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It is generally acknowledged the Stanley Cup Playoffs are considerably more fascinating than the NBA Playoffs through the first three rounds. The NBA has more dominant teams that use five players at a time compared to five different players every 45 to 90 seconds as they do in hockey.
In terms of excitement, once we are down to the final two teams in each sport, these are the best two teams that year, making them about equal for fan enjoyment and wagering possibilities.
Whether you are a fan of hockey or just enjoy watching the Stanley Cup playoffs, if you are betting on hockey at top-rated sportsbooks for this anticipated conflict, there are the basics you have to research.
Start With Home/Road Records
With these statistics, along with the NHL odds, you want to know each club’s record in the regular season and how they are performing in the postseason. You can forget about the ties in the regular season, just add up their straight-up figures because there are no ties in the playoffs.
If a team was domineering at home in the regular season, but just a game or two over .500 when facing consistently better competition, this could be a warning sign of potential trouble in the Cup Finals.
- Regular Season Home Record – 28-13 SU
- Postseason Home Record – 6-5 SU
To advance this far in the tournament for whatever reason, this dominant home club has played better on the road. If they were to face an opposing squad that was 33-18 SU away from home for the entire season and equally effective now during the postseason, the previously mentioned home unit could be in danger of dropping a game or two on home ice.
Goalies, The Last Line of Defense
When netminders are diving on loose pucks at impossible angles or snatching 80 MPH shots with an obstructed view, it is clear they are on top of their game. When the same player between the pipes has a clear view of a shooter just inside the blue and gets beat over either shoulder or gives up a goal on a poorly handled shot attempt, that’s a conundrum.
No goalie that reaches this point has played perfectly through three series. Take their work on the whole, both home and away, and know who has the better puck-stopper. In a series like this, you match a brick-wall netminder with a few hot scorers. That could be the difference in taking home the Stanley Cup to show your friends the rest of the summer.
Star Players Importance
When you are playing on the ice in June, the star players have probably been key contributors in various offensive aspects. This is where the stars have to shine, and though not every winning team has a great performance in every battle, they have to be a regular contributor.
Before the Cup Finals, know the four/five best players on each outfit, check their performance in the playoffs and how they match up against co-finalists.
Special Teams – Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold
In any given series, special teams can be the deciding factor or mean nothing at all. If any bettor decides to not investigate this category, that is a major miss for hockey handicapping.
If a team is sloppy in controlling the puck in man-advantage situations entering a series and has not scored in several games, that is a red flag. That could swiftly change, but you better be paying attention when betting game after game.
Conversely, if a team’s penalty killing has turned the goal into a virtually impregnable brick fortress, you have to realize the opposing team has to win 5-on-5 because scoring any other way is more than a stern challenge.
Coaching Still Counts
Just because NHL owners treat head coaches as “disposable”, it does not mean you have to.
As pucks bettors, you might not know all the intel of all the coaches in the league. Nonetheless, when there are just two you have to concern yourself with, the information is available at your fingertips when punching a few keys and clicking.
Learn what coaches are open-minded to change and will stir the pot quickly if their club is having a hard time in the Finals. Understanding lineup matchups, line changes, and maneuvering players on special teams can steal a game.
