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

[StarDust Bum]

Devils Favored To Finish Rangers In Game 6

We're less than a week away from the start of the Stanley Cup Finals, and the New Jersey Devils are a win away from getting there.

New Jersey moved a step away from a trip to the championship series with Wednesday night's 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Devils exploded to an early three-zip advantage before needing a pair of late goals to claim the triumph.

The win gave New Jersey a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals as the scene shifts back to Newark's Prudential Center for Game 6 on Friday (8:00 p.m. ET). Opening numbers showed the Devils as 130 favorites, but that money line has since been bet down to -120 to -125 at most shops listed on the Don Best odds screen.

Friday's total is 4½ goals and favors the 'over.'

New Jersey charged out of the gate with three first-period goals, the first by Stephen Gionta less than three minutes into the contest. Patrik Elias and Travis Zajac followed with lamp-lighters over the course of the next seven minutes, and it appeared that a Devils rout was on.

New York got on the board with a little more than four minutes remaining in the first when Brandon Prust netted his first goal of the playoffs, and Ryan Callahan followed just 32 seconds into the second period with his fifth postseason score.

The Rangers tied it with Marian Gaborik's goal just 17 seconds into the third, and the momentum seemed to have completely swung in New York's favor with the packed MSG crowd sensing more magic from their Blueshirts.

It never came as New Jersey's Ryan Carter scored what proved to be the game winner with about 4½ minutes remaining. Zach Parise added an empty netter to complete the evening's scoring.

The eight combined goals were the most for either team this postseason, and it came in a contest that totaled just 45 shots on goal, 28 by New York and 17 for New Jersey.

It also came in a game in which both teams kept their emotions in check after a very contentious Game 4 that spilled over from the ice to the benches where coaches Peter DeBoer of the Devils and John Tortorella of the Rangers even got into a shouting match. With the exception of a few third-period penalties, including unsportsmanlike conduct calls at the very end on New York's Michael Del Zotto and New Jersey's Steve Bernier, the contest was played without incident.

The lack of penalties limited both squads to just a pair of power play opportunities, and neither team was able to capitalize. New York has only had three power play chances in the last two games, failing to score on any, and is 4-for-13 with the advantage for the series. New Jersey is 2-for-20 with a man advantage.

Wednesday's final left the 'over' 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals, each game listed with a 4½-goal total. New York is 9-4-6 'under' for the playoffs while New Jersey checks into Game 6 with an 8-6-3 lean to the 'over.'

New York has been up against it in must-win games three times this postseason, and managed to win all three. The first two came in Games 6 and 7 of the opening-round series with Ottawa before going the full seven in the conference semis vs. Washington. If the Rangers can force a seventh game in this series, it will be played at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night (8:00 ET).

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Third Round

May 24, 2012

Home teams are 3-7
Favorites are 7-3
Favorites that won are 4-3 on the puck-line
The 'over/under' stands at 5-5

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

Sun May 27, 2012*
New Jersey NY Rangers



*If Necessary

[StarDust Bum]

Rangers have no guarantee for Game 6

May 24, 2012


NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Eighteen years ago, Mark Messier set the stage for one of sports' most dramatic moments.

On the eve of the New York Rangers' must-win Game 6 against the Devils in New Jersey in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals, Messier guaranteed his team would force a deciding contest back at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers not only won, Messier backed up his boast with a hat trick.

Fast forward to now. The teams once more head to a Game 6, in New Jersey, with the Rangers - again the East's top team - down 3-2, needing a win to stay alive.

That's where the similarity ends.

There is no Messier in the Rangers' locker room to will his team to victory after predicting it. And this time, New York really isn't the star-laden team that ended the franchise's half-century Stanley Cup drought back in 1994.

No way.

The Devils have shown repeatedly in this best-of-seven series they are just as good as their long-time, cross-river rivals. Their series lead is well deserved, having outplayed New York in all but a few periods.

The only game the Rangers dominated was Game 5, and the Devils won, 5-3, to take the lead in the series based on a strong start and a stronger finish.

Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur is the only player remaining from the memorable 1994 series. Now 40, he was the difference on Wednesday night in New York.

``I don't see anything that is similar,'' Brodeur said Thursday in a conference call. ``I know if you guys look at it, it looks the same. But it's different teams and a different way of playing the game. That's 18 years ago. That's a long time. I know I'm feeling a lot different. I'm feeling a lot more appreciative of what's going on.

``Before, the Rangers were a good team when they beat us. We were not supposed to compete with them at all in '94. They made these trades and they had all these big guys at the end, and they pulled it off in a dramatic way.''

Messier's three Game 6 goals forced a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, where Rangers forward Stephane Matteau beat Brodeur with a wraparound in double overtime to give New York a 2-1 win and the East crown. Brodeur was just a rookie at the time.

