ZdenoK's European Hockey and NHL thread

[ZdenoK]

Washington Capitals ML @ -153 Pinnacle
Washington Capitals team totals over 2.5 @ -139 Pinnacle

First match between the two teams after almost 2 years. Both are in pretty much similar form, in last 10 matches they are 5-4-1. Nashville cannot fill the gap of Pekka Rinne's injury and their captain Shea Weber which is huge. Weber is leading the team with time on ice and he is one of the main hitters and blockers of shots. They have managed to only clinch a point in the recent home series of 4 matches. Predators are having problems with efficiency, they only score 2.24 goals per game which is in the bottom of the league. If they will continue to play like that they are in for another loss in the capital tonight. Capitals are coming from a high home loss against Carolina. They didn't win in regulation for 7 matches since they have beaten St. Louis. They are now 3rd in Metropolitan division, falling behind Carolina and overall 8th in the East. They have to start winning again or they might fall out of the playoff spot soon so tonight they have good chances to get 2 points against a cold team such as Nashville. They are still ranked high with their powerplay but in general they allow too many goals which I think is a consequence of young inexperienced defensemen who make too many mistakes. They are also having some problems with injuries - Erskine and Hiller + Laich in the offense. On top of all the problems Washington is struggling with team chemistry. Martin Erat has requested a trade to another NHL team due to having too few ice time and trust. Seems like Orlov is in similar spot as Erat as well. I think Capitals really need this victory tonight so Ovie and Backstrom should be fired up, I also like how Grabovski plays and steps up when #8 and #19 fail. If Mike Green can lead the defense tonight to play properly, I think Capitals will comfortably win. Holtby is also due since he got pulled against Carolina so he should have a strong performance tonight to bounce back. But it's Capitals, I can't trust these guys to win in regulation... odds for ML are low but I'm confident they will win tonight.

[ZdenoK]

Parlay: St. Louis Blues ML & Los Angeles Kings ML @ +112 Pinnacle

Simply 2 games where the home team is currently a much better opponent in better form. Blues have lost a couple of matches recently but bounced back against Islanders. Anaheim has played yesterday where they have managed to win in Chicago in shootout. Long and exhausting match with current champions should have its toll. Blues have only lost 1 match in regulation at home ice in current seaason so I think they shouldn't have big problems beating Ducks tonight.

Islanders have now lost 8 matches in a row while Kings are playing very good hockey. I don't know what they are doing with goalies in LA but they have some outstanding netminders even in the absence of Quick. While Kings dropped some matches vs Calgary and San Jose recently I think the reason for that was exhausting schedule. The last time they have lost for more than a goal it was in the middle of October. They are coming from 2 huge victories - they have beaten St. Louis and Anaheim where they were a better opponent in both matches. They didn't play for 4 days so they should be fresh and unless we are in for one of the NHL underdog "miracles" there should be no doubt about the winner of this matchup.

[chabooky386]

Washington Capitals ML @ -153 Pinnacle
Washington Capitals team totals over 2.5 @ -139 Pinnacle

First match between the two teams after almost 2 years. Both are in pretty much similar form, in last 10 matches they are 5-4-1. Nashville cannot fill the gap of Pekka Rinne's injury and their captain Shea Weber which is huge. Weber is leading the team with time on ice and he is one of the main hitters and blockers of shots. They have managed to only clinch a point in the recent home series of 4 matches. Predators are having problems with efficiency, they only score 2.24 goals per game which is in the bottom of the league. If they will continue to play like that they are in for another loss in the capital tonight. Capitals are coming from a high home loss against Carolina. They didn't win in regulation for 7 matches since they have beaten St. Louis. They are now 3rd in Metropolitan division, falling behind Carolina and overall 8th in the East. They have to start winning again or they might fall out of the playoff spot soon so tonight they have good chances to get 2 points against a cold team such as Nashville. They are still ranked high with their powerplay but in general they allow too many goals which I think is a consequence of young inexperienced defensemen who make too many mistakes. They are also having some problems with injuries - Erskine and Hiller + Laich in the offense. On top of all the problems Washington is struggling with team chemistry. Martin Erat has requested a trade to another NHL team due to having too few ice time and trust. Seems like Orlov is in similar spot as Erat as well. I think Capitals really need this victory tonight so Ovie and Backstrom should be fired up, I also like how Grabovski plays and steps up when #8 and #19 fail. If Mike Green can lead the defense tonight to play properly, I think Capitals will comfortably win. Holtby is also due since he got pulled against Carolina so he should have a strong performance tonight to bounce back. But it's Capitals, I can't trust these guys to win in regulation... odds for ML are low but I'm confident they will win tonight.

