The NHL All-Star break is here. It represents a good time to evaluate the contenders and the pretenders to win the hardest trophy in sports \u2013 the Stanley Cup<\/strong>. In the NHL the cream has really started to rise to the top \u2013 there are some legitimate threats to win it all this year.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at 10 teams to keep an eye on and why they have a legitimate shot at bringing home Lord Stanley\u2019s Mug.<\/p>\n There are a lot of reasons to like the betting favorites. Unfortunately there are reasons to shy away from this team as well.<\/p>\n [dfads params=’groups=64160&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with the good \u2013 Chicago\u2019s roster is the envy of nearly every team in the game, their recent playoff experience is off the charts (two Championships in the last six years) and they have about a good a coach as there is in the game right now.<\/p>\n But \u2013 and that is a big but, the Hawks have shown a wild inconsistency this season that we haven\u2019t seen in quite some time. Case in point \u2013 their current 5-5-0 stretch in which they have lost to some pretty poor teams.<\/p>\n The Hawks will have their backers and rightfully so but to me \u2013 it just doesn\u2019t look like their year to come out of the tough Western Conference.<\/p>\n The Ducks have overcome a mumps outbreak that sideline a few of their stars, injuries and a pretty tough Pacific Division schedule to emerge in top spot in the Overall Standings at the break \u2013 impressive indeed.<\/p>\n Anaheim been as good on the road as they have been at home \u2013 the Ducks have 5 regulation losses on home ice and away from home \u2013 a perfect attribute for the grind of the playoffs! There is also the addition of Ryan Kesler which takes the onus off the top line to cover their opposition\u2019s top guys and then there is the outstanding play of goaltender Frederik Andersen this year. The Ducks are set from the crease out \u2013 as complete a team as there is in the game right now.<\/p>\n All of the arrows are pointing directly up for the Ducks this year. They have everything needed to make a deep run this year and are my pick to win it all.<\/p>\n The Habs feel they have some unfinished business \u2013 they lost in the East final last year \u2013 when Carey Price was forced out of the series due to injury. This year everyone seems healthy. Montreal has been consistently good all season long with just one slump a couple of months back \u2013 consistency wins in the playoffs!<\/p>\n With perhaps the best goaltender in the league \u2013 Carey Price, the biggest game changer on defense \u2013 PK Subban and two quality scoring lines, Montreal is certainly a threat. They are one of just a handful of teams in a somewhat weak East that stand out and own the second best defense in the game. You gotta love Montreal\u2019s chances to advance to the Final this year as perhaps the hungriest team in the East.<\/p>\n The Blues have been built for playoff success \u2013 they are big, they are tough and they are a nightmare to play against \u2013 similar to an LA Kings team that has won two of the last four Championships. Their defense has been sensational \u2013 just 111 goals against is fifth best in the NHL and their 148 goals for is third best in the game.<\/p>\n [dfads params=’groups=16&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]<\/p>\n The Blues have had a taste of playoff success and could quietly be the hungriest of the Western Conference teams. Simply put \u2013 there is no shame in supporting the Blues to win it all \u2013 they are a close second in my eyes behind Anaheim \u2013 decent value at 10\/1.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t look now but the Bruins are coming! After an unflattering start to the season they have climbed back into the playoff picture on the heels of a 6-1-3 stretch. Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Cara and company always show up during the second season but this doesn\u2019t look like the same Bruins team to me \u2013 AT ALL!<\/p>\n Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will both miss the All-Star game \u2013 uh-oh! The Penguins are a pretty fragile team in the playoffs and absolutely need everybody at full health in order to be a serious contender. Even at full health, their playoff record as of late has been horrendous \u2013 I just can\u2019t imagine Marc-Andre Fleury shaking his long-standing playoff demons.<\/p>\n The Lightning are getting no love from Vegas! They lead the Eastern Conference standings at the All-Star break thanks to the best offense in the game \u2013 156 goals thus far. Defense wins Championships however and despite Ben Bishop\u2019s tremendous play this year, defense is a perceived weakness on this team.<\/p>\n Just ask Pittsburgh how a good offense and poor defense has worked out for them in recent playoff tries!<\/p>\n Last year\u2019s Eastern Conference Champs have something to prove and their recent play suggests that they could be prime for another long playoff run. They have won 15 of their last 18 games \u2013 as hot a team as there is at the All-Star Break.<\/p>\n [dfads params=’groups=64161&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]<\/p>\n With Rick Nash scorching and Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes, the Broadway Blueshirts are decent value to return to the final this year.<\/p>\n How about the Wings? They enter the All-Star break on a five game win streak and in fifth in the Overall standings. The Wings have some serious experience and will be playing hard for a Coach that may depart at season\u2019s end. Detroit\u2019s success rests souly on health \u2013 something they haven\u2019t been able to count on in recent years.<\/p>\n Something tells me injuries will come for this team \u2013 they are usually decimated by year\u2019s end!<\/p>\n Looking for some value? How about the Predators who sit second in the Overall standings at the All-Star break and have maintained their stellar play despite the absence of their Vezina-claiber goaltender Pekka Rinne. Nashville is the best defensive team in the game, they have a league-best +33 goal differential and are a league best 18-2-1 on home ice at the Break.<\/p>\n When Rinne returns from injury, the Preds will continue to be awfully tough. If they stay atop the standings and are afforded home ice in the playoffs, the Preds could emerge and pay their backers off royally!<\/p>\n CappersPicks.com NHL Betting<\/a> and gambling site provides the BEST Online hockey predictions<\/a> for you to bet on for the NHL hockey season! Stick with us all season long!<\/b><\/p>\n [dfads params=’groups=63706&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Betting on NHL Futures? The NHL All-Star break is here. It represents a good time to evaluate the contenders and the pretenders to win the hardest trophy in sports \u2013 the Stanley Cup. In the NHL the cream has really started to rise to the top \u2013 there are some legitimate threats to win it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":76508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[61013,65145,65070,1954,3800,11471,2284,3207],"class_list":["post-92962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl","tag-61013","tag-2015-nhl-odds","tag-2015-stanley-cup-futures","tag-bet-on-hockey","tag-nhl-free-picks","tag-nhl-hockey-picks","tag-nhl-odds","tag-nhl-predictions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92962"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92962\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93010,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92962\/revisions\/93010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/capperspicks.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Bet on NHL Hockey!<\/h3>\n
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\n ***2015 BONUSES***<\/a><\/strong>
\n[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\nChicago Blackhawks 5\/1<\/h3>\n
Anaheim Ducks 7\/1<\/h3>\n
Montreal Canadiens 10\/1<\/h3>\n
St. Louis Blues 10\/1<\/h3>\n
Boston Bruins 11\/1<\/h3>\n
Pittsburgh Penguins 11\/1<\/h3>\n
Tampa Bay Lightning 12\/1<\/h3>\n
New York Rangers 14\/1<\/h3>\n
Detroit Red Wings 16\/1<\/h3>\n
Nashville Predators 18\/1<\/h3>\n