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.

By: Cindy Ferguson

Who do they think they are? The Pittsburgh Penguins are, to the surprise of most spectators and commentators, pushing and shoving the Detroit Red Wings on the road to the Stanley Cup. The Wings, last year’s Stanley Cup champions and generally the favored pick for this year’s silver trophy, are now approaching a Game 7 with a team many had expected to be eliminated in Game 6.

After an obscenely embarrassing 5-0 Game 5 shutout, the Pittsburgh Penguins resurged in Game 6 and scrambled for a rough and dirty victory. But, to use an oft-overused albeit easily understood tautology, a win is a win. And the Detroit Red Wings no longer appear to be simply biding their time for the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins were reinvigorated at the Mellon Arena, their home stadium. After a scoreless first period, Pittsburgh’s Jordan Staal gave the Penguins a lead in the first minute of the second. Six minutes into the third, Tyler Kennedy gave the Penguins their second point.

Kris Draper began to even the score, giving Detroit its only point in the game and making his first goal in the playoffs. His teammates struggled to close the game with another point, and the third period was marked by a flurry on the ice.

But the combined (and much improved) effort of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and Rob Scuderi maintained the Penguins’ lead. Scuderi threw himself on the ice to stop a low slot shot from Johan Franzen, blocking the puck first with his leg pad then with his boot.

The Penguins managed a 2-1 victory without either of their luminaries, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, scoring a point for the second consecutive game. Pittsburgh has been reproved for lacking depth, but Game 6 might force us to give more credence to the rest of its linemen.

Game 6 evened out the series, with each team winning all its home games. Now they will face each other one last time in a very unpredictable winner-take-all game.

The Red Wings have a one advantage that, thus far, seems to have been key in this playoff series: home-ice advantage. The final game will be in the Wings’ home territory, a benefit that may extend beyond the rah-rahs of a supportive audience.

“I think there’s a few shifts every period where the road team has to get that change and they can’t maybe sustain that pressure on the other team like they’re able to at home,” Detroit blueliner Brian Rafalski explained. “The road team has to try and get their players out, get more of a matchup and it creates a little bit of offense for that team.”

Beyond that, the Red Wings have a clear advantage in experience; Detroit is a dynastic club filled with veteran players. They also have a depth that the Penguins seem to be lacking; with key players missing from much of the playoff season due to injury, the Wings have still been able to surge to the top. And if star winger Marian Hossa – who must be overwhelmed by the irony of facing a team he thought unlikely to win the Stanley Cup – is able to get his game back and join teammates Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, the Penguins will be facing two deadly Wings lines. Not to mention, of course, netminder Chris Osgood, who has put on an extraordinary if understated performance throughout the playoffs.

The Penguins, however, are not entering the final game without an arsenal of their own. They have an advantage in special teams that thus far hasn’t played out in the series, but may become important in Game 7. The Penguins are 4-for-13 in power plays, while the Wings are 4-for-21. It would be a huge boon if Pittsburgh’s Sergei Gonchar can generate a power play in Game 7.

Nor is Pittsburgh lacking in star-power. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin bring some serious talent to the team. Granted, they have been mired in a slump in which neither scored in the past two games, but if they start generating points, the Wings might find themselves in trouble.

Most importantly, the Penguins need a strong performance from goaltender Fleury, who struggled in three of the games this series. He is capable of giving a sharp performance, and if he manages one in Game 7, the Penguins’ chances of bringing home the cup are significantly improved.

In short: Detroit appears to be a more solid team, but if the Penguins can bring all their players through – if – they have a real shot at the Cup.

The Anaheim Ducks entered into the NHL postseason as the undisputed underdogs. Their regular season had a rocky beginning, and only a dramatic recovery at the end of the season pushed them into the Stanley Cup playoffs in the eighth seed.

Their opponents: fellow Californians and top-seeded San Jose Sharks. The Sharks were the undisputed top team in the league for the Western Conference. They entered the playoffs already bearing the President’s Trophy and had only lost 5 home games during the regular season. The series playoffs began in their home territory, in San Jose.

Many predicted that the series would be challenging for the Sharks, who had a strong team but who lacked significant playoff experience. Those predictions have rung terribly true for the Sharks; the team has already lost its first two games in the playoff series against Anaheim. Now tongues wag, and there are whispers that San Jose is continuing its long tradition – six of the last eight playoff games – of dropping out of the postseason in a hurry.

But the Sharks haven’t yet lost hope. “It’s not like we’ve been spanked and we’ve got our tail between our legs,” San Jose Coach Tod McLellan stated. “We play the same way, do the same things, create the same number of chances, eventually it’ll go in for us, and we’ll continue on.”

