NHL Hockey Betting: Stanley Cup Playoffs for April 16, 2016
Four games for Saturday starting at 3:05 PM Eastern:
NEW YORK RANGERS AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS:
A whole lotta questionable goalies in Game Two of this Eastern Conference opening round series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers. Pittsburgh’s top two goalies–Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury–are both listed as ‘questionable’. They started third stringer Jeff Zatkoff in Game One and he played a very solid contest though that doesn’t mean they’d rather have either Murray or Fleury between the pipes. The Penguins also got some good news on the injury front as Evgeni Malkin returned to practice and hopes are high that he’ll play in this series. The Rangers have their own goaltending question after Henrik Lundqvist left Game One with an eye injury. He practiced on Friday and hopes that he can play but as of yet nothing official. If he can’t go Annti Raanta will and he looked shaky in relief of Lundqvist in Game One.
Lundqvist hasn’t been in great form this season so with or without him the Penguins are the substantially better team. They’re also red hot at the moment having won 10 of 12 dating back to the regular season.
BET PITTSBURGH PENGUINS -170 OVER NEW YORK RANGERS
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS AT WASHINGTON CAPITALS:
The Capitals took care of business in Game One of this series as they limited Philadelphia to 19 shots on goal in a 2-0 shutout victory. The Capitals special teams were a huge advantage (#2 penalty kill, #5 power play) and goaltender Braden Holtby did the rest. Philadelphia will be with out their top defensive forward Sean Couturier for two weeks due to an upper body injury. Obviously, the Capitals are the substantially better team and if they play like the did in Game One this series is over. It’s tough for teams like Philadelphia–they had to go on a impressive winning run just to make the playoffs and there might not be enough left in the tank to be competitive against a monster like the Capitals. The Capitals might be tested at some point during the Eastern Conference playoffs but I don’t think that Philadelphia is the team that will do it.
BET WASHINGTON CAPITALS -225 OVER PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
MINNESOTA WILD AT DALLAS STARS:
The Wild need a victory here for no other reason than to salvage their confidence after losing 4-0 in the opening game of their best of seven series against the Dallas Stars. They’ve now lost six straight games dating back to the regular season scoring just six goals in the process. You’re not going to win many hockey games averaging just a single goal per game. Minnesota goaltender Devan Dubnyk played reasonably well allowing only three goals but unless his teammates can get some scoring they’re not going to put up much of a fight against the Stars. Dallas managed only 22 shots on goal and were 0-2 on the power play. The Wild’s problem is a lack of offensive depth–they’ve completely fallen apart since Thomas Vanek and Zach Parise were lost due to injury. Can’t see much changing in this series due to the Wild’s lack of scoring. They look like a beaten team.
BET DALLAS STARS -200 OVER MINNESOTA WILD
SAN JOSE SHARKS AT LOS ANGELES KINGS:
The Sharks took the win in Game One of this series and we’ll come right back and use them in Game Two. Then we’ll go against them and back the Kings in Games Three and Four. The Sharks’ bizarre home/away disparity might keep them from winning a Stanley Cup but they’ll definitely be competitive against the Kings. San Jose has the best road record in hockey with a lottery team level bad home record. Some of the Sharks’ road numbers are absurd. In road games with a total of 5 or less they’re 19-5 +15.2 units on the season. They’re also 12-3 +8.4 units against opponents with winning records in the second half of the season. Los Angeles lost 8 of 12 down the stretch and including Game One of this series. Could they be a team that peaked too early? In any case, there’s no other way to play this series other than playing on the Sharks when they’re on the road and against them at home.
BET SAN JOSE SHARKS +140 OVER LOS ANGELES KINGS