First off I will start with a congratulations to the Chicago Blackhawks for winning their 2nd Stanley Cup in 4 years. They were the best team throughout the entire season and playoffs and it’s hard for anyone to argue that they did not deserve to win this Championship. Sometimes it’s nice to see the best team from the regular season win the Stanley Cup. In fact I felt like the best 4 teams were truly the last 4 standing in the playoffs this year, which was a nice contrast to last season.
I did not have time to post my game 6 pick, but I lost my game 5 pick on the Bruins, as well as my Stanley Cup Champions series play on Boston as well. That said I still had a very profitable year as you can see from my records below:
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 21-18 for +2.92 units.
Playoff Series Record: 12-3 for +9.20 units.
If you include both the regular season and playoffs I am up 23.45 units for the shortened 2013 season. That means a $100 bettor would have won $2345 this year by following my plays! I hope everyone will be back again next year to continue following the blog and making a profit with me.
I’ll be adding some futures posts as they come available throughout the summer, but for the most part this section of the site will be waiting until preseason to get back up and running.
For those of you already looking to next season SportsInteraction.com and Bodog already have their 2014 Stanley Cup odds available. Here are a few to get you thinking:
- Pittsburgh Penguins +650 – The Penguins are once again the favourites like they are every season with Crosby and Malkin. It’s now been 5 years since they won a Cup though and they went all in this year. You have to start wondering if Crosby and company have what it takes.
- Chicago Blackhawks +750 – The Blackhawks should be able to keep most of their team intact from this Cup, unlike the 2010 one.
- Boston Bruins +900 – With Chara, Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand and company this team will be legitimate contenders every year.
- St. Louis Blues +1200 – I’m surprised the Blues are the fourth favourites here. They don’t have the same quality of core as the other top teams.
- LA Kings +1400 – The Kings will also keep a solid core with Doughty, Voynov, Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Williams and of course Quick that will keep them as contenders for many more years.
- Vancouver Canucks +1400 – The Canucks time to win a Cup may have passed.
- Detroit Red Wings +1600 – I still don’t think the Red Wings will be able to do it for 4 rounds relying too heavily on Zetterberg and Datsyuk.
- New York Rangers +1600 – The Rangers could turn things around next year and come back as a contender, but Lundqvist admits they took a step in the wrong direction.
- San Jose Sharks – The Sharks will be all in next year with Thornton, Marleau, Pavelski and Boyle all in the final years of their contracts. They do have the core to make some noise, but the time is now.
Those are the favourites for next year, but check out the bookies for the full odds.
The Blackhawks and Bruins played a wild one on Wednesday night with 11 goals scored in total. It was a crazy back and forth game that was a lot of fun to watch. In the end the Blackhawks silenced all of the critics who had written them off in this series with a big overtime goal from Brent Seabrook, who seems to find the back of the net at the most important times in these playoffs. The Bruins never held the lead in the game, but they showed resilience in always finding a way back into it, but it just wasn’t enough against a determined Blackhawks team.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 21-17 for +3.92 units.
Playoff Series Record: 12-2 for +10.20 units.
Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks
The series heads back to Chicago tonight and it is now a best of 3 for the Stanley Cup. This series has had 3 overtime games and has been everything anyone hoped it would be with tough back and forth hockey. The goaltenders were finally exposed on Wednesday and I don’t expect scoring to be as plentiful tonight as both teams will recommit themselves to defense. Zdeno Chara was a -3 on Wednesday and the Blackhawks have openly said that they intend to go right at the big man again. I expect Chara at his best tonight, which will keep the Blackhawks from getting on the scoreboard as often. Marian Hossa earned an assist last game, had 4 shots and played 19 minutes so it looks like he is ready to go and no ill effects of his injury showed through in his game. That is very important for the Blackhawks.
My play tonight comes down to me still thinking that the oddsmakers aren’t giving the Bruins enough credit. They have shown they are at least as strong of a team as the Blackhawks, but yet they are consistently bigger dogs on the road and smaller favourites at home. I like the Bruins tonight at +135. Great odds for a team that should win this game 50% of the time.
