Four plays for today and I feel very confident on all. In an attempt to save some time and not bore you to tears I’ll keep my analysis to a minimum.
Tampa Bay/Toronto Over 5 -120
[Unit and a half Play]
Watching these two teams with their unlimited offensive power and speed and I really wonder what the lines maker was thinking putting this game up at 5. I had this game marked since last weekend and figured it would be at 5.5 and even at that I was ready to fire away with both guns. Five? This total could easily be reached by the end of the first period.
Both these teams average more than at a 5 goal clip and I’m certain that this game will be end to end. Each team will force the issue with a great deal of forechecking and will leave themselves wide open defensively. Just a old fashion hockey shootout in this one. Can you say…he shoots, he SCORES!
Pittsburgh Penguins PK +123
I missed the boat on this play Sunday at Pittsburgh where the Pens got the victory with seven seconds left in overtime. This was a game that the Rangers had all but won but they continue to play with a death wish and do whatever it takes to self sabotage in a few seconds what it took an entire game to produce. In short when “Murphy’s Law” was created it was with the New York Rangers in mind.
Mark Messier is a class act and has been for a career that has spanned 25 seasons. But in one moment, when he tried to make a Strbak-shis-ko-bob with a cheap spear to the mid section of Penguin Martin Strbak, he summed up the Ranger season and his frustration in one single act. Today he’s suspended and the Ranger line up that was already decimated by the wholesale clearance of veteran players is down to one. Jaromir Jagr, (who would rather be somewhere else himself).
Rangers have lost six straight, 11 of their last 13, and 7-24 since 1/19/04. How can you play 31 games in the NHL without a tie? Leave it to the Rangers.
The Penguins have played inspired hockey ever since they halted their 18 game losing streak on 2/25. In the last month they have put together a 9-3-2 record. Beating teams through that stretch that include Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia, and the New York Rangers twice.
Pittsburgh goes for the hat trick tonight.
Nashville Predators -.5 -127
Nashville fights desperately to stay in the playoff picture and can not let a game like this slip threw their hands, (as well as the two points). They will not be looking ahead or will there be in a flat spot here. After this game they have the Rangers, Bluejackets, and two versus the Black Hawks on deck. Conceivably they could lock up their post season birth with these next five games and trust me they know what they have in front of them.
The Predators have played very well at home all year, (21-9-7) and even better as a favorite at the GEC, (14-4-6). Tonight they go for the season sweep of the Ducks, already winning the first three meetings.
Anaheim is coming off a very improbable 8-6 victory over the Red Wings last Sunday despite being out shot 57-30 and trailing 3-0 after the first six and a half minutes of the game. Before that they had only won once in their last seven. On the road this year the Ducks have played pathetic winning nine times in thirty seven tries. As a dog on the road they are 7-22-3.
Detroit/San Jose Over 5 -110
Another match up of two teams that enjoy opening up the game and seeing who can put the biscuit in the basket the most.
Mike Ricci returns to a San Jose lineup that has scored 25 goals in their last 7 games. They have gone over the number four straight games and only failed to reach the total 3 times in their last 17 games, (12-3-2). In those 17 games, dating back to five weeks ago, there has been an average of 6.3 goals scored.
Pavel Datsyuk comes back to a Wings lineup that has had more than it’s share of injuries yet only continues to win. But they’ve done it mostly with defense and goaltending rather than the offensive attack that claims the second highest output of the league at 3.1. But with his 26 goals and 37 assists he breaths new life back into the Detroit offense that has tallied ten goals in their last two games.
There is no pressure on either of these teams tonight. A win or loss will not effect their season or playoff positioning with any merit. I see this game to be more of a statement game and for San Jose to attack with their formidable forechecking and put pressure on Curtis Joseph, (or perhaps Legace will get a second consecutive start after being pulled in the second period). Either way the Shark Tank will be rocking and you’ll see plenty of scoring chances in this one and getting over the five should not be too difficult.
