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The fans at SAP Center will be treated to game 4 of the NHL Finals
between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks when they take
their seats on Monday. This should be another low scoring close game and
will be a fun one to watch.
Oddsmakers currently have the Penguins listed as 230-moneyline favorites versus the Sharks, while the game's total is sitting at 5.
The Penguins were a 3-2 loser in their most recent outing on the road
against the Sharks. That made winners of bettors who got San Jose at
-150 on the moneyline, while the total score (5) was good news for OVER
bettors.
Pittsburgh:
Team record: 62-30-11 SU
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games on the road
San Jose:
Team record: 59-34-10 SU
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Jose's last 9 games
San Jose is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
San Jose is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games when playing Pittsburgh
Will an untimely, late-season collapse prevent the Boston Bruins from
making the playoffs? Their fate could be decided Thursday night (7 PM
ET, NBCSN) when they host the Detroit Red Wings in a pivotal Atlantic
Division clash. The Red Wings have won six of their last nine games to
seize third place from Boston, who went 2-7 during the same span. This
will be Game No. 81 of the regular season for both clubs.
The Bruins (41-30-8) have performed better overall than the Wings
(40-28-11) this year, posting a plus-13 goal differential to Detroit's
minus-11. However, Boston netminder Tuukka Rask (.915 save percentage)
has been inconsistent this year, and the defense in front of him has
been thinned out by lower-body injuries to Kevan Miller and Dennis
Seidenberg. Both are listed as day-to-day.
Detroit (40-28-11) is making this late playoff push with Jimmy Howard
(.906 SV%) taking over the No. 1 goalie spot and Petr Mrazek (.920 SV%)
settling for back-up duties. This will be the second of back-to-back
contests for the Wings; at press time, Howard is projected to start both
games, but that could certainly change as we get closer to the opening
face-off.
The fans at Canadian Tire Centre will be treated to a game between the
Pittsburgh Penguins and the Ottawa Senators when they take their seats
on Tuesday.
Oddsmakers currently have the Penguins listed as 105-moneyline
favorites versus the Senators, while the game’s total is sitting at 5½.
In their last action, Ottawa was a 3-2 loser on the road against the
Maple Leafs. Bettors on Toronto at +165 on the moneyline collected their
winnings from that game, while the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors
home happy as well.
Pittsburgh lost its last outing, a 4-1 result against the Flyers on
April 5. Bettors who backed the Flyers at +110 on the moneyline won on
the day, and the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors to the payout
window.
Pittsburgh:
Team record: 42-26-11
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
Pittsburgh is 3-9 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 5 games
Pittsburgh is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh’s last 8 games on the road
Ottawa:
Team record: 40-26-13
Ottawa is 18-6 SU in its last 24 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Ottawa’s last 10 games
Ottawa is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Ottawa’s last 7 games at home
Next up:
Pittsburgh home to NY Islanders Friday, April 10
Ottawa at NY Rangers Thursday, April 9
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Who will win the 2014 Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player?
Carey Price (MON) 1/3
Alex Ovechkin (WAS) 7/2
Sidney Crosby (PIT) 7/1
Devan Dubnyk (MIN) 15/1
John Tavares (NYI) 20/1
Who will win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year?
Johnny Gaudreau (CAL) 4/7
Filip Forsberg (NAS) 7/4
Mike Hoffman (OTT) 6/1
Aaron Ekblad (FLA) 8/1
Calgary Flames – To make the Playoffs?
Yes -500
No +300
Boston Bruins – To make the Playoffs?
Yes -300
No +200
Los Angeles Kings – To make the Playoffs?
Yes -175
No +125
Winnipeg Jets – To make the Playoffs?
Yes -105
No -135
Ottawa Senators – To make the Playoffs?
Yes +200
No -300
Odds to win 2015 NHL Draft Lottery
Buffalo Sabres 13/4
Arizona Coyotes 5/1
Edmonton Oilers 6/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 7/1
Carolina Hurricanes 15/2
New Jersey Devils 17/2
Philadelphia Flyers 19/2
Columbus Blue Jackets 19/2
Colorado Avalanche 11/1
Dallas Stars 15/1
San Jose Sharks 15/1
Florida Panthers 18/1
Any Otther Team 15/1
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It’s time for another Wednesday Night Rivalry matchup on NBCSN (8:00 PM
ET), with the Philadelphia Flyers visiting the Pittsburgh Penguins in
the latest Battle of Pennsylvania. The Flyers won both their previous
meetings this year, but at 30-29-7-10, they’re officially eliminated
from playoff contention. Philadelphia is also 4.89 units in the red
against the puck line despite a 41-35 ATS record.