Play: Boston Bruins +135 (5Dimes)
I wasn’t able to get my game 3 pick up before the game a couple nights ago, but I’m not surprised that the Bruins were able to continue their home winning streak. It’s now been since game 5 in the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs that the Bruins have lost a game at TD Garden. Rask was excellent once again earning a shutout for his team. With Hossa not participating in the game after warm up due to injury the Blackhawks really looked less dangerous offensively. Game 4 is a huge swing game in this series with Boston looking to take a commanding lead.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 21-16 for +4.92 units.
Playoff Series Record: 12-2 for +10.20 units.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Boston Bruins
With Hossa still listed as day-to-day it will be interesting to see if the Blackhawks rush him back after they failed to generate much offense in game 3. And if he does come back, will he be as effective as normal seeing as how he will surely not be playing at 100%. Seguin, Paille and Kelly have been the Bruins best even strength line over the past two games, with Paille in particular finding a way to score on Corey Crawford. The goaltenders are still the story of these finals and although Rask has been the better goalie, Crawford has also played very well, which is often overlooked.
Toews, Kane and Sharp haven’t looked particularly dangerous in the last couple games and this is a real problem for the Blackhawks who although they are getting shots are not getting great chances against the Bruins. Boston on the other hand now has three lines that can score and be the difference in a game. This is something that the Blackhawks simply don’t have. The balance on the Bruins lines is quite impressive too, with Chicago having to watch for every player in every situation. If you look at the Blackhawks, Handzus isn’t a threat on the line with Kane and Sharp, while Toews is being moved around a lot as a bit of a diversion for the Chara and Seidenberg pairing. I just don’t see how the Blackhawks are going to generate much more offense in this series unless Hossa comes back and continues to be their best forward.
The Bruins simply look too strong and they have each bought in defensively to limit the Blackhawks scoring chances. I expect this series to be 3-1 for Boston heading back to Chicago.
Play: Bruins -130 (Pinnacle)
The Bruins looked like they had game 1 in the bag, but a couple quick goals from the Blackhawks tied it up and sent the game into one of the longest overtimes in Stanley Cup Finals history. You could tell the top players looked sluggish and by the third overtime I thought a fourth line guy was going to be the hero. It was almost Kaspars Daugavins, the ex Senator who is in for Gregory Campbell in these finals, but he held the puck a little too long and will be kicking himself for quite some time. It ended up being Andrew Shaw who got credited for the goal after it went in off his shin pad. The Blackhawks native was mic’d up by NBC and after the screams of joy he yelled “I Love You Bollie” quickly followed by “I Love Shin Pads!”. A great quote after 6 periods of hockey.
I took the Bruins though and in a game that could have gone either way it didn’t turn out the way we wanted.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 20-16 for +3.57 units.
Playoff Series Record: 12-2 for +10.20 units.
Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks
With that marathon of a game 1 it’s probably a good thing for both teams that there was a two game break. This will also give Boston some time to regroup after a game that can be very demoralizing for a squad. The other negative for the Bruins was that Horton left the game and did not return. He is currently listed as day-to-day, but I don’t expect him to be in the lineup tonight. In his place Seguin will surely move up to the top two lines, but how they organize those lines will be interesting to see. I wouldn’t be surprised if Seguin is moved back with Bergeron and Marchand, while Jagr gets slotted in with Lucic and Krejci. The Bergeron, Marchand and Seguin line was dynamite in the regular season and if they can get going in these finals that would be what the Bruins need. Also, Jagr is more of a similar player to Horton than Seguin and having him slot in there with Lucic and Krejci who are firing on all cylinders might be the smartest way to keep the chemistry alive.
Crawford and Rask both played very strong games, but Crawford seems to have the weakness above the glove on quick shots. Expect the Bruins to try to exploit this some more tonight. Once again I’m going to take the Bruins because I think these games can truly go either way in Chicago and they are the +135 dogs. Going down 2-0 will be a tough hill to climb out of and I expect Rask and company to find a way to win tonight.
