The trade deadline comes at noon tomorrow PST. Things can and will change in a hurry. You can try to use this to your advantage and bet on speculation that a team out of contention will jettison some key talent and leave themselves shorthanded for tonight’s action.
Case in point. Sunday night I penciled in a play for the Atlanta Thrashers. They are playing like they’re battling for the Stanley Cup itself. Holding nothing back and coming together as a team as if there is no tomorrow, (which there probably is none). The Rangers are dismantled and disinterested. Any wonder who will be let go from New York’s roster by this time tomorrow? Jagr, Messier??? As of 8:45 pm PST on Monday night Pinnacle won’t post any odds on this game. Olympic won’t post odds on any of the games tomorrow at this late hour, (for them).
So I wait.
The Islanders are another team that could be making some moves tomorrow. I like the Blues in their game but the status of Osgood concerns me and as of this hour I can’t find any information of his health for tomorrows game.
So I wait.
Lastly I’m not a parlay player but every now and then there is a combination that stands out and Tuesday has one that stands tall to me. Toronto -.5 -170 with Los Angeles -.5 -165. Unfortunately Pinnacle does not allow parlays to be placed until the day of the game. And as I mentioned Olympic is down all together so….
I wait.
But then there’s a one game where I don’t have to take a number or wait in any lines so boldly I go…..
Calgary Flames -.5 +105
[unit a half play]
The Flames showed me much in their 7-1 victory at Colorado last Sunday. (worst loss at home by the Avs in their history since they’ve been in Colorado) Calgary looked very much like the team that I got fat on in December when I started this series of posts. Back when Miikka Kiprusoff came with little acclaim and attention. Well he’s not flying under the radar anymore but according to the linesmaker, with this number posted, the team sure is.
The Flames have played a monstrous schedule for the last three weeks and the results have shown their inability to play with the big boys. First there was a five game road trip where they started with a win at Minnesota then lost at Montreal, Ottawa, and New Jersey. Then they shut out the Avs at Colorado. They come home and lose to the Red Wings but beat Phoenix. Back to the road for four games and win at St. Louis, lose at Detroit and at Dallas, then beat the Avs last Sunday. After playing 9 on the road and 2 at home they come home for two. Against Edmonton tonight and Ottawa Thursday. Then go back to the road against Nashville, St. Louis , and Detroit. The reason I include all this is two fold. (A) They clearly have a hard time against top teams, (excluding Colorado) and they beat the weaker teams. (B) Their schedule has been impossible, continues to be impossible and they can not let this game against a mediocre Oiler squad get by them.
Calgary fights with four teams for the last three spots in the western conference playoff version of musical chairs. And the Flames need to be sitting when the music stops. Only three points separates those four teams.
The Flames added Chris Simon last week who is one of the league’s most feared fighters and his presence on the team gives them the enforcer that they’ve been lacking all year. A high scoring forward isn’t the only way to immediately change a team’s chemistry and confidence. Having someone bigger and tougher than the school yard bully behind you to watch your back does wonders for your self esteem, doesn’t it? Same principal here…except they wear skates and there’s no jungle gyms on their playground.
And you thought I was going to spout off stats? (trust me I got ‘em but you’re getting bored as hell reading this aren’t you?)
NHL single unit plays………77-53-7.…..+ 23.97
Unit and a half plays………..13-2-1.…… + 16.695
NHL total to Date…………...90-55-8.……+ 40.665
I’ll try to add more tomorrow as the cowards decide to start posting some numbers.
Case in point. Sunday night I penciled in a play for the Atlanta Thrashers. They are playing like they’re battling for the Stanley Cup itself. Holding nothing back and coming together as a team as if there is no tomorrow, (which there probably is none). The Rangers are dismantled and disinterested. Any wonder who will be let go from New York’s roster by this time tomorrow? Jagr, Messier??? As of 8:45 pm PST on Monday night Pinnacle won’t post any odds on this game. Olympic won’t post odds on any of the games tomorrow at this late hour, (for them).
So I wait.
The Islanders are another team that could be making some moves tomorrow. I like the Blues in their game but the status of Osgood concerns me and as of this hour I can’t find any information of his health for tomorrows game.
So I wait.
Lastly I’m not a parlay player but every now and then there is a combination that stands out and Tuesday has one that stands tall to me. Toronto -.5 -170 with Los Angeles -.5 -165. Unfortunately Pinnacle does not allow parlays to be placed until the day of the game. And as I mentioned Olympic is down all together so….
I wait.
But then there’s a one game where I don’t have to take a number or wait in any lines so boldly I go…..
Calgary Flames -.5 +105
[unit a half play]
The Flames showed me much in their 7-1 victory at Colorado last Sunday. (worst loss at home by the Avs in their history since they’ve been in Colorado) Calgary looked very much like the team that I got fat on in December when I started this series of posts. Back when Miikka Kiprusoff came with little acclaim and attention. Well he’s not flying under the radar anymore but according to the linesmaker, with this number posted, the team sure is.
The Flames have played a monstrous schedule for the last three weeks and the results have shown their inability to play with the big boys. First there was a five game road trip where they started with a win at Minnesota then lost at Montreal, Ottawa, and New Jersey. Then they shut out the Avs at Colorado. They come home and lose to the Red Wings but beat Phoenix. Back to the road for four games and win at St. Louis, lose at Detroit and at Dallas, then beat the Avs last Sunday. After playing 9 on the road and 2 at home they come home for two. Against Edmonton tonight and Ottawa Thursday. Then go back to the road against Nashville, St. Louis , and Detroit. The reason I include all this is two fold. (A) They clearly have a hard time against top teams, (excluding Colorado) and they beat the weaker teams. (B) Their schedule has been impossible, continues to be impossible and they can not let this game against a mediocre Oiler squad get by them.
Calgary fights with four teams for the last three spots in the western conference playoff version of musical chairs. And the Flames need to be sitting when the music stops. Only three points separates those four teams.
The Flames added Chris Simon last week who is one of the league’s most feared fighters and his presence on the team gives them the enforcer that they’ve been lacking all year. A high scoring forward isn’t the only way to immediately change a team’s chemistry and confidence. Having someone bigger and tougher than the school yard bully behind you to watch your back does wonders for your self esteem, doesn’t it? Same principal here…except they wear skates and there’s no jungle gyms on their playground.
And you thought I was going to spout off stats? (trust me I got ‘em but you’re getting bored as hell reading this aren’t you?)
NHL single unit plays………77-53-7.…..+ 23.97
Unit and a half plays………..13-2-1.…… + 16.695
NHL total to Date…………...90-55-8.……+ 40.665
I’ll try to add more tomorrow as the cowards decide to start posting some numbers.