``But this time around, we feel we can play with them,'' said Brodeur, who led the Devils to the franchise's first Stanley Cup in 1995, some 13 months after Matteau's tally. ``It makes me feel a lot more comfortable going into these games coming up.''

Rangers coach John Tortorella downplayed the comparison, saying his players were not even thinking about it.

``Not to disrespect what happened,'' he said, ``but that has nothing to do with how we're preparing, I guess, is the best way to put it.''

The Devils aren't preparing with history dancing through their heads, either. New Jersey coach Peter DeBoer, in fact, said his only memory of the guarantee was that he still had hair 18 years ago.

Even Brodeur seemed stunned, saying the Devils were so isolated in the postseason in '94 that he was not aware of Messier's guarantee until questioned about it after the Rangers' 4-2 win, a game in which New Jersey led 2-0 until late in the second period.

``I don't know when he did it,'' Brodeur said. ``I think it was in the morning skate or something. It could have been the night before. But again, I don't recall it having an effect on us at all. But I think at the end of the game, everybody made a big deal out of that. If he really said it, it's a pretty gutsy thing to do.''

The Rangers seemed to find themselves in Game 5 after falling behind 3-0 in the opening 10 minutes. They tied the game early in the third on a fluky goal by Marian Gaborik, but they seemed to stop skating with the same intensity after that.

Devils fourth-line center Ryan Carter scored with less than five minutes remaining in regulation and Zach Parise added an empty-net goal to cement the New Jersey victory.

Now, the Devils are in position to advance to their first Stanley Cup final since 2003 and a meeting with the Los Angeles Kings, starting next week. All they have to do is win on either Friday here or Sunday in New York, where they have already won two of three.

``I don't think we're looking at two chances,'' said New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus, who hopes to return to the Cup final for the first time since his rookie season in 1996-97 with Philadelphia. ``We want to do it (Friday). We're definitely not hoping to win, we want to win. We don't want to go back to their building.

``It was a tough game. They played really well (on Wednesday), and we don't want to be going back for Game 7. That's for sure.''

The Rangers know what it is like to face a must-win game. They had to win the final two contests against Ottawa in the opening round, including Game 6 on the road. They also had a Game 7 against Washington in the second round.

``It's a do or die, almost like a Game 7,'' said Rangers forward Ruslan Fedotenko, who has won Cups with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh. ``We have been there many times, and I feel like we know what we need to do and we will do it.''

The biggest thing is to keep the puck out of the net. New Jersey, shut out in Games 1 and 3, has scored nine times in the last two games, with seven beating Henrik Lundqvist and two coming with the goaltender pulled.

``We can't put more pressure on ourselves. We always want to win,'' Lundqvist said. ``You always want to play a desperate game. (But) you don't want to go out there and do too much and be too excited. You need to find a good balance emotionally, and just go out there and try to play as well as you can.''

Kind of like how Messier and Co. did 18 years ago

[StarDust Bum]

Rangers try to stave off elimination on Friday


2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS

at No. 1 NEW YORK RANGERS


Eastern Conference Finals
Game 6 – New Jersey leads series 3-2
Puck Drops: Friday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: New Jersey -125, New York +105, Total: 4½


The Devils look to finish off the top-seeded Rangers and make their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance since 2003 when they host Game 6 of the East Finals on Friday night in Jersey.

As if the similarities to 1994 weren’t eerie enough, the Devils now enter into the exact same situation that befell them 18 years ago. The Devils head back to the Prudential Center with a 3-2 series lead after winning one of the most exciting games of the playoffs on Wednesday night in New York. After jumping out to an incredible 3-0 start in the first period, the Rangers clawed all the way back to tie it in the third—the second three-goal lead the Devils have blown in these playoffs. But despite getting outshot and outworked for the better part of the last two periods, the Devils got a huge goal from fourth-line grinder Ryan Carter in front of Henrik Lundqvist’s crease with under five minutes left. Zach Parise would add an empty netter to cap off a tremendous and perplexing 5-3 win. The 3-0 deficit was a blessing in disguise for the Rangers, who fell victim to their own system by playing passively on offense. The adversity in Game 5 forced the Blueshirts out of their defensive shell, helping New York rediscover much of what made the club so successful throughout the regular season. The bad news for the Rangers: their MVP looks to be running cold. Lundqvist has allowed seven goals in his past two games after giving up just three tallies in the previous three. New York head coach John Tortorella admitted that his team played its best game of the series on Wednesday, but the fact that the Rangers were still unable to pick up the win speaks volumes. Looking at this series as a whole, the Rangers used dominant third periods to escape with wins in an otherwise even Games 1 and 3. ******* predicted the Devils to win this series in six games in our Eastern Conference Finals preview, and we are sticking by it here. Take NEW JERSEY to close out the series at home.

