Coming off back-to-back losses in Phoenix over the weekend the Nashville Predators will be trying to avoid going down 3-0 in their Western Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night as the set shifts to Tennessee. Get your odds for the Stanley Cup playoffs at Bovada.
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Nashville, though, will have to get the job done without both Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn in Game 3 on Wednesday night, as those forwards were suspended for the pivotal contest for breaking team rules.
The Predators fell 4-3 in overtime to the Coyotes in Game 1 of the series last Friday night, and they were then beaten 5-3 in the second game of the series in Phoenix on Sunday.
Antoine Vermette, Martin Hanzal, Radim Vrbata, Taylor Pyatt, and Shane Doan all scored for the Coyotes in Sunday's win, with netminder Mike Smith making 30 saves on 33 shots. Kostitsyn, Patric Hornqvist, and Ryan Suter provided the goals for the Predators in Game 2's losing cause, and Pekka Rinne struggled in allowing five goals on 39 shots.
Rinne had been on a three-game winning streak until running into the Coyotes this round, allowing just nine goals in his team's five-game win over the Detroit Red Wings in their Western Conference quarterfinal. His GAA in the playoffs now sits at 2.51.
Smith is now on a three-game winning streak, and his GAA is at 2.03 for the playoffs.
Heading into Wednesday's contest the Coyotes are 6-4 in their past 10 games against the Predators, with the OVER/UNDER going 6-2-2 for totals bettors at Bovada in those 10 contests. Both games of this second-round series have been OVER results.
The Predators' line on the NHL futures took a hit after Sunday's Game 2 loss, and they are listed back at 9/1 odds at Bovada to win the Stanley Cup and at 9/2 to claim the Western Conference title. The Coyotes are pegged at 11/2 to win the Stanley Cup this spring and at 11/4 to win the Western Conference.
Wednesday's game in Nashville is set to get underway at 9:00pm ET, with Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena set for a 7:30pm ET puck drop on Friday night.
It was no Ilya Kovalchuk, no problem for the New Jersey Devils last time out, and now they'll try to pay off again on the NHL betting lines on Thursday night and take a series lead on the Philadelphia Flyers in their second-round set.
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Kovalchuk sat out Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night with a lower-body injury, but New Jersey still managed to score four goals in the final frame to earn themselves a 4-1 win and a 1-1 series split.
Rookie defenseman Adam Larsson joined David Clarkson, Travis Zajac, and Bryce Salvador on the scoresheet for the Devils in the third period of Game 2 on Tuesday, with Dainius Zubrus picking up a pair of assists. Martin Brodeur was solid between the pipes for the Devils, allowing just a goal by Matt Read over 20 Philadelphia shots.
Flyers netminder Ilya Bryzgalov was named the game's First Star on Tuesday despite allowing three goals late in the contest (Salvador scored into an empty net). Bryzgalov made 31 saves on the night, improving his playoff save percentage slightly to .879.
The Devils are now 6-4 over their past 10 games against the Flyers as the series shifts to New Jersey, with the OVER/UNDER sitting at 4-6 over their past 10 meetings; Tuesday's five combined goals produced an UNDER result for totals bettors at Bovada.
After winning Game 2 the Devils sat on Wednesday morning at 8/1 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup at Bovada, and at 4/1 to claim the Eastern Conference title this spring. The Flyers were at 9/2 on the Stanley Cup futures and at 7/4 to win the conference.
Game 3 on Thursday night is set to get underway at 7:30pm ET, with the teams playing again in New Jersey in Game 4 at 7:30pm ET on Sunday. The best-of-seven series then returns to Philadelphia for Game 5 next Tuesday night.
After finally finding a way to beat the Phoenix Coyotes last time out the Nashville Predators will try to tie up their second-round Western Conference playoff series on Friday night as they play host to Game 4 of the best-of-seven set. Bet on the Stanley Cup playoffs with Bovada today.
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The Predators cut their series deficit to 2-1 on Wednesday night with a 2-0 home win in Game 3, even though they were playing without suspended forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn. Both Radulov and Kostitsyn were forced to sit out the contest after breaking team curfew rules over the weekend.
David Legwand and Mike Fisher provided the only goals Nashville would need in Wednesday night's win, with goaltender Pekka Rinne turning in a 32-save shutout. Rinne had allowed nine goals over the first two games of the series in Phoenix.
