NHL Betting Line: Canes vs Caps

Carolina Hurricanes @ Washington Capitals

7 pm Friday, December 11th – Verizon Centre, Washington DC

NHL Betting Line: Capitals -240

What The Hurricanes Have To Do To Win:

The Hurricanes will have to do everything right and Washington will have to do everything wrong in order for Carolina to escape with a win in this one. First off, they have to score first. With Semyon Varlamov not expected to start, Jose Theodore will be in net for Washington. A fast start could rattle Theodore’s confidence and make him play sloppy for the entire game. With the Hurricanes getting Cam Ward back from injury, it should make the Canes more comfortable in playing an aggressive game. Washington has the league’s best power play, so Carolina will have to be extra careful not to take any stupid penalties. But even if all that occurs, Carolina is a long shot.

What The Capitals Have To Do To Win:

Just play, baby. The Washington Capitals lead the league in points, they lead the league in goals scored and they have the league’s best power play unit. This is a cohesive unit that knows how to score. They won’t have to do much against a much weaker Hurricanes team. With Theodore most likely in net the Caps may have to do a little extra scoring than previously believed to be needed against a team like Carolina, but that shouldn’t be too hard for Washington. The Capitals lead the league in shared scoring, with six players recording more than 23 points. Their hiccup against Buffalo earlier in the week was just that; a hiccup. This is an elite team that can already start printing out playoff tickets.

Outlook & Pick

This matchup does not favor Carolina: this is the best team in the Eastern conference facing off against the worst. The most offensively gifted team against a net-minder just coming off the injured reserve. The Hurricanes are going to need a lot of luck to pull this one out or get a lot of pucks bouncing their way. If they can somehow keep it close it will go down as a hell of a moral victory. On the flip side, there are some that may say that Carolina may be just enough of an underdog to pull off a major upset. On the reality side, that just doesn’t seem possible.

Pick: Washington Capitals-240

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Hockey Betting Money Line – Oilers vs Blues

Edmonton Oilers @ St. Louis Blues
Friday, December 11th – Scottrade Center, St. Louis 
Hockey Betting Money Line:  Blues -140

What The Oilers Have To Do To Win:

Edmonton is currently riding their best winning streak of the season; four games. In that streak, the Oil has played well in all facets of the game, including a very improved power play unit. The team’s newfound confidence most likely stems from the play of goaltender Jeff Deslauriers. Deslauriers has been ice-hot in December, posting a 1.68 GAA and recording two shutouts. The returns of Robert Nilsson and Ryan Stone have not hurt either. Edmonton is proving that they are a competitive team, and that their recent struggles were a result of a new goaltender learning the ropes and a laundry list of injured players. They’re playing a Blues team they have owned in the past, winning their last seven contests. The confidence in the goaltender, the confidence in the returning players and the confidence in their play could keep Edmonton winning for at least another short while.  

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What The Blues Have To Do To Win:

The key to St. Louis victories is getting the lead into the third period. For some reason, the Blues are able to shut it down in the final frame, as evident of their 9-0-3 record when leading after two periods. Although that will be easier said than done for the Blues, especially at home. St. Louis is a pitiful 4-9-2 at home this year, a record that will need to change for St. Louis to make any semblance of a playoff push. The Blues will need more offense from their top players in order to make any progress. Brad Boyes, a former 40-goal scorer, has four goals in his last seven games. That doubles his goal total on the season. But if anything is going for St. Louis right now it’s their penalty kill. The Blues killed off six penalties in Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Detroit.  

Outlook & Pick

Edmonton is on a big roll and have absolutely owned St. Louis in the past. The Blues are experiencing a bit of a goalie crises, with backup Ty Conklin clearly playing better than incumbent starter Chris Mason. But I’m going to go with the Blues on this one. Despite the hot streak, Edmonton is a bad game away from sparking a four game streak going in the other direction. It’s too soon in the season to pinpoint what kind of team Edmonton is or how far they can make it in the season. After four games in the win column, it’s time for the Oilers to come back to Earth.  

