NHL History & News

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking to keep their season alive. They are trying to survive the loss of leading scorer Claude Giroux. The New Jersey Devils have been relentless in their attack in the seven game series. The Devils lead the series by 3-1. Both the teams meet again for Game 5 (7:30 PM ET, May 8, 2012) at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, Giroux was suspended by the NHL on Monday for his illegal check to the head on New Jersey center Dainius Zubrus. The punishment leaves the Flyers without their leading scorer and their All-Star forward as they try to rally from a 3-1 deficit.

Devils’ Coach Peter DeBoer wants to finish the Flyers with their first opportunity. He wants his team to have a killer instinct. Continuing to frustrate the Flyers will be a part of that process, something they have done a tremendous job of the last three games. Flyers’ Coach Peter Laviolette said his team has survived adversity all season and does not see that changing now, and he believes what his team has shown in the past gives him hope for the future.

Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov has been markedly better in the second round, posting a 3.00 GAA and .902 save percentage. He had 3.89 goals-against average and .871 save percentage in the first round. In Game 4, Zubrus had a pair of goals. Devils forward Ryan Carter could return to the lineup for Game 5, even though he sat out Game 4 with a stomach illness. Flyers defenseman Andrej Meszaros (back) is day-to-day.

When trailing 3-1, the Flyers are just 1-14 all-time in series. Against the Boston Bruins was their only win in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, when they rallied from a 3-0 series deficit to win. In the absence of Giroux, the leading scorer in the playoffs, the big question facing the Flyers now will be how the lineup is remade.

For the first time since Game 4 of the first round, Zac Rinaldo could return to the lineup. With Maxime Talbot or Eric Wellwood moving to center, he will likely play on the fourth line. Rookie Sean Couturier could move up to a higher line and take on a more offensive mindset. He has been used primarily in a defensive role. Couturier was a 90-point scorer in his last two seasons of junior hockey and he had 14 goals in 77 regular-season games. Therefore, he is well aware how to put the puck in the net.

This game is crucial for the Flyers and it will be interesting to see their approach to Game 5. The betting odds do favor the Devils. The sportsbook have the Devils (5/4) and the Flyers (5/7).

In Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals, two teams, Detroit Red Wings and Nashville Predators (Wed, Apr 11, 8:00 PM ET). With Detroit taking the first two in six games each (2004 and 2008), this is the third time the Predators have faced the Red Wings in Nashville’s eighth trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. However, this is a different kind if Predators team. The best hockey betting odds are Detroit Red Wings (6/5), while Nashville Predators (10/13).

Thanks to a number of late-season moves, this one has already won a playoff series and seems primed to make a deep postseason run. For Wednesday’s Game 1 at Bridgestone Arena, the big question for Detroit is whether injured third-line center Darren Helm (sprained MCL) will be available or if he will have to wait until Game 2.

Helm has not ruled out the series opener just yet, although he said the target date is Game 2 or 3. What remain question marks is that when he returns and to what extent his speed game will be as effective as before. Johan Franzen might still be battling soreness from back spasms that sidelined him late in the season and Lidstrom is still slowed by a deep ankle bruise that kept him out for a career-high 11 straight games down the stretch. The Red Wings went 17-21-3 on the road. They never figured out their season-long struggles away from Joe Louis Arena.

Nashville (104 points) reeled off three straight wins to conclude the regular season and finish ahead of Detroit in both the Western Conference and Central Division standings, after dropping a disappointing 5-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on March 31 at home. In those three games, the Preds also gave up just five goals and goalie Pekka Rinne finished with the League lead in wins with 43.

In the past 10 games, Jiri Hudler has four goals and four assists for the Red Wings. In six of the past eight games for the Preds, Andrei Kostitsyn has recorded points, including one goal and five assists. Rinne has not allowed a goal in the last 38 shots he has faced.

