NHL

Live NHL action on ESPN America tonight comes from the CONSOL Energy Centre in Pittsburgh as the Penguins and the red-hot Sidney Crosby host the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs come into Pittsburgh playing just over .500 hockey. The Leafs are 5-4-1 in their last ten games but only have one win in their previous five road games. They have only managed six goals in that period and allowed sixteen. Even worse for Toronto is their special teams over that period; the power play has converted just 4% of their chances while the penalty kill is only at 50%. None of these things bode well when you are about to take on the most in-form team in the NHL.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been simply electric over recent weeks. They are 10-0-0 in their last ten games and in their last five at home they are averaging three goals per game and converting 23% of their powerplays. Captain Sidney Crosby is on a sixteen game point streak with 18 goals and 15 assists in that time. Add to that the form of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury who is 11-0-1 in his last twelve matches and it’s impossible to see beyond the Penguins.

However it worth noting that the Maple Leafs are riding a two game win streak and are coming off an impressive come from behind victory in Washington on Monday night. The Leafs erased a 4-1 deficit in the last twenty minutes on Monday night to score the shootout win so they can play with the big teams.

The Penguins look good at 2/5 (including OT) and at 8/13 in 60 minutes. The way they are playing it might be worth looking into Pittsburgh at -1½ goals at 11/10.

The bigger picture…

Looking at some of the outrights, the Penguins are currently the 9/2 favourites to win the Stanley Cup while the Capitals are an industry best price (at the moment) of 6/1. An outsider worth considering might be the Dallas Stars (66/1 to win it all) who have been very good recently as they climbed to the top spot in the Pacific.

There’s a live double-header of NHL action late on Tuesday night as ESPN presents Buffalo at Boston from 00:30 followed immediately by Anaheim at Edmonton.

Buffalo Sabres (11-13-3) @ Boston Bruins (14-8-3)

The Sabres are currently fourth in the Northeast with 25 points from 27 games, a much improved ratio from the start of the season. Buffalo are 6-4-0 in their last ten games with two wins in their last five road games. Buffalo have not been especially effective offensively in that time either. They have scored just nine goals even though they have managed 34.6 shots per game. That conversion rate is unlikely to improve tonight as they face Tim Thomas who leads the league in save percentage (.956) and goals against average (1.46).

The Bruins come into the game in second place in the Northeast, trailing the in-form Canadiens by five points but with two games in hand. Boston have three wins in their last two games at the TD Garden and are averaging an impressive 3.60 goals per game in that time. That hot-streak will need to continue if the Bruins are going to get past Ryan Miller. The Vezina Trophy winner is 6-2-0 in his last eight games and hasn’t conceded a goal in over 147 minutes of ice time.

On the injury front, Bruins left winger Marco Sturm is back staking but hasn’t been reactivated while Sabres winger Drew Stafford and center Tim Connolly are both missing.

This match pitches two in-form goaltenders against each other so you have to expect a tight matchup especially given Buffalo struggles scoring on the road. 5/6 is available for under 5 goals and that certainly seems like the way to go. With regards to match winner, I like the Bruins to sneak out the win. Given their better scoring form and their home-ice advantage Boston would be my bet at 8/13 (including overtime) or Evens in 60 minutes.

Anaheim Ducks (13-13-3) @ Edmonton Oilers (10-12-4)

The Ducks are back on the road in the second of tonight’s game as they take on the Oilers. Anaheim find themselves bottom of the Pacific division but only five points behind the Stars who lead the way. Anaheim have won two of their last five road games, scoring 12 goals and conceding eleven. They don’t get too many shots in and give up quite a lot. In fact, the only redeeming feature of Anaheim’s recent road play is their penalty kill which is a reasonable 80%.

When looking at the Oilers, their recent home record is much the same as the numbers presented for the Ducks. The main difference is the Oilers penalty kill which is 66% over its last five home games. If the Ducks are going to give themselves the best chance of winning then they need to exploit this weakness. Alternatively the Oilers are returning from a road trip that saw them win their last three games in a row so maybe the tide has turned. If they can maintain the momentum they’ve picked up then they should be able to get the win over a Ducks team that struggles away from the Pond.

