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NHL
Friday, January 16
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Ice picks: Friday's best NHL bets
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Anaheim Ducks at Pittsburgh Penguins
When you've fallen as far as the Penguins have, you begin to think if things could sink any lower. And they have.
Along with suffering their 17th loss since November to Washington Wednesday, Pittsburgh watched captain Sidney Crosby limp off the ice with an apparent knee injury. Early reports say the injury is not as bad as expected. Crosby skipped Thursday's practice and is a game-time decision for Friday's tilt.
He wasn't the only guy wearing a black and gold jersey to go down. Pittsburgh also lost blueliner Rob Scuderi and forward Maxime Talbot Wednesday. Both players' status for Friday is unknown.
Crosby has just three goals in his past 10 games but has seven assist in the last four contests. He's also the Penguins' top faceoff man. Scuderi is averaging more than 18 minutes a game for a defensive corps that without top blueliner Sergi Gonchar. Talbot has five goals and five assists on the season.
Pittsburgh is 2-8 in its last 10 games and have dropped six of its past seven games inside Mellon Arena.
Pick: Anaheim
New York Rangers at Chicago Blackhawks (-168, 5.5)
Blackhawks leading scorer Patrick Kane still has a hitch in his giddy up due to a high ankle sprain. He's played in the past four games but has struggled to produce the same numbers as when he was healthy. Kane hasn't score in the last eight games and has registered just three assists during that span.
“It’s one of those things where you’ve got to play through pain,” Kane told reporters. “I watched a couple of games from the bench and I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to get back on the ice.”
His lack of production hasn't slowed the Blackhawks in the past two games. Goaltenders Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin posted back-to-back one-goal games. The two have split starts over the last 12 games. According to that pattern, Khabibulin should get the start Friday.
Plenty of rumors have swirled around the goalie's future in the Windy City. Huet is locked into a long-term deal and many teams would love to swoop in and grab Khabibulin. He's posted a 13-3-4 record with a 2.34 GAA and a .925 save percentage.
Pick: Under 5.5
Friday, January 16
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Friday's best NHL bets
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anaheim Ducks at Pittsburgh Penguins
When you've fallen as far as the Penguins have, you begin to think if things could sink any lower. And they have.
Along with suffering their 17th loss since November to Washington Wednesday, Pittsburgh watched captain Sidney Crosby limp off the ice with an apparent knee injury. Early reports say the injury is not as bad as expected. Crosby skipped Thursday's practice and is a game-time decision for Friday's tilt.
He wasn't the only guy wearing a black and gold jersey to go down. Pittsburgh also lost blueliner Rob Scuderi and forward Maxime Talbot Wednesday. Both players' status for Friday is unknown.
Crosby has just three goals in his past 10 games but has seven assist in the last four contests. He's also the Penguins' top faceoff man. Scuderi is averaging more than 18 minutes a game for a defensive corps that without top blueliner Sergi Gonchar. Talbot has five goals and five assists on the season.
Pittsburgh is 2-8 in its last 10 games and have dropped six of its past seven games inside Mellon Arena.
Pick: Anaheim
New York Rangers at Chicago Blackhawks (-168, 5.5)
Blackhawks leading scorer Patrick Kane still has a hitch in his giddy up due to a high ankle sprain. He's played in the past four games but has struggled to produce the same numbers as when he was healthy. Kane hasn't score in the last eight games and has registered just three assists during that span.
“It’s one of those things where you’ve got to play through pain,” Kane told reporters. “I watched a couple of games from the bench and I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to get back on the ice.”
His lack of production hasn't slowed the Blackhawks in the past two games. Goaltenders Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin posted back-to-back one-goal games. The two have split starts over the last 12 games. According to that pattern, Khabibulin should get the start Friday.
Plenty of rumors have swirled around the goalie's future in the Windy City. Huet is locked into a long-term deal and many teams would love to swoop in and grab Khabibulin. He's posted a 13-3-4 record with a 2.34 GAA and a .925 save percentage.
Pick: Under 5.5
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