NHL Hockey Free Predictions: Blackhawks vs Canucks – Game Six
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Team Records:
Chicago: 52-22-8
Vancouver: 49-28-5
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Chicago leads series 3-2
Sportsbook odds:
Blackhawks: +115 +1.5 (-240) Over 6
Canucks: -135 -1.5 (+200) Under 6
Blackhawks vs. Canucks Preview
Does anyone have a good beat on this series?
Just when you think that one team has the decided edge, the other team is able to put together a game that not only slows the other team’s momentum, but snuffs it out completely. Vancouver staved off elimination on Sunday night with a most impressive road victory meaning that Game 6 will go in Vancouver on Tuesday night.
The Chicago Blackhawks got beaten by what has made them so successful in the last three games of the series.
They Hawks were victimized by an early goal and then they lost their cool. Sound familiar? It was the Canucks in Game 4 that were plagued by the same problems. The Hawks appeared to lack emotion and the hunger to knock out the Canucks on Sunday. Sound familiar? This was the Canucks problem in Games 3 and 4.
Penalties and lack of emotion were not the only factors to rear their ugly heads for the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 5.
The unwillingness of the defense to engage physically allowed Alex Burrows to stand directly in front of Antti Niemi. If the goalie can’t see the puck, he aint gonna stop it. Niemi for the most part had an off game on Sunday.
This allowed the lifeless Canucks to bring some life back to the series.
What a difference one game makes! Vancouver rose from the dead and put on perhaps their most impressive performance in this post season.
They totally shut down the high flying Hawks, got some much needed traffic in front of Niemi and the discovered a little bit of discipline that had been so sadly lacking in the previous three games of the series.
The defensive corp. was truly the star of the game on Sunday. Not only did they neutralize the Hawks attack, but they kept the front of their own net clear and yes, they even chipped in on the score sheet.
Despite the absence of Sammy Salo (ruptured testicle in the first period….OUCH)
Yes, it was even hard for me to write it!), the defense sucked it up and protected their zone amazingly well, while at the same time contributing three of the four goals that the Canucks scored.
There were a few things that were evident in Game 5 that bode well for the Vancouver Canucks. Roberto Luongo was on his game and controlled the rebounds that have plagued him in previous games. Another is that the Hawks lost their emotion and appeared to lack the hunger that is necessary for a playoff team.
The perfect Vancouver penalty kill was another and the game return of speed, checking and traffic in front of Antti Niemi are the others.
Vancouver got more than just the necessary win on Sunday. They got momentum back and they ended the air of invincibility that the Hawks appeared to have.
I felt that this was going to be a seven game series and I stick by that. Get ready Chicago – Game 7 is going to be fun!
NHL Betting Trends:
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chicago’s last 8 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Chicago is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Vancouver
Chicago is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games
Chicago is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Vancouver’s last 8 games when playing at home against Chicago
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Vancouver’s last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Vancouver’s last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Vancouver’s last 7 games when playing Chicago
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks Free NHL Pick:
Pick: Vancouver Canucks
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