Are you a betting man? You can’t do any worse than putting money on these Ducks!
Anaheim Ducks fans, what’s going on?
Enough with the chit-chat -let’s get to work!
Good news: the Anaheim Ducks have the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup this year, according to people who decide this sort of stuff:
The Ducks and Blackhawks each have 21/10 odds to lift the Cup. That’s good news for the Western Conference, as it was generally believed to be the weaker conference, with the New York Rangers starting the postseason as the clear-cut favorites.
It’s good news for us Ducks fans, as well, as we are pretty much guaranteed an exciting Western Conference Finals. I know some of us will argue that we would much rather see the Ducks steamroll their next opponent, but I am looking forward to hard-fought, six or seven-game series that will decide which team heads to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Is fate finally smiling on Bruce Boudreau?
Oil On Whyte
As much as I enjoyed seeing Corey Perry get off the ice and rush toward the wall as he celebrated his series-clinching goal against the Calgary Flames Sunday, the image that struck me the most was the one of a smiling Bruce Boudreau pointing to his wife and children from the bench while the Honda Center celebrated:
It’s about time that the Ducks were able to get Boudreau past the second round of the playoffs, but in case people forgot, or (gasp!) did not know, the Ducks’ head coach has already enjoyed a great deal of success over his career. Had the Ducks failed to advance past the second round again, it would not have been enough to diminish what is already an attractive resume . . .
. . . but we all know that, fair or not, NHL coaches get judged by their postseason records, and Boudreau’s 35-31 mark in the postseason has contributed to his being labeled an under-achiever. I’d love nothing more than to see him finally get a chance to shut some people up!
Eastern Conference Semifinals
Due to some insane rule, the NHL cannot allow the Western Conference Finals to begin until ALL of the second-round series are finished.
Bummer.
Tampa Bay currently holds a 3-2 lead against Montreal, with Game 6 taking place tonight. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers will square off against the Washington Capitals Wednesday night in an instant classic: Game 7 in Madison Square Garden.
Enjoy some East-coast hockey while we wait for the Ducks – Blackhawks series to begin!