My First NHL 2019-2020 Season post.

In past years, I would have written something back in late September 2019 during NHL pre-season. Except for Sportnet's firing of Don Cherry in November 2019, I haven't written a word about the 2019-2020 NHL season. What took so long? Many of the teams I like aren't playing well. Some of the teams that are playing well - some of which I used to like - I now want to see them crushed.

Unless magic happens, (as it did for The Blues last season), currently the MN Wild aren't playing in the manner that brings home The Stanley Cup. We'll see if the Wild can shake off the bad juju and turn their game around over the next few months.

It's overdue, by a few seasons, that NHL Commish Bettman needs to go. He's held the position since 19fucking93. He did some good, some not-so-good. Step aside, Gary.

Related - Toronto Sun (December 2019): Hockey Night In Canada ratings fall after firing of Don Cherry. Only Sportnet and HNIC didn't see this coming.

Happy Hockey!

St. Louis Blues win Stanley Cup!

Game 7 Final Score: St. Louis Blues 4 - Boston Bruins 1

I am SO FCUKING GLAD BOSTON LOST!

CONGRATS BLUES! 

This is a historic win for St. Louis!

Stanley Cup Game 6; Tonight in St. Louis; Blues lead series 3 - 2. One game away from their first Cup.

NHL.com: Stanley Cup Game 6 preview and Game 5 Recap. 

Game 5 Final Score: Blues 2 - Bruins 1

My prediction for Game 5 was Blues 4, Bruins 3. I picked the winning team, but not the right final score. Oh well, I'll take that.

 

Should the Blues win tonight, expect the ground under St. Louis to liquefy due to the celebrating, causing an earthquake with rolling aftershocks hitting all four corners of the country. Inside Enterprise Center...the decibel level tonight? Man...a level that will make an AC/DC concert seem subdued and reserved by comparison.

Predictions

Oddsshark predicted final score: Boston 3.2 - St. Louis 2.2

Game 6, Blues on Home Ice. I originally predicted this series will go all seven games. I'll maintain that prediction.

But I'd sure like to see the Blues win their first Stanley Cup - in 52 years.

My Prediction: Blues 3 - Bruins 2 in OT.

Game 6, 7PM Eastern Time - FREE! - on broadcast NBC.

Go Blues! Happy Hockey.

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.

Stanley Cup Game 5; Tonight in Boston. Series tied 2 - 2.

Barclay, the St. Louis Blues' dog training for a greater mission.

The Stanley Cup series is tied, two games each for Boston and St. Louis. Game 4 Recap here.

Monday's Game 4 final score was Blues 4, Boston 2.

My Prediction for Game 4 was: Blues 3 - Bruins 1. While my final score prediction was wrong, I did accurately pick the winner of the game. I'll give myself one point for that.

Game 5 tonight, 8PM Eastern Time in Boston and it's on FREE network NBC-TV. FREE! It's FREE! Of course, you'll have to sit through television commercials which pay for the FREE broadcast, but you likely already own a fleet of Lincolns for no other reason than Matthew McConaughey drives them.

Monday's Game 4, statistically - or for trivia purposes - was the first Stanley Cup game EVER won by St. Louis, in St. Louis. Kinda neat.

Game 5 - ESPN: What to watch for.

Predictions:

Oddsshark has Bruins over Blues, 3.1 - 2.4. 

Playing on Home Ice...Boston will probably win tonight. I'll be contrarian I'm often told I am:

My Prediction: Blues 4, Bruins 3

GO Blues! Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.

Stanley Cup Game 4; Tonight in St. Louis. Series: BOS 2 - STL 1

Saturday's Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup had Boston winning 7 to 2 over St. Louis. P1 ended with a score of the Bruins leading the Blues 3 - 0. The Blues picked up a goal in P2 while the Bruins picked up two. Going into P3, the score was 5 - 1, the Blues managed one goal while Boston nailed two more.

St. Louis couldn't catch or make a break for themselves on Monday night and Boston was on top of their game. Blues' defense was sluggish, which is in keeping with their inconsistent play during regular-season. Some nights they had it (defense), other nights they didn't.

