Posted on
4/25/2008 4:33:58 PM
NHL Playoff Picks 2008 – Friday Night Hockey Parlay
By Tim Furious
New York Rangers (42-27-13) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (47-27-8)
Friday, April 25th --- Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh --- 7:00pm EST
Series: Tied 0-0
NHL Betting Line: Pittsburgh -145
The Rangers blasted a defensively dominant team in the Devils in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Now they face Pittsburgh, perhaps the most dangerous offense in the league. The Pens crushed the Senators averaging 4.25 goals per game. Things won’t be that easy against New York, the most balanced team in the Eastern Conference.
This is certainly going to be a strange coming of age for Jaromir Jagr, who began his career as a Penguin. If anyone remembers the potential he had, or the fights he broke out with the great Mario Lemieux, then you’ll definitely find that Pittsburgh will “welcome” Jaromir in the playoffs. He’s going to have an earful every time he touches the puck.
The Rangers are 5-2 SU in the last 7 games against Pittsburgh, but have struggled on the road against the Penguins. They are 1-5 SU in their last six games in Pittsburgh, while Pittsburgh is undefeated in their last five games at home. The trends lean towards Pittsburgh in this one. Heavily.
Still, I love the Rangers in this matchup overall. And I definitely love them as an underdog in this game. Look for NYR to open this series by literally beating down the smaller Penguins. I expect Game 1 to be heavy on the physical side, and less based around finesse.
NHL Furious Free Picks: NYR +125 (UNDER)
Dallas Stars (45-30-7) vs. San Jose Sharks (49-23-10)
Friday, April 25th --- HP Pavilion, San Jose --- 10:00pm EST
Series: Tied 0-0
NHL Betting Line: San Jose -150
The Sharks avoided a scare in the opening round when Calgary pushed them to the seven-game brink of oblivion. Thankfully, Joe Thornton and his crew were able to take control of the Game 7 and advance. Now they face the Dallas Stars, who they split the season series with 4-4 SU. The final game, a 4-2 victory for the Stars, resulted in a massive brawl. The wounds have just healed. Now they’re ready to inflict more damage.
Dallas absolutely owned Anaheim in the previous series, averaging 3.2 goals per game. Can they keep up that pace against the defensively stout Sharks. The Sharks had the third best defense in the league with 2.4 goals against, but got greedy at home and allowed 2.5 goals against in the shark tank. But there’s another reason they’ll reward their betting investors.
The Stars are well rested, which may work against them. San Jose is coming of a grizzled series where they had to fight tooth and nail for the victory. Dallas has been out of action for nearly a week, and that rust will show as San Jose scrapes it off their bones. When it’s going to be a brawl, you never bet on the smaller team.
NHL Furious Free Picks: San Jose -150 (UNDER)
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