The Bum's NHL Eastern/Western Conference Best Bets + News and Notes !

[StarDust Bum]

Lightning at Bruins: What bettors need to know

Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins (-144, 5.5)

THE STORY: Do you remember the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning? You know, the teams who made a clean sweep of the two top-ranked clubs in the Eastern Conference semifinals? The third-seeded Bruins avenged last year's collapse by carelessly tossing the Philadelphia Flyers aside. For their part, the fifth-seeded Lightning have won seven straight games - in 12 days, no less. They completed the onslaught by throttling the Southeast Division-rival Washington Capitals en route to finishing their series on May 4. Now, after eight and 10 days off respectively, the teams will reconvene on Saturday in Beantown to begin their conference final series.

TV: 8 ET, VERSUS, CBC

ABOUT THE BRUINS: Boston is making its first trip to the Eastern Conference finals since 1992. Vezina Trophy finalist Tim Thomas (8-3, 2.03 goals-against average) has won five straight to see his career playoff mark balloon to 18-11. All told, Thomas has posted a 10-4 career mark with a 2.26 goals-against average versus Tampa Bay. Patrice Bergeron, who leads the team with 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) will miss Saturday's contest with a concussion. Second overall pick Tyler Seguin, 19, will get the nod in his place. Fellow rookie Brad Marchand has scored in five straight games and seven of his last eight. The 23-year-old Nova Scotia native has a goal and an assist in four career games against the Lightning.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING: Whenever it visits Boston, Tampa Bay skates like it ate some bad chowder. The Lightning have won just three times in their last 25 contests (3-18-4) in Beantown. As for more recent events, Martin St. Louis will look to continue where he left off. The Hart Trophy finalist has six goals - including three on the power play - and seven assists in 11 postseason games. Captain Vincent Lecavalier (five goals, seven assists), Steve Downie (two goals, 10 assists) and Teddy Purcell (one goal, 10 assists) give the Lightning four double-digit scorers in the playoffs - more than any other team. Dwayne Roloson (8-3, 2.01 goals-against average) has posted a 5-2-2 career mark with a slim 1.97 goals-against average versus the Bruins. Acquired in a New Year's Day trade with the New York Islanders, the 41-year-old netminder did not face the Bruins this season.

WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: David Krejci gained a measure of revenge against the Flyers. After missing the final four contests in their epic collapse against Philadelphia in 2010, Krejci collected four goals and five assists in Boston's four-game sweep of the Flyers. Tampa Bay left wing Sean Bergenheim has scored a goal in five of his last six games. All told, he has seven tallies in 11 postseason contests.

SPECIAL TEAMS: After failing to score on its first 31 power-play opportunities in the postseason, Boston has scored twice on its last six chances. A 5.4 percent efficiency rating is no cause for celebration, but considering the Bruins are still playing, well ... it is what it is. For its part, Tampa Bay has scored on 12 of its 45 power-play chances (26.7 percent) whiling killing off 51 of 54 shorthanded situations (94.4 percent).

SEASON SERIES: Boston won three of the four meetings between the clubs this season. After Tampa Bay skated to a 3-1 home win on Nov. 22, the Bruins bounced back with an 8-1 triumph on Dec. 2. Boston then collected a 4-3 road win on Dec. 28 and a 2-1 home victory on March 3.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.
* Lightning are 13-32-5 in the last 50 meetings.
* Lightning are 3-18-4 in the last 25 meetings in Boston.

LAST WORD: "We both found a way. We definitely had to fight our way into the league and earn our chances, and even then they didn't come at first. I'm proud that we did. I'm proud of Timmy that he did. He battled." - St. Louis, on the path traveled by both Thomas and himself in the NHL. The two played collegiate hockey at the University of Vermont 18 years ago.

[StarDust Bum]

Canucks vs. Sharks: Western Conference final preview and pick

No. 1 Vancouver Canucks vs. No. 2 San Jose Sharks

Series odds: Vancouver -150, San Jose +125

OFFENSE

Hockey bettors have yet to see the offensive strengths of either team produce consistently in these playoffs.

For the Canucks, the Sedin twins have gone missing for wide stretches in each of their first two series, leading to questions of whether they are of sound playoff stock.