NHL single unit plays………93-59-7.…..+ 34.45
Unit and a half plays………..13-5-1.…… + 10.845
NHL total to Date…………...106-64-8.……+ 45.245
Tampa Bay/Toronto Over 5 -120
[Unit and a half Play]
Watching these two teams with their unlimited offensive power and speed and I really wonder what the lines maker was thinking putting this game up at 5. I had this game marked since last weekend and figured it would be at 5.5 and even at that I was ready to fire away with both guns. Five? This total could easily be reached by the end of the first period.
Both these teams average more than at a 5 goal clip and I’m certain that this game will be end to end. Each team will force the issue with a great deal of forechecking and will leave themselves wide open defensively. Just a old fashion hockey shootout in this one. Can you say…he shoots, he SCORES!
Pittsburgh Penguins PK +123
I missed the boat on this play Sunday at Pittsburgh where the Pens got the victory with seven seconds left in overtime. This was a game that the Rangers had all but won but they continue to play with a death wish and do whatever it takes to self sabotage in a few seconds what it took an entire game to produce. In short when “Murphy’s Law” was created it was with the New York Rangers in mind.
Mark Messier is a class act and has been for a career that has spanned 25 seasons. But in one moment, when he tried to make a Strbak-shis-ko-bob with a cheap spear to the mid section of Penguin Martin Strbak, he summed up the Ranger season and his frustration in one single act. Today he’s suspended and the Ranger line up that was already decimated by the wholesale clearance of veteran players is down to one. Jaromir Jagr, (who would rather be somewhere else himself).
Rangers have lost six straight, 11 of their last 13, and 7-24 since 1/19/04. How can you play 31 games in the NHL without a tie? Leave it to the Rangers.
The Penguins have played inspired hockey ever since they halted their 18 game losing streak on 2/25. In the last month they have put together a 9-3-2 record. Beating teams through that stretch that include Dallas, Toronto, Philadelphia, and the New York Rangers twice.
Pittsburgh goes for the hat trick tonight.
Nashville Predators -.5 -127
Nashville fights desperately to stay in the playoff picture and can not let a game like this slip threw their hands, (as well as the two points). They will not be looking ahead or will there be in a flat spot here. After this game they have the Rangers, Bluejackets, and two versus the Black Hawks on deck. Conceivably they could lock up their post season birth with these next five games and trust me they know what they have in front of them.
The Predators have played very well at home all year, (21-9-7) and even better as a favorite at the GEC, (14-4-6). Tonight they go for the season sweep of the Ducks, already winning the first three meetings.
Anaheim is coming off a very improbable 8-6 victory over the Red Wings last Sunday despite being out shot 57-30 and trailing 3-0 after the first six and a half minutes of the game. Before that they had only won once in their last seven. On the road this year the Ducks have played pathetic winning nine times in thirty seven tries. As a dog on the road they are 7-22-3.
Detroit/San Jose Over 5 -110
Another match up of two teams that enjoy opening up the game and seeing who can put the biscuit in the basket the most.
Mike Ricci returns to a San Jose lineup that has scored 25 goals in their last 7 games. They have gone over the number four straight games and only failed to reach the total 3 times in their last 17 games, (12-3-2). In those 17 games, dating back to five weeks ago, there has been an average of 6.3 goals scored.
Pavel Datsyuk comes back to a Wings lineup that has had more than it’s share of injuries yet only continues to win. But they’ve done it mostly with defense and goaltending rather than the offensive attack that claims the second highest output of the league at 3.1. But with his 26 goals and 37 assists he breaths new life back into the Detroit offense that has tallied ten goals in their last two games.
There is no pressure on either of these teams tonight. A win or loss will not effect their season or playoff positioning with any merit. I see this game to be more of a statement game and for San Jose to attack with their formidable forechecking and put pressure on Curtis Joseph, (or perhaps Legace will get a second consecutive start after being pulled in the second period). Either way the Shark Tank will be rocking and you’ll see plenty of scoring chances in this one and getting over the five should not be too difficult.
NHL single unit plays………93-59-7.…..+ 34.45
Unit and a half plays………..13-5-1.…… + 10.845
NHL total to Date…………...106-64-8.……+ 45.245
