The Vancouver Canucks are in La La Land for Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals tonight, Monday April 20, against the LA Kings. The series is tied at one game apiece. NHL oddsmakers at BODOG.com have the Canucks as -115 moneyline road favorites over the Kings (-105) with the over/under set at 5 goals . Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: 2010 NHL Playoffs: Vancouver Canucks vs LA Kings Game 3 Odds & Prediction in now at BODOG.com
The Canucks weren’t so lucky this time, at home, as a fluke goal in overtime cost them Game 2. Anze Kopitar's shot hit a player in front of the net and as it came down it was hit by the knob on Roberto Luongo’s stick and in. They biggest problem was they took a slew of penalties and let the Kings back in the game, and in the series. Going into Game 3, the Canucks know if they can minimize the penalties, they can take back the series. "When you give a team six, seven power plays, they are going to capitalize on one," Ryan Kesler said. "We've got to figure it out and stay out of the box." "Obviously it's going to be tough to win hockey games being in the box like that," said Roberto Luongo. "You've got to give those guys credit on the other side. They came out, they were down two goals early, but they stuck with it and they played a pretty good road game." The Nucks are 19-20-0-2 on the road and have one win in their last four on the road. Mikael Samuelsson followed his two-goal performance in Game 1 by scoring his third of the series in Game 2. Defenseman Aaron Rome could find his way into the lineup for Andrew Alberts, who has taken five penalties that have left his team shorthanded in the first two games of the series.
The Kings Goalie Jonathan Quick's 24-save effort Saturday in the 3-2 overtime victory that tied the Kings' playoff series against Vancouver at one game each was momentous on many levels. It was Quick's first playoff victory and his first victory in 10 starts, including a 3-2 overtime loss in the series opener on Thursday. The Kings scored two power-play goals in Game 2 and are 4-for-9 on the power play in the series. The Kings weren’t given much of a chance, but with a win in Vancouver, it’s a different story now. They have every reason to believe they can hang with the Canucks in this series. Terry Murray's lineup changes paid huge dividends, and now the Kings have home-ice advantage in what has become a best-of-five series. Fredik Modin has two power-play goals in two games. Six Kings have picked up their first career playoff points in the series. "The young guys played well, played like veterans for me. I thought they showed a lot of composure, did the right things. A lot of good things from the team tonight," Kings coach Terry Murray after Game 2
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Under is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings.
- Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Los Angeles.
- Home team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Canucks are 6-2 in the last 8 meetings.
Vancouver Canucks vs LA Kings
When: Monday April 20, 2010 7:00 PM ET
Line: BODOG.com
Pick: Canucks -115
Point-Spreads.com 2010 NHL Playoffs: Vancouver Canucks vs LA Kings Game 3 Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: If the Canucks can stay out of the box they can get the win. Be sure to get your 2010 NHL Playoffs: Vancouver Canucks vs LA Kings Game 3 Odds & Predictions in now at BODOG.com and receive up to 10% in Cash Bonuses and start winning today!
