Monday NHL

[VegasVic]

Pittsburgh Penguins +112

Tonight should be a historic night. The first OLN presentation in HighDef. Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net. The first meeting of Sidney Crosby and Thomas Vanek. Penguins play some defense.

Fleury is a real talent but no goalie is as good, (or bad), as his defense around him. Tonight Pittsburgh will rally behind their future number one. They will play inspired hockey. They will support him with a bit of offense as well. The Penguins are 7-2-1 in their last 10 at Buffalo. When you consider the squads that have played for Pittsburgh during that 10 game stretch you have to admit there is something to be considered in this amount of success at HSBC Arena.

Buffalo has suffered at the gate. 15,000 for their home opener and just over 13,000 against rival Boston. The fans just don’t seem to care about this product on the ice. The joint is dead. I read somewhere that the opposite of love is not hate. It is apathy. The Buffalo fans seem to have plenty of that.

Buffalo could start backup Martin Biron in his first game of the season. He has historically had little success against the Pens, (2-9-3). Tonight wont be any easier as he will face the most potent Pittsburgh offense he has ever witnessed.


YTD
Unit Play...3-2...+1.1 units
Half Unit...0-1...-.5

Total....3-3...+.6 units

 

[SSI]

always enjoy your posts Vic, but respectfully disagree on this one.. will tune in to tonights broadcast.. I went with Pitt on opening night and against them since. Lot of preseason hype for this team, so you think tonight they get their first W...

have a great season..

 

[SportSavant]

looks like there are quite a few with your opinion SSI

I bet early & got the game at +107.... then we have Vic & he got the game at +112.... now the line is currently +119.

things that strike me as weird also is that not too many squares betting the overnites I would imagine, mostly those in the know?

on the other hand, may simply be people looking at pitts record, & not looking at the team. yes, pitt is winless, but let us not forget, this is basically the first time this team has played together at all this year, not suprised at all that it took them a few games to find their scoring touch, & they did find that touch in the last game scoring 6 goals....

I beleive they will outlast buffallo tonite & come up with the win.....

 

[Omni]

That's a great write up Vic, clearly explaining your position and why you like the Penns. I looked at them already and decided to pass, but the line has moved up. If money keeps coming in on Buffalo I'll probably add Pitts to my card.

 

[HPark1]

fwiw I like the Penguins also. Buffalo won't be able to expose Pittsburgh's glaring weakness in defense and will simply be outscored.

Something like 4-2 I'll say. Under 7 might not be a bad play either...


gl

 

[VegasVic]

My play on this game really centers on Fleury being called up and how I expect his team to rally around him. This kid is the real deal. He is the Pittsburgh future and I bank on a solid performance from him. The Penguin defense has been non-existent. I think Buffalo has the front liners to take advantage of that but won’t. My feeling on this one is that Pittsburgh wants it more. It will show in their effort in the corners, digging pucks out, back checking, etc.

Their offense is far better than Buffalo’s, and if Biron starts in net , so is their tender.

Take the dog

 

[jasin4000]

Love it!


Pens get thier first win tonight as offense is starting to click!

 

[20Five]

Im with you.. looks like Biron is not in, they went with Miller again.

Sabres been clanging the post with some shots in the 1st..

Pens with more shots though, we'll see

 

[jwblue]

Looks like we guessed too early when this team will come together.

I still believe this was a great pick.

IS

 

[Omni]

Not impressed by the Penns, but very impressed by the goalie.

 

[MRPROFESSOR]

Anyone Like Anaheim Tonight In Their Home Opener?

 

[BIGSHOTMAXXX]

i like the ducks tonight, but i am 4-12 to start the season!!

Anyone Like Anaheim Tonight In Their Home Opener?

 

[20Five]

Im also chasing with the ducks tonight.. this could get ugly :toast:

 

[VegasVic]

Tough loss for the Pens. Although I can’t say with all honesty they deserved to win the game either. In some ways they were fortunate to make it to overtime. But with 20 seconds to go in OT I was salivating to see the likes of Crosby, Vanek, Lemieux, Briere, Palffy, etc. shooting against Fleury and Miller. I would have rather lost that way than that cheap goal with 20 seconds left.

They look as clueless on defense as I’ve seen from anyone so far this year. They look as if no one has coached them on any kind of a game plan. We said all along in August they were making a mistake by drafting and buying nothing but shooting forwards. The only defensemen they got can’t play defense. Not a two way player among them. Pittsburgh is basically a fantasy team. They look good on paper but put them on ice and all you have is five guys playing as individuals.

No one takes the body anymore. I kept yelling, HIT the M*!#^ F**!er. Alas no one hit anything. Except Rico Fata. I like the end to end action of the new NHL but I really miss the hitting of the old.

It’s still early, things can evolve, but to me Pittsburgh’s value will be in taking them over the total, not the side. Fleury and Crosby are future superstars but are still children playing a man’s game. Let’s see what this team looks like in February.

 

[SportSavant]

But with 20 seconds to go in OT I was salivating to see the likes of Crosby, Vanek, Lemieux, Briere, Palffy, etc. shooting against Fleury and Miller.

I did enjoy a shootout with a far superior team skill wise with a Money Goaltender in terms of shoot outs aswell as great shoot out snipers....

So far this year I am 2-1 Money wise with the shoot out.

 

[ntfixa]

vic i'm really having trouble understanding pittsburgh. i don't like their line combinations at all. mario is out there w/ no one and it seems like the are trying to make two equally powerful powerplay units. why not have a number one unit w/ mario and crosby on the same unit...maybe w/ pallfy on the other side?.....anyways tough first week. two more quick things...is anyone gonna score on hasek in the shootouts? and can someone pleaseeeeeeeee tell joe thornton that the regular season has started. he's playing like a bigger version of craig janney

 

[VegasVic]

vic i'm really having trouble understanding pittsburgh. i don't like their line combinations at all. mario is out there w/ no one and it seems like the are trying to make two equally powerful powerplay units. why not have a number one unit w/ mario and crosby on the same unit...maybe w/ pallfy on the other side?.....anyways tough first week. two more quick things...is anyone gonna score on hasek in the shootouts? and can someone pleaseeeeeeeee tell joe thornton that the regular season has started. he's playing like a bigger version of craig janney

I thought that was the plan as well. At least that's what Mario was saying after the draft. It was supposed to be Lemieux switching to the left side to be able to play along Recchi and Crosby. I believe Crosby would be comfortable with that chemistry. You are correct they are going with quick shifts of dual power play units. It could be to keep them fresh in the early season or it could be like many other clubs that had wholesale changes in the off-season…just trying to find something that works.

This all ties in to what you said about Thornton. In many ways the regular season hasn’t started. We all know when the real season starts. I watched Joe do an interview on NESN outside Fenway Park in July or August. He had just signed the big contract and I got this feeling of a fat cat just saying all the things he was supposed to say but without any passion. He’s not the only one out there looking like they are just doing a day at the office. Maybe the lockout changed more hearts than the ones just sitting in the stands.

And as far as Hasek. Savant said it right. Give the guy props. He’s money.