Game 3 Final Score: Bruins 7 - Blues 2.

My Game 3 Score Prediction: Blues 5 - Bruins 2. I'm 0 for 3; on a roll!

Tonight's Game 4 preview here.

The Puck hits the Ice at 8PM Eastern time and it's televised on Teh NBC FREE TV! FREE!! FREE!! That must make Crazy Bernie and Teh Cortez happy...because... it's FREE!

Predictions

Oddsshark predicts tonight's Final Score: Bruins 3.2 - Blues 2.2

My Prediction: Blues 3 - Bruins 1

GO Blues! Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.

Stanley Cup Game 3; Tonight in St. Louis. Series tied 1 - 1.

St. Louis won Game 2, a final score 3 - 2 in OT on Wednesday night, in Boston, tying the series one game each.

My Game 2 prediction for a final score was Boston 3 - St. Louis 1, so I'm 0 for 2, my inability to accurately predict a final score consistent as it's been in past seasons. Once in awhile I get one right, but then a blind squirrel finds an acorn every now and then.

Game 3 is tonight, at 8 PM Eastern time. It's the first game of the series with the Blues playing on home ice with Game 4 also in StL.

Injury List: Scroll halfway down the page and on the left, at Oddsshark you'll find an injuries "box". Click on BOS and STL for player injuries; both teams affected.

Game 3 Predictions

Oddsshark predicts a final score of Game 3 with the Bruins over the Blues, 2.8 to 2.6.

I don't know...I'm pulling random numbers out of the ether here...My prediction:  Blues 5 - Bruins 2.

Go Blues!

Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.

Stanley Cup Game 2 Tonight: Blues v Bruins

 
Monday's Game One of the NHL Stanley Cup was a win for Boston over St. Louis.

Final score of Game #1: Bruins 4 - Blues 2.

My Game #1 prediction: Blues 4 - Bruins 3 (in OT).

The Blues took a 2 to 0 lead into the second period. Bruins Connor Clifton fired a puck past Blues' goalie Jordan Binnington, followed minutes later by teammate Charlie McAvoy, tying the score at 2 - 2.

It stayed at 2 - 2 until P3, when Boston's Sean Kuraly scored, giving the Bruins 3, St. Louis 2. Teammate Brad Marchand nailed the puck into an empty net with a minute, 48 seconds left in the game, making the final score of 4 - 2.

The Blues played well, basically, the whole game. They got a little sloppy, Boston capitalized on it, and St. Louis couldn't pop back.

The Blues' Robert Thomas and Vince Dunn are on the injured list for tonight's Game 2, in Boston, at 8PM Eastern Time.

NHL.com: Are the Blues poised for a rebound in Game 2?

The Blues don't need to win tonight's game, but they really do. Going into game 3 - in St. Louis - down by two, kind of...sucks.

Predictions

Oddsshark predicts a final score in tonight's game of: Boston 3.2 - St. Louis 2.2.

I'd like for the Blues to win and tie the series tonight. The realist in me speaks differently.

My Prediction: Boston 3 - St. Louis 1

Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.

2019 Stanley Cup: Game One, Blues v Bruins.

Game One of The Stanley Cup starts tonight on broadcast NBC ("free"..."FREE !!" "FREE !!!"), at 8PM Eastern Time.

St. Louis Blues vs Boston Bruins; the Blues easily the underdog in this match-up.

Oh, the factors...

Boston on home ice, always nice. For the Blues, nothing better than that feeling of winning the first "away" game; really a boost for both morale and endorphins.

USA MacPaper: NHL injury list lists three players for the Bruins listed as "Probably Monday" while one Blues player, defenseman Vince Dunn is definitely out for tonight's game.

Goalies: 

Blues Goalie Jordan Binnington has done a wonderful job in the playoffs.

Bruins Goalie Tuukka Rask is everything any team wants guarding the net. 

Here's a side-by-side comparison of Binnington and Rask at Daily Face Off.

Predictions

Oddsharks: Blues 2.3 - Bruins 3.1.

