In the late 1990s, the rivalry between the Detroit Red Wings and Colorado Avalanche was one of the most fierce in the NHL, and perhaps all of sports. These two will meet in the NHL playoffs for the first time since the 2001-02 conference finals when Game 1 of this best-of-seven series kicks off at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday. BetOnline.com has the Detroit Red Wings –190 odds favorites against the Colorado Avalanche +160 with the over/under set at over 5 goals.
The Avalanche are coming off of a six-game win over the Minnesota Wild in the first round, in a close series which featured three overtime games and five games in which the margin of victory was one goal. Captain Joe Sakic led the way with two goals and four assists, while Peter Forsberg showed he was up to the rigors of playoff hockey with a goal and four assists, along with a rating of +3. Jose Theodore was brilliant in the Colorado goal, finishing with a GAA of 1.88 and a .940 save percentage.
The top-seeded Red Wings were given all they could handle by the Nashville Predators during their six-game series win, and most of their troubles came at the feet of goaltender Dominik Hasek. The future Hall-Of-Famer was a bit shaky between the pipes, going 2-2 with a GAA of 2.91 and a save percentage of .888. In comparison, Chris Osgood won both of this starts with a GAA of 0.39 and a save percentage of .981. Osgood has been given the starting role for this series, but the Red Wings are more than comfortable with alternating goalies throughout a series. Pavel Datsyuk led the Red Wings offensively with three goals and two assists, while adding a rating of +3.
The Red Wings are -200 home favorites in the series opener, and they dominated the Avalanche in the regular season by winning all four meetings, including three by shutout. Theodore will need to stand on his head to keep the Red Wings at bay, while offensively, the Avalanche have to pressure Detroit's talented, but aging, defense corps. The Red Wings led the league with 29 wins at home, and Joe Louis Arena is one of the most intimidating places to play in the NHL. Take Detroit to get off to a good start with a victory on Thursday. Get in your Free NHL Playoffs Pick in Now!
Colorado Avalanche at Detroit Red Wings – 7:30 PM ET
Free NHL Playoffs Pick: Detroit Red Wings
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