Bet On NHL Hockey – Stanley Cup Futures Update
The All-Star break is over and most teams are settling in for the stretch drive in the NHL. It is time to take a look at the favorites for the 2012 Stanley Cup – who is a safe bet and who may surprise.
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Stanley Cup Futures – Taking a look at the Favorites half way through the season.
The usual suspects are ever-present but there are a few long shot teams from the beginning of the year that have made themselves heard through the first half of this season.
Below is a breakdown of all of the top contenders with the favorite at the top and so on. Keep in mind that all of these teams will be looking to make a splash at the Trade Deadline at the end of February so these predictions could change.
TOP CONTENDERS:
Boston Bruins +600
Ahh, the Boston bruins. It is pretty hard to argue that they are the favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. Goaltending alone gives them a leg up on almost every team in the NHL (Vancouver being the possible exception). As it stands, you have to look pretty hard to find a statistical category in which the Bruins don’t occupy a Top 10 spot – the most important being goals for and goals against.
Boston has a solid defense corp., good forward depth, coaching, experience and everything needed to be a contender. Health down the stretch will be critical down the stretch – like most teams a key injury or two could seriously hamper their Cup aspirations.
Vancouver Canucks +650
The Vancouver Canucks are once again challenging for the Top spot in the NHL – for good reason. Although the team has shown that they can deliver the occasional Dud, they are still deep on defense, at forward and between the pipes. In their last four games against the NHL elite (Detroit, Chicago, San Jose and Boston); the Canucks have gone 3-0-1 – proof that this team has a knack of rising to the occasion.
Even when Vancouver is struggling, they still find a way to win. Nothing less than a Cup will do in Vancouver – the motivation combined with the sheer talent will make this team a serious contender once again.
Detroit Red Wings +650
The Detroit Red Wings, as of February 7th, are leading the NHL standings – 17 straight wins at home – ya – 17 have helped them reach the pinnacle. The Wings are an experienced team, with talent to spare. The oddsmakers have it right – the Wings and Canucks will be in a dogfight to represent the West!
STOCK RISING:
New York Rangers +700
The Rangers sit atop the Eastern Conference standings and have been there almost from the outset of the season. Brad Richards has made an enormous impact on that team – Marion Gaborik looks reborn and some of the role players from last year’s team are allowed to be just that – role players.
But this team’s success begins and ends with Henrik Lundqvist – the best goaltender in the NHL today. If goaltending wins championships then the Rangers are a frightening team.
San Jose Sharks +950
The San Jose Sharks are once again in the mix in the Western Conference but their “choke reputation” is not going away. True they have some good pieces but to think that they are as complete as the Canucks or the Wings in the West is ridiculous. If you can’t get out of the Western Conference, you can’t win the Cup!
St Louis Blues +1400
This team has come out of nowhere largely thanks to an incredible 22-3-4 record on home ice. But the Blues will likely end up on the road for all of their playoff series. They are 8-11-3 away from home. The Blues have been a nice story but there is no way that they will be hoisting the Stanley Cup this year!
Nashville Predators +1500
You gotta love the job that Barry Trotz and company do year in and year out with this team. They are always in contention despite having one of the least intimidating rosters in the Western Conference. Pekka Rinne, as of January 7th has won 11 straight games and 20 of his last 22 while the offense has found another gear as well. The Predators came close last year to getting to the Conference Final and they are much improved this year.
The Preds are a dark horse but an intriguing one! [ad-4437448]
STOCK FALLING:
Philadelphia Flyers +1000
The Flyers have been decimated by the concussion bug this season – no less than four regulars currently sit on IR with no timetable for return. With high end talent uncertain to return and with Ilya Bryzgalov looking like one of the worst free agent signings of the year, the Flyers look less likely to make any more noise than they did last year.
Pittsburgh Penguins +1000
The Penguins chances of winning a Cup are completely tied to the health of one man. Although Sidney Crosby has been skating lately, there is no guarantee that he returns this season. Even if he does return, will he be the same?
Chicago Blackhawks +1200
The Hawks have some serious goaltending issues – not a good sign heading into the playoffs. They are deep and talented on defense and on offense but if they can’t keep the puck out of the net, they can’t be trusted.
Washington Capitals +2000
At least the Caps looked good in the Regular Season in the last couple of years. But this season, they aren’t even in a playoff spot half way through the season – not good! Thomas Vokoun doesn’t`t seem to be the answer in goal and Alex Ovechkin appears to be a shadow of his former self. With character issues on the team, Washington appears headed for yet another short post season.
Keep in mind that with the Trade Deadline coming up at the end of this month, things may change – all of the contenders will be looking to upgrade in some form or another. As of right now the East seems to be a two horse race – Boston and the Rangers while the West is the same – Vancouver and Detroit are the class of the Conference.
