Boxing Day Special

There are 13 games on the NHL schedule tonight so let's get to picking! With a record of 36-26, I am looking to improve with a big night tonight.

Ottawa @ Buffalo - Both struggled in their last outing prior to XMas so this will be an important game for both teams. I'll give the edge to the Sabres since they are at home and will win 4-2.

Montreal @ Toronto - This is going to be a great game, a battle north of the boarder. Toronto is extremely unpredictable, and the Canadiens are on a nice little four game win streak. But the Leafs will find a way to win in a shootout...5-4.

NY Islanders @ NY Rangers - This will be the third meeting between these teams within the past two weeks. This one should be a great one as well. The Rangers have just ended their home losing streak and will look to start a good one, a winning one. Blue Shirts win 3-1.

New Jersey @ Washington - Another great one, which is difficult to call. I'll say the Devils pull it out 3-2.

Philadelphia @ Carolina - The Flyers have about a 75% chance of winning in my opinion, and I will take my chances. The Flyers win 5-2.

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay - I like the way the Thrashers play...aggressive, hard, and fast. I have not seen the Lightning play at all this season so I don't have anything to compare with. That is my disclaimer for this one. Thrashers win 4-1.

Columbus @ Detroit - The Red Wings were embarassed against Chicago prior to Christmas so they will come out hard. I would be shocked if Detroit does not find a way to win. Scoreline...5-2.

Chicago @ Nashville - The Blackhawks have been great lately, but the Preds are always a challenge at home. I would not be surprised to see the Preds establish themselves in this one. I'll go out on a limb here and say Pred win 4-3 in a shootout or overtime.

St. Louis @ Minnesota - The 'Baby Blues' continue to slide, and Minnesota is playing pretty well at home. The Wild win this one 4-1.

Los Angeles @ Phoenix - I would love to see the Coyotes continue to role. LA is an intriguing and exciting team as well. Whoever wins, I will be happy...But that means nothing for you. Coyotes win 3-2.

Dallas @ Colorado - Another great game. I'll give the nod to the Stars 5-3.

Edmonton @ Vancouver - Since I have several Canucks on my fantasy teams, I'd love to see an offensive explosion from them. I have no other reason for my prediction. Canucks win 6-4.

Anaheim @ San Jose - The Ducks will not be shutout again but will lose their second straight. The Sharks will take a bite out of the 'sitting' Ducks. San Jose 4-1.

Let's see what happens. Merry Holidays, Happy Christmas, and have a great night.

The Results Are (finally) In

I am a few days late in updating this blog, but that is okay because I have a valid excuse. It is the Holiday season and I spent the past couple days enjoying the company of friends and family. But let me take a few steps back and evaluate how my picks ended up from a few days ago.

Let's talk about the wins first. I called for a 3-2 Bruins win against Atlanta. Double the score for each team and I nailed it. Bruins won 6-4 in a scrappy game. The Islanders managed the Leafs at home 3-1. The Pens handled the Sens 8-2 - staying true to my prediction that the Penguins would entertain the home crowd. The Hurricanes continue to struggle, losing to the Canadiens 5-1. Dallas took care of Columbus by the same score at home, staying on top of their division. The only other win came in the NY Rangers - Panthers game in which the Rangers ended their six game home losing streak in a 4-1 victory. In all, that leaves me with six wins on the night.

That means I end the night with a .500 record (6-6). Perhaps the most surprising and also impressive result of the night came out of Phoenix, in which the Coyotes and Ilya Bryzgalov shutout the Ducks in a 4 bagel victory. The 'Wings passed along the torch in the Central Division to the upstart 'Hawks in a 3-0 loss...at home.

Well, that is all for now. My record stands at 36-26. Tonight's games will be interesting, and my predictions will likely come soon.

Stretch Run

There are a dozen games set to be played today so I have a lot of picking to do, besides just my nose. I have been removed from the day-to-day scene of the NHL for the past few days, thus my stellar picking record could suffer a blow as a result. Regardless, as always, I will use my gut along with some small bits of relevant information here and there to make my choice. So lets see what we have...

