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**StarDust Bum** · 04-12-2015, 03:10 PM

2015 NHL playoffs: Penguins are in, Bruins are out

The Pittsburgh Penguins were able to avoid what would have been a historic late-season collapse and clinched a playoff berth Saturday night with a 209 win in Buffalo, and in the process kept the Boston Bruins out of the playoffs.

The Penguins, as the second wild-card team in the Eastern Conference, will play the Presidents' Trophy-winning New York Rangers in the first round in a rematch of the second-round series that New York won a year ago after overcoming a 3-1 series deficit.

Pittsburgh's win Saturday snapped what had been a five-game losing streak as the team has badly slumped over the past month of the season, going from a contender for the top spot in the conference to needing a win in the last game of the season. Injuries played a significant role in the slide -- and they're not likely to get much help anytime soon when it comes to their defense -- as their salary cap situation prevented them from making a callup to field a complete defensive roster four times over the past three weeks, including their final two regular season games.

But the five players they had in the lineup on Saturday -- Paul Martin, Ian Cole, Ben Lovejoy, Rob Scuderi and Taylor Chorney -- and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were able to limit a mostly lifeless Sabres team to just 28 shots on goal and clinch their ninth consecutive postseason appearance, the second longest active streak the NHL right now.

Brandon Sutter scored both goals in the win for the Penguins.

Now that they're in, the question becomes what can they possibly do given their situation on defense?

Injuries to Kris Letang, Christian Ehrhoff, Olli Maatta and Derrick Pouliot have robbed them of the mobility and skill that made them such a dangerous unit early in the season. It seems that Pouliot and maybe Ehrhoff are the only ones that are going to have a chance to play at any point in the postseason (Maatta is definitely done for the season, and Letang is reportedly sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs as well).

On the plus side, they will at least be able to put six defensemen in the lineup because the salary cap goes away once the playoffs begin. The other plus side: They won't have to worry about the Edmonton Oilers winning the Connor McDavid lottery with their first-round draft pick after they traded it for David Perron earlier this season.

Meanwhile, in Boston, it completes a stunning fall for a team that just two years ago was in the Stanley Cup Final and won the Presidents' Trophy with the league's best record just last season.

With the Kings eliminated Thursday, that means the NHL playoffs will not have the defending Stanley Cup champion or the reigning Presidents' Trophy winner, something that has never happened in NHL history.

The Bruins now turn their attention to the offseason and what could be significant changes. General manager Peter Chiarelli already called the season a failure Friday, before the team was even officially eliminated, and it's entirely possible that one of -- if not both -- he or coach Claude Julien will not return next season.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-12-2015, 03:15 PM

NHL Report Card: Grades for fourth quarter of 2014-15 season

It is that time again -- report card time.

Eye On Hockey is breaking the 2014-15 season down into quarters and grading each one of them independently, much like the ones you received as a kid during your school days.

With only two days remaining in the regular season and the regular season just about wrapped up, today we take a look back at the fourth quarter of the season, and hand out a final grade, for every team with Adam Gretz taking a look at the Eastern Conference and Chris Peters grading the Western Conference.

We cannot stress this enough: Quarterly drades are handed out based on that particular quarter of the season. The fourth quarter grades are only for how teams played between Mar. 1 and the end of the regular season, the fourth quarter of the season. Grades for their play before that point were already issued (and are in the previous columns) and have no impact on grades for the fourth quarter.

So let's get at it.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

TEAM 1ST QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 4TH QUARTER FINAL GRADE

Montreal Canadiens A C A B B

Tampa Bay Lightning A A A A A

Boston Bruins B- D B- C C

Detroit Red Wings B A A D B

Ottawa Senators B C- C A B

Toronto Maple Leafs C- C F F D

Florida Panthers C B C+ B C+

Buffalo Sabres F C F F F

The story in the Atlantic Division over the fourth quarter of the season has clearly been the emergence of the Ottawa Senators. Whether they make the playoffs or not, they've been a different team under coach Dave Cameron, who has given a lot of their younger players a shot to emerge as NHL regulars. So far, he and the team has been rewarded and at least given the franchise hope for the future.

The most bizarre story in the Atlantic has been the continued failure of the Buffalo Sabres on the ice, which has been expected all year. But what truly separates them from other bad teams is how much their fans are enjoying it, knowing exactly what it means for the long-term benefit of the franchise.

At the top half of the division, Montreal has one of the best records in the league, but are they a team that really strikes fear into anybody going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Carey Price certainly does, but do the Canadiens as a team strike you as a team that has to be avoided to make a deep playoff run? Especially with Max Pacioretty's status in doubt as the playoffs get near. Their record over the past quarter hasn't been great with just eight wins in 19 games, but they also lost three games in shootouts over that stretch. So it's not like they were getting badly outplayed. They just don't seem as intimidating as some of the other contenders in the East, especially if Price isn't on top of his game.

Tampa Bay has been consistently great all season, while Florida put together a strong finish and has the makings of a pretty solid roster going into next season, especially if it can bring Jaromir Jagr back for another year.

Prize Pupil: Andrew hammond, Ottawa Senators

There were basically two options for this one and it came down to a pair of Ottawa Senators: Andrew Hammond or Mark Stone. Both players have seemingly come out of nowhere this season, and both have played a significant role in Ottawa's improbable second half turnaround. In the end, I went with Hammond, the goalie, for two reasons. First, his story is the more improbable of the two if for no other reason than he was absolutely dreadful in the American Hockey League this season (one of the worst goalies at that level) before he was called up to the NHL. Then there is hte fact that his play has produced one of the most bizarre stories of the NHL season as Senators fans have littered the ice with hamburgers and a major corporation -- McDonalds -- has already given him free food for life because his mask has the Hamburglar painted on it. In a season full of unexpected storylines, this one is right at the top of the list.

Most Disappointing: Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings are in the playoffs again, but they didn't exactly play their best hockey down the stretch, winning just seven out of 20 games between Mar. 1 and April 9. Goaltending was one of the biggest culprits during that stretch as they gave up five or more goals in six of those games. This was supposed to be kind of a transition and rebuilding year for the Red Wings anyway, and they certainly have some new players working their way into larger roles but they are not playing their best hockey going into the postseason.