Injury news for the Ducks is that veteran Teemu Selanne is day-to-day with a groin injury while Oilers’s player Ales Hemsky also has a groin injury and could be out for a month.

This is a difficult game to call as both teams can give up goals easily and both have the offensive players to exploit as chances that may arise. The total goals market is set at under/over 5 ½ (both 5/6) while the Oilers are favourites for the win at 8/11 (including overtime) or 13/10 in 60 minutes.

Live NHL action in the early hours of Thursday morning comes from the Northwest as the division leading Colorado Avalanche visit the defending Northwest Champions, the Vancouver Canucks.

The Avalanche come into Vancouver on the back of a four game winning streak that included home wins against the Blues, Sharks and Rangers and last time out, a road win against the Stars. Colorado have been averaging 3.60 goals a game in their last five road games but have also conceded an average of 3.00 goals a game in that period. One area of concern for the Avalanche on the road is their penalty kill which is 77% over the last five road games.

Colorado should be at full strength for the game with Craig Anderson back in net and Matt Duchene and Adam Foote back in the line-up after a night off on Monday.

For the Canucks, the visit of the division leaders is the perfect time for them to break out of the four game slump that they find themselves in. Vancouver lost against the Coyotes on Sunday which followed a 7-1 home defeat to the Blackhawks on Saturday. The Canucks really need to turn things around before the Avalanche get too far ahead of them. One good point for Vancouver over their last five home games is their special teams. The Canucks powerplay is at 26% while the penalty kill is a respectable 89%.

On the injury front the Canucks will be missing defenseman Sami Salo and centre Alexandre Bolduc while Keith Ballard may return after recovering from the flu.

The Avalanche are available at 11/8 on the money line tonight while the total goals market for the game is set at over/under 6 goals. These two sides have met twice already this season with Vancouver taking both games and it’s worth noting that there were seven goals in the game the last time they played in Vancouver.

The bigger picture…

Looking at the outright markets concerning these two sides, the Canucks are still the 1/4 favourites to win the Northwest while the Avalanche are available at 3/1. For the Western Conference, the Canucks are 9/2 while the Avalanche are 12/1.

The final division to cover in the Western Conference is the Pacific Division, home to two Stanley Cup hopefuls; the Los Angeles Kings and first up the San Jose Sharks.

The San Jose Sharks are staples of the postseason but every year they fail to go all the way and lift the Cup. Expectations this season, once again, are high and this season they may have addressed their most pressing issue; goaltender. Gone is Evgeni Nabakov, a goaltender that may thought simply wasn’t good enough to win a Stanley Cup and in his place is last season’s Stanley Cup winning goaltender Antti Niemi. Niemi was cut by the Blackhawks in the off-season so that they could get under the salary cap much to the surprise of many. Is this the final piece for San Jose? The Sharks will once again have a strong offense and a solid blue line so their place in the playoffs should be secure but can they finally take that final step? San Jose is available at 14/1 for the Stanley Cup and at Evens for the Pacific division.

Another team with a real chance of causing a stir this season is the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings have a very good young team with great offensive weapons like Anze Kopitar and a strong blue line led by Drew Doughty. The goaltending situation is also extremely string with Jonathan Quick likely to start in net. Quick will need to be at his very best this season otherwise the Kings may turn to Jonathan Bernier, who many believe will replace Quick at some point this season. The Kings made very few changes in the off-season and are none the worse for it. They could use another sniper to join Kopitar but this side is ready to take the next step and could go all the way. The Kings are 6/5 to win the Pacific division and 18/1 to win the Stanley Cup outright.

Next up in the Pacific we have one of last season’s surprise teams, the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes at the beginning of the last campaign were wondering where they were going to play and who their manager was going to be. By the time the season was over they had amassed 107 points and a place in the playoffs. The Coyotes have roughly the same set of players as they had last season and one concern is simply that they played above their station last year. Goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov will need to have another monster season and they need to have another solid campaign from all the veterans. I think the Coyotes may take a step back next season and may find themselves watching rather than playing in next years postseason. Phoenix are available at 40/1 for the Stanley Cup and 12/1 for the Pacific division.

