in NHL Free Picks

Tuesday, February 6th --- Philips Arena, Atlanta --- 7:00pm EST

Top-ranked Buffalo will venture south to take on the Atlanta Thrashers tonight. The Thrashers have been getting poached lately, allowing the Southeast Division lead to slowly slip from their grasp. Tampa Bay and Carolina, meanwhile, have been inching closer and closer to what many thought was going to be an easy divisional title for the Thrashers.

The Sabres are coming off a disappointing loss to the Devils on Saturday night that saw their lead atop the Eastern Conference shrink to four points. The main problem for this team has been the third period, where they have allowed 63 goals this season. That is the league’s fourth-worst third period goals-against total.

Despite forward Ilya Kovalchuk’s surging offensive production, the Thrashers have been dormant on the power play. They rank 23rd in the league through the season, but have only converted on only 11.1% of their last 27 power play opportunities. Simply put, the team must begin to generate more offense.

Still, despite their defensive woes, the Sabres are still the best offense in the NHL right now. Atlanta may be able to keep up with their high-speed play, but their inability to generate more scoring punch is going to leave them black and blue on Tuesday night.

Sabres goalie Ryan Miller has lost his last three, but look for the Sabres 4th-ranked road-scoring to rip apart the Thrashers’ 19th-ranked home defense. The Sabres average 3.4 goals on the road offensively, while the Thrashers allow 3.3 goals per game at home. That is not a good sign for the Thrashers.

Look for the Sabres to try and gain some ground atop the Eastern Conference as the Thrashers watch their Southeast Divisional lead shrink once more.

Thrashers – 3

Saturday, February 6th --- Nationwide Arena, Columbus --- 7:00pm EST

These two teams are pretty much out of the playoff race, but the Coyotes have been a dynamite team to bet on when playing on the road. Columbus, however, has been playing extremely well at Nationwide this year. Which team will continue their hot streak after Tuesday night?

Considering their history, the Coyotes have gone an unbelievable 8-3 SU in their last eleven road games, as they are a wildly underestimated team. They have seven goals in their last four games, behind the steady play of center Yanic Perreault. The total has gone OVER in five of the last six when Columbus has clashed with Phoenix.

Columbus is playing well at home, going 7-3 SU in their last ten home games. Though the total has gone UNDER in five of their last six home games, the Coyotes offense should be able to generate something against a Columbus team that will be without two of their top defenders. Also, forwards Sergei Federov and Rick Nash have been ice-cold as of late. The Jackets’ third star, Nikolai Zherdev, will be out of action due to the flu.

Look for the Coyotes to keep their road record alive against a Columbus team that will see their strong homestand come to a thunderous halt.

Blue Jackets – 1

Tuesday, February 6th --- Rexall Place --- 9:00pm EST

The Oilers have had major trouble with the Canucks this season, losing four of six against their divisional rivals. But the Canucks are coming off a huge loss to Calgary on Saturday, and have been notorious for stinking up the league down the stretch. Can the Oilers gain some ground on the Canucks in the Northwest Division?

Edmonton has been 4-2 SU in their last six when playing Vancouver at home, and that is a good sign considering their recent woes against the Canucks. The Oilers’ penalty kill is best in the league, and that will be helpful against a Canucks offense that has gotten the wheels rolling as of late. Dwayne Roloson managed 37 saves in a win over the Colorado Avalanche, and will man the pipes for the Oilers.

The Canucks have been killing themselves allowing power plays this year. They lead the league in most power play plays allowed with 5.7 per game. Though the Oilers are not feared for their power play, this is a much different team when playing at home. They are the 9th-best team offensively when playing at home.

Look for the Canucks to make mistakes early and often, putting them on their heels for most of the game. When that happens, the Oilers should be able to capitalize by overwhelming them with a physical brand of hockey, and one the finesse-focused Canucks cannot keep up with. Canuck goalie Roberto Luongo may stand on his head for most of the game, but his defense will let him down, allowing too many shots against the Oilers.

The Canucks remain one of the worst teams in the league in the second half of the season, while the Oilers have been known to become much stronger going down the infamous NHL playoff push. Intangibles like that are hard to see, but they are there, and they will be extremely prevalent when the Oilers take one from the Canucks at home.

Canucks – 1

Tuesday, February 6 --- Continental Airlines Arena --- 7:30pm EST

The newly acquired forward, Sean Avery, will debut for the Rangers, who hope his feisty attitude will help spark some offense on this team. There is no better test for a new offense then the New Jersey Devils, the top defensive team in the league. Will Avery’s addition to the Rangers be enough to push them over the hump against the Eastern Conference’s second-best team?

Star forward Jaromir Jagr will miss another game for the Rangers with a sore hip. His absence is much of the reason the Rangers have gone 2-5 SU in their last seven games. Forward Brendan Shanahan’s point-per-game play has been the lone bright side for the Rangers, and Avery is being brought in to give Shanny more chances with the puck.

The steady Devils have played some incredible hockey as of late, producing 13 wins in their last 18 contests. Their offense has been the toast of Jersey as well, helping the team go OVER in four of their last six. Heavily tipping the scales in favor of the Devils is the fact that they are 24-4-1 in their last 32 home games against the Rangers.

Look for that streak to continue against a Ranger team still struggling to find their way. Avery will add some spark to the offense, but the Devils are simply too good of a team to bet against at this point in the season.

Rangers – 2
Devils – 3

Last Week: 0/4
Season Record: 6/13

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