NHL Hockey Betting - St Louis Blues

NHL Betting 2007-08 – St. Louis Blues
Manager: Andy Murray
Arena: Scottrade Center
Last Season: 34-35-13, 81 pts (3rd Central, 10th Western Conference)
2008 Prediction: 10th Western Conference

Preseason Odds to win Stanley Cup: +6000

Paul Kariya confuses me. When he left the Ducks to go to Colorado, and then the Nashville Predators, he was obviously hunting for a Stanley Cup. But when he signed in St. Louis this past summer, my jaw hit the floor. The parity in the West is massive, and the eight teams that are mortal locks for the playoffs are set. The Blues are not one of them.

There is, however, reason for hope. Lee Stempniak blossomed in to a 50 point scorer and is joined by the gritty Keith Tkachuk who returned a la Doug Weight after being loaned to Atlanta for an absurdly short playoff run. Kariya’s arrival will help revive the Blues fourth-worst offense last year which only managed 214 goals. It should also boost a power play that ranked 29th in the league.

Coach Andy Murray is a hard-nosed leader that turned this team around midseason surprisingly quickly. The team took to his ways and flourished with a 27-18-9 record over 54 games last season. But coaching can only go so far when you have an undersized crop of defenseman (aside from Eric Brewer). The key to their success is Manny Legace, who’s season was cut short last year with a knee injury.

The Blues are a fringe bet to make the playoffs. They have a strong mix of youth and veteran leadership, but their goalie must stay healthy. More importantly, the blue-line must continue to develop and mature as scoring threats. If the defense doesn’t step up to the charge, St. Louis will be singing the blues, rather than cheering for them.

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Official Website: www.stlouisblues.com