HOCKEY NHL ARTICLES

On the whole, there could be an element of gambling karma taking place in the series between the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens. When Vegas opened as an absurd -550 favorite to win the series, it was as if gamblers were defying Hermes himself. And Hermes doesn’t seem amused. Vegas faces elimination on Thursday night at Montreal. What is most shocking is that the Canadiens are doing to the Golden Knights what the Golden Knights did to the Colorado Avalanche in the previous round. Mon... 

For anyone that thinks the Vegas Golden Knights romping over the Montreal Canadiens is a forgone conclusion, that conclusion is now long gone. Les Canadiens were the team that romped in game two, with a 3-2 win that was not nearly as close as the score indicated. Le Bleu-Blanc-Rouge could have been arrested for charges of suffocation. The Golden Knights were out of sorts all game as the Habs carried much of the play. Montreal was the more steady and fundamentally sound team. The Canadiens forced VGK into continuous mistakes. Now the series heads to Montreal for games three and four. ... 

On the whole, the New York Islanders are considered to be greater than the total sum of their parts. Head coach Barry Trotz commands structure, defense, and fundamentals. Yet in their six-game playoff win over the Bruins, the Islanders lit the lamp bright with regularity. New York has more goal scoring than anyone cares to admit. But the Isles’ third round matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning is no bargain. Cause by the defending Stanley Cup champions flashing the deepest lineup of any playoff team. Tampa Bay steamrolled opponents in the first two rounds. ... 

Home ice advantage has actually been a detriment to this point in this series. Tampa Bay went into Carolina to win the first two games, but the Hurricanes were able to upend the Lightning in Florida for Game 3. The Lightning still have a chance to take a commanding lead in this series if they win Game 4 though. That would put Tampa Bay up 3-1 and give the Lightning a great chance of advancing to defend the Stanley Cup.... 

After nearly a week off, the Boston Bruins will finally be back on the ice this Saturday. The Bruins closed out the Washington Capitals last Sunday, and they have been waiting to see whether they would play the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York Islanders since that win. The Islanders’ win means that the Bruins will have home ice advantage in this series, and the winner will go on to the Stanley Cup semifinals.... 

The Minnesota Wild might be playing their final home game of the season on Saturday night. Minnesota is currently down 2-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Golden Knights have looked great in their last two wins over the Wild. If the Wild want to even the series and potentially upset the favored Golden Knights, they will have to score some goals as they have found the back of the net just four times in three games this series.... 

Since opening operations in 2000, the Minnesota Wild quickly developed the reputation for being the most boring team in the NHL. Defensive hockey has been Minnesota’s Marquee for the past 20 years. But head coach Dean Evason is changing all of that. Following his appointment as interim coach one year ago, Evason sought to open up the offenses. And the NHL betting results have impressed observers and gamblers. Minnesota is winning big while entertaining fans in the process. By contrast, the St. Louis Blues are a disappointment. St. Louis bears little resemblance to their 2019 championship team. ... 

On the whole, the 2021 campaign proves the Rangers are a team of the future. Most observers see New York as a regular playoff team beginning next season. Ranger management is executing a masterful rebuild that will last for years to come. In fact, New York is exceeding expectations. Meanwhile, Washington is in the thick of the race for first place in the East Division. However, they lost both games at home to the Penguins last week. Now Pittsburgh leads the Caps by two points. Washington's defense remains a perpetual NHL betting concern. ... 

New expansion teams are supposed to gush red ink on the NHL betting board when it comes to major league sports history. But the city of Las Vegas has its own unique way of doing things. Three seasons ago, the Vegas Golden Knights made the Stanley Cup Final for the most successful debut campaign of all time. Now, Vegas is better than ever, proving it was not a fluke. Vegas is fighting for the West Division lead with the Colorado Avalanche. Many observers think that Colorado should have won the 2020 Stanley Cup. Both the Avs and Knights are printing money and stampeding towards a potential championship run.... 

