Star forward Patrick Kane managed to just slip the puck past Philadelphia goalie Michael Leighton 4:10 into the overtime period to put the score at 4-3 and hand hockey’s holy grail to Chicago for the first time in 49 years.  There was no goal light, but white jerseys flooded over the boards and onto the ice to congratulate Kane as the rest of the arena wasn’t quite aware what had happened.  After a quick review, there was no question Kane had scored the winning goal.  With heavy heads, Philadelphia accepted defeat and looked on as the ‘Hawks celebrated.  In an effort to boost spirits, the home crowd chanted ‘Let’s go Flyers’ as the team waited to shake hands with the 2010 Stanley Cup winners.

Captain Jonathan Toews, just 22 years old, became the second youngest captain to hoist the Cup.  He was also named winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  After his victory lap, Toews immediately passed the Cup to veteran forward Marian Hossa who got to hoist the Cup for the first time in his 12 year career.

It was a fitting end to a hard fought series that went back and forth for both teams.  Philadelphia did a tremendous job in reaching the Finals as the constant underdog.  With a great effort from the entire team, they were even able to claw their way back from a two game deficit against the Blackhawks to keep themselves in the running.  Though, it wasn’t to be as Chicago’s dominating offense and Antti Niemi’s brilliance in the net were too much to handle.

That might be the end of another NHL season, but it’s not over for me.  Keep checking NHLBetsOnline for all of the latest offseason news.

It looked like it was going to be another defensive showdown in Game 5 as the first half of the first period passed without either team picking up a goal.  But, a determined Chicago team put an end to that when Brent Seabrook, assisted by Kris Versteeg and Troy Brouwer, took the first goal of the game on a power-play.  This was followed up with another Chicago goal when Dave Bolland tipped one in just over three minutes later.  And, Versteeg finished things off with the third and final goal of the first to put Chicago up 3-0.

Though a three-goal deficit is a lot to overcome, there was plenty of game left to play and the Flyers were nowhere near giving up.  They hit the ice hard in the second period, picking up their first goal of the game when Scott Hartnell slapped the puck past Antti Neimi just 32 seconds into the period.  Then the game took on a much more familiar feel with each team exchanging goals much like they have done throughout these Stanley Cup playoffs.  Chicago’s Patrick Kane put the Blackhawks up 4-1 with a goal at the 3:13 mark, but Kimmo Timonen knocked one in off the point just a minute later to put the score at 4-2.  Chicago finished off the period with yet another goal from Dustin Byfuglien to regain their three-point lead.

This is how it went for the remainder of the game.  Just when Philadelphia was starting to catch up, Chicago would maintain their massive three-goal lead with another goal.  In the end, their huge lead was too much for Philly.

It was evident at the end of Game 4 that Chicago was in need of some big changes.  Head coach Joel Quenneville certainly thought so as he shook things up a bit.  Both Kane and Byfuglien were moved from the first line, which gave both of these top scorers the chance to dominate the backup Philly line while picking up winning goals.  The shakeup also saw a return to form for Chicago, which resulted in a completely dominating performance.  Philadelphia played well in this game, outshooting the ‘Hawks in both the second and third period, but Chicago was just that good.

Philadelphia is going to have to dig deep in order to overcome the tremendous talent that emerged on Chicago’s side if they want to stay alive in this series.  Game 6 will take them back to Philly’s home ice, which could give them a slight advantage.  All the action gets started on Wednesday, June 9.  BetUS is offering the following odds:

Puck Line
Blackhawks: +1 ½ -265
Flyers: -1 ½ +225
Moneyline
Blackhawks: Ev
Flyers: -120

They are also offering the following updated odds to win the series:

Flyers: +325
Blackhawks: -450

This series has gone back and forth between the two teams as far as goal scoring goes, so Philly fans must have been very excited when the Flyers suddenly found themselves two points ahead to safely secure their second consecutive victory.  Once again they started things off with the first goal of the game, and once again it was thanks to the one-man advantage.  Mike Richards tipped one in on the power play at the 4:35 mark.  It was followed up by a second goal for Philly by Matt Carle.  They had a 2-0 lead on the Blackhawks for the first time in these Stanley Cup Finals.  Patrick Sharp, assisted by Duncan Keith, managed to slap one in for Chicago to narrow the gap, but Claude Giroux answered back with yet another goal for the Flyers less than a minute later.  The first period finished out with the Flyers up 3-1.

