PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Game 1 BEST BET >> RIDICULOUS 62-31-2 L23 Days!
(NHL) Nashville vs. Pittsburgh,
Total: 5.50 | 115.00 Over
Result: Loss
Total: 5.50 | 115.00 Over
Result: Loss
The set-up: The Penguins are defending champs and this year's team has advanced to back-to-back Cup Finals for the first time since Pittsburgh did so themselves back in 2008 and 2009 (won Finals that season). Pittsburgh now has a chance to win back-to-back Stanley Cup titles for the first time since the Red Wings did so in 1997 and 1998. The Penguins will be looking for their fifth Stanley Cup title overall while in stark contrast, the Nashville Predators are competing in the Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Also of interest is that once again, the Stanley Cup winner will be a team representing an American city, The last Canadian-based team to win The Cup was Montreal back in 1993. The Cup has been handed out 89 times since 1927 but for the first time ever, two American-born head coaches will square off in the Finals. Either Peter Laviolette (Nashville) or Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh) will win The Cup, making it a seventh time it will be won by an American head coach. That said, both already own a Cup win, Laviolette with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006 and Sullivan with the Penguins last season. Pittsburgh's 111 points gave them the NHL's second-best record while the Predators were the No. 8 seed in the West, as well as the 16th-seed, overall.
Nashville: Losing star center Ryan Johansen to a season-ending hip injury after Game 4 against Anaheim certainly hurt Nashville's high-powered top line. However, Colton Sissons stepped in for Johansen and supplied a hat trick in the series clincher against the Ducks. Key for Nashville's offense has been the play of Filip Forsberg, a 31-goal scorer during the regular season who scored five times against Anaheim and is riding a seven-game point streak. It's also good news that No. 2 center Mike Fisher appears poised to return from injury, However, Nashville's strength is its blue line and its top four defensemen, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm. That quartet has combined for 39 points in 16 playoff games plus has provided steady support in front of 34-year-old goalie Pekka Rinne. He is 12-4 with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage in the postseason, so far.
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh features the top three scorers in the postseason in Evgeni Malkin (24 points), captain Sidney Crosby (20) and Phil Kessel (19). Crosby and Malkin are two of the greatest players of all time and each owns a Conn Smythe Trophy. The depleted Penguins defense lost All-Star Kris Letang to injury before the playoffs even started and other defenseman have been in and out of the lineup during the playoffs. However, Matt Murray, who backstopped Pittsburgh to a championship a year ago following a late-season injury to Marc-Andre Fleury, reclaimed the starting job from Fleury in the Ottawa series and went 3-1 with six goals allowed in his four starts. His numbers are Rinne-like in the 2017 playoffs:1.35 GAA and .946 save percentage.
The pick: This may be a No. 2 overall seed against a No. 16 seed but this figures to be a fantastic, fast-paced series highlighting players with world-class speed and skill. As for Game 1, the goaltenders will be the stars. Make the Under a 10* play.
Also of interest is that once again, the Stanley Cup winner will be a team representing an American city, The last Canadian-based team to win The Cup was Montreal back in 1993. The Cup has been handed out 89 times since 1927 but for the first time ever, two American-born head coaches will square off in the Finals. Either Peter Laviolette (Nashville) or Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh) will win The Cup, making it a seventh time it will be won by an American head coach. That said, both already own a Cup win, Laviolette with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006 and Sullivan with the Penguins last season. Pittsburgh's 111 points gave them the NHL's second-best record while the Predators were the No. 8 seed in the West, as well as the 16th-seed, overall.
Nashville: Losing star center Ryan Johansen to a season-ending hip injury after Game 4 against Anaheim certainly hurt Nashville's high-powered top line. However, Colton Sissons stepped in for Johansen and supplied a hat trick in the series clincher against the Ducks. Key for Nashville's offense has been the play of Filip Forsberg, a 31-goal scorer during the regular season who scored five times against Anaheim and is riding a seven-game point streak. It's also good news that No. 2 center Mike Fisher appears poised to return from injury, However, Nashville's strength is its blue line and its top four defensemen, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, P.K. Subban and Mattias Ekholm. That quartet has combined for 39 points in 16 playoff games plus has provided steady support in front of 34-year-old goalie Pekka Rinne. He is 12-4 with a 1.70 goals-against average and a .941 save percentage in the postseason, so far.
Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh features the top three scorers in the postseason in Evgeni Malkin (24 points), captain Sidney Crosby (20) and Phil Kessel (19). Crosby and Malkin are two of the greatest players of all time and each owns a Conn Smythe Trophy. The depleted Penguins defense lost All-Star Kris Letang to injury before the playoffs even started and other defenseman have been in and out of the lineup during the playoffs. However, Matt Murray, who backstopped Pittsburgh to a championship a year ago following a late-season injury to Marc-Andre Fleury, reclaimed the starting job from Fleury in the Ottawa series and went 3-1 with six goals allowed in his four starts. His numbers are Rinne-like in the 2017 playoffs:1.35 GAA and .946 save percentage.
The pick: This may be a No. 2 overall seed against a No. 16 seed but this figures to be a fantastic, fast-paced series highlighting players with world-class speed and skill. As for Game 1, the goaltenders will be the stars. Make the Under a 10* play.