This two-star FoxSheets trend also likes the Devils:

NEW JERSEY is 19-9 ATS (67.9%, +8.3 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more this season. The average score was NEW JERSEY 2.8, OPPONENT 2.3 - (Rating = 2*).

Lundqvist isn’t the only New York star slumping in this series: top line center Brad Richards has been unusually silent too. After leading the Rangers with six goals and five assists through their first two series, Richards has only three assists this round. The 32-year-old Canadian pivot has a knack for scoring big goals—he scored arguably the biggest goal of the playoffs against the Capitals—but if he doesn’t show up in Game 6, it could be lights out in the Big Apple.

With the win on Wednesday, the Devils handed the Rangers their first set of back-to-back losses since Games 4 and 5 of the Ottawa series back in the first round. New Jersey had a 3-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the first period, but generated very little offense thereafter. The Devs won despite being outplayed, but it’s hard to win in the playoffs without victories like that—just ask the Rangers.

Head coach Peter DeBoer’s line shifting continues to pay dividends, as Jersey captain Zach Parise continued his tear on Wednesday notching the empty net goal and adding an assist. Parise leads the Devils in scoring this series with three goals and three assists, as the offensive firepower of New Jersey finally appears to be wearing down a fatigued and overworked Rangers blueline.

[StarDust Bum]

New Jersey Devils Have Value Vs LA Kings

The Stanley Cup Finals is upon us and it begins Wednesday night in New Jersey when the Devils host the Los Angeles Kings.

NBC will have the telecast from the Prudential Center in Newark at 8:00 p.m. (ET). The Kings are between 115 and 120 road favorites depending on the wagering locale. The total is 4½ and shaded to the ‘over.’

The series price has been another hot topic and has ballooned as money has poured in on the Kings. They’re a 170 favorite with the Devils +150 on the take-back.

Let’s first look at Wednesday’s opener. Don Best Sports analyst Brian Blessing believes that the 4½-goal total is a little low as the familiarity between the teams is not there yet and goals should be scored before the hatred builds. The one cause for concern is Los Angeles coming off an 8-day layoff and the offense being a bit rusty.

New Jersey’s offense is underrated with Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Adam Henrique all playing well. The power play is also clicking, which is another reason to expect some pucks in the net on Wednesday.

Looking at the overall series, the Kings’ power play is a big issue after being at 15 percent in the regular season. It’s down to 8.1 percent in the playoffs (ranked 15th of 16 teams) despite the tremendous overall winning success.

Jonathan Quick is a great goaltender but Marty Brodeur has raised his level of play despite recently turning 40. Blessing gives a slight edge in goal to the Kings, but the experience of Brodeur (3-time Cup champion) does mitigate that.

Blessing thinks the real difference in this series could be the Devils fourth line. They have been creating offense early and late in games and the consistent rolling of four productive lines could wear out Los Angeles.

The No. 8 Kings beat top-seeded Vancouver and St. Louis in the first two rounds, both predicted by Blessing before the series began. The key has been their record-setting 8-0 road mark in the playoffs.

Some critics do point to the fact that Daniel Sedin was hurt for Vancouver and St. Louis wasn’t as good as its record suggested. The conference finals win was over a pesky Phoenix team, but the Coyotes only made it that far due to a hot goalie in Mike Smith.

Sixth-seed New Jersey beat an underrated Florida team, and then two very good division foes in Philadelphia and the Rangers. The latter series ended last Friday, three days after the Kings, but that’s still plenty of rest.

Blessing originally thought that whoever came out of the Western Conference Finals would take the Cup. However, the Devils won him over last round and he believes they are the better value as the underdog, especially with home ice advantage.

[StarDust Bum]

Game 1, Devils vs. Kings

May 29, 2012

Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils Start Stanley Cup Finals

The Prudential Center in Newark, NJ will be the site of Wednesday, May 30th's NHL betting showdown between the Los Angeles Kings (52-29-15) and the New Jersey Devils (60-33-7). You'll be able to catch the puck drop on this one at 8:00 ET on NBC, CBC, and MSG.

NHL Betting Odds
Los Angeles Kings -120
New Jersey Devils +100
Total: 4.5 Over -120

Martin Brodeur is clearly one of the best goalies in the history of the NHL. He has 656 career wins in the regular season and another 111 in the playoffs. He has led the Devils to three Stanley Cups already in his career, though this is the first time in a decade that he has been at this highest level in the postseason.

In this series though, the NHL betting odds are insinuating that the better of these two goalies is Jonathan Quick. Now, it is clear that Quick is one of the best goalies in the game right now as a Vezina Trophy finalist, but he only had four wins in the playoffs before this year. This time around though, Quick has a .946 save percentage and a 1.54 GAA to go with his 12-2 record. In fact, Quick has allowed just two more goals in the whole playoffs this year than he did in the postseason last year.

