Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Enough said. As long as the Penguins have these two superstars on their team they will always be a serious contender to win the Stanley Cup year in and year out. Last season was the first time in three years that the Pens did not win the Eastern Conference after falling in the second round to the surprise Montreal Canadiens and the on fire Jaroslav Halak. The Penguins should once again easily make the playoffs and be a contender to advance out of the East.
Evgeni Malkin did not play up to his potential last year during the season or in the playoffs. He finished with only 77 points in the regular season and 11 points in the playoffs. His production tailed off dramatically with him averaging 0.23 points per game less in the season and 0.65 points per game less than in the playoffs. If Malkin can play like he did two years ago the Penguins should be able to once again make a strong push towards a championship.
The loss of Gonchar should not cause a huge problem in Pittsburgh, seeing as they brough in both Paul Martin and Zbynek Michalek to fill this void. Both are solid defensemen who have shown the ability to play big minutes and chip in offensively. The powerplay will hurt without Gonchar, but both Letang and Goligoski have shown enough offensive upside to be able to quarterback a successful powerplay this season.
The teams success will ultimately come down to the success of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury. They have proven before that they can win. Only time will tell if they prove they can win this season.
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Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup Betting Odds – September 30, 2010
Bodog.com currently has the Penguins odds to win the Stanley Cup listed at +700. This is the most favourable line of our recommended online sportsbooks. This means that a $100 wager on the Penguins at Bodog.com would win $700, for a total payout of $800, if the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. The Penguins are listed as the third favourites at Bodog.com, behind only the Blackhawks and the Capitals.
Penguins Stanley Cup Prediction
When you have two of the top players in the world on your team you will always be a top contender to win the Stanley Cup. If Crosby and Malkin are both at their best at the right time then the Penguins will be hard for anyone to beat. The only problem I see is that the teams quality really falls off after these two, especially at the forward position. That being said the defence is quality and if Fleury plays the way he can the Penguins could easily win the Stanley Cup again. The +700 odds at Bodog.com is much more favourable than the lines at either Bookmaker.com or Sportsbook.com so that alone tells you there may be value in this wager. Visit Bodog.com now to place your Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup wager.
Written By: Niko de Jonge
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