Will The Rangers or Devils Represent The Eastern Conference In Stanley Cup?

The Rangers won a tight one over the Capitals on Saturday night to set up the New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers Eastern Conference Finals.  The two teams will have the luxury of heading home after both home and away games in this series because the drive is only about 25 minutes from the Madison Square Garden to the Prudential Center.  This should bode well for whichever team does make the finals, although in the West it is two teams from the same division (Pacific) that are also battling it out.  The Rangers have home ice advantage in this series, although both teams were great on the road in the regular season (each winning 24 road games) so I don’t expect much of a home ice advantage in this series but rather a long tight checking series that could go either way.

The odds for this series has the Rangers as the series favourites at -130, while the Devils at +120 are not very big underdogs at all.  The Devils looked very good against the Flyers and even though they were pushed to the brink in the first round against the Panthers they were by far the better team.  The Rangers situation is a little different with both their first and second round series going the distance and almost every game being extremely tight.  I think it is safe to say that the Rangers could have just as easily lost to either the Sens or Capitals, but they have found themselves in the Conference Finals and the favourites to advance to the Stanley Cup.

It’s important to look at a variety of sportsbook review sites when deciding to open an account to bet on this series..

I personally expect the Devils to take this series based on how each team has performed thus far.  The Flyers showed how much offensive ability they have in the series with the Penguins, but they couldn’t get much going against the Devils at all, losing 4 straight games after winning game 1 in overtime.  If the Devils are able to crack the Rangers team defense, which is very similar to their own, they should be able to outscore New York.

New Jersey finished with only 3 fewer wins than the Rangers after the regular season so it isn’t fair to say that the Rangers had a significantly better regular season.  The one aspect where the Rangers are superior to the Devils is in goal.  Martin Brodeur has played fairly well, but he isn’t as consistent as he was in his prime, while Lundqvist very rarely has a bad game.  The Rangers will win this series if Brodeur can’t find his rhythm, but if he plays like he is capable of for the entire series then the Devils should have the edge.

One thing is for sure, the Kings and Coyotes know how long their flight will be if they make the Stanley Cup Finals.  The only question that remains is if they will be heading to MSG or the Prudential Center.  My money is on them flying to Newark.

Will Radulov Help the Nashville Predators?

Radulov has tweeted that he is on his way to Nashville and barring any obstacles he will be joining the team within a couple of games.  The NHL has said that the Predators still own the rights to Radulov because they never acknowledged the deal he had with the KHL so Nashville has the right to allow him to return from “suspension” and rejoin the team for their playoff push.  Preds GM David Poile has stated that he always expected Radulov to return at some point because he felt that Radulov was the type of player who wanted to test himself against the best players in the world.  After Radulov plays out this season and playoffs he will become a restricted free agent in the NHL and will likely return for good (these last few regular season games and the playoffs will likely determine if he does stay because they will determine his NHL value moving forward).  So now that we are fairly certain that Nashville will be adding Radulov the question becomes how much does he help them and does he turn them into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Many will argue that having two of the best d-men in the NHL and the few moves they made near the deadline (Gill, Kostitsyn and Gaustad) will have already put them as a Cup contender, but others will also argue that they don’t have the high end skill up front to score the necessary goals in the NHL playoffs.  At this time Martin Erat leads the team in points with 56, while Mike Fisher and Patrik Hornqvist each have 23 goals to lead the team.  The Preds do have 6 players with 40+ points though and they actually have the 4th more goals for in the Western Conference at this time so the whole Nashville can’t score argument goes out the window.  But aside from Erat the highest points per game is Fisher at .71.  Radulov was a .72 points per game player in his last season in Nashville and by his play in the KHL he has improved and should add some more spark to the lineup.

Radulov will slot in in the top 6 and I don’t expect him to hurt the Predators league leading powerplay.  He could be put on the second unit in that respect in order to allow the top unit to continue clicking at their steady pace, but overall the addition of Radulov should help offensively.

And it’s really a no lose situation for the Predators who have about 10 games in the regular season to see where Radulov fits in and make sure he doesn’t mess with any team chemistry and lines that are already clicking.  So far the additions of Kostitsyn and Gaustad have fit in nicely so I would expect Radulov, who should be a higher end player than either to fit in even better.

