The New Jersey Devils and the Florida Panthers square off in Game 7 of what has been a most intriguing series on Thursday night, with both looking to end long playoff droughts. How close has this series been?
The New York Rangers were anticipating a tough first round series versus the Ottawa Senators but there is no way that they could have envisioned having to win Games 6 and 7 just to move on. That is the case as the top Eastern seed hosts the pesky #8 seed in the deciding Game 7 on Thursday night.
#1 Seed in the East Rangers Hopes to Avoid Upset at the Hands of #8 Ottawa
Ottawa Senators at NY Rangers
When: 7:00 PM ET, Thursday, April 26, 2012
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Broadcast: CBC,RDS,NBCSN,CSN-DC,NESN (HD)
Series tied 3-3
Sens vs. Rangers Betting Lines from betonline.com
Spread: Rangers -1 ½ (+175)
Moneyline: Senators +150: Rangers -165
Over/Under: 5 goals
The Ottawa Senators, it could be argued, deserve a better fate than the one that faces them – Game 7 on the road in one of the most iconic buildings in the world. But an average effort in Game 6 is the reason that they are here. Jason Spezza was benched, team Captain Daniel Alfredsson snapped and even the coach was critical of their effort.
Chances are that Ottawa will be better on Thursday night. They have brought the intensity all series long – there is no reason to think that they won’t rekindle the hate and the emotion for Game 7.
Offense hasn’t exactly been Ottawa’s strong suit in the series so far but key players are conspicuously absent at the moment. Eric Karlsson is inexplicably pointless in his last four games and Milan Michalek hasn’t been nearly the player that he was during the regular season. But it is up to the veteran on the team to get it going. Daniel Alfredsson showed plenty of emotion in Game 6 but they will need his to show up on the score sheet. Jason Spezza has three points in two games but has been prone to lapses that could cost his team in game 7.
Make no mistake about it – Craig Anderson has been the story of the series so far! He has been sensational and owns a 1.70 goals against average in the series and a save percentage hovering around .950 – amazing!
The New York Rangers are in a tough spot. Why? One could point to the poor play of Marion Gaborik in the series so far – no goals since Game 1! Although there is not a whole lot to love about the Rangers offensively they can take solace in the fact that the previously pointless Derek Stepan woke up and registered one goal and two assists in Game 6 and Brad Richards chipped in with a goal and two assists. However with the good, there is some bad. [ad-4437448]
The Rangers haven’t scored an even strength goal in over three games and in a Game 7 that will likely be short on power play chances (hopefully the referees let them play), New York will need some better five-on-five play.
No worries about Henrik Lundqvist – he has been stellar as per usual. However an interesting stat – Lundqvist is 2-5 in elimination games and has never won back-to-back elimination contests.
Betting Prediction: Ottawa is 23-7 in the last 30 meetings in New York and the road team is 21-7 in the last 28 meetings.
The road team has won four of the last six Game 7s in the playoffs. The Rangers have won the last three Game 7s at MSG but are just 3-5 all-time in deciding games while the Senators are -0-4 in Game 7s.
The New York Rangers will likely be forced to play without Brian Boyle once again on Thursday and that could be a factor. Ottawa has been the better team in the series and deserve to go through – don’t you think? Karma catches up to the Rangers and the Senators send the remaining #1 seed home Thursday.
Pick: The Underdog Senators +150
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On Monday night, the Ottawa Senators will try to do what most was thought to have been impossible – eliminate the top seeded New York Rangers from the Stanley Cup playoffs. In a series dominated by goaltending, no one could have expected that it would be the Senators goaltender that would have been the one stealing games.
The Chicago Blackhawks do not know the word quit! For the fourth time in the series they were able to tie game in the third period to force overtime Saturday night. Now after five extra time games in five games played, the weary Blackhawks will try to stave off elimination once again on Monday night against the pesky Phoenix Coyotes.
What had been one of the least nasty series’ in this year’s playoffs has suddenly turned a little testy after Raffi Torres introduced himself to Marion Hossa in what of the hits of the playoffs so far.
The Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals renew hostilities in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarter-final on Thursday night with the Bruins looking to take a stranglehold on the series.
Old time hockey was on display in Game 2 of the series between the New York Rangers and the Ottawa Senators and there is no reason to believe that the bad blood between the teams will calm down anytime soon.
The Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series between the Boston Bruins and the Washington Capitals heads to DC on Monday night all even.
What many thought could be a matchup of Eastern Conference Finalists begins as a Round 1 series on Thursday night when the #2 seeded Boston Bruins host the #7 seeded Washington Capitals. Both teams had their own issues during the regular season but all those could be washed away as the new season begins.
The surprise team of the Eastern Conference will try to take down the East Champs in a matchup of the #8 seed Ottawa Senators, losers of three straight heading into the playoffs and the #1 seed New York Rangers who lost their last two games of the regular season.
The ultimate culmination of a superb NHL Betting season goes down Wednesday night – one game to decide whose boyhood dreams will come true. In what has been one of the more bizarre Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory, the Vancouver Canucks, after getting outscored 17-3 in their three losses in the series have a chance to close it out on home ice where they have been decidedly better.
If the first five games of the Stanley Cup Final has taught us one thing it is the fact that history and momentum mean absolutely nothing! The writing appeared to be on the wall for the struggling Vancouver Canucks but a strong total team effort has them within one win of Hockey’s Holy Grail.
How does a best of three to determine the Staley Cup sound? So far both teams have held serve on home ice – the Canucks in close fashion and the Bruins in uber-impressive style. The move back to Vancouver is certainly good news for the Canucks – they are 9-4 at home in the playoffs.
Surprised with the outcome of Game 3? The score was certainly a shock but the outcome really shouldn’t be. Vancouver has just eight wins in 55 trips to Boston – eight! Boston is now 8-1 in their last nine home games overall and Tim Thomas has given up one goal in his last 99 shots faced at TD Garden.
It’s NHL PLAYOFFS hockey betting season once again. Hockey Gambling fans sure are getting their money’s worth from the free NHL Stanley Cup Playoff picks and hockey lines we give out here at Capperspicks.com.
