A little over a month of NHL play I’m at a gambling success rate of 63%, (it was 62.66% repeating but you gotta round up, shout out East Goshen Elementary Math Department for that tidbit), but even with that success, I’m a bit uneasy.

I was right about several teams, both being good and bad. I was right about the Flyers having a spark with some new additions this year, the usual big boys in the Atlantic (Boston & Toronto) looking good early, and the Panthers showing signs of being a talented team that just has to gel a little bit more under Coach Q. My bottom dweller picks were also spot on in the East with Detroit and Ottawa in the Atlantic and the Jackets hugging the boards in the ‘Met. But I was off on the Lightning who have been screwing me in various puck lines and game/team overs which has been costly to my wallet, but maybe some adversity early will bode well for this stacked squad. Also what is going on with the New Jersey Devils??? Are they dead or do they just not believe in defense or goaltending?

Out on the West Coast I’ve been all over the board. I was spot on with fading the Wild and the Kings with the occasional Chicago fade, but I’m adding a new team to my Fade Train; The San Jose Sharks. The Sharks are not who we saw last year. Their fins are cut off and they are no more intimidating that seaweed sticking to your leg in the ocean.

The rest of the West, the Central especially, will be a dog fight the whole year, but the team that has shocked me the most has been the Anaheim Ducks. I had this team being BAD, like almost as bad as the LA Kings bad. The boys from Anaheim have been pleasantly competitive with great goaltending coming from John Gibson. They’ll go as far as he takes them. The Oilers are atop of the Pacific but I still like the Flames to take that division.

It’s not even Turkey Day yet so it’s too early to tell obviously, but for now fade the Wings, Sens, Wild, Kings, and the recently dead Sharks while hammering the big boy puck lines. It’s the year of the puck line, so hop on the Fade Train.

Barnes
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