Atlanta @ Boston - The Bruins we able to put an end to their 4 game losing streak two nights ago in a 2-0 win in Ottawa. However, the coaching staff have switched up the lines and it was pretty obvious against the Sens. The B's are out of whack. The Thrashers aren't playing great either but sit in second place in the Southeast. Both teams will look to head into the break on a positive note and given the B's are at home, they get the edge and win 3-2.

Toronto @ NY Islanders - This is going to be a very interesting game. Both teams have been all over the map this season, winning some great games and losing some pretty bad ones. I will stick with the home team as the Islanders pull out a 4-2 win.

Florida @ NY Rangers - The Rangers have lost their last five games at home and have not lost six in a row since 1993. The Panthers' goalie, Tomas Vokoun is 3-0-1 with a 1.44 GAA in his last four starts against NY. Clearly, one streak will come to an end. Rangers win 2-1.

Ottawa @ Pittsburgh - The Pens will surely not lose a second straight at home, will they? As bad as Boston looked on Monday night, Ottawa could not take advantage. Pens entertain the home crowd and win 5-3.

Buffalo @ Washington - This will be a great game, a measuring stick for both teams, and a playoff preview...all in one. Both are red hot and have split the season series 1-1 so far. I give the edge to Buffalo because of the recent form of goalie Ryan Miller. The Sabres will again ride him to victory 3-1.

Montreal @ Carolina - Montreal wins 4-2. I have no explanation. Montreal is better and Carolina is struggling.

Edmonton @ Minnesota - Both are hovering on the edge of playoff contention. If the Wild can keep the goals down, they have a chance to win. If the Oilers score more than three, they will win. Edmonton wins 5-2.

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay - The Flyers will look past this game to their game against the Bruins in Fenway. Despite the leadership that is loaded throughout the team, the Flyers have struggled this year and will have a hard time challenging the Bolts. TB wins 6-3.

Chicago @ Detroit - The torch will be passed in this symbolic game from the once-dominant Wings to the younger and energetic 'Hawks. But the 'Hawks will need one more lesson to learn, never underestimate your opponent. The 'Wings walk out with the win 4-3.

Columbus @ Dallas - Dallas had a rough road trip last week and they will get back on form against the Blue Jackets. This works out well for the Stars heading into break, they win 5-1.

Anaheim @ Phoenix - The Coyotes seem to win the games they shouldn't and lose the ones they should win. Since they have been playing well, and are at home, and have a hot goalie, they should win. Thus, they will lose. Ducks win 3-2.

St. Louis @ Calgary - The Flames impress the home crowd and win 4-1.

I am feeling bold today and my predictions are decidedly one-sided for the most part. With some many games to pick, my 30-20 record could look very different tomorrow.

Weekend Wrap-Up

So I gave myself the weekend off from predicting and updating. Since it is the start of another week, it is time to get back into things. Here is how my Friday predictions turned out...

Washington jumped out to an early lead against Vancouver but was shut down for the final two period and eventually fell 3-2. I called for a Caps win, incorrect.

Tampa Bay was able to put some goals on the scoreboard as they stormed into St. Louis and crushed the Blues 6-3. It is nice to see the Bolts showing signs of life and the loss is a bit disheartening for the baby Blues, especially at home. I called for a Blues win 4-1, now leaving me at 0-2.

The rest of the night went my way as I picked up four wins, narrowly missing a couple more bullseyes.

New Jersey defeated Ottawa 4-2 against my 3-2 prediction.

Florida did not need to rally from a two-goal deficit as I predicted but still won 6-3 over Carolina.

I was only one goal away from a bullseye in the Sabres-Leafs game where the Sabres defeated TML 5-2 against my 5-3 prediction. So so close.

Finally, as predicted, the Bruins fell in a shootout to the Blackhawks. I will not give myself a bullseye for this game however because I called for a 3-2 defeat where in reality the game ended in a shootout at 5-4.

It is nice to keep putting up more wins than losses on an average night and my season record now stands at 30-20. More predictions to come.

Finally Friday

With six games on the schedule, there is plenty of action around the NHL tonight. Heres what's going to happen...

