FLORIDA vs DETROIT
When: 1/30/2021 7:00 PM
Where:

TV: 7:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: DETROIT , FLORIDA

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as -175-moneyline favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Detroit Red Wings see signs of history repeating itself. That’s not a good thing.

The Red Wings had by far the worst record in the NHL last season. After eight games this season, they’re in last place in the makeshift Central Division and have gone 0-3-1 in their last four outings.

They’ll try to set a new course with back-to-back home games against the Florida Panthers on Saturday and Sunday.

This week, the Red Wings lost at Dallas in overtime 2-1 on Tuesday, then gave up four third-period goals in a 7-3 loss to the Stars on Thursday.

“We took a real step back,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “We have to regroup. It’s not going to be easy. We’re getting home late and we have to turn around and play on Saturday but we have to find a way to regroup. Dig deeper and ultimately we have to have a lot of guys play a lot better. We have individuals who can play better hockey, for sure.”

The Stars gave up their bodies much more than the Wings on Thursday, blocking 21 shots compared to seven by the visitors. Detroit had plenty of man-advantages but converted on just one of seven power plays.

“We’re fighting against ourselves, not actually fighting, but we have the puck on the stick and we’re nervous to make plays and we don’t want it on our stick,” team captain Dylan Larkin said. “We’re second-guessing everything and not moving around. Every power-play goal we scored this year, we kept it simple and threw it on net, and it’s not the prettiest goal, but it’s in the net. We didn’t do that nearly enough and it has to find a way to get going.”

When the Wings have scored on the power play, Tyler Bertuzzi has been the finisher. He’s tallied three power-play goals in the last three games off rebounds.

The Red Wings are playing short-handed. They have five players on the league’s COVID-19 protocols list. That group includes two of their better offensive threats, Filip Zadina and Robby Fabbri.

That’s not going to earn them any sympathy.

“We can’t keep letting two points slip away here,” Larkin said. “Every game is important, being against our own division.”

The Panthers have played just four games due to COVID-19 issues. They won their first three games before Thursday’s 3-2 road shootout loss to Columbus.

“I don’t think we’re walking out of here licking our wounds by any means, but we obviously have to know we can beat a team like this and take a lead in games,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “There’s a lot to work on, no doubt. Be happy about it, but never satisfied.”

Carter Verhaeghe and Patric Hornqvist have gotten off to hot starts, scoring four goals apiece. Anthony Duclair has five assists.

Hornqvist forced overtime on a goal with three seconds left in regulation during a shootout victory over Columbus. In the rematch, Eetu Luostarinen scored a third-period goal to force overtime.

“On the road against a team we know works hard, we came in and had two great comebacks in the third period,” Ekblad said. “We really showed our resiliency as a team. A lot of positives to take out of it, and a lot of things we can work on. All in all, we’re really excited to get to Detroit.”

The post FLORIDA vs DETROIT NHL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

FLORIDA vs OKLAHOMA
When: 12/30/2020 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 3
PREDICTION: OKLAHOMA , FLORIDA

Oddsmakers currently have the OKLAHOMA listed as 3 point favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 72.

The only other time Florida and Oklahoma have played, in the BCS Championship following the 2008 season, the focus was largely on the quarterbacks.

This time around, with the Gators’ Kyle Trask and Sooners’ Spencer Rattler, the position is once again front and center when the teams meet in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30 in Arlington, Texas.

That first meeting featured a pair of Heisman winners in Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford.

While Rattler isn’t a Heisman contender, yet at least, and Trask’s chances to win the award probably disappeared with Florida’s recent two-game winning streak, both have been critical in their team’s success.

They’ve also taken wildly different routes to stardom.

Rattler was a five-star phenom in the Phoenix area who had his pick of schools before choosing to sign with Oklahoma.

He was among the Heisman favorites by oddsmakers entering this season even though he had never started in college.

The redshirt freshman put together a strong season, throwing for nearly 280 yards per game, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 68.0 percent of his passes.

“(Rattler) can run around, extend plays, scramble, and make things happen with his feet as well as having a really live arm,” Florida coach Dan Mullen said.

