Friday's Best NHL Bets
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres fans heard two words they were dreading this week: Patrick Lalime
When Olympic star Ryan Miller went down with a back injury, Lalime was forced into a starting role. The status of Miller has forced many books to not set an early line for the game. However, it’s not like Miller was a brick wall this year. The former Michigan State standout was 3-5-2 with a mediocre 2.71 goals-against average and a pedestrian .903 save percentage.
But it’s still better than Lalime. The former Penguins standout has been a sieve, going 0-2 with a 3.41 GAA and a .880 save percentage.
Meantime, Montreal has made the most of a modest offense, nothing just 29 goals but touting 11 players with at least three points through the team’s first 12 games. The balance has made the Canadiens consistent.
Something the Sabres can only dream of.
Pick: Canadiens
Calgary Flames at Minnesota Wild
The Flames couldn’t be much more ice cold. Calgary has dropped three straight games because of a defense that has floundered against good offensive clubs.
Calgary was tagged for six and seven goals respectively against Colorado and Washington, before giving up 33 shots and a pair of second-period goals in a 2-1 loss to Detroit. Overall, the Flames are allowing an average of 3.0 goals per game and yielding nearly 29 shots per night.
"It doesn't seem like we're learning our lesson," Calgary defenseman Robyn Regehr said. "For us, we have to take pride in playing the way we do at the start of the game and just continue on. It's a hard way to play but that's the way we have to do it. When we get away from that, we're no good and we lose games."
The key for the Wild to exploit the Calgary defense will be getting on the power play. Minnesota is converting 26.9 percent of its chances with the man advantage, the second-highest average in the league.
And the Flames? Average nearly 15 penalty minutes per game, the 13th-highest mark in the league.
Pick: Wild
Penguins, Ducks both off to slow starts
By: Barry Daniels
The slumping Pittsburgh Penguins will waddle their way into Anaheim on Friday night to play the Ducks in a battle of two teams that are off to disappointing starts. The Pens have dropped four of their last five games en route to a 6-6-1 start, while the Ducks have begun the campaign with a 5-7-1 ledger.
Pittsburgh snapped a three-game losing skid last Saturday at the beginning of this four-game trip by blanking Carolina, 3-0. However, the Pens returned to their losing ways Tuesday when they dropped a 5-2 decision at Dallas as 107 road favorites.
Though the combined seven goals slithered ‘over’ the NHL betting total, the ‘under’ is 7-6 in Pittsburgh’s first 13 endeavors.
The Penguins continued to struggle on the power play against the Stars, going 0-for-4 with the man advantage. Despite a ton of offensive firepower, Pittsburgh has now failed to score a power play goal in its last six games spanning 26 opportunities.
Trailing, 2-0, in the first period against the Stars, winger Eric Godard drew an interference penalty against Stars defenseman Trevor Daley. Just 23 seconds into the power play, Evgeni Malkin took a stick in the face from Dallas' Adam Burish.
The Pens were looking at 1:37 of a five-on-three advantage but squandered it with two shots. That particularly stings considering Dallas entered the game ranked last in the NHL in penalty killing with a success rate of 68.4 percent.
But the Penguins now rank 26th on the power play by connecting on just 12.1 percent of their chances. Pittsburgh is also having a problem staying out of the penalty box, evidenced by the club ranking third with 231 penalty minutes.
The Stars got to Brent Johnson, the Penguins backup goaltender who had not allowed a regulation goal in his previous two starts. Johnson, who stopped 24 of 29 shots, saw his record fall to 5-1-1-0 with a nifty 1.70 GAA and .941 save percentage. He also has one shutout.
But Marc-Andre Fleury, the starting netminder who the Penguins were counting on to carry the club for another deep run in the playoffs, is just 1-5 in his first six starts. He has a bloated 3.35 GAA and a dismal .863 save percentage.
Anaheim began its three-game homestand Wednesday by nipping Tampa Bay in overtime, 3-2, which snapped a two-game losing skid. The Ducks closed as skinny 105 home favorites, with the combined five goals slithering ‘under’ the 5 ½-goal closing total.
Though the ‘under’ is 7-6 in the Ducks’ first 13 games this season, the ‘over’ is 22-8 in their last 30 home games dating to last season.
Kyle Palmieri scored the tying goal against Tampa Bay late in regulation of his first NHL game. Ryan Getzlaf netted the winner 2:53 into overtime to lift Anaheim to the victory.
Teemu Selanne, who had a goal and an assist, circled the net before backhanding a pass to Getzlaf. The Ducks' captain won the game with his fifth goal this season.
Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller made 32 saves to improve his record to 4-5-0-1. He has a 2.99 GAA and .918 save percentage.
The Ducks are managing just 28.2 shots per contest (23rd), which explains why they are 21st in the league offensively with a 2.5 GPG average. Anaheim is yielding 3.3 goals per game (25th) thanks in part to leading the league in penalty minutes (270).
Pittsburgh captured both meetings against the Ducks last season, including a 4-3 victory as 105 underdogs in the lone game at Anaheim. However, the home team is still 7-1 in the last eight series meetings. Both matchups last season skipped ‘over’ the closing 5 ½-goal total.
The Penguins might be without Pascal Dupuis (personal), who is listed as “questionable.” Anaheim center Kyle Chipchura is “doubtful” because of a concussion.
Anaheim concludes its homestand Sunday against Nashville, while the Penguins finish their four-game road swing with a Saturday contest at Phoenix.