Offensively, both of these teams have figured it out of late. The Devils beat the NHL betting lines against the New York Rangers by scoring 12 goals in the final three games of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Kings have scored so much of late that they have only allowed two or more consecutive goals on three instances in the entire postseason.

The Kings are the -175 favorites on the NHL betting futures in this series in spite of the fact that they are going to have to win at least one game on the road. They are clearly going to be the team that is backed more often to win this series, but in the end, we have to realize that the Devils won both of the games in this series this year. New Jersey is also 30-15-4 this year at the Prudential Center, and it isn't all that often that Brodeur is beaten at home in the postseason; especially in the Stanley Cup Finals. Buyers beware on the Western Conference champs for sure.

Beating the NHL betting lines can be a snap, but only if you've got the right sportsbook at your fingertips. Ready to back the Los Angeles Kings or to try out the New Jersey Devils? Bookmaker Sportsbook has you covered, and we have the best prices you'll find on the 'net. Don't miss the action and join right now!

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[StarDust Bum]

Stanley Cup Finals Cheat Sheet

May 25, 2012



(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings
Sportsbook.com Series Price: Kings -120 Devils +100

Oct. 13 - Kings 1 @ Devils 2 (SO)
(New Jersey +105, Under 5)

Oct. 25 - Devils 3 @ Kings 0
(New Jersey +160, Under 5)



Records vs. Non-Conference Opponents:

Kings 7-11 vs. Eastern Conference (Under 12-3-3)
Devils 10-8 vs. Western Conference (Under 10-7-1)
Record as Home Favorite

Kings 24-20 (Under 25-14-5)
Devils 25-10 (Over 17-15-3)
Record as Road Underdog

Kings 15-13 (Under 12-10-6)
Devils 22-15 (Over 17-15-5)
How they got here:

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

Devils eliminated Panthers, 4-3 in first round
Devils eliminated Flyers, 4-1 in second round
Devils eliminated Rangers, 4-2 in third round

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Finals & Cup

May 26, 2012

Stanley Cup

Wed May 30, 2012
Away Home Score ATS Result Total Result
Los Angeles New Jersey

Sat June 2, 2012
Los Angeles New Jersey

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Stanley Cup Finals begin Wednesday night


2012 STANLEY CUP FINALS
No. 8 LOS ANGELES KINGS

vs. No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS


Starts Wednesday in New Jersey, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Season Series: New Jersey won series 2-0
Series Line: Los Angeles -160, New Jersey +140


Yet another fantastic NHL postseason culminates as two unlikely clubs prepare to battle it out for hockey’s biggest prize when the Los Angeles Kings take on the New Jersey Devils for Lord Stanley’s Cup.

This marks just the second time in NHL history that an eight seed has advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Kings made it look easy. Los Angeles blew by each of the top three seeds in the Western Conference in convincing fashion, posting an extraordinary 12-2 record en route to the Finals (and a perfect 8-0 record on the road). The Devils path to The Cup wasn’t nearly as dominant, but impressive nonetheless. The Eastern Conference’s No. 6 seed needed back-to-back overtime wins in Games 6 and 7 of its series with the Panthers to make it out of the first round before ramping it up against the Flyers and Rangers for an 8-3 combined record in the next two rounds. Since the NHL switched to the current playoff format back in 1994, no team seeded sixth or lower has ever hoisted the Stanley Cup—but that will all change in no more than two weeks time.

As predicted by *******, New Jersey’s aggressive forecheck wore down a fatigued Rangers’ blueline in much the same way it dominated an injury-riddled Flyers’ defensive unit. The Devils won in large part because their best players stepped up big time: their two leading scorers in the regular season (Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk) led the way in the Conference Finals with a combined five goals and seven assists in six games. In the Kings, the Devils will face a totally opposite opponent compared to the Rangers in terms of style. While New York sat back and played a safe, defensive style emphasizing shot blocking, Los Angeles plays a style more similar to that of the Devils—extremely aggressive and high energy on the forecheck. The Kings’ fantastic forecheck frustrated the three best teams in the Western Conference—and they made it look easy.

And looking at this roster, Los Angeles’ success should come as no surprise given its incredible depth up the middle. Quite simply, no team in the playoffs stacks up to the 1-2-3 punch of Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Jarrett Stoll at the center position. The Kopitar line, with Dustin Brown and Justin Williams as his wingers, has accounted for 42 points in 14 games—an insanely high number. It was easier for Devils’ head coach Peter DeBoer to throw out three attacking lines at the Rangers given New York’s style, but the Blueshirts did not have any lines even close to matching the offensive potency of the Kings’ top unit. Keep in mind, as good as the Devils have been offensively, they have still managed to blow five two-goal leads in these playoffs. New Jersey might have been able to get away with these defensive miscues against the Panthers and Rangers, but the Kings’ high-flying attack will make the Devils pay the price if they don’t tighten it up.

