Picking Thursday games, with a few gambles

Thursday, October 29, 2009 | Feedback | Print Entry

Despite my so-far spotty record as a puck prognosticator, I'm back for another crack at the Thursday picks. Last week, I was a dismal 4-5. After a performance like that, I know how the Leafs must feel. Here's to better luck this time.

New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins

The Devils took a major hit when top D Paul Martin went down with a broken left arm during a win over the Penguins on Saturday. Quietly, Martin is a key performer in New Jersey. He's their top puck-mover and he plays in all game situations. I think he's their most important player -- and that includes franchise stopper Martin Brodeur. The Devils certainly looked like they missed him in their 4-1 home-ice loss to the Sabres on Wednesday. The Bruins, meanwhile, have been resting up since their come-from-behind, 4-3 shootout win in Ottawa on Saturday. I like them to make it two in a row with a win over the Devils.

 
 

To see which teams E.J. picks to win Thursday night's games, which includes Capitals-Thrashers and Red Wings-Oilers, you must be an ESPN Insider.
  • E.J. Hradek E.J. Hradek

    E.J. Hradek is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, joining the staff prior to its launch in 1998. He began covering hockey as a writer/editor for Hockey Illustrated in 1989. The following year, he beat the Stars to Dallas (by three years), taking over as the editor of Beckett Hockey Monthly. When the Stars finally did arrive in Big D, he hosted a weekly hockey radio show and tried (unsuccessfully) to convert ESPN's Skip Bayless to the greatest game on ice.

    In 1996, Hradek left Dallas, but not the Stars. Relocating back to the New York area, he became a part-time pro scout for the club, seeing more than 100 NHL/AHL games for each of the next two seasons. The scouting gig was a great learning experience, offering a different view of the game.

    Hradek grew up in Tuckahoe, N.Y., about a 40-minute train ride from New York City. Despite the proximity to the Rangers, Hradek embraced the Islanders when the expansion franchise debuted in 1972. Eight years later, he was part of the sellout crowd at the Nassau Coliseum that witnessed the Islanders' first Stanley Cup championship.


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