Ottawa @ New Jersey - Like earlier in the week, Brodeur will keep the Devils in any game and help them win another close one. Devils win 3-2, with Bergfors scoring the game-winner.

Toronto @ Buffalo - The Maple Leafs are like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. On the road, they tend to be rather predictable and frequent losers. Sabres win at home 5-3.

Carolina @ Florida - A battle within the Southeast Division sees Carolina jumping out to an early lead. Florida will rally from 2-0 down to win 4-3.

Tampa Bay @ St. Louis - I love this matchup...baby Blues against the Bolts. Tampa will not be shutout for the second straight game and make this one interesting before the Blues close it out. Blues win 4-1.

Boston @ Chicago - The Bruins have been struggling but this week they should be rested and ready for a battle in Chicago. The B's aren't great in close games this year so they will have a tough time winning this one. Blackhawks take it 3-2 in overtime/shootout.

Washington @ Vancouver - The Caps continue their road trip in Vancouver. The Canucks will put together a solid first two periods but will fall apart in the third. Caps win 4-3.

In the spirit of the Holidays, I will be taking the weekend off and enjoying a much deserved break from work, predictions, and all things normal. Have an exciting weekend!

Frizzle Frazzle

A great night for me and my predictions. Only two mishaps left me with a nice little 7-2 record for the evening.

Again, I predicted the score line, just in the wrong direction. Minnesota arrived in Montreal and stormed away winners 3-1.

Phoenix continues to impress and pulled out a close one, 2-1, against my 6-4 prediction that they would lose.

With only two losses, there is not much more to say about the wins. The only thing I can think is...I told you so or I was right. I narrowly missed getting a couple more bullseyes which would have been nice heading into the weekend but I'll take the wins regardless.

My record improves to 26-18 with a nice 7-2 record last night. I just want to keep putting some distance between the wins and loss totals. Slowly but surely I should have a pretty good record.

So Cold

Thursday night is full of action, which means I have a lot of picking and choosing to take care of...so pay close attention.

Minnesota @ Montreal - This promises to be a low scoring game, so if you are betting on the over under, unless the line is three...take the under. Montreal wins at home 3-1.

NY Rangers @ NY Islanders - A rematch of the rivalry sees a venue swap as the Rangers travel east to face the Islanders in the Coliseum. The Rangers will hold the back the young guns and pull out a victory 3-2.

Pittsburgh @ Philadelphia - Another rematch. Same result. Pens win in a closer game 4-3.

Dallas @ Atlanta - Atlanta is finally playing at home but Dallas suffered an embarrassing loss to the Carolina breeze last night. This is a difficult game to call and I would be shocked to get it correct. Dallas wins 2-1.

Phoenix @ Columbus - The coyotes manage to stick around and continue to pile up wins. Against the mediocre Jackets they will fall short 6-4.

Tampa Bay @ Detroit - The Wings are tough at home, the Bolts continue to disappoint. But Detroit is not the giants they used to be in Hockeytown. Bolts make it close but fall 4-2.

LA @ Calgary - So long as Mikka Kiprusoff starts in net, the Flames will win this game. He has been stellar all year. As I type this I have second thoughts though...eh, ah, ummmm...Flames win 3-1.

Nashville @ Edmonton - The Oilers will struggle at home against the below-the-radar Preds. Nashville 5-3.

Anaheim @ San Jose - A few years ago this would have been a much anticipated game. With both teams underperforming so far, the hype is lost but the quality and excitement remain. San Jose wins 4-3.

There are some great games tonight and will make for an interesting Friday.

Late Game Heroics

In a very exciting night across the NHL, a couple of games were decided on late 3rd period goals. A few went my way, a few did not. Here are the results.

The Islanders stormed MSG and came away with a 2-1 win. So much for my 4-1 Rangers prediction.

Atlanta rallied late to tie the game at 3-3 late into the 3rd period but a goal by the Panthers' Michael Frolik with 1:21 remaining sealed the deal for the Panthers. I walk away knowing I picked the correct score at least, just in the wrong direction.

An impressive performance by Ottawa and Mr. Elliott to shutout the red-hot Sabres. Once again...oops.

Finally, the Ducks handled the Canucks in Vancouver and came away with a 3-2 win.

