2013-2014 Stanley Cup Favorites, Part Two
24 days and counting! The NHL season is getting closer and closer. Soon enough we will all be gathered around the living room with friends and family with the poor delivery boy on the way to the house instead of sitting at home with his friends and family doing the same. Believe me, being that delivery boy isn’t fun. But with the season around the corner, we can all rejoice that we will have something to look forward to every night.
Hockey is a game unlike any other. A fast paced game, full of excitement, full of emotion, and of course full of the brutality that we’ve all come to love. It’s getting closer and closer. Last night, I covered the top 5 teams and their odds to win the Stanley Cup this season. Tonight, I will cover the next five, or six rather. In the number six spot we have the New York Rangers, then the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, and the Anaheim Ducks.
The New York Rangers will hope this season has a happier ending than the last. The offseason saw a change at the coaching position and the loss of a few players. No key losses for the Rangers kept them at the top of the rankings though. Rangers fans just hope to see Rick Nash finally break away from his chains in the playoffs, and just have to cross their fingers that the league’s best goalie Henrik Lundqvist gets his extension done soon. The Rangers have a solid line up and it’s hard to bet against any team backed by Lundqvist. The Rangers odds are 14/1 this season.
The Vancouver Canucks swapped coaches with the Rangers after yet another season of being knocked out of playoffs earlier than expected. While the Canucks were able to settle their problem in net when they traded away Corey Schneider, and it should help Roberto Luongo get back to focusing on playing in net. The Canucks lineup is still loaded with tons of talent and they’re set to have another good season this season. I think the Canucks odds of 14/1 may be a bit too high, but that’s where they’ve got them. The Canucks will have a good year, but I don’t have faith that they can get to the finish line just yet.
The Detroit Red Wings proved everyone wrong last season, when they’re rebuilding season got them into the second round of the playoffs, and nearly beat the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks. The Red Wings went out and made a few big signings in Stephen Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson, and revamped their offense with scoring threats. The Wings defense is still young, but if they can take the step to the next level, they can turn Jimmy Howard into a superstar. Howard has proved his worth in net, and has proved that he has the skill and ability to carry a team, if the defense can step up this season and learn from the mistakes last year, the Wings are going to be really dangerous. I would say their odds of 15/1 may be a bit low, making them a great choice to bet on.
The San Jose Sharks are beginning to age, and players like Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau may be entering their last seasons in San Jose, making it a good possibility that this could be their last chance to win a Stanley Cup in California. The Sharks have a ton of skill on their roster, and Antti Niemi is one of the more underrated goalies in the league. The Sharks are sitting right where they should be with 18/1 odds. The Sharks could be a fairly safe bet, knowing they have the skill to get deep into the playoffs, the only question is if will they be able to finally get that monkey off of their shoulders and push through the talent in the playoffs.
The Montreal Canadiens dudded out in the playoffs last season, but still had a pretty impressive regular season last year. The Canadiens hit a skid at the end of the season and staggered their way into the playoffs limping, and weren’t able to get out of the first round. The Canadiens have a good team and have warranted their 20/1 odds, and with the addition of Danny Briere this offseason, they have a chance to do some damage in the playoffs. Carey Price is still a talent in net, they just need to get all of the pieces together and they may find their way deep into the playoffs.
The Anaheim Ducks let their emotions get the best of them in the playoffs last season, and fell in the first round. The Ducks have an impressive roster and I would think they would have odds a bit higher than 20/1. The Ducks have playmaking talent in Ryan Getzlaf, and scoring in Coresy Perry. The Ducks also have a great one, two punch in net with Viktor Fasth and Jonas Hiller. The Ducks deserve better than what they’ve been given, and I would think that they’ve got a great opportunity to do well this season through the regular season into the playoffs, and I would dare to say they would be a great team to bet on.