Online Sportsbook Overview
The Toronto Maple Leafs organization has seen a lot of potential saviors in the past few years. Brian Burke was supposed to come in and be the general manager that wins a Stanley Cup. So far, that has not worked out. James Reimer was supposed to be the answer in goal for years to come but he has been forced to share time with Jonas Gustavsson in goal. Now Randy Carlyle has been brought in to replace Ron Wilson as head coach to turn the season around. As the March Madness odds grab headlines in other parts of the world, the people in Toronto wait anxiously to see what results the newest savior will bring.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were having some serious issues about a month ago, but Pittsburghhas battled back in a big way. One of the things that the price per head sports experts have noticed is the rise of Evgeni Malkin as a team leader inPittsburgh. With Sidney Crosby sidelined indefinitely with concussion problems, Malkin has been taking a more aggressive stance on the ice to protect players and act in a leadership role. The payoff has been a much more aggressive and confidentPittsburgh team that now looks to be a contender for the Stanley Cup.
Toronto Maple Leafs
So how much of a hill does Randy Carlyle have to climb? The Leafs are 2-7-1in the last 10 games and have tumbled from fourth in the Eastern Conference to 12th. A sportsbook review of theToronto situation shows that the Leafs are currently five points out of a playoff spot with 17 games left to play. The gap is hardly insurmountable, but it becomes more intimidating when you consider thatToronto cannot win key games to make up ground. Every conference game is critically important forToronto and, to this point, the Leafs have not been up to the challenge. As Randy Carlyle works feverishly to implement his system in toToronto’s style of play, he knows that the clock is ticking.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Evgeni Malkin has eight points in his last five games and currently leads theNHLin points with 81. He is second in the league in goal scoring with 38. The Penguins are8-2-0in the last 10 games and are currently riding a six-game winning streak. Coincidence? No, it is not. Malkin has stepped out in front of his team and is leading it to the playoffs. While the Penguins may not be able to catch the Rangers for first place in the Atlantic Division and first place overall in the Eastern Conference, the Penguins can hold on to fourth place in the conference and gain home ice in at least the first series of the playoffs. How important is home ice to the Penguins?Pittsburghis21-8-2at home, which is the second best home record in the Eastern Conference.
The Bottom Line
While sports fans around the country contemplate NBA trade rumors, the fans inToronto andPittsburgh are fixated on hockey. While Randy Carlyle may be able to make the Leafs a better team, it is going to take time for his system to take effect. In the meantime, the Leafs get the opportunity to get steam-rolled by the force that is the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins
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