NHL Picks: LA Kings at Washington Capitals

NHL Picks Contest: LA Kings at Washington Capitals

I think the LA Kings are a good team. They’re inconsistent at times offensively, but they’re deep and they have one of the best defensive groups from top to bottom in the NHL. Part of that is likely because Quick is so solid in net.

The Capitals are volatile and inconsistent and difficult to trust. They’re great when they want to be, or when they’re streaking, but they’re unpredictable. Ovechkin is having a wonderful season, but goaltending issues (even since Halak), lack of depth, and poor defensive play have doomed them this  ... 

NHL Picks Contest: Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers

NHL Picks Contest Round 13: Colorado Avalanche at New York Rangers, Tuesday, February 4th

The New York Rangers have been inconsistent this year, but they’re turning it on with two Stadium Series wins. Henrik Lundqvist seems to have found his stride again, but against a speedy Colorado Avalanche team this is a tough one. Colorado has depth and skating, and they pose a difficult matchup for the Rangers defense – not the mention the superiority of the west as a whole…

Who ya got? Simply comment on our Facebook post pinned to the top of the page to participate. Remember, second place gets $50 and first place gets $100.

https://www.facebook.com/ZcodeNHLpicks

Good luck!

NHL Picks Contest Round Eight: San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks

NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize) Round Eight: San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks

Tuesday, December 31st

Christmas break is over and hockey is finally back. Another battle between California rivals gives us our eighth round of the contest. I think the Sharks are the better team, but they lack consistency on the road. The Ducks have been excellent this season, but they can be streaky. I think Anaheim versus San Jose is going to be a great one.

Who will win this game?

I know I say this every week, but it’s still anyone’s game. You can conceivably enter the competition right now and still win the whole thing. Not a single competitor has gotten past the four-win plateau. With a $50 prize for second place, this is going to be a fun run.

Good luck guys! It’s good to be back. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and let’s keep winning together.

As always, to participate, simply go to our Facebook  ... 

NHL Picks Contest Standings Update Round Five ($100 Prize): Ducks Kings

NHL Picks Contest Standings Update (Round Five): Kings Ducks

I was a little disappointed this round, folks. Not only did we have one of our worst predictive performances of the year, but we also didn’t have much of a turnout. It’s certainly anyone’s game – as evidenced by the fact that nobody really moved around much in the standings this round. WE ONLY HAD SEVEN CORRECT GUESSES IN ROUND FIVE and our leaders failed to pad their leads.

The Anaheim Ducks blew it late, but they really didn’t deserve that one either. It was certainly an exciting game.

Here is what we’ve got after five rounds… and again, please keep participating! This gets a lot more fun for me when we have a larger pool to watch! We’ll have a contest post for every Tuesday until someone reaches 10 wins. $100 to the winner, $50 to second place:

3 Wins:

Elias Anderson  ... 

NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize): Anaheim Ducks at Dallas Stars

NHL Picks Contest Game Round Four: Anaheim Ducks at Dallas Stars

Participation is a little down this week. Only one player has three wins, you can certainly still join now and win. If you’ve been playing along, keep going!

I think I’ve done it again here, guys. This game is as unpredictable as any we’ve chosen so far.

Looks like a total toss up to me. Ducks have finally figured it out and are winning… Stars have lost two in a row, but to very good teams and they’re home here. Line is a total toss up. Z-Code has this  ... 

NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize): Anaheim Ducks at Dallas Stars, 11/26

NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize, $50 Runner-Up): Round Four – Anaheim Ducks at Dallas Stars 11/26

Still anyone’s game with only one undefeated contestant and I’m having a lot of fun with this. I hope you guys are too! Only one game on Tuesday, but I like the regularity we’ve established and I actually really like this game too. Participation is high – keep it up! That’s the fun of a competition like this.

The Anaheim Ducks have been struggling lately, and a hard-luck loss to the Devils made me smile from ear to ear. The Dallas Stars are a decent team and they’re playing well. Also, the game is in Dallas.

With only one game on the docket, watch for Vegas to manipulate the line and push money one way or the other. I truly believe the Ducks are the better team, but I also believe that the way both teams are playing right now is a key consideration.  ... 

NHL Picks Contest: Standings Update, Round Three ($100 Prize)

NHL $100 Picks Contest ($50 for second place): Standings Update Through Three Rounds

Looks like I got you guys again. 64 comments, 10 correct guesses. The Avalanche came through on home ice as underdogs for the select few of us who went against the grain.

Only Elias Anderson remains perfect through three rounds, but five competitors are hot on his trail and like I say every week it’s still anybody’s game. These contests tend to go well beyond ten rounds. Here’s how it looks after three:

3 Wins: Elias Anderson

2 Wins:

Michal Janochowski  ... 

NHL Picks: $100 Contest Round 3 – Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche

NHL Picks: $100 Contest Game – Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche

Round Three of our contest, and only two people have gotten both games right. This is still anybody’s contest for sure, so don’t forget to comment on the post pinned to the top of our Facebook page.

This is a fun one for me. The Avs have really been slumping, but they’re fantastic on home ice. They have speed, goaltending, and scoring. They’re not as balanced as the Blackhawks, but they can surely give them a game.

Z-Code agrees and this doesn’t really fit any systems. The Hawks are consistent, but they’re not necessarily dominant in their wins. This comes down to a 55/45 money line chance for victory, with 3 stars of underdog value on the home team, but two stars of value on the favorites. Our computer is as conflicted as I hoped the public would be when selecting this game for our competition.

The whole world seems  ... 

NHL Picks and Predictions – $100 Contest Standings Update

NHL $100 Contest – Standings After Two Rounds

– Remember, 2nd Place gets $50 too, so keep playing!

We had 47 comments on the last competition post, and only seven people got the game correct. Congratulations on those of you that picked the Flyers. Crazy game.

Watch for our next contest round being posted Friday for games next Tuesday. I’m going to try to keep in a rhythm to keep it easier to participate, but don’t forget to check back for regular game predictions as well!

2 Wins:

Michal Janochowski  ...