The Semis are fully underway, with a couple of shocking wins already up on the board.  Here’s a quick update of the action thus far and a look ahead at the upcoming games.

San Jose Sharks v Detroit Red Wings - Sharks lead 2-0
It looks like the good momentum has carried over for the Sharks as they have kicked off their series against the Wings with a pair of 4-3 victories.  They’re not only leading the series, but are looking stronger and faster than the Stanley Cup veteran Wings, particularly in game 1 when they racked up an impressive three goals in the first period alone.

Game 3 takes place on Tuesday, May 4 and the Wings are in a tough position.  Historically, they haven’t done well against a 2 game deficit in the playoffs, but a return to the home ice might be enough to inspire a win.  They’re struggling when it comes to the power play, going 0-for-5 with the man advantage in game 1.  They didn’t do much better in game 2 as they only picked up a single goal on the power play.  The offense will need to step up to take advantage of those opportunities, especially now that they’re down two games.

The Sharks will be hoping that their good momentum doesn’t run out as they hit Motor City.  Though, with the offense firing on all cylinders as it has been, another win seems imminent.  They outshot the Wings 45 to 31 in game 2 with Joe Pavalski and Joe Thornton coming through in a big way.  If they can continue with this offensive domination, Detroit will have their hands full on the home ice.

BetUS is offering the following odds:
Moneyline
Sharks: +1 ½ -200
Red Wings: -1 ½ +165
Puck Line
Sharks: +145
Red Wings: -165

Vancouver Canucks v Chicago Blackhawks - Series tied 1-1
If game 1 of this series is any indication, it doesn’t look like the Canucks are going to fall to the Blackhawks again this year.  They completely dominated the struggling Chicago team in a massive 5-1 victory on Saturday night.  Though, after promising to be much more physical in game 2, the Blackhawks looked much more prepared.  They allowed only two goals in the first period and managed to hold off the Canucks’ offensive charge through most of the game.  After tying up the game early in the third, Chicago completely turned things around.  Patrick Kane grabbed a goal to give the ‘Hawks the lead and followed it up with another goal on an empty net.  This series just got interesting.

Pittsburgh Penguins v Montreal Canadiens - Series tied 1-1
I don’t think there were many people out there that saw this matchup happening, but the Canadiens proved that they will not be underestimated as they defeated the heavily favored Washington Capitals.  After game 1 against the Pens, it looked like their Stanley Cup run was all but over as the Pens clobbered the Habs 6-3.  Though, not to be outdone, they battled back in game 2 to take a substantial 3-1 win over the defending champs.  If the Habs can continue to make the most out of the power plays this could be a very interesting series indeed.

Game 3 will take place on Tuesday, May 4 in Montreal.  Goalie Jaroslav Halak continues to save the day for the Canadiens.  He made an impressive 38 saves in the Habs’ victory over the Pens in game 2.  A bad night from their goalie could spell the end of the Canadiens, which is something they’re aware of.  Watch for them to amp up the offense in an effort to take some pressure off the net.  Michael Cammalleri is leading the way with seven goals in the last six games.

Before you write off the Pens in this road game, keep in mind that more than a few of these boys hail from Quebec, and plenty more have experience playing in the area, so there should be a decent amount of support for the Pens at the Bell Centre.  They’ll need to watch the power play.  One of the biggest assets of the Canadiens’ game is the fact that they can take advantage of the power play.  The Pens will need to come up with a strategy for killing the 5-4 situations while taking their offensive onslaught to the next level.  It’s going to be a fantastic game, and BetUS is offering the following odds:

Moneyline
Penguins: -1 ½ +170
Canadiens: +1 ½ -210
Puck Line
Penguins: -160
Canadiens: +140

Boston Bruins v Philadelphia Flyers - Boston lead 2-0
The postseason has seemingly rejuvenated the Bruins, as the offensive line is looking better than ever. They started out their second round series against the Flyers with a 5-4 OT win with Marc Savard taking the winning OT goal in his first game back from the injury list.  This was followed up by another tight battle, as neither team was giving up much in game 2.  The score stayed tied 2-2 for much of the game, but Boston picked it up the third and winning goal late in the period to give them their 3-2 win and their 2-0 series lead.  They’ll hit the ice for game 3 on Wednesday, May 5.

Don’t forget to keep checking BetUS for all of the most up-to-date odds as the Stanley Cup Playoffs roll on.  Keep in mind that in addition to their game odds, BetUS is also offering series odds.  Check it out before the puck drops in game 3.

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