The Rangers experience didn’t come through for them last night so I lost my one play. In fact it was the inexperience of a guy like Rick Nash giving the puck up as the last man back on the powerplay that put the Pens back in control. I will admit that I feel Rick Nash is probably the second most overrated player in the league next to Alexander Ovechkin so when he has just 4 assists in the 11 playoff games played so far I notice. Nash’s playoff stats leave a lot to be desired with him having just 9 points (1 goal) in 23 playoff games for the Rangers so far in his career.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 14-10 for +2.75 units.
Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens
I like the Bruins in this game. Going down 3-1 in the series would be a very difficult mountain to climb so you know the clutch performers of the Bruins will be out in force tonight. I see the Bruins taking this game and then turning it up down the stretch to finish the series in 6. The key to the game for Boston will be not getting behind early like they have in the first 3 games of the series and also preventing the Canadiens breakaway pass that seems; they’ve scored 5 breakaway goals already this playoffs.
Play: Bruins 1.77 (BetOnline)
Anaheim Ducks @ Los Angeles Kings
Once the Kings get rolling it takes something special to stop them. They’re an extremely streaky team and they’ve won 6 games in a row now. The Kings weren’t overly impressive at home this year and the Ducks weren’t as bad on the road as in past years so this will still be a tough game, but I just think Quick has really found his game, while Kopitar and Gaborik are firing on all cylinders to lead the offense for this usually offensively struggling team. This is close to a do or die game for the Ducks, but I still like the Kings to take a stranglehold of the series at home tonight.
Play: Kings 1.74 (5Dimes)
I regretted taking the Bruins after putting my post up yesterday and they did lose. I think that will be Montreal’s last win of the year though, so you will see me taking the Bruins the next few games. The Wild did what I expected and got a big win over the Blackhawks at home. I think that’s their last win of the playoffs as well though.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 14-9 for +3.75 units.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers
The Penguins were able to grab two quick wins in back to back games to take control of this series. Fleury was able to get shut outs in both of these games and in game 3 especially he was forced to come up big and have a very strong game. It looks like Fleury is feeling confident right now, but all it takes is one soft goal allowed by him and the flood gates could open.
I like the Rangers to win tonight because I think they have enough experience on that team to know just how big a game this is. I expect the game to be similar to game 3, but this time the Rangers will be rewarded for outplaying the Pens.
Play: Rangers 1.95 (BetOnline)
Last night went well for me again with my NHL picks. Fleury came through in a big way with back to back shutouts of the Rangers and Crosby finally got on the board with his first goal of this post season. In the other game, Quick was equally as good stopping 36 of 37 shots from the Ducks to help the Kings hold on for a 3-1 win (with an empty netter) and a 2-0 series lead going back to LA.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 13-8 for +3.60 units.
Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens
This is a huge game in this series. The Habs have only played 2 home games so far in the playoffs and they won both of them. It will be interesting to see how they bounce back from their first loss of the post season. Not only was it a loss, but it was a collapse from 3-1 up midway through the third period. The Bruins are now trying to play mind games with Carey Price by saying that they’ve figured him out and even though Price says that’s a ridiculous statement you have to wonder if just the fact he has to address it could affect his confidence heading into this game.
I don’t generally like taking road dogs, but I like the Bruins in this game. I just think that overall they are a better team and they know how to win in the post season. Just look at Patrice Bergeron igniting the comeback in order to avoid the 2-0 series deficit at home. The Bruins should win this game and take control of the series.
Play: Bruins 1.77 (SportsInteraction)
Chicago Blackhawks @ Minnesota Wild
I could see this being the game that the Wild win in this series. If they’re going to win a game it has to be this one. Minnesota won all 3 of their home games against the Avs in the first round and know how important this game is after starting out the series with the Avs down 2-0 as well. The Blackhawks have won 6 games in a row now, but I think the Wild, who have actually been playing fairly well will squeak this one out and it will be their only win of the series. Bryzgalov does need to play a little bit better, but I think he will be able to find his game at home and get the Wild back in the series temporarily.