******* Analysis:
Not only does Los Angeles lead all playoff teams with five shorthanded goals, the Kings are allowing a ridiculously stingy 1.57 goals against per game while also scoring 2.93 per game (behind only Pittsburgh and Philly). It’s extremely difficult to find that delicate balance of playing stout defense without sacrificing the ability to score goals, but the Kings have successfully used their terrific two-way players to put together one of the most dominant postseasons in over 20 years. The Kings have an advantage at all three key positions in this series. While New Jersey’s depth forwards like David Clarkson (three goals, 10 assists), Ryan Carter (four goals, two assists) and rookie Adam Henrique (two series-ending overtime goals) have all come up big for the Devils, they don’t match the firepower of guys like Richards (four goals, seven assists), Jeff Carter (four goals, five assists) and Dustin Penner (three goals, seven assists). Defensively, the Kings have gotten great offensive contributions from Drew Doughty (two goals, eight assists) and 22-year-old Slava Voynov (one goal, two assists) to supplement the hard-nosed, shut-down prowess of Willie Mitchell and Rob Scuderi. The Devils blueline, meanwhile, has allowed 2.33 goals against per game (eighth in the playoffs) and, at times, looked overwhelmed by the speedy forwards of New York and Florida. The Kings’ forwards have shown a commitment throughout the postseason to making opposing defenders pay the price physically, and up this point, the Devils have relied too much on their offense to win. That simply won’t fly against the best goalie in the NHL, Jonathan Quick, whose .946 SV Pct. in the 2012 playoffs is simply unfathomable. The feisty Devils are talented enough up front to steal a game or two, but it won’t be enough to stop the freight train that is the Los Angeles Kings—who will win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup. Prediction: KINGS IN 6.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Los Angeles at New Jersey
The Kings look to build on their 8-0 record in their last 8 road games. Los Angeles is the pick (-120) according to Dunkel, which has the Kings favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-120). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30

Game 1-2: Los Angeles at New Jersey (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 13.863; New Jersey 12.705
Dunkel Line & Total: Los Angeles by 1; 4
Vegas Line & Total: Los Angeles (-120); 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Los Angeles (-120); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Wednesday, May 30

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LOS ANGELES (52-29-0-15, 119 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (60-33-0-7, 127 pts.) - 5/30/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NEW JERSEY is 60-39 ATS (+16.3 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 39-24 ATS (+7.6 Units) second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 23-11 ATS (+11.5 Units) after a division game this season.
NEW JERSEY is 31-22 ATS (+53.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 20-13 ATS (+34.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 21-10 ATS (+10.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 32-23 ATS (+56.4 Units) in road games second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LOS ANGELES is 30-22 ATS (+57.6 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
NEW JERSEY is 2-2-0 straight up against LOS ANGELES over the last 3 seasons
3 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+3.1 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Stanley Cup Finals, Game One (Series Tied, 0-0)
Los Angeles at New Jersey, 8:05 ET NBC
Los Angeles: 6-14 SU off a win by 1 goal
New Jersey: 21-8 SU off a home win




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, May 30

Kings @ Devils-- When LA lost 2-1 in this building way back on October 13, in third game of season, no one on this planet thought it was Finals preview, but it was. #8-seed Kings are on amazing 12-2 playoff run, winning all eight games on road- they scored total of one goal in the two losses. New Jersey has won the Stanley Cup three times; LA is making just second visit to Finals (lost 4-0 in '03 Final to Montreal, with three OT losses). Kings haven't played since Tuesday, eight days ago; Devils last played on Friday. Over is 5-3 in LA's playoff road games, 5-2-1 in New Jersey home games. Over is 6-4-4 in Game 1's in playoffs.




NHL

Wednesday, May 30

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NEW JERSEY
Los Angeles is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 6 games
New Jersey is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of New Jersey's last 5 games


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NHL

Wednesday, May 30

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Kings at Devils Game 1: What bettors need to know
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Los Angeles Kings at New Jersey Devils (100, 4.5)

THE STORY: In the parity-driven NHL, any team qualifying for the postseason has a chance at reaching the Stanley Cup championships - and this year's participants are living proof. The upstart New Jersey Devils look for their first Stanley Cup title in nearly a decade as they host the opening game of the best-of-seven Wednesday night against Los Angeles. The Kings haven't been to the finals since 1993 and are looking for their first championship in franchise history.

