After both teams survived six-game series against other divisional foes, the Chicago Blackhawks (52-30-3-3) and the Minnesota Wild (50-30-5-3) will hook up against one another in Game 1 of the Central Division Finals on Friday night.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Wild are understandably the short underdogs in this series, knowing how badly they have been against Chicago over the course of the last two seasons in the playoffs.
However, the oddsmakers are however stating that they have a fighting chance by making them just +120 underdogs, while Chicago is the -140 favorite.
GOALIE REPORT
Devan Dubnyk is the difference-maker waiting to happen. Ilya Bryzgalov and the combination of goalies that played in 2013 for Minnesota just didn't cut it, but Dubnyk has been a monster. Sure, his overall numbers don't suggest it, as he had a 2.32 GAA against St. Louis, but do remember that he had a game where he gave up six goals as well.
Corey Crawford knows all about giving up a ton of goals in the postseason. He actually only played 128 minutes over the course of the whole first series, but he allowed a stunningly high nine goals for his efforts. Still, Joel Quenneville is going back to his vet and putting Scott Darling back on the bench even though Darling clearly outperformed Crawford in the opening round.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"(Dubnyk's) a big goaltender like the one we just faced (Pekka Rinne). He's got a team that plays well around him. They block a lot of shots, get in lanes and don't give up a whole lot of scoring chances from the middle of the ice." – Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews on the challenge ahead against the Minnesota defense
SITUATIONAL BETTING
Over the course of the last two seasons, the Wild have gone 2-for-34 on the power play in the two series against the Blackhawks. Obviously, this is going to have to improve if Minnesota is going to have any chance whatsoever of winning this game and this series.
PROP TALK
You're going to find really good prices this whole series on the Wild and their forwards when matched up with Chicago and its forwards in terms of total points and total goals in games. Zach Parise is the man we really want a piece of right now. He scored two goals against the Blues in Game 6 to close that series out, and he finished with seven points in the six games. He's not a better player than Patrick Kane or Jonathan Toews, but at plus odds, he's a great choice to have more points.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
We think the Wild are going to pull this one out of their hat in Game 1. Chicago is ready for sure to take on that stout Minnesota defense, and it will find its way through that unit at some point in this game.
Still, the Wild, outside of Game 4, were fantastic defensively in that series against the Blues, and we have no reason to believe they won't be equally effective against the Blackhawks in Game 1, even on enemy ice.
Minnesota 3, Chicago 2
The NHL lines for this Friday game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. Chicago opened up as a -140 choice of the oddsmakers, while the NHL odds featured a total of 5. Minute-by-minute puck-lines, totals, moneylines and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! Game 1 of this series between the Minnesota Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks will commence on Friday, May 1, 2015 at 9:30 p.m. ET at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