Mike Smith stopped 24 of 26 shots between the pipes for the Coyotes in Game 3, while forward Lauri Korpikoski sat out the contest with an undisclosed injury; he's day-to-day.
Tuesday's meeting was the first UNDER result for totals bettors on the NHL betting lines at Bovada in this set, but overall the OVER/UNDER is 5-3-2 in the last 10 games between the clubs.
On the NHL futures board at Bovada heading into Thursday night's playoff action the Predators and Coyotes were tied at 7/1 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup, which put them behind the Kings, Rangers, and Flyers.
Nashville and Phoenix were also both listed at 10/3 to win the Western Conference title.
Friday's Coyotes/Predators matchup is set to get underway at 7:30pm ET in Nashville, with the teams then returning to Phoenix for Game 5 of the series on Monday night.
The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers will travel back to the Big Apple for Monday night as they play the pivotal Game 5 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series at Madison Square Garden. Get NHL odds for the crucial matchup at Bovada.
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The Capitals tied up their set with the top-seeded Rangers in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon, winning 3-2 on goals by Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, and Mike Green. Braden Holtby made 18 saves on 20 New York shots in the contest for the Caps.
For the Rangers, Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik both found the back of the net in the loss, while Henrik Lundqvist made 23 stops. Lundqvist now has just a 6-5 record in the playoffs, but he's also posted a GAA of 1.68 and a save percentage of .940.
Washington now has the slight edge for their supporters on the NHL betting lines in their last 10 games against New York, winning six of those contests. Saturday's game pushed the posted total of five goals, with the OVER/UNDER at 2-4-4 over their past 10 meetings.
On the latest NHL futures at Bovada released on Sunday morning the Rangers were listed second at 4/1 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup this season, with the Capitals a more lucrative wagering option on that board at 7/1 to claim the championship this spring.
Puck drop for Monday's Game 5 in New York is set for 7:30pm ET, with the teams then headed back to Washington for Game 6 on Wednesday night. A deciding Game 7 would then be played at Madison Square Garden at some point on Saturday.
Facing elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Nashville Predators will be on the road in Phoenix on Monday night for Game 5 of their best-of-seven Western Conference second-round series against the Coyotes. Bet on the Stanley Cup playoffs with Bovada today.
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The Predators are down 3-1 to the Coyotes in the series after getting shut out 1-0 in Game 4 of the set last Friday night in their own building.
Mikkel Boedker set up Shane Doan for Phoenix's lone marker in Friday's Game 4 victory, with Mike Smith turning in a 25-save shutout performance in the contest for the Coyotes. Smith has earned a win in four of his past five starts, and he's now 7-3 in the playoffs with a GAA of 1.85 and a save percentage of .946.
Predators netminder Pekka Rinne made 23 saves on 24 Phoenix shots in the Game 4 loss, and he's now 5-4 in the playoffs with a GAA of 2.07 and a save percentage of .932.
Nashville forwards Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn were both out of the lineup once again in Game 4, after being benched for the Predators' Game 3 win for disciplinary reasons. Both players are expected to return to the lineup for Game 5 on Monday.
After losing Game 4 the Predators are now just 4-6 on the NHL betting lines at Bovada in their last 10 games against the Coyotes, with the OVER/UNDER 5-3-2 in those outings.
Heading into Sunday's NHL playoff action the Coyotes were listed at 9/2 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup at Bovada, with the Predators farther back at 16/1 on that NHL futures list to pull off the comeback this week and move on to win the championship.
If the Predators are able to avoid elimination on Monday night the series will head back to Nashville for Game 6 on Wednesday night. A winner-takes-all Game 7 between the Predators and Coyotes would then be on the schedule for Friday night.
The Philadelphia Flyers had high hopes heading into the postseason, but after stumbling against the New Jersey Devils once again over the weekend they find themselves on the verge of elimination as they return to the ice at home on Tuesday night. Get your Stanley Cup odds this postseason at Bovada.
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The Flyers won Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round Eastern Conference series, but since then they've dropped three straight decisions to the Devils and find themselves trailing 3-1 in the set – and sliding down the NHL futures list at Bovada.
