The best teams in the NHL find ways to win not just in their building but on the road where they don’t have the advantage of the second change or the home crowd behind them. The ability to get the job done on the road also means increased value for anybody that is betting on these teams as the odds are much more attractive than if they were playing on home ice.
Here is a quick look at the teams with the best road records in the league through the first month of the NHL season.
Pittsburgh Penguins (5-1-1 Away)
The Penguins own the best record in the Atlantic despite playing fewer games than their top competition thanks in big part because of their dominance away from home. They have secured at least a point in six of their seven away games including five wins. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are both elite centers that make the players around them that much more dangerous and they have forced opposing coaches to pick their poison as they can only match their top shutdown lines against one of Pittsburgh’s top two lines. Marc-Andre Fleury (2.17 road GAA) has played at a high level early on behind an improved defence core featuring youngsters like Olli Maatta, Simon Despres, and Robert Bortuzzo. The Penguins own the league’s highest scoring offense and the team’s improvement at the other end has made them a more complete unit. That’s what has made them that much more dangerous regardless of where they play.
Anaheim Ducks (6-2-0 Away)
Anaheim has won more road games than any other team through the first month of the NHL season thanks to their commitment to defense. They own the league’s fourth-best goals against average despite the fact that their top two goalies have both missed time. Frederik Andersen and John Gibson have been excellent when healthy but even when they were both injured, the Ducks managed to secure a 3-2 win over Colorado with Jason LaBarbera between the pipes.
At the offensive end, everyone knows this team can light the lamp and the addition of Ryan Kesler on the second line has only made them stronger down the middle. When their goalies are healthy, the Ducks are a team worth betting on the road. It’s a good strategy to still invest in them but knock off some of that juice.
St. Louis Blues (4-1-1 Away)
Speaking of strong defensive play and stellar goaltending, only the Chicago Blackhawks have been better than the Blues in both realms than the Blues. St. Louis has posted the league’s second-best best goals against mark with an average of just 1.93 goals allowed per game. They’re even better on the road as the lead the league with just 1.67 goals allowed per game. Some people expected those numbers to be worse after they allowed veteran goaltender Ryan Miller to walk in free agency.
However, the man behind the bench, head coach Ken Hitchcock, has always put a strong emphasis on a responsible two-way game. Forwards like David Backes, Alex Steen, and Paul Stastny understands how to get the job done at both ends of the ice. Add in one of the most talented defensive units in the league and that explains a lot. Between the pipes, Brian Elliott has done a solid job in net and rookie Jake Allen is emerging as an elite, long-term solution.
Add it all up and the Blues have been a quality road bet this season. Their only away losses were at Los Angeles (1-0 shootout defeat to the defending champs) and a 3-0 setback in Anaheim. There’s no shame in those setbacks.
