News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Rene Fasel will run unopposed for another term as IIHF President.
2. Fabian Brunstrom is in Dallas checking out the Stars.
3. Darren Dreger with a theory as to why overtimes aren't lasting very long.
4. A preview of Group A from the World Hockey Championships.
5. The weekly Junior Report.
6. An in-depth look at the draft eligible Michael Del Zotto.
7. Ian Winwood of the Guardian blogs on the disparate paths of the Red Wings and Avs.
8. Tony Gallagher calls this year's playoffs "the best in years".
9. Mike Sielski tells Flyers fans to stop whining.
10. Check out this video from the Onion.
11. An update on Darren McCarty's resurgence.
12. 10 good candidates for the Hall of Fame.
13. Adam Proteau blames the Game 3 loss on Tom Renney.
14. A good roundup of pre-WHL draft news. Its the 1993's that will be picked this year.
15. Elliotte Friedman thinks the Canadiens have to stick with Carey Price.
16. The Oilers and Joni Pitkanen have yet to open negotiations.
17. Team Canada hopes to break the curse of the host team.
18. A follow up to the Avery story and the fumbling of said story by the NY Daily News.
19. Eric Duhatschek comments on the World Championships coming to Canada.
20. Check out the Dallas Stars' zamboni.
21. In other injury news, the Penguins' Maxime Talbot may be out with a broken foot.
22. Michael Farber of SI discusses the differences between Zetterberg and Foote.
23. Jacques Demers credits Brett Hull for keeping the Stars loose.
24. Jim Kelley's musings on the playoffs.
25.The Alternative NHL Awards.

BREAKING NEWS UPDATE

As per TSN, Avery has a lacerated spleen and will be finished for the playoffs. He is expected to make a full recovery.

BREAKING NEWS

Rangers forward Sean Avery has was apparently taken to St. Vincent's Medical Center in Manhattan for a possible cardiac arrest hours after the Rangers lost to the Penguins.

More details as they become available.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Bob McKenzie with his thoughts on the Canadiens powerplay and the Wings-Avs series.
2. Darren Dreger comments on the Derian Hatcher hit.
3. Memorial Cup history, 1936.
4. The Ice Sheet discusses Montreal's lack of intensity. A small contingent of Illegal Curve contributors predicted problems ahead for the Habs due to their Euro heavy roster.
5. Canada gets a wakeup call from the Russians, lose 4-1 in exhibition play.
6. Michel Therien is tough on the Penguins.
7. Pat Burns is enjoying being back behind the bench.
8. Wilkes-Barre captain and former Moose Nathan Smith apprehended for streaking.
9. Pat Quinn may be interested in the Ottawa job.
10. James Duthie likes the Stars' chances.
11. Barry Melrose to coach the Lightning?
12. Chris Osgood credits deconstructing his game with is resurgence.
13. Puck Rakers thinks that the Blue Jackets could step into the void in the West.
14. Ken Campbell wonders what happened to Carey Price.
15. Pierre Lebrun is learning a lot about the 8 remaining playoff teams.
16. Hal Gill tells Sean Avery that he wasn't hugged enough as a child.
17. The NHL names a committee to look at goalie equipment.
18. Jeff Marek talks playoff hijinks and double standards.
19. Watch one man break up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
20. Justin Azevedo, of the Kitcher Rangers, wins the OHL's top player award.
21. Introducing David Littman, the newest blogger at the Hockey News.]
22. The weekly Hot List from the Hockey News.
23. The weekly release from the USHL.
24. Tim Schmitt insists that the Sabres must sign Nathan Gerbe to help restore their image.
25. The Blues hope to have T.J. Oshie signed soon.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Tuesday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the second round playoff teams:


Eastern Conference:

Montreal (1) versus Philadelphia (6):

• The Montreal Gazette's Pat Hickey agrees with head coach Guy Carbonneau that the Canadiens lost as a team last night. Hickey also wonders if now is the time to make a goaltending change. Hockey fans in Philadelphia are a special breed, writes Dave Stubbs. Bobby Clarke has done it all as a Flyer.

