NHL Betting: Jaroslav Halak, Habs making noise
Maybe the Canadiens' win over the Capitals in the first round wasn't that big of an upset after all. Montreal knotted its Eastern Conference semifinal match with the Penguins at a game apiece on Sunday with a 3-1 win in Pittsburgh. Jaroslav Halak stopped 38 of the 39 shots the Pens took, and Mike Cammalleri scored twice to lead the Habs. Now, if they could just get Andrei Markov back into the lineup for Game 3.
This is what hockey Legends are made of.
Fans in Montreal know a thing or two about playoff goaltending, and they are definitely warming up to the idea that Jaroslav Halak could be their hero, just like Patrick Roy the last two times the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. Sharp handicappers are already anointing Halak their savior after yet another stunning upset by the No. 8 seeds in the Eastern Conference.
Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins – featuring 38 saves by Halak, many of the acrobatic variety – delivered a +261 payday and tied their series at one game apiece heading to the Bell Centre.
This is a huge wake-up call. The Washington Capitals can’t be brushed off anymore as somehow not having the right stuff, not when the defending champions have also been given a taste of Halak. And while the young Slovak has his bad days, like the 6-3 loss in the series opener, Patrick Roy himself was known to blow a tire on occasion. Halak (.924 playoff save percentage) was sensational in five of Montreal’s nine games for a hefty 8.78 units of profit on the moneyline.
Montreal will continue to have value against the betting odds until the market answers that wake-up call and assigns Halak some credibility. But the Canadiens are in no position to plan a Cup parade just yet. They lost top defenseman Andrei Markov (knee) to injury in Game 1 and aren’t sure when he’s coming back. Jaroslav Spacek (flu) also has yet to return after missing the past six games. The Habs defense deserves some credit, too.
Halak’s been so good, he’s stolen headlines from what should be the top goaltending story of these playoffs: Brian Boucher. The third-string goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers is playing the best hockey of his career with a .928 playoff save percentage, and the Flyers are coming off their own stunning first-round upset of the No. 2 New Jersey Devils.
Unfortunately for Boucher, Philly’s defense isn’t as tight as Montreal’s right now. Boucher was pelted with 46 shots in Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Boston Bruins (-157) in Game 1 of their Eastern semi.
Marc Savard scored the overtime winner for the Bruins in his first game back from a concussion, bailing out Tuukka Rask (.921 SV%) after his first four-goal game of these playoffs. Savard led Boston with 88 points last year and is a vital part of what little offense the B’s have; they were last in the league in scoring during the regular season at 2.39 goals per game. And wouldn’t you know it, just as Savard gets back in camp, Marco Sturm (22 goals in 76 games) is gone for the playoffs with torn ligaments in his right knee.
Goaltending, or lack thereof, is the theme out West, as well. The Chicago Blackhawks were booed at home after their 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks (+144), who chased rookie Antti Niemi (.905 SV%) after two periods. Niemi had two shutouts in the first round against the Nashville Predators, but he’s given up a total of 12 goals in his last three starts, while Roberto Luongo (.908 SV%) has allowed just five in the same span after a couple of shaky performances against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Detroit Red Wings have a promising rookie of their own in Jimmy Howard (.911 SV%), and he’s proving to be just as unpredictable as Niemi. The San Jose Sharks grabbed a quick 2-0 series lead over the Wings with a pair of 4-3 victories at the Shark Tank, although Howard should get at least a little slack: San Jose scored twice on the power play in each game and enjoyed the man advantage 16 times to nine for Detroit.
“We had the game going into the third period, we’re up 3-2, but the penalties did us in,” Howard lamented after making 41 saves in Sunday’s Game 2. Perhaps the zebras will be a little kinder when the series goes to Detroit for Game 3 on Tuesday.
Maybe the Canadiens' win over the Capitals in the first round wasn't that big of an upset after all. Montreal knotted its Eastern Conference semifinal match with the Penguins at a game apiece on Sunday with a 3-1 win in Pittsburgh. Jaroslav Halak stopped 38 of the 39 shots the Pens took, and Mike Cammalleri scored twice to lead the Habs. Now, if they could just get Andrei Markov back into the lineup for Game 3.
This is what hockey Legends are made of.
Fans in Montreal know a thing or two about playoff goaltending, and they are definitely warming up to the idea that Jaroslav Halak could be their hero, just like Patrick Roy the last two times the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. Sharp handicappers are already anointing Halak their savior after yet another stunning upset by the No. 8 seeds in the Eastern Conference.
Sunday’s 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins – featuring 38 saves by Halak, many of the acrobatic variety – delivered a +261 payday and tied their series at one game apiece heading to the Bell Centre.
This is a huge wake-up call. The Washington Capitals can’t be brushed off anymore as somehow not having the right stuff, not when the defending champions have also been given a taste of Halak. And while the young Slovak has his bad days, like the 6-3 loss in the series opener, Patrick Roy himself was known to blow a tire on occasion. Halak (.924 playoff save percentage) was sensational in five of Montreal’s nine games for a hefty 8.78 units of profit on the moneyline.
Montreal will continue to have value against the betting odds until the market answers that wake-up call and assigns Halak some credibility. But the Canadiens are in no position to plan a Cup parade just yet. They lost top defenseman Andrei Markov (knee) to injury in Game 1 and aren’t sure when he’s coming back. Jaroslav Spacek (flu) also has yet to return after missing the past six games. The Habs defense deserves some credit, too.
Halak’s been so good, he’s stolen headlines from what should be the top goaltending story of these playoffs: Brian Boucher. The third-string goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers is playing the best hockey of his career with a .928 playoff save percentage, and the Flyers are coming off their own stunning first-round upset of the No. 2 New Jersey Devils.
Unfortunately for Boucher, Philly’s defense isn’t as tight as Montreal’s right now. Boucher was pelted with 46 shots in Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Boston Bruins (-157) in Game 1 of their Eastern semi.
Marc Savard scored the overtime winner for the Bruins in his first game back from a concussion, bailing out Tuukka Rask (.921 SV%) after his first four-goal game of these playoffs. Savard led Boston with 88 points last year and is a vital part of what little offense the B’s have; they were last in the league in scoring during the regular season at 2.39 goals per game. And wouldn’t you know it, just as Savard gets back in camp, Marco Sturm (22 goals in 76 games) is gone for the playoffs with torn ligaments in his right knee.
Goaltending, or lack thereof, is the theme out West, as well. The Chicago Blackhawks were booed at home after their 5-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks (+144), who chased rookie Antti Niemi (.905 SV%) after two periods. Niemi had two shutouts in the first round against the Nashville Predators, but he’s given up a total of 12 goals in his last three starts, while Roberto Luongo (.908 SV%) has allowed just five in the same span after a couple of shaky performances against the Los Angeles Kings.
The Detroit Red Wings have a promising rookie of their own in Jimmy Howard (.911 SV%), and he’s proving to be just as unpredictable as Niemi. The San Jose Sharks grabbed a quick 2-0 series lead over the Wings with a pair of 4-3 victories at the Shark Tank, although Howard should get at least a little slack: San Jose scored twice on the power play in each game and enjoyed the man advantage 16 times to nine for Detroit.
“We had the game going into the third period, we’re up 3-2, but the penalties did us in,” Howard lamented after making 41 saves in Sunday’s Game 2. Perhaps the zebras will be a little kinder when the series goes to Detroit for Game 3 on Tuesday.