mrs cf  love that one cheeky


Enjoy the trip mate and be sure to let us know how it goes , also good luck tonight 

Evening chaps 


Quick preview of tonight....


All of a sudden the Caps new defensive minded strategy looking fully justified as they close in on yet another Conference title , amazing the praise Caps were receiving this time last season compared to the negative press this time around and all to do with the entertainment factor as opposed to using a strategy that just might win them the cup , a Caps win in RT tonight should just about make them conference top dogs and against a team that is on an 8 match losing run it really should happen , make no mistake this Caps team that's adopting a strategy we've been praising Pens for using over the last few seasons will be exceptionally difficult to beat in a 7 game series and should really collect 2 points tonight.

Most difficult call of the night is the Wings game in Carolina , Canes are almost at the point of no return following the NYR & Sabres wins over the last couple of nights and Wings will be keen to keep the pressure on Sharks for that 2nd seed , everywhere you look in this game there seems to be a reason to back Canes and then discover another one to back Wings , the big names will no doubt stand up and be counted tonight with Wings buzzing with the return of Datsyuk and Canes will be looking to Eric Staal for some heroics , a lot will depend on how Canes handle this sort of intensity in front of their own fans and in all honesty any prediction here would be an absolute guess.

One of those games in New Jersey that's impossible to call really due to the questionable motivational factor , imagine both teams will play their normal style but maybe the home team will play with that little extra edge , that said we keep saying it's wise to avoid the unpredictable Leaf's games , hard to justify having a bet on this one.

Yet another difficult call in Boston with several considerations for both teams , Bruins really do look rooted in 3rd spot now with little chance of climbing and they'll already be thinking of a divisional bloodbath play-off against Habs or another tough divisional game against Sabres , Islanders have been refreshing to watch since the play-offs became just a dream and they've played intensity free , difficult to assess the motivation here tbh and I was thinking whether the main focus for Islanders was the Friday night final home ice against Pens as the fans would absolutely love to win that one , no handle on either the match or goals markets.

The game in Chicago is not quite make-or-break for Hawks but not far off , consider their remaining 2 games after tonight are a double-header against Wings and it really does make this Blues game a must win , Blues playing very relaxed stress free hockey at the moment and worth remembering there is divisional rivalry at stake , normally goal fests these match-ups with 35 goals in the 5 meetings this season , have to believe the defending champions will step it up tonight and put one foot in the play-offs.

The game in Calgary looks one to avoid from a betting perspective , Flames have to win ( yet again ) but it's unlikely to be good enough anyway , Oilers arrive on the back of a double win over Canucks but we have to take those wins with a pinch of salt with due respect to Oilers after the celebrations of Canucks PT win , wouldn't be confident playing any market in this game and it's easily swerved rom a betting point of view.

Game of the night in Anaheim with the grudge game against Sharks , Ducks nowhere near certain to qualify yet and assuming Dallas win out still need a few points to make certain , Sharks have the 2nd seed in their pocket if they can win out but aside from that they would be even more happy if they thought a win tonight could put Ducks out of the play-off picture , think Sharks would prefer to play just about anyone battling for the 8th spot in the opening round apart from Ducks after the elimination last season , this game has a really tight look about it with neither team happy to lose in regulation so the tie at a good price may be the value play.

Big game for both Kings and Coyotes tonight as they've seen Pred's ease past them into the important 4th spot , think both teams will be happy to get at least a point from this to practically ensure qualification and then take their chances in OT , Kings would normally look a decent bet tonight but this missing scoring power is a real worry for them , also the news that Kopitar is out for the season after thinking he may be back for the 2nd round is a big blow , it could be low scoring and again the tie will be protected if it's level going into the 3rd period so that could offer some in-play options.


Lots of twists and turns before Sunday's final round of matches i'm sure , good luck guys   

Top stuff drew with 2 great calls 

Extremely late night for me but worth it as i've never seen a game go so much to script in L.A , once the game went 2-2 no goals in the 3rd period to secure at least 1pt each , awesome result 


Only 4 games tonight but sure to be a bet 

Excellent stuff drewboy, not been bothering with NHL, just waiting for the playoffs.  Sitting on antepost on Caps and Van (see post in October!!).

So just going to let them ride and do some series bets when end of season. 

Good luck to guys who are still playing this late

Rangers

Agree about that Hawks goal drew and it could seriously have affected the chances of Dallas so bet they're still seething , Rangers just played like nervy kittens tbh and must have been remembering this stage last year , they can only hope Canes slip up now but Devils won't do them any favours either , thought hard about laying Rangers last night after posting comments but came down on the side of a smaller stake on the tie unfortunately.

Just sent you a mail about the schedule tomorrow

Quick look at the schedule for later.....

