Pacey's NHL hockey picks

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

Today makes it Oh fer Four.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

The Habs finally did win in November, yesterday. At least one of their losses was past regulation, as noted earlier. Meanwhile Ottawa is on fire now.

[edit: it doesn't help Montreal's cause that there may be some sort of a rift between Subban and the coach.]

Buffalo is not doing well, again, since their upset of San Jose. Too bad, I liked them as a dark horse team to hope for. Maybe they'll nick the Leafs for point(s) in November anyhow. After my bad tournament on the weekend was beginning to unfold, I needed something to cheer me up, and at least the Leafs obliged by losing to Boston in regulation (perhaps really White should win by force in chess, btw, based on my weekend anyway :)). In any case, now Minnesota is next for the Leafs and the Wild would seem a dangerous opponent just based on their record thus far.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

That Islander game was a gimme. Nabakov didn't have much of a game the night before that game and they used the backup. It was the Islanders 3rd game in 4 nights.

The Islanders had lost 4 in a row, I think it was, before that game and it's a rule of thumb to consider any team which has lost 3 in a row to keep losing until they win. Not always but something to consider.

Sometimes I play pro line and games like that are a gimme. It's usually easy to pick 2 gimme's and then the hard one or two. You need the hard ones to get decent odds and payoff on the ticket.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

Recently I started noticing the Oddsboard (Pro-line?) feature in the Ottawa Sun. Yesterday many of the favourite odds-on teams to win lost, including Ottawa (really, why'd they sit their hottest goalie??), Montreal (at least losing in a shootout), Detroit (in a shootout) and LA (to Buffalo in a shootout).

Today I had mentally chocked up a Leaf win (in regulation), but then, just when I on a whim said aloud "I guess Minnesota and I don't deserve a miracle"... :o After the 5 minute overtime was over, I similarly thought Toronto was going to win in the shootout, because their goaltenders have done so well thus far this season, but...

Sometimes I can live with the rule involving overtimes (and shootouts if needed) in the regular season (for otherwise tied games).

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

Recently I started noticing the Oddsboard (Pro-line?) feature in the Ottawa Sun. Yesterday many of the favourite odds-on teams to win lost, including Ottawa (really, why'd they sit their hottest goalie??)

The odds are not an indicator of who will win. If you think the odds makers are trying to pick winning teams for you then you should ask why they would want to do that. So the house would lose every time?

Hockey is a competitive sport. Any team can win on a given night. The idea is to pick the ones most likely to win. It helps if you can pick teams that will go into overtime but that is harder.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

The odds are not an indicator of who will win. If you think the odds makers are trying to pick winning teams for you then you should ask why they would want to do that. So the house would lose every time?

Hockey is a competitive sport. Any team can win on a given night. The idea is to pick the ones most likely to win. It helps if you can pick teams that will go into overtime but that is harder.

That's odd (pardon the pun). Two of the columns on the Oddsboard in my Ottawa Sun newspapers are labeled 'Favourite' and 'Underdog', with all the team matchups listed and each team listed as either a favourite or an underdog (though sometimes a favourite is written in all capital letters, and sometimes the underdog).

Tonight Buffalo is listed as an underdog against Toronto (which should surprise no one), for example. What I thought I didn't understand was a number that was given in another column (the expected goal spread? the offered/expected odds? ). Apparently the Oddsboard can also be found on the internet. Like I alluded to in another post, I'm not at all sure it has anything to do with Pro-line (which I've never investigated before either).

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

I'm not giving my picks for todays games. I'd hate for my picks to be used for a money tree. ;)

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

I had a banner birthday today from a hockey point of view, in that victory happened on all fronts as far as teams I [dis]like are concerned. Montreal finally won a shootout. NJ finally lost (in regulation), even.

I don't know which the so-called oddsmakers would consider more unlikely. Boston blowing a [edit: lead] against Ottawa going into the third period and losing in regulation, or the Leafs losing to Buffalo in regulation. At least the Leafs can point to their (temporary?) problem with their missing centremen. That cheap shot against a Minnesota player the other day is looking costly now.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

Yes. The three games looked fair. Makes handicapping easier.