Parlay: St. Louis Blues ML & Los Angeles Kings ML @ +112 Pinnacle

Simply 2 games where the home team is currently a much better opponent in better form. Blues have lost a couple of matches recently but bounced back against Islanders. Anaheim has played yesterday where they have managed to win in Chicago in shootout. Long and exhausting match with current champions should have its toll. Blues have only lost 1 match in regulation at home ice in current seaason so I think they shouldn't have big problems beating Ducks tonight.

Islanders have now lost 8 matches in a row while Kings are playing very good hockey. I don't know what they are doing with goalies in LA but they have some outstanding netminders even in the absence of Quick. While Kings dropped some matches vs Calgary and San Jose recently I think the reason for that was exhausting schedule. The last time they have lost for more than a goal it was in the middle of October. They are coming from 2 huge victories - they have beaten St. Louis and Anaheim where they were a better opponent in both matches. They didn't play for 4 days so they should be fresh and unless we are in for one of the NHL underdog "miracles" there should be no doubt about the winner of this matchup.

Always a great write up and insight on the game! Thanks for your time and write ups!

[cburland10]

Completely agree with Chabooky. Thanks for all the work you put in. Definitely something you don't HAVE to do

[ZdenoK]

8.12.2013 - Extraklasa (Poland)
Comarch Cracovia @ +102 Pinnacle

Teams are battling over 2nd position in the league. Sanok has some problems with injuries (goalie Murray and offense player Chwedoruk) but a huge part of the team is questionable because of stomache problems - Mahdob, Richter, Vozdecky, Cwikla and Sinagl. Worth to back up Krakow who only lost 1 match at home, the first one in the season.

[ZdenoK]

Completely agree with Chabooky. Thanks for all the work you put in. Definitely something you don't HAVE to do

Always a great write up and insight on the game! Thanks for your time and write ups!

You're welcome guys, I'm glad you make some use of my write ups hopefully I'll start hitting more picks again!

[ZdenoK]

10.12.2013 - EBEL (EHL)
EC VSV -1 @ -121 Pinnacle

VSV has now won 9 consecutive matches which boosted the team to 2nd place in the league. Even without 1st goalie and some players they have managed to clinch all the points. Tonight the starting goalie Lamoureux is back, he is #2 in the league but that's not even the main reason for VSV's victories, they have the highest scoring offense in the league with by far the best powerplay. Hughes and Ryan have both over 50 points which is almost 20 points more than other players following them on the scoring list. HCB South Tyrol is currently 4th in the league but they are slowly dropping down the ladders. They have now lost 4 matches straight and are still without a victory in December where they are scoring less than 2 goals per match. Tonight they will play without 1st scoring line which scored 29 goals combined - Insam and Sharp are injured, Stromberg is suspended. So far the result in mutual matches is 1-1, both teams winning at home ice. Expect Villach to take the lead and win their 10th straight match.

[16kredit]

What the f*** is happening in that game, how can't VSV score...

[ZdenoK]

10.12.2013 - NHL
Calgary Flames ML @ +133 Pinnacle

It is tough to bet against Boston but they will play without some of their usual roster tonight, I don't know when Bruins were so banged up last. McQuaid, Hamilton, Thornton, Kelly, Paille, Eriksson are out with injury (or suspension). On top of that there are some health issues with some cruical players. According to Boston's official website Chara, Campbell, Miller and Johnson are battling flu. They didn't practice yesterday but attended the pregame skate tonight so they will most likely play. The big story is Iginla playing against his former team which he was leading for a long time... should be very emotional and it could go either way for him. Calgary is also without some key players - Wideman, Galiardi and Monahan but despite that I think they have nice chances to beat Boston tonight. It is clear by now they won't see playoffs but they remain competitive and will try to steal points from other teams. They have actually won 3 out of last 4 matches since captain and 1st defenseman Giordano is back in the lineup. I won't write much more as Boston is clearly a much better team in every aspect but given the shape Bruins are currently in, despite all the troubles with roster they are having, they have still won against Pittsburgh and Toronto but they should eventually lose as well and odds for Calgary are pretty good.


