October is a hallowed month in the NHL as it signals the beginning of hockey betting. While the preseason isn’t devoid of entertainment, nothing can rival the intensity of watching the best hockey players in the world duke it out on the ice. The return of hockey gives players the ability to fight for glory and fans the chance to make some lucrative wagers. Bettors must know the strengths and weakness of each NHL team in order to make the best possible predictions. You already know where the worst goalie tandems lie in the NHL, but which clubs have a brick wall in the net?
Washington Capitals, Barden Holtby
While Holtby has been great for the Capitals ever since he became a starter in 2012, there’s no denying last year was the highlight of his career. With a record of 48-9-7 Holtby tied the NHL record for most wins in a season currently co-held by Martin Brodeur. On top of that Holtby also took home the Vezina Trophy for being the league’s most dominant goalkeeper. Equally as impressive was the 22-game streak where Holtby didn’t let the opponent win in regulation (20-0-2). The Capitals are currently tied with the Penguins for the lowest hockey betting odds at +905 and this placing can largely be attributed to the beast they have in the net.
Los Angeles Kings, Jonathan Quick
Even better than his last name is Quick’s track record which boasts 2 Stanley Cup Championships, 1 Conn Smythe trophy – the NHL’s MVP award, and 1 Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP award. Last season Quick had the most starts in the league with 68 and second most wins with 40. Over last three seasons Quick has not failed to put up at least 27 wins with a GAA of 2.24 or lower, a save percentage of at least .915, and 5 shutouts minimum. A glance at the Kings’ odds will reveal that many of the best betting websites expect Quick to make that 4 consecutive years.
Montreal Canadiens, Carey Price
Price was only able to play for 12 games last season due to an MCL sprain in his right knee sustained in late November. Price however, was still able to post promising figures going 10-2-0 with an outstanding save percentage of .934. Last season’s performance was an impressive follow up to the 2014-15 season which saw Price lead the league in wins, GAA, and save percentage, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Ed Belfour did it back in 1991. After Price’s injury the Canadiens went on to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2012. If they are able to keep Price healthy you can be confident the Canadiens will be appearing in the hockey betting playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning, Ben Bishop
Bishop is also known as ‘Big Ben’ for his stature. Towering at 6’7” he’s more than capable of plugging up the net. There’s no doubt his height contributed to his 2.06 GAA, highest in the league. The 29-year old was also able to tie for second in both save percentage (.926) and shutouts (6) last season. Bishop has had his eye on the Stanley Cup for quite some time now reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season and the Stanley Cup Finals in 2015.