My Predictions:

* This series goes the full seven games.

* Tonight's Game One: Blues 4 - Bruins 3 in OT.

Happy Hockey!

Disclaimer: The above and future fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. You are INSANE to consider my fantasy NHL musings as a basis on which to gamble, “sportsbet” or other type of wager. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. On the other hand, good natured comments of childish taunting, ad-hominem attacks and name-calling by hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike in the comments section is encouraged.

NHL Stanley Cup (Not a really long boring NHL post).

St. Louis v Boston

Game One, Monday May 27, 2019

The Puck hits the ICE in about 24 hours from now for Game One of the NHL Stanley Cup.

This year, it's the St. Louis Blues vs the Boston Bruins. Games one and two are on Boston home ice.

In past years, I wrote more often during the playoff series. This year, I kind of lost interest after some of my favorite teams were eliminated early on. The Penguins, NY Islanders, Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Preds, the Washington Caps (last year's Champ) and the Columbus Blue Jackets...I thought they'd make it further than they did.

Click image to enlarge.

The interesting development with St. Louis is that for most of the season, they ranked last, or second to last. St. Louis started 2018 Pre-Season games (see September 30 image #4) in the Number Two slot! Soon into regular season, they sank. They couldn't get anything right and wins were scattered. The Blues got a few things going in January 2019, one being a win against the Caps. No one saw that coming. Their play in March started to simmer, their playing improved, they found a cohesive plan and strategy.

Still, the Blues struggled in the Second Round of playoffs against the Stars. They fought their way through and won. And I didn't expect the Blues to win their series against the Sharks.

Boston maintained solid play all season. They're going to be hard to beat, but considering how the Blues spun 180 degrees from looking like they had no chance of going anywhere against any team, they may pose more of a challenge than the Bruins see coming.

The Blues haven't been in a Cup game since 1970 - and coincidentally it was against the Bruins - and they've never won the Stanley Cup. Boston won The Cup in the 2010-2011 season and they have six Cups to their name.

The Blues have momentum and desire. The Bruins have history and a solid, well-played season. This should be a good series.

NHL; A Long, Boring Mid-Season Hockey Post

No NHL games today or tomorrow. The NHL All-Star game plays tonight in San Jose. Devan Dubnyk of the Wild is playing. I'll tune some in.

This makes today is a good day in taking a snapshot of where the NHL teams are at, since games won't resume until Monday. I've added to the Win-Loss score each team point totals.

References to team performances are made using the most current team rankings, today, Jan. 26th - the first team standings image in this post (below). I make reference of current standings throughout, so sorry for any scrolling up and down from snapshot to snapshot. If there are two kindred NHL souls out there reading this, Thank you dearly.

AT: TBay jumps off the screen. They're playing great hockey. TBay and Calgary (Pacific) are the only two teams with points over 70.

The mid-tier teams in the AT division, barring injuries - the caveat of caveats - have heavy battling to do. And they will all face TBay, who continues to crush their opponents' ice. That said, note the point difference of TBay, 76, to the second-placed Maple Leafs with 62. Fourteen is a huge spread. Montreal, Buffalo and Boston will each have to ramp-up their games.

It's rare that I "write-off" any team - too early for that. We're still five months away til The Cup. We'll see if the Panthers, Red Wings and Sens gear up and change their game.

MET: The top four teams from today's snapshot are the same four top four teams from the December snapshot (below). In slightly different order. I'm not saying they've remained unchanged, just snapshot to snapshot. 

The Islander's are strong, same for the Caps, Columbus, the Pens and Carolina. Philly, I don't know why they can't get their game together. Any Philly fans reading this want to add a comment?

The Rangers and Devils have struggled this season. Each team has occasionally beaten better ranking and better-playing teams, but consistency hasn't been kind to NYR or NJ.

Looking at points, the Central and Pacific divisions are up for grabs by any of the top five teams.

