NHL Hockey Betting

If you had the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals in the NHL, then youre one heck of a handicapper. Two teams that needed the qualify for the postseason on the last day of the regular season have surprised everyone in the first two round and now square for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. While Montreal has had a nice ride, Philadelphias size will be a problem for them as evidenced in Game 1.

The Storyline

Online betting fans have to be shocked with the performance of both teams, but the Habs especially. Montreal knocked off the Presidents Trophy winners in the first round of the playoffs, coming back from 3-1 down in the series, then knocked off the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in seven games in Round 2.

Meanwhile, the Flyers knocked out the Devils in the first round and then came back from an 0-3 whole to Boston to win four straight times and win the series.

Both teams have defied the odds and both have been the two biggest surprises in the playoffs so far.

Who Has The Edge On Offense: Canadiens vs Flyers?

The Canadiens have won two rounds against the two teams considered to be the best in the East, so no one can call them a fluke, but they have scored a lot of lucky goals. Against the Capitals and Penguins, it worked because the Habs kept it low-scoring and eked out wins with whatever offense they can get. That may be a problem in this series. As evidenced in Game 1, the Flyers can score goals in bunches.

The reason the Flyers should be more effective than the Caps or Pens were is because of their size. They crashed the net in Game 1 and theyll do the same throughout this entire series. The Canadiens kept the Caps and Pens on the outside, but the Flyers will get in front of Jaroslav Halak and prove that hes human.

Edge: Flyers

Who Has The Edge On Defense/Goaltending: Canadiens vs Flyers?

The story of this series will be the goaltending of Halak versus the Flyers offense. Halak carried the Canadiens through the first two rounds and if they expect to move on one more time, NHL betting fans know hell have to do it again.

The Flyers are fairly weak in net with Michael Leighton, but can the Canadiens exploit that?

In Game 1, the answer to that question was no, but the series is all about adjustments.

The Flyers have the short end of the stick in the goaltending matchup but they do have a better blue line. The Canadiens didnt see anyone like Chris Pronger in the first two rounds, which is partially why Mike Cammalleri is having such a huge postseason. Dont expect that to continue on Prongers watch.

Edge: Canadiens

Who Will Win The Canadiens Flyers Series?

No team in NHL history has won a series after winning the previous two in seven games (in one playoff) so dont expect it to happen again. The Flyers size is a problem for Montreal and so is Pronger. Since the Habs dont have the scoring depth to produce consistent scoring from multiple lines, they are going to find a way through Pronger to score goals. Thats unlikely.

Halak has been incredible but hell have to be even better than that in this series. Dont expect it to happen.

Sports betting fans also should expect fatigue could be a factor for the Habs the longer this series progresses.

Pick: Flyers In Five

CBSSpor NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the New Jersey Devils have submitted a new contract to the league for Russian star Ilya Kovalchuk.

The league has five days to approve or reject the deal, which media reports say amounts to $100 million over 15 years. A month ago, the NHL rejected a 17-year, $102 million contract for Kovalchuk, saying it violated the league salary cap.

After the rejection, the NHL Players Association filed a grievance and the leagues decision was upheld by an arbiter.

The 27-year-old Russian left wing has 338 goals and 304 assists in 642 career games. He had 41 goals and 44 assists last season. New Jersey traded him to Atlanta in February.

CBSSports.com wi Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin has been found guilty on charges stemming from a DUI arrest in February.

The decision was handed down Friday, and the four-time All-Star could face up to six months in jail when he is sentenced Tuesday.

The 37-year-old played for Phoenix from 1996-99 and still has a home in Paradise Valley. He was pulled over in his Ferrari on Feb. 8, after the car was clocked at 70 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Police said an officer smelled alcohol and Khabibulin was arrested after a field sobriety test. He was booked into jail on DUI and excessive speed charges.

Khabibulin, who signed a four-year, $15 million deal with Edmonton last year, hasnt played since Nov. 16 because of a herniated disk in his back that required surgery in January.

CBSSports.com wir Free agent forward Paul Kariya will not play next season after being diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome.

The decision was announced Friday through a release from his agent.

Don Baizley said in a statement that the decision was reached after Kariya was examined by concussion specialist Dr. Mark Lovell.

The 35-year-old spent the last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. He had 18 goals and 25 assists last season.

Kariya missed six games last December and January after sustaining a concussion. He missed the 1998 Winter Olympics because of a concussion.

The two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner has 402 goals and 587 assists in a 15-year career with Anaheim, Colorado, Nashville and St. Louis.

CBSSpor NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the New Jersey Devils have submitted a new contract to the league for Russian star Ilya Kovalchuk.

The league has five days to approve or reject the deal, which media reports say amounts to $100 million over 15 years. A month ago, the NHL rejected a 17-year, $102 million contract for Kovalchuk, saying it violated the league salary cap.

