New York Rangers: It’s a Horse Race!
Even for the biggest New York Rangers fan, the summer can be time for distraction, a time to look elsewhere for daily entertainment. I find mine at the Saratoga Race Course, where betting on the ponies passes the summer days while waiting patiently for the coming NHL season.
Horse racing is really the only other sporting event that provides me with the same rush as watching a New York Rangers game. If I have money on a horse, the five minutes surrounding the race process is like watching the Rangers play overtime. It’s a real jolt to the system.
For each race on the daily card would be bettors are provided with odds for each horse entered. Those odds fluctuate as the public places wagers on their horse of choice. Sometimes those bets are scientific, place by professional gamblers who think they know who will win based on careful analysis. Most of the time, those bets are placed by casual fans who just like a horse because it has a familiar name or the horse silks match their favorite color. This is especially true at Saratoga where the racing is great, but the party is better.
As a racing fan there is nothing better than poring over the Daily Racing Form is search of the slightest clue that can lead you to pick a winner. As a hockey fan, there is nothing better to do in the summer than speculate on the coming season.
In honor of the Saratoga racing season, and the spirit in which racing fans place their bets, I offer up the following, very unscientific, early line odds for teams to make the playoffs in the Metropolitan Division.
Washington Capitals – 3/5
Alexander Ovechkin is the stud mare of the NHL. He’s worth every penny of the fees he receives. If only he could start breeding. Ovi showed no signs of slowing down in 2019, leading the league with 51 goals. The supporting cast is still in place with Nicklas Backstrom and T.J Oshie still running from the same barn. While Braden Holtby did not have the greatest of years from a statistical standpoint, he’s still a Stanley Cup winning netminder, and the year after winning the Cup is probably the toughest for goalies. Use in all wagers.
New York Islanders – 20/1
Barry Trotz broke his maiden in impressive fashion last year. Despite long odds he was able to win with a team that unceremoniously lost its best player to free agency. It was a dream trip for the Isles who no doubt took a lot of other teams by surprise when they got out of the gate very quickly. That won’t float at the next level as teams will not be caught sleeping again. Losing their top goalie is also a red flag. Isles will need to step up in class. Not happening. Toss out. Losers.
Pittsburgh Penguins – 3/1
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are the Mike Smith/Bob Baffert combination of the NHL, as long as they are entered in the race, they have to be taken seriously. While both are getting on in years and the Pens did lose top scorer Phil Kessel as well, there is no denying the pedigree here. Matt Murray is a Stanley Cup winning goalie but the defensive end looks to be a little sub-par. If the D falls apart, the year could be a challenge. Still a safe bet to finish in the money.
Carolina Hurricanes – 4/1
The Canes finally lived up to their potential in 2019. Well bred with young talent and a defensive unit that is built for speed, they really stepped up in class in the playoffs and made a nice run until they hit the more experienced Bruins at the top of the stretch. The young guns like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov are fun to watch. Let’s hope Svechnikov has recovered from his ill-fated decision to take on Ovechkin in the playoffs.
Goal tending could be an issue but these “Idiots” seem to have put it all together. Fair price.
Columbus Blue Jackets – 20/1
After finally breaking their maiden and winning a playoff series, this barn will have a tough time competing on the circuit this season. Losing Artemi Panarin and Serge Bobrovsky to free agency is like losing two of your best horses in the same claiming race. Tough to recover from the loss of that kind of talent. Seth Jones and Zach Werenski are formidable on the back end but is it enough to keep the puck out of the net? Cam Atkinson will have to step it up. A real longshot.
Philadelphia Flyers – 15/1
Does Alain Vigneault make the difference for the Flyers this season? Do the Flyers faithful have tolerance for the between the whistle style of play he preaches? Clearly we will find out when they play Tom Wilson, Radko Gudas and the Capitals. Do Kevin Hayes and Claude Giroux have enough scorers to pass to? Is Shane Ghostisbehere really any good? Can Carter Hart carry the load in net? Will Vigneault trust him with the job? Just like always, lots of questions to be answered in Philly. Save your money
New York Rangers – 12/1
While lacking real pedigree, the 2019/20 Rangers are still going to be exciting to watch. Like a maiden race for 2 year-old colts you really can’t predict how the horses will run. You place your bets based on the owner, trainer and rider. Blueshirt fans clearly have faith in new President John Davidson and G.M. Jeff Gorton has done a nice job assembling some interesting pieces. Can second year coach David Quinn put it all together after what has to be considered a promising debut? War horse Henrik Lundqvist is due for a cut back on his workload but understudy Alexandar Georgiev proved more than capable last season. Exciting to see what kind of season this barn can put together. May not be as long a shot as odds indicate, horses mature at different rates.
New Jersey Devils – 10/1
Drop in class last season can be placed squarely on the injury to Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall who played in only 33 games. Devils are just a different team with him in the line-up. Contract issues may be the concern this season. Addition of charismatic D-man P.K. Subban clearly makes this team more interesting to watch and adds a great new element to the cross-river rivalry with the Rangers. A Corey Schneider return to form would really help the cause. Top pick Jack Hughes may not start the season in Newark, but he could very well finish there, especially if they are in the hunt for a playoff spot. Off season moves were strong, but use with caution.
Post Time – October 3, 7:00 p.m.
Editor’s note: An earlier version indicated that Anthony Duclair was with Columbus. As a reader pointed out, he is with Ottawa.