The NHL is finally back for the 2012-13 season. The lockout is behind us, the short training camps have finished and we get right into meaningful hockey with every point huge in this shortened season. The NHL kicks off with a big Saturday, with 13 games on tap and 26 teams in action.
I will be adding daily posts with my free NHL picks throughout the season, so bookmaker the website and follow along.
Let’s get off to a winning start right off the bat and build throughout the season.
Ottawa Senators @ Winnipeg Jets
You will probably see me backing the Senators a lot this season because I feel they are undervalued by the bookmakers. Just check out my playoff prop or over/under point prop articles to see just how undervalued they are. The Senators are a much better team than the Winnipeg Jets and I don’t see the road trip being that much of a problem at this point in the season. The Sens have a fairly easy start to the season in terms of competition so they know getting a good start out of the gate will be crucial if they are going to return to the playoffs.
Play: Senators +115 (Bookmaker.eu)
New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins
The Rangers are Bruins are two of the top 4 teams in the East (Flyers and Pens are the other two and they are also battling it out tomorrow) so I expect this to be a dog fight. I’m giving the edge to the Bruins because they won’t be trying to find chemistry on their top lines, it will already be there as the team is almost identical to last years except for Rask in net. The Nash line may have some trouble tomorrow, especially against a defence that boasts Zdeno Chara, the best shut down d-man in the league.
Play: Bruins -125 (Bet365.com)
Detroit Red Wings @ St. Louis Blues
This is a battle between the old and the new of the central division. The Blues were no fluke last year and I expect them to come out of the gate flying. The Red Wings will miss Lidstrom even more than many people are predicting. The Blues are decent favorites in this game and rightfully so. I think they wear down the Wings, many of who may not be game fit, in this one.
Play: Blues -130 (Bet365.com)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Tagged with: Boston Bruins • Detroit Red Wings • New York Rangers • Ottawa Senators • St. Louis Blues • Winnipeg Jets