HOCKEY NHL ARTICLES

The Boston Bruins were the far more impressive in the regular season than the Toronto Maple Leafs and also have had the decided advantage in their head to head series. But more than any other sport the NHL Playoffs prove to be both the ultimate reset in which anything can happen. And a Toronto upset of Boston would not rank as one of the biggest of all time. Certainly, the Maple Leafs bring a considerable amount of skill and goal scoring ability. But Boston has what is considered the most import... 

The playoff series between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins offers one of the starkest contrasts of teams and playing styles of any series on the board. For the Isles they are defense first and always. Head coach Barry Trotz arrived last summer after winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals a few days before. Trotz more than made up for the fact that the Isles lost marquee man and superstar John Tavares to free agency and the Toronto Maple Leafs. As for the Penguins they ... 

The San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights will be having a playoff rematch from last year in which the then first year Vegas expansion team won impressively in six games. San Jose was one of the most impressive teams in the first few months of the regular season but faded badly down the stretch. By contrast the Golden Knights have been solid although not quite as consistently good as last year. Of major concern for the Golden Knights is the lower body issues of goaltender Marc Andre Fleury th... 

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins met in a spirited seven game series last year in which the Leafs rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force a seventh game before Boston put down the hammer in a 7-4 home win to save the series. This year the Leafs started off like gang busters but faded badly down the stretch. By contrast the Bruins got stronger as the season went on and have one of the top goaltending tandems in the NHL with Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. Of great concern down the stretch wa... 

Playoff preparation is on the mind of the best NHL teams that are headed to post season. Among those teams getting ready for a Stanley Cup run are the St. Louis Blues who are hosting the Vancouver Canucks. The inconsistent Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to get playoff sharp and will host the New York Rangers. The Minnesota Wild are at the playoff bound Dallas Stars as Wild coach Bruce Boudreau could be facing the firing squad in a few days. The Vegas Golden Knights are determined to make anothe... 

The Tampa Bay Lightning will win the Presidents Trophy and have been flashing a Stanley Cup pose all season. The Bolts will face a tune up game at the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Montreal Canadiens simply have no margin for error at the Washington Capitals in a virtual do or die game. The Nashville Predators have been underwhelming at times and will prepare for the playoffs with a home game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Edmonton Oilers are facing an offseason of probable upheaval and will host... 

Last December when Scott Gordon was named head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers the franchise had reached rock bottom. In fact, the Flyers were written off for dead as they were buried at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. After a slow start upon Gordon’s arrival the Flyers picked up steam and made a strong push to gain one of the two Eastern Conference playoff spots. However, it has all proven to be a case of too little too late. Philadelphia’s lack of blue line depth and lack of s... 

The Philadelphia Flyers have run out of gas after a spirited attempt for a playoff spot and will be at the upstart and playoff bound Carolina Hurricanes. The Washington Capitals are at the Tampa Bay Lighting in a replay of last year’s Eastern Conference Final that could also serve as a playoff preview for this spring. The Columbus Blue Jackets face a do or die game at the Nashville Predators. And the Anaheim Ducks are at the Edmonton Oilers in a matchup of two teams playing out the string. The Let’s take a look at the best bets for Saturday in the NHL! ... 

The Washington Capitals are preparing for the playoffs and defense of their Stanley Cup championship. Thursday they will be at an upstart Carolina Hurricanes team that is the surprise of the NHL. The New York Islanders have former Caps coach Barry Trotz leading them into the playoffs and will be at a Winnipeg Jets team favored to win the Western Conference. The San Jose Sharks will be looking to get back into top form when they host the improved but out of the money Chicago Blackhawks. Let’s tak... 

The New York Islanders are a surprise playoff team that will be at a Philadelphia Flyers squad running out of runway towards a playoff spot. The Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets will meet in a 2018 playoff rematch that could also serve as a preview for the Central Division title. The powerful Boston Bruins will face a pesky and at times dangerous Florida Panthers team while the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins will meet with little margin for error. Let’s take a look at the best bet... 

The Boston Bruins were considered an afterthought to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division last September. But that perception has now flipped with the B’s steamrolling into a game at the lackluster New Jersey Devils. The St. Louis Blues have been one of the best teams in the NHL since New Year’s and will host the dreadful Detroit Red Wings. The Dallas Stars are trying to close out a wild card playoff spot against a Colorado Avalanche team that took a step back this year. And the Winn... 

The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the hottest teams in hockey but it may be a case of too little and too late when they face a Montreal Canadiens team under intense playoff pressure. The Calgary Flames have surprised all in their challenge for the Pacific Division lead and have a tough assignment at the Winnipeg Jets. Few teams have been as impressive lately than the Boston Bruins but they will host a dangerous and desperate Columbus Blue Jackets team. In what could be a preview of the Eastern C... 

The Montreal Canadiens are in a fight with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and will face a tough task in at game at the New York Islanders. The defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals are also up against it at the red-hot Philadelphia Flyers. The Winnipeg Jets will host the Boston Bruins in what could be a preview of the Stanley Cup Final. And the San Jose Sharks will be hosting a pesky Florida Panthers team at the Shark ... 