Danny Cleary (knee soreness) and Helm (knee sprain) are questionable for Detroit, while Patrick Eaves (concussion) and Joey MacDonald (back) are out. On Tuesday, Radulov, Brandon Yip and goalie Anders Lindback (upper body) all missed Monday’s practice. They are expected to play for Nashville. Gill (lower body/foot) is questionable and he missed both practice sessions.

Detroit was the second least in the NHL and they were penalized an average of 8.5 minutes per game, behind only Nashville (8.4 PIM); The Preds ranked second overall with a 35-3-4 mark when scoring first and finished with the League’s best power play (21.6 percent).

Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs will meet each other at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (7:00 PM ET, March 27, 2012) in Game 4 with Carolina leading the four game series by 2-1. The Hurricanes have a 30-31-15, 75 pts record, while Maple Leafs 33-34-9, 75 pts. The betting odds for the match are set at Hurricanes (18/19) and Maple Leafs (10/11) by various sportsbook.

All three previous matchups have been one-goal affairs won by the home team. Tim Connolly netted the winner for the Maple Leafs on Dec. 13 and Eric Staal got the revenge for the Hurricanes on Dec. 29. The last two have gone to overtime.

At this point, both teams are battling mostly for draft positioning and individual jobs for next season, although neither of them has been eliminated. A .500 record is also at stake and the winning team Tuesday night with five games left to play will achieve it.

Carolina sneaked back into the fringes of the Eastern Conference playoff race by a four-game winning streak, the one last-gasp opportunity. On Friday, the Hurricanes suffered a damaging loss to the Blue Jackets and it was followed by 5-4 loss the Red Wings on Saturday.

The Maple Leafs let 2-0 and 3-1 leads slip away Friday against New Jersey. On Saturday, they were not as fortunate either. Joey Crabb and Cody Franson gave them one-goal leads the Rangers promptly erased. Connolly quickly struck to force overtime, even though they fell behind in the third. The Rangers got a pair and dealt the Leafs a 4-3 defeat, although Connolly also scored in the shootout.

In three of the Hurricanes’ last four games, Staal has recorded a multi-point effort, totaling 4 goals and 3 assists over that span. For the Maple Leafs, Crabb and Steckel each have 1 goal and 2 assists over the last two games.

Carolina has few players on the injury list, while Toronto has a long one. The former has been without Andreas Nodl (concussion-like symptoms) and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (lower body), while for the latter team, Clarke MacArthur (upper body) and Matt Frattin (sprained ankle) are day-to-day. Forwards Nikolai Kulemin (broken finger), Joffrey Lupul (separated shoulder) and Mike Brown (bruised thigh) are on injured reserve.

Toronto last tasted victory at Air Canada Centre since more than seven weeks. The Maple Leafs is 0-6-3 on home ice, since a 6-3 win over Edmonton on Feb. 6. After Tuesday, they host Buffalo and Philadelphia to complete a four-game homestand and play their final game at the ACC against Tampa Bay next week.

The Eastern Conference is a wide open conference with some great battles at the top of the standings starting with two divisions, the Southeast Division and the Northeast Division.

The Southeast Division is even up with the favorite, the Washington Capitals and the long shot, the Florida Panthers. Both teams are cutting their way through the competition. The Caps expectations were high going into the season but the Panthers are surprising everyone. Both teams have 21 points and if the playoffs started tomorrow one of them would be heading home.

The Northeast Division is also in a dead heat. The Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs are neighbors just across the Niagra Falls from each other but the two teams are also neighbors in the standings. The two teams are identical except the Maple Leafs are have given up 19 more goals than the Sabres.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are leading the NHL in points, tied with the Western Conference leaders, the Blackhawks, with the 25 points. The Penguins are doing this despite their star player, Sidney Crosby, being out of commission with concussion issues.

There are several teams that are already eliminated from the NHL playoffs before we ever get to the month of December but only one team, the New York Islanders, is so far gone they can be considered a candidate for the No.1 draft pick.

