Online Sports Betting Overview
It is the talk of every hockey expert in the world. Even the experts for online March Madness betting are talking about it. Teams in both conferences did not think it was possible, but now teams in the Eastern Conference have to deal with it. It is the rise of the New Jersey Devils. Around Christmastime, the Devils were dead last in the league and nowhere near a playoff spot. As people start to fill out their March Madness bracket, the New Jersey Devils sit six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 13 games to play. It doesn’t matter who the team is, the Devils have beat them.
The Washington Capitals also got off to a slow start this season, but nothing nearly as slow as the Devils. For the Capitals, it all started changing when HBO did the “24/7” programs leading up to the 2011 Winter Classic. The Capitals had a chance to watch their own terrible play while sitting at home, and they knew the rest of the world could see it as well. Ever since the 2011 Winter Classic, the price per head fortunes of the Capitals have changed dramatically and they are now one of the top teams in the East.
New Jersey Devils
You could almost count the number of losses the Devils have had since Jacques Lemaire took over as head coach in late December on one hand. In the last 10 games, the Devils are 8-2-0 and are riding yet another three-game winning streak. Legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur is 4-1-0 in his last five starts, and he has only allowed two goals against in all of those starts. Now that Lemaire is in charge, the Devils have gone back to the defensive trap. It slows games down and compensates for the Devils’ inability to score. Ilya Kovalchuk had finally come to life and is putting the puck in the net, but the Devils are winning with defense and they just keep winning.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals had been on a nine-game winning streak until their most recent loss to the Detroit Red Wings. The Capitals are 9-1-0 in the last 10 games, and they are scoring goals by the boatload. The Capitals are 19-13-3 on the road, which is not nearly as impressive as their 22-8-7 home record. But the Caps are playing sound hockey in all aspects of the game, and they pose a strong challenge for the New Jersey Devils.
The Bottom Line
This will be one of the best regular season games fans will have seen in a long time. If you hold a ticket for this game, frame it when the game is over. These are two great defensive teams with hot goaltenders meeting in a game that the New Jersey Devils desperately need. The Washington Capitals seem to win and lose in streaks. They follow up long winning streaks with short losing streaks. The loss to Detroit may represent the beginning of one of those losing streaks. At least, that is what the New Jersey Devils are going to try and make happen as they climb ever closer to the climax of an amazing regular season NHL story.
Pick: New Jersey Devils
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