The defense heated up for the second period as both teams when scoreless through the entire 20 minutes, but Chicago was determined to fire back in this Game 4.  They hit the ice hard in the third period, picked up two goals within three minutes, but it was too little too late.  Philladelphia had already picked up yet another goal from Ville Leino at the start of the third, and sealed the deal with an empty net goal from Jeff Carter.

This two in a row victory for Philladephia doesn’t bode well for Chicago, especially when you consider that the team that has won Game 4 has gone on to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup for the past 24 out of 27 years.  So, are we looking at the first Stanley Cup win for Philly in 30 years?  Well, if they can keep playing with this superb offense complete with an extremely dangerous forecheck, their chances look good.  But the main question now is: what in the heck is going on with Chicago?

The Blackhawks began showing weakness in the third period of Game 2, and have definitely been looking out of sorts since leaving the home ice.  Though their entire game was plagued with mistakes, one of the biggest was their time spent in the penalty box.  All up, they gave Philadelphia 14 full minutes with the one-man advantage, which is something they’ve proven they know how to take advantage of.  If they can cut down their penalty minutes in Game 5, it will go a long way in keeping them in this series.

Another killer for Chicago has been their inability to control the defensive zone and turning over the puck.  Philadelphia has been able to move the puck freely around the Chicago defense, finding open players in front of the net to put away goals.  Giroux’s goal in the first was a perfect example of this.  Defenseman Kimmo Timmonen spotted Giroux behind Chicago goalie Antti Neimi, who was already swamped at the net.  Chicago will need to get their defense firing on all cylinders again if they want to get back into this game.  Pushing the Philly forecheck to the perimeters of the defensive zone will give Neimi a better view of the play and allow him time to prepare should a shot be taken.

Overall, Chicago just needs to tighten up.  I think a game on the home ice will see a whole different team in Game 5.  At least I hope so, otherwise Philly has this series sewn up.  Game 5 has the series back in Chicago on Sunday, June 6 and BetUS is offering the following odds:

Puck Line
Flyers: +1 ½ -190
Blackhawks: -1 ½ +160
Moneyline
Flyers: +165
Blackhawks: -200

Don’t forget that BetUS is also offering live betting on all of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The pressure was most certainly on going into this Game 3.  They might have been able to overcome a three game deficit against Boston but to do it twice in the same playoffs is unheard of, which is exactly what they would have had to do if they had lost this game.  For the first time in this series, they started things off right by taking the first goal of the game.  Chicago’s Marion Hossa took a two-minute penalty for slashing, and Philly’s Danny Briere took a wrist shot goal on the power play.  Chicago wasn’t about to let them run away with a win as they evened up the score with a goal from Duncan Keith assisted by Patrick Kane and Hossa.

This was basically how the game went, back and forth with one team slapping in a goal to take the lead and the other quickly answering back.  Philly’s Scott Hartnell took another power play goal to put it at 2-1, but Brent Sopel tied it up for Chicago at the end of the second.  Patrick Kane opened the third with a goal to put Chicago up 3-2, but Ville Leino put one away for Philly about 20 seconds later to tie things up and send the game into overtime.  The hockey gods were smiling upon Philly in Game 3 as Claude Giroux had nearly every person in Wachovia Center on their feet at the 5:59 mark with the game-winning goal.  Philadelphia took the 4-3 victory to put the series at 2-1.

The Flyers may have dodged a big bullet by taking Game 3, but the pressure is still on for Game 4.  Their game has markedly improved since Game 1, but they can’t let up.  One thing that has been saving games for them has been their consistently good forechecking attack.  It’s definitely something that I’ve talked about here on this blog.  Game 3 saw players like Briere, Scott Hartnell, and Leino utilizing this attack perfectly, which had successful results.  Game 4 will need to see them continue to put the pressure on the Blackhawks defense by getting their forwards to continually pound that offensive zone.

Chris Pronger has been fantastic on defense throughout the series. U Unfortunately he was about the only one putting in the effort in the first couple of games.  Game 3 saw a much more cohesive and consistent backline for Philadelphia.  Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Matt Carle were all monsters in the defensive zone, controlling the Chicago forwards and wearing them down one hit at a time.  They’ll need to continue with this dominating defense if they want to take out Game 4.  Michael Leighton is finally finding his feet in this series, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  If the goalie can continue to make those important saves, Philadelphia may just be able to pull through in Game 4.

