Date/Time: May 19th, 3:00 PM ET

Television: NBC

NHL Betting Odds from BetOnline Sportsbook

Moneyline: Bruins -125

Total: 5

The Boston Bruins hold a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals over the New York Rangers, but it wasn’t easy. The win in overtime was a big one for the Bruins, and now, they are trying to get a 2-0 series lead in NHL playoff betting action on Sunday afternoon in the game of the day on NBC.

The Rangers have to be heartbroken about losing Game 1, but they had to see this coming with the amount of pressure that they had on them for the mass majority of this game. Not only did they allow the Bruins to rip off 48 shots on goal, but G Henrik Lundqvist was saved by the post three times on the night, including twice in overtime before conceding the game-winner. Don’t get us wrong. The Swede played a great game, as he stopped 45-of-48 shots. His defense though, has to do a better job of clearing the defensive zone, and it would really help if the team could get into the offensive zone with some confidence. Over the course of the entire overtime period on Thursday night, we could count on one hand how many times a Ranger carried the puck into the zone. Generally, it was just dump and chase, something that the Bruins rarely did. That’s why they ended up winning the first game of this series, and why New York is already in chase mode.

It was just another day at the office for Boston. The team poured all sorts of pressure on in the attacking zone, and the argument could be made that if not for the post, four or five goals should have been scored, and if not for the remarkable play of Lundqvist, perhaps another two or three would have gotten through. LW Brad Marchand was the hero on the stat sheet, as he assisted on the game-tying goal and scored the game-winner in overtime. He was the flashy man with the stats, but there were others that played remarkable hockey in spite of their suspect numbers. D Dougie Hamilton had an assist and put a ton of pressure on with his slappers from the point, and he finished with five shots on goal for the game. It wasn’t the goal and the assist that made the night for D Zdeno Chara. It was his nine shots and the fact that he poked the puck away to start what turned out to be the game winning goal. It was C Patrice Bergeron, who didn’t log a shot on net the entire night, who had the beautiful pass to Marchand that ultimately won the game. Oh by the way, we haven’t even mentioned any of the front line players that played so well for the Bruins in the opening round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

We don’t think it is a shock that the Rangers were able to hang around in Game 1, but they weren’t the better team on the ice. Boston has the better side, and it is a bit insulting to think that it is only barely a -125 favorite, insinuating that the oddsmakers believe that the Rangers are actually the better of the two teams.

New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins Pick: Boston Bruins -125

Date/Time: May 18th, 1:00 PM ET

Television: NBC

NHL Betting Odds from WagerWeb Sportsbook

Moneyline: Blackhawks -200

Total: 5

The Chicago Blackhawks had everything go their way in Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, and they took a 1-0 series lead over the Detroit Red Wings as a result. Now, the two meet in NHL betting festivities once again in Game 2 at the United Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Wings have been beaten and beaten badly before in these playoffs, and they haven’t let it deter them. They were outplayed just as badly by the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, and they were outplayed even worse in Game 3 back at Joe Louis Arena when those same two teams met. That said, Detroit is still here, and it still has a real chance to win the Stanley Cup if it can just focus and play more like it did in the first two periods and less like it did in the third of Game 1 of this series. The Blackhawks are the better of these two teams, no doubt, but the Ducks were better than Detroit as well. The boys from Motown need to simply spend more time on the positive side of the ice. Getting outshot 42-21 isn’t going to cut it, and though there were moments of brilliance and flashes of great play, there just needs to be more of it going forward. LW Henrik Zetterberg and C Pavel Datsyuk need to become important parts of the game once again as well, as both were rather MIA in Game 1.