• Retired Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bill Lyon gives a descriptive run down of yesterday's game. Derian Hatcher had the longest 15 minutes of his life last night. Ray Pamillo reports on the Montreal goaltending situation.

Pittsburgh (2) versus New York Rangers (5):

• Sidney Crosby practiced privately yesterday working only on shooting and deflections, reports Shelley Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Anderson wonders which team the pressure is on in this series. On the injury front, Gary Roberts is a game-time decision tonight. During the Penguins/Rangers series Marc and Jordan Staal will not talk to each other.

• The Rangers will have to do a better job moving the puck in order to compete with the Penguins, according to Jay Greenberg of the New York Post. Mark Everson informs us that only one team in the last 40 years has lost a series after opening the playoffs 6-0. "We're home, we're going to get these guys" is how Tom Renney describes his club's mentality entering game 3.

Western Conference:

Detroit (1) versus Colorado (6):

• Happy 38th birthday Nicklas Lidstrom. Though Peter Forsberg "feels fabulous" his status for tonight's game is unknown, writes Detroit Free Press columnist Helene St. James.

• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post with a feature on the maturation of Darren McCarty. Chris Osgood will try to snap his six game playoff losing streak in Denver tonight. Meanwhile, on the Avalanche injury front, Terry Frei reports that Scott Hannan and Peter Forsberg might play game 3, while Milan Hejduk, Ryan Smyth, and Ian Laperriere will play tonight.

San Jose (2) versus Dallas (5):

• David Pollak of the San Jose Mercury News wonders why Brian Campbell has not had the same on-ice presence in the playoffs as he had in the regular season. Ann Killion thinks the Sharks have used up all their excuses in this year's playoffs.

• The Dallas/San Jose series features two of the best American players of all-time: Jeremy Roenick and Mike Modano. Dallas will have last series' game 3 fresh in their minds when they take on the Sharks tonight, reports Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Stars head coach Dave Tippett has to decide whether to go with seven defensemen again tonight.

E-mail any thoughts, ideas, suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Sudbury wins the Canadian Midget AAA title.
2. Guy Carbonneau defends Tom Kostopoulous' punching of Kimmo Timonen. Says he "deserved it".
3. Does the NHL need a better puck?
4. Memorial Cup History for 1933, 1934 and 1935.
5. A couple of interesting stories in Taking Note. First, a Bruins fan was arrested for peeing off the upper deck into the crowd below. Second, the SAHA will use two referee's and one linesman for games next season.
6. The Vladimir Konstantinov trial begins today in Michigan.
7. The National Post interviews Adam Foote.
8. Chuck Gormley writes about Jim Dowd's superstitions.
9. Jammy and Sid: Not BFF's.
10. Anyone wondering how the Belfast Giants did this year?
11. Shane Doan will wear the C for Canada again this year.
12. Ryan Dixon looks at the little moves that are paying big dividends this playoff season.
13. Mike Brophy comments on the Modano-Ribeiro show in Dallas.
14. Scott Burnside wonders if diving is becoming an issue?
15. Terry Jones touts Steve Yzerman for the Team Canada job in 2010.
16. Alex Ovechkin is on the Russian roster for the Worlds, but is nowhere to be seen. More on this situation here.
17. In related news, Rick Nash has joined Team Canada.
18. The Senators are expected to ask for permission to speak to Bob Hartley.
19. James Duthie asks us to give referees a break.
20. Al Strachan looks at crease crashing and interference.
21. Everything you ever wanted to know about hockey hair.
22. Ken Campbell with a list of things that make his crabby. PS, get off his lawn.
23. A look at Manitoba Moose forward Michael Grabner.
24. Dr. Larry Lauer explains the best psychological approach to a Game 7.
25. More Stanley Cup history from Greatest Hockey Legends.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Monday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the second round playoff teams:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal (1) versus Philadelphia (6):

• The war of words between John Stevens and Guy Carbonneau is heating up following Tom Kostopoulos' "glove to the face" of Kimmo Timonen last game, writes Herb Zurkowski. Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette is convinced that playing at the Wachovia Centre will be nowhere near as friendly for Habs fans as TD Banknorth Garden was last series. Jack Todd reminds us that Carey Price is only 20 years old.

