The Bum's NHL Playoff Best Bets Road to the Stanley CUP !

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NHL

Saturday, June 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Los Angeles - 8:00 PM ET New Jersey -108 500

New Jersey - Under 4.5 500

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Kings Return To LA Leading The Devils 2-0

The total for Game 3 in Los Angeles is 4½ goals, shaded slightly ‘under.’

Let’s hear it for Wayne Rutledge and Eddie Joyal, for Bill “Cowboy” Flett and Gord Labossiere, for Bill White and Dale Rolfe, for Howie Hughes and Lowell MacDonald, and for announcer Jiggs McDonald. For Dave Amadio, Terry Sawchuk, Real “Frenchy” Lemieux, too, no longer with us to watch NHL proceedings.

These were all stalwarts and familiar faces of the first group of Los Angeles Kings, 45 seasons ago, in the unforgettable 1967-68 campaign, the year of the first great expansion in the NHL.

And the Kings have never been closer to a Stanley Cup than they are right now.

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals is Monday Night at Staples Center, hard aside the Harbor Freeway on the south side of downtown Los Angeles, which is ready to erupt at the thought of the Kings finally winning their first Stanley Cup.

The New Jersey Devils still have something to say about all of that, however, and figure to once again offer resolute opposition. Monday’s face-off takes place at 8:05 p.m. (ET), and the Don Best odds screen notes the Kings as prohibitive favorites around Las Vegas, priced anywhere from -155 to -165 on the win. Devils backers can fetch from +140 to +150, depending upon which wagering outlet they choose to do their shopping.

The total is the new playoff norm of 4½ goals, shaded slightly ‘under’ at -110 to -115. Puck Line players tempted to lay the extra goal with the Kings can find prices as high as +210, while taking the extra goal with New Jersey can cost as much as -255 at Las Vegas wagering outlets.

The game will be televised not by big NBC, but instead by the NBC Sports Network (the old Versus), with the pride of Bowling Green, Mike Emrick, plus Ed Olczyk and Pierre McGuire, handling the commentary,

Still, longtime Kings backers are pinching themselves at the thought that they could be a few days away from a Stanley Cup that has seemed a distant dream for much of the franchise’s existence.

Interestingly, the Kings had one of their better chances to play for the Cup right in their first season, in retrospect one of the most fascinating campaigns in the history of any North American professional sport. The NHL, taking a cue from other pro sports that had expanded in the ’60s, decided not only to expand but to double its size for the 1967-68 campaign, from the “original six” teams all of the way to 12.

The Kings, along with the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota North Stars, St. Louis Blues and Oakland Seals, would play in their own, brand new Western Division, the winner of whose playoffs would face the “original six” winner from the newly-named Eastern Conference.

It was an era of legendary stars in the NHL, with Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita at the height of their powers in Chicago, Gordie Howe still brutalizing foes in Detroit, Bobby Orr a young and emerging star in Boston, and Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Yvan Cournoyer plus Gump Worsley pacing a powerhouse Montreal team. But the league had yet to become diluted with talent, so when the expansion draft took place before the 1967-68 season, the new teams were able to stock their rosters with some decent NHL-caliber players.

Indeed, competition was better between the “new” West and the “old” East in that first season than it was for the next several years.

The new Kings, owned by the controversial Jack Kent Cooke, played their first regular-season home game in early October at the Long Beach Arena, two months before the Queen Mary would arrive and dock nearby. The Kings alternated games in Long Beach and the downtown L.A. Sports Arena before Cooke’s “Fabulous Forum” in Inglewood opened on December 30 with a nationally-televised game on CBS vs. the Flyers, which Philadelphia won 2-0. The Kings, coached by former Maple Leafs great Red Kelly, were a solid West contender that first season, jockeying with the Flyers for the regular-season division crown before the playoffs began.

The Kings were narrowly denied a division crown but finished a close second to the Flyers and entered the postseason as one of the West favorites. Alas, the North Stars had other ideas, and with Cesare Maniago holding firm in goal, Minnesota took the opening series in seven games, winning the finale at the Forum by a 9-4 score. Eventually, the Blues would see off the North Stars in the West finals before making a fist of it in with the Stanley Cup on the line vs. Montreal; the Blues were within one goal on each occasion but were nonetheless swept in a pulsating four-game series, the last one that featured mask-less goalies on both sides (Montreal’s Worsley and St. Louis’ Glenn Hall).

