Stanley Cup odds

While the Leafs go through medicals, some highlights from sportsbook.com's Stanley Cup odds:

Associated Press

Pavel Datsyuk: Stanley Cup favourite.

Red Wings are 6-to-1 favourites, with Ottawa next at 7-1 and four teams (New Jersey, Calgary, Buffalo and Philly) at 12-1.

Canadian clubs: Vancouver 20-1, Edmonton 25-1, Montreal 30-1 and last on the northern tote board, Toronto at 40-1.

Colder than Bobby Clarke: Washington, Chicago and St. Louis at 100-1.

A couple of value plays, at least to me: Buffalo at 12-1, Tampa Bay at 25-1.

Incidentally, Leafs are 11th down the board on the Eastern Conference odds board, 20-1 to win the group.

Related. Dave Perkins has a word for online gambling and it is - beware:

It's an industry perhaps not in turmoil, but certainly at a crossroads given the recent arrests of executives by U.S. law enforcement officials who are trying to put the genie back in the bottle. (And never will.)

Online bookmaker suspends action on Rock Star Supernova due to suspicious bump in wagering on eventual winner Lukas Rossi of Toronto (Betting on reality TV seems a bit, uh, degenerate to me -- but not as much as taking action on it. Thanks to Ben Maller for the links).

Comments

[Carla]

‘Colder than Bobby Clarke’

Clarke was at his chilly best(?) when talking about Flyers captain Keith Primeau’s retirement this week. From yesterday’s article in the Star:

‘"The last time I talked to Keith, I said, `You don't want to become a distraction. If you can't play, we have to go on without you,"' general manager Bob Clarke said.

Primeau seemed set to face the harsh reality that his career could be over on Tuesday night, saying, "you could read it on the wall."

Primeau had been trying to return from a concussion sustained on Oct. 25 after a hit from Montreal's Alexander Perezhogin. It was the most severe in a series of head injuries Primeau endured during his 15-year NHL career.

"He never gave any indication to anybody that he was going to come back," Clarke said. "We felt all along that he wasn't going to come back. We've got to start training camp with the players we're trying to make a team of."’

Boy, that guy is all heart, isn’t he?