Pick: St. Louis Blues 

NHL Money Line Betting: Panthers vs Devils

Florida Panthers @ New Jersey Devils

Friday, December 11th, – Prudential Center, Newark

NHL Money Line Betting: Devils -220

What The Panthers Have To Do To Win:

The Panthers hope not to become a footnote in history. One more shutout for Devils goalie Martin Brodeur and he owns the all-time record for that stat. The game is in New Jersey, so the fans will be aching to see it happen. Florida has some young players, so it will be up to the veterans to make sure they keep their sticks on the ice and focus in the game, not in the festivities. But on the flip side, they can’t focus too much on scoring that first goal, either. If Florida tries too hard to score and prevent becoming part of history, the goal won’t come. They need to stick to their game plan and not allow any distractions, no matter how historic, to take them off their game.

What The Devils Have To Do To Win:

New Jersey is one of the league’s hottest teams, and they’ve done so with great goaltending and distribution of scoring. On the Devils’current four-game win streak, 12 different players have recorded points. That sort of sharing forces the defense to focus on everyone as opposed to just being able to isolate a certain few. The Devils also have the luxury of being able to play a very aggressive game against the Panthers. Florida owns the league’s fourth worst power play, so being a man down won’t necessarily end badly for the Devils. If the Devils do end up trailing late in the game, they will be able to take comfort in at least one thing. Florida has lost 8 of their last 10 games in which they were either leading or tied when going into the third. The Panthers are incapable of closing games late.

Outlook & Pick

Every game from here on out for New Jersey is going to have that little extra something attached to it. Every game has the opportunity to be that game, where Brodeur gets his record 104th career shutout. Whether or not that motivates the Devils or causes a distraction to them is yet to be seen. But against the Panthers, they’ll be playing at home where they own an impressive record. They are playing a weak Panthers team. For once, Devils’ games are going to be filled with excitement and intrigue; at least until that first goal is scored. There is always going to be a chance for history.

Pick: New Jersey Devils

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NHL Moneyline: Blackhawks vs Sabers

Chicago Blackhawks @ Buffalo Sabres

Friday, December 11th – HSBC Arena, Buffalo

NHL Money Line: Blackhawks -120

What The Blackhawks Have To Do To Win:

Chicago’s coming off a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over the Rangers but the offense, however, has been struggling. Since an eight-game winning streak, Chicago has played seven games and yet to register a win in regulation. They scored more than three goals only once in that stretch and clearly, the offense that is loaded with tons of young offensive talent isn’t performing up to their capabilities. The Blackhawks have plenty of offensive talent, and they need to step up their game for Chicago to get back on track. Patrick Kane hasn’t scored in three weeks, and Marian Hossa has one goal in his last six games. It won’t get any easier playing against Ryan Miller and the Sabres, who is arguably the hottest goalie around.

Fun fact: Chicago has six shorthanded goals, most in the league.

What The Sabres Have To Do To Win:

The Sabres just have to make sure Ryan Miller stays hot. Buffalo had been stuck in a min-slump, but Miller broke them out of it in a 3-0 win over Chicago on Wednesday. Miller made 35 saves in the win over Washington and his 1.82 GAA and .938 S% lead the NHL. Those numbers will come in handy against a Blackhawks team that, although struggling, knows how to score. But as long as the Sabres can keep Chicago from scoring early, the win will come. The Blackhawks have scored only 22 goals in the third period, ranking them 26th in the league in that category. If Miller and the Sabres can keep them quiet early, they should be able to get a big home win on Friday night.

Outlook & Pick

It’s going to be a low-scoring affair. The Blackhawks have allowed only 61 goals all season, good for second best in the league. The Sabres have allowed only 62, good for third. The game will come down to goaltending. That favours the Sabres. Miller is making his case for the Vezina Trophy early, and if it weren’t for Ilya Bryzgalov in Phoenix Miller would be the clear front runner. For now, he’ll have to settle for best in the Eastern Conference. I’m sure he’ll take it. This won’t be the game Chicago remembers how to score.

