and each won their games. The Blue Jackets are coming back right away again with Bobrovsky, while the Stars haven’t confirmed their goaltender yet. I still like the Stars as small dogs in this one. Jamie Benn has been on fire of late and the team as a whole is playing very solid defensive hockey.
Play: Stars 2.27 (5Dimes)
New York Islanders @ Winnipeg Jets
The Islanders weren’t great before the Olympic break and now that Tavares is out I expect them to be one of the worst teams in the NHL. The Jets on the other hand are on an absolute tear and don’t seem to be letting up. Playing at home against the Islanders should be another solid two points for them.
Play: Jets 1.56 (5Dimes)
Ottawa Senators @ Edmonton Oilers
The Senators are coming off a big win in Vancouver in the Heritage Classic and now they have two games in Alberta with big points on the line against very beatable teams. The first is against the Oilers who are quite awful. I expect the Sens to find a way to win this game and gain some points in the tight Eastern Conference. A couple Alberta wins will pay huge dividends in their continuing battle for a playoff spot.
Play: Senators 1.89 (5Dimes)
Yesterday started off badly with my Senators getting destroyed and the Panthers losing a tight one to the Caps. Luckily the Preds and Kings won to salvage a close to break even night that could have been much worse.
I was going to take today off from making picks because I really only kind of like one play, but seeing as I’m away for the weekend at a hockey tourney I figured I’d make a quick post.
Season record: 40-79 for -37.90 units.
Minnesota Wild @ Vancouver Canucks
The Wild played last night and won 3-0 in Edmonton. They now travel further West and play the Canucks who played to a 1-0 win against the Blues a couple days ago. Before the break the Canucks were on a huge 7 game losing streak and I don’t think that the break will have put all the pieces back together in Vancouver. Kesler is still out of the lineup for the Canucks, while the Wild have been playing some very good hockey of late. I don’t expect the back to back nights to hurt Minnesota too much considering the players have just had a two week break.
Play: Wild +143 (5Dimes)
Not a good start to the break with both of my picks last night falling through by 1 goal each. Tonight there are plenty of games to choose from, so lets hope I get a couple winners.
Season record: 38-77 for -37.60 units.
Washington Capitals @ Florida Panthers
I like the Panthers in this one. The Caps simply don’t have a great team this year and they’ve only won 10 of 28 games on the road so far this season. The Panthers should be able to use their home ice advantage to get back in the win column after the break.
Play: Panthers 2.01 (5Dimes)
Detroit Red Wings @ Ottawa Senators
The Red Wings won a hard fought overtime battle in Montreal last night and now they are right back at it against the Sens. This is a huge game for the Sens who have to catch Detroit in the standings. The loss of Zetterberg should continue to hurt the Red Wings offensively and they won’t be able to keep Ottawa from scoring at least 3 tonight.
Play: Senators 1.77 (5Dimes)
Tampa Bay Lightning @ Nashville Predators
The Preds have a decent 14-12-4 record at home and they will be able to defeat a Tampa Bay team that could be distracted by all of the press around the Martin St. Louis trade request.
Play: Predators 1.93 (5Dimes)
LA Kings @ Calgary Flames
The Kings won two games before the break to stop their losing streak, but they need to stay in the win column for a little longer to make the playoffs. Against one of the worst teams in the league is a great time to pick up another win and I expect Los Angeles to head into Calgary with some urgency in their game.
Play: Kings 1.77 (5Dimes)
The NHL is now back in full swing tonight after 1 game last night where the Sabres beat the Hurricanes 3-2. First of all, congrats to Team Canada for their gold medal victory. I was busy before the game so my last Olympics tips were for the semi-finals. Here was my official Olympics pick record: 10-8 for +1.65 units. Quite a bit better than my current NHL record.
Season record: 38-75 for -35.60 units.
Detroit Red Wings @ Montreal Canadiens
The Red Wings had 6 players in the Olympics on Team Sweden so I expect somewhat of a let down out of the gate tonight. When you add in the loss of Henrik Zetterberg this team will be in tough to make the playoffs. Montreal is doing the right thing giving Carey Price a little longer of a break to rest after the Olympics and I expect Budaj, who was passed over on the Slovak team will be ready to get back in the net with a big performance.
