Monday's best NHL bets
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers (110, 5.5)
If the Rangers had any goals left in the tank, they spent them all during last week?s two-game winning streak in which they piled up 14 goals against the Canadiens and Lightning.
New York hasn?t found the net in its past two games, getting shutout by the Flyers and Habs, who defeated the Rangers 6-0 in Montreal Saturday night. The Canadiens actually had one less shot than New York (32 to 31) but erupted for a four-goal second period in which they outshot the Rangers 11-7.
Saturday?s loss was the fourth time New York has been shutout in the past seven games, going 2-5 in that span with an over/under record of 3-3-1.
"Once in a blue moon, sometimes it's going to happen in sports," Chris Drury told the New York Daily News. "But it's happened to us a few times already this year."
Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was yanked six minutes into the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots. In his last start against the Penguins, Lundqvist gave up four goals on 32 shots in a 5-3 Pittsburgh victory back in late November.
Pick: Pittsburgh
St. Louis Blues at Calgary Flames (-160, 5)
The Flames are burning through options on how to stop their six-game losing skid. Calgary has just three wins this month and dropped its sixth straight contest, 3-1, to the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday.
The current losing streak has prompted trade rumors around the team. General Manager Darryl Sutter told the media not to expect a severe overhaul in talent while he is trying to be patient with his team.
?The last 10 games we haven?t played very well,? Sutter told the Calgary Herald. ?The first 20, the first 40, we were in and out of first place (in the Northwest Division) on a game-to-game basis ? that?s pretty awesome. The last 10 we haven?t played very well, and we need to play better.?
The Flames have struggled at both ends of the ice. During this six-game funk, Calgary has scored only nine total goals ? 1.5 goals per game ? and has allowed opponents to light the lamp four times a night.
Add to those woes a shaky dressing room where players don?t know where they could end up by the end of the month.
Pick: St. Louis
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Rangers (110, 5.5)
If the Rangers had any goals left in the tank, they spent them all during last week?s two-game winning streak in which they piled up 14 goals against the Canadiens and Lightning.
New York hasn?t found the net in its past two games, getting shutout by the Flyers and Habs, who defeated the Rangers 6-0 in Montreal Saturday night. The Canadiens actually had one less shot than New York (32 to 31) but erupted for a four-goal second period in which they outshot the Rangers 11-7.
Saturday?s loss was the fourth time New York has been shutout in the past seven games, going 2-5 in that span with an over/under record of 3-3-1.
"Once in a blue moon, sometimes it's going to happen in sports," Chris Drury told the New York Daily News. "But it's happened to us a few times already this year."
Star goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was yanked six minutes into the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots. In his last start against the Penguins, Lundqvist gave up four goals on 32 shots in a 5-3 Pittsburgh victory back in late November.
Pick: Pittsburgh
St. Louis Blues at Calgary Flames (-160, 5)
The Flames are burning through options on how to stop their six-game losing skid. Calgary has just three wins this month and dropped its sixth straight contest, 3-1, to the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday.
The current losing streak has prompted trade rumors around the team. General Manager Darryl Sutter told the media not to expect a severe overhaul in talent while he is trying to be patient with his team.
?The last 10 games we haven?t played very well,? Sutter told the Calgary Herald. ?The first 20, the first 40, we were in and out of first place (in the Northwest Division) on a game-to-game basis ? that?s pretty awesome. The last 10 we haven?t played very well, and we need to play better.?
The Flames have struggled at both ends of the ice. During this six-game funk, Calgary has scored only nine total goals ? 1.5 goals per game ? and has allowed opponents to light the lamp four times a night.
Add to those woes a shaky dressing room where players don?t know where they could end up by the end of the month.
Pick: St. Louis
