NHL Playoffs Bracket Round Two: Penguins, Bruins, Blackhawks, Ducks

NHL Playoffs Picks, Round Two: Penguins, Bruins, Ducks, Blackhawks

Most of our bracket is still alive, and both Game Seven losses were destined to fall in the next round anyway so we’re in great shape if anyone followed for their office pools. We also hit three series lengths exactly, and would have had four if the Sharks pulled through. All in all we nailed the first round, but it only gets harder from here.

New York Rangers Vs Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh reminds me a lot of a cat playing with a mouse. Sure, they could kill it rather easily, but it’s more fun to come out of your net with a one-goal lead in the final 20 seconds, misplay the puck, go to overtime and lose on the first shot from the blue line. The cat often lets the mouse get away and rarely seems to care, but I’d rather be the cat than the mouse here. Pittsburgh has ...

NHL Playoffs Picks, Second Round: Boston Bruins Vs Montreal Canadiens

We finished the first round with a near-perfect bracket, losing perfection in the final day. High confidence series predictions in the Rangers, Ducks, and Blackhawks all hit. Our lowest confidence series lost in seven games, but we made up for it with excellent strategy and small units down the stretch. We predicted the correct number of games for three series that we won, and overall we’re up a lot of money using my non-progression betting playoff series system. If you’re going to lose in this system, it might as well be in seven games to minimize loss. In fact, in ...

NHL Playoffs Picks, Game Seven: Rangers Flyers, Sharks Kings, Avs Wild

NHL Playoffs Picks: Game Seven Predictions – Rangers Flyers, Sharks Kings, Avs Wild

I’m sticking to my bracket and my basic strategy of flat betting, so these picks should come as no surprise. We’re one more night away from a perfect bracket. Let’s hope these guys can close it out at home.

Rangers over Flyers – I think the back to back helps the deeper team and I trust the Rangers here. I think they have an edge in every major category and should win at home.

I’m on New York. 3-1

Sharks over Kings – Can San Jose really blow this lead and continue their playoff struggles? Maybe these guys just aren’t clutch? I mean all they have is Olympic champions and a Stanley Cup winner in net… that must be it! No, I think the Sharks played well, stole one on the road, then had one stolen back. This isn’t as dramatic as people are making it, and ...

NHL Playoffs Picks: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers

We don’t have any big-confidence plays on Sunday. These series have all been battled out in lengthy fashion, and this is no exception. Game Five comes in 2-2 after both teams split at home. This is a whacky series.

The Flyers had some momentum, but starting Ray Emery was clearly a mistake. Mason came back in and shut down New York in Philadelphia. I don’t think they can take another one in New York though.

The Rangers appear to me to be the better team across the board. I like their weapons offensively better, though they’re very similarly isolated to a few lines. I love their defense, especially with Grossman out. I think that’s the edge on which the series will turn. Lastly, I think Lundqvist is the better goalie here.

The computer seems to agree. At -150, the computer has the Rangers as a 2.5-star favorite with a 59% chance ...

NHL Playoffs Picks Contest Round Two: Habs Lightning Game Four Prediction

MLB and NHL Picks Contest: Round Two – NHL Playoffs, Habs Lightning Game Four on Tuesday!

The Tampa Bay offense’s speed and skill has dominated the Montreal defense that I thought would be their strong point. The Habs have been out-skated and the Lightning are getting chances. That said, it hasn’t mattered much with the way Carey Price has been playing and Montreal’s depth. As good as Anders Lindback was in Game One, he was a tremendous liability in Game Two. Montreal has the upper hand as the series shifts back to Canada, but there’s no quit in this Tampa team. In Game Four, will they roll over for the mighty Canadiens, or will they fight with the season on the line? That’s for you to decide. This series has been a coin flip, but it’s also been the most fun for me to watch. In Round Two of our NHL Picks Contest, after a postponed baseball game, we ...

NHL Playoffs Picks: Philadelphia Flyers Vs New York Rangers

NHL Playoffs Picks: Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers

I suppose you could say this is one of my favorite rivalries because I hate both teams as a Devils fan. I think I hate the Flyers more. Cheapshots guised as physicality and 40 years of futility make the Flyers a bunch of scumbags. The Rangers, clinging to 1994, at least have some dignity in their storied history of mediocrity on the ice, right?

Truth be told, I don’t really trust Henrik Lundqvist. How arguably the best goaltender in hockey has won so little in the playoffs is beyond me. Even ...

NHL Playoffs: Penguins, Ducks, and Habs on Day One

NHL Playoffs: Penguins, Ducks, and Habs

My strategy in the NHL playoffs is an interesting one, but it’s led to successful predictions each year I’ve been a published handicapper. While NHL playoff match ups lend to progression-style chase betting, I choose my series winners and bet the series line as well as flat betting on every game across the entire series. We do this, of course, with varying levels of confidence.

The first installment of this strategy opens tonight. With low confidence we’re on the Habs to upset the Lightning in the first round. With medium confidence, limited by a lack of value in the lines, we’re on the Penguins and Ducks to win as well. The Ducks are my favorite series of the first round in the west.

Habs Lightning

I think the Canadiens have a defensive edge and more stability than the Lightning. Tampa has a solid offense, but I look for Montreal’s depth to shut them down. ...

MLB Picks Contest 2nd Round: Atlanta Braves Vs Philadelphia Phillies

NHL and MLB Picks Contest Round Two: Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies

So far this series is living up to the billing. Two hot teams provided for an exciting finish in Game One before Dan Uggla’s grand slam led the Braves to a comeback win – immediately after allowing five runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Let’s hope the excitement continues.

I like Atlanta this year and expect them to do big things in a mediocre division. It’s an interesting lineup with volatile, streaky hitters and right now they’re pounding the ball. I don’t know ...

NHL Playoffs First Round Picks and Predictions 2014

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins vs WC 2 Detroit Red Wings Few teams have the depth of the Boston Bruins, which lends to their stability every season and particularly each postseason. They are anchored in goaltending and have sufficient defensive depth to make another great playoff run. The Detroit Red Wings have done a remarkable job this year battling injuries, but they’re simply inferior to the Boston Bruins. You can never right off a team like Detroit that fought so hard this season, but this series is Boston’s to lose.

Bruins in five

Tampa Bay Lightning vs 3. Montreal Canadiens I like Ryan Callahan. For a while, he was the only New York Rangers player I could respect. Putting him on a team with Steven Stamkos makes the Lightning very exciting for me. Ben Bishop is a big, talented goalie. Still, this is a very difficult series to predict. Carey Price is capable of taking over a game, and the Habs ...

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils Win Possible Last Start

Martin Brodeur and the Future of the New Jersey Devils

It doesn’t sound like Martin Brodeur is all that ready to hang up the skates. He did slip in his post-game interview and call Sunday’s matinee with the Bruins his last start, but he quickly backtracked to indecision. Unfortunately, it also doesn’t seem like the Devils really want him back. Marty is unlikely to happily accept a role as a backup, and it’s hard to imagine him platooning in New Jersey for another year. This might be goodbye for a number of reasons.

It would be weird to see Brodeur in another uniform, so the child in me is hoping for retirement or a 20-game role to stay in New Jersey and keep Cory Schneider fresh next season. Brodeur is arguably the greatest goaltender to ever play the game, and doing it all for one team makes it special. That said, he’s a stubborn man.

Comments (read: very loud, whining ...