Articles by Cappers Picks related to online NHL hockey betting, and handicapping live NHL matchups.
Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free nhl picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now eight teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley Cup playoff run.
Weekly NHL Betting action sees the Winnipeg Jets taking on the Anaheim Ducks April 16 at Honda Center. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
The Western Conference top seed Anaheim Ducks begin their Cup Quest Thursday night when they host the upstart Winnipeg Jets who were terrific down the stretch and enter as perhaps the most dangerous underdogs in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free nhl picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now sixteen teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley Cup playoff run.
Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free NHL picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now 8 teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley cup playoff run.
| GAME 1 | Wed. 4/15 | 7 p.m. ET | at Washington | CNC, USA, TVA |
| GAME 2 | Fri. 4/17 | 7 p.m. ET | at Washington | CBC, CNBC, TVA |
| GAME 3 | Sun. 4/19 | Noon ET | at New York | CBC, NBCSN, TVA |
| GAME 4 | Tues. 4/21 | 7:30 p.m. ET | at New York | CBC, USA, TVA |
| GAME 5* | Thurs. 4/23 | TBD | at Washington | CBC |
| GAME 6* | Sat. 4/25 | TBD | at New York | CBC |
| GAME 7* | Mon. 4/27 | TBD | at Washington | CBC |
Capitals vs Islanders Odds To Win 7 Game Series: NHL FIRST ROUND SERIES PRICES BEST OF SEVEN 2-2-1-1-1
683 NEW YORK ISLANDERS +125
684 WASHINGTON CAPITALS -145
This will mark the 7th time in the history of the teams that they meet in the postseason. New York has won 5 of them, with the most recent being in 1993.
Will history repeat itself? Or will the Capitals get their revenge?
New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals and New York Islanders kick things off in Washington on Wednesday night. Why are they in Washington? Because on the final day of the regular season the Capitals stole home ice advantage when they jumped the Islanders in the Metropolitan Standings.
The home ice could be the most pivotal factor in this series as the home team took all the match ups between the two teams in the regular season.
Alexander Ovechkin is the main reason why the Capitals are where they are now. The captain tallied 53 goals, including 4 in the meetings with New York. Ovechkin will look to out match his counter part, John Tavares.
The Islanders’ Captain had two goals and three assists against Washington this season and racked up 86 points total.
As far as the goalies are concerned, goals could be at a premium in this matchup. Washington goalie, Branden Holtby went 41-20-10 and allowed only 2.22 goals against this season. His counterpart, Jaroslav Halak, was just as good going 38-17-4, and only allowing 2.43 goals against.
This will mark the 2nd time in 3 seasons the Islanders will be making a post season appearance. They come in with a little bit of chip on their shoulder as this is their final season in Long Island. The team will make the move to Brooklyn immediately following the conclusion of their 2015 season. The fans, coaches, and players hope that move will be put on hold until after they are hoisting up the Stanley Cup.
New York will be missing a key defender for likely the whole series. Defenseman Travis Hamonic’s injury was not given to the public, but it was made clear he would miss at least the first couple games, if not all of them.
Keeping players out of the penalty box will be a major key for New York. Capital’s captain Alexander Ovechkin tallied 25 power play goals this season. Washington also has an edge in terms of playoff experience as they’ve become regulars in the postseason.
The Islanders will also have to keep an eye on Capital’s forward Nicholas Backstrom. Backstrom scored a goal and added 5 assists against the Islanders this season.
Both teams are physical and this could be one of the most intriguing match ups this post season. While all the games in the regular season were won by the home team, it isn’t certain with everything on the line that it will end up being like that in the playoff series.
Experience is going to be the biggest factor here. New York hasn’t made too many post season appearances over the last 10 seasons and Washington has become regulars. If New York can set the tone and steal game one, Washington could be in a lot of trouble. On the flip side of that, if Washington comes out and sends a message early, the Islanders could collapse under pressure.
Prediction: Washington in 7
Weekly NHL Betting action sees the Calgary Flames taking on the Vancouver Canucks April 15 at Rogers Arena. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
Round 1 of the NHL playoffs kicks off for the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night in Vancouver.
