The sports betting world all but ignored the news headlines that were made in the hockey world when Ken Hitchcock became the head coach of the St. Louis Blues in the off-season. Hitchcock had disappeared for a couple of years, lost some weight and re-entered the NHL with a new mission. Now he has taken a St. Louis Blues team that finished in 11th place in the Western Conference last year and turned it into a playoff powerhouse. The amazing thing is that he did it without making a whole lot of roster changes. The online betting experts can’t ignore the St. Louis Blues any longer.
Offense
The St.Louis Blues have never had a problem scoring goals. As a matter of fact, the Blues have scored less goals this year than it did last year. In the 2010-2011 season, the Blues scored 240 goals. But in the 2011-2012 season, the Blues scored 210 goals. The price per head sports experts have never really considered Hitchcock a defensive-minded coach, but he has always been big on forechecking. The Blues’ offense has become obsessed with keeping the play in the opposition’s end and making sure that the puck does not cross into theSt. Louis end. The forwards play great positional hockey and are extremely aggressive. It is a complete change from last season and it has made a significant difference in the way that the Blues approach each game.
Defense
Sportsbook reviews of winning teams in the past show that it is impossible to have two starting goalies. That would be crazy, right? Last season, the Blues spent the entire year trying to figure out if Jaroslav Halak was really a starting goaltender in theNHL. In the off-season, the team brought in Brian Elliott to try and give some stability to the goaltending position. Ken Hitchcock looked at the situation and declared thatSt. Louis had two starting goaltenders, and both goalies went on to win 20 games each in the 2011-2012 season. It was a smart decision because it gave Hitchcock two starting goalies in the playoffs. When Jaroslav Halak was injured in the opening round against the Sharks, Elliott stepped in and the Blues never missed a beat.
The rest of theSt. Louisdefense has played great all season long. The team keeps the puck from getting in front of its net and offers plenty of support to both goaltenders. The Blues finished giving up only 165 goals against for the entire season, which allowed the team to finish as the top defensive team in the league. Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.
Summary
In only his first season as head coach, Ken Hitchcock has already made decisions that have put the Blues on the right path. The team is a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and should strike fear into the heart of any team it plays. NHL fans inSt. Louis are trying not to get too optimistic, but thisSt. Louis team makes it difficult to not see flashes of the Stanley Cup when fans dream at night. The scary thing is that Hitchcock is only getting started.
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