Pick: Buffalo Sabres

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Hockey Game Odds: Ducks vs Wings

Anaheim Ducks @ Detroit Red Wings
Friday, December 11th – Joe Louis Arena, Detroit 
NHL Betting Line: Red Wings -175

What The Ducks Have To Do To Win:

The injury to Teemu Selanne is a huge loss for the Ducks. The winger broke his hand last week and will be out at least a month. The Ducks currently sit last in the Pacific Division, so the timing couldn’t have come at a worse time. Anaheim needs to start getting some offensive numbers from players not named Ryan Getzlaf or Corey Perry. That duo is perhaps the hottest in the NHL, but can only carry the team on their backs for so long. Rookie Dan Sexton scored twice in Anaheim’s comeback against Dallas on Tuesday, so maybe there is something there. But the Saku Koivu’s and Joffrey Lupul’s have to start producing big if the Ducks want to climb out of the basement.  

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What The Red Wings Have To Do To Win:

As bad as Anaheim’s injury woes may be, Detroit’s is worse. Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen and Valterri Filppula have all missed significant time, and now Dan Cleary is expected to miss a month with a separated shoulder. The Wings have lost four of five and need to somehow find a way to bring back that spark they used to have. The answer may come from stable goaltending. The musical chairs between Chris Osgood and Jimmy Howard has to stop in Detroit or else nothing will get better. Stability in net will allow the rest of the team to relax and play better. Right now it looks like Howard may be the guy. Despite some recent setbacks, Howard has proven to play a better game and be more prepared than Osgood this season. The team needs to ride one goaltender and stick with him. Otherwise their struggles will continue. 

Outlook & Pick

Both teams are suffering injury problems, although Detroit’s may be more drastic. Neither team is playing like the playoff contenders they were last season. Anaheim is in a current road slump, going 0-5-3 in a franchise-record eight game road losing streak. The Wings have been no better at home. They’ve been shut out three times already at Joe Louis Arena. That’s as much as they’ve been shut out at home in the past five years combined. Neither team is playing good hockey. But since you have to pick one, go with the home team, even if they stink on home ice.  

Pick: Detroit Red Wings 

NHL 3 Game Parlays: Caps vs Leafs, Flyers vs Devils, Canes vs Sens

Game 1 Preview: Washington Capitals @ Toronto Maple Leafs

The Capitals are the best team in the league, but they always seem to be down a superstar. However, they never really seem to miss him that much. Alexander Semin missed most of November, but the Capitals played on without missing a beat. Last week, when Alex Ovechkin was suspended for a pair of games, Washington went 2-0 and outscored opponents 14-4. Now Semyon Varlamov is out with an injury. Recent history indicates the Capitals will be able to deal with it.

The Leafs are playing their best hockey of the season. Despite losing 5-2 to Boston on Thursday, Toronto has become a more complete team, even without goaltender Jonas Gustavsson, who is out with a heart ailment. Much of the praise goes to Phil Kessel. And although he’s deserving, the recent play of Vesa Toskala should get some consideration as well. Toskala is public enemy number one in Toronto, yet he gave the Leafs their first two-game home winning streak earlier in the week. After a horrid start, the Leafs are finally in a real hunt for a playoff spot.

Pick: Washington Capitals

Game 2 Preview: Philadelphia Flyers @ New Jersey Devils

The Flyers have not had a good fourteen days. Last week they fired head coach John Stevens and replaced him with Peter Laviolette. It hasn’t helped, as the Flyers have lost five of their last six. They were most recently shut out 2-0, at home, against the Ottawa Senators. What’s worse is that starting goalie Ray Emery, a lone bright spot in the recent weeks, tore an abdominal muscle and will be out for the next six weeks. Not good times for a team that was destined for the Stanley Cup.