Since then, rarely have the Kings even dreamed about a Stanley Cup. After the 1967-68 disappointment, a lesser Kings team did make it to the conference finals the next season in 1968-69 before being dominated by the Blues and their vet goalie Jacques Plante, pulled out of retirement, in a four-game sweep. Los Angeles would not return to the postseason for another five years, when defense-minded teams coached by Bob Pulford and featuring goalie Rogie Vachon emerged as a viable contender for a few years. But the Stanley Cup was still an elusive dream.

Years later, the Kings finally thought they had their chance when heisting Wayne Gretzky out of Edmonton, but they could only reach the Cup final once, in the 1992-93 season, a series that recalls bitter memories for Kings fans when Le Habitants coach Jacques Demers pointed out to the refs the illegal tape on King defender Marty McSorley’s stick late in Game 2 and the Kings ready to take a 2-0 lead back to the Forum. The Canadiens converted the power play and proceeded to march on to a 4-1 series win.

The Kings have not had a whiff of the Stanley Cup since, winning just one playoff series over the past 17 years. But they’ve certainly found the scent in this postseason.

Interestingly, along the way in their existence, the Kings have only employed three play-by-play announcers, beginning with the aforementioned Jiggs McDonald, only 29 when taking the job before leaving for expansion Atlanta following the 1971-72 season (Jiggs later served with some distinction as the Islanders’ announcer during their glory years and is deservedly in the Hockey Hall of Fame). The exciting Roy Storey called Kings games for one colorful season in 1972-73 before former U. Of Wisconsin play-by-play man Bob Miller took the job in 1973-74, a gig he still has to this day and one that has also seen him named to the Hockey HOF.

That this season in which the Kings barely scratched their way into the playoffs as the eighth and final seed in the West, a campaign in which they switched coached prior to New Year’s when Terry Murray was dismissed and Darryl Sutter hired, hardly figured to be the year in which the Stanley Cup would land in L.A., but the Kings are just two wins away from making it happen.

The Kings are a well-publicized 10-0 on the road in these playoffs and 14-2 overall, within touching distance of the 16-2 record set by Gretzky’s 1987-88 Edmonton Oilers as the best playoff mark since the postseason expanded to seven-game series for each of the four rounds.

For the Kings, GK Jonathan Quick, zeroing in on Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophies, has been impenetrable, his 1.44 playoff GPA and .947 save percentage stonewalling everyone, including the flustered Devils in the first two games of this series.

Thanks to Quick, the Kings can forecheck with abandon, sending multiples of players into the opposing zone and not concerning themselves too much with odd-man rushes the other way, thanks to Quick’s guard-like presence in front of the gate. Los Angles has also outscored the opposition 45-24 in these playoffs and hasn’t even fallen behind in eight of its last ten games, the only exceptions being Games 4 and 5 in the last round vs. the Coyotes.

But this series has been anything but easy for the Kings, with both of the first two games in Newark sitting on a razor’s edge and into overtime, level 1-1 after regulation. On both occasions the Devils missed gilt-edged chances to win the game in the late going, especially in Game 2, when after a disastrous Dustin Brown giveaway, Ilya Kovalchuk beat Quick with 18 seconds to play, only for the crossbar to deny him and the Devils a win. In overtime, the Kings finally pulled out the game on ex-Flyer and Blue Jacket Jeff Carter’s goal.

Before making Stanley Cup parade reservations, however, consider that the Kings have not been dominating lately, winning three overtime games in row (including the series-clincher vs. the Coyotes), and shut out by Phoenix in the game prior to that streak. Both of their playoff losses have also come at home at Staples Center, where they are a more-modest 4-2 in the postseason.

The Devils have been able to limit the Kings’ shots, tested Quick, and bottled up L.A. with their own brand of effective forechecking which has limited the Kings to one regulation goal in each of the first two games. Los Angeles has also not been able to implement it usual smooth-puck passing game. New Jersey just hasn’t been able to solve Quick.

Note, too, that Pete DeBoer’s side also trailed in each of its preceding three series in this postseason, and rallied to win them all. The Devils have also won four of their last five, and five of their last seven, playoff games on the road. They’ve also bounced back from defeats with wins after four of their last five playoff losses.

New Jersey, however, has not had to rally from a two-game deficit in these playoffs. The Devils can take some solace in the fact that Boston also rallied from 0-2 vs. Vancouver to win last year’s Stanley Cup, although the Bruins were home for Games 3 and 4; New Jersey has to trek across the continent to the hot-house atmosphere of Staples Center for the next two games.

DeBoer, who tried to shake up his lines in the third period of Game 2 to put more pressure on Quick, partially succeeded, but the Devils must reignite their dormant power play, and in a hurry, to get back into this series. Key components Kovalchuk, Zach Parise, and Travis Zajac are all pointless thus far in this series. DeBoer still has the luxury of four productive lines, although the Devils have been too guilty of making the extra pass (or two or three) in the attack end. It’s worth noting that both goals scored by the Devils in this series came from shots sent into a crowd in front of Quick and deflected home.

