Posted on 12/28/2007 1:47:26 PM

Hockey Betting Trends - Canes finish 2007 short a player

By BetUS Staff

After a couple of days off for a Christmas break you can do some NHL betting again, but if you plan on laying down some cash on the Carolina Hurricanes you’ll need to consult their team’s injury report first – they’ll head into the New Year short a key skater.

Right wing Justin Williams tore a knee ligament a few days before Christmas, and he’s now expected to spend the next four-to-six months recovering from that injury. Williams had nine goals and 30 points in 36 games this season, putting him sixth in team scoring. Last year Williams contributed a career-high 33 goals, so the Canes’ offense will suffer.

That means Carolina will need to find a replacement for Williams as they try to take control of the Southeast Division. Of course, the Canes haven’t been having much trouble scoring so far this year – the likes of Cory Stillman, Matt Cullen, Rod Brind’amour, Ray Whitney, and Eric Staal have all made big contributions this season.

So the Canes could simply shuffle their lines a bit and try to cover the hole made by Williams’ absence. They’ll also want to cover the holes made by their defense corps as they’ve had some issues preventing goals, with Cam Ward’s numbers looking mediocre.

Carolina plays back-to-back games this weekend, starting on Friday night when the Bruins visit their building. The Canes also play on the road in Columbus on Saturday.

Three other games are on the NHL’s schedule for Friday night including the Canes’ Southeast rival, the Florida Panthers, playing host to Montreal. As well, Buffalo will travel to New Jersey to take on the Devils, and St. Louis will get a visit from San Jose.

A busy Saturday night features a dozen other games, including Philadelphia at Tampa Bay in 1:00pm ET action. Colorado will then host Los Angeles at 3:00pm ET, with the rest of the day’s action taking place at night. Those contests include the Rangers at Toronto, New Jersey at the Islanders, Boston at Atlanta, Washington at Ottawa, Buffalo at Pittsburgh, San Jose at Nashville, Edmonton at Minnesota, St. Louis at Dallas, and Detroit at Phoenix. As well, the Ducks will take on the Flames in Calgary at 10:00pm ET.

Anaheim continues their Canadian swing on Sunday, as they’ll play in Vancouver against the Canucks that night. Three other games are on the Sunday schedule, including Philadelphia at Florida, Montreal at the Rangers, and Los Angeles at Chicago. Check the BetUS NHL betting odds section for all of the latest lines and totals for these games.

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