NHL Playoffs Picks 5/22: Kings Coyotes Game Five WCF Prediction

NHL Playoffs Picks and Predictions, Tuesday 5/22 – LA Kings at Phoenix Coyotes, Game Five of the Western Conference Finals. Can Mike Smith beat Jonathan Quick again?

The Phoenix Coyotes stole Game Four in LA to keep the series alive. Mike Smith wasn’t relied on nearly as heavily, which is a good sign for the Coyotes, but he was able to come up with a shutout anyway. Jonathan Quick looked sharp, but not unbeatable as Phoenix took advantage of a pair of Shane Doan goals. The Coyotes dominated play and kept the Kings from the plethora of chances that the series was riddled with in earlier games. Game Five could be a huge pressure game for the once-dominant Kings. Phoenix has their backs against the wall, but also very little pressure given their ascension from a 3-0 hole in the series. The Kings have all the pressure on them to end the series quickly after failing to close it out at home. The beauty of the current playoff format is that a win in Game Five means the Coyotes will have the Kings sweating on LA home ice before coming back to the desert for a pressure-packed bid to the Stanley Cup. First things first, can Phoenix win Game Five or was Game Four a fluke?

I’m sitting in a diner-style, 24-hour restaurant that serves all you can eat pancakes for six dollars in Green River, Utah. This is pretty much a dream come true for a Jersey Boy. I get to write hockey while reveling in a huge Devils win over the Rangers while eating unlimited diner food for six bucks. If it was all you can eat disco fries, I’d have a diner orgasm. I guess I’ll have to settle for continuing to flirt with the rotation of waitresses intrigued by someone from civilization visiting their tiny town and seeing where this goes.

PS: I can hear you whispering about me, it’s pretty quiet because I’m the only one in here.

LA Kings at Phoenix Coyotes (+115)

This is a tough one.

I’ll be in Phoenix for Game Five, watching with one of my favorite hockey people and painting faces before the game. I’m not kidding – stop by and say hello for a charitable, white-out face