Play: Wild 2.15 (5Dimes)
I just got back from my week long vacation in Cuba last night. After getting caught up on the past week in the NHL I’m ready to get back to winning some NHL playoff bets. Unfortunately I was away in between the first and second rounds, which meant I wasn’t able to get up my predictions for the second round, but I do expect the Bruins, Penguins, Blackhawks and Kings to be the teams playing in the Conference Finals. I was very unfortunate to go 5-3 for +0.39 units on my series bets in the first round. All 3 of my losses were in game 7’s with the Sharks completing blowing up and the Avalanche and Flyers having legitimate shots at winning their series.
My 2014 NHL playoff record for games so far is 11-8 for +1.40 units and I intent to build on this as we move forward in the second round.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Rangers
The Penguins bounced back with a 3-0 win last night in Pittsburgh to even up this series. Fleury earned the shutout and hopefully this will get some of the fans off his back. He actually has very decent stats of 2.49 GAA and a .914 save percentage through 8 games in these playoffs, but the bad goals that he has come accustomed to allow can really deflate a team and also get the fans extremely angry. That said this year is Fleury’s from start to finish, which I think will be better for him as he knows the team will stick with him even after these bad goals.
Crosby has been very quiet in these playoffs and there is a lot of talk about whether or not he is playing with an injury. I don’t know that Crosby is as big a part of this team as many people think and I believe he should be taking a rest if he truly is injured. 0 goals, 6 assists and a -5 rating through 8 games tells me he is hurting this team more than helping it at the moment. The good thing for the Penguins is it looks like Kris Letang has found his game with 3 points yesterday. If they can get Letang, Niskanen and Martin contributing well from the back end, offense should not be a problem of the Penguins.
I’m still not really a believer in the Rangers. They haven’t been great at home this year so I think this is a prime opportunity for the Pens to get two quick wins in back to back nights and take the series lead.
Play: Penguins 1.98 (BetOnline)
LA Kings @ Anaheim Ducks
The Kings were lucky to get the win in game 1 with a Gaborik goal with 7 seconds left somehow finding the back of the net. Then a beautiful pass by Kopitar to Gaborik finished the Ducks in OT. The Kings have really found their groove and have won 5 games in a row. You can be sure that I won’t be betting against the Kings until they lose again. They are such a streaky team, which they showed throughout the season, that when they are playing well they can be argued as the NHL’s best. They’ve won 3 road games in a row and this team is starting to look destined for a deep run.
Play: Kings 2.22 (5Dimes)
I split my two plays last night. The Bruins were able to come back against the Red Wings and win in overtime to take a commanding 3-1 lead in that series. The Kings staved off elimination though in the other game I picked, so I finished the night 1-1.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 10-7 for +1.40 units.
New York Rangers @ Philadelphia Flyers
The Rangers showed why they had the best road record in the East in the regular season with a strong 4-1 win over the Flyers in game 3. The Rangers just seem to be able to capitalize on their chances better than the Flyers in this series and this could be due to having a superior goaltender in Lundqvist. Emery was pulled in game 3 and the Flyers will be coming back with Steve Mason in game 4 to shake things up. It will be interesting to see if they are rushing Mason back for this game since he hasn’t played since April 12th with an upper body injury. This should be another tight checking affair, but I like the Rangers in this one to take a commanding lead in this series before it heads back to the big apple.
Play: Rangers 2.00 (Sports Interaction)
Chicago Blackhawks @ St. Louis Blues
The Blackhawks have to be feeling good after game 4. They were able to turn the tables on the Blues and score a late tying goal before winning the game in overtime. This is exactly what happened to the Blackhawks in both of the games in St. Louis and you can be sure they don’t want it to happen again in game 5. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are firing as expected and if you can add Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa to that list the Blackhawks will be hard to stop. I personally just think the Blackhawks are the better team in this series. If it wasn’t for those dramatic wins in St. Louis this series really could be over already.
Play: Blackhawks 2.00 (BetOnline)
Last night was great for me. Both of my picks came back late in the third and ended up winning their games in overtime. The Blue Jackets were actually down 3-0 in that game before storming back to even the series, while the Blackhawks were down late in the third for the first time in the series, but found a way to score and then Kane finished the Blues off in overtime to even that series as well.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 9-6 for +1.63 units.