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

TEAM 1ST QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 4TH QUARTER FINAL GRADE

Pittsburgh Penguins A B+ B- D C

New York Islanders A A A D B

New York Rangers B- A A A A

Washington Capitals C A B- A B

New Jersey Devils D D C D D

Philadelphia Flyers C C C C C

Carolina Hurricanes D F B D D

Columbus Blue Jackets D B- D A C

Without thinking about it, which team has the best record in the Metropolitan Division since March 1? One of the New York teams? Washington? Pittsburgh? Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. It's the Columbus Blue Jackets at 14-4-1, a stretch that includes an 11-game point streak (10-0-1) that they carry into the final weekned of the season, which includes games against Buffalo and the New York Islanders. It's entirely possible that they could finish the season only one win shy of their record from a year ago when they made the playoffs and nearly made it out of the first round. Injuries really crushed this team early on.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan, the New York Rangers ran away with the division crown, the top seed in the Eastern Conference and the Presidents' Trophy with the best record in the league, and they did it with a backup goalie playing a large portion of the season. An extremely dangerous team heading into the postseason, especially with starting goalie Henrik Lundqvist back in the net.

While some teams in the division (Pittsburgh, Columbus, Islanders, even the Rangers) have been hurt by injuries this season the Capitals rebounded from their non-playoff season a year ago to finish second in the division. New coach Barry Trotz and an upgraded defense certainly deserve some credit for that, but so does the fact they were one of the healthiest teams in the league this season. Among their top players, Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Green, John Carlson, Marcus Johansson, Troy Brouwer, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Joel Ward, Eric Fehr and Karl Alzner all combined to miss just 19 man games this season due to injury. That is extraordinarily good injury luck.

Prize Pupil: Scott Hartnell, Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets have been one of the best teams in the NHL over the past quarter of the season, taking a 14-4-1 record since Mar. 1 into their game on Friday against the Buffalo Sabres. One of the driving forces behind that run has been the play of veteran forward Scott Hartnell who has 13 goals and 19 points over his past 19 games, failing to record a point in only six of those games. Columbus' late season push proved to be way too little, way too late, but when this team was healthy this season you certainly saw the potential that was there for them at the start of the year. They are one of the great "what if" stories in the NHL this season. The "what if," of course, referring to their injury situation and what might have happened had they not been hit as hard as they were early in the year.

Most Disappointing: New York Islanders/Pittsburgh Penguins

They both qualify.

Pittsburgh went from being a postseason lock and a contender for the division title early in March to a team on the playoff bubble in early April. Both teams have been playing at a .500 pace for most of the second half, and injuries can definitely be blamed for a large part of that for both of them (especially when it comes to Pittsburgh and its defense recently). Even so, this looked like it was going to be a guaranteed first-round playoff matchup for most of the second half but both team's late struggles pushed them to the playoff bubble. The Islanders finally clinched their spot, the Penguins still need two points (or Ottawa and Boston to lose on Saturday).

CENTRAL DIVISION

TEAM 1ST QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 4TH QUARTER FINAL GRADE

Nashville Predators A- A A C- B+

St. Louis Blues A- B A B A

Winnipeg Jets B- B B- B B

Chicago Blackhawks B A C+ B B+

Minnesota Wild B D A B+ B

Colorado Avalanche D C C- B C-

Dallas Stars D- B D+ A- C

The last quarter of the season only solidified the Central as the NHL's toughest division. Six of the seven teams posted winning records over the last month-plus of the season, with only the Nashville Predators – to this point in the year, the division's best team – struggling down the stretch.

Nashville's late-season swoon, a 6-9-3 record, cost them the division and didn't do much to make them feel secure about their postseason situation.

The fourth quarter will be remembered for the Blues clinching the division with a late push, but the division's best team over the home stretch of the season was actually the Dallas Stars. It was too little, too late for Dallas to save their season, but after going 13-6-0 to close out the season, they can look forward to next year with more optimism.

St. Louis was solid, too, with 10 wins over the last portion of the season. They picked up a pair of huge wins late against old nemesis Chicago. The Blackhawks also fared pretty well in the last quarter despite playing all of it without star forward Patrick Kane. They managed an 11-5-1 record in the fourth quarter.

The Wild's impressive run down the stretch of the season was simply remarkable and they didn't miss a beat in the last quarter of the season. They had just one real stumble where they lost three straight games, but beyond that, the Wild and Devan Dubnyk continued winning. The Winnipeg Jets also survived some ups and downs to end up clinching their first playoff berth since moving from Atlanta to Canada. They were aided by an 11-6-1 run down the stretch. Colorado also showed vast improvement in the final quarter, but there will still some inconsistency at the end of the year that makes you wonder what comes next for them.

Prize Pupil: Devan Dubnyk, Minnesota Wild

Just as he was in the third quarter, Devan Dubnyk was the story of the Central at the end of the season. He made 38 consecutive starts after coming over in a trade with the Arizona Coyotes. He went 27-8-2 for the Wild with a .938 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average.

Even when the Wild hit their very brief skid in the final weeks of the season, Dubnyk was still sensational. He had a .942 save percentage over the month of March while racking up 11 wins against just three losses.

He's going to receive legitimate Hart and Vezina consideration and no one is going to care that he only spent half the season in Minnesota. He saved their bacon.

Most Disappointing:Nashville Predators

The Preds were cruising all season, but when they had a chance to really close things out, they stumbled. Nashville went 6-9-3 in the last month-plus of the season, allowing the Blues to swoop in and win the division despite a slightly above-average finish. The Preds did have some injuries to contend with, notably one to Shea Weber, but they didn't put themselves in optimal position for the postseason. They could be facing a tough first-round series with the Blackhawks depending on how the seeding shakes out, and though no team in the West is going to be an easy out, the Blackhawks have the most postseason experience.

PACIFIC DIVISION

TEAM 1ST QUARTER 2ND QUARTER 3RD QUARTER 4TH QUARTER FINAL GRADE

Anaheim Ducks A- A B+ B A-

Vancouver Canucks B+ B B- B+ B

Calgary Flames B+ C+ B B+ B

Los Angeles Kings B C- B- C+ C

San Jose Sharks C B+ C C C

Arizona Coyotes C- D F F D-

Edmonton Oilers F F D D+ D-

The wild finish to the 2014-15 season in the Western Conference had a lot to do with what was going on in the Pacific. The middle of the division was in flux almost to the last day of the season and in the end, the unexpected became reality.

The Los Angeles Kings won't defend their title after going 10-6-3 in the last quarter of the season. It was a respectable mark, but they couldn't hold off the Calgary Flames and the Jets pulled away in the wild card to give the Central division five teams in the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Ducks cruised to their third consecutive Pacific Division title with continued success in the win column. The Canucks did well to stay above the fray in second place, comfortably making the playoffs with a 12-6-2 record down the stretch.

