Everyone seems to be hitting the skids and I'm no exception. But hang in there guys it'll turn good as fast as it turned bad.
Time to put an end to my mini slump of this weekend where I went 1-4-1 / -1.975.
The winning percentage took a beating but thankfully the wallet didn’t.
Mixed it up for Monday with six plays. Two overs, two unders, and two sides.
New York Islanders -.5 -135
The L.A. Kings have been successful in putting together a fantastic season under numerous hardships and injuries. But my thinking is that the miracle on ice of ‘04 will not be reminiscent of 1980. Sorry…but in this case I don’t believe in miracles.
The Islanders are rounding into form, ( 7-3-4 last 14), led by their net minder Rick DiPietro who is 6-1-2 in his last 9 starts and playing even better than that record illustrates. New York fights for the last play off spot in the east while L.A. sits precariously in the 7th spot of the west. Incidentally I’m predicting right here that both Nashville and Minnesota will over take L.A. and St. Louis in the western playoff picture.
I’ll be looking to fade this team as the truck load of injuries they’ve endured are bound to eventually take their toll on this team down the stretch that requires teams to play a much more full schedule leaving little time to regroup or rehabilitate.
And speaking of which….This is their last stop of a seven game road trip, (sandwiching the All-Star break), after three straight loses, two in overtime, and the heartbreaker on Sunday which left Roman Cechmanek physically drained it’ll take some kind of miracle for them to fly home with a W.
Ottawa Senators -.5 -135
The Rangers have all but packed up their season and GM Glen Sather will begin the fire sale. The N.Y. Times is reporting that both Kovalev and Leetch are on the block and with Kasparaitis, Bure, Malakhov, injured there’s no reason to believe that they aren’t starting the rebuilding process. In fact if they weren’t that’s when I’d be concerned. On top of all the injuries and distractions of who will be left in the dressing room tomorrow you’ve got a questionable Jagr for today’s game.
The Rangers limp into this game losers in 7 of 10. The Senators went through their mini slump, (losing 4 of 5), no worse for the wear and then rattled off 3 straight. They absolutely dominated Montreal in the Quebec showdown for Hockey night in Canada Saturday and have been drafting the competition and will look to sling shot them in the final lap. (just a little NASCAR verbiage to keep the hockey haters happy)
Ottawa has won 6 of the last 7 head to head.
Atlanta/Buffalo Over 5.5 +104
Showdown at the O K Coral.
My goodness is it fun to watch Thrasher games again. They shoot they score and then give them up as fast.
Atlanta is 18-9-2 on the total away from home averaging 6.17 GPG, ( and rising with a bullet ). They are 5-1 O/U in the last six, (almost coinciding to when Dany Heatley returned to action).
Buffalo has played equally with a high octane style averaging 5.66 GPG at home this year and have gone over the total in 5 of 8 overall.
In head to head duels between these two gun slingers in the last two years they have registered 48 total goals in 6 games for a average of 8 per game.
Florida/Carolina Under 4.5 +111
It’s been a long time since I took a under but this game insists of it.
Carolina’s offense is slug like. The worst in the league averaging 1.9 goals per game. They have no power play, no team speed, and little chemistry. What they do have is a ability to put you to sleep watching their games. This hypnotic effect apparently works equally well on their opponents as the slug like infliction that they suffer from becomes contagious on the opposition’s offense. Actually they have a diamond in the rough in goalie Kevin Weekes who has consistently gotten better during his short career.
Florida can match Weekes with one of their own in Roberto Luongo who is ranked 5th in the league with a .931 save percentage.
To illustrate my opinion of this game without making this thread the sequel of “War and Peace” I offer this one item. In the last ten meetings between these two they have averaged 4.1 goals and have gone 2-5-3 for the last ten.
Look for more of the same and don’t forget your “No-Doze”.
Toronto/Pittsburgh Over 5.5 -128
How bad can it get for Pittsburgh? They thought they had finally snapped their 13 game losing streak vs. a equally struggling St. Louis Blues squad only to give up a O.T. goal and continue their march in the NHL record books for the longest winless streak in history. They may be losers to some but to anyone that bets on hockey they are true gold.
In their last 13 games they have gone over the total ten times. They are easily the worst defense in the league allowing 3.8 per game. And even that number is deceiving as if you look at their last 13 games you’ll find they allowed at least four goals in 11 of them.