CENT: Minnesota, despite losing some games they should have won, and with 90 EDIT: 40+ days without Matt Dumba, and recently injured Eric Fehr, has found some center of balance. Can they keep it and keep winning are the questions. I sure as heck hope so. Their competitors, the Jets, Preds, Stars and Avalanche are all solid and strong. St. Louis and Chicago...? These are good teams. They've played far better in the past than currently. I haven't seen enough of their games to figure out what needs fixing.

PAC: The top five teams have been playing tough all season. What I'm wondering, is Arizona silently sneaking up? They haven't played well so far, but they were the fourth-ranked team in September pre-season (below image). 

Here comes (top image) Ari, just one and two points behind the Ducks and Vancouver. Hmmmm....I'd like Ari to keep winning and make the top five look over their shoulders. Add more mix into the competition. 

Edmonton and L.A.? Boy, who knows. Edmonton was the number one team in September (below), while L.A. was number two in October (above image). Currently, well, refer to first image above; Edmonton #7 and L.A. #8.

Roll dice on freshly Zambonied ice. Anything can happen.

 September 30, 2018

NHL/hockey comments & thoughts always welcome and encouraged. 

Happy Hockey, eh!

2019 Generic Predictions Guaranteed Accurate

She's really going out on a limb, here. CBS News NY:

...we asked Psychic Nikki to shed some light on the year ahead. This is what she sees for the the coming year.

"The world will still be a tumultuous place[.]"
[...]
"[T]he stock market is going to be up and down."
[...]
"Extreme weather events will continue...The weather is very mixed up."
[...]
 “People want to be happier.”

Psychic Nikki's site states, "THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN LEARN TO DO."

Nikki. PTTS.

I won't, and can't, pretend to have this Six-Sense awareness of Psychic Nikki. Shirley, it takes some kind of keen foresight I don't have.

Some days during 2019 will be more sunny/cloudy/rainy/windy than other days.

Lots of people will continue spending time staring into black mirrors.
 
More, and or less, and or the same, amount of people will visit your site or blog depending on the content and how much time they have.

Summer may prove to be a time of possible increase in vacations or time off from work.

Library hours may vary.

My future NHL predictions will continue to be hazy. 3 to 1. Maybe.

That'll be $250.00.

NHL Monday and NHL Sunday Recap

Yesterday's only NHL game had Vegas beating Arizona 5 - 1. It was the third win in a row for Vegas. And, no surprise here, my prediction of AZ winning 4-2 was...incorrect.

Thirteen games on tap today.

Nashville plays in Washington and Vancouver in NJ. These two games are just about to hit the ice. The other 11 games start at 5PM EST or later. So if your NY Eve plans are hanging out at home, and you're not sure what to watch, well, check out a hockey game or three.

Happy Hockey and Happy New Year!

One NHL Game Tonight. One!?!?!

Only one NHL game on tonight, Vegas playing in Arizona.

Vegas is # 3 and the Coyotes rank at # 7, both in the Pacific Division.

With 15 NHL games yesterday, I guess having only ONE game today is...something NHL fans will have to live with.

We could expect Vegas to win over AZ tonight, but AZ beat the # 4 ranked Anaheim Ducks last night, 5 - 4 in OT in what was a heck of a good game.

The Wild beat the Jets yesterday, 3 - 1. Wouldn't have predicted a Wild win against the Jets, considering Matt Dumba is on the injured list and not expected to play for 3 months.

Oddsshark has Vegas winning over the Coyotes 3.2 to 2.6.

Vegas beat bottom-ranked LA 4 - 1 last night and as previously noted, the Coyotes beat the Ducks.

Vegas will probably win tonight...probably. But I'll take a stab at a prediction of AZ beating Vegas 4 - 2.

Happy Hockey!
- - -
Disclaimer: All fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or "sports"-betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. You agree fully to the above, without exceptions or objections, by visiting this site. Yes you do. Yes. You do.

NHL Saturday, December 22; Quick Recap December 21 Games

Quote: Herb Brooks

14 games on tap for today and tonight, starting at noon and going all day and evening though 9PM-plus.

No predictions, too much work in keeping track of that many games.

