Detroit Red Wings are still Stanley Cup contenders
We scan the league every week to try and figure ways to make money betting the NHL. We call it Pucking the Trends.
HOT TEAM: Detroit Red Wings
The preseason questions are always the same, right? Are the Red Wings too old? Has their Stanley Cup window closed? Is there a new team – perhaps these days, the Chicago Blackhawks qualify – to take the torch and carry it for the Western Conference for the long term?
Well, the latter is still up for discussion. The high-flying Blackhawks, salary-cap casualties not withstanding, can still easily become the league’s next dynasty. But for now – and that’s what bettors truly care about, the now – the Red Wings have made an early-season statement:
They’re still around. They’re still winning. And they don’t really have any intentions of going away anytime soon.
The Red Wings dropped a classic, run-and-gun, Western Conference tilt in Vancouver Saturday night, 6-4, to the Canucks, but are still 6-3-1 in their last 10 games, and have won six of their last eight headed into Monday night’s game vs. Phoenix.
There was a lot of talk in the offseason, and preseason for that matter, about the acquisition of Mike Modano, the ageless American forward who keeps on ticking and kicking. And he’s been OK, make no mistake. With two goals headed into Monday’s action, there really shouldn’t be much more expected from him.
But the resurgence – and the rebound from last year’s Detroit disappointment – has clearly been about Pavel Datsyuk and Johan Franzen, who have each netted six goals each, and have struck fear – once again – in Western Conference goalies.
Still very much a veteran team, it’ll be interesting to see how the Red Wings respond Monday night, coming off a road swing, in which they went 2-1. Some teams suffer a letdown when they return to familiar surroundings. Others thrive.
COLD TEAM: Nashville Predators
It all started so well for the Predators, didn’t it? While some of the Western Conference giants stumbled out of the gates early on, Nashville pounced to the tune of three straight wins to open the season, and recorded points – amazingly enough – in their first eight games.
Well, that ended, folks. Nashville closed October with consecutive losses to conclude that point streak, and have opened November with three more losses. All told, the Predators have allowed 21 goals in the five-game skid.
There’s still plenty of time for Nashville to bounce back, certainly. But it should be noted that the Central Division has no cupcakes, and any prolonged slump could doom the Predators, or any other team in that patch of real estate.
Remember, you’re talking about the Blackhawks, Red Wings and St. Louis Blues – for starters – and the Columbus Blue Jackets have a little jump in their skates early on, as well. That division is shaping up to be a monster.
The Predators might be best to shake off this rust … and soon.
OVER PLAY: Washington Capitals
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals are up to their normal, regular-season tricks again. Washington, in its last four games, has been involved 31 goals, for and against.
The Capitals see the highest totals of any team in the NHL but their shaky goaltending continues to make them a strong play for the over. The under cashed in eight of their first 10 games but the over is 3-1 over their last four.
Jump on the over any time you see oddsmakers putting out 5.5 totals on the Capitals.
UNDER PLAY: Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets, as we mentioned, are off to a surprising start. Their new coach, Scott Arniel, has installed a defense-first attitude, and that combined with some timely offense, has worked in Ohio.
But remember, we said timely offense, not terrific offense.
Keep Columbus – perhaps a forgotten team in Las Vegas – in your back pocket when looking for under plays. In their last seven games they have only reached six goals for and against – the magic number in hockey totals – once.
And in three of those games, they only reached three. Not a bad little trend for those who like defense, goalies and cashing in on offensive futility.
Surveying the schedule:
** Monitor these Coyotes, who have four games in six days this week, and conclude the stretch with back-to-back home games Friday and Saturday, vs. Calgary and St. Louis, respectively. Might be some tired legs in the desert by then.
** At least the Buffalo Sabres, who perhaps turned a corner with a 3-2 shootout win at Toronto Saturday night, have a few days to prepare for what could be a difficult four-day stretch this week. Buffalo, still with just four wins on the season, have to play three games in a 96-hour span, beginning Wednesday. They play at New Jersey that night, at the New York Rangers the following night, then rush home to face Ovechkin and Washington on Saturday.