DonBest.com - It's been a busy time for the New Jersey Devils as they prepare to play a fourth game in five days on Tuesday in New York against the Rangers in a key Atlantic Division match.

Chance Harper - With half of the NHL season behind us, the Chicago Blackhawks sit at the top of the charts with 63 points and their Stanley Cup odds dropping almost as fast as the thermometers this time of year.  One of the nicest surprises, at least for those bettors backing them so far, has been the New York Islanders who are nearly 11 units in the black and about to get a nice lift with the return of goalie Rick DiPietro who has been out for more than a year.

Chance Harper - The NHL is on its way back into the limelight, thanks in part to the popularity of the Winter Classic which will take place this season at Fenway Park in Boston on Friday.  Even the weather is cooperating with temps forecast in the low-20s and a solid chance of snow for the affair.  The host Bruins and visiting Philadelphia Flyers seem to be gearing up for the contest and enter this week having each won three straight games.

DonBest.com -

Nashville concludes its three-game trip out west on Tuesday when the Martin Erat and the Predators skate into General Motors Place in Vancouver to take on the Canucks.  The Preds are drafting Chicago in the Central Division, now just two points behind the Blackhawks.  Winning on the road is becoming the norm for Nashville with the club 10-5-1 away from Music City and fresh off wins at Calgary and Edmonton.

DonBest.com - Injuries are piling up in the NHL, as players not only want their teeth back for Christmas, but also several other body parts as well. Among the fallen is Jason Spezza of the Ottawa Senators who will miss up to two months with a torn ligament in his right knee. Anaheim Ducks forward Joffrey Lupul will also miss a couple of months after surgery on his back to repair a herniated disk which has bothered him since training camp.

DonBest.com - With two of their regular defensemen out of action, the Boston Bruins face a stiff challenge on the road Friday night when they travel to Chicago to meet the Blackhawks.

DonBest.com - Two division leaders face off in Denver tonight at the Pepsi Center when Paul Stastny and the Avalanche host Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Chance Harper - Detroit is still skating on thin ice when it comes to having its full complement of players available.  A bum shoulder has Daniel Cleary the most recent addition to the Red Wings' list of walking wounded, with the right winger expected to miss a month.  With scoring down for the Motown skaters so far this season, the team is also elevating Jimmy Howard ahead of Chris Osgood on the netminder depth chart.

DonBest.com - San Jose has built the top record in the NHL, scoring a league-best 108 goals along the way.  But the Dallas Stars bring a 10-4 record in San Jose into the game tonight.

Chance Harper - Evgeni Nabokov's excellent goaltending is a huge reason why the Sharks are leading the NHL with 43 points and a 19-7-5 record.  The big question is, has anyone outside San Jose even noticed?

DonBest.com - Chicago has built a five-point lead in the Central Division over Nashville and can increase that margin Friday night when the Blackhawks host the Predators at the United Center.

DonBest.com - Defense has been the key for the Devils who are 17-6-1 on the season and riding a three-game win streak as the Vancouver Canucks arrive in New Jersey.

DonBest.com - Already leading the NHL with 40 points and an 18-6-4 record, the San Jose Sharks welcome the Ottawa Senators to the HP Pavilion on Tuesday night.

Chance Harper - After missing five games due to a concussion, Chris Drury is back on the ice for the Rangers.  The Blueshirts are also back on their home ice at Madison Square Garden after spending a good chunk of the past few weeks on the road.  New York will be tested immediately in front of the home fans with a contest against the Pittsburgh Penguins who have taken five in a row from the Rangers, all in the Steel City.

DonBest.com - Just as some MLB umps call a tighter strike zone and some NBA refs allow for more contact, the zebras on skates also affect the outcome of games in the NHL.

Chance Harper - Hockey in the Sunshine State is beginning to heat up just in time for the annual migration of snowbirds.  Tampa Bay is on a 5-1-3 run their last nine games with Antero Niittymaki staking a claim as the team's No. 1 goalie.  Tomas Vokoun is already his squad's top man between the pipes, with his three shutouts part of Florida's recent 8-2-1 streak that has lifted them from the SE Division cellar.

DonBest.com - Their roster depleted by injuries and the flu bug, the Detroit Red Wings at least have home ice advantage on Wednesday when they host the road-weary Dallas Stars.

DonBest.com - The ice at Madison Square Garden will be the site for Tuesday's marquee NHL contest between the New York Rangers and the visitin Washington Capitals.