For Toronto it would appear that Trevor Kidd could be back in net to allow Ed Belfour another day to rest his ailing back. With a huge divisional game on Tuesday against Boston I would imagine that they would want him to be playing. And I doubt that the Maple Leafs won’t be able to outscore the Pens even if the shaky Kidd is between the pipes. In Kidd’s games this year the opposition has averaged 3.25 goals while Toronto has supported him with 3.33. Although he did shut out the Penguins at Pittsburgh on 1/5, 5-0.
To me that’s the only way this game doesn’t reach six goals again.
Toronto’s offense is clicking with 4 or more goals scored in 6 of their last 7. And in the last 7 head to head match ups between the two the over has been good 4 out of 7 times, 4-1-2.
San Jose/Philadelphia Under 4.5 +118
Funny how a change of scenery can revitalize a athletes performance and none more than the fragile psyche of a NHL goaltender.
Sean Burke suddenly finds himself out of the shadow of Brian Boucher and a struggling team in the desert to being with a Stanley Cup contender in Philadelphia. It took little time for him to pick up his game beating the Rangers twice while only allowing three goals.
But the victories over New York didn’t come without a cost as they lost both Jeremy Roenick and Keith Primeau to injury. Both loses are devastating to the team as with one they lost their team leader and when they lost the other, (Primeau), earlier this season the team looked terrible going 0-5-2 and only scoring 9 goals.
Facing Burke and a depleted offense is Evgeni Nabokov and the best defense in the NHL. Nabokov has given up three goals in his last four games and 11 goals in his last 10.
The Sharks are the best penalty killing team in the league and overall average only 2 goals surrendered per game.
The Flyers are no defensive slouches themselves lately with only 23 goals allowed in their last 14 games and 6 goals in the last 5.
In the last 10 head to head meetings there has been an average of 3.9 goals scored and 7 of those games under the total, (2-7-1).
National coverage on ESPN and if you want a taste of what the playoffs will be like check out this defensive battle.
RX to Date 12-6-1
NHL single units……..54-39-4 +14.62
Unit and a half plays…..4-0-0 +6.525
NHL total to Date…….58-39-4 +21.145
Time to put an end to my mini slump of this weekend where I went 1-4-1 / -1.975.
The winning percentage took a beating but thankfully the wallet didn’t.
Mixed it up for Monday with six plays. Two overs, two unders, and two sides.
New York Islanders -.5 -135
The L.A. Kings have been successful in putting together a fantastic season under numerous hardships and injuries. But my thinking is that the miracle on ice of ‘04 will not be reminiscent of 1980. Sorry…but in this case I don’t believe in miracles.
The Islanders are rounding into form, ( 7-3-4 last 14), led by their net minder Rick DiPietro who is 6-1-2 in his last 9 starts and playing even better than that record illustrates. New York fights for the last play off spot in the east while L.A. sits precariously in the 7th spot of the west. Incidentally I’m predicting right here that both Nashville and Minnesota will over take L.A. and St. Louis in the western playoff picture.
I’ll be looking to fade this team as the truck load of injuries they’ve endured are bound to eventually take their toll on this team down the stretch that requires teams to play a much more full schedule leaving little time to regroup or rehabilitate.
And speaking of which….This is their last stop of a seven game road trip, (sandwiching the All-Star break), after three straight loses, two in overtime, and the heartbreaker on Sunday which left Roman Cechmanek physically drained it’ll take some kind of miracle for them to fly home with a W.
Ottawa Senators -.5 -135
The Rangers have all but packed up their season and GM Glen Sather will begin the fire sale. The N.Y. Times is reporting that both Kovalev and Leetch are on the block and with Kasparaitis, Bure, Malakhov, injured there’s no reason to believe that they aren’t starting the rebuilding process. In fact if they weren’t that’s when I’d be concerned. On top of all the injuries and distractions of who will be left in the dressing room tomorrow you’ve got a questionable Jagr for today’s game.
The Rangers limp into this game losers in 7 of 10. The Senators went through their mini slump, (losing 4 of 5), no worse for the wear and then rattled off 3 straight. They absolutely dominated Montreal in the Quebec showdown for Hockey night in Canada Saturday and have been drafting the competition and will look to sling shot them in the final lap. (just a little NASCAR verbiage to keep the hockey haters happy)
Ottawa has won 6 of the last 7 head to head.
