Picks: Sens Look to Shake Losing Ways

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42-40-1: That game would’ve gone completely different had Vancouver not scored two quick goals on Osgood. It completely changed Detroit’s motivation level and they went back to doing what they did best last season, overcoming poor goaltending. Be as it may, the 9-goal total was in fact way over and we try and rebound tonight. Looking for a great sportsbook site to place your bets? I use and trust Bodog and bet365 to place my hockey bets but if you are looking for a site where you can bet for free, try CentSports. You always have a minimum of 10 cents to start off and let you bet on the NHL and other sports. When you increase your balance, you are eligible to cash out! Remember that I post these picks for fun and I encourage you to do the same (i.e. don’t bet what you can’t afford to lose). All lines are provided by Bodog and are current at the time of posting.

St. Louis Blues +115 at Carolina Hurricanes -135

What’s clear about these two teams is they just don’t score against one another, going under in 5 straight (3/5 were shutouts). Fortunately, neither team can produce any offense this season either. The Blues have only averaged 2.67 goals scored and the Canes have fared worse at 2.40 goals per game. The Canes have lost 6 straight, 5 of them on the road, and only scored 3 or more goals twice. The Blues have averaged just 2.78 goals against behind Chris Mason and Ty Conklin while Cam Ward has struggled a bit for the Canes this season but is 2-1-1 with a 1.70 GAA at home this season and 3-0 with a 1.00 GAA lifetime against the Blues.
Pick: Under 5.5 goals -130

Phoenix Coyotes +130 at Columbus Blue Jackets -150

The Coyotes are struggling right now, dropping two straight games where they’ve folded defensively and allowed 5 goals per game. The Jackets are also struggling defensively after their hot start, dropping 3 of their last 4, all on the road, and also allowed 4+ goals in each game. Columbus is fortunate to be back at home where they are 3-0 and have only allowed 1.00 goal per game. The Coyotes could have trouble against Columbus’ dominance at home and there’s a chance Jason Labarbera will get this start in place of the recently struggling Bryzgalov.
Pick: Blue Jackets -150

Ottawa Senators -140 at Florida Panthers +120

Both teams are on losing streaks, the Sens with 2 and the Panthers with 3. The Panthers, however, look like the far worse team. They’ve lost by 3+ against the Sabres and Flyers and squandered a 2-goal lead against the Pens. Florida also has a second-worst 3.9 goals allowed per game and a league worst 37.4 shots allowed per game. The Sens have only played 3 road games this season, going 2-1, and have averaged 3.33 goals per game and 2.89 goals allowed so far this season. Florida has gone 1-3 at home this season, only averaging 2.00 goals per game at home. In order to win, however, Ottawa has the scoring potential to really unleash on Florida but they’ll need to improve upon their second-worst powerplay in the league, 11.4%. Fortunately, Ottawa’s league leading penalty kill, 89.7%, matches up well against the Panthers’ third-worst powerplay, 12.5%. Even if Pascal Leclaire doesn’t play tonight, Brian Elliott is more than able to step in. Note: there’s a lot of action on this line as it jumped from -125 to -140 overnight.
Pick: Sens -140

Nashville Predators +130 at Minnesota Wild -150

These two bottom feeders are having far different seasons than they originally had intended. Both teams have been marred by injuries and are finally now just getting healthy again. Both teams have also been failed by their struggling offences, ranking 1 and 2 from the bottom in goals scored. To top off their struggles, Nashville also has the worst powerplay in the league, at 8.33%, which will have difficulty scoring against the Wild 88.10% penalty kill. The Preds have gone under in 4 of 6 road games this season and the Wild have gone under in 2 of 3 home games. The Wild, despite going 0-8 on the road, are undefeated at home and have an excellent opportunity to continue that streak tonight.
Pick: Wild -150 and Under 5.5 goals -150

Toronto Maple Leafs +165 at Dallas Stars -185

Yay, they did it. The Leafs finally got their first win out of the way after a 6-3 win in Anaheim as +160 underdogs. To think that is a trend, you are mistaken. The Ducks have had significant troubles this season and the Stars will provide a far tougher opponent for the Leafs. Marty Turco has been sensational in his last two starts, only allowing 1.5 goals against which fits well with the Stars’ overall defense at 2.91 goals allowed per game. What appeared to be the Leafs’ offense coming out of the woodwork was actually more of a combination of 10 powerplay opportunities and poor play by Jonas Hiller. Dallas gives up the third-fewest powerplays in the league at 3.6 per game. The Stars’ offense is clicking and averages 3.36 goals per game while the Leafs’ offense on the season still matches up no greater than 2.33 goals per game. Gustavsson, facing a team that courted him in the offseason, provides a better option in net but despite his best efforts on Monday night, he still allowed 3.00 goals. The Stars have beaten the Leafs on the puck line in their last two meetings and have also beaten the puck line on 4 of their 5 wins this season.
Pick: Stars -1.5 +165

Betting results by category so far this season:

Money Line 18-21, -15.32
Puck Line 5-7, -1.5
Totals 19-12-1, +2.56