Randle The Handle
BUFFALO -½ -1.07 over NY Islanders (REG) Pinnacle
The Sabres are another team out of the gate quickly with three wins and no regulation losses. Four games does not make a season but its hot start is not an aberration. Here’s a team that’s getting tremendous play from its defense and goaltending and they broke out offensively last game with a 6-2 pounding over the Red Wings. In fact, the Sabres have allowed just four goals against in its four games this year. Ryan Miller looks like the Ryan Miller of three years ago when he was considered to be among the elite. His play teetered off somewhat in the last couple of years but he really appears to be fully back on dialed in. Not only have the Sabres won its four games but they’ve dominated the play each and every game including its OT loss to the Habs. Chris Butler and Tyler Myers are two outstanding young defensemen and it was only a matter of time before the offense got going. With Vanek out tonight, you’ll see this team did down even deeper, as they can’t wait to take the ice. The Islanders are an improved outfit despite being winless. They’ll be plenty of opportunities to play them at a decent price but this is an extremely tough assignment, as the Sabres are feeling it right now and are just skating circles around everyone. Play: Buffalo -½ -1.07 (Risking 2.14 units to win 2).
Atlanta +1.66 over NEW JERSEY (REG) Pinnacle
The Devils are 0-2 at home and they have just one regulation win thus far, a 3-2 victory in Florida in a game they scored with under five minutes left in the third. They did play a solid game in Florida and followed that up with another outstanding effort against Washington but this is a big tag on them when they’re not going so good. The Devils return home from a short three-game trip where they were outscored 8-4 in its two losses. Furthermore, and perhaps more important is that the Devils has Carolina in here tomorrow night and that was the team that knocked them out of the first round of the playoffs last season. The Thrashers have 18 goals in four games and the offense remains a dangerous one. Ilya Kovalchuk looks very comfortable playing with Nik Andropov and the second line of Slava Kozlov, Todd White, and Maxim Afinogenov can do some serious damage as well. The price and situation here appears to be a good one for this visitor, as they’re a dangerous team to begin with and they could easily catch the Devils looking ahead to tomorrow or even pressing a bit at home, where they have not performed well. Play: Atlanta +1.66 (Risking 2 units).
***THANKS CORK FOR POSTING GARRETT*****