Daily NHL Hockey Odds
Calgary (45-30-4-3) at Vancouver (48-29-3-2)
When: 10:00 PM ET, Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Where: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
Broadcast: CBC, USA, TVA
Calgary Flames +1½ -245 +131 Ov 5 -121
Vancouver Canucks -1½ +205 -145 Un 5 +110
Two of the more surprising teams in the NHL will do battle in what is expected to be a hotly contested series with one reaching the second round.
Who could have predicted that either of these teams would win a first round series? It will be a battle of the never-say-die but inexperienced Flames against the solid, veteran Canucks.
So who wins the all-important Game 1 of this intriguing series? Let’s take a look.
The Calgary Flames were the team that just wouldn’t go away this season and Wednesday night they get to finally see the fruit from all of their season-long labors. A long season of up-tempo, physical hockey didn’t seem to faze the Flames who won five of six games down the stretch before losing their final game in Winnipeg.
[dfads params=’groups=64160&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Calgary makes its first playoff appearance since 2009 with a young and experienced team. How they react on the big stage in Game 1 should set the tone for the rest of the series.
[dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Calgary somehow finished inside the top 10 in scoring this season with a cast of youth and surprisingly good veteran contributions. The line of Jiri Hudler, Sean Monohan and Johnny Gaudreau were one of the best lines in hockey in the final couple months of the season. Those three will be absolutely essential in the playoffs – it seems that the formula for beating the Flames is simple – slow down the top line and make the rest of a slightly underwhelming offensive corp. beat you.
Defensively the season was thought to be lost after captain Mark Giordano was lost for the season but the Flames rallied and actually did a good job of keeping the puck out of the back of their net. Jonas Hiller will get the start between the pipes – he was 3-0-0 in his last three games of the Regular Season with a 1.01 GAA and .965 save percentage. Hiller could be the difference in Game 1 – he enters with a ton of confidence.
The Vancouver Canucks won their last three games of the Regular season over Los Angeles, Arizona and Edmonton by a combined 12-6 score. They are a confident team with a lot going for them heading into Game 1.
Offensively the Canucks were terrific down the stretch – Radim Vrbata led the way although he scored only one goal in his last six games. Still he had 14 points in his last 12 games, Daniel Sedin has eight points in four games, Alex Edler had six points in two games and Jannik Hansen had two points in his last two games. Alex Burrows was pointless in his last three and Chris Higgins has just one point in his final four games but at the end of the day, the Canucks hold the depth advantage offensively heading into Game 1.
[dfads params=’groups=64161&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The starting keeper has yet to be named for the opening game of the series but Eddie Lack seems like the obvious choice. He was 2-0-0 with a 0.48 GAA and .985 save percentage in his last two starts while Ryan Miller struggled in his only start since returning from injury.
• CAL are 22-6 in their last 28 vs. Pacific.
• Over is 7-3 in CAL last 10 road games.
• Under is 7-1-1 in VAN last 9 vs. Pacific.
• VAN are 7-1 in their last 8 Wed. games.
• VAN are 11-5 in their last 16 home games.
• CAL are 7-20 in the last 27 meetings in Vancouver.
• CAL are 17-35 in the last 52 meetings.
The playoffs are a totally new experience for most of the Flames. On the flip side, most of the Canucks have a wealth of experience in the postseason. That’s the difference Wednesday night. Opening night jitters will keep the Flames from playing their game – expect Vancouver to get a leg up with a typically balanced attack.
Vancouver Canucks -145
CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!
[dfads params=’groups=65112&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Weekly NHL Betting action sees the Chicago Blackhawks taking on the Nashville Predators April 15 at Bridgestone Arena. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
NHL Playoff Betting: Jets vs. Ducks Series Preview & Pick
Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free NHL picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now 16 teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley cup playoff run.
The upstart Winnipeg Jets will have upset on their minds when they open their first playoff series since moving from Atlanta in 2011 against the top Western seed Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night. The Ducks have lost a Game 7 at Honda Center to a lower-seeded team in each of the past two postseasons and absolutely should not take the Jets lightly – Winnipeg is quick, they are big and they are as hungry a team as there is in the playoffs this year.