Heading into Monday night's NHL playoff action the Flyers found themselves at the bottom of the odds to win the Stanley Cup at 16/1 to claim the championship this spring, and at 15/2 to win the East. The Devils were at 7/2 on the Cup odds and 3/2 to win the East.
Philadelphia dug themselves into their deep series hole on Sunday, losing 4-2 in New Jersey. Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux scored for the Flyers in that contest, with Ilya Bryzgalov making 39 saves on 42 shots in the defeat. Giroux won't be in the lineup for Tuesday's contest, as he's been suspended one game by the league for an illegal hit.
New Jersey got their markers from Dainius Zubrus (two), Marek Zidlicky, and Petr Sykora in Sunday's win, while Martin Brodeur made 20 saves on the night. The veteran Brodeur is now 7-3 in the playoffs with a 2.15 GAA and a .916 save percentage.
The Flyers have now paid off on the NHL betting lines at Bovada just four times in their last 10 games against the Devils, with the OVER/UNDER going 5-5 for totals bettors in those contests. Three of the four games so far in this series have been OVER results.
If Philadelphia can find a way to pick up a win on Tuesday night they'll head to New Jersey for Game 6 on Thursday with a chance to tie up the series. A deciding Game 7 would then be played back in Philadelphia on Saturday.
After pulling out a miracle win for their backers on Monday night the New York Rangers will try to close out their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night in Game 6 against the Washington Capitals. Get your odds for the pivotal match on Bovada's NHL betting line.
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Brad Richards scored with seven seconds left in the game to force overtime in Monday's Game 5, and Marc Staal then scored shortly into the extra frame to give the Rangers a 3-2 win and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Both of those Rangers goals came on a power play courtesy of a Joel Ward high-sticking call. Anton Stralman opened the scoring for New York in the first period of Monday's win, while netminder Henrik Lundqvist only needed to make 16 stops on 18 Capitals shots.
Brooks Laich and John Carlson had the goals in the losing cause for Washington on Monday, with Braden Holtby making 35 saves in the contest.
With New York winning Game 5 the Rangers and Capitals have now split their last 10 meetings 5-5 on the NHL odds, while totals bettors at Bovada have seen the OVER/UNDER go 1-4-5 in those 10 contests.
On the verge of advancing to the third round, the Rangers sat at 10/3 on the Stanley Cup odds heading into Tuesday night's action, and at 11/10 to win the Eastern Conference. The Capitals were at 16/1 on the odds to win the Cup, and at 8/1 to claim the East.
If Washington manages to pick up the win at home on Wednesday night the two teams would head back to Madison Square Garden for a deciding Game 7 on Saturday.
After surviving a second consecutive seven-game series the New York Rangers will get right back in action on Monday night as they open up the NHL's Eastern Conference final at Madison Square Garden against the rival New Jersey Devils. Bet on the Stanley Cup playoffs with Bovada.
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The Rangers avoided an upset on the NHL betting lines against the underdog Washington Capitals over the weekend, winning Game 7 by a 2-1 score at home on Saturday night.
Brad Richards opened the scoring for New York in the first period of that contest, with Michael Del Zotto then providing the game-winning goal midway through the third period. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 22 of the 23 Washington shots, and he's now 8-6 in the playoffs with a 1.68 GAA and a .937 save percentage through 14 games.
The Devils weren't stretched as far in the second round of the playoffs, as they managed to bounce the favored Philadelphia Flyers in just five games – winning the clincher by a 3-1 margin in Philadelphia last Tuesday night.
Bryce Salvador, David Clarkson, and Ilya Kovalchuk had New Jersey's markers in that elimination contest, with Martin Brodeur making 27 saves on 28 Philadelphia shots. Brodeur is 8-3 in the playoffs with a 2.05 GAA and a .920 save percentage.
The Rangers and the Devils met six times during the regular season, with each team coming out on top in three of those contests. Totals bettors at Bovada saw the OVER/UNDER go 2-2-2 in those six matchups.
On the updated Stanley Cup futures heading into Sunday night's action the Rangers were tied with the Los Angeles Kings at 2/1 to win the title this spring, with the Devils back at 10/3 odds on that list.
Puck drop for Monday night is set for 8:00pm ET, with Game 2 at the same time in New York on Wednesday night. The series then shifts to New Jersey for Game 3 on Saturday.
