Calgary @ Columbus -- Calgary a road favourite against the poor Jackets. The BJs do surprise me, they aren't THAT bad of a team. Prospal. Nash. Carter. Wizzer. I think they catch Calgary off a long xmas break at home, and they might come out a big sluggish tonite. Tanguay is a huge loss of course. Sandford in net tonite, not that brutal sieve Mason. TAKE: BJS +115
No write up today, but my plays of the day are Vancouver (reg) -110 and Car/Tor over 5.5
Good luck, eh
YTD 50-37
Play of the Day -- ANAHEIM @ ST. LOUIS -- Anaheim is turning around (2-1-1) with Boudreau, and confidence is high. They now get to get out of Anaheim and gel on the road. As Big Bad Bobby Ryan says: “It’s been missing in this room for a little while,” Bobby Ryan said. “The belief hasn’t been there. We’ve been waiting for something bad to happen game in and game out. You can already see the morale starting to turn. You can see the confidence boost in things we do in practice. Things are starting to catch on.” The Blues are averaging 2.1 goals in their past 10 games, which aint much. Their PP and PK are bottomfeeders. Halak in net. HUGE tag +160 taking the Ducks, pumping with confidence and Ryan, Perry, Getlzaf, Koivu, Selanne and Fowler. TAKE: ANAHEIM
Play of the Day -- Chicago @ NY Islanders -- These two teams can score in bunches as of late, and when I see that Emery is in net (i used to think he was good, but this year's stats blow that up), Im thinking goals galore. Montoya not a bad keeper, but look who he has to face: Towes, Kane, Hossa, Sharp. Yikes. Together, these teams a 6.80 Goals For and a 5.20 GAA (again, just averages). That interests me. I wouldnt be surprised if the suddenly hot Islanders win this pop, they can score in bunches and Tavares seems to be off the schneid. TAKE: CHICAGO/NEW YORK OVER
Play of the Day -- Washington @ Ottawa -- Okay, Im pissed off. Does Vegas think we are morons? We see "OVECHKIN" on Washington's lineup and we're supposed to wet our pants and think this team should be favoured? On the road no less? Please. It's insulting. Dont be fooled by this idiotic line. Washington has three wins in its past 14 games. New coach Hunter off to great morale start, benching his starter during his return trip to Florida, all his family there and everything. This guy Hunter was a cock when he played, and it seems he still is one as a coach. Ovi struggling like crazy, and the Caps scoring 13 goals in their past 6. Hell, they were down 5-1 to Florida before they got a bunch of 3rd period goals when the Panthers decided to have a cat nap (get the pun?). The Caps are a team in disarray, and now the team is pissed at the coach. Not a good recipe for success. They beat Ottawa last week but need OT to do it in their home barn. The Senators were picked by many to be at or near the bottom of the standings. But this team is showing them wrong. Funny, Anderson is 4-1 against the Caps, going back to his Avs days. Anyways, the Sens are playing solid hockey, and guys like Spezza, Alfie, Michalek and my man Karlsson are lighting the lamp for more than the guys they are playing against (the exception is Backstrom, also on my FL team :) . Throw in a very raucous ScotiaBank fan base in Ottawa (Nepean, actually), and im all over the home dog. Caps shouldnt be favoured over a beer league team right now, and oh yeah, fuck Vegas with their treating us like dummies lol TAKE: OTTAWA
Play of the Day -- Philadelphia @ Buffalo -- I see alot of folks on the Sabres, and Im not really sure why. Buffalo is an average team, at best, their main man Vanek is scoreless in 10, and Miller more concerned with crying to the refs than stopping pucks. Prior to their win against the Preds, Buf had 3 wins in 9 tries, losing to Columbus, NJ and the Isles. Yikes. Statistically, these two team are about the same in GF, GA, PK, PP, so it's kind of a wash. That said, Philly averaging 3.5 goals per game, good for 1st in the NHL. LOVE that Van Reemer back in tonite, and throw in Briere, Read, Giroux, Moves Like Jagr, and Scott Hartnell (what?), they will present the fluffy sabrecats with a ton of challenges. For those that like Overs, you might want to try this one. I'll stick with the road team that is playing better than the host. TAKE: PHILADELPHIA, 6-4
Play of the Day -- TB @ NEW YORK -- TB has lost 4 in a row, three in a row by 4-2 interestingly enough. The Isles have won 3 of 4. But let's take a closer look. The Isles lost 3 games before they won in NJ - lost to NJ, and got shut out by Pit and Bos 11-0. TB, before last nite's game, lost to DET, NYR and MIN, all quality teams. So, dont get too bent out of shape by the streaks. I LOVE that Garon is in net, the team will respond knowing they dont have to support that CLOWN Roloson the whole game. The Bolts can score, and are ranked 13th in the League. The Isles are DEAD LAST in the League. And now Grabner is out, a key forward. I dont trust either team, but I trust the Isles less. I think the Bolts respond, they are a maddenly inconsistent team, but that loss last nite in our Nation's Capital actually helps me with this play. Getting a tag on the visitor in a game against the lowest scoring team in the League. Sure, I'll bite. TAKE: TAMPA BAY
Play of the Day -- Carolina @ Calgary -- Like Hunter, Muller is a new coach looking for his first victory as a head coach. The Canes are off on a western canada road swing, and this is the first game. I think this helps them, getting out of that dead building and their media, and playing a game in Canada. It's a home game for Cam Ward of sorts, he played for the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL for like four years. He might show up. Statistically, the Canes are terrible on all fronts, but surprise, Calgary is hardly better; they are both in the bottom third of all categories. Calgary is a shit team, old and slow, and now they have lost their best D in Giordano. I like that Pitkanen is back for the Canes, he's not as good as Green or Pronger or Letang, of course, but he IS the Cane's PP and PK captain, and their best puck moving d-bird. If he can get Staal, Skinner and Jokinen involved, these Canes can put the puck in the net. I simply dont like the Flames, they are a slow team and Sutter is - and should be - on the hotseat. Trade Iggy already, fer crissakes. Anyways, the Flames are 2nd-tier team, and with the Canes horny for a win for Muller, there's a lot of value on this play. Getting a nice tag against a so-so team, sure, I'll bite. TAKE: CAROLINA