Montreal vs Tampa Game 6 Pick

Montreal @ Tampa

Pick: Tampa (-150)

After going down 3-0 in the series the Habs are on the brink of forcing game 7. The Lightning are going to leave it all out on the ice tonight though.  The idea of going back to Montreal for a game 7 is the worst case scenario.  Tampa hasn’t played their best hockey the past 2 games and it’s tough to bet on them to continue to do so.  I expect a great game out of the Bolts tonight and this series to end.

Wednesday NHL Picks

Montreal @ Tampa - Game 3 

Pick: Montreal (+125)

This pick is easy for me.  The last time Carey Price got lit up he responded with a shutout.  Price got lit up to the likes of a 6-2 ass kicking last game.  I have a feeling he’s going to come out tonight and shut it down.  Montreal rolls on the road.

New York City @ Washington

Pick: New York (-120)

The Rangers are facing a 3-1 series deficit if they drop tonight’s game.  Every game in this series so far has been a battle.  The Rangers have said that this is the biggest game of their entire season.  I’m rolling with the experienced goaltenders tonight and sticking with Lundqvist.  Both road teams win.

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 Picks

Montreal @ New York (-1.5; +160)

I'm feeling myself today. The Rangers are at home with a chance to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. A win tonight puts them just one win away from their first shot at a cup since the days of Mark Messier. These Rangers are going to stomp those pussy French Canadiens into the fucking ground.  

Will either team score in the first 10 minutes?

YES (-110)

I expect the Rangers to score early and often in their routing of the Habs. 

NHL Saturday SOOOOOPPER SLAM!!

NHL Saturday Slampiece 

If you’re one of my many faithful readers, I lost you a good chunk of change last night. Looking back I have to admit, I did let my ego get the best of me and forgot this is the Stanley Cup Playoffs and absolutely anything can happen.  If you’re one of the poor souls that bet on all my picks, well, what the fuck were you thinking?  The Blackhawks -1.5 on the road? The Penguins -1.5 against the New York fuckin’ Rangers in a do or die game?  You must be on drugs.  Good news though! Tonight’s the night we win all that money back plus a little extra (so you can buy some more drugs).

 Montreal (+170) @ Boston (L)

One thing that is clear as day: the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadians do not get along.  Both clubs have storied histories and have duked it out in some of the most classic playoff battles the NHL has ever seen, this year appears to be no different.  The Habs are fighting to bring the Cup back to what they believe is the country it belongs in for the first time in 21 years.  The Bruins are fighting to both stop that exact scenario from having a glimpse of hope and to stop the Canadians from beating them in the playoffs for the 25^thtime.  These 2 clubs met for the first time in 1924.  The all-time record between the two stands at 450-337-103 in favor of Montreal; the playoff series all-time record isn’t pretty, its 24-9 in favor of Montreal.  The teams are tied at 2 games apiece and the series shifts back to Montreal for game 6.  For some reason I’m feeling a Habs’ upset tonight.  Don’t ask me why, I don’t have very many reasons that make sense, but I think that’s how this one’s going to go. Unfortunately. 

Montreal (+1.5; -175) @ Boston (L)

Here’s my pick on the spread for all you pussies that don’t trust my big balls money line pick.  (-175) isn’t so bad if you ask me, when you consider 2 of the 4 games have been decided by 1 goal.  I think Montreal wins on the road but if I’m wrong, and there’s a pretty small chance of that, but if I am the Habs aren’t a team that gets blown out.M

Montreal @ Boston (UNDER 5; -115) (L)

Considering the fact that on one end of the ice, between the pipes, is the best goalie the hockey nation itself has to offer (Carey Price); and on the other end of the ice, between the pipes, is Tuuka Rask, there is no way either team is going to light up the scoreboard.  The series is tied at 2 games apiece; this is the time when we find out which of these superstar goalies is truly above his peers.  These teams don’t pay these goalies millions of dollars to have a great season.  They do it so when they’re tied at 2 games in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals they lock that net the fuck down.  There will be no easy goals tonight.

  

Anaheim @ Los Angeles (-155) (L)

I’m not exactly sure what was said or done after the Kings lost game 3 to the Sharks in the first round but whatever it was, you could say it worked.  They came back and not only won 4 straight to move on but continued the streak and won the first 2 games of this series and put the pressure on Anaheim.  The Kings have outshot the Ducks in 2 of the 3 games thus far.  This game will either end in the Kings holding a commanding 3-1 series lead or a series tied at 2 games apiece.  I’m holding true to my belief that Bruce Boudreau is not a successful playoff coach and picking the Kings to come out on top as a result.

Anaheim (+1.5; -220) @ Los Angeles (WINNER!)

Anaheim has been changing goalies like no fuckin’ tomorrow.  Hiller lets in a bad goal, Andersen’s in net.  Boudreau doesn’t like the look Andersen gives him in between periods, Hiller’s between the pipes again.  Now there’s this new fuckin’ guy, John Gibson.  Gibson was taken away from his AHL team in Norfolk, Va. just for this game.  Word on the street is Gibson is going to get the nod for game 4.   If this happens to be the case, that’s 3 fucking goalies for the Ducks in one fucking series and it’s only the fourth game.  If this series goes to game 7 they’ll be bringing up some peewee phenomenon to go out and steal a game. Nevertheless, all these goalies are top notch and that obviously includes LA goalie, Johnathon Quick.  I expect to see a low scoring game with the Kings on top but only by a goal. 

Anaheim @ Los Angeles (UNDER 5; -115) (WINNER!)

I don’t think this needs much explaining.  The whole goaltending thing I talked about in my last pick applies here.  Look for a low scoring game.