Play: Canadiens 1.77 (5Dimes)
St. Louis Blues @ Vancouver Canucks
The Blues are always ready to go. The Canucks were on a 7 game losing streak heading into the break and they also had quite a few players in Sochi in the latter stages of the tournament. Hamhuis, Luongo, Daniel Sedin, Alex Edler and Kesler will all possibly be somewhat fatigued in this game from all of the hoopla surrounding the Olympic Games. I expect the Blues to take it to the Canucks and push Vancouver further out of a playoff spot.
Play: Blues 1.80 (5Dimes)
I know it’s a little bit early to make my picks for the semi-finals of the Men’s Olympics tourney, but I’m excited after watching the games today and I’m ready to place my bets.
I can’t seem to get ahead in these Olympics with my record because I continue to basically break even every day. Today I was correct with Sweden covering the spread against Slovenia and Finland upsetting the Russians, but Canada was in tough against the Latvians and the Czechs weren’t able to pull off the bigger upset of the day against the Americans.
Olympics record: 8-8 for +0.16 units.
I’m excited for both of these semi-finals because they are two of the biggest rivalries in International hockey. The close proximity of each semi-final makes the teams hate each other that much more and each team has quite the history with the other.
Sweden vs Finland Semi-Final
The Swedes did as expected and knocked off Slovenia with ease today, winning the game 5-0. They have now gone 4-0 in this tournament and it seems like they were likely in the group with no easy wins after Latvia showed just how strong of a team they were in playing Canada to a 2-1 loss today in the quarters. The Swedes, even without some of their top players, are a much more talented team than the Finns. Sweden also has a lot more offensive weapons than Russia in terms of how they can score goals. The Russians struggled offensively in this tournament and I think it’s because they didn’t have strong defenders to quickly get the puck to their forwards. Sweden does not have this problem with Erik Karlsson being the best offensive defenseman in the game today and OEL being close behind. In this tournament defensemen have factored in the scoring quite a bit and I expect that is how Sweden will break down Finlands tight checking game.
The Finns of course have had a strong tournament themselves, taking Canada to overtime in the round robin and then defeating Russia 3-1 in the quarters. That said, the Russians did outplay the Finns for much of this game, but couldn’t capitalize on their offensive zone time with quality chances. I think the lack of talent on paper will finally catch up to Finland in this game. Lundqvist should be just as strong as Rask and I expect the Swedes to be able to win this game at least 70% of the time. That means taking them at the current odds is a must.
Play: Sweden 1.645 (5Dimes)
Canada vs USA Semi-Final
It looks on paper like Team USA has had the best tournament in these Olympics. That said, they are the only team left from their group that is in the semi-finals. The Russians were not as good as expected and they took the Americans to a shootout. Other than that the USA defeated a tired and underachieving Czech Republic team today, while adding in big wins over Slovakia (who had a horrible tournament by their standards) and Slovenia (who were not expected to win a game at this tournament). Yes, Team USA looks good, but they have really done as I would have expected them to. Russia was overrated heading into the tournament, and the Czechs and Slovaks were both expected to digress from the previous year. So when you look at it logically the Americans really haven’t had as good a tournament as it looks like on paper.
The Canadians on the other hand have had a better tournament than it shows on paper. They already battled a semi-final team in the Finns and although they had to win the game in overtime they did outshoot Finland 27-15 and only gave up 1 goal to a team that has scored 3 or more in every other game. The only real knock against the Canadians is they haven’t run up the score against weaker opposition. That said, they were never REALLY in danger of losing the games against Norway or Latvia. Both of these teams clogged up the middle and played more not to lose than to win against Canada (which is the smart way for them to play). It almost worked for Latvia, but really that method will only work against Team Canada maybe 5% of the time if that (it’s still better odds than playing them straight up would give them). Today was an intense game that Canada had to fight to win. I don’t look at that as Team Canada playing poorly (they outshot Latvia 57-16), but Latvia playing a very smart style and the goalkeeper coming up huge.
If this game happened before the tournament started Team Canada would be a bigger favourite than they are. I haven’t seen anything this tournament to change the expected outcome of this semi-final game, but the small sample size and misuse of this information has caused Canada to become only slight favourites in this game. I like their chances at these odds all day long.
Play: Canada 1.84 (BetOnline)
