Recovering from over a week away from the ice could end up being an issue for both the Chicago Blackhawks (56-30-3-3) and the Anaheim Ducks (59-24-3-5) heading into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals at the Honda Center.
ODDS ANALYSIS
It isn't all that surprising that the Ducks are favored in Game 1 of this series even though they’re currently listed as the short underdogs to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. They're -140 choices, proof of just how vital home ice advantage truly could be throughout this series.
The total will start at a flat 5 in this series, though we wouldn't be surprised to see that number drop just a bit as the games wear on.
GOALIE REPORT
The Ducks probably feel like they have a stronghold in the goalie department, but Frederik Andersen is going to find out in a hurry the difference between playing against the Jets and Flames and going against the Blackhawks. He only faced an average of 26.6 shots per game in the first two rounds of the playoffs, but he'll get more than that coming his way on Sunday for sure.
Some probably wondered whether it would become the Scott Darling show in the playoffs for the Hawks. Darling replaced Corey Crawford early in this postseason, but in the second round, Crawford came back and shut down the Wild. His 2.60 GAA in the playoffs is still rather ugly, but that number was just 1.75 against Minnesota, a much more palatable figure.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"The fire and that intensity I had before, I was kind of missing that edge for a couple games against Nashville. I had it for a little bit, but things opened up for me. I was able to get it back against Minnesota." – Chicago goalie Corey Crawford on what has changed for him in net in the last few weeks between series
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Much will be made about the fact that the Ducks have had a great postseason on the power play, but Chicago is no slouch either. The Blackhawks haven't had gobs of chances with an extra man, but the usual suspects, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have logged three PPGs between them here in the second season.
PROP TALK
The Ducks are definitely going to try to make this a physical series, but the problem they are going to run into is that they might not create all that many chances. For our money, they didn't get enough shots on goal against Calgary in most games, and they had that problem against Chicago all season long. Crawford didn't have to face even 25 shots in any game against the Ducks this year, and his under in saves might be a heck of a play on Sunday.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
There are just too many question marks here for the Ducks. We just don't know if Andersen is a goalie who can really match up with one of the best teams on the planet, and we aren't sure that Perry and Getzlaf, men who have never ventured this deep into the playoffs successfully, can find ways to have as big of an impact against the Hawks as they did against the Flames and Jets.
Chicago's vets have been here time and time again, and they aren't going to be bothered by the extra time off.
Expect to see Crawford once again come up with a huge game, as the Blackhawks will fend off the Ducks in Game 1 and take a massive edge in this series.
Chicago 3, Anaheim 1
The NHL odds for this Sunday contest were released first by BookMaker. The Ducks opened at -140, while the total was introduced 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 Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks will start at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 17, 2015 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Game 1 of this series will be televised live on NBC.
