Sports Then and Now

With a healthy Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins are a good bet to win the NHL championship.

This season’s NHL looks like being another very close run affair, with several sides appearing to real contenders for play-off success. It is no surprise to see names like the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins right in there amongst the betting favorites at bookmakers sites, as all of these are proven winners, but they all look to be in exceptionally strong form. The Penguins have outclassed everyone in the Metropolitan Division, where they are sixteen points clear at the top, and the other two are also top (albeit by closer margins), so which side should the smart punter pick?

It is hard to ignore the form the Penguins have been showing, and the bookies haven’t – as Pittsburgh are in place as hot favorites to win the Stanley Cup on 6/1. Chicago are the holders of the Stanley Cup though, as well as the Western Conference, and with the latter looking almost certain to be retained they will fancy their chances of keeping the former as well. At 7/1, the bookies see them as almost as likely as the Penguins to win it, while the Bruins are at 10/1. They could have a showdown for the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh which, in turn, might give further indication of who will win the Stanley Cup – so waiting until then and playing ice hockey casino games is a strategy with much to recommend it.

When it comes to those games, the five reel ice hockey themed Break Away slot, also has a lot to recommend it. The jackpot is $500 and you can play it at online casino australia but with lots of wilds and the free spins ‘rolling reels’ feature, you could actually end up with a higher payout even if you don’t win the jackpot. The ice hockey part of the game is none to shabby either, with brilliant video graphics bringing the players, hockey rinks, referees and stadiums to life in colorful detail, coupled with thumping sound effects at key moments. Together these make it one of the liveliest of all the sports casino games, and perfect for any NHL fan looking for a betting alternative.