The game in Detroit is important for both teams but absolutely crucial for the defending champions , Wings need an RT win really to keep the pressure on Sharks for 2nd seed but for Hawks there's a desperate need for at least 1pt , Hawks have welcomed Sharp back on the ice and have won their last 4 games at the Joe , fancy Hawks to get at least 1pt here and keep destiny in their own hands.

Difficult game to evaluate in New York , feel sure the Islanders have targetted this one as the final home game for the fans and as a divisional game they would love to beat Pens , problem is they are banged up somewhat with knocks and injuries , Pens are back in the hunt for the divisional title since the mini-demise of Flyers but they seem torn between gaining the best seeding and avoiding more injury issues to add to Malkin & Crosby , could easily be a shock result here if the fans are up for it.

Big game in Buffalo and both teams really need something out of the game , Flyers seem to have gone to pieces lately and are struggling to peak at the crucial time but worth remembering they need 1pt here to retain their own destiny , Sabres will confirm qualification with a win but realistically would love to guarantee 1pt and take their chances in OT , hard to get away from the tie in this one.

Wouldn't expect Atlanta to be doing any favours to the opposition in a divisional game despite nothing on the line so Canes will have to work hard for the crucial win , Canes have to assume NYR will win their final game in RT and then they will need to win out but at least one win has to be in RT , advantage they have is the later start time tomorrow which means they'll know exactly what's required , have to believe Canes will find a way to win here.

Dependng on how events are unfolding for Pens over in New York then Tampa could be virtually rooted in 5th place anyway which is the probability anyway , Panthers have lost 9 games on the bounce now are can't wait for the season to end , it'll be poor show if Florida can't look to regain some pride for this divisional game but in all honesty it's a game to swerve betting wise.

Nasville will be looking forward to this clash you'd imagine , Pred's are in good nick and although they technically still need a pt to qualify they'll be thinking 4th place is a real possibility with the Kings remaining fixtures , Jackets are on an abysmal run of losing 8/9 or if you prefer 17/20 so can't imagine they'll be that motivated for this one and Pred's should win comfortably.

Funny looking game in Edmonton that at first glance you would think is a no bet game for sure , Wild seem to be blooding some young guys to finish off the season and it's a real tail off to the season for them , Oilers seem to making the noises here with the desire to finish off with a good winning performance , honestly think Oilers should be favs here and they're worth a bet for me , albeit a small one.

Strange situation for Dallas tonight with one eye on the Hawks score in Detroit , not keen to get involved with this one with the possible distractions and the " Dallas streak " i'd planned for their final 4 games has come to an end and i'm jumping off , still paid around 2.24 for their last couple of wins so worth doing anyway , no bet game for me.

Don't know what to make on the game in Anahein in all honesty , Kings need to win out for 4th seed but Ducks still need a win to be certain but may have an eye on the Dallas result , too complicated this one to get involved tbh although should be well worth watching.

Final game in Phoenix is a fascinating one , going to look at the position later after the game in Detroit has finished as the requirements for Sharks could look a lot different , could quite easily be a good value bet in this one but won't know until much later.


Good luck tonight guys , any views ? all are welcomed 

I'm considering getting on the Avs .. Hawks cruising to a win which ends the Stars' playoff hopes, no motivation for them. Could be a good spot.

ffs read it wrong again it was right the first time , this Jack Daniels is a great drink , ignore me everyone ffs 

Interesting as Kings take the lead in Anaheim whilst Dallas are still 2-1 up in Colorado , if scores stay the same means that Ducks have tie-breaker over Dallas with a game to go but whereas Dallas are at Wild the Ducks are at the Kings , so all to play for at the moment 

4-8 in the western conference is amazingly tight and will most likely come down to tiebreakers. As a Canuck fan it's interesting but I have a feeling we'll get either Anaheim or Chicago and I don't really know which of those teams I prefer. Might like Anaheim just because travel is easier, we're in the same time zone, and a lot of people from up here will make the trip down.

Proves to be a very exciting weekend.

Good luck Benrik , just gathering thoughts as we speak   

Hope you had a successful Saturday Hayden. Had a strong feeling on NJ yesterday morning but NYR surprised me. Actually, more surprised Carolina played so poorly knowing what was on the line.

One day left and nothing settled in the West. Canucks can draw Chicago, Dallas or LA. Sort of hoping to avoid Chicago so will be cheering for them this morning vs Detroit. If they can't get a point will be cheering for Dallas later on.

Dallas a sure thing in this game then?

I seem to have got caught out with a few of these must win matches recently, especially on carolina last night!

I really fancy Dallas here but dont want to get my fingers burned again at that price.