The New Jersey Devils, however, are playing some of their best hockey. Especially at home. The Devils have won nine of their last ten at the Prudential Center, and are playing with a little bit of extra emotion on their side. Each game they play could be the one where Martin Brodeur breaks the shutout record. You know he and his teammates would love to do it at home, so you know they’re going to try that little extra harder, especially against a divisional rival.

Pick: New Jersey Devils

Game 3 Preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Ottawa Senators

The Hurricanes have been one of the worst teams in the league all year, and there isn’t much hope on the horizon. Sure Cam Ward is back, but if there is no one in front of him scoring or playing any defense, there really isn’t much Ward can do. They only have one road win all season, and they aren’t playing like another one is going to come by any sooner. For a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals just a season ago, this is a very embarrassing and very surprising fall from grace.

The Senators are coming off a big 2-0 win over the Flyers on Thursday. It was a nice win for Ottawa, only the second in their last six games. There are bright spots on the Senators, they just need them all to shine at the same time. Mike Fisher has been brilliant this season and may play himself into a roster spot for Team Canada. Milan Michalek, who the Sens got in the Dany Heatley trade, leads the team with 15 goals. There is still talent in Canada’s Capital, they just need to know how to use it to its full capabilities.

Pick: Ottawa Senators

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Hockey Night in Canada Three-Game Parlay

Game 1 Preview: Minnesota Wild @ Vancouver Canucks

The Wild have been one of the NHL’s under-the-radar teams, but are entering this game on a very big hot streak. Minnesota is 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, and are only 10 points out of the first in the Northwestern Division. Given the way the Wild have played recently it’s not an unattainable goal for them. Goaltender Niklas Backstrom got his first shutout of the season earlier in the week. More are expected to come in the near future.

The Canucks are in game-two of a very important eight-game home stand that lasts beyond Christmas. They got off to a good start, beating Atlanta 4-2. Daniel Sedin netted a hat trick in that one, proving to the rest of the league that he is fully recovered from his injury. The Canucks need to do well at home now, considering once the Olympics come to town, the Canucks are going to be pushed out of GM Place for over a month. The wins need to come now.

Pick: Vancouver Canucks

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Game 2 Preview: Florida Panthers @ Pittsburgh Penguins

The Florida Panthers have been unable to close games recently. They have lost 8 of their last 10 games in which they had either a tie or a lead going into the third period. That is an awful stat to have on a resume. But it can’t all be blamed on goalie Tomas Vokoun. He has done all he can with a team that just seems to give up in the final period. There may be a closed-door meeting on the horizon for the Panthers if these late collapses don’t stop occurring.

The Penguins team has been struggling recently, but not Sidney Crosby. The superstar has eight goals and 12 points in his last four games. The rest of the team needs to catch up to Sid the Kid. Pittsburgh lost two straight, including one at home to the Carolina Hurricanes for the Canes first road win of the season. The Penguins seemed to get their mojo back with a 3-2 win over Montreal on Thursday, and that was without Crosby touching the score sheet. Coincidence? Yes, very much so.

Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins

Game 3 Preview: Anaheim Ducks @ Columbus Blue Jackets

The Anaheim Ducks are going to have to learn to win without Teemu Selanne. The Finnish superstar is out at least a month with a broken hand. So the offensive slack will have to be picked up by Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Both of them have been playing fantastic as of late, but they may have to play even better if they want to drag Anaheim out of the basement of the Western Conference.

The Jackets are coming off a tough loss to the Nashville Predators, 4-3 in a shootout. The Blue Jackets are in the unfortunate position of being a team that is low in the league in goals scored but high in goals allowed. A lot has to do with the struggling play of Steve Mason. Last year’s Calder Trophy winner has looked god-awful at times, but redeemed himself with a shutout victory over Florida on Wednesday. If Mason can get back to last-season’s form, the rest of the team should start to fall in line.

Pick: Anaheim Ducks

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