Weekly Look - East
December 15, 2009
1 ? Washington
Weekly Rewind: It was a so-so week for the Caps, winning just one of their three games, gaining a point in an overtime loss in one of them as well. Washington?s issues could be attributed to its special teams play. In the first three games of December, the Capitals were getting almost seven power plays per game. In this recent funk, they?ve had seven total?scoring one goal on the advantage.
Weekly Outlook: If you were wanting a chance to fade Washington, this is a good time. They are facing the Avs, Canucks and Oilers on the road this week. And the Capitals are 2-5 over the last three years on the road against teams from the Northwest Division.
2 ? New Jersey
Weekly Rewind: It was another solid run for the Devils as they beat up on the ?Canes and Flyers in Newark. What was nice for New Jersey is that they were picking up these wins with top production from different players. One night Andy Greene comes through, another evening belongs to Patrick Elias.
Weekly Outlook: With two home tilts against the Sens and Habs on the ledger for this week, it looks like New Jersey will have another good week during the holidays. We may want to look at the Devils road game on Dec. 19 in Atlanta on no rest as a decent fade. However, the Devs are on a 4-0 run on road tilts on back-to-back nights.
3 ? Buffalo
Weekly Rewind: If you had the Sabres taking over the Northeast Division?s lead right now, then you deserve a cookie. A pair of road triumphs over the Blueshirts and Canadiens are nice no matter how bad those clubs might be playing.
Weekly Outlook: This week?s slate opens with a tough match in Ottawa as the Sabres haven?t won there since March 2008. After that, a Dec. 18 home date with Toronto seems like a win, while the Pens coming to town the following night is a prime fade.
4 ? Pittsburgh
Weekly Rewind: The Penguins went 2-1 for the week, but were more pleased when looking at the roster. Chris Kunitz was back in the lineup against the Panthers on Dec. 12, marking the first time that Pittsburgh was at full strength all year long?where regulars are concerned.
Weekly Outlook: Pittsburgh have the battle for the Keystone State going on this week as they play a home-and-home against the Flyers. Considering the state of Philly?s team, this could be a clean sweep. Then a possible let down spot in Buffalo on Dec. 19.
5 ? Boston
Weekly Rewind: Last week was not supposed to be a downer for the Bruins with the Isles and Philly on the schedule. A major question for Boston is whether they want to keep Tim Thomas in goal? The defending Vezina Trophy winner has looked positively mortal in losing his last three starts. Tuukka Rask, on the other hand, has gone 6-0-1 in his last seven starts.
Weekly Outlook: It?s a light week for the B?s with just two games on the schedule. The Dec. 18 in Chicago will be a big test as the Bruins are playing on three days rest. Boston is 2-1 in the last three road matches on that many days off.
6 ? Atlanta
Weekly Rewind: The Thrashers went south in the final three games of its four-game road trip last week. But things can change quickly as we?re used to seeing. That happened for Atlanta with wins over the Habs and Rangers.
Weekly Outlook: Atlanta makes a quick trip to Sunrise for a battle with the Panthers on Dec. 16. This head-to-head battle has been a road team?s dream with the visitors going on a 4-1 run. A good win there might be enough to propel the Thrashers to strong home showings against Dallas on Dec. 17 and New Jersey on Dec. 19.
7 ? Ottawa
Weekly Rewind: The Sens had a quick two-game win streak snapped by a tough loss to Toronto. Still, there isn?t a lot that Ottawa fans or bettors can complain about right now as they?ve gone 3-1 over its last four matches.
Weekly Outlook: Ottawa will have its work cut out of them when playing host to the Sabres on Dec. 16 and going to Newark to face the Devils on Dec. 18. A no rest date at home with the Wild on Dec. 19 would seem daunting until you realize that they stink.
8 ? Montreal
Weekly Rewind: The Habs have dropped three straight games after having won three in a row. The issue that saw Montreal fall in its most recent meetings is something that has plagued them all year long: Discipline. The Canadiens have had 10 power plays in the last three games, while they?ve been on the penalty kill 18 times.
