NHL Saturday Three-Game Parlay (Second Edition)

NHL Saturday Three-Game Parlay 

Game 1 Preview: Minnesota Wild at Ottawa Senators

The Wild are coming off a strong 3-1 victory over the Canadians on Thursday. Mikku Koivu scored the game winner in that one and his play has been a huge factor in the Wild’s recent success. He has nine points in nine games this month. After starting the season 1-6, Minnesota has played much better as of late and are better than their 17-14-3 record may indicate. Whether or not that will eventually translate into the playoffs is another question, but Wild fans finally have something to be optimistic about.  

It’s not known how big of an impact the loss of Jason Spezza will have the Senators, but good money suggests it will be a big one. Spezza, although not the heart and soul of the team, is the Senators most valuable offensive weapon. Spezza was hurt on Monday and will be out for almost two months with a knee injury. That means players like Milan Michalek, Jonathan Cheechoo and Mike Fisher need to step up huge. The recent play of Brian Elliot (3-1-0, 1.26 GAA and 2 shutouts over four games) has helped, but it is unlikely that type of goalie play will last long-term for Ottawa.  

Pick: Ottawa Senators 

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Game 2 Preview: Florida Panthers at Carolina Hurricanes

The Panthers showed spunk on Wednesday. They blew a 3-0 lead to Atlanta, but were able to pick themselves back up and score a late goal to win 4-3. It’s never a good sign when a team blows a lead, but it’s those types of situations where a team really gets to show what they’re made of. The fact that the Panthers were able to pick themselves back up and win proves they have the makeup of a winning team.  

The Hurricanes are lucky to be at home in this one. They are awful on the road, with a 1-12-4 record. One could argue that they’re awful at home, too. The Hurricanes own the league’s worst record, and despite the recent return of Cam Ward, still look like a pretty poor team. In fact, it’s gotten so bad in Carolina that there are rumors the team is shopping franchise player Eric Staal in order to clear payroll and build for the future. For a  team that made the Eastern Finals last season, that’s a long, long drop down.  

Pick: Florida Panthers 

Game 3 Preview: Montreal Canadians at New York Islanders

The Canadians have lost five in a row, the latest a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Carey Price has lost four of those and is looking more and more rattled as each game goes along. The Canadians are already fighting for their playoff lives and cannot afford another bad spell by Carey Price. There are rumors that the Habs are shopping backup goalie Jaroslav Halak for some scoring depth, but if Price continues his poor play Montreal may have no choice but to keep Halak.  

The Islanders are coming off a crushing 5-2 loss against city-rival New York Rangers on Thursday. New York played very well in a 2-1 win over those same Rangers on Wednesday, but before that had been dominated 7-1 by the Panthers. This is a Islanders team that is hard to figure out. On some nights they look like many had predicted in preseason: overmatched and under talented. Other times they look like a feisty young group that has the potential to upset. Chances are it will be a roller coaster season on Long Island 

Pick: New York Islanders

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