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Penguins try to find winning ways in Toronto
By Rob Gerein | January 8, 2010
The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (7 pm ET, NHLN-US, CBC).
Pittsburgh will be hoping to snap a nine-game slump that has sent Sidney Crosby and Co. spiraling in the NHL standings, into second in their division behind the New Jersey Devils and sixth overall.
The Penguins have lost seven of their last nine – including a 4-3 loss at home to Toronto in December that kicked off a five game losing streak. They can not afford to lose this game if it could send them spiraling into a similar slump.
The Maple Leafs have the third worst record in the league and they have two injured forwards – Grabovsi and Primeau will both be missing the game. But they have almost nowhere to go but up in this situation. The Leafs started the season really slow, but went 8-8 in December, including the aforementioned road win against the Penguins.
NHL Odds have the Penguins as a -145 favorite and Toronto as a +125 underdog.
Pittsburgh may be in a deep slump, but they have 55 points going into the game over Toronto’s 39 – not to mention the fact that they are the defending champions. The Penguins know how to play, but they need to show up and make it happen on Saturday night.
In the beginning of the season this game would have been a write off but, things being as they are, this could be a really interesting game. The teams are 1-1 on the season head to head and they are both fighting to keep their seasons alive and kicking. All in all, a good watch, but the smart money is probably on a different game with a better payout or a safer outcome.
Topics: Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs | No Comments »
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