Caps and Devils to seal series wins in 7?
Six down, two to go. There are only slots left to fill for the NHL’s conference semifinals, and both of them are in the Eastern Conference, where we‘ve got two Game 7s to turn our eyes to tonight.
You never like to go the full seven in your first-round series, considering that there’s going to be a quick turnaround between the end of one series and the start of the next, but it’s all in the name of keeping your Cup dreams alive.
With the exception of San Jose’s exit at the hands of Anaheim, the higher seeds have been able to take care of business in the first round, and the higher seeds are both at home tonight, so the chances are high that we’ll get to see the top four seeds in the Eastern Conference semifinals, with three higher seeds + a recent Stanley Cup champion already having booked berths in the Western Conference semifinals.
It’s no surprise that the homestanding higher seeds are favored in the NHL betting odds, but do I like the favorites? Read on.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers – Series Tied 3-3
Unlike the San Jose Sharks, who were sent packing by Anaheim last night, the Capitals haven’t faltered in the face of elimination, winning two in a row to overhaul a 3-1 deficit and give themselves a Game 7 at home. From the way that they’ve won the last two games, you’d have thought they got down 3-1 on purpose, but it’s just that they’ve made rallying look just that easy.
How will the Rangers respond after the way they lost the last two games? In Game 5, the Capitals were dominant on both ends in a 4-0 shutout, and they followed it up in Game 6 in New York by finishing off the Rangers by the end of the second period, rendering two third-period goals by the Rangers meaningless in a 5-3 win. They’ve had the advantage in this series from the outset, but now they’re the ones on the back foot after not just allowing Washington to get back in the series, but completely dominate proceedings in the process.
Washington has woken up when they needed to, and I don’t see them letting up in front of the home crowd. They’re clearly the favorite right now, and if they play with the intensity that they’ve played with in the last two games, this one will be over early like the last two. Caps win and move on, and the Rangers wonder what could’ve been.
New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes – Series Tied 3-3
What kind of game will we see tonight in Jersey? Games 2-5 were all decided by one goal, but in Game 6, the Hurricanes broke out the whuppin’ sticks to beat the Devils 4-0 at home and force tonight’s Game 7. Carolina will certainly be brimming with confidence after the way they won Game 6, and for being in a position to win a series that they’ve never led.
But, the Devils will certainly be full of confidence as well, and they’ve got the numbers on their side as well. I like to point out patterns, and there’s one in this series, with the way that they’ve alternated wins (the Devils won 1, 3, and 5, and the ‘Canes won 2, 4, and 6), and if things go according to the pattern, New Jersey’s going to be moving on.
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