Trask had none of the hype.

He wasn’t even the starting quarterback at his high school, instead serving as the backup to D’Eriq King, now Miami’s quarterback.

But Trask stuck with the team and eventually drew the attention of Florida coaches, who offered him a scholarship.

Trask, now a senior, didn’t get a serious opportunity to start for the Gators until last year when Feleipe Franks suffered a season-ending injury.

Trask’s numbers last season during his eight games as a starter are nearly identical to Rattler’s – 277.5 passing yards per game, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Their team’s 8-2 records in those games are even identical.

But Trask has emerged as a star this season, throwing for 4,125 yards and 43 touchdowns – 11 more than any other FBS quarterback – with just five interceptions.

“He’s done a really good job of using the weapons,” Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said. “They’ve got a tremendous scheme that really features what he does well. But you can see, having watched him a little bit more last year, you can see obviously the improvement he’s made.”

Trask will be without one of his top targets for the game. Tight end Kyle Pitts, the favorite for the Mackey Award as the top tight end in college football, announced he was opting out of the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft.

While Oklahoma’s offense has garnered plenty of attention since Riley arrived, the Sooners (8-2) have their best defense in recent years. The defense is keyed by their front, which is averaging 3.8 sacks per game, sixth-best in FBS, while allowing just 90.6 yards per game on the ground, No. 3 nationally.

Florida (8-3) has struggled defensively in spots this season, including recently, allowing an average of 511.5 yards and 44.5 points per game in losses to LSU and Alabama.

The post FLORIDA vs. OKLAHOMA 12/30/2020 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

FLORIDA PANTHERS vs ST LOUIS BLUES
When: 8:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, Missouri

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: ST LOUIS , FLORIDA

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as -105-moneyline favorites versus the ST LOUIS, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Florida Panthers had mixed results during their giant eight-game homestand and will head out on the road for six of the next seven, beginning with a stop in St. Louis to meet the struggling Blues on Tuesday night. The Panthers earned nine of a possible 16 points on the homestand (3-2-3) after dropping a 5-4 shootout decision against the New York Rangers on Saturday.

“I think we gave away some points,” Florida coach Bob Boughner told reporters after seeing his team suffer four one-goal losses – three after regulation – during the home stretch. “It could’ve easily been 12, 13 or 14 (points).” The Panthers have some ground to make up in the Atlantic Division with games in hand after the slow start, but St. Louis has dug itself a big hole and is close to sinking to the bottom of the league after a 6-1 loss to Vancouver at home Sunday. The Blues were coming off a promising 1-0 victory at Winnipeg on Friday, but have not won back-to-back contests in just over a month and veteran forward Alex Steen told reporters the team is not committed enough to accomplish its goals. “The way out is the same thing we preach day in and day out,” St. Louis interim coach Craig Berube told the media. “You have to go into every game, no matter who you play, and you gotta be committed to giving 100 percent effort and compete as hard as you can, every game. … We’re going to keep at it, we’re going to keep pounding it in their heads until they get it.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Florida, FS Midwest (St. Louis)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (11-11-6): Florida averaged 3.5 goals per game on the homestand and boast five players with at least 27 points on this season, but the next most among the healthy players is 13 from defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Mike Matheson. “It’s a good group of guys,” Boughner told reporters. “The only problem I have is that it’s the same four or five guys scoring every night. We need some depth.” Jonathan Huberdeau has eight multi-point efforts in his last 10 games and leads the team with 34 while Mike Hoffman tops the Panthers with 14 goals.

ABOUT THE BLUES (10-14-4): Rookie forward Jordan Kyrou scored his first NHL goal Sunday in his 11th game, logging 13 minutes, 59 seconds of ice time – his second highest total this season with St. Louis. Center Ryan O’Reilly leads the team with 29 points, but managed just two assists in the past five contests, while Vladimir Tarasenko (nine goals, 11 assists) has been kept off the scoresheet in four straight games. Jordan Binnington got recalled after Sunday’s game and fellow goalie Chad Johnson (2-6-0, .884 save percentage) was placed on waivers Monday.

