Let’s take a look around the NHL playoffs at the top picks, plays and predictions.
| Capitals vs Flyers ML -160 / +144 O/U 5 |
Panthers vs Islanders ML -109 / -101 O/U 5 |
| Stars vs Wild ML -118 / +107 O/U 5 |
Kings vs Sharks ML +107 / -118 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
#1 Capitals vs WC2 Flyers: Tonight is perhaps the final night of hockey in the Wells Fargo Center for the season. The Flyers are on the ropes, facing a 3-0 hole to the President’s Trophy winners who have been rolling.
Philly head coach Dave Hakstol has officially pulled Steve Mason in favor of Michal Neuvirth. Mason’s season ends in turmoil- if the Flyers lose, their season is over. If they win, they will assuredly go back to the goaltender who earned them their victory. Mason was a major reason for the Flyers’ success this season, but his cumulative numbers took a hit this season.
Ultimately, the Flyers’ postseason can be summed up by Mason allowing a goal from center ice in Game 2. Washington topped that by netting not one, not two, but five powerplay goals in Game 3 en route to a 6-1 triumph.
In the process, Philadelphia was again caught in an ugly fan incident as an estimated 100 spectators hurled their Ed Snider memorial wristbands on then ice in protest in the third period. The “fans” were protesting a game misconduct levied to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare after a nasty hit on Dmitry Orlov.
Orlov is expected to play tonight. Brooks Orpik will be sitting out after a hit to the head by Ryan White.
In a brief scare at practice, Braden Holtby was run into by a teammate and left the ice. He dinged up his knee, but he will be good to go tonight.
I still find it very hard to believe that the Flyers are in the position to be outright swept, especially at home. But they have brought this upon themselves with a lackluster attack, horrible discipline and defense that is completely overmatched.
Prediction: Take the Caps to finish the job tonight. Play the under.
#1 Panthers vs WC1 Islanders: The Islanders managed to steal a win in Game 3 after overcoming a 3-1 deficit. It took extra time, but the Isles’ first playoff game in Brooklyn was a success.
After playing the first three games of the series in a four-day span, the two teams got both Monday and Tuesday off.
Reilly Smith is tied with Nikita Kucherov for the playoff lead in goal scoring with eight tallies this series. Smith and the Panthers have dominated the possession battle, as they have the highest shot-attempt percentage close of any team in the postseason with 57.1%. In both games that the Panthers have lost, they have blown a lead. The Panthers lost three different leads in Game 1, and lost two two-goal leads in Game 3.
One of the underrated role players in the midst of this series has been Shane Prince. Prince went from the subject of many a Google search to find out just who he was when he was moved at the deadline to one of the most important energy players on the Isles. Prince has a goal and is a +3 with eight shots on goal in three games. He skates on the third line with Alan Quine and Ryan Strome and was on the ice for Thomas Hickey’s overtime winner in Game 3.
Florida cannot be demoralized. They must keep their foot on the pedal. The Islanders cannot play catch-up forever. By the same token, the Islanders have not scored first in any of the first three games. If they manage to score first, they will win Game 4. If not, I expect the Cats to even things up.
Prediction: Take the Panthers to win. Play the over.
#1 Stars vs WC2 Wild: Minnesota got back in the series with a 5-3 victory on home ice. Apparently after the game, John Torchetti went around the locker room hugging each and every player. That does not seem surprising. Torchetti marches to the beat of his own drummer. He is a fiery, fast-talking man with a language all his own. TwinCities.com did a nice piece on that exact subject.
The shot-attempt battle was about even for Game 3, though Minnesota did a much better job of limiting high-danger chances. The Stars managed just five all game at even strength.
Tyler Seguin re-injured his Achilles tendon in Monday’s game. In retrospect, if Seguin was not 100%, there is absolutely zero reason that he should have been playing. Why risk further injury to your star player when you are already up 2-0 on a clearly inferior team? The Wild were dead in the water. The Stars don’t need Seguin for this series, they need him for the next. I will admit I was fooled. I thought he was at full strength. Now, he is questionable for tonight’s game.
The win may have lit a fire under the Minnesota Wild. As I’ve mentioned before, the Wild need nothing less than perfection on home ice if they want to win the series. After the Stars leapt out to an early 2-0 lead, the Wild came roaring back to score four unanswered goals.
From the looks of the shot chart from War-on-Ice, the Wild came out of the gate for the second period with a vengeance. The Stars came out complacent.
Zach Parise is still listed as doubtful for tonight’s game. It is unclear at this point whether he will need season-ending surgery or not. Thomas Vanek is out indefinitely.
Prediction: I don’t expect the Stars to fall into the same trap tonight. Take Dallas to win. Play the over.
#2 Kings vs #3 Sharks: Game 3 of Kings-Sharks went deep into the night for us East-Coasters. As the night entered the AM hours, the Kings finally broke the deadlock with a wrist shot under the glove of Martin Jones, getting them back into the series.
Seems like deja vu all over again, no?
The Sharks have now lost three straight home playoff games, all against the Kings. Jumbo Joe Thornton scored within the first 30 seconds of play, but the Sharks were unable to break through the Kings’ defenses. Los Angeles was out-attempted for the game, though they had a plethora of chances in deep that were blocked. The Sharks outshot the Kings 23-11 after the first period.
Per War-on-Ice:
The road team is now 7-1 in the last eight meetings between these two teams.
Alec Martinez is questionable tonight after missing Game 3.
There are demons in the SAP Center that need to be exercised. At -118, it’s perfectly reasonable to put your faith in the Sharks.
Prediction: Take San Jose to win. Play the under.