Chicago, on the other hand, seems to be slipping a little.  Maybe they were getting too comfortable with their two game lead in the series and got lazy in Game 3, but the sloppy defense and lack of forechcking are the main reasons why these guys aren’t looking at a sweep of their opponents.  They allowed 32 shots on goal, 15 of those were in the third period alone.  Antti Neiemi has been a god in the net so far, but he can’t win games on his own.  If the defense doesn’t do their part to push the powerful Flyer forwards to the perimeters, they’re going to take full advantage.  The third period of Game 2 and 3 were prime examples of this.

Game 4 is on Friday, June 4 and will be staying in Philly.  BetUS is offering the following odds:

Puck Line
Blackhawks: +1 ½ -270
Flyers: -1 ½ +230
Moneyline
Blackhawks: -105
Flyers: -115

They are also offering the following odds on who will win the series:

Flyers: +275
Blackhawks: -375

This game was decidedly more defense heavy as both teams kicked it up a notch on the backline.  In fact, the entire first period dwindled away without either team picking up a goal.  The Flyers only managed a disappointing three shots on goal while the Blackhawks had nine.  Both teams were ruthless when it came to controlling the defensive zone through the first, but seemed to ease up enough in the second to allow a little more action around the net.

Chicago came out with guns blazing after the first period break, hammering Philly with an offensive attack.  The plan worked as Marion Hossa not only slapped in the first goal of the game to give Chicago the lead, but he snapped an eight playoff game dry spell.  He was immediately followed up with a second Chicago goal less than 30 seconds later.  This time it was Ben Eager assisted by Dustin Byfuglien.  In a game where the defense was giving up nothing, suddenly the ‘Hawks were up.

Staring down a two-goal deficit, the Flyers turned up the heat.  They outshot the Blackhawks 15 to 13 in the second period, and absolutely hammered the net in the third.  The amped up offense came through early on in the third period when Simon Gagne put away a wrist shot, making the score 2-1.  They continued with their offensive barrage, which resulted in a very lopsided 15 to 4 shots on goal.  But they just couldn’t get it past Antti Neimi who was an absolute champion in the net.  He made a very impressive 32 saves in Game 2 and almost single handedly ensured another victory for Chicago.

Game 3 will see the series heading back to Philadelphia, which may be just what the Flyers need to regroup.  Though they were able to put together some brilliant moments in Game 2 (fantastic defense in the first and third period and offensive attack in the third), their problem has been consistency.  They need to play a full 60 minutes of solid hockey if they want to get back in contention in this series.  They may need a change in the net as well.  Michael Leighton was fantastic in leading the Flyers to the Finals, but he seems to have lost some of his touch in the first two games of this last round.  There was marked improvement since Game 1, but the ‘Hawks know how to catch Leighton off guard.  Let’s hope that the home crowd inspires some determination or we could be looking at a very short Stanley Cup Finals.

Game 3 is on Wednesday, June 2.  BetUS is offering the following odds:

Puck Line
Blackhawks: +1 ½ -250
Flyers: -1 ½ +210
Moneyline
Blackhawks: +110
Flyers: -130

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was the near complete lack of defense from these two teams that have been touted for their awesome defensive prowess.  Let’s start with Philly goalie Michael Leighton.  He gave up a massive five goals on 20 shots in the first 35 minutes of the game.  What?!  This is the same guy that performed so well through round two of the playoffs and gathered up an unprecedented three playoff shutouts in round three.  Coach Peter Laviolette had no choice but to pull Leighton and replace him with the always-reliable Brian Boucher.

On the other side of the ice, Antti Neimi wasn’t that much better.  He struggled through most of the game.  In fact, the first two periods were his downfall as this was when he gave up all five goals.  Though, it looked like he had his stuff together by the third as he came out to make some very impressive saves, going 6 for 6 to keep Chicago in the lead.

Though, the goalies are not all to blame for all of the goals.  These two teams have a couple of the strongest backlines.  Though, it looks like a few days off has caused them to forget how to control the defensive zone.  Philly defenders such as Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen found out the depth of the Chicago offense and struggled to keep them at the perimeter.  The result was a barrage of shots on net.  Likewise, Chicago muscle Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook fell victim to the Philly forecheck, which made minding the net that much more difficult for Niemi.

