YTD 32-28 +11.65u NHL 18-12 (+10.70u)
NBA 10-12 (+0.80u) NFL 4-3 (+0.15u) Another 2u win in NHL and another loss in NBA. Taking the night off NBA and focusing on NHL as there are plenty of rock solid matchups tonight. Going to have TWO plays in NHL. Write-ups below.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers // Feb 28
Beasts of the East
Two Metropolitan Division teams meet up under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden tonight as the Washington Capitals face the New York Rangers. The Rangers’ quest to contend in the division just got a whole lot tougher when the Capitals decided to add the biggest piece of trade deadline bait to their roster.
The rich get richer
… And the strong get stronger. The NHL’s trade deadline hasn’t come yet and it already it feels like the Capitals came out on top. Late Monday night, the Caps acquired Kevin Shattenkirk from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for some swanky draft picks. Shattenkirk is expected to make his debut for the Caps tonight.
The Caps have always been a strong regular season team, but this season they aren’t messing around. Even before the addition of the top-tier defenceman, the Caps were making a mockery out of the NHL. They are top-ten in every major statistical category. They are 3rd in goals scored per game (3.3), 1st in goals against (2.1), and their special teams are humming along; 6th in the league with the man-advantage and 7th on the penalty kill. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and they are 16-8-6 while on the road this season.
Best of the rest
The Rangers would go into the postseason as the first Wild Card spot if the season ended today. The funny thing is that they have more points that the first place team in the Atlantic Division. That’s how good the top four teams (Caps, Pens, Blue Jackets, Rangers) of the Metropolitan have been this season.
They are also 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are 19-12-2 this year at home. Even though tonight’s game with be the Rangers’ fifth game in the span of eight days, they can’t afford to take a breather now. They are only one point behind the Blue Jackets and two points behind the Pens. However, both those teams have two games in hand on the Rangers. Like the Caps, the Rangers are solid at both ends of the ice. They are 5th in goals for this season and 10th in the league in goals against.
The Final Breakdown Both teams have been extremely evenly matched and there is no specific advantage to consider when looking at the Rangers home record against the Caps as they are 10-10 in their last 20. One thing that IS noticeable, however, is the fact that since 2000, the Capitals have been a favourite at MSG only 7 times, but 6 of 7 have been high scoring games. Now, Lundqvist has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde this season, and Holtby is a monster for the Caps, but so far this season, history has repeated itself more often than not. I'll ride it.
The Edmonton Oilers (33-22-8) cross divisions to take on the St. Louis Blues (31-25-5). The Oilers are holding onto the third spot in the Pacific Division while tied with the Anaheim Ducks, while the Blues are the second Wild Card team with a slew of teams hot on their tails.
Atop the rig
It took a while but it seems the youth movement in Edmonton has finally fielded some positive results. Third in their division and just five points behind the first-place San Jose Sharks, it seems that the Oilers will be playing some meaningful games down the regular season stretch for the first time in a while.
As expected, the Oilers have a deadly offence that revolves around speed (ie: Connor McDavid). They are 11th in the league with 2.8 goals per game. What was not expected is their surprisingly strong defensive play. For a young team, they have been responsible in their own zone. They are 9th in the league for goals against with an average of 2.6 per game. Their play has been even better on the road than it is at home, 18-12-5 on the year.
A case of the blues
The Blues started out 7-1 under Mike Yeo but have lost their last three games. Along with the trade of Kevin Shattenkirk early this week, it’s anyone’s guess which direction the Blues will trend. And they don’t have much time to figure it out because the Los Angeles Kings are two points behind them and the Winnipeg Jets are five points behind for the final playoff spot.
The Blues are 18-10-4 at home this season. One of their biggest strengths is their special teams. With the man advantage, they are 8th in the league and convert 21.7 per cent of the time. While on the penalty kill, the Blue are 6th in the league with a 84.3 success rate.
The Final Breakdown Oilers are 2-10 in their last 20 when visiting the Blues in St. Louis. The Blues are looking to turn things around and tonight is the perfect time for them to do it. Big performance by Jake Allen tonight as he'll shut down Mcdavid and Co.
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Feb 28 - The Daily Breakdown(s)
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