OVERTIME

1. The Panthers have at least one power-play goal in 18 of the last 19 games and the Blues are 13-of-13 on the penalty kill in the past three contests.

2. Florida F Nick Bjugstad (10 points) missed Saturday’s game and is questionable to face St. Louis with an upper-body injury.

3. St. Louis F Jaden Schwartz (upper body), who has missed the last 11 games, could return to the lineup Tuesday.

PREDICTION: Blues 4, Panthers 3

The post FLORIDA vs ST LOUIS NHL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

FLORIDA PANTHERS vs COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 15, 2018
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: COLUMBUS , FLORIDA

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as 105-moneyline favorites versus the COLUMBUS, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

Left wing Mike Hoffman attempts to make history and help the Florida Panthers remain on a roll when they visit the Metropolitan Division-leading Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. Hoffman matched Hall of Famer Pavel Bure for the longest point streak in franchise history at 13 games with an assist in Tuesday’s 2-1 win at Philadelphia as the Panthers extended their win streak to five.

Hoffman has fit in well on Florida’s top line with captain Aleksander Barkov and Evgenii Dadonov, who leads the team with 17 points and has at least one in 12 consecutive contests. “They’re just playing great hockey, not over-complicating things,” Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad told reporters of the top line. “When the play is there they make it and they’re some of the best in the world at it. It’s extremely fun to watch Dadonov create things you didn’t think could possibly happen and (Hoffman) has an unbelievable shot.” Columbus, which has won five straight in the series after a 5-4 triumph Oct. 11, climbed into first place after gaining at least a point in the last five contests overall (3-0-2) – including a 2-1 win at Dallas on Monday. “We’ve had some challenges, but we’re setting some things back in place and I think the last couple games we’ve played a lot of good minutes,” Blue Jackets center Pierre-Luc Dubois told the Columbus Dispatch. “It’s just trying to keep going in that direction.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, FS Florida, FS Ohio (Columbus)

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (7-5-3): Ekblad notched his first goal of the season Tuesday to move into second among defensemen on the club’s all-time list with 54 – passing Jay Bouwmeester and behind only Robert Svehla (61). “It’s been a while,” Ekblad, who has three points and a plus-3 rating, told reporters. “I’ve never waited this long to score a goal at any level. It’s tough mentally to stay resilient.” Roberto Luongo is the fourth goalie at 39-years-old or older to start a season 4-0-0 and the veteran owns a .956 save percentage in five games.

ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (10-6-2): One of the big reasons Columbus has climbed in the standings is the improved play of goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who allowed one goal in five of his last six contests. Dubois and fellow forward Cam Atkinson have each recorded a pair of goals in the last two games and are tied for the team lead with eight overall – one better than Josh Anderson and Anthony Duclair (99 career points). Zach Werenski leads the defensemen with 11 points, but blue liner Seth Jones owns nine after registering seven assists in his past five contests.

OVERTIME

1. Columbus LW Artemi Panarin, who reportedly missed Wednesday’s practice because of illness, tops the team with 18 points – three in the last eight games.

2. The Panthers have recorded at least one power-play goal in six straight games while the Blue Jackets are 5-for-11 with the man advantage the past four contests.

3. Florida F Jonathan Huberdeau has two goals in the last four games and needs one to reach 100 in his career.

PREDICTION: Blue Jackets 3, Panthers 2

The post FLORIDA vs COLUMBUS NHL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

EDMONTON OILERS vs FLORIDA PANTHERS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: FLORIDA , EDMONTON

Oddsmakers currently have the EDMONTON listed as 115-moneyline favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Edmonton Oilers look to finish their four-game road trip with a .500 record and extend their winning streak at the Florida Panthers to 10 when the teams meet Thursday night. The Oilers won the opener of their trek at Detroit before dropping back-to-back contests at Washington (4-2 on Monday) and Tampa Bay (5-2 on Tuesday), but have not lost against the Panthers on the road since March 8, 2002.