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After losing the opener of the Western Conference final on home ice on Sunday night the Phoenix Coyotes will be looking to rebound on Tuesday night as they play host to Game 2 of the best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Kings. Bet on the Stanley Cup with Bovada.
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The Kings grabbed a 4-2 win in Game 1 of the set on Sunday, with Anze Kopitar, Dwight King, and Dustin Brown all beating Coyotes netminder Mike Smith, and King adding an empty-netter late in the third period to ice the contest.
Jonathan Quick made 25 saves on 27 Phoenix shots in Sunday's win, giving up goals to Derek Morris and Mikkel Boedker. Quick is now 9-1 in the playoffs with a miniscule 1.60 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage over 10 starts.
Smith made 44 saves on Sunday, allowing three or fewer goals for the 10th consecutive game. The Phoenix netminder is 8-4 so far in the postseason with a 1.87 goals-against average and a .946 save percentage.
With Sunday's win the Kings have now paid off on the NHL betting lines in seven of their past 10 games against the Coyotes, with the OVER/UNDER going 4-4-2 in those contests.
On the Stanley Cup futures at Bovada heading into Monday night's action the Kings stood alone as the 7/5 favorite to win the championship this season, with the Coyotes dropping to 6/1 on that NHL odds list.
Game 2 gets underway in Phoenix at 9:00pm ET on Tuesday night, with the Kings then playing host to Games 3 and 4 on Thursday night and Sunday afternoon.
The New Jersey Devils will be looking for a way to get pucks past Henrik Lundqvist on Wednesday night as they continue the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final with Game 2 against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Get your NHL odds for the gamea at Bovada.
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The Devils were stymied by Lundqvist and the Rangers' army of shot blockers in Game 1 of the series on Monday night, with the Swedish netminder making 21 saves in a 3-0 victory for New York.
Dan Girardi, Chris Kreider, and Artem Anisimov (into an empty net) had the goals for the Rangers in Monday night's victory, with those three skaters also adding an assist each in the contest.
Martin Brodeur made 25 saves on 27 New York shots in the losing cause for the Devils, dropping his record to 8-4 in the playoffs with a 2.05 GAA and a .921 save percentage. Lundqvist is now 9-6 with a sparkling 1.57 GAA and a .940 save percentage in the postseason.
The Rangers paid off on the NHL betting lines at Bovada for the third time in their last four games against the rival Devils, with the teams having split their last 10 meetings 5-5. Monday's UNDER result made the OVER/UNDER 3-4-3 for totals bettors in the last 10 games between the Rangers and Devils.
New York's win in Game 1 on Monday had them at 8/5 on the Stanley Cup futures at Bovada heading into Tuesday night's NHL playoff action, where they trailed only the 7/5 Los Angeles Kings. The Devils were listed at 5/1 on those NHL odds.
Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final gets underway at 8:00pm ET in New York on Wednesday night, with the series then shifting to New Jersey for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon and Game 4 next Monday night.
Looking to get back into the Western Conference final, the Phoenix Coyotes will be on the road at the busy Staples Center on Thursday night for Game 3 of the best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Kings. Get your Stanley Cup betting lines at Bovada.
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The Coyotes were thumped in back-to-back games at home to open this series, falling 4-2 in Game 1 on Sunday and then getting blanked 4-0 in Game 2 on Tuesday.
Jeff Carter paced the Kings' offense in Tuesday's win with a natural hat trick, scoring twice in the second period and once more for good measure in the final frame. Dwight King scored his fourth goal of the playoffs for Los Angeles in the first period.
Jonathan Quick earned the shutout on Tuesday, blocking all 24 Phoenix shots to boost his numbers to ridiculous levels in the playoffs – a 10-1 record, a 1.45 goals-against average, and a .951 save percentage.
Mike Smith faced 40 shots between the pipes for the Coyotes in Game 2, making 36 saves in the contest. Smith is now 8-5 in the postseason with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage; he's allowed seven goals on 87 shots against the Kings.
Los Angeles is now 7-3 against the NHL odds in its past 10 games against Phoenix, while totals bettors at Bovada have seen the OVER/UNDER go 3-5-2 in those contests. During the Western Conference final the OVER/UNDER sits at 1-1.
