NHL Picks: Canucks vs Coyotes

Last night Vancouver won a wild one in Colorado, coming back from two different three-goal deficits to defeat the Avs 6-4. Mikael Samuelsson, who has recently been promoted to the top line with the Sedins, recorded a hat trick. Vancouver has won four of five post-Olympic break. The Coyotes stumbled into Trade Deadline Day, losers of two straight. But a series of moves have paid off in a big way, putting Phoenix on a mild two-game win streak. Wojtek Wolski was their big deadline pick up, and he has responded to the new environment with three points in two games. Phoenix is coming off a big 4-0 win over Anaheim on Saturday; goalie Ilya Bryzgalov made 32 saves for his 7th shutout and franchise-record 34th win of the year.

Vancouver Canucks @ Phoenix Coyotes
Wednesday, March 10th – 10:00 PM EST
Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Broadcast: TSN
: Coyotes -125

What The Canucks Have To Do To Win:

Vancouver has to keep their energy level up, especially early, and that may not be as easy as it sounds. This game marks the Canucks’ 14th consecutive road game, a burden they were saddled with because of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. Add to the equation their incredible comeback last night, and the Canucks may be too mentally and physically tired for this match. But coming out slow against this Phoenix team will be deadly. The Coyotes are a young, fast team, and their energy level at the beginning of the game will be enormous, especially at home. If Vancouver plays sluggishly to start the game they’ll fall behind and be forced to make another amazing comeback. If the Canucks are able keep up, they may be able to slow the game down and play how they want to play. But it all depends on a strong start.

What The Coyotes Have To Do To Win:

Focus on the special teams. In the Coyotes 4-0 win on Saturday, Petr Prucha converted on the PP to give Phoenix their first man-advantage tally in 27 chances. That’s an unacceptable slump for a team with real playoff hopes. Their lack of power play conversion was a big reason why the team lost three straight going into the Olympic Break. Obviously the power play needs work, and the injection of new blood into the unit (Wolski, Lee Stempniak) can’t make things any worse.

Conversely, their penalty killing unit is feeling all the confidence in the world. Against Anaheim, the PK unit went a perfect 7-for-7. Phoenix must make sure it doesn’t stray away from what makes their unit successful. With a lot of road games coming up, the Coyotes will need their penalty kill to be working as well as possible.

Outlook & Pick

The Canucks are no doubt a tired team, with last night’s draining victory and a 14-game road streak resting on their shoulders. The Coyotes, however, have had three days off and are facing a tough end-of-year schedule where they play 11 of their last 15 games on the road. They would like nothing else than to end their home stand on a high note. The Coyotes energy against the possible bout of exhaustion that the Canucks probably suffer from? Easy pick.

NHL Betting Pick: Coyotes -125