Pained Pens at Canes, Sharks at Flames and Big Hockey Betting on Bruins at Canucks!

Frank Doyle worries for the Penguins, likes the Sharks and looks forward to Boston at Vancouver.

Pittsburgh starts an important five game road trip with a visit to Carolina tonight. It’s important because Pittsburgh has lost three straight, is a wretched 3-5-2 over its last ten games and really doesn’t know when Sidney Crosby is coming back again. Crosby’s absence hangs like a dark and worrisome cloud over the Steel City; if it extends, that cloud will extend over the National Hockey League itself, a point eloquently made by Bruce Arthur this week.

The Hurricanes are threatening for a playoff spot, lying eighth in the Eastern overall standings. A full-strength Pittsburgh team could handle them, but it won’t be a full strength Pittsburgh skating in Raleigh tonight. Carolina is a worthy NHL odds home favorite.

Calgary is one of five teams on 70 points in the Western standings and the Flames have to like their chances to get to the playoffs ahead of Chicago, Nashville or Dallas.

Calgary has a great home record at the Saddledome, but the Sharks are in town tonight and they’ve been as hot as jalapeño peppers this month. The Sharks are like the Red Wings, one of those perennially great teams who are so great they are taken for granted by some ding-a-lings who ought to know better. Tonight’s NHL betting makes the Sharks a slight favorite over Calgary. They’re worth that bet.

On Saturday, Pittsburgh’s road trip continues with a trip to Toronto. Toronto beat Montreal last night in the Bell Centre, earning both bragging rights and further purchase on its fight for the playoffs. That will be another tough matchup for the struggling Penguins.

The late game on Saturday is Boston at Vancouver, and who’s not looking forward to that? Last week the Bruins brought puck-playing defenseman Tomas Kaberle to Boston and they have high hopes for him to be the straw that stirs the drink. All he has to do now is live up to expectations.

Vancouver has been the best team in hockey this year, but the Canucks are hitting a few bumps lately, between injuries and one thing and another. The Bruins are a rough tough team with a bigger scoring threat since the addition of Kaberle. It’ll be a great game, and the Bruins to pull it off is the bet for Saturday night hockey.

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