With two straight losses to start the Western Conference final the Coyotes' odds to win the Stanley Cup have taken a hit – they were listed at 14/1 on those NHL futures at Bovada heading into Wednesday night's action, while the Kings were the 11/10 favorites.
Puck drop for Game 3 is set for 9:00pm ET on Thursday night, with the Kings also hosting Game 4 at 3:00pm ET on Sunday afternoon. Game 5, if needed, would be played in Phoenix next Tuesday night.
After letting the New Jersey Devils back into the Eastern Conference final on Wednesday night the New York Rangers will be looking to take the series lead once again when the teams hit the ice in Newark on Saturday afternoon. Get your NHL odds for the playoffs at Bovada.
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The Rangers squandered their 1-0 series lead in Game 2 of the best-of-seven set on Wednesday night, falling 3-2 at Madison Square Garden.
David Clarkson, Ilya Kovalchuk, and Ryan Carter all scored for the Devils on Wednesday, with Clarkson's marker at the start of the third period proving to be the game winner. Martin Brodeur made 23 saves on 25 shots between the pipes for the Devils, and he's now 9-4 in the playoffs with a 2.05 GAA and a .921 save percentage.
Rookie Chris Kreider and Marc Staal replied in the loss for the Rangers in Game 2, with Henrik Lundqvist allowing those three Devils goals on 27 shots. Lundqvist is 9-7 in the playoffs with a 1.66 GAA and a .937 save percentage.
Wednesday's game was an OVER result for totals bettors at Bovada, with the OVER/UNDER now 4-4-2 over the last 10 meetings between the Rangers and the Devils. New York and New Jersey have also split their last 10 matchups 5-5. Get your own NHL odds at Bovada.
New Jersey's win on Wednesday gave them a shot in the arm on the NHL futures at Bovada, as they headed into Thursday's playoff action just behind the 9/4 Rangers at 10/3 odds to win the Stanley Cup. The Los Angeles Kings sat as the 1/1 favorites on the list.
Puck drop for Saturday afternoon in New Jersey is set for 1:00pm ET, with the teams then getting a day off before resuming the series on Monday night with Game 4. The Rangers and Devils will then return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 next Wednesday.
The one and only time the Los Angeles Kings reached the Stanley Cup Finals came back in 1993 when they were led by some player named Wayne Gretzky and coached by an ESPN personality you may have heard of, Barry Melrose. Well, the red-hot Kings are just a win Sunday over visiting Phoenix from a return trip to the Finals and L.A. is a big -210 favorite on Bovada’s NHL odds.
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The third-seeded Coyotes played their best game of the series in Game 3 but still came up on the short end of the 2-1 score. Phoenix actually took its first lead of the series early in the second period – it was the first time the Kings trailed in nearly 18 periods since April 28 – but the Kings tied it shortly after on Anze Kopitar’s fifth goal of the playoffs. Unheralded Dwight King continued his stellar postseason with his fifth goal of the playoffs, the winner at 1:47 of the third. King’s five goals match his total in 27 regular-season games with L.A., and his four in this series are one more than the Coyotes have as a team.
Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, likely the Conn Smythe Trophy favorite, improved to 11-1 by making 18 saves in Game 3. Eighth-seeded Los Angeles has won eight straight games and is poised to become the first team ever to beat the first (Canucks), second (Blues) and third seeds in the conference on the way to the Finals.
L.A.’s penalty-killers have been sensational. They have killed the last 29 power plays they've faced, dating to Game 5 of their opening-round series against Vancouver. L.A.'s penalty-killers have allowed three goals total in the playoffs and the Kings have scored four shorthanded goals.
The Coyotes will get back a key player for Game 4. Phoenix played Game 3 without forward Martin Hanzal, who served a one-game suspension for boarding Dustin Brown in Game 2. Hanzal had 32 points during the season and three goals and two assists in 10 playoff games.
The New York Rangers will be looking for a second straight win in enemy territory on Monday night as they play on the road against the New Jersey Devils in Game 4 of the NHL's Eastern Conference final. Bet on the Stanley Cup playoffs with Bovada.
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The Rangers broke the series deadlock with a 3-0 victory in Game 3 on Saturday afternoon, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven set heading into Monday's contest.
