Dallas Stars heating up on NHL betting front
Dallas Stars heating up on NHL betting front
As goalie Marty Turco's season has gone, so has the season for the Dallas Stars. Turco's recent run tending the net, allowing just seven goals over his last five games and starting the last 20 between the pipes, coincides with a five-game win streak and six triumphs in their last seven skates. The stretch has lifted the Stars to the No. 6 slot in the Western Conference and closing in on Anaheim.
What, you didn’t really think the Dallas Stars were that bad, did you?
Not that anyone can be blamed for writing off the Stars after they started the season in turmoil at 6-10-4. It’s been a long struggle back to respectability since then, marked by the departure of Sean Avery, but Dallas is back in the saddle again after winning five straight games to improve to 24-18-7. The Stars still have a lot of work to do to get into the black against the puckline at 22-27 ATS (minus-11.89 units). But beating each of their last five opponents by at least two goals is a surefire way to overcome the betting odds.
Whatever disruption Avery may have caused in his 23 games with Dallas, this is all on goalie Marty Turco’s shoulder pads. The 33-year-old veteran is honest about his annual battles to find a comfort zone where his body and mind are on the same page. Turco is certainly in the zone now after giving up just seven goals over this five-game span. His save percentage has improved each month, from a dismal .842 in October to a respectable .910 in January.
The Stars will have to lean on Turco to make it through the
rest of the regular season. Defenseman Sergei Zubov (hip) and winger Brendan Morrow (knee) are out for the year – although Morrow is hopeful he can beat the odds and make it back in time for the playoffs. This leaves Dallas without two of its top five skaters; Morrow was second only to Turco in Player Contribution points last season with 80, while Zubov was second only to then-rookie Matt Niskanen on the blueline with 60 PC points. The injuries also leave the Stars power play ranked No. 25 in the league at 15.8 percent.
Turco’s importance to Dallas is only magnified by last year’s multi-player trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning that sent goalie Mike Smith to the East in exchange for center Brad Richards. Turco’s new No. 2 is Swiss rookie Tobias Stephan, who has an .887 save percentage in just seven appearances. Turco has made 20 straight starts for Dallas; the Stars have back-to-back games coming up Thursday at Colorado and Friday at home versus the N.Y. Rangers. Busy busy.
Toronto at Buffalo (-200, O/U 6)
Wednesday, Feb 4, 7:30 p.m. (ET) TSN
Imagine being the 19-23-9 Maple Leafs (25-26 ATS, minus-10.92 units) and having to rely on Vesa Toskala in goal. He’s started 13 of Toronto’s last 14 games and 43 of 51 on the season. Unlike Turco, Toskala isn’t getting any better; his save percentage has stayed consistently below .900 this year, currently sitting at .883. The only regular starter to do worse this year: Detroit’s Chris Osgood at .882.
Now imagine if the Leafs had a premium netminder. Toronto is scoring enough goals (2.94 per game, No. 10 in the NHL) and preventing enough shots (28.1 against per game, No. 5 in the league) to keep Toskala at 17-17-7 as a starter. But there’s a wee problem with that. Defenseman Tomas Kaberle broke his hand last Thursday blocking a shot against the Avalanche and will be out 3-4 weeks. Kaberle was Toronto’s top defenseman and top skater last year with 93 PC points, not to mention the quarterback of their No. 10-ranked power play (20.4 percent) with three goals and 16 assists on the man advantage.
Just across the border in Buffalo, the 26-20-5 Sabres (24-27 ATS, minus-2.52 units) have no sympathy whatsoever. They’re missing four defensemen: Jaroslav Spacek, Henrik Tallinder, Teppo Numminen and Andrej Sekera. Buffalo is also without center Jochen Hecht (concussion) and winger Maxim Afinogenov (groin). The Sabres still managed to escape a six-game road trip wrapped around the All-Star break with a 3-3 record, and Spacek (hip) is expected to be a game-time decision for Wednesday night. Soon to turn 35, Spacek is Buffalo’s top blueliner and the point man (two goals, 10 assists) on the power play, which is tied with Toronto at 20.4 percent efficiency.