The Blackhawks are just rolling right along, and they still only have one loss in the playoffs, and that came in overtime against the Minnesota Wild in Game 3. Amazingly, this team has only been beaten in regulation seven times in 54 games this year. G Corey Crawford’s numbers here in the playoffs look even better than they did in the regular season. He has a 1.27 GAA and has allowed just a total of eight goals in six games, posting a tremendous .950 save percentage. The team has a full set of skaters on its side now that it has C David Bolland back in the fold. However, the men of the hour are clearly going to be LW Patrick Sharp and his line mates on the power play. This top line with the man advantage features Sharp, RW Marian Hossa, RW Patrick Kane, and C Jonathan Toews, and it is as good of a power play line as there is in hockey. These guys only have three power play goals between them, but as individuals for the postseason, they have combined for 25 points.

The Red Wings could really get even in this series in a hurry. Don’t be shocked if this is a game that comes right down to the wire. We want Detroit and those plus odds on our side once again, knowing that things couldn’t possibly be as bad as they were in Game 1.

Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks Pick: Detroit Red Wings +180

Date/Time: Friday, May 17, 7:30 p.m. (ET)

Television: NBC Sports Network

NHL Betting Odds: VietBet

Money line: Ottawa (+173)    Pittsburgh (-191)

Total Line: 5.5

Game Overview:

The Ottawa Senators stunned the hockey world as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a relative easy 4-1 opening round series victory over No. 2 Montreal. It outscored the Canadiens 20-9 with an average of four goals a game after averaging just 2.3 goals in the regular season. Kyle Turris was the leading scorer for the Senators this year with just 12 goals, but he tallied three more in the series against Montreal.

This burst of offense came to a screeching halt in Game 1 of this series with a 4-1 loss as 170 road underdogs this past Tuesday night. The total stayed UNDER the 5.5 line in that game after it went OVER in four of Ottawa’s previous six games. Craig Anderson was spectacular in goal against Montreal with a goals-against-average of 1.8 in that series, but he looked very average on Tuesday night by allowing four goals on just 30 shots.

Pittsburgh came into the postseason as clearly the best team in the conference, but hardly played the part through the first four games of its opening round series against the New York Islanders. With the best-of-seven series tied 2-2, the Penguins decided to turn to Tomas Vokoun in goal in relief of Marc-Andre Fleury and the move paid off with back-to-back victories to win in six games. Vokoun has posted a GAA of 1.28 and a .962 save percentage in three playoff starts in which Pittsburgh has outscored its opponents 12-4.

Vokoun may have provided a necessary spark on defense, but the Penguins’ offensive attack has been on fire all season long. They led the NHL this season in scoring with 3.4 goals-per-game, but in seven playoff games this average has exploded to 4.14. The only time that Pittsburgh failed to score at least four goals was in a 4-3 loss to New York in Game 2. Sidney Crosby returned from an extended layoff due to a broken jaw and has scored three goals while adding six assists. The two biggest stars have been Pascal Dupuis with a team-high six goals and Evgeni Malkin with three goals and 10 assists.

Free NHL Playoffs Pick:

Ottawa did manage to get off 36 shot on-goal in Game 1 and it should be able to squeeze a few more pucks past Vokoun on Friday night, but it still will not be enough to outscore Pittsburgh to steal a win on the road in Game 2

Pittsburgh 4     Ottawa 3

Date/Time: May 16th, 7:30 PM ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

NHL Betting Odds from WagerWeb Sportsbook

Moneyline: Bruins -135

Total: 5

Both the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers pulled off great escapes from the first round of the playoffs. Now, the two are going to collide at the TD Garden for the first game of a seven-game set in NHL playoff betting action on Thursday night.

The Rangers were down 3-2 to the Washington Capitals and had to win Games 6 and 7 on consecutive nights to survive and get into the second round. In those games, New York ended up posting back to back shutouts, making G Henrik Lundqvist the hottest goalie in the game over the course of that period of time. Lundqvist stopped all 64 shots that he faced along the way in this stretch, and he made some fantastic saves. New York also only allowed one power play goal in the last five games of this series, which is helping out as well. Of course, then there’s the question of LW Rick Nash. Where in the heck is he at this point? Nash played a heck of a lot better hockey than his stats suggest in the opening round, but he didn’t have a single goal in seven games, which is tremendously unlike him. However, we have to remember that this is the first time that Nash has been playing in the second round of the playoffs in his career, and this is only his third career series.