G1 Thurs., April 16 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G2 Sat., April 18 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, 10:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G3 Mon., April 20 Anaheim @ Winnipeg, 9 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G4 Wed., April 22 Anaheim @ Winnipeg, 9:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G5* Fri., April 24 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, TBD Sportsnet
G6* Sun., April 26 Anaheim @ Winnipeg, TBD Sportsnet
G7* Tues., April 28 Winnipeg @ Anaheim, TBD Sportsnet
Jets vs. Ducks Odds To Win 7 Game Series:
Jets Series Prices +155
Ducks Series Prices -175
The Winnipeg Jets squeaked into the playoffs thanks to a terrific stretch run and a physical brand of hockey that made them one of the most difficult teams to play against the final month of the season. The Ducks on the other hand cruised down the stretch and were atop the Western Conference standings all season long. It looks, on paper as though it could be a cakewalk for Anaheim in the first round but there aren’t many that would be shocked to see the Jets add to the first round woes of the Ducks.
Offense
Offensively the Ducks seem to have an overwhelming advantage in the series. That said the Ducks finished the season 11th in the NHL in scoring with 2.79 goals per game while the Jets were 16th with an average of 2.69. Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Matt Beleskey are one of the best top lines in the game and Ryan Kesler was a difference-making second line center during the Regular season.
Jiri Sekac, Kyle Palmieri, Andrew Cogliano, Rickard Rakelland Jakob Silfverberg provide terrific depth for Ducks while Nate Thompson is a good fourth-line center, and Patrick Maroon and Tim Jackman provide size and grit.
The Jets have a stellar top line of their own – Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little and Blake Wheeler were superb all season long and will be a handful indeed. Mark Scheifele, Drew Stafford and Mathieu Perrault are a very good second unit and Michael Frolik, Lee Stempniak and Jiri Tlusty add the depth needed in the tough Western Conference.
Simply put the Ducks are talented but the offensive gap isn’t as great as most people would think ahead of this series. The Jets should be able to hold their own and if they can limit the effectiveness of Anaheim’s top line, they have a fighting chance in this series.
Defense
Winnipeg may hold an advantage in terms of their defense corp. Tyler Myers was a stellar add at the trade deadline, Dustin Byfuglien is an absolute nightmare to play against in both ends of the rink and Toby Enstrom, Jacob Trouba and veteran Mark Stuart fill out one of the most underrated top five in the game.
Anaheim enters the postseason without a true shutdown D-Man. James Wisniewski, Simon Despres, Francois Beauchemin, Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler and Clayton Stoner make up a good, not great defensive unit – they finished in the bottom half of the League in goals allowed per game and in 5-on-5 play and are a huge question mark as we head into the postseason.
Goaltending
Goaltending may be the difference between winning and losing in the postseason for both of these teams. Neither team has a legitimate #1 – Frederik Andersen slightly underperformed during the regular season for Anaheim while Ondrej Pavelec was up and down over the course of the season for Winnipeg. Pavelec unlike Andersen however certainly picked up his game down the stretch.
Pavelec enters the playoffs with as much confidence as any keeper in the Western Conference while Andersen knows he will be on a short leash. Coach Bruce Boudreau won’t be afraid to make a switch between the pipes for the Ducks – not exactly confidence-inspiring for the Western Conference champs.
Prediction:
Intensity and physical play rule the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Jets have been playing with that level of emotion for a month. I think that’s the difference in this series. Despite Anaheim’s stellar Regular Season there are holes in their game – they have been prone to letdowns in the playoffs and the Regular Season. Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien should be able to give Anaheim’s top line fits – if you shut down the Ducks top dogs and take them out of their game, the top seed can be had.
I love the upset in this series – Winnipeg’s size, their skill and their heart has me believing! Take the Jets +155 in 7 games!
The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs is not short on tantalizing match ups, but perhaps the biggest one (for fans hockey fans in Canada at least) is the series between the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. Cappers Picks will provide NHL picks throughout the playoffs so check back before every round.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers will meet in the post season for the second year in a row. Roles have been flipped this time around as the Rangers come in as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference and the Penguins are the heavy underdog. Cappers Picks will provide NHL picks throughout the playoffs so check back before every round.
