NHL hockey news is taking center stage right now because of the playoffs, and there has been a lot of physical, bordering on dirty (as nine suspensions would attest to) play. However, if you can be physical without crossing the line, you stand a good chance of winning the Stanley Cup.

A lot of betting players rode Boston to the Cup win last year and many feel that it was for one sole reason: the Bruins were a tougher team than Vancouver and the Canucks eventually folded. You can force the opposition into making mistakes if you’re a physical team; for example, a defenseman will definitely start to hear footsteps from oncoming forecheckers if he is being hit everything he goes back to retrieve the puck, and that leads to mistakes and rushed passes.

You can also make players take penalties as they look to get back at you for a hit, and the theory states in the world of hockey that referees will see the retaliation, not the original play that may have sparked the retaliation. Penalties lead to power plays and if you give a team enough chances on the power play, they’ll eventually cash in.

Of course, you can’t just bully your way to a Cup (although Vancouver fans may feel differently about that), but you have to bring a physical element to your game. If you’re a skilled team, but also can’t be pushed around, your odds will go up at online sportsbooks.

The NHL postseason is almost here, and you could argue that the Stanley Cup playoffs are the best of all the major leagues. With double and triple-overtimes, last-gasp goals and saves and the iconic image of the winning captain hoisting the Cup, you can’t beat it. If you’re betting on the Stanley Cup, you’re going to run into a Game 7 situation and here is how you should treat it.

Like someone who is going to bet on baseball series, and specifically Game 7s, hockey betting players should always go back and look at the trends before making their picks. How has each team fared in Game 7s in the past? Have they ever met in a Game 7? These are questions you need to ask before heading to your sportsbook.

But otherwise, you’re looking at the normal factors of a playoff game, such as experience, injuries and momentum, when wagering on a Game 7. Experience may be the most important factor because everyone is injured at this time of year, and it’s rare that teams can come all the way back from a deficit to force a Game 7. But experience is really what you need to look at.

Which team is loaded with players who have been in this situation before? The pressure of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs is unlike anything a lot of players have never felt before, and that is why you should lean towards an experienced team in your sports betting online book.