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NHL
Wednesday, December 30
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Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
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Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (-160, 5)
The Flames are crediting their coach’s insight for their most recent victory – a 4-1 win over the rival Edmonton Oilers Monday night.
Calgary coach Brent Sutter jostled his forward corps, moving captain Jarome Iginla with Daymond Langkow and Curtis Glencross and bumping Olli Jokinen on a line with Rene Bourque and Nigel Dawes.
That trio combined for two goals Monday night. And while Iginla’s line was held off the scoresheet, they did keep Edmonton goalie Jeff Deslauriers on his toes.
"It's a fresh look for the guys," Sutter told the Calgary Sun. "It's something different. I thought Daymond and Jarome meshed pretty good together. Glennie was fine there. With Olli, I wanted to keep Bourque and Dawes together, I thought that was important.
"We were able to play four lines and our defence, for the most part, did a reasonably good job."
The win snapped a four-game skid for the Flames and the four goals were the team’s biggest offensive outpouring this month. Heading into Wednesday, Calgary is averaging just two goals a game in December.
The Kings and Flames split meetings earlier this month, however, Calgary has won 13 of the last 14 games against Los Angeles at home.
Pick: Flames
Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers (-110, 6)
With the slumping Oilers on the schedule, the Leafs have a great chance to win back-to-back games for the fourth time this month. After a dismal start to the season, Toronto could close out December with a winning record, starting with Wednesday’s game out West.
The Maple Leafs are coming off a big 4-3 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday. Ian White netted the game-winning goal with just a minute and a half left in the third period. That victory has Toronto sniffing the playoffs after moving to within three points of the Atlanta Thrashers, who sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.
“Given our start, it’s actually pretty impressive,” Leafs GM Brian Burke told the Toronto Sun.
“I don’t generally believe in giving a team credit for shoveling hard when they dug the hole to start, but the group has worked very hard.”
The team is battling for wins. Before the thriller over the Penguins, Toronto lost a hard-fought overtime affair with the rival Montreal Canadiens Saturday. Earlier in the week, the Leafs fell in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres, earning points in four of their last five contests.
“We went into the Christmas break knowing that every point is going to count from here on in,” winger Colton Orr told the media. “We definitely look like a different team from the beginning of the season.”
Toronto lost its most recent meeting with the Oilers but has defeated Edmonton in four of their last six games.
Pick: Maple Leafs
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Wednesday, December 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ice picks: Today's best NHL bets
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (-160, 5)
The Flames are crediting their coach’s insight for their most recent victory – a 4-1 win over the rival Edmonton Oilers Monday night.
Calgary coach Brent Sutter jostled his forward corps, moving captain Jarome Iginla with Daymond Langkow and Curtis Glencross and bumping Olli Jokinen on a line with Rene Bourque and Nigel Dawes.
That trio combined for two goals Monday night. And while Iginla’s line was held off the scoresheet, they did keep Edmonton goalie Jeff Deslauriers on his toes.
"It's a fresh look for the guys," Sutter told the Calgary Sun. "It's something different. I thought Daymond and Jarome meshed pretty good together. Glennie was fine there. With Olli, I wanted to keep Bourque and Dawes together, I thought that was important.
"We were able to play four lines and our defence, for the most part, did a reasonably good job."
The win snapped a four-game skid for the Flames and the four goals were the team’s biggest offensive outpouring this month. Heading into Wednesday, Calgary is averaging just two goals a game in December.
The Kings and Flames split meetings earlier this month, however, Calgary has won 13 of the last 14 games against Los Angeles at home.
Pick: Flames
Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers (-110, 6)
With the slumping Oilers on the schedule, the Leafs have a great chance to win back-to-back games for the fourth time this month. After a dismal start to the season, Toronto could close out December with a winning record, starting with Wednesday’s game out West.
The Maple Leafs are coming off a big 4-3 win over the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Sunday. Ian White netted the game-winning goal with just a minute and a half left in the third period. That victory has Toronto sniffing the playoffs after moving to within three points of the Atlanta Thrashers, who sit eighth in the Eastern Conference.
“Given our start, it’s actually pretty impressive,” Leafs GM Brian Burke told the Toronto Sun.
“I don’t generally believe in giving a team credit for shoveling hard when they dug the hole to start, but the group has worked very hard.”
The team is battling for wins. Before the thriller over the Penguins, Toronto lost a hard-fought overtime affair with the rival Montreal Canadiens Saturday. Earlier in the week, the Leafs fell in overtime to the Buffalo Sabres, earning points in four of their last five contests.
“We went into the Christmas break knowing that every point is going to count from here on in,” winger Colton Orr told the media. “We definitely look like a different team from the beginning of the season.”
Toronto lost its most recent meeting with the Oilers but has defeated Edmonton in four of their last six games.
Pick: Maple Leafs
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