San Jose Sharks -1.5 @ +101 Pinnacle

I think this is a no-brainer. I was worried Islanders could beat Ducks yesterday and they even took the initial lead but in the end they have fallen with 2-5... Sharks are having problems with efficiency. They have now lost 3 matches, vs Penguins they had 10 minutes of shady defense work and they were down 4-0. Against Carolina they took the early lead with 2-0 but managed to lose in the final period. They outshot Minnesota with 38-13 but lost by 1-3... they are finally finished with the frustrating road trip so they can bounce back at home ice. They are a much better team than Islanders and have a nice depth in their lineup. We might see an underdog miracle here but I expect Sharks to start strong from the first period and no stopping until they score 4-5 goals. Sharks also had a day off while Islanders played in Anaheim yesterday. It doesn't help that Islanders are the worst road team in the league either.


Detroit Red Wings ML @ -121 Pinnacle

A return match for these two teams. 2 days ago Florida has beaten Red Wings in Detroit but the next day got humiliated in Chicago who showed them their place. They have lost with 2-6 where they allowed 3 powerplay goals. Detroit is playing according to hot/cold lately but they had a couple of days off since the Florida defeat and tonight they will get Datsyuk back. Wings still remain one of the best road teams, they are 10-3-1 in the season. They should be a much better team than Panthers so I expect a payback tonight.


Dallas Stars/Chicago Blackhawks over 5.5 @ -119 Pinnacle

They have played 3 matches in the season so far and 2 of them ended up with 7 goals while one was tied 1-1 and decided in 11th series of SO. Chicago plays most of their matches high scoring, mainly because they can score goals on their own. They are highest scoring team in the league but they would often let in some goals as well. With injured backup goalie Khabibulin now the main problem has become recent injury of 1st goalie Crawford. Huge weight lies on prospect Antti Raanta. It doesn't help that they are terrible in penalty killing, though they have killed all 5 penalties against Florida and scored on 3/4 powerplays in their last match. Since Seguin is healthy again Dallas has one of the most dangerous offensive lines in the league - Benn-Seguin-Nichushkin. Stars have gathered points in last 6 matches so they are slowly catching up in Central division but they are still 7 points behind Colorado which is 4th. I think Dallas could win tonight but with Seguin and Kane on the ice I expect a high-scoring affair.


New York Rangers @ -104 Pinnacle

Rangers are one of the most inconsistent teams and quite terrible at home so far (1-5-1 in last 7). They will now play 9 consecutive games in new Madison Square Garden but they have started the series in a bad way, they have lost 2 matches. Last they got beaten by Washington with 1-4 where they got outplayed quite badly. According to NHL Vigneault held a closed meeting with his team so I think they will turn things around soon. Nashville is even more inconsistent and comes to New York with a losing streak of 5 matches. They have last lost in Washington so Capitals have beaten both teams. It is visible more and more they would really need Pekka Rinne healthy because they cannot make their defense work. Can't say their offense is any better, they have only scored 7 goals in last 5 matches. One of the teams will break the losing streak tonight but I think Rangers have good chances to turn their home series around. Similar as I've backed up Capitals when hosting Predators recently I think Rangers are in the same spot tonight. They have dropped points to Capitals which set them further from 8th place in East so they need this victory tonight. I expect Rangers to come out strong and let their frustration go over Predators.

What the f*** is happening in that game, how can't VSV score...

They took the early lead then stopped playing. They had 5 powerplay chances but couldn't score... in the end they allowed empty netter so they lost 2-4. A let down...

[ZdenoK]

Insane, Detroit, Calgary and San Jose managed to blew the lead in 3rd period...

[ZdenoK]

I'm riding with Kings and Blackhawks tonight but not going to post any plays since I've been cold lately.

