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Odds to Win the Stanley Cup in 2011

Jun 11

Posted by Matt in News | 2 Comments

After an exciting end to the 2009-10 NHL season, puck heads are already preparing themselves for next season. Vegas is even getting in on the action, releasing their odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2011. The Chicago Blackhawks are currently leading the way with 11/2 odds at clinching back-to-back titles. Coming in at number two are the Pittsburgh Penguins at 6/1. The 2010 President’s Trophy winning Washington Capitals hold strong at number three with 13/2 odds. Rounding out the top five are the playoff struggling Sharks at 9/1 and the Red Wings, looking to rebound after an injury filled campaign, at 12/1.

The Chicago Blackhawks are favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in 2011

The Chicago Blackhawks are favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions in 2011

Check out the complete list below to see what chances your favorite team has to raise the Stanley Cup next season.

Anaheim Ducks 40/1

Atlanta Thrashers 50/1

Boston Bruins 20/1

Buffalo Sabres 18/1

Calgary Flames 25/1

Carolina Hurricanes 50/1

Chicago Blackhawks 11/2

Colorado Avalanche 30/1

Columbus Blue Jackets 40/1

Dallas Stars 40/1

Detroit Red Wings 12/1

Edmonton Oilers 75/1

Florida Panthers 50/1

Los Angeles Kings 25/1

Minnesota Wild 40/1

Montreal Canadiens 30/1

Nashville Predators 28/1

New Jersey Devils 20/1

New York Islanders 75/1

New York Rangers 28/1

Ottawa Senators 22/1

Philadelphia Flyers 15/1

Phoenix Coyotes 25/1

Pittsburgh Penguins 6/1

San Jose Sharks 9/1

St. Louis Blues 45/1

Tampa Bay Lightning 60/1

Toronto Maple Leafs 75/1

Vancouver Canucks 15/1

Washington Capitals 13/2

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Keys To What Could Be Last Game of Season

Jun 9

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Tonight is game 6 between the Flyers and Blackhawks. Chicago leads the series 3-2 as they try to win their first Stanley Cup in since 1961 on the road tonight in Philadelphia. Sad to think this could be the last game of the season. But all good things come to an end. If the Hawks can close out the series and claim the first-and only- road win of this Stanley Cup final, the 2010-11 season will begin for the other 29 teams tomorrow morning.

Things aren’t always sunny in Philadelphia for the Flyers. They are the first team since the 1994 Vancouver Canucks to reach the Finals without recording 90 points in the regular season. Let’s go back to the end of the regular season when they had to beat the New York Rangers just to make the playoffs. It came down to a “Win or Go Home” situation for both teams. The Flyers trailed 1-0 heading into the third period before Matt Carle scored a power play goal early in the period to tie the game. Teams remained tied until the shootout, when Claude Giroux scored the biggest goal of the season to get them into the playoffs. Brian Boucher was the goalie that night on April 11.

Boucher played until he got injured against Boston, when Michael Leighton came in, saved the day and helped them get to the finals. Then came along the Chicago Blackhawks, when in game one they scored at will, “Chelsea Dagger” blared throughout the United Center. Now the Broad Street Bullies of 2010 have a goaltending controversy. Both goalies haven’t really gotten the job done, and now head coach Peter Laviolette has remained tightlipped on who will sgtart game six, but expect Leighton to get the start because he’s the one who got them to this point. I feel if they lose, they will lose with who got them there, and thats Leighton.

The Chicago Tribune decided to mock Chris Pronger by calling him Crissy Pronger, dressing him in a skirt and saying he 'looks like Tarzan, skates like Jane'. Look for him to lay someone out Kronwall-style tonight.

The Chicago Tribune decided to mock Chris Pronger by calling him Crissy Pronger, dressing him in a skirt and saying he 'looks like Tarzan, skates like Jane'. Look for him to lay someone out Kronwall-style tonight.