Expect DeBoer to insist that his troops put the puck on Quick whenever possible to create havoc and chances at deflections and rebounds, none of which can happen when passing the puck around by the blue line.

Still, there has been almost nothing separating these teams in the first two games of this series. The odds are long, but the Devils hardly look like a team that is out of this matchup, and the Game 3 price looks like an overlay on the Kings. We would be surprised if this series ends in a sweep and doesn’t at least get back to the Pru Center for a Game 5 later this week.

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Finals & Cup

June 3, 2012


The Home team is 0-2
The Favorites are 1-1
The Favorite that won are 0-1 on the puck-line
The 'over' is 0-2

Wed May 30, 2012
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result

Los Angeles (-115) New Jersey 2-1 Favorite Under 4.5

Sat June 2, 2012
Los Angeles (+100) New Jersey 2-1 Underdog Under 4.5

Mon June 4, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles

Wed June 6, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles

Sat June 9, 2012
Los Angeles New Jersey

Mon June 11, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles

Wed June 13, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles



*If Necessary

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Kings seek 3-0 series lead over Devils on Monday


2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

at No. 8 LOS ANGELES KINGS


Stanley Cup Finals
Game 3 - Los Angeles leads series 2-0
Puck Drops: Monday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Los Angeles -165, New Jersey +145, Total: 4½


After winning the first two games in overtime, the Kings look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals when the series shifts to Los Angeles on Monday night.

Jeff Carter’s overtime goal on Saturday night put the Kings within two games of securing their first championship in franchise history. Los Angeles is now an incredible 14-2 in the 2012 playoffs, including 10-0 on the road. And now they return home where they are 25-20 on the season, and allowing a paltry 1.9 goals per game. However, the Devils know they can hang with this red-hot L.A. club, as they are 30-21 on the road this season, including 4-1 in their past five road playoff games. New Jersey played much better in Game 2, peppering Jonathan Quick with nearly twice as many shots (33) as he faced in Game 1 (17). For a series that has been decided by two overtime games, this money line is way too hefty in favor of the Kings. Therefore, take the plus money and expect NEW JERSEY to make this a series with an all-important win in Game 3.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also likes the Devils to win:

NEW JERSEY is 20-8 ATS (71.4%, +28.3 Units) revenging a loss where team scored 1 or less goals this season. The average score was NEW JERSEY 3.1, OPPONENT 2.3 - (Rating = 3*).

Although the score has been 2-1 in both games, Saturday’s Game 2 was much more offensive-minded, as the teams combined for 65 shots, 23 more than they managed in Game 1. Ten different Devils put multiple shots on net, led by Patrik Elias and Zach Parise who had four shots on goal apiece. C Ryan Carter had the lone goal 2:59 into the third period, which was his third tally in the past four contests. For New Jersey to get back in this series, the power-play unit needs to step up. The Devils were 0-for-4 with the man-advantage on Saturday and are just 2-for-22 in the past six games. LW Ilya Kovalchuk leads the NHL with 18 playoff points (7 G, 11 A), but he has been held without a point in the Stanley Cup Finals, registering just three shots on goal. Parise is second on the team with 14 playoff points (7 G, 7 A), but he has zero points and a minus-4 rating in his past three contests. C Travis Zajac (7 G, 5 A) has zero points, four shots and a minus-3 rating in his past three games. New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur has had a strong series so far with 53 saves on 57 shots (.930 SV Pct). His 30 saves on Saturday earned him the game’s Third Star Award.

The Kings have trailed just twice in their past 10 playoff games, thanks to the heroics of goalie Jonathan Quick. He turned away 32 of the 33 shots he faced in Game 2, which increased his playoff save percentage to a robust .947, which is now .960 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Quick is 14-2 with a 1.44 GAA in the 2012 postseason, having not allowed more than three goals in any playoff game, and giving up one goal or fewer eight times. The Kings offense has been limited to four goals this series, and it has not been stellar at home in these playoffs either with just 11 goals in six games. Part of that is a non-existent power-play unit that has converted just 6-of-77 chances (7.8%) throughout the 2012 playoffs. Los Angeles is getting contributions from all of its lines in this postseason, but the top-three has been especially fantastic. Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar each have seven goals and nine assists, while linemate Justin Williams has a team-best 10 assists. Star defenseman Drew Doughty, who scored the first goal in Game 2, has been tremendous in the playoffs with 12 points (3 G, 9 A) and a +12 rating, logging a hefty 32:19 in Game 2. This increases his average ice time to 26:26 in the playoffs.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Monday, June 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New Jersey - 8:00 PM ET Los Angeles -157 500

Los Angeles - Under 4.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Late News For Kings & Devils Game 4

The 2011-2012 NHL season could be over in just a few hours with the Los Angeles Kings looking to sweep the New Jersey Devils and win the franchise’s first title.

We’re here with the late-breaking news for the 8:00 p.m. (ET) start from the West Coast. The odds are very interesting, with the Kings ranging from 170-190 favorites. The total is 4½.

Don Best Sports analyst Brian Blessing has been providing great tidbits of information since the beginning of the playoffs on April 11. That was almost two months ago and a bevy of upsets have left us with a No. 8 seed likely winning the Cup for the first time in history.

Blessing thinks it’s a huge leap of faith for the Devils to win tonight and send the series back to New Jersey. That’s despite the fact that Phoenix accomplished the feat down 3-0 to the Kings in the Western Conference Finals, plus Marty Brodeur and the rest of the Devils having a lot of pride to not get swept.

The one potential value play according to Blessing is the ‘over’ 4½-goals. He believes the Devils need to do something to change the momentum in the series and New Jersey could be going hell-bent to create offense. That would create odd-man rushes the other way for the Socal bunch.

Los Angeles +165 on the puck line, giving 1½-goals, is another interesting wager to think about.

If the Kings do get the win tonight, it will cap one of the greatest runs in Stanley Cup history. They will have gone 16-2 without a road loss, all as a No. 8 as mentioned above.

A Game 4 closeout for a sweep is always a tough win to get, but Los Angeles does have some confidence in the power play after going 2-for-2 on Monday (4-0 home win).

Forward Jeff Carter has also become a force with goals the last two games, including the game-winner in overtime in Game 2, a turning point in the series. Things would look a lot different if New Jersey could have taken one of the first two OT games at home.

The Kings have also gotten great leadership from the blue line, as well as offensive production from Drew Doughty. The penalty kill is working great and they may have the best goalie in the league in Jonathan Quick (1.36 GAA in the playoffs).

Los Angeles could be a team we’re talking about for a number of years going forward, but first it must take care of business tonight, sending all of Southern California’s hockey fans into a frenzy.

[StarDust Bum]

Kings keep it cool with Cup in sight

June 5, 2012


EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Their longest-suffering fans have been waiting 45 years. All but three or four players have been waiting their entire lives.

That's why it was both thrilling and exasperating for everybody around the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday to realize their chance to raise the Stanley Cup is maybe just 60 minutes away.

The Kings are dominating the NHL playoffs with an ease that's stranger than ice in sunny Southern California, taking a 3-0 lead in the finals into Game 4 on Wednesday against New Jersey.

A franchise that hasn't done much of anything is one win away from claiming its first championship in almost impossibly stylish fashion. The Kings' 15-2 postseason run has only one equal in NHL history, and the Devils appear to be stumped for solutions.

[StarDust Bum]

Devils keep faith despite Cup deficit

June 5, 2012


EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - Although Martin Brodeur seems likely to return next season with the New Jersey Devils, the 40-year-old goalie also isn't convinced their current season is over just yet.

While Brodeur acknowledges the enormity of New Jersey's plight in the Stanley Cup finals, the three-time NHL champion has been in plenty of tight spots with teams playing a whole lot worse than the Devils, who must beat the Los Angeles Kings in Game 4 on Wednesday night to avoid elimination.

``When you know you're playing well and the results aren't there, it's hard,'' Brodeur said after the Devils' brief practice Tuesday at the Kings' training complex. ``We've got these breaks along the way to get where we are, but even though we're working hard, we're not getting the breaks now.''

New Jersey faces the prospect of becoming the first team swept out of the Cup finals since 1998, but the Eastern Conference champions realize how close this series has been. Coach Peter DeBoer echoes Brodeur's feeling about New Jersey's 0-3 deficit to the Kings, who could win their franchise's first title on home ice in Game 4.

``I don't think we feel we deserve to be in the hole we're in,'' the first-year coach said. ``I think we played better than the situation indicates, but that's hockey. We have to persevere here and stick with it and find a solution.''

The franchise that began its existence as the Kansas City Scouts in 1974 realizes navigating a way out of this wilderness will be tough.

New Jersey must attempt to become the fourth team in NHL history to escape an 0-3 playoff series deficit. Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs have done it in the Stanley Cup finals.

The Devils' seemingly charmed opponents are on a 15-2 playoff run with 17 goal-scorers in front of stalwart Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, who has outplayed Brodeur - but not by much. New Jersey has scored just two goals on 72 shots during nearly 202 minutes of play in three Stanley Cup finals games.

``Everything they touch turns to gold,'' Brodeur said.

The Devils were shut out in Game 3 despite getting six power plays, but they also were shut out twice in the first three games of the Eastern Conference finals before rallying to advance. New Jersey has ample scoring power in its lineup, and the Devils' top forwards remain convinced they can start a tide of offense with a few breakthrough goals.

``If you look too far ahead, it's a pretty high mountain to climb,'' said Patrik Elias, the franchise scoring leader and a two-time champion. ``But we feel like we were in it for most of these games. It's just a matter of us scoring, and hopefully we'll get some luck, get poised, and have more opportunities.''

With the perspective of experience, Brodeur can't get overly negative about the Devils' plight in Los Angeles. He's too proud of what the sixth-seeded Devils accomplished just to get back here: knocking off Florida, Philadelphia and the Rangers in a stirring playoff run for a team that missed the postseason last spring for the first time since 1996.

``That was probably the worst season I had last year,'' Brodeur said. ``To hope that we would accomplish what we did this year would have been a little far-fetched. I didn't expect that for sure at the start of the season. It's not fun to be where we are now, but I'm enjoying the experience of being back here.''

Brodeur tried to avoid getting reflective about the past or his future during a busy media session. The 21-year veteran said he hasn't decided whether he'll be back with the Devils, but every sign indicates Wednesday is unlikely to be the last time in a Devils uniform for the winningest goalie in NHL history.

``I feel real good body-wise,'' Brodeur said. ``It's maybe the best since '95. I don't have any time to have wear and tear. ... I think we just need something to happen, regardless of what it is: a big hit, a big goal, a weak goal. They've been doing it on their side, finding a way to win. We have to do the same thing.''

[StarDust Bum]

L.A. looks to capture 1st Stanley Cup Wednesday

2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

at No. 8 LOS ANGELES KINGS


Stanley Cup Finals
Game 4 - Los Angeles leads series 3-0
Puck Drops: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Los Angeles -185, New Jersey +160, Total: 4½


The Kings look to cap off one of the most dominant postseason runs in NHL history and win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history when they host the Devils for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday night.

For the fourth straight series in the 2012 playoffs, L.A. has taken a commanding 3-0 series lead. The Kings put together arguably their best game of the playoffs in Game 3, blanking the Devils 4-0 in front of a raucous Staples Center crowd on Monday. As the Western Conference’s No. 8 seed, Los Angeles is now 15-2 in the postseason, and a win on Wednesday would tie them with Wayne Gretzky’s 1988 Edmonton Oilers for the best postseason record in NHL history. As dominant as the Kings have been in the playoffs, both of their losses came in Game 4s, where they were unable to close out the Canucks (first round) and Coyotes (third round) on home ice after winning each of the first three games. Something about this series feels different though. The Devils played very well in Games 1 and 2, but left New Jersey down 2-0 after a pair of heartbreaking overtime defeats. A couple of lucky bounces for Jersey in those overtimes and this is a totally different series, but the Devils looked tired and defeated after giving up the first goal in Game 3, eventually unraveling as the contest wore on. The Kings have imposed their physical will on a fatigued Devils team—keep in mind, L.A. has played only 17 games all postseason long while the Devils had already played 18 before this series even began. Interestingly, the past four Stanley Cup winners have closed out the series on the road—and while that would certainly be a fitting ending for the Kings (perfect 10-0 on the road in the playoffs)—it would be even more special to finally close out a series in front of the home crowd. With the Devils reeling, unable to create any solid scoring chances, take LOS ANGELES to win again and capture the Stanley Cup.

This four-starFoxSheets trend also likes the Kings to win:

LOS ANGELES is 15-3 ATS (83.3%, +11.5 Units) against good power-play killing teams – opp. score on <14.5% of chances in the 2nd half of the year this season. The average score was LOS ANGELES 2.8, OPPONENT 1.5 - (Rating = 4*).

After scoring 12 goals in the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals to close out the Rangers, New Jersey has struggled mightily to generate scoring chances in this series. The Devils have scored just two goals in three games, averaging just 24 shots on goal per game—well below their playoff average of 30.4 entering this series. Credit the Kings’ defense for keeping New Jersey’s big guns in check—Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac have not registered a point in this series. New Jersey is 0-for-12 with the man advantage in Cup Finals, while L.A. ended an 0-for-18 PP drought by scoring on both of its power play chances in Game 3.

One could hardly blame Martin Brodeur for the Devils’ misfortunes—the 40-year-old netminder has done a tremendous job keeping his team in games with no goal support to speak of. Brodeur stopped 53 of 57 shots faced in Games 1 and 2, and despite giving up four goals on Monday night, none could be blamed entirely on him—defensive breakdowns and relentless crease crashing by the Kings played a big part. Barring an unprecedented comeback, it looks as though Brodeur’s quest for a fourth Stanley Cup will fall short.

Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick (15-2, 1.36 GAA, .950 SV Pct.) continued to dazzle in Game 3, turning aside all 22 shots he faced for his third shutout of the playoffs. The 26-year-old is a virtual lock for the Conn Smythe Award, and will become the second straight goalie to win the award for Playoff MVP (Tim Thomas in 2011).

Los Angeles looked dead in the water in Game 2—after allowing the Devils to tie the game early in the third period, New Jersey controlled the pace of play well into the overtime period before Jeff Carter shocked the home crowd with a terrific individual effort to score the game-winner. Like the Canucks, Blues and Coyotes before them, the Devils have simply had no answer for Los Angeles’s top line of Anze Kopitar, Justin Williams and Dustin Brown. The trio has combined for three goals and four assists in the Finals, including Kopitar’s game-winning breakaway tally in overtime of Game 1.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

New Jersey at Los Angeles
The Kings look to build on their 13-3 record in their last 16 games when playing with 1 days rest. Los Angeles is the pick (-180) according to Dunkel, which has the Kings favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-180). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6

Game 7-8: New Jersey at Los Angeles (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Jersey 12.118; Los Angeles 13.450
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-180); 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-180); Over




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, June 6

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NEW JERSEY (60-34-0-9, 129 pts.) at LOS ANGELES (55-29-0-15, 125 pts.) - 6/6/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 35-25 ATS (-1.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LOS ANGELES is 24-10 ATS (+12.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 11-2 ATS (+8.6 Units) when leading in a playoff series this season.
NEW JERSEY is 60-42 ATS (+14.8 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 16-9 ATS (+6.2 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 31-25 ATS (+59.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 32-24 ATS (+7.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
NEW JERSEY is 20-15 ATS (+36.8 Units) in a road game where where the total is 5 or less this season.
NEW JERSEY is 39-27 ATS (+8.5 Units) second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 28-18 ATS (+46.2 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
LOS ANGELES is 50-76 ATS (-52.6 Units) in home games after a non-conference game since 1996.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 5-2 (+2.5 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 5-2-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
6 of 6 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+6.1 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Stanley Cup Finals, Game Four (Los Angeles Leads, 3-0)
New Jersey at Los Angeles, 8:05 ET NBCSN
New Jersey: 8-1 Under revenging a road loss by 4+ goals
Los Angeles: 11-2 SU when leading in a playoff series




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, June 6

Devils @ Kings (3-0) - West #8-seed Kings are on an amazing 15-2 playoff run, 5-2 here at Staples, where they can hoist the Stanley Cup tonight for first time in their 45 years of existence. OT goals in first two games had Kings pencilled in as a team of destiny, then they smoked NJ 4-0 in Game 3, scoring power play goals the only two times they had man advantage. Devils are 6-5 on road so far in playoffs. Kings are 2-5 on power play so far in series, Devils 0-13. Six of last seven King games stayed under the total.

Only time a team rallied from down 3-0 to win Finals series was Toronto back in the early 40's; nothing is impossible, but the Kings are on a serious roll. Just seems like this is their time to celebrate.




NHL

Wednesday, June 6

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Trend Report
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8:20 PM
NEW JERSEY vs. LOS ANGELES
New Jersey is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Los Angeles
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Jersey's last 6 games on the road
Los Angeles is 12-1 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Los Angeles's last 7 games


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NHL

Wednesday, June 6

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Devils at Kings Game 4: What bettors need to know
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New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings (-180, 4.5)

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Kings are a win away from their first Stanley Cup title - and they'll have the Staples Center crowd on their side as they look to complete the sweep Wednesday against the New Jersey Devils. The Kings are coming off what may have been their best game of the postseason, a 4-0 victory highlighted by Jonathan Quick's third shutout of the playoffs. The young netminder is considered the odds-on favorite to take home the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Kings finish off the Devils in Game 4.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBCS, CBC, RDS

ABOUT THE DEVILS: Nothing is going right for New Jersey, which now needs to post four consecutive victories against one of the most dominant teams in playoff history. Even veteran netminder Martin Brodeur, who appeared to have turned back the clock in the first three series but stopped just 17 of 21 shots in Game 3. The Devils had their chances to generate offense in Monday's defeat, but finished 0-for-6 on the power play. That included a stretch of 5-on-3 hockey that lasted more than a minute. "We've got to win four straight," said Devils forward Zach Parise. "That's our approach. Win the next one. That's all we can do."

