The Western Conference was always going to come down to this. The best team in the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks, are going to battle it out with what has been one of the best postseason teams in the last half dozen years or so, the Chicago Blackhawks for the right to play in the Stanley Cup Finals.
SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Chicago @ Anaheim (5/17, 3:00 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 2: Chicago @ Anaheim (5/19, 9:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Game 3: Anaheim @ Chicago (5/21, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Game 4: Anaheim @ Chicago (5/23, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBC)
Game 5: Chicago @ Anaheim (5/25, 9:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN, If Necessary)
Game 6: Anaheim @ Chicago (5/27, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN, If Necessary)
Game 7: Chicago @ Anaheim (5/30, 8:00 p.m. ET, NBCSN, If Necessary)
ODDS ANALYSIS
Even with the home ice advantage, the Ducks are the slight underdogs in this series. Chicago is laying -113, but we expect to see some vicious swings as this series wears on. The home team will be somewhere between -125 and -145 in every game in this series unless something goes horribly wrong for one side or the other.
KEY PLAYERS
Corey Perry has been insane in this postseason for the Ducks, scoring seven goals and logging eight assists. He's been the best player in the entire postseason, and he and Ryan Getzlaf will really be the keys for Anaheim to win.
Big players come up big in big games, and though Perry and Getzlaf are awesome, Patrick Kane and Marian Hossa on the other side are just as lethal. Kane came into this postseason with a ton to prove after missing the last quarter of the season with a collarbone injury, and he hasn't disappointed with seven goals and six helpers.
KEY STATS
1.75: Corey Crawford's GAA in the series against the Wild after posting a GAA of beyond 4.00 in a series against the Predators which saw him get benched in favor of Scott Darling. Joel Quenneville said at the time that he benched Crawford that the Hawks were going to need him at some point along the way, and right he was. The vet posted a Game 3 shutout in the game which proved to be the one to put away Minnesota for good.
64 percent: Ryan Kesler's success rate in the playoffs in the faceoff circle. All too often, the Ducks have struck quickly off of offensive zone chances, and Kesler has been at the start of a lot of that success. With four games in this series where Anaheim gets to make the last line change, Kesler's impact could be huge even if he isn't putting the biscuit directly in the basket.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
What an epic battle this is going to be. Anything less than seven games in this series would be unjust, but we think that the series is actually going to end up being shorter than that.
Chicago has been here and done this time and time again, and we agree with the oddsmakers that it is the better of the two teams in this series.
Anaheim has had a soft road to reach the Western Conference Finals, and it will be interesting to see how it reacts to getting smacked in the mouth by a veteran team. Our guess is that it isn't going to end up going all that well.
Chicago Blackhawks in 5 games
The NHL spreads for all of the games in this series will be first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for the NHL playoffs using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The series between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Anaheim Ducks will start on Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 will be played at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, while Games 3, 4 and 6 will take place at the United Center in Chicago, IL.