Who is the favorite to win the Eastern Conference? Pittsburgh can win this conference easily if their star Crosby comes back but they will still win the conference without No. 87.

Which Eastern Conference team has the best odds to win the Stanley Cup?

The Sedin twins of the Vancouver Canucks came to the forefront of NHL fans once the Vancouver Canucks made their mark by climbing the ladder into the NHL’s Stanley Cup Finals in 2010.

The two left-handed shooters have risen to NHL elite well before the Stanley Cup but the twins coming out party began with last seasons run to the Cup Finals.

The Sedin twins dominated the NHL post season with Daniel ranking fourth and Henrik ranking second in the post season scoring. They both were nominated for NHL Foundation Player of the Year in 2010 but neither raised the award over their head.

The Swedes are huge in their home country, especially when they play for Sweden in International play. The brothers won a gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics held in Turin, Italy. Sweden beat their neighbors, the Fins, in an unexpected victory.

Although neither brother is known as a huge goal scorer, Daniel racked up 41 goals to help the Vancouver Canucks win the President’s Trophy. Daniel is the more prolific of the two goal scorers, averaging just over 30 goals per season since he came into the league, while Henrik is averaging

Henrik is averaging just under 20 goals per season. The two work together seamlessly on the same line, with Daniel being the man who finishes the job. Henrik’s selflessness and tremendous hockey instincts are enhanced when he is on the ice with his brother. The sky is the limit for the twins and the next few seasons will be fun to watch the Vancouver Canucks.

Make sure you get in on the NHL action by checking out all of the hockey prop bets at your favorite online sportsbook.

On Thursday, Christian Thomas, the son of former NHL forward Steve Thomas, has signed a 3 year, entry level contract with the New York Rangers.

Thomas scored 54 goals and added 45 assists for the OHL’s Oshawa Generals last season, who will be 19 next week. Thomas, who is 5-9, was the second round draft choice, 40th overall, of the club in 2010.

In an OHL campaign, Thomas and his father became the only father-son duo to record 50 plus goals. In an Ontario Hockey League regular season Christian Thomas, the first Rangers prospect to score 50 goals since Ryan Callahan, went on to lead the league in playoff scoring per-game average with a remarkable 19 points in only 10 postseason games.

Registering 54 goals and 45 assists for 99 points, along with 38 penalty minutes and a plus-20 rating, Thomas skated in 66 games with the Oshawa Generals this season. In points, goals, assists, power play goals (19), game-winning goals (nine), penalty minutes, and plus/minus rating, he established career highs. In the OHL, Thomas ranked second in goals and sixth in points, and tied for first in the league in power play goals and third in game winning goals.

Thomas led the league in postseason scoring with 19 points and nine goals at the time of Oshawa’s elimination in the second round, having recorded at least one point in nine of 10 contests and six multi point performances, in the 2011 OHL Playoffs.

With the London Knights and Oshawa Generals, registering 103 goals and 87 assists for 190 points, along with 79 penalty minutes, the 5-9, and 170-pounder has skated in 189 career OHL contests.

Just like last year when the Boston Bruins played the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston holds a three games to zero lead in the best of seven second round series. However, this time around the Bruins are hoping for a different outcome than last year’s playoff collapse. Last spring the Flyers became the third team in NHL history to come back from a three games to none deficit and win a playoff series. With last season’s collapse fresh in their memories, I would not bank on the Bruins failing to put away the Flyers this year.

The Bruins are a -170 moneyline favorite and the over/under total is 5.5 in NHL Betting Odds.

Using a combination of excellent goaltending along with a high powered offense, the Bruins have cruised to this commanding three game lead. The Bruins jumped on the Flyers with two quick goals in game three’s first sixty three seconds to take a commanding lead in the game and ultimately the series. So long as the Bruins do not let their guard down, it will be hard to envision Philadelphia making another comeback like they did last season against the Bruins.

