NHL 5.3.2015 – All Hands on Deck

Lightning @ Canadiens
Pick: Bolts
Alternates: Bolts +1.5, UNDER 5
Boy, Vegas….what in the hell are you thinking in making Bolts the dogs here?
The first game in the series was back and forth and Bolts were sluggish while still coming out on top.
On top of that, the game only went as far as OT because of Bishop and his shoddy tending on that glove side play and letting in a dirt goal.
Bishop was my only concern in that game and this series and my fear was proven right on that single goal but NOT on the game overall itself.
He otherwise played good enough overall to shut the Habs down and in other plays – he was STELLAR. He literally kept them in it making the game more about the goalie play and less about the players.
I have already said it prior but will restate it : the Habs are a great team this year and with Price between the pipes they even have the glimmer of making final round to the Cup to some people.
Price is tremendous and I have not seen play like that since Hasek but if you can get to him and score, then Habs are just a good team, not great.
The Lightning are just that team, incredibly deep, and have the firepower to make Price a mere mortal once again.
Yes, I know that the Bolts currently have zero goals this postseason from their star forwards (Stamkos and Callahan) but this offense is like the Carey Price of the NHL this year and sooner or later, they are going to explode.
Meanwhile, you have Tyler Johnson and Kucherov lighting up the postseason for the Lightning capable of scoring when your main stars are not. What will the Habs do if all of them spark in the game?
Let me see……a much weaker offense with a great goalie or top offense with half way decent goalie? Let me say this a different way: your goalie ain’t scoring for you, chief.
Light up the sky, Bolts – Canadiens going through a rough storm today.

Wild @ Blackhawks
Pick: Wild ML
Alternate: Wild +1.5
Last game was like Mr. Do’s Wild Ride. Everyone thought they were safe with a 3-0 lead with money on the Bhawks already counted; Wild fought their way back to tie it up.
Dubnyk had a bad game and it was bound to happen because they have played the shit out of him since they found out that he was a diamond in the rough.
He served them well in the later season and they had to use him in that manner because he was the key to their playoff run and we all know it.
Let’s all be honest here ; Wild are a good team and have talent but if you think they get this far with the same amount of wins without Dubnyk then put down the bong, Ahab.
Wild have to be thinking (as do you); does Dubnyk have the gas to make the run or is he running on fumes? They have not rested this guy at all, really.
On the flip side you have a different scenario with the Blackhawks and Crawford did EXACTLY what I said he would do – give up goals because that is his nature.
The man is weak – Bhawks know it, you know it, I know it, and now the Wild know it and how to expose those flaws.
No lead is too safe if you consider that being up 3 goals should have been a slam dunk case, Perry Mason.
I think with a better netminder playing, the Bhawks could run the gamut and possibly win the whole shebang.
As it stands however, they do not and Darling is not going to help them bring home Lord Stanley, either.
Wild saw that they have a chance here but playing from behind is not the optimal situation against a veteran team with a tremendous amount of experience.
Fun Fact! The Wild haven’t lost back-to-back games in regulation since Devan Dubnyk arrived.
In order to beat the Hawks you need speed, offense, and pepper Crawdaddy with everything you got.
All Wild need is for Dubnyk to hold on and play the level he did to get them here.
I do not know if he can for this whole series but certainly think this game is within that realm.
Wild are dogs in this match up and with the way Crawford played last time? Release the hounds.
Call of the Wild today and sending in the whole pack, baby! Wild should feast on Crawford and take the tribe down in this match.

Flames @ Ducks
Pick: Ducks ML
Ducks doused the Flames last game and made them look silly, almost like a team that didn’t deserve to be there.
Hiller was glad to play his old team and prove that the Ducks made a mistake in letting him go by being on a playoff team that was going to beat them.
Only that revenge was not to be – at least not that night. Hiller was pulled because he gave up two goals on three shots.
Now Flames going to go with Ramo to see if changing the goalie will change the luck.
Flames will play better this game and hopefully settle down because otherwise, Ducks will not let up.
Ducks are going to go for the throat again if possible and look to put the Flames out quickly to take all the fight out of them.
If they succeed, it will be awkward for Calgary because if neither goalie is working for you, where do you go?
Flames are a GOOD team and I like them but they lack the playoff experience as a whole which is where Ducks excel.
Even with Girodano back (which he is not) they are playing well together and scrappy so they will take a game here and there in this series.
Ducks are playing out of their minds right now and on a roll but……… (and I know this sounds crazy) they are not THIS good.
Sweep the Jets? Beating the piss out of the Flames game after game? Seriously, how long do you think they can keep that up?
I think they are on a high right now but like all highs, you have to come down.
Careful of the juice on this one and do not expect another thrashing but they should eek out one more game before Flames win one back to make the series somewhat interesting.