NHL Picks – Sid the Kid vs. King Martin Brodeur
by Dave D
Friday’s NHL action is highlighted by games that feature two of the players on the planet. Martin Brodeur will try to help his team to a win over Sidney Crosby and his fired up Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins (40-22-4) @ New Jersey Devils (39-23-3)
7:00 PM ET, Friday, March 12, 2010
Prudential Center, East Rutherford, New Jersey
On: XM Satellite Radio Channel 204
- The New Jersey Devils rank 21st on offense, and average 2.6 goals per game. The Devils are 19.0% on the power play and have 42 power play goals.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 5th on offense, and average 3.1 goals per game. The Penguins are 17.3% on the power play and have 45 power play goals.
- The Devils average 3.0 goals per game at home, and give up 2.3 goals against on defense.
- The Penguins average 2.8 goals per game on the road, and give up 3.0 goals against on defense.
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Pittsburgh Penguins: +120
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been the hottest team in the NHL since the Olympic break. They had won all four games since the break but unexpectably lost to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
They totally outplyed the Canes but were stoned by goalie Justin Peters – who? Now the Pens have to face the toughest team to score on in the league and a team that has owned them over the past decade. Pittsburgh is 17-36 in their last 53 meetings.
The Penguins are playing their second game in two nights on Friday and although the visiting team in the series is 15-7 in the last 22 meetings, it smeels like another letdown game.
We all know that Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and clan will show up against the devils but every team goes throught their mini-slumps. Just ask the Devils about their Alberta road trip last week.
New Jersey Devils: -140
The New Jersey Devils have been underwhelming since the Olympic break and now face an important stretch in which they play six games in the next nine nights. The Alberta road swing was not kind to the Devils but they were able to rebound with a convincing victory on Wednesday night against the Rangers.
Newcomer Ilya Kovalchuk is finally starting to heat up and American Olympian Zach Parise has bee solid as of late. The Devils appear on the verge of becoming a more offensive squad with Kovalchuk – something that will help Martin Brodeur and the Devils tem going forward.
New Jersey is very good at home and I expect their good fortune on home ice to continue on Friday night.
Winning Pick: New Jersey Devils -140
