Sports Betting Overview
The Washington Capitals are in trouble. As most people expected, firing head coach Bruce Boudreau and replacing him with rookie NHL head coach Dale Hunter was not the answer to the Capitals’ woes. The pay per head sportsbook experts do not seem phased by the recent challenges facing the Capitals as Washington is still a 6 ½ to 1 favorite to win the Stanley Cup this season. But anyone that has been watching the Capitals play lately has seen signs that this team is far from being a Stanley Cup contender. Team captain Alex Ovechkin is taking dumb penalties out of frustration and the Caps’ goaltending situation is not as stable as the team once thought. Tomas Vokoun is doing just fine, but Michal Neuvirth is not playing well at all. Vokoun cannot play every game this season, so Neuvirth is going to need to step up his game or get replaced.
By contrast, everyone has been able to see the Rangers play as of late thanks to the HBO series “24/7” that has been following the Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers as each team gets ready to compete in the 2012 Winter Classic. The thing that has been impressing the price per head sports experts about the Rangers is the consistency with which the Rangers play. The Rangers are tied for the lead in the Eastern Conference with those same Philadelphia Flyers mostly because the Rangers are a very well-balanced hockey team. The defense is steady and able to join in the offensive rush once in a while, and the offense is spreading the scoring around. When you back all of that up with goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, then you have a very potent hockey team.
Washington Capitals
A betonline.com review of the Capitals’ last 10 games shows a record of 5-4-1. But it is the Caps’ overall road record that is raising eyebrows throughout the league. The Caps are 6-10-1 on the road and it looks like a completely different team when it is away from Washington, DC. At home, the Caps are 11-5-1 and play a completely different brand of hockey. The Caps score a lot of goals but it also gives up a lot of goals as well. If Washington wants to maintain its status as a Stanley Cup contender, then it will need to start playing better defense. This game against the Rangers is a chance for Washington to show that it can play the defense it needs to play to compete.
New York Rangers
The Rangers are riding a five-game winning streak and look like a John Tortorella coached team. They are aggressive but smart and always able to cover their mistakes in their own end. The Rangers have that level of discipline that the Capitals need. But the Rangers get their discipline from their coach. Henrik Lundqvist is having an all-star season and has to be considered an early candidate for the Vezina Trophy. But the Rangers are also getting some good play from backup Martin Biron as well. This is a very balanced hockey team that is able to lift itself up when it is having a bad night. It is up to the challenge of going into Washington and facing a good home team.
The Bottom Line
NHL fans in Washington really thought that they had a Cup contender on their hands the past few years. But now the frustration is starting to show on the players and the fans in Washington. This game is not going to help the demeanor of the hockey fans and players in Washington, DC.
Pick: New York Rangers
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