The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t expected an easy game tonight, Tuesday May 18, against the Montreal Canadiens after pounding them 6-0 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final. The Flyers won Game 1 as -150 home favorites. NHL oddsmakers at BODOG.com have the Flyers as -150 moneyline home favorites over the Canadiens (+130) with the over/under set at 5 goals. Be sure to get your 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers Game 2 Odds & Prediction in now at BODOG.com
The Canadiens pulled Jaroslav Halak after giving up four goals on 14 shots against. Halak has shown an uncanny ability to put bad games behind them this postseason and must do that in Game 2 to take the action back to Canada. "It was one of those nights," forward Scott Gomez said. "We've got guys; we've all been through it. It could have been an overtime loss, but it's still a loss. We'll regroup and we'll let this one go." Gomez is speaking of the veteran core of players who have the experience and knowledge of deep playoff runs. Gomez, Brian Gionta, Travis Moen and defenseman Hal Gill have all completed the journey to the Stanley Cup and know there are dark days along that road. To win in Game 2, Montreal will have to do a better job of clearing the area around its goalie. The Flyers drove the net relentlessly in Game 1, driving Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak to distraction with the constant net-front presence. Their defense is relieving some pressure of the goalie by blocking shots, they stopped a high 20 shots in Game 1 and lead these playoffs in blocked shots. On offense the Habs did well outshooting the Flyers 13-6, but they need the first goal to increase intensity within the line-up. Montreal will also have to find a way to generate continued pressure, as most of its quality chances were one-off affairs. Cammalleri remains among the hottest players in the postseason with 12 goals in 15 games.
The Flyers shutout the Habs 6-0 as Michael Leighton stopped 28 shots for his first ever playoff shutout. He’s 3-0 in these playoffs with a 1.11 GAA. But, it’ll be interesting to see how Philly deals with prosperity and a series lead after having to play near-perfect hockey for more than a week in its historic run to erase a three-games-to-none deficit against Boston in the last round. The Flyers won Game 1 against the Devils and lost Game 1 against the Bruins, in overtime. They insist they will not get caught up in the ease of the Game 1 victory."It's just one game," forward Danny Briere said. "We know they're going to come back a lot better, a lot stronger in their next game. For us, the goal was to keep the home ice advantage, win the two games — so we're just halfway there. The Flyers offense used a dominant power play to change the tide of the game , scoring the first and third goals with the man advantage and adding another goal just one second after the expiration of a penalty."We had a couple of bounces," captain Mike Richards said. "We had a couple of really nice shots, and capitalized on the power plays that we were given. They came out strong, they controlled the play for the most part in the first period, and we were just opportunistic tonight." Philadelphia did a masterful job of shutting down Cammalleri and Gionta, the most effective of the Montreal forwards. "They're going to have their nights," defenseman Chris Pronger said. "It's up to us to limit them as much as we can and keep them to the outside; try to keep them out of that high-scoring area out in the slot area. Philadelphia's James van Riemsdyk has goals in back-to-back games after going without a score in his first 11 games. Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist in Game 1 and was a plus-4. Briere also had a goal and an assist in Game 1 and has goals in four of his past five games. He also has three multiple-point games during that span.
Recent Trends to Consider:
- Flyers are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. Northeast.
- Flyers are 4-0 in their last 4 games following a win.
- Flyers are 5-0 in their last 5 overall.
- Flyers are 4-0 in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Flyers are 5-0 in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Flyers are 8-1 in their last 9 games as a favorite.
- Under is 5-1-1 in Canadiens last 7 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.
- Under is 4-1 in Flyers last 5 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers
When: Tuesday May 18, 2010 7:00 PM ET
Line: BODOG.com
Pick: Canadiens +130
Point-Spreads.com 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers Game 2 Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: The Canadiens will rebound, that’s what they do. Be sure to get your 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers Game 2 Odds & Predictions in now at BODOG.com and receive a 10% Deposit Bonus and start winning today!