My personal opinion is that Radulov will help the Predators advance to at least the second round again this year and give them a really legitimate shot of winning the Stanley Cup.  Visit SportsInteraction.com to check out the Predators Stanley Cup odds now that Radulov is back.

NHL Playoff Picture Predictions with 25 Games To Go

The playoff races in the NHL are heating up.  Some teams have virtually guaranteed themselves a spot, while others are basically out of it and will be selling their players at the deadline (Feb. 27).  In this post I’m making predictions on where teams will end up in each conferences playoff positions and what match ups we can then expect in the first round.  I might as well include points in these predictions too, just for fun!

Eastern Conference

1. New York Rangers – 112 points
2. Boston Bruins – 106 points
3. Florida Panthers – 94 points
4. Pittsburgh Penguins – 102 points
5. New Jersey Devils – 102 points
6. Philadelphia Flyers – 100 points
7. Washington Capitals – 94 points
8. Ottawa Senators – 93 points

You may notice that the main change in the standings I expect is for the Capitals to pass both Ontario teams.  I think missing Backstrom and Green has hurt this team severely and the word is that Green could be making his return as early as this season.  I was never a believer in Green before, but his teams play without him has proven to me that he is a valuable player for the Capitals.  The other change I expect is for the Penguins and Devils to slightly pass the Flyers.  The Rangers will continue to dominate, slowing down only a little bit, while the Bruins will continue on their pace for the season.  The only team that I see having a chance at possibly pushing one of these teams out of the playoffs is the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Any one of the Panthers, Capitals, Senators or Maple Leafs could be the odd team out and these teams will need to battle down the stretch to avoid being the one sitting in that horrible 9th position.

Western Conference

1. Vancouver Canucks – 115 points
2. St. Louis Blues – 112 points
3. San Jose Sharks – 107 points
4. Detroit Red Wings – 109 points
5. Chicago Blackhawks – 101 points
6. Nashville Predators – 100 points
7. Los Angeles Kings – 93 points
8. Phoenix Coyotes – 92 points

The Canucks have been playing incredibly and I expect this to continue down the stretch leading them to their second straight President’s Trophy.  It also helps that a lot of the games late in the season are against teams in their division, which are the weakest in the West.  The Blues should also continue to play like they have been and secure second in the West.  This will cause the Red Wings to drop to 4th.  I expect the Red Wings to give some of their top older players more rest down the stretch which will result in them missing out on some points they otherwise may have earned.  The Blackhawks should find their game again and jump back up to 5th, while the Kings and Coyotes will squeak into the playoffs.  Actually I don’t expect them to really squeak in because I have no confidence in the Flames, Stars, Avalanche or Wild whatsoever.  In fact I think the Ducks are the only team that could potentially take a playoff position away from the Kings or Coyotes, but that is a very long shot.

What do you think about these predictions?  It is extremely hard to catch up on points in the NHL with all of 3 point games that take place.  It will be interesting to see the races develop down the stretch.  I constantly check on teams supposed chances of making the playoffs at SportsClubStats.com.

Canada vs Russia 2012 World Junior Championships Semi Finals Prediction

This is likely one of the last matchups the Canadians would have liked in the semi-finals of this years IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships, but it’s the one they got after the Russians defeated the Czech’s in overtime last night.  Now the rematch of last years wild final is set to take place tonight at 9:00pm EST.  We all remember how last year turned out with the Canadians heading into the 3rd period up 3-0 before allowing 3 quick goals to start the period and 2 more later to lose the game 5-3.  This year revenge is in order.

It looks like Scott Wedgewood will be getting the nod in net for the Canadians, which I believe is a good decision, not only because he has been the better goaltender so far in the tournament, but also because Visentin was the one who allowed the 5 goals last year to the Russians and putting him back in the same situation could prove costly.  Wedgewood has been great, but so has Russian goaltender Vasilevski who stopped 38 of 39 shots against the Czech’s last night.

