NHL Betting: Put some ice on it
NHL Betting: Put some ice on it
Injuries are beginning to mount in the NHL and a few teams are eyeing the two-day Christmas break on the horizon in hopes of getting some key contributors back on the ice. From goalies Roberto Luongo in Vancouver and St. Louis' Manny Legace, to wingers Marian Gaborik of the Wild and the Avalanche's Marek Svatos, health is on the mind of clubs this holiday season.
The NHL will take its annual Christmas break in a week – no games on the 24th or the 25th. It almost seems like an anachronism in a sports world of Xmas Day NBA marathons and Xmas Eve bowl games, but then again, this is the league that made Sean Avery a pariah for saying “sloppy seconds.” Imagine if he had shot himself at a nightclub.
Those two days off aren’t just for family – they’re two days of rest, relaxation and recuperation from what has already been a season filled with injuries. Here’s the rundown on some of the most important health issues across the NHL.
Roberto Luongo, Vancouver
The Canucks have been one of the year’s pleasant surprises at 17-11-3 (20-11 ATS, 7.22 units), good enough to tie Calgary for first place in the Northwest Division. But that might not last much longer without their best player. Luongo (.928 save percentage) suffered a strained groin on Nov. 22 and is currently listed as “week-to-week” with no timetable for return. Such are groin injuries. The Canucks are 4-6 (-1.35 units on the moneyline) behind a combination of Curtis Sanford (.904 SV%) and Cory Schneider (.890).
Marian Gaborik, Minnesota
The oft-injured sniper played the first two games of the season before hitting the shelf with an undisclosed “lower body” injury – speculation is another groin problem – suffered during a pre-game footbagging session. That’s the generic name for Hacky Sack. It sounds like an irresponsible act, but many players do this exercise to improve their reflexes. Gaborik is expected to return Wednesday against the Flames; he led Minnesota last year with 42 goals in 77 games and should provide instant offense to a 15-13-1 team (13-16 ATS, minus-3.59 units) that is skating by on the goaltending of Niklas Backstrom (.925 SV%).
Marek Svatos, Colorado
Joe Sakic had the more newsworthy injury when he broke three fingers in a snowblowing accident, but at age 39, his career is winding down. The more important injury for the Avalanche from an on-ice standpoint is Svatos’ sore back – almost as difficult to put a timetable on as a pulled groin. He’s missed three games (including two Colorado losses) and is considered day-to-day. According to Alan Ryder’s advanced stats, Svatos was eighth on the team last year with 46 Player Contribution points; Sakic was twelfth with 36 PC points. Colorado’s Peter Budaj (.903 SV%) can’t be expected to bail out the 15-15-1 Avs (16-15 ATS, minus-1.98 units) in this case.
Manny Legace, St. Louis
The former Red Wings netminder has been a forgotten man since joining the Blues in 2006. But he’s been a key part of the St. Louis push toward respectability, a push that hit a roadblock when Legace was kneed in the head last Wednesday by Anaheim’s Ryan Carter. Although Legace’s .889 save percentage is dismal, the Blues were 8-5-3 in his 16 games; backup Chris Mason (.910 SV%) has lost four straight starts in relief by a combined score of 21-11 to fall to 3-10-1 on the season. Legace has a “mild” concussion and is expected back soon.
New Jersey at Buffalo
Wednesday, Dec 17, 7:00 p.m. (ET)
The betting odds have not been kind to the Buffalo Sabres. They’re 15-12-3 this year, but they’ve been outscored 85-83, leaving Buffalo supporters out in the cold at 12-18 ATS (minus-7.14 units). Injuries have been a problem at both ends of the ice; center Tim Connolly (40 points in 48 games last year) is out with a rib injury, and defenseman Craig Rivet (San Jose’s No. 2 defenseman last year with 75 PC points) is expected to miss two more weeks with a sore shoulder. That’s particularly bad news for the Sabres power play, which is No. 13 in the league at 18.8 percent efficiency.
The Devils have the mother of all injuries. Goaltender and team icon Martin Brodeur (elbow) has been out of commission since Nov. 4 and isn’t expected back until close to the start of the playoffs. Yet the Devils persist. Scott Clemmensen (.919 SV%) has taken over between the pipes for ineffective veteran Kevin Weekes (.899), and New Jersey is 8-3-1 with Clemmensen at the controls.
How long that will last is debatable. The 31-year-old went 8-7 over parts of five seasons with New Jersey and Toronto, and had an .895 SV% this year in eight games with the AHL’s Lowell Devils before getting the call-up. For now, the parent club is 16-9-3 and firmly in the black at 15-13 ATS (3.72 units).
