NHL Picks: Chicago Blackhawks at Montreal Canadiens

I love these Original Six rivalries. Both teams are on two losses in a row, and with the Habs climbing back into relevance this is a battle of two of the top teams in hockey.

The Habs at home are a very difficult team to play against. They have a raucous crowd, a shutdown defense that matches up well with a top-heavy offense like Chicago, and it appears Carey Price is finally feeding on the energy of the Bell Centre. This should be a very interesting game.

Corey Crawford is back in net and should be able to stop some of the bleeding for the Blackhawks. I think they’re the better team, and as far as two-way depth goes I think they have enough talent to get by a solid Habs team.

I think this will be close, but I think there’s value in the line for the Blackhawks. Z-Code disagrees, viewing this ...

2014 NHL Predictions: Chicago Blackhawks Return to Central Division Glory

2014 NHL Predictions: Central Division Preview – Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, and St. Louis Blues

One of the dumbest things about the realignment the NHL did last year is that two of the divisions only have seven teams in them. Though their road to the playoffs is comparatively easier with one less team to leap frog, their travel considerations and the talent of these divisions seem to balance things out. The Minnesota Wild spent a lot of money getting back into the playoffs, the Dallas Stars snuck in as the other wild card, and the Colorado Avalanche rose to the top of the division. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks continued their winning ways and the St. Louis Blues’ defensive system continued to win, getting better after the addition of Ryan Miller (now with the Canucks). With the Preds adding James Neal and getting Pekka Rinne healthy, they should be much improved too. Simply put, the Central Division is loaded.

1. Chicago ...

NHL Playoffs Picks: LA Kings at Chicago Blackhawks

NHL Playoffs Picks, Predictions: LA Kings at Chicago Blackhawks

I think the Blackhawks have to be the favorite to win the Stanley Cup at this point. They’ve got a deep team of proven winners, clutch scoring, and good defense. It’s going to be hard for a team like LA, experienced as they are, to take them out.

Again, I see value in the line and so does the computer. -150 is a slim price to pay for a team of champions on home ice against the LA Kings. The Kings have worked hard to get where they are, but they ...

NHL Playoffs Picks Contest ($100 Prize): Chicago Blackhawks at LA Kings

NHL Playoffs Picks and MLB Picks Contest ($100 Prize): Chicago Blackhawks at LA Kings, Saturday, May 24th

I think we all agree the Blackhawks are the better team in this series, but on the road with a few games to go to reach the Stanley Cup anything can happen. Chicago is a deep team with proven winners and talented scoring. LA is a deep team with stout defensemen and an excellent goalie. Will they defend home ice?

As always, simply comment on this post in our Facebook page to participate.

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NHL Playoffs Bracket Round Two: Penguins, Bruins, Blackhawks, Ducks

NHL Playoffs Picks, Round Two: Penguins, Bruins, Ducks, Blackhawks

Most of our bracket is still alive, and both Game Seven losses were destined to fall in the next round anyway so we’re in great shape if anyone followed for their office pools. We also hit three series lengths exactly, and would have had four if the Sharks pulled through. All in all we nailed the first round, but it only gets harder from here.

New York Rangers Vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh reminds me a lot of a cat playing with a mouse. Sure, they could kill it rather easily, but it’s more fun to come out of your net with a one-goal lead in the final 20 seconds, misplay the puck, go to overtime and lose on the first shot from the blue line. The cat often lets the mouse get away and rarely seems to care, but I’d rather be the cat than the mouse here. Pittsburgh has ...

NHL Playoffs First Round Picks and Predictions 2014

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins vs WC 2 Detroit Red Wings Few teams have the depth of the Boston Bruins, which lends to their stability every season and particularly each postseason. They are anchored in goaltending and have sufficient defensive depth to make another great playoff run. The Detroit Red Wings have done a remarkable job this year battling injuries, but they’re simply inferior to the Boston Bruins. You can never right off a team like Detroit that fought so hard this season, but this series is Boston’s to lose.

Bruins in five

Tampa Bay Lightning vs 3. Montreal Canadiens I like Ryan Callahan. For a while, he was the only New York Rangers player I could respect. Putting him on a team with Steven Stamkos makes the Lightning very exciting for me. Ben Bishop is a big, talented goalie. Still, this is a very difficult series to predict. Carey Price is capable of taking over a game, and the Habs ...

NHL Picks: New Jersey Devils at Chicago Blackhawks

NHL Picks and Predictions – New Jersey Devils at Chicago Blackhawks 12/23

The New Jersey Devils might be in trouble here, but call me crazy I believe in this team. They’ve scratched to .500 and if they can win one more game they can really enjoy the holiday. The Blackhawks are keeping the door open, too.

Chicago is coming off a loss, so I expect them to be motivated here. However, they’re going with a backup goalie and, although it’s early, 99% of the public money is on the Blackhawks. Vegas isn’t in the business of giving money away, so ...

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 11/9: Chicago Blackhawks at Dallas Stars

This is a dangerous game and I understand the computer output here, but I respectfully disagree. The Dallas Stars are playing very good hockey, but I don’t think they’re as good as they’ve been playing. Challenge accepted!

Z-Code sees +122 as having five-star value with 44% odds for victory. For me that’s a slightly conflicting parameter and a strange signal. Z-Code is certainly on the Stars, but not with full confidence. The odds of victory favor the Blackhawks.

For me, the Blackhawks are the better team. The only reason I have hesitation ...