After the loss in Game 1, McLellan changed his lines, breaking up top scorers Joe Thornton and captain Patrick Marleau. He had Thornton skate with Jeremy Roenick and Jonathon Cheechoo at the top while Marleau moved back to the middle. Both Clowe and Cheechoo scored, but it’s not clear that the goals came as a result of team effort rather than outstanding individual effort.

The Ducks, on the other hand, benefited from an excellent overall effort, a combination of postseason experience, skill, and simple luck. Their first goal – and the first goal in Sunday’s game – came less than 4 minutes into the first period. The Ducks had only seconds left on a power play when their young forward, Bobby Ryan, bounced the puck off of Sharks goaltender Evgenie Nabokov’s goalpost. Ryan then leapt over the prone Nabokov in order to shoot the puck into the net.

Early in the second period, Ryan Clowe was able to score the Sharks’ first goal in 174 minutes of playoff time. The score raised San Jose’s scoring chances and Anaheim Coach Randy Carlyle called time-out a few minutes later. Anaheim was unable to score in the second period; and even worse, the Ducks continued with penalties – Chris Pronger committed two fouls in that period alone.

With a 17-3 shot advantage in the second period, San Jose was slowed only by Anaheim’s stalwart goaltender, Joseph Hiller. Hiller made 42 saves on Sunday, and although the Swiss player has no previous playoff experience, he is a veteran from the Swiss League and the world championships. He has posed a major challenge to the Sharks in the first two games in the series.

Ten minutes into the third period, rookie Andrew Ebbett was able to break the tie, scoring his first career playoff goal. Ebbett deflected the puck off of Nabokov’s playoff pad after Teemu Selanne sped behind the Sharks’ defense and fired the puck into the net, setting Ebbett’s play in motion.

Just minutes later, Drew Miller scored again for the Ducks on a rebound goal. There were less than 7 minutes left to play and the Ducks were ahead 3-1. Seconds later, however, Cheechoo managed to shove past Anaheim’s defense to score. The Sharks kept the pressure on, and Christian Erhoff even hit the post with just over two minutes left to play, but the Ducks were able to keep control of the puck in most of the final minute.

The game ended 3-2, Ducks.

Since 1994, an eighth seed has defeated a top seed seven times. To keep the Ducks off of that list, San Jose must win four of the next five games, two of which will be in Anaheim. Another early playoffs loss would be a devastating blow to a team with a President’s Trophy and a 117-point season. The next game will be on Tuesday.

Don’t forget to check the NHL betting lines at Instant Action Sports!

Predictions for the Western Conference

Wednesday sparked the beginning of the NHL’s First Round of playoffs for the 2009 Stanley Cup. The Western Conference boasts last year’s Stanley Cup winners, the Detroit Red Wings. But beyond that, the West will play some of the top players in the league, point to some incredible reversals of fortune, and pit youthful talent against aging experience.

At Instant Action Sports, we brought you analyses and predictions for the Stanley Cup’s Eastern Conference. Now, we’ve assembled the predictions and picks from the hockey experts at ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report, Sports.net, and of course, Instant Action, to take a look at this year’s Western Conference.

#1 SAN JOSE vs. #8 ANAHEIM

The game between San Jose and Anaheim pits a hot team with elite players against a more experienced and overall solid team. The game will depend on whether the Ducks can intimidate San Jose. Either way, it won’t be an easy series.

The Sharks have been vying for a chance at the Stanley Cup for five seasons. They have a nasty habit of enjoying good regular seasons then bowing out early during the postseason. This year, however, they come to the playoffs having tucked away the President’s Cup and having the best record in their franchise’s history. The Sharks may lack superstars, but they have a respectable goalie – Evgenie Nabokov has experience and a .917 save percentage in 59 games – and a strong top line – Joe Thornptom, Patrick Marleau, and Devin Setoguchi. Their second and bluelines are deep and solid. They also brag 3rd place in the NHL’s overall power play and 5th in penalty kill. But they will need to keep an eye on players returning from injuries this season – playoffs just ain’t the place to get back in shape.

Although the Ducks may have had a weak start this year, they were able to strengthen up by the late season to make eighth seed. They have retained some of the most important players since their last Stanley Cup win two years ago, an experienced group of players that won’t flag under playoff pressure. And Anaheim’s top line has been scorching lately, relying on Ryan Getzlaf centering Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry. Getzlaf, by the way, has had an astounding 14 points in his last eight games. Although the team is ranked low for penalty kill – only 23rd in the NHL—they have a strong power play at 4th in the league. And while the Ducks’ goalie, Jonas Hiller, has no playoff experience, his performance this season has nonetheless earned him a starting spot.

