Devils vs. Kings Pick
Kings Back at Home with Stranglehold on Cup Final
The Los Angeles Kings and New Jersey Devils continue their quest for the Cup on Monday night after yet another grueling overtime game and a six hour cross-country flight. The Kings have looked unstoppable and in fact have been just that on the road this postseason going 10-0 so far.
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New Jersey Devils at Los Angeles Kings
When: 8:00 PM ET, Monday, June 4, 2012
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Broadcast: CBC, RDS, NBCSN
Kings lead series 2-0
Devils vs. Kings Betting Lines from betonline.com
Spread: Kings -1 ½ (+210)
Moneyline: Devils +144: Kings -158
Over/Under: 4 ½ goals
Monday night they return to the Staples Center with a familiar 2-0 series lead to play in the site of their only two playoff losses so far in 2012.
The New Jersey Devils will attempt to do something that has only been done twice in Stanley Cup history – lose the first two games at home and come back to win the hallowed Cup. History certainly isn’t on their side! They themselves have fallen behind 2-0 six times in their franchise history and they are 1-5 in those series.
It is simple for the Devils – the top players have to look like the top players. Lately they have not – Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and Travis Zajac are a combined minus 12 in the playoffs so far but a break here and there (like the cross-bar that Kovalchuk hit in overtime of Game 2), and this series could look a whole lot different. It’s time to step up – the season is slipping away and the superstars are letting it happen.
Defensively and between the pipes, the Devils have been just fine – four goals allowed in nearly seven periods of action is beyond respectable. Martin Brodeur continues to defy time and is certainly deserving of a better fate that the one that he has gotten son far in the Cup Final. [ad-4437448]
The Kings are now 14-2 in the playoffs. They have led 2-0 in every series that they have played so far and eight different players have scored game winners along the way. Heck, they have even trailed on the score board in eight of their last 10 games. Domination is a bit of an understatement indeed!
The Los Angeles offense has slowed a bit since the previous rounds – maybe a testament to New Jersey’s style, but they are still getting it done. All four lines are still contributing every night and when a big goal is needed, unlike New Jersey, LA is benefitting from their starts showing up with a timely goal.
There is not enough words to describe the play of Jonathan Quick. He is athletic, agile, resilient and simply superb. Do yourself a favor and watch his legs when there is a scramble around his net – Cirque de Soleil may come calling!
Betting Prediction: If this series feels like it is all but over already it is because the Devils haven’t shown the qualities necessary to beat the Kings. Let’s face it folks, it is going to be a greasy, ugly, lunch bucket goal that beats Jonathan Quick and the Devils haven’t shown the willingness or ability to do what it takes to get that cheap one. The Under appears safe again in this game as does a bet on the Kings to go up 3-0 again! The Kings may not quite have completely sucked the life out of New Jersey yet but they certainly are close!
Pick: Los Angeles Kings -158 and the Under – 4 ½ goals