Last night's games final scores:
NJ 5 - Ottawa 2
Washington 2 - Buffalo 1
Chicago 2 - Colorado 1

My predictions:
NJ 3 - Ottawa 2
Washington 4 - Buffalo 2
Chicago 2 - Colorado 3

No accuracy on the final scores, but I did pick two out of three winning teams.

NJ beating the Sens 5 - 2 was surprising considering the Devils have been fighting their bottom or "next-to-bottom" ranking in the Metro division. They're a better team than where they're at. NJ has five months to improve.

I thought the Caps-Sabres games would be a higher scoring game, both teams played well but the reigning Cup Champions (Washington) are likely playing to win the Cup again next year. Barring injuries, the Caps will be strong all season.

The Avalanche-Hawks also a good game. It really could have gone either way. Chicago go their defensive game going last night and despite some flaws, managed to keep that 1 goal edge and take the win away from Colorado.

14 games today. That's Christmas for me.

Three NHL Games on Tap Tonight, Friday December 21

Oh, heck, with only three games on tap tonight, some of which start in minutes, I'll go ahead and make final score predictions that the future will prove utter folly on my part.

Tonight's games:
Ottawa (AT #7) at NJ (Met #8)
Buffalo (AT #3) at Washington (Met #1)
Chicago (Cent #7) at Colorado (#4 Cent)

Oddssharks predicts:
* Sens 3.4 - NJ 2.4
* Washington 4.0 - Sabres 1.8
* Hawks 3.7 - Avalanche 2.3

My predictions:
* NJ lost to Columbus last night. I think they're going to gear up for a win.  
NJ 3 - Sens 2

* Washington 4 - Sabres 2

* Chicago beat Dallas 5 - 2 last night. Colorado is the better team. Chicago could be pumped up from their win, or, tired. Avalanche need to chalk up a win. Hmmmm. Colorado 3, Chicago 2.

- - -

Disclaimer: All fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or "sports"-betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. You agree fully to the above, without exceptions or objections, by visiting this site. Yes you do. Yes. You do.

NHL Game Recap for Tuesday, December 18

Details of last night's eleven games are at NHL.com.

The games where the underdog beat the better playing team - that no one would have guessed, were:

* Bottom ranked LA beat number one Winnipeg, 4 - 1
* Bottom ranked Florida Panthers beat Buffalo 5 - 2 (BIG SURPRISE here)
* NY Rangers over the Ducks 3 - 1
* Dallas shut out Calgary 2 - 0
* Struggling St. Louis beat Edmonton, IN Edmonton, 4 - 1

Other games:

* TBay beat Vancouver 5 - 2 (no surprise here)

* The Islanders beat the Coyotes 3 - 1; this game being a good watch. AZ played tough, but couldn't keep pace.

* The Sharks shut out the Wild, 4 - 0. Sharks goalie, the incredible Martin Jones, refused to allow the puck from crossing the crease.

* Philly beat Detroit 3 - 2, another good game.

* Toronto beat NJ 7 - 2, not unexpected but a higher score than I would have predicted.

* Chicago beat Nashville 2 - 1.

Only two games tonight:

Penguins play at Washington and Montreal plays in Colorado.

Happy Hockey!

NHL December 18; Not A Long Boring Hockey Post (although I suppose that is subjective).

Eleven games on tap tonight, in the NHL.

The Atlantic Division remains in the same order as it was on December 1. Not to say there wasn't shuffling from that snapshot date to now. Only that the rankings are the same today.

Other division's teams shuffled, but basically stayed within their area relative ranking.

Various injuries are spread out among many teams.

One stat I noticed, only three teams remain in avoiding a tied game being decided by the Dreaded Shoot-Out: Toronto, Ottawa and Dallas.

