Maybe 3-on-3 OT will help shake this outlook, but it’s often tough to think about NHL seasons through the lens of wins.
It’s probably not even about the “charity point,” as ties threw things off before the shootout was ever instituted.
Anyway, long story short, it’s likely fair to say that the hockey world thinks about standings through points, not wins.
Pondering that standings category alone is something of a change of pace, and Bodog put out odds for the 2015-16 season, which Puck Daddy handily condensed into a list.
Anaheim Ducks
Over/Under 49½
Arizona Coyotes
Over/Under 27½
Boston Bruins
Over/Under 42½
Buffalo Sabres
Over/Under 28½
Calgary Flames
Over/Under 41½
Carolina Hurricanes
Over/Under 30
Chicago Blackhawks
Over/Under 47½
Colorado Avalanche
Over/Under 38½
Columbus Blue Jackets
Over/Under 45
Dallas Stars
Over/Under 43½
Detroit Red Wings
Over/Under 42½
Edmonton Oilers
Over/Under 37½
Florida Panthers
Over/Under 36½
Los Angeles Kings
Over/Under 45½
Minnesota Wild
Over/Under 44
Montreal Canadiens
Over/Under 44½
Nashville Predators
Over/Under 42
New Jersey Devils
Over/Under 28½
New York Islanders
Over/Under 45
New York Rangers
Over/Under 46½
Ottawa Senators
Over/Under 40½
Philadelphia Flyers
Over/Under 37½
Pittsburgh Penguins
Over/Under 47½
San Jose Sharks
Over/Under 42½
St Louis Blues
Over/Under 45½
Tampa Bay Lightning
Over/Under 48½
Toronto Maple Leafs
Over/Under 32½
Vancouver Canucks
Over/Under 40½
Washington Capitals
Over/Under 45½
Winnipeg Jets
Over/Under 40½
Again, considering wins alone is an odd yet refreshing change of pace, isn’t it?
What are some of the best bets? (Winnipeg, Buffalo and Florida seem interesting at a quick glance.)
Side note: in a lot of ways, Bodog’s win total odds largely parallel Bovada’s look at teams most likely to make the playoffs.