Anaheim will have to avoid unnecessary penalties to beat the Sharks; they will also have to overwhelm the Sharks’ brittle confidence. The Ducks will put up a fight, but most of the experts point to the Sharks as the winners in a close series—between 5 and 7 games.

#2 DETROIT vs. #7 COLUMBUS

Last year, Detroit won the Stanley Cup; this year, Detroit is going for it again. It is a rare thing for a team to win two consecutive years in a row, but the team is hot. The Wings lay claim to three of the NHL’s top forwards, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Marian Hossa. And with players like Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom, they also have depth in the front. They hold onto two of the league’s most talented defenders with Nicklas Lindstrom and Brian Rafalski. Their downfall, though, is at the net. Neither of the goalies – Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin – has had a stellar season this year. Osgood has had some electric games, with last year’s three shutouts and a 1.55GA, and Conklin has made some spectacular saves while with the Penguins, but neither has proven stable.

Columbus, on the other hand, lays claim to a rookie superstar, Steve Mason, who has led the team to win after win. With a 2.29 GAA and a .916 save percentage, he finished the season second only to Tim Thomas. As we saw in Capitals-Rangers opening game Wednesday, a strong goalie can save a game – and, in the case of the Blue Jackets, maybe even a series. If the Jackets have a chance against the Wings, it lies in Steve Mason.

The consensus goes with Detroit, but it may be close.

#3 VANCOUVER vs. #6 ST. LOUIS

The game between the Canucks and Blues brings a surprise twist: Vancouver has been banging on the door for years while St. Louis stumbled forward from mediocrity last year to the playoffs in this one. The series opened on Wednesday, and the Canucks claimed the first game 2-1.

The season changed for the Canucks when superstar goaltender Roberto Luongo returned from his injury. Since March 4, the team went 12-5-2 with a revived offense, defense, and of course, goalie. Luongo set a record for the franchise with 9 shutouts, even though he missed 24 games. On Wednesday night, Luongo managed some 25 saves, and will be a key player in the next games in the series. But Luongo isn’t the only star on the team. With Alexandre Burrows, Daniel Sedin, and Henrik Sedin on the top line, and Ryan Kesler, Mats Sundin, and Pavol Demitra on the second, the Canucks gained a scoring attack on two lines.

St. Louis was a shocker; the experts thought little of the Blues, but they rocketed forward with Chris Mason, a starting goalie who has had an amazing 6 shutouts in only 57 games and a .916 save percentage. Mason managed to finish Wednesday’s game with 29 saves. The lineup, though, lacks dazzle, especially with Paul Kariya out since November 4 for two hip surgeries. (He may be cleared for play within the week.) But with Keith Tkachuck, Brad Boyes, David Backes, Andy McDonald, and David Perron, St. Louis has a solid offense.

In the top ten in both penalty killing and power plays – 3rd and 8th, respectively – St. Louis appears to have an edge on Vancouver. But that didn’t play out Wednesday night. The Canucks, ranking far below St. Louis in special teams, were able to stop six of St. Louis’s seven power plays. Though the Blues have talent, the Canucks have a little more—and Luongo. The consensus goes to Vancouver, though the series will be a tough one for them.

#4 CHICAGO vs. #5 CALGARY

The game will set the Blackhawks against a deeper, more experienced team in the Flames. The matchup may be in the Blackhawks’ favor; the team outscored Calgary overall and in a couple of games at the United Center. Calgary, however, has far more playoff experience, attending the last 5 consecutive postseason events. In order to win, the Blackhawks will need to keep their heads.

Chicago has in its grasp one of the top lines in the NHL, with Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Teows, and, of course, Patrick Kane. Martin Havlat, one of the strongest on Chicago’s offense, boasted career highs this season with 48 assists and 77 points. Goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who may have given a very underwhelming performance in his first three seasons, is now giving the Blackhawks an elite performance, with a 2.33 GAA and a .919 save percentage.

The Flames are armed with talent, toughness, and experience that will make them a challenge for the Blackhawks. Their ranking as 4th best in the league for penalty killing pushed them into the playoffs. Several important players have been missing this season, though, including Dion Phaneuf, Mark Giordano, Cory Sarich, and Robyn Regehr, and may also miss the playoffs. Many hope that Mikka Kiprusoff will save Calgary, but he has failed to stun this season. Calgary’s major bonus is its playoff experience; the team will have to overwhelm Chicago to make it through the series. Most critics, however, think the Blackhawks will win out.