Weekly Outlook: Montreal makes a quick trip to Newark to battle the Devils on Dec. 16, then head right home for a fight with the Wild the following night. This might be our best chance to bet on them as the Habs embark on a seven-game road trip starting on Dec. 19 against the Isles.
9 ? Florida
Weekly Rewind: The Panthers figured that a road trip might snap them out of their funk of a week ago. It looks like it?s working as Florida has won two of its last three contests on the road, including a 4-2 decision over the Devils.
Weekly Outlook: This week could be a huge one for Florida in terms of confidence. The Cats have three games left against Southeast Division foes. A Dec. 16 home tilt with the Thrashers can help jostle the playoff standings. Meanwhile, a home-and-home setup on Dec. 18 and 19 with the Hurricanes could give them just the boost they need.
10 ? Philadelphia
Weekly Rewind: It?s been a slow process for the Flyers to get used to Peter Laviolette?s style of play. There may be a reason to be upbeat about Philly?s grasp of the new coach and his philosophy after dropping the Bruins 3-1 on the road on Dec. 14. Small steps, right?
Weekly Outlook: The best litmus test for Philadelphia comes up on Dec. 15 and 17 when they play a home-and-home set with the Penguins. A split of those tilts would be a great building block for the long season ahead.
11 ? New York Rangers
Weekly Rewind: The Rangers? 7-1 start to the campaign seems like it was just a nice dream. Unfortunately, New York has gone 7-14-3 since then to sit outside of the Top 8. One thing that would be a nice holiday give for the Blueshirts is a way to score three goals. The Rangers have scored two or fewer goals in eight of their last nine fixtures.
Weekly Outlook: A home-and-home with the Islanders may have looked like a ?gimme? at the start of the year, but now it seems like a spot to bring the Blueshirts into a deeper funk. Not good at all.
12 ? Tampa Bay Lightning
Weekly Rewind: It?s been a lousy month for Tampa Bay as they sport a 1-6 mark this month. We can look at a power play unit that has gone on a 0-for-13 stretch from Dec. 7 and Dec. 13.
Weekly Outlook: I?d love to tell Lightning fans that it?s going to get better soon. However, games in Nashville, Detroit and St. Louis this week leads me to say that you?ll want to avoid backing them at all costs.
13 ? Toronto
Weekly Rewind: The Maple Leafs started the year playing like garbage, but now find themselves dreaming of a playoff berth. Toronto has shown itself to be formidable over the last week with a 4-1 record. In fact, the Leafs are 12-7-6 since opening the year 0-7-1.
Weekly Outlook: The odds are pretty good that Toronto will be bitch slapped back into reality this week. The Maple Leafs will play host to Phoenix on Dec. 16 and Boston on Dec. 19. And then they make a quick trip to Buffalo on Dec. 18. Not easy games by any stretch of the imagination.
14 ? New York Islanders
Weekly Rewind: The Islanders are getting better, but they are having trouble in finding consistency. The latest example of that was getting a proper 3-2 OT win at Boston on Dec. 12, only to cough up the puck numerous times in a 7-1 beatdown at home against the Panthers on Dec. 14.
Weekly Outlook: New York has a reasonable chance to make the Rangers fall hard by sweeping their home-and-home on Dec. 16 and 17. That set will no doubt make them an easy fade against Montreal on Dec. 19 due to being emotionally spent.
15 ? Carolina
Weekly Rewind: The bad news is the Hurricanes have lost three straight games to close out their road trip on another sour note. The plus side, however, is they finally got Cam Ward back from his leg laceration injury. That gives Carolina a decent one-two goaltending punch with Ward and Manny Legace.
Weekly Outlook: Carolina has a chance to gain a little confidence with that home-and-home series with the Panthers. That will be its best chance to boost its season before the start of the New Year.
