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NHL Saturday - Pens @ Devils
The team that has owned this Atlantic division battle so far is actually the team trailing in the standings, and will have to continue to dominate in an attempt to close the gap heading in to the final stretch of the regular season.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New Jersey Devils
Friday March 12, 2010- 7:00 ET
Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
NHL Betting Line: New Jersey - 120
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Despite trailing by four points in the standings, New Jersey has dominated the season series between these teams. Not only have the Devils won all four contests this season, they have done so by a combined score of 14-2, including two shutouts. With less than a month left to play in the NHL’s regular season, the home team will look to continue its smothering of the Penguins in an effort to retake the division lead and secure home ice advantage through the first two rounds of the postseason.
What The Penguins Will Have To Do To Win:
Pittsburgh has fought its way to the second-best record in the Eastern conference heading in to the final stretch, which makes its struggles against its top competitor in the Atlantic division that much more puzzling. After dropping consecutive 4-1 decisions at home to open the season series, the Penguins looked even worse in getting shut out by a combined score of 6-0 in two trips to Newark in late December. The Penguins, who rank second in scoring in the Eastern conference, will have to find a way to beat Vezina-trophy candidate Martin Brodeur. With the tandem of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin firing pucks all night, Pittsburgh should be able to end Brodeur’s streak of over 120 minutes of shutout play against them. Marc-Andre Fleury will have to be sharp against his Team Canada 2010 Olympic winter games teammate.
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What The Devils Will Have To Do To Win:
New Jersey has found a way to do something that no other team has done since Crosby and Malkin’s emergence in Pittsburgh: Dominate the Penguins. If the Devils are going to close the four-point gap that separates these teams in the standings, they will have to take advantage of two more games against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Jamie Langenbrunner and Zach Parice will need to continue to find the back of the net for New Jersey, but they will also need to get secondary scoring from trade acquisition Ilya Kovalchuk, who has struggled to just three goals in ten games since moving over from Atlanta, after scoring 31 in 49 with the Thrashers to open the season.
Outlook and Pick:
The fact that New Jersey has dominated the reigning champions the way that it has so far this season is surprising enough, and it will be a difficult accomplishment to close out the season series perfect. With two games left between these teams, and just four points separating the two in the standings, Pittsburgh will take advantage of clinching the division title, while avenging its earlier losses.
NHL Betting Pick: Pittsburgh +110