• R.J. Umberger has saved his best hockey for the playoffs, according to Phil Pamilo of the Philadelphia Inquirer. On the injury front, Mike Knuble's return will either be game four or game five.

Pittsburgh (2) versus New York Rangers (5):

• Ron Cook of the Post-Gazette states that Marc-Andre Fleury has been the Penguins' best player so far this post-season. With the series switching to New York, the Penguins are not sure why they were 0-4-0 at Madison Square Garden this year.

• Larry Brooks of the New York Post singles out players that were not particularly sharp in yesterday's 2-0 defeat. The Rangers have been the victims of questionable third-period officiating according to John Dellapina of the New York Daily News.

Western Conference:

Detroit (1) versus Colorado (6):

• Having blown 2-0 series leads before, Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press wonders if the Red Wings have learned from past slip-ups. 11 years after the horrbile limousine crash involving Vladimir Konstantinov, a federal court will hear the lawsuit today between Konstantinov and an Ohio Car Dealership.
  

• Adrian Dater of the Denver Post writes that the Avalanche will need to put forth a balance of passive and aggressive play in order to defeat the Red Wings. Meanwhile, Joel Quenneville is hopeful that Peter Forsberg and Scott Hannan will be back in the line-up for game 3.

San Jose (2) versus Dallas (5):

• Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News wonders if the Sharks' 4 minute spell to start the third period was the worst in franchise history. It will take a combination of positivity and desperation for the Sharks to turn the series around according to head coach Ron Wilson.

• The Stars acquired Brad Richards for his ability to make big plays at important times, and he did not disappoint last night, writes Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News. Tim Cowlishaw notes the difference Sergei Zubov has made so far in this series.
  

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

NHL Morning Papers

The papers won't be posted today. They will return early Monday.

Have a great Sunday,

Richard Pollock

NHL Morning Papers: Non-Playoff Teams (Saturday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the teams that were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs:

• Here are some readers' thoughts about the Ducks to finish off the season.
• The Predators are increasing ticket prices for next season.
• Alex Tanguay is getting out of town for the summer. Meanwhile, Flames GM Darryl Sutter gave his season review on Friday. Any concern that Mike Keenan may have had about returning next year was quieted by Sutter.
• Devils all-around center John Madden has been nominated for the Selke Trophy.
• The cap may be going up, but the Senators still have a lot of money already tied up, writes Ken Warren.

Here are the morning papers for the teams that did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

• Sabres winger Jason Pominville has been nominated for the Lady Byng Trophy.
• Blue Jackets owner John McConnell passed away yesterday and Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch tells readers about how special McConnell really was.
• Check out this touching article from a couple days ago in the L.A. Daily News.
• Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic knows exactly why Shane Doan has been nominated for the Masterton Trophy.
• Lance Hornby touches on the conspiracy theory surrounding Brian Burke's decision to stay in Anaheim.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Saturday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the second round playoff teams:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal (1) versus Philadelphia (6):

• Tom Kostopolous hasn't had anything handed to him in his hockey career, writes Pat Hickey. You aren't hearing any loud complaints from the Flyers about a couple of controversial calls from Game 1. Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette was very impressed with the way Flyers coach John Stevens handled his post-game remarks after Game 1. Also in this morning's Montreal Gazette, Fisher has some more information on the Scott Niederymayer fine.
• The Flyers need to play like they did in Game 2 versus the Capitals, writes Phil Sheridan. Kimmo Timonen is really angry heading into tonight's game. There are a few things Martin Biron wants to touch up for Game 2. Meanwhile, Biron's best friend, Flyers center Daniel Briere expected a negative reaction from the Habs faithful.