Chance Harper - Rookies in the NHL don't have the same impact on their teams as do first year players in the NBA, but that doesn't mean they don't have any effect on their teams or the betting odds.  Michael Del Zotto is one of the NHL freshmen that has become a force this season already at the tender age of 19, along with John Tavares who leads the Islanders in scoring and James Van Riemsdyk, a fan favorite for the Flyers.

Chance Harper - Just as the case is with other sports, NHL cappers have to keep abreast of injuries if they want to make the very best decisions with their wagers.

DonBest.com - With seven straight wins on the road to open the NHL season, the Pittsburgh Penguins seek a record eighth tonight in Los Angeles as underdogs to the Kings.

DonBest.com - The Dallas Stars hope to have Mike Modano back on Wednesday night when they host the Calgary Flames, led by Rene Bourque, at the American Airlines Center.

Chance Harper - The Blueshirts are looking a little green these days...at the betting window, that is.  Sitting 9-5-1 in the current standings and just three points behind Pittsburgh in the division, the New York Rangers have cashed 10 times for a nice little 11.3 units of profit in the early going.  With the season now a month old, here is a quick betting report card on those teams making money on the follow, and those raking it in on the fade.

Chance Harper - The Penguins are off and running in the as they seek a second consecutive Stanley Cup. The same isn't true for their opponents the past two Cup Finals, the Detroit Red Wings.

Chance Harper - Picking and choosing the right spots to play the puck line in hockey can be tricky, just as it is with the run line in baseball, but the payoff can be oh, so sweet.

Chance Harper - Despite being favored to return to the Stanley Cup Finals this season, the Detroit Red Wings have one glaring weakness: Goaltender Chris Osgood.

Chance Harper - Fans who love offense and bettors who love to see scores go over the total are really enjoying themselves in the early going of the 2009-10 NHL season with lamps being lit from one rink to the next.

Chance Harper - Once again it's the case of 28 clubs chasing two with last year's champs from Pittsburgh and the previous champions from Detroit drawing the preseason chalk.

Vegas Dave - Are you ready for some hockey?  Brian Burke and the Toronto Maple Leafs sure are after a busy offseason that saw the addition of Garnett Exelby and Francois Beauchemin among others.

Vegas Dave - Coming off a 100-point season and Northwest Division title, the Vancouver Canucks are picking up right where they left off with a perfect preseason so far.  Roberto Luongo is leading a defense that has allowed just four goals to this point and the Sedin Twins, Henrik and Daniel, are pacing the offense.  Vancouver's committment to winning even the preseason games could be a bettor's early cash machine.

Vegas Dave - With the NHL season less then a month away, some bettors will be tempted to attempt to navigate the murky waters of preseason pucks to get back into the swing of things. While it is a difficult task trying to figure out the preseason, some teams have done consistantly well in the post-lock out era, such as the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators. And some - like the Phoenix Coyotes - couldn't have done much worse. 

Vegas Dave - The Chicago Blackhawks say that they knew Marian Hossa was injured when they signed him to a massive 12-year contract this offseason; but it came as news to most of the league's fans when it was reported that he would need surgery on his shoulder and wouldn't see action until November at the earliest. How did this affect the Blackhawks odds? Also, are the LA Kings and San Jose Sharks worth taking a look at?

Vegas Dave - Not much has changed on the Vancouver ice this offseason, and that's a very good thing.  For the Canucks, keeping goaltender Roberto Luongo and the Sedin Twins has the team in position to not only return to the playoffs, but go deeper into the run for the Cup.  The 2010-11 postseason is also where the Chicago Blackhawks will be heading after signing Marian Hossa and John Madden.

Vegas Dave -

The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed the Stanley Cup in 2009 and will look to defend their title next season. But 29 teams stand in their way, and all 30 teams already have futures prices up for who will lift Lord Stanley's Cup in 2010. With a wealth of young talent and tradeable assets, the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers seem awfully tempting at these early prices.

Chance Harper - It's just as Lord Stanley would want it.  Pittsburgh's 2-1 win over the Red Wings in Tuesday's Game 6 means the NHL season will come down to one final skate in Detroit on Friday. If the Wings can hold Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in check again, Detroit should land their second straight and 12th Stanley Cup overall.  And if Marc-Andre Fleury has a repeat of Game 6, it's No. 3 for the Pens.

