[RyanLappell]

Okay, so last night I got beat because I played a parlay with two teams I was sure about, and 1 that I suspected. My personal record is still 7-3 on the last ten picks I made with hockey, so I am going to keep plugging along. Here's how I see tonight...

Toronto at Buffalo:

Hmm...this one is a tough one to call. Buffalo is the top team in the EC, but Toronto is number 4, and number 2 in the NE division. They're both 3-2 in the last five games played. Both teams have been doing really well lately. The thing that decides it for me, though, is that Toronto beat Buffalo the last time they played this season, and Buffalo is looking for some revenge. Then again, it was the same story with Ottawa and Ottawa came to Buffalo and beat them a second time. I'm going to have to give it to Buffalo, though, because a) Buffalo is not looking to give up a revenge game a second time and, b) As a Montrealer, I hate Toronto with a passion and I'd like to believe they'll lose tonight.

PICK: Buffalo on the ML


Ottawa at Philly:

This one seems like a no-brainer, actually. Ottawa has been playing quite poorly, except for against Buffalo, and Philly skates like the wind at home. Yet...Ottawa has a tendency to upset in no-brainer type games.

Still, I'm going to go with the obvious here.

PICK: Philly on the ML


Minnesota at Montreal

Call me biased, but I think that my Habs are going to beat the Wild tonight. Montreal's hometown crowd is one of the best in the NHL and we actually do quite good after a loss. Minnesota isn't such a great team, so I'm confident that we're going to beat them tonight. I'd even wager on the puckline for this one.

PICK: Montreal at -1.5


TB at Florida

I'm a huge fan of Todd Bertuzzi from back when he was a Canuck, but it seems like Florida is doing decently without him. Still, TB is said to be the safe pick in most of their games. TB is on a 2 game losing streak on the road and they're not looking to make it 3. It'll be a close game, but I'm going to give it to TB.

PICK: TB on the ML


Chicago at Calgary

I mean...come on! Calgary is one of the top teams in the NHL and Chicago has been amazingly awful, minus a few wins. Calgary is on a winning streak, except for last night's close loss to Edmonton. Chicago, on the other hand, got a lucky win against the Ducks and victories against B-level teams, Columbus and St. Louis, but other than that they are the NHL's favorite jobbers.

PICK: Calgary at -1.5

Well, those are my 5. Let's see how I do.

[Willie Bee]

Best of luck on the ice this evening, Ryan

[Doc JS]

Ottawa at Philly:

This one seems like a no-brainer, actually. Ottawa has been playing quite poorly, except for against Buffalo, and Philly skates like the wind at home. Yet...Ottawa has a tendency to upset in no-brainer type games.

Still, I'm going to go with the obvious here.

PICK: Philly on the ML

Ryan,
With all due respect...I think you have a hard time making a case for Philly. Philly is 2-6-2 at home this season and 2-7-1 in their last ten games.

Now, they did pick up a couple of wins on a recent west coast road trip, but for the most part they've been really, really bad all season.

I've made some nice coin fading the Flyers pretty much all year. Now, maybe they're getting ready to turn it around and start playing better hockey...but they haven't shown it on a consistent basis yet, IMO.

I don't like Ottawa either. It's a no play for me. But BOL

Doc JS

[RyanLappell]

True enough, Doc. But Ottawa hasn't been doing too well either.

All I can say is that people should keep an eye out for Philly to pull it off tonight.

I may be wrong, obviously, but I stand by my pick.

[bigboydan]

I was actually leaning towards the Panthers -0.5 +137 in that game.

[Peyton2MarvinN06]

Ryan- I'm liking Ottawa in that game myself... Philly has been horrible this year and I watched them get whipped by the Pens @ home the other night... Ottawa seems to be getting things together... GOOD LUCK ON YOUR PLAYS!

[Tomxster]

Forsberg is OUT tonight for Philly, who has lost 5 straight home games.

Ottawa is a good play.

Wonder who is playing goalie for Calgary. Kiprusoff played last night vs Edm.

[RyanLappell]

Well, let's see how I did tonight...

I took Buffalo on the ML:
HIT

Philly on the ML:
MISS

Montreal on the puckline, -1.5:
HIT

TB on the ML:
HIT

Calgary on the puckline, -1.5:
HIT

So, tonight I am at 4-1, and I think I'll start doing these things regularly.

[RyanLappell]

Okay, so to recap I'm 4-1 right now...

Tonight, there's only 1 NHL game...:

Vancouver at Nashville

Well, let's see...

- Nashville is the fairly heavy fave in this game.

- They've played twice this season so far, 1 win a piece over the other.

- Vancouver is on a 3 game win streak, including the victory last night against the top-ranking RW in OT.

- Nashville lost last night, but they are still 3-2 out of the last 5 games played.

- In the entire season, Nashville has only lost more than 1 game in a row one time. Since then, and prior to that, every single loss was followed by a win.

- In the entire season, Vancouver has never won more than two in a row until now.

- Vancouver has one of the best defences in the league

- Nashville has the 2nd best scoring at home in the league.

It's a hard one to call, but I'm going to have to go with the record on this one.

PICK: Nashville on the ML

UPDATE: Also, while I don't bet on totals, if you're into that sort of thing then the UNDER looks pretty good in this game.

[Illusion]

Well, let's see how I did tonight...