For the Sharks, it has been Patrick Marleau disappearing at times. So, in deciding which team has the edge offensively, you need to take a leap of faith as to which group will perform at their peak next round.

The Sharks’ strength comes up the middle where Joe Thornton, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture not only provide great depth at the center position, but have combined for 29 points. In the absence of Marleau, his series winner against Detroit in Game 7 aside, San Jose has had a huge contribution from rookie Logan Couture (six goals, six assists).

The Canucks’ strength has come from the incredible Ryan Kesler, who seems to be carrying his team on his back. The Sedins combined for 198 points in the regular season but had just seven in the six-game series against Nashville. It’s not as if Daniel hasn’t been getting chances either, with 55 shots on goal - second most in the playoffs.

The matchup of Kesler on Thornton could be the key to this series but hockey bettors should like the depth San Jose has up front.

EDGE: Sharks

DEFENSE

If there was an area that the Sharks may be worried it is defense, as they have given up an average of three goals per game - ranked 10th overall of the 16 teams in the postseason.

Though the Canucks have some Roberto Luongo moments in these playoffs, they surrendered an NHL-low 2.20 goals in the regular season and are at a credible 2.54 GAA in the postseason.

The Canucks won three of four meetings in the regular season, but three of those contests were settled by one goal (two by shootout), so NHL bettors could expect a close series. Vancouver held Nashville to two goals or less in five of its six games but the Sharks’ attack is far more potent than the Preds.

The Sharks do have a tendency to get sloppy in their own end, which could be a fatal flaw if the Sedins wake up. At least the San Jose defensemen will be ready for an up-tempo style after the incredible speed we saw late in the series against Detroit.

Both teams expect some offensive contributions from the blueline and have been getting it in the playoffs. The Sharks Dan Boyle leads all blueliners with 11 points while Vancouver’s Christian Ehrhoff is second at nine points.

EDGE: Canucks

SPECIAL TEAMS

Neither team has lit it up on the power play in the playoffs. The Canucks are clicking at 22.2 percent - sixth best in the playoffs - giving them a distinct statistical edge.

The Sharks have been far less fruitful with the extra man, hitting at just 12.5 percent which is 13th among playoff teams. At least San Jose knows it can produce, based on the 23.5 percent success rate in the regular season. But it will need to regain that form in a hurry.

The Sharks have had some issues on the penalty kill, particularly in the regular season when they ranked 24th (79.6 percent).

It’s tough to read too much into the Canucks’ 86 percent success on the penalty kill in these playoffs given the lack of a meaningful threat from Nashville. That’s apples to oranges compared to what they will see from San Jose.

EDGE: Canucks

GOALTENDING

Roberto Luongo has a .917 save percentage, a 2.25 goals against average, and has two shutouts in these playoffs - so what’s not to like about the Canucks’ goaltender? He even went through the entire second round without getting the hook in the middle of the game.

Well for starters, the Sharks’ snipers are bigger threats than the Predators. Expect San Jose to test Luongo early and often to try to hammer away at the goalie’s confidence. However, Luongo has taken his team to the conference final for the first time which may ease some of the mental pressure.

In the Sharks’ net, Antti Niemi can’t match Luongo’s numbers (3.01 GAA and .906 save percentage) and he struggled earlier in the playoffs as well. But overall, Niemi has less confidence issues after beating the Canucks on the way to helping the Chicago Blackhawks to the Cup last season. In particular, Niemi was stellar in Games 6 and 7 against Detroit, including 38 saves from 40 shots in the finale.

EDGE: Sharks

SERIES PICK:

As the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, the West has held to form and there has been little to separate between these two based on their playoff performances.

The Canucks need both Sedins and Luongo to be at the top of their game throughout what will be a long series. Thornton and the Sharks have shed some of their playoff concerns while the Canucks still have some work to do.