Two-time reigning NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid was held off the scoresheet for the second time in 13 games this season in Tuesday’s loss and Edmonton could not finish several prime opportunities. “We need to bear down a little bit, especially me more than anyone,” Oilers center Leon Draisaitl told reporters. “I didn’t think we played terrible or bad by any means, but it’s something we can look at and try to get better from.” The Panthers have not played since Friday, when they finished off a split with Winnipeg with a 4-2 victory in the two-game NHL Global Series at Helsinki, Finland. Forward Evgenii Dadonov leads Florida with 13 points and has at least one in eight straight games while teammate Mike Hoffman boasts a nine-game point streak that includes six goals.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), FS Florida

ABOUT THE OILERS (8-6-1): Ryan Nugent-Hopkins notched his third assist in two games Tuesday to push his team-leading total to 14 and Draisaitl scored his ninth goal – one behind McDavid – against the Lightning for his eighth point in the past seven contests. Right wing Ty Rattie returned to the lineup after missing nine games with an upper-body injury, skating with McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins, while center Ryan Strome finally netted his first goal of the season Tuesday. Forward Alex Chiasson, who had scored in three of his previous four games, sat out the game in Tampa Bay with an undisclosed injury.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (3-5-3): Goalie Roberto Luongo returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a knee injury on opening night and made 32 saves for his 472nd career victory Friday in Helsinki. “That was huge for us,” Florida coach Bob Boughner told reporters. “Watching (Luongo) play so composed after being off for a month, he is a big reason why we won (the last game).” Defenseman Keith Yandle has five points in the last four games and 12 overall to place second on the team while captain Aleksander Barkov has gone seven games without a goal, but recorded six assists in that stretch.

OVERTIME

1. Edmonton LW Milan Lucic was fined $10,000 after his misconduct penalty Tuesday.

2. Florida C Derek MacKenzie, who has not played since opening night, underwent shoulder surgery recently and is out indefinitely.

3. The Oilers have won four of the last five meetings overall and the road team has taken seven of the last eight encounters.

PREDICTION: Panthers 4, Oilers 3

The post EDMONTON vs FLORIDA NHL Odds, Pick & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

LSU vs FLORIDA
When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, October 6, 2018
Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, Florida

TV: 3:30 PM
LINE: 2.5
PREDICTION: FLORIDA , LSU

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as 2.5 point favorites versus the LSU, while the game’s total is sitting at 44.5.

LSU is clicking on both sides of the ball but faces a tough task Saturday when it visits Florida in SEC action. The sixth-ranked Tigers are 5-0, but the Gators have won three straight including a pair of road wins to open conference play.

LSU has been held below 31 points only once and has not given up more than 21 points in any outing as the team is off to its best start in three years. The Tigers set a season high for points scored in last week’s 45-16 triumph against Ole Miss. Joe Burrow threw three touchdowns – equaling his total entering the game – and also ran for a score, giving Florida a glimpse of what it must contain this weekend. The Gators should be up for the task after suffocating Mississippi State in last week’s 13-6 win.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: LSU -2.5

ABOUT LSU (5-0, 2-0 SEC): The Tigers’ offense has featured a nice balance as Burrow has thrown 131 passes without an interception and Nick Brossette has run for six touchdowns on 4.7 yards per carry. “It’s just a matter of getting it down and communicating with each other and getting comfortable with it,” Brossette said of the team’s offensive balance. “We’re improving each and every week.” Burrow added a season-high 96 yards on the ground against Ole Miss and scored his second rushing TD of the campaign.

ABOUT FLORIDA (4-1, 2-1): The Gators rank ninth nationally in points allowed (14.0) and have given up more than 10 points only twice this season. “This is going to be the best defense we faced so far this year,” LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. “They’re very aggressive. He won’t give you the same look many times. Their movement is very precise.” Feleipe Franks had thrown multiple TD passes in each of the first four games before failing to throw a touchdown – or any completion over 20 yards, for that matter – in the ugly win against Mississippi State.

EXTRA POINTS

1. After hovering around 50 percent completions in each of his previous three games, Franks completed a season-high 71 percent of his attempts last week.