Today I was watching the Putsch at Toronto City Hall on TV. It's all TV seemed to be covering. The premier looks inept and I wouldn't mind seeing this one work its way to the supreme court for a decision of the power of a group of politicians overthrowing an elected leader. After all, it is about power and those councillors have had a problem with the elected leader since he won.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

Yes. The three games looked fair. Makes handicapping easier.

Today I was watching the Putsch at Toronto City Hall on TV. It's all TV seemed to be covering. The premier looks inept and I wouldn't mind seeing this one work its way to the supreme court for a decision of the power of a group of politicians overthrowing an elected leader. After all, it is about power and those councillors have had a problem with the elected leader since he won.

We had a right wing mayor here in Ottawa, for a change, in Larry O'Brian a while back. Not sure if he had close to the power to get things done that Ford did (and apparently did well, until now, unlike O'Brian), but O'Brian had to spend much of his term fending off unproven allegations in court. Meanwhile, the lefties ran Ottawa to their liking in his absence. Jim Watson, having jumped what he thought was a sinking Liberal ship at Queen's Park, ran as mayor and won easily. Things continue to get worse in this city, for example with a scandalous 20-year contract for Green Bin pickups that resulted in bi-weekly garbage pickups in attempt to force more people to use the Green Bins. Some folks bother to complain about the maggots that come in summer.

I suppose Harper is quite happy that Ford is taking a lot of the attention off the Senate.

[Duncan Smith]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

I had a banner birthday today from a hockey point of view, in that victory happened on all fronts as far as teams I [dis]like are concerned. Montreal finally won a shootout. NJ finally lost (in regulation), even.

I don't know which the so-called oddsmakers would consider more unlikely. Boston blowing a [edit: lead] against Ottawa going into the third period and losing in regulation, or the Leafs losing to Buffalo in regulation. At least the Leafs can point to their (temporary?) problem with their missing centremen. That cheap shot against a Minnesota player the other day is looking costly now.

I'm not surprised the Leafs lost because losing three centermen AND facing the first game of a new coach made the game very much a toss up. Many new coaches win their first game ( team probably puts in a good effort ). I think the centermen issue will mean the Leafs end up around .500 for the month, there isn't a team in hockey that can do consistantly well under these circumstances. They are a fairly resiliant bunch however.

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

Looks like Ottawa lost. Not much of a surprise.

[Kevin Pacey]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

I stopped watching the Columbus-Ottawa game today after Ottawa went down 4-0. Ottawa looks inconsistent at best this season, and as I predicted it's problematical if they'll make the playoffs (if they do, I'm still guessing it will be at Toronto's expense, not Montreal's).

The Leafs were slightly fortunate to win their latest game against Buffalo, after they slacked off in the third period and let Buffalo get to within a goal (after being down 3-0). In the end Buffalo did themselves in with a highly unnecessary penalty late in the period.

Now there is a product I saw being advertized on TV. Title goes something along the lines of 'Are the Leafs good or just lucky?'. :D

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

I was pleased to see Ottawa lose, although, I didn't have a bet on it. Should have been an easy game but wasn't and came down to the goaltending.

I think you're guessing at playoffs. A season is one game at a time.

[Duncan Smith]

Re: Pacey's NHL hockey picks

I stopped watching the Columbus-Ottawa game today after Ottawa went down 4-0. Ottawa looks inconsistent at best this season, and as I predicted it's problematical if they'll make the playoffs (if they do, I'm still guessing it will be at Toronto's expense, not Montreal's).

The Leafs were slightly fortunate to win their latest game against Buffalo, after they slacked off in the third period and let Buffalo get to within a goal (after being down 3-0). In the end Buffalo did themselves in with a highly unnecessary penalty late in the period.

Now there is a product I saw being advertized on TV. Title goes something along the lines of 'Are the Leafs good or just lucky?'. :D

Toronto continues to compete well despite a huge issue at center and several recent road games against some of the better teams in hockey. Montreal
doesn't seem all that impressive to me, as I stated preseason I think they'll be competing for a wild card at the end of the season. In fact, Ottawa's struggles give them a stronger chance, as did Stamkos injury because otherwise Tampa Bay could have made things even tougher ( might still but we'll see ).

Toronto should take a top three spot in the division, once their centers come back and Clarkson is in a better groove they can only get stronger. Does Montreal have anybody good out of their line up ?