Sports Interaction currently has the spread in the game at 2.5 goals with Canada as the favourites, while Bodog has the spread at 2.  This may be because SportsInteraction.com is primarily a Canadian sportsbook, but this makes it a great place to wager on Russia.  If you do sign up at SportsInteraction.com be sure to leave the Sports Interaction refer a friend code empty in order to receive the 100% up to $125 bonus.

The moneyline at Sports Interaction is -500 for Team Canada and +300 for Russia.  I don’t think the two squads are as far apart in quality as these lines suggest, but I do expect Team Canada to pull this one out.  Therefore I like the +2.5 puckline bet at Sports Interaction on Russia with odds of -130.  Vasilevski should be able to keep the Canadians to a reasonable number of goals and the Russian snipers should provide a little bit of offense in order to keep the game close.

Expect Team Canada to wear down the Russian defense with the strong forechecking game that Canada has become known for in this tournament and employed for a great deal of success over recent years.  The winner of this game will surely go into the Finals on Thursday with the label of favourite, so this is a huge game for both teams.  The loss last year should be enough to keep Canada from getting complacent this time around if they are able to build a lead.

Visit SportsInteraction.com to bet on this Canada vs Russia semi-final!

 

Teemu Selanne Season Prediction – Any Left In The Tank?

Teemu just announced that he will be rejoining the Ducks this season and Ducks fans everywhere must be letting out a huge sigh of relief.  Take away the Ducks top 4 forwards and they are a poor team.  Reduce that amount to 3 high end guys, including their 2nd leading scorer from the season and a guy who scored a goal per game through 6 games of the playoffs and they aren’t looking too great.  With Selanne the Ducks once again have a shot at making the playoffs, although they need many more pieces if they want to go far.  That being said the Ducks need the Selanne circa last season, not a slower ‘Finnish Flash’ who isn’t at 100% after knee surgery.

But if Teemu says he’s ready to play, you better believe he’s ready to play.  Putting up 80 points in 73 games at 41 years old is unheard of.  In fact Gordie Howe and Johnny Bucyk, with Howe being the only to finish in the top 10 in scoring (Selanne was 8th even after missing 7 games).  In the playoffs he kept up to speed scoring 6 goals and adding an assist in 6 games.  Not to mention how many late game-tying goals he scored in the final stretch when Anaheim was gunning for a playoff spot.

If the Ducks can get anything close to the Selanne of last year they will be laughing.  Personally I don’t know why a player would retire after one of the best seasons of their career.  Obviously he still has gas left in the tank and the ability to help his team.  He might as well pad his stats and cement his place as one of the top NHL players in the history of the game.

I expect Selanne to start up right where he left off last season, scoring goals and amazing fans.  Not to mention those fans will be in his home town of Helsinki because the Ducks open their season off there (that might have helped push him in the right direction towards returning to the team).

If Selanne can stay healthy I predict similar numbers to last year.  Something along the lines of 29 goals and 45 assists I would expect, with at least half of those goals being on the powerplay.  I still don’t plan on placing a division winners bet on Anaheim to take the Pacific this season, but if  Selanne’s return will likely make many online sports bettors at least take a second glance at the Ducks Stanley Cup betting lines various online sportsbooks will be offering.

If nothing else fans around the NHL are thankful that they get to watch the skill and finesse of the Finish Flash for at least one more season.  I for one am much more likely to stop at the channel at a Ducks game now that he has confirmed his return.

 

2011 NHL Draft Predictions

The Stanley Cup has been won the by the Boston Bruins and teams are already looking towards next season.  First on the docket for setting up a solid team for the future is the 2011 NHL entry draft, which is being held in Minnesota this season.  The consensus number one selection seems to be Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, but the next several picks are up in the air and anything can happen at an NHL entry draft as we have seen in the past.  Here are my predictions for the top 10 picks of the draft.

1. Edmonton Oilers –> Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Nugent-Hopkins seems to be the consensus number 1 for this draft.  He is not considered the most NHL ready, but his skill and vision have him pegged as having the most potential to be a superstar in the league.  The offensive upside is there, but he will have to put on a bit more weight and muscle before he should be ready to really contribute and compete in the NHL.  The Oilers are one of the few teams in the league that may have room for him on the top 2 lines right away with Gagner or Horcoff possibly moving to the wing.  But only expect him to play if he is receiving at least 15 minutes a game.

