Game 1, May 15, 8pm NBCSN

Tonight kicks off the first of the two original six second round matchups. Chicago is clearly the better team this year but the Red Wings are battle tested and clearly not ready to give up hope. In all likelihood this could be the end of a rivalry, hopefully they give us a fun ending.

Worst case scenario with this series is the Blackhawks sweep Detroit but you get four of the more fun games to watch this playoffs. There is going to be a lot of talent on the ice at all times and it will be worth watching even if Chicago knocks them off rather quickly.

Best Bet:

Blackhawks win series in 5 games

I can’t see this series heading back to Detroit for Game 6. The Blackhawks are just too good. Jonathan Toews should have gotten more consideration for the Hart Trophy. He is their leader and when Hossa and Sharp were injured he is the one that led them through the tough times. With the playoffs here and their team as close to healthy as you can have in mid May, they are too good for this Wings team to beat. However...

Bonus Bets:

Red Wings win Game 1 +170

Red Wings +130 to win the first period of Game 1

The Red Wings are not going to go quietly. While I think it will be short it will be a fun series. There is no quit in this Detroit team and they have a few guys that can win games by themselves. They won’t get swept but they also don’t seem to have the home ice advantage that they used to. Chicago is going to come out flat in Game 1 after having been off for nearly a week. They also might take this Wings team lightly since they swept the season series against them 4-0. Since Detroit is coming off a big road win in a Game 7, they are still feeling good. They have the momentum. They will carry that into Game 1 which should give them a lead after the first period that they can parlay into a 1-0 series lead. Just don’t expect them to win another one. But do expect to be entertained.

mlz

Wednesday, May 15, 2013