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Detroit are missing half of their team, and that in itself gives these odds a nice little value. Guests are coming to this game after defeating Calgary, but that was a stretch, a win barely gotten against a very weak opponent, and you shouldn't be fooled by it. Before that, Detroit have six consecutive defeats, and they didn't manage to score over two goals in the regular time in the last seven games, which tells you everything about their crisis. They're missing their captain and the most productive player Zetterberg, the first goalie Howard, and also a top forward Franzen. They're also missing four other top ten forwards when it comes to points, and I expect bad Detroit's game to continue because something like that can hardly be recovered from, and the results confirm that. Leafs come into this game with a win that, according to Lupul's statement, picked them up and started a good and positive mood, so I believe they can use Detroit's problems in front of their own fans. They've showed their strength in Chicago recently, they showed character in the last game, and I believe they can turn their good mood into a win today, because they are a lot better than Detroit with all the absences that trouble them. I'm convinced they have a lot more quality, and are a lot closer to winning than the guests are. Details

I see no reason for such underestimate of both the Hawks and the Canucks' defenses. They have been doing very well lately. The Canucks' are a typical 'under' team who don't score a lot of goals, and they stayed under this margin in eight out of the last nine games, which speaks volumes for this bet. Chicago are playing a strong defense lately, but I'm deliberately going go to against their stats here - it can get quite tricky. They have had overs lately, but all of them were good defensive performances with excellent offense which will not happen today because the Canucks are not that kind of a team. The Hawks have played under the two last games against teams similar to the Canucks, and that should be taken into consideration, not the games with many goals. Five out of the last six games these teams played were unders, they played a game with three goals scored a month ago, and I really can't understand why over is pushed as much as it is. Game between such tough opponents, the West conference derby match, is bound to be under. Both teams defenses are working good, and I think opting for this, all the arguments taken into consideration, is a great choice. Details

The Russians scored five goals against Sweden a month ago even though they didn't have their full squad available for that game and they beat them with a handicap in September at a tournament that had the same character as this one. The Olympics are approaching, things are becoming more serious and the Russians have decided to play in Sochi, the venue for the Olympics. They are very happy with the conditions, a full arena is expected today and I don't think they should lack any motivation. A huge reason for that is the team that they called up as it has all the best available player, including the super-stars Kovachljuk and Radulova, a great duo of goalies Barulin and Eremenko and the strong defense from KHL's best teams. When the NHL players join in, there will not be too much room left for the current squad so the battle for the spots on the team could be huge and this could be noticed today. The Swedes are once again coming with a mixed team, with only 4 players from KHL who are no at the level of their Russian counterparts while the rest are relatively unfamiliar names from their domestic league. There will be not battle for the top team with them as they know only two or three players will play on the Olympics while the rest are here just to get a glimpse of the national team experience. They will put the 20-year-old Ullstrom from the Swedish league on goal which does not seem too smart against the fiery attack that the Russians have and which contains the best of the best from KHL. Russia are better by at least three goals from this Swedish team and I expect them to warm the crowd up for the Olympics. They are a much stronger, experienced and motivated team than the Swedes and they have beaten them twice lately without their main stars so I expect them to do the same today. Details

Detroit have been disastrous at home this season and they have only 5 wins in 19 home games. An even worse piece of stat is that they lost their last 13 out of 15 home games and coupled with the fact that they are missing more than half of their best players, this gives us a very good situation. They are without their best forward Zetterberg who is the leader of the team in terms of points and also without their third top-scorer Franzen who is the fourth-placed player in terms of points. So, two of their four top players are out and even the stronger teams would not be able to make up for that. In addition, they are without their first goalie Howard and are without Helm, Abddelkader and DeKeyser who are all important players and Top 10 in terms of points so it's hard to expect them to achieve something in this state. They've shown that in the last five games in which they were defeated, they've been playing poorly, they've scored only 2 goals in the last 3 games and it all comes down to irreplaceable absent players. Today they are facing the mighty Ducks who are the second best team in the league, have the momentum of five consecutive wins (4 regular time wins), with 2 consecutive away games, in which they've been pretty solid this season with 10 points in 20 games. They would be the favorites here even if the Wings were complete, but since the home team are without half the squad the Ducks have an advantage that I am sure they will be able to translate into a win. Details

