Both New York teams enter Tuesday Night’s action holding down the last two Easter Division playoff spots. Both are relatively Hot and are looking to keep up their solid play.
New York Islanders (22-19-8) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (30-19-1)
When: 7:30 PM ET, Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Where: Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
-The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 6th on offense, averaging 3.0 goals per game. The Penguins have the third worst power play in the NHL scoring 14.6% for a total of 30 power play goals.
-The New York Islanders rank 26th on offense, averaging 2.5 goals per game. The Islanders have the second worst power play in the NHL and are scoring 15.9% for a total of 29 power play goals.
-At home the Penguins are averaging 3.5 goals per game, and giving up 2.6 goals against on defense.
-On the road, the Islanders are averaging 2.5 goals per game, and giving up 3.3 goals against on defense.
New York Islanders - lines not available yet
The Islanders to everyone’s surprise are playing some excellent hockey right now and find themselves in eighth place in the Easter Conference. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and have won four straight. New York is playing their third game in four nights and the youngsters might be due for a bad game. They might be looking ahead to their day off Wednesday.
Pittsburgh Penguins - lines not available yet
Pittsburgh is coming off of a rough outing at the end of a long road trip on Saturday in Vancouver where they lost 6-2. The Pens are finally at home and are rested after two days off. You can bet that Sidney Crosby and company will come out hard to avenge their worst loss of the season. Poor New York.
Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins
Tampa Bay Lightning (19-19-10) @ New York Rangers (23-19-7)
When: 7:00 PM ET, Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
-The New York Rangers rank 25th on offense, averaging 2.6 goals per game. The Rangers are 18.7% on the power play and have scored of 34 power play goals.
-The Tampa Bay Lightning rank 22nd on offense, averaging 2.6 goals per game. The Lightning are 18.6% on the power play and have 36 power play goals.
-The Rangers average 2.8 goals per game at home, and give up 2.7 goals against on defense.
-The Lightning average 2.3 goals per game on the road, while giving up 3.5 goals against on defense.
Tampa Bay Lightning - +160
The Tampa Bay Lightning boast some of the best Offensive talent in the NHL and yet they are in the bottom third of the standings. Buoyed by ownership issues and rumors of Vincent Lacavalier’s departure, the Lightning appear to be a franchise in total disarray. Sure, they can be OK at time, but at others, they can be absolutely terrible. A win in their last game against Carlina doesn’t impress me at all.
New York Rangers - -190
The New York Rangers are finding themselves competing for the distinction as the best team in New York right now. They are a team that many thought would challenge in the East, but have proven to be more of a middle of the pack team. The Rangers did regain their scoring touch on Sunday afternoon against the Canadiens and I think the goal barrage will continue against a pretty bad Tampa team.
Pick: New York Rangers -190