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

ABOUT THE KINGS: Los Angeles found itself in eighth place in the Western Conference after losing its regular-season finale to San Jose. Since then, the Kings have been the hottest team in the league, going 12-2 against top-seeded Vancouver, No. 2 St. Louis and No. 3 Phoenix to reach the championship round for the first time since Wayne Gretzky was the star of L.A. If the Kings prevail, they'll be the lowest-scoring team in history to raise the Stanley Cup - but that designation hasn't really applied since acquiring forward Jeff Carter from Columbus. Los Angeles averaged an extra 0.54 goals per game in the lineup, giving them a balanced offense to complement a solid defense and sensational goaltending from Jonathan Quick.

ABOUT THE DEVILS: Sixth-seeded New Jersey almost didn't make it out of the first round, needing seven games to dispatch the pesky Florida Panthers. A five-game romp over the Philadelphia Flyers and an impressive six-game triumph over the top-ranked New York Rangers has the Devils in position to capture their fourth Stanley cup championship, and first since 2003. Leading the way has been 40-year-old goaltender Martin Brodeur, who posted a 2.00 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in guiding the Devils past the favored Rangers. His next playoff game will be the 200th of his NHL career; only fellow netminder Patrick Roy (247) has appeared in more.

TRENDS:
- Kings are 8-0 in their last eight road games.
- The under is 20-7-1 in the Devils' last 28 vs. Western Conference.
- Kings are 21-7 in their last 28 overall.

OVERTIME:

1. New Jersey won both regular-season meetings, prevailing 2-1 in a shootout on Oct. 13 and blanking Los Angeles 3-0 just 12 days later.

2. The Devils ranked first in the NHL in penalty killing during the regular season but has struggled mightily in the playoffs, ranked 13th overall at 74.2 percent.

3. No team seeded lower than fifth has ever won the Stanley Cup. The No. 5 Devils were the lowest-ranked club to accomplish the feat in 1995.


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NHL

Wednesday, May 30

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Stanley Cup final best alternative bets and props
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Hockey bettors have had five days to figure out which side they’re on for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday night.

However, the NHL odds aren't just reserved to the Los Angeles Kings (-113), the New Jersey Devils (+104), or the total (4.5). Oddsmakers have dreamed up plenty of new ways to wager on all the action from the ice.

Here’s a look at some of the alternative bets and props for the Stanley Cup final.

Game 1 Puckline: Los Angeles (-1.5 - +250), New Jersey (+1.5 - -300)

Game 1 Alternative Puckline: New Jersey (-1.5 - +310), Los Angeles (+1.5 - -370)

Game 1 First team to score a goal: Los Angeles (-110), New Jersey (-110)

Game 1 First goal will occur in… : First period (-275), Second (+250), Third (+500), Overtime (+900)

Odds to win Best of Seven series: Los Angeles (-185), New Jersey (+165)

Odds to win series in exact number of games: Los Angeles to win in four (+800), Five (+450), Six (+250), Seven (+350), New Jersey to win in four (+1,200), Five (+500), Six (+450), Seven (+350).

Odds provided by MGM Mirage.

Conn Smythe Trophy winner (MVP):

Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles) +100
Dustin Brown (Los Angeles) +350
Martin Brodeur (New Jersey) +400
Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey) +600
Anze Kopitar (Los Angeles) +1,000
Drew Doughty (Los Angeles) +1,200
Zach Parise (New Jersey) +1,200
Mike Richards (Los Angeles) +2,500
Travis Zajac (New Jersey) +2,500
David Clarkson (New Jersey) +2,800
Dustin Penner (Los Angeles) +4,000

[StarDust Bum]

NHL

Wednesday, May 30

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Los Angeles - 8:00 PM ET Los Angeles -121 500

New Jersey - Over 4.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

LA Kings Favored In Game 2 At New Jersey Devils

The Los Angeles Kings can take an early stranglehold on the NHL Finals with a Game 2 win at the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.

The action will start at 8:00 p.m. (ET) from the Prudential Center in Newark. The updated odds have the Devils as 110 favorites. The total is 4½ on the Don Best odds screen, and the ‘over’ is priced at -115.

The storyline for this game is simple. Can the Kings win on the road again after starting a record-breaking 9-0 away this postseason? They have been absolutely remarkable for a No. 8 seed and already have home ice advantage after a 2-1 overtime win in Wednesday’s opener.

Getting down to brass tacks for Game 2, the Devils simply have to win this game. Don Best Sports analyst Brian Blessing still believes this will be a long series and that New Jersey has value at the current +250 series odds (Kings -300).

Both teams struggled in the first game and while folks out in Southern California are already making plans for the ticker tape parade, it’s too early for that talk with both squads evenly matched.

New Jersey does have experience losing a Game 1 in these playoffs, having it happen the last two series against the Flyers and Rangers. The Flyers series was followed by four straight wins after the initial defeat.