The Flames continued their remarkable season by going 11-4-3 late in the last quarter to clinch a spot in the playoffs. It was punctuated with a 3-1 win over the Kings that eliminated the defending champs and turned this wild season up to 11.

The fact that the postseason won't include the Kings or Sharks is going to take some getting used to. San Jose's run of 10-straight postseason appearances is over, but their season appeared to be lost in the last quarter. They didn't help themselves enough in the fourth with a 10-7-1 record.

The bottom of the division remained ugly. The Arizona Coyotes still have a shot at last place in the entire NHL after managing just four wins in the second quarter. The Oilers, meanwhile, showed some life, but only a little as they posted another losing quarter.

Prize Pupils: Jiri Hudler, Calgary Flames

When the Flames look back on this season, they'll have a lot of great memories. One of the most memorable things to happen, however, was how Jiri Hudler absolutely went off down the home stretch. In 19 games, with one to play before the season ends, Hudler put up 28 points. Among those points, Hudler scored 12 goals to secure the first 30-goal season of his career. The 31-year-old had by far the best year of his career with 76 points in 78 games.

With the season, and their playoff dreams on the line, Hudler stepped up in a big way as a top-line veteran. He put the exclamation point on the year with his three-point effort against the Kings in the Flames' clinching win. No one saw the Flames coming, but the season Hudler had to help them get there might have been even less expected.

Most Disappointing: Los Angeles Kings

The Kings became the first team since the 2006-07 Carolina Hurricanes to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs after winning the year before. The fact that they couldn't find a way to knock off the Flames in the divisional race or the Jets in the wild card is going to leave a sour taste in their mouth. Scoring woes by some of the team's biggest players in the final quarter contributed to this team sinking out of the playoffs. It's going to be a long offseason in Los Angeles, which is something they're not quite used to. And to think of all the dynasty talk heading into the season. It wasn't at all outlandish then. It just makes what happened all the more shocking.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-12-2015, 03:23 PM

NHL PLAYOFF EXPERT PICKS

SERIES CHRIS PETERS @CHRISMPETERS ADAM GRETZ @AGRETZ

ATLANTIC DIVISION

(1) Montreal Canadiens vs.(4) Ottawa Senators 7 games 6 games
7 games
6 games
(2) Tampa Bay Lightning vs.(3) Detroit Red Wings 6 games 5 games

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

(1) New York Rangers vs.(4) Pittsburgh Penguins 6 games 7 games

(2) Washington Capitals vs.(3) New York Islanders 6 games 7 games

CENTRAL DIVISION

(1) St. Louis Blues vs.(4) Minnesota Wild 6 games 7 games

(2) Nashville Predators vs.(3) Chicago Blackhawks 7 games 6 games

PACIFIC DIVISION

(1) Anaheim Ducks vs.(4) Winnipeg Jets 6 games 7 games

(2) Vancouver Canucks vs.(3) Calgary Flames 5 games 6 games

**StarDust Bum** · 04-12-2015, 03:28 PM

Experts Picks:

CHRIS PETERS - Montreal , Tampa, NY Rangers, Washington, Minnesota, Chicago, Winnipeg, Vancouver.

ADAM GRETZ - Montreal , Tampa, NY Rangers, Washington, St. Louis , Chicago, Anaheim, Calgary...

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2015, 12:30 AM

Playoff Cheat Sheet - West

April 12, 2015

Eastern Conference

Anaheim Ducks vs. Winnipeg Jets

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Ducks lead 3-0, Over 2-1
JetsLost 2 meetings as a Home Favorite
Ducks 5-2 All-Time vs Jets since 2011

Anaheim Ducks
(Record: 51-24-7, 109 Pts; Won Pacific Division Title & #1 Seed)
O/U Record: (1 Over at 6/ 22-35 at 5.5/ 12-8-4 at 5)
Power Play: (15.7%; Ranked #28)
Penalty Kill: (81%; Ranked #15)
Number of OT/SO Games: 23

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014
(Beat Dallas in 6, Lost to Los Angeles in 7)
10-10 SU, 8-7-5 O/U & 7-11 ATS Last 3 series

Current Form: On a 9-4 SU & 5-6-2 O/U run
Scored 2 or More Goals in 12 of their Last 13 Games
Only 1 Power-Play Goal in their last 23 Chances (4.3%)

Winnipeg Jets
(Record: 43-26-13, 99 Pts)
O/U Record: (24-16 at 5.5/ 18-18-6 at 5)
Power Play: (17.8%; Ranked #17)
Penalty Kill: (81.8%; Ranked #12)
Number of OT/SO Games: 24

Last Playoff Appearance: None as the Winnipeg Jets
Made Postseason as Atlanta Thrashers in 2007

Current Form: Won 4 of their Last 5, 6-2 SU Last 8 at Home

St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild

2014-15 Head to Head Record: 2-2 SU, 2-1-1 O/U
Home Teams & Favorites split
Blues 7-3 SU Last 10 Meetings

St. Louis Blues
(Record: 51-24-7, 109 Pts; Won Central Division Title)
O/U Record: (17-14 at 5.5/ 18-16-16 at 5 /1 Over at 4.5)
Power Play: (22.3%; Ranked #3)
Penalty Kill: (83.7%; Ranked #8)
Number of OT/SO Games: 21

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Lost to Chicago in 6)
8-13 SU, 9-11-1 O/U & 6-15 ATS Last 3 years

Current Form: On a 6-4 SU & 3-5-2 O/U Run
G Jake Allen 4-1 SU Last 5 Starts
PK Unit: 19 Kills / 20 Chances Last 7 Games

Minnesota Wild
(Record: 46-28-8, 100 Pts)
O/U Record: (9-17 at 5.5/ 21-21-14 at 5)
Power Play: (15.8%; Ranked #27)
Penalty Kill: (86.3%; Ranked: #1)
Number of OT/SO Games: 16

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014
(Beat Colorado in 7, Lost to Chicago in 6)
7-11 SU, 9-7-2 O/U & 9-9 ATS Last 3 series

Current Form: On a 2-4 SU & 2-2-2 O/U run
Won 12 of their last 13 Road Games

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Hawks lead 3-1, 1-3 O/U
Favorite won in 3 of 4 meetings, Home team won 3 of 4
Blackhawks: 9-5 SU Last 14 meetings since 2013 Lockout Season
Predators: Lost 2010 Western Conf. Quarterfinal to Chicago in 6 Games

Nashville Predators
(Record: 47-25-10, 104 Pts)
O/U Record: (11-19 at 5.5/ 21-18-13 at 5)
Power Play: (16.2%; Ranked #25)
Penalty Kill: (80.8%; Ranked #18)
Number of OT/SO Games: 24