Tonight’s first puck will drop shortly after 8:00 p.m. Eastern on NBC. If you’re cool enough to live in the northern part of the country, you can watch better commentating on CBC. Before the teams take the ice tonight, here’s what to expect in game six.

Look for the Flyers to win

Every team that has won game four in the finals since the lockout has won the Stanley Cup. If that is the case, look for the Flyers to win at home and steal one on the road in game seven. The key to a seven-game series has always been “protect home turf and steal one on the road”. Well for either team to win, they have to hold true to that, unless Chicago can win at home in game seven. But there’s a small chance for every home team to win a seven-game series.

Quick Striking

Chicago has to continue pouring it on Philadelphia with quick goals. Look at the scenarios in this series:

Game 1- Two goals in 4:04 helped turn a 1-0 PHI lead into 2-1 CHI

Game 2- Two goals in :28 was enough for a 2-1 victory

Game 4- Two goals in 3:49 helped make what appeared to be a PHI rout into a one-goal contest

Game 5- Three goals in 5:58 helped blow open the game, Two more goals in 1:25 fended off PHI’s momentum, and Two more in 1:47  kept PHI from making a comeback

Going Long Distance

This Stanley Cup playoffs hasen’t featured many multi-overtime games. Can you name how many games have gone past the first overtime this season? Two. They were both in the first round when Boston defeated Buffalo in game four in double OT, and the next day when Ottawa extended their series with Pittsburgh in game five with a  triple overtime thriller on April 22. The last game to go into multi-overtimes in the finals was two seasons ago when Pittsburgh won game five in triple overtime. If you’re a fan of the local news or The Tonight Show, expect it to begin a little later than usual because I sense an overtime game tonight.

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Detroit Red Wings

Sep 30

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | No Comments

The Detroit Red Wings have arguable been the most successful franchise in the NHL since the lockout and the formation of the “new” salary-cap era. This past summer, however, the once invincible-looking Red Wings seemingly took a huge step back as they lost several players to free agency – including Marian Hossa, who opted to sign with Central division rival the Chicago Blackhawks. Before proclaiming that the age of the Winged Wheel has ended in the Central Division, however, you need to remind yourself of three things about the Wings: They still sport some of the best defensive depth in the NHL, they have an incredible knack for overcoming adversity and they won the Cup in 2007-08 with a roster that looks pretty similar to their current one.80538014GS010_NASHVILLE_PRE

Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg will again be called upon to lead the Red Wings up front this season. After a sluggish regular season, Zetterberg upped the ante in the playoffs and finished with 24 points in 23 games, including 11 goals. Zetterberg should have no problem bumping right back up to 80-90 points this season. Datsyuk, calm and shifty as ever, should be able to leave some nagging injuries from the playoffs behind him and perhaps become the first Red Wing to score 100 points in a single season since Sergei Federov. These are two of the best forwards, and often most overlooked forwards, in the NHL right now.

Budding stars like Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen will be called upon to fill help lead the secondary offense and fill the voids left be departed free agents. Franzen, who had 34 goals last season, needs to put in a consistent effort night in and night out. Under those circumstances, Franzen could easily top the 40-goal mark and could be a fantasy hockey sleeper, especially if he gets significant time on the top line with Datsyuk. Filppula, the Finnish center who often shows flashes of brilliance, also needs to show more consistency throughout the entire season.

While the free-agent additions of former Red Wings Todd Bertuzzi and Jason Williams baffled some, others believe they will certainly help establish more offensive depth for the Red Wings. Jason Williams has had a stellar pre-season thus far and looks right at home with his old Red Wings teammates and could be a dangerous threat playing the point on the second power play unit. Todd Bertuzzi came into training camp looking fit and feeling healthy. If he can find his hands near the net, expect big contributions out of him playing the wing alongside Zetterberg. Bertuzzi’s big question mark is health, however. The big man needs to find a way to stay out of the press box and stay on the bench with his teammates.