I don't think Edmonton can do something significant in the hardest possible away game. They're the worst team of the West, the last ones on the league table, and they're also the worst defense of the league. After the defeat by Boston at home, they went to a series of away games, were, at the very beginning of it, they didn't score a goal, but conceded four against Vancouver, and then went to Anaheim. Ducks are waiting for them fresh and rested after four days of rest and preparing for this game, which is a great thing. Ducks are the best host of the league, they won 12 out of 14 games, and their game definitely shouldn't be good for the Oilers. Guests are very bad in the defense, they have a bad goalie Dubnyk, who's in no shape, and the Ducks are an offensive team who don't forgive any mistakes. Oilers make a lot of mistakes, they're young and a lot more inexperienced than Anaheim. Also, the difference in quality is huge, Anaheim are in the very top of the league, the guests are at the bottom, and their defeat is the most likely outcome today. The Ducks have their injuries for a while, and they're used to them, but Oilers gained two new ones two days ago, which is not good news, and they're also left with Dubnyk on the goal. Perry and Getzlaf will strike him if he shows any insecurity at all. Finally, Anaheim won nine out of ten matches against them in the last three years, seven in the regular time, and the Ducks have four wins in a row against the stronger and tougher teams than the Oilers are. Details

In the 17 away games this season, Dinamo Minsk only have one win. They're convincingly the last team of the West, and the chances for playoffs are only a crazy theory in their regard. They're coming without an important forward Irgl, top4 defenseman Lintner, and the first goalie Haugen, which is impossible to cover up for in the weaker teams. They're coming to this game with two defeats in the handicap at home, and they've only won one out of the last six games. They're not playing well, and even worse, they're not motivated, but Donbass, on the other hand, are. Donbass want to win the last game before the break because that would even them out with Riga on the third position of the West, and most importantly, it would separate them from the teams behind them. They're one of the best teams of the West, the best defense of the league, and very strong at home. They've won 10 out of last 13 home games, and they're coming to this game with a convincing win against Vityaz, who are more serious and better than Minsk. Donbass have no problems with the roster, they're have far more quality than the guests, and they celebrated in Minsk earlier this season, winning in the handicap (2-4), so this should be taken, all things considered. Details

The Canucks haven't been this good yet this season, we have to admit to that. I think we should take advantage of it today. They won five consecutive games, seven out of the last ten. They are on a three game winning streak home as well, their defense is very good, and the kind of offense they have only has to excel as a result. They had three days off, they're rested, recharged, but also had the time to fix some things. On the whole, they're in a much better situation than the Oilers who played an exhausting game with Boston last night. I think they won't be able to give their absolute best today because of it. They were trying to tie the game, didn't hold back, and, on top of that, conceded a goal in the last minute, which can have a psychological effect on the team. Playing another game that soon is not good for them, in my opinion. They are the worst team in the West, have one of the best defenses in the league, and can't get consistent - their game is full of ups and downs. Vancouver already beat them this season 6-2 at this very arena, and I only expect the same to happen today. Vancouver are a more experienced and better-quality team, and they're in better form as well currently. Given the situation so far, missing on this is not an option. Details

Lokomotiv Jaroslav have four handicap wins in a row and they are facing Nižnemaksk who have 8 consecutive defeats in away games and they haven't scored for three games. Lokomotiv are the best defense in the league and Nižnemaksk will have a tough job scoring more than one goal here, perhaps even the one, and on the other hand, Jaroslav's offense is on the up and Averin and Plotnikov are waiting for a new customer. In addition, Nižnemaksk are slowly giving up and have let one of their best players, Osala, leave for Magnitka plus they have five absent players. Two important defenders are out, their best defenseman and another experienced defender, while their motivation can't be too high either. Lokomotiv have to defend their eighth spot in the battle for the play-offs, they have no margin for error and I see this as a great bet. Lokomotiv have won the last 3 games, Nižnemaksk haven't scored more than one goal in either of them and I see them suffering a convincing defeat here as the home team have more quality and motivation by far. Details

