NHL Playoffs: Quest for the Stanley Cup
Writing by admin on Friday, 27 of April , 2007 at 1:46 pm
OK, so the Nashville Predators won’t win the Stanley Cup. I don’t feel too silly for picking them. You could have made a case for any of the 16 teams who went into the 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Well, maybe not the New York Islanders.
So who’s the best bet of the remaining eight? I like the Ottawa Senators at 6-1. The Sens showed a little bit of everything in their series against the Pittsburgh Penguins, snuffing the inexperienced Pens in five games. Ray Emery’s goaltending was solid, the defenders in front of him were stout, and Ottawa scored on the power play in each contest. The path through the Eastern Conference looks easier, as well. The New Jersey Devils (7-1) are up next; after that, the Sens will face either the New York Rangers (10-1) or the Buffalo Sabres (3-1).
Much like the NBA, we have an imbalance of power. Any of the remaining four teams in the West would be a strong candidate to go all the way. But they have to survive one another first. That makes the Anaheim Ducks (4-1), the Detroit Red Wings (4-1) and the San Jose Sharks (9-2) far too chalky. The Vancouver Canucks are a much better value at 8-1 to win the first Cup in their history. They lack depth up front; however, goaltending is king, and Roberto Luongo is one of the best in the business today.
Now, let’s forget about value and all that for a second. I still think the Senators are the best team of the above-mentioned octet. I don’t see any areas of weakness on this club. Anaheim appears similar in nature, but Ottawa’s third and fourth lines look stronger. That would make one heck of a final. Or how about Red Wings goalie Dominik Hasek coming back to haunt his old team? If Todd Bertuzzi stays in one piece all the way to the finals, that would be an even bigger mountain for Ottawa to climb. These Senators can do it.
Your best pick? The Vancouver Canucks. Here’s a site that’s got all the NHL Stanley Cup odds.
Category: Online Hockey Betting
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