December 15, 2009
1 ? Washington
Weekly Rewind: It was a so-so week for the Caps, winning just one of their three games, gaining a point in an overtime loss in one of them as well. Washington?s issues could be attributed to its special teams play. In the first three games of December, the Capitals were getting almost seven power plays per game. In this recent funk, they?ve had seven total?scoring one goal on the advantage.
Weekly Outlook: If you were wanting a chance to fade Washington, this is a good time. They are facing the Avs, Canucks and Oilers on the road this week. And the Capitals are 2-5 over the last three years on the road against teams from the Northwest Division.
2 ? New Jersey
Weekly Rewind: It was another solid run for the Devils as they beat up on the ?Canes and Flyers in Newark. What was nice for New Jersey is that they were picking up these wins with top production from different players. One night Andy Greene comes through, another evening belongs to Patrick Elias.
Weekly Outlook: With two home tilts against the Sens and Habs on the ledger for this week, it looks like New Jersey will have another good week during the holidays. We may want to look at the Devils road game on Dec. 19 in Atlanta on no rest as a decent fade. However, the Devs are on a 4-0 run on road tilts on back-to-back nights.
3 ? Buffalo
Weekly Rewind: If you had the Sabres taking over the Northeast Division?s lead right now, then you deserve a cookie. A pair of road triumphs over the Blueshirts and Canadiens are nice no matter how bad those clubs might be playing.
Weekly Outlook: This week?s slate opens with a tough match in Ottawa as the Sabres haven?t won there since March 2008. After that, a Dec. 18 home date with Toronto seems like a win, while the Pens coming to town the following night is a prime fade.
4 ? Pittsburgh
Weekly Rewind: The Penguins went 2-1 for the week, but were more pleased when looking at the roster. Chris Kunitz was back in the lineup against the Panthers on Dec. 12, marking the first time that Pittsburgh was at full strength all year long?where regulars are concerned.
Weekly Outlook: Pittsburgh have the battle for the Keystone State going on this week as they play a home-and-home against the Flyers. Considering the state of Philly?s team, this could be a clean sweep. Then a possible let down spot in Buffalo on Dec. 19.
5 ? Boston
Weekly Rewind: Last week was not supposed to be a downer for the Bruins with the Isles and Philly on the schedule. A major question for Boston is whether they want to keep Tim Thomas in goal? The defending Vezina Trophy winner has looked positively mortal in losing his last three starts. Tuukka Rask, on the other hand, has gone 6-0-1 in his last seven starts.
Weekly Outlook: It?s a light week for the B?s with just two games on the schedule. The Dec. 18 in Chicago will be a big test as the Bruins are playing on three days rest. Boston is 2-1 in the last three road matches on that many days off.
6 ? Atlanta
Weekly Rewind: The Thrashers went south in the final three games of its four-game road trip last week. But things can change quickly as we?re used to seeing. That happened for Atlanta with wins over the Habs and Rangers.
Weekly Outlook: Atlanta makes a quick trip to Sunrise for a battle with the Panthers on Dec. 16. This head-to-head battle has been a road team?s dream with the visitors going on a 4-1 run. A good win there might be enough to propel the Thrashers to strong home showings against Dallas on Dec. 17 and New Jersey on Dec. 19.
7 ? Ottawa
Weekly Rewind: The Sens had a quick two-game win streak snapped by a tough loss to Toronto. Still, there isn?t a lot that Ottawa fans or bettors can complain about right now as they?ve gone 3-1 over its last four matches.
Weekly Outlook: Ottawa will have its work cut out of them when playing host to the Sabres on Dec. 16 and going to Newark to face the Devils on Dec. 18. A no rest date at home with the Wild on Dec. 19 would seem daunting until you realize that they stink.
8 ? Montreal
Weekly Rewind: The Habs have dropped three straight games after having won three in a row. The issue that saw Montreal fall in its most recent meetings is something that has plagued them all year long: Discipline. The Canadiens have had 10 power plays in the last three games, while they?ve been on the penalty kill 18 times.
