While Super Bowl betting is getting intense ahead of the championship game, the NHLhas some tension of its own brewing in Montreal. Not only are Canadiens in a 4-8 slump since New Years and quickly slipping out of the playoffs, but as it always happens when a team is struggling, people are pointing fingers. There small goaltending battle has turned into a huge debacle because the former fifth overall pick, Carey Price, is being out played by backup Jaroslav Halak.

Neither one wants to be nailed to the bench as the outright backup so the team has been splitting time between the two, even though it is Halak who has consistently played better. Since the beginning of December the two have gotten about the same number of starts and Halak has the superior numbers across the board.

In 15 games the Czech netminder is 9-5-1 with 2.33 goals against and .937 save percentage to go along with three shutouts. Price on the other hand is 4-8-2 in 14 games and is averaging 2.57 goals against while stopping .917 percent of the shots faced. He has also been unable to get even one shutout on the season.

Not only are media outlets and fans alike ripping on his play but now it seems even his own teammates are jumping in on the action. The TEAM 990 radio station, in Montreal, has reported that following a lacklustre effort in a 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Blues, defenseman Andrei Markov said to Price “If you are not going to play with heart, stay home. We don’t need you here.”

These are pretty harsh words towards the supposed franchise goaltender but in Markov’s defence, Price has clearly been the second best goaltender on the club this year. The experts doing bookmaker reviews know that with both Price and Halak becoming restricted free agents in the summer, General Manager Bob Gainey will be looking to solve this problem before the March 3^rd trade deadline.

Whether it fixes the problem or not, it is quite possible that the goaltender hailed as the future of the franchise before he even played a game, might be on his way out less than three seasons into his career.

The Super Bowl spread participants, Indianapolis and New Orleans, struggled down the stretch before the playoffs, but it was nothing like what Calgary is going through as the Flames have dropped nine of their last 10. They’ll try to right the ship in Dallas on Wednesday.

Flames vs Stars betting – Wednesday, 8:30 PM ET

A lack of goals is the main problem for the Flames, as they’ve scored more than two goals just twice in their last 10 games. Captain Jarome Iginla hasn’t lit the lamp since January 2^nd against Toronto, and this is his longest drought since the 1999-2000 season. Other players have to step up, obviously, but Iginla has to spark his team somehow.

The Stars had their own funk to start January, but have won three of their last five games, including two in a row at home, where they are 14-5-5. Maybe the Stars just need to keep it close: in those last five games, their three wins have all been by a one-goal difference.

The Stars should be favored at home, but Calgary won in Dallas on November 4^th by a 3-2 result in overtime, getting a pair of goals from Iginla, including the winner. The Flames desperately need to get it going, and they’ll have to get a big game from their captain in what will be a physical matchup. They’ve won four of their last five in Dallas overall, so maybe this is the place where they’ll turn it around.

NHL betting odds pick: Calgary

While the tri-state area will be checking Super Bowl odds, there’s an NHL matchup on Friday night to get you warmed up as the New Jersey Devils go for their seventh straight win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Canadiens vs Devils odds – Friday, January 22, 7:00 PM ET

The Canadiens have lost three in a row and are 2-6 since the beginning of the year, and they still have no idea who is their No.1 goalie. Is is Jaroslav Halak? Is it Carey Price? Neither can get any momentum going as the Canadiens play musical chairs between the pipes.

There’s no such controversy in New Jersey, where Brodeur runs the show. They snapped a three-game skid with a 2-0 shutout of Florida on Wednesday, the seventh of the year and 108^th of his career for Brodeur, who knows he has to be at his best each night, as the Devils struggle to score goals.

The Devils should be favored at home, as the Canadiens have lost their last two games away from home after going 6-1 on a road trip to end 2009. Halak has better numbers, but the Canadiens seem to be stuck on Price, and that causes controversy, which isn’t needed when you’ve lost seven of your last 10, and six straight, against your next opponent.

Bet on sports: New Jersey

While most people are focused on the 2010 Super Bowl odds, the NHL season has passed its halfway point and you know what that means: it’s time for trade winds to start blowing.

One of the most bandied about players right now is Atlanta Thrashers sniper, Ilya Kovalchuk, who has been the face of the Thrashers since they drafted him. While they have tried to build around him and get him some help, the reality has been that they simply have failed to do so. They’ve barely even made the playoffs during his time there and as he moves closer and closer to free agency at the end of this season, it’s time for the Thrashers to start looking for what they can get in return for him.

The Thrashers have already had some problems re-signing Kovalchuk because he is probably looking for a fresh environment. One of those environments could be the Calgary Flames, who are desperately looking for scoring.

In return, the Flames have been said to be offering defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who is still one of the best in the NHL, but the team has soured on his performances recently.

The Thrashers could use a solid defenseman – something they have lacked for a while – so keep an eye on the two teams to see if they get together on this. The Flames would be getting a rental but the Thrashers could be getting a rock for years to come.

Alright, back to NFL picks.

If Pittsburgh had Super Bowl odds, the defending champions would be in trouble right now as they’ve dropped seven of their last 10, and they’ll face a Calgary team eager to awake from their own slumber.

Penguins vs Flames betting – Wednesday, January 13, 9:30 PM ET

The Penguins have just been inconsistent. When they get goal scoring, their goaltending lets them down, and when their goalies play well, they can’t find the net. They’ve won just one of their last six away from home, and that one win came over the lowly Toronto Maple Leafs. If it wasn’t for Sidney Crosby, who is third in the NHL in points and tied for first in goals, the Penguins would be out of the playoff picture.

The Flames have dropped three of their last four, and three straight games have been decided by a goal, which has resulted in two losses. Jerome Iginla has just one assist in his last five games, but Miikka Kiprusoff has been playing well behind the Flames, who need to score more.

The Flames should be the favorites at home, and this is the Penguins’ first time in Calgary since late 2007. Given the Penguins’ struggles on the road, it’s tough to place a wager on them, and the Flames have outshot their opponents 86-42 in their last two games.

US sportsbook pick (US sportsbook reviews): Calgary