While the 2021 NHL season is compressed at 56 games per team, there is still time for radical adjustments. The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins are proof of that. Pittsburgh jumpstarted what looked like a lost season when it hired Brian Burke as team president and Ron Hextall as the general manager. In like manner, the Bruins made a splash at the trade deadline by acquiring Taylor Hall from the Buffalo Sabres. Since those moves, the NHL betting landscape has changed dramatically for both clubs. Gamblers are increasing bets on both teams to win the East Division. ... 

Two years ago, the Boston Bruins were a machine that many NHL observers and gamblers believe should have won the Stanley Cup. Instead, the Bruins blew a seven game Stanley Cup Final on home ice to the St. Louis Blues. Things have not quite been the same since that epic heartbreaker. Three years ago, the Washington Capitals won the first and only Stanley Cup of their franchise history. Then head coach Barry Trotz departed for the New York Islanders hours after that triumph. Since Trotz left town,... 

Since taking over as Montreal’s interim coach Dom Ducharme isn’t making much progress. Ducharme was the assistant to the fired Claude Julien before being promoted to head coach on February 24, 2021. Upon taking command, Ducharme was ordered to jumpstart a stalled campaign. So far, Ducharme has an NHL betting record of 5-3-5 behind the Habs bench. Compared to Montreal’s mark of 9-5-4 when Julien got the gas. Of course, the Canadiens roster remains the same. Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe can relate to Ducharme. He was named the Leafs coach during the 2019-20 season, replacing Mike Babcock. Keefe needed a year to get his system implemented. Ducharme hopes to get that chance. ... 

Three weeks ago was a great example of how there are no sure things with the NHL betting odds. Consider that the Detroit Red Wings beat the Tampa Bay Lighting 6-4 as +$265 home dogs. In comparison, Tampa Bay was a costly -$330 chalk. A lot of guys betting the big chalk were cleaned out that day. For many of those on the losing side, it was a devastating lesson and loss. But for others, it means that Tampa Bay won’t be caught napping on Sunday. Especially for a nationally televised Easter matinee game. Detroit remains one of the worst teams in hockey. Counter to that is a Stanley Cup champion Lightning team looking primed to repeat. ... 

For most of the 2020-21 season, fans and gamblers have been asking, "Where is Alex Ovechkin?" In the past week, the Great Eight has been sighted with a strong performance that has triggered a Washington Capitals run for the East Division's top spot. But the Capitals are not the only resurgent team in the East Division. The New York Rangers jumpstarted their campaign last week under the equivalent of a substitute teacher. Kris Knoblauch won three out of his first four games filling in for regular head coach David Quinn, who was out with COVID protocol. Naturally, some Ranger fans are screaming for a permanent change behind the bench. ... 

Last year, in his first season as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, Alain Vigneault led them to a top four finish and the Eastern Conference's top seed. The Flyers went on to make the second round of the playoffs and were touted as a team of the future. However, that future has instead turned into something of a market correction. Vigneault and the Flyers have not met expectations for the 2020-21 season and are in danger of missing the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Philadelphia is in their worst stretch of the season as they prepare to face the resurgent New York Rangers on Wednesday night. New York was also touted as a team on the come after a surprising 2019-20 campaign. However, they have instead been wildly inconsistent. ... 

At the start of last week, the Minnesota Wild were among the hottest teams on the board. However, it was not to last as the week ended with Minnesota fighting to keep the final playoff spot in the West Division. Further, franchise icon Zach Parise was scratched after he stayed out on the ice too long, blowing what should have been a Wild win and causing a distraction. Now it is the Vegas Golden Knights that is one of the hottest teams with the NHL betting odds. Sin City’s first ever Major League sports franchise won the hearts of locals from the start. It doesn’t hurt that the Golden Knights boss the cashier’s cage, serving as a mint for local gamblers. On the ice, VGK is emerging as a powerful contender. Marc Andre Fleury has reclaimed his net with a vengeance after losing it last year. ... 

When Jack Eichel arrived at Buffalo, he was pronounced the savior of the franchise. Buffalo Sabres fans compared him to the most outstanding player in franchise history, the legendary Gilbert Perrault. During his time with the Sabres, Eichel has been a team asset on the ice and box office. Yet the Sabres are a disaster of a team. Similarly, Sabres owner Terry Pegula was hailed as a savior when he bought the team over a decade ago. Pegula said the entire purpose of the Sabres was to win Stanley C... 