Boston Bruins @ Detroit Red Wings
The Bruins have only given up 2 goals to the Red Wings in 3 games so far this series. With no Zetterberg returning to the lineup and the inexperienced Nyquist and Tatar having been held pointless so far I expect this series to continue going as it has been. Boston will continue to play a hard defense first game that will result in Detroit not having many chances. Boston hasn’t lit the light too many times in this series either, but they have more experienced guys that will be able to bounce back and provide some offense. I expect Krejci and Marchand to get their first points of the series tonight in a winning effort.
Play: Bruins 1.77 (5Dimes)
San Jose Sharks @ LA Kings
The Sharks have really had their way with the Kings so far in this series. Not only have they won every game, but they have deserved to win every game. This will be another stiff test, but the Sharks seem like a team possessed right now and they are just finding ways to win. They have come from behind in 2 games and they seem like they score with ease against this Kings team that gave up the least goals against in the regular season. They have 17 goals for in the 3 games so far. That’s a ridiculous 5.67 goals for per game against a team that averaged 2.12 goals against in the regular season. I like the Sharks to keep rolling and be the second team to earn a first round sweep tonight.
Play: Sharks 1.99 (BetOnline)
The Bruins came through for me with a strong 3-0 win over the the Red Wings, but the Flyers lost at home to the Rangers. In the late game which decided whether or not I made a profit tonight the Sharks came up huge with a Marleau chip to the net took a fortunate bounce and found the back of the net. The Sharks are now up 3-0 in the series and are close to wrapping it up.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 7-6 for -0.35 units.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Columbus Blue Jackets
The Penguins did dominate last game and really deserved to win, but it was how they scored their last three goals so quickly and off some strange bounces that might take the wind out of the Blue Jackets sails. I think the Jackets are more resilient than that though and if Bobrovsky can play well again they have a good shot at evening this series up. Fleury has still looked like he could give up a soft goal at any second in this series and if the Blue Jackets can get traffic in front of the net they will win this one.
Play: Blue Jackets 2.30 (5Dimes)
St. Louis Blues @ Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks were finally able to hold onto a 1 goal lead late in the game. Crawford didn’t have to play too remarkably, but he made the saves that were required of him and made some big ones late in the game to keep his shutout. The Blackhawks are the better team in this series and it could very easily be 3-0 for Chicago right now. As it stands the Blackhawks are in another near must win situation in order to make this a best of 3 series heading back to St. Louis. The Blackhawks have a wealth of experience and I think they might actually be better with Seabrook out of the lineup. Chicago will win this game and make the series close to a coin flip once again.
Play: Blackhawks 1.68 (5Dimes)
Last night the Blue Jackets had the game in their clutches, but a few bad bounce goals ended the game with a 4-3 Penguins win. The Pens probably deserved the win, but it would have been nice if the Jackets were able to hold on. In the Avs vs Wild game nobody scored until overtime when Granlund scored an absolute beauty to win the game. In my one win of the night the Blackhawks finally were able to hold onto a one goal lead late in the game as they scored and empty netter and won 2-0 over the Blues to get back in the series.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 5-5 for -1.22 units.
Boston Bruins @ Detroit Red Wings
The Bruins were able to bounce back in game 2 and really impose their will on the Detroit Red Wings. I’m expecting more of the same tonight and another big game from Tuukka Rask in net. The Red Wings will probably get one more win in this series, but I like the Bruins to take control of the best of 7 tonight.
Play: Bruins 1.78 (5Dimes)
New York Rangers @ Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers were good at home this season, but the Rangers were also the best road team in the league so I don’t expect home ice to play a huge factor in this one. In game 2 the Flyers came back from an early 2-0 deficit to score 3 and add an empty netter. I like the Flyers to build off this momentum and continue to put the puck to the net and make life hard for Lundqvist.