Pick: Sharks in seven games

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record
05/12/11 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail
05/10/11 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1050 Detail
05/09/11 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*50 Detail
05/08/11 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*175 Detail
05/07/11 1-*1-*0 50.00% -*525 Detail
05/06/11 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1100 Detail
05/05/11 1-*1-*0 50.00% 0 Detail
05/04/11 5-*1-*0 83.33% +*2170 Detail
05/03/11 2-*1-*1 66.67% +*545 Detail
05/02/11 1-*1-*0 50.00% +*45 Detail
05/01/11 1-*3-*0 25.00% -*1510 Detail
Totals 16-*15-*1 51.61% -*650

Saturday, May 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Tampa Bay - 8:00 PM ET Tampa Bay +130 500
Boston - Under 5.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NHL Betting: San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver topped San Jose three times in four regular season meetings.
Unlike the Eastern Conference, the two best teams from the regular season will meet in the NHL’s Western Conference Finals. The series between the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks and second-seeded San Jose Sharks starts Sunday at Rogers Arena.

Game 1 will be aired on Versus at 5:00 p.m. (PT) with the Canucks -160 on the Don Best odds screen and 5½ for the total.

Vancouver and San Jose are both chasing their first Stanley Cup, with the Canucks the only one of the two to win a conference championship in 1982 and 1994. Both teams had been best known for past playoff failures heading into the postseason, and each had to avoid colossal collapses against opponents from the Central Division en route to the Western Conference Finals.

The Sharks looked like they were going to sweep the Detroit Red Wings for the second straight year but found themselves fortunate enough to make it back to this round after winning Game 7 on Thursday, 3-2. Six of the seven games in their semifinal series were decided by one goal, and San Jose winger Patrick Marleau failed to register a point until he scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal at 12:13 of the third period in Game 7.

Marleau had tallied 37 points and 36 assists during the regular season and led the team with 73 points, but he struggled against the Red Wings and was even deemed “gutless” by television analyst and former teammate Jeremy Roenick due to his poor play. Roenick later praised Marleau for his Game 7 performance.

Ryane Clowe has stepped up for the Sharks in the playoffs with a team-high 13 points (four goals, nine assists) even though he missed Game 6 with an upper-body injury. Clowe ranked fifth on the team in points during the regular season with 62, behind Marleau, Joe Thornton (70), Joe Pavelski (66) and Dany Heatley (64).

Center Logan Couture has also done a nice job in the postseason with 12 points (tied for a team-high six goals with six assists), which is good for second on the team after finishing with the sixth-most points during the season (56).

The Canucks got their scare in the quarterfinals when the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks took them to overtime in Game 7 after trailing three games to none. Vancouver won the clincher against Chicago and then beat another Central Division team in the semifinals, knocking out the Nashville Predators in six games.

Center Ryan Kesler has been one of the top players in the playoffs for the Canucks, notching a team-high 15 points (five goals and 10 assists). Kesler scored game-winning goals in Games 4 and 5 against Nashville and ranked third in scoring during the regular season behind twin brothers Daniel (104 points) and Henrik (94) Sedin.

Defenseman Christian Ehrhoff has also provided a spark with nine points (two goals and seven assists), tied for third on the team in the postseason with Henrik and one behind Daniel. Ehrhoff was drafted by San Jose in 2001.

The goaltender matchup in this series is an intriguing one with Antti Niemi trying to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final with the Sharks after getting let go by the Blackhawks in the offseason. Niemi has been shaky at times but still has the experience of winning the Cup to draw on from last year.

Niemi faced 40 shots or more in four of the last five games against Detroit, but was officially 2-3 in that series.

Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo has been scrutinized in the past for not winning the big game or series, but this year has been a different story. After getting benched in Game 6 vs. Chicago, Luongo turned in a brilliant performance in Game 7 and carried that through against the Predators.

He allowed two goals or less in six of his last seven games but is 7-10-1-2 lifetime against San Jose with a 2.77 goals against average. Niemi owns a losing career record against the Canucks as well, going 2-4-0-1 in seven games with a 3.26 GAA.

The Sharks have won 11 of the last 16 meetings with Vancouver but lost three of four to the Canucks in the 2010-11 regular season. Three of the most recent meetings were decided by just one goal, including the past two in shootouts. The ‘over’ is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

The Canucks are the 150 favorites to win this series with the Sharks +135. Vancouver is favored to eventually lift the Cup on the newly-adjusted futures prices, the Canucks priced at +170 with San Jose +300.

