by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Feb 24, 2023
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO
Where to watch: ABC, ESPN+, SNW, SN360
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Check back later for odds
FanDuel: Check back later for odds
BetMGM: Check back later for odds
Caesars: Check back later for odds
Season record
Penguins: 27-21-9
Blues: 26-28-4
The All-Star break is over, the second half of the NHL season can officially begin, and we're bound for what should be a very exciting second half of the hockey season. Basketball and hockey are about to rule the roost in the sports betting world once the Super Bowl is done with, and we should all be very excited for what's to come. When the trade deadline hits and players switch teams, you know things are about to get hectic over these final 30 games or so. One way you can stay tuned with the action is following what our champion handicappers are doing in the world of the NHL. Look at ASA, Inc., reeling in a $6,750 profit off a 17-9-0 run. Al McMordie is also doing well on the ice with a 13-5-0 run and a net profit of $6,050. Scott Rickenbach has also been hanging strong with a lot of betting action, in what's been an unusual year, with a 24-18-0 run and reeling in $5,950. You know this action is going to be great now that games are back and a busy second half if on the horizon. All you need to do is head to our BEST BETS page at bigal.com to find out all of what we're trying to tell you. Make sure you're locked in at bigal.com and go to our Best Bets page to find out what our champion handicappers have to say in the world of the NHL!
Penguins - Blues preview, prediction and analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be playing the St. Louis Blues on Friday, February 24 in St. Louis, Missouri.
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, February 23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a score of 7-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins currently rank 5th in the Metropolitan Division.
Kris Letang scored twice for the Penguins (27-21-9), who have been outscored 21-10 on a four-game losing streak. Tristan Jarry allowed six goals on 29 shots and was pulled after the second period. Casey DeSmith made 14 saves in relief.
Sidney Crosby had one assist and two shots on goal.
"Our roster is our roster, so we have what we have," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're trying to put the best combinations on the ice that we think give us the best chance to win. That's the criteria I've always utilized."
Edmonton scored seven straight goals after Letang gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead on the first shot of the game, a wrist shot at 1:05 of the first period.
"Nobody is trying to send any messages," said Crosby, the Penguins captain. "You can turn it into whatever you want to. It's a matter of playing better. I'm not going to sit here and talk about messages. Nobody is trying to send a message. We're trying to win games."
Letang scored on a power play with 1:48 remaining for the 7-2 final.
The Penguins were outshot 44-24, including 14-3 in the first period.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three of their last 10 games.
The St. Louis Blues lost against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, February 23 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri with a score of 3-2 in overtime. The St. Louis Blues currently rank 6th in the Central Division.
Tyler Tucker scored his first NHL goal, and Binnington made 38 saves for St. Louis (26-28-4), which has lost four straight (0-3-1) since trading Ryan O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 17.
"A lot of our best players not doing the job," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "Our best players don't play with any passion, no emotion and no inspiration at all. They don't play inspired hockey. You cannot play in this league without emotion, grit and being inspired. They're getting paid lots of money and they're not doing the job. End of Story. That's it. That's what it boils down to."
Alexey Toropchenko scored short-handed at 15:29 of the first period to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. Pavel Buchnevich intercepted a blind backhand pass from Quinn Hughes and got Pettersson to overcommit in the neutral zone before passing to Toropchenko, who converted on the breakaway.
The goal came shortly after Miller had a goal disallowed for Vancouver at 14:27 following a challenge for goaltender interference.
Tucker made it 2-0 at 6:45 of the second period with a wrist shot from the left point that beat a screened Silovs just inside the right post. The Canucks challenged the play for a missed game stoppage, but the call stood after a video review confirmed Ivan Barbashev did not contact the puck with a high stick.
"Obviously, it's nice to be rewarded," said Tucker, who was playing his 18th NHL game. "Two points would've been better."
Vancouver scored two goals to tie the game and Elias Pettersson scored with 15 seconds remaining in overtime giving Vancouver the win.
The St. Louis Blues have won three of their last 10 games.
Prediction
I'd call this a game between two teams that have no idea what in the world they want. Blues 3, Penguins 2
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, February 23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a score of 7-2. The Pittsburgh Penguins currently rank 5th in the Metropolitan Division.