Weekly Outlook: Montreal makes a quick trip to Newark to battle the Devils on Dec. 16, then head right home for a fight with the Wild the following night. This might be our best chance to bet on them as the Habs embark on a seven-game road trip starting on Dec. 19 against the Isles.
9 ? Florida
Weekly Rewind: The Panthers figured that a road trip might snap them out of their funk of a week ago. It looks like it?s working as Florida has won two of its last three contests on the road, including a 4-2 decision over the Devils.
Weekly Outlook: This week could be a huge one for Florida in terms of confidence. The Cats have three games left against Southeast Division foes. A Dec. 16 home tilt with the Thrashers can help jostle the playoff standings. Meanwhile, a home-and-home setup on Dec. 18 and 19 with the Hurricanes could give them just the boost they need.
10 ? Philadelphia
Weekly Rewind: It?s been a slow process for the Flyers to get used to Peter Laviolette?s style of play. There may be a reason to be upbeat about Philly?s grasp of the new coach and his philosophy after dropping the Bruins 3-1 on the road on Dec. 14. Small steps, right?
Weekly Outlook: The best litmus test for Philadelphia comes up on Dec. 15 and 17 when they play a home-and-home set with the Penguins. A split of those tilts would be a great building block for the long season ahead.
11 ? New York Rangers
Weekly Rewind: The Rangers? 7-1 start to the campaign seems like it was just a nice dream. Unfortunately, New York has gone 7-14-3 since then to sit outside of the Top 8. One thing that would be a nice holiday give for the Blueshirts is a way to score three goals. The Rangers have scored two or fewer goals in eight of their last nine fixtures.
Weekly Outlook: A home-and-home with the Islanders may have looked like a ?gimme? at the start of the year, but now it seems like a spot to bring the Blueshirts into a deeper funk. Not good at all.
12 ? Tampa Bay Lightning
Weekly Rewind: It?s been a lousy month for Tampa Bay as they sport a 1-6 mark this month. We can look at a power play unit that has gone on a 0-for-13 stretch from Dec. 7 and Dec. 13.
Weekly Outlook: I?d love to tell Lightning fans that it?s going to get better soon. However, games in Nashville, Detroit and St. Louis this week leads me to say that you?ll want to avoid backing them at all costs.
13 ? Toronto
Weekly Rewind: The Maple Leafs started the year playing like garbage, but now find themselves dreaming of a playoff berth. Toronto has shown itself to be formidable over the last week with a 4-1 record. In fact, the Leafs are 12-7-6 since opening the year 0-7-1.
Weekly Outlook: The odds are pretty good that Toronto will be bitch slapped back into reality this week. The Maple Leafs will play host to Phoenix on Dec. 16 and Boston on Dec. 19. And then they make a quick trip to Buffalo on Dec. 18. Not easy games by any stretch of the imagination.
14 ? New York Islanders
Weekly Rewind: The Islanders are getting better, but they are having trouble in finding consistency. The latest example of that was getting a proper 3-2 OT win at Boston on Dec. 12, only to cough up the puck numerous times in a 7-1 beatdown at home against the Panthers on Dec. 14.
Weekly Outlook: New York has a reasonable chance to make the Rangers fall hard by sweeping their home-and-home on Dec. 16 and 17. That set will no doubt make them an easy fade against Montreal on Dec. 19 due to being emotionally spent.
15 ? Carolina
Weekly Rewind: The bad news is the Hurricanes have lost three straight games to close out their road trip on another sour note. The plus side, however, is they finally got Cam Ward back from his leg laceration injury. That gives Carolina a decent one-two goaltending punch with Ward and Manny Legace.
Weekly Outlook: Carolina has a chance to gain a little confidence with that home-and-home series with the Panthers. That will be its best chance to boost its season before the start of the New Year.