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The Penguins, meanwhile, are in second place in the Metropolitan
Division as we go to press at 42-23-5-6, and they’ve managed to make a
small profit this season at 34-42 ATS and plus-1.44 units. Unlike past
years, Pittsburgh’s defense is getting them to the pay window; the
Penguins are tied for sixth overall at 2.42 goals allowed per game, with
Marc-Andre Fleury (.921 save percentage, 11.5 Goalie Point Shares)
carrying most of the workload.
Realizing that their playoff chances were slim, the Flyers dropped
ballast at the March 2 trade deadline, and they’ve won just three of 13
games since. The flu bug is also working its way through the dressing
room; it’s uncertain if defensemen Mark Streit and Carlo Colaiacovo will
play Wednesday after missing Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the San
Jose Sharks (+102 away).
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By STEVE HUMMER The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sunday, February 15, 2009 In his throwback Dan Bouchard No. 30 Atlanta Flames sweater, Marty Fischer was dressed for the icemaker chill of Philips Arena. But he is a man who has loved and lost at hockey before, and merely the thought of the Thrashers going the way of those old Flames was enough to send a shiver through him.
1. The NHL wants a presence in the eighth-largest television market in the United States.
2. Moving the team could threaten the $9.3 million-a-year arena naming rights agreement with Philips.
3. There is evidence Atlanta would support a competitive team — attendance and interest spiked around the only playoff season — if the Thrashers put one on the ice consistently.3 REASONS HOCKEY COULD LEAVE
1. There is the perfect storm of a bad economy, the uncertainty that goes with the court battle over ownership and the team's bad performance of late.
2. Vultures are circling: There is interest in acquiring hockey in cities such as Kansas City, Las Vegas, Quebec City and Winnipeg (although each city has its own set of issues).
3. Unlike the NBA's Hawks, the Thrashers are not tied to the Philips Arena bond payment agreement.
Worried about the future of hockey in Atlanta? “The way things are going, yeah, it’s worrisome,” said the 60-year-old die-hard fan from Marietta, while awaiting a faceoff at a recent Thrashers game. In 1980, Atlanta lost one NHL team — those old Flames — to the Canadian wilderness. “It was like a divorce,” Fischer remembered. And Calgary got the kids. And now, another set of uncertainties swirl around the Thrashers, who brought hockey back to Atlanta in 1999, playing on all those old hockey insecurities. Welcome to Blah-land — formerly Blueland — where the ownership is fighting itself, the team is in the cellar and angst grows over the very future of hockey in Atlanta. A Feb. 3 story in the Toronto Sun listed the Thrashers among six NHL teams most vulnerable to either being moved or being shuttered. “This could be a blueprint of how not to operate an expansion franchise,” the newspaper warned, referring to the Thrashers. There is no consolation to be found in the local paper, either. This week, the three-year-long dispute among the eight-man Atlanta Spirit group — which owns the Thrashers, Hawks and Philips Arena operating rights — goes to trial again. On the ice, the Thrashers have been downright dispiriting, owning the second-worst record in the NHL. And in this most gate-driven of professional sports, Thrashers attendance at Philips Arena has dropped proportionately (ranking 29th in the 30-team league). Some of those absentees are catching the game on TV — ratings are up 27 percent this year — but that still amounts to fewer than 5,000 Atlanta households. Officially, the word is: Remain calm, all is well. “We’re not planning on contraction. We’re not planning on moving clubs,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “There is a strong core of fans who we are certain will support the team in increasing numbers as things progress on the ice and with the economy.” Speaking for the Spirit group, Thrashers executive vice president and GM Don Waddell said, “In countless meetings with ownership, never once have we expressed any interest in selling the Thrashers or moving the Thrashers.” But the Spirit group is facing serious challenges, prompting some sports business experts to question its ability to hold on to the Thrashers. In nine seasons, the Thrashers have gained precious little traction in Atlanta. Today they face threats to their long-term health on three distinct fronts. The Economy Perhaps you’ve heard — it’s tough out there right now. “In the city of