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Posted at 2:15 PM EST. 

7:05 PM EST. OT included. Situational betting has to be a part of any handicapper’s criteria, as it is one of the main reasons that upsets happen all the time. Before we get into the situation, it is worth noting that the Canucks come to play almost every night. It’s a rare day when they don’t bring high intensity. Vancouver’s win in Philadelphia last night is even more impressive when you consider that they had this game in Pittsburgh on deck, as every team in the NHL wants a crack at Pittsburgh and look forward to playing against them. The Canucks may not win but they almost always give us our money’s worth and they’re playing a flawed defensive team that may not care much about this one.

Pittsburgh has pulled more than a few no-shows this year already. We faded them when the Sabres were in town two games ago and Buffalo had them on the ropes before losing it in OT. Give the Canucks a two goal third period lead like the Sabres had and the Canucks will close the deal. Vancouver’s under the hood defensive numbers are outstanding. Now the back-to-back champs will play a team they rarely see and that is no threat to them whatsoever. You don’t ask the Golden State Warriors to worry about the Phoenix Suns. The Cavaliers don’t worry about the Brooklyn Nets and the Pittsburgh Penguins do not worry about the Buffalo Sabres. Well the Canucks are in that same boat. For the Penguins, this game has little meaning and we’ve seen them already treat games like this more like a glorified practice. The Penguins have their biggest threat in here next, as the Bolts come in for a Saturday night showdown after the Penguins play in Boston on Friday night. The Pens have been very vulnerable against weaker teams this year and this early in the season with the Bolts on the horizon, they’re likely going to be vulnerable again here. Did we mention that Evgeni Malkin is out?

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