[ZdenoK]

13.12.2013 - NHL
Vancouver Canucks @ -125 Bet365

Seems like I have to stop posting, had another winning night yesterday... I think Vancouver will beat Edmonton tonight. They have won 5 consecutive matches, last 3 at home, they are undefeated in December. They got better at their defense as they only allowed 3 goals in last 3 while they got better in the offense, they scored 8 goals but they are still having issues capitalizing on powerplay. On Monday Luongo had his 2nd season shutout against Carolina. It seems like Tortorella's defensive system has found it's way at the team, they are also by far the best team in the league when it comes to penalty killing. Canucks are rested as they have been free for 3 days while Oilers played a tough and physical match with Boston yesterday where they were down 0-3 already in 1st period and came back to 2-3 but couldn't tie it up. On top of it the schedule is worse as Oilers had to fly from Boston to Vancouver, cities are practically on the other sides of the continent. Oilers are currently inconsistent mess. In last 9 matches they have played on a win-loss-win-loss... principle. Their main problem still remains a weak defense. They allow way too many goals as they are 2nd worst team with GA/G average (3.39). First season mutual match has ended with 6-2 for Canucks in Vancouver in their home opener.

[HoldinMygroin]

On top of it the schedule is worse as Oilers had to fly from Boston to Vancouver, cities are practically on the other sides of the continent.

Actually they met Boston in Edmonton, it was a home game for them. So they are flying from Edmonton to Vancouver. Just wanted you to know if your putting a lot of weight on this particular detail. But I'm liking Canucks as well, though the ML is no play, looking at regulation.

[ZdenoK]

Actually they met Boston in Edmonton, it was a home game for them. So they are flying from Edmonton to Vancouver. Just wanted you to know if your putting a lot of weight on this particular detail. But I'm liking Canucks as well, though the ML is no play, looking at regulation.

You are right, thanks for pointing out my mistake I'm not that much of a fan giving too much props to fatigue or jet lag effect, just thought to mention it since Boston and Vancouver are on the other sides. Vancouver is currently a better team so it doesn't change my bet. At first I've been looking to parlay Penguins and Canucks but in the end decided to take Vancouver in regulation.

[ZdenoK]

15.12.2013 - EBEL (EHL)
Alba Volan PK @ -106 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

Alba Volan is hosting Winter Classic in Budapest which is an entirely different level of a match than a regular EBEL match. For a couple of seasons we can see such games being hosted in the league and quite commonly the underdog would win (VSV against KAC at Klagenfurt, Olimpija against Medvescak in Pula, Vienna against Medvescak at Salata). Home team Alba Volan has already played 1 match on the open ice, they have beaten the league leading team Salzburg with 6-3 so now they have one more advantage prior to the new match, they know what the ice feels like, how the puck handles on it, how it bounces off the boards and also how it feels like to win in front of the huge home crowd in such spectacle.



In post-game interview some players said they were a bit nervous before the match but once they have adapted to the good atmosphere home crowd has prepared for them it was fun to play. Tomorrow's opponent from Klagenfurt is currently tied with Alba Volan in standings, Hungarians' coach said in interview that they are aware of it and it makes it that more important for home team to win. They also have some advantage in special teams but I'm not sure how big role can that play on open ice. KAC seeks their way out of the crisis. They are coming from a huge loss against Linz, after 30 minutes they were down by 0-4 which resulted into 4th consecutive loss. They are in bad form and there are some rumors about firing current coach. They are falling behind the guaranteed playoff spot (top 6 teams) for 10 points already and given the current form they are probably going to battle the weaker teams to clinch one of the final 2 playoff spots in 2nd part of regular season. It might be a closer match than one would think as Hungarian team is fired up and Austrian team is desperate but KAC is out of shape which makes me believe Alba Volan will win this one.

[16kredit]

Hah I live in Hungary, everyone is so fired up because of the victory over Salzburg
I'll be sure to take Alba Volán

[ZdenoK]

14.12.2013 - NHL
Calgary Flames/Buffalo Sabres under 5 @ +109 Pinnacle

Nice value and not much philosophy... Buffalo has the weakest offense in the league, Calgary plays better in defense recently after Chris Butler took over the team - last 3 matches all under.

