In the Crease - Week 2
By Joe Williams
VegasInsider.com
Hurricane Warning
Bettors have the North Carolina State Fair to thank for the road odyssey for the Carolina Hurricanes to start each and every National Hockey League regular season. The parking lot for PNC Arena fills up for the nearby state fair, causing the Hurricanes to vacate their Raleigh home and hit the road for a week or two. While the young Hurricanes have been productive early in games, their failures in the third period and overtime so far in stops in Winnipeg and Vancouver have been as painful as trying to choke down a Krispy Kreme bacon double cheeseburger or deep-fried Twinkie from the fair. The Hurricanes blew a 4-1 lead with 14 minutes to go in Winnipeg on opening night, eventually falling 5-4 in OT. Their game in Vancouver was nearly a carbon copy, blowing a 3-0 lead late, as the Canucks forced OT and eventually won it 4-3.
Where's the Deef?
The Edmonton Oilers have been involved in three games to start the season with scores resembling All-Star Game results. The Oil snuffed out the Flames 7-4 to christen their new arena, Rogers Place, in successful fashion. In the second end of the home-and-home, the offense was dialed back slightly, as Edmonton topped Calgary by a 5-3 count. The Buffalo Sabres dealt the young Oilers their first setback in their new home, dropping them 6-2 Sunday night. So far the total for each Edmonton game has been set at 5.5 goals, but their games have seen an average of 9.0 goals per contest. The Oilers have averaged 4.7 GPG through the first three outings while the defense/goaltending has coughed up 4.3 GPG. Until the Oilers show signs of slowing down the opposition, or Vegas adjusts their total to 6, keep banging the 'over' in Edmonton games.
Looking Ahead
Tuesday, Oct. 18
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens tangle at Bell Centre. The Penguins have won four of their past five trips to Montreal, with the Pens skating away with wins in 11 of the past 16 meetings overall. The road team has cashed in six of the past seven in this series. ... The Florida Panthers have dominated the Sunshine State rivalry against the Tampa Bay Lightning lately, winning four of the past five meetings, but they're just 2-5 in their past seven trips to the Ice Palace. There are usually plenty of goals in this rivalry, with the 'over' 11-3 in the past 14 in Tampa, and 10-4 in the past 14 overall. ... The 'under' is 19-4-4 in the past 27 in Minnesota between the Kings and Wild, and the 'under' is 31-12-8 in the past 51 overall.
Wednesday, Oct. 19
The Detroit Red Wings invade Madison Square Garden to battle the New York Rangers, one of just two games on the NHL slate. Dating back to last season the Wings have dropped 18 of their past 23 games away from home. Conversely, the Blueshirts have won 50 of their past 68 against a team with an overall winning percentage under .400. While the Rangers look good for a wager, you can certainly expect to eat a lot of chalk. Detroit has dropped six straight at MSG, and the home team is 14-3 in the past 17 in this series. Total bettors might also be interested in the fact the 'under' is 8-1-3 in the past 12 meetings between these Original Six teams, and 5-1-1 in the past seven at MSG.
Thursday, Oct. 20
The Kings and Stars tangle in Big D Thursday night. Los Angeles won its only trip to Dallas last season, winning 5-2 back on March 15, and they're a respectable 6-4-1 in their past 11 skates in the Heart of Texas. ... The Hurricanes skate in the Saddledome to try and extinguish the Flames. It's a tall order for Carolina, as they're 0-6-1 in their past seven trips to Calgary, last winning Dec. 12, 2002. The Hurricanes have been outscored 26-9 during the span, too, and in one of those games they lit the lamp six times. So it's been a real house of horrors for them over the years.