Pittsburgh (2) versus New York Rangers (5):

• Sidney Crosby gave it everything he had on his slapshot that led to the winning goal with under two minutes remaining, writes Dave Molinari. In other Crosby news, the superstar says he never dives. Meantime, the Penguins' energy and tough guys really did their jobs last night. The team's comeback from down 3-0 really demonstrated how good their offensive capability is.
• The Rangers were horrible last night and were lucky to even be in the game, writes Larry Brooks. "Our team's good at turning the page," said Rangers coach Tom Renney after last night's loss. Sidney Crosby may claim he doesn't dive, but Martin Straka sure doesn't agree.

Western Conference:

Detroit (1) versus Colorado (6):

• Helene St. James has a feature on Johan Franzen. In roster news, Brad Stuart will be back in the Wings line-up today and he will be doing so as a new dad. Bill Patrick of Versus thinks the Red Wings are the team to beat.
• Peter Forsberg (groin) is questionable for today's game; however, Wojtek Wolski has been ruled out. The Avalanche have to focus on stopping, not only the Wings' number one line, but also their number two line featuring Johan Franzen. In more injury news, Jose Theodore felt well enough to practice on Friday.

San Jose (2) versus Dallas (5):

• The Sharks played the Stars' game more than their own, and that's why they find themselves down 1-0, opines Mark Purdy. At least the Sharks have been in this situation before, writes David Pollak. The Sharks have made a number of adjustments to their penalty kill for Round 2.
• The Stars will take a win with only an 18 shot performance, writes Tim Cowlishaw. The fact is, the Stars are finding ways to win games right now.

The morning papers for teams that were eliminated from the playoffs or that did not make the playoffs at all are soon to follow...

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

The HD Corner - First Round Report Card

With the first round coming to a dramatic close, I thought it was time to unveil my first round report card for the Canadian broadcasters. Now, without further adieu:

Bob Cole and Greg Millen: C+
Montreal vs. Boston

Cole and Millen’s first round work was nothing spectacular, with Cole making his usual blunders every so often. Their game seven work was fine, however one large omission did occur during game six. An interesting storyline developed when Tim Thomas’ mask broke, which required him to go to the Bruins’ bench twice during TV timeouts. Apparently the strap on his mask couldn’t be repaired and he had to hold it in between his teeth for the remainder of the period until the intermission. Obviously viewers weren’t aware of his troubles since they occurred during TV timeouts, and it would have been nice if Millen had made a comment or two instead of focusing on “Big” Zdeno Chara.

Further, Kessel’s first goal in game six was no doubt outstanding, and CBC missed the boat without directly comparing it to the similar goal he scored at the World Juniors. A few years ago at the World Junior tournament in Grand Forks, Kessel pulled almost the identical move putting the puck past a defender’s legs, jumping around him, and going five-hole.

Jim Hughson and Garry Galley A-
Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa

For those viewers that don’t recall, yes, the Sens were in the playoffs, although not much longer than Alexei Kaigorodov’s career in a Sens uniform. Once the Pens quickly dispatched the Sens, Hughson was seen calling the Colorado-Minnesota series that the CBC sporadically picked up. Galley’s work over the year has improved exponentially, and he deserves to be solidified as the number two colour man. Harry Neale’s time has come. At this point, Neale is more washed up than Fedor Fedorov. Speaking of Neale…

Dean Brown and Harry Neale: B
Nashville vs. Detroit

It’s really a shame that Dean Brown was relegated to this series, as it definitely did not receive the same amount of hype as the Canadian matchups. Sure, the Preds did make it interesting, but game six was possibly the worst game I’ve seen since Kevin Constantine stopped coaching. Brown is usually very accurate with his play calling, although I heard rumours he was hitting it up pretty hard in Music City with Jordin’s pop Barney Tootoo, after game three.

Mark Lee and Craig Simpson: A
Calgary vs. San Jose

Lee and Simpson definitely get the best grade, partly due to the exciting nature of this seven game series. Even when J.R. scored his second goal in game seven and essentially clinched the series, Lee did not show any bias towards cheering for the Flames. One annoying factor with this series was that the Flames home games weren’t in HD – quite ridiculous for the playoffs. Further, CBC’s feed did cut out for a brief period during game seven, but they were quick to pick up the Versus feed starring Lighting play-by-play man and former Whalers broadcaster Rick Peckham at the mic.

