Friday NHL Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their hockey picks and predictions for Friday, February 13.
Boston Bruins at New Jersey Devils, 7:05PM ET
The Boston Bruins have stayed at the top of the Eastern Conference because they’ve been incredibly consistent all season, getting timely goals and superb goaltending.
The third period of their latest game was a rare exception.
The NHL’s best road team will try to bounce back from perhaps its worst 20 minutes of the season when Boston kicks off a five-game trip Friday against the Atlantic Division-leading New Jersey Devils.
A last-place team two years ago, the Bruins (39-9-7) slipped into the playoffs last season and pushed top-seeded Montreal to seven games before being ousted in the conference quarterfinals. Even with that progress, no one could have seen Boston making the leap from being a bottom-tier playoff team to having the most points in the NHL through two-thirds of this season.
That’s exactly what the Bruins have done, though, leading the East with 3.38 goals per game and allowing the fewest in the league thanks to the goaltending tandem of Tim Thomas (2.15 goals-against average) and Manny Fernandez (2.16).
Coach Claude Julien’s team is 19-4-4 at home and a league-best 20-5-3 on the road.
It looked like Boston was on its way to another win at the TD Banknorth Garden on Tuesday, as Milan Lucic’s two goals gave it a 2-1 edge on West-leading San Jose heading into the third period. But Thomas allowed three goals in a six-minute span and the Sharks added an empty-netter to win 5-2, the Bruins’ first loss by more than two goals this season.
NHL Free Pick: New Jersey – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -125 Sportsbook.com
San Jose Sharks at Buffalo Sabres, 7:35PM ET
While the Buffalo Sabres continue adjusting to the loss of their leading scorer, a visit from the Western Conference’s top team is probably not what they wanted.
In their second game without Thomas Vanek, the Sabres try to become the second straight Eastern foe to hold the San Jose Sharks in check on Friday night.
Vanek is expected to miss up to a month following surgery for a fractured jaw, suffered on a slap shot to the face in Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss at Ottawa.
His 32 goals top Buffalo (28-21-6) and he entered the week leading the league with 15 on the power play. Vanek’s absence appeared to hurt the Sabres on Wednesday night as they scored only once in 12 man-advantage opportunities – the most by one team in a game this season – in a 3-1 home loss to the Senators.
NHL Free Pick: Buffalo – View Game Matchup | Best Line: +140 Sportsbook.com
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Posted: 2/13/09 09:00AM ET