Play: Flyers 1.952 (5Dimes)
San Jose Sharks @ LA Kings
The Sharks also faced some adversity trailing 2-0 after 1 in LA last game, but they opened the flood gates with 7 goals in the last two periods to easily win that game. The Sharks just look like the better team so far in this series. Between these two teams home ice is always a big advantage, just look at how the home team won each of the 7 games in the series between these two last year. That said I think the Sharks know what’s at stake here and they don’t want to risk having to go back to San Jose with the series tied. They will come out hard again and not give the Kings time or space. The Sharks are just a step faster than the Kings this year and it’s showing on the ice.
Play: Sharks 2.09 (BetOnline)
I didn’t get any picks up the last couple of days, which is a shame because most of my series predictions are panning out well, which would have resulted in some wins in my single game bets. My last picks day was the 17th and I went 2-2.
2014 NHL Playoff Record: 4-3 for +0.13 units.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus heads home with the series against Pittsburgh tied at 1. They are exactly where they want to be and will be ready to go in front of their home fans tonight. The Penguins weren’t quite as good on the road as they were at home this season and the games in this series have been very even. The Blue Jackets are doing a good job shutting down the top end talent of the Penguins with most of the Pens offense coming from unusual players. The Blue Jackets can play with the Pens, they just have to be able to convert their chances because you know the Penguins stars will be getting on the board sooner rather than later.
Play: Blue Jackets 2.15 (5Dimes)
Colorado Avalanche @ Minnesota Wild
The Avs are just too much for the Wild in this series. It will be good for Minnesota to go back home where they played much better this season, but the Avs speed will still carry a lot of the play in this game and the line of Stastny, Mackinnon and Landeskog is simply on fire right now. It will be interesting to see which goaltender the Wild use in this one, but I expect Bryzgalov to be on the bench after not playing his best in the first two games.
Play: Avalanche 2.10 (TopBet)
St. Louis Blues @ Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have to be feeling a little heartbroken right now. Leading both games 1 and 2 with a few seconds remaining they were scored on and lost each game in overtime. It’s a hard spot to be in, but these are the defending champs and they will bounce back tonight. The Blackhawks won’t go down without a fight. They are without Seabrook for 3 games after his hit on Backes, but I don’t think this is necessarily that big of a deal. They’ve played a lot of playoff game without him before and done fine. I expect the Blackhawks to come out firing in this one at home where they have been great this year. If they can put 2 goals between them and the Blues by the last few minutes they won’t have to worry about the last second heroics that seem to be coming for this Blues team.
Play: Blackhawks 1.645 (5Dimes)
Last night went fairly well. I went 2-1 for +0.61 units. The one loss was the Blue Jackets losing to the Pens and they looked really good actually. So overall a good start to the playoffs. There are four games tonight now, so we are right back at it. I’m busy today so this will be a fairly quick post.
Philadelphia Flyers @ New York Rangers
This is a strange series because the Flyers were bad at home this year, while the Rangers were bad at home. I like the Flyers in this one though. They had a slow start at the beginning of the season and I don’t expect them to have one here. This is a series that really could go either way and I don’t think home ice will play a huge factor. For that reason you will likely see me take the underdog the majority of the time in this series.
Play: Flyers 2.35 (5Dimes)
Chicago Blackhawks @ St. Louis Blues
I love it that the Blackhawks are underdogs in this one. They are getting Toews and Kane back and are playing a team that has lost 6 in a row. This is a huge game for the Blues because if they get behind early in this one and it’s their 7th loss in a row their belief level may diminish greatly. If the Blackhawks can win tonight, and I think they will, I think we may see a sweep in this series.
Play: Blackhawks 2.03 (5Dimes)
Minnesota Wild @ Colorado Avalanche
The Avs were hot out of the gate to start the season and finished hot as well. I don’t expect them to let up any tonight at home to the Wild. Minnesota has not been good on the road this year and I don’t think they will be able to keep up with the Avalanche in this one. Bryzgalov is always a wild card too and he could lose the game for the Wild.
Play: Avalanche 1.76 (5Dimes)
LA Kings @ San Jose Sharks
This is another huge game to set the tone for the series. The Sharks should use the home ice advantage to skate to a win in this one, but I see this series as a see-saw battle. I like the Sharks in this one though, but if they don’t win it they are in big trouble in this series.
Play: Sharks 1.76 (BetOnline)