New York netminder Henrik Lundqvist was the First Star of Saturday's game, stopping all 36 New Jersey shots he faced in the shutout win. That was Lundqvist's third shutout of the postseason and his second in his past three games; his playoff GAA is now down to 1.57.
Dan Girardi, Chris Kreider, and Ryan Callahan had the markers for the Rangers on Saturday, with none of those goals coming until the third period; Callahan scored into an empty net late in the frame.
Martin Brodeur stopped 19 of 21 New York shots in the losing cause; his GAA is 2.05.
The Rangers have paid out on the NHL betting lines at Bovada in six of their past 10 games against the rival Devils, with the OVER/UNDER going 4-4-2 for totals bettors in those 10 contests.
On the Bovada NHL futures heading into Sunday's action the Rangers were listed at 7/4 on the odds to win the Stanley Cup, behind the 5/7 Los Angeles Kings. The Devils were back at 13/2 on those NHL odds.
Regardless of the result of Game 4 on Monday the clubs will head back to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 of the series on Wednesday night. Game 6, if needed would then be played in New Jersey on Friday, with a required Game 7 in New York on Sunday.
With one win in the Western Conference final now in the bag, the Phoenix Coyotes will be trying to avoid having their season ended once again on Tuesday night when they host the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of the best-of-seven set. Bet on the NHL playoffs at Bovada.
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The Coyotes faced a series sweep in Game 4 of the series at Los Angeles' Staples Center on Sunday afternoon, but they managed to come through with a 2-0 road win to cut their series deficit to a still-problematic 3-1.
Coyotes forward Shane Doan was the only skater able to find the back of the net in Sunday's contest, beating Kings netminder Jonathan Quick twice to send his team to the win. Doan now has five goals in the postseason.
Quick made 19 saves on 21 Phoenix shots in the losing cause in Game 4, putting an end to his eight-game winning streak. Quick is now 11-2 in the playoffs with a 1.46 goals-against average and a .948 save percentage.
Mike Smith turned in a 36-save shutout effort for Phoenix on Sunday, stopping his three-game losing skid. Smith has a GAA of 1.90 and a save percentage of .946 in the playoffs.
The UNDER paid out for totals bettors at Bovada for the third consecutive time in this series on Sunday afternoon, with the OVER/UNDER now 3-6-1 in the past 10 games between the clubs. Los Angeles went 6-4 against the NHL betting lines in those 10 outings.
Heading into Monday's playoff action the Kings remained the Stanley Cup favorites on the NHL odds at 5/7 to claim the championship, with the Coyotes listed as 30/1 longshots. Puck drop for Tuesday's Game 5 is set for 9:00pm ET.
The Los Angeles Kings reached just their second Stanley Cup Finals – and first in 19 years – with a 4-3 overtime win over the Phoenix Coyotes in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday. And the Kings have been installed as the 5/7 favorites on Bovada’s NHL odds to hoist the Cup.
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Dustin Penner scored 17:42 into overtime on Tuesday and Jonathan Quick made 38 saves as the Kings won for the 12th time in 14 postseason games this spring. L.A. won its NHL-record eighth straight playoff game and has yet to lose on the road in the postseason. The Kings became the first team to go undefeated on the road en route to the Stanley Cup finals and have won 10 straight road playoff games over two seasons, another record.
The Kings, the No. 8 seed in the West, knocked off No. 1 Vancouver, the Presidents' Trophy winner, No. 2 St. Louis and rounded it out with a five-game win over the No. 3 Coyotes in the conference finals to become the second No. 8 seed -- along with Edmonton in 2006 -- to reach the Stanley Cup finals. Los Angeles became only the second team to knock off the top three seeds in the conference since the NHL switched to this playoff format. The other was Calgary in 2004. Kings coach Darryl Sutter was behind the bench for that Flames team as well.
The Stanley Cup Finals will start Wednesday, May 30 at either the New York Rangers or New Jersey Devils. New York and New Jersey plays Game 5 of the East Finals tonight. The Rangers are 5/2 to win the Cup and the Devils 4/1.
The Kings played the Rangers in their season opener in Sweden on Oct. 7, winning 3-2 in overtime. L.A. and the Devils played twice during the season. On Oct. 13 in New Jersey, the Kings lost 2-1 in a shootout. On Oct. 25 in L.A., the Kings fell 3-0.
