NHL Playoffs Picks Sunday 5/6: Flyers Devils, Blues Kings Game Four

NHL Playoffs Picks and Predictions Game Four, Sunday 5/6: Philadelphia Flyers at New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues at LA Kings

The LA Kings are going for the sweep against the top remaining seed in the Western Conference. The Blues have looked lost in two of the three games so far in the series, but can a team this defensively sound collapse this mightily? I half-expected this from the Canucks, but the Blues too? The Kings could mow down the top seeds in the conference with relative ease, and they’re one game away. In a far more entertaining series, two divisional rivals meet for Game Four in New Jersey. The Devils won Game Three behind a solid effort from a returning Ilya Kovalchuk, but as has been the issue for New Jersey all season, can they sustain this kind of momentum? The Flyers, particularly goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, are really struggling. If New Jersey comes to play, they could be the benefactors of enough soft goals to leave Jersey needing only one more game to advance.

The Caps won in another tight and exciting game. In a rare mid-series jump I took the Caps in Game Four. We’re on a roll now in the second round. Do my Devils loyalties hold up in the second round? Am I ready to jump ship from the Blues bandwagon that I was one of the last members aboard? It’s another thoroughly exciting day of the NHL playoffs.

St. Louis Blues (+115) at LA Kings

I’m not ready to jump ship. I’m hoping the Blues have enough pride to avoid a sweep and I believe in their defensive system and coaching. I know the Kings are hot and I know Jonathan Quick is incredibly hot. This is probably a bad bet, but I can’t stomach the idea of being this wrong on a series. Force Game Five so I can jump ship with dignity.

Blues 2 – Kings 1

Confidence: 1/6
Value: 1/6

Philadelphia Flyers at New Jersey Devils (-115)

This series continues to be about the goaltending for me and I think the Devils have a huge advantage there. Marty Broduer is playing well enough to win games while Ilya Bryzgalov is allowing very stoppable goals. That will be the difference in the series if it keeps it up.

I’m not impressed with the Flyers offense this series. They have theoretical advantages over a pretty weak Devils defense, but they haven’t been scoring in the predicted bunches of the Penguins series. In addition, injuries and ineptitude in the Flyers’ own blueline give a similarly dynamic Devils offense chances to put shots on net. Against a slumping Bryzgalov, that’s pretty much all they need.

If the Devils can defend home ice they’ll have a huge advantage in this series. I like them to stay hot in Game Four, especially with the boost a relatively healthy Ilya Kovalchuk can give this team.

Devils 3 – Flyers 2

Confidence: 1/6
Value: 3/6

Playoffs: 38-24