NHL Picks Contest ($100 Prize): New York Rangers at Vancouver Canucks

NHL Picks Contest Round Two ($100 Prize): Rangers at Canucks

Saturday, December 13th

I liked this little rivalry after the coach swap, but now that John Tortorella is finally out of the NHL, this is just fun on its own. The New York Rangers have battled injuries and lost a little bit of depth this year, but the Canucks didn’t appear to be much deeper to begin the season. Adding veteran goaltender Ryan Miler seems to have made all the difference in Vancouver. That, and finally getting rid of Torts.

So, in our second round of a first-to-ten competition, who ya got? The Rangers are across the country, but I think they’re the better team. It’s also the front half of a back to back, but the back end is the Edmonton Oilers so I doubt that will have much of an impact here. This should be a nice defensive battle.

As always simply comment on this post pinned to ...

NHL Picks: Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild

NHL Picks: Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild I want to be clear from the start. I’ve got no plays in my system. I also want to bring your attention to our free contest – the first game is tomorrow and the winner gets $100. No risk, might as well participate! Comment on the post pinned to the top of our Facebook page to participate.

So, with no system plays, I almost pulled the trigger on this one, but I couldn’t do it. I lean to the Anaheim Ducks, but I don’t have money on it. That said, it looks like the strongest ...

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 Picks: Vancouver Canucks at Washington Capitals

I’m beginning to think the Caps just aren’t a good team. They seem to have an abundance of talent, or at least enough talent to keep them in the hunt, but they aren’t putting together wins, 10-13 ML on the year. They’re 5-4-3 at home and on a bit of a skid at the moment. Somehow, still, they’re fourth in the East and giving away some serious value on lines lately, as we continue to bet against them to some decent profits.

Vancouver, on the other hand, has been a cash cow ...

NHL Picks: Edmonton Oilers at Dallas Stars

NHL Picks: Edmonton Oilers at Dallas StarsThis line is a little sharp for my taste, but I’m on it because it fits the system everywhere except the line. I usually go with more modest favorites, but this looks good on all fronts. Let’s take a look:

Z-Code offers 4.5 stars of value in the line despite it being a little sharp, while suggesting a 62% chance of victory. I agree with this assessment.

The Dallas Stars seem to have turned a corner, while the Oilers are fresh off a FIVE GAME HOMESTAND where they lost all five games. The ...

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 ...