Professional Ice Hockey has got to be one of the wildest sports on the agenda today. Coming from a place where no ice forms and there were no ice rinks, I never could make much sense of it until I started watching the playoffs for the Stanley Cup this year.
The first conclusion that I came to was that ‘these guys are nuts’… the second was, if I were one of the refs out there on the ice…I’d want one of those sticks too.
Little by little I gained a grudging respect for game and the players… but I still have trouble following that little puck!
The Stanley Cup Playoffs this year have to rank as some of the most exciting and competitive matches in the history of the Cup and the wagering on both sides has been heavy indeed. We have seen two Under games and two games that went Over the posted totals.
In the first four games of the Blackhawks and Bruins matchup, we have had overtime action in three. One poor Blackhawk fan even had a mild heart attack during game three… and still he was back in front of his TV for game four!
Chicago Blackhawk goalie Corey Crawford has played some very alert Hockey…but he still has let in 12 goals by the Bruins so far in the first four matches of the seven game series. Chicago, on the other hand, has scored 11 goals in the first four games.
Crawford could afford to make light of the recent criticism that he had been receiving about the eight goals coming from his glove side. He told reporters after the match, “Last series they were talking about my blocker. Both sides are bad, I guess.” Well, not that bad Cory. He is getting the job done… so far.
Here are a couple of interesting trends to take a look at. It was the Under that prevailed five times in a row for the Bruins after allowing 5 goals or more in their previous game. But then, the Under also prevailed for the Blackhawks in their last seven matches when their opponents have scored 5 or more goals in the previous game.
The critical game five of the series went off the board with the Blackhawks listed as the favorites anywhere from -145 to -155 with the Over & Under remaining at 5.