Gord Miller/Rod Black and Pierre McGuire: B
Colorado vs. Minnesota Jose and Washington vs. Philadelphia

I’m not sure what has been the more obscure story line so far: Guy Carbonneau’s tie or Gord Miller’s throat. In case anyone thought they were having a mild hallucination during game two of the Colly-Minni series, don’t fret: Rod Black was indeed calling the game. Black was summoned to call the game on a last minute request due to Gord Miller contracting a throat infection and unable to call the game (that’s just too easy to make a joke here). Overall, Black’s work was quite impressive considering his lack of hockey calling experience, and only mentioned the Jays amicably parting ways with the Big Hurt twice during the broadcast. TSN’s patented “between the glass” calling technique with Pierre in the box at ice level always keeps things interesting, although I’d much rather see Pierre locked in a trunk for three hours instead.

Chris Cuthbert and Glen Healy: B+
Colorado vs. Minnesota

This duo was also seen calling the Colly series for TSN, and it is apparent Cuthbert needs to be TSN’s go to guy. Why not try pairing him with Pierre for a game, and leaving Healy to call the Women’s World Broomball Championships?

Things will likely get interesting with the World Hockey Championships starting in Halifax next week, on TSN. With Randorf finishing his duties for the Under 18 Championship, he could get the call, although bringing Vic Rauter out of the woodwork would be highly appreciated!

Enjoy the second round everyone.

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Team Canada's roster for the World Championships is almost complete.
2. A preview of the Clark Cup semi-finals in the USHL.
3. The AHL has eclipsed its mark for the longest game ever.
4. NCAA coaches are meeting with the NHL and NHLPA this week to discuss the early departures of college players for the NHL.
5. Check out Sportsnet's online playoff magazine.
6. Hockey.com thinks something is fishy in Detroit.
7. Elliotte Friedman with another installment of the From the Pressbox blog.
8. What a difference a year makes for JR.
9. Joe Pelltier has some interesting Stanley Cup history.
10. The Tampa Tribune thinks its time for Tortorella to go.
11. Canada adds Mike Green to its World Championship roster.
12. Seven lessons the Canadiens have to learn from the Boston series.
13. Jim Kelley thinks the NHL nixed the Brian Burke to Toronto proposal.
14. Pierre Lebrun suggests that Doug Armstrong would be a good fit in Toronto.
15. Spector discusses possible changes in store for teams who lost in the 1st round.
16. Interesting interview with Victor Chi of the Sporting News.
17. Adam Proteau answers Don Cherry's criticisms.
18. Cliff Fletcher is content with the "interim" tag.
19. David Staples with a good piece on why Stanley Cup finalists often tank the following season.
20. Wojtek Wolski may miss the remainder of the Wings-Avs series.
21. H2H examines the practice of player agents becoming General Managers.
22. Bobby Smith is enjoying life as owner of the Halifax Mooseheads.
23. 5 Priorities for Mike Gillis.
24. Sidney Crosby answers the diving allegations.
25. Andy Holloway discusses NHL ratings in the USA.

Illegal Curve Contributors' Predictions

Predictions were submitted on April 24:

NHL Morning Papers: Playoff Teams (Friday Edition)

Here are the morning papers for the second round playoff match-ups:

Eastern Conference:

Montreal (1) versus Philadelphia (6):

• The Canadiens used the magic of their past and came back to defeat the Flyers 4-3 in overtime, writes Pat Hickey. Alexei Kovalev was the Habs' first star last night as he scored two huge goals for the club. They may have won, but the Canadiens were not the better team on the ice last night, opines Red Fisher. A couple of breaks went Montreal's way last night and that was the difference.
• Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the game report. "It was our third game in 4 nights and I was really, really happy with the way we responded here tonight," said Flyers coach John Stevens after last night's 4-3 overtime loss at Montreal. The Montreal fans are not making a good impression around the NHL. In injury news, it appears doubtful that Mike Knuble (hamstring) will return for this series.