After the rejection, the NHL Players Association filed a grievance and the leagues decision was upheld by an arbiter.

The 27-year-old Russian left wing has 338 goals and 304 assists in 642 career games. He had 41 goals and 44 assists last season. New Jersey traded him to Atlanta in February.

CBSSports The Pittsburgh Penguins wont re-sign forward Bill Guerin, preferring instead to give several young forwards a chance to play on one of their top lines.

The 39-year-old Guerin scored 21 goals last season and had four more during the playoffs while often playing on Sidney Crosbys line. He has 429 goals and 427 assists in 1,263 career games with eight teams, starting with New Jersey in the 1991-92 season.

Guerin was dealt to Pittsburgh during a trading deadline deal on March 2, 2009. He had 26 goals in 95 regular season games and 11 goals in 35 playoff games, helping Pittsburgh win the Stanley Cup in 2009.

The Penguins plan to give a longer look during training camp to younger forwards Eric Tangradi, Dustin Jeffrey and Mark Letestu.

CBSSpo A top official of the National Hockey League Players Association denied reports Thursday that Donald Fehr, the former leader of baseballs players union, accepted an offer to take the top job at the NHLPA.

Mike Ouellet, the NHLPAs chief of business affairs, praised Fehrs work as an unpaid adviser to the players on Thursday, but said no appointment has been ratified by the executive committee. Ouellet refused to comment when asked if Fehr was a leading candidate.

“For the reports to come out and say that an offer has been accepted is, to say the least, a little premature just given the process,” Ouellet said. “No recommendation has been made to the executive board, yet.”

Fehr, 62, has been serving as an unpaid consultant since November. The office has been vacant since Paul Kelly was fired last August, less than two years after assuming the role.

“Hes got a tremendous wealth of experience in this area,” Ouellet said. “I dont think theres anybody on the planet that has the type of experience he has working for a professional sports union. And thats been very valuable for the players.”

Fehr is a veteran negotiator who developed a reputation as a hard-nosed adversary during a career that spanned a quarter-century with the Major League Baseball Players Association. Baseball endured sev under his watch.

Ouellet said any appointment would have to be ratified by the NHLPAs 30-man executive committee. Each NHL team has a representative on the committee.

“I think its always important to have leadership in your organization that can reassure people of what theyre doing, to help chart a path,” Ouellet said, noting the Olympics and the idea of a world cup as two issues left idle in the leadership vacuum.

At least two high-ranking NHL executives have offered measured congratulations to the NHLPA amid the reports it had hired Fehr.

“In my mind, a strong union is better for us as a sport than a fractured union,” Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke said. “If thats the choice theyve made, I respect Donald Fehr. And I think its good news if theyve put a leader in place.”

Many of the games biggest names assembled in Toronto for the four-day world hockey summit, which wrapped up at a downtown hotel Thursday with a news conference featuring the main stakeholders, including the NHL and the NHLPA.

“Obviously I think its important for the players association to have a head, and the sooner they do that the better, from our perspective,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. “But as far as I know, theres been nothing official at that point, so Ill reserve comment on that.”

The NHLs collective bargaining agreement with its players is set to expire in September 2012. There has been speculation that Fehrs addition to the NHLPA could lead to another labor disruption.

“I always assume that the guy on the other side of the tables going to give us a hard battle,” Burke said. “Thats what they get paid to do. But I think we have a pretty good leader on our side, too.”

CBSSp The Dallas Stars have agreed to terms with defenseman Nicklas Grossman on a two-year contract worth $3.25 million.

The 25-year-old Grossman skated in 71 games for the Stars last season, finishing with seven assists and 32 penalty minutes. In 2008-09, he had career highs in goals (two), assists (10) and points (12).

Grossman helped Sweden win the bronze at the 2009 world championships.

CBSSports. The Los Angeles Kings have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with unrestricted free agent defenseman Willie Mitchell.

The team announced the deal Wednesday.

Mitchell had four goals, eight assists and 48 penalty minutes in 48 games with Vancouver last season. The 32-year-old was sidelined for 34 games after sustaining a concussion on Jan. 16 against Pittsburgh. He also missed the playoffs.

In 2008-09, Mitchell set career-highs for games played (82), assists (20), points (23) and plus-minus rating (plus-29). He helped the Canucks advance to the Western Conference semifinals that season.

Mitchell has previously played for Dallas, Minnesota and New Jersey. He helped Canada win a gold medal at the 2004 world championships.

CBSSports. The Tampa Bay Lightning have re-signed 20-goal scorer Steve Downie to a two-year contract.

The NHL team announced the deal Wednesday.

Downie appeared in 79 games last season, finishing with 22 goals and 46 points. The 23-year-old right wing set career highs for games played, goals, assists, points and penalty minutes.

The Lightning also announced the signing of free agent defenseman Randy Jones. He played in 48 games for the Los Angeles Kings last season.