2. LSU has won its last two trips to Gainesville by a combined four points.

3. Tigers K Cole Tracy leads all active FBS kickers in career field goals (78).

PREDICTION: LSU 22, Florida 13

The post LSU vs. FLORIDA 10/6/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

KENTUCKY vs FLORIDA
When: 9/8/2018 7:30 PM
Where:

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE:
PREDICTION: FLORIDA , KENTUCKY

Oddsmakers currently have the FLORIDA listed as point favorites versus the KENTUCKY, while the game’s total is sitting at .

The post KENTUCKY vs. FLORIDA 9/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

COLORADO vs FLORIDA
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Saturday, December 9, 2017
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: FLORIDA , COLORADO

Oddsmakers currently have the COLORADO listed as 120-moneyline favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

SUNRISE, Fla. — The way things have been going lately, the Florida Panthers may be afraid to step on the ice on Saturday night against the visiting Colorado Avalanche, and here’s why:

In their two previous games, the Panthers (11-13-4) have suffered one major injury in each, losing starting goalie Roberto Luongo on Monday against the New York Islanders and star center Aleksander Barkov on Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

Luongo appeared to injure his right groin while making a right-leg kick save on Ryan Pulock.

Barkov was hit in the face by the shoulder of Winnipeg’s Jacob Trouba. The Panthers said the injury was “upper body,” but it could be concussion protocol.

“Losing Barkie, we had to scramble there,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said.

The Avalanche (12-13-2) have been scrambling, too. They have lost four games in a row and six of seven, grabbing just three points during that span.

Overall, Colorado is much improved from the disaster that was last season, when the Avalanche set franchise records for fewest wins (22) and points (48), posting the worst record (22-56-4) since the expansion Atlanta Thrashers in 1999-2000.

Given that, Colorado’s 4-1-0 start this year was a major surprise, and the Avs have built a pair of three-game win streaks into the first quarter of the season.

Their top six scorers are all 26 years old or younger as the rebuilding effort is underway.

Nathan MacKinnon, 22, leads the team in assists (22) and points (32) and is tied with captain Gabriel Landeskog, 25, with 10 goals each. Landeskog scored Thursday on his first shift of his first game back from a four-game suspension.

In addition to those standouts, Mikko Rantanen, 21, has eight goals after scoring 20 as a rookie last season.

But make no mistake — this is not a team designed to win now. When Colorado traded veteran Matt Duchene last month, it received young defenseman Samuel Girard, who has already made an impact on the Avs, plus a prospect, a college player and three high-round draft picks.

In fact, Colorado now owns nine picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts.

But that’s the future. For now, Avs coach Jared Bednar is preaching patience and praising his players even after defeat, as was the case after Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“There were some things that we did better than we did in the past three games,” Bednar told the media in Tampa Bay. “It’s a step forward. Now we’ve got to take another step.”

Colorado will try to take that step against a Panthers team that has been resilient this week, picking up three points (1-0-1) in two games despite the aforementioned injuries.

It remains to be seen how the Panthers fill the void at top-line center. But second-line center Vincent Trocheck, who leads the team with 12 goals and was an All-Star last season, is the prime candidate.

Trocheck said the obvious — that the Barkov injury badly hurts Florida’s attack — but he added that the team has the spirit to carry on without their top center.

“Guys have to step up,” Trocheck said. “We could have been a bit more disciplined (against Winnipeg).”

Trocheck’s “lack of discipline” comment referred to Florida getting whistled for seven penalties against Winnipeg. But the Panthers killed off six of those power plays.

Florida’s Micheal Haley, a fourth-line left winger, scored the tiebreaking goal on a deflection, and that is the type of contribution the Panthers will need up and down the lineup if they are to succeed without Barkov.

As for the goalies, the Panthers are expected to use James Reimer (5-6-3, 3.70 goals-against average, .892 save percentage).

Colorado will likely start Semyon Varlamov, who was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2013-14 but has been injury-prone since. He is 8-7-1 this season with a 3.15 GAA and a .903 save percentage.

