Stanley Cup Odds: Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals takes place on Wednesday on NBCSN as the Los Angeles Kings visit the Chicago Blackhawks. These two teams met last year in the NHL Playoffs and it was the Chicago Blackhawks coming out on top on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. These two teams have won the last two Stanley Cups and three of the last four so it is no surprise to see them meeting again. Let’s look at Game 2 on Wednesday and Stanley Cup predictions.
Will the Los Angeles Kings Run out of Gas?
The Los Angeles Kings have played two straight series that have gone seven games. Will they have enough left in the tank to beat a very good Chicago Blackhawks team? The Los Angeles Kings have actually played more NHL playoff games than any team in the league over the past three years. The Los Angeles Kings have not had a great deal of success against the Chicago Blackhawks. They had lost 8 of the last 10 before Game 1 of this series. The series has not always been low scoring as five of those ten games went over with one push.
Goaltenders
The focus in this series is in goal as Jonathan Quick matches up against Corey Crawford. Quick is considered the better goaltender but all Crawford does is win games. Crawford has been excellent in this year’s NHL playoffs as he leads all goalies in save percentage (.931) and goals-against average (1.97). “Just seems like his job has gotten tougher and tougher over the last few years,” Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said, “Even him being a huge part of our Stanley Cup-winning team last year, it doesn’t seem like it’s getting easier for him.”
Stanley Cup Predictions
The Los Angeles Kings should have lost in the first round against the San Jose Sharks and they probably should have lost in the second round against the Anaheim Ducks. I think their magic ends in this series and it might be a short series. I will lay the price in Stanley Cup odds and take the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 2 on Wednesday.