We have reached the All-Star Break, and the NHL, as usual, is not without its share of storylines. Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin are not on first-place teams, the Blackhawks are traveling a tough road back to a repeat, and Canada is abuzz with the Canucks and their possible bid for a championship.
It should be interesting the rest of the way. But, in the interim, here are the best and worst bets in the NHL so far this season:
Biggest surprise team (good): Tampa Bay Lightning (31-15-5)
Seven years ago, the Lightning appeared on the verge of a dynasty. They had just won the Stanley Cup over Calgary, and with a young nucleus of forwards – Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and Brad Richards – playing at a time when the Eastern Conference was a bit down, it seemed the possibilities were endless.
It never panned out. There were injuries, there were coaching changes, there were defections, there were daily reminders about just how tough it is to keep a good thing going in the NHL.
But this time, they may have it figured out. Lecavalier and St. Louis remain, but Steven Stamkos is now the straw that stirs the drink. He has 38 goals, St. Louis has 40 assists and the Lightning, despite the presence of the high-flying Washington Capitals in the Southeast Division, are in first place. And if the season ended today, they’d be the No. 2 seed in the East.
Biggest surprise team (bad): New Jersey Devils (16-30-3)
Listen, all teams in all leagues go through losing phases. Eventually, the Devils – with their three Stanley Cups across 15 seasons of Eastern Conference dominance – were going to have to take some lumps.
But this many? They had to change coaches in December, John MacLean out, Jacques Lemaire in. They had to trade their captain, Jamie Langenbrunner, back to Dallas. And they still have to answer questions about the off-again, on-again contract of Ilya Kovalchuk that has cast a dark cloud over the entire franchise.
The Devils, even with a late, little run of success into the All-Star Break, are still the worst team in the league, 22 points out of a playoff spot. There is little hope for this season, and with an undesirable salary-cap future, thanks to Kovalchuk, it may get worse before it gets better in Newark.
Best over team: Phoenix Coyotes (30-19)
There are some candidates who tried to win this award -- the Islanders and Hurricanes among them -- but a late, impressive over run headed into the break leaves the Coyotes alone at the podium.
Phoenix, which defeated Colorado, 5-2, on Wednesday night to end the first half, closed with overs in nine of their last 10 games. It doesn’t get much better than that for totals players.
Ilya Bryzgalov has been OK in net overall for Phoenix, but with a 2.64 goals-against average, he’s giving his offense a chance to secure overs seemingly every night. And gritty, veteran forwards, like Ray Whitney and Shane Doan, have taken advantage. The Coyotes have seven players with at least 25 points. Not bad.
Best under team: Washington Capitals (14-36)
A runaway winner, and it’s not hard to see why. They are overvalued far too often. The presence of Alexander Ovechkin, and the perceived lack of goaltending experience and skill, makes them an easy over target for the general betting public.
The oddsmakers are then forced to overcompensate, the totals then become affected, and, in the end, it becomes even harder for the Capitals to help their bettors cash in.
There is plenty of hockey left, and let’s face it: It’s not like the Capitals, in second place in the Southeast, are hurting for points. But when you close the first half with two losses in three days – in which you scored one total goal – it’s going to be tough to shed the under label anytime soon.
Best ATS team: New York Islanders (32-17)
The Islanders are bad, and they’re going to stay bad for a while. But they have youth, they have spunk and if you’ve watched them at all this season, you know they do not quit.
Which makes them a perfect play for spread bettors, as you often get more than a goal with this team. And while they lose plenty, they often lose by a goal, be it in overtime or in regulation, and they’ve even been known to win a few games, here and there. They had four victories in January, and three losses by one goal.
The addition of goaltender Evgeni Nabokov, who declined to join the team, would have helped. But just the fact that they went after him, shows you this team is not accepting failure, in the front office and on the ice. Keep them on your radar.
Worst ATS team: Washington Capitals (17-34)
The value factor comes into play yet again. This team gets far too much public love, and they are then placed with lines they just cannot top on a nightly basis.
No team – whether it has Ovechkin or not – can beat 1.5-goal spreads with ultra-consistency in today’s game, and the Capitals are proof. And to make matters worse, Washington has gone on some horrendous losing streaks. The Capitals lost seven games, in fact, in January alone, and were shut out three times in that span.
Best home bet: Vancouver Canucks (17-3-5)
Is this the year? Can the Canucks shake their shaky playoff past, and win a Stanley Cup that Canada has been waiting for since 1993? To be determined.
What’s important for the bettor right now, is that the Canucks are dominant at home. And you should jump on the bandwagon.
Goaltender Roberto Luongo, with 23 wins, appears motivated this season, and forward Ryan Kesler, with 27 goals, is having a breakout season that most people aren’t aware of.
If the season ended today, Vancouver would be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and would be able to test that home-ice dominance through at least three rounds.
Worst home bet: Edmonton Oilers (7-13-4)
This is a bit of a surprise. The Oilers are very young, and can be overwhelmed at times, sure.
But on their ice, with their fans, one would think they’d be able to win a few more games during the marathon that is the NHL season, just by virtue of so many teams having to travel so far to play in Edmonton.
Looking back, January is what killed this team. The Oilers went 1-5 at home this month, with the only victory, a 2-1 decision over the Islanders.
Best road bet: Philadelphia Flyers (17-5-3)
They’re pretty good at home, too, but when they get on the road, the Flyers flex their depth and just take over. No matter who is in goal, Philadelphia will always be able to roll out four lines, and now that Chris Pronger is back on defense, the sky is the limit.
Philadelphia posted six road wins in January, including impressive ones over Detroit and Chicago, and lost just two games in the month … total.
There’s a lot of talk in Pennsylvania these days about an Eastern Conference final between the Flyers and Penguins. That indeed would be a treat. And if you’re looking that far down the road, keep in mind, the Flyers opened this season Oct. 7, with a 3-2 road win ... at Pittsburgh.
Worst road bet: New Jersey Devils (7-17-1)
Last game of the first half is a perfect example. The Devils, fighting for every point they can get and on a four-game winning streak, stroll into Detroit … and lose, 3-1.
When you have young players on defense, which the Devils do, and a lack of consistent scoring, which they Devils do, it’s tough to win on the road in this league.
And now, the games are going to get even more serious, as teams prep for the playoffs. Look for the Devils to remain victims in this scenario.