Atlanta/Buffalo Over 5.5 +104
Showdown at the O K Coral.
My goodness is it fun to watch Thrasher games again. They shoot they score and then give them up as fast.
Atlanta is 18-9-2 on the total away from home averaging 6.17 GPG, ( and rising with a bullet ). They are 5-1 O/U in the last six, (almost coinciding to when Dany Heatley returned to action).
Buffalo has played equally with a high octane style averaging 5.66 GPG at home this year and have gone over the total in 5 of 8 overall.
In head to head duels between these two gun slingers in the last two years they have registered 48 total goals in 6 games for a average of 8 per game.
Florida/Carolina Under 4.5 +111
It’s been a long time since I took a under but this game insists of it.
Carolina’s offense is slug like. The worst in the league averaging 1.9 goals per game. They have no power play, no team speed, and little chemistry. What they do have is a ability to put you to sleep watching their games. This hypnotic effect apparently works equally well on their opponents as the slug like infliction that they suffer from becomes contagious on the opposition’s offense. Actually they have a diamond in the rough in goalie Kevin Weekes who has consistently gotten better during his short career.
Florida can match Weekes with one of their own in Roberto Luongo who is ranked 5th in the league with a .931 save percentage.
To illustrate my opinion of this game without making this thread the sequel of “War and Peace” I offer this one item. In the last ten meetings between these two they have averaged 4.1 goals and have gone 2-5-3 for the last ten.
Look for more of the same and don’t forget your “No-Doze”.
Toronto/Pittsburgh Over 5.5 -128
How bad can it get for Pittsburgh? They thought they had finally snapped their 13 game losing streak vs. a equally struggling St. Louis Blues squad only to give up a O.T. goal and continue their march in the NHL record books for the longest winless streak in history. They may be losers to some but to anyone that bets on hockey they are true gold.
In their last 13 games they have gone over the total ten times. They are easily the worst defense in the league allowing 3.8 per game. And even that number is deceiving as if you look at their last 13 games you’ll find they allowed at least four goals in 11 of them.
For Toronto it would appear that Trevor Kidd could be back in net to allow Ed Belfour another day to rest his ailing back. With a huge divisional game on Tuesday against Boston I would imagine that they would want him to be playing. And I doubt that the Maple Leafs won’t be able to outscore the Pens even if the shaky Kidd is between the pipes. In Kidd’s games this year the opposition has averaged 3.25 goals while Toronto has supported him with 3.33. Although he did shut out the Penguins at Pittsburgh on 1/5, 5-0.
To me that’s the only way this game doesn’t reach six goals again.
Toronto’s offense is clicking with 4 or more goals scored in 6 of their last 7. And in the last 7 head to head match ups between the two the over has been good 4 out of 7 times, 4-1-2.
San Jose/Philadelphia Under 4.5 +118
Funny how a change of scenery can revitalize a athletes performance and none more than the fragile psyche of a NHL goaltender.
Sean Burke suddenly finds himself out of the shadow of Brian Boucher and a struggling team in the desert to being with a Stanley Cup contender in Philadelphia. It took little time for him to pick up his game beating the Rangers twice while only allowing three goals.
But the victories over New York didn’t come without a cost as they lost both Jeremy Roenick and Keith Primeau to injury. Both loses are devastating to the team as with one they lost their team leader and when they lost the other, (Primeau), earlier this season the team looked terrible going 0-5-2 and only scoring 9 goals.
Facing Burke and a depleted offense is Evgeni Nabokov and the best defense in the NHL. Nabokov has given up three goals in his last four games and 11 goals in his last 10.
The Sharks are the best penalty killing team in the league and overall average only 2 goals surrendered per game.
The Flyers are no defensive slouches themselves lately with only 23 goals allowed in their last 14 games and 6 goals in the last 5.
In the last 10 head to head meetings there has been an average of 3.9 goals scored and 7 of those games under the total, (2-7-1).
National coverage on ESPN and if you want a taste of what the playoffs will be like check out this defensive battle.
RX to Date 12-6-1
NHL single units……..54-39-4 +14.62
Unit and a half plays…..4-0-0 +6.525
NHL total to Date…….58-39-4 +21.145