The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers are back to square one as they hit the ice at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday in Game 5 of the NHL's Eastern Conference final. Bet on the NHL playoffs at their best with Bovada.
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The Devils erased their series deficit on Monday night, picking up a 4-1 win at home to pay off on the NHL betting lines at Bovada and tie up the best-of-seven set at two games apiece.
Bryce Salvador and Travis Zajac opened the scoring for the Devils in the first period in Monday's win, with Zach Parise potting a pair of markers in the third period (one into an empty net) to ice the contest.
Ruslan Fedotenko scored the only Rangers goal on the night, his first of the postseason.
Martin Brodeur made 28 saves on 29 New York shots on Monday, and he's now allowed just seven goals through the first four games of the Eastern Conference final. Brodeur is now 10-5 in the playoffs with a 1.98 goals-against average.
Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist allowed three goals on 29 shots in Monday's loss; he's posted two shutouts in the Eastern Conference final, and given up three goals in each of his team's two losses. Lundqvist is 10-8 with a 1.65 goals-against average in the playoffs.
Monday's OVER result put the OVER/UNDER at 4-4-2 in the past 10 games between the Devils and Rangers, and 2-2 in this series for totals bettors at Bovada. The teams are 5-5 in their past 10 matchups.
On the Stanley Cup futures at Bovada heading into Tuesday night's playoff action the Rangers and Devils were at 5/2 and 4/1 odds, respectively, to claim the championship this spring, behind the 5/7 Los Angeles Kings.
Game 5 gets underway at 8:00pm ET on Wednesday, with Game 6 set for the same time in New Jersey on Friday night. A Game 7 is then on the schedule for Sunday if needed.
The New York Rangers are the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, but if they can't find a way to beat the rival New Jersey Devils in Newark on Friday night in Game 6 of the conference final their season will be over. Get your NHL odds for the Stanley Cup playoffs at Bovada.
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Martin Brodeur and the Devils won their second straight game in the best-of-seven set on Wednesday night, claiming Game 5 by a 5-3 score at Madison Square Garden to grab a 3-2 lead in the series.
Brodeur made 25 saves for the Devils on Wednesday to outduel Rangers counterpart Henrik Lundqvist – who gave up four goals on 16 New Jersey shots, including three in the first 10 minutes of the contest.
Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias, and Stephen Gionta got the ball rolling for the Devils in the first period of Game 5, staking their team to a 3-0 lead before the Rangers replied with goals from Brandon Prust, Ryan Callahan, and Marian Gaborik.
Gaborik tied up the contest early in the third period, but Ryan Carter then put New Jersey back ahead for good with just under five minutes left in regulation time. Zach Parise potted an empty-net goal for the Devils to complete the scoring.
Wednesday's combined tally of eight goals made the game an OVER result – and pushed the OVER/UNDER in the series to 3-2. New Jersey has managed to pay off on the NHL betting lines in six of their past 10 games against New York.
If the Devils fail to win on Friday night they'll get a second chance to close out the series in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. The winner of the Eastern Conference final will advance to take on the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup final next week.
It’s arguably the most unlikely Stanley Cup Finals matchup in history starting Wednesday night in New Jersey as the Eastern Conference’s sixth-seeded Devils host the West No. 8 Los Angeles Kings in Game 1. L.A. is a -120 favorite for tonight’s matchup and the -170 series favorite on Bovada’s NHL hockey odds.
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The Kings are unbeaten on the road in eight tries in these playoffs – the first team ever to reach the Finals without losing a road game – and have lost just twice in beating the No. 1 seed Vancouver Canucks (the team with the most points in the NHL), the No. 2 St. Louis Blues and then third-seeded Phoenix Coyotes in the Western Conference Finals. The Kings are just the second No. 8 seed to reach the Finals in the current format, joining the 2006 Edmonton Oilers. Los Angeles has never won a Stanley Cup, only reaching the Finals once before, in 1993, led by Wayne Gretzky.
Los Angeles scored the second-fewest goals during the regular season but has taken off since adding Jeff Carter from Columbus at the trade deadline. And the Kings were No. 2 in the NHL in goals-against average during the season behind netminder Jonathan Quick. He leads the NHL in these playoffs in GAA and save percentage and is the 11/10 Conn Smythe favorite at the book.
