The Vegas Golden Knights finds themselves dealing with off-ice noise going into their Conference Final series against the Colorado Avalanche
Whether you’ve put money down on the Vegas Golden Knights in their Conference Finals series against the Colorado Avalanche or not, you have to admire the audacity of Vegas head coach John Tortorella.
Remember, Tortorella only took the Vegas job March 29, after the team fired Bruce Cassidy, to shake the team out of late season doldrums.
And it worked. The Golden Knights went 7-0-1 over the remainder of the regular season, then took out the Utah Mammoth in six games in the opening round, followed by series win over the surging Anaheim Ducks, also, in six games.
But Tortorella soon turned on-ice success into an “us-against-them” media relations takedown, refusing to speak to the media post-game after the Golden Knights eliminated the Ducks, over the suspension of Brayden McNabb earlier in the series, apparently. No one knows for sure, because the organization hasn’t given a clear explanation as to the reasons.
The reasons don’t even matter. The NHL wasn’t having any of it and hit Vegas with a $100k fine and the loss of a second-round draft this year, a massive penalty, one that could have easily been avoided if Tortorella for once could keep his ego in check. It was the type of anti-media stunt he has pulled in other NHL cities, with other coaching gigs he has had.
Whether the outside noise impacts betting lines on the Avalanche series is another thing. Maybe the Golden Knights fly above it.
At Betway, though, the Avalanche are big favourites to win the series, at -275 (Vegas is +220).
BEST BETS
Vegas Golden Knights (39-26-17, 19-14-8 away) at Colorado Avalanche (55-16-11, 29-9-6 home), tonight, 8 p.m. EST, Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado.
In NHL betting on Betway, on the Moneyline, the Avalanche are -175, the Golden Knights +145. On the Puckline, the Avalanche are -1.5 (+130), the Golden Knights +1.5 (-165), and the Over/Under is 6.5 (O +110, U -130).
Over 6.5 (+110)
The opener feels like north of seven goals, with the Avalanche in particular able to score in bunches, while the Golden Knights have been led by Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev, and course form Leaf Mitch Marner, who has been playing at a playoff MVP clip.
The Golden Knights are making their fifth return visit to the Conference final since they joined the NHL in 2017-18. No team can match that, in that span.
Odds shifted slightly with the news just after noon EST that Colorado’s star defenceman Cale Makar is out due to injury.
Even without Makar it, though, that Over looks good.
I also like Nathan MacKinnon Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-165). Home ice and Colorado’s transition game will lead to another high-shot night for MacKinnon, who has taken a ton of shots during the playoffs.
BEST BETS
Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, 24-9-8 away) at Carolina Hurricanes (53-22-7, 29-10-2 home), tomorrow, 8 p.m. EST, Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC.
On the Moneyline, the Hurricanes are -190, the Canadiens +160. On the Puckline, the Hurricanes are -1.5 (+125), the Canadiens +1.5 (-160), and the Over/Under is 5.5 (O -130, U +110).
Hurricanes To Win (-190)
Not a surprise, but the Hurricanes are betting favourites to win the series, at -250, while the Habs are +200.
That Over/Under is a little light, since I think Jakub Dobes must be tired after that seven-game slog against the Sabres, where the Hurricanes have been resting for over a week, and Dobes is going to face a heavy volume of shots tomorrow night.
So the safe play is Carolina to win. They are rested, and look more like the complete team going into Game 1.
