by Shawn Sillinger
The Buffalo Sabres? new uniforms might not be much to look at, but their 3-0 record to start the season is a thing of beauty for hockey fans in Western New York.
After putting together a strong playoff run last year there was some concern that the Sabres were merely a fluke ? but solid wins over Carolina, Montreal, and Ottawa last week quickly shot Buffalo to the top of the Northeast Division standings early in the 2006/07 season.
And both oddsmakers and bettors have taken notice of the Sabres? solid performance so far ? they?re listed at +800 to win the Stanley Cup this year, and they trail only the Ottawa Senators at the top of the current odds list.
Here are the top 12 contenders now:
Ottawa Senators +700
Buffalo Sabres +800
Detroit Red Wings +850
Anaheim Ducks +900
Calgary Flames +1000
New Jersey Devils +1000
Carolina Hurricanes +1100
Dallas Stars +1300
Philadelphia Flyers +1400
New York Rangers +1500
San Jose Sharks +1500
Nashville Predators +1600
With their reputations as model National Hockey League franchises the Senators and the Red Wings annually find themselves at or near the top of this list ? and last year?s playoff failures seem to have done nothing to dissuade their supporters. The Ducks and their dynamic defensive duo of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger have slipped into the current Top 5 as well; Anaheim won their first three games, allowing just four goals.
The Flames and the Devils are both at +1000 as each team deals with some roster issues to start the year. Calgary is still having problems lighting the lamp, managing to score only four times over their first three games. If those struggles continue, watch for the Flames to make a move to bolster their forward corps. New Jersey, meanwhile, had to perform some significant sleight of hand to get under the salary cap to start the season, and their creative dealings didn?t win them too many friends around the league.
The defending champion Hurricanes picked up two regulation losses and an overtime loss in their first three games, and their defense allowed 12 goals in those contests. And while no one is ready to write off the champs? chances this year, they?re still farther down the odds list at +1100. That?s still better than the odds given the Stars (+1300), Flyers (+1400), Rangers (+1500), Sharks (+1500), and Predators (+1600) at this point.
Fans in Canada would like to see more of their teams in the above dozen, but the Habs, Canucks, Oilers, and Maple Leafs are currently sitting firmly in the middle of the pack:
Montreal Canadiens +2200
Colorado Avalanche +2400
Tampa Bay Lightning +2400
Vancouver Canucks +2400
Edmonton Oilers +2500
Toronto Maple Leafs +3000
Minnesota Wild +3500
Atlanta Thrashers +4300
Boston Bruins +5000
Florida Panthers +5000
Los Angeles Kings +5000
Phoenix Coyotes +5000
Pittsburgh Penguins +5000
Both the Thrashers and the Wild got off to strong starts this season, but bettors as a whole likely don?t see either of those two clubs as Cup contenders ? right now they?re pegged at +4300 and +3500 odds, respectively. Wayne Gretzky?s Phoenix Coyotes and Mario Lemieux?s (at least for now) Pittsburgh Penguins are even farther back, at +5000. However, those two teams are still above the five biggest longshots on the current list:
Columbus Blue Jackets +7200
Chicago Blackhawks +8000
New York Islanders +8000
St. Louis Blues +11000
Washington Capitals +11000
The Blue Jackets might see those odds creep up a bit if their current level of play continues ? Columbus picked up two wins and an overtime loss in their first three games. With Rick Nash a strong Richard Trophy candidate, and Pascal Leclaire looking to prove he can be a No. 1 goaltender, the Jackets have some key pieces in place. However, it?s still no easy task for a +7200 club to turn themselves into a title contender.
Article courtesy of BetUS.com.
The Buffalo Sabres? new uniforms might not be much to look at, but their 3-0 record to start the season is a thing of beauty for hockey fans in Western New York.
After putting together a strong playoff run last year there was some concern that the Sabres were merely a fluke ? but solid wins over Carolina, Montreal, and Ottawa last week quickly shot Buffalo to the top of the Northeast Division standings early in the 2006/07 season.
And both oddsmakers and bettors have taken notice of the Sabres? solid performance so far ? they?re listed at +800 to win the Stanley Cup this year, and they trail only the Ottawa Senators at the top of the current odds list.
Here are the top 12 contenders now:
Ottawa Senators +700
Buffalo Sabres +800
Detroit Red Wings +850
Anaheim Ducks +900
Calgary Flames +1000
New Jersey Devils +1000
Carolina Hurricanes +1100
Dallas Stars +1300
Philadelphia Flyers +1400
New York Rangers +1500
San Jose Sharks +1500
Nashville Predators +1600
With their reputations as model National Hockey League franchises the Senators and the Red Wings annually find themselves at or near the top of this list ? and last year?s playoff failures seem to have done nothing to dissuade their supporters. The Ducks and their dynamic defensive duo of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger have slipped into the current Top 5 as well; Anaheim won their first three games, allowing just four goals.
The Flames and the Devils are both at +1000 as each team deals with some roster issues to start the year. Calgary is still having problems lighting the lamp, managing to score only four times over their first three games. If those struggles continue, watch for the Flames to make a move to bolster their forward corps. New Jersey, meanwhile, had to perform some significant sleight of hand to get under the salary cap to start the season, and their creative dealings didn?t win them too many friends around the league.
The defending champion Hurricanes picked up two regulation losses and an overtime loss in their first three games, and their defense allowed 12 goals in those contests. And while no one is ready to write off the champs? chances this year, they?re still farther down the odds list at +1100. That?s still better than the odds given the Stars (+1300), Flyers (+1400), Rangers (+1500), Sharks (+1500), and Predators (+1600) at this point.
Fans in Canada would like to see more of their teams in the above dozen, but the Habs, Canucks, Oilers, and Maple Leafs are currently sitting firmly in the middle of the pack:
Montreal Canadiens +2200
Colorado Avalanche +2400
Tampa Bay Lightning +2400
Vancouver Canucks +2400
Edmonton Oilers +2500
Toronto Maple Leafs +3000
Minnesota Wild +3500
Atlanta Thrashers +4300
Boston Bruins +5000
Florida Panthers +5000
Los Angeles Kings +5000
Phoenix Coyotes +5000
Pittsburgh Penguins +5000
Both the Thrashers and the Wild got off to strong starts this season, but bettors as a whole likely don?t see either of those two clubs as Cup contenders ? right now they?re pegged at +4300 and +3500 odds, respectively. Wayne Gretzky?s Phoenix Coyotes and Mario Lemieux?s (at least for now) Pittsburgh Penguins are even farther back, at +5000. However, those two teams are still above the five biggest longshots on the current list:
Columbus Blue Jackets +7200
Chicago Blackhawks +8000
New York Islanders +8000
St. Louis Blues +11000
Washington Capitals +11000
The Blue Jackets might see those odds creep up a bit if their current level of play continues ? Columbus picked up two wins and an overtime loss in their first three games. With Rick Nash a strong Richard Trophy candidate, and Pascal Leclaire looking to prove he can be a No. 1 goaltender, the Jackets have some key pieces in place. However, it?s still no easy task for a +7200 club to turn themselves into a title contender.
Article courtesy of BetUS.com.
