You could call the NHL’s Eastern Conference the John Wayne Conference, because when these teams hit the ice it’s all about true grit. Eastern Conference hockey tends to be hard-fought, tight-checking hockey, with plenty of physical play and self-sacrfiice in the form of shot blockers who risk injury by defying logic and throwing their body in front of the puck. That doesn’t mean you don’t see superstars who can shine at both ends of the rink. The emphasis on defensive hockey is evident in the knowledge that the majority of Vezina Trophy winners and Norris Trophy winners over the past decade have plied their trade in the Eastern Conference.
But so have many of the Art Ross Trophy winners, so while stopping is their stock and trade, Eastern Conference teams suit up plenty of stars who know how to make the red light illuminate.
Best NHL Eastern Conference Game Betting Lines
Eastern Conference games tend to be close, physical battles, with goals at a premium, so the wise bettor willing to put the time in for close study of these teams will have the best chance at success.
Is a team playing on the second night of back-to-back games and likely to go with their back-up goalie? Who’s injured and probably not going to play? Which teams send out potent power-play units, because when games are decided by one goal, often the team that wins the special teams battle is the team that wins the day?
These are questions you’ll want to answer before polacing your bets.
What Are The NHL Eastern Conference Standings
These are the NHL Eastern Conference standings. With playoff positions on the line and teams fighting tooth and nail for every available point, the order of teams will change frequently.
Incorporate the study of this data part into your daily regimen if you want to enjoy any sort of wagering success.
Any sort of two or three-game streak, whether it be winning or losing, can put a team into a solid position or plummet them into serious jeopardy. Watch and remember which teams are enjoying a long homestand, and which teams are about to embark upon a treacherous road journey. Know who is injured and late in the season, be wary of bottom feeders who might just be tanking games in order to get better odds of winning the entry draft lottery.
Eastern Conference Betting Tips
Containing five of the Original Six NHL franchises - the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs - there's plenty of tradition in the NHL's Eastern Conference. And there's plenty of other teams that have developed their own aura since entering the league as expansion franchises, such as the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders.
You'll see lots of different hockey styles in the NHL's Eastern Conference - the up-tempo puck-possession game of the Red Wings and Penguins, the physically punishing game played by both the Bruins and Flyers.
Don't discount some of the newer teams in the conference, either. The Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the best franchises in the game and the Buffalo Sabres and Florida Panthers are assembling a bevvy of young talent that should see them rise rapidly into contenders.
Eastern Conference teams recently went through a bit of a barren patch before the Penguins won the Cup in 2016. Western Conference teams had won the previous four Stanley Cup - all which were split between the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks.
But the Eastern Conference have some great teams, including the Caps, who have never before won the Cup. Alexander Ovechkin needs to win soon or will miss his chance to lift Lord Stanley. And that would be a massive shame, as it's the one thing the Russian superstar desires the most.
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