Last Playoff Apperance: 2012
(Beat Detroit in 5, Lost to Phoenix in 5)
5-5 SU, 5-2-3 O/U and 5-5 ATS in 2012 Playoffs

Current Form: On an 0-6 SU & 4-2 O/U run
Allowed 3 or More Goals in 7 consecutive games

Chicago Blackhawks
(Record: 48-28-6, 102 Pts)
O/U Record: (1 over at 6 /14-32 at 5.5/ 11-12-12 at 5)
Power Play: (17.6%; Ranked #20)
Penalty Kill: (83.4%; Ranked #10)
Number of OT/SO Games: 18

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Beat St. Louis in 6,
Beat Minnesota in 6, Lost to Los Angeles in 7)
29-19 SU, 22-19-7 O/U & 24-24 ATS Last 3 Years
0-9 SU in 1st Road Game of a Series since 2010 Cup Final

Current Form: On a 0-4 SU run after a 4 game winning streak
3-8-3 O/U Last 14 Games; 3/23 on the Power-Play Last 10 games

Calgary Flames vs. Vancouver Canucks

2014-15 Head to Head Record: 2-2 SU, 1-2-1 O/U
Favorite Covered in 3 of the 4 Meetings
Canucks: 14-6 SU Last 20 vs Flames

Vancouver Canucks
(Record: 48-29-5, 101 Pts)
O/U Record: (16-25 at 5.5/ 19-10-12 at 5)
Power Play: (19.3%; Ranked #10)
Penalty Kill: (85.7%; Ranked: #2)
Number of OT/SO Games: 16

Last Playoff Appearance: 2013 (Lost to San Jose in 4)
(0-4 SU, 2-1-1 O/U & 1-3 ATS in that series)

Currently on a 5-2 SU & 3-3-1 O/U Run
Won 4 of their last 5 games as an Underdog

Calgary Flames
(Record: 45-30-7, 97 Pts)
O/U Record: (16-31 at 5.5/ 19-7-7 at 5/ 1 Under at 4.5)
Power Play: (18.8%; Ranked #13)
Penalty Kill: (80.6%; Ranked #20)
Number of OT/SO Games: 20

Current Form: On a 4-2 SU & 5-8 O/U Run

Flames have committed 1 penalty or less in 8 of their last 13 games,
with 4 of those contests penalty-free

Last Playoff Apperance: 2009 (Lost to Chicago in 6)
(2-4 SU, 3-3 O/U & 4-2 ATS in that series)

Game 7 Notes

Home teams have won 12 of the last 22 Game 7's

2015 Playoff Teams with Most Game 7's Since 2011
Rangers (6; 5-1)
Canadiens (4; 1-3)
Red Wings (3; 1-2)
Blackhawks (3; 1-2)
Penguins (2; 1-1)
Ducks (2; 0-2)

Overtime Notes

2014
26 OT Games
14 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
4 in Conference Finals
3 in Stanley Cup Final

2013
27 OT Games
17 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
2 in Conference Finals
2 in Stanley Cup Final

2012
25 OT Games
16 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
2 in Conference Finals
2 in Stanley Cup Final

2011
22 OT Games
14 in Round 1
6 in Round 2
1 in Conference Finals
1 in Stanley Cup Final

2015 Playoff Teams Overtime Records Since 2011

Western Conference
Blackhawks (12-8)
Predators (2-2)
Blues (3-4)
Wild (3-4)
Canucks (4-5)
Flames (NA)
Ducks (2-5)
Jets (NA)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2015, 12:31 AM

Playoff Cheat Sheet - East

April 12, 2015

Western Conference

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Rangers lead 3-1, 2-2 O/U
Played in Last Season's Conference Semi-Final (NYR won in 7)
Underdog is 7-4 Last 11 Meetings
Rangers: 6-1 SU Last 7 Meetings

New York Rangers
(Record: 53-22-7, 113 Pts; Won President's Trophy & Metro Division Title)
O/U Record: (16-18 at 5.5/ 22-14-11 at 5)
Power Play: (16.8%; Ranked #21)
Penalty Kill: (84.3%; Ranked #6)
Number of OT/SO Games: 17

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Beat Philadelphia in 7, Beat Pittsburgh in 7, Beat Montreal in 6, Lost to Los Angeles in 5)
13-12 SU, 8-10-7 O/U & 12-13 ATS in 2014 (Eastern Conf. Champs)
29-33 SU, 18-28-16 O/U & 26-36 ATS Last 4 Postseasons
2-4 in 1st Home Game of Series since 2013

Current Form: On a 7-1 SU run; 9-1-2 O/U Last 12
Scored 2 or more goals in 12 of the last 13 games

Pittsburgh Penguins (Record: 43-27-12, 98 Pts)
O/U Record: (22-27 at 5.5/ 9-14-9 at 5)
Power Play: (19.3%; Ranked #10)
Penalty Kill: (84.6%; Ranked #3)
Number of OT/SO Games: 22

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014
(Beat Columbus in 6, Lost to NY Rangers in 7)
15-13 SU, 15-12-1 O/U & 11-17 ATS Last 5 Series

Current Form: On a 4-7 SU, 2-6-2 O/U, & 0-10 ATS run

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Senators lead 3-1, 2-2 O/U
Home Team won in 3 of 4 meetings
Underdog cashed in 3 of 4 meetings
Over is 7-2-1 Last 10 Meetings

Montreal Canadiens (Record: 50-22-10, 110 Pts; Won Atlantic Division)
O/U Record: (7-12 at 5.5/ 19-27-14 at 5/ 2-0 at 4.5)
Power Play: (16.5%; Ranked #23)
Penalty Kill: (83.7%; Ranked #7)
Number of OT/SO Games: 23

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014
(Beat Tampa Bay in 4, Beat Boston in 7, Lost to NY Rangers in 6)
11-11 SU, 11-6-5 O/U & 12-10 ATS last 4 series

Current Form: On a 3-3 SU, 6-0-2 O/U & 1-7 ATS run
Scored at least 1 Power-Play Goal in 6 of their last 7 Games

Ottawa Senators (Record: 43-26-13, 99 Pts)
O/U Record: (26-30 at 5.5/ 10-8-9 at 5)
Power Play: (16.8%; Ranked #22)
Penalty Kill: (82.9%; Ranked: #11)
Number of OT/SO Games: 26

Last Playoff Appearance: 2013
(Beat Montreal in 5, Lost to Pittsburgh in 5)
5-5 SU, 6-3-1 O/U & 5-5 ATS Last 2 series

Current Form: Went 23-8 SU last 31 games to clinch playoff berth
Currently on a 8-5 O/U run; 6 of last 9 games have gone past Regulation
Avoided being shut-out the entire season.

