Thursday Night NHL LOCKS!

Detroit @ Pittsburgh

Pick: Red Wings +105

I gotta roll with Hockeytown on this one.  Pittsburgh is having a really weird season if you ask me. They seem to be struggling way too much for a team with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the line up every night.  The weather reports in Pittsburgh aren’t good for tonight; A category 9 Larknado is coming thru and it ain’t gonna be pretty.

Washington @ NY Islanders

Pick: Capitals -125

The Caps are that super hot girl in high school who ends up with 3 kids from 3 different dudes and lives in the trailer park by age 25.  They got all the flash in the regular season. Everyone forgets that Ovi hasn’t even been past the second round of the playoffs in his entire career despite winning a Presidents’ Trophy and making the playoffs like every damn year. The regular season is like high school; it’s cool and if you do things right it can set you up real nice for real life but it doesn't matter.  Playoffs are what matter.  Anyways, the Caps will probably roll all over the Islanders tonight.

New York Rangers @ Toronto

Pick: Rangers -150

No reason to make this complicated.  Don’t be that guy.

San Jose @ Florida

Pick: Panthers +115

I don’t know why the Panthers are the dogz here but I like it.  Jagr and his boyz bout to fuck some shit up down in South Beach.

Winnipeg @ Tampa

Pick: Jets +135

I’m rolling with the Jets of Winnipeg for no real reason other than I think things aren’t good in Tampa.

Carolina @ Ottawa

Pick: Senators -120

I don’t think the Hurricanes have Phaneuf to stop the Sens tonight.

Boston @ Nashville

Pick: Predators -130

Dallas @ Arizona

Pick: Stars -150

Tuesday NHL Picks

San Jose @ Chicago (-150)

Edmonton (+105) @ New Jersey

Winnipeg @ Saint Louis (-155)

Dallas @ Minnesota (-105)

Washington (-115) @ Nashville

Tampa (-125) @ Montreal

Florida -1.5 (+225) @ Buffalo

Anaheim (-115) @ Philadelphia

Friday Night NHL Fever: Hockey picks are back!

New York Rangers @ Carolina

Pick: Hurricanes +135

The Rangers have been on a win - loss roller coaster for a little while now.  They haven’t won 2 straight games since the middle of November.  I’m not sure what’s going on behind the scenes in NYC but the Rangers are not playing up to their potential.  They’re coming off a win at home against Vancouver on Tuesday.  Like I said, they haven’t won 2 straight games since November and I don’t think they will break the streak tonight.

Detroit @ Buffalo

Pick: Red Wings -1.5 (+210)

Detroit has been one of the only consistent teams in the Atlantic Division this season.  They haven’t exploded for a huge winning streak and they haven’t slumped for 8-9 games;  They’ve just quietly remained in the hunt within a couple points of first place.  Detroit is however coming off a loss and sits 3 points out of first place, 2 points out of second place, and 1 point ahead of fourth place in the Atlantic.  I expect Mrazek will be in net tonight as he is becoming the go to tender in Hockeytown. 

Chicago @ Florida

Pick: Blackhawks -120

From December 15th to January 10th the Florida Panthers won 12 straight games and took the NHL by storm.  The 12 consecutive wins was more than enough to solidify first place in a division containing Montreal, Detroit, Tampa, and Boston.  Ironically enough, the other team in tonight’s match up, the Chicago Blackhawks, just wrapped up a 12 game win streak of their own.  The Hawks won every single game from December 29th to January 19th.  The Hawks are coming off their first loss in almost a month, handed to them by Tampa last night.  The Panthers come into tonight riding the 4 game losing streak that put an end to their unprecedented month of winning.  I could get into all sorts of analytics and metrics and schematics on why the Hawks are going to put on a clinic tonight, but, the only metric you need to know about is a man known as Kane; Patrick Kane.

New York Islanders @ Ottawa

Pick: Senators +120

This pick came down to nothing more than a glance at the schedule and results on ESPN’s website for each respective team.  The Islanders have been struggling to string together multiple wins while regularly finding themselves in 2-3 game losing streaks.  Ottawa on the other hand seems to be finding themselves in 2-3 game winning streaks more frequently with losses coming in-between those spurts.  I like the Sens to roll at home tonight.

Saint Louis @ Colorado

Pick: Blues -125

I simply cannot defend any argument for betting against Vladimir Tarasenko.  The Avs are one of the most intriguing teams in the league right now in my opinion.  I can’t tell if they are a cesspool of mediocrity lacking identity or if they’re still just a young team loaded with potential lacking a coach that can mold them into an NHL super power.  Regardless, I’m going with the Blues tonight.

