Wow! What a Sunday of action packed hockey huh?!? Hockey will never take the place of the NFL but man oh man were there some exciting and thrilling games on yesterday. Though my selections went 3-6, I had some very close calls and some great upsets. Firstly, my upset of the day hit, Florida Panthers. This was one of the most exciting games, with Florida blowing multiple 2 goal leads but ultimately coming out victorious! Secondly, the St. Louis Blues almost pulled off an amazing comeback but fell just shy, down 5-2 late in the 3rd period, losing in a shootout. Oh well, a wise man once said "almost only counts in horseshoes and handgrenades". I would also like to take this time to reiterate that my overall record is of no concern to me. I post on this forum for practice, for passion and for the overall love I have for writing. The record now sits at 33-31-2. I will have some selections later this evening, but right now I have an exam to take. Wish me luck!
AND HERE WE GO . . .
Nashville Predators ML/UNDER
This, to me, will be the most exciting game of the night, with two conference juggernauts clashing together in what should be an instant classic. Nashville are off two losses in a row, at home, which hasn't happened all season! Now they come into one of the more hostile environments, Madison Square Garden, in terms of fan base and try to avoid losing three straight games for the first time this season. The goalie matchups have not been released but from what the line dictates, this will be a low scoring, competitive, gritty game. If any one has "three-way-lines" I would suggest wagering something on the game going into overtime. I hate to play against the Rangers in the garden but I am going with Nashville in this one. The Rangers are 1-4 this season, at home versus Central division teams. In terms of the total, not one of the previous 5 meetings between these teams has gone over (1 push).
Chicago Blackhawks ML
Carolina has been rather consistent of late, winners in 4 of their last 5, whereas Chicago seems to of lost their "mojo" since Patty Kane went down. I think Chicago gets of the snide tonight and finds a way to get the win. They have dominated eastern conference teams at home, 9-2-1, whereas Carolina is 3-8-2 on the road against western teams this season. In addition, Chicago has gone 10-2 in their last 12 games versus the Metropolitan division, at home. Carolina's numbers on the road versus the Central division are putrid, 4-16 in their last 20 games, and just this season alone, their record stands at 1-5. My only concern in this matchup is Cam Ward. Ward is a perfect 3-0 in regulation, 2 loses in OT/SO, with two shutouts while stopping 167 of 173 shots faced. If he finds his groove, Chicago could be in trouble. My information is a gift to everyone to do with as they please.
San Jose Sharks ML
THE SAN JOSE SHARKS WILL WIN THIS GAME! Though the Sharks are headed in the exact opposite direction than intended, fortunately for them this team is talented enough to dig themselves out of this enormous hole they've dug themselves into. The sharks are 0-6-1 in their last 7 games at home, 2-7-1 in their last 9 games overall and yet they are still in the mix of playoff talk, just 2 points out of a playoff spot . . . in the western conference! With that being said, San Jose cannot be this bad. If they can just muster up some effort or ambition they could be a potential dark horse throughout the western conference playoffs, but that's a tall order for a team who cannot even win in their home barn. San Jose is 7-3 all time versus Montreal, while going 6-0 in the shark tank. Though Montreal has performed well on the road this season, they are just 3-4-1 versus the west on the road and 1-4 in their last 5 on the road versus the pacific division. Sharks have to win eventually right?
That's all for tonight folks, good luck!