NHL betting fans know that the Eastern Conference has been regarded as the weaker half of the NHL for several years, and that is unlikely to change during the 2008-09 online NHL season.

Nevertheless, there are numerous Stanley Cup contenders in the East, with the most obvious one being the Pittsburgh Penguins, who reached Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals last NHL season. NHL analysts also have high expectations for the Canadiens and the Capitals, either of which may represent the East in the Stanley Cup this year.

NHL on the Penguins has become highly popular since Sidney Crosby was acquired by Pittsburgh several seasons back. Crosby may be the best player in the league, and he can now add postseason experience to his extensive résumé. NHL betting skeptics will note that the Penguins lost several important free agents during the offseason, including right wing Marian Hossa who played well with Crosby. The team moved quickly to pick up replacements, such as Miroslav Šatan and Ruslan Fedotenko, who should be able to handle their duties fairly well, but need to prove themselves after uninspiring seasons with the Islanders.

Nevertheless, the Penguins have enough depth to remain NHL favorites. Following last year’s success online NHL betting enthusiasts must be careful about odds that overestimate Pittsburgh’s potential, but there is no question that the Penguins will win a lot of NHL betting matchups this season.

NHL betting analysts see the Montreal Canadiens as some of Pittsburgh’s greatest competition in the East, as the team even finished with the best record in the conference last season. After many poor NHL betting seasons the team has rebuilt quickly and will be especially motivated to win the Stanley Cup in the team’s 100th anniversary season. The Canadiens are not particularly flashy, but online NHL veterans know they have no weak areas, which can be the key to a successful Stanley Cup run.

A much flashier team is the Capitals, who are led by the high scoring of Alex Ovechkin. This team can attack as well as any in the league, which will likely inspire lots of NHL on the team’s overs. The defense still has some room for improvement, but the unit is likely good enough to keep Washington competitive even against the league’s most elite squads. As Ovechkin continues to cement his status as a league superstar, NHL fans should assume that online NHL betting on the Capitals will become continually more popular. Nevertheless, with Ovechkin scoring so many goals the Capitals may offer excellent NHL betting value on the puck line and they are certainly prepared for a deep playoff run.

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Smith

Published on: December 1, 2010
Last updated: March 28, 2022

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