The post Colorado Avalanche vs Florida Panthers 12/9/2017 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

NY ISLANDERS vs FLORIDA
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Monday, December 4, 2017
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG Plus (New York), FSN Florida
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Panthers 4, Islanders 2

Oddsmakers currently have the NY ISLANDERS listed as -110-moneyline favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

SUNRISE, Fla. — The New York Islanders, who lead the NHL in scoring, expect to go up against one of the league’s all-time great goalies, Roberto Luongo, on Monday night when they face the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center.

The Islanders (15-8-2) are led by center John Tavares, who ranks third in the NHL with 16 goals. His team is first in the league with an average of 3.72 goals per game.

ABOUT THE ISLANDERS (15-8-2): New York has one more player than Florida with at least 24 points, and the team’s top six scorers all are on hot streaks offensively. Josh Bailey leads the team with 30 points, including 12 in his last eight games, and captain John Tavares is one behind him while Anders Lee has scored four goals in his last three contests and rookie Mathew Barzal has notched 10 of his 24 points over his last eight matches. Defenseman Nick Leddy also has been on a roll with 11 points in his last nine contests while Jordan Eberle is riding a four-game point streak.

And even when the Islanders lose, they usually still score big, as was the case on Friday night when their four-game win streak was snapped in a 6-5 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

“It stings,” New York coach Doug Weight said after that defeat, “but it’s almost a good learning tool.”

Meanwhile, Florida (10-13-3) relies on Luongo, 38, who is aging gracefully. He ranks seventh in the league this season with a .928 save percentage. For his career, he is fourth in league history with 459 wins.

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (10-13-3): Barkov scored his third goal in four games Saturday and trails Trocheck (10) by one for the team lead while remaining one point behind Huberdeau (26) for the top spot on the club. With top-line forward Evgenii Dadonov (shoulder) out of the lineup, defenseman Keith Yandle (13) is the only other player on the team with more than 12 points. Nick Bjugstad scored his sixth goal of the campaign on Saturday, pulling within one of his total from 2016-17, when he missed 28 games due to various injuries.

Luongo, who has battled injuries again this season, is 6-6-1 with a 2.62 goals-against average. He has been even better lately, allowing just 18 goals in his past nine games.

This will be Luongo’s first game against the Islanders this season. Last season, he went 2-1-0 with a 2.30 GAA against New York.

Of course, the Islanders’ offense has improved since last season, when they missed the playoffs and averaged 2.91 goals, 10th in the league. They have scored five or more goals 12 times in 25 games this season.

Weight, brought in last January after Jack Capuano was fired, went 24-12-4 last season and has his team off to a good start.

Yet even with all the good things happening with the Islanders, there is turmoil within the organization. Team owners are primed to end their association with Barclays Center, hoping to get a new arena built at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The other big New York story line involves captain Tavares, 27, who will be a free agent after this season. He is a franchise center and his departure — should it happen — could wreck the Islanders.

That’s why the Monday game — and, frankly, every New York contest — is so important. The Islanders likely need to make a deep playoff run to convince Tavares to stick around past this season.

The Panthers don’t face that kind of pressure. This is shaping up as a rebuilding season under first-year head coach Bob Boughner.

Florida has lost two games in a row, both by one goal. A 3-2 setback at the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday was particularly painful as the Panthers allowed the winning goal with just two seconds left in overtime.

“It was a heartbreaker,” Boughner said after the defeat.

Now the Panthers start a three-game homestand.

Florida center Aleksander Barkov, who scored with 1:56 left in the third period to send the Carolina game to overtime, leads the Panthers’ top line along with Jonathan Huberdeau.

Center Vincent Trocheck and wingers Nick Bjugstad and Radim Vrbata power the second line.

Florida’s Evgenii Dadonov (shoulder) is out at least four weeks, leaving a gaping hole on the front line that is currently being filled by 21-year-old Denis Malgin.

The Islanders’ biggest injury concern is center Casey Cizikas (four goals, four assists). He has missed two games in a row due to a lower-body injury.

OVERTIME

1. Florida RW Radim Vrbata has gone two games without a point since returning from a facial injury that caused him to miss almost two weeks.