Novokuzneck had enough luck to win against Dinamo Moskva and Kazan last week, so you don't think they started to play a brilliant hockey. They were underestimated, and used what was offered, but this home games series showed them where they stand. First Medvescak grounded them with a bang, and Donbass defeated them in the last round, leaving them to only 14 shots. Of course they're the weakest team of the league with only seven wins in 34 games, and they don't have absolutely any ambition. They play hockey without a pressure, combining the team for the next season, so this is an ideal opportunity for Spartak who play very well on this tour. The Muscovites won seven out of nine points so far on this tour, celebrating against a lot stronger opponents than the one today, and they're even bigger favorites in my eyes than the odds would suggest. The biggest reason is hunting for the play-offs, they're only three points away, and every point is important for them, so there are no doubts about their approach here. The coach himself pointed out how important every game is for them, and the hunting for the play-offs zone, so I don't believe they'll have a blunder here, because this is an ideal chance. The home team were defeated in seven out of eight last games, and only managed to defeat the miserable Minsk, so their chances here are minimal. Spartak won in the duel between the two earlier this season in Moscow, they're a far better quality team, better in every segment, and if we add their big motivation to the mix, then this turns to be a great pick in my opinion. Details

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As the weakest team, Novokuzneck have lost any chance of reaching the play-offs and once they realized that, they started playing open hockey, without any pressure and this results in lots of goals as confirmed by the latest results. Donbass are a team in solid form, except for their last defeat against Admiral, they seem good in offense and I believe they can score three goals today. This is a better option than going for Donbass's win as Novokuzneck got a win and a draw in these goal-fests against Kazan and Dynamo and that's what I'm afraid of here. Home team have conceded over two goals in 5 of their last 6 games and there were some utter disasters there. Donbass scored over this margin in 4 out of last 6 and against much stronger defenses that the one Novokuzneck have. They played in Donetsk some ten days ago and Donbass scored 5. Donbass are the favorites here but this is a better option in open hockey as Novokuzneck can always get a draw somehow. Details

I'll repeat the bet against Calgary from yesterday, because they played exactly like I assumed they would. Without five important players, key defensemen and the best shooter, they were outshot double in Anaheim, conceded five goals, and they're playing today again, which means back-to-back game, and the odds aren't much smaller, so I think that has its value today, as well. Kings aren't in a bad shape despite the results. They lead Canucks and Sharks to overtime in the very difficult away games, and showed how tough they are. In a situation where Calgary are weakened by injuries, they're a team that are one level betterl, and that has to show on the home ice. Kings had time to rest, and that will be a big advantage compared to Flames who got tired in San Jose yesterday, so I only see one winner here. Another plus is that Kings have a thing against Flames because they defeated them at home in October in a weird game where Kings weren't on their level. So, anything but the firm win by the Kings would surprise me today, because Calgary can hardly be a match for them when they're complete and well rested, let alone when they're missing players and are tired. Details

There's no way Calgary will be able to make up for the two key players that got injured in the last game. One of them, Monahan, is their best scorer and second best when it comes to the points won, and the other one is their best defender Widerman who is fifth best player when it comes to the points. They joined best forward Glencross, captain Giordano, and Galiaradi and I think Calgary stand no chance without them today. The Ducks are the best home team of the league this season, they have nine wins in 10 games, and I expect them to record a new one today. This is a rare situation when 1,8 has value in NFL because the weaker team is missing quite a few key players today and this is definitely worth playing. Anaheim beat Calgary home even when they had all the players at their disposal, which means they would be favorites for the win even if Caglary didn't miss so many players. The visiting team are among the weakest teams in the league. On the other hand, Anaheim are among the best teams in the league and this seems like a good bet. The Ducks are missing some players as well, but they have been dealing with it greatly, but Calgary probably won't be able to do the same. Anything other than the Ducks' win will be a great surprise here. Details

The odds on Donbass seem a bit too high, and I think it the right time to bet on the Ukrainian team to win. The first reason to do so is the great form of Donbass, with three home wins in a row where they played great hockey and won against tough teams such as Ufa and Magnetik. Those were perhaps their best performances this season, and they are also fighting for playoff, which means they will hardly fumble at home. The other reason is the away team, who have lost six away games in a row, and have won only two of their last 16 games this season, which is of course a very bad score. They did very poorly on the western tour, losing to the bottom ranked and very weak Dinamo Minsk, and I think their chances to win this game are a lot lower than those for Donbass. The third reason is that Donbass lost to Niznekamsk two weeks ago, but fired 43 shots off to their 23, and were a much better team on the ice. I expect them to get payback for that today at home. It is likely that their second goalie, Dalton, will start for the away team, which is an added bonus for the bet, as he is not in great shape. I fully trust the legendary Fedotenko and his team here. Details