Though it wasn’t just the lack of defense that made this one heck of an interesting game.  The traditional high scoring talent was also lacking, resulting in a slew of goals from 10 different players none of which came from the first line.  In fact, Chicagos’ top line featuring Jonathan Toews, Dustin Byfuglien, and Partick Kane took zero points and finished off at minus-9.  Philly’s top line of Mike Richards, Simon Gagne, and Jeff Carter also posted no goals and was minus-7.  While the depth of the Chicago offense has the potential to carry them through these playoffs if the first line continues to struggle, Philly isn’t quite as lucky.  They need to see more from their top players if they want to even this series out in the next game.

Game 2 is in Chicago, which will make things even more difficult for Philly.  BetUS is offering the following odds:

Puck Line
Flyers: +1 ½ -175
Blackhawks: -1 ½ +155
Moneyline
Flyers: +165
Blackhawks: -200

Check it out before the game gets underway on Monday, May 31.

We’re looking at two teams that haven’t hoisted the Cup in a very long time.  It’s been 35 years for the Flyers with their last Stanley Cup victories coming in back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975.  Though, that’s not nearly the drought the Blackhawks have gone through.  They’re the team in the NHL that’s gone the longest without a Cup win as the last one came in 1960.  That’s 49 long, hard years for one of hockey’s Original Six.  There’s no doubt that both are dying to get their hands on that trophy again.  So here’s a look at how these two teams stack up against one another.

The Flyers struggled through the regular season despite many NHL experts predicting they were one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference.  They took it all the way down to their very last game to secure their place in the playoffs, and were underdogs right from the start.  Many (including myself) predicted that the New Jersey Devils would hand Philly their walking papers early on but it wasn’t to be.  Not only did they slay the Devils, but they also ousted the heavily favored Boston Bruins in one of the biggest upsets in Stanley Cup History.  Then, when faced with putting a stop to a fellow Cinderella story in the Montreal Canadiens, they were ruthless.  Nearly sweeping the Habs, they ousted the lower seeded team with a 4-1 series victory.

The team has been playing with renewed confidence since the return of first-string goalie Michael Leighton.  He played in eight games through these playoffs and has posted a very respectable 1.45 goals against average with a .948 save percentage.  His return has equaled eight out of nine wins for the Flyers, and now is his shot to seek a little retribution against his former team.  Chicago traded the goalie after just 42 games.  While their goalie is good, credit must be given to Philly’s stacked blue line.  Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen are both defensive forces to be reckoned with.  Plus, with Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn playing backup, this backline can handle just about anything that’s thrown at them.  Just ask Montreal who suffered three shutout victories at the hands of this fantastic Philadelphia defense.

Finally, Philly is sporting an offensive line that absolutely slams any opposing defense with some fantastic forechecking.  Scott Hartnell, Daniel Carcillo and Mike Richards have been the kings of this attack that has forced plenty of turnovers and more than a few goals.  In addition, Danny Briere, Claude Giroux, Simon Gagne, and captain Mike Richards have been scoring powerhouses.  They have put away a combined 30 goals and 36 assists (15 of those belong to Richards alone).

On the other side of the ice, the Chicago Blackhawks are a similar team with similar strengths and weaknesses.  However, Chicago’s road to the playoffs was much more straightforward.  They were at the top of the Western Conference throughout the season locked in a battle with the San Jose Sharks for the number one spot.  A playoff position was never in question; though, they did struggle somewhat in the opening rounds of the postseason.  They eventually ousted the Predators in six games.  It looked like they had it all figured out by the end of the second round as they finished off Vancouver in six and went on to secure their place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in impressive fashion.  They swept the top seeded Sharks 4-0.

The net minding could the one weak spot in the Chicago game.  Antti Niemi has done a good job through these playoffs while finding his feet and gaining valuable experience.  He’s posting a decent 2.33 goals against average and a .921 save percentage.  He’s gaining confidence and has been solid in the net, but he’ll need to take it to the next level as the Philly offense is going to be a tough test.

Luckily Neimi has the support of one tough defensive line.  In fact, the Chicago backline is one of the best in the league.  Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith are both league leaders and they’re fronting a defensive force with likes of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brian Campbell playing support.  These guys have been excellent in controlling the defensive zone and protecting Niemi in the net.  I think their total domination over the San Jose offense is plenty of evidence of the skill behind this line-up.