The Red Wings defense is scary good, but needs to tighten up some if they are to go deep into the playoffs. Defensive lapses hurt this team last year, but an abundance of scoring power propelled the Wings to more wins than they might have had otherwise. Both forwards and defenseman alike need to tighten up their game if they are to stay on top of the Central division. But with veterans like Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski leading the pack, and players like Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson making names for themselves quickly, this defense still looks to be at the top of their game and should be able to contain even the fiercest offenses in the Western Conference.

Goaltending remains somewhat of a question mark for this organization. Chris Osgood had a subpar regular season only to turn up his play to Conn Smyth caliber in the post season last year. Which goalie will show up when the puck drops later this week? Jimmy Howard, the new backup goaltender replacing Ty Conklin, has looked soft in several of his NHL contests in previous seasons. Howard will get plenty of opportunities to show his stuff, however, as he is slated to play around 30 games behind Ozzie. It’s do or die for Howard, who the Red Wings have billed as the goalie of the future for several seasons. The future is now for the Wings.

The future certainly is now when you consider that Darren Helm, Ville Leino and Jonathan Ericsson are all considered rookies this year despite the fact that Helm and Ericsson played through most of the playoffs with the Wings last spring. Their play catapulted them to a new level and now the Wings want to see what these young guys are made of as regulars to the roster. If they play half as good as they did in the playoffs, expect big things.

The Detroit Red Wings may have lost some talent, but they are a team that knows how to win. Even without Hossa, this team is stocked full of potential all-stars. And come next April, the Detroit Red Wings will again be in the postseason as a serious contender for the Stanley Cup.

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Boston Bruins

Sep 9

Posted by Chris in News, Season Previews | 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins were the best team in the Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season last year, but things didn’t pan out in the post-season like they had hoped with a second-round exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in a Game 7 overtime finisher. Plagued by injuries during their post-season run, the Bruins have recuperated and look poised to do some serious damage in the East again this season.

Not much has changed for this team in the offseason, except perhaps a stronger hunger for the Cup, so expect much of the same from the Bruins heading into this season. Strong play at both ends of the ice really propels this team to success. Offensively, the Bruins like to spread the wealth. 51625520Center Marc Savard led the offensive rush with 25 goals and 63 assists for a team-leading total of 88 points last season. However, Savard was one of eight different Bruins players who tallied 15 or more goals during the regular season, six of whom topped the 20-goal plateau. That type of depth makes the Bruins dangerous on offense night in and night out.

Defensively, Dennis Wideman led the blue line with 50 points and a plus/minus rating of plus-32. Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Zdeno Chara was right there with 50 points and a plus-23 rating. What really sets this team apart, though, is the strong defensive work done by the entire team. Last season, 11 different players were plus-15 or better, eight of which were plus-20 or better. Of those eight, five were forwards. In fact, two of the top three plus/minus players on the Bruins last season were forwards, which is a big reason why the Bruins were the team to beat in the East last season. With all but one of those players coming back for the 2009-10 campaign, expect more of the same from the Bruins this season.

Goalie Tim Thomas (above) was another big reason for the regular-season success of the Bruins. Thomas put together an all-star season last year with a goals against average of 2.10 and a save percentage of .933, which were not only the best numbers of his own NHL career, but league-leading numbers among starting goaltenders. Thomas also posted 5 shutouts on his way to 36 wins in 54 games, and Thomas doesn’t look to be slowing down despite being 34-years-old. His numbers have gotten better each season with the Bruins, and 2009-10 should be another strong campaign.

While the major components of last season’s Bruins squad will be returning this season, two key players will be noticeably missing. Forward Phil Kessel, who amassed a team-leading 36 goals, has not been offered a contract by the cap-crunched Bruins. Despite the offensive depth, those goals will need to be made up somewhere if the Bruins are to continue their success. Free agent goaltender Manny Fernandez, who backed up Thomas last season for 16 wins and one shutout, will also be noticeable absent from the lineup. While still strong without these players, the Bruins will certainly need to generate the 36 goals lost by Kessel and put their faith in young backup goaltender Tuuku Rask to offset playing time with Thomas.