[StarDust Bum]

Canucks, Sharks set for Western finals

May 14, 2011


VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) - Fairly or not, Vancouver and San Jose face off in the Western Conference finals as perennial playoff underachievers. Fairly or not, it's a label only one team - and several star players - will shed with a long awaited chance to play for the Stanley Cup.

With trophy cases full of awards as the NHL's top team, scorers and players in the regular season, the Sharks and Canucks are mirror images of each other.

``We both had good regular seasons for a few years now. We've both been building towards something, the core group has stayed relatively the same, and we both have similar labels as teams that have good regular seasons, but haven't been able to make it in the playoffs,'' Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa said.

The Sharks have come closer of late, getting to the Western Conference finals a second straight season, but are still looking for their first trip to the Cup finals. Vancouver has played for the Stanley Cup twice in 40 years, but Game 1 on Sunday will be its first trip to the NHL's final four since 1994.

Both teams flirted with ghosts of playoffs past by almost blowing 3-0 series leads - Vancouver to nemesis Chicago in the first round, and San Jose to Detroit in the last round - before recovering to win pressure-packed Game 7s. But both sides also know that isn't enough to shed a reputation for tight collars in the postseason; that only one trophy - the Stanley Cup - will end that talk.

They even reference each other when discussing it.

``(San Jose defenseman Dan) Boyle said it best: Until you actually win you are always going to have that label as a team and as an organization,'' Bieksa said.

And as players.

Much of the focus for past playoff failure has fallen on the top players for both teams. In San Jose, captain Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have both been called out for failing to raise their games in the playoffs after continued success in the regular season.

``We have this anchor that everybody throws at us either fairly or unfairly,'' San Jose coach Todd McLellan said. ``We don't worry about that.

The Sharks' top duo answered some of the critics in Game 7 against Detroit on Thursday night. Thornton, who won the league scoring title and MVP awards in 2006, dominated the first period, and Marleau scored the winning goal - his first point of the series - with 7:47 left to play.

Still, the first questions as they prepared to board a flight for Vancouver after practice Saturday focused on San Jose's past playoff letdowns.

``The only way you get rid of that is to move on,'' Marleau said. ``It would be nice, you put in a lot of sweat and everything, to get a little bit of recognition.''

Which must sound familiar to Vancouver's top-line twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin.

The Sedins won the last two NHL scoring titles, a first for brothers, Henrik was selected the league MVP last year, and Daniel is a finalist this season. But both are under the microscope after struggling late in the first round against Chicago, and against Nashville throughout. Rather than the series-clinching goal they combined on to finish the Predators, the focus is on a combined minus-16 playoff rating.

``They've gone through the same things as we have,'' Daniel said. ``They've been getting a lot of criticism but they've been to the conference final two years in a row, which I think is pretty good.''

So did brother Henrik, who argued that was the difference between the teams.

``They've had a top team for a number of years,'' he said. ``We've never felt this good about our team for a long time so for us this is maybe the first year where we thought we were a contender.''

If that was an attempt to play down the Canucks status, San Jose coach Todd McLellan wasn't buying it. He pointed out Vancouver won the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team, and led the league in goals, goals-against, power play and faceoffs, and was second in penalty killing.

``We've got to play to the underdog role, McLellan said. ``I think it will allow us to play free.

Free from the burden of expectations, perhaps. But only a win will erase the labels.

[StarDust Bum]

Top two seeds face off in West Finals


SAN JOSE SHARKS

at VANCOUVER CANUCKS


NHL Playoffs – Western Conference Finals
Game 1
Puck drops: Sunday 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Vancouver -170, San Jose +150, Total: 5.5

After surviving a grueling seven-game series against the Red Wings, one in which they blew a 3-0 series lead, but managed to win Game 7, the San Jose Sharks travel up the coast to take on the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

San Jose is making its second consecutive visit to the Conference Finals, having lost last season to the Blackhawks, getting swept in four straight. The only other visit the Sharks had in the Conference Finals was in 2004 when they lost in six games to the Calgary Flames. After getting swept last season, San Jose carries a six-game losing streak in the Conference Finals.