2. Colorado Avalanche –> Gabriel Landeskog

The most NHL ready player in the draft will step right into the Avalanche lineup and help a very weak left wing corps where Cody McLeod is the top LW.  The forwards in Colorado are very poor and picking Landeskog is the easiest way for the Avs to move past the poor trade that sent Stewart and Shattenkirk to St. Louis for Eric Johnson and Jay McClement.  Landeskog is a fierce competitor who will likely become the captain of this team in the near future.

3. Florida Panthers –> Jonathan Huberdeau

It’s between Huberdeau and Larsson for the Panthers and I think not making the playoffs with Bouwmeester then losing him for nothing will leave a sour taste in their mouth, which should cause the Panthers to steer clear of another highly touted defenseman.  The Panthers need a player who can fill the stands and help them score goals and Huberdeau should be that player in a year or two.  He needs to put on some weight, like Nugent-Hopkins, but he has the offensive upside and the vision to get the Panthers fans out of their seats.

4. New Jersey Devils –> Adam Larsson

The Devils should be a force next year, but when you look at their defense the talent is lacking.  The Devils have a solid top two lines, however they were not able to score many goals last season (finishing last in the league by quite a margin).  The top d-man on the team only scored 23 points and in the speedy NHL today offense often starts from the back.  Larsson is poised with a strong break out pass that should help the Devils right away.

5. New York Islanders –> Dougie Hamilton

The Islanders are very poor defensively and Hamilton is the perfect shut down d-man that should bring toughness and grit to their lineup.  The Islanders have to build their team and a solid defender that can log a lot of minutes and be on the plus side of even strength hockey is exactly what they need.

6. Ottawa Senators –> Sean Couturier

The Senators are very dry up the middle after elite center Jason Spezza.  Mike Fisher must be replaced and if you look at their depth chart at the moment you will not be impressed with the names you see.  Couturier has dropped off from battling for the number one ranking earlier in the season, but he is a big body that is able to make plays and protect the puck.  He needs to work on his skating in order to make an impact in the NHL.

7. Winnipeg Jets –> Ryan Strome

The Jets are in need of some additional skill in the middle of the ice.  They have solid wingers, but these players need a playmaking center to get them the puck.  I’m not saying Strome will make the team out of camp, but he has a legitimate chance and should go to the Jets this draft.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets –> Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy is a smaller defenseman, but his offensive upside is huge and he possesses a wicked shot that should score him plenty of goals in the NHL, especially on the powerplay.  The Blue Jackets will jump to add an offensive d-man to their fairly unskilled backend.

9. Boston Bruins –> Mika Zibanejad

This player has been playing with men in the Swedish Elite League and he has not looked like a boy among men.  He should transform into a solid NHL power forward and this fits in perfectly with the Boston Bruins style of play.

10. Minnesota Wild –> Nathan Beulieu

Beulieu will be the best player left in the draft at the 10th position and you can expect the Wild to scoop him up here.  Nathan is a strong puck moving defensemen that will be an elite powerplay quarterback, but he will need a few years to make the jump.  The Wild have a fairly strong team so they will not need to push anybody into the lineup right away.

The draft should be interesting and there should be some odds up soon.  If I see betting odds up as to which player will go first overall I will post them on this article.

But for now it’s back to watching Wimbledon for me.  I placed a bet on Roger Federer to take the Championships this year and he looked very good in his opening match today.  I’m getting more into tennis betting and if this interests you I suggest you check out my other website, www.OnlineTennisBetting.com!

Boston Bruins Will Win Stanley Cup Final

The Boston Bruins will win the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals over the favourite Vancouver Canucks.  Thats a bold statement considering the Canucks are -230 favourites to win the series, while a $100 bet on the Bruins would win $210 for a payout of $310.  I feel that the Bruins have as good, if not a better chance than the Canucks to win this series.  There are a variety of reasons, each of which will be explained in this article.

