The Vancouver Canucks destroyed the Wild last night, just as we expected, allowing us to win our puck line bet and finish the night up 1.25 units. Tonight I like two away favourites, but the lines are too good to pass up.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Islanders
The Penguins are only one point back of the Flyers for the lead in the Atlantic division with 2 games left. A jump to second in the East would give the Penguins home ice advantage for longer in the playoffs and also likely an easier first round opponent. Pittsburgh will not be taking these last two games lightly and should bring their A-game to both try for the top spot in the Atlantic and to bring momentum into the playoffs. The team is not likely to have Crosby to start the first round of the playoffs so they will need to continue to battle and this game against the Islanders is the next battle on the schedule. The Isles have dropped off from some solid play through the middle of the season and now sit in second last place in the East. They have lost their last two games and I don’t see them winning again this season. This is an easy bet and a very good line.
My Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins -145
Chicago Blackhawks @ Detroit Red Wings
The Blackhawks were the oddsmakers favourites to win the Stanley Cup at the beginning of the season so many people are surprised to see the just trying to hold on to the 8th and final playoff spot in the West. The ‘Hawks are 2 points ahead of the Stars with 2 games remaining for both teams, but the Stars have the tiebreaker so for the Blackhawks to guarantee a playoff birth they need to get 3 points out of their final two games against Detroit. Toews scored a big goal to get an extra point in overtime in the Blackhawks last game and he will need to lead the team again tonight. The Red Wings just got Datsyuk back from injury a couple days ago and are now without Zetterberg who injured his left knee on Wednesday night. The Red Wings are not on top of their game and look like they may be stumbling into the playoffs this season. Expect the Blackhawks to come out strong and having Patrick Sharp back in the lineup allows for a much more balanced attack and a more lethal powerplay. The ‘Hawks should win this one and likely the next one to solidify their spot in the playoffs.
My Pick: Chicago Blackhawks -115
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Tagged with: Chicago Blackhawks • Detroit Red Wings • New York Islanders • pittsburgh penguins