The Vancouver Canucks have a chance to force a Game 7 tonight, Tuesday May 11, against the Chicago Blackhawks or the Blackhawks can send them golfing. The Canucks won Game 5, 4-1 as +170 roaddogs and are down 2-3 in the best of seven series. .NHL oddsmakers at BETUS.com have the Canucks as -130 moneyline home favorites over the Blackhawks (+110) with the over/under set at 6 goals. Be sure to get your 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Chicago Blackhawks vs Vancouver Canucks Game 6 Odds & Prediction in now at BETUS.com
The Blackhawks are so confident they’ll win tonight that they are packing for a long road trip down to San Jose where they’ll start the Western Conference Final. They’ll use the same technique that saw them win three straight over the Canucks; get in the face of Roberto Luongo. In the three consecutive wins they outscored the Canucks 16-8; in total they’ve barely outscored them 18-17. Goalie Antti Niemi stopped a Canuck low 20 of 23 shots and is 7-4 with a 2.72 GAA as a playoff rookie. Dustin Byfuglien, who rose to fame with his constant net presence in Games 3 and 4, was a non-factor. Patrick Kane logged nearly 23 minutes but had only one shot. The usually composed Hawks blew a gasket and committed seven minor penalties, including four in the third period, but the Canucks scored only once. Their power play, which was fantastic in Vancouver, mustered only three shots on four chances. The stretch pass was taken away and their short passing game was null and void. It's not panic time but the last thing it wants is to play Game 7 back at the United Center. Jonathan Toews continues to wield the hot stick for the Blackhawks. He scored again in Game 5 and now has 11 points (4 goals, 7 assists) in the series and 19 points (6 goals, 13 assists) in the playoffs.
The Canucks haven’t had the best time at home in these playoffs, especially against the Blackhawks. They lost Games 3 and 4 at GM Place by a combined 12-6 because they unraveled and gave up 14 power-play chances, where Chicago scored on six. But, they figured out a way to win during Game 5 when Christian Ehrhoff and Kevin Bieksa got the Canucks off to a quick 2-0 first period lead. Kevin Bieksa got his second goal in the second period and Alexandre Burrows closed it out in the third with an empty netter. Goalie Roberto Luongo was much better, almost Olympic like, after stopping 29 of 30 shots. Luongo is 6-5 with a 3.06 GAA in these playoffs and 2-3 at home with a 3.80 GAA. On a bad note defenseman Sami Salo suffered what has been reported as a ruptured testicle, which is a major blow. He is a staple in their top four, a guy who logs more than 22 minutes a night and plays in every facet of the game. He's also a burly defenseman and can use his size to keep some of the crease-happy Hawks away from the front of the net. Regardless, the Canucks have to find a way to win a home game, something that hasn't come too easy in the playoffs."I guess composure is the word everyone has been using and I think (Sunday night) we had the best composure we've had in the series," defenseman Shane O'Brien said. "Hopefully our fans will be going and we have to stay the way we did (Sunday), maybe bring a road mentality to our game Tuesday night." Kevin Bieksa scored only three goals in 55 games during the regular season, but he potted two in Game 5, including the winner, and he played fantastic in his own zone by logging more than 27 minutes.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Vancouver.
- Over is 5-1-1 in the last 7 meetings.
- Blackhawks are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Vancouver.
- Underdog is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
- Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings
Chicago Blackhawks vs Vancouver Canucks
When: Tuesday May 11, 2010 9:30 PM ET
Line: BETUS.com
Pick: Canucks -130
Point-Spreads.com 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Chicago Blackhawks vs Vancouver Canucks Game 6 Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: The Canucks have been good at home in the regular season and they must tonight. Go Canucks. Be sure to get your 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Chicago Blackhawks vs Vancouver Canucks Game 6 Odds & Predictions in now at BETUS.com and receive a 10% Deposit Bonus and start winning today!