Veteran Mark Recchi, who was acquired from Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, should be able to help fill the void left by Kessel. Recchi produced 10 goals and 16 points in 18 regular season games with the Bruins, and six points in 11 playoff games. Expect 40 to 50 points from Recchi this season with the Bruins. Also keep an eye on the young and gritty Milan Lucic, who will be coming into his third NHL season. Lucic accumulated 42 points last season along with 136 penalty minutes. However, Lucic also boasted a plus-17 rating. A big body who likes to hit, Lucic is a great grinder who can also contribute offensively. Expect him to continue to improve this season and play a slightly bigger role to help fill the void left by Kessel.

The Bruins are a team that thrives on strong offense paired with outstanding defensive play – a formula that wins championships. Key injuries contributed to an early exit in the playoffs last season, but with much of the same squad returning this year, the Bruins are again the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

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Overhaul in Montreal

Sep 6

Posted by Eddie in Season Previews | 2 Comments

It’s been 16 years since the Montreal Canadiens last won the Stanley Cup. It’s also  been 16 years since a franchise north of the border has raised a championship banner. Unfortunately for Hab’s fans, they will have to wait another year.

After backing into the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference last season when they lost 10 of its last 15 games, Montreal GM Bob Gainey had to make changes. And changes he made as 11 players departed including Saku Koivu, Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang. Gainey did add an all-new first line with center Scott Gomez and wingers Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta. It will be interesting to see how can Cammalleri produce an a more pressure-packed environment and without Jerome Iginla.

The main strength the Gomez-Cammalleri-Giontaline line will offer is speed. They have a lot of skill and talent, but with that they are sacrificing toughness and physicality. The depth of the forwards more top-heavy than other teams. After the first line, players such as Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, and Travis Moen need to increase their scoring from last season to help compensate the offense that departed.

Another strength the Canadiens posses is defenseman Andrei Markov. Markov was second on the team in points with 64 last season.  Markov will also be looked upon to lead the power play and penalty kill units, which ranked 13th and 11th respectively in the league last season. Other defensemen that can be expected to contribute this season include Hal Gill and rookies Yannick Weber and P.K. Subban.

Which Carey Price will show up this season?

Which Carey Price will show up this season?

One big question mark the Canadiens will have is in goal. They have two young, still developing goaltenders in Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. Expectations will be high for Price and deservingly so. After a stellar rookie season in 2007-08, Price struggled down the stretch and recorded only 1 shutout all season long in 2008-09. They did make a goaltending coach change during the off-season, and we can only hope new goaltending coach Pierre Grolux can teach Price to cut down shooting angles and allow less soft goals this season.

Overall, I can expect Montreal to still be a few steps behind Boston in the division. The Canadiens will have a shot to make the playoffs, but that’s not good enough to the Montreal fanbase. If they play to their potential, they can finish anywhere between fourth-sixth in the conference. But if they stumble down the stretch like they did last season, expect them to miss the playoffs or suffer another sweep at the hands of the Eastern Conference powers: Washington, Boston, or Pittsburgh.

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New York Rangers

Sep 5

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 2 Comments

The New York Rangers made several bold off-season moves that could only be taken to mean “We want the Cup and we’d prefer it sooner rather than later.” By shipping off highly paid, underachieving forward Scott Gomez to Montreal, the Rangers were able to free up cap space to add more offensive depth to their lineup to help compliment head-strong goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to create a winning foundation.

