Two picks locked in for tonight:
Calgary Flames @ Toronto Maple Leafs: FLAMES 2.27
Risk: 2 Units | Win: 2.54 Units (Members Only Pick)
The Flames fell to the Sharks by a score of 2-3 their last time out, although they pounded 35 shots on Niemi (Niemi finished with a .943 SV%). Before that game, the Flames had won four in a row which included two back-to-back shutouts, a 2-0 victory over San Jose and a 5-2 win over the Coyotes. Calgary has won seven of their last ten games and have secured the third place spot in the Pacific division, behind the Canucks by just two points. The Ducks lead the Pacific by three points but have one game on both the Canucks and Flames. The Leafs are fourth in the Atlantic Division with a a record of 14-9-3 (31 points) and are coming off of a 5-2 victory over the Canucks on Saturday. The victory may look great on paper but when you take a look back, Miller allowed four of five Toronto goals on just fourteen shots against (.714 SV%) after being relieved by Eddie Lack. Lack saved all shots except 1. The Canucks got 46 shots on goal that game and only two of them made it past Bernier ( Bernier finished with a .957 SV%). The game could’ve easily went the other way. The Leafs split their last 10 games winning five, but suffered some tough losses that includes a 9-2 pounding via the Predators, and a 6-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres of all teams. The Leafs have the 2nd best offense overall (3.42 goals per game) but their defense remains one of the worst ranked 24th overall allowing 3.00 goals against per game. The Leafs defense has allowed the same amount of goals against over their last 10 games as they have scored (3.60), while the Flames have scored an average of 3.20 goals per game over their last 10 games, while allowing just 2.40 goals against per game over that span. The Calgary offense is ranked 5th overall (3.07 G/GP) and are still very active when playing on the road (3.00 G/GP on the road). These clubs have similar strength in the special teams department, as the Flames are 10th on the man advantage (21.3 PP%), while the Leafs are 11th at 20.6%. Toronto has the 9th place penalty kill unit (83.9%) while the Flames are 76.8% overall but have gone 81% on the penalty kill over their last 10 games. Jonas Hiller is confirmed to start for Calgary tonight and is 9-6-1 season-to-date with a 2.49 GAA and a .913 SV%. Bernier is probable for Toronto and is 10-6-3 with a 2.72 GAA and a .916 SV%. The Flames have just as good of a shot at winning this one as the Leafs do, take the generous odds on Calgary tonight.
Chicago Blackhawks @ New Jersey Devils: BLACKHAWKS in Regulation 1.88
Risk: 2 Units | Win: 1.76 Units
The Devils are playing on no rest tonight after managing to find a 2-1 victory over Carolina last night. The Devils came out on top against Carolina although they reached Ward with just 16 shots on goal, and allowed the Hurricanes to pound Schneider with 40 shots on goal. Cory allowed just 1 goal on 40 shots (.975 SV%) and was the reason for the Devils success last night. Last night’s victory was just the third time the Devils have won in their last ten games, while the Blackhawks are riding high on a six game winning streak, and have won 9 of their last 10 games. The last loss for Chicago came back on November 23rd against Vancouver. The Blackhawks have been scoring lots of goals across their six win streak, scoring an average of 4.00 goals per game over their last 10 games, while allowing just 1.90 goals against per game on defense. The Blackhawks have the best defense in the NHL overall, allowing just 1.96 goals against per game. The New Jersey defense is ranked just 20th overall (2.75 GA/GP) while their offense continues to struggle as they are 23rd overall in scoring with 2.32 goals per game. The second worst penalty kill in the NHL belongs to New Jersey (75.2%) and will face the Blackhawks power play that is 17th overall (18.4%), 22.2% when playing on the road and 20.0% over their last 10 games. Patrick Sharp is expected back in the lineup tonight (according to Joel Quenneville) after missing 14 games due to a lower body injury. The Devils are suffering lots of injuries right now which includes Cammalleri, Elias, Zubrus, Larsson (all questionable for tonight), in addition to Zajac, Salvador, Clowe (all IR). Scott Darling has been confirmed in goal for the Blackhawks tonight is is 3-1-0 with an impressive 1.74 GAA and a .943 SV%. Cory Schneider is probable for New Jersey again tonight and if he starts he will face the red hot Blackhawks on no rest. Cory has gone 11-12-3 this season with a 2.50 GAA and a .918 SV%. The Blackhawks have an easy victory ahead of them tonight, take them to get things done in 60 minutes for a better payout.
