Sports Betting Blog

By: Cindy Ferguson

The tables were turned in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals, as Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby hoisted the Stanley Cup onto his young shoulders. The Penguins managed a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of their series against the Detroit Red Wings, a win that brought them the Stanley Cup for the first time in over 15 years.

Even though the heavily-favored Red Wings had a managed a lead twice in the series – first at 2-0, then at 3-2 – the Penguins always managed to even the score. Each team had won three games at home, and the two entered into a Game 7 winner-take-all in Detroit.

The Penguins’ Maxime Talbot was able to score two goals for his team in the second and the Wings were unable to tie the score – although not for lack of trying. In fact, Detroit outshot Pittsburgh overall, 23-17.

“It’s hard, you know,” 39-year-old Wings captain Niklaus Lidstrom explained. “You’re so close to a Stanley Cup. You’re fighting hard the whole season to put yourself in that situation, so it’s hard losing the way we did tonight.”

The game began with a scoreless first period, although the Penguins made 11 shots on goal to the Wings’ 6. At the start of the second, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin pressured Wings defenseman Brad
Stuart into slapping a bad pass. Talbot was able to intercept, firing the puck past Detroit netminder Chris Osgood at just over 1 minute.

The assist was Malkin’s third in the series. Game 7 was the second consecutive game in which neither Crosby nor Malkin scored for the Penguins, although Malkin, who was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for post season MVP, led NHL scorers in both the regular season and in the playoffs.

Nine minutes later, Talbot made a wrist shot from the left circle, sliding under the crossbar to push the Penguins’ lead to two at 10:07.

Crosby, who played just one shift in the second before leaving the ice due to a knee injury, lauded his teammate. “Max came up with some big goals there,” the captain said. “We don’t get to this point without everyone contributing. I knew the guys were going to find a way to pull it off.”

Pittsburgh’s Bill Guerin stated more simply, “Thank God for Max Talbot.”

And Marc-Andre Fleury. Pittsburgh’s on-again, off-again goaltender wiped away bad memories of Game 5’s 5-0 shutout loss to the Wings and played a remarkable Game 7. He made 23 saves of 24 shots, stopping Detroit’s 3rd period flurry of shots –the Wings outshot the Penguins 6-1 – including a final denial of four-time champion Lidstrom with just one second left on the clock.

Jonathon Ericsson had managed to cut the Wings’ deficit to one with 6:07 left in the game. Niklas Kronwall came close to tying the game with 2:14 left, but he slapped the crossbar. Then came Lidstrom, who was officially marked as 59 feet away but who was in fact much closer. Lidstrom targeted the empty side of the net.

Fleury, however, threw himself bodily across the ice, stopping the puck with his chest.

“I knew there wasn’t much time left,” the now-legendary netminder explained. “I just decided to get my body out there and it hit me in the ribs.”

It was an impossible save that gave the Penguins the Cup.

The victory paralleled the two-year duel between the New York Islanders and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers, a young upstart team, were defeated by the veteran New York Islanders in the final round of the Stanley Cup playoffs; the next year, the Oilers returned, defeating their erstwhile conquerors, and claimed the Stanley Cup. Over twenty years later, the Oilers find a counterpart in the Penguins, as the Islanders do with the Red Wings.

However, unlike the Islanders, the Red Wings are not down and out for the count. Many of their key players will remain for the next several years, although next year is Lidstrom’s last. The Wings anticipate a strong season next year.

“I’d rather be out there [celebrating victory on the ice],” Wings player Henrik Zetterberg admitted. “But we’ll learn from this, too. It’s going to make us stronger. We have a great group of guys in here.”

Oh yes, the Red Wings will be back. But for now, the Penguins can relish their victory, enjoying the fame that comes with being the best team in the NHL.

It’s déjà-vu for the Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The teams faced each other last year in the Stanley Cup finals, and this year, they are doing it again. The series promises to be different from last year’s, though; the Penguins don’t look as if they’re going to accept any more schooling from the veteran Detroit team.

The Red Wings managed to grab an easy 2-0 lead in last year’s finals before the Penguins were able to regain their feet, leaving Pittsburgh scrambling to catch up. Their rematch this year harkens back to the 1983-84 Edmonton Oilers-New York Islanders series in the Stanley Cup finals. In 1983, the youthful but talented Oilers, headed by Wayne Gretzky, were trumped by the experienced Islanders. The next year, however, the Oilers returned to the postseason – and to the final playoffs against their older rivals – a hardened and wizened team. They soundly defeated New York, and the next years would belong to Gretzky and his Edmonton team.

The parallels are obvious.

The Pittsburgh Penguins: a young team boasting incredible talent, coming back after last season’s loss. The Detroit Red Wings: veteran players, defending champions but playing a weakened team.

The series may be a long one, but if history proves any guide, the Penguins may be geared for a Stanley Cup win.

Both teams have had strong seasons. They have each swept one series – the Wings taking the Blue Jackets and the Penguins the Carolina Canes. Each has faced strong adversaries. Each has prevailed over both injuries and a 7-game series.

Each lays claim to solid netminding. The Wings’ Chris Osgood and the Penguins’ Marc-Andre Fleury have earned their positions as last goalies standing. Osgood made 30 saves in Game 5, entering the game with a 2.14 goal saving average, second in the league, while Fleury has repeatedly proven himself able to recover from bad goals.

But Detroit is missing key players in its lineup while the Penguins are proving themselves this season’s offensive juggernauts.

The Wings players missing from Detroit’s pivotal Game 5 against the Chicago Blackhawks included Hart trophy nominee Pavel Datsyuk, six-time Norris trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom, Tomas Kopecky, and Kris Draper, while Jonathan Ericsson scratched after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.

