2011 NHL Hockey Free Predictions: All Star Game
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Date/Time: January 30, 2011, 4PM ET
Venue: Arena RBC Center, Raleigh, NC
Broadcast: VERSUS (HD), CBC (HD), RDS (HD)
Team Lidstrom vs. Team Staal Betting Lines from Sportsbook.com
Spread: Lidstrom +1.5 (-240): Staal -1.5 (+200)
Moneyline: Lidstrom -110: Staal -110
Over/Under: 16.5 goals
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The Fantasy Draft is over and now it comes time to see which team gels the quickest and which team can pull it all together. Team Lidstrom is maybe the better overall lineup but team Staal not only has three members from the home-town Hurricanes. It also has Eric Staal’s brother Marc on the squad. Will it be the grit of Team Staal or the finesse of Team Lidstrom that prevails?
Goaltending will never win an NHL All-Star game but let’s take a look anyway. Team Staal spent their first pick on Cam Ward and filled out their stable with Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price. Solid for sure but the edge goes to Team Lidstrom however – they have three of the top six in goals against average on the roster – Tim Thomas, Marc-Andre Fleury and the uber-hot Jonas Hiller.
Like goaltending, defense is not going to be the name of the game. It is more about which defense can contribute the most on offense. Team Lidstrom who the top three scoring defensemen on the roster – Keith Yandle, Nick Lidstrom and Dustin Byfuglien. Shea Weber and Duncan Keith were brilliant in last year’s Olympics and should be teamed together on Sunday. For Team Staal, Dan Boyle, Kris Letang, Mike Green, Zdeno Chara and Marc Staal are nice, but not up to the level of Team Lidstrom.
Let`s peruse the forwards now. Team Lidstrom has the more dangerous and talented centers – Steven Stamkos and Henrik Sedin are top point getters in the NHL so far and Brad Richards isn’t that far behind. Team Staal will have two Carolina centers – Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner along with Ryan Kelser and Paul Stastny.
On right wing, Team Lidstrom is fast and they are scary – this is a game made for players like Patrick Kane, Martin St. Louis and Danny Briere. Like the centers, Team Staal has big, strong right wingers – Rick Nash, Claude Giroux, Corry Perry and David Backes. Give the nod to Team Lidstrom when it comes to right wing!
Left wing is the only area that Team Staal has a decided advantage. Alex Ovechkin, Daniel Sedin, Patrick Sharp and Partik Elias are plain scary! Team Lidstrom only has one natural left winger and will juggle a few of their stacked other positions to fill the void.
Betting Prediction:
Team Staal went with the buddy approach. Drafting three Carolina Hurricanes and one Staal brother could be the difference in this game. Team Lidstrom took the best player available each time and didn`t worry about fulfilling obligations. Nick Lidstrom and his Assistant captains did a great job of drafting a team and based on them being better in four of the five aspects of the game, I have to give them the edge.
Pick: Team Lidstrom -110 and the Under – believe it or not!
