Posted on
5/25/2007 8:05:56 PM
NHL 2007 Playoff Betting – Conference Finals Round Up
By Ringo Dalewood
Eastern Conference Finals
#1 Buffalo Sabres vs. #4 Ottawa Senators
Senators win in FIVE
What we knew: The Sabres were the fastest, deepest team in the league and had been to the Eastern Conference Finals before. They were loaded with star power, but lacked in size.
The Senators were playing like a team of destiny, though nobody believed it but them. The top line of Spezza-Heatley-Alfredsson looked unstoppable.
What we learned: A team with one all-star lineup can beat a team littered with supposed stars. The Sabres seemed content that if one line could not score, that the three other lines could find a way. Not so.
The Spezza-Heatley-Alfredsson line dominated the series, putting Buffalo on their heels the entire game. Drury, Briere and the rest of the Sabres lineup could not score, which was peculiar.
Also hampering the Sabres is something more experts should have seen coming. If you have four scoring lines, who the hell is supposed to be the checking line? Nobody could keep Ottawa’s top-line in check.
Lastly, defense wins championships. Ottawa had a solid forecheck, dominating the physical side of the game, while the underappreciated blue-liners of Ottawa did well in shutting down Buffalo. The Sabres, meanwhile, have no defenseman that could come close to qualifying as house-hold names.
That weakness proved paramount since their power play was absolutely inept and their defense was able to slow the Senators down at all. Ultimately, we learned that the Senators are ready to compete for the Cup and forget the failings of the past. The Sabres, on the other hand, have a big mess to clean up.
Bet on Ottawa as a slight dog to win the Stanley Cup at -105.
Western Conference Finals
#1 Detroit Red Wings vs. #2 Anaheim Ducks
Ducks win in SIX
What we knew: Detroit can compete with anyone. Like no other, they have showed tenacious grit in the face of teams with better personnel. They have an incredible mix of youth (Datsyuk, Zetterberg) and ageless warriors (Chelios, Hasek) that is paying huge dividends.
The Ducks are still the team to beat in the West. They have dismantled everyone in their path and nobody has been able to break the lineup of Pronger-Niedermayer. J.S. Giguere is playing at an elite level in these playoffs.
What we learned: You have to be good to be lucky, and lucky to be good. Anaheim got the lucky bounces in this series to win both game one and the definitive game six. Teemu Selanne emerged as the true captain we know him to be.
Detroit has really nothing to be ashamed of. They were out gunned in every single series, since even Calgary had the man-power to overwhelm them physically. But they answered the bell in every single series.
You can not say age played a factor here. Chelios, Lidstrom and Hasek all played ageless. Injury certainly played a part though. Detroit had too many blue liners on the shelf and Todd Bertuzzi never really got over his back injury. They have many questions to answer heading in to the off-season, Hasek being the prominent one.
Bet on Anaheim as a slight favorite to win the Stanley Cup at -125.
Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals is Monday, May 28th. All games in the series start at 8 PM EST.
Anaheim -140
Ottawa +120
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