NHL Western Conference 2nd-round betting preview: Cream rises to top
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We closed out Round 1 with a 2-0 night, and the NHL is wasting little time moving to the second round.
Let's get right into these Western Conference matchups.
Vancouver Canucks (+210) @ Vegas Golden Knights (-270)
The Canucks have been writing quite the story in these playoffs, but there's nothing like a date with the Golden Knights to burst their bubble, or end their time in it.
It's been something of a perfect storm for Vancouver thus far. The team rode the heroics of Jacob Markstrom to a win over the Minnesota Wild in the play-ins before beating a relatively disinterested St. Louis Blues team. The Blues couldn't buy a save, and their lack of intensity resulted in some uncharacteristically sloppy play.
That won't be the case with Vegas. The Golden Knights are a puck-possession juggernaut and dominant in all three phases of the game. Their series win over the Chicago Blackhawks wasn't an accurate representation of just how lopsided the play was. They led Round 1 in expected goals for per 60 minutes and allowed the third-fewest against. The Golden Knights are loaded up and down the roster and have all they need to overwhelm a young Canucks team.
Depth scoring was crucial for Vancouver in Round 1, but it was an outlier. The team got almost nothing from its bottom six during the regular season and will crash back down to earth against the league's deepest squad. If Markstrom remains otherworldly and Robin Lehner struggles for consistency, the Canucks can steal a game or two, but this will be a comfortable series for the Golden Knights.
Pick: Golden Knights -1.5 games (-130)
Dallas Stars (+185) @ Colorado Avalanche (-225)
No team has played better in the bubble than the Avalanche, though the Arizona Coyotes did their absolute best to make Colorado look unbeatable. Arizona had no business being in the playoffs and embarrassed itself by laying down when the going got tough. Colorado is a juggernaut and a Cup favorite, but this will be a much trickier series against a formidable Stars team.
Dallas found its scoring touch against the Calgary Flames and is a live underdog at such a generous price. The Stars' style is designed to suffocate a team like the Avalanche, who thrive when attacking on the rush.
However, there are two clear areas of concern for the Stars heading into this series. Though they shut down Calgary at five-on-five, the Flames found plenty of success on the power play. Dallas desperately needs to solve its struggles on the penalty kill to have any chance against Colorado, which went an outrageous 7-for-20 on the power play against the Coyotes.
The other question mark is in goal. If Ben Bishop can't take part, Anton Khudobin will continue to deputize, and though he's only a slight downgrade, it's a downgrade nonetheless. The Stars are built to frustrate teams like the Avalanche, and while they have the tools to push them to the brink, they ultimately lack the firepower to complete the upset. However, there will be value in betting them in spots throughout this series, including as generous +145 'dogs in Game 1 on Saturday night.
Pick: Stars +1.5 games (-110)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.