Stadium: Nationwide Arena (Columbus)
A revamped Columbus start the new NHL season with a home game against an equally revamped Arizona. Who will start the championship with a win? There are several betting options at once.
Columbus enter a new era
John Tortorella’s Blue Jackets have sunk into oblivion. The team under one of the best coaches of the modern era had a lot of success but could not eventually overcome the psychological barrier of a club from the small market.
What’s happening in Columbus can now be described with the word rebuilding. The Ohio team enters the new league season with an inexperienced coach at the helm - Brad Larsen. The 44-year-old Canadian himself has played decent hockey at the left-wing position, particularly for the Atlanta Thrashers, but this is the first time he’s made it to coaching at such a high level. Larsen was a member of Tortorella’s coaching staff for seven years. But will it help him?
The coach on the Blue Jackets now has no major experience, but there are quite a few proven hockey players on the roster. Zach Werenski, Gustav Nyquist and Oliver Bjorkstrand are all still in Columbus. And Max Domi and Patrick Line. And the most high-profile move was the acquisition of Jakub Voracek, traded from Philadelphia for Cam Atkinson.
Arizona’s rebuild is even more global
The Coyotes have also changed their head coach. Andre Tourigny took Rick Tocchet’s place on the eve of the new championship. Another Canadian who has also never worked in the NHL at such a high level. However, unlike Larsen, Tourigny was notably downgraded, even earning the Ontario Hockey League’s Coach of the Year award twice in a row.
The Coyotes found a very interesting coach but lost their biggest star. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper went to Colorado. The main guard of the Arizona goal for the new season will be Carter Hutton, the last three seasons playing for Buffalo, where he did not particularly prove himself, most of the time being behind Linus Ullmark.
Expert Betting Tips
Although in the history of face-to-face meetings, the last five matches ended in victories for the guests, it seems worth believing in the hosts in the upcoming game. Columbus look simply a more powerful team in terms of the set of performers. With other things being equal, they have to beat Arizona on their ice, even without the main creator of their latest success, Darcy Kuemper.
Betting options:
- W1 for 2.13;
- Handicap 1 (0) for 1.77.
Other predictions
