The first round of the NHL playoffs went a little too closely to script. The favorites took care of business in all eight series with Toronto the lone underdog to push to a Game 7 showdown.
Still, there were notable takeaways from the opening round that can make bettors more profitable in the future.
Specially, after the Blue Jackets jumped to a 2-0 series lead over the Capitals, Washington became a significant underdog at +400 to win. Columbus hadn't been the better team through the first two games, either.
The Capitals dominated possession with a 55.17 Corsi For percentage while limiting Columbus to a postseason-low 4.65 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Additionally, Braden Holtby was set to take over the crease for Game 3, and he sported a .932 save percentage through his previous 60 playoff appearances.
With the huge swing in series odds following the consecutive Columbus wins, Blue Jackets backers now had an opportunity to guarantee a profit by wagering on Washington. Those who took a wait-and-see approach and jumped in after Game 2 with a flier on the Capitals to pull off the comeback received a nice payout.
Sometimes it takes a game or two for the best option in a series to present itself.
Round 2 Outlook
With no upsets in the opening round, the conference semifinals feature four fabulous matchups. Round 1 often provides the most excitement and best hockey, but there aren't going to be any duds moving forward, and all
The first round of the NHL playoffs went a little too closely to script. The favorites took care of business in all eight series with Toronto the lone underdog to push to a Game 7 showdown.
Still, there were notable takeaways from the opening round that can make bettors more profitable in the future.
Specially, after the Blue Jackets jumped to a 2-0 series lead over the Capitals, Washington became a significant underdog at +400 to win. Columbus hadn't been the better team through the first two games, either.
The Capitals dominated possession with a 55.17 Corsi For percentage while limiting Columbus to a postseason-low 4.65 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes at five-on-five. Additionally, Braden Holtby was set to take over the crease for Game 3, and he sported a .932 save percentage through his previous 60 playoff appearances.
With the huge swing in series odds following the consecutive Columbus wins, Blue Jackets backers now had an opportunity to guarantee a profit by wagering on Washington. Those who took a wait-and-see approach and jumped in after Game 2 with a flier on the Capitals to pull off the comeback received a nice payout.
Sometimes it takes a game or two for the best option in a series to present itself.
Round 2 Outlook
With no upsets in the opening round, the conference semifinals feature four fabulous matchups. Round 1 often provides the most excitement and best hockey, but there aren't going to be any duds moving forward, and all eight remaining teams are legitimate contenders to win it all. Here's a quick look at each of the Round 2 series.
Goals Upon Goals
The Tampa Bay-New Jersey series averaged 6.0 goals per game and the Boston-Toronto matchup averaged 6.9. Considering the power-play success and offensive fire power of both clubs, look for the Lightning and Bruins to fill the net in Round 2. Take notice "over" bettors.
Andrei Vasilevskiy posted an incredible .941 save percentage against New Jersey, but he also allowed three goals or more in 12 of his final 15 regular-season starts with an .893 mark. The Bruins ice a superior roster than the Devils, too. Additionally, Tuukka Rask was merely mediocre against Toronto, and like the Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay has the speed and skill to give Boston fits.
High-Event, Back-and-Forth Hockey
Through the five regular-season matchups between the Jets and Predators, there were a 540 shot attempts at even strength (286 for Winnipeg and 254 for Nashville). Additionally, both clubs finished with top-five marks in goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five during the regular season.
Winnipeg's 67.61 shot attempts per 60 minutes topped all 16 teams in the opening round, and Nashville finished third with 64.71. Both of these teams are capable of driving possession and generating scoring chances. Even with two Vezina-nominated goaltenders, there are likely to be high-scoring games, especially early in the series. Considering the preferred style of play of each team, don't be afraid of the over early in this series.
Back from vacation
Vegas and San Jose each took care of their opening-round matchups in four games and have now been off since April 17 and 18, respectively. More than a week later, the break could prove to have been too long early in this series. Scoring was already likely to be difficult to come by, but the extended layoff could also have both teams a little rusty.
The Golden Knights and Sharks combined to surrender just seven goals in Round 1, and both were top-10 defenses with 2.71 and 2.72 goals allowed per 60 minutes during the regular season. Marc-Andre Fluery and Martin Jones have enough playoff experience to backstop a low-scoring series, and there could be good value on the under after the two teams combined for 25 goals through their four regular-season meeting.
Redemption or repeat?
Washington has lost to Pittsburgh in the second round the last two postseasons, and the Penguins have won nine of the previous 10 playoffs meetings, including in all five of their Stanley Cup championship runs. Remember, though, the Caps outplayed the Pens by a considerable margin with a 61.41 Corsi For percentage at five-on-five and 53.67 percent of the high-danger scoring chances during last season's series loss.
Fast forward to 2018, and Washington opened as the favorite to win this series, but it lasted less than an hour. Evgeni Malkin (lower body) has already been ruled out for Game 1, and he hasn't skated since Game 5 against Philadelphia on April 20. Capitalizing on Malkin's absence and power-play opportunities will be critical for Washington, as the Caps scoring four goals with the man advantage during their Round 1 comeback definitely helped mask other shortcomings. This could be a ripe spot to be patient and look for a better number during the series because of the familiarity of the two teams, and Malkin's injury status.
San Jose (+110) over Vegas
The Sharks are now 16-6-1 with a plus-28 goal differential since acquiring Evander Kane at the trade deadline. Joe Thornton (knee) could return to bolster the lineup during the series, and don't forget, a similar San Jose lineup was a win away from being Stanley Cup champions just two years ago. Midnight looms for Vegas' Cinderella season.
Stanley Cup Futures
The two futures for the Cup previously recommended were the Jets and Sharks. They've dropped from +800 to +625 and +3000 to +850, respectively. There's definitely potential Winnipeg and San Jose are two of the four teams that advance to Round 3, too.
Looking to the Eastern Conference could be a way to increase profit potential, and the Bruins offer a lot of value. Boston went to the wire against the Maple Leafs in Round 1, but the series went to script, and was widely projected to be the toughest opening matchup.
The Bruins drove possession (52.30 Corsi For percentage) and scored 3.16 goals per 60 minutes at five-on-five against Toronto, and Tuukka Rask wasn't at his best. Additionally, despite being on the ice for 12.85 high-danger scoring chances per hour in Round 1, Rick Nash registered just a single goal and assist – his .911 playoff PDO is unsustainably low. Improved play from Rask and Nash will also help mitigate the likely dip in production from David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk and Torey Krug.
Add: Bruins +725
Conn Smythe check
Ahead of the playoffs, Pekka Rinne and Patrice Bergeron were both recommended as future bets for the award. After shaky showings in Game 2 and 3 against Colorado, Rinne stood tall with a .951 save percentage over the final three games to help advance the Preds to Round 2. Begeron recorded eight points through six contests against Toronto, but he also appeared to be playing at less than 100 percent after missing Game 4. His three-point rebound in Game 7 was reassuring, though.
With long numbers in place with Rinne and Bergeron, Sidney Corsby's postseason run warrants a look at +1800. His two-point showing to lead Pittsburgh's comeback win in Game 1 against Washington strengthened his case, and with Evgeni Malkin's (lower body) status up in the air, Crosby becomes even more valuable to the Pens. No. 87 has now marked the scoresheet in six of seven playoff games for seven goals, eight assists and five multi-point showings. Additionally, all but three of Crosby's point have come at even strength.
Add: Sidney Crosby at +1800