Play: Bruins +135 (5Dimes)
The 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs get underway tonight. If you read my series prediction article you will know that I like the Bruins to take down this series as small underdogs. Tonight is a huge game that could set the tone for the series. Both teams have had a good break since the Conference Finals, but I don’t expect any rust to show through. I’m looking to finish out the NHL season strong with a profitable finals to add to my profits from the regular season and playoffs.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 20-15 for +4.57 units.
Playoff Series Record: 12-2 for +10.20 units.
Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks
The Bruins have had one extra day to rest than the Blackhawks heading into these Stanley Cup Finals, with the Bruins finishing off the Pens last Friday and the Blackhawks winning their double overtime game at home in game 5 on Saturday. The Bruins also had a 5 day rest before starting their Conference Finals series with the Penguins and they didn’t miss a beat winning the first game 3-0 and really dominating on the ice. The Blackhawks didn’t have the long break before their Conference Finals series after going 7 games with Detroit in round 2. The 4 day break could work as an advantage to them seeing as they have played more hockey than the Bruins of late.
The Bruins have been very strong on the road this playoffs and they really haven’t missed a beat whether they have been playing on the road or at TD Garden. They are +9 on the scoresheet in 9 home games these playoffs and +11 in 7 road games. The Blackhawks on the other hand are +16 in 10 home games, while they are actually a -2 on the road. I personally don’t think home vs away will matter too much in this series as both teams are very close in proximity and each have shown the ability to win on the road.
I like the Bruins in this one as the road dog for this reason and also all of the reasons I stated in the series prediction article.
Play: Bruins +143 (5Dimes.eu)
The Stanley Cup Final is set to begin tomorrow. Both the Bruins and Blackhawks made light work of their Conference Finals opponents and seem to be on the top of their games heading into these Stanley Cup Finals. The Bruins especially surprised a lot of people when they swept the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were the Cup favorites starting the playoffs, only allowing 2 goals in the entire series!
I went 1-1 in the Conference Finals, losing the Bruins vs Penguins series as I didn’t expect the Bruins to be able to keep the Pens off the scoreboard like they did. I’m still 12-2 though for series predictions this playoffs with a strong 10.2 units of profit.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 20-15 for +4.57 units.
Playoff Series Record: 12-2 for +10.20 units.
Boston Bruins @ Chicago Blackhawks – Stanley Cup Finals
Online sportsbook 5Dimes has the best odds for both teams to win the Stanley Cup this year:
Boston Bruins +135
Chicago Blackhawks -145
The Bruins seemed to wake up with 10 minutes left in game seven of their first round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. With just over 10 minutes remaining the Bruins were down 4-1 and on the verge of elimination. This was after leading the series 3 games to 1 after 4. Somehow the Bruins were able to score a goal to bring the score to 4-2 and then score 2 with the goalie pulled late in the game and another early into overtime. Since that game, the Bruins have won 8 of 9, with their only loss coming in overtime in New York in an elimination game.
The Blackhawks were also on the brink of elimination, but this was in their second round series against the Red Wings. The Blackhawks were down 3 games to 1 and stormed back to force a seventh game and won it in dramatic fashion in overtime (after scoring a goal late in regulation that was somehow disallowed). The ‘Hawks have gone 7-1 since being down 3-1 in that series.
So as you can see both teams are very hot at the moment. In the goaltending department each tender has almost identical numbers and each is playing their best hockey of the season. The one difference I might point out is that Rask did so against the leagues best offense, while Crawford has not played teams known this year for their goalscoring prowess.
Zdeno Chara is another big factor for the Bruins. He is probably the most effective blueliner on either team and will likely be tasked with shutting down Toews/Kane, among others. The Blackhawks have Duncan Keith, but their defensive depth isn’t as good as Boston’s, who have had to use a wide variety of defenders in this playoffs, each of which has stepped up to the plate.
On forward, the Blackhawks would seem to have the higher end talent with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, etc, but if I had to choose I would take the top 7 Bruins forwards over that of the Blackhawks. The line of Marchand/Bergeron/Jagr has come through with some big goals, while Horton/Krejci/Lucic has been the best line in these playoffs. Add in Seguin who is looking to break out and you have arguably the best group of 7 forwards in the league.
