With the first round of the Stanley Cup odds action closed for debate the race for the NHL playoff scoring leader just a little less crowded yet a lot more competitive. The names at the top are familiar to Stanley Cup odds fans and it will interesting to see which teams are still alive after the second round of the NHL playoff betting and which players are still atop the leader board as the hockey betting season marches into the Conference Final betting.
Sidney Crosby still sits atop the scoring leader board for the 2010 Stanley Cup odds action. He’s held that position since the game of the 2010 hockey playoff betting action and appears intent on leading the NHL playoff betting action in scoring.
Through 8 game he’s compiled 16 points on 5 goals and a very impressive 11 assists –he’s the only player so far to reach double-digits in goals or assists in the Stanley Cup betting this year.
But coming from out of nowhere to clip at his heels in the hockey playoff scoring race is Joe Pavelski. Pavelski has put together a string of monster games to help propel his Sharks into the second round of the Stanley Cup odds competition and opponents simply haven’t been able to keep him out of the net the past three games.
His 9 goals in 8 games is tops in Stanley Cup odds race so far and combined with his 5 assists he sits second in the scoring race 14 points.
One point back, Cammalleri of Detroit has 13 points on 8 goals and 5 assists through nine games. Three players are tied with 12 points apiece: Pavel Datsyuk of Detroit (6 goals, 6 assists), Mikael Samuelsson of Vancouver (8 goals, 4 assists) and Mike Richards of Philly (4 goals, 8 assists).
Other big names in double-digit scoring so far in the NHL playoff betting action include Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg (11 points), Vancouver’s Henrik Sedin (10 points), and Detroit’s Johan Franzen (10 points).
The field will continue to get smaller and smaller as the Stanley Cup odds competition continues. And then we’ll see the real stars emerge as the hockey betting stakes raise and the players with the real desire and the real skill find a way to perform under enormous pressure.