Pittsburgh (2) versus New York Rangers (5):

• Dave Molinari has in depth analysis of the all facets of the game for the Penguins/Rangers series. Heeee's back, writes Shelly Anderson about Jaromir Jagr. The Penguins are going to make sure they protect Marc-Andre Fleury from the over-aggressive Rangers. Thinking back, the Penguins probably wouldn't be here without Ty Conklin.
• Larry Brooks suggests the Rangers do not try and match a checking line with Sidney Crosby's line. Brooks also breaks down both teams and gives his prediction for the series. The Rangers will surely be fresh for tonight's game, writes John Dellapina.

Western Conference:

Detroit (1) versus Colorado (6):

• Chris Osgood shut the door when he had to last night, writes Helene St. James. If you are a Detroit fan, there was a lot to like about Game 1. Last night's game was a good one, but it did not really bring back memories of the late 90's. Meanwhile, Johan Franzen continues to impress.
• Terry Frei takes a closer look at Joel Quenville's line-up changes last night. Jose Theodore clearly wasn't sharp last night, writes Woody Paige. Peter Forsberg pulled his groin during the game-day skate and that is why he did not suit up last night.

San Jose (2) versus Dallas (5):

• Mark Purdy of the San Jose Mercury News likes the Sharks in 6. Sharks winger Ryane Clowe explains how to deal with Steve Ott. Here are the results of the Sharks/Stars games from the regular season. Meantime, the Sharks brass is hoping that Milan Michalek regains his scoring touch this series.
• Steve Ott is apparently giving Sean Avery a run for his money in the pest of the year contest. This series sure won't lack emotion, writes Mike Heika. Marty Turco is a changed goalie from the one earlier in his career, writes Tim Cowlishaw. Here is a preview of tonight's Game 1.

I am not able to post the non-playoff team morning papers today. They will return bright and early tomorrow morning.

For Illegal Curve, I'm Richard Pollock.

Email any thoughts, ideas or suggestions to illegalcurve@gmail.com

FROZEN ASSETS

Frozen Assets' Playoff Spectacular - Round 2

The first round of the playoffs was exciting and unpredictable: three series' went the distance, both defending Conference Champions lost (convincingly) and every team in the Western Conference looked vulnerable.

Combine the excitement and unpredictability of the NHL playoffs with the reality that few people actually care about (betting on) hockey, and it is easy to see how betting on hockey futures can be profitable and enjoyable.

On a personal note, two of the teams I had heavily invested in lost: Washington & Boston. I had picked up the Capitals throughout the year to win the Eastern Conference at odds ranging from 80/1 (+8000) to 33/1 (+3300). The Bruins I had mostly from the early part of the season at odds ranging from 110/1 to 85/1.

Here is a link to my round one recommendations - I have summarized them below:

1. Montreal/Boston - Montreal +400 to win the Conference.
2. Pittsburgh/Ottawa - Pittsburgh +300 to win the Conference.
3. Washington/Philadelphia - I identified and recommended an arbitrage opportunity.
4. New York/New Jersey - Rangers -110 to win the series.
5. Detroit/Nashville - Detroit +350 to win the Conference.
6. San Jose/Calgary - San Jose +400 to win the Conference.
7. Minnesota/Colorado - Pass.
8. Anaheim/Dallas - Take Dallas at +200.

I'm not going to do second round previews, as our competent staff at Illegal Curve have done an excellent, well-researched job already.

For the second round of the playoffs I will be exploring the relationship between series odds, Conference odds, and Stanley Cup odds. The price on a team to win the Conference is the odds on them to win the current series multiplied by them to win the next series. The price on a team to win the Stanley Cup is the odds on them to win the Conference multiplied by the odds on that team to win the Stanley Cup final. I have compiled the best odds on each team to win the series, Conference, and Stanley Cup.

