NHL

NHL Picks: Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL Picks: Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins

The Pittsburgh Penguins are going with a backup goalie tonight on home ice, but against one of the worst teams in hockey I like their chances. The -210 line is reasonable, and the Penguins are winning hockey games. Still, the Penguins should give you a slight pause because this is a back to back.

The offense is due to explode, the Buffalo Sabres don’t have enough depth to shut down Pittsburgh, and I think even if there is some element of fatigue the Penguins should have enough to handle the Sabres with relative  ... 

Free NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize): Predators at Ducks

Free NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize): Nashville Predators at Anaheim Ducks

Sunday, November 1st I originally tried to combine this contest with the NFL, but it failed miserably due to a total lack of participation. We are giving away a free $100 if we can sustain some consistency from you guys. I hope this one will take off, because the picks contests are always a ton of fun for me. The first person to correctly guess the winner ten times will take the free NHL Picks Contest prize of $100. It’s free to participate, simply comment on this post with who you think will win.

This game is interesting. The Anaheim Ducks are home, but they’ve struggled mightily to start the season. Meanwhile, the Nashville Predators are off to a solid start and look poised for another run at the playoffs. Can the Ducks snap out of it? Will the Nashville defense continue to suffocate this slumping Anaheim offense? Comment  ... 

NHL Picks: Arizona Coyotes vs New York Rangers

NHL Picks: Arizona Coyotes at New York Rangers I think the line is a little sharp here, but I really like the New York Rangers at home against the Arizona Coyotes. Despite the -210 line, I see a lot of value here.

I think the Rangers win this game more than 2 out of every 3 times, so I think there would be value even at a higher line. The young Coyotes offense had a nice run for a moment, but they’ve fallen off – as expected – in recent games. The goaltending can steal one, but I  ... 

NHL Picks: Nashville Predators at New Jersey Devils

NHL Picks: Nashville Predators at New Jersey Devils

Say what you will about how terrible my Devils are this year, but they still have a solid defense and a strong goaltending tandem. The Nashville Predators have one of the best goalies in hockey, an average offense, and an even stronger defense than New Jersey. This game asks one question for me – where will the goals come from?

I don’t know if New Jersey will even score in this one, and I’m not sure the Preds can dominate the game in a way that puts this one over five. I recognize  ... 

NHL is BACK!

NHL is BACK! Are your ready?

Get on board for another successful season!

NHL Pacific Division Predictions: Anaheim Ducks Still Dominant

NHL Pacific Division Picks: Ducks, Kings, Flames I was surprised by the Calgary Flames last year and impressed by what I consider an unexpected playoff run. Traditional favorites like the LA Kings and Vancouver Canucks fell off a bit, and the Flames jumped in to fill the void. Can they do it again? Can anyone catch the Anaheim Ducks?

1. Anaheim Ducks (107 pts): I think the Ducks are arguably the most complete team in hockey. They have strong goaltending, experienced depth, and an explosive offense. I don’t know how anyone can catch them, and competitive as the West is,  ... 

NHL Central Division Picks: St. Louis Blues, Chicago Blackhawks

NHL Central Division Predictions: Blues, Blackhawks, Preds

Patrick Kane might just be the most interesting hockey player in America. These rape allegations where counsel has dropped out and a mother has lied about evidence tampering have complimented his illustrious history of drinking and beating cab drivers quite nicely. Still, can the Chicago Blackhawks continue their impressive run of deep playoff pushes? Can the St. Louis Blues repeat as divisional champions?

1. St. Louis Blues (103 pts): I really like the Blues’ system. I think they’ve got a relentless defense and strong goaltending. While they traded away an American hero this  ... 

NHL Atlantic Division Picks 2015-16: Canadiens, Bruins, Lightning

2015-16 Atlantic Division Predictions: Habs, Bruins, Bolts

Last year, the Boston Bruins collapsed and fell all the way out of playoff contention. The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning took huge steps forward and dominated the rest of the division in their place. Can the Bruins bounce back? Are the Habs Stanley Cup contenders? Can the Tampa Bay Lightning take the next step? Let’s see.

1. Boston Bruins (103 pts): A value play at +500 and 10:1 long shots to win the Stanley Cup, I’m not sure why people are completely writing off the Boston Bruins. Yes, they fell apart  ... 

