The NHL Playoffs are over. The Los Angeles Kings have won the Stanley Cup and have their fans talking about a dynasty. I wasn’t on them in game 6, but my NHL playoff record still finished as (31-28) for +5.79 units. A tidy profit after the four rounds were finished.
This was just meant to be a quick post to say I had a pleasure sharing my predictions with you readers for this season and playoffs and I will be back in October ready for another season of NHL betting tips and predictions.
Over the summer you can check in for my predictions on various NHL prop bets I find online such as the NHL award winners (coming up in about a weeks time) or the draft.
Until then, have a good summer and continue to follow the NHL news at NHL.com in order to be up to speed come next season!
Thanks for a great season,
Niko de Jonge
This is turning out to be a much better Stanley Cup Playoffs than it seemed like after the Kings raced to a 3-0 lead in the Finals. The Devils have now won the last 2 games to force this game 6 and put doubt in the minds of Kings fans everywhere. Tonight is a massive game with a possible game 7 to take place if the Devils can pull off the win in LA tonight. My NHL Playoff record sits at (31-27) for +6.79 units.
New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings
The Devils are no strangers to having their backs against the wall in these playoffs, but they were never closer to falling off the edge than down 3-0 here in the Stanley Cup Finals to the Kings (down 3-2 to Panthers, 1-0 to Flyers and 2-1 to Rangers). In each of the first 3 series the Devils were able to win out to finish off their opponents from each of those deficits. This must give the Devils players hope and belief going into tonights game that they may be a ‘team of destiny’ of sorts that will not quit. The Devils haven’t quite figured out Quick yet, but getting 2 goals on the netminder has been enough in each of the last 2 games.
The way I’m looking at this series is that either team really could have won any of the first 5 games. The Devils were unfortunate to be down 3-0, but the Kings can make a case that they were equally as unfortunate to be lose the last 2 games. I think one bounce here or there tonight will be the difference and for this reason I have my money on the Devils again as the underdogs. The home team has only won 2 of the 5 games in this Finals and both teams have shown throughout the playoffs that home ice advantage is not a huge advantage for them, yet the oddsmakers consistently favour the home team. Take the Devils tonight for the great odds and hope for the bounce that forces game 7.
Play: Devils +145 (5Dimes.eu)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
The Kings won again on Monday and that loss brought my NHL Playoffs record down to (30-27) for +5.11 units.
New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings
The Devils once again could not solve Jonathan Quick on Monday night, losing 4-0, and falling into a huge and likely inescapable hole in these Stanley Cup Playoffs. With the win the Kings became the first team to ever lead every series 3-0 in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Quite the feat for any team, let alone an 8th seed that had to play the top teams in the league every series. Now going into game 4 the question is will the Kings win the Stanley Cup on home ice or wait until game 5 when they can break the record for most road wins in a single playoffs and go to 11-0 on the road.
The Kings are 1-2 in game 4’s, while the Devils are 2-0 in elimination games this post season. There were times in game 3 when the Devils looked destined to score, but they could never really get the good opportunity and Quick stood on his head when they did. The first LA goal should not have counted and it would have perhaps been a different game if that mistake was not made or if NJ scored on their 5 on 3, but they really never even had top quality opportunities. That being said I still think that the Devils will find a way to solve Quick in game 4 and at least get 1 win on the board in these finals. They have the pressure needed, but they need to get in Quick’s face more and I think De Boer will have his players ready to grind out a win even if it means playing uncharacteristically chippy in front of the goaltender.
The fact is that the Devils have not really been outplayed in these finals like the other teams who have played the Kings in these playoffs. That’s not to say they have dominated either, but they have stayed with the Kings, but have failed to find the back of the net. If they keep with it I still think they have as good a shot as the Kings in this one so I like the Devils at these odds.