The Blackhawks are the favourites in this series and rightfully so after the season they had. But when you look at the Bruins on paper they seem to match up quite well. And that’s not even taking into account that the Bruins just destroyed the Stanley Cup favourites in a 4 game sweep.
I like the Bruins as minor dogs in this one.
Play: Boston Bruins +135 (5Dimes.eu)
The Kings came through with another big win at home to improve their playoff home record to a pretty amazing 8-0 in these playoffs. Everything is playing out just how I expected in that series. Not so much in the Bruins vs Penguins series and it will be interesting to see if the Pens can find any kind of momentum tonight in Boston.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 19-14 for +4.77 units.
Playoff Series Record: 11-1 for +11.05 units.
Pittsburgh Penguins @ Boston Bruins
The Penguins are in a really tough spot. They have been outscored 9-1 in the first two games of this series and have just looked very outclassed by their opponents. Worst of all this has all happened at home and now they have to travel to Boston and somehow find a way back into this series. The Pens are a team that isn’t very affected by whether they are playing at home or away, as has been seen in both the regular season and playoffs, so that is one positive for them heading into this game. The Bruins are similar, with a 5-2 home record in these playoffs and now a 5-2 road record.
That said the Penguins just look like they don’t know what to do with the Bruins right now. They are allowing Boston to dictate the play, which is not the Penguins game plan whatsoever. The goaltending situation is now up in the air in Pittsburgh and the team will have to have a huge comeback game if they hope to get back in this series. Oddsmakers still look like they think the Penguins are the better team, with the Bruins only the slightest of favourites at home in this game. For me though, if they haven’t shown they can compete yet, what is really going to change in Boston. In an almost pick’em game you have to stick with the Bruins to take a stranglehold on this series.
Play: Bruins -112 (5Dimes.eu)
The two Conference Finals have been very interesting so far. The Blackhawks looked to be the dominant team in the first two games of the Western Conference series, while the Bruins have simply been man handling the Penguins in the East, which comes as quite a surprise to most fans and experts.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 18-14 for +3.77 units.
Playoff Series Record: 11-1 for +11.05 units.
Chicago Blackhawks @ Los Angeles Kings
Yes, the Blackhawks have looked like the far superior team in the first two games of this series, but you still cannot count out the Kings. They were in the position in the first round against a very strong Blues team and they came back to win the next four. The Kings are now 7-0 at home in these playoffs, while they are 1-7 on the road. It’s like they are two different teams. The Blackhawks are similar in that they are 8-1 at home in these playoffs, while they are just 2-3 on the road. Both teams also had crazy home records during the regular season (19-4-1 for the Kings and 18-3-3 for the Blackhawks) so like I said in the Conference Finals prediction post this could be a series where the home team wins each game. I should point out though that the Blackhawks were also 18-4-2 on the road this season, so they were just ridiculous everywhere.
The Kings are only small favourites in this game due to the domination that the Blackhawks showed in the first two games of the series. I still like them to continue their hot streak at home though. They will have to find a way to beat Crawford, but I expect their defensive game to be in top form tonight as they battle to get back in the series.
Play: Kings -118 (5Dimes.eu)
I’m 11 for 12 so far in my series predictions for these playoffs and I’m planning to be 13 for 14 after these Conference Finals. Other than the Senators being eliminated I really like these Conference Finals because I feel that the best four teams are left to battle for the Stanley Cup. This is much different than last year when I didn’t feel that any of the most talented teams were remaining. Of course the Kings proved that they were a talent and on paper they look like a very similar team this year.
I find these two series the hardest to handicap yet because each team has so much talent and could easily pull out the series if a few things go there way. That said, I’m making my picks below and looking to keep my hot streak alive.
(1) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (4) Boston Bruins
The Penguins have really gotten their act together since putting Tomas Vokoun in the net for game 5 of round 1 against the Islanders. They are 6-1 since that point, with the only loss coming in double overtime against the Senators in a game they really should have won in regulation if the team hadn’t given up a shorthanded goal with 30 seconds remaining. After that the Pens really looked like they woke up and took it to the Senators for the next two games. The Sens were the second best defensive team in the NHL during the season, with only the Blackhawks allowing more goals against, and the Pens looked like they could score with ease most of the games (they scored 4+ goals in every game they won), and it’s not like Anderson was playing poorly. Now they will face the Bruins who gave up the 3rd fewest goals during the season. If they can score like they did against the Sens the Bruins will have no chance.
