Sunday’s NHL Picks
Our team of writers and handicappers hand out their hockey playoffs picks and predictions for Sunday, April 19.
Vancouver Canucks at St. Louis Blues, 7:05PM ET
There’s great anticipation over the St. Louis Blues’ first home playoff game in five years. Now, all they’ve got to do is slip a few pucks past Roberto Luongo.
The Vancouver Canucks’ goalie was the unquestioned star the first two games of the Western Conference quarterfinal series, allowing only one goal while stopping 55 shots. He’s coming off his first career playoff shutout in a 3-0 victory Friday night that gave the West’s third seed a 2-0 series lead heading into Game 3 Sunday night.
“I feel great, I’m seeing the puck well and guys are doing a great job in front of me so I can see the puck,” Luongo said. “And sometimes when you don’t see it, it hits you.
“It’s nice to know sometimes the puck bounces your way like that.”
St. Louis was the NHL’s hottest team the second half and went 9-1-1 to finish the regular season. So far, the Canucks and Luongo have made the Blues’ first playoff berth since 2003-04 a frustrating experience.
Luongo finished the regular season with consecutive shutouts that helped the Canucks win the Northwest Division. He sees no reason why the roll can’t continue on the road.
NHL Free Pick: St. Louis – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -120 SBG Global
New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes, 7:35PM ET
The Carolina Hurricanes’ chance to secure home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs seemed to have slipped away after two late-season losses.
Then they went out and claimed it anyway, thanks to a timely overtime goal from a low-scoring defenseman who closed his eyes and uncorked a one-timer that beat the winningest goalie in NHL history.
Now the challenge is to make it last. The Hurricanes, who split the first two games of the series in New Jersey, know the Devils would like nothing more than to take that edge right back Sunday night when the opening-round, best-of-seven matchup series shifts south for Game 3.
“You can win anywhere, but obviously in front of our home fans, we can use that advantage in the right way,” Carolina left winger Tuomo Ruutu said Saturday. “We’ve just got to enjoy it and get some extra energy out of it.”
They certainly made it pay off the last time they made it to the postseason. This will be the Hurricanes’ first playoff game before those rowdy Caniacs since they raised the Stanley Cup three years ago.
NHL Free Pick: New Jersey – View Game Matchup | Best Line: +125 SBG Global
Anaheim Ducks at San Jose Sharks, 10:05PM ET
Jeremy Roenick knows he should welcome every opportunity to rest his 39-year-old body in the heat of an NHL postseason. He just doesn’t believe anybody in teal benefits from an extra day to ponder the San Jose Sharks’ 147-minute playoff scoring drought.
“I hate it. It’s driving me nuts,” Roenick said after Saturday’s practice. “One game a week? Let’s go.”
Indeed, San Jose has played just once since finishing its regular-season schedule last Saturday, when the club backed into the Presidents’ Trophy with a loss to Los Angeles. Although the Sharks were the NHL’s best team for most of the regular season, their middling play down the stretch bled over into Game 1, where Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller beat them 2-0 despite the Sharks’ 2-to-1 edge in shots.
The defeat immediately conjured memories of three straight second-round playoff losses for the Sharks, who are well aware they’re considered the NHL’s biggest playoff underachievers. Given last season’s four-overtime loss to Dallas in the Stars’ series clincher, San Jose hasn’t scored in a playoff eternity.
But while their fans light up message boards with panicked, here-we-go-again refrains, the Sharks are determined to keep their focus on what got them to the No. 1 seed.
NHL Free Pick: San Jose – View Game Matchup | Best Line: -260 SBG Global
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Posted: 4/19/09 2:00 AM ET