It was referred to as a "character win" by Bruce Boudreau. Now, he and his Anaheim Ducks (61-24-4-5) will look to rally for a second straight road win against the Chicago Blackhawks (57-32-3-3) to try to move within one step of the Stanley Cup Finals for just the second time in franchise history.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The pressure is squarely on Chicago's shoulders right now after losing Game 3 at home, and the oddsmakers sense that. The Blackhawks are actually the biggest favorites we have seen thus far in this series at -150, while the total remains firm at 5 even though there were only three goals put in the back of the net in a very physical Game 3.
GOALIE REPORT
We really wondered if Frederik Andersen was going to be able to get up off of the mat in Game 3 of this series after losing Game 2 in overtime. Get up he did.
Andersen stopped 27-of-28 Blackhawks shots on the night and was fantastic directing traffic on five Chicago power plays to lead his team to victory.
Corey Crawford should have no shame in allowing two goals on 27 shots, but on this day, he just wasn't the better of the two net minders.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"Yeah, we sharpened up on the PK. We weren't satisfied with what we did the last game. That was huge for this group coming off a tough loss where we gave up two goals on the PK. We wanted to be better today." – Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen on his team's penalty killing unit in Game 3
SITUATIONAL BETTING
That penalty kill was phenomenal in Game 3 in really hostile territory for the Ducks. Anaheim could have easily laid down with five penalties to kill off, but it did the job for the whole 10 minutes and didn't allow a single goal. Chicago has to be better than that when it gets its chances, but the credit really goes to the Ducks for their kill.
PROP TALK
Corey Perry has been rather quiet in this series. He has just one goal to show for his work in three games, but we know that he is due for a breakout. He has been far too good in this postseason to have another game where he gets held off of the scoring sheet, and we suspect that he will have a say in how Game 4 plays out.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
There's no reason to think that this isn't going to be another one of these really tight games that could go either way. If that's the case, we know that we want the Ducks and that whopping +140 price on our side yet again.
Chicago is going to have to go for broke to score, and what we have seen out of the Anaheim attack in these situations is nothing but tremendous counterattacking and counter-punches to what the opposition has thrown. If Game 3 was a character win, Game 4 will be a statement win.
Anaheim 3, Chicago 2
The NHL odds for this Saturday contest were released first by BookMaker. The Blackhawks debuted at -150, while the total surfaced at 5. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Anaheim Ducks and the Chicago Blackhawks will start at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 23, 2015 at the United Center in Chicago, IL. Game 4 of this series will be televised live on NBC.