Boston’s lines match up fairly well with Pittsburgh’s, but for them to win the top 2 lines have to both be going strong and Jagr has to start finding the back of the net. Chara will have to shut down one of Crosby or Malkin and the other defensemen on the Bruins will have to step up and play against the other all stars on this Penguins team. It is possible that all of these things happen, but for them all to happen at once is very unlikely. The Pens just have too many weapons right now and they finally have a goaltender who isn’t losing them games. You have to like the Penguins in this series.
Play: Penguins -185 (5Dimes.eu)
(1) Chicago Blackhawks vs (5) Los Angeles Kings
This series is a lot harder to call in my opinion. The Blackhawks are a skilled team, but they do have some grinders on the third and fourth lines who will ensure that they aren’t severely outclassed in the hitting and toughness department. In goal Crawford has been excellent and he has shown the ability to come up bit this year when he is called upon. He’s already won 3 must win outings and his confidence is at an all-time high. The Blackhawks have more offensive ability than the Kings, but they have to also remain tight defensively and show that they can battle with a team that is one of the best battling teams in the NHL. They also have to make sure they don’t fall into the diving trap that was the Kings vs Sharks series.
One thing that makes me want to steer clear of the Kings is that they are 1-5 on the road this playoffs, and they are once again playing a team with a higher seeding than them. This means the will have to win at least one road game to win this series. With the Blackhawks having a very strong record at home, I’m not sure I see this happening. I think the Blackhawks have a better chance of breaking the Kings home winning streak than vice versa. Both teams battled through game 7’s in round 2 and will have to rest up entering the Conference Finals. There aren’t any significant injuries on either side and this will be a battle to the end. A series I could see going to 7 games once again. That said home ice advantage could play a huge factor for the Blackhawks.
Play: Blackhawks -148 (PinnacleSports.com)
So there you have it. The epic finals that everyone was hoping for (if their team didn’t make it). The Pittsburgh Penguins vs the Chicago Blackhawks. The two teams who were far and away the best teams in the regular season and look the best on paper battling it out for the Stanley Cup. But first I need a couple more predictions to be correct.
I was correct last night in my first game 7 pick of the 2nd round and I’m looking to make it 2 for 2 tonight. The playoff record still looks great and you should continue to follow my picks because I’ve been on a heater all through the post season.
Regular Season Record: 68-59 for +11.33 units.
Playoff Record: 17-14 for +2.77 units.
Playoff Series Record: 8-0 for +9.05 units.
Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks
If anyone was going to be able to come back from a 3-1 series deficit it was going to be the Blackhawks. And two games later they are just 1 win away from erasing the deficit and moving on to the Conference Finals. The ‘Hawks have gotten some timely goals from some of their depth players and this is a key to them winning in these playoffs. Toews has been quiet and Kane/Hossa can’t provide all of the offense for the team. Players like Bickell, who has scored in each of the last two games and Frolik who scored that beauty penalty shot in Game 6 have to step up and provide offense. I like them to do that tonight. If the depth players on the ‘Hawks can at least stay even with the depth on the Red Wings, the Blackhawks have more game breakers on their team who can win a game 7.
The one worry I have with picking the Blackhawks is Corey Crawford in net. Yes, he has had a solid playoffs with a .935 save percentage and a 1.78 GAA, but he does every now and then let in a weak goal. This was shown in Game 6, but luckily his team bounced back and saved him from a summer of scrutiny. Howard has the same issue though, but either one of these ‘tenders could lose this game for their team.
That said I still like the Blackhawks. They are just too good and have come too far in this series. Plus a Blackhawks vs Kings Conference Finals is what everyone wants to see.
Play: Blackhawks -197 (5Dimes.eu)
**I do think that the odds are to short for there to be much, if any, value here, but I still think the Blackhawks take this one, so that’s how I’m leaning.