NHL Playoffs Betting
New York vs Pittsburgh
Series Odds: Penguins +190 / Rangers -220
Game 1: Thursday, April 16 at Madison Square Garden, 7:00 pm EST
Today’s NHL Lines
Today’s NHL Matchups
NHL Standings
***2015 NHL BONUSES***Series Schedule
GAME 2: AT NYR SAT APR 18, 8:00 PM ET
GAME 3: AT PIT MON APR 20, 7:00 PM ET
GAME 4: AT PIT WED APR 22, 7:00 PM ET
GAME 5: AT NYR FRI APR 24, TBD
GAME 6: AT PIT SUN APR 26, TBD
GAME 7: AT NYR TUE APR 28, TBD
Turn back the calendar about two months and this was a playoff series that could have been predicted, but with Pittsburgh as the one seed and the Rangers coming in as the underdog once again. The Rangers steadily built towards the post season and brought home the Presidents Trophy this year, securing home ice throughout the playoffs. Pittsburgh meanwhile looked lost for much of the latter parts of the season and needed a win over Buffalo in the final game of the regular season just to lock up the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.
Pittsburgh was a mess over their final 20 or so games and were very fortunate to have had a stellar first half of the season that provided them with enough cushion to slide into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth.
The Pens limped to the playoffs with a 3-5-2 record in their final 10 games of the season, and since the beginning of March went just 8-12-1, hardly the record of a playoff team. The biggest issue for the Pens has been their inability to score goals which is very surprising for a team with the talent and depth that they have.
[dfads params=’groups=64160&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Sidney Crosby can’t shoulder much blame as he was about the only Penguin over the past month that has posted points on a consistent basis.
Coach Mike Johnston has had a hard time finding a match for Crosby on the top line and has experimented with a number of combinations and players like David Perron, Blake Comeau and most recently Daniel Winnik. None of those players are even close to the level that Crosby plays at and it has slowed the offense as Sid just hasn’t been able to click with any of them.
Evgeni Malkin has returned and should be healthy for this series and Johnston may have to resort to pairing him and Crosby early in this series if the offense goes stagnant. Role players like Brandon Sutter and Nick Spaling are going to have to be huge in this series for the Pens to have a chance as they will likely need to resort to overloading one line in order to find offense against the Rangers.
Patric Hornqvist has shown flashes this season but most of that came on Crosby’s line and he may end up getting bumped in favour of Malkin at some point and will have to find a way to make things happen without arguably the league’s best player as his center.
This team certainly has the ability to score when they’re clicking, but they have been in a bad run of form for some time and there’s nothing to lead one to believe that they’ll just snap out of it over night. Goal scoring concerns aside, there’s the perennial question mark that is Marc Andre Fleury in goal. By all accounts Fleury had a great year, posting a 34-20-9 record, 2.32 GAA and .920 SV% to go along with a league leading 10 shutouts. The playoff struggles of Fleury are well documented however and “Flower” has shown that he tends to wilt under pressure at this time of the year.
[dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
This team was almost the polar opposite of the Penguins this season. Early on they stumbled as goalie Henrik Lundqvist had his typical slow start and the team couldn’t seem to gel. The Rangers were on the outside looking in as late as December, but once the calendar turned to 2015 this team hit the switch and were far and away the best team in the NHL for the bulk of the last three months.
There is star power on this team with the likes of Lundqvist in goal and Rick Nash up front who potted a career best 42 goals this season. Where this team is dangerous however is their ability to attack in waves with three solid lines that can all score. The players on this team may not be household names, but many of them quietly put together very good season.
Derick Brassard trailed only Nash for the team lead in points, putting up a solid 60 point campaign. Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis both had 50+ point seasons at 55 and 52 respectively. Mats Zuccarelllo was not far behind at 49 points, while Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes posted 46 and 45 points.
The blue line is pretty stacked with veterans like Dan Boyle and Keith Yandle, along with captain Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. Kevin Klein should be fit to return from an arm injury for this series to round out a very tough defense core.
In goal there aren’t really many questions to ask. Henrik Lundqvist is still one of the best in the game and when he’s on he’s nearly unbeatable and will give the Rangers a chance to win every night.
