NHL Hockey
2011-12-13 - Vancouver Canucks at Columbus Blue Jacket
A Sports Betting Pick by Addicted
Ice Hockey : North America : NHL
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011, 7:00PM US
(12:00AM GMT)
PREVIEW
It has been but 2 weeks since Vancouver and Columbus skated together and other than the location, not much has changed to go with anything but another Vancouver win. The Canucks beat the Blue Jackets 4-1 that day, and I can see them winning here again comfortably.
Vancouver are 18-10-1, with a 10-6-0 mark away from home. The Canucks are riding a 4 game winning streak, and are on a fantastic run of 9 wins in their last 10. There is fight in this team too, as we saw when they came back from 0-3 down to beat Montreal 4-3.
Columbus are 8-17-4, with a 5-8-2 mark at home. Their last 10 games gives them a better looking 4-4-2 record, but this is not a team that can be relied on, even very very late in the game. Nashiville were in town last Thursday and Columbus allowed them to score 2 very late goals, with 1:36 left on the clock and then again just 13 seconds from time. Of course, they got beaten in OT. Against Boston, it was the same story again, allowing 3 PP goals to blow a 2-0 lead. Columbus lost 5-3.
Not only can this team not keep a lead, they are terrible in penalty kills, last in the league in stopping just 74% of the time. When they are the ones with the man advantage, they are bad too, ranking 4th from bottom on the PP.
Keep an eye out for Ryan Kesler, as the Canucks seem to win whenever he scores. In their last game, against Ottawa, Kesler netted 2 goals and had an assist before the end of the 2nd period as Vancouver won 4-1.
BETTING VERDICT
Vancouver won the 1st meeting this season, in Columbus, 3-2 and followed that up with a 4-1 win over the Blue Jackets when they came to visit. If anything has changed, it's that Vancouver are actually better. Away win, in regulation.
The Pick :
Vancouver to win in regulation
Gooner’s Statistical Value Bet
Take the Vancouver Canucks -0.5 (In Regulation) @ 1.90 (Pinnacle)
