NHL Preview (Feb. 19)
With seven games on Tuesday’s NHL schedule, bettors have more than enough to whet their hockey palate.
Two games in particular have caught the attention here at BettingSports.com. First up, a super-slumping San Jose Sharks side heads to St. Louis looking to score a rare victory. Then, Chicago looks to remain unbeaten in regulation as the Vancouver Canucks come to town.
Read on for our preview of Tuesday’s NHL action.
San Jose Sharks at St. Louis Blues
Antii Niemi and the slumping San Jose Sharks will be desperate for a win against St. Louis on Tuesday.
San Jose (7-4-3, 2-3-1 road) continued its slump on Friday, falling 4-1 to Chicago in the Windy City. The Sharks have now lost seven straight, the longest active losing streak in the NHL.
Having impressed early in the season, the Sharks now reside in the No. 7 playoff berth, and with the likes of Dallas, Detroit, and Minnesota snapping at their heels, any playoff hopes will be in peril unless the side breaks out soon.
With a shootout win over Vancouver on Sunday, St. Louis (9-5-1, 3-3-1 home) has strung together three straight wins, putting an end to an ugly five game losing streak. Prior to that run, the Blues had won an impressive six of seven. This improved run has seen the side rise into the No. 4 playoff berth.
The two sides meet at Scottrade Center on Tuesday night. San Jose has lost four straight on the road, but the opportunity is there for the Californian side to score a victory; the Blues have lost four in a row at home.
This is the first of three meetings between the sides this season. St. Louis swept the regular season head-to-head series last season.
St. Louis is favored (-152) over San Jose (+138) heading into the game. The over/under is 5.5.
Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks
The Sedin brothers and their Vancouver Canucks teammates will look to hand Chicago its first regulation loss of the season.
Chicago (12-0-3, 4-0-1 home) stretched its unbeaten in regulation streak to 15 games with a convincing win over San Jose on Friday. The Blackhawks will look to make it 16 games on Tuesday night.
Two straight losses have marred what was a six-game winning streak for Vancouver (8-3-3, 3-1-1 road), who currently leads the Northwest Division by three points over Minnesota. The Canucks will hope to buck the trend at the United Center on Tuesday.
Vancouver scored a 2-1 shootout win over the Blackhawks north of the border back on Feb. 1. Having split a four-game head-to-head series last season, the Canadian side will like its chances, especially as one of those wins came in the Windy City.
The opening line has Chicago as the favorite (-136) and Vancouver as the underdog (+124). The over/under is 5.5.
Around the League
Just one point removed from the current playoff picture, Detroit (7-6-2, 2-3-1 road) will look to make up some ground against division rivals, Nashville (7-4-5, 3-1-3 home). The Predators currently occupy the No. 5 seed but have lost four of the last six (three in OT/SO). The Wings have lost three straight so a victory on Tuesday is almost imperative. Nashville (-131) is favored over Detroit (+119).
Defending champions Los Angeles (5-6-2, 3-5-1 road) haven’t exactly got off to a blazing start this season. The Kings have lost three of the last five. Edmonton (6-5-3, 3-2-2 home) haven’t had much better a time of it this season, and six losses in eight games has the team trending further downwards. The Kings (-126) are favored over the Oilers (+114).
In a battle of Original Six teams, Montreal (10-4-1, 3-1-1 road) visits the New York Rangers (8-5-1, 6-2-1 home) on Tuesday night. The Canadiens have soared so far this season and are winners of four straight. The Rangers have yet to live up to their top billing with bookmakers ahead of the season, but the side has proved impressive at home. The line is yet to be released on this one, so keep your eyes on the BettingSports.com NHL Odds page for up-to-date information.
Tuesday’s NHL Schedule (in full)
Winnipeg at Buffalo
Montreal at NY Rangers
NY Islanders at Ottawa
Toronto at Tampa Bay
San Jose at St. Louis
Detroit at Nashville
Vancouver at Chicago
Los Angeles at Edmonton