2015-16 NHL Preseason Predictions – Metropolitan Preview: New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins

NHL Preseason Predictions: New York Rangers Take 2015-16 Metropolitan Division

As a New Jersey Devils fan, it’s hard to admit that the New York Rangers are the best team in the Metropolitan Division. It’s even harder to pick them to win your division two years in a row in annual preseason NHL predictions. This year, the blow was softened by being right last year. Here’s to another incredibly profitable hockey season, starting with a preview of my favorite division where I begrudgingly pick a team with one Stanley Cup since 1940.

1. New York Rangers (108 pts): I know the  ... 

Golden State Warriors Win NBA Finals, Blackhawks Take Stanley Cup

Golden State Warriors, Chicago Blackhawks Win NHL, NBA Championships

Well, we did it. The Golden State Warriors were the more complete team, and LeBron James simply didn’t have enough to carry a mediocre team of misfits to NBA Finals glory as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell short. We also nailed the Chicago Blackhawks series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, successfully predicting exactly six games and banking on the inconsistencies of the weaker team to show through in the end.

We pride ourselves on being able to take emotion out of our picks and that is why we at Z-Code can sustain so much success in the long term. This year, I’m particularly proud of our efforts. The computer had this exactly right and we projected precisely how things would play out.

I am a big LeBron James fan, but with fatigue and injuries we knew the Cleveland Cavaliers wouldn’t have enough against such a vastly superior team. Our bracket looked great  ... 

Stanley Cup Finals Pick: Blackhawks Lightning Game Six

Stanley Cup Finals Game Six, NHL Picks: Blackhawks Lightning We predicted Blackhawks in six and it’s looking pretty good for us here. The Tampa Bay Lightning are starting to deal with injuries and falling apart. The Chicago Blackhawks have their skate to the jugular of an inexperienced team, they’re on home ice, they’re heating up, and they’re the better team right now.

I’m excited about this one. I didn’t know which Tampa Bay Lightning team would show up here and we had been betting against the Chicago Blackhawks all playoffs with very limited success. It was hard to know which  ... 

NHL Stanley Cup Predictions: Tampa Bay Lightning Chicago Blackhawks Game Four

Stanley Cup Finals Game Four Predictions: Lightning Blackhawks It’s hard to ignore the value here on the Tampa Bay Lightning as a huge underdog here on the road. While they’ve remained wildly inconsistent throughout this series and I continue to respect the Chicago Blackhawks and their winning pedigree – this team is lovable and very easy to root for.

It’s extremely difficult to bet this series because the Blackhawks have been so good for so long. I expect another close game, so I like the value in the +1.5 and the money line here on the Bolts. If Ben Bishop  ... 

Stanley Cup Game Two: Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL Stanley Cup Final Game Two: Chicago Blackhawks at Tampa Bay Lightning

Game One was a thriller and we saw the Chicago Blackhawks’ experience come through in a tight game. Can the Tampa Bay Lightning bounce back on home ice or is this series already slipping away?

I still worry about Ben Bishop’s inconsistency and I think the track record of the Chicago Blackhawks and their top NHL defense will be enough for them to win this series. I think they’re the better team overall and having taken back home ice I don’t think the Lightning can recover. The question  ... 

2015 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Chicago Blackhawks over Tampa Bay Lightning

2015 Stanley Cup Predictions: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Chicago Blackhawks

It’s hard to ignore the fact that I’m just getting tired of watching the Chicago Blackhawks win Stanley Cups. I thought that if the Nashville Predators didn’t lose their best player, the Chicago Blackhawks would have fallen in the first round. If the Anaheim Ducks didn’t collapse in the final minutes and blow a two-goal lead, the Chicago Blackhawks would have fallen in the finals. Ultimately, you either except that the Hawks are a team of destiny or you pick the Tampa Bay Lightning to pull off the upset.

I can’t pick the Tampa Bay Lightning to pull off the upset in the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. They’re too inconsistent, they’re too raw. Ben Bishop allows 12 goals in two home games, but closes out the Rangers with two shutouts in a row on the road. They can beat anyone and lose to anyone, and that’s a very dangerous way  ...