The Bruins should have put the Toronto Maple Leafs away a number of times in the first round of the playoffs, but they failed in both Games 5 and 6 in doing so. They fell behind 4-1 in the third period in Game 7, but they became the first team to ever erase a three-goal deficit in a Game 7 and ultimately won the game in overtime. The last two goals of regulation were scored with the goaltender out and less than a minute and a half left in the season. It was all the top line for Boston that did the massive damage in that series against the Leafs. C David Krejci, LW Milan Lucic, and RW Nathan Horton combined for 11 goals and 18 assists in the first seven games of this series, and those numbers are just absolutely insane. G Tuukka Rask played relatively well, but he only finished the series with a 2.49 GAA after allowing eight goals in the final three games.

Remember that New York only won one road game in that first series against Washington, though it was the biggest one in Game 7 that it managed to nail down. This is a much different situation playing at the TD Garden, and we don’t think that the Bruins are going to blow this first game against the boys from the Big Apple.

New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins Pick: Boston Bruins -135

Date/Time: May 15th, 8:00 PM ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

NHL Betting Odds from WagerWeb

Moneyline: Blackhawks -200

Total: 5

The Detroit Red Wings and the Chicago Blackhawks are all set to start their second round series in NHL playoff betting action. The puck drops in Game 1 on Wednesday night at the United Center in the only game on the docket at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The Red Wings weren’t at their best in their opening round series against the Anaheim Ducks, but they got the job done and have now won a whopping six games in a row with their backs against the wall dating back to the last four games of the regular season, which all turned out to be must-wins to get into the playoffs. In the playoffs though, it was the rest of the team that picked up G Jimmy Howard, not the other way around, and that had to be considered incredibly encouraging for a team that just didn’t generate enough offensive last year. LW Henrik Zetterberg came alive late in the series against the Pacific Division champs, ultimately scoring three goals with five assists to lead the team in points in the series. C Pavel Datsyuk had a fantastic series as well, scoring two goals with five assists. Howard though, still has some work to be done. His 2.74 GAA definitely left a lot to the imagination, though he did win a pair of overtime games and managed to shut the door in Game 7 on the road, something that very few have the real gumption to do.

The Blackhawks are rolling at the moment, and they look every bit the part of the best team in the Western Conference, if not in all of hockey. They ranked second in the league in total offense at 3.1 goals per game in the regular season and first in total defense at 2.0 goals per game in that stretch. Here in the playoffs, they are averaging 3.4 goals per game and are conceding 1.4 goals per game, and there was never really a doubt that they were taking down the Minnesota Wild. It took five games to happen, but the only scary moment was perhaps when Game 1 was in overtime. Aside from that though, the other three wins in this series all came by at least three goals. C David Bolland and G Ray Emery both missed the whole first round series with injuries, and both are considered questionable to get back in the fold for this one. Emery would be on the bench regardless, knowing that he is definitively the backup at this point to G Corey Crawford, who had a stunningly good opening round series.

This is a major step up in class for Chicago, though. The Red Wings are significantly better than your average No. 7 seed, and they are worlds better than the Wild were without their top goalie. Don’t be shocked if Detroit ultimately comes to the Windy City and walks away with at least a split of these first two games.

Detroit Red Wings @ Chicago Blackhawks Pick: Detroit Red Wings +180

Date/Time: May 14th, 7:30 PM ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

NHL Betting Odds from BetOnline Sportsbook

Moneyline: Penguins -200

Total: 5.5

The second round of the NHL playoffs are about to begin, and here at Bang the Book, we are analyzing the NHL betting odds for the first game of the series between the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s amazing to think that the Senators are the only team left in Canada in these playoffs. They were easily one of the most impressive teams in the opening round of the playoffs, beating up the Montreal Canadiens in five games. Included in that mix were three straight wins that came by a combined margin of 15-4 to close out the series. It was a great series for some of the stars and some of the lesser known names for the team RW Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals and had four assists to lead the team with six points, while D Erik Karlsson had a goal and five helpers. C Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored his first three goals in his postseason career in Game 3, and he ended up with five points for the series. Karlsson is going to have his eyes wide open in this series, as he ended up tearing his Achilles at the start of the season thanks to a hit against the Penguins, and now that he is back on the ice, this is going to be his chance at vengeance.