Vegas Dave - The Detroit Red Wings dominated Game 5 from start to finish, leaving Pittsburgh one loss away from falling short for the second straight year. Can Pittsburgh keep the home team streak alive to at least stretch it to Game 7?

Chance Harper - Down two games to none and outplayed through the first two periods of Game 3 on their home ice Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally got their act together in the final period for a 4-2 win over the Red Wings.  Sidney Crosby & Co., after cashing as heavy -170 chalk, now face another must-win situation on Thursday night in Game 4 to avoid going back to Detroit this weekend down 3-1 in the series.

Vegas Dave - The stage has been set for a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup Finals; the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. This is the first time since 1984 that the same two teams have met in the finals in back to back seasons. Last year the Red Wings won this series in six games, but the Penguins have come a long way since then, and I expect them to have their names engraved in the Cup this time around.

Vegas Dave - Last year, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins set the bar pretty high for themselves. After making it all the way to the Stanley Cup finals and coming up just short, they came into the 2008-09 campaign with only one way to improve on last season; winning it all. After successfully defending their Eastern Conference championship, the Penguins are just four wins away from accomplishing that feat.

Vegas Dave - When both the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to 2-0 series leads, it looked like it was only a matter of time before they put their opponents away and met for the second straight year in the Stanley Cup finals. Now that reality looks even closer with both teams just one win away. Can Carolina or Chicago do anything to stop these well oiled machines, or will both of these series end without a hitch?

Vegas Dave - If history is any indication, it looks as though a rematch of last year's Stanley Cup final is imminent. Teams that take a 2-0 series lead in the NHL go on to win the series over 85% of the time. Then again, Washington came back from 0-2 to beat New York, and then PIttsburgh came back from 0-2 to beat Washington. Is it Carolina's turn to continue the trend? And can the young Blackhawks find a way to stop the veteran Wings?

Vegas Dave - We started with 16 teams, all with dreams of hoisting the Stanley Cup. Now only four teams remain. Getting this far is familiar territory to three of them; Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006, Detroit won it last year, and Pittsburgh was the team they beat to do it. For Chicago, it marks the first time in 15 years they have been this far. Can they beat their fellow Original 6 opponent? And who will prevail in the East?

Chance Harper - After staving off elimination with a 5-4 OT win in Game 6, the Washington Capitals have the comfort of home ice in tonight's seventh and deciding game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. While the Caps' Alex Ochevin and the Pens' Sidney Crosby will be front and center in media attention for this one, Pittsburgh goalie Marc-Andre Fleury could be the key player on the ice as he looks to rebounde from a poor effort on Monday.

Vegas Dave - Each series in the second round of the playoffs has proven to be extremely well matched; three of the four series are tied at one apiece, and Alexander Ovechkin's Capitals earned the 2-0 lead with a pair of hard fought one goal victories. Each series provides a tricky challenge in trying to cap and predict what will happen next. What can we take from the first two games of each series to help our betting strategies moving forward?

Vegas Dave - While Boston and Carolina should provide a fast paced, all eyes in the East are on the Penguins, Capitals showdown including the league's three top scorers in Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, and Evgeni Malkin.

Chance Harper - Off sweeps of the Blue Jackets and Canadiens respectively, the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins could be on a collision course to meet up in the Finals for Lord Stanley's Cup.

Vegas Dave - The Western Conference has been narrowed down to four teams, each a mere 12 wins away from winning the Cup, with the Canucks now 11 wins away from NHL glory.

Chance Harper - Pittsburgh's 5-3 win over the Flyers in Philly on Saturday cut the original NHL playoff field in half as the Pens join the Bruins, Canucks and Red Wings in advancing to the next round.  Are the Blackhawks next?

Vegas Dave - While Detroit, Vancouver, and Boston, may have made quick work of their first round opponents with a quick sweep, no one else is moving on that easily. With five series still hanging in the balance, there are still plenty of betting opportunities through the weekend. There aren’t too many things much more stressful than watching your favorite team in the NHL playoffs; trying to figure out who to bet on is one of them.

Chance Harper -

Anaheim upset the oddsmakers by going on the road and taking the first two games of their series with San Jose.  Evgeni Nabokov and the Sharks then turned the tables on the Ducks by winning Game 3 at the Honda Center on Tuesday and are once again favored in Game 4.  The puck drops at 10:30 p.m. (ET) with Versus handling the broadcast to determine if the series goes back to San Jose 2-2.