| Range | W | L | P | +/- (Units) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yesterday | 1 | 1 | 0.00 | -0.42 |
| Last 30 Days | 19 | 24 | 0.00 | -2.14 |
| Season to Date | 19 | 24 | 0.00 | -2.14 |
All plays are 2 units
HOME TEAM IN CAPS
Ottawa+113 over COLUMBUS
OTincluded. The Senators had reeled off four wins in a row before losing its past two but there's a lot to like about them here. One ofthose losses occurred against the Blackhawks in Chicago and the other occurred in OT on Saturday night against New Jersey. The Sens three losses this season have all been by one goal. They have not allowed more than three goals against in any game and they have allowed two or less in five of their eight games. Ottawa is getting tremendous goaltending from both goalies, especially Robin Lehner, who is tonight's confirmed starter. The Sens are playing with the same chip on their shoulder they had two seasons ago when nobody gave them much of a chance and they made the playoffs. Last season was an off year but one thing we know for sure is that the Senators are one of the best conditioned teams in the league due to a rigorous summer conditioning program that they employ. When they catch a team even alittle lethargic it gives them a significant edge, especially in the third period and this is one of those scheduling spots they figure tothrive in. It's also worth noting that the Sens have not lost this season playing on one days rest and that applies here.
The Blue Jackets are injury-ravaged and will be playing their first game at home after a four-game road trip that started in Ottawa and ended with three games in California. The Jackets went 1-3 on said trip with a win in San Jose and added Matt Calvert to the list of key injured players. Columbus is now without Nick Foligno, Matt Calvert,Boone Jenner, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson. If they win here, so be it but when you combine those injuries together you get mega talent on the rack in a very unfavorable scheduling spot. That's an instant fade.
Carolina+200 over VANCOUVER
OT included. The Canucks are expected to win here. We're not going to try and make a case against that position, as Carolina has yet to win a game this year while the Canucks have won two of their past three over St. Louis and Washington. However, Vancouver cannot be in this price range over anyone not named Buffalo and if we're playing value,then this is a must play. The Canucks are not nearly good enough to be in this price range and it's also worth noting they have the Canadiens on deck Thursday.
Carolinais hungry and they are not as bad as their record suggests. They have several quality forwards that could crack any lineup in the NHL. They got off to a slow start with several key players injured but Jeff Skinner is back and Eric Staal returns tonight. No question the'Canes have several issues which includes very shaky goaltending but they have scored at least three goals in half of their games and that occurred mostly without the services of Skinner and Staal. This is the final game of a five game trip for the 'Canes and they have just two OT losses to show for it. A win here will alleviate the sting of returning home to some heavy local scrutiny and answering a lot of media questions that no hockey player wants to answer. We're not suggesting the 'Canes will win here. What we are suggesting is an exceptionally strong effort that will make them difficult to put away. If the Canucks aren't serious tonight or think this is a “show up in body only” game, they are in for a surprise. Even at their very best, Vancouver is not close to being a lock here. Definite upset possibility.
Minnesota+136 over BOSTON
OT included. Boston is without Zdeno Chara. They have four wins this season with two of them occurring against Buffalo and Toronto. One other win came against the reeling Sharks and the other one came against Detroit. In other words, the B's have one very good win this season. They were also the first team to lose to the Avalanche. Yeah,the B's are not an easy out but they are more beatable right now than they've been in a few years and they are in very tough here.
Before the third period against the New York Rangers last night, the Wild didn’t really seem capable of giving up five goals in one period.In its first six games, Minnesota generated three shutouts and Darcy Kuemper didn’t allow a goal in 14 of 16 periods. Kuemper allowed no more than a single goal in one period in his previous four games. We could play that game last night 200 times, that being taking a 3-0 lead with 20 minutes remaining with Minnesota and would probably go 200-0. It's one of those very bizarre games that happen from time to time in every sport but in no way are we going to let it deter us from taking back a price like this on the Wild. After that bizarre meltdown last night, the Wild actually figure to dig down even deeper tonight to erase that from their minds. It gets even a little more bizarre. Minnesota had been out-shooting the Rangers 23-5 at one point late in the second period last night. They out-shot the Kings in Los Angeles 41-16 earlier and up until last night they had outscored the opposition 19-6. Now here's where it gets odd:Minnesota has yet to score a power-play goal this season. They are 0-24 on the PP but they have more shots on net during the power-play than any team in the NHL. These things do not go to together and so it's only a matter of time before some of those shots find the back of the net. Everything about this team says juggernaut and now we get the Wild again as the biggest overlay on today's board.
St.Louis +101 over DALLAS
OTincluded. Dallas is getting a lot of press this year. Before theseason started, the Stars were one of the “sneaky” picks to havea great season and while they have shown flashes of pure brilliance,they have also shown some serious flaws. Dallas is weak defensivelyand when you are weak in your own end, winning consistently becomesvery difficult. The Stars are going to win a lot of 5-3 and 6-4games, which makes them very appealing as a dog but as the chalkagainst a defensive juggernaut, they have little value. Dallasallowed 7 goals against to the Islanders on Saturday. The Canucks andFlyers scored six times on them. The Stars have allowed four goals ormore in half their games, which makes them to be a risk for ourliking.
Meanwhile,the Blues have somehow become the forgotten power in the West. Theybowed out of the playoffs rather meekly last season and they are offto a slow 3-4 start this year. However, they are still a defensivejuggernaut that has allowed the fewest shots on net per game in theleague. In fact, in their seven games to date, the Blue Notes havenot allowed more than 25 shots on net in any game. The Blues have notbeen outshot overall in any game and have actually outshot theiropponent by a wide margin in many. Give us the team that is going tospend more time in the opponents end while limiting the opposition'schances to a very few, then throw in a small tag against a weakdefensive team that gives up a ton of chances and we'll play italmost every time. St. Louis dominated the regular season last yearand they are about to start dominating again. All the numbers say so.