Come time to drop the puck in October, the Rangers very well could boast one of the best offensive lines in the NHL with Chris Drury centering Vaclav Prospal and Marian Gaborik, both of whom came on as free agefrozen_inside061307nts over the summer. Gaborik is more than capable of producing point-per-game numbers. In 2007-08, the star right wing netted 42 goals for 83 points in 77 games. Last year, however, Gaborik only dressed for 17 games but still managed 13 goals and 10 assists. Obviously health is an issue with Gaborik, who has not once dressed for all 82 games in a single season. If he does stay healthy, the 27-year-old could certainly manage point production well into the 90s. Prospal, at 34 years of age, should still have a few good years in him. Also, by signing with the Rangers, Prospal has reunited with former Tampa Bay coach John Tortorella, who should be able to help Prospal find his touch again after a sluggish 2008-09 campaign with the Bolts. When he’s playing to his full potential, Prospal is good for anywhere between 50 and 80 points. The depth provided by these players, and other free agent additions such as Chris Higgins and Ales Kotalik, should certainly provide the Rangers with a more potent offense.

Expect goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to shoulder most of the responsibility again this year, as he has done in many previous seasons. Lundqvist has played in 70 or more games the past three seasons with the Rangers and managed 112 wins and 18 shutouts throughout those three seasons. Lundqvist is solid in net and will give the Rangers a chance to win night in and night out.

Coming into this season, the biggest concern is health. The Rangers took a gamble on Gaborik to stay healthy and produce offensively.  Gaborik does the team no good sitting in the press box. A young defense is also a question mark. Besides veteran defenseman Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival, most of the Rangers defense is in their mid-twenties with little post-season experience. It will be interesting to see how these players step up when the time comes.

Keep an eye on the often-troubled Sean Avery this season. The Rangers seem to thrive with Avery in the line-up, but it remains to be seen if any coach can control Avery both on and off the ice. Remember his antics in Dallas? Rumors circulated for a long time that he was like a cancer in the Dallas dressing room. But if Avery can keep his mouth shut and play hockey, he is an effective part of the Rangers roster. Young defenseman Marc Staal is another one to watch out for in his third NHL season. Staal is very effective in the defensive zone with his long reach and active stick, but could work on using his big 6’4 frame a bit more on his way to becoming a shutdown defenseman.

The foundation is there for the Rangers to compete in a very volatile Eastern Conference, but a few unhealthy cracks could easily sink this team toward the bottom of the playoff standings.

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Pittsburgh Penguins

Sep 3

Posted by Chris in Season Previews | 2 Comments

After coming out on top in a game seven nail-biter against the Detroit Red Wings this past June, the question on the minds of many hockey gurus is whether or not the Pittsburgh Penguins can repeat this season as Stanley Cup Champions. Despite very few free agency losses, the Penguins will need to tighten up defensively as a team and play with more consistency if they are to repeat as champs again this year.sidney-crosby-stanley-cup-kiss

On the plus side, the Penguins have a strong core of last year’s championship team returning this season, including two of the most potent offensive threats in the NHL. Last season, 22-year-old captain Sidney Crosby posted 33 goals and 70 assists for a grand total of 103 points. This was second on the team to 23-year-old Evgeni Malkin, who tallied 35 goals for a whopping 113 points. Neither of these two slowed down much in the playoffs where they notched 31 points and 36 points respectively. These two lead an all-star cast of young talent that also includes forward Jordan Staal and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

However, a budding offense might have to overcome a lackluster defense this year if the Pens hope to repeat. Veteran defenseman Sergei Gonchar is back to man the blue line, but the Penguins lost key defensemen Hal Gill and Rob Scuderi to free agency in the offseason, which means that many new and young faces will be called upon to pick up the defensive slack. How well these new faces come along could greatly influence how Pittsburgh performs this year.

Marc-Andre Fleury will also need to step up his consistency and have a good regular-season run in addition to a great post-season performance. Fleury has a tendency to be inconsistent during the regular season but has bounced back the past two years with stellar playoff performances.

