The New Jersey Devils host the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs, Friday Jan 29, as the Leafs try to end a four game losing streak. This is the first meeting of the season between the two Eastern Conference clubs. NHL oddsmakers at SBGGLOBAL.com have the Devils as -210 moneyline favs over the Maple Leafs (+170) with the over/under set at 6.5 goals. Be sure to get your Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils NHL Picks in now at SBGGLOBAL.com
The Leafs (17-27-8-2) have lost eight of ten and four of their last five on the road. They are 8-16-3-2 SU on the road where they average 2.76 GAG and allow 3.76 GAG. They recently lost to LA 3-5 at home. They got goals from Nikolai Kulemin and Niklas Hagman nailed a pair. Goalie Jonas Gustavsson stopped 28 of 32 shots and is 2-8 SU in his last ten starts with a 3.50 GAA. Overall he’s 9-12-8 SU with a 2.98 GAA and a .901 SVPCT. Things are not good in Leafs Nation . Coach Ron Wilson put his team through a hard practice Wednesday that included about 30 minutes of skating without the puck. Things have gotten so bad that now you're hearing about injured players like Mike Komisarek (shoulder) and Mikhail Grabovski (wrist) hoping to heal not so much for the Leafs, but for their respective national teams so they can play in the Olympics. There really is no sugarcoating the obvious. Things are not good in Toronto right now. "We have to battle harder and get more pucks on the net," said Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle. "That has been our problem lately, getting pucks on net and getting good chances. We also have to eliminate the mistakes in the neutral zone and our own end." They have just four powerplay goals in ten games, or 42 tries, while their penalty kill has allowed a goal or more in eight of their last ten games.
The Devils (34-16-0-2) have dropped seven of ten and three of their last five home games. They are 17-8-0-0 SU at home where they average 2.76 GAG and allow 2.12 GAG. They recently lost in Buffalo 1-2 (SO). They lone goal scorer was Brian Rolston . Goalie Martin Brodeur stopped 30 of 31 shots and is 3-7 SU in his last ten with a 2.50 GAA. Overall he’s 31-16-2 SU with a 2.17 GAA and a .921 SVPCT. Despite their losing streak, they still lead the Atlantic Division and are six points behind Washington for first place in the Eastern Conference. They were happy with their effort even though they didn't pick up the two points. "We were smarter with the puck, with possession, with control of the puck," left wing Zach Parise said. "That was the big difference for us as opposed to the game in Ottawa. But still we've got to find ways to score goals." The Devils are averaging less than two goals per game this month . The Devils powerplay has been awful, they have just one in ten games, or 22 tries. They are still solid on the penalty kill, allowing six in ten games, or 31 kills.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Under is 18-6-4 in the last 28 meetings.
- Over is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings in New Jersey.
- Underdog is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
- Road team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils
When: Fri, Jan 29, 2010 7:00 PM ET
Line: SBGGLOBAL.com
Pick: Devils -210
Point-Spreads.com Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils NHL Picks
The Bottom Line: The Leafs can’t score, especially on Brodeur. Be sure to get your Toronto Maple Leafs vs New Jersey Devils NHL Picks in now at SBGGLOBAL.com and receive up to 295% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
