Before I go any further I like to explain for those who do not KNOW.
In the NHL... The playoffs are a different animals all together.
The playoffs become a sort of race and teams must find whatever pace suits them because here you must win 4 battles before the other team can win 4 of them. You CAN'T win the war all in one night/game... unless it's a game 7... then it's fix bayonets time for all... even the wounded.
Momentum is huge in the playoffs for any team that knows how to use it. Obviously yesterday, the Pens could not use it to thier advantage. In fact they handed it back to Philly who took it and kept it going in thier favor and eventually won the game QUICKLY in OT... BEFORE the momentum could change back to the Pens favor.
This was only ONE battle victory for the Flyers... It's up to them to sieze the mojo given them and hold onto it and take advantage of it as well. There are still 3 more battles that need to be won... and they will most likely not will every battle here.
The Kings did the same thing despite allowing a late goal in the 2nd period. It seemed as if VAN was satisfied with tying the game up before the intermission and they never really regain any kind of momentum in the 3rd period at all.
As a bettor I would not hesitate to bet against my team IF I thought I could make money... but as a fan I want to bet on my team no matter what.
This is where you must decide... and know how to wiggle and maybe accomplish both in a playoff series.
If you are a casual fan of NHL hockey... just sit back and DON'T make large wagers on BIG Favs unless you really want to root for that team... and be ready for any potential letdown and loss of coin that you may incur for your selections.
What I find myself doing is wagering for potential scenarios... such as who would be better for my team to have advance... and the other is for which is the most likely to adavance for series that my teams are not playing in.
My approach for these playoffs is to NOT make straight wagers on ANY of the bigger fav's in the playoffs unless it's on my teams (Flyers and Kings)... otherwise... it's strickly parlays for the other Fav teams. This helps cut the cost of wagering on favorites in the playoffs.
It's best to play the dogs when big... or at least take the extra goals +(PL) if the price is close to the same for the Fav. If you think the dog has ZERO chance but the Fav line is too high... then you most likely can't afford a blind wager on either team. PASS IT UP.
If the lines are close... say -120 and +110... then decide on what scenario you are trying to work with... and run with that for those games.
Basically what I'm saying is that if you are unsure of who to bet on... then bet on a sport that you are more familiar with and stay away from the NHL playoffs.
Enjoy the playoffs and Good Luck
Wager Responsibly 