The struggling Edmonton Oilers will continue to search for answers when they play host to the New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks this weekend.
The 6-11-2 Oilers have tumbled to 28th overall in the NHL after losing eight of their last 10 games, dropping to distant 200/1 longshots in Stanley Cup betting at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
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Edmonton will have an opportunity to right the ship when the Devils visit on Friday night. The 8-9-2 Devils have endured recent struggles of their own, losers in six of their last eight, averaging just 1.75 goals during that stretch with their last four games finishing UNDER the total.
The Hawks follow the Devils into Edmonton on Saturday night, gunning for their eighth win at Rexall Centre in their last 11 visits. But Chicago has also underachieved in the early going, struggling to maintain a .500 record through the first month of the season.
The result has been a dip in Chicago’s Stanley Cup betting odds, from a league-leading 13/2 at the conclusion of the NHL preseason to 7/1 heading into this weekend’s action.
Fans and bettors alike will be holding their breath in anticipation of which Toronto Maple Leafs squad will show up for their matchup this weekend with the division rival Detroit Red Wings.
Toronto has endured a roller coaster week ahead of Saturday night’s Red Wings vs. Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre.
After being thumped by the bottom-feeding Buffalo Sabres last weekend in a game where they were pegged as heavy 1/2 moneyline favorites, the Leafs were humiliated on home ice by the Nashville Predators, suffering a 9-2 defeat; the first time the Leafs had surrendered nine goals in a game since 1991.
The Leafs bounced back with a solid 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday to improve to 10-8-2 on the season, and enter the week ranked fourth in the NHL in goal production, scoring 3.1 goals per game.
The Calgary Flames will look to continue their winning ways when they welcome the Devils to the Saddledome on Saturday night. The Flames are off to a solid 12-6-2 start, putting them squarely in the hunt for top spot in the ultra-competitive Pacific Division.
However, oddsmakers have yet to hop on the Flames bandwagon, pegging them as distant 40/1 longshots on the NHL betting futures at the sportsbooks.