Posted on 4/7/2008 4:48:32 PM

NHL Furious Playoff Preview 2008 – Eastern Conference Breakdown

By Tim Furious

This is embarrassing, but when I projected how the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs would pan out, I actually had the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins on the outside looking in. Boy, do I look dumb. Truth be told I had no idea Carey Price would evolve in to the first teenage goalie to register twenty wins since Patrick Roy and Tom Barrasso did it. It was also impossible to predict the emergence of the Kostitsyn brothers, as well as the emergence of Alexei Kovalev as a Hart Trophy candidate (futures to come up on that later).

Of course, the Habs and bustling Bruins aren’t the only stories in the exciting NHL betting playoffs. Are the Senators powerful enough sans Daniel Alfredsson to challenge the Penguins? Are Jagr and the vaunted Rangers really a legit threat in the playoffs? Or are their recent defensive woes a telling sign? And finally, is Ovechkin ready to put the Capitals on his back in his first NHL playoffs ever?

#1 Montreal Canadiens (47-25-10)

The Canadiens have more depth than any team in the entire Eastern Conference playoffs. The problem in comfortably betting on them is that they are small in stature, and without Saku Koivu. And the size concerns me the most. For you NHL betting newbies, the playoffs are a brutal affair. Teams literally set out to kill each other, and dismember their opponents so that, even if they lose, the winning team is so battered and bruised. If you don’t believe me, go watch highlights of Toronto-Ottawa from the 1999 playoffs. Toronto won, but was so beat up by the time they got past the Senators, they had nothing left in the tank.

 

It’s hard to argue with the Canadiens at this point. They came back from a 0-5 deficit against the Rangers this season in a regular game thriller (that I got to watch live…unbelievable). They have the league’s best offense with 3.2 goals per game, and the league’s best power play with 24.5 percent. But still, that size worries me. The thing I love about them is that they have home-ice advantage throughout the Conference playoffs, and the Bell Centre is easily the most hostile environment to try and steal a win.

Hop on this betting band wagon as Kovalev puts this team on his back. For those of you who have forgotten, Kovalev is perhaps the best, pure stick handler in the league. And his skill set is going to be on full display as the red-hot Canadiens ride him and Price in to the playoffs. Just as in life, however, size matters in the NHL playoffs (sorry, but your girlfriend has been lying to you).

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +240

#2 Pittsburgh Penguins (47-27-8)

The Penguins are our favorites to win the Eastern Conference Championships because of their obvious offensive potential. They have the seventh best goals for average with 3.0 per game, but their defense scares the living hell out of me. Their stats say that they allow 30.8 shots against, but in a seven game series, when opponents have a chance to figure out the holes in the defense, the Penguins could get lit up. Ad I’m not prepared to anoint Marc Andre-Fleury as a clutch performer just yet. I’m not as in love with the Penguins as the rest of the betting community because I think they still lack the experience required to win at the elite level. Still, last year’s first year exit will be enough to propel them in to the second-round.

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +230

#3 Washington Capitals (43-31-8)

Ovechkin in the playoffs! How cool is that? I’d be terrified of him going one-man army on any team. Forget the stats. We have no idea how to gauge Ovechkin’s potential in the playoffs. There’s no ceiling. None. My favorite part about him? The way they spell his name in Russian: Obe4knh (and the “n” is backwards but I have no idea how to type that symbol). If it’s not a sign that the number “4” is in his name and that’s how many games you need to win a playoff series, then I don’t know what is (yes, I care about those kind of things).

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +700

#4 New Jersey Devils (46-29-7)

You’d be stupid to bet on the Devils in this post season. Their up-and-down on both ends of the ice, Martin Brodeur is slipping slightly and they don’t have a reliable scoring threat. Pegging them at +700 is a trap because it’s attractive enough to put some money on it since they're the Devils. Hold on, I think my bosses are about to fire me for writing that…

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +700

#5 New York Rangers (42-27-13)

The Rangers played second fiddle to Ottawa in our futures at the beginning of the season. Now? They’re somewhere in the middle. The thing I love about them is that they’re big, mean, and deep. From Jagr all the way down to Avery, they have tough veterans that are all chomping at the bit to win. If you thought Drury was a force in last year’s playoffs, then get ready for a show. It’ll also be interesting to see how Gomez responds to playing his former team in the first round, but the Rangers are actually my favorite to win in the Eastern Conference because of Jagr.

 

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference Odds: +650

 

#6 Philadelphia Flyers (42-29-11)

I went from loving the Flyers at the beginning, to hating them during the Fall, to wanting to burn a Scott Hartnell jersey for what he did in January after I dropped him in my fantasy hockey pool, to falling for them again, and then finally hating them at the end of the season. It’s been a roller coaster of emotion for me, and their entire betting faithful as well. Nobody believes in this team because their goal tending is shoddy at best (2.8 against per game) and they allow buckets of shots to reach the crease. Not a good sign, especially with Ovechkin stalking you in the first round.

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +1500

#7 Ottawa Senators (43-31-8)

Average goaltending. Average defense. A one-trick pony offense that’s trotting on three legs. Welcome the NHL playoffs, Senators! And for the betting community, all you need to know is that one-trick ponies get led to slaughter in the post season. So much for a Stanley Cup playoff return.

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +800

#8 Boston Bruins (41-29-12)

A first round date with a team that has handed your ass to you eight times this season? That’s right – the Bruins are 8-0 SU this season against the Habs. Awesome for the Canadiens. Bad for Boston. Not that I feel bad for them. Four teams in the playoffs in the 2007-2008 season? That’s like complaining that the Mercedes your Dad bought you wasn’t the right color. Get over it.

 

Betus.com Eastern Conference NHL Odds: +2000

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