NHL Slate
Montreal @ Pittsburgh
Pick: Penguins -135
If there’s a team in the NHL equipped to go up against Carey Price it’s the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the addition of Phil Kessel, this offense is shaping up to be a goalies worst nightmare. The biggest problem the Pens have faced through 2 games is fitting all these pieces they have together in the best way. They head into their home opener tonight 0-2 after dropping games on the road to Dallas and Arizona and scoring 1 goal between the two games. The fact of the matter is this low of a production level isn’t going to last, or at least there’s no reason it should. Tonight is Pittsburgh’s home opener and a great opportunity to get the offense going against a great goaltender on the other end.
San Jose @ Washington
Pick: Sharks +105
I have to admit, I did not think San Jose was going to be anything special this year. They were disappointing last year and they didn’t make any notable roster moves this offseason. It’s only 2 games I know, but it appears I was wrong about the Sharks. Through the first 2 games of their season the Sharks have found the back of the net 7 times while giving up just 1 goal. Those wins came against LA (5-1) and Anaheim (2-0). The Capitals big offseason move was picking up TJ Oshie. I’m going to try to tip toe on this issue and try not to offend anyone, but how good is Oshie really? Along with millions of USA hockey fans, I will NEVER forget TJ Oshie single handedly defeating Team Russia in that shootout. That was some shit you only expect to see in a Disney movie, not real life in the Winter Olympics IN Russia. But on the NHL front, Oshie has never really put up the numbers to deserve the hype he gets. He is a good player but it’s tough to make a case for him being anything but that. He is in his 8th season in the NHL and he has had just 1 season in which he crossed the 20 goal mark; 13-14 season when he scored 21 goals. He has put up 50+ points just 3 times in his career. I conclude by stating that TJ Oshie is a solid pick up for the Caps but he is not a super star. He should fit in nicely with the Caps run and gun offense but he isn’t some great player that puts Washington over the top. Sharks keep it rolling on the road with the vets leading the charge.
OVER/UNDER: OVER 5.5 (+110)
Nashville @ New Jersey
Pick: Predators -1.5 (+175)
Nashville is 2-0 with wins over Carolina and Edmonton. They’ve covered the spread in one of those games. On the other side, the Devils are 0-2 with losses to the Jets and the Caps, both games they lost by 2 goals. Nashville has a lot of work to do before I’m willing to start calling them Smashville again but they’re off to a decent start. New Jersey is still working with the same roster that won 67 games from 2013-2015. That’s just 5 more games than the ’95-’96 Wings won in just 1 season. Nashville is better and deeper at every positon and they have one of the best goaltenders in the league. Look for Filip Forsberg to get things going against a much weaker opponent.
Florida @ Carolina
Pick: Panthers +120
Florida exploded offensively in their first game of the season with 7 goals at home against the Flyers. They followed that up with a goose egg, losing 1-0 on the road in Philly. I really just don’t think Carolina has anything special going on. On the other side, Florida has an interesting team to say the least. The big news coming out of the Panthers locker room is the return of Jagr’s mullet. Jaromir Jagr can really only be described as an ageless wonder at this point. The guy was literally drafted before the last EIGHT draft classes were even born. (1990 5th overall pick). The (now) 43 year old put up 17 goals and 47 points last season in 77 games. In the ’13-’14 season he went off for 24 goals and 67 points in 82 games at the age of 41. If you consider the amount of injuries NHL teams face every year, it is impressive on it’s own that Jagr has managed to play consecutive full seasons in his 40’s but what makes him remarkable is the stats he has put up in his 40’s on the NHL level: 41G, 73A, for 114 points. Most NHL players will never have 2 seasons combined with those numbers and Jagr did it between the ages of 41 - 43. Respect.
Winnipeg @ NY Rangers
Pick: Rangers -175
I bounced back and forth between the Jets +1.5 and the Rangers ML. I settled on the ML pick because the odds are better (-190 vs -175) and I think the Rangers definitely win this game. As usual, Lundqvist (33 years old) is playing like he’s 25 and in his prime. The super human Swedish goaltender simply doesn’t seem to age. The Rangers have a lot to prove before they need to worry about winning Lundqvist a Stanley Cup but the first steps of this season have all been in the right direction. I also like the over in this game based on the scoring ability on the Rangers and the Jets knack for finding the net when they have no business doing so.
OVER/UNDER: OVER 5.5 (+115)
Tampa @ Detroit
Pick: Red Wings -110
The reality here is I’m only about 65% confident in this pick. Both teams head into tonight undefeated; Tampa 3-0 and Detroit 2-0. The Red Wings began their season with a 4-0 dismantling of Toronto and followed that up the very next night by squeaking out a 4-3 win on the road in Carolina in which they were out shot 19-47. In reality, the reason for the Wings’ poor performance, to some extent, lies on their schedule. It’s not fun and it doesn’t make sense (looking at you NHL) to play at home and have to play on the road 700 miles away 24 hours later. If anything, the game in Carolina gives me more confidence in the Wings because they found a way to win a game they didn’t deserve to win. After a couple days off Detroit’s legs will be back and ready to go tonight. This game could go either way. The last time these teams met was Game 7 of round 1 in last years playoffs. Tampa won 2-0. This is a new Detroit team though; a Babcock-less Detroit team. The game tonight against Tampa will be a great marker for Wings’ fans as to where this team stands.
Edmonton @ Dallas
Pick: Dallas -170
The Oilers have only scored 1 goal this season and head into tonight 0-2. McDavid has yet to register a point and has just 4 shots on goal through 2 games. The 2015 first overall draft pick is in a tough situation for an 18 year old. The entire hockey world has their eyes on him right now. Edmonton has put their hopes and dreams on his shoulders. That’s a lot for an 18 year old; then again most 18 year olds aren’t talked about as a hockey prodigy from the time they are 15. McDeezy needs to put up some points and he has to find the back of the net before things get to his head. He might score his first goal tonight but the Stars are a much better team than Edmonton. Dallas picked up Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya in the offseason to compliment their already talented roster. Tyler Sequin has yet to find the back of the net this season, a home game against a bad team is the perfect opportunity for him to put an end to that.
OVER/UNDER: OVER 5.5 (-105)
Saint Louis @ Calgary
Pick: Blues -130
The Blues are 2 games into their season and Vladimir Tarasenko has 2 goals. The super star Russian goal scorer said several weeks ago his goal is to score 50 goals this season. He’s off to a good start. Both teams are 1-1 heading into tonight. Calgary split games with Vancouver and Saint Louis beat Edmonton then lost to Minnesota. Calgary is definitely a team to keep an eye on this year. They have a nice combination of young guys led by some experienced but still productive veterans. Johnny Hockey picked up where he left off last season, recording 1 goal and 3 assists in the Flames’ first two games. I like the Blues on the road here though largely because I think the Blues are still one of the best teams in the West.
Vancouver @ Los Angeles
Pick: Canucks +165
The Kings may be playing at home but, that doesn’t change the fact that they have been outscored 9-2 through their first 2 games of the season. The Canucks head into tonight 2-1 after a shootout victory on the road in Anaheim last night. It is Vancouver’s second game in as many days but I still like the ‘Nucks to roll on a struggling Kings team.
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