New Jersey does have to find a way to solve goaltender Jonathan Quick. There is a learning curve as he doesn’t get beat down low often. The Devils’ 17 total shots from the opener won’t cut it again and they must get pucks to the net as opposed to being too cute with the extra pass.

Both captains show great leadership with Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown and New Jersey’s Zach Parise. Blessing thinks Parise is going to have a big game on Saturday, motivated even more by his impending free agency. Goaltender Marty Brodeur should win the Conn Smythe Trophy if the Devils win the whole thing, but Parise has been the clear-cut leader.

Blessing touted the Devils’ fourth line as a key before the series, but the Kings outplayed them in that area in Game 1. New Jersey has to do a better job of controlling play and not getting flustered by the Kings forecheck.

The Kings had the puck most of the opener and that can’t happen again if New Jersey wants a different result.

Game 3 will be in Los Angeles on Monday with just one day rest, after strangely having two days off before Game 2.

[StarDust Bum]

Playoff Results - Finals & Cup

May 31, 2012

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

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 New Jersey

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Kings seek 10th straight road win Saturday


2012 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS
No. 8 LOS ANGELES KINGS

at No. 6 NEW JERSEY DEVILS


Stanley Cup Finals
Game 2 - Los Angeles leads series 1-0
Puck Drops: Saturday, 8:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Los Angeles -110, New Jersey -110, Total: 4½


The Kings drew first blood with an overtime win in Game 1, and now the Devils will be hard-pressed to earn at least a split at home when the teams return to the ice Saturday night in Game 2.

Anze Kopitar’s breakaway overtime goal gave L.A. a 2-1 win in a game that was mostly an ugly, defensive struggle. The Kings are now a perfect 9-0 on the road this postseason, and have won 11 straight playoff games outside of Los Angeles dating back to last year. The high-scoring Devils were able to score only one time on red-hot Jonathan Quick, and that was the result of a fluky deflection off a Kings defender’s chest. Quick had to make only 17 saves on Wednesday, but he’ll likely be tested much more on Saturday considering New Jersey has averaged 29.7 shots on goal per game in the 2012 playoffs. The Devils have been a strong 24-16 following a loss this season, and expect their high-scoring forwards to pepper Quick much more in Game 2. The pick is NEW JERSEY to even up the series.

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

NEW JERSEY is 23-8 ATS (74.2%, +31.3 Units) revenging a same season loss vs. opponent this season. The average score was NEW JERSEY 3.2, OPPONENT 2.3 - (Rating = 4*).

Quick continues his amazing run in the playoffs, posting a 13-2 record, 1.49 GAA and .946 SV Pct. He has not allowed more than three goals this postseason, and has given up one goal or fewer seven times in the 2012 playoffs. Offensively the Kings have scored 4+ goals in five of their past nine contests, averaging 3.1 goals per game in this stretch. No team has had an answer for the Kings’ top line during the playoffs as Dustin Brown and Anze Kopitar each have seven goals, nine assists and +14 ratings in 15 games, while linemate Justin Williams has two goals and a team-best 10 assists. L.A. has not helped itself on the power play during the playoffs though, converting a dismal 6-of-75 chances (8.0%) with the man advantage. However, the club has been excellent short-handed during this postseason, allowing just five goals in 59 chances (8.5%). Star defenseman Drew Doughty has been tremendous in the playoffs with 11 points (2 G, 9 A) and a +12 rating, logging a hefty 26:02 average time on the ice.

New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur saved just 23 shots in Game 1, but he turned away some great scoring chances for Los Angeles. He now carries a 2.02 GAA and .923 SV Pct. in the playoffs, statistics that are a big improvement from his regular season numbers (2.41 GAA, .908 SV Pct.). These stats would be even better if the Devils’ penalty-kill unit was a little more buttoned up. They have allowed playoff opponents to score 15 power-play goals in just 63 chances (23.8%). Offensively, New Jersey has tallied 12 PPG and a strong 17.6% conversion rate, but the club is just 2-for-18 (11.1%) with a man-up in the past five contests. For the Devils to get back in the series, they will need Ilya Kovalchuk to be much more assertive than he was in Game 1. Kovalchuk leads the NHL with 18 playoff points (7 G, 11 A), but managed just one shot on Wednesday. Two other Devils also have seven goals apiece in the 2012 playoffs, LW Zach Parise and C Travis Zajac, but neither forward started the series with a bang. Both of these players logged minus-2 ratings in Game 1, with Parise managing three shots on goal and Zajac putting just one shot on net.