The players have only a few short days to heal for Game 1 of the series on Saturday.

The Penguins, on the other hand, are bringing the season’s top offensive players in the forms of Sidney Crosby and Evgenie Malkin. Both have matured since last year’s finals and, since Game 2 against the Washington Capitals, have been able to unite their attacks. These two have a combined point total of 56 – 28 each – with Crosby making 2 goals and 5 assists in the last series, and Malkin making 6 goals, 3 assists.

Nor is the rest of the Penguins lineup lacking. With strong, fast forwards like Tyler Kennedy, Chris Kunitz, Jordan Staal, and Maxime Talbot, Pittsburgh may very well wear out the Wings’ four remaining defensemen (Brett Lebda, Niklas Kronwall, Brian Rafalski, and Brad Stuart).

The Wings may have depth – players such as Johan Franzen (who is at the fore of the team with 10 goals), Daniel Cleary, Valtteri Filppula, and Darren Helm have made important contributions – but without Lidstrom, the Wings might find themselves overwhelmed.

Don’t miss any of the action of the NHL Playoffs and find the best Stanley Cup Finals betting lines at Instant Action Sports.

Predictions for the Eastern Conference, First Round

The NHL’s playoff season has finally arrived, with the First Round of playoffs beginning Wednesday, April 15. The matchups this season have been extraordinary, and some promise grueling matches—and rematches—between rivaling teams.

We at Instant Action Sports want to help hockey fans gain insight into the ins and outs of the games this season, so we’ve done our research and compiled the picks from top-notch hockey experts and bloggers, including those from ESPN, NBC, The New York Times, Bleacher Report, the Daily Gazette, and our own staff here at Instant Action.

#1 Boston vs. #8 Montreal

Boston and Montreal face off again in the First Round of the Eastern Conference. The teams were matched last year but their roles were reversed; the Canadiens in the first seed and ultimately won 7 games.

But Boston’s fortunes have changed. Now in the first seed, the Bruins have enjoyed a winning streak this season—with an 8-2 run, they almost claimed the President’s Cup. Tim Thomas’ .933 save percentage is no small boon, nor is Zdeno Chara, who, at 6’9,” is a monster of a defenseman. With an outstanding offensive and defensive team, the Bruins prospects are good.

Montreal, in contrast, was unable to live up to its success last year. A combination of high expectations and a coaching controversy—Guy Carbonneau was fired after coaching for three seasons—brought down its game. The team dropped 8 seeds and barely made it into the playoffs; with only 93 points, the Canadiens only made it because of a tiebreaker with Florida. On the other hand, the team has won 24 of 31 playoff series.

The overwhelming consensus, however, goes to Boston.

#2 Washington vs. #7 NY Rangers

The Capitals and the Rangers played their first game Wednesday night, with the Rangers ahead 4-3. The win must have come as a surprise to the experts, because the consensus went with Washington. The power of a strong goalie can never be underestimated, and in the person of Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers have got one. Lundqvist made an astonishing 32 saves last night, with only a few sliding by him.

One win, however, doesn’t spell victory. Although the Rangers recouped in the second period, they had a rather shaky first. The Capitals boast strong talent, with Alex Ovechkin, who leads the league in goals for the second consecutive season and takes second for overall scoring, and Mike Green, a defenseman who enjoys some 31 goals already this season.

Rangers coach John Tortorella seemed to aim for penalty kills and power plays. “Our power play is going to have to score for us to stay in there,” he said. Washington came out successful on that round. After intermission, the Rangers were able to get in “some lucky shots,” Green explains.

How lucky will they be next time?

#3New Jersey vs. #6 Carolina

Opening Wednesday night, the game between the New Jersey Devils and the Carolina Canes continues a long playoff rivalry. It is the fourth time that New Jersey and Carolina have met in the post season in the past 8 years. The overall outcome is yet uncertain, but the Devils dominated the Canes in a 4-1 victory.

The easy win may come as a surprise. New Jersey had a slow season this year, winning only four of their eleven games—although it entered the playoffs on a winning streak. The Devils relied on goalie Mark Brodeur, who performed well in the playoff game though he was out much of the season due to elbow surgery. They also have a strong top line, and in the first period outshot the Canes 15-7—though their efforts didn’t meet with success until Carolina goalie Cam Ward began making mistakes.

The Hurricanes entered the playoffs as one of the Eastern Conference’s hottest teams. Ward has a .931 save percentage, and Eric Staal led Carolina in a 9-game winning streak. But the team just lacked energy in this first game. Matt Cullen, Carolina’s center, remains hopeful. “We know we have to have a better effort, and fortunately, there is better hockey in this room.”

If the Hurricanes regain their energy, this playoff series may be a close call between New Jersey and Carolina.

#4 Pittsburgh vs. #5 Philidelphia

The Pittsburgh Penguins enjoyed a one-sided victory over the Philidelphia Flyers in the opening game. The game ended 4-1, almost a reenactment of last year’s playoff game.

The Penguins have done well for themselves this season, clawing their way to the 4th seed in the playoffs. They have a strong top line, anchored by Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin, and of course, Sidney Crosby, as well as a top goalie in Marc-Andre Fleury. They’ve also won 18 games in 24 since February 15, when Dan Bylsma took over as coach.

The Flyers have six players that have made 25 plus goals—tops in the NHL—but have won only 3 of their last eight games. They suffered in their first playoff game from mistakes—the first of which was losing to the Rangers Sunday and so losing a chance to have Wednesday’s game at home. They made some carelesspenalties, and were unable to gain the momentum they needed to fight the Penguins’ pressure.

Though the Flyers enjoy some support from the critics, the majority point to the Penguins as the winners this season.

Check out the IAS NHL Betting Lines and NHL Futures