Keep an eye on Alex Goligoski this season as he is primed to step into the shoes left by departed free agent defenseman and help this team in a big way. In 45 games with the Penguins last season, Goligoski tallied 20 points and was plus-5. Look for him to build upon that success this season. Chris Kunitz was a great addition at the trade deadline last year and should continue his success into this year. The big-bodied forward doesn’t mind playing hard and produced 18 points in 20 regular season games with the Penguins and another 14 points in 24 playoff games. Kunitz should excel on the wing for either Crosby or Malkin. And don’t count out veteran right wing Bill Guerin. Even at age 38, Guerin has something still left in the tank and will benefit from playing the wing for Crosby.

The Penguins have the offensive prowess, but it remains to be seen if the departed free agents on the blue line will hurt their cause. Regardless, this is a young team and they are hungry to continue to prove themselves. Playoff-bound at the very least, but anything beyond that is anybody’s guess.

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The Stanley Cup is now Edible

Aug 12

Posted by Eddie in Media | No Comments

This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, besides the actual Stanley Cup.

This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, besides the actual Stanley Cup.

Last week, EB and I were working out at the local gym. We begin our sessions with a 25 minute warm-up on the bike. There’s several TV’s showing many things such as reality TV, Detroit Tigers baseball, and Food Network. Doesn’t that sound a little odd, having a network that’s food 24/7 showing at a gym?

Anyhow, I was in the middle of getting my Lance Armstrong on when my attention got distracted. I saw a tall, shiny silver object. This tall, shiny silver object turned out to the real Stanley Cup. The NHL brought it to Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, where the television show Ace of Cakes is featured.

This episode of Ace of Cakes, a couple who are huge Washington Capitals fans, were able to get their wedding cake created in a replica of the Cup. If you can’t tell by the photo above, this cake was amazing to watch. To make it look even more awesome, the couple even had the names of the bridesmaids and groomsmen “engaved” on the cup.

Other features included the names of the bride and groom at the top of the bowl, as well as a figurine of the couple “peeking” over the top. If you want to watch the entire episode of how the Stanley Cup cake came to life, feel free to tune to Food Network this Sunday, August 16, at 5:30 p.m. ET/PT.

Whoever is lucky enough to marry me somewhere down the line must be open to this sort of idea. I mean, what guy wouldn’t want a Stanley Cup wedding cake? Okay if she’s not down for that, at least provide our reception guests with ThunderStix instead of the annoying clanging of the glass with silverware.

Unfortunately for you Capitals fans, the Stanley Cup cake is as close as your team will get to the Stanley Cup anytime soon.

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Reebok Crowns Red Wings 2009 Stanley Cup Champs

Jul 26

Posted by Matt in News | 6 Comments

Many hockey fans will continue to remember the excitement of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals for years to come. The Detroit Red Wings battled their way through a tough Stanley Cup Playoffs only to fall one game short of becoming the first back-to-back champions since they had done it 11 years prior. In a pivotal game 7, the Red Wings ran out of gas and eventually conceded to the NHL’s favorite marketing tool, the Pittsburgh Penguins. All hockey fans remember the moment as Sid the Kid raised the Stanley Cup for the first time. How could we forget? It happened less than two months ago.

Back to Back Stanley Cup Champions 2009?

Back to Back Stanley Cup Champions 2009?

Some have forgotten, however, and they are currently designing apparel for Reebok Hockey. While browsing through the fan gear on the Reebok Hockey site, you will eventually come across this stunning t-shirt. The front of the shirt shows a Red Wings logo along with the words “2009 Stanley Cup Champions.” Uh-Oh!

Here is a link to the product itself. The caption on the page reads “Congratulations Detroit Red Wings on back-to-back Stanley Cup victories! Get your historic tee and commemorate another incredible season.” Historic indeed.

Any Red Wings fan still having a hard time with that loss, still not willing to admit their team fell short on home ice, its okay. Reebok has you covered. Wear this shirt and wear it proudly. Show off that winged wheel and continue to live the dream as though Sidney never laid a hand on the Cup. We support you and your quest to keep the dream alive.

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