The Anaheim Ducks are next and they are another team that could be in for a long season. While they are a team with plenty of offensive weapons such as Ryan Getzlaf, Saku Koivu and Bobby Ryan they are real questions surrounding their defence. Eighteen year old Cam Fowler is a nice addition to the blue line but the Ducks lack any real depth at the back which could lead to a long season for goaltender Jonas Hiller. In a division with both the Sharks and the Kings, it’s difficult to see how the Ducks will contend. Anaheim are available at 33/1 for the Stanley Cup and 14/1 for the Pacific division.

The final team in the Pacific is the Dallas Stars. The Stars seem to be in a transition following the release of veterans Marty Turco and Mike Modano in the off-season. This season may be one about rebuilding for Dallas although they do have some good players on their roster such as Mike Ribero, Brad Richards and Stephane Robidas. The addition of Kari Lehtonen between the pipes may have been a mistake but they do have a very capable back-up in Andrew Raycroft should Lehtonen fail to live up to expectations. Much like the Ducks, it’s difficult to see how this Stars team will contend with the Kings and the Sharks. Dallas is available at 20/1 for the Pacific division and 50/1 for the Stanley Cup.

One of this year’s most favoured clubs head the list the Northwest division. The Vancouver Canucks were picked by many to go all the way to the Stanley Cup last season and will be again this year and it’s easy to see why. The offense with the likes of the Sedin twins, Ryan Kesler and new boy Raffi Torres are skilled enough to trouble any defence while at the back the likes of Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo and Christian Ehrhoff provide more than enough on the blue line.

One area of concern, the same as last year, is goaltender Roberto Luongo. Considered by many as one of the best in the league, Luongo has failed to get the job done on the big stage year after year. He has given up the captaincy in order to focus more on the task at hand so hopefully this will be the final piece for the Canucks. Vancouver is available at 10/1 for the Stanley Cup and 2/7 for the Northwest division.

Next up in the Northeast, one of last season’s most surprising teams, the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs had an unbelievable season last year given that many people expected them to finish rock bottom in the NHL. Their collection of youngsters, led by Matt Duchene pushed the Avs into the playoffs even though they did tail off towards the end of the season. The main concern for Colorado is that they have a slump following last season’s high. The most important player for them will be goaltender Craig Anderson who will need to replicate his exceptional season last time out if the Avs are going to contend. Colorado is available at 11/2 for the Northwest division and 50/1 for the Stanley Cup.

For the Calgary Flames the 2009/2010 was a massive disappointment. Looking back at last season for the Flames there were simply too many players that didn’t pull their weight for the team. Goaltender Mikka Kiprusoff may erratic at best while too many of the forwards didn’t live up to their billing. The Flames still have a lot of good players and if they can get on the same page then they may contend but there is no guarantee that they can. The Flames are 33/1 for the Stanley Cup and 6/1 for the Northwest division.

Another team that are difficult to assess are the Minnesota Wild. The Wild had an average year last season, ending the year 38-36-8 for 84 points and it’s difficult to see where the improvement is going to come from this season. They still have their main players from last season in Mikko Koivu and Cam Barker but they haven’t really added anything to the team that would make you think a vast improvement is imminent. Goaltender Niklas Backstrom is a fine keeper but has shown signs of regression over the years. In his first season with the Wild, Backstrom had a GAA of 1.97, a number that slowly got worse, peaking at 2.72 last season. If the Wild are to be successful then they need the Backstrom of 2006/2007 back between the pipes. The Wild are 250/1 for the Stanley Cup and 40/1 for the Northwest.