[StarDust Bum]

NHL
Dunkel

Los Angeles at New Jersey
The Devils look to bounce back from their 2-1 loss in Game 1 and build on their 6-1 record in their last 7 games after 2 goals or less in the previous game. New Jersey is the pick (-110) according to Dunkel, which has the Devils favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-110). Here are all of today's picks.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2

Game 3-4: Los Angeles at New Jersey (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Los Angeles 11.983; New Jersey 13.585
Dunkel Line & Total: New Jersey by 1 1/2; 4
Vegas Line & Total: New Jersey (-110); 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: New Jersey (-110); Under




NHL
Long Sheet

Saturday, June 2

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LOS ANGELES (53-29-0-15, 121 pts.) at NEW JERSEY (60-33-0-8, 128 pts.) - 6/2/2012, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOS ANGELES is 9-16 ATS (-11.0 Units) on Saturday games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 60-40 ATS (+13.1 Units) in all games this season.
NEW JERSEY is 31-23 ATS (+2.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NEW JERSEY is 20-14 ATS (+35.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 39-25 ATS (+6.4 Units) second half of the season this season.
NEW JERSEY is 28-16 ATS (+44.8 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
LOS ANGELES is 33-25 ATS (+5.0 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
LOS ANGELES is 22-10 ATS (+11.3 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 19-13 ATS (+5.8 Units) in road games second half of the season this season.
LOS ANGELES is 55-46 ATS (+111.7 Units) in road games when playing with 2 days rest since 1996.
LOS ANGELES is 9-2 ATS (+6.7 Units) when leading in a playoff series this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOS ANGELES is 3-2 (+0.5 Units) against the spread versus NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
LOS ANGELES is 3-2-0 straight up against NEW JERSEY over the last 3 seasons
4 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Under=+4.1 Units)

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NHL
Short Sheet

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Stanley Cup Finals, Game Two (LA Leads, 1-0)
Los Angeles at New Jersey, 8:05 ET NBC
Los Angeles: 9-0 SU in playoff road games
New Jersey: 14-5 Over after scoring 1 goal or less




NHL
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, June 2

Kings (1-0) @ Devils-- New Jersey has been behind in all three series, 2-1 to Rangers and Florida, 1-0 to Flyers, so they've been in this spot before. West #8-seed Kings are on an amazing 13-2 playoff run, winning all nine games on road- they scored total of one goal in two losses. New Jersey has won the Stanley Cup three times; LA is making just second visit to Finals (lost 4-1 in '03 Final to Montreal, with three OT losses), but OT goal in Game 1 has people believing Kings are team of destiny. Total of only 42 shots on goal in Game 1, with Kings 0-1 on power play, Devils 0-3. Teams that don't play each other as often have less penalties, less pent-up hostilities built up over the years.





NHL

Saturday, June 2

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Trend Report
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8:00 PM
LOS ANGELES vs. NEW JERSEY
Los Angeles is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Los Angeles's last 5 games
New Jersey is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games
New Jersey is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Los Angeles


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NHL

Saturday, June 2

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Kings at Devils Game 2: What bettors need to know
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Los Angeles Kings at New Jersey Devils (-110, 4.5)

THE STORY: No team has been able to use home-ice advantage to subdue the Los Angeles Kings so far in the postseason. That includes the New Jersey Devils, who fought gamely but ultimately dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to the visiting Kings in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals. Los Angeles will look to stretch its road record to 10-0 as it takes on the Devils in Saturday's Game 2. Anze Kopitar was the hero in the opener, scoring on a breakaway as the Kings improved to 13-2 in the playoffs.

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

ABOUT THE KINGS: Los Angeles has made it look easy throughout the postseason, but the players know they're going to get a difficult test from the upstart Devils. "They're a great team," said Kings winger Justin Williams. "They come at you hard. They don't give you any space. They've got a heck of a forecheck and a great goalie. We expect more of this throughout the series." Kopitar came into the series with a reputation for big goals and emerged as the X-factor in Game 1. The Slovenian star is red-hot, with six goals and six assists over his last nine games.

ABOUT THE DEVILS: New Jersey knows it will need more than one shot every four minutes to win its first Stanley Cup since 2003. The Devils managed just 17 shots on Kings netminder Jonathan Quick, and head coach Peter DeBoer said his team probably deserved to lose for that reason. "It would have been nice to get a bounce, but I don't believe we deserved to win," he said. "That's the bottom line. If we had won, we would have been sneaking one out." Zach Parise was a minus-two in defeat, but extended his streak of consecutive games with at least one shot on goal to 186.

TRENDS:
- Kings are 13-3 in their last 16 road games.
- Devils are 10-3 in their last 13 home games.
- Under is 5-0-1 in the last 6 meetings.

OVERTIME:

1. Los Angeles managed just 25 shots in the opener, its lowest total since a series-clinching win over St. Louis in Round 2.

2. Wednesday marked Brodeur's 200th career postseason game, making him the 20th NHL player to reach the plateau.

3. Kopitar led the Kings' forwards in ice time (22:01) and shots on goal (four).