Hockey betting handicappers were impressed with the Buffalo Sabres regular season record of 45-27-4-6 last year as they easily made the playoffs.
Disappointing Playoff
The Sabres came up empty in the playoffs however as they were upset by the Boston Bruins in 6 games as their offense disappeared and United States Olympic hero goaltender Ryan Miller could not carry the franchise on his shoulders. The Sabres demonstrated to fans, handicappers and gamblers just how different playoff hockey is from the regular season. And it is that playoff failure that will motivate Buffalo as they begin the 2010-11 season as a +2500 choice at Sbg global sportsbook to win the Stanley Cup.
41 Years and Running
The Sabres entered the National Hockey League as an expansion franchise in 1970 and have routinely put excellent and exciting teams on the ice. But Buffalo has never brought home Lord Stanley’s Cup and that is their only goal for the NHL hockey betting season.
A long Partnership
General Manager Darcy Regier and head coach Lindy Ruff begin their 13th NHL season together at Buffalo. Ruff guided the Sabres to the 1999 Stanley Cup Finals and is one of the most respected coaches in the league. It is rare in the NHL for a coach to see a third season, let alone 13, and it is a testament to Ruff’s management abilities and communication skills that he remains in solid standing behind the Buffalo bench.
Forward and Back
Ruff was pleased with the performance of his team during the hockey betting regular season but felt that his team took a step back in the playoffs. The Sabres had a rather quiet offseason with some minor tweaking of the roster but nothing of significance. It will again likely come down to Miller.
Miller Time
Miller made a big name for himself with a phenomenal performance in the Olympics in which he backstopped Team USA to the Gold Medal Game that was lost in overtime to Canada. Miller finished the NHL hockey betting season with a sparkling 2.22 goals against average and a save percentage of .929. He is a proven game changer and a franchise player not to mention the Vezina Trophy Winner as the NHL’s best goaltender.
If Buffalo can get just a slight increase in offensive production Miller could be enough to take them all the way.