It’s with bittersweet emotion we give the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs its proper send off.  The 2 month journey that ended with the Blackhawks capturing their 3rd cup in 6 years began back in mid-April with 16 teams vying for the greatest trophy in sports.  Rather than try to capture the emotion of the postseason in words, this Hockey Night in Canada montage does a much better job.  ENJOY...

The NHL playoffs start in earnest this evening and for many of us sports fans it is the greatest post season in all of professional sports.  I’m not here to give you keys to the kingdom for postseason riches (there are much better hockey handicappers out there) but can share a few of the key facts, figures, and storylines to make you more informed before investing on ice. For those wondering who I’m picking to get to the Cup I’ll stand by my selection from the beginning of the year: Tampa wins the East and Chicago Wins the West Totals Trends Keep in mind that Game 1 in 7 of the 8 series have a total listed at 5 (albeit with juice attached).  Last year Over bettors flourished in Round 1 with 29 Overs, 11 Unders, and 8 pushes.  Don’t be surprised if you see totals inch closer to 5.5 rather quickly mainly because of a phenomenon we call the “Roy effect;” the emerging trend of pulling your goalie a lot earlier than hockey purists have grown accustomed to over the years.  Here was the full totals breakdown from last year: Round 1: 29 overs, 11 unders, 8 pushes Round 2: 10 overs, 13 unders, 4 pushes Round 3: 8 overs, 3 unders, 2 pushes Round 4: 1 over, 2 unders, 2 pushes Total: 48 overs, 29 unders, 16 pushes Montreal Canadiens (#1 Atlantic) -160 vs Ottawa Senators (#1 Wildcard) +140 Season series: Senators 3-1 Odds to win the Stanley Cup: Canadiens 8-1 Senators 30-1 Canadiens Senators Goals Per Game 2.6 (20) 2.8 (9) Goals Against 2.2 (1) 2.5 (13) Power Play 16.5% (23) 16.8% (22) Penalty Kill 83.7% (7) 82.9 (11) We all remember major dates in sports…For Senator fans February 18 should...

NHL futures discussion is best served with a cold glass of beer, preferably something Canadian. The temperature is dropping, the leaves are beginning to change and any remnants of a Canadian summer are beginning to vanish. Soon the tide of snow and cold will cross the border, creeping down into the U.S. bringing with it the NHL and a new season of gambling opportunities. Written by Chris Shoniker It’s time to get ready for that song and dance, Let’s go my friends it’s time to take a chance, We’re back in town, it’s time to get it done, We got nowhere to hide, nowhere to run, It’s been a long time coming, It’s been a long time coming… The Boys are Back- Dropkick Murphys Training camps are done and the regular season is upon us. Over the past few years, the NHL, like the NBA, has seen a drastic influx of talent go out west, leading to two very uneven conferences. However, the NHL is a much more wide open league- 9 different NHL teams have won the cup in the past 11 seasons while 9 different NBA teams have won the championship in the past 35 seasons. So, how then do you differentiate these NHL teams and pick your future? 3 Criteria to look for a) Choose your conference b) Will the team make the playoffs? c) Can that team make a deep enough run in the postseason to give you enough value? Click here for complete futures update from Westgate and cappers worth following on twitter WESTERN CONFERENCE (Division) 2015 ODDS 2014 ODDS O/u Team Points EASTERN CONFERENCE (Division) 2015 ODDS 2014 ODDS O/u Team Points CHI Blackhawks (C) 6/1 6/1 107.5 BOS Bruins (A) 8/1 9/1 107.5 L.A. Kings (P) 7.5/1...