Tuesday NHL Full Slate

Colorado @ Philadelphia
Pick: Avalanche (+105)
There’s a full slate of NHL games tonight. If you’re wondering which game you should spend your time watching, look elsewhere. The Avs have won 2 of their last 10 games and the Flyers have won 1 in their last 7. This isn’t going to be what you might call “a barn burner”. However, I like the Avs to roll on the road here for the sake of making money. Duchene, MacKinnon, and Landeskog are all world class offensive threats and I don’t see any equal parts on the Flyers’ roster.



Saint Louis @ New Jersey
Pick: Blues (-135)
If you haven’t sat down and watched Vladimir Tarasenko play a game of hockey you haven’t lived. This Russian snipe show and his team head into the bowels of America (also known as New Jersey) to take on a hot Devils squad. The Devils are 8-2 in their last 10 after starting the season off 0-3-1. The Blues are 10-3-1 on the season and are consistently defeating good hockey clubs. I’m talking about a 6-5 win over Chicago, a 4-0 win over Nashville, a 3-2 win against Minnesota, and a 2-0 win versus Tampa. The Blues have been defeated in regulation 3 times and once in overtime. Those losses were against the Wild, the Habs, the Islanders, and the Kings. That tells me it takes a damn good hockey team to beat this Blues squad. The Devils are not that team.



Vancouver @ Columbus
Pick: Canucks (EVEN)
Vancouver’s record is 6-4-5 right now. Six of their games have gone beyond 60 minutes of play. One could argue the Canucks are merely a couple shots away from being a 9-10 win team right now. The Blue Jackets on the other hand are 4-11-0 through their first 15. Their roster, on paper, should yield much better results. We live in the real world though and for the sake of making money the ‘Nucks are the pick in this match up.



Buffalo @ Tampa Bay
Pick: Buffalo +1.5 (-170)
Captain Jack and the Sabres head on down to the warm state of Florida to take on the Lightning in what is a closer game than most people think. Buffalo is 6-8-0 right now. More importantly, 50% of their losses have been by 1 goal. Basically, the Sabres have a 50/50 chance of covering this spread. I think Buffalo is a solid team that can win on any given night right now. They could win this game; most likely they will not but there is a decent chance they will cover the spread.




Calgary @ Florida
Pick: Panthers (-140)
The Panthers are 3 days removed from a West Coast trip which featured them losing 3 straight games to Anaheim, San Jose, and LA. Despite their 5 game losing streak, I think Florida is the team to roll with here. The Panthers have shown they can play some damn good hockey so far this season. Maybe they are not a team to take on the road? Time will tell on that but, tonight they are at home taking on a Calgary Flames team who’s best players are Jiri Hudler and Johnny Gaudreau (more commonly known as Johnny Hockey). The Panthers have Jaromir Jagr for God’s sake. Jiri Hudler was a 2nd and 3rd line player on the Wings. If you put a decent player on a terrible team he’s going to have better stats. Someone has to score the goals. That doesn’t make him a great player though. I got nothing against Johnny Hockey. His enthusiasm and obvious love for what he gets to do for a living are palpable. That’s great for hockey. The Panthers have Jaromir Jagr though… and his Mullet.



Ottawa @ Nashville
Pick: Predators -1.5 (+165)
The Blues and the Penguins are the only 2 teams who have beaten the Predators at home this season. I don’t think the Senators amount to anything near either of those clubs. Basically, the only teams beating Smashville at home right now are teams that have plans to contend for a Stanley Cup; not teams hoping to make the playoffs.



Arizona @ Los Angeles
Pick: Kings -1.5 (+130)
The Kings are 9-2 after losing the first 3 games of the season. More importantly, probably, is the fact that the Coyotes finished a game in Anaheim (they won 4-3) around 1am EST and have to suit up and play again in Los Angeles in about 18 hours. The NHL schedule ROCKS!! Kings roll at home against a tired and injury prone Coyotes team. Side note: why is the NHL suddenly obsessed with back to back games?



NY Islanders @ San Jose
Pick: Islanders (EVEN)
The Islanders haven't lost 3 games in a row yet this season. They head into this game riding a 2 game losing streak and I think it ends here. The Sharks are going to have a tough time containing Tavares and Okposo, I believe.

