Toronto Maple Leafs -.5 -135
[Unit and a half play]
Toronto is finally 99% healthy after an entire season of having numerous key injuries that has limited their production and point total. Only Wade Belak remains on the I.R. but even he has been cleared for contact and should be back in less than two weeks. Still with all the adversity this team has gone through they find themselves only two points out of first in the east and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs until the Stanley Cup Final. And if superstars like Owen Nolan, Mats Sundin, Alex Mogilny, Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, etc. aren’t enough of a offensive threat all the Maple Leafs do is add a two time Norris Trophy winner, (top defenseman), Brian Leetch. Leetch was traded for basically prospects from Toronto as the Rangers unloaded four top players in the last three days from their roster in an attempt to trim the hefty payroll they have carried all season long. Leetch will add scoring punch to what is already the league’s fifth most proficient scoring offense.
Toronto has Ed Belfour back and the team has responded with two dominant victories over the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins, (don’t let the 3-2 score against the B’s fool you. The game wasn’t as close as the score seems.) In both games the Maple Leafs came out flying and with playoff type of intensity quickly taking the leads in both games and allowing themselves to dictate control of the entire game. From what I’ve seen in those two games THIS is the team everyone better by concerned with. But as goes Ed Belfour, so goes the Leafs. Their cup hopes ride on the health of his back, (both figuratively and literally).
The Islanders battle for the last spot in the playoffs and with a eight point cushion over the Sabres and Panthers making the post season is highly likely. But when you look at their last thirteen games you see a pattern of mediocre play that is the last thing they need coming down the home stretch. In those 13 games only four times have they come away with a win. All four victories are against sub .500 teams. Two of the leagues absolute worst, Phoenix and Pittsburgh and two wins against the Buffalo Sabres.
In the last seven meetings between the two at Toronto the Maple Leafs have gone 6-0-1.
Boston Bruins -.5 -158
I got this game when the numbers first came up on Pinnacle and as soon as I heard about the Brian Leetch deal depleting this Ranger squad of almost all the talent that was left. I’ve noticed that Pinnacle has taken the number “off line” soon after I made the bet and they still haven’t put it back up. (Olympic doesn’t have it listed as well) I have no idea what number they will eventually put up. But if the number does come up any where around -170 or less I’d still recommend the play.
This play is a simple one. The Rangers have dealt away Petr Nedved, goalie Jussi Markkanen, Alexei Kovalev, and Brian Leetch in the last three days. With the loss of these top players and with Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, Darius Kasparaitis, Vladimir Malakhov, and numerous others on the I.R. you have to wonder what’s left? In a nutshell it leaves three people to worry about. Jagr, Holik, and Messier. And you have to question what their moods will be like with the fire sale going on around them. Even when they had some help around them the Rangers had only won 5 games since the 19th of January and going 5-16.
The Bruins are playing well, fighting for the eastern conference’s best record, and setting up for a long post season campaign. The Rangers just want this nightmare of a season to be done.
NHL single unit plays………73-53-6.…..+ 19.92
Unit and a half plays…………10-2-1.…. + 12.195
NHL total to Date…………….83-55-7.……+ 32.115
[Unit and a half play]
Toronto is finally 99% healthy after an entire season of having numerous key injuries that has limited their production and point total. Only Wade Belak remains on the I.R. but even he has been cleared for contact and should be back in less than two weeks. Still with all the adversity this team has gone through they find themselves only two points out of first in the east and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs until the Stanley Cup Final. And if superstars like Owen Nolan, Mats Sundin, Alex Mogilny, Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, etc. aren’t enough of a offensive threat all the Maple Leafs do is add a two time Norris Trophy winner, (top defenseman), Brian Leetch. Leetch was traded for basically prospects from Toronto as the Rangers unloaded four top players in the last three days from their roster in an attempt to trim the hefty payroll they have carried all season long. Leetch will add scoring punch to what is already the league’s fifth most proficient scoring offense.
Toronto has Ed Belfour back and the team has responded with two dominant victories over the New Jersey Devils and the Boston Bruins, (don’t let the 3-2 score against the B’s fool you. The game wasn’t as close as the score seems.) In both games the Maple Leafs came out flying and with playoff type of intensity quickly taking the leads in both games and allowing themselves to dictate control of the entire game. From what I’ve seen in those two games THIS is the team everyone better by concerned with. But as goes Ed Belfour, so goes the Leafs. Their cup hopes ride on the health of his back, (both figuratively and literally).
The Islanders battle for the last spot in the playoffs and with a eight point cushion over the Sabres and Panthers making the post season is highly likely. But when you look at their last thirteen games you see a pattern of mediocre play that is the last thing they need coming down the home stretch. In those 13 games only four times have they come away with a win. All four victories are against sub .500 teams. Two of the leagues absolute worst, Phoenix and Pittsburgh and two wins against the Buffalo Sabres.
In the last seven meetings between the two at Toronto the Maple Leafs have gone 6-0-1.
Boston Bruins -.5 -158
I got this game when the numbers first came up on Pinnacle and as soon as I heard about the Brian Leetch deal depleting this Ranger squad of almost all the talent that was left. I’ve noticed that Pinnacle has taken the number “off line” soon after I made the bet and they still haven’t put it back up. (Olympic doesn’t have it listed as well) I have no idea what number they will eventually put up. But if the number does come up any where around -170 or less I’d still recommend the play.
This play is a simple one. The Rangers have dealt away Petr Nedved, goalie Jussi Markkanen, Alexei Kovalev, and Brian Leetch in the last three days. With the loss of these top players and with Eric Lindros, Pavel Bure, Darius Kasparaitis, Vladimir Malakhov, and numerous others on the I.R. you have to wonder what’s left? In a nutshell it leaves three people to worry about. Jagr, Holik, and Messier. And you have to question what their moods will be like with the fire sale going on around them. Even when they had some help around them the Rangers had only won 5 games since the 19th of January and going 5-16.
The Bruins are playing well, fighting for the eastern conference’s best record, and setting up for a long post season campaign. The Rangers just want this nightmare of a season to be done.
NHL single unit plays………73-53-6.…..+ 19.92
Unit and a half plays…………10-2-1.…. + 12.195
NHL total to Date…………….83-55-7.……+ 32.115