The NHL is no different than any other major sports league when it comes to identifying futures.  Here’s the complete updated list of regular season point totals from the Westgate Superbook for every NHL team headed into the 2014-2015 season. However before we get into that, here are a few NHL betting guys worth following on twitter Pointshaving NoJokeNHL So_Money_Sports Stuckey2 2014-15 NHL REGULAR SEASON POINTS DUCKS 104.5 COYOTES 84.5 BRUINS 107.5 SABRES 64.5 FLAMES 71.5 HURRICANES 79.5 BLACKHAWKS 108.5 AVALANCHE 94.5 BLUE JACKETS 93.5 STARS 96.5 RED WINGS 94.5 OILERS 79.5 PANTHERS 77.5 KINGS 102.5 WILD 99.5 CANADIENS 95.5 PREDATORS 87.5 DEVILS 88.5 ISLANDERS 87.5 RANGERS 95.5 SENATORS 83.5 FLYERS 88.5 PENGUINS 106.5 SHARKS 101.5 BLUES 104.5 LIGHTNING 98.5 MAPLE LEAFS 88.5 CANUCKS 88.5 CAPITALS 91.5 JETS 81.5 2014-2015 STANLEY CUP BLACKHAWKS 6 BRUINS 7 KINGS 8 PENGUINS 8 BLUES 12 WILD 12 DUCKS 10 RANGERS 20 RED WINGS 20 SHARKS 12 CANADIENS 15 AVALANCHE 25 STARS 25 BLUE JACKETS 30 LIGHTNING 14 JETS 100 FLYERS 50 CAPITALS 30 COYOTES 60 SENATORS 60 OILERS 60 MAPLE LEAFS 40 CANUCKS 50 PREDATORS 75 PANTHERS 60 ISLANDERS 60 DEVILS 60 HURRICANES 200 FLAMES 200 SABRES 300 2014-2015 EASTERN CONFERENCE BRUINS 11-4 PENGUINS 7-2 RANGERS 9 RED WINGS 9 CANADIENS 7 BLUE JACKETS 13 LIGHTNING 6 FLYERS 23 CAPITALS 13 SENATORS 28 MAPLE LEAFS 18 PANTHERS 28 ISLANDERS 28 DEVILS 28 HURRICANES 90 SABRES 135 2014-2015 WESTERN CONFERENCE BLACKHAWKS 3 KINGS 4 BLUES 6 WILD 6 DUCKS 5 SHARKS 6 AVALANCHE 13 STARS 13 JETS 50 COYOTES 30 OILERS 30 CANUCKS 25 PREDATORS 38 FLAMES...

The NHL playoffs start in earnest tonight and mark the best 8 week stretch of any sport’s postseason.  Parity reigns supreme as there are arguably 10-12 teams capable of winning the Cup with the hot goalie.  While you’ll be disappointed I didn’t dress like Don Cherry last night on FS Live we did hit on a few of the value plays to potentially take home the hardware along with 3 key factors in handicapping playoff hockey.  As always shop around for future prices before walking to the window, no sense taking a bad number if a better price is only a click away.  NHL Series Prices Montreal Canadiens (Series Prices)                    20/21    (-105) Tampa Bay Lightning (Series Prices)                  20/23    (-115)   Columbus Blue Jackets (Series Prices)               11/5      (+220) Pittsburgh Penguins (Series Prices)                    5/13      (-260)   Dallas Stars (Series Prices)                                33/20    (+165) Anaheim Ducks (Series Prices)                          10/19    (-190)   Philadelphia Flyers (Series Prices)                      5/4        (+125) New York Rangers (Series Prices)                      20/29    (-145)   Chicago Blackhawks (Series Prices)                   10/11    (-110) St. Louis Blues (Series Prices)                           10/11    (-110)   Minnesota Wild (Series Prices)                           23/20    (+115) Colorado Avalanche (Series Prices)                    20/27    (-135)   Los Angeles Kings (Series Prices)                      5/4        (+125) San Jose Sharks (Series Prices)                        20/29    (-145)   Detroit Red Wings (Series Prices)                      5/2        (+250) Boston Bruins (Series Prices)                             1/3        (-300)   Odds to win the Stanley 2013-2014    PENGUINS 7 BLACKHAWKS 6 BRUINS 7-2 BLUES 6 RANGERS 20 KINGS 12 SHARKS 8 CANADIENS 20 RED WINGS 30 DUCKS 7 BLUE JACKETS 50 FLYERS 30 WILD 50 LIGHTNING 25 STARS 50 AVALANCHE 6 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE PENGUINS 5-2 BRUINS 5-4 RANGERS 8 CANADIENS 8 RED WINGS 13 BLUE JACKETS 20 FLYERS 13 LIGHTNING 11 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 WESTERN CONFERENCE BLACKHAWKS 7-2 BLUES 7-2 KINGS 7...