Wins on the night include the Devils pulling it out against the Canadiens 2-1.

Chicago shutout the baby Blues 3-0, not far off from my prediction.

The Coyotes opened up a can against Toronto 6-3.

Carolina was impressive at home by putting up a 5-spot, and winning 5-3.

Four wins coupled with four losses leaves me with a .500 night. Added to the season record I sit at 19-16 with 2 bulls-eyes*. Tonight's predictions are on the way.

* A Bulls-Eye is predicting the exact score and result for a game.

Nailed It

My overall record last night was only 3-2 but more importantly I managed to predict the exact score in two games. And even in the third game I was able to predict total goals on the nose.

The Wild, as predicted just got passed the Blue Jackets 2-1.

And the Kings salvaged their road trip with a 3-2 win in Edmonton.

The Avs failed their exam against the Capitals, losing 6-1...not far off from my 5-2 prediction.

Midway through the Preds-Bolts game my prediction looked to be spot on, however the Preds exploded for seven goals to win 7-4.

Calgary scored the three goals I thought they would but allowed four from backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney. We all know that Kippy would have kept the game close.

Add my 3-2 record to my season record of 12-10 and I now stand at a mediocre 15-12. Tonight's predictions are on the way...

Let's Hear it for New York

Rivalry week continues as the two storied franchises from NY face-of against one another tonight. The Islanders will need to travel only 27 miles into the big city for their matchup against the Rangers. While it may not be the rivalry it once was, there is still something to play for...pride. Both sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division tied with 31 points. To the winner, a minor victory. To the loser, another day in the basement. The Rangers are a mediocre team at home while the Islanders are 5-10-5 away from the Coliseum. No one really has a edge here...Rangers win 4-1.

Montreal @ New Jersey - Gotta love Brodeur at home. Montreal is a solid team. Tough call here. New Jersey wins 1-0.

Dallas @ Carolina - A bad season gets worse for the Hurricanes, now a breeze for most teams. Yet here is one of their few highlights. Carolina wins 3-2.

Phoenix @ Toronto - Phoenix turned in a solid performance over the weekend against the Wings and Toronto did the same against Washington. Toronto might be starting to figure it all out... which is exactly why Phoenix will win? Coyotes 4-3.

Buffalo @ Ottawa - I pick another road team. Buffalo continues to roll against a division rival, winning 3-2 in a shootout.

Atlanta @ Florida - I feel bad for the Thrashers, traveling all over the continent this past week, but they are finally back in the sunny southwest. Another difficult game to pick but I see the Thrashers finding a way to win 4-3 (overtime?).

St. Louis @ Chicago - I have got a good feeling about this for Chicago. Although the baby Blues turned in an impressive performance last night, they will put up a fight but fall short 3-1.

Anaheim @ Vancouver - A battle out in the Western Conference. I really want to pick Vancouver since they are so good at home...it will be closer than the standings indicate. I would not be surprised if the Ducks find a way to win, but since I gotta make a prediction...Canucks win 3-2.

Keystone State Battle

It should be an entertaining set of games this evening. The game of the night, and why this post has it's title, sees the Flyers travel to Pittsburgh for a soccer-esque derby. Pittsburgh is playing well and the Flyers are beginning to right the ship. But the Pens are just too potent on offense and good enough on defense. The score...4-2 Pens.

Tampa @ Nashville - The struggling Bolts will run into a fired-up and well-oiled Nashville team. Everything says pick the Preds but I am feeling bold. Vinny leads his team to a thrilling 4-3 OT victory.

Calgary @ St. Louis - The Flames are still licking their wounds after a difficult loss to the Avs over the weekend. They will rebound well and keep the pressure on the first place Avs, especially since the baby Blues struggle at home. Flames win 3-1.

Columbus @ Minnesota - Despite a disappointing season for the Wild, they have been respectable at home. Columbus in in danger of falling too far out of the playoff picture and might start to play with some desperation. The elements of mother nature are too strong for the man-made blue jackets. Wild win 2-1.

Washington @ Colorado - This game will be an indication if the Avs are for real. The Caps will be a great test and after their loss to the lowly Leafs. They should get back in the win column. I still have questions about Colorado. Prove me wrong. Caps win a shootout 5-2.

