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 ...

2014 NHL Predictions: Ducks, Kings, Sharks in Pacific Division Preview

2014 NHL Predictions: Pacific Division Preview – Ducks, Kings, Sharks

The 2014-15 season starts tomorrow, so we’ll post our final division preview before getting into game picks tomorrow. The Pacific division had three teams with a positive goal differential, which, not so coincidentally, meant three playoff teams last year. The LA Kings, who ultimately won another Stanley Cup, the top-seeded Anaheim Ducks, and the perennial postseason let downs, the San Jose Sharks. Does 2014 have anything new in store, or will this division play out exactly how it did last season? Can the newly renamed “Arizona Coyotes” squeak back into the playoffs?

San Jose Sharks (110 points) – Same team, same results. The San Jose Sharks are the most consistent team in the Pacific, which may be enough for a top seed as the rest of this division tinkers with their rosters. In any event, the mediocrity of this division will see the Sharks to another playoff spot where they ...

NHL Stanley Cup Final Predictions: LA Kings at NY Rangers Game Four

NHL Picks, Stanley Cup Finals Game Four: LA Kings at New York Rangers

What a great few games. There’s some conflict in the algorithm here, but strong signals for the Kings seem to be a general theme. This looks like a 50/50 coin flip game that we expect to be relatively close. The Kings are finding ways to win and Quick has been what Rangers fans hoped Lundqvist would be.

I don’t necessarily agree with the 99% call on the +1.5 line on the Kings. The danger of an empty netter alone should be reason enough for this dramatic figure ...

NHL Stanley Cup Picks Game Three: New York Rangers Vs LA Kings

NHL Stanley Cup Finals Picks Game Three: LA Kings at New York Rangers

Desperation is a powerful thing in the postseason. The New York Rangers have their backs to the wall and they return home with the series essentially on the line right here. They’ve had big leads in both games and there’s been three overtime periods so far, all on the road. The Rangers can play with the Kings and now they have home ice and matchup edges thanks to the last change.

But the Kings are surging and look good.

This is a dangerous game for me and I ...

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?

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NHL Playoff Picks: Anaheim Ducks Vs LA Kings

This has been a truly phenomenal series, and my advice here continues to be to avoid these teams. The Ducks are hot, the Kings are experienced, and both are playoff winners. The Ducks were the better team all year, but when you get into the playoffs, you can’t mess around with the Kings. They’re too deep, too defensively talented, and too experienced.

I think the Ducks will win, and I think they have the talent to control this game and keep the momentum going. I just don’t really like the way these teams matchup. The computer leans to the Ducks ...