1* free play on VAN/CAR Over...

The Vancouver Canucks are off a 4-0 win at Philadelphia last night but might find a tougher opponent in the rejuvenated Carolina Hurricanes tonight. The Canes are 4-1-1 in the new year, winning all four on home ice. They rank near the bottom of the league for goals per game, but have shown some real improvement over recent games. I think we're getting decent value on the over here.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. The Canucks Goaltending Situation - With Ryan Miller playing the full game last night we are likely to see back-up Eddie Lack in goal for the Nucks tonight. He was roughed up by the Predators in Nashville his last outing, conceding five goals on 30 shots and is 2-2-1 behind a 2.86 GAA on the road for the season.

2. Trends - The Nucks will play their third road game in four days, and five of the their last seven playing on back-to-back days have gone over the total. Only one of the last six meetings in Carolina have gone under.

3. X-Factor - Jordan Staal tallied his first goal for the season as he opened the scoring in the Canes 3-2 SO win against the Avs Tuesday. His return from injury has been a real boost for the Canes who are 4-2-1 with Jordan on the ice.

Selection: This is a play on VAN@CAR to go over the total (Free)