Eastern Conference:

Team.......................Series....Conference.............Stanley Cup............Finals*........Champs*

(1) Montreal........-186 (Pin).......+200 (Uni)......+650 (Fred).............-105................+150

(6) Philadelphia..+180 (365).....+1000 (Jet)......+2000 (Boy)...........+293...............+100

(2) Pittsburgh.....-133 (Mat)......+175 (ED)........+475 (ED)................-175..................+109

(5) New York......+135 (ED).......+400 (Fred)......+880 (Fair)...........+113................-105

Western Conference:

(1) Detroit...........-181 (Pin).......+150 (ED).........+320 (Fair).............-164...............-147

(6) Colorado........+200(ED)......+700 (Fair).......+1500 (Boy)............+167.............+100

(2) San Jose........-140 (Pin).......+300 (Fred).....+500 (365)...............+134.............-200

(5) Dallas............+150 (ED)........+450 (Fred).....+1100 (Fair).............+120............+118

Arbitrage Opportunity
Recommended Play

*Finals - Based on the posted odds what the money line would be on that team in the Conference Finals to win the Conference Finals.

*Champs - Based on the posted odds what the money line would be on that team in the Stanley Cup to win the Stanley Cup.

Agree? Disagree? Like a more detailed explanation? Feel free to post a comment or send an e-mail to illegalcurve@gmail.com.


April 9, 2008: Frozen Assets' Playoff Preview Spectacular - Round 1
April 3, 2008: Best Stanley Cup Futures Odds? You Can Bet On It
March 27, 2008: What's In a Futures Bet? A Look Behind Stanley Cup Odds
March 20, 2008: All About the NHL Divisions
March 13, 2008: How Secure Are the Top 16?
March 6, 2008: Ten Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Five-Sixths of the Season.
February 14, 2008: Trade Deadline Tips and (As Always) Best Odds On Teams To Win The Cup
February 7, 2008: To Win The Conference or to Win the Cup Revisited
January 31, 2008: Does Parity in the Standings = Parity At the Sportsbooks?
January 17, 2008: Reviewing the Division Predictions
January 10, 2008: 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Half of the Season
January 3, 2008: Glossary of Terms Used on Frozen Assets
December 27, 2007: Ho Ho Horrible Homestands and Road Warriors
December 14, 2007: Western Conference: Starting Odds, Current Odds, Highest Odds
December 7, 2007: Eastern Conference: Starting Odds, Current Odds, Highest Odds
November 29, 2007: How to Find the Sportsbook For You, The NHL's best division - The Central(?)
November 22, 2007: 10 Futures Bets You Should Have Made Over the First Quarter of the Season
November 15, 2007: Explaining the Exchange(2), Random Thoughts on the Futures
November 9, 2007: Exaplaining the Exchange(1), This Weeks Best Bets
November 1, 2007: Profiling the Eastern Conference Teams
October 25, 2007: Profiling the Western Conference Teams
October 18, 2007: To Win the Conference or the Cup? Frozen Assets' European Vacation
October, 11, 2007: Top 5 Hockey Futures Books, Stanley Cup Odds
October 4, 2007: Bad Lines, Soft Lines, and Conference Odds
September 27, 2007: Avoiding Fraudulent Sportsbooks and Preview of Division Betting
September 20, 2007: Introduction to Frozen Assets and Futures Highlights From Last Year