Play: Devils +168 (5Dimes.eu)
If the Kings do win the game and the Stanley Cup then the question becomes which player will win the Conn Smythe. It will almost certainly be Quick, but cases could also be made for Kopitar (leads playoffs in points and +/-), Dustin Brown (17 points, tied with Kopitar in +/- and really lead by example throwing his body around in these playoffs) and Doughty (leads d-men in scoring, +13 and really took the reins from the point in these playoffs). I couldn’t find any lines online for the Conn Smythe and this is likely because it is almost certainly going to Jonathan Quick after his shutout performance in game 3.
It will be an interesting game and hopefully there will be a game 5 in New Jersey.
Written by: Niko de Jonge
The Kings are up 2-0 in the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals against the New Jersey Devils and game 3 is being played tonight in LA. I wasn’t able to get a prediction up for game 2, but I called game 1 correctly with Kopitar getting that overtime winner which pushed my NHL Playoffs record to (30-26) for +6.11 units.
New Jersey Devils @ Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are back at home for game 3, but they would likely have preferred to stay on the road. The Kings have a 10-0 record on the road in these playoffs, while their home record stands at a not as impressive, but still solid, 4-2. Tonight the Kings will try to get a win at home and go up 3-0 in their 4th series of these playoffs, which would be quite a remarkable feat. The Devils record on the road in these playoffs is 6-4 heading into this must win game 3. The Kings won each of the first two games in overtime, which shows that the games really could have gone either way and by no means have the Devils been dominated in these Finals. The problem for the Devils is that Jonathan Quick has been nearly unbeatable with a fluke goal in game 1 and a deflection in game 2 the only pucks that have crossed the goal line. The Devils will need to get more traffic in front of the net in order to somehow get Quick off his game if they hope to win tonight and get back in this series. Kovalchuk has looked good, but his presence must be felt on the scoreboard if the Devils are to win tonight. The Devils are pretty big underdogs heading into this game and watching the first two games they have looked good and one or two different bounces would have made this a completely different series to this point. The Kings have not looked as good at home in these playoffs and for this reason I like the Devils at +145 tonight.
Play: New Jersey Devils +145 (5Dimes.eu)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs is set to take place tonight in New Jersey. The Los Angeles Kings have not played in over a week so they will be extremely well rested heading into tonight’s game, while the Devils have also had 4 days off so they will not be able to complain about fatigue. The game is sure to be fast paced and will likely be a defensive battle as each team figures each other out. My NHL Playoff record currently sits at (29-25) for +6.36 units.
LA Kings @ New Jersey Devils
The Kings have been off for 8 days and this could have a positive or negative effect on a team that has been playing so well. The Kings did finish off each series in these playoffs very quickly though and jumped right into both the 2nd and 3rd rounds winning their first 3 games of each series after having an extended break so I don’t expect anything different tonight. The Kings are still undefeated on the road in these playoffs, which is quite remarkable having gone 8-0 on the road. As the 8th seed winning on the road was vital for the Kings and they have not disappointed.
While the Kings have started every series strong the Devils have closed out each series very strong winning all 3 of their close out games and they are actually carrying a 3 game winning streak into tonight’s game. Funny enough the Devils had to wait until the Stanley Cup Finals to get home ice advantage in these playoffs, so it will be interesting to see how they come out at home.
I like the Kings to once again dominate game 1 after a long break and really take it to the Devils tonight. The oddsmakers have the game pretty even, which means they still aren’t giving the Kings credit for their 8-0 road record in these playoffs.
Play: Kings -105 (5Dimes.eu)
The over/under on this game is also set very low at 4.5, which is almost unheard of for NHL games, where the over/under is usually around 5.5 and on rare occasions drops down to 5, but almost never to 4.5. I like the over on that bet because I could see this game being a tight battle that ends up somewhere around 2-2 and an overtime goal would force the over for a cash.
