NHL Picks: LA Kings at Arizona Coyotes

NHL Picks: LA Kings at Arizona Coyotes The NHL seems like a foreign place right now. In fact, the only constant seems to be that we’re off to another great start to the hockey season. Martin Brodeur makes his first start with the St. Louis Blues, the Buffalo Sabres are on a three-game winning streak even though Ryan Miller is a Canuck… and the Phoenix Coyotes adopted their state name to try to fill a desert ice oasis with fans that will presumably be more tied to the team across the state… I guess?

Either way, this is a fun rivalry. ...

NHL Predictions: Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers

NHL Picks: Pittsburgh Penguins at New York RangersMy hesitation here stems from betting on the road team in MSG in a divisional rivalry, but all other parameters fit my system and there remains some value in the line. As such, even though this is the New York Rangers at the Garden, and even though I sometimes hate the Pittsburgh Penguins, we move forward.

That said, -135 here looks beautiful. The New York Rangers have been sloppy and are dealing quite poorly with a few injuries. The goaltending has been suspect and they’ve lost four of five. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins ...

NHL Picks: Vancouver Canucks at San Jose Sharks

The Vancouver Canucks have been a pleasant surprise this year. The addition of Ryan Miller has them back to a team anchored in goaltending that we’re used to seeing from the days of the Luongo-Schneider platoon. The offense is still fairly mediocre, but the chemistry is undeniably there. The defense has been serviceable, and the Canucks are beating teams they’re supposed to be beating, which isn’t always how NHL hockey goes. It’s been a good run for the Canucks.

The San Jose Sharks are also heating up, winning three of four against ...

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 ...

NHL Picks: Buffalo Sabres at Anaheim Ducks

The line is a little sharp, but this is one of those games you don’t want to overthink. Let’s break this down in terms of every parameter in my system.

The Buffalo Sabres might be the worst team in hockey. The Anaheim Ducks are one of the best.

The Buffalo Sabres are on the road across the country. The Anaheim Ducks are in the middle of a comfortable home stand.

The Buffalo Sabres have lost two in a row, both at home, where they haven’t scored a single goal. The Anaheim Ducks ...

Zcode Grand Team Championship Game week 15 Results

Zcode Grand Team Championship Game week 15 Results TEAM CONTEST

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Grand Playoffs ...

NHL Picks: New Jersey Devils at Buffalo Sabres

This is a heartbreak or hope game for me, so kindly ignore my various and blatant biases in evaluating this game. I think the Devils can make the playoffs. Here’s why:

1. The Columbus Blue Jackets are about to play three top teams. I think they could lose all three. They were sellers at the deadline and this is a deadly stretch in their schedule.

2. The Devils play the Caps later this week. Win and they leap both non-playoff teams to become the top threat to Columbus’ WC 2 spot.

3. ...

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: LA Kings at Calgary Flames

Calgary isn’t the easiest team in the world when they’re at home. They always seem to be more competitive, and LA is on a back to back. This certainly isn’t the cleanest of match ups between a playoff team and a non-contender, but it still is exactly that.

As they fight for position, this is essentially a must-win game for the Kings. They’re on a huge winning streak and grabbing momentum, and they cannot allow the lowly Flames to snatch any of that away from them. They made a big move at the ...

NHL Picks Contest Game: Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres

NHL Picks Contest: Florida Panthers at Buffalo Sabres

It’s another round of the competition, and it’s another ugly selection. The Florida Panthers are fresh off a very impressive win against the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they’re tired from a back to back and on the road in Buffalo. The Sabres are floundering this season, but they’re a physical team with excellent goaltending. Vegas and I agree that this is a coin flip.

I lean to the Sabres here, personally, but the computer disagrees. As such, this game does not fit any systems in the Z-Code VIP Club. That, of course, is ...