Sedin’s Shutdown

The Sedin’s only managed to score a combined 19 points in their first 13 games, while they put up 18 in their last 5.  This may seem like they are heating up, which should be a bad thing for the Bruins, but if you look closer you will see that the reason the Sedin’s were able to dominate the Sharks is because the Sharks do not possess any elite shutdown defensemen (Dan Boyle is an elite d-man, but he is known more for his offensive abilities).  When you look at the Chicago series the Sedin’s had to contend with Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and David Bolland, who successfully shut them down.  In the Nashville series Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are two elite defensemen who did the job.  I expect Chara and Bergeron to be able to slow down the Sedin’s and if they can keep them to under around 0.8 points per game that is in the Bruins favour.

Kesler Injury

Reports indicate that Kesler may be nursing a groin injury that he suffered in game 5 against the Sharks.  He is expected to play, but will he be able to be the force that he has been throughout these playoffs.  Will he be able to stop the hot David Krejci and Nathan Horton top line for the Bruins.  Kesler is a huge part of this Canucks team and if the Sedin’s get shut down the team counts on him for a lot of offense.  We will see how his groin holds up and if he is able to go 100%.

Tim Thomas vs Roberto Luongo

I give the edge to Thomas.  Neither goaltender has been to this stage before, and neither has looked tremendous getting here this year.  Sure, both have had good games, but each have had bad games and let in some bad goals.  I don’t expect the goaltenders to really decide this series, but if I was going to choose one that has the ability to steal games if need be it would be Thomas.

These three reason are why the Bruins will have a good chance at defeating the Canucks in this years Stanley Cup finals.  I’ve already done my hockey betting on this series at 5Dimes, which offers reduced odds for the series (means I make an extra $0.10 on the dollar).  It should be interesting and I’m excited for this to get started tonight.

NHL First Round Playoff Predictions 2010-11

The Stanley Cup Playoffs start tonight so I cannot wait any longer to get my 2010-11 predictions up for the first round.  Last season I went 6 for 8, missing the Habs and Flyers in the first round, but hitting every other series (I was even further off because those two ended up meeting in the Conference Finals).  In 2008-09 I went 8 for 8 in the first round, so over the past two season I’m currently 14/16 in first round series, which is a fairly decent statistic.  Let’s get onto it.  Check out the first round NHL playoff predictions below:

Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers

The Caps were still able to finish the regular season in first place in the East after a very poor start to season where they lost 8 straight games in December, which everyone saw on the Road to the Winter Classic documentary.  Since then the Caps have turned it around and really put in place a new style and team identity.  The team scored more than 1.2 fewer goals per game this year and actually finished the season with fewer than average goals per game.  This means they improved their defense if they were still able to finish atop the East so expect a much more well rounded team in this years playoffs.  The loss of Ryan Callahan will really hurt the Rangers and I expect this to be an easy win for the Caps.

Prediction: Washington Capitals in 5

Philadelphia Flyers vs Buffalo Sabres

The Flyers dropped off big time at the end of the season winning only 9 of their final 25 games.  The Sabres on the other hand won 9 of their last 12 and have the best record in the league since  Pegula purchased the team (16-4-4).  I expect each teams momentum to continue forward and having the better goaltender in net should give the Sabres an added edge in this series.  Expect Vanek to score several goals as well.

Prediction: Buffalo Sabres in 6

Boston Bruins vs Montreal Canadiens

The Bruins have the second best goal differential in the league and the best goaltender in Tim Thomas.  They are very deep up front and can count on Zdeno Chara to be a force from the back end.  Kaberle has also been a good addition to the team, while Chris Kelly is a very underrated player that was a great pick up for Chiarelli.  The Bruins outclass the Habs in every area of the game and their size should be a factor and something that the Habs cannot handle.

Prediction: Boston Bruins in 4

Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning

The Pens will be without Crosby for at least game 1 and very possibly the entire series.  The Penguins have proven they can win without Crosby and Malkin this year, which came as a surprise to many people and is a huge testament to Bylsma as the coach.  The Lightning have two of the top forwards in the league in Stamkos and St. Louis, while Lecavalier and Gagne are no slouches either.  The goaltending battle will be tight with Fleury and Roloson each having a lot of experience and the ability to steal games.  This series may just come down to experience and I think the Penguins are deep enough to win this series even if Crosby is not able to return.

Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins in 7

Vancouver Canucks vs Chicago Blackhawks

Anyone who says the Canucks aren’t a little bit worried about playing the Blackhawks are lying to themselves.  The ‘Hawks ousted the ‘Nucks in the last two playoffs and although they backed in to the playoffs with the help of the Minnesota Wild the Blackhawks are one of the few teams capable of beating the Canucks this season.  Vancouver was by far the best team in the regular season, but this doesn’t always translate into the playoffs, especially when the other team is in the head of your goaltender.  I expect Schneider to play in this series by the end, but the Blackhawks experience and mental game will win this one.

Prediction: Chicago Blackhawks in 7

San Jose Sharks vs Los Angeles Kings

This should be the easiest series of all for any team.  The Kings lost their top player, Kopitar, late in the season and although Justin Williams is set to return to the lineup, the key piece that Kopitar is will be sorely missed.  The Sharks have been a dominant team since they dropped to 11th in the standings at the midway point of the season.  Expect them to roll over the Kings in this one.

Prediction: San Jose Sharks in 4

Detroit Red Wings vs Phoenix Coyotes

The Red Wings will start this series rematch without Henrik Zetterberg, but the Detroit team is deep enough that this should not be a huge problem.  The Red Wings are likely scratching either Jiri Hudler or Mike Modano for the first game of the series even with Hank out.  The Coyotes put up a great battle last season, but this years Detroit team should be more well rested and ready to go.  Datsyuk is healthy and Lidstrom & Rafalski are playing some of the best hockey of their long careers.

Prediction: Detroit Red Wings in 6

Anaheim Ducks vs Nashville Predators

The Ducks somehow jumped from almost out of the playoffs to having home ice advantage.  This is the hardest to call series in the first round.  The Ducks have a dominant top line and Selanne is playing great, but the Preds are extremely deep and play a hardnosed style of game that is very hard to find holes in.  The series will come down to whether Perry/Getzlaf/Ryan/Selanne can score enough goals to make up for the Ducks lack of depth in comparison to the Predators.  Shea Weber and Ryan Suter are two top dmen and they should be able to at least slow down the powerful Ducks top line and this should be enough to tilt favour towards the Preds in this one.

Prediction: Nashville Predators in 7

Leave your picks in the comments below and explain why you are choosing who you are.  I put a $10 parlay down on these predictions at Bookmaker.com and the potential payout is $1067!  Let’s hope I go 8 for 8 again.

Check out Bookmaker.com for all the odds.

Why The New Jersey Devils WILL Make the Playoffs

The Devils are on a remarkable 20-2-2 run, which begs the question: Can they keep this up and make history by making the playoffs?  They have 17 games remaining and are currently sitting 8 points out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  They are in 12th, which means there are teams in front of them who are also battling for that final spot.  Actually, there are really 4 teams fighting for the final two spots in the East.  They are as follows:

New York Rangers 74 points with 14 games remaining
Buffalo Sabres 72 points with 17 games remaining
Carolina Hurricanes 71 points with 16 games remaining
Toronto Maple Leafs 67 points with 16 games remaining

Then you have the Atlanta Thrashers, but you can basically dismiss them because they have been playing so poorly of late that they really stand no chance.  But now you also have to add a fifth team.  That being the New Jersey Devils:

New Jersey Devils 64 points with 17 games remaining

24 games ago the Devils were 27 points out of the playoffs.  Now after going 20-2-2 the team finds themselves only 8 points back.  If they were to make the playoffs they would make history as the team that came from the furthest amount of points back from the playoffs to turn their season around and make the postseason.  This record would likely never be broken.

What Do They Have To Do?

Let’s take a look at the two teams they are chasing.  If you use each contending teams point percentage to this point in the season and assume that they will continue at this pace we can figure out how many points the Devils may need to pass these teams.