Play: Over 4.5 -125 (5Dimes.eu)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
If somebody told me before the playoffs began that the Stanley Cup Finals would feature the LA Kings and the New Jersey Devils I would have looked at them like they were crazy. But here we are with the two teams ready to do battle for Lord Stanley’s Cup this Wednesday and each team has earned the right to be here. The 8th seeded LA Kings knocked off the top 3 seeds in the West (Canucks, Blues and Coyotes) losing only 2 games on their way to the finals, while the Devils ousted the Panthers, Flyers and Rangers.
LA Kings vs New Jersey Devils Betting Odds
Los Angeles Kings -170
New Jersey Devils +160
The Kings are favoured heading into the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals because of their dominance throughout the first 3 rounds of the playoffs. Sportsbook 5Dimes.eu has the best odds for both the Kings and Devils so if you are planning on wagering on this series you should do so at 5Dimes.eu. Visit 5Dimes now to bet on this series.
LA Kings vs New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup Finals Prediction
The Kings were able to bulldoze their way through the Western Conference because their team, which had all the pieces in place, came together at the right time and starting playing like they could. Dustin Brown lead the way with some clutch scoring and leadership, while Kopitar picked up right where he left off the regular season putting up 15 points in 14 games, just 1 less than Brown. Drew Doughty also found his game recording 10 points and Jonathan Quick didn’t skip a beat even when his team was dominating, keeping the puck out while called upon.
The Devils had a scare in the first round against who should have been their easiest opponent as they were down 3-2 against the Panthers before fighting back to win in 7. This theme of finishing off the series strong was maintained when they won 4 straight to defeat Philly after being down 1-0 and then winning 3 straight against the Rangers after being down 2-1 after 3. Ilya Kovalchuk has really come to play in these playoffs scoring 18 points in 17 games, although he is a -4. The biggest story may be Bryce Salvador who has been arguably the best defenseman in these playoffs and who is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He is a +10 with 11 points to lead the New Jersey defensemen in scoring (pretty good for a guy who had only 9 assists in 82 regular season games – although he was still a +18). Brodeur has also came to play with a 2.04 GAA and .923 save percentage.
The Kings should have an edge in every aspect of the ice in this series. Their forwards have more depth, their defensemen have more offensive ability and their goaltender has proved he is one of, if not the best in the game today. The Devils have shown the heart and drive to come back in series, but the Kings have just been purely dominant winning the first 3 games in each series. I expect the Kings to come out flying once again and I think the fewer games played will help them, especially with the Conference Finals being contested with a team from their division. The Western Conference generally has to travel much more in the playoffs, but this year that hasn’t really been the case for the Kings and that should result in a fresh team that is playing unbelievably well. Brodeur will not get frazzled by the big stage, but I think Quick has proven he is more than capable of taking his team to the promise land.
Play: Kings -170 (5Dimes.eu)
Check out our past NHL predictions to see how I’ve done so far in these playoffs. My NHL playoff record sits at (29-25) for +5.46 units.
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Dustin Penner scored the huge overtime goal for the LA Kings last night to finish off their series with the Coyotes in 5 games. The ending was somewhat controversial after Dustin Brown got away with a knee on knee hit with Roszival after an offside just a few seconds before the Kings eventually scored. That being said the Kings were by far the superior team throughout the series and they deserve to be competing in the Stanley Cup Finals. I was on the Kings last night and that victory brings my NHL playoff record to (28-25) for +5.28 units.
New Jersey Devils @ New York Rangers
The Devils and Rangers are in one hell of a series with a lot of back and forth action and temperatures flaring up. Last game de Boer and Tortorella got into it after Rupp gave Brodeur a shot after the whistle and I expect both sides to still be fired up heading into this one. It would be hard to argue against the fact that the Devils have looked like the stronger team to this point in the series and in the playoffs overall. That being said the Rangers have scored more goals than the Devils in this series and have been able to capitalize on their chances more against Brodeur than the Devils have against Lundqvist. The Devils have been shutout 3-0 in games 1 and 3 in this series (all goals coming in 3rd period) so if the trend continues this game would finish 3-0 for the Rangers once again. Personally, I don’t believe in trends, especially in playoff series and I expect the Devils to find a way to solve Lundqvist tonight. This should be a tight low scoring game, but I like the Devils to pull it out as slight underdogs.
