Changes in NHL Rosters can bring value in Futures Betting
The Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres are the sexy picks to win this year’s edition of the Stanley Cup because of what’s seen as very positive changes in each of the respective organizations.
Oddsmakers with various online sports betting sites will have to be adjusting the odds on each team up to accommodate for this additions. Check around, as betting what team will win the division, the conference and the Stanley Cup can vary from sportsbook to sportsbook. Interestingly, the defending Stanley Cup Champion Bostonb Bruins and the Western Conference Champion Vancouver Canucks are not on this list.
The LA Kings seemed to have made the biggest splash, with the additions of centre Mike Richards and winger Simon Gagner, and now have a dynamic 1-2 punch up the middle along with All-Star Anze Kopitar. The San Jose Sharks added another dynamic puck rushing defenceman in Brent Burns to go along with perennial All-Star D-man Dan Boyle. The Hawks bolstered their lineup with lots of muscle and size, adding Dan Carcillo, D-man Sean O’Donnell and skilled forward Andrew Brunette.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia Flyers traded away both Richards and winger Jeff Carter, but added much in budding superstar Brayden Schenn in the Richard deal, and added goalie Ilya Bryzgalov, and wingers Maxime Talbot and Jaomir Jagr. Washington added a veteran netminder in Tomas Vokoun and size with gritty forward Joel Ward. Finally, the Buffalo Sabres really added to their roster by adding swift puck moving defenceman Christian Ehrhoff, rugged rearguard Robyn Reghr, and the pugnatious Ville Leino.
Buffalo Sabres face Philadelphia Flyers in first round of NHL Playoffs
The Buffalo Sabres and the Philadelphia Flyers will play this Thursday in the first game of a 7 game series in the 2011 NHL Playoffs. The Flyers will have the home court advantage in this game as they are the 2nd seed and the Sabres are the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.
The Flyers finished an excellent season in which they narrowly missed landing the top seed in the Eastern Conference. They had just one more overtime loss and one win less than the Washington Capitals. While they while have the home court advantage in this game, this does not necessarily favor them. They are actually a better team playing on the road than they are at home. They had a record of 22-12-7 in Philadelphia this season compared to the 25-11-5 record that they achieved on the road. The Flyers are a -160 moneyline favorite to win the opener in NHL odds.
The Sabres are actually a better team on the road than they are at home as well this season. They had a 22-13-6 record on the road and a record of 21-16-4 at home. This will make them a dangerous team in the playoffs as they very well could sneak away a victory or two from the Flyers in Philadelphia.
Both of these teams are solid, but Philadelphia does have a slightly more potent offense than Buffalo does. Look for Philadelphia to attack early on as the Sabres have somewhat of a “middle of the pack” defense and may be vulnerable to a strong attack. The Flyers are favorites in online sports handicapping to win this match.
This should be a good series as both teams are talented and capable of winning on any given night.
History of the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have been with the NHL since 1970. In sports history, they have been on the wrong end of many of the most devastating losses, causing many to believe in the Buffalo Sports Curse.
The Sabres began play in 1970. Seymour Knox III and Northrup Knox were the first owners.
The drafts of center Gilbert Perreault in 1970 and winger Rick Martin in 1971 and the late-season trade for winger Rene Robert late in the 1971-72 season highlighted the first two seasons of the Sabres’ history.
Buffalo qualified for the playoffs in just their third year in the NHL. To the eventual champion Montreal Canadiens, they lost in six games.
In the 1974-75 regular season, Buffalo finished in a tie for the best record in the NHL. For the Stanley Cup Finals, they eventually qualified, where they were to face the Philadelphia Flyers. Even though Buffalo went on to win the game, the Flyers ended up with the Stanley Cup after six games.
The late 70s and early 80s, Danny Gare joined the team and continue to be a dominant force. They were the first team to beat the Soviet Olympic Team when they toured the United States and won the regular season conference championship.
In the mid 90s, the team moved from to Marine Midland Arena. Buffalo won the Northeast Division, in their first season at Marine Midland Arena (1996-97).
1996-97 was Buffalo’s strong regular season and was overshadowed by a tumultuous post season. The Sabres lost in five games to the Philadelphia Flyers and the team was involved in few controversies.
In 1999, the Sabres finally returned to the Stanley Cup Finals. When they lost to the Dallas Stars in six games, they were met with a heartbreak all over again.
The Sabres have returned to blue and gold colors for the first time since the team abandoned them for red and black in 1996, since their return to the Stanley cup. Including division titles in 2007 and 2010, they have enjoyed moderate success. In the 2010 playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference, most recently, they lost to sixth-seeded Boston Bruins in the first round.