Tag: Curtis McElhinney

Red Wings’ Jakub Vrana pulls the Forsberg move on the Lightning for sick shootout goal

What a goal!

Jakub Vrana continues to be an incredible pickup for the Detroit Red Wings, especially so after pulling this infamous move in the shootout. On Saturday, with no score between the Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, the game went into the shootout to decide a winner.

Though the shootout has been much maligned by hockey fans over the years, every so often it produces a fun moment and Saturday was Vrana’s turn to showcase some moves. Facing Curtis McElhinney in net for Tampa Bay, Vrana went to one of the oldest tricks in the book, the good old Forsberg move.

Taking the puck in on McElhinney, Vrana made a few quick stick-handling moves before settling the puck on his forehand then pushing it by the out-of-position netminder with one hand, going right around the sprawling Lightning goalie.

The Forsberg move is probably hockey’s most famous one-on-one maneuver, coined by being Peter Forsberg’s signature move in the 1990s. We’ve seen it on occasion in the NHL over the years, but it’s always a treat to watch whenever a player breaks it out.

Since joining the Red Wings at the trade deadline, Vrana has six goals and seven points in seven games with Detroit. Plus, a stellar shootout goal to help his team to a victory!

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Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings sports betting odds, picks and best bets

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The Tampa Bay Lightning (43-20-5) tangle with the Detroit Red Wings (16-48-5) Sunday at Little Caesars Arena at 5 p.m. ET. We analyze the Lightning-Red Wings sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Lightning at Red Wings: Projected starting goalies

Curtis McElhinney vs. Jonathan Bernier

McElhinney is expected to get the starting nod after the Lightning just played in Boston Saturday night with Andrei Vasilevskiy getting the call in that one. The Lightning backup has posted an 8-7-2 record, 2.83 goals against average and .908 save percentage with a shutout, so he is more than capable, especially against the lowly Wings.

Bernier gives the Wings their best chance to win, as he is 14-21-3 with a respectable 2.88 GAA and .909 SV% in his 39 starts and 44 appearances. At home he is a solid 10-10-1 with a 2.75 GAA and .906 SV% in his 21 starts and 24 appearances. It’s unlikely the team turns to Jimmy Howard for this tough matchup. He is a dismal 2-23-2 with a 4.20 GAA and .882 save percentage.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Lightning at Red Wings: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated Saturday at 12:23 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Lightning 4, Red Wings 2

Moneyline (ML)

The Lightning (-278) should be able to dominate this game, but they are playing less than 24 hours after a hard-fought and important game in Boston, and then they had to hop right on a plane for Hockeytown. Still, the Red Wings (+225) have next to no chance. But still, AVOID.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Lightning -278 returns a profit of $3.60 if they win, while a $10 wager on the Red Wings +225 results in a profit of $22.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The LIGHTNING (-1.5, even) is the much better play, with or without tired legs. They have so many offensive weapons that it’s hard to envision the cellar-dwelling Red Wings (+1.5, -121) slowing them down. Tampa Bay is 41-11 in the past 52 games against teams with a losing record, too, so they rarely let up or play down to their competition.

Over/Under (O/U)

The OVER 5.5 (-139) is the play here, but because it’s Lightning against Red Wings. If Tampa were playing virtually anyone else, the lean would be Under. The Under is 7-1 in their past eight in the second end of a back-to-back. But the Over is also 7-2 in their past nine as a favorite.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Monday’s Tampa Bay Lightning at Dallas Stars sports betting odds and lines, with NHL matchup analysis, picks and tips.

The Tampa Bay Lightning (29-15-4) and Dallas Stars (27-17-4) will lock horns at American Airlines Center at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Lightning-Stars sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.

Lightning at Stars: Projected starting goalies

Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Ben Bishop

The All-Star Vasilevskiy entered the All-Star break on a roll, winning his previous 10 starts. Overall, he is 24-9-2 with a 2.54 goals against average and .917 save percentage, as he has regained his Vezina Trophy winning form after a sluggish start to the season. He allowed four goals on just 20 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss in the first meeting with the Stars at Amalie Arena back on Dec. 19. After working in the All-Star Skills Competition and round-robin tournament, it wouldn’t be shocking to see backup Curtis McElhinney make the start. He is 5-6-2 with a 3.10 GAA and .902 SV% in 13 appearances.

Bishop is 16-10-3 with a 2.28 GAA and .927 SV% in 31 starts and 32 appearances overall. The former Lightning backstop hasn’t faced his old organization this season. He is 0-1-1 with a 5.39 GAA and .792 SV% in two appearances vs. the Stars since leaving for Dallas to start the 2017-18 season.

Place a sports bet on this hockey action or other games at BetMGM.

Lightning at Stars: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Lightning 4, Stars 2

Moneyline (ML)

The LIGHTNING (-139) are moderate road favorites out of the break, with the Stars (+115) short ‘dogs at home. That’s likely because the Lightning have been on a roll lately, going 5-0 in the past five against winning teams, 4-1 in the past five against Western Conference foes and 5-1 in the past six meetings against Dallas. The Lightning are also 5-2 in their past seven trips to the Metroplex.

A $10 bet on the Lightning to win returns a profit of $7.20, while a $10 wager on the Stars results in a profit of $11.50.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The LIGHTNING (-1.5, +195) represent a pretty solid value, as you can double up with a two-goal win. However, keep in mind that the Stars (+1.5, -239) are the No. 1 defensive team in the NHL, allowing just 2.5 goals per game. They’re also ninth on the penalty kill at 82.4 percent, so tread lightly.

Over/Under (O/U)

The total (5.5) is risky business, as there is some uncertainty with Tampa Bay’s starting netminder, so be careful. If McElhinney gets the nod, it’s a different ball game. If Vasilevskiy is in between the pipes, this will be a low-scoring battle. The Under is 4-1 in Tampa’s past five road games, and 8-3 in the past 11 as a road favorite. The Under is 33-14-2 in the past 51 at home for Dallas, and a perfect 4-0 in their past four against teams with a winning percentage over .600.

Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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