PREMIUM
The Coach's NHL Wednesday Night SURE SHOT
(NHL) Toronto vs. New Jersey,
Money Line: 122.00 Toronto (Away)
Result: Loss
Money Line: 122.00 Toronto (Away)
Result: Loss
The All Star break came at a perfect time for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they now have had a week to figure out how to snap a six game skid. They'll be hoping to change their luck in New Jersey tonight, taking on a New Jersey Devils team they have won six of the last eight against.I think the price warrants a play on the visitors here, and I'll bite.
Here are my keys to the game:
1. The Break - To say that the Toronto players have responded well to the sacking of Randy Carlyle would be a tough sell. Interim coach Peter Horachek has tried to instil a more defensive mentality, but has so far failed. After a week working with the team in practice without games interrupting the flow I think we can expect better things from the Leafs moving forward though. They're still in the hunt for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot sitting 10 points behind Boston and Washington, but they need to pick up the pace to make it happen.
2. The Devils Offense - The Devils may look at the Maple Leafs shaky defense and lick their chops, but do they really have the ability to take advantage of it? I think not, the Devils rank near the bottom of the league in scoring and they're particularly poor at home averaging a lowly 2.10 goals per game.
3. X-Factor - The Leafs have gone a perfect 11-for-11 on the penalty kill over their last four games and rank in the top half of the league killing off 83.1% of their penalties for the season.
Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Maple Leafs (8*)
Here are my keys to the game:
1. The Break - To say that the Toronto players have responded well to the sacking of Randy Carlyle would be a tough sell. Interim coach Peter Horachek has tried to instil a more defensive mentality, but has so far failed. After a week working with the team in practice without games interrupting the flow I think we can expect better things from the Leafs moving forward though. They're still in the hunt for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot sitting 10 points behind Boston and Washington, but they need to pick up the pace to make it happen.
2. The Devils Offense - The Devils may look at the Maple Leafs shaky defense and lick their chops, but do they really have the ability to take advantage of it? I think not, the Devils rank near the bottom of the league in scoring and they're particularly poor at home averaging a lowly 2.10 goals per game.
3. X-Factor - The Leafs have gone a perfect 11-for-11 on the penalty kill over their last four games and rank in the top half of the league killing off 83.1% of their penalties for the season.
Selection: This is a play on the Toronto Maple Leafs (8*)