A team that has seen a lot of early support is the Edmonton Oilers, who ended the season with the worst record in the NHL. The Oilers last season were simply awful but they have added a couple of exciting players to the roster this season, the primary one being Taylor Hall, the number one draft pick in this season’s draft. The Oilers do have some good players but lack any significant depth to really challenge in this division and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin doesn’t inspire the most confidence. The Oilers did get their pre-season off to a blistering start by winning their first four games but they were brought back to earth by the Flames who beat them 5-1 on October 1^st and 1-0 on October 3^rd. The Oilers are available at 33/1 for the Northwest division and 100/1 for the Stanley Cup.

We now move over to the Western Conference and we begin with the Central division and the reigning Stanley Cup Champion, the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks won last season’s Championship with a mix of electric offensive play and strong defending but it was not a team that was going to be together long and salary increases kicked in and Chicago exceeded the salary cap. Hence began a summer of downsizing as a number of players were cut so that the team could fit under the cap including goaltender Antti Niemi. The core of the Blackhawks team is still extremely strong with forwards Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews leading the line while Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook anchor what should be a good defence. The major question for Chicago will be in goal where Marty Turco takes over after a less than inspiring season in Dallas. The Blackhawks certainly have the quality to repeat but there may be a few teams that are just that little bit stronger. Chicago is available at 13/2 to repeat as Stanley Cup Champion while they are 5/6 to win the Central division.

A team that should provide a real challenge to Chicago this is the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings last season suffered a series of crippling injuries to a number of key players that really hampered their chances to posing a threat. Detroit come into the new season fully fit and if they can stay injury free then they have the experience and the ability to contend. One issue that was overcome last season was the reliability of goaltender Jimmy Howard but Howard equipped himself very well last season and should go from strength to strength in this campaign. The Red Wings are available at 11/8 for the Central division and 12/1 for the Stanley Cup itself.

Next up for in the Central are a team that always seem to reach the playoffs even though no-one ever picks them to, the Nashville Predators. The Predators are an extremely solid franchise with a strong team that while always seem good enough for the playoffs, are never good enough to go far. Goaltender Pekka Rinne will need to have another great season while stars like Martin Erat, Patric Hornqvist and Shea Weber will need to be their usual steady-selves. The Predators can be backed at 50/1 for the Stanley Cup and 16/1 for the Central division.

An interesting team in the Central is the St.Louis Blues, who added goaltender Jaroslav Halak to the mix in the off-season. The Blues are another team that have strong spine to the side but lack any real depth to challenge. Forwards David Backes, TJ Oshie and David Perron are all steady but hardly instil fear while the blue line is above average at best. The Blues are a steady side but do not have the strength to really challenge for any honours this season. St.Louis is available at 14/1 for the Central and 40/1 for the Stanley Cup.

The final team in the Central is Columbus who finished 14^th of 15 teams in the Western Conference last season with 79 points. Columbus really struggled last season although the change of manager towards the end of the season did turn around some fortunes, especially goaltenders Steve Mason’s. The Blue Jackets will certainly be hoping that they can maintain the momentum from the end of last season but they also lack any real depth behind their first line. Columbus could be in for a long season in a strong conference. The Blue Jackets are 100/1 for the Stanley Cup and 80/1 for the Central division.

The Southeast division was last season’s most one side race with the Washington Capitals dominating on their way to a Presidents’ Trophy winning total of 121 points. Washington won 54 of their 82 games and scored a massive 318 goals while second place Atlanta finished with 83 points and missed the playoffs completely.

While the regular season was a walk through for the Capitals, the playoffs yet again proved one step too far. The defeat to the Canadiens in the opening round showed that while a team can dominate the regular season, playoff hockey is completely different. Washington will more than likely dominate their division once more as the other teams around them have not improved enough to really challenge them, a fact borne out in the 1/9 available on the Capitals for the Southeast. Success this season for Washington will be measured by one thing, winning the Stanley Cup. Their team is one of the best in the league but can they get over the hump once the postseason begins. Washington are available at 13/2 for the Stanley Cup and 7/2 for the Eastern Conference.