Nutz's Bonus Picks

TOR @ DAL 

Pick: Stars (-1.5) (+130)

This might be the sucker bet of the week, but you have to lay the points with a team as hot as the Stars right now.  Though Toronto's lone victory came against Dallas earlier this year, the Leafs can expect an amped up Stars squad to come out determined to show that their early season matchup was a fluke. With Tyler Seguin leading the way I expect a 5-1 blowout to continue the Stars' dominance of the goal line spread. 

Winnipeg @ Minnesota 

Pick: Jets (+120)

I flip flopped on this pick all morning. One one hand you have the Wild who have morphed into a solid contender, but lost Zach Parise for a few games. On the other you have the Jets who are a bit of a surprise this season and are a solid bet for a wild card this season. I'm going Jets because you get better odds and I think the Wild are going to struggle to put teams away without Parise (7 goals, no one else on the team has more than 4). If you're looking for an easy win, add Jets +1.5 in a parlay tonight. 

Tuesday Night NHL Picks

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.

Stanley Cup Game 5 Pick

Stanley Cup Finals Game 5

Hockey fans! Where you at? Your boy at Dirty Picks International has been MIA and I apologize for that.  Sometimes you gotta deal with the real shit, ya feel me? Regardless, these playoffs have been something haven’t they?  The New York City Rangers went down HARD while the Anaheim Ducks went down like any smart hockey fan (myself) predicted.  Bruce Boudreau is not a good NHL coach. END. OF. STORY. Sorry ducks’ fans. QUACK, QUACK, QUACK, MOTHER FUCKER.  Ya’ll should hire Coach Bombay (Emilio Estevez) because the hack currently running the bench will never get anyone to lay down a triple deke glove side when it counts.  America’s team, the Blue Shirts AKA the New York City Rangas, lost a heart breaker.  The offense couldn't get the job done.  Time to rebuild. Sorry boys; Rangers don’t have it in them. Not now, not last year, not next year, not ever.  Rebuild and come back, that’s the only hope for those New York City boys.  If only Messier could come back and lead the way.  

Let’s take a look at what we have going on right now.  At the start of this series I predicted some things, boldly I might add.  I said, verbatim: “Chi town wins game 1, Bolts win games 2 & 3, and Chicago wins the rest”.  Well… if you’re keeping track, I haven't’ been wrong yet.  If you’re on the fence still, just think about it: Chicago is stupidly stacked.  They’re impossibly loaded in today’s NHL.  This Chicago team should not exist in the salary cap era.  We’re talking Toews, Kane, Sharp, Keith, Seabrook, Sharp, Hossa, Shaw, Saad, Vermette, Versteeg, and don't even get me started on Hjalmarsson. Anyways, Oduya think these Hawks have what it takes? I think so. I know so.  Tampa is good.  They’re actually really f****** good.  They can bury, they can defend, they play as a team, and they want it.  Tampa will win a Cup soon, don’t be mistaken.  But 2015 is Chicago’s time again.  This squad, lead by Captain Serious himself, aided by Party Patty Kane, will not be denied.  This is a group of bonafide WINNERS if there ever was one.  Roll with me and let’s make some money.  What has Tampa done to earn your bet, honestly? Tyler Johnson has one garbage goal, the triplets line has done NOTHING and the freak goal scorer himself, Stamkos, has missed more opportunities than I can count on my hands.  Tampa is done.  Sorry Florida, sorry CG, and sorry Johnson.  I know this crew will win a Cup soon but it’s not happening this year.  Roll on Hawks.  Party Kane all day on this one.  Throw your coin on the Chicago Blackhawks and thank me later. 

Pick: Chicago (EVEN)

NHL Playoff Picks: Sunday

NHL Sunday Playoff Picks

Saint Louis @ Minnesota 

Pick: Minnesota (-140)

OVER/UNDER: Under 5 (-125)

