Bruins and Rangers atop NHL Eastern Conference as Favorites Struggle Early
By admin | January 13, 2012
The Eastern Conference is always a close battle between the top teams but some of the perennial contenders are struggling to get to the top of their divisions.
The Washington Capitals opened the season as the 10-1 second favorite to win the Stanley Cup but they currently sit second in their division between a surprising Florida Panthers team. The Capitals odds have actually gone down since opening day and their current odds are 6-1.
The Panthers started the season as a long shot at 125-1 and despite leading their division their odds remain unchanged. The Panthers may be leading the division but their record places them as the 12th to 13th best team in the NHL and fifth best in the Eastern Conference at the moment.
The Buffalo Sabres are one of the biggest movers in the futures department. The Sabres opened up the season as a 30-1 shot to win the Stanley Cup and now they rate as a 10-1 shot to hoist the Cup this season. The Sabres are not in the NHL playoffs at the moment but there is plenty of action on the team early.
The New York Rangers lead the Eastern Conference in points but they are getting no respect from the books. The Rangers opened up as a 30-1 long shot and they remain 30-1 early in the season. Pessimism runs rampant in New York City.
The Ottawa Senators odds have skyrocketed since the season began. Ottawa opened as a healthy 65-1 shot to capture the Cup and they have risen to 150-1. Another odds move that makes little sense.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
NHL Western Conference Quarterpole Review
By admin | November 16, 2011
Many expected the Western Conference in the NHL would be the toughest conference and the records of the best teams are bearing this out.
The top team in the Western Conference is the Chicago Blackhawks with 25 points and after them the field bunches up tightly.
The surprising Minnesota Wild, double-digit underdogs to win the conference, are leading their division with 23 points over another long shot team in the Edmonton Oilers that has 20 points. Both teams are doing well despite having the defending conference champs, the Vancouver Canucks on their heels. Many anticipated the Canucks having a Stanley Cup runner-up hangover but they are in the mix.
The Dallas Stars are another division leader that can run away with the Pacific division. They have 22 points in the tightest division on the board. The Phoenix Coyotes trail the Stars by one and the San Jose Sharks and the Los Angeles Kings are nipping at their heels with 19 points.
The Western Conference was home to the best teams last year but the Boston Bruins brought the Stanley Cup home despite not being the best team in the tournament.
The Kings are a disappointment after a quick start. Many expected the Kings to dominate the Pacific as a 12-1 shot to win the conference and now they have some work to do to get back on top of Dallas.
The Anaheim Ducks demise has been swift but not completely unexpected. The team is aging by the day and they will need to reload by the middle of the season to give some young up and comers a good look.
Make sure to check out the updated Stanley Cup odds at your favorite online sportsbook.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Vancouver Canucks Stunned Boston Bruins 1-0 Wednesday Night
By admin | June 3, 2011
On Wednesday night, the Vancouver Canucks defeated the Boston Bruins 1-0 in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final Game 1.
For the Canucks, Raffi Torres ended an ugly Stanley Cup finals opener with a dramatic flash of beauty. He scored on an exceptional pass from Jannik Hansen with 18.5 seconds to play. At Rogers Arena, his third goal of the playoffs brought a tremendous roar from the crowd.
Roberto Luongo, Canuck goaltender, opened a series with a shutout for the third time these playoffs as he made 36 saves. With 33 saves, Thomas ended the night.
Even though on Wednesday night the Vancouver Canucks take up the challenge in game one of the finals against the Boston Bruins, it has been almost two decades since the Stanley Cup has been won by a Canadian team.
Before failing to convert a two man advantage for 1:32 early in the second period, Boston got nine shots without a goal during an early four minute power play against Vancouver. In the opener of his attempt to win the Stanley Cup on the same ice where he backstopped Canada to the gold medal in last year’s Olympics, Luongo was outstanding. In the third period, the Canucks started to turn the game in their favor.
By setting franchise records with 54 wins and 117 points while winning the Presidents’ Trophy, Vancouver was the NHL’s best team in the regular season. Before outlasting the Lightning to reach its first Stanley Cup finals since 1990, Boston finished third in the East and survived a nail-biting first-round series with Montreal. According to various online sportsbook, the Vancouver Canucks are favorites (1.20) to win 2011 Stanley Cup.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins clash in Game 2 of NHL conference finals
By admin | May 17, 2011
The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins will play this weekend for the second game of their best of 7 games series. The game will be played in Boston.