News You Can Use Late in the Day

1. Don't hold your breath waiting for an Oilers-Canucks deal. Kevin Lowe still seems ticked over the Nylander debacle.
2. Team Canada will unveil its new jerseys today in Toronto.
3. The Winnipeg Thrashers remain perfect at the Telus Cup. (I saw them play in the fall. Gritty little team)
4. Olaf Kolzig skipped the Capitals mandatory season ending meeting.
5. Stan Fischler likes the Rangers over the Penguins.
6. Damien Cox answers readers' questions.
7. EA Sports correctly predicted the first round of the playoffs. Click here for their second round predictions.
8. The Top 5 Avs-Wings playoff moments, brought to you by Youtube.
9. Kings' scout Robbie Laird offers his predictions on the 2nd Round.
10. Jeremy Roenick credits clean living for his resurgence.
11. Askmen.com features fitness tips from Chris Chelios.
12. John Buccigross with his thoughts on the first round.
13. Rory Boylen says people should stop criticizing Hockey Night in Canada.
14. Edward Fraser of the Hockey News hands out his 1st Round awards.
15. Brian Costello gives us 10 Players he didn't consider drafting in his playoff pool, but should have.
16. Have 7 minutes of your life that you are willing to waste? Watch Eklund's dog predict the 2nd round.
17. Sheldon Souray is blogging on the playoffs over at AskMen.com.
18. Memorial Cup History, 1932.
19. Terry Frei pronounces the Wings-Avs rivalry dead.
20. Team Canada adds Spezza, Heatley and Getzlaf. Team USA adds Mark Stuart and Adam Burish. BC standout Nathan Gerbe also garnered an invite.
21. Steven Stamkos tops the final rankings from Central Scouting. The complete list is here. A possible dark horse is #197, Edgars Lipsberg. Pure offensive talent, doesn't give a shit about defense.
22. Jim Kelley wonders if it is the GM, rather than the coaches who are to blame in Calgary.
23. Pierre Lebrun accurately captures the obvious; states the 2nd round will feature some tight series.
24. The always entertaining Darryl Reaugh introduces Stars fans to the Sharks' roster.
25. Ever see a goalie and a defenseman fight each other? What about if they are on the same team?

2nd Round Preview: Penguins vs. Rangers

The Penguins/Rangers series could easily be mistaken for the Stanley Cup Finals as some would argue that these are the best two teams remaining in the NHL Playoffs. This series provides skill, physical play and superstar mystique which is sure to make it a hit with hardcore and casual fans alike.

Why the Penguins will win:

This is a team that is deep up front. All three of their forward lines can contribute offense at any time and, in fact, their fourth line was terrific in the first round versus the Senators. Obviously, the Pens rely on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to lead the way and, well, that is certainly not a bad thing. Nonetheless, the Penguins will need their defense and goaltending to be extremely sharp if they expect to knockoff the Broadway Blueshirts.

Pittsburgh’s netminding was very solid in the opening round. Marc-Andre Fleury was on his game from the outset and was one of the main reasons for the series sweep. Fleury needs to maintain his confidence versus the high-powered Rangers and limit any weak goals—which are killer in the playoffs. Fleury’s success will also be based largely on the play of the Penguins’ defense corps. The fact of the matter is this defense corps has its strong points but is nothing to write home about. Sergei Gonchar is a great puck-mover and has played a better defensive game this season but is still open to a defensive breakdown. Additionally, Ryan Whitney has not been the player he was last season and has even seen some time on the wing. The Penguins’ trade for Hal Gill at the trade deadline has served them well and it should sure help this series as Gill has always seems to play well against Jaromir Jagr. The rest of the Penguins defense of Letang, Scuderi and Orpik provide a mix of size and skill but this is a one through six defense that is not to be mistaken with the Anaheim Ducks.

Why the Rangers will win:

The Rangers will win this series if they continue to stay disciplined and stick to their system which they have played all season long. Some may think with their three solid scoring lines that the Rangers like to play fire-wagon hockey, but that is really not the case. This team thrives on other team’s mistakes and converting them into odd-man chances the other way.

If the Rangers are going to take this series, they will need scoring from all three scoring lines because the Penguins can come at you with offense from all over their roster. If Chris Drury takes as long to get going in this series as he did versus the Devils, I have my concerns. However, I do not expect that to be the case.

Also, the Blueshirts have a big advantage in between the pipes as Henrik Lundqvist is a Vezina Trophy candidate who has also captured Olympic gold. In my opinion, this is where the Rangers hold the biggest advantage over the Penguins. Lundqvist has been terrific since the latter part of the season and seems to be on quite a role. The fact is, he won’t make many mistakes; so the Penguins won’t be getting any breaks like they did versus the lowly Senators.

Who will win:

Both these teams have about equal talent level infused throughout their rosters. Thus, I believe the determining factor is that the Rangers hold the advantage in the experience column. Their core players like Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Jaromir Jagr and Brendan Shanahan have all won Stanley Cups. Taking that into account, I think the Rangers take this series.

Prediction: Rangers in 6.