NHL

NHL Betting – Can changes help in Maple Leaf-land?

By Eric G.

Posted on February 2, 2010

Martin Brodeur While checking out the Super Bowl XLIV odds, you may have heard about a busy trade weekend in the NHL revolving around Toronto, who is desperately to improve their woeful defense. The new Toronto Maple Leafs will make their debut in front of the home crowd on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.

Devils vs Maple Leafs odds – Tuesday, February 2, 7:00 PM ET

The Devils have dropped three of their last four, but that lone win came against the Maple Leafs at home on Friday in overtime. When it comes to defense, Toronto can learn a lot from New Jersey, who have long been one of the best teams in the league on that end of the ice. However, they’ve also had Martin Brodeur, and the 37-year-old is having another spectacular season as he prepares to be the No.1 goalie for Team Canada at the Olympics. However, he’s started all 15 games this month and he can’t do it on his own. The Devils are 7-7-1 this month, and in their seven losses, the Devils have scored more than two goals just once.

The Leafs were busy this weekend, picking up Dion Phaneuf from Calgary, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere from Anaheim, while unloading a few players over 30 years of age. Toronto has allowed the most goals in the league, and they’re banking on Phaneuf to find the form that made him a star two years ago. Most of the Leafs’ payroll is now wrapped up in their blueline, so results need to be seen soon. Giguere will be looked at as a mentor to Jonas Gustavsson, but he also has to be a better No.2 goalie than Vesa Toskala, who struggled under the bright lights of the Toronto media.

You’d probably get better odds at your internet super casino than you would for a Leafs win on Tuesday, as the Devils have won four of their last six trips to Toronto. It’ll probably take a couple of games for Phaneuf to get used to the Toronto system, if there is even a system, and he also helps out on the power play. But Toronto also struggles to light the lamp, and you can’t do that against the Devils, because if Brodeur is on his game, and he often is, New Jersey doesn’t need many goals.

Bet hockey: New Jersey

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Eric G.

Eric is the owner and editor-in-chief of the Camel Clutch Blog. Eric has worked in the pro wrestling industry since 1995 as a ring announcer in ECW and a commentator/host on television, PPV, and home video. Eric also hosted Pro Wrestling Radio on terrestrial radio from 1998-2009. Check out some of Eric's work on his IMDB bio and Wikipedia. Eric has an MBA from Temple University's Fox School of Business.