Washington Capitals vs. New York Islanders

2014-15 Head to Head Record: 2-2 SU & O/U
Home Team won All 4 Meetings as Favorite
Favorite has won 7 of the last 10 Meetings
Capitals: 6-5 SU Last 11 Meetings
islanders: Held to 3 Goals or fewer in 9 of the Last 10 Meetings.

Washington Capitals (Record: 45-26-11, 101 Pts)
O/U Record: (25-28 at 5.5/ 12-13-4 at 5)
Power Play: (25.3%; Ranked #1)
Penalty Kill: (81.2%; Ranked #14)
Number of OT/SO Games: 21

Last Playoff Appearance: 2013 (Lost to NY Rangers in 7)
(3-4 SU, 2-4-1 O/U & 4-3 ATS in that series)
7-7, 3-8-3, 11-3 ATS Last 3 Series
3-7 Last 10 Playoff Road Games

Current Form: On a 5-3 SU & 6-2 O/U run
Converted 5 of their Last 12 Power-Play chances (41.6%)
G Braden Holtby: Has started every game in net since Feb. 15th (25 GS)

New York Islanders (Record: 47-28-7, 101 Pts)
O/U Record: (5-3 at 6/ 32-34 at 5.5/ 0-4-3 at 5)
Power Play: (18.7%; Ranked #16)
Penalty Kill: (78%; Ranked #26)
Number of OT/SO Games: 19

Last Playoff Appearance: 2013 (Lost to Pittsburgh in 6)
(2-4 SU, 4-2 O/U & 4-2 ATS in that series)

Current Form: On a 3-6 SU, 4-3-1 O/U & 2-7 ATS run
G Jaroslav Halak: Allowed 4 or more Goals in 4 of his Last 6 Starts

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Detroit Red Wings

2014-15 Head to Head Record: Lightning lead 3-1, 2-2 O/U
Favorite has won 3 of 4 meetings, cashing on puck-line in all 3 wins
Under is 6-4 Last 10 Meetings

Tampa Bay Lightning (Record:50-24-8, 108 Pts)
O/U Record: (6-2 at 6/ 29-32 at 5.5/ 9-1-3 at 5)
Power Play: (18.8%; Ranked #14)
Penalty Kill: (83.7%; Ranked #9)
Number of OT/SO Games: 15

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Lost to Montreal in 4)
(0-4 SU, 2-2 O/U & 3-1 ATS in that series)

Current Form: On a 4-4 SU Run
5-0-2 O/U Last 7 with a Total of 5
0-6 Last 6 with a Total of 5.5

Detroit Red Wings (Record: 43-25-14, 100 Pts)
O/U Record: (15-22 at 5.5/ 20-11-13 at 5/Over in one 4.5)
Power Play: (23.8%; Ranked #2)
Penalty Kill: (80.9%; Ranked #17)
Number of OT/SO Games: 25

Last Playoff Appearance: 2014 (Lost to Boston in 5)
(1-4 SU, 1-2-2 O/U & 2-3 ATS in that Series)
16-19 SU, 11-13-11 O/U & 20-14 ATS Last 4 Postseasons

Current Form: On a 3-5 SU & 2-3-3 O/U run Last 8 Games.

Game 7 Notes

Home teams have won 12 of the last 22 Game 7's

2015 Playoff Teams with Most Game 7's Since 2011
Rangers (6; 5-1)
Canadiens (4; 1-3)
Red Wings (3; 1-2)
Blackhawks (3; 1-2)
Penguins (2; 1-1)
Ducks (2; 0-2)

Overtime Notes

2014
26 OT Games
14 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
4 in Conference Finals
3 in Stanley Cup Final

2013
27 OT Games
17 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
2 in Conference Finals
2 in Stanley Cup Final

2012
25 OT Games
16 in Round 1
5 in Round 2
2 in Conference Finals
2 in Stanley Cup Final

2011
22 OT Games
14 in Round 1
6 in Round 2
1 in Conference Finals
1 in Stanley Cup Final

2015 Playoff Teams Overtime Records Since 2011

Eastern Conference
Rangers (5-12)
Penguins (3-6)
Canadiens (3-6)
Senators (4-0)
Lightning (1-2)
Red Wings (3-5)
Islanders (0-2)
Capitals (6-5)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2015, 12:33 AM

Plenty of Canada in NHL playoffs

April 12, 2015

The NHL's postseason dominoes tumbled throughout the regular season's wild final week. When the last ones fell Saturday night, they revealed that the league is set up for an extremely interesting spring.

This Stanley Cup tournament features seven teams that missed the playoffs last year. A whopping five Canadian teams earned berths, the most from hockey's heartland since 2004.

Defending champion Los Angeles won't be there, and neither will perennial power Boston. The New York Rangers and Anaheim landed atop the two conferences, but contenders with a tantalizing array of veteran talent and hungry youth are right behind them.

And expect fierce competition this season: The postseason contenders were separated in the standings by only 16 points, the smallest gap in the 16-team postseason era.

The puck drops Wednesday night in Montreal, Washington, Nashville and Vancouver. The action won't stop until a new champion raises the Cup in June.

Here's what to watch when the NHL postseason begins this week:

HOME COOKING: Sure, Canadian players and coaches are prominent on every NHL team. But when franchises based in the Great White North make the playoffs, there's an extra excitement - and this postseason will have plenty after a mad rush for position left five Canadian teams in the field and two all-Canadian first-round matchups.

Montreal was a no-doubt playoff contender, and remains a Stanley Cup favorite as long as Carey Price continues his unbelievable season in net.

Vancouver comfortably earned its postseason spot and second place in the Pacific Division with a remarkable bounce-back season under new coach Willie Desjardins.

Yet the Canucks' first-round opponent will be the upstart Calgary Flames, who defied expectations and the loss of injured captain Mark Giordano to end their five-year playoff drought.

The Winnipeg Jets also hung on late to earn their city's first home playoff games since 1996.

And then there are the Ottawa Senators, who went 23-4-4 over their final 31 games to earn a first-round showdown with Montreal. The Senators shocked the league with incredible play from Andrew Hammond, a mid-tier AHL goalie nicknamed ''The Hamburglar'' who has gone 20-1-2 since his February recall.