[dfads params=’groups=64161&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
King Hank pretty much carried last year’s Rangers team to the Stanley Cup finals and that wasn’t nearly as good a team as he has in front of him this year. Lundqvist will feel a lot less pressure as the weight won’t be solely on him to win games, and that should translate to him playing at a very high level.
The Rangers stormed back from a 3-1 series deficit a year ago to knock off the Penguins in the Eastern Conference semi finals. They shouldn’t need the heroics this year as they are just playing much better hockey than the Penguins are right now. New York won the season series with Pittsburgh by a count of 3-1 this year and outscored them 16-8.
There’s not much reason to believe that the Rangers can’t win this series fairly easily and this should be the quickest first round series. Go with the Rangers to win this one in five games.
CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!
[dfads params=’groups=65112&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free NHL picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now 16 teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley cup playoff run.
NHL Playoff Betting: Blackhawks vs. Predators Series Preview & Pick
Stanley Cup Betting fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free NHL picks we give out here at Capperspicks.com. There are now 16 teams competing for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Stick with us for the entire 2015 NHL Stanley cup playoff run.
Two legitimate threats to take home the Cup begin their quest Wednesday night when the Chicago Blackhawks, a perennial payoff powerhouse begin their second season against the Nashville Predators. Nashville will have to hope that Pekka Rinne steals the series – on paper the Preds don’t match up all that well with an experienced Chicago team that has win two Cups since 2010 and has appeared in two Western Conference finals over that span.
G1 Wed., April 15 Chicago @ Nashville, 8:30 p.m. ET SN 360
G2 Fri., April 17 Chicago @ Nashville, 9:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G3 Sun., April 19 Nashville @ Chicago, 3 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G4 Tues., April 21 Nashville @ Chicago, 9:30 p.m. ET Sportsnet
G5* Thurs., April 23 Chicago @ Nashville, TBD TBD
G6* Sat., April 25 Nashville @ Chicago, TBD TBD
G7* Mon., April 27 Chicago @ Nashville, TBD TBD
Blackhawks vs. Predators Odds To Win 7 Game Series:
Blackhawks Series Prices -135
Predators Series Prices +115
With the Kings and the Bruins playing golf, the Chicago Blackhawks are left as the most experienced and successful playoff teams the last six year. Simply put there is no team with the pedigree that the Hawks have heading into the postseason. It’s true that Chicago is a different team without Patrick Kane in the lineup but Kane is expected to return to the team at some point in the playoffs making a strong team even stronger.
A look at the offensive numbers for both teams is surprising to say the least. Chicago ranked 16th in the NHL in goals for this past season while Nashville was 12th. In terms of defense, the Hawks were 2nd in the league allowing just 2. 26 goals per game and Nashville was 8th allowing 2.44 per contest.
Offense
Not a whole lot of teams could have handled the loss of one of their best offensive weapons but that’s what the Chicago Blackhawks did when Patrick Kane went down with a broken arm. Captain Jonathan Toews shouldered more of the scoring load, left wing Patrick Sharp began to play better, Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad each had their moments and Andrew Shaw, Brad Richards and Marcus Kruger found ways to contribute. The addition of Antoine Vermette and Andrew Desjardins at the trade deadline didn’t hurt either. Chicago’s depth has been challenged and has passed the test so far – the team will need a bit more production going forward but still this team is awfully hard to doubt.
The Nashville Predators looked average offensively at times during the second half of the season – perhaps they overachieved in the first half! Still, armed with super-rookie Filip Forsberg and potential comeback player of the year Mike Ribeiro, the Preds are no joke in the offensive zone. Center Colin Wilson was OK but tapered off in the second half; Mike Fisher and Craig Smith were part of a formidable second line and the addition of Mike Santorelli to a bottom six unit that included Paul Gaustad was a boon for the club. Taylor Beck and Gabriel Bourque were decent in their roles as well.
When all is said and done the Hawks definitely have the edge offensively heading into this series – if Kane gets back before too long, the Hawks become one of the most dangerous scoring teams in the postseason.