Edmonton, hockey is the No. 1 thing. When the economy is bad, people will give up on other things rather than hockey,” said Dan Mason, a professor of sports management and a hockey business expert at the University of Alberta. “Atlanta may choose to give up hockey before any number of other things.” “You’d have to be completely naïve not to think that franchise is struggling,” said Ray Ferraro, a former Thrashers captain, now a hockey broadcaster living in Vancouver. There are bargains to be had, but the NHL can be an awfully expensive date. The man in the Atlanta Flames sweater, Fischer, paid $156 for lower bowl seats for a night at the Thrashers game with his wife. His Flames season tickets averaged out to $7 each per game, he said. When the Flames left in 1980, no one blamed the loss on the lack of fan support — it was more an offshoot of a financial crisis by then-owner Tom Cousins. Nor is anyone prepared to claim the Atlanta fans can’t sustain hockey now. Former coach Bob Hartley has been to two Thrashers games this season. “The crowds weren’t very good,” he said. But, he maintains, “Is it the greatest hockey market? Maybe not. Is it a market that should do well? Absolutely. Atlanta deserves a hockey team.” Whether Atlanta chooses to pay for one during grim economic times is another matter. The Ownership Figures filed prior to this week’s trial showed the Atlanta Spirit losing millions of dollars on its two franchises — an average of more than $21 million a year since it took over in 2004. That average could have been worse, if not for the hockey lockout of 2004. Without the need to support the Thrashers, the Spirit’s losses were cut to $12.5 million that year. One perception of the ownership is common in the stands: “They’re basketball guys,” said Tim Thompson, a season-ticket holder from Lawrenceville. Those same fans wonder how long the Spirit — in whatever shape it’s in after the trial — is willing to absorb losses from this “stepchild” property. But the team argues that the Thrashers are an important part of a larger financial package. “A stand-alone hockey team in this city? It would be very tough [to survive]. Very tough,” Waddell said. Since the Spirit also operates Philips, however, the Thrashers are intertwined in lucrative arena sponsorships, Waddell said. The largest of those is the $9.3 million-a-year naming rights deal signed by Philips, which extends through 2019 but could be voided if either of the two “anchor” sports franchises pulled out. Fans aren’t fed on sponsorships; they live on results. According to the Web site HockeyBuzz.com, the Thrashers have the fourth-lowest payroll in the league ($47.5 million, which is about $9 million below the cap ceiling). Whether the Spirit is able or willing to spend enough to build a winner is the question customers are most passionate about. “Everyone wants to focus on that $57 million [cap ceiling],” Waddell said. “We’re one of those franchises that economically can’t be at the cap. We have to have a budget we can live with.” Ultimately that feeds into the last, most important, issue facing the Thrashers. The Product “Certain teams have an identity. With Detroit, you know what you’re going to get. With Philadelphia, you know. With most good teams, that’s the way it is. I don’t know what the Thrashers’ identity is,” said Tim Ecclestone, the former Flames winger who settled in Atlanta after the team left. Under Waddell’s watch, the Thrashers have been to the playoffs once in eight seasons — and got swept by the New York Rangers. While not always to blame, the franchise has lost some of its most dynamic, marketable players, such as Dany Heatley and Marian Hossa. All-Star winger Ilya Kovalchuk, with one more year left on his contract, could have one skate out the door. This, the Thrashers’ ninth season, has represented a significant backslide, and the fans are restless. The first customer wearing a paper bag over his head was spotted in the stands a week ago. One anonymous grump has begun an e-mail campaign to protest what he called the Spirit group’s “running this franchise into the ground” with more paper bags and banners during a game with Montreal next month. One of the most reliable clichés in sports states that winning cures all ills. That has never been truer than with this town and this team. “Put a couple of winning seasons together, have a nice playoff run, then you build a following,” Thrashers defenseman Garnet Exelby suggested. Nearly a decade after the NHL’s return to Atlanta, though, how much longer must fans wait for that promise to bloom? Or, more to the point of hockey’s future in Atlanta, how much longer will they wait?