International politics has cost the New York Rangers their best player. Artemi Panarin is out indefinitely for the Rangers. Panarin has not been silent about his opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin. And the Russian political system countered this week. Specifically, the Russian government claims Panarin abused a woman a couple of years ago. Panarin adamantly denies the charges and is on indefinite leave because of this situation. Panarin supplied most of what little offense the Rangers had. The Boston Bruins have no such problems as the East Division's top team. ... 

The Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins are two of the NHL's most historical franchises, and their roles in history will continue Sunday. Lake Tahoe's breathtaking beauty and surrounding mountains will be the backdrop for a potential East Division playoff preview when the Bruins and Flyers meet on NBC. Boston is rampaging through the East Division with one of the best records in hockey. Philadelphia is one of the NHL's best offensive teams but is starting to take on water defensively. Sunday's matchup is worthy of its spectacular setting.... 

Saturday will mark the most picturesque setting in the history of sports. The Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche will meet on a rink set on the banks of Lake Tahoe, under the snow-capped mountains and pine trees of the surrounding area. Most important of all, Bridgestone NHL Outdoors Saturday offers a potential West Division playoff preview. Colorado and Vegas are high-octane attack offense hockey teams. They don’t sit back and suffocate excitement. Both clubs are deep and skilled. Saturday’s matchup has it all. ... 

Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford's abrupt resignation stunned the hockey world. Ron Hextall arrives as the new GM with Brian Burke as the newly inaugurated team president. A lot of folks in the NHL community see Rutherford's departure as a revelation. Pittsburgh has the look of a team with a Stanley Cup window slamming shut. In fact, Burke himself shared that view as a radio and TV commentator earlier this season. Poor defense remains a Pittsburgh concern. At Washington, the back end is always a worry. Since coach Barry Trotz departed after the 2018 Stanley Cup, Washington lost its 200-foot structure. In particular, Alex Ovechkin significantly regressed on the backcheck without Trotz. ... 

Last year the Philadelphia Flyers took the proverbial next step under their new head coach Alain Vigneault to become a top-four team. The question for this season was if the Flyers could keep it going. So far, the answer has been yes. However, if Philadelphia doesn’t tighten up defensively, they’ll get an early playoff exit. The Washington Capitals are responding well to their new head coach Peter Laviolette. The Caps are scoring rapidly, as always, but much like the Flyers, they are loose on the back end. ... 

In 2019-20 the New York Rangers exceeded expectations by arriving ahead of schedule. A rebuild scheduled for several years became a near-instant success. This season, the Broadway Blueshirts were touted as a team to watch but are falling back under the spotlight. An offense that became an NHL betting asset has fallen short while defense and goaltending remain the same problems they were in 2019-20. It follows that the Rangers don't surprise anyone after doing so a year ago. Pittsburgh always faces high expectations. Early on, they've had to outscore opponents because the blue line and goaltending have been late to the show. ... 

An ancient NHL rivalry that dates back to the 1920s will be renewed Sunday on NBC. The Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings date back to the NHL’s “Original Six” era. At present, the Blackhawks and Red Wings are bottom-feeding former powerhouse contenders that are struggling to regain contender status. So far in the early going, Detroit has shown some early promise with the NHL betting odds. Sixth-year Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill needs to start showing progress. By contrast, the Blackhawks have flopped out of the gate. Chicago’s useless goaltending has swiftly been exposed. The Blackhawks’ 2020 trade of Robin Lehner to the Golden Knights has failed. ... 

At the onset of the season are increasing concerns about the Stanley Cup windows of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals. Pittsburgh won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017 while Washington won it in 2018. However, both teams had embarrassingly weak performances in the 2020 playoffs that have gamblers concerned. The Capitals have changed coaches in a wise move that could serve as a reboot with the NHL betting odds. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh stayed the course behind the bench. Pittsburgh superstar Sidney Crosby is still among the NHL’s best players. But he’s no longer as dominant. His old rival, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, remains elite offensively. Defensively he’s reverted to bad habits that former Washington coach Barry Trotz cured him of. Or to put it another way, the Great Eight is a part-time back-checker. ...