Injuries are beginning to mount in the NHL and a few teams are eyeing the two-day Christmas break on the horizon in hopes of getting some key contributors back on the ice. From goalies Roberto Luongo in Vancouver and St. Louis' Manny Legace, to wingers Marian Gaborik of the Wild and the Avalanche's Marek Svatos, health is on the mind of clubs this holiday season.
The NHL will take its annual Christmas break in a week – no games on the 24th or the 25th. It almost seems like an anachronism in a sports world of Xmas Day NBA marathons and Xmas Eve bowl games, but then again, this is the league that made Sean Avery a pariah for saying “sloppy seconds.” Imagine if he had shot himself at a nightclub.
Those two days off aren’t just for family – they’re two days of rest, relaxation and recuperation from what has already been a season filled with injuries. Here’s the rundown on some of the most important health issues across the NHL.
Roberto Luongo, Vancouver
The Canucks have been one of the year’s pleasant surprises at 17-11-3 (20-11 ATS, 7.22 units), good enough to tie Calgary for first place in the Northwest Division. But that might not last much longer without their best player. Luongo (.928 save percentage) suffered a strained groin on Nov. 22 and is currently listed as “week-to-week” with no timetable for return. Such are groin injuries. The Canucks are 4-6 (-1.35 units on the moneyline) behind a combination of Curtis Sanford (.904 SV%) and Cory Schneider (.890).
Marian Gaborik, Minnesota
The oft-injured sniper played the first two games of the season before hitting the shelf with an undisclosed “lower body” injury – speculation is another groin problem – suffered during a pre-game footbagging session. That’s the generic name for Hacky Sack. It sounds like an irresponsible act, but many players do this exercise to improve their reflexes. Gaborik is expected to return Wednesday against the Flames; he led Minnesota last year with 42 goals in 77 games and should provide instant offense to a 15-13-1 team (13-16 ATS, minus-3.59 units) that is skating by on the goaltending of Niklas Backstrom (.925 SV%).
Marek Svatos, Colorado
Joe Sakic had the more newsworthy injury when he broke three fingers in a snowblowing accident, but at age 39, his career is winding down. The more important injury for the Avalanche from an on-ice standpoint is Svatos’ sore back – almost as difficult to put a timetable on as a pulled groin. He’s missed three games (including two Colorado losses) and is considered day-to-day. According to Alan Ryder’s advanced stats, Svatos was eighth on the team last year with 46 Player Contribution points; Sakic was twelfth with 36 PC points. Colorado’s Peter Budaj (.903 SV%) can’t be expected to bail out the 15-15-1 Avs (16-15 ATS, minus-1.98 units) in this case.
Manny Legace, St. Louis
The former Red Wings netminder has been a forgotten man since joining the Blues in 2006. But he’s been a key part of the St. Louis push toward respectability, a push that hit a roadblock when Legace was kneed in the head last Wednesday by Anaheim’s Ryan Carter. Although Legace’s .889 save percentage is dismal, the Blues were 8-5-3 in his 16 games; backup Chris Mason (.910 SV%) has lost four straight starts in relief by a combined score of 21-11 to fall to 3-10-1 on the season. Legace has a “mild” concussion and is expected back soon.
New Jersey at Buffalo
Wednesday, Dec 17, 7:00 p.m. (ET)
The betting odds have not been kind to the Buffalo Sabres. They’re 15-12-3 this year, but they’ve been outscored 85-83, leaving Buffalo supporters out in the cold at 12-18 ATS (minus-7.14 units). Injuries have been a problem at both ends of the ice; center Tim Connolly (40 points in 48 games last year) is out with a rib injury, and defenseman Craig Rivet (San Jose’s No. 2 defenseman last year with 75 PC points) is expected to miss two more weeks with a sore shoulder. That’s particularly bad news for the Sabres power play, which is No. 13 in the league at 18.8 percent efficiency.
The Devils have the mother of all injuries. Goaltender and team icon Martin Brodeur (elbow) has been out of commission since Nov. 4 and isn’t expected back until close to the start of the playoffs. Yet the Devils persist. Scott Clemmensen (.919 SV%) has taken over between the pipes for ineffective veteran Kevin Weekes (.899), and New Jersey is 8-3-1 with Clemmensen at the controls.
How long that will last is debatable. The 31-year-old went 8-7 over parts of five seasons with New Jersey and Toronto, and had an .895 SV% this year in eight games with the AHL’s Lowell Devils before getting the call-up. For now, the parent club is 16-9-3 and firmly in the black at 15-13 ATS (3.72 units).