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The San Jose Sharks were breathing down the necks of the New York Rangers in the NHL. They had the second best record in the league with 20 points scored at press time. The payout would be promising for anyone who had them to win the 2009 Stanley Cup early on. The San Jose Sharks odds to win the 2009 Stanley Cup were set at +950 for a payout potential of $950 on every $100 bet.
It's early in the season, but not too early for new Sharks coach Todd McLellan to start raising a few eyebrows around the league. All he's done as a first-time head coach is guide the Sharks to a fast start out of the block.
It's no surprise to Detroit's Mike Babcock, however. McLellan was an assistant coach on Babcock's staff the last three years, including last season when the Wings won the Stanley Cup for the 11th time in franchise history.
"I just watched the (Sharks') morning skate, and it makes you laugh because it gives you a couple reminders (of) what you haven't been doing," Babcock told the San Jose Mercury News before his team beat Detroit 4-2 on Thursday night. "You know that they're doing the same thing you are. Now it comes down to who's going to do it better for longer and at the right time of the year."
While McLellan is trying to prove San Jose general manager Doug Wilson made the right move in giving him his first NHL head-coaching job, his team evidently has responded to his methods.
"It's the NHL, there's 30 of us, and there is pressure on us every night, regardless of where we are in the standings or what team we face," McLellan said. "The pressure is different for each coach. There are some teams that are at or near the top, some that are evolving and some that are rebuilding or retooling. Each pressure is different, but it's there for everyone.
"The important thing for us is, we are winning games, getting rewarded for some of the things we are doing. So, as a staff, it's a little easier for the players to buy what we are selling."
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Ean Lamb, Gambling911.com