Having grown up playing the sport I can say without any reservation that hockey players are a breed unto themselves as far as athlete’s go.  I could sit here and write, trying to explain the subtle differences that separate life long members of the puck community from others however this video speaks volumes.  Quite frankly if you’re a hockey fan (or not) you’ll find entertainment...

Hockey usually becomes the forgotten member of the 4 major sports. However, the LVH has plenty of wagering options for folks headed into town over the next week before the puck drops for real a week from Tuesday.  What better way to start the season then with a major brawl and some hockey props In honor of last night’s brawl, plenty of NHL numbers to get the juices flowing Odds Courtesy of the LVH Stanley Cup Odds to Win Conference Season Points BLACKHAWKS 9-2 11-5 111.5 PENGUINS 5 5-2 110.5 BRUINS 8 4 105.5 KINGS 10 9-2 104.5 RANGERS 10 5 103.5 BLUES 14 13-2 103.5 RED WINGS 14 7 99.5 CANUCKS 16 7 100.5 SHARKS 16 7 101.5 CANADIENS 25 12 94.5 DUCKS 25 11 97 MAPLE LEAFS 25 12 95.5 SENATORS 25 12 97 FLYERS 30 15 95 OILERS 30 13 90.5 WILD 30 13 96.5 BLUE JACKETS 40 20 88.5 CAPITALS 40 20 92.5 COYOTES 40 18 90.5 ISLANDERS 40 20 91.5 STARS 40 18 87.5 LIGHTNING 50 25 83.5 AVALANCHE 60 18 81.5 DEVILS 60 30 83 HURRICANES 60 30 82.5 JETS 60 25 83.5 PREDATORS 60 25 84 SABRES 100 50 76.5 PANTHERS 200 100 71 FLAMES 500 230 63.5 Goal Scoring odds available at all Caesars Entertainment properties STEVEN STAMKOS 5/2 ALEXANDER OVECHKIN 7/2 PHIL KESSEL 9/2 JOHN TAVARES 5/1 SIDNEY CROSBY 11/2 RICK NASH 13/2 EVGENI MALKIN 8/1 JAMES NEAL 20/1 ZACH PARISE 20/1 LOGAN COUTURE 20/1 COREY PERRY 25/1 JONATHAN TOEWS 22/1 PATRICK KANE 25/1 TAYLOR HALL 30/1 THOMAS VANEK 30/1 JEFF CARTER 35/1 MAX PACIORETTY 35/1 NAIL YAKUPOV 40/1 TYLER SEGUIN 50/1 FIELD...

All good things must end and last night the 2012-2013 NHL season came to a screeching halt in the most improbable of fashions. Marred by a lockout to start the year, the league did everything they could to cram a full year’s worth of entertainment into a 48 game sprint despite Gary Bettman’s best efforts to continue ruining the game. As always, the postseason was filled with drama, storylines, and finishes even the most creative writer couldn’t script. Credit Hockey Night in Canada for putting together a montage set to the Rolling Stones that puts our college basketball tradition of One Shining Moment to...

The season is winding down and tonight offers one of the last opportunities to make money on the ice. Here’s our preview for Game 6 along with plenty of prop bets available from your local offshore bookmaker. Mon 6/24 3001 CHI scores first -110 8:00PM 3002 BOS scores first -120 Mon 6/24 3003 CHI scores last -115 8:00PM 3004 BOS scores last -115 Mon 6/24 3005 Score in first 10:00 +120 8:00PM 3006 No score in first 10:00 -150 Mon 6/24 3007 Team to score first wins game -280 8:00PM 3008 Team to score first loses game +220 Mon 6/24 3009 CHI on power play first -115 8:00PM 3010 BOS on power play first -115 Mon 6/24 3011 CHI/BOS total goals odd -290 8:00PM 3012 CHI/BOS total goals even +230 Mon 6/24 3013 CHI total goals odd -115 8:00PM 3014 CHI total goals even -115 Mon 6/24 3015 BOS total goals odd -115 8:00PM 3016 BOS total goals even -115 Mon 6/24 3101 P.Kane goals+assists -110 8:00PM 3102 D.Krejci goals+assists -120 Mon 6/24 3103 P.Sharp goals+assists -110 8:00PM 3104 M.Lucic goals+assists -120 Mon 6/24 3105 B.Bickell goals+assists +100 8:00PM 3106 B.Marchand goals+assists -130 Mon 6/24 3107 B.Seabrook goals+assists +140 8:00PM 3108 T.Seguin goals+assists -170 Mon 6/24 3109 D.Keith goals+assists +100 8:00PM 3110 Z.Chara goals+assists...

