The Tampa Bay Lightning has made some big off-season moves that should help them vs. the sports betting NHL odds next season. The Lighting hired Steve Yzerman as their new GM and on Thursday they hired Guy Boucher as their new head coach. Tampa did not perform up to expectations in Internet sports betting this past season so the changes should help.
Sports betting odds will probably not change right away on Tampa Bay but Yzerman is a proven winner and he should improve the Lightning. Yzerman rolled the dice and went with Boucher as his new head coach even though Boucher has only one year of professional coaching experience. Yzerman defended his selection and said that Boucher knows how to win.
Tampa Bay has not advanced beyond the opening round of the playoffs since winning the Stanley Cup six years ago. The Lighting will be expected to improve off last season’s 34-36-12 sports betting NHL season. It was the third straight season that Tampa missed the playoffs and head coach Rick Tocchet was fired. Boucher will now be leading the Lightning. Boucher had coached the American Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs. He was getting some serious respect around the league as Columbus was also looking to hire him. Boucher led Hamilton to the second best record in the AHL. Before his time in Hamilton he was a junior league coach.
Boucher was all about offense at Hamilton and the Lightning sure need help in that regard. They have not had a potent offensive system in place for a long time. Tampa has some talented players who can impact Internet sports betting odds including Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. Last year it was Stamkos who tied Sidney Crosby for the goal scoring title with 51 goals. Even with Stamkos getting 51 goals, the Lightning were just 23rd in the league in goals per game at 2.6. They were even worse on defense as sports betting statistics indicated as they allowed 3.1 goals per game. The Lightning was 21-14-1-5 at home last season vs. the sports betting odds while they went 13-22-4-2 on the road. They will need to improve that road mark if they expect to make the playoffs next season.