Defense
Defensively is where Nashville is at least even with the Blackhawks. Shea Weber, Roman Josi, Seth Jones and Matthias Ekholm are one of the most mobile and defensively sound top four in the game. Ryan Ellis and Cody Franson are a very god third pair. The Hawks still have Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Nik Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya to bolster the second best overall defense in the game. 40 year old Kimmo Timonen was added for depth at the deadline but looks past his prime.
Goaltending
In goal Nashville seems to have a slight edge with Pekka Rinne getting back to form after an injury-plagued season last year. But Corey Crawford may have something to say about that. After injuries himself Crawford has returned to full health and to elite status as we head into the postseason. Rinne – he’s been a tad below his high standard since returning from injury in January which closes the small gap between the two starters.
Prediction:
Both teams limped into the playoffs – the Hawks went 5-5-0 in their last 10 games while the Preds were just 4-3-3 in their last 10. The biggest X-factor in this series is the one that I am focusing on the most – experience! Chicago saw their path to the Final get a little easier when their kryptonite Los Angeles got eliminated – don’t think that fact is lost on the Hawks. Chicago is built for the playoffs and should be able to dispatch a Preds team that looked a step slower in the second half of the season. It’s pretty hard to count out the Hawks in the first round of any playoff series – so I’m not.
Take Chicago -135 to win in six games.
NHL betting action sees the New York Islanders taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday April 10th at Consol Energy Center. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
With the start of the playoffs rapidly approaching, both of these hockey clubs are strong, but have justifiable concerns.
NHL Predictions
NYI vs Pittsburgh
Date/Time: Friday, April 10 2015, 7 pm EST
Venue: Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh PA
Broadcast: SPNET
New York, Pittsburgh (no odds yet listed)
Over/Under: N/A
***2015 BONUSES***
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]Click here to view today’s… NHL Matchup Angles | NHL Insider Gambling Preview
The Isles and the Pens need the last game or two of the regular season to iron out wrinkles so they can avoid an early exit from the NHL’s postseason.
[dfads params=’groups=64160&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Both New York and Pittsburgh are currently a cut below the Rangers and Washington in the Metropolitan division. The Isles and Pens are currently third and fourth in the division, respectively.
The Islanders have a dynamic young core with plenty of goal-scoring touch, led by MVP candidate (were it not for Habs goalie Carey Price) John Tavares. However, New York has problems keeping the puck out of its own net.
Goaltender Jaroslav Halak has been shaky lately, and the Isles also suffer through a lower-tier penalty kill unit – usually not the mark of a successful team in the playoffs. They definitely need to right the ship on that front.
There is some question whether the Isles can make a deep run with Halak between the pipes, so all eyes will definitely be on the Slovakian over the next few weeks.
[dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
For Pittsburgh’s part, they have a tiny one-point margin over the Boston Bruins for the last playoff spot in the East. The Pens have been pretty bad lately, and if they miss the playoffs, don’t be surprised if their highly-paid, superstar foundation gets broken up.
You can’t lay this at the feet of annual-best-player-in-the-league Sidney Crosby, right?
Crosby’s production has been undeniable throughout his career, despite notable injury worries.
The Penguins have lost six of their past eight games, which is exactly the opposite way you want to be trending this time of year, unless you’re gunning for the #1 overall pick in the draft (and enough teams are trying to do that).
They managed to salvage a point in their last game, an OT loss to the resilient Ottawa Senators. Pittsburgh desperately needs this home victory to shore up their playoff lives. If it breaks the other way, major changes will be on the horizon.
[dfads params=’groups=64161&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The Islanders are a dangerous goal-scoring team every time they take the ice, but you have to think that if the Penguins are ever going to show some fight in them, it will be tonight in the Consol Energy Center.
Pittsburgh’s final game of the season is a “gimme” against the league-worst Buffalo Sabres, so if the Pens can at least grab a point against tonight’s opponent, they should be in good shape. No one wants to leave their playoff outlook until the final game of the regular season, however.
Bucking the recent trend, expect the Penguins to take care of business at home tonight.
CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!
[dfads params=’groups=65112&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Weekly NHL Betting action sees the Buffalo Sabres taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets April 10 at Nationwide Arena. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
The hottest team in the NHL – ya I said it – the hottest team in the NHL – the Columbus Blue Jackets will try to make it 12 straight games gaining at least a point when they host the worst of the worst – the Buffalo Sabres on a light Friday night of NHL action.