Last 10 of both teams:
- Buffalo is 10/10 playing under 5.5 (6-0-4 under 5)
- Calgary is 8/10 playing under 5.5 (5-0-5 under 5)

[ZdenoK]

Chicago Blackhawks/Toronto Maple Leafs over 5.5 @ -122 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

Another match with strong trends:
- Toronto is 7/10 playing over 5.5
- Chicago is 7/10 playing over 5.5
- Toronto has allowed 41 goals in last 10 (14 in last 3)
- Chicago has scored 41 goals in last 10 (19 in last 3) and allowed at least 2 goals in average

Toronto is out of form and slowly dropping down the rankings. Through out October Reimer and Bernier were saving mistakes in the defense but it seems like an end to that came. All the injuries and usually being the inferior team have finally caught up. They are 0-3 in last 3. Chicago is a whole chapter of its own... to 3 consecutive losses they have answered with 3 consecutive vicotries. Despite being without both starting goalies they are still winning with Raanta in net and fired up Kane and Sharp on the offense. The last time Toronto has beaten Chicago it was more than 10 years ago. I hate to choose sides here as both teams are coming from a series of 3 but I think chances for totals going over are pretty good. Though, Toronto will be without Clarkson who is suspended and Phaneuf will return back to the D so I'll go a tad more careful on this one.

[ZdenoK]

New York Islanders ML @ +123 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

This is a match I probably wouldn't want to watch. It should be a battle of two teams in bad shape. Islanders have fallen to the 2nd last place of the league. After long and exhausting West coast road trip they are now finally back home to the Long Island. They have lost 11 out of last 12 matches, somehow they managed to surprise San Jose despite being down 2-0 after 2 periods. They are coming from a 3-6 loss in Phoenix though. Probably the only goods news is return of Nabokov. Perhaps too much was expected from Moulson - Vanek trade, though Vanek is one of the most efficient players recently. There is no question about the main line Vanek-Tavares-Okposo being able to produce, the problem is other lines are not scoring. Montreal's recent euphoria and 9 victories on 10 matches is over. They have now lost 2 matches, only scoring a goal while allowing 8. They got humiliated at home by LA and coach Therrien went back to the drawing board scrambling the offensive lines again. They can seek advantage in special teams since their powerplay is pretty good, currently ranked 6th, and Islanders' penalty killing is by far the worst in the league. However, the problem remains efficiency in 5-on-5. It is a tough call to make here but with both teams struggling lately I see some value in Islanders.

[ZdenoK]

15.12.2013 - EBEL (EHL)
Alba Volan PK @ -106 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

Alba Volan is hosting Winter Classic in Budapest which is an entirely different level of a match than a regular EBEL match. For a couple of seasons we can see such games being hosted in the league and quite commonly the underdog would win (VSV against KAC at Klagenfurt, Olimpija against Medvescak in Pula, Vienna against Medvescak at Salata). Home team Alba Volan has already played 1 match on the open ice, they have beaten the league leading team Salzburg with 6-3 so now they have one more advantage prior to the new match, they know what the ice feels like, how the puck handles on it, how it bounces off the boards and also how it feels like to win in front of the huge home crowd in such spectacle.



In post-game interview some players said they were a bit nervous before the match but once they have adapted to the good atmosphere home crowd has prepared for them it was fun to play. Tomorrow's opponent from Klagenfurt is currently tied with Alba Volan in standings, Hungarians' coach said in interview that they are aware of it and it makes it that more important for home team to win. They also have some advantage in special teams but I'm not sure how big role can that play on open ice. KAC seeks their way out of the crisis. They are coming from a huge loss against Linz, after 30 minutes they were down by 0-4 which resulted into 4th consecutive loss. They are in bad form and there are some rumors about firing current coach. They are falling behind the guaranteed playoff spot (top 6 teams) for 10 points already and given the current form they are probably going to battle the weaker teams to clinch one of the final 2 playoff spots in 2nd part of regular season. It might be a closer match than one would think as Hungarian team is fired up and Austrian team is desperate but KAC is out of shape which makes me believe Alba Volan will win this one.

If anyone wants to watch the match, here is (in German).

[ZdenoK]

If anyone wants to watch the match, here is (in German).

Too bad they blew the 2-0 lead but I'll take push rather than loss... There are several NHL leans:
Kings/Blackhawks over 5.5 - Kings are perhaps the best team at the moment, very good defensively (goaltending) as well as offensively (I think they were 3rd with scoring goals last time I checked). Blackhawks are number 1 in the league when it comes to scoring goals and they will want to make up for the humiliation yesterday. Should be plenty of potential firepower in the match. But it's Sunday and B2B so it might as well end 3-2...

Anaheim in regulation - Anaheim is unbeaten in regulation at home ice. Edmonton is inconsistent mess so I don't know what to expect from them though.

