NHL Hockey Betting: Stanley Cup Playoffs for April 21, 2016
Four games for Thursday with two teams facing elimination:
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS AT NEW YORK RANGERS:
The Penguins not only got their groove back in Game Three winning 3-1 but they also got their goalie back. Well *a* goalie–not starter Marc-Andre Fleury but talented youngster Matt Murray who looks like he’ll be starting somewhere very soon. Murray posted a 9-2-1 record and a 2.00 GAA during the season–not bad for a guy’s first taste of NHL action. Still no clue about Marc-Andre Fleury’s status. I mean his real status as in when he’ll be playing again. The team has him listed as ‘questionable’ along with Beau Bennett. Who isn’t listed as ‘questionable’ (Possible Suspension) any more is defenseman Kris Letang. Letang was exonerated by the league for his slash to the neck of Viktor Stalberg in Game Three.
The concern for the Rangers now is offense or more specifically ‘lack thereof’. They won Game Two 4-2 but have scored a total of 3 goals in their two losses. A bigger concern than the goals specifically is the 17 shots on net they had in Game Three. Ironically, the Penguins’ defense was a huge ‘question mark’ last Summer as bored hockey pundits discussed each team’s prospects for the forthcoming season. Now they’ve doing a good job shutting down the Rangers. Another concern–getting New York Jets’ center Nick Mangold to sit down and act like a semi-mature human being. Even the New York media described his behavior as ‘crazed’ as Mangold made Puddy from the ‘Seinfeld’ show look like William F. Buckley.
Pittsburgh just needs to keep playing their game and although the myopic New York media is off of the ‘Rangers are legit Cup contenders’ bandwagon the reality is that the ‘Broadway Blueshirts’ just aren’t a championship level team. They were #7 in goals per game during the regular season but otherwise mediocre at best statistically 15th goals against, 14th power play and 26th penalty kill. Henrik Lundqvist isn’t playing *badly* but he’s not playing at top level. The Penguins have won 10 of 12 dating back to the regular season while the Rangers weren’t in good form when the playoffs started.
BET PITTSBURGH PENGUINS -110 OVER NEW YORK RANGERS
DETROIT RED WINGS AT TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:
Another ‘Original Six’ fanbase is finding out that their team isn’t as good as previous vintages. The Detroit Red Wings best chance for success this year is in the Kentucky Derby where hockey fan Doug O’Neill’s horse Nyquist is the presumptive favorite. The Wings fans and Detroit media have gone from believing that minor changes to the fourth line would turn things around to apparently accepting the inevitablility of elimination. The local media is blaming the team’s lack of discipline for the Game Four loss. I’m blaming coach Jeff Blashill’s ‘scapegoat’ method of player management–particularly with his goaltenders. The other narrative is that Game Five could be Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk’s final game as teammates. Datsyuk wants to return to Russia and play hockey there (presumably in the KHL).
For Tampa Bay, Game Four had an unexpected hero–much maligned center Jonathan Drouin who at one point this year was sent to the minors after he demanded to be traded. Drouin assisted on all three Tampa Bay goals in Game Four. The Lightning are reasonably healthy with only defenseman Anton Stralman out along with Steven Stamkos who is likely done for the year with a blood clot. Bolts have dominated the Wings over the last three seasons overall (16-8-0) and particularly at home (10-2-0). Lightning advance.
BET TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING -160 OVER DETROIT RED WINGS
ANAHEIM DUCKS AT NASHVILLE PREDATORS:
I follow the Nashville Predators more closely than any team in the NHL. That said, I don’t have a clue about this team and about this game. Ducks shut down the Predators in Game Three as Frederik Andersen shut out Nashville as the Anaheim defense limited them to 21 shots on goal. Nashville typically comes back strong after an offense fiasco–they’re 11-7 this year after scoring one goal or fewer and 34-23 over the past three years. Pekka Rinne is a concern–he gave up three goals on 28 shots in the previous game. He just hasn’t looked right all season and the issue might be mental more than physical. The Predators aren’t going to switch to backup Carter Hutton–who is one of the more capable backups in the league. This game could go either way–the Preds could play up to their ability and win or they could lay another egg and lose. I don’t want my money involved.
PASS
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS AT ST. LOUIS BLUES:
I’m still not convinced that the St. Louis Blues are a legit Cup contender but to their credit they’ve got the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks on the ropes and facing elimination. Chicago will be without Andrew Shaw for Game Five–he’s being suspended for one game for his anti-gay ‘F-bomb’ in Game Four. The Blackhawks’ biggest problem in this series has been marginal goaltending and defense. Actually, the *real* biggest problem has been St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott who has been playing like a man possessed for the past six weeks or so. Chicago has been getting shots on goal–way too many shots on goal if you’re a St. Louis Blues fan–and they just can’t solve the ‘Elliott problem’. Hawks put 88 shots on goal in Games Three and Four.
Of course it’s not like the Blues have dominated the Blackhawks–every game has been decided by a single goal but the Blues are winning the kinds of games that the Hawks won last year. Chicago has the talent to pull out a victory but for whatever reason I don’t think they will. The games in this series may have been close but the Blues are the better team.
BET ST. LOUIS BLUES -125 OVER CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS