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

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday, May 9

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Rangers - 7:30 PM ET NY Rangers -101 500

Washington - Under 5 500

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Saturday, May 12

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Washington - 7:30 PM ET NY Rangers -142 500

NY Rangers - Under 4.5 500

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2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

No. 7 WASHINGTON CAPITALS

at No. 1 NEW YORK RANGERS


Game 7: Series tied 3-3
Puck Drops: Saturday, 7:35 p.m. ET
Line: New York -145, Washington +125, Total: 4½


The Washington Capitals look to complete yet another stunning seven-game upset by knocking off the top-seeded New York Rangers when they head to Madison Square Garden for a decisive Game 7 on Saturday night.

Both teams successfully survived the first round with Game 7 victories—the Rangers defeated the eight-seed Senators 2-1 at MSG and the Caps knocked off the defending champion Bruins in a 2-1 overtime thriller. With the win over Ottawa, the Blueshirts improved to 4-0 all-time in Game 7s at the Garden, but have lost two consecutive playoff series to the Caps, including a Game 7 defeat in D.C. in 2009. On one hand, this series has been extremely tight and even played, with neither team able to win two games in a row. But on the other hand, the Rangers needed a dramatic triple-overtime win in Game 3 and some last-second heroics in Game 5 just to get to this point, while the Caps won all three of their games in regulation. The pressure falls squarely on New York’s shoulders, but they hold two decisive advantages in this game: the power of last change and Henrik Lundqvist. Look for Rangers’ head coach John Tortorella to get favorable matchups for his forward lines thanks to home ice advantage, and expect Lundqvist to live up to his Vezina and Hart Trophy nominations and carry the Rangers into the Conference Finals. NEW YORK is the pick.

This two-star FoxSheets trend also likes the Rangers:

N.Y. RANGERS are 21-7 ATS (75.0%, +11.4 Units) after having lost 2 of their last 3 games this season. The average score was NY RANGERS 3.0, OPPONENT 2.0 - (Rating = 2*).

Just like the Capitals’ first round series against the Bruins, Washington has won each and every game against the Rangers by the slimmest of margins—one goal. The Caps suffered one of the most heart-wrenching defeats of the playoffs in Game 5—Washington led 2-1 for almost all of the third period before allowing New York C Brad Richards to score the game-tying goal with just 6.6 seconds remaining in regulation and eventually losing in the first two minutes of overtime on a power play tally by D Marc Staal.The Capitals bounced back in impressive fashion on Wednesday with a 2-1 victory in Game 6, dominating the Rangers from start to finish. New York has struggled mightily at even-strength, scoring only one five-on-five goal in the last seven periods of regulation play, and just four total five-on-five goals since a 3-1 victory in Game 1.

What looked like Washington’s biggest weakness heading into the playoffs has now turned into one of its biggest strengths. The coolest customer on the Washington roster continues to be 22-year-old goaltender Braden Holtby (1.94 GAA, .933 SV Pct. in playoffs). The AHL call-up has been the Capitals’ most important player, showing a maturity and poise well beyond his years. In 29 career NHL games, Holtby has not lost back-to-back games.

For all of the never-ending scrutiny Caps’ superstar LW Alex Ovechkin receives, the Washington captain continues to shine. Ovi leads the Capitals in postseason points with five goals and four assists, and tied Peter Bondra for the franchise-lead in postseason goals (30) with his first period tally in Game 6. In 49 career playoff games, Ovechkin has 29 goals and 29 assists for an incredible 1.18 points per game average. Much of the talk of this series has focused on the ice time—or lack thereof—of the Capitals’ captain, but Ovechkin has embraced his role in Dale Hunter’s system, and his team is now one win away from advancing to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1998.

The Rangers have struggled to generate offense in this series despite outshooting the Capitals 180-156 in six games. The past two games in particular, New York outshot Washington 69-51 but barely escaped with even one win. New York will need more depth scoring beyond its top duo of Richards and RW Marian Gaborik, who have combined for six goals and five assists in this series—accounting for nearly half of the Blueshirts’ 13 goals.

New York has controlled zone time in this series, with the majority of play tilted into the Capitals’ zone, but Washington has created more quality scoring chances. Most of the Rangers’ shots have come from the perimeter or with little traffic in front of Holtby, allowing the rookie netminder to make easy saves. If the Rangers can get more bodies in front, they could rattle the young goaltender and pull out the decisive victory on Saturday.

[StarDust Bum]

Rangers Host Capitals For Decisive Seventh Game

A Game 7 in the NHL Playoffs is one of the most exciting spectacles in sports, and we have another one on Saturday night with the Washington Capitals at the New York Rangers.

The puck will drop at historic Madison Square Garden at 7:30 p.m. (ET). New York opened as 150 favorites, but has quickly moved down to the 140-145 range. The total has remained steady at 4½ and shaded to the ‘over’ at -135.

Washington isn’t playing anything like a seventh seed and has already won a Game 7 in these playoffs at defending champ Boston. That was a thrilling 2-1 overtime affair on April 25 with the game-winner by the surprising Joel Ward.

The Capitals are playing a tight-checking, defensive game under coach Dale Hunter. The last five games in this series have been decided by one goal and an incredible 12-of-13 overall for Washington in the postseason. That includes six going into overtime.

The close-game strategy did backfire for the Caps in Game 5 in New York. The Rangers scored with eight seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 2-2, and then scored just 1:35 into overtime. Both were power play goals after a bad penalty on the former hero Ward.

The Capitals did rebound in Game 6 at home (2-1) to force this deciding game. They are a perfect 6-0 off a loss in the playoffs, but have won consecutive games just once. That’s something to consider for Saturday.

New York is the top seed in the conference and 4-0 all-time at MSG in a Game 7. One of those wins was 2-1 in the first round against plucky eighth seed Ottawa. Goalie Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26-of-27 shots in that game and his .936 playoff save percentage is almost dead even with 22-year-old Caps goalie Braden Holtby (.935).

The winner will meet the sixth-seed New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference finals. The Rangers last made it that far in 1997, last winning the whole thing in 1994.

Washington most recently made the conference finals in 1998 when it was eventually swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by Detroit. The franchise has never won the whole thing.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings
Game 1 Odds: Kings -115, 4½ total (‘over’ -120)
Season Series: 3-3, 3-2-1 ‘under/over/push’

The Western Conference finals begin Sunday at 8:00 p.m. (ET) from the desert. The Coyotes have home ice advantage over their Pacific Division rivals after finishing with two more points (97 vs. 95) in the regular season.

Both teams have turned up their play in the playoffs with the Coyotes beating Chicago in six games and Nashville in five. They were underdogs in each series despite having home ice. The formerly unheralded Mike Smith has been great between the pipes with a 1.77 GAA and .948 save percentage. The postseason offense is at 2.64 goals per game.

The Kings have been even more impressive in the playoffs as an eighth seed, beating top-seed Vancouver in five games and second-seed St. Louis in a sweep. That’s why they’re the solid 170 series favorite along with their own tremendous goalie in Jonathan Quick (1.55 GAA, 9.49 save percentage). The offense has also been better than Phoenix as 3.00 per game.

Note both teams are on an ‘under’ streak, 5-2 in Los Angeles’ last seven and 7-2 in Phoenix’ last nine.

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, May 13

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Los Angeles - 8:00 PM ET Los Angeles -109 500

Phoenix - Under 4.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Third Round

May 14, 2012


Home teams are 0-1

Favorites that won are 1-0 on the puck-line

The 'over/under' stands at 1-0

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

Tue May 15, 2012
Los Angeles Phoenix

Wed May 16, 2012
New Jersey NY Rangers

Thu May 17, 2012
Phoenix Los Angeles

Sat May 19, 2012
NY Rangers New Jersey

Sun May 20, 2012
Phoenix Los Angeles

Mon May 21, 2012
NY Rangers New Jersey

Tue May 22, 2012*
Los Angeles Phoenix

Wed May 23, 2012*
New Jersey NY Rangers

Thu May 24, 2012*
Phoenix Los Angeles

Fri May 25, 2012*
NY Rangers New Jersey

Sat May 26, 2012*
Los Angeles Phoenix

Sun May 27, 2012*
New Jersey NY Rangers



*If Necessary

[StarDust Bum]

Conf. Finals Cheat Sheet

May 13, 2012

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings
Sportsbook.com Series Price: Kings -165 Coyotes +145

Oct. 20 - Kings 2 @ Coyotes 1
(Los Angeles -130, Under 5.5)

Oct. 29 - Coyotes 3 vs. Kings 2 (OT)
(Phoenix +110, Push 5)

Dec. 26 - Kings 4 vs. Coyotes 3
(Los Angeles -135, Over 5)

Jan. 5 - Kings 1 vs. Coyotes 0
(Los Angeles -145, Under 5)

Feb. 16 - Coyotes 1 @ Kings 0
(Phoenix +120, Under 5)

Feb. 21 - Coyotes 5 vs. Kings 4 (SO)
(Phoenix -110, Over 5)



Coyotes eliminated Blackhawks, 4-2 in first round
Coyotes eliminated Predators, 4-1 in second round

Kings eliminated Canucks, 4-1 in first round
Kings eliminated Blues, 4-0 in second round


(1) New York Rangers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils
Sportsbook.com Series Price: Rangers -150 Devils +130

Dec. 20 - Rangers 4 @ Devils 1
(New York -125, Push 5)

Jan. 31 - Devils 4 vs. Rangers 3 (SO)
(New Jersey +115, Over 5)

Feb. 7 - Devils 1 @ Rangers 0
(New Jersey +155, Under 5)

Feb. 27 - Rangers 2 vs. Devils 0
(New York -170, Under 5)

Mar. 6 - Devils 4 vs. Rangers 1
(New Jersey +110, Push 5)

Mar. 19 - Rangers 4 vs. Devils 2
(New York -135, Over 5)



Rangers eliminated Senators, 4-3 in first round
Rangers eliminated Capitals, 4-3 in second round

Devils eliminated Panthers, 4-3 in first round
Devils eliminated Flyers, 4-1 in second round

[StarDust Bum]

2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

vs. No. 1 NEW YORK RANGERS


Starts: Monday in New York, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Season Series: Tied 3-3
Series Line: New York -145, New Jersey +125


Bitter cross-town rivals square off in the Eastern Conference Finals as the New York Rangers take on the New Jersey Devils for a chance to play for the Stanley Cup.

This series represents a rematch of the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals, where the top-seeded Rangers knocked off the Devils in an epic double-overtime victory in Game 7. Eighteen years later, the similarities are scary. This is the first time since that 1994 season New York has held the top seed in the East, a year in which the Rangers beat the seventh-seeded Washington Capitals in the second round. The 2012 Blueshirts snuck by a pesky Caps team (also ranked No. 7) in seven games with an impressive 2-1 victory on Saturday night to take on their well-rested Atlantic Division rival. The Devils dismantled the heavily favored Flyers in five games, rattling off four straight wins after dropping Game 1 in overtime. The teams may be the same as ’94, but the identities of each franchise have done a complete 180. The Mark Messier-led Rangers had loads of offensive firepower, while the Devils have always been defined by their tight-checking, trap system. Now, the tables have turned, with New York forging a physical, defense-first identity and Jersey boasting a high-octane offense. Will history repeat itself in this Hudson River showdown?

Two Keys to the Series:
1. New Jersey’s Forecheck vs. New York’s Defensemen
After getting roughed up by a seemingly less-physical Florida team, New Jersey was extremely fortunate to escape the first round, needing overtime wins in Games 6 and 7 to advance. The Devils rediscovered their identity in the second round though, using tremendous speed and a relentless forecheck to overwhelm a banged up Philadelphia blueline. New Jersey was able to create excellent scoring chances against the Flyers by forcing turnovers in the offensive zone, scoring three or more goals in all five games (and four goals in three of five). The Rangers, meanwhile, have scored three or more goals in only four of their 14 postseason games, but rely more on their strong defense and goaltending to win games. The problem for New York’s blue line in this series isn’t a question of talent (arguably the best of the remaining four teams), but rather one of stamina. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal rank one, two and three, respectively in total ice time in the playoffs, not only for the Rangers, but for the whole NHL. Head coach John Tortorella is not shy about shortening his bench in crucial situations, but you have to wonder about the fatigue of New York’s big three on the blueline. Neither the Senators’ nor the Capitals’ forwards played as physically as the Devils will, and the Rangers commitment to blocking shots might eventually take a health toll against a deep and unrelenting team like the Devils.

2. The Legend vs. The King
It’s safe to say that with three Stanley Cups, four Vezina trophies, and the NHL record for wins and shutouts, Martin Brodeur will go down as the greatest goaltender of all-time. But after celebrating his 40th birthday last week, it is also safe to say his best years are behind him. Now, the greatest goalie in the tri-state area plays across the Hudson at MSG, and he goes by the name of King Henrik. Lundqvist has been sensational for the Rangers in the first two rounds, with a 1.68 GAA and .937 SV Pct. through 14 games. And given how close each of New York’s first two series were, there’s no chance the Blueshirts would have advanced this far without the 30-year-old Swede between the pipes. Brodeur’s numbers have been respectable with a 2.05 GAA and .920 SV Pct., but the Devils have not needed him to stand on his head the way the Rangers have with Lundqvist. Also, considering the Devils held the high-octane Flyers offense to just 11 goals in five games (after scoring 30 goals in six games in round one), this series presents a much easier test against a Rangers offense averaging a slim 2.07 goals per game in the playoffs. It would be an unbelievable storyline to see the ageless Brodeur—in what could very well be his final season (unrestricted free agent)—dethrone The King and get a chance to win an unprecedented fourth Stanley Cup.

******* Analysis:
Many pundits, ******* included, totally underestimated New Jersey by predicting an easy win for the Flyers in round two. To their credit, the Devils found success by correcting almost all the mistakes that plagued them in the first round—commitment to physical play, strong skating through the neutral zone, and vastly improved team defense. There’s no love lost between these two bitter rivals—they flat out hate each other. It’s hard not to get the feeling though, that the Rangers are about to hit a wall while the Devils are just rounding into form. Keep in mind, the Blueshirts were just 6.6 seconds and one lucky bounce away from losing Game 5 at home to the Caps last round—which likely would have been the end of the series with Game 6 heading back to D.C. The Rangers have gotten no depth scoring, relying almost exclusively on their top duo of C Brad Richards (six goals, five assists) and RW Marian Gaborik (four goals, six assists). Captain Ryan Callahan recorded just one goal and one assist in the Washington series, and New York was fortunate to get timely offensive contributions from its defensemen—Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto scored the game winning goals in Games 5 and 7, respectively. The Devils, on the other hand, are getting consistent scoring from three lines. While the trio of Ilya Kovalchuk, Travis Zajac and Zach Parise has led the way (14 G, 16 A combined), head coach Peter DeBoer moved Parise down to play with Patrik Elias and David Clarkson. This gave winger Alexei Ponikarovsky a chance to shine with the top line—netting the overtime game-winner in Game 3. The fact that New Jersey’s third line still boasts serious scoring threats like Adam Henrique (two goals, five assists) and Dainius Zubrus (three goals, four assists) spells serious trouble for a Rangers defense that has relied way too much on its top four. Unless Tortorella discovers a newfound trust in his other d-men, the Devils offensive depth will simply wear out New York over the long haul. Prediction: DEVILS IN 6.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday, May 14

Game Score Status Pick Amount

New Jersey - 8:00 PM ET New Jersey +106 500

NY Rangers - Under 5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Los Angeles at Phoenix
The Coyotes look to bounce back from their 4-2 loss in Game 1 and build on their 6-1 record in their last 7 games after scoring 2 goals or less in the previous game. Phoenix is the pick (+115) according to Dunkel, which has the Coyotes favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+115). Here are all of today's picks.

TUESDAY, MAY 15

Game 5-6: Los Angeles at Phoenix (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 12.145; Phoenix 13.182
Dunkel Line & Total: Phoenix by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-135); 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Phoenix (+115); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Tuesday, May 15

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LOS ANGELES (49-28-0-15, 113 pts.) at PHOENIX (50-29-0-15, 115 pts.) - 5/15/2012, 9:05 PM
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 10-9-0 straight up against PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
9 of 16 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+1.7 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

WC Finals, Game Two (Los Angeles Leads, 1-0)
Los Angeles at Phoenix, 9:05 ET NBCSN
Los Angeles: 9-1 SU off BB wins by 2+ goals
Phoenix: 20-6 Under playing with same-season revenge




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 15

Kings @ Coyotes-- Los Angeles is now 9-1 in playoffs, 6-0 on road, after going 8-12 on foreign soil in last 20 regular season road games. Home teams won four of last six games in this series, with LA 5-8 in last 13 visits to desert. Seven of last ten series games stayed under total; under is 7-4-1 in Phoenix' games in the playoffs. Coyotes won three of last four home games, but gave up four goals in Game 1, after giving up total of 7 in previous three games. Kings had 48-27 edge in shots in opener, outshooting host 17-4 in first period. Coyotes are now 4-3 in playoffs, losing twice to Chicago in first round.




NHL

Tuesday, May 15

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Trend Report
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9:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. PHOENIX
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Los Angeles's last 7 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
Los Angeles is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games when playing on the road against Phoenix
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Phoenix's last 6 games at home
Phoenix is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home


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NHL

Tuesday, May 15

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Kings at Coyotes: What bettors need to know
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Los Angeles Kings at Phoenix Coyotes (+110, 4.5)

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Kings have built an impressive playoff run thanks to strong contributions from just about everyone - and Game 1 of the Western Conference finals was no exception. Dwight King's first career two-goal game paced the Kings to victory in the opener, and they'll look to forge a two-game lead as they visit the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday night. Phoenix was thoroughly outplayed in Game 1, surrendering 47 shots in a continuation of a disturbing post-season trend.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS, TSN, RDS

ABOUT THE KINGS: Los Angeles is doing just about everything right so far, compiling a 9-1 playoff record - including a 6-0 mark away from the Staples Center. Penalty killing has been the club's biggest strength, operating at a 93 percent clip while posting four shorthanded goals. The other side of the special teams equation has been the Kings' only weakness, with the power play scoring just four times in 51 opportunities. Despite the solid play to date, Kings netminder Jonathan Quick believes the team has room for improvement. "We're not where we want to be," he said. We've got goals here in this locker room."

ABOUT THE COYOTES: Phoenix struggled in the opener of its second-round series with Nashville but escaped with a 4-3 win. The Coyotes weren't as fortunate against a relentless Kings team that peppered netminder Mike Smith with 34 shots over the first two periods. For a team already allowing more than 36 shots per game in the postseason, Sunday's puck barrage was alarming. "We've got to be a lot better than that," said captain Shane Doan, playing in the final four for the first time in his career. "This is the conference playoffs. We didn't play well enough for a regular-season game."

TRENDS:
- Kings are 5-0 in their last five games as a road underdog.
- Under is 11-4-3 in Coyotes last 18 overall.
- Kings are 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

OVERTIME:

1. The Kings are 8-6 all-time when winning Game 1 of a series.

2. Los Angeles killed off all five Phoenix power plays in Game 1 and has extinguished 24 straight chances overall.

3. Coyotes D Derek Morris, who had a goal and an assist in the opener, has five points in 12 playoff games after recording just 11 points in 59 regular-season contests.

[StarDust Bum]

Coyotes look to even West Finals on Tuesday


2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
No. 8 LOS ANGELES KINGS

at No. 3 PHOENIX COYOTES


Western Conference Finals
Game 2 - Los Angeles leads series 1-0
Puck Drops: Tuesday, 9:05 p.m. ET
Line: Los Angeles -125, Phoenix +105, Total: 4.5


After rolling to a 4-2 a victory in Game 1 on Sunday night in Phoenix, the Kings try to take a 2-0 series lead back home when the teams meet again on Tuesday.

Los Angeles won its sixth straight playoff road game on Sunday, which is one short of the NHL postseason record. The Kings are now 9-1 in their 10 playoff games in 2012, outscoring opponents 31 to 16 despite a small shots-on-goal margin of 305 to 301. The Coyotes are staring down their first series deficit of the 2012 playoffs, and are in serious need of some goals. After scoring 13 times during a three-game postseason win streak, they have a total of just five tallies in four contests since. And with Jonathan Quick looming inside the pipes on L.A.’s end of the ice, it won’t be easy to break out of a scoring slump. Quick has allowed more than two goals just once in 10 postseason games, posting a 1.60 GAA and .947 SV Pct. in these games. All signs point towards another LOS ANGELES victory.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also likes Kings to win again:

LOS ANGELES is 9-2 ATS (81.8%, +11.4 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 3.0, OPPONENT 1.7 - (Rating = 3*).

All four lines have played well for the Kings during this postseason, but the top line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams have 13 goals and 19 assists in the 2012 playoffs. Four of these points (2 G, 2 A) came on Sunday night, with Brown netting the game-winner just two minutes into the final period. LW Dwight King scored twice, including an empty-netter to seal the deal in the game’s final minute. The Kings outshot the Coyotes in all three periods, jumping out to a 17-4 shot advantage in the first period. Other standouts for L.A. included C Trevor Lewis (two assists, six hits) and D Drew Doughty (one assist) who led his team with 25:28 on the ice.

Neither team was able to succeed on the power play with L.A. going 0-for-4 and Phoenix going 0-for-3. The Coyotes are now 0-for-14 with the man advantage over the past four games, converting just 5-of-36 chances (13.9%). But this percentage is far better than the Kings, who sit at 4-for-51 (7.8%) on the power play in the playoffs, including 1-for-25 over their past five contests.

For Phoenix to win this game, it will once again ask goaltender Mike Smith to stand on his head. Smith saved 44 of 47 shots on goal Sunday night, and carries a stellar 1.87 GAA and .946 SV Pct. in the 2012 playoffs. D Derek Morris did it all in Game 1 with one goal, one assist, two blocks and two hits during his game-high 32 shifts. Two other blueliners logged a ton of minutes as Keith Yandle played for a game-high 25:56 and Oliver Ekman-Larsson was on the ice for 24:19. C Antoine Vermette leads Phoenix with five postseason goals and four assists, but he was held without a point for the third time in four games. LW Ray Whitney led the club with 77 points in the regular season (24 G, 53 A), but he has just two goals in the playoffs, and didn’t tally a point for the fourth straight game on Sunday. If these two snipers remain silent, it will be a quick series.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday, May 15

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Los Angeles - 9:00 PM ET Los Angeles -111 500

Phoenix - Under 5 500

[StarDust Bum]

NY Rangers Favored To Take 2-0 Lead Over Devils

The New Jersey Devils look to even up their NHL Playoff series against the New York Rangers in a Wednesday night affair. The puck will drop at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

We first start with Tuesday and Game 2 of the Western Conference finals between the Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings. This will begin at 9:00 p.m. (ET) from the desert and it’s the Kings who are favored again at -125. The total is 4½ with the ‘over’ -130.

The Kings took care of business on the road once again in Sunday’s opener (4-2) and are now an incredible 6-0 away this postseason. Another victory would tie a single-season record for consecutive road playoff wins.

Don Best hockey analyst Benjie C. doesn’t believe the road playoff record will factor much into this game. Phoenix needs to desperately tie up the series at home and does have the better power play even after going 0-for-5 last game. The Kings are really struggling in these playoffs (4-of-51) with the extra man and that could ultimately play a big part.

The Coyotes do need to control the puck more after a 48-27 shot disadvantage in Game 1. However, Benjie C isn’t too worried about them being outshot, as that was commonplace this year. They do need to take advantage of their quality offensive opportunities like they did in the first two series against Chicago and Nashville.

Getting back to the Rangers and Devils, there is no love lost between these teams on or off the ice given their close proximity and both being Atlantic Division foes.

Monday night’s opener had Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist pitching a shutout, stopping all 21 shots he faced in a 3-0 final. All the scoring came in the third period, so this was closer than the final score indicates.

Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals has New York as a 125 favorite. The total is 4½ and the ‘over’ -130.

Don Best Sports analyst Brian Blessing believes New Jersey needs to be more patient shooting the puck. The Rangers blocked a whopping 26 shots in Game 1.

New Jersey did have some quality chances early in the game, getting behind the Rangers defense on a few occasions, and should put some pucks in the net if those opportunities continue.

Blessing points out that the ice surface was real bad at Madison Square Garden. Combine that with solid goaltending and defense, and it wasn’t surprising to see just three totals goals posted for the first game.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Devils (48-28) at Rangers (51-24)

Date: May 16, 2012 8:00 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) - For the third straight series, the New York Rangers are basking in the glow of a 1-0 lead earned in the confines of ``The World's Most Famous Arena.'

The Eastern Conference's top-seeded team has failed in its first two attempts to double that edge at Madison Square Garden. Given a third shot against the New Jersey Devils, the Rangers are determined to make the most of home-ice advantage in Game 2 of the East finals on Wednesday night.

The Rangers held an optional practice Tuesday at their home rink, the site of a 3-0 win in Game 1 on Monday.

The teams slogged through two periods, and New York admittedly wasn't at its best coming off its second straight seven-game series. But the Rangers scored three times in the third period and rode their defense and the goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist to victory.

``I don't know about escaped,' Rangers captain Ryan Callahan said of the win. ``We've got to be better. We know that. We've got areas in the game that we need to improve on and we need to work on. We'll be ready for tomorrow.'

While no one in the Rangers room could put a finger on what went wrong in Game 2 losses to Ottawa and Washington, New York voiced a determination to break the trend in which it alternated wins and losses through the first four games of the opening two rounds.

The Rangers went win-one-lose-one through all seven games against Washington. New Jersey won four straight against Philadelphia after losing the opener, to end that second-round series in five games. The Devils came back from a 3-2 deficit in the first round against Florida.

A two-game lead could do wonders for the Rangers, if for no other reason than to get a mental break from the constant pressure.

``We don't look to come out the same way we did in Game 1,' forward Mike Rupp said. ``We're fortunate, but we'll move forward and make sure we're better in Game 2. We need this game. It's a pivotal game, and both teams want it. The stakes are going to be higher and the game is going to be at an even higher pace.

``In the first two rounds, we exchanged wins and losses through the first four games. We're looking to get away from that. We want to win every game if we can. We obviously would like to string a few more together.'

Not only haven't the Rangers taken a 2-0 lead, but they haven't held a two-game edge at any point of either series. The only time they have won two games in a row this postseason was when they rallied from a 3-2 hole and took Games 6 and 7 against Ottawa.

The Devils, who had five days off between the second and third rounds, would be happy to take a 1-1 tie home for Game 3 on Saturday.

``You're down one game, and they have home-ice advantage,' Devils coach Peter DeBoer said Tuesday. ``We've been in this spot before. We know we can play better. Credit to them, they got the job done - found a way to get a win. Now it's on us to respond the right way.'

The Devils will try to quickly figure out how to neutralize the Rangers' ability to block shots. New Jersey shot 21 pucks that made it through to the net, and they were all stopped by Lundqvist. As difficult as it is to face a premier goalie, New Jersey also had to deal with the frustration of having an additional 26 attempts turned aside before they got close to the net.

``We couldn't seem to get that first one past him,' Devils captain Zach Parise said of Lundqvist. ``The opportunities were there. Some great chances right in front of the net, some good shots from the slot, but he made big saves. Then they got one early in the third, and we couldn't rebound after that.'

New Jersey frustrated clubs for years with its lock-down, trapping style that was backstopped by goalie Martin Brodeur. Now they are being tested with another maddening form of defense.

``We were blamed for the trap when we were successful at it,' said the 40-year-old Brodeur, who has made 183 consecutive playoff starts for the Devils. ``Whatever brings success is what you need to do. I know it's probably not the most exciting brand of hockey, but it's really effective.

``They got in people's heads by doing what they're doing, and they're tough to play against because of that.'

The Rangers got a dose of it, too, against the Capitals - the only team in the playoffs that has blocked more shots than they have.

Dan Girardi, who broke the scoreless tie with a goal 53 seconds into the third period on Monday, and fellow defenseman Marc Staal both had a game-high five blocks in Game 1. Callahan, Ryan McDonagh - Girardi's defense partner - and another defenseman Anton Stralman all had three blocks each.

The Devils had 15 blocks of their own and allowed 28 shots, including one into an empty net with 1:27 left.

``You have to play defense to win,' Rangers coach John Tortorella said Tuesday. ``Blocking shots is playing defense.'

DeBoer also vented frustration Tuesday about calls he felt were missed by the officials. He felt that Brodeur was nudged by Rangers forward Derek Stepan as he provided a screen on Girardi's shot from the blue line that Brodeur said he never saw.

``Looked like a bump to me,' DeBoer said.

He also took issue with a play in which he believed defenseman Michael Del Zotto closed his hand on the puck in the third period. But DeBoer knows the only way to win is for his club to penetrate the New York defense and then solve Lundqvist, who has allowed only 25 goals in 15 playoff games.

``He's a challenge. He's a very good goalie,' DeBoer said. ``But Ottawa found a way to score on him, so did Washington, so did we during the regular season. We're going to get goals. We've got to concentrate and do a better job on our execution around the net.'

Notes: The Rangers recalled goalie Cam Talbot, defensemen Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath, and forwards J.T. Miller, Kris Newbury and Casey Wellman from the Connecticut Whale, who were eliminated from the American Hockey League playoffs on Friday. ... DeBoer said defenseman Henrik Tallinder, out since early January because of a blood clot in his left leg, has passed some hurdles and that he and center Jacob Josefson are ``getting closer' to returning. Josefson broke his left wrist on April 3 against the New York Islanders, in the Devils' third-to-last regular-season game, and was expected to be sidelined 4-to-6 weeks.

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Third Round

May 16, 2012

Home teams are 1-2
Favorites are 3-0
Favorites that won are 2-1 on the puck-line
The 'over/under' stands at 1-1

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 NY Rangers

Thu May 17, 2012
Phoenix Los Angeles

Sat May 19, 2012
NY Rangers New Jersey

Sun May 20, 2012
Phoenix Los Angeles

Mon May 21, 2012
NY Rangers New Jersey

Tue May 22, 2012*
Los Angeles Phoenix

Wed May 23, 2012*
New Jersey NY Rangers

Thu May 24, 2012*
Phoenix Los Angeles

Fri May 25, 2012*
NY Rangers New Jersey

Sat May 26, 2012*
Los Angeles Phoenix

Sun May 27, 2012*
New Jersey NY Rangers



*If Necessary