The Boston Bruins have defied the concept that the National Hockey League is a young man’s game. Indeed, the veteran goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak have carried the Bruins to second place ahead of the much more ballyhooed Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. For the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans, a playoff spot has become an expectation, if not down right entitlement. Yet the Penguins are fighting for their playoff lives with the Montreal Canadiens and Columbu... 

The Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche are both suffering from letdown seasons in which they have failed to live up to expectations. The Ottawa Senators are the worst and most dysfunctional franchise in the NHL and will be up against the Boston Bruins juggernaut. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets will be fighting for their playoff lives Saturday in one of the biggest games of the year. The slumping Vancouver Canucks will host a resurgent Vegas Golden Knights team in the final ... 

There has been an undeniable Stanley Cup hangover with the Washington Capitals this season. The defending champions hoisted Lord Stanley’s chalice based in large part because of their willingness to play a full 200-foot game and be responsible on their back end. But head coach Barry Trotz departed right after the Cup was won and is leading the upstart New York Islanders as the top team in the Metropolitan Division ahead of the Caps. New Washington coach Todd Reirden had the unenviable task of fo... 

The Boston Bruins have emerged as one of the hottest teams on the pro hockey betting board as their goal scoring has picked up the pace for the stretch run. Further, the veteran goaltending tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak has been one of the most effective in the NHL. But as hot as the Bruins have been the Tampa Bay Lighting have been even hotter. In fact, the Bolts are one of the most profitable teams on the board in any sport. Head coach Jon Cooper has built a team that plays a comple... 

The NHL Stadium Series has visited some interesting venues ranging from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Yankee Stadium in New York, and Solider Field in Chicago. Saturday night could be one of the best Stadium Series events ever as two rivals from the “Second Six,” also known as the “Class of ’67,” will renew their intrastate rivalry when the Pittsburgh Penguins face the Philadelphia Flyers. Pittsburgh is a perennial Stanley Cup favorite that is fighting for a wild ... 

The Vegas Golden Knights stunned the sporting world last year when as a first-year expansion team they went on to win the Western Conference. It was natural that the Golden Knights would drop back a bit this year but they are currently the third and last playoff team in the Pacific Division. Vegas has not scored goals at the same rate as last year and that has proven to be a drag on their wagering value. The Boston Bruins are one of the hottest teams on the NHL board and have taken second place ... 

The New York Rangers deserve credit for truth in advertising and coming clean if for nothing else. One year ago, at the NHL trade deadline the Rangers sent out a letter to their fans that indicated their days as a top tier Stanley Cup contender were over and that a full rebuild and roster blow up was about to commence. While success has been fleeting since that time at least gamblers and Ranger backers knew what was coming. The Pittsburgh Penguins are not quite ready to make a similar concession... 

Just two years ago the Pittsburgh Penguins had won their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship and were looking primed for more. But last year the Pens slipped up in the second round of the playoffs when the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals finally upset their old nemesis en route to the title. At the time the Pens skated off the ice that failure was considered a mere blip. But the speed bump is now looking like a cliff that Pittsburgh may be driving off. Meanwhile the Edm... 

At the beginning of the season the Nashville Predators were rightfully considered a top tier contender to win the Western Conference. Indeed, the Predators still have their Stanley Cup window wide open but with the understanding that they will soon be out of time. Nashville has taken a share of the lead in the Central Division with a combination of defense and goaltending that is among the best in the NHL. The St. Louis Blues have done a great job digging themselves out of the ditch after gettin... 

About a year ago the New York Rangers waived the white flag of surrender and began trading off expensive assets in recognition of the fact that their Stanley Cup title window had closed. As a result, a year of misery and red ink was expected for the 2018-19 NHL season. However, head coach David Quinn and general manager Jeff Gordon have proven to be the young shot in the arm that the Broadway Blueshirts have responded well with. Indeed, the Rangers have been far more competitive and with much be... 

The Boston Bruins have long been one of the annual top contenders in the Eastern Conference. Boston’s method for success has always been a strong and physical defensive presence with excellent goaltending. This year it has proven to not be enough as a lack of consistency and secondary scoring on offense has offset the strong back end play. For the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, the opposite problems have been the case. Washington has no problem scoring with captain Alex Ovec... 

Certainly, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a franchise synonymous with Stanley Cup championship success as a perennial Eastern Conference contender. The Penguins are still fresh on the minds of gamblers for the Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. Add in their future Hall of Fame captain Sidney Crosby and you have one of the most “public” teams on the board for NHL gambling. However, this year has been a struggle for the Pens as they are currently in the eighth and final playoff slot in the Eastern Conference. Weak play on the back end and inconsistent goaltending have been the culprits. For the Tampa Bay Lightning this has been a season of flash. Tampa Bay has bolted to the top of the Eastern Conference with impressive dominance. ...