How good have the Los Angeles Kings looked these NHL playoffs? As far back as I can remember, I don’t recall any team in the NHL playoffs looking this dominant through two and a half rounds of action.
To put it into perspective, the Kings have won 10 of their 11 playoff games. The only team that took a game from them was the Vancouver Canucks, who won the Presidents’ Trophy and finished with the most points in the regular season. As a matter of fact, the Canucks were the only team that even competed with the Kings.
Since the first round, the Kings have won six straight and each of those wins has been by at least two goals. They’ve scored at least three in each contest, which is shocking for a team that struggled to score consistently in the regular season. They’ve outscored their opponents 23-8 in those six wins and that’s against the St. Louis Blues and Phoenix Coyotes, both excellent defensive teams.
As for Game 3 in this series, there’s no reason to take Phoenix. Game 2 was their last stand as they know they’re not as strong as the Blues or Canucks, and if they were to get swept at home, then they would know their fate.The Coyotes had to put up a better effort in Game 2 than in Game 1 but in fact the results went in the other direction as the Kings got better and the Coyotes got worse.
Looking back through the two games, the Coyotes have scored two lucky goals and received outstanding play from goaltender Mike Smith. It’s not crazy to think that the Kings could have won the first two games by even wider margins.
Nothing will change in Game 3. The Kings are at home and the Coyotes are without their top-line center Martin Hanzal. This is a complete mismatch and at this point, there is no reason to bet against the Kings.
NHL Picks: Kings -190 +++
Phoenix Coyotes vs. Los Angeles Kings
NHL Odds: OVER/UNDER 4.5
The total has shifted below five and sits at 4.5 and, given how the Kings are playing, do you really want to tempt the OVER? The Coyotes have mustered no offense through two games, and their two goals were very lucky – one coming from a slap shot from center ice and the other coming when Jonathan Quick misplayed the puck while venturing away from the crease. Phoenix has manufactured just 51 shots through two games and very few quality scoring opportunities.
The Kings have been in this position before – with Vancouver and St. Louis – and they know that the Coyotes are going to try to give them their best punch. The Kings already know how to handle it, though.
Look for Phoenix to tighten things up on their end and try to keep this low scoring as that’s the only way they can win. They’re not going to get many – if any – pucks past Jonathan Quick.
NHL Picks: UNDER +++
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