Colorado Avalanche at Florida Panthers
The Panthers’ 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers Monday provided one of the biggest “WTF” moments in recent sports history.na, Florida defenseman Keith Ballard, who couldn’t keep the Thrashers’ sniper at bay, slashed his teammate, goaltender Tomas Vokoun across the face with his stick. Ballard was trying to smash his stick across the goal post in frustration but ended up sending Vokoun to the hospital for stitches in his ear.
''There's not a guy who feels worse than he does,'' Panthers' defenseman Bryan Allen told the Miami Herald. ''He means well, he was doing the right thing. He was showing he cares. It was an unfortunate accident, and I feel bad for him. I know he feels 100 times worse than anyone else.''
This black eye is just the cherry on top of Florida’s issues in recent weeks. The Panthers have lost five straight games, managing to score just over two goals a game in that span. They may have to turn to backup goalie Scott Clemmensen against the Avalanche. Clemmensen is just 3-3 since joining Florida and hasn’t won a game since a 2-1 overtime victory against Detroit on November 20.
Pick: Colorado
Vancouver Canucks at New Jersey Devils
To most NHL bettors, Wednesday’s Canucks-Devils tilt pits two of the top goaltenders of the modern era against each other.
But for those hockey fans North of the border, this game could determine who gets the starting nod as Canada’s puck stopper for the upcoming 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
New Jersey’s Martin Brodeur and Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo will be front and center in this East-West battle, with the eyes of the Olympic selection committee watching closely. However, both men say they are focused on NHL, not international, play right now.
“The matchup is, I’m going to play against the top goalie,” Brodeur told reporters Monday. “That’s the matchup that I’m looking at, not really what the selection will be or who wins that game should be.”
Both goalies have been red-hot in recent games. New Jersey is riding a three-game winning streak in which Brodeur has allowed just three goals on 81 total shots. Luongo has backstopped the Canucks to four wins in their last six games, allowing an average of just over two goals per game in that stretch while facing almost 30 shots a night.
"Is it really going to make a difference in the long run? I don't think so," Luongo told reporters of Wednesday’s outcome. "It's always nice to play a guy like Marty, obviously one of the best of all time. That's what gets me excited more than anything else."
The winner of the starting job for Team Canada is still anyone’s guess. Bettors, however, can be certain that goals will be tough to come by Wednesday night in New Jersey.
Pick: Under