New Jersey had a much tougher time getting here, having to rally from series deficits vs. Florida (winning in seven games), Philadelphia (winning in five) and the New York Rangers in the East Finals (winning in six). It’s the fifth trip to the Finals in franchise history as the Devils and Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur look for their fourth title.
Brodeur’s numbers haven’t been quite as strong as Quick’s but he has won all the big games. Brodeur is 4/1 to win the Conn Smythe. Offensively the Devils are led by Ilya Kovalchuk, who leads all NHL players with 18 points in this postseason. He is 11/2 to win the Conn Smythe.
New Jersey won both regular season meetings with the Kings but both games were way back in October.
The Los Angeles Kings may decide to forego hosting any games in these Stanley Cup Finals and ask to stay in New Jersey after Saturday night’s Game 2 against the Devils as L.A. looks to take a 2-0 lead. This game is a pick’em on Bovada’s NHL odds with both teams at -115. There will be live play-by-play betting at the book.
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The Kings’ Anze Kopitar scored on a mini-breakaway in overtime Wednesday night to give Los Angeles a 2-1 victory over New Jersey in Game 1. It was Kopitar’s seventh goal of these playoffs. The Kings have now all nine of their road games in the playoffs, an NHL record. They are one win shy of tying the NHL record for road victories in one postseason. The Kings, 13-2 this postseason, have actually won 11 consecutive road playoff games dating back to last season, also a record.
L.A. goalie Jonathan Quick, the 11/10 Bovada favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy before this series began, made 16 saves. Colin Fraser had given Los Angeles a 1-0 lead in the first period on his first playoff goal, with New Jersey tying it late in the second on Anton Volchenkov’s first postseason goal. The Devils’ best two offensive players, Zach Parise and Ilya Kovalchuk, the leading scorer in these playoffs, combined for just four shots, and Parise was minus-2. Getting only 17 shots (eight through two periods) almost never will work against a goalie playing as well as Quick.
Since the NHL introduced the best-of-seven format in 1939, teams winning Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals have gone on to win 76.4 percent of the time (55 of 72 finals). But the Devils shouldn’t be overly worried as they have fallen behind by a game in every series in these playoffs – twice vs. Florida – but have never fallen two games behind. Wednesday was New Jersey’s second loss in six OT playoff games, while L.A. is 3-0 after regulation and a stunning 6-0 when the game is tied after two periods.
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Nashville, though, will have to get the job done without both Alexander Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn in Game 3 on Wednesday night, as those forwards were suspended for the pivotal contest for breaking team rules.
The Predators fell 4-3 in overtime to the Coyotes in Game 1 of the series last Friday night, and they were then beaten 5-3 in the second game of the series in Phoenix on Sunday.
Antoine Vermette, Martin Hanzal, Radim Vrbata, Taylor Pyatt, and Shane Doan all scored for the Coyotes in Sunday's win, with netminder Mike Smith making 30 saves on 33 shots. Kostitsyn, Patric Hornqvist, and Ryan Suter provided the goals for the Predators in Game 2's losing cause, and Pekka Rinne struggled in allowing five goals on 39 shots.
Rinne had been on a three-game winning streak until running into the Coyotes this round, allowing just nine goals in his team's five-game win over the Detroit Red Wings in their Western Conference quarterfinal. His GAA in the playoffs now sits at 2.51.
Smith is now on a three-game winning streak, and his GAA is at 2.03 for the playoffs.
Heading into Wednesday's contest the Coyotes are 6-4 in their past 10 games against the Predators, with the OVER/UNDER going 6-2-2 for totals bettors at Bovada in those 10 contests. Both games of this second-round series have been OVER results.
The Predators' line on the NHL futures took a hit after Sunday's Game 2 loss, and they are listed back at 9/1 odds at Bovada to win the Stanley Cup and at 9/2 to claim the Western Conference title. The Coyotes are pegged at 11/2 to win the Stanley Cup this spring and at 11/4 to win the Western Conference.
Wednesday's game in Nashville is set to get underway at 9:00pm ET, with Game 4 at Bridgestone Arena set for a 7:30pm ET puck drop on Friday night.