NHL Betting – Northwest Division Preview
After falling just short in the Stanley Cup final a year ago, the Vancouver Canucks will fight for another chance at hockey’s ultimate prize, beginning their quest for redemption in the Northwest division.
After falling just short in the Stanley Cup final a year ago, the Vancouver Canucks will fight for another chance at hockey’s ultimate prize, beginning their quest for redemption in the Northwest division.
After falling short of heightened expectations a year ago, the Los Angeles Kings made a couple of key offseason moves that should put them in contention to compete with the San Jose Sharks for the Pacific division crown this season.
After three straight years of hosting the Western Conference champions, the Central division sent three teams to the 2011 NHL playoffs once again, but none of them could made it past the second round. The Detroit Red Wings clinched the top spot in the division with 104 points, but both the Nashville Predators and Chicago Blackhawks were right behind them.
Perhaps the most complete team in the NHL a year ago, the Boston Bruins proved they had the depth to overcome significant injuries that would have crippled other teams on their way to clinching a Stanley Cup.
With the majority of their core set to return, the Bruins will look to repeat in a Northeast Division that is expected to be improved overall.
Their toughest challenge in getting back to the top could come from their biggest rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.
On The Rise: Montreal Canadiens
It is easy to forget it now, but the Canadiens actually forced Boston to a seventh game in their opening round series, with the Bruins clinching three of their four wins in overtime.
That was without a healthy Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges, and Max Pacioretty, and in addition to all three of those players expected to return healthy, Montreal also added winger Erik Cole to help bolster their scoring.
With a talented young nucleus that includes goaltender Carey Price and defenseman P.K. Subban looking to take another step forward, the Canadiens have the talent to be a legitimate contender in the Eastern conference if they can put it all together this year.
There may not be another division in the NHL with more uncertainty heading in to the season than the Atlantic, where all five teams are in the midst of transition.
Hockey fans in Winnipeg are thrilled to have an NHL franchise back in town, but the euphoria that has taken over the city could be tempered by a couple of Eastern Conference contenders that will look to make sure that the Jets’ return flight isn’t a smooth one.
For years, fans and critics have been picking the Houston Texans as the next “breakthrough” team. Last season the club fell well short of expectations, winning just six games.
The Tennessee Titans are headed in a new direction after years with Jeff Fisher at the helm. Mike Munchak takes over at head coach and is looking to rebuild the once-proud franchise.
The Jacksonville Jaguars hung around in the playoff race for a few months last year before finally petering out.
The Colts are one of the NFL’s powerhouses thanks to an impressive run of consistency. It shouldn’t be much different in 2011, as most of the same faces are back in place, including Peyton Manning.
The New York Giants are a difficult team to figure out – they have good players at every position but lack greatness in any one area. Eli Manning is OK – certainly not elite, and the running backs have proven decent at times.
Something is different in Dallas this offseason! Not once have I heard any talk of the Cowboys representing the NFC in the Super Bowl February 5.
The Redskins Rebuild continues! Well, scouring the lineup, there still seems to be a whole lot of overrated talent – talent that wore out their welcome on other teams. Tim Hightower was brought in to compete and possibly take over the feature Running Back role – ugh!
Do you need a clinic on how to run a professional sports franchise? Do you need some ideas on how to create some buzz in a professional sports city? Look no further than the Philadelphia Eagles and study what they were able to accomplish in just a few weeks after the lockout.
The Minnesota Vikings enter the 2011-2012 season with a very different team than the one that went 6-10 last season. A much rumored rebuild has been put aside for the time being in favor of some curious signings during the frenzied Free Agency period.
There isn’t a whole lot to dislike about the Green Bay Packers heading into the 2011-2012 season. After all, they emerged as the Top Dog in the NFL last season despite losing 16 regulars to injury.