Rangers in regulation and 1st period under - Rangers are not in a good spot. They have meanwhile picked up their form after the very weak start but they are on a cold streak again. They play like crap - can't score more than 2 goals while they allow too many. A good chance to bounce back tonight because Calgary played yesterday, they had a long match which went into OT. Lundqvist will want to come out strong to get rid of the doubts regarding his performance which popped up recently after extending his contract. They know they need to tighten up their defense so they probably worked on it alot. 1st periods went over with Rangers quite often lately but I have wrote yesterday about Calgary playing very good defensively since the change of leadership, they are not allowing goals in 1st period. I think the last time they got scored against in 1st period it was like 5 or 6 matches ago.

But I'll probably pass and stay away tonight.

[CatHawk]

Good hockey thread here man. Good write ups. Keep it up!

[ZdenoK]

16.12.2013 - NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs @ +295 MarathonBet 0.4 unit
Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 @ +442 Pinnacle 0.1 unit

Pittsburgh is banged up with injuries, they are missing 4 top defensemans (Letang, Orpik, Martin, Scuderi) + probably Engelland due to suspension. Neal and Malkin are also out, 2 of currently most efficient players beside Crosby. Despite all the troubles with injuries Penguins are currently the top team in East, they have won 7 out of last 8 matches and are ranked #1 in powerplay and #2 in penalty killing. They are riding the winning streak of 4 matches. A very impressive form. Fleury is one of the top goalies at the moment and even when he gets the rest Zatkoff seems to get the deal done. Can't say much more, seems like the team chemistry is at its highest. Toronto comes from a BIG victory over the best team in the league. They have humiliated Chicago with 7-3 and escaped the losing streak. If they can build on the victory and carry the momentum, they have good chances to beat Penguins tonight. Like Pittsburgh they are also banged up with injuries but they are long-term ones so there is nothing new. Okay, Clarkson is still suspended but can't say he was producing much so far, they managed just fine without him against Chicago. Currently they are 4th in division, only 2 points behind Detroit who lost yesterday so they could catch up tonight if they can get 2 points. The team are main stars of 24/7 series which debuted 2 days ago and I think this match will be featured on the next episode so I believe they are pretty hyped up. No info about starting goalies yet but either of them should come out strong. They were allowing too many goals through recent matches so I'm sure they want an end to it and good chances for that riding the huge victory over Chicago. Teams have played each other twice this season, both times the home team claiming the victory. Last time Pittsburgh has won in shootout with 6-5 but they were down 1-4 in the middle of the game already and managed a huge comeback after Toronto couldn't produce a shot on goal in 3rd period. Coincidently the first match has ended with 4-1 for Toronto so it seems like they stopped playing after taking the lead. It was a painful loss so they will want a revenge tonight and it seems like Maple Leafs know how to find back of the net against Penguins, scoring 9 goals against them in 2 season matches. Penguins are a very good OT team, I'd bet on them anytime they go into shootout - Fleury is one of the best shootout goalies and they have some skilled offensive players who know how to dangle the opponent goalies. Similar as Capitals, Penguins win most of their shootout duels so I'll take Toronto in regulation because I don't give them much chances in OT, rather look for a live bet on Penguins in case the match ends up in a tie.

Good hockey thread here man. Good write ups. Keep it up!

Thanks

[CatHawk]

I'm with you on the Leafs. tied 1-1 in the 2nd. Tough game

Bernier with an assist

[ZdenoK]

Toronto is just hopeless... Fleury DID make some awesome saves but so did Bernier. This team is so weak at the moment. Tomorrow they play against Florida and wouldn't be surprised if they lose that one as well.

[CatHawk]

Toronto is just hopeless... Fleury DID make some awesome saves but so did Bernier. This team is so weak at the moment. Tomorrow they play against Florida and wouldn't be surprised if they lose that one as well.

Ya, I saw most of the game and Bernier was looking sharp for the first two periods but didn't see much traffic at all in the 2nd period. I swear when that happens, more often then not, a goalie will get "cold" and be more likely to let up goals on tougher shots than if he were facing consistent shots. Don't quote me on that though not sure about the numbers there.

Leafs got plenty of chances, just one of those "puck not going your way" type of nights. Leafs were working hard in the second and kept the Penguins to only a few shots and were winning the penalty battles through 2 periods.