NEW BLOOD: The playoffs will go on without the teams that won three of the past four Stanley Cup titles - and for the first time in NHL history, the teams that won the previous season's championship and the team with the last Presidents' Trophy both missed the postseason.

The Los Angeles Kings struggled at midseason and flopped in the final week, finishing ninth in the West and ending their spectacular run of two championships, 10 playoff series wins and a record 64 postseason games over the past three years. For the first time since 2007, the playoffs won't feature the defending champion.

The Boston Bruins, who won the 2011 title and had the NHL's best regular-season record last year, joined the Kings on the golf course after seeing their hopes crushed in the final hours of the season.

NO REWARD: The top seeds in each conference drew tough matchups in the first round.

The Rangers emerged from a pack of top teams and streaked past Anaheim to claim the Presidents' Trophy in the final weeks, but their dubious reward is a perilous first-round matchup with superstar Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins, who squeaked into the postseason on the final day.

Anaheim led the overall league standings for much of the season before clinching the top spot in the West in its final game. Yet the high-powered Ducks' first opponent is the Winnipeg Jets, who made a late-season surge for their first playoff berth since the erstwhile Atlanta Thrashers moved north nearly four years ago.

The MTS Centre and the famed Portage and Main intersection in that prairie metropolis will be packed with white-clad, success-starved fans when the Ducks fly into town.

''I think they're going to be crazy,'' Jets forward Mark Schiefele said. ''They've been with us all year and they've been unbelievable. I think playoffs will just hit that next level for sure.''

DIVISIONAL RIVALS: The NHL realigned its postseason last year to create more matchups between divisional rivals, and the effect will be felt particularly by Central Division teams this year.

Division champion St. Louis drew a meeting with Minnesota, which finished with the Western Conference's sixth-best record. The other Central matchup is a brawl between high-powered Chicago and surprising Nashville, which held off the 2013 champion Blackhawks down the stretch for home-ice advantage.

STEADY ON: The Detroit Red Wings made the playoffs for the 24th consecutive season, and they've never had a postseason series against the Tampa Bay Lightning and general manager Steve Yzerman, who is a bit of a celebrity in Michigan. The Wings' playoff exploits could play a role in the future of coach Mike Babcock, who could be available to the highest bidder this summer.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2015, 12:34 AM

Avs miss playoffs for 4th time in 5 years

April 12, 2015

DENVER (AP) - Patrick Roy's beard, spotted with copious amounts of gray, is in full playoff mode.

That's unlike his team as the Colorado Avalanche missed the postseason for a fourth time in five seasons.

A year ago, the Avs were the buzz of the NHL with a young, fast squad and one of the top goaltenders in the league. They tied a franchise record with 52 wins and captured the Central Division crown, before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs.

Big things were expected in Year 2 under Roy. No longer a surprise, though, Colorado simply couldn't duplicate that level of success. A slow start hurt early and injuries piled up late, including the loss of teenager Nathan MacKinnon to a broken foot.

Still, they finished up the season 17-9-1, so that's at least something to take into the offseason, right?

''I'm here to win the Stanley Cup,'' Roy said. ''So it's a disappointment. We're all disappointed about our situation. At the same time, I like to think we'll benefit from it.''

That's what they're banking on, anyway. General manager Joe Sakic isn't planning on any major changes to the roster, just some tweaks here and there.

He likes this youthful nucleus that includes MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, captain Gabriel Landeskog and Ryan O'Reilly, a player Sakic hopes to work out a long-term deal with in the offseason.

Sakic knew that replicating the 2013-14 season would be a challenge after amassing 112 points. Still, he thinks they're better than the 90 points they accrued this season.

''Is next year a test? You better believe it,'' Sakic said. ''We went through the learning process this year. It's time for them to step up with consistency and become that team. Expectation level has to be there right from the start.''

This is the takeaway for the Avs - a slow start will doom a team. With goaltender Semyon Varlamov dealing with a nagging groin injury early in the season, the Avalanche struggled. They were 12-13-8 through mid-December.

''You can't dig yourself a hole,'' Alex Tanguay said. ''It's very rare, the team that comes back after digging yourself that tough of hole. We'll reflect on that.

''I mean, this team took a great stride last year. This year, although it doesn't look like it now, in the long run, it might be beneficial to realize how much it (stinks) to miss the playoffs.''

No team wants to use injuries as an excuse, convenient as it may be. But Colorado finished with 495 man-games lost due to injury, the most in franchise history.

The previous high was 474 in 2010-11. Those sidelined included key contributors, too, such as MacKinnon, who went out in early March, and top defenseman Erik Johnson, who made his first All-Star team but couldn't play because of a knee injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.

''That is a part of hockey,'' said defenseman Jan Hejda, whose contract expires this summer, but hopes to be back next season. ''Not too many hockey players that have never had injuries. We have a team that is good enough to play without some key guys.

''This year, we played the whole season under pressure. Last year, we didn't.''

The bright spot of the season had to be the play of 37-year-old Jarome Iginla, who scored 29 goals this season. He's the oldest player in franchise history to lead the team in goals, nine days older than when Sakic accomplished the feat in 2006-07.

''The ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup, but first you have to get to the playoffs and have that chance to play for it,'' said Iginla, who signed a three-year, $16 million deal last summer. ''It's the best time of year to play, to be an NHL hockey player.

''As tough as it is this year being out, I'm still very excited about this group. I think we've learned a lot. We've grown a lot.''

Sakic couldn't agree more.

''I know as a player firsthand, when you're going through tough times, it's tough. But they've overcome it,'' Sakic said. ''Going through that, I believe 100 percent that by overcoming that, it will make them better players.''

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2015, 12:35 AM

Blackhawks eye another big run

April 12, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) - As far as Marian Hossa is concerned, the Chicago Blackhawks can capture another Stanley Cup.

He envisions them putting aside their recent slump and making another big playoff run, starting with their first-round matchup against the Nashville Predators.

''No doubt about it,'' Hossa said. ''We have a good group of guys. Every round is going to be different. We have to focus on the first one. The first ones are rarely easy. Every team has added energy.''

Game 1 is Wednesday at Nashville, and both teams come in looking to put aside recent skids.

The Predators, third in the Western Conference with 104 points, were 0-4-2 in their last six games of the regular season.

''They are a very good team,'' Hossa said after Saturday's 3-2 loss at Colorado. ''They played very consistently the whole season. They have great balance. Play well defensively. They will provide a good challenge for us.''

The Blackhawks (102 points) ended an up-and-down regular season on a four-game losing streak, but they are in the playoffs for the seventh straight year, eyeing another deep run.

