New Jersey Devils v Philadelphia Flyers
Philly became the first team to advance to the Semifinals as they defeated the heavily favored New Jersey Devils in five games. The touted New Jersey offense just couldn’t get anything going against the Flyers who let their good momentum carry them all the way through the first round. It was especially evident in the 3-0 shutout in game five that put the final nail in the New Jersey coffin.

Pittsburgh Penguins v Ottawa Senators
The Senators proved that they weren’t going to go down without a fight in this series. They started off by going 1-0 in the series and even managed to force a game six after edging past the Pens 4-3 in game five, but it just wasn’t enough to get them past the Pittsburgh offense. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have been on fire throughout these playoffs, and they’ve shown they’ll settle for nothing less than another shot at the Stanley Cup. They finished off the Senators on Saturday with a 4-3 win in Ontario.

Washington Capitals v Montreal Canadiens
The Caps aren’t looking quite as strong as many had predicted going into this series. Many (including myself) fully expected the Caps to come into this and sweep the Canadiens in four games, especially when you consider the terrible finish Montreal had to the regular season. Though, it just goes to show that the playoffs truly are a whole different game. The Canadiens have been holding on in this series, proving that you can never count them out. First they forced a game six with a 2-1 win, and then followed it up with another big 4-1 win to force a game seven. They hit the ice running, going up 2 goals in the first period. They held onto their lead throughout, adding another 2 in the third to secure their win.

Game seven takes place on Wednesday, April 28. Keep checking BetUS for the most up-to-date odds on this matchup.

Buffalo Sabres v Boston Bruins
This has been one of the most entertaining matchups to watch in this opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s been a defensive showdown with both Ryan Miller and Tuuka Rask putting on amazing performances in the net. Though, Boston has the edge. They managed to put the Sabres on the ropes, going up 3-1 in the series, but, feeling their playoff hopes slipping away, Buffalo managed to grab a big 4-1 win on the home ice to force a game six. The series traveled back to Boston, which was just what Boston needed. In the game that would put them through to the Semifinals, the Bruins dominated throughout before finally picking up a 4-3 win.

San Jose Sharks v Colorado Avalanche
Colorado surprised more than a few people in this series as they came into the playoffs with the fire and intensity that gave them such an impressive start to the regular season. The series went back and fourth, with three out of the first four games going into OT to decide the eventual winner. They played hard … up until game five when they were shut out 5-0 in their worst game of the postseason. It was all downhill from there as they didn’t fare much better in game six. San Jose grabbed a 5-2 win to advance to break their playoff curse and advance to the second round.

Chicago Blackhawks v Nashville Predators
Chicago got off to a rocky start in this series to say the least. All of their top forwards were under performing in a big way. Combined with their defensive issues, they allowed the Preds to take a 2-1 series lead. Though, by game four, it looked like Chicago had their troubles worked out. They managed a 3-0 shutout win to tie up the series, and enter into the game five looking like the team that took the number two seed in the West. It looked like they found what they were looking for because they followed it up with two more consecutive wins to put a very dejected Nashville team out of the playoffs and secure their place in the second round.

Vancouver Canucks v Los Angeles Kings
If you like high scoring affairs, this was the series to watch as these two offensive lines were out in full force, and the Kings were giving Vancouver nearly everything they could handle. After a big performance on the home ice, they had the series tied at 2-2, but it wasn’t to last long. With one of the most prolific offensive lines in the league, Vancouver came back in game five with a vengeance. They took a big 6-4 win, which yielded a massive 4 goals in the third period. They followed it up with an even bigger performance, grabbing a 7-2 victory to finish off LA.

Phoenix Coyotes v Detroit Red Wings
This series has gone back and forth with Detroit showing glimpses of playoff brilliance that can only come from 19 consecutive appearance, and Phoenix shutting them down to prove that they’re not going to be intimidated. The series is now tied at 3-3 after the Coyotes marched into Joe Louis Arena and grabbed a huge 5-2 win. The series is heading back to Arizona to decide the winner.

Game seven takes place on Tuesday, April 27 and BetUS is offering the following odds:

Puck Line
Coyotes: +1 ½ -260
Red Wings: -1 ½ +220
Moneyline
Coyotes: Ev
Red Wings: -120

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