 

Some interesting match-ups tonight between the stronger teams and, uh, some struggling teams:

Bottom-ranked Florida plays at number two-ranked Buffalo (both Atlantic)
Nashville (#2) plays in Chicago (#7) (both Central)
Winnipeg (#1-Central) plays in LA (#8-Pacific)
Tampa Bay (#1-AT) plays in Vancouver (#6-Pac)
Calgary (#1-Pac) in Dallas (#5-Cent)
Toronto (#3-AT) in NJ (#7-Met)
Ducks (#2-Pac) at NYR (#6-Met)
NYI (#3-Met) at AZ (#7-Pac)

Mid-tier vs mid-tier game:
San Jose (#3-Pac) at MN (#4-Cent)

Struggle vs struggle has:
Detroit (#7-AT) playing in Philly (#8-Met)
St. Louis (#6-Cent) at Edmonton (#5-Pac)

Good games to watch? Sharks at MN should be good. St. Louis, AZ and LA are teams I've been watching, just to see what they do in trying to turn things around. The StL-Oilers game could be a close one. I don't see AZ beating the Islanders tonight. Same for LA, don't see them beating Winnipeg. Make no wager on my pure speculation. Any game could see an upset. The Panthers could beat Buffalo by a shot, no way to tell. No one would have guessed St. Louis beating the Jets 1 - 0 on December 7.

I'm not making any predictions. Oddsshark has you covered there.

And a past due Rest in Peace to Bob Naegele, Jr., who brought the NHL back to Minnesota.
- - -
Disclaimer: All fantasy "final score predictions", are not meant to be, or intended to be, or construed as, or subconsciously suggested as, advice on which to make wagers or "sports"-betting. It is simply the observation of an NHL fan. If you have even the slightest desire to gamble based on anything written here, immediately seek help from your doctor and/or call 911. I am not responsible for any losses, financial, emotional or otherwise. You agree fully to the above, without exceptions or objections, by visiting this site. Yes you do. Yes. You do.

December 7 NHL Game Recap

My ability to predict final scores continues its historical pattern of being wildly inaccurate. I forgot to add my Disclaimer on that post, but if you're wagering anything of value on my purely speculative guesses on final scores, you need to see your doctor immediately.

The results:

Final: MN 3 - Edmonton 7
My prediction: MN 4 - Oilers 2

Final: Carolina 4 - Ducks 1
My prediction: Ducks 5 - Canes 3

Final: SJ Sharks 2 - Dallas Stars 3
My prediction: Sharks 4 - Stars 2

Final: St. Louis 1 - Winnipeg 0
My prediction: Jets 3 - Blues 1

The Oilers played an excellent game. No doubt about it, their offense was flawless. The Wild couldn't get their act together for consistency. Goalie Devan Dubnyk was pulled in the first period after allowing three goals on six shots. Dubnyk is a great goalie, he had an off night. The Wild looked tired. Their desire was there but they couldn't get it to gel. The Wild had two power plays during the game, on which they did not score. Well, at least they didn't give up a goal on the power play which is a problem they still experience. Why this persists with them, I don't know.

I thought the Ducks - Hurricanes game would be tighter. I could analyze the game, but Ducks Coach Randy Carlyle said it best:

"It was one of those games where nothing we seemed to try to do had any effect on it, any positive effect. It was all frustration and lack of ability to execute. They were faster, quicker, and executed to a higher rate than we did."

I watched most of the Sharks - Stars game, it being the most competitive game of the night, and it was. Stars' goalie Ben Bishop had a season-high 41 saves, which pretty much tells the story of why this game was a one point difference. Ducks Left Wing Evander Kane said of his team they were too relaxed and lacked intensity. That may be their problem, as in last season's playoffs the Sharks were two different teams on any given night. They either played as the top-notch, cohesive team they are or, they played like they've never been on ice before.

St. Louis beat the Jets 1 to 0. No one anywhere on the planet would have guessed that the bottom-ranked team would beat the third-place team in the Central Division. No one. Blues defense Colton Payrako scored the one and winning goal in the second period. A final score in any hockey game of 1 - 0 points directly to the success of the goalie, so chalk this Blues win to goalie Jake Allen's incredible performance as well as the Blues' defense. Maybe they're about to turn their game around and rise up from the bottom of the rankings.

Ten games play today. I'm not doing predictions for any of them. It's too early in the season.

December 7 NHL Games on Tap Tonight

Four games on tap tonight in the NHL.

Win/Loss follows each team.

MN vs Edmonton
Minnesota 15-11 (5th place Central) vs Edmonton 14-12 (5th place Pacific)

Ducks vs Hurricanes
Anaheim 15-10 (2nd place Pacific) vs Carolina 12-11 (6th place Metro)

Sharks at Stars
Dallas 15-10 (4th place Central) vs San Jose 14-10 (3rd place Pacific)

Blues at Jets
St. Louis 9-13 (7th place Central) vs Winnipeg 17-8 (3rd place Central)

Predictions:

MN over Edmonton, 4-2. MN lost 0-2 to Calgary last night. I'm looking for the Wild to bounce back. Edmonton beat the Blues on Wednesday 3-2, so they'll be strong.

The Ducks are on a winning streak, five in a row. They're looking for six against Carolina, also playing well, but they lost 5-1 to the Sharks Wednesday night. They might put up a tough game. This is a tough call. Caro's Center Jordan Staal is on the injury list for tonight. Ducks have momentum. Ducks 5 - Carolina 3.

The Sharks have won two in a row. They want three tonight in the Land of Southern Stars. Dallas hasn't played since Tuesday, when they beat Edmonton 4-1. Dallas is rested, maybe too rested? Sharks over Stars, 4-2.

St. Louis at Winnipeg. I'd like to see St. Louis win considering their performance has been so (ahem...) disappointing so far this year. The Jets beat the Islanders 3-1 on Tuesday; look for another Jets win here. Tonight: Jets over St. Louis, 3-1.

Check out NHL game predictions at Oddsshark. Use the menu at the top of their site to view each game analysis and prediction. Oddsshark is a fun site, for all sports, not just the NHL.

Game times and viewings are updated and available around 20-30 minutes before start time.

December's Boring NHL Post

EDIT: I wrote this 4 hours ago, something came up, didn't get around to publishing it until now.

Time to check the NHL. I know all one of my hockey reader might appreciate this post. /sarcasm

We're 20-25 games into a 82-game season. Much can change over that time.

There's been some shuffling in each division since my update of 9, October 2018. Let's take a look.

ATLANTIC: TBay made adjustments and leaped from third from the bottom to the number one team. They shut-down the Sabres 10-game winning streak. TBay's jump tapped down Boston who tapped down Montreal.

The Red Wings, Florida, and Ottawa retain their lower four positions. I've watched a few Detroit games where they've lost. The seem slow. Haven't caught a Panthers or Sens game, no idea what's going on with them. Leave a comment if you do. Despite the Red Wings performance, they are the Red Wings - they can never be underestimated or dismissed.

METRO: 2018 Stanley Cup Winner, The Caps,  The Caps, back on top from seated third on October 9. They bounced down a bit, then rebounded. Seems they got their skate on. Same for Columbus. There's this look in the eyes of Columbus, the look of, "we're winning The Cup."  Other shuffling back and forth with the Islanders, Devils, Carolina, Rangers and Philadelphia...and Pittsburgh? They have fifty some games to bounce back.

 

CENTRAL: Nashville's honed their game back into the playoff foe they have been and the previous Cup-winning team they're known for. Sorry to end that with a preposition. Chicago? I've watched a couple Blackhawks games. They won. Don't know why they slumped. Colorado sits in a good spot, they're usually a consistent and formidable team season after season. Dallas dropped. Winnipeg bounced upwards. The Wild are in a good spot and playing well. Haven't watched a St. Louis game - something is obviously lacking with their game.

PACIFIC: Working from the bottom up, watched a couple Kings game. Have to agree with a relative who said they lack speed. They do. Same relative, they also need some younger players. Yeah, they do. They have the "bodies". They always have. Haven't seen a Coyotes game, but Arizona has been troubled for a few seasons. Had a few decent draft picks over the past few seasons. Their coach, Rick Tocchet, is no neophyte. We''ll see what develops. Haven't seen a Vancouver game. Edmonton maintains. San Jose is in a good place. The Ducks back to quacking (sorry) ice, Calgary doing things right and two-year old Vegas sits at third.

Plenty of games tonight.

Happy Hockey!