As goalie Marty Turco's season has gone, so has the season for the Dallas Stars. Turco's recent run tending the net, allowing just seven goals over his last five games and starting the last 20 between the pipes, coincides with a five-game win streak and six triumphs in their last seven skates. The stretch has lifted the Stars to the No. 6 slot in the Western Conference and closing in on Anaheim.
What, you didn’t really think the Dallas Stars were that bad, did you?
Not that anyone can be blamed for writing off the Stars after they started the season in turmoil at 6-10-4. It’s been a long struggle back to respectability since then, marked by the departure of Sean Avery, but Dallas is back in the saddle again after winning five straight games to improve to 24-18-7. The Stars still have a lot of work to do to get into the black against the puckline at 22-27 ATS (minus-11.89 units). But beating each of their last five opponents by at least two goals is a surefire way to overcome the betting odds.
Whatever disruption Avery may have caused in his 23 games with Dallas, this is all on goalie Marty Turco’s shoulder pads. The 33-year-old veteran is honest about his annual battles to find a comfort zone where his body and mind are on the same page. Turco is certainly in the zone now after giving up just seven goals over this five-game span. His save percentage has improved each month, from a dismal .842 in October to a respectable .910 in January.
The Stars will have to lean on Turco to make it through the
rest of the regular season. Defenseman Sergei Zubov (hip) and winger Brendan Morrow (knee) are out for the year – although Morrow is hopeful he can beat the odds and make it back in time for the playoffs. This leaves Dallas without two of its top five skaters; Morrow was second only to Turco in Player Contribution points last season with 80, while Zubov was second only to then-rookie Matt Niskanen on the blueline with 60 PC points. The injuries also leave the Stars power play ranked No. 25 in the league at 15.8 percent.
Turco’s importance to Dallas is only magnified by last year’s multi-player trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning that sent goalie Mike Smith to the East in exchange for center Brad Richards. Turco’s new No. 2 is Swiss rookie Tobias Stephan, who has an .887 save percentage in just seven appearances. Turco has made 20 straight starts for Dallas; the Stars have back-to-back games coming up Thursday at Colorado and Friday at home versus the N.Y. Rangers. Busy busy.
Toronto at Buffalo (-200, O/U 6)
Wednesday, Feb 4, 7:30 p.m. (ET) TSN
Imagine being the 19-23-9 Maple Leafs (25-26 ATS, minus-10.92 units) and having to rely on Vesa Toskala in goal. He’s started 13 of Toronto’s last 14 games and 43 of 51 on the season. Unlike Turco, Toskala isn’t getting any better; his save percentage has stayed consistently below .900 this year, currently sitting at .883. The only regular starter to do worse this year: Detroit’s Chris Osgood at .882.
Now imagine if the Leafs had a premium netminder. Toronto is scoring enough goals (2.94 per game, No. 10 in the NHL) and preventing enough shots (28.1 against per game, No. 5 in the league) to keep Toskala at 17-17-7 as a starter. But there’s a wee problem with that. Defenseman Tomas Kaberle broke his hand last Thursday blocking a shot against the Avalanche and will be out 3-4 weeks. Kaberle was Toronto’s top defenseman and top skater last year with 93 PC points, not to mention the quarterback of their No. 10-ranked power play (20.4 percent) with three goals and 16 assists on the man advantage.
Just across the border in Buffalo, the 26-20-5 Sabres (24-27 ATS, minus-2.52 units) have no sympathy whatsoever. They’re missing four defensemen: Jaroslav Spacek, Henrik Tallinder, Teppo Numminen and Andrej Sekera. Buffalo is also without center Jochen Hecht (concussion) and winger Maxim Afinogenov (groin). The Sabres still managed to escape a six-game road trip wrapped around the All-Star break with a 3-3 record, and Spacek (hip) is expected to be a game-time decision for Wednesday night. Soon to turn 35, Spacek is Buffalo’s top blueliner and the point man (two goals, 10 assists) on the power play, which is tied with Toronto at 20.4 percent efficiency.