They won the Stanley Cup in 2010 and 2013 and reached the conference finals last year. And if they get Patrick Kane back, it would obviously be a huge boost.

The dynamic forward was leading the Blackhawks with 27 goals and 37 assists when he lost his balance and crashed into the boards after being cross-checked by Florida defenseman Alex Petrovic on Feb. 24.

Kane had surgery the next day, with team physician Dr. Michael Terry saying a full recovery would take about 12 weeks. But he has been skating and working on one-timers and slap shots the past few weeks.

Whether he comes back or not, the Blackhawks have some work to do before they take to the ice against the Predators.

They've struggled on the power play, going 0 for 11 the past six games. That's a trend they need to reverse, with or without Kane.

So is this: Chicago scored just five goals over the final four regular-season games.

''It's not going to be easy playing against Nashville,'' Niklas Hjalmarsson said. ''We'll have to find a way to get people in front of the net and get more shots and enough rebounds.''

The Blackhawks took three of four from the Predators during the regular season, beating them in overtime and a shootout. The teams have not met since Dec. 29, when Chicago won in a shootout.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Blackhawks in this series will be the man in goal for Nashville, the 6-foot-5 Pekka Rinne. He was a big reason why the Predators led the Central Division for much of the season before fading and ranked among the league leaders in wins (41), save percentage (.923) and goals-against average (2.18).

He sat out Saturday's 4-1 loss at Dallas, as did forward Mike Fisher and defensemen Shea Weber and Roman Josi and Cody Franson.

''They had a great start to the season,'' Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. ''They've got a tremendous back end, strong in net, they have some assets up front. So certainly they're dangerous in a lot of ways.''

NOTES: The Blackhawks recalled goalie Antti Raanta and defenseman Kyle Cumiskey from the American Hockey League on Sunday. Raanta is 7-4-1 with a .936 save percentage in 14 games for the Blackhawks this season. Cumiskey has played in seven games with Chicago.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-13-2015, 12:37 AM

Opening Series Odds

April 12, 2015

Home Team listed first - Best of 7 Games (2-2-1-1-1)
(Opening Odds in parentheses)

Eastern Conference - First Round

N.Y. Rangers vs. Pittsburgh
Rangers (-210)
Penguins (+175)

Montreal vs. Ottawa
Canadiens (-160)
Senators (+140)

Washington vs. N.Y. Islanders
Capitals (-155)
Islanders (+135)

Tampa Bay vs. Detroit
Lightning (-175)
Red Wings (+155)

Western Conference - First Round

Anaheim vs. Winnipeg
Ducks (-175)
Jets (+155)

St. Louis vs. Minnesota
Blues (-145)
Wild (+125)

Vancouver vs. Calgary
Canucks (-155)
Flames (+135)

Nashville vs. Chicago
Blackhawks (-120)
Predators (+100)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 01:43 AM

Betting 101: How to safely bet the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs

Apr 13, 2015

The NHL playoffs, more so than any other sport’s postseason, are about as different from the regular season as you can get.

Teams that dominated during the regular schedule suddenly find themselves on the brink of elimination, and clubs that squeaked into the playoff picture can catch fire and ride a hot goalie all the way to the Stanley Cup.

In order to help hockey bettors navigate the upside-down world of postseason puck, we asked some of Covers Experts’ top handicappers to share their best tips, tactics, and trends when it comes to successfully wagering on the NHL’s second season.

Hot goaltenders

Like pitching in baseball, goaltending can singlehandedly win a playoff series. Year after year, hockey bettors witness incredible performances between the pipes and make a small mint riding these red-hot keepers.

On the other side of the coin, not having a proven No. 1 goalie can quickly put a wrap on the season – no matter how many goals a team can score. Covers Expert Jesse Schule points to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who have been ushered out of the playoffs the past three years thanks to shaky play in the crease.

“When I'm looking to narrow down the field to legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, I always look at the goaltenders first,” agrees Covers Expert Sean Murphy. “Which ones are capable of carrying a team on their shoulders if need be? Who can steal a game, or even a series?”

The Ottawa Senators are hoping rookie sensation Andrew Hammond can step up to the challenge after a breakout campaign. Hammond finished with a 20-1-2 record and a 1.79 GAA, and finished April with a 5-0-1 record and 1.60 GAA heading into the playoffs.

Depth and toughness

Ever watch a hockey player get interviewed about his team’s deep postseason run? More often than not, the guy’s face looks like someone dropped a plate of spaghetti on the floor and then tried to sew it back together.

The NHL playoffs are a grueling challenge of teams’ overall talent and toughness. When a series goes six or seven games, the true depth of a roster is drawn to the surface.

Injuries can spoil an NHL bet faster than a Zdeno Chara slapshot and knowing which teams are healthy, getting healthy, and beat up entering the playoffs is a good way to gauge just where you should put your money.

“Some teams that were banged up earlier this season are healthy now and could perform better than expected, while the opposite could be true of teams suffering through multiple injuries at the moment,” says Covers Experts’ Doc’s Sports.

Teams that can get production from their third and fourth lines are the ones who survive, while clubs that rely on a few key players to carry the team often find themselves trading hockey sticks for golf clubs. Opponents draw up schemes to shadow and lock down these stars and force role players to beat them.

“It's important to consider depth,” says Murphy. “Which teams can roll four lines and get steady production from their role players? Unlike other sports, the NHL playoffs aren't all about the superstars. It's the grinders that often decide which team is left standing in June.”

Physicality also plays a major role in the outcome of the playoffs, with every hit looked at as an investment. Finesse teams can get worn down over the course of a series while teams that like to lay the lumber excel in the furious pace of the postseason.

“Some teams might not be the fastest and most skilled, but instead they out-work, out-hit, and physically dominate their opponents,” says Schule.

Road Warriors

Another big difference between the NHL playoffs and other sports’ tournaments is the importance - or lack thereof - when it comes to home ice.

In basketball and football, having the crowd on your side is crucial to a championship run. However, in hockey, bettors get great value with road teams in the postseason. Hot home teams like Tampa Bay or Nashville may be good fade bait while tough road clubs, like the New York Rangers, can hold added pop on the road.

“Other than getting the final line change, there is really not much of an edge for the home team,” says Covers Expert Steve Merril. “Obviously, the crowd will be supporting them. But unlike the NBA, it does not influence officials as much, as penalties are normally called evenly and on an alternating makeup basis. NHL playoffs is the one sport where I feel home teams are generally overvalued, especially since travel is not a factor and both teams in a best-of-seven series have the same travel schedule.”

