There has been no sharper contrast in the race to the Stanley Cup betting so far this NHL playoff betting season than the first round play of NHL betting MVP Sidney Crosby and his performance –or lack thereof- in the second round.
Crosby may just be the greatest player in hockey but he sure hasn’t played like it in the first five games of the Eastern Conference semi-finals and unless he steps up soon, this might be the Penguins last NHL playoff betting series of the year.
The transformation has been night and day, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. He started off the 2010 Stanley Cup betting action like a man possessed. He quickly jumped out to a huge lead in the NHL playoff betting race slapping pucks in the goal and handing out assists like Tic-Tacs. And as a result the Pens cruised through their first round Stanley Cup odds matchup hardly breaking a sweat.
But the Montreal Canadiens have put some kind of hockey betting hex on Crosby as he’s yet to score a goal in this Stanley Cup betting series and this team is holding onto a very tenuous 3-2 lead with the series headed back to Montreal. And it’s hard not to like the Habs’ chances in the Stanley Cup odds for Game 6.
The Habs have been playing out their minds the entire NHL playoff betting season so far. The #8 seed knocked off the #1 seed Washington Capitals in the first round of the Stanley Cup betting in one of the biggest hockey betting upsets in years.
So that the Pens have had their struggles with this scrappy squad is no surprise. Goalie Jaroslav Halak has been a machine in the net and no one expected the goals to come easily for the Pittsburgh in this Stanley Cup odds matchup.
But has been surprising –to say the least- is the way that the Habs have completely shut Crosby out of this Stanley Cup betting series. He’s been more or less a non-factor. Granted, even though he’s not scoring he’s been an effective decoy and opened some things up for his teammates including hot-shot Egevani Malkin. But as the reigning MVP of the league Crosby has got bust loose and help his team if he wants to play in the Stanley Cup Finals betting action again this year.