With the 2011 – 12 NHL sports betting season set to kick off later this week, the Boston Bruins will have plenty of challengers for their title coming from the East. The powers that be in the Eastern Conference have all made huge adjustments this offseason, with none bigger then the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres. Young teams such as the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs are using bookie software to let their rivals know their days atop the standings are numbered. Here is a preview of the Eastern Conference.
Washington Capitals – Also known as the San Jose Sharks of the Eastern Conference because of their choking abilities in the playoffs, the Capitals enter 2011 – 12 as the odds on favorite to win the Stanley Cup. Alexander Ovechkin, Alexander Semin lead a hungry Washington squad that enters the season as a +366 favorite.
After experiencing some growing pain as they learnt to play defense, the Capitals appear set to rebound after a disastrous early playoff exit. The addition of Tomas Vokun in net, should provide the Caps with the goaltending relief they haven’t seen since Olaf Kolzig was in his prime, the last time the team went to the Stanley Cup.
Philadelphia Flyers – This offseason no team made headlines in a comparable way to the Philadelphia Flyers who jettisoned cornerstone players Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, in order to make room for new goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov and Jaromir Jagr. In theory, the Flyers who are still a deep team, have enough tools to play in the Stanley Cup annually. Can Bryzgalov provide the Flyers with the sort of goaltending not seen in the City of Brotherly Love since Ron Hextall, or will he crumble like so many goalies before him?
Toronto Maple Leafs – The team with the biggest fan base in the history of the NHL finally looks to snap out of its playoff drought. It has been six years since Canada’s team has made a post season appearance. However, with Head Coach Ron Wilson on the hot seat, and a few veterans sprinkled in the lineup, Toronto should have its best roster since the last playoff team.
