NHL hockey is officially back October 6th, and there is no better way to drop the puck on the new season than with the reigning Stanley Cup champion, Boston Bruins, hosting the most dramatically-overhauled roster in the league, the Philadelphia Flyers.

This Thursday the Bruins will host the Flyers and the NHL matchup is playable on Bodog’s NHL odds board. 

With Boston looking to prove that they can follow up on the successful 2010-11 that saw them top the Canucks in the Stanley Cup Final, and Philadelphia hungry to show that their offseason gamble was a smart one, this first game-first impression will go a long way.

Although the Flyers have 11/1 odds of winning the Stanley Cup this year, the jury is still out on whether the team will benefit from the decision to ship veteran forwards Mike Richards and Jeff Carter to Los Angeles and Columbus.

Even with young stars Claude Giroux and James van Riemsdyk filling in for their departed teammates, a championship won’t come easy. Just ask the Bruins.

With 10/1 odds on the NHL futures board, the Bruins are a force too imposing to be ignored. They may not scream of a repeat contender but if they did it once, they can do it again.

Get all your NHL odds at Bodog and be ready to Bet On Hockey!