??WASHINGTON CAPS?? EVEN loser
(Added Play) Islanders-125 chicken dinner
(my bad BAD924)
I really like this pick really like it! So be careful ok Where should I start, many story lines here. First off the line has dropped 15 cents, from Nashville-135 to -120. Mainly because they lost their starting goalie Pekka Rinne for 2 to 3 weeks due to injury. How important is Rinne? Lets put it this way, the Predators are 29-9-4 on the season and Rinne was in net for just uh, 29 of those 29 Wins! Pretty important I should say. Of course, i'm sure the rest of the team will step up in his absence to show that theres more to the Predators than just Rinne.
But I think it stops there and the scales begin to tip in favor of the Washington Capitals. Head coach Barry Trotz will be back in Nashville for the first time since he was fired just a year ago. I think he knows a little about this predators team , (tendencies etc) being that he coached there for the past 15 years. I think he would love nothing more than to come away with a win against his former team, so much so, that he's bringing in his red hot goalie Braden Holtby. Holtby is 14-1-4 with a 1.88 GAA in his last 19. he's been so hot that backup, Justin Peters had to be sent down to to the AHL for a conditioning stint! Trotz did say that Peters will play sometime this weekend, but wanted specifically for Holtby to play today. This tells me he really wants this win tonight.
In addition, Nicklaus Backstrom may be playing with a little more zest (euphamism "chip on shoulder") as well after being snubbed from the All-star team. Backstrom has 13 goals and 28 assists ranking him in the top 15 in scoring. Also his 4.7 point shares rank him higher than Four other players who made the all-star team! If that doesn't lite a fire in you I don't know what will. Thats like Daryl Hall getting inducted into the R&R hall of fame without Oates!!! Its like Crosby & Stills forgetting Nash! WTF?!?! lets get this money Ya'll.
Best,
Zigman!!!!