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SKA haven't been plying well since the break and that's a fact. They haven't scored over to goals against Severstal or Atlant, and Lokomotiv destroyed them with defense. They are unmotivated, and their captain Kovaljčuk takes the biggest blame for this, and their coach Jalonen is not happy. Traktor's defense and their goalie Garnett are severely underrated here as they only conceded over one goal on one occasion after the break, and Garnett's for has been great. They have been well organized and they seem pretty good in defense and I don't see them losing with such a high margin. SKA have shown their weaknesses and they are not such huge favorites here and I don't see this game as a goal-fest, which means SKA will have a hard time scoring 4 goals against Traktor. Details

The Colorado fairytale is over, and I'm afraid we will no longer be seeing the good hockey they started out with this season. They lost three in a row, and the last defeat was vs Florida, one of the worst teams in the league, which speaks volumes on the state they're in right now. Naturally, they were dethroned from the top spot, by Chicago. Colorado's problems started with injuries, especially that of Duchen, who scored 12 goals and eight assists this season, and is simply irreplaceable. To make things worse, the injury list also contains another important attacker, Tanguay, and good assist providers Benoit and Wilson. Chicago have won eight of their last ten games, are in best form, and their offense is doing excellent. I will ignore their embarrassment vs Nashville as a bad day that can happen to anyone. They busted the Sharks the day after with five goals, clearing away any doubt that what happened in Nashville was anything but a bad day. Although many see this as a 50-50 game, I don't. Chicago are much bigger favorites to win this, they are in good shape, have left a much better impression lately and have more experience. Colorado's absences cannot be filled in for, and their form is in a severe downward slope. One cannot ignore those facts, and I think Chicago for the win in the end is a good choice here. Details

I think too much trust is given to Omsk, who lost 12 out of 13 away games this season. They're simply not pulling it off, and it didn't go well for them afterwards either, when they got two defeats and scored only two goals. Lev are a good team, in a good shape, with three wins in a row, all three at home. They started the rest of them well, got two wins against the Eastern conference teams, and I see them as absolute favorites for the win here. Lev celebrated against Omsk last season at home, too, when the guests weren't that bad. Lev need points for the play-offs battle, so I expect to see them completely motivated here, and they can't allow themselves the luxury of wasting points at home. The odds definitely have value, Lev are a better team this season, Omsk are bad in the away games, and Lev's win seems like a good choice. Details

Too many arguments weigh on the side of Chicago for me to miss betting on them today. Firstly, they are up against one of the worst teams in the league this season (the worst of all in my opinion), the disastrous Edmonton, who just cannot play a proper game. They lost seven of their last eight, only beating the even worse Florida team. They scored only four victories in their last 18 games this season, with 12 clean defeats, and they are in even worse form recently. Theirs is also the worst defense of the league, with 3.88 goals conceded per game. I thought they might sparkle vs Philadelphia last night, another bad team and the worst offense in the league as well, but the Philly team managed to sink Edmonton with four goals. The opponents are the awoken current champions of the NHL, Chicago, one of the best teams in the league. They had a rather late start this season, but are finally in proper form. They won five of their last six games and played a match last night just like Edmonton, but they won, and are awaiting their guests in a winning mood. Their offense runs wild with 27 goals in six games, no small feat, and Edmonton will get hurt in that segment. The away team don't have a goalie with a save percentage over 88%, they are struggling in that position, have a shaky defense, and I see no chance for them vs the defending champions. I see this as a decisive victory for Chicago, as there is a world of difference between these two teams, both in quality and in form. Details

Minnesota won five out of the last six home games which improved their game a lot, especially in offense. They played great all of the games except the one against the might Chicago. They beat great opponents, and almost all of the injured players are back on the team. Their goalie Harding is currently the best one in NHL (94,5% of saves in ten games). The defense is their great advantage in this game. On the other hand, this bet is great because the Devils will play without their three key forwards (Clowe Zajac, and Elias). They played home yesterday and didn't score and have to face Minnesota today already. To summarize, they're playing this back-to-back game without three forwards, they had only 14 attempts on goal yesterday and failed to score, and their goalies are doing horribly. Schenieder had been out for a while, but he might be back today. He won only once this season in the six games he played anyway, while Brodeur can't be considered top goalie anymore - he has 88% of saves in 6 games. All of that seems to have created the ideal situation for Minnesota to win. Details