The Thrashers finished last season in second place in the division and they have added a few interesting pieces to their team in the off-season. Brent Sopel and Dustin Byfuglien joined the Thrashers from the Blackhawks and both should be strong additions to the blue line while Ben Eager, also from Chicago, adds more depth to the front line. Adding these players to the likes of Evander Kane, Rich Peverley and Johnny Oduya gives Atlanta a strong core but there is a lack of depth once you get past the first few lines and if they suffer any injuries it could be a long season for the Thrashers. Atlanta are available at 20/1 for the Southeast and 100/1 for the Stanley Cup.

For the Carolina Hurricanes, this season could be a bit of a wash with rebuilding being the main aim of the season. The All-Star game in January is likely to be the highlight of the season as the Canes have a distinct lack of talent to compete in what is a difficult conference. Goaltender Cam Ward will need to be at his best as a serious lack of depth all over the team could see Carolina struggle. The Hurricanes are 22/1 for the Southeast division.

The most intriguing team in the Southeast division this season is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa underwent major changes in the front office this season as Steve Yzerman joined the side from the Red Wings and appointed Guy Boucher as the head coach. These changes coupled with some exciting talent on the ice have Lightning fans full of optimism for the new season. The addition of Simon Gagne to Steven Stamkos, Martin St.Louis and Vincent Lecavalier gives the Lightning a great offensive threat while goaltender Dan Ellis certainly has the skill to carry the team into the playoffs. Tampa Bay are 33/1 for the Stanley Cup and 7/1 for the Southeast division.

The final team in the Southeast is the Florida Panthers and it’s difficult to find anything positive about this team. The Panthers have a few good players but the lack of depth is more than likely to see them struggle a lot in a strong conference. The Panthers are 100/1 to win the Stanley Cup and 40/1 for the Southeast.

The Northeast division had four playoff teams last season and things are set to be close once again as Buffalo, Ottawa, Boston and Montreal all have a legitimate chance at the division title.

Let’s begin with the pre-season favourites for the division, the Boston Bruins, available at 11/10 for the division. The Bruins had an injury plagued season last term but there were a few silver linings, the biggest of which was the emergence of Tuuka Rask. Rask beat out the 08/09 Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas to claim the goaltenders position for himself last season but with Thomas still there the Bruins certainly have great depth in that position.

The addition of rookie sensation Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick in this year’s draft, will help up front especially after one of their star forwards Marc Savard, was ruled out indefinitely with post-concussion like symptoms. The Bruins will be looking to bounce back from the three-game collapse they suffered to the Flyers in last season’s playoffs and they certainly have the quality to do so. Boston is available at 16/1 for the Stanley Cup and 8/1 for the Eastern Conference.

Last year’s Northeast Champions were the Buffalo Sabres who won 45 games on their way to 100 points and the division title. The Sabres, available at 4/1 to repeat, have an extremely well balanced side that are more than capable of contending again. Thomas Vanek, Tim Connolly, Rob Niedermayer and more are available up front while twenty year old; 6’ 8’’ sophomore Tyler Myers anchors a very good defensive unit. Backing them all up is last season’s Vezina winner Ryan Miller (available at 50/1 for the regular season MVP crown), giving the Sabres a very real chance of contending again.

The Ottawa Senators finished second in the Northeast last season with 94 points and they too have a very sound team. Captain Daniel Alfredsson will once again anchor an offense that includes players like Jason Spezza, Jarkko Ruutu and Milan Michalek, all players who are capable of putting up some good numbers. One area of concern for the Sens last season was in goal where it took a while for a true number one to emerge. Brian Elliott took on the roll towards the end of last season and played well. He will need to do that all year if the Senators are going to have a real chance of winning it all. Ottawa are available at 4/1 for the division and 33/1 to win it all.

Next up is last season’s surprise playoff team, the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs made a bold move this off-season when they traded their playoff hero goaltender, Jaroslav Halak to the St.Louis Blues, leaving Carey Price to handle the responsibilities between the pipes. Price was last season’s starter and lost the job to Halek mid-way through the year so you have to wonder how much of a leash he will have in the season. The fans will certainly not have a lot of patience with the inconsistent Price as they showed when they booed him in the first pre-season game.

