NHL Betting – Flyers Look to Extend to the Bitter End

The Stanley Cup will be in the building on Wednesday night and the game could signal the end of yet another active NHL betting season. The Flyers will look to get back to their physically dominating game on home ice Wednesday where they are 9-1 in the playoffs and return the series back to Chicago for a most deserved Game 7.

Chicago Blackhawks @ Philadelphia Flyers
8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
On: NBC (USA) and CBC (Canada)

Chicago leads series 3-2

Chicago Blackhawks: +100

Give Coach Joel Quenneville credit for making the adjustment that turned out to be the difference in Game 5. Quenneville broke up his top line and the move paid dividends. Jonathan Toews finally looked dominant playing with Marion Hossa and Thomas Kopetski, Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp had good chemistry and Dustin Byfuglien looked reborn on a checking third line. 11 of Chicago’s 18 skaters registered at least one point in Game 5. Everything was clicking on offense as the seven goals prove.

It’s a good thing that the Blackhawks offense is playing as well as it is. The defense has been suspect all series long and appears to be getting worse. Antti Niemi looks average and is not showing the flashes that we saw earlier in the playoffs. The Hawks better hope the scoring continues because the defense aint doing them any favours.

Puckline: Chicago: +1.5 (-265): Philadelphia: -1.5 (2205)

Philadelphia Flyers: -120

The Philadelphia Flyers got blitzed in Game 5 – there is no other way to describe it. Three goals against in a first period that they got outshot 13-7 – not good. The Flyers can take solace in knowing that all games in the series have been won by the home team, and that Michael Leighton is a different goaltender on home ice.

The Flyers will continue to lean on their second line who have been the reason for the Flyers success in the Final. Scott Hartnell, Daniele Briere and Ville Leino have been superb and there is no reason to think anything different going into Game 6. If the Flyers could ever get Jeff Carter and Mike Richards going (they each have a miserable one goal in the series), they will be fine.

Defensively, you know that Chris Pronger is going to be looking to bounce back in Game 6. He was minus five on the night and was in the penalty box for another one of the Hawks goals -ugly. Pronger was awful and so were his mates. Michael Leighton was pulled and Brian Boucher looked terrible. Not much went right for the Flyers in Game 5 but one thing we know about this the Flyers  is that they are as resilient a team as professional sports has seen in a long time.

NHL Betting Outlook:

The Philadelphia Flyers, despite getting blown out on the scoresheet on Wednesday night played an OK game. They were only outshot 28-27 and they actually outhit the Blackhawks. The Flyers are still a good team that deserves to be here. I can’t see the Flyers allowing the Blackhawks to carry Lord Stanley’s Cup around Wachovia Center. NHL Betting Pick: Philadelphia Flyers -120