Stanley Cup Finals Betting -- Tampa Bay's Stamkos Expects More Tight-Checking Games

  • In Charles Jay
  • Sat, Jun 6th, 2015 3:36:57 pm
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


Will the Tampa Bay Lightning employ a different strategy as they try to even up the Stanley Cup finals at one game apiece with Chicago Blackhawks? That would seem to be critical.


The Tampa Bay Lightning took the strategic track that met with some criticism in Wednesday night Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. It was a defensive posture, and it came back to haunt them. Now they have to really scramble to avoid going to the Windy City with a 2-0 deficit. Game 2 of the series against the Chicago Blackhawks begins at 8:15 PM ET and will be televised on NBC. BetAnySports customers can wager on the action as it is progressing through the magic of Live Betting Extra.

Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead into the third period, and decided that hanging back and killing the clock was their best approach. They had demonstrated that they could play some defense as a primary option in previous playoff games, and Bishop had pitched a couple of shutouts against the New York Rangers in the semi finals. But all of Tampa Bay's plans were foiled when Chicago struck quickly with two goals within two minutes. And now people around the Tampa Bay camp are second-guessing themselves, but at the same time vowing to be a little more aggressive as they get ready for this game.

As NHL betting observers already know, Chicago is going after its third Stanley Cup championship in six seasons. So you might say they have the edge in terms of "savvy." But Tampa Bay has been a team that could rise to the occasion after defeat, as the Lightning has registered a 7-1 record after each loss in the post-season.

In the Stanley Cup finals betting odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Lightning is a favorite at home:

Tampa Bay Lightning -130
Chicago Blackhawks +110

Over 5 goals -135
Under 5 goals +115

Even coach Jon Cooper knew that his team had made a mistake by not being more aggressive. "A little bit of human nature took over," Cooper said. Sometimes, as people who follow pro hockey would assert, the best defense is a good offense. But Steve Stamkos isn't so sure. In some curious quotes after the game, he said he has his doubts as to whether a wide-open style can really win the Stanley Cup. "It would be a lot more exciting for the fans, I think, but it's just not sustainable," he said. Keep in mind this is from the second leading goal scorer in the NHL this season. And on top of that, he believes that the rest of this series will also be tight-checking and defensive.

Tampa Bay led the NHL in goalscoring this season, and obviously the "Triplets" line of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Andrej Palat is feared. Johnson has scored more goals than anyone in the playoffs, but he has been held without a tally in his last five games. Perhaps BetAnySports customers who are inclined to go with the Lightning can reference their performances in Game 2 of the last three series, as they have scored a combined 17 goals. Certainly if you listen to Cooper, this team is going to come out and exert a lot more pressure on Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford, who gave up a rather bizarre goal on a backhand tip in by Alex Killorn, but stopped every one of the other 22 shots. By the way, that's not a lot for Tampa Bay, so indeed their approach may have to change as they have some catching up to do, and fans will get a little restless if they are a too passive this time around.

BetAnySports has lots of great wagering options for Stanley Cup finals betting, and you can participate in Live Betting Extra almost all the way to the end of the game. Remember that you can make your deposits using your Visa card, or, if you have some handy, the virtual currency of Bitcoin!


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