Play: Devils +118 (5Dimes.eu)
Check out our past NHL predictions to see how I’ve done in this series so far.
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Last night the Devils once again evened their Eastern Conference series with the New York Rangers which means that the series is now a best of 3. The Rangers have been unable to gain a stranglehold in any of their playoff series thus far and this will be the third time in these playoffs they are tied at 2 a piece after 4 games. I was away at a cottage for the long weekend, which is why I didn’t get any predictions up over that time. My NHL playoff prediction record now sits at (27-25) for +4.28 units.
Los Angeles Kings @ Phoenix Coyotes
The Kings are putting their perfect playoff road record on the line tonight as they head to Phoenix for game 5 up 3-1 in the series. The Coyotes pulled out a win in game 4 to stave off elimination, but the Kings were once again the better team and if it wasn’t for Mike Smith standing on his head and Shane Doan getting some timely goals this series would already be over. The Kings are only slight favourites in this game, but they way they have been playing and how they have dominated the Coyotes in this series I think they should be bigger favourites to end this series tonight. The Kings bounced back after their only previous NHL playoffs lost (game 4 against Vancouver) and I expect them to do the same tonight. Look for this series to end and the Kings to head to the Stanley Cup Finals after tonights game.
Play: Kings -128 (BetOnline.ag)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Last night the New Jersey Devils were able to win game 2 in New York to draw even with the Devils. Both teams have now been tied 1-1 in all three of their series to date in these Stanley Cup Playoffs. I was on the Devils and that win brings my NHL Playoffs record up to (26-25) for +3.28 units.
Phoenix Coyotes @ Los Angeles Kings
The Kings dominated the first two games in Phoenix winning handily, only allowing 2 goals while scoring 8 in the process. Now the Coyotes will have to try to get back in the series away from the Jobing.com arena. The LA Kings have looked absolutely amazing so far in these playoffs having won 10 of 11 games as an 8th seed taking on the top 3 seeded teams in the Western Conference. Last game the Kings outshot the Coyotes 40-24 and in game one the difference was 48-27. With Jonathan Quick on his game in goal and the Kings keeping the Coyotes few chances to the outside while dominating the game I am starting to think this will likely be another sweep for the Kings in these playoffs. Jeff Carter finally got going with a natural hat trick in game 2 and with him firing, along with Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar who have been leading the Kings attack, the Kings will be able to put up more than 2 goals on any given night and they have only allowed more than 2 goals (3 against) one time in these playoffs (their only loss).
Play: Kings -191 (BetOnline.ag)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Last night the LA Kings once again took it to the Phoenix Coyotes, as expected, for another convincing victory. This Kings team looks just amazing and you have to agree they are the front runners for the Stanley Cup at this moment. I was on the Kings and that win brings my NHL Playoffs record to (25-25) for +2.12 units. The Rangers and Devils face off in game 2 tonight, which should be a good game that could swing the momentum of the series.
New Jersey Devils @ New York Rangers
The New York Rangers played a very sound game 1 against the Devils not giving them many chances and preventing the Devils from getting any pucks past Hank Lundqvist. I expect another very tight checking game tonight, but I’m on the Devils tonight. The Rangers have played a tight checking game in every series and have won game 1 both times, but then followed that victory up with a loss in game 2. I expect this trend to continue tonight against the Devils, who should be able to figure out what they were doing wrong and adjust to give themselves the best chance to put up some goals in this game. I expect another low scoring game, but one that the Devils pull out this time to keep the series close and put both teams where they are accustomed, 1-1 series after the game 2.
Play: Devils +116 (5Dimes.com)
Written by: Niko de Jonge