Boston is a -150 favorite and the total is 5.5 in NHL Betting.
The Bruins did not start things off the right way in game 1 of the series. The team was unable to get things going offensively, and they also just were unable to hold off the offensive attack of the Lightning on defense. The Tampa Bay Lightning managed to jump ahead for a 1-0 lead in the series by beating Boston by a score of 5-2.
Thomas, the goaltender for the Bruins, played a decent game, but he did allow 4 of the goals for the Lightning. He made 29 saves, but in the playoffs it is often necessary to step things up to the next level as a goaltender. Interestingly, each of the goaltenders in this series has somewhat of a weakness in that they aren’t particularly good at handling the puck. This means that the opposing team can put some pressure on the goaltender when he is trying to clear it out and they may be able to force the goaltenders to make mistakes.
The Bruins were one of the better all-around teams during the season. They had a top 5 offense and a top 5 defense. Their offensive and defensive game plans looked interrupted in their last game. They need to get on track for game two, as it will be difficult to come back from 2 games to none.
The Lightning simply need to come back with the same game plan. If they can disrupt Boston in game 2 the way they did in game 1, they should leave Boston up 2 games to none.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Detroit Red Wings face elimination in Game 4 against San Jose Sharks
By admin | May 6, 2011
San Jose has taken another three games to none advantage against the Detroit Red Wings in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. Just like last spring, the Sharks have jumped out to a commanding series lead on the strength of three one goal victories after last night’s overtime thriller in Detroit. With a series of fortunate bounces going San Jose’s way, the Sharks appear on the brink of eliminating the Red Wings for the second year in a row.
Free sports picks have the Red Wings as a -140 moneyline favorite, while the over/under total is at 5.5.
In what has been one of the closest contested matchups of the entire second round, the Detroit and San Jose series has been a treat for all hockey fans. Showcasing excellent goaltending by both teams as well as clutch goal scoring, Detroit and San Jose have played some excellent playoff hockey.
If the Red Wings are hoping to come back and make this a series they will need to take it one game at a time. Game four is scheduled for Friday night at Joe Louis Arena, and San Jose can expect Detroit’s best effort to date.
Last year when the two teams were in the exact same scenario, Detroit beat San Jose in game four by a score of 7-1 only to fall short in game five and lose the series. Fans should expected another hard hitting, low scoring affair in game four of this series as Detroit tries to extend it one more game and take the series back to San Jose.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks clash in 2nd round of Stanley Cup Playoffs
By admin | April 29, 2011
With round one of the NHL playoffs in the books, round two of the Western Conference playoffs will get under way on Friday night when the Detroit Red Wings travel to San Jose to take on the Sharks.
NHL Betting has the Sharks as -125 favorites and the over/under total at 5.5.
In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinals, the Red Wings will look to avenge a four games to one defeat at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. Coming off of a four game sweep of Phoenix in round one, Detroit appears to be better suited to face the Sharks this year, as the team is much more rested than a year ago. Detroit will look for additional scoring punch from star player Henrik Zetterberg who sat out all of round one with a knee injury.
San Jose has not had as much time off as the Red Wings after defeating the Los Angeles Kings in six games in their opening round series. With just three days to get ready for the second round, San Jose will look to capitalize on the momentum they captured after ousting the Kings in overtime. With its star players Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski playing like all-stars this postseason, San Jose is hoping for another playoff series victory over Detroit and a return to the Western Conference Finals.
The key to this series could very well be the play of the two net minders, Antti Niemi for San Jose and Jimmy Howard for Detroit. Howard outshined his opposition in net during round one, while Niemi struggled in games two and five. If either goalie goes on a hot streak, the opposition could be looking at the end of their season.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks face off in NHL Western Conference series
By admin | April 13, 2011
The Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks will square off this weekend. The two teams will play in a 7 game series in the 2011 NHL Playoffs. This will be an in-state rivalry between two California teams. The Sharks are the 2nd seeded team in the Western Conference and the Kings are in the 7th spot.
This will be an interesting series as it will feature one of the top defensive teams in the game against one of the top offensive teams in the league.
The Sharks have the 6th best offense in the NHL and they average 3 goals per game. Much of their goal scoring ability can be attributed to their execution on the power play. They are the 2nd best team in the league on the power play, converting 23.5 percent of the time. The Sharks are a -200 favorite and the over/under total is 5 in hockey odds.