Kris Letang scored twice for the Penguins (27-21-9), who have been outscored 21-10 on a four-game losing streak. Tristan Jarry allowed six goals on 29 shots and was pulled after the second period. Casey DeSmith made 14 saves in relief.
Sidney Crosby had one assist and two shots on goal.
"Our roster is our roster, so we have what we have," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "We're trying to put the best combinations on the ice that we think give us the best chance to win. That's the criteria I've always utilized."
Edmonton scored seven straight goals after Letang gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead on the first shot of the game, a wrist shot at 1:05 of the first period.
"Nobody is trying to send any messages," said Crosby, the Penguins captain. "You can turn it into whatever you want to. It's a matter of playing better. I'm not going to sit here and talk about messages. Nobody is trying to send a message. We're trying to win games."
Letang scored on a power play with 1:48 remaining for the 7-2 final.
The Penguins were outshot 44-24, including 14-3 in the first period.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won three of their last 10 games.
The St. Louis Blues lost against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, February 23 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri with a score of 3-2 in overtime. The St. Louis Blues currently rank 6th in the Central Division.
Tyler Tucker scored his first NHL goal, and Binnington made 38 saves for St. Louis (26-28-4), which has lost four straight (0-3-1) since trading Ryan O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 17.
"A lot of our best players not doing the job," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "Our best players don't play with any passion, no emotion and no inspiration at all. They don't play inspired hockey. You cannot play in this league without emotion, grit and being inspired. They're getting paid lots of money and they're not doing the job. End of Story. That's it. That's what it boils down to."
Alexey Toropchenko scored short-handed at 15:29 of the first period to give the Blues a 1-0 lead. Pavel Buchnevich intercepted a blind backhand pass from Quinn Hughes and got Pettersson to overcommit in the neutral zone before passing to Toropchenko, who converted on the breakaway.
The goal came shortly after Miller had a goal disallowed for Vancouver at 14:27 following a challenge for goaltender interference.
Tucker made it 2-0 at 6:45 of the second period with a wrist shot from the left point that beat a screened Silovs just inside the right post. The Canucks challenged the play for a missed game stoppage, but the call stood after a video review confirmed Ivan Barbashev did not contact the puck with a high stick.
"Obviously, it's nice to be rewarded," said Tucker, who was playing his 18th NHL game. "Two points would've been better."
Vancouver scored two goals to tie the game and Elias Pettersson scored with 15 seconds remaining in overtime giving Vancouver the win.
The St. Louis Blues have won three of their last 10 games.
Prediction
I'd call this a game between two teams that have no idea what in the world they want. Blues 3, Penguins 2
Betting trends
Check back later for trends.
Projected lines
Penguins:
Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Rickard Rakell
Jason Zucker -- Evgeni Malkin -- Bryan Rust
Brock McGinn -- Jeff Carter -- Kasperi Kapanen
Drew O'Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Josh Archibald
Brian Dumoulin -- Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson -- Jeff Petry
Pierre-Olivier Joseph -- Chad Ruhwedel
Tristan Jarry
Jake Guentzel -- Sidney Crosby -- Rickard Rakell
Jason Zucker -- Evgeni Malkin -- Bryan Rust
Brock McGinn -- Jeff Carter -- Kasperi Kapanen
Drew O'Connor -- Teddy Blueger -- Josh Archibald
Brian Dumoulin -- Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson -- Jeff Petry
Pierre-Olivier Joseph -- Chad Ruhwedel
Tristan Jarry
Blues:
Brandon Saad -- Robert Thomas -- Jordan Kyrou
Ivan Barbashev -- Brayden Schenn -- Pavel Buchnevich
Sammy Blais -- Logan Brown -- Josh Leivo
Alexey Toropchenko -- Nathan Walker -- Tyler Pitlick
Nick Leddy -- Colton Parayko
Marco Scandella -- Justin Faulk
Tyler Tucker -- Robert Bortuzzo
Jordan Binnington
Brandon Saad -- Robert Thomas -- Jordan Kyrou
Ivan Barbashev -- Brayden Schenn -- Pavel Buchnevich
Sammy Blais -- Logan Brown -- Josh Leivo
Alexey Toropchenko -- Nathan Walker -- Tyler Pitlick
Nick Leddy -- Colton Parayko
Marco Scandella -- Justin Faulk
Tyler Tucker -- Robert Bortuzzo
Jordan Binnington
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