Yes Benrik the pressure of needing to win has been too much for a few teams over the last few days , NYR couldn't beat Atlanta , Canes against Tampa and Hawks couldn't even get a pt against Wings , bit late to say but that should be enough to prevent anyone lumping on Dallas and expecting it to be a stroll , we've always talked on here about the product of strange results with pressure on one side and no pressure on the other and commendable effort from Tampa , Wings and Minnesota I think with absolutely nothing on the line.
Reason I posted about the Dallas price crash was due to the sleepy bookmakers not suspending the Dallas game at the same time as the Hawks game as it was so relevant , there was plenty of 1.73 about after the Hawks result and it did end up as 1.49 at puck drop so there was plenty of free money in between games , couldn't spell it out in too much detail as betfair police don't like all the bookmaker comparisons but never look a gift horse in the mouth I guess.

Well it's the draw yourself and Swardean didn't want in the end , should be an absolute war 

Like Benrik really looking forward to the match with hawks but very wary, certainly not the easy start I was looking for.  Will be gutted if they throw away the season at this stage but that's an added pressure they carry.

On NHL.com there is the annual playoff predictor, free and a bit o fun for anyone that is interested. With my interests already on Canucks and Caps, I am happy just to watch the series develop and may pick an odd bet here and there.  For interest, I may do an east and west accumulater (4 to predict the sides from that conference to qualify.  Selections to come.

Anyone very stong on a particular series?

Quick thoughts for the East.......


Pittsburgh/Tampa
Always thought Pens could still be a real threat without Crosby , also a real threat without Malkin , but without them both this will be a very difficult series to win , the fans will play a big part for Pens as is normal in the play-offs but it'll be weird away from the Igloo , Stamkos has it all to prove and we'll see whether he's up to the play-off mentality required but sure Lecavalier will nurture him along.......taking a surprise here with Tampa going through in 6/7.

Washington/Rangers
Caps are infinitely better equipped for a good run this season after eventually realizing you can't win a Stanley Cup by thinking you can score 6 every time you concede 5 , losing a series 3-1 lead like last season against Habs would be a million to happen these days and the fact that last seasons build up was all about Crosby v Ovechkin must surely help AO this season with Sid sidelined , Green should be back for the opener but no Semin goal for 14 play-off games is the only concern , Rangers seem out-gunned in most departments here and lack of goal scoring power and the injury to Ryan Callahan make this a mountain to climb......taking Caps comfortably in 5/6 in a probable low scoring series.

Philadelphia/Buffalo
One thing certain about Flyers is that however indifferently they're playing that scoring power always gives them a chance , Pronger is crucial for them and that injury needs to clear up quickly whilst they also need to cut down the penalties against this opposition ,  Sabres have looked the business of late with solid displays everywhere , got a feeling this is Vanek and Miller time and that they'll step up to the task against a team still with too many question marks.......taking Sabres to shock and win in 6/7.

Boston/Montreal
This has to be the highlight of the opening round , coaches play a more than crucial part here and it's a fine balancing act for Bruins in this match-up to get the physical game right without drifting too much away from 5 on 5 , how the bad blood overspill pans out here is anyone's guess but the vastly superior special teams of Habs will have a field day if Boston get their brutal game balance wrong , remembering last season and the Halak heroics against Caps followed by the over achievement of the team gives me belief this coach can do it again with Carey Price a probable hero.....yet another shock for me and Habs in 6 or 7.


Conference winners: It's Caps season for me with Sabres as the best outsider.

Looking over my thoughts for the conference it seems i've developed an allergy to favourites , personally won't be getting involved in too many individual games along the way but there are a few considerations that have helped me in recent seasons....

-Not to make regular season stats the ultimate criteria as the play-offs are a different animal.
-Don't use home-ice as the reason for value as it's already factored into the price.
-Not to assume playing on the road is automatically a disadvantage for every team.
-If the home team for game 3 is 0-2 in the series they are normally a good bet irrespective of value.
-Never bet on game 4 in a series , it's normally played between the ears , unpredictable and best swerved.
 
The above won't be everyone's cup of tea and imagine most will take it as nonsense but they're theories that have worked well for me amongst several others , any match bets for me now will be at seriously reduced stake levels as compared to the cash cow that's the regular season due mainly to the fact there's less research and scheduling influence required that gives you the betting edge and what you see is normally what you get.
It's that time of season to relax and enjoy the spectacle for me as opposed to any serious financial speculation as all the hard graft has already been done.


Good luck guys , all views welcome   

Agree with a lot of your picks Swardean. Would lean towards Anaheim over Nashville myself but you have it going 7 so obviously not much to separate them.

Interesting opening night guys , Wings showed their power and Coyotes limitations , Caps won an unsurprisingly low scoring game , Pens did well but the margin flattered them , Ducks are Ducks and showed their inconsistency whilst the Vancouver boys must be delighted 

Only bet i've had in the play-offs is Caps to meet Sharks in the final , would have been silly not to after posting at such a big price , no match bet for me until game 3 matches start when i'm sure one will stick out like a sore thumb.
Will be on the thread every night though to see what's going on , good luck