The New York Rangers earn an average of (74/68 = 1.088) points per game they play, which means they will finish the season with ~89 points.
The Sabres have more games in hand and will finish the season with ~91 points.

This means the Rangers will be more likely to be caught and if these two teams maintain their current winning percentages the Devils will need 89 points to make the playoffs (because the Devils would own the tie breaker having won more games in regulation or overtime).

Therefore, in their final 17 games if the Devils go something like (12-4-1) they will achieve this 89 point objective.  But to be more certain of making the playoffs (any of the four teams ahead of them could also get hot and push up the magic number to gain playoff entry) the Devils may need to go around (13-2-2) for 92 points.  This is a very difficult pace to maintain, but looking at their schedule the Devils play 5 very winnable games, which could put them right in the thick of things.  The Devils play the struggling Thrashers and Senators twice, and the not struggling, but still very beatable Islanders once.  If they can come out of these 5 games with 10 points (very possible considering their current streak along with each of these teams abilities) the Devils will likely only be around 4 points out of 8th position.  From then on they will hold more of their fate because they have a game against the Sabres remaining and a game against the Rangers in their 81st game of the season, which could very well determine their playoff fate.

I’m a believer….are you?

**In other betting news, namely horse racing you will be able to place Grand National bets very soon on the upcoming April 9th race (coincidentally the same day the Rangers vs Devils matchup takes place).  Kentucky Derby betting will also start to heat up soon for the May 7th race.

Daniel Sedin for the Art Ross

With about 20 games left in the regular season the Art Ross hunt is on.  At the moment it looks like Daniel Sedin or Steven Stamkos should be able to take down the prize at the end of the season.  At the time of this post Daniel is leading the league with 79 points, while Stamkos is just one behind at 78.  Stamkos also has two games in hand, which actually has him if you expect him to keep his pace for the remainder of the season.  Third and fourth positions are held by Martin St. Louis and Henrik Sedin, not coincidentally line mates of the top two contenders.  Then there is a large drop off to find Zetterberg with 69 points.  The fact that Stamkos will get points on a lot of the same goals as St. Louis and the same goes for the Sedin twins, it will be very difficult for them to catch up, so this should be two horse race down the stretch.

My money is on Daniel and here is why:

Why Daniel Will Win

• Daniel and Stamkos have both slowed down and each have only 6 points in their last 8 games.  That being said Daniel is a much more consistent producer and has never had a stretch of two games without a point this season.   He is on one of these two game stretches at the moment.
• Henrik won it last year and being the good twin that he is, will go out of his way to ensure his brother wins the Art Ross this year.  This includes passing up on scoring opportunities if Daniel has not touched the puck on the play.  I watched a Canucks game a few days ago and it was already evident that Henrik was doing more than he should have been to get his brother the puck.  This could be a detriment, but I think Henrik has the skill necessary to help his brother get points more often than not.
• Stamkos is almost a lock for the Maurice Richard.  He doesn’t need both…enough said.  It’s been three years since someone (Ovechkin) won both the Maurice and Art Ross.
• It would make for a great story.  Who doesn’t like a great story.  One twin wins it one year, then the other follows suit the next.  The Sedins do everything together, why not have matching Art Ross trophies as well.

**Take Daniel on your nightly FanDuel NHL fantasy teams down the stretch.  Henrik picked it up in the last few games last year and I expect the same from Daniel.

In all honesty Crosby should have won this award hands down.  He was having a tremendous season and he didn’t even have a sidekick like each of these stellar players have in Henrik and St Louis.  But alas a concussion has taken him out of a good portion of the season and we might not even see him back this year.  This gets me to my next point.

How Players Can Sustain a Full NHL Season

Staying healthy for a full NHL season is tough and if you want to win a scoring championship it is almost a must to play every single game during the year.  One way players stay healthy is by sticking to a hockey meal plan that is built according to the sport and meant to allow them to perform at the highest level every night.  Protein is a key ingredient in the diets of professional hockey players and one supplement that is key is Whey Protein for hockey players constantly replenishing muscles.  Every top NHL player puts their health at a premium.  It’s not easy playing NHL games 3 times a week.

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