Ben Burns NHL from PreGame
NHL BLOWOUT GAME OF THE NIGHT
*** GAME OF THE NIGHT 4 WAS (-210) Greek vs 3 COL
Analysis:
I'm playing on WASHINGTON. The Caps are heavily favored for good reason here. Not only are they an elite team which is well rested, but they're also catching the Avs off a hard-fought win last night and playing their third game in the past four nights. Note that the Avs were 9-13 the past couple of seasons, when playing the second of b2b games. During that stretch, they were also a money-burning 16-27 (-11.4) after having scored four or more goals in their previous game. The Caps won last season's two meetings by a combined 11-5 score. With the schedule in their favor, we should be able to expect more of the same tonight.
Ben Burns NHL 3 Pack
1 ANA (-113) Pinnacle vs
2 NJDAnalysis:
I'm playing on ANAHEIM. Obviously, the Devils are going to want to win their home opener. However, I don't expect them to be any more "desperate" than the‡ Ducks, who are off to an 0-3 start. While expectations are relatively low in NJ, the Ducks are a "big money team" and they're expected to win. (Anaheim was projected to win 43.5 games entering the season, compared to NJ's 36.5.) Getzlaf and Perry are an extremely dangerous duo and are likely to give the Devils real trouble. Getzlaf and co have dominated the league's weaker teams, going 51-29 their last 80 against teams with a sub 500 record. They beat the Devils by a combined score of 9-2 in winning last season's two games and I look for them to find a way to finish on top again tonight, moving to 9-3 the last 12 times that they were off three or more consec. losses.
22 CAL (-147) Pinnacle vs
21 BUFAnalysis:
I'm playing on CALGARY. Winless (0-2-1) through their first three games, the Flames figure to be extremely hungry tonight. Captain Mark Giordano had this to say: “We have to find a way this week to play desperate ... " I expect their very best effort. Calgary "backup" goalie Chad Johnson is expected to get the call between the pipes. With a big game and a victory tonight, however, he might not be the backup for long. Johhnson, who made 45 appearances for the Sabres last season, figures to be highly motivated. A chance to win over his new teammates and fans while sticking it to his old team at the same time. Note that he was 22-16-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage last season, excellent numbers considering that the Sabres didn't even make the playo‡ffs. The home team won both meetings last season. Look for the Flames to bounce back with their best effort, improving to 26-19 (+9.4) their last 45, after scoring less than two goals in their previous game.
20 EDM (-140) Pinnacle vs
19 CARAnalysis:
I'm playing on EDMONTON. While the Oilers get to play their first five games in their home province of Alberta, the Canes play their first six on the road, the first four of those thousands of miles away from home in Western Canada. From a betting perspective, Edmonton is 2-1 while Carolina is 0-2. However, as the Canes have gotten points in each game (they're 0-0-2 in the standings) they may not be quite as "desperate" as an 0-2 team often is. Rather, losing their first two games after regulation, each time after having an early 3-0 lead, may have a deflating effect. Either way, the Canes are likely in for a tough year. The Oi‡lers have much to be excited about. They've got a fancy new rink, a talented young superstar for a captain and "The Great One" is back in town. By the way, Gretzky just had this to say about McDavid yesterday: "...I don’t think there's any question that Connor's the best 19-year-old hockey player I've ever seen and I saw Mark Messier, I saw Lemieux, I saw Lafleur." As of this writing, Talbot (expecting twins to be born tomorrow) is expected to get the start. He's 3-0 with a 0.64 ERA and two shutouts vs. the Canes. Look for the Oilers to bounce back with a win