All odds courtesy of William Hill US ODDS TO WIN 2013-14 NBA TITLE Heat                +230 Thunder        9/2 Bulls                6/1 Spurs              7/1 Clippers         10/1 Rockets         10/1 Pacers            15/1 Grizzlies         20/1 Lakers             20/1 Knicks             22/1 Warriors        22/1 Nuggets        25/1 Nets               30/1 Mavericks    30/1 Celtics            50/1 Hawks            75/1 Wolves          100/1 Bucks             100/1 76ers              100/1 Blazers          100/1 Jazz                 100/1 Pelicans         150/1 Cavaliers       150/1 Kings              150/1 Wizards        200/1 Raptors        200/1 Suns              300/1 Pistons         300/1 Magic            400/1 Bobcats        500/1   ODDS TO WIN 2013-14 STANLEY CUP Penguins          11/2 Blackhawks      6/1 Bruins                 8/1 Rangers             10/1 Kings                   12/1 Sharks                15/1 Red Wings        15/1 Blues                  15/1 Capitals             15/1 Canucks            15/1 Ducks                 18/1 Senators           20/1 Wild                    25/1 Canadiens        30/1 Islanders           30/1 Maple Leafs     30/1 Flyers                  35/1 Oilers                  35/1 Devils                  40/1 Lightning           40/1 Blue Jackets     40/1 Jets                      40/1 Predators          50/1 Hurricanes        50/1 Avalanche         50/1 Coyotes             50/1 Stars                    60/1 Sabres                75/1 Flames               100/1 Panthers          ...

ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 STANLEY CUP (courtesy of the LVH) PENGUINS 5 BLACKHAWKS 6 BRUINS 9 BLUES 8 CANUCKS 12 RANGERS 20 KINGS 16 SHARKS 16 CANADIENS 20 RED WINGS 10 DUCKS 20 CAPITALS 30 SENATORS 30 OILERS 30 MAPLE LEAFS 30 ISLANDERS 30 BLUE JACKETS 40 FLYERS 40 DEVILS 40 HURRICANES 40 WILD 40 PREDATORS 50 LIGHTNING 40 JETS 40 STARS 50 SABRES 100 COYOTES 60 PANTHERS 100 AVALANCHE 50 FLAMES 100 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 EASTERN CONFERENCE PENGUINS 5-2 BRUINS 9-2 RANGERS 10 CANADIENS 10 RED WINGS 5 CAPITALS 15 SENATORS 15 MAPLE LEAFS 15 ISLANDERS 15 BLUE JACKETS 20 FLYERS 20 DEVILS 20 HURRICANES 20 LIGHTNING 20 SABRES 50 PANTHERS 50 ODDS TO WIN 2013-2014 WESTERN CONFERENCE BLACKHAWKS 5-2 BLUES 7-2 CANUCKS 5 KINGS 7 SHARKS 7 DUCKS 9 OILERS 15 WILD 20 PREDATORS 25 JETS 20 STARS 25 COYOTES 30 AVALANCHE 25 FLAMES...

There’s only one Stanley Cup and this year’s final sets up to be one for the ages. This will be the first time since the late 70’s 2 original six franchises will go head to head. It also doesn’t hurt that these are also 2 of the last 3 Cup Champs and we give you all the information you need to know before betting Game 1 and the...