LA @ Edmonton - After a tough loss to neighboring Vancouver, the Kings travel to Edmonton to play the Oilers on back to back nights. The Kings will look to get something out of this mini road trip and win 3-2.

What ha...happened?

So last night's picks did not go as well as I would have hoped. But there is lies the beauty of sports, there is always tomorrow...or in this case today.

After a solid first two periods, the Bruins fell apart in the third giving up three goals and losing 3-1 at home.

I don't really know what happened on Long Island as the Panthers stormed into town and demolished the Isles 7-1. In short, I was way off!

My extremely bold prediction that the Canadiens would destroy the Sabres was exactly that...bold. The Sabres increased their division lead over Boston with a 4-3 win on the road.

The other loss I can handle, a shootout victory for the Rangers over the visiting Thrashers. I knew this game would be close but happened to be unlucky.

The rest of the results went my way. Toronto defeated Ottawa 3-2 against my 5-3 prediction and the Phoenix-Detroit game was much closer than my 4-1 Red Wing victory called for but saw the Wings pull out a 3-2 win.

The Canucks were able to handle the Kings 3-1 versus my 6-5 shootout prediction. Still happy...and counting it as a win.

My pick of the night came from the game I really knew the least about. Nahsville defeated Columbus 5-3 where I called for a close 4-3 result. Not bad. I finished the night with a record of 4-4 and an overall record of 12-10. Tonight's predictions will be poster later today.

The Cup's Half Full (in my eyes)

After splitting on my predictions Sunday night, I remain positive about the upcoming week's games.

Props to the Avs who grabbed sole possession of the Northwest Division with their thrilling 3-2 victory over Calgary. Although I predicted a 3-2 Flames win, I am okay seeing the young guns on the Avs experience some success.

In Chicago, the visiting Bolts could not find the net against Annti Niemmi and the stalwart Blackhawk defense. My prediction: a 3-1 or 4-1 win...not too far off. My record now stands at 8-6.

Now let's take a look at tonight's set of games.

Philadelphia @ Boston - This is going to be a tough call but through my yellow and gold tinted goggles, I see only good things for the Bruins, who look to rebound after a disappointing 3-2 OT loss to the Isles on Saturday. B's win 4-2.

Ottawa @ Toronto - North of the border sees two rollercoaster teams match up tonight. Ottawa holds a 7 point advantage in the overall standings but Toronto has been playing better recently. Another close one but I will stick with the home teams. Toronto 5-3.

Florida @ NY Islanders - The struggling Panthers will have their hands full if the Isles decide to show up. They have been an exciting team to watch all season even when they struggle. This should be another exciting and energetic game with the Islanders coming through 3-1.

Atlanta @ NY Rangers - After losing at home over the weekend, the Rangers will look to rebound against a pretty good team from Atlanta who picked up a home win on the weekend. The Thrashers could be worn by travel as they completed a West coast trip last week. NY wins a close one in overtime 2-1.

Nashville @ Columbus - There is something about the Blue Jackets that intrigues me, but cannot figure out what it is. Nashville remains a mystery so this will be a tough one to pick. Nashville 4-3.

Buffalo @ Montreal - After securing first place over the weekend, Buffalo will look to lengthen it's lead against division rival Montreal. This game also proves to be entertaining, making my prediction that much more juicy. Montreal 5-0. Why? I have no logic.

Phoenix @ Detroit - On paper this should be no contest. In reality both teams will go through the formality of playing but the Red Wings will still walk away 4-1 winners.

LA @ Vancouver - I like following the upstart Kings but Vancouver is a real force in the great northwest. This should be a very exiting game with the winner taking a step toward solidifying their dominance in the conference. Look for the Canucks to win in a shootout, 6-5.

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

It is always the most fun when I have a night like I did last night where I predicted the scores of 12 games because it means today I have plenty of material on which to recap. However, I will also say a few words about tonight's pair of games. But first let's talk about Saturday.

My record for the night was a respectable 7-5. First, let's talk about the losses.