ABOUT THE KINGS: Los Angeles has taken a level-headed approach to the postseason, and being a game away from the most coveted award in pro hockey hasn't changed anything. "We can't take anything for granted," said Kings defenseman Drew Doughty. "It could have been two-nothing for them before (Game 3)." Special teams was the difference Monday night, as the Kings killed off all six New Jersey man advantage opportunities while going 2-for-2 on the power play. The second statistic is more notable, given that Los Angeles had gone five games without scoring a man-advantage goal.

TRENDS:

- Kings are 9-1 in their last 10 playoff games as a favorite.
- Under is 7-0-1 in the last eight meetings.
- Under is 3-0-1 in the Devils' last four overall.

OVERTIME:

1. The Kings are the first team to take a 3-0 lead in each series since the playoffs expanded to four best-of-seven rounds.

2. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team in NHL history to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win the Stanley Cup.

3. A win in any of the next four games would make Los Angeles the first No. 8 seed to capture a Stanley Cup title

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NHL

Wednesday, June 6

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New Jersey - 8:00 PM ET Los Angeles -175 500

Los Angeles - Under 5 500

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Kings Small Underdogs At New Jersey Devils

The Los Angeles Kings have a second chance to end the Stanley Cup Finals, but will have to do so as small ‘dogs at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

Game 5 will see the puck drop at 8:00 p.m. (ET) from the Prudential Center. The Devils are 115 favorites on the Don Best odds screen, with the total at 4½-goals.

The Devils staved off a sweep in Game 4 with a 3-1 win in Southern California. They don’t want the Kings celebrating a title on their ice and another victory would make things very interesting and set up a 3,000 mile trek back across the country for Game 6 on Monday.

New Jersey made an adjustment last game by shooting when they had the opportunity and not overpassing. Goaltender Jonathan Quick was clearly in New Jersey’s head the first three games (two total goals), but showed he could be beat on Wednesday with three goals alone in the third period.

Coach Peter DeBoer’s players did a good job getting to the front of the net. Quick is not going to be beat often with tic-tac-toe plays. The puck needs to get to the net, bang some bodies and get in Quick’s grill. A rebound goal by New Jersey’s Patrik Elias gave the team a 1-0 lead and quieted the raucous crowd.

Resiliency has been a big part of the Devils postseason after trailing at one point in all three previous series. That resiliency showed again last game by surrendering that 1-0 lead after a questionable penalty, but having the fortitude to win even with the Kings’ fans going crazy and thinking title.

Don Best Sports analyst Brian Blessing says the Devils aren’t dead yet in this series even if the odds are stacked against them. Only three teams in NHL history have come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a 7-game series. One of those came in the Finals (1942 Maple Leafs).

The beauty of hockey is that the goalie is the great equalizer. Quick has been a world-beater, while Marty Brodeur has just been very good. If Brodeur can be at the same level as Quick on Saturday, then New Jersey has a good chance to extend the series.

The Kings have yet to lose away in these playoffs (a record-breaking 10-0) and they’re not pushing any panic buttons just yet. However, another loss in Game 5 would change both of those factors and make things extremely exciting from here.

If the Devils can pull off the victory on Saturday, Game 6 would be played Monday night back at LA's Staples Center. As always, stay a step ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and all sports with the Don Best Pro Odds.

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Playoff Results - Finals & Cup

June 7, 2012


The Home team is 1-3
The Favorites are 2-2
The Favorite that won are 1-1 on the puck-line
The 'over' is 0-4

Wed May 30, 2012
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Los Angeles (-115) New Jersey 2-1 Favorite Under 4.5
Sat June 2, 2012
Los Angeles (+100) New Jersey 2-1 Underdog Under 4.5
Mon June 4, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles (-145) 4-0 Favorite Under 4.5
Wed June 6, 2012
New Jersey (+160) Los Angeles 3-1 Underdog Under 4.5
Sat June 9, 2012
Los Angeles New Jersey
Mon June 11, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles
Wed June 13, 2012
New Jersey Los Angeles