The losing team has been limited to 0 or 1 goal(s) every game of this series except the first game.  That stat really doesn’t mean anything to be honest, but I thought it was interesting.  The Blues went off for 6 goals in game 4 and all their fans thought this thing was over.  They thought the Saint Louis offense was finally clicking and Minnesota was done for.  Well, Game 5 featured the Wild on the road, manhandling the Blues 4-1 in their own barn.  This series now sits at 3-2 favoring Minnesota.  Tonight’s game will be played in Minneapolis and it’s tough for me to make an argument in the Blues favor.  Who are the Saint Louis Blues?  The low hanging fruit of analysis for this team is Tarasenko.  The budding superstar of the Blues’ organization has an offensive skill set capable of completely taking over a game.  When Tarasenko is on, all bets are off.  But this is fuckin’ Minneapolis;  The largest city in the State of Hockey.  Why did Parise and Suter go to a busted ass Minnesota team when they had their pick of the litter of NHL clubs?  Because its fuckin’ Minnesota.  They talk funny, they all know each other, they all endure winters that are almost indescribably cold (have you ever felt -30?), and above all, they all love the game of hockey.  How much does Minnesota love hockey?  Well they sell out a 20,000 seat arena for their high school hockey playoffs for every fucking round. I have all the confidence in the world in Parise and his boys from Minnesota to take care of bidness tonight and close this thing out.  This one’s for ‘Sota. This one’s for the hometown.  This one’s for the State of Hockey.  Wild roll at home in a low scoring affair.

Montreal @ Ottawa

Pick: Montreal (EVEN)

OVER/UNDER: UNDER 5 (-125)

I know the Ottawa faithful have dreams of an epic Game 7 win.  Tonight is Game 6 though.  Unfortunately for the Senators, the Habs are lethal and stingy.  Carey Price allowed 5 goals in game 5 while recording an extremely uncharacteristic .800 sv%. Has Ottawa cracked the code on Montreal and Carey Price?  No.  Unfortunately for Ottawa, Carey Price is still the best between the pipes.  And what do the best competitors do after they’ve been humiliated?  They bounce back with vengeance.  I know Ottawa will bring it, hard.  I know the Senators’ fans will be loud and proud tonight.  I know this Ottawa team will do every damn thing they can to extend this series another game.  But I believe in Carey Price.  He’s the best for a reason and the Habs live and die with his performances.  Tonight, Carey Price will push Montreal on to the second round and the Senators’ season will come to an abrupt end.

NHL Playoff Saturday Picks

Saturday NHL Playoff Picks

Minnesota Wild@ Saint Louis - Game 2 

Pick:  Minnesota +125

Over/Under: Over 5.5 (-115)

This pick comes as a result of several admittedly premature assertions I’ve made after just one game in this series.  Last game I saw a Wild team on the ice who’s playoff style hockey was finely tuned.  No surprise there, since that’s what’s been required of Minnesota for a month now.  I saw a Blues team that is loaded with talent struggle to play to their potential.  There is a very good chance that Saint Louis simply had to shake off some playoff jitters.  It’s almost guaranteed the Blues look a lot better this afternoon.  I like Minnesota still though.  The Blues showed up late to the party and Minnesota took advantage of it.  This has all the looks of the Blues deserving a win but getting shut down by a hot goaltender at clutch time.

Detroit @ Tampa

Pick: Detroit +1.5 (-190)

Over/Under: Over 5.5 (+120)

After losing game one (3-2) at home, the Bolts should be facing a lot of pressure right now.  If you saw the game however, you’re thinking otherwise.  Tampa’s Stamkos explained it best after the game courtesy of Lightning beat writer Joe Smith, “9 times out of 10 we win that one”.  Right now Tampa’s mindset is simple: Repeat.  The Bolts outshot the Wings 46-14 last game; there isn’t anything more you can do besides finish your opportunities.  From the Detroit side, I fully expect the Wings to have a different game plan for slowing down Tampa and controlling the puck more.  Tampa’s speed is lethal which makes them a fun team to watch.  Detroit will need a new game plan for the neutral zone; a crucial area that Detroit was greatly outplayed in.  Babcock is as good as they come and he just might be the difference maker for Detroit.  I expect the Wings to play much better but might still come up short against the leagues best offense in a must win game at home.  Either way, Mrazek plays a hell of a game and it’s a nail biter.

Pittsburgh @ New York Rangers

Pick: Pittsburgh +1.5 (-180)

Over/Under: Over 5 (-120)

This is the series the NHL should be promoting the fuck out of!  This afternoon, in a SOLD OUT Madison Square Garden some of the most recognizable names in this entire sport are going head to head in playoff hockey.  In my personal life I can’t stand the sight of the Penguins.  I dislike them on cellular level after watching them win the 2010 Stanley Cup at Joe Louis in Game 7.  In my professional life however, I can appreciate the product Pittsburgh puts on the ice when all its pieces are in place.  The wildcard on the Penguins in recent history has been Fleury.  It’s hard to predict when he will and won’t show up and perform.  Last game he played his ass off so it’s safe to assume he’s in it for these playoffs.  The Penguins with solid goaltending have as good a shot as any team to knock out the Rangers.  The case for the Rangers: They’re rolling.  They executed, they were physical, and they won.  Lundqvist played great and reminded everyone why that’s his net and only his net.  The Rangers roll deep lines which requires some amount of momentum to be effective.  Your fourth line isn’t going to go out and make anything happen if they don’t have a little momentum to give them a jump.  New York players and fans alike will be praying that Rick Nash can break through early on in this series and provide some much needed scoring.