Chicago’s most potent asset is their extremely powerful offensive line.  They have five different scoring machines on this team.  Captain Jonathan Toews has picked up seven goals and a very impressive 19 assists.  Patrick Kane isn’t far behind with seven of his own goals and 13 assists.  Add to that Patrick Sharp (seven goals), Dustin Byfuglien (eight goals), and David Bolland (five goals), and you’ve got a squad of talent that will be hammering the Philadelphia net.  They even have decent backup talent such as Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, and Kris Versteeg are all posting decent numbers.

Overall, these teams both have excellent potential.  And since both play such a similar game, this could result in a knock down drag out battle of seven games to decide who will have the honor of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup.  In the end, though, I think Chicago has more depth and talent than Philly and will probably take this one out.  We shall see how they matchup in Game 1 on Saturday, May 29.  Chicago has the home ice advantage so expect them to take a 1-0 series lead.  BetUS is offering the following odds on the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals:

Game 1 Puck Line
Flyers: +1 ½ -170
Blackhawks: -1 ½ +150
Moneyline
Flyers: +165
Blackhawks: -200

To Win the Series
Flyers: +200
Blackhawks: -260

Anyway, while I’m still reeling from their loss, here’s a look at the Conference Finals.

The West
San Jose v Chicago Blackhawks
These two teams battled it out all through the season for the top two positions in the standings.  Now, the no. 1 ranked Sharks are facing off against the no. 2 ranked Blackhawks to decide who’s the best in the West.

Game 1 has already been played, and Chicago is off to a great start with a 2-1 victory.  It was a close game in which both teams played fantastic defense.  San Jose started things off with a goal on the power play by Jason Demers.  Chicago tied it up in the second period with a shot from Patrick Sharp and finished it off with a goal from Dustin Byfuglien in the third.

Chicago racked up 10 minutes in penalties, which isn’t going to bode well if the Sharks can figure out how to take advantage of those power plays.  Though, credit must be given to the Blackhawks’ ability to kill the 5 on 4 advantage, as they only allowed one goal though the entire game.  Goalie Antti Niemi was a big part of their Game 1 success as he made an impressive 45 saves.  In fact, if not for his exceptional performance, the result could have been very different as the Sharks outshot the ‘Hawks 46 to 40.

As mentioned, San Jose will need to figure out a way to take advantage of the power play as they were given ample opportunity with the man advantage in this game.  If they can do that, a win in this series is highly likely.  Their game is much more consistent than Chicago with a talented offense led by Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton.  They’re also sporting a very solid backline led by Dan Boyle.  Maybe they’ve found their feet again since their break, and Game 2 will see a much more aggressive San Jose squad in the Shark Tank.

Keep checking BetUS to put down a wager on the upcoming Game 2 at San Jose.

The East
Montreal Canadiens v Philadelphia Flyers
This series is one for the underdogs as both of these teams were supposed to have taken their walking papers in round one.

Game 1 is done and dusted between these two teams, and Philadelphia killed it with a 6-0 shutout to take the series lead.  Montreal looked like an eighth seeded team rather than the miracle team that has been slaying giants throughout these NHL playoffs.

Both offensive lines were pretty evenly matched in this one.  Philly managed 25 shots on goal while Montreal had 28.  Philadelphia was able to capitalize more on the power play, putting away 2 goals with the one-man advantage.  Montreal didn’t get any.  It looks like the key in this one was defense.  It all came down to the goalies, and unfortunately, tonight was not Jaroslav Halak’s night.  He was replaced by Chris Price midway through the game.  But, the damage was done as Philly was up 4-0.  On the other side of the ice, Michael Leighton continues to do a fantastic job minding the Philly net.

If the Canadiens want to catch up in Game 2, they offense is going to have to step it up.  Michael Cammalleri has been a fantastic leader throughout these playoffs, but he was largely quiet through Game 1.  They’re missing Andrei Markov, which could help explain their shoddy defense through this game.  They’ll need to figure out a way to fill in that massive hole because they can’t count on their goalie to win every game for them.

The puck drops on Game 2 on Tuesday, May 18 in Philly.  Keep checking BetUS for all of the most up-to-date odds on this series matchup.  Remember that BetUS is also offering plenty of other lines on the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  These include:

Will a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup?
Yes: 8/1
No: 1/15

To Win the Stanley Cup:
Chicago Blackhawks: 2/1
Montreal Canadiens: 33/1
San Jose Sharks: 2/1
Philadelphia Flyers: 65/1

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.

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