NHL 2011-2012 season

[W.HI.P]

NHL 2011 - 2012 season

Eastern Conference

Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers Defense is the absolute elite in the game.
In addition, they've signed one of the best goalies in the game Ilya Bryzgalov.
The attack doesn't seem quite as strong, but they won't need to score too many with a D and Goalie like they have

Tampa Bay Lightning
If this team had a goalie, i would be screaming and yelling about this team being this seasons Stanley Cup champions.
This is the best all round team in the game.
The D is elite, headed by one of the best D-lines in the game with Hedman and Brewer.
Their attack is out of this world!

Washington Capitols
Best first line in the game with Backstrom, Ovechkin and Semin.
Vokoun was an amazing pick up.
Their defense remains very questionable.

Boston Bruins
The Bruins are not as good as everyone thinks.
I believe they can make the play-offs, but I don't think they're a legitimate contender for this years cup.
Both Rask and Thomas have had more bad years than good years.
They're a well rounded team, but i wouldn't be surprised if they ended up being a borderline play-off team.

NY Rangers
Lundqvist is as good as they get.
He has a pretty weak defense in front of him, which in my books, places him on top of all goalies in the game.
The Rangers have a very impressive first line, complimented with the 2nd 3rd and 4th, which are all above par.

Toronto Maple Leafs
I've been bashing this teams for decades, but this looks like its it.
I rank the Leafs Defense in the top 5 in the league, all 3 lines are impressive!
The forwards are very young, and of a high calibure.
I'm certain that this team is play-off bound, and would not be surprised if they had home ice advantage come play-off time.

Buffalo Sabres
This is not a bad team.
Success this season will rely heavily on Miller and Myers.
The attack is above par, so they should be right around the play-off border.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Expectations have fallen for the Penguins this season.
The D is not quite up to par, and with Crosby out for a while, i can see them struggling early on.
The may or may not get it together in time to make a run at the play-offs

Ottawa Senators
Everyone has this team pegged for the pit, I do not.
Sure the attack is aging a tad, but Filatov may prove to be a golden pick-up.
The defense is what makes me see this team as a possible play-off contender.
Anderson is a pretty good goalie, which is something the Senators have been lacking.

New Jersey Devils
This team is not that bad, but how do they expect to achieve anything without a goalie?

Carolina Hurricaine
I can't believe what i just heard them say on TSN about this team being a sure bet for the play-offs.
How is that going to happen exactly?

Winnepeg Jets
Nice Goalie, great D, but under par attack, will leave this new team just under .500 for the season, although i wish them the best.

Montreal Canadiens
As much as i love this team, i have to be honest and say that they are one of the absolute weakest team in the game this season.

NY Islanders
This team is suffering from the several contract mistakes made through-out the years.
I like some of the young guys, but it will take some time to get out of this rut.

Florida Panthers
What are they doing down there in Florida?
The D's not that bad, but everything else is clearly bad.

Western Conference

Anaheim Ducks
Wow, it didn't take long for this team to get back in contention.
Hiller is elite.
The D looks pretty good.
The first line of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan, is one of the 3 best lines in the game.
The only weakness i see in this team is the 3rd and 4th line, which don't seem as good as some other teams 3rd and 4th lines.
Easily in the play-offs, despite being in the best division in the NHL.
The west is up in the air!

LA Kings
Drew Doughty and Jack Johnson are probably the best defensive pair in the game.
Quick and Bernier were both amazing last season, i expect nothing less.
The attack is great.
This is a strong contender for this years stanley cup.

San Jose Sharks
All 3 D lines are stellar.
The attack remains elite, the team is as tough as they come.
I have questions about the goaltending.
The team is clearly in the play-offs, but one muse question their play-off woes of the past.

Detroit Red Wings
This is still a good team.
I'm gonna start questioning them when Lidstrom slows down, but he has yet to show signs of that happening.
Good goalie and an above par attack see's this team in the play-offs yet again.

Chicago Blackhawks
Not the superstar team of that Stanley Cup win, but you have to like what they've done to remain in contention.
They are good all around, and should easily make the play-offs.

St.Louis Blues
You have to like the looks of this roster.
They hold more good players than any other team.
No true superstar, but their lines are full.
The goalie is amazing, with a pretty good back-up.
I will be very surprised if this team is not in the play-offs.

Minnesota Wild
Now here is a well run team.
They keep making all the right moves for the future, and it should start paying off.
I'm not 100% sure they'll make the play-offs this season, but they should be in and around there.
If i ran the team, i would draft for 1 more year or 2 at max, and then maybe make a run for it.

Vancouver Canucks
This team just gets older and older.
This is not the way to run a franchise.
They have no future, no present, and clearly no future.
If they ever make the play-offs again, it'll have to be this year, as the only players they hold, will be in old age homes by the end of the decade.
This the worst NHL franchise of all time.

Colorado Avalanche
I really like the moves this team has been making.
I would not be surprised if this team squeezed into the play-offs.

Calgary Flames
Perhaps i'm underestimating this team a tad.
They do have a fair amount of good players.
However, they don't seem like a championship team this year.

Columbus Blue Jackets
They have a very impressive first line, but some of these holes in the other lines have yet to be filled.
Steve Mason will determine whether or not this team can compete.
If he has the kind of year he had when he was 19, then they're in.
if he doesn't, then they're out.

Phoinex Coyotes
I highly doubt this team will be able to achieve what they did last season.
I'm not impressed with this roster at all.

