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06/01/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The consensus among hockey experts is that the Chicago Blackhawks' biggest weakness is in net, but so far in the Stanley Cup Finals, Antti Niemi has not cooperated with that assessment.
Niemi almost single-handedly kept the Philadelphia Flyers from tying the best- of-seven series at one game apiece Monday night, saving his best goaltending for when his team needed it most.
Despite getting thoroughly outplayed in the final 20 minutes of Game 2, the Blackhawks were able to hold on for a 2-1 victory. Niemi was the biggest reason for the close victory, as he made 32 saves on the night and stopped 14- of-15 shots in the third period.
So far, Niemi has owned the third period in the Stanley Cup Finals, and his team is taking a 2-0 lead to Philadelphia as a result. After giving up five goals in the first 40 minutes of Saturday's wild Game 1, the Finnish netminder shut the door by stopping all six shots he faced in the third period to help Chicago take that game by a 6-5 count.
While he was solid in the third period of Game 1, Niemi's performance on Monday night was nothing short of game-saving.
Chicago had grabbed a 2-0 lead on a pair of quick goals by Marian Hossa and Ben Eager late in the second period. But, the Flyers' Simon Gagne scored on the power play 5:20 into the third period and Philadelphia continued to dominate the remainder of the game. When Chicago's skaters weren't able to block shots in front of Niemi, the goaltender was always there to deny the tying goal.
"I think our "D" played maybe a little bit better in front of the net in blocking shots and letting me see the puck," said Niemi after Game 2. "But it's always a little bit about the luck, too, how you see the puck, and how it bounces."
One thing we always hear about Niemi is his ability to stay on an even keel. He has the ability to never get too high after a strong game or too low after a sub-par performance, like the one in the series opener that had folks questioning his ability yet again.
Through this whirlwind of a season, Niemi has displayed a quiet confidence that is obviously serving him well on hockey's biggest stage.
It also served him well back in September when Niemi outplayed Corey Crawford for the right to begin the season as Cristobal Huet's backup. Of course, Niemi would eventually supplant Huet as the starter, but he has never taken his promotion for granted.
An undrafted free agent signed by Chicago in 2008, Niemi had played in just three NHL games prior to the 2009-10 campaign and none of those were playoff contests. In fact, if the 26-year-old was born about two weeks later he would have been considered a rookie this season.
"Maybe that's better he's had no experience," Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith said of Niemi after Game 2. "He just shows up to play every night. He works real hard in practice. He doesn't like any pucks getting by him. We're real confident when he's in net."
Niemi is quickly becoming a legend in Chicago, where the hockey fans haven't celebrated a Stanley Cup title since 1961. If he continues to play the way he did on Monday night, the Blackhawks will be lifting the most famous trophy in sports soon enough.
FLYERS LOOKING FOR HELP AT HOME
While Niemi was able to thwart Philadelphia's comeback chances in Games 1 and 2 in Chicago, the Flyers are hoping to get back in the series with the next two games on home ice.
Of course, Philadelphia joined a select group earlier this postseason when it came back from a 3-0 series deficit to oust Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals, so rallying from two games down shouldn't seem like too daunting of a task for the Flyers.
As good as Niemi was in Game 2, the Flyers are still feeling confident after dominating the third period on Monday.
"It's just a bounce here or there. Unfortunately, they're getting them right now," said Flyers captain Mike Richards. "But we have to work harder to create some for ourselves."
Philly's play at home in this postseason should be a source of hope for the Flyers. The Orange and Black is 7-1 at the Wachovia Center in the playoffs.
"Obviously, not the way we wanted to start the series," Richards added. "But going home, I said all along, we played well there. We feel very comfortable playing there. So we have to go in and play like we have been lately."
The Flyers are right to be confident about their chances of getting back in this series in Philadelphia, but Chicago has also been superb on the road in the postseason, going 7-1 away from United Center.
Philadelphia also has to compete with history once again because only two teams in NHL history have lost the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals on the road and come back to win the series.
Luckily for the Flyers, they don't have to look far for inspiration, Pittsburgh pulled off the feat last spring, losing Games 1 and 2 in Detroit before winning the series in seven.
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MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
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