Pittsburgh remains the favorite to win the Stanley Cup at the moment, and we really don’t see that changing any time in the near future. The team is the best in hockey for sure, though it does have some major problems at the back. G Marc-Andre Fleury was benched after allowing six goals in Game 4, and he hasn’t gotten his job back as of yet. G Tomas Vokoun has come in and allowed just three goals in two games, including posting a shutout in Game 5, his first postseason start as a member of the Penguins. No formal announcement has been made as to whether it will be Fleury or Vokoun in the pipes in this game, but most are making the assumption that it will be Vokoun who starts. The offensive numbers that the Penguins put up in their series win against the New York Islanders were absurd. C Evgeni Malkin had two goals and nine assists in just six games, while C Sidney Crosby, after missing Game 1, came back and scored three goals with six helpers. Six players finished with at least five points in the six games.

Many are assuming that the Penguins are going to get off to a hot start in this series, but we just don’t know about that. Ottawa is a good team, and it proved it against Montreal in the opening round. Don’t be surprised if the opening salvo is fired by the Senators to flip home ice advantage immediately.

Ottawa Senators @ Pittsburgh Penguins Pick: Ottawa Senators +180

Goalies To Back

Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings: Last week when we addressed the topic of goaltenders, Quick and the Kings were down 2-1 in their series to the Blues, and we weren’t all that sure that the defending Stanley Cup champs had any bite to them. However, over the course of his last four games, Quick has gone 4-0, and he has only allowed a total of six goals in those outings. Perhaps his biggest effort came at home in the close out Game 6 in which he stopped 21-of-22 shots, including a tremendous flurry of chances down the stretch in the third period to ensure that the men in black and silver would advance into the second round of the playoffs.

Craig Anderson, Ottawa Senators: Even when the series between the Senators and the Canadiens was a close one, we warned that Anderson was a goalie that was catching some fire that you might want to back. Now, we look a whole heck of a lot smarter having done so. Not only does Anderson have the third best goals against average in the playoffs amongst goalies with more than two appearances, but he also has a .950 save percentage, tied for the best mark in the league with G Corey Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks. Crawford probably deserves an honorable mention here, as he is not included on our list, but we still think what Anderson did in the opening round against Montreal was far more impressive than what Crawford accomplished against the lowly Wild.

Tomas Vokoun, Pittsburgh Penguins: Vokoun came off of the Pittsburgh bench to replace G Marc-Andre Fleury (more on him in a moment), and he allowed three goals in just two games against the Islanders. In that stretch, he posted a shutout and an overtime victory, and it appears as though the job is his for the time being in the Steel City. The main reason to back Vokoun is the team in front of him, as Pittsburgh probably has the best team in the NHL. However, a 1.41 GAA and a .957 save percentage in two starts is awfully impressive as well, and it definitely isn’t something to rest on.

Goalies To Fade

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins: As promised, here’s some more about the Canadian net minder. Fleury simply looks like he has lost it at this point. He allowed six goals, three of which were incredibly weak in Game 4 against the Isles, and all of a sudden, he looks more like a chump than a man who has two Stanley Cups to his credit. If Fleury gets back his job from Vokoun, something that we think is a big time “if,” we know that we don’t want to back him until he really proves that he has the goods to stand in the pipes and face shot after shot for the full 60 minutes.

Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings: Howard faced a ridiculous offensive onslaught over the course of this opening round series against the Ducks. He deserves credit for having won four games out of seven, including three in overtime, but his numbers are simply the worst amongst undisputed starting goalies left in the playoffs. Howard has a 2.74 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Both numbers are awfully suspect for this time of year, and if they don’t improve and improve steadily in the second round, the Blackhawks are going to have a field day and probably easily romp into the Western Conference Finals.

Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins: Rask has faced 206 shots on goal over the course of the first six games of the playoffs, and he really has only had one bad game in the bunch, neither of which was in his last two. However, we are really starting to wonder about these Bruins and whether they have the makeup of a team that can win the big time game. This club floundered down the stretch of the season all year long, including losing a game against Ottawa on the final day of the regular season which would have ultimately given the team the No. 2 seed had it gotten just a single point. Now, the B’s have squandered two chances to close out the hated Maple Leafs. Rask has allowed two goals in both games, and though the fault wouldn’t belong to him if this series were to be lost, it is still damning for a man that is playing in his first full series as a postseason net minder in quite some time to ultimately blow a 3-1 series lead.

Date/Time: May 13th, 8:00 PM ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

NHL Betting Odds from BetOnline Sportsbook

Moneyline: Check Back Later

Total: Check Back Later

The home team has won all six games of the NHL playoff betting series between the Washington Capitals and the New York Rangers. These two teams only have 60 more minutes to determine their fate, as this Game 7 is going to be crucial and will determine who moves onto the second round of the playoffs.

The Rangers only have two goals in their last two games, and they only have two goals scored in their three games played here at the Verizon Center thus far in the playoffs. Needless to say, the only man that has been keeping New York alive in the second season is G Henrik Lundqvist, who posted a shutout after facing 27 shots on goal on just Sunday night. Now, he is going to have to be huge for a second straight night, and he is likely going to have to be so without the help of an offense that has been rather MIA the entire second season. LW Rick Nash still doesn’t have a goal to his credit in the playoffs, and this is a postseason in which he only has a single assist to his name. That’s not going to cut it for a team that has routinely struggled at this level to score goals.

Washington fans have to be biting their nails all day long, as this one ticks closer to the decisive Game 7. Not only has this series been dominated by home teams, but it is a series in which games could have gone either way. The Capitals have had to survive two games in overtime here at home, and the last five games have all been decided by just a single goal. Washington is leading the scoring battle 12-11 in this series in spite of the fact that LW Alexander Ovechkin has now gone four straight games without a point, the longest such streak in his postseason career. G Braden Holtby has played relatively well, but virtually all of the goals that he has allowed have come in the last four games of this series. Only one forward has more than one goal on the postseason either (C Mathieu Perreault), and just two men in total has more than one goal to show for his first six games of the second season (D Mike Green).

Still, for as badly as so many players have played for the Capitals, this is still one of those games that the hosts deserve to be able to snare. Remember that the aforementioned Lundqvist is just 3-10 in 13 career postseason games that go to overtime. With as close as this series has been, it wouldn’t be all that shocking to see this one get that far. Regardless, we want Washington on our side.

New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals Pick: Washington Capitals

Date/Time: May 13th, 7:00 PM ET

Television: CNBC

NHL Betting Odds from Bookmaker

Moneyline: Check Back Later

Total: Check Back Later

The season for the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs comes down to just one game at this point, as these two Northeast Division foes will meet on Monday night in NHL betting action for the right to move onto the second round of the postseason.

There is no doubt whatsoever that the Maple Leafs have come out of nowhere like no team that we have seen in quite some time. This was a team that was literally down and out after losing back to back games at the Air Canada Centre in Games 3 and 4 to fall behind 3-1. Everyone just assumed that the -200 favorites were going to win Game 5 at home to end this series, but Toronto has had the answers. It has been G James Reimer that has made all the difference. Reimer has faced just a stupid amount of shots here in the playoffs (39.7 per game), and he has a .929 save percentage to show for his work. In the last two games, he has stopped 72-of-74 shots and has won a pair of 2-1 games. Nothing has been flashy for Toronto. Its stars haven’t really been huge stars in this series, but in Game 6 it was the line of RW Phil Kessel, C Nazem Kadri, and LW James Van Riemsdyk that figured out how to score not just once, but twice with the season on the line in the third period to claim the victory.