Nashville Predators
I was almost fooled by their good run last year, but i've smartened up.
This is not a play-off contention team, sorry.

Edmonton Oilers
A team of the future perhaps, but still far from it

Dalas Stars
Is this an attempt to be the worst team in the game?
What are they doing in Dallas?
They're weak on every single level.

[classicman]

Go Flyers!

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by classicman

Go Flyers!

Yeah, right, you bimbo.

LET'S GO FLYERS!



I can't agree with you about anything, ken eye?

[monster]

Devils no goalie?

[W.HI.P]

Originally Posted by monster

Devils no goalie?

Well yeah, he should have retired already.
The most honest stat for a goalie in the NHL is save percentage.
He was ranked 31st last season.
He's old, way past retirement.
He's not going to be better.
Don't get me wrong, i rank Brodeur amongst the highest of all time, but he's just nothing close to what he was.
The Devils need to find a #1 Goalie if they're gonna compete.
Hedberg isn't bad, but he's clearly not a starting goalie at this time, he's a back up, and one could say, a weak back-up compared to back-up goalies other teams have.

[monster]

WINGS! could have done without the last three though. what a shambles.

[W.HI.P]

In a drafting system, it is tough to determine which teams will be sacrificing the season to better their team.
With Phoenix and Florida, its easy calls, but sometimes its a great team who has their eye on a guy in the draft, in which case, it becomes a shamble.
I'm pretty confident in my picks, especially the green ones.
History in the cellar shows me being extremely accurate in the NHL.

[W.HI.P]

My long term bets for this seasons divisions are as follows :

Philadelphia Flyers @ 2.10
Tampa Bay lightning @ 3.50
Anaheim Ducks @ 7.50
Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8.50
New York Rangers @ 10.00
St.Louis Blues @ 19.00
Colorado Avalanche @ 26.00
Minesota Wild @ 31.00

[W.HI.P]

Originally Posted by W.HI.P

My long term bets for this seasons divisions are as follows :

Philadelphia Flyers @ 2.10
Tampa Bay lightning @ 3.50
Anaheim Ducks @ 7.50
Toronto Maple Leafs @ 8.50
New York Rangers @ 10.00
St.Louis Blues @ 19.00
Colorado Avalanche @ 26.00
Minesota Wild @ 31.00

Just for the record, I didn't actually end up taking the St.Louis Blues, although the price has gone down quite a bit(From 19.00 to 10.00), so in that regard, perhaps I should have.
I was considering the Detroit Red Wings for the division, but the price was at 1.80 at the time, which is too low for me.
Its gone up to 2.15 right now, but I'm hoping they lose a couple games in a row to push the price up to 2.50, and then I'll probably jump all over it.

[classicman]

9-8 loss last night for the Flyers. Could they possibly miss Pronger any more? This is looking just like the end of last years :/

[W.HI.P]

I wasn't that surprised that phillie allowed 9 goals in without Pronger, i was however surprised that Phillie scored 8

[W.HI.P]

Wow!
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in first place overall in the NHL at this moment in time!

They look really good on the ice, playing a very gung-ho game at times.
This can be dangerous, and can make the goalie's stats look bad with all the breakaways that form from this style of play, but it has paid off so far.
The Leafs can score! (Ranked 2nd in the NHL in Goals)
Teams are gonna adjust and find solutions against them, so lets see how the Leafs adjust when that happens.

Goaltender Reimer is back for the next game, Scrivens may prove to be a better back up than the monster is.

It's been a few decades since the Toronto Maple Leafs looked this good!

[W.HI.P]

Originally Posted by W.HI.P

Just for the record, I didn't actually end up taking the St.Louis Blues, although the price has gone down quite a bit(From 19.00 to 10.00), so in that regard, perhaps I should have.
I was considering the Detroit Red Wings for the division, but the price was at 1.80 at the time, which is too low for me.
Its gone up to 2.15 right now, but I'm hoping they lose a couple games in a row to push the price up to 2.50, and then I'll probably jump all over it.

Ok, i've officially taken the Detroit Red Wings to win their division at 2.65.

[W.HI.P]

The highest paying divisional bet that i made this year (Minnesota Wild @ 31/1) is the #1 team in hockey so far.
The closest team to them, are the NY Rangers, who I also took at 10/1.
The Rangers are 3 points back for the Eastern conference lead, but have played 4 games less than the leading team.
Two picks that aren't going so well are the Lightning and the Ducks.
With the lightning, its not that big of a thing, as their main opponents Capitols are struggling as well.
I'm not that afraid of the early leaders Panthers, who will most likely end the season in third in the division.
With the Ducks, it seems like an impossible task, as they sit in a division with the superpower Sharks and Kings.

Just so ya'll get an idea what kind of profits were talking about.
1 of the several bets i've made this season on division wins, includes a likely combination of the Detroit Red Wings, NY Rangers, and Minnesota Wild winning their respective divisions.
The combination of these 3, has a payout of 779/1.
A $50 bet pays just under $40.000

Another bet, combining the Leafs, the Wild and the Rangers has a pay-out of 2635/1 .....a $50 bet, pays out $131.750

So we're talking about pursuing some serious money, with a small in comparison sacrifice.

Early placed, long term bets are the way to go with your serious cash.
Daily bets are for immediate entertainment, and should be placed with the minimum amount of money.

[monster]

Go Matt Hackett! I knew him when he was just a pimply youth. oh wait....