Game is 60 minutes long though, right? I swear they ran out of gas.. Better team wound up winning. You know what though, we took a chance and to your credit it was a close game. Closer than 3-1 really (empty netter). Leafs got some good looks. As you said, you got to give credit to Fleury.

Anyways, Good luck with tonight's card!

[ZdenoK]

20.12.2013 - Arosa Challenge
Belarus ML @ -143 Bet365

Tournament of 4 countries: Switzerland (hosts), Norway, Slovakia and Belarus. Belarus comes to the tournament with their best squad, the only missing player is Grabovski since he plays in NHL. Team offensive core consists of top KHL players - Kosyn brothers, Koltsov, Kalyuzhny, defense is led by Denisov and in net they have experienced Koval. Slovakia will play with young team squad, many key players will be missing - Marian Hossa, Chara, Sekera, Gaborik are in NHL and their top KHL players - Marcel Hossa, Miklik, Bartovic, Spirko, Zaborsky will also be absent. It seems like the team is pretty different than the one going to Sochi. No doubt the young players will want to excel so they will probably give their 110 % but Belarus shouldn't go there on vacation either since they have their full squad. They will host the world championship so this can be a good test to see where they are. Tournament is played on a semifinals-finals basis so I don't think coach Henlon would come to Switzerland with such squad to only play 1 match.

[ZdenoK]

Belarus wins 2-1

[ZdenoK]

Some NHL action tonight, all half a unit plays.

20.12.2013 - NHL
Vancouver Canucks Team Totals under 2.5 @ -127 Pinnacle 0.5 unit
Winnipeg Jets Team Totals over 2.5 @ -152 Pinnacle 0.5 unit
Parlay: New York Rangers ML & Chicago Blackhawks ML @ +145 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

[ZdenoK]

2-1 on the night, 3-1 counting Belarus. Won't complain. Overall stats:
Euro hockey: 19-16-3 +2.48 units
NHL: 90-92-7 +2.34 units
Live (NHL): 2-4-3 +1.05 unit
Total: +5.87 units

Since the awful 1-5 day I'm trying to be more selective, so far it's paying off.

[ZdenoK]

21.12.2013 - NHL
Toronto Maple Leafs ML @ -117 Pinnacle 0.5 unit
Tampa Bay Lightning ML @ -142 Pinnacle 0.5 unit
Philadelphia Flyers/Columbus Blue Jackets Over 5.5 @ +120 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

[ZdenoK]

22.12.2013 - NHL
New York Rangers ML @ -112 Pinnacle 0.5 unit

At first I wanted to stay away from wagering tonight but there is a couple of reasons Rangers got me dragged in. The Garden hosted 2 College Basketball games this afternoon which means they had only a couple of hours to change the surface back to ice. Rangers should know how the ice feels like in such situations as they have played on it before. Tough to back up this team, the stinkers have lost 7 out of 10 last, they are currently going 1-4-2 at the extended home series which is shameful. Lundqvist is a huge disappointment, ever since he signed the huge contract extension his form dropped drastically and it was just a matter of time when they will start Talbot. They seem like a different team with him. He is coming to this match with a very good record: 6-2-0, 1.74 GAA and 93.4 SV%. Perhaps this is the fresh wind they are looking for to turn the things around. Rangers have started scoring more goals but they are back to the problems in defense. They allow too many goals, almost 4 per game in average on last 7 matches. On top of everything they are coming to this match beaten by city rivals... Minnesota recently received a huge shock learning Harding will be out once again, dealing with his disease. They are struggling on the road where they have only won 3 matches in last 10. They are having problems finding back of the net, scoring in average less than 2 goals on the road recently. Tonight they get back the Finnish wonder boy - Granlund so that's something they can build their offense on. They most certainly can use some fresh ideas on the powerplay. I'm not too confident in Rangers but they are worth of half a unit play for me tonight.

[atofsu32111]

rangers hit a post at least..... fck bro

[ZdenoK]

Nah, they finally get it done

[ZdenoK]

23.12.2013 - NLA
HC Lugano @ -134 Pinnacle

Zug has officially given up on playoffs as they have announced it on their web site. They will spend the rest of the season on building up a team for next year. Lugano had a bad start of the season but they have picked up their form since. Since the national team break in November they went 9-3-2. They have more quality in their roster so they should be able to win tonight.