Posted on
12/7/2007 3:58:48 PM
NHL Wagering - Ducks prepare to return to pond
By BetUS Staff
In one of the least surprising turn of events so far this season, defenseman Scott Niedermayer has announced that he’s going to end his brief retirement and return to the Anaheim Ducks’ lineup. That means those who did some NHL betting on Anaheim on the futures market are getting excited right now, as the return of the All-Star blueliner should considerably boost the Ducks’ chances of winning a second straight Stanley Cup.
However, Niedermayer won’t be back on the ice immediately. First, he has to convince the team that he’s in game shape – he’s been skating on his own for the past month and should be close. Second, the Ducks have to clear a few salary cup hurdles to make room for him on their roster. That likely means that Anaheim GM Brian Burke will have to make a trade over the next week, with Mathieu Schneider a top candidate to be dealt.
So Anaheim will still have their usual lineup on the ice when they play a road game against the Blackhawks in Chicago on Friday night. The Ducks are 5-4-1 over their past 10 games to sit with a 13-12-4 record on the season – good for just third place in the Pacific Division and ninth place in the Western Conference prior to Thursday night’s slate of games. Chicago is 13-10-5 and is tied with Anaheim with 30 points this season.
Other games on a busy Friday night around the NHL include Washington at New Jersey, the New York Rangers at Atlanta, the New York Islanders at Florida, Minnesota at Detroit, Philadelphia at Colorado, St. Louis at Edmonton, and San Jose at Phoenix. As well, the Ottawa Senators, who have snapped their skid, will take on the Dallas Stars.
The Ducks are in action again on Saturday night, as they head down to Nashville to take on the Predators. Nashville will be coming off a game against the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night. The Preds have had trouble gaining ground in the feisty Central Division, but a recent stretch of solid results has them back over the .500 mark.
Eight other games are on the NHL schedule for Saturday night, including Boston at Toronto, Carolina at Montreal, Atlanta at Washington, Minnesota at Columbus, the Islanders at Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh at Vancouver, and Buffalo at San Jose. As well, the Phoenix Coyotes will be looking to continue the Kings’ woes with a win in Los Angeles.
Sunday will feature four games, with both New Jersey at theRangers and Carolina at Detroit starting at 5:00pm ET. Later that night the Blackhawks will be hosting Calgary, while St. Louis will head west to take on Paul Stastny and the Colorado Avalanche.
Check the BetUS odds section for all the latest hockey lines for this weekend’s contests.
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