Articles by Cappers Picks related to online NHL hockey betting, and handicapping live NHL matchups.
The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers shifts back to the Consol Energy Center for Game 5 on Friday. The Penguins have won three in a row in the series, putting the Rangers on the brink of elimination.
Ducks Try to Dig Themselves Out of a Hole – Visit Kings in Game 3
The Anaheim Ducks head out on the road Thursday night looking for that elusive fist win in their second round playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings. Down 2-0 in the series, it is no secret as to why the Ducks are in such a predicament – their potent offense has gone cold.
Boston Looks to Reclaim Home Ice Advantage – Game 4 vs. Habs Thursday Night
The Montreal Canadiens have become used to fast starts in their second round series with the Boston Bruins – unfortunately they have become used to coughing up leads in the third period and letting their Original Six rivals back in each game.
The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will continue their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series with Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. The Penguins wrestled back home ice advantage with back-to-back wins, but they can now put their foot on the throats of the Rangers with a win in Game 4.
Eastern Conference semifinals Game 4
Pittsburgh Penguins (6-3) at New York Rangers (5-5)
Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Madison Square Garden
City: New York, New York
O/U Odds: 5
In Canada? Try Pinnacle!
Money Line: Pittsburgh -106, New York -102
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
The Penguins don’t get shutout wins often, particularly in the postseason, but that’s been the case in each of their last two outings. The team usually relies on its high-powered offense, but the team didn’t even do much in the way of generating chances in Game 3.
*CLICK HERE* GRAB OUR BEST Expert NHL Hockey Picks for 2014 GAMBLING season!
In that contest, the Rangers actually outshot the Penguins by a wide margin, 35-15, and the Rangers even had a 5-to-1 edge in power plays, but like we saw in some of their games against the Flyers, the Rangers just couldn’t catch any breaks.
Now, having been shut out in back-to-back contests, the Rangers are desperate to find goal-scoring anywhere they can. The team wasn’t shut out in back-to-back contests in the entire regular season, so it seems safe to say they won’t be shut out for a third consecutive game on Wednesday night.
[ad-4437448]
The last time the team was shut out in back-to-back games, they responded by scoring four goals against Winnipeg, then six against this very Pittsburgh team in back-to-back wins. Derek Stepan scored twice against Winnipeg, while Rick Nash had a goal and a helper. Derick Brassard had a goal and three assists in the win against Pittsburgh, and Brad Richards had a goal and two assists in that game.
Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault would love for any one of those players to step up right about now. Vigneault blasted the schedule-makers after Game 3, and his team will now have to put up, or shut up.
The Rangers need this win in a bad way. The schedule-makers deserve a lot of the blame for the speed bump the team just hit, but now that they’ve had a day off, there won’t be any excuses after this one. Expect an A-effort from the Rangers in this one after back-to-back duds.
Additionally, with goals being hard to come by for the Rangers in their last two games, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist knows he’s going to have to stand on his head in this one if the team has a chance. With competent play from Marc-Andre Fleury at the other end, this game should stay under the number.
The Rangers are 11-2 in their last 13 games played on a Wednesday, and 5-2 in their last seven home games.
The under is 16-6-3 in the Rangers’ last 25 home games, and it is 9-2-6 in their last 17 conference semifinal games.
The play: New York -102, Under 5
Habs Bring Home Ice Advantage Back to Montreal
The Boston Bruins have a little work to do in order to regain home ice advantage in their series with the Montreal Canadiens. But a win in front of a rabid Bell Center crowd certainly won’t be easy.
Kings Look to Take Stranglehold Back to Staples Center
We all knew that Game 1 between the Kings and the Ducks would be tight and it certainly didn’t disappoint. Marian Gaborik’s goal with seven seconds left in Regulation and then his goal at 12:07 of the first OT period gave the Kings their fifth straight postseason win.
The New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins will head over to Madison Square Garden as their series shifts to New York for Game 3 on Monday. The Rangers laid an egg in Game 2 on Sunday, and while the schedule played a major factor in their performance, they’ll need to get up for this one on the second night of this back-to-back.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers continue their Eastern Conference semifinal series at the Consol Energy Center on Sunday. The Rangers took Game 1 in the series in overtime on Friday, leaving the Penguins up against the ropes in this one, needing to win on Sunday to avoid going to New York with elimination on the table.
Habs Look to Continue Dominance Over Bruins – Game 2 Saturday Afternoon
The Montreal Canadiens drew first blood in their second round series with the Boston Bruins on Thursday night and in turn served notice that they are not going to lay down for the President’s Trophy winning Bruins.
Ducks and Kings Begin Quest for So-Cal Bragging Rights
The Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks begin their second round playoff series Saturday night with each team looking like a serious Cup contender after the first round.
The Minnesota Wild impressed a lot of people (author included) with their resilient series victory against a youthful, high-octane Colorado team. Can they keep any magic going against conference standout Chicago, or will the underdog party come to an end in Round 2?
The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers will face off in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The series begins on Friday at the Consol Energy Center in Pennsylvania on Friday.
The teams remaining in the Stanley Cup playoffs were cut in half after a thrilling first round, which saw the lower-seeded team win four of the eight series. There’s still plenty of hockey to be played, meaning plenty of opportunities for the alert bettor to cash in.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers certainly aren’t strangers, and the teams will face off in the second round of the postseason, just their first postseason meeting since way back in 2008. In that series, the Penguins made quick work of the Rangers en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
Habs and Bruins Kick Off Round 2 Thursday Night
After long layoffs, two of the most impressive teams in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs – the Habs and the Bruins, meet in Boston for Game 1 of Round 2 on Tuesday night. It’s the 34th meeting between the clubs in Stanley Cup playoffs history and it should be a classic as per usual.
Flyers and Rangers Go the Distance – Play Game 7 Wednesday Night
There wasn’t a whole lot of time to dissect Philadelphia’s 5-2 Game 6 win to stay alive on Tuesday night – the teams are back at it in the clincher Wednesday night at MSG.