Game four is scheduled for Friday night at eight o’clock. If the Flyers hope to stave off elimination, they will need to play a much better all around game and get more production out of their team leaders. Also, the Flyers goal tenders will have to step up and play their best game of the playoffs if they hope to extend their season for another game.

This weekend the Philadelphia Flyers will take on the Boston Bruins in the first game of their 7 game series. These teams may be tired by the end of this series as they just got done playing in a couple of very difficult matchups.

In hockey betting lines the Flyers are a -135 moneyline favorite and the over/under total is 5.5.

Both of these teams needed all 7 games to finish off their opponents in the first round of the playoffs despite being two of the best teams in the league. Against the Buffalo Sabres the Flyers were engaged in a difficult series for now. They managed to close out the series with a convincing 5-2 victory over Buffalo while the series was close.

In the Eastern Conference, during the season these teams were the 2nd and 3rd best teams. They should both be ready for a hard fought series as both of these teams were solid at home and even better on the road.

In terms of playing on both sides of the ice the Bruins are a slighting more well-rounded team. They are the 2nd best team in the NHL in goals against as they are the 5th best team in the league in goals per game. Even though the Flyers are just the 11th best team in the league in goals against, they are a slightly better team offensively, as they are the 3rd best team in the league in goals per game. If they hope to take the victory in this series they will need to buckle down defensively.

As both of these teams have all of the tools necessary to win this series this may be the best series in the playoffs this season.

The San Jose Sharks will take on the Los Angeles Kings this Thursday. These teams have already had an intense series and they are set to play their 4th game of the best of 7 games series on Thursday.

In online sportsbook, NHL Odds have the Sharks as a -125 favorite and the over/under total at 5.

The Kings are down 2-1 in the series, but they could have easily been up 3-0. The Kings have had control of games 1 and 3, but they have allowed the Sharks to come back and steal the games. The Kings did managed to preserve a shutout in game 2, but they will have a very hard to beating the Sharks after giving them 2 games out of the first 3.

In game 3 the Kings were winning 4-0 and it appeared that they had the game put away. The Sharks came roaring back and scored 5 goals in regulation and the game was tied 5-5 going into overtime. The Sharks put another goal in the net in overtime and made a full comeback from their 4 goal deficit.

The Kings will need to play a near-perfect series after allowing the Sharks to crawl back into contention. The 4th game of the series will be huge for both teams. If they Kings are able to grab another win they might be able to get some more momentum. However, if the Sharks are able to take the game, they will likely win the series without too much of a fight from the Sharks.

The game is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles at 10:30 Eastern time. In free picks the San Jose Sharks are favorites to win this match.

In what could be a potential first round playoff matchup, the Detroit Red Wings will skate into Chicago on Sunday afternoon to do battle with the Blackhawks. Detroit is at 8-1 to win the Stanley Cup in NHL Odds and NHL Betting. The Blackhawks are at 18-1 in NHL Picks. This game will actually be the second of a home and home series to close out the 2010-2011 regular season for both teams.

Surprisingly, with only two games remaining for both clubs there is still a lot left to be decided when it comes to playoff berths and seeding. Chicago helped its chances of making the playoffs again this year with a crucial victory over the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. That overtime victory puts the Blackhawks in seventh place in the Western Conference, four points ahead of Dallas who is in ninth place and on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. Chicago will really help secure its playoff status with at least one point during the weekend series with Detroit. On the other hand, the Red Wings are already locked into a playoff position after winning the Central Division last weekend.

With this year’s playoff berth, the Red Wings have made the postseason for a record twenty years in a row. This streak is also the longest streak for any team in all of the four major sports. While the Red Wings are gearing up for another long playoff run, Detroit still has a chance to jump into the number two seed in the Western Conference. Currently, the Red Wings trail San Jose by one point in the standings, and if the Red Wings would like to secure home ice for the first two rounds, they will need to try their best to win these last two remaining games against Chicago over the weekend.