With a lousy OT loss by Vegas in San Jose last night on a shitty giveaway, I ended up with a losing day yesterday, going 6-7-2 to lose 4.52 units. After a big eleven game NHL slate yesterday and before a loaded weekend, we have just four games tonight. Gotta bounce back.
Sabres vs. Rangers (7:00)
Big day for the Sabres organization tonight as young goaltender Devon Levi is confirmed to make his first NHL start tonight, a huge deal as Levi could very well be the future of this franchise between the pipes. Buffalo’s playoff hopes are still alive but it’s going to be very tough to get in, currently seven points back from the Penguins (with two games in hand) with a 35-31-7 record, coming off a 4-3 shootout loss at home against the Habs on Monday night. Buffalo’s offense has been fantastic but the defense and goaltending has sucked, so Levi being fantastic is the only thing Sabres fans like me could hope for to save us on the back end. The Rangers already clinched their spot in the playoffs with a 44-21-10 record, currently in third place in the Metro Division. They’re in the second half of a back-to-back, coming off a 2-1 loss in New Jersey last night that ended their three-game win streak. New York has played well on both ends of the ice. The first game between these teams this season earlier this month in Buffalo on March 11th was a good, close game, with the Rangers winning 2-1 in overtime. With the Rangers in the second half of a back to back and Halak likely getting the start for the Rags, I’d slightly lean the Sabres win tonight at home to keep the playoff dreams alive. With the uncertainty of Levi, I’d lean the over in this game. But also, as a huge Sabres fan, I think the right play for me here is to lay off this game from a betting perspective, just enjoy it as a fan and hopefully see the goaltender of our next generation of Sabres hockey flourish in his first career start. Go Sabres!
Jets vs. Red Wings (8:00)
Not the best matchup here. Last night the Red Wings pulled off a hell of an upset at home, beating the Hurricanes 3-2, scoring the game winner late in regulation. That was their second win in a row after a 7-4 win against the Penguins on Tuesday, but they’re still having a lousy season, coming into tonight’s game with a 33-32-9 record. Detroit has played poorly on both ends of the ice. The Jets are still hanging on to the second Wild Card spot in the West with a 41-31-3 record but they’re in a huge slump right now. Coming off an embarrassing 3-0 shutout in San Jose they’ve won just six of their last 18 games. Not a good way to go into the playoffs, that’s for sure. Winnipeg’s been good defensively this year, backstopped by an elite goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck, but their offense has sucked. The Red Wings won the first game this season between these cross conference teams, winning 7-5 at home on January 10th. I’d lean the Jets win here, but at -250 I don’t think its worth it. I’ll take a shot on them in regulation though for half a unit to bounce back from their loss with Detroit in the second half of a back to back. I’d slightly lean the under, but not enough to bet on it.
Canucks vs. Flames (10:00)
This is an interesting matchup in the Pacific Division. Both of these teams have been disappointing for the bulk of this season but they’re both playing quite well recently and are actually now in the Western Conference Wild Card mix. The Flames are 34-26-15 on the season and coming off a 2-1 win against the Kings on Tuesday, have since won their last two games in a row. With a 7-3-2 record in their last twelve games to get within two points of the Jets for the second Wild Card spot in the West. Calgary’s underachieved on both ends of the ice this season. The Canucks have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL recently with a 10-2-1 record in their last 13 games to improve to 34-34-6 on the season. They’re coming off a 6-5 overtime loss in St. Louis on Tuesday where they came back from a 5-2 deficit but ultimately lost 28 seconds into overtime. They’ve been good offensively all season but have also really struggled defensively. These teams split their first two games this season in Calgary with the Canucks winning 4-3 in a shootout on December 14th and the Flames answering back with a 3-2 win on New Years Eve. I’d slightly lean that Calgary wins on the road here, since they’re the more well rounded team, but not enough to bet them. I do like the over though, which I’ll take for half a unit.
Coyotes vs. Stars (10:30)
This isn’t a great matchup between two Central Division teams with quite opposite trajectories to their seasons. I broke this game down in depth in my article on StatSalt and like I said there, I expect an easy win for the Stars tonight on the road. I’ll take them in regulation for a unit. I’d lean the under, but not enough to bet on it.
Game Bets
.5u Jets in regulation (-152)
.5u Flames/Canucks over 6.5 (-125)
1u Stars in regulation (-134)
Futures
1u Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Champions (+1000)
1.5u Boston Bruins – Stanley Cup Champions (+1100)
2u Vegas Golden Knights – Stanley Cup Champions (+1200)
1.5u Carolina Hurricanes – Stanley Cup Champions (+1300)
1u New York Rangers – Stanley Cup Champions (+1300)
1u New Jersey Devils – Stanley Cup Champions (+1600)
.5u Minnesota Wild – Stanley Cup Champions (+2000)
1u Minnesota Wild – Western Conference Champions (+800)
Record: 648-534-27 (-59.19 units)
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