Hump-day hockey: NHL betting previews
By DUSTIN NIELSON
Buffalo Sabres at Calgary Flames (-160, 5.5)
Tripping Through Alberta
The Buffalo Sabres will be wrapping up a two-day trip through Alberta with a stop in Calgary. Buffalo has been turning things around after a slow start to the season. Before the midseason break Buffalo had won seven of its last 10 games. The Flames had an extra day of rest following the break for the NHL All-Star game.
Dome Sweet Dome
The Calgary Flames have been near perfect at the Saddledome in their past 10 games. The club has won nine of its last 10 on home ice including a win over San Jose. The Flames, who are regarded as a defensive team, have gone over in seven of their last 10 home games.
No Gerber
There are reports out of Ottawa that the Flames are interested in acquiring goalie Martin Gerber to back up Mikka Kiprusoff. But Calgary management dismissed the proposed trade.
“We signed Curtis McElhinney (current backup to Kiprusoff) to a one-way contract because he’s an NHL goalie and he’s our goalie, we are not interested in acquiring any more goaltenders.” GM Darryl Sutter told the Calgary Sun.
McElhinney has only started three games this season and somehow managed to lose all of them.
Nashville Predators at Vancouver Canucks (-165, 5.5)
Sundin Experiment Not Working
The Vancouver Canucks have only won one game since signing free agent center Mats Sundin. Even the return of Roberto Luongo from injury hasn’t been enough to halt the faults. Sundin has three points in seven games since making a return to the NHL.
“I know right now it’s pretty safe to say there’s not a lot of people left on the bandwagon and you might be able to hear an echo on it,” said head coach Alain Vigneault.
To send a message to his squad Vigneault welcomed his players back from their break with a skate-until-you-puke practice on Monday. Canuck backers can only hope this will help Vancouver turn things around.
Predators Become The Prey?
There’s no better slump breaker for Vancouver than the Nashville Predators. The Canucks have owned Nashville over the past few seasons. They’ve won all three meetings between the two teams this season outscoring the Preds 9-2 in the process. All three games this year have been under 5.5 with an injured Robert Luongo watching from the bench in two of those contests.
Nashville Shuffles the Deck
Coach Barry Trotz opted to reunite one of the most successful lines in franchise history at practice on Monday. Steve Sullivan, Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont lined up together for the first time in almost over two years.
"J.P. and I have been looking forward to this for probably two years, so it will be great, I just hope (Trotz) gives us an opportunity to play a few games together, to try to get us going. Then it's up to us to create and get some offense together.'' Jason Arnott told Tennessean.com.