Sport: NHLPick Selection: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Buffalo Sabres: Sabres
I'm laying the price with BUFFALO. These teams last faced each other in an outdoor game on New Year's Day. The Penguins won that meeting 2-1 with Sidney Crosby scoring the winning goal in a shootout, improving to 2-0 in the season series. While Buffalo had lost three straight prior to that game, Pittsburgh entered that game with three straight victories and nine wins in their last 13. Things are significantly different this time. For starters, the Penguins don't have Sidney Crosby in the lineup anymore. Additionally, this time, the Penguins are struggling, as they've lost two straight and three in a row on the road. As coach Michel Therrien had to say: "We're missing a lot of players and you know on the road it is eventually going to catch up with you. I think the last two games have been tough. We just have to regroup." On the other hand, the Sabres now come in having won three of their last four and five of their past seven. They did lose at New York yesterday, so will be playing in a "back to back" situation here. However, that was an afternoon game so there was plenty of time for the Sabres to get back home to Buffalo, where they've won four of their last five. Additionally, note that the Sabres are a perfect 3-0 the last three times that they played a home game after having played the previous day, winning those three games by a combined score of 10-4. The Sabres are 15-4 with one tie their last 20 home games played in the month of February. Catching the Penguins at the "right time," look for them to get some payback from the earlier losses, improving to 54-36 the last 90 times that they played with "revenge." *Personal Favorite
|
Handicappers