Winnipeg @ Anaheim 

Pick: Anaheim (-135)

Over/Under: Over 5 (-145)

Winnipeg executed well for 2 periods last game and headed into the 3rd with a 2-1 lead.  It took Corey Perry 1 minute and 9 seconds to even things up.  To the Jets’ credit they didn’t fold up after that.  They matched the Ducks in shots (10) in the third period.  The difference came down to which star players earned their pay check. And that was: Corey Perry (2 goals) and Ryan Getzlaf (1 goal) in the third period for Anaheim.  The Jets have the road disadvantage of not having the last change making it hard for them to always get their match ups right.  If Getzlaf and Perry get loose on a couple 3rd string defensemen the Jets are in trouble.  I’m expecting the Ducks to keep scoring and the Jets to do their best to keep up.

Hump Day NHL picks

Wednesday NHL Pickings

Chicago -1.5 (+185) @ Philly
Philly has 1 win in their last 5 games and Chicago has 1 loss in their last 5.  I'm not a 'traditional' numbers guy but the numbers are too obvious to ignore in this one.  Chicago's guys are gearing up for another Stanley Cup run while Philly's guys are sizing up that new set of irons.


Colorado @ Edmonton
OVER 5.5 (+105)
This game could go a million different ways.  The two most underachieving clubs square off in an irrelevant game.  It has high scoring written all over it if you ask me.


Dallas @ Calgary (-115)
Calgary is a sneaky team.  The hockey media treats them like the ugly girl who didn't get invited to the party.  They aren't considered a factor when it comes to the best in the West.  The reality is Calgary has shaped up to be a formidable squad with great home ice advantage.  Playing up there in bum fuck Calgary always seems weird for visiting NHL teams.  Their fans are loud, their goal horn is atrocious, they have weird lights, and everything else just seems foreign.  Calgary has a great home ice advantage and I expect that to play a part in tonights game.

Midweek NHL Pickz

Midweek NHL Pickz

Minnesota (+130) @ NY Islanders

Both teams can’t afford to lose a game right now so this should be a good one.  Minnesota has won 10 of their last 13 games and saved their season, while the Islanders are dropping games like it’s going out of style.  Minnesota has been efficient on offense while benefiting from the stellar play of Devon Dubnyk between the pipes.  From the outside, Halak is the starting goalie in NY but there might be trouble stewin’ in the locker room with 2 starting goalies on the roster now.  I like Minnesota because of the wave of momentum they ride into tonight on.

LA @ NY Rangers (-145)

Even if the Rangers lose I won’t regret this pick.  The Rangers have been on fire the past month.  They’re coming off a 7-2 blow out of Anaheim heading into tonight.  The Kings head to the Big Apple with a tough task at hand.  The Rangers look primed to make another cup run.

Anaheim @ Columbus +145

I have a feeling Anaheim is going to play like shit tonight for a couple reasons.  They started their East coast road trip with a 7-2 loss to the Rangers and they’re playing a Jackets team that has been stealing games left and right.  If last game is a sign of anything for the Ducks it’s that they didn’t come out east ready to play.  

Saint Louis @ Pittsburgh (-145)

This is a tough call to make.  Both teams have been struggling at numerous things on the ice lately.  One game they can’t score and the next they can’t keep the puck out of their own net to save their life.  With the Pens potent offense at home I think the Blues will make too many defensive mistakes tonight.

Florida @ Tampa -1.5 (+155)

Tampa has won their last 3 games by 2 goals.  Captain Stamkos threw down against Brad Marchand on the Bruins the other night.  This team appears to be in playoff mode heading down the stretch.

Arizona @ Detroit 

OVER 5.5 (+110)

Detroit should win but the line is terrible even if you bet the spread.  Detroit’s powerplay and depth upfront are due to light the lamp.  A Yotes team that has been losing every game is no match for the Wings right now at the Joe.

Montreal (+105) @ Smashville

Carey Price will give the Habs more than a fair chance to win tonight.