2. The Islanders placed C Casey Cizikas (lower body) on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 25.

3. Barkov needs four points to become the 13th Panther to reach 200 in his career.

STATS AND RECORDS

The post New York Islanders vs Florida Panthers 12/4/2017 Odds, Picks & Preview appeared first on IdealCapper.

ST LOUIS vs FLORIDA
When: 7:30 PM  ET, Thursday, October 12, 2017
Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise, Florida

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL.TV, FSN Midwest (St. Louis), FSN Florida
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: Blues 4, Panthers 2

Oddsmakers currently have the ST LOUIS listed as 100-moneyline favorites versus the FLORIDA, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

SUNRISE, Fla. — The St. Louis Blues, with four wins in their first four tries for just the second time in franchise history, will take their traveling hockey show to the BB&T Center on Thursday night.

The Blues, who will challenge the host Florida Panthers (1-1-0), have been winning despite a massive amount of early-season injuries.

Forwards Alexander Steen (left hand), Patrik Berglund (shoulder surgery), Robby Fabbri (knee surgery) and Zach Sanford (shoulder surgery) are all out. Fabbri is gone for the season, Sanford needs months of rehab, Berglund could be back by December, and Steen could return by the end of this month.

OVERTIME

1. Florida C Nick Bjugstad, who scored and set up a goal on Saturday, had two goals and an assist in six career meetings versus St. Louis.

2. The Blues have scored one power-play goal in each game this season, but have also yielded one in three of their four contests.

3. Panthers G Roberto Luongo owns a 16-12-2 career mark versus St. Louis.

On defense, the picture is not as bleak. First-pair defenseman Jay Bouwmeester (left ankle) is the only one injured on the blue line, and he could possibly return within one week.

Despite all the injuries, Blues coach Mike Yeo said he will not make excuses — and neither will his players.

“The guys who are filling in know they have to perform,” Yeo told reporters in New York following the Blues’ 3-1 win over the Rangers on Tuesday. “And our veterans have really raised their games and delivered in a big way.”

St. Louis, which opened this season as 26-1 shots to win the Stanley Cup, is certainly playing better than that prognostication.

Starting goalie Jake Allen owns a 2.50 goals-against average in three games and backup Carter Hutton beat the Rangers on Tuesday while stopping 32 shots, including 16 in a wild third period.

New to the Blues this year is Brayden Schenn, a forward acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, and he has already made a difference with two goals and three assists.

“It’s no secret — we’re missing top guys,” Schenn told the media. “But guys are stepping up, and that’s what it takes to be a good team. We’re 4-0 — we’ll take it.”

The Panthers aren’t off to quite that type of start, splitting their first two games with the high-flying Tampa Bay Lightning.

New Panthers coach Bob Boughner has quickly established himself with his players, who voiced their approval of his system and his communication skills.

Boughner, a first-time NHL head coach, read a book called “Legacy” shortly after being hired by Florida. The book is about the New Zealand national rugby team, known as the All Blacks, and how they became world champions.

A 46-year-old former NHL defenseman from Windsor, Ontario, Boughner is hoping some of the lessons he learned from Legacy will inspire his players.

“I think every coach tries to put his own touch on a team,” said Boughner, who served as an assistant coach with the San Jose Sharks the past two years.

“For me, examining this (Panthers) organization and seeing the ups and downs, I think it’s important to create a great environment for them to come to the rink every day. I know as a former player that when you come to the rink and it’s a great environment, it makes you want to work harder.”

When Boughner speaks of the Panthers’ ups and downs, there have been many more downs than ups for the team, which missed the playoffs in 14 of the past 16 years.

Even when the team won its division in 2012 and 2016, the Panthers were unable to sustain that momentum to the next season.

Boughner’s presence, however, brings hope that the Panthers’ revolving door — four head coaches in the past four years — will stop spinning for a long while.

And it’s not just Boughner — it’s his entire coaching staff that has the Panthers excited.

“They are clear, concise and confident in everything they do,” Florida defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. “They are always on the dot, making sure we keep our pace. In between periods, they have great insight on how to counter the other team.”

The post St Louis Blues vs Florida Panthers 10/12/2017 Odds & Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.