I was shocked at the score line of the Caps-Maple Leafs games which saw the Leafs dominate the mighty Caps in front of a home-town Canadian crowd. I was also surprised but more disappointed in the Bruins who managed to hang with the Islanders before falling in overtime. My bold prediction that the Columbus would take down Anaheim in a shootout was not meant to be nor was my unfounded statement that Nashville would shutout Detroit. Mark those down as loss three and four on the night. Finally, I was actually close in my last prediction that Phoenix and San Jose would be involved in a close game. The score line was correct, 2-1, but in the wrong direction as the Sharks walked away with the W.

Inspired by the home crowd, Ottawa scored two in the third to march past Carolina 4-2. The Devils were able to handle the Flyers 4-1. Atlanta would need overtime to pull out the win against Montreal 4-3. Buffalo tightened up the defense and shutout the Rangers in period two and three to win 3-2 on the road and increase their division lead. Pittsburgh surprisingly needed overtime to beat the Panthers at home. A first period onslaught proved to be the difference for Vancouver who defeated Minnesota 4-3. And finally, the Kings - hopefully inspired by the trendy home crowd - pulled off an exciting come-from-behind shootout win against Dallas.

Now for tonight's matchups.

Tampa Bay @ Chicago - It is tough to pick against the surging Blackhawks at home but this is hockey - anything can happen. Chicago is also 12-3-1 at home this year and 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Blackhawks find a way to win this one 3-1 or 4-1.

Calgary @ Colorado - Game of the night which sees the two teams tied to first in the Northwest division fight it out for sole possession of the spot. Both teams are similar in their home-road records but I will give the edge to visiting Calgary for a couple of reasons. One, they have a better record in their last ten games than Colorado (6-2-2 vs. 4-3-3). Two, Calgary has a tremendous road record this season of 11-3-3 and Colorado is mediocre at home (8-3-2). Three, Calgary has the advantage in net with Kiprusoff turning in an all-star year thus far. Calgary wins a close and very exciting game 3-2.

Saturday Night Live

With a dozen games on the NHL schedule Saturday night, I have some picking to do. Rather than weigh myself down in spreads and over-unders, I am simply going to try and predict the winning squad...straight up. Here we go.

Philadelphia @ New Jersey - Since starting the season strong, the Flyers have fluctuated up and down. Coming off his record breaking performance earlier in the week I wonder if Martin Brodeur plays a little loose tonight. It is hard to pick against the Devils at home.

Boston @ NY Islanders - I don't know which Bruins team is going to show up tonight, but I hope it is the same one that made the Toronto Maple Leafs look like an AHL team earlier in the week. Let's go B's!

Buffalo @ NY Rangers - Game two in New York should be a dandy. Despite the Rangers' recent form I expect a close one in the city. Buffalo will look to lengthen its lead in the division with a win, and will be successful in doing so.

Montreal @ Atlanta - The Thrashers are finally home after a long west coast road trip in which the results did not go their way but they showed signs of life. This one could go either way and I will side with Atlanta, just a gut feeling.

Carolina @ Ottawa - Not much to say here...Ottawa gets it done at home.

Washington @ Toronto - aka Men @ Boys. Not even close, the Caps walk away with the win.

Anaheim @ Columbus - A mediocre year for the Ducks will continue to be mediocre, Blue Jackets win in a shootout.

Florida @ Pittsburgh - It is hard to pick against the Penguins these days, especially at home. Although they have showed signs of complacency at home this season. I still pick the Pens.

San Jose @ Phoenix - Surprising Phoenix will fall a little short to the Sharks in a close one. I predict a 1-0, 2-1, or 3-2 score line.

Detroit @ Nashville - The Preds will continue to impress at home and shutout the Wings. Bold call? Yes. But it's no fun unless you make things interesting.

Minnesota @ Vancouver - Vancouver is starting to feel comfortable on their home ice and will handle the Wild rather easily...4-1 or 3-1.

Dallas @ Los Angeles - The youngster of LA will be motivated by the Saturday night crowd which will be filled with supermodels and the like. Kings win.

I'll let you know how I do tonight or tomorrow. I feel pretty good but sports are a funny thing. We will see what happens.