The Kings are the defensive juggernaut and the managed to make the playoffs despite having an offense that scores just 2.5 goals per game. Their defense has limited teams to 2.4 goals per game. Much of their success defensively can be attributed to their tremendous penalty kill percentage. Their penalty kill percentage of 85.5 is the 4th best percentage in the NHL.
The Sharks will have the home court advantage in this series and they are favorites in online free picks being a great team at home. They were 25-11-5 while playing in San Jose this season. The Kings will need to find a way to improve their play on the road in this series as they were just 21-17-3 while playing on the road this year.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Philadelphia Flyers, Buffalo Sabres clash in NHL action
By admin | April 7, 2011
The Philadelphia Flyers will play against the Buffalo Sabres this weekend as the season closes out. These teams are both looking like they will find their way into the playoff picture and the Flyers look like they’ll finish the season as the 2nd best team in the Eastern Conference of the NHL.
Philadelphia is at 7-1 to win the Stanley Cup and the Sabres are at 35-1 in NHL Betting odds.
The Flyers are 46-23-11 this season and they have 103 points overall. The Sabres are 41-29-10 with 92 points on the season. The Sabres are currently 1 point ahead of the Rangers and they are in the 7th position in the conference standings. They are also just one point behind Montreal in the standings.
This could be a playoff preview, as they could be matched up if they finish things off in the same position that they are currently in. This means that this game will be significant for both teams as they try to establish a mental edge over their opponent before they potentially see each other in the playoffs.
The Sabres will be the home team in this game, but that doesn’t necessarily suit them. Both of these teams have actually performed better while playing away from their home crowd than they have at home. The Flyers have an amazing road record, posting a 25-11-4 record while playing on the road this season. The Sabres are 20-16-4 at home this year.
The winner of this game has a chance at moving up the standings and you can expect both teams to come out with everything they’ve got as they try to bring some momentum with them into the playoffs.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Minnesota Wild take on Detroit Red Wings on Sunday on NBC
By admin | April 1, 2011
The Minnesota Wild face the Detroit Red Wings in a nationally televised NHL matchup on Sunday (5 pm ET, NBC).
The Wild find themselves ten points out of the last playoff position the Western Conference with only six games remaining on their schedule. After a good start to the season, the Wild will more than likely find themselves disappointed and on the outside of the playoffs looking in.
The Red Wings are at 8-1 to win the Stanley Cup in NHL betting Odds.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Red Wings will be looking to clinch another Central Division title on Sunday, as well as gear up for a long playoff run. With a rash of recent uninspired performances, the Red Wings will be looking to put together a complete game on Sunday as they prepare for the playoffs. If the Red Wings do not clinch the division title the night before in Nashville, they will have another crack at it on Sunday evening. Detroit will also be looking to secure the number two seed in the Western Conference with a victory over the Wild. Right now San Jose trails the Wings by only one point, making for an exciting finish to the end of the year.
If Detroit hopes to have that number two seed, the team will have to play much better than it has recently. With a 5-3-2 record in their last ten games, the Red Wings have seen injuries to several key players play a major role in their recent slump. The team will be trying to play a spirited contest on Sunday to prepare for the physical nature of a playoff game.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
Top NHL Eastern teams Boston Bruins, Philadelphia Flyers clash Sunday
By admin | March 25, 2011
Sunday will see two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference square off when the Boston Bruins take on the Philadelphia Flyers.
NHL Betting has both teams among the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, Boston at 15-1 and Philadelphia at 8-1.
Currently, Boston sits in third place in the Eastern Conference, only seven points behind the Flyers who are in first place. Boston also trails Washington for second place by only six points. This tight race among the three division leaders means home ice throughout the playoffs is still up for grabs, and Boston would love to catch either team ahead of it in the standings to secure that home ice.
While both teams would love to beat each other out for first place overall in the Conference, both Boston and Philadelphia need to make sure they win their respective divisions first. Philadelphia is being pressed by a red hot Pittsburgh team that has gone 6-2-2 in its last ten games and is only five points up on the Penguins with ten games remaining. Meanwhile the Boston Bruins are only three points ahead of rival Montreal, but has two games in hand. With these extra two games, the Bruins appear to have an easier road to securing the division title.
Hockey fans can expect a hard fought contest this Sunday as both teams will use this game as a measuring stick to determine what they need to correct heading into the playoffs. With a good chance these two teams will meet again sometime this spring, both squads will be playing their hardest to figure out which is the best way to beat each other come playoff time.
Topics: NHL | No Comments »
« Previous Entries