Covers Expert Ben Burns believes each NHL postseason game is unique and doesn't carry as much momentum from one contest to the next. Teams quickly make adjustments, line changes and roster moves based on the game before and can have a completely different feel when they face off next. A high-scoring Game 1 can produce a low-scoring Game 2 with teams tightening up on defense.

Special teams

Referees do tend to let a lot more slide in the postseason compared to regular season action, so it makes it even more important for teams to capitalize on those man-advantages when the whistle does blow.

“It is absolutely imperative to score on the power play, in order to discourage opponents from taking cheap shots at your best players,” says Schule.

Entering the postseason, the Washington Capitals boast the top power-play attack in the league with 60 goals with the man advantage and a 25.3 power-play percentage. At the bottom of the scale, the Anaheim Ducks boast the lowest power-play percentage in the playoffs at 15.7 percent.

As for killing off those penalties, the Minnesota Wild didn’t get burned much with a man in the box ranking second in the NHL with an 86.3 penalty-kill percentage. The Vancouver Canucks and Penguins followed them, killing off 85.7 and 84.8 percent of their penalties, respectively. The New York Islanders have the worst PK among playoff teams at 77.9 percent.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 01:45 AM

NHL betting road map: Canadiens quiet about Pacioretty

Apr 13, 2015

Moneyline/Puckline Watch

Team to fade this week: Pittsburgh Penguins

We learned a lot about the Pittsburgh Penguins the last few weeks of the season. We learned that it is not a team that is destined to be in the playoffs for very long this spring.

Still a betting favorite, books and sharps are going to have to sour on the Penguins this pot-season. Until that happens, bet against the injury struggling Penguins team. Aside from top end centers in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins are woefully thin at most every other position and especially on the back end.

First year head coach Mike Johnson isn’t exactly someone you want to bet on as he goes head-to-head with the President’s Trophy winning New York Rangers. This is arguably the biggest mismatch in round one of the playoffs.

Team to bet this week: Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning won a league high 32 games at home this season and should have no trouble getting up early on the Detroit Red Wings. It could be called the “Steve Yzerman series” for many reasons but maybe first and foremost is the fact that his team is just better in almost every capacity here.

It went under the radar a little bit at the end because of all the craziness of the Ottawa Senators run but we shouldn’t forget that Detroit barely made it into the post season and an epic collapse it would have been.

Keep in mind that Lightning goalie Ben Bishop was 3-1 with a 1.97 goals against average and .921 save percentage in four games against the Red Wings this season.

Last year Tampa Bay bowed out early because of a team crippling, season ending injury to Ben Bishop. You can bet this year that the Lightning will be determined to make amends for that.

Total Watch: Sports books line watch

The playoffs are notorious for low scoring, tight-checking games but the first round can be tricky to navigate because the teams are the healthiest they will be all postseason.

Usually as the post season moves on, the teams start to really make adjustments for their opponents and the games become even tighter. You will see shops set lines at 4.5 goals which we would never see in the regular season.

The greatest-and toughest part of the playoffs is that it turns out to be a war of attrition and teams can look and play extremely different from one series to the next depending on injuries that ultimately occur to every team.

Injury Watch: Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks

I said it last week and it turned out I was right about the Chicago Blackhawks’ inability to score goals down the stretch without star Patrick Kane. It is not going to get any easier in their first round matchup with Central Division foes the Nashville Predators.

There are rumours that Kane could be back for the first round of the playoffs and that will have to be closely monitored. He has arguably been the biggest difference maker in the entire league the last four Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Kane had surgery for a broken clavicle and was supposed to be out 12 weeks but has been seen skating with his team since week 5 of the injury.

Chicago could sure use him as the team scored just five goals in the final four games of the season in games that the team could have procured home ice advantage but just couldn’t score enough goals.

Playbook: Montreal Canadiens

Teams are pretty tight-lipped about injuries at this time of year and rightfully so with every team looking to exploit weakness in the other side.

Montreal hasn’t said much about an injury that kept leading scorer Max Pacioretty out of the final games of the regular season. Rumour has it the “upper body injury” could both be a concussion or a neck and shoulder related problem. Either way, this could drastically change the way Canadiens play.

Pacioretty is the teams’ leading scorer with 37 goals this year and any time without him could prove costly for a Habs team that doesn’t have a lot of star power up front.

Last season we saw the Habs struggle to win without all-star goalie Carey Price and it will be interesting to see how the team plays if it has to do without its leading scorer.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 01:48 AM

Anaheim favored to sweep round one in NHL Playoffs

The Ducks, who have drawn the Winnipeg Jets in round one, have the lowest odds to win their series 4-0 out of each of the 16 playoff-bound teams.

Here's a run down of Anaheim's chances to win the series in each possible game:

Ducks win in four games: +600
Ducks win in five games: +300
Ducks win in six games: +350
Ducks win in seven games: +300

**StarDust Bum** · 04-14-2015, 01:49 AM

Rangers the favorites to win Cup heading into playoffs

With the Stanley Cup playoffs getting underway Wednesday, it is the President's Trophy winners, the New York Rangers, who are favored to hoist the Cup above their heads come June.

According to the Westgate LV Superbook, the Rangers are the 9-2 favorites to win it all, just ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks at 6/1 and the St. Louis Blues at 7/1.

The Rangers are also the 7-4 favorites to win the Eastern Conference, with the Blackhawks the 3/1 favorites to win the West. Check out the complete list of odds below.

RANGERS 9-2
BLACKHAWKS 6/1
BLUES 7/1
DUCKS 8/1
CANADIENS 8/1
WILD 10/1
LIGHTNING 10/1
CANUCKS 16/1
PREDATORS 16/1
CAPITALS 20/1
PENGUINS 25/1
RED WINGS 25/1
ISLANDERS 25/1
JETS 30/1
SENATORS 30/1
FLAMES 30/1

2014-2015 EASTERN CONFERENCE:

RANGERS 7-4
CANADIENS 7-2
LIGHTNING 9-2
CAPITALS 9/1
PENGUINS 11/1
RED WINGS 11/1
ISLANDERS 11/1
SENATORS 14/1

2014-2015 WESTERN CONFERENCE:

BLACKHAWKS 3/1
BLUES 7-2
DUCKS 4/1
WILD 5/1
CANUCKS 8/1
PREDATORS 8/1
JETS 15/1
FLAMES 15/1

Announcement

The Bum's 2015 NHL Playoff Thread News, Notes, Trends Etc. !!

The Bum's 2015 NHL Playoff Thread News, Notes, Trends Etc. !!

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