The Bruins have to be shell shocked. They haven’t played well at all over the course of their last two games, and they have to be questioning whether they have the ability to win a game that they really have to have. At the end of the regular season, Boston knew that it didn’t need a whole heck of a lot to be able to win the Northeast Division. It was never really able to finish the job, and it came down to the last day of the regular season. Just a point was needed in the last game against the Ottawa Senators at home, and that point was not ultimately had. That’s what forced the Bruins into this series as the No. 4 seed instead of as the No. 2 seed. Now, two opportunities to close out this series have already passed Boston by, and there is no doubt that losing this game would sting, especially in a season of “Boston Strong” following the Boston Marathon bombings on April 15th. Simply put, this team hasn’t demonstrated the heart of a champion yet, and it is going to be really tough to put all of that aside for one night in Game 7.

Everything has gone Boston’s way in this series, and it is going to be a huge favorite in this game. That being said, the pressure has to be immense. The whole world is going to be betting on the Bruins, but we’re going to go against the grain. Toronto has made it this far, and for a franchise that hadn’t even been to the playoffs in the last nine years before this season, this is a big, big game as well. The whole country of Canada might be rejoicing when this one is said and done with tonight.

Toronto Maple Leafs @ Boston Bruins Pick: Toronto Maple Leafs

Date/Time: May 12th, 10:00 PM ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

NHL Betting Odds from BetOnline Sportsbook

Moneyline: Check Back Later

Total: Check Back Later

At the outset of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Detroit Red Wings, most NHL handicappers knew that this was going to be a war. What has ensued is a series in which four of the six games have been decided in overtime, and now, it all comes down to this. NHL betting action commences on Sunday night at 10:00 p.m. ET in what should be a wacky and wild final game of this set.

Back and forth these two teams have gone, and not surprisingly, this is the time that some of the stars are finally starting to really shine. LW Henrik Zetterberg fired off the shot that saved Detroit’s season, as he scored in overtime in Game 6 to send this series to a pivotal Game 7, and he and his teammates seem to have the right idea going into this one. Fire the puck at the net a ton and see what happens. That’s how the overtime winner was scored, and that’s how the Red Wings are going to have to win Game 7 if they are ultimately going to do so. C Pavel Datsyuk has two goals and five assists to lead the team with seven total points in this series. C Damien Brunner has five points as well. The bone of contention has actually been the play of G Jimmy Howard, which is awfully surprising considering the fact that he was the man that held this team together all year long. He has a 2.85 GAA, and he has allowed 18 goals in three games.

The postseason tends to make us forget about the regular season in a hurry, and both of the No. 2 seeds this year are living proof of just that. It only took five games to make the Montreal Canadiens disappear, and should the Ducks lose this one, the fact that they were always the second best team in the Western Conference all season long will be forgotten as well. Anaheim’s effort has been a lot more well-rounded than the effort that Detroit has put forth in this series. There actually isn’t a skater that has played in more than four of the six games that hasn’t picked up at least one point for the Ducks. C Ryan Getzlaf and RW Kyle Palmieri are the men that lead the team with five points apiece. The play in net from G Jonas Hiller has been excellent. He has a 2.37 GAA and has allowed 15 goals in the playoffs, and the last two overtime goals that he gave up, there was nothing that anyone could do about it.

We said at the top of these playoffs that the Red Wings were a very dangerous team, and we are sticking by that thought. We have seen Hiller come up big time and time again with huge games in this series, and it is high time that Howard is the man that answers the bell. Detroit got into the playoffs on the back of a Howard shutout, and they are going to get into the second round on the back of another great performance by the All-Star caliber goalie.

Detroit Red Wings @ Anaheim Ducks Pick: Detroit Red Wings