Away from the goaltender the Canadiens are another team that can compete with anyone in their division. Forwards Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez lead an effective offensive line while 21 year old PK Subban will be trying to build on his great postseason last year with an effective campaign. Montreal are available at 4/1 for the Northeast and 20/1 for the Stanley Cup.

Rounding out the Northeast division is the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs are an interesting team this season given the strides they took towards the end of the last campaign and the signings made. They now have a veteran goaltender in JS Giguere, a leader in the defence new captain Dion Phaneuf and real weapons up front in Phil Kessel and Kris Versteeg. The main issue for Toronto is once you get past these outstanding players, there’s not a lot behind them. Their lack of depth could pose some serious problems for the Leafs especially if they suffer a few injuries early. Toronto are the division outsiders at 16/1 and are available at 66/1 for the Stanley Cup itself.

The new season of the NHL gets underway on Thursday afternoon as the Carolina Hurricanes take on the Minnesota Wild in Helsinki, Finland as part of the NHL’s annual Premier Series.

The Hurricanes will be keen to avoid a repeat of last season which saw them start the season with a 2-13-3 record. That start pretty much doomed their playoff chances even after a good run towards the end of the year. Carolina do come into this season healthy and on the back of a good preseason were they went 3-2 against NHL opposition. They have added a few youngsters to their team and goaltender Cam Ward is now fully fit having recovered from back problems during the off-season. They do have injury worries over defenseman Joe Corvo, although he may still play. Carolina is available at 10/11 to get their season off to a winning start.

For the Wild this preseason has been one to forget. Minnesota were 0-6 before heading over to Europe. The Wild will need a big performance from their goaltender Niklas Backstrom, who in turn will need his defence to step up in front of him. Injury-wise the Wild should have Guillaume Latendresse and Martin Havlat back although defenseman Marek Zidlicky is questionable. Minnesota can be backed at 4/5.

This is a close game to call between two teams that struggled last season. Both sides will be looking for a quick start but you have to fancy Carolina given that they have at least shown some good form both at the end of last season and during the preseason.

Catch all the action live on ESPN America and bet in-running on the game with Blue Square beginning at 17:00.

Five games in and it’s the Chicago Blackhawks that are only one win away from the Stanley Cup. Tonight the action returns to Philadelphia for the final time this season with the Flyers in a must-win if they are to keep their dream alive.

2. Chicago Blackhawks @ 7. Philadelphia Flyers

Every game so far this series has gone to the home team, the last being an impressive 7-4 victory for the Blackhawks in Chicago on Sunday. In Philadelphia the Hawks were less than impressive in Games Three and Four where the Flyers really stepped up their game when needed. Chicago scored three goals in both games but did not have the goaltending needed to get the win. The goaltending in general has been poor on both sides with only one game having less than seven goals. The total goals market for tonight’s match has been set at 5 ½ and the way this series has evolved the over at 8/11 looks a good call.

“It was just one game” was the quote from Flyers coach Peter Laviolette after Game Five and it will serve Philadelphia well to remember that. If they can maintain the form they have shown at home so far in this series then a Game Seven looks a very likely outcome. Special teams will be key to the Flyers success as it was in the other two home games where they kept the Blackhawks to just one goal in six powerplays. Chicago did turn it around completely in Game Five, scoring two goals on four powerplays so Philadelphia will need to go back to that strong defence that served them so well. At the other end of the ice the Philadelphia powerplay was extremely effective in Games Three and Four, scoring three goals on nine attempts although they did go 0-for-3 on Sunday night.

The only injury worry coming into the game is Philadelphia’s Danny Briere who suffered a cut above his eye in the last game although he is expected to play.

The home team has won every game so the 4/5 available on Philadelphia seems like a good price however the Blackhawks know that one more win brings them the Cup so they will be keen to avoid the winner take all shootout that is Game Seven. Chicago can be backed at 10/11 to close out the series tonight.