I took Buffalo on the ML:
HIT

Philly on the ML:
MISS

Montreal on the puckline, -1.5:
HIT

TB on the ML:
HIT

Calgary on the puckline, -1.5:
HIT

So, tonight I am at 4-1, and I think I'll start doing these things regularly.

Excellent job bud.

[RyanLappell]

I'm prepared to call the Nashville game a wrap and declare it another hit for myself.

I was off on the total, but then again that's why I don't bet totals and since it wasn't an actual pick then I declare tonight 1-0 putting Ryan's Picks at a solid 5-1.

[RyanLappell]

Lots of hockey all day and tonight, so here are some of my picks...

Ryan's Picks Overall = 5-1


Carolina at Boston:

- Carolina is the favourite, but not by terribly a lot.

- Carolina is 3-2 of the last 5, whereas Boston is 4-1

- Carolina has lost the last 2 games played, whereas Boston won four in a row, lost on Monday, and then won the last game played.

- Carolina's overall offense is 10th in the NHL currently, versus Boston having an overall defense ranked 28th.

- Carolina is 6th in the Eastern Conference, while Boston is 13th.

It's not an easy game to call, but I think Carolina is too good a team to lose three in a row.

PICK: Carolina on the ML


Phoenix at Minnesota

- In terms of stats, Minny is the clear favorite.

- Minnesota is the clear favorite here

- Phoenix has only won 1 road game their entire season, having played 12 road games so far, and it was to a B-Level team, the Blues.

- Out of the 11 road games they've lost this season, they've lost 10 out of 11 by more than 1 goal.

There's really no point in continuing...

RYAN'S LOCK OF THE DAY: Minnesota at -1.5


NJ at Anaheim

- Both teams are top-level teams

- Anaheim outperforms them in every regard, and is the clear favorite here.

- They've both lost their last game, after winning two before then.

- The Ducks are the 3rd best scorers at home in the league.

- Ducks have won six of the last ten home games played, including the last two. Devils have won three of the last ten road games played.

It could really go either way here, but I think I'll stay with the record.

PICK: Anaheim on the ML


St. Louis at Detroit

- Detroit's the heavy favorite here.

- Detroit outperforms St. Louis in all states, except for ability during a PP.

- St. Louis has won two of the last ten road games played, including the last one. Detroit has won 7 of the last ten home games played.

- In the last ten games between Detroit and St. Louis, St. Louis has only ever beaten Detroit once.

- Detroit is on a three game losing streak, and got embarrassed in their last home game by Vancouver.

Need I go on?

PICK: Detroit on the ML


Montreal at Buffalo

Tonight, my hometown Habs are on the road against the top team in the NHL.

- Montreal has won six out of the last ten road games played. Buffalo has won seven out of the last ten home games played, including the last three.

- Buffalo has won eight of the last ten games they played against Montreal, including the last four.

- Montreal has never managed to win more than two in a row this whole season

- Sabres have the best overall scoring, and the best home scoring in the NHL.

All signs point to my hometown boys losing tonight.

PICK: Sabres on the ML.


Well, those are my five picks for today.

Good luck!

[bigboydan]

I disagree with your Ducks play bro. I happen to like the Devils in that game.

[RyanLappell]

Well, I guess we'll see.

[RyanLappell]

Carolina on the ML
Anaheim on the ML (Sorry, bigboydan )
Minnesota at -1.5

All hits.

Hockey god in the house!

Let's see how Buffalo and Detroit do.

[RyanLappell]

Well, I guess tonight was a night of upsets afterall.

St. Louis actually found a way to hold off the RW in Regulation and than beat them in the SO.

And Montreal beat Buffalo in OT, which, although I lost the wager, I'm obviously very happy about.

So, tonight I'm 3-2.

Overall, I'm now at 8-3.

[RyanLappell]

So, let's see how things look for tonight...

Here are my 5 picks:

Philly at Montreal

- Now on a 3 game streak, my hometown Habs are hosting the Flyers.

- Habs are in the top 10 teams in the NHL in scoring at home

- Flyers suck

PICK: Montreal on the ML


Minnesota at Columbus

PICK: Wild on the ML


Florida at Atlanta

PICK: Atlanta on the ML



Washington at NYI

PICK: Islanders on the ML


Boston at Toronto

- Ahhh...the big revenge match between two teams that hate each other.

PICK: The Leafs on the ML

[Doc JS]

So, let's see how things look for tonight...

Here are my 5 picks:

Philly at Montreal

- Now on a 3 game streak, my hometown Habs are hosting the Flyers.

- Habs are in the top 10 teams in the NHL in scoring at home

- Flyers suck

PICK: Montreal on the ML


Minnesota at Columbus

PICK: Wild on the ML


Florida at Atlanta

PICK: Atlanta on the ML



Washington at NYI

PICK: Islanders on the ML


Boston at Toronto

- Ahhh...the big revenge match between two teams that hate each other.

PICK: The Leafs on the ML

Ryan,

I like the Montreal pick. Montreal is, as you said on a three game streak. They're 6-2-2 at home and 7-3-0 in their last ten. Philly is 3-8-0 on the road this season. The Habs look good to me, too!

Minnesota coming off a win vs. Phoenix and Columbus coming off a loss to Philly. I want to like Minnesota, but the only thing that bothers me about Minnesota is they seem to be a completely different team away from home. The Wild are 9-1-1 at home but only 4-7-0 on the road. I think I'll pass on the Wild, but BOL to you!

Doc JS

Doc JS

[bigboydan]

I feel the puckline is the best way to play that Habs game myself.