NHL’s Rearview Mirror Is Getting Crowded As Tuesday Rolls Around

The NHL is one of those leagues where the regular season is so long that just about anything can happen. The online betting websites may disregard a team for its slow start, but then the websites will have to recognize a team as the All-Star break approaches because of the strides that team has made. This season, the All-Star break has been replaced with the Olympic break, which is still a sore point of discussion for hockey fans. But as December gets underway, it looks like there are a few teams that will make the NHL betting experts earn their money as they refigure the Stanley Cup futures.

Tuesday – Carolina Hurricanes @ Washington Capitals

When NHL fans talk about the new Metropolitan Division, all of the talk is about the division leading Pittsburgh Penguins. The new divisions in the NHL have placed the Penguins in the same division with the Washington Capitals, and the Capitals are making the Penguins work for their first place seed. The Caps have leapfrogged the Rangers to take over second place in the Metropolitan Division and now Washington has its sights set on the Penguins. The Carolina Hurricanes are still trying to find their way and their inconsistencies are showing every night. This is a good chance for Washington to move itself even closer to the top of its new division.

Pick: Washington Capitals

Tuesday – Dallas Stars @ Chicago Blackhawks

The sports book experts are not surprised that the Chicago Blackhawks are, once again, the best team in the NHL. This is, after all, the exact same team that dominated the league and won the Stanley Cup last season. That tag of “shortened season” still haunts the Blackhawks and they want to erase any notion that last year was a fluke. The Dallas Stars are still trying to make things work with new head coach Lindy Ruff, but the team is making progress. The Stars are only seven points out of fourth place in their division, and the team is working hard to climb that ladder. But this game could be another pin that works to bust the bubble that the Stars seem to have built.

Pick: Chicago Blackhawks

Tuesday – Vancouver Canucks @ Nashville Predators

Both the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators are two teams that have been torn apart by free agency and organizational in-fighting. But the Predators have managed to pull themselves together as of late and could be on the verge of climbing the Western Conference standings. Each time the Canucks get some traction in the standings, they lose that traction and fall back to the lower parts of the conference standings. The Predators and the Canucks need this game, but it will be the Predators who continue their march towards playoff contention. Look for Nashville to be an interesting team to keep an eye on as the Olympic break rolls around.