After going scoreless in the first six games and two periods of the Conference Semifinals against Detroit, Patrick Marleau scored the game-winning goal in Game 7. Marleau had just two points in four games against the Canucks this season (1 G, 1 A). Antti Niemi struggled against the Canucks this season, going 1-2-1 while registering the second-highest GAA (3.64) and second-lowest save percentage (.896) against any opponent he faced at least three times this season. Niemi has been inconsistent this postseason, posting a GAA of 3.01, but has come up big when it's mattered the most. Offensively, four different Sharks have totaled at least 11 points this postseason.

Vancouver is making its first Conference Finals appearance since 1994 when it defeated the Maple Leafs before losing to the Rangers in seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals. After leading the NHL in scoring this season, the Canucks have scored the fewest goals of any team this postseason to win a series, averaging just 2.31 goals per game. Ryan Kesler has stood out far and above his teammates, tied for the NHL lead in scoring this postseason with 15 points (5 G, 10 A). After not scoring a goal in 17 straight playoff games, Kesler has netted five goals and five assists in his past four games. Daniel Sedin leads the Canucks with six goals, but broke a six-game goal-less streak when he scored the game-winner in Game 6 against Nashville. In goal, Roberto Luongo has been outstanding, holding opponents to a 1.71 GAA in his past seven games.

Both Vancouver and San Jose are looking to win their franchise’s first-ever championship, and each have the talent and experience to do so. This is the first time since 2006-07 that the top two seeds in the Western Conference have advanced to the Conference Finals, and the fifth time since the NHL introduced seeding based on best records in the 1993-94 postseason. The No. 1 and No. 2 seed have split the previous four series. Not many teams had their way with San Jose this season, but the Canucks earned a point in every game they faced the Sharks (3-0-1). I like Vancouver to jump out to the early series lead and defeat the Sharks in Game 1.

The FoxSheets shows two more trends supporting the Canucks:

VANCOUVER is 14-2 ATS (87.5%, +10.4 Units) when playing with 3 or more days rest over the last 2 seasons. The average score was VANCOUVER 3.6, OPPONENT 2.1 - (Rating = 2*).

VANCOUVER is 38-18 ATS (67.9%, +11.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season. The average score was VANCOUVER 3.1, OPPONENT 2.3 - (Rating = 1*).

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Conf. Finals

May 15, 2011

Underdogs are 1-0
Home teams are 0-1
The 'over' is 1-0


Visitor Home Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Saturday May 14, 2011
Lightning (+135) Bruins 5-2 UNDERDOG OVER 5.5

Sunday May 15, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Tuesday May 17, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Wednesday May 18, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Thursday May 19, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Friday May 20, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Saturday May 21, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Sunday May 22, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Monday May 23, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Tuesday May 24, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Wednesday May 25, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Thursday May 26, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Friday May 27, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Saturday May 28, 2011
Sharks Canucks




Winners in BOLD

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, May 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Jose - 8:05 PM ET San Jose +142 500
Vancouver - Under 5.5 500

[Udog]

I've got the under tonight but I'm struggling with the side.

I'm going to join you on those Sharks.

Thanks, Bum! Good luck tonight!

[StarDust Bum]

DOG....those sharks just don't have that killer instinct...they love sitting on that lead.......they need to change that mind set.

NHL Odds: Boston Bruins in 1-0 hole to Tampa Bay

The fifth-seeded Tampa Bay Lightning are the lowest seed remaining in the NHL playoffs, and they are also the hottest team left following a 5-2 rout of the third-seeded Boston Bruins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday.

The Lightning ride an eight-game winning streak into Game 2 on Tuesday at TD Garden and hope to head home with what would be an unlikely 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series that picks up again on Thursday in Tampa.

The Bruins lost as -150 favorites in the series opener and are listed at -150 again on the Don Best odds screen for Game 2 with the total set at 5½ for the seventh time in as many meetings. The ‘over’ has cashed five times in the last seven games between the teams, and Game 2 will be televised on Versus at 5:00 p.m. (PT).