*If Necessary

Conference Finals


Home teams went 4-7
Favorites went 8-3
Favorites that won went 4-4 on the puck-line
The 'over' went 6-5
Sun May 13, 2012
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Los Angeles (-115) Phoenix 4-2 Favorite Over 5
Mon May 14, 2012
New Jersey NY Rangers (-130) 3-0 Favorite Under 4.5
Tue May 15, 2012
Los Angeles (-115) Phoenix 4-0 Favorite Under 4.5
Wed May 16, 2012
New Jersey (+125) NY Rangers 3-2 Underdog Over 4.5
Thu May 17, 2012
Phoenix Los Angeles (-210) 2-1 Favorite Under 4.5
Sat May 19, 2012
NY Rangers (-110) New Jersey 3-0 Favorite Under 4.5
Sun May 20, 2012
Phoenix (+170) Los Angeles 2-0 Underdog Under 4.5
Mon May 21, 2012
NY Rangers New Jersey (-125) 4-1 Favorite Over 4.5
Tue May 22, 2012
Los Angeles (-135) Phoenix 4-3 Favorite Over 4.5
Wed May 23, 2012
New Jersey (+110) NY Rangers 5-3 Underdog Over 4.5
Fri May 25, 2012
NY Rangers New Jersey (-115) 3-2 Favorite Over 4.5



*If Necessary

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Devils try to keep Cup hopes alive Saturday


2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
No. 8 LOS ANGELES KINGS

at No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS


Stanley Cup Finals
Game 5 - Los Angeles leads series 3-1
Puck Drops: Saturday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: New Jersey -115, Los Angeles -105, Total: 4½


The Kings failed to complete the sweep of the Devils on Wednesday night at home, but they still have a great chance to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup in Game 5 Saturday in New Jersey.

Los Angeles is an amazing 10-0 on the road this postseason, giving the team an NHL record 12 straight road playoff wins dating back to last year. The Kings are also 15-3 in the 2012 postseason overall, with all three defeats coming in Game 4’s. The Devils know they can hang with red-hot L.A., losing the first two games of the series in overtime and then finally winning Game 4 by a 3-1 score. New Jersey was certainly the better team on Wednesday with more shots (24-22), hits (43-33) and faceoffs won (34-29). Neither team scored in the first two periods, but Adam Henrique’s goal off a rare Jonathan Quick rebound opportunity with 4:31 left in regulation put the Devils up for good. But the Kings have no fear of opposing arenas, especially playing at the Prudential Center, where they are 4-1 in their past five visits. And they have also thrived in the underdog role, going 6-1 in the past seven instances they were getting even or plus money. The pick here is for LOS ANGELES to win another low-scoring game to capture the Stanley Cup.

This two-star FoxSheets trend also likes the Kings to win:

LOS ANGELES is 24-11 ATS (68.6%, +11.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season. The average score was LOS ANGELES 2.8, OPPONENT 1.9 - (Rating = 2*).

And this two-star FoxSheets trend expects the Under to occur:

LOS ANGELES is 15-4 UNDER (78.9%, +11.5 Units) when playing 5 or less games in 14 days this season. The average score was LOS ANGELES 2.5, OPPONENT 1.5 - (Rating = 3*).

Quick has allowed just four goals in four games this series, saving 91-of-95 shots (.958 SV Pct.). He gave up only two scores on Wednesday and has allowed two goals or less in 16 of his 18 games this postseason. D Drew Doughty continues to be L.A.’s most valuable skater in the Cup Finals, tallying one point in each contest (2 G, 2 A), posting a +2 rating and logging nearly 27 minutes per game. He scored his team’s lone goal in Game 4 on a wicked slapshot. The Kings top line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams has been outstanding during the playoffs, and has eight points (3 G, 5 A) in the Cup Finals. But the trio was ineffective on Wednesday, managing just two shots on goal. The team entered Game 3 in an 0-for-18 power-play drought, but is a stellar 3-for-6 with the man advantage in the past two games.

Meanwhile, the Devils power-play woes continue with no end in sight. After failing to score on all three chances with a man up in Game 4, they are now 0-for-15 on the power play during the Cup Finals. But the good news is that the team’s big guns of Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Travis Zajac are starting to play better, as all three players posted a +1 rating in Game 4 with Kovalchuk breaking his series-long points drought with an empty-netter, his eighth of the playoffs. Patrik Elias scored the first goal on Wednesday, marking just his second tally in the past 12 games. Elias netted 26 goals in the regular season and is certainly capable of scoring in bunches. Forty-year-old G Martin Brodeur bounced back after a tough Game 3 (17 saves, four goals allowed) to save 21-of-22 shots in Game 4. Brodeur has a 2.04 GAA and .921 SV Pct. in the 2012 postseason, numbers that are much improved from the regular season (2.41 GAA, .908 SV Pct.).

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NHL

Saturday, June 9

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Los Angeles - 8:00 PM ET New Jersey -104 500

New Jersey - Over 4.5 500