Daily NHL Hockey Odds
Buffalo (23-49-3-5) at Columbus (40-35-3-2)
When: 7:00 PM ET, Friday, April 10, 2015
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Broadcast: MSG-B, BELL TV, FS-O
Sabres NHL Betting Odds: +1½ +100 +297
Blue Jackets NHL Betting Odds: -1½ -120 -340
NHL Over Under Betting Odds: Under 5½ -107
***2015 NHL BONUSES***
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]Click here to view today’s… NHL Matchup Angles | NHL Insider Gambling Preview
The Jackets have gone 10-0-1 in their last 11 games overall and have won five straight on home ice while the Sabres have shown a little sign of life having won three of their last five games overall. The Sabres and Blue Jackets have split their two games this season, with each winning on the road.
Not a whole lot has gone right for the Buffalo Sabres this season and the trade deadline purge did nothing to improve the team down the stretch. The team is scoring just 1.89 goals per game this year and is giving up 3.29 – unbelievable.
The Sabres have won three of their last five games and have flexed a little offensive muscle over that span. Outside of a shutout loss to the Islanders two starts back, Buffalo has scored 15 goals in four games.
[dfads params=’groups=64160&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Brian Gionta has seven points in his last five games and Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis each have six points in their last six games. Everyone is playing for a job next year – that pride looks good on the Sabres.
Andres Lindback will get the start between the pipes even though Matt Hackett could have played. Lindback is 6-14-2 on the year with a 3.16 GAA and .906 save percentage. He will give up his share of goals almost guaranteed.
The Sabres will be looking at the elusive finish line ahead of this game – no reason to think an uptick in production in either end of the rink is inevitable.
[dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Well, it’s a case of a little too little, a little too late for the Columbus Blue Jackets who battled an almost unfair rash of injuries this season and will fail to make the postseason because of it. Absolutely everything is going right for this team right now as evidenced by their 10-0-1 record in their last 11 games.
Columbus has scored and astounding 45 non-shootout goals during their 11 game streak – no wonder they are winning games. Brandon Dubinski has six points in three games, Buffalo native Nick Foligno has five points in three games, Marko Dano has four points in three games, Scott Hartnell has 19 points in 19 games and depth players Cody Goloubef and Jeremy Morin each have two points in two games. The Jackets are suddenly a deep team playing with a ton of confidence on all four lines.
On the flip side the Jackets have allowed 26 goals in the last 11 games. The play of Sergei Bobrovsky is a big reason why the Jackets have exploded as the season comes to an end.
[dfads params=’groups=64161&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
He’s gone 9-0-1 with a 2.25 goals-against average in his past 10 starts while posting a 2.16 GAA in winning his last five at home.
• BUF are 1-11 in their last 12 Fri. games.
• BUF are 10-43 in their last 53 road games.
• BUF are 2-8 in their last 10 games following a win.
• CLB are 8-1 in their last 9 games following a win.
• Over is 6-1-1 in CLB last 8 overall.
• CLB are 14-3 in their last 17 overall.
• Over is 6-1-1 in the last 8 meetings.
It is hard to fathom the Sabres defeating the hottest team in the game right now but it isn’t hard to imagine them scoring a couple goals – Buffalo is playing arguably their best offensive hockey of the season right now. The same goes for Columbus who has averaged over four goals per game their last 11.
It all adds up to a high-scoring affair Friday night. There is no value on the Moneyline so take the Over with confidence – this could be a 4-3 of 5-3 win for the Jackets.
The Over – 5 ½ goals
CappersPicks.com NHL Betting and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!
[dfads params=’groups=65112&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Just a week remains in the NHL Regular season – the race is on for position for the Stanley Cup Playoffs – the hardest tournament in all of sports. Some teams have made quite a statement down the stretch – others have bumbled their way to close out their Regular seasons – it has definitely been fun!
Weekly NHL Betting action sees the Dallas Stars taking on the Anaheim Ducks April 8 at Honda Centre. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
NHL betting action sees the Boston Bruins taking on the Washington Capitals on Wednesday April 8th at Verizon Center in Washington DC. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