Boston is facing a very hot hockey club in the Lightning, but this is hardly uncharted territory for a team that trailed Montreal 2-0 in the conference quarterfinals before rallying to win that series, 4-3. The Bruins need to have a short memory and try to forget how they surrendered three goals over an 85-second span in the first period of Game 1, which dug them into a huge 3-0 hole early on.

The loss of center Patrice Bergeron also hurt Boston in Game 1 and something the B's will need to be overcome in order to even the series. Bergeron suffered a concussion against Philadelphia in Game 4 of the conference semifinals and took to the ice on Saturday morning for the first time since then.

He will continue to be monitored by Boston head coach Claude Julien due to the fact that this was his third concussion.

Bergeron is not expected to be cleared to play in Game 2, so Chris Kelly will continue to take his place on the second line between Brad Marchand and Mark Recchi. Kelly took two shots in 16:55 of ice time and was 10-for-17 on faceoffs in Game 1.

Rookie Tyler Seguin could also see increased ice time after notching his first points of the playoffs on a goal and assist in Game 1, which was also his first action of the postseason. Seguin was the second overall pick in the NHL draft last June and is just 19 years old.

Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas figures to bounce back after stopping 29 of 33 shots in Game 1. Thomas led the NHL in goals against average (2.00) and save percentage (.938) during the regular season and is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie.

He won eight of his previous nine starts prior to Game 1 after starting the postseason with consecutive losses.

Tampa netminder Dwayne Roloson has been in goal for every game during the winning streak but has allowed two goals or more in seven of them. Roloson has surrendered three goals five times in 12 games this postseason, going 9-2-1 during that stretch.

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Conf. Finals

May 16, 2011

Favorites are 1-1
Favorites that won are 0-1 on the puckline
Home teams are 1-1
The 'total' is 1-1


Visitor Home Final Score ATS OVER/UNDER

Saturday May 14, 2011
Lightning (+135) Bruins 5-2 UNDERDOG OVER 5.5

Sunday May 15, 2011
Sharks Canucks (-160) 3-2 FAVORITE UNDER 5.5

Tuesday May 17, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Wednesday May 18, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Thursday May 19, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Friday May 20, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Saturday May 21, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Sunday May 22, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Monday May 23, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Tuesday May 24, 2011
Sharks Canucks

Wednesday May 25, 2011
Bruins Lightning

Thursday May 26, 2011
Canucks Sharks

Friday May 27, 2011
Lightning Bruins

Saturday May 28, 2011
Sharks Canucks




Winners in BOLD

[Udog]

DOG....those sharks just don't have that killer instinct...they love sitting on that lead.......they need to change that mind set.

You nailed it! Last night, it kinda looked like they forgot there are 3 periods in the game.

[StarDust Bum]

YEP DOG...they come out like gang busters in the 1st period and if they have the lead the seem to relax and count on Niemi to stop every shot.........lol

NHL

Tuesday, May 17

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Tampa Bay - 8:00 PM ET Tampa Bay +136 500
Boston - Over 5.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NHL Betting: Sharks try again at Vancouver Canucks

The second-seeded San Jose Sharks have not had problems getting leads in the postseason. The Sharks have had issues maintaining leads and translating them into wins recently.

They will try to break that bad habit against the top-seeded Vancouver Canucks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday.

The Canucks rallied back from a 2-1 deficit in the third period and earned a 3-2 victory in Game 1 on Sunday as -160 favorites and will look to go up 2-0 before the series shifts to San Jose for Game 3 on Friday. The total fell ‘under’ 5½ goals for the second time in three meetings after four straight ‘unders’ during the last two seasons.

Vancouver is a slightly smaller favorite at -155 according to the Don Best odds screen for Game 2, which again has the total set at 5½ and will be televised on Versus at 6:00 p.m. (PT).

The Sharks feel confident that they can rebound and pull even behind goalie Antti Niemi, who is a perfect 6-0 in playoff series and won the Stanley Cup last year with Chicago. Niemi has been shaky at best in the third period over the last four games, surrendering eight goals in losing three of them.

San Jose has been outscored 15-11 in the third period overall in the playoffs, dropping three of four despite scoring first each time.

Niemi still stopped 35 of 38 shots by the Canucks in the series opener and is getting a lot of support from his teammates even though he seems to be going through a rough stretch. The Sharks know they would not be here without him and trust that he will continue to make big saves.

Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo was having trouble late in games as well until recently. Luongo has not allowed a third-period goal in the last two games after giving up five in the previous four games.

He played well in Game 1 after Joe Thornton scored the first goal unassisted off a turnover for San Jose at 18:47 of the first period. Instead of getting overly frustrated, Luongo kept his cool and allowed just a power-play goal to Patrick Marleau the rest of the way.

The Sharks have not scored more than two goals against Luongo in three meetings this year, going 1-2 in those games. Niemi has not been nearly as sharp, giving up three goals or more in four of five games he has played against the Canucks.

San Jose needs more from winger Ryane Clowe, the team’s leading scorer in the postseason. Clowe missed Game 6 of the conference semifinals with an upper-body injury but provided the Sharks with a boost in helping them win Game 7.

He only took one shot in Game 1 of this series and gave away the puck twice, something that must change for them to win Game 2.

[StarDust Bum]

Can the Sharks draw even?

May 17, 2011


We’re just one game into the Western Conference Finals, but the Sharks are still hanging onto that mantle of being “underachievers.” At least this time around we can say that San Jose has changed up its normal ways of failing as they sit down 0-1 to the Canucks the best-of-seven series. Now they’re in the undesirable position of going down two games to the team with the best record in the NHL.

The stats for San Jose in the series opener last Sunday would show you that they did about everything you could have hoped for to win. The Sharks won the faceoff battle (29-27) and came up with 21 blocked shots as a team. They also converted their lone power play chance into a goal by the Houdini of this year’s playoffs, Patrick Marleau.

Despite Marleau showing up with goals in his last two playoff games, there are still a lot of disappearing acts on the Sharks’ roster. Marleau, Dany Heatley, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton combined for just nine shots on goal in Game 1. At least Devin Setoguchi and Logan Couture picked up the pace with eight SOG between the two of them. The Big 4 for San Jose have to come up with more pace if they want to make this a series.

We haven’t seen too much about San Jose’s shortcomings on the attack because of how Antti Niemi is handling the work between the pipes. That might sound strange since he has a .908 save percentage and a goals against average of 3.01. But what those numbers don’t show is the defense failing in front of him late in the game. Over the last five third periods for the Sharks, Niemi has given up 10 goals on 44 shots and has a 2.17 GAA just for that period. Even worse for bettors that backed San Jose is that they held gave up the lead and lost three of those matches.

Vancouver isn’t exactly living it up big right now with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Canucks are leaving a lot to be desired…especially on the attack. Ryan Kesler has shown up at the right time for them, scoring five goals and helping on six more in his last five playoff appearances. That’s huge for them because he is the life force behind this team. Daniel Sedin, however, is showing he is a playoff bust

I know that some of you will give me hell for that last statement, but hear me out. Daniel has scored six goals in 14 playoffs games at this point. That’s a great number, but two of those lamplighters have come in his last 10 postseason matches. At least Henrik is showing up with two goals and four assists in his last four games.

Roberto Luongo has shown up strong in his last six playoff appearances. All the Vezina Trophy finalist has done is outperformed Nashville’s Pekka Rinne, allowing no more than two goals in five of his past six tests.

Luongo has also benefitted from some quality special teams work in front of him. The Canucks are 5-of-16 on the power play in their last five games. Meanwhile, Vancouver’s penalty kill has given up just two goals on its last 13 opportunities.

So do the Sharks have any hope of tying this series up 1-1 before heading back down to the Silicon Valley? The oddsmakers aren’t expecting it by installing the Canucks as heavy $1.55 home favorites (risk $155 to win $100) with a total of 5 ½.

It’s awfully hard to go against the sportsbooks in this spot. San Jose has lost three straight games as a road underdog, covering the puck line in two of those matches. However, we should keep an open mind for the plus-135 (risk $100 to win $135) payday because the Sharks are 6-0 SU in their last six games as road pups coming off of a road loss.

Vancouver is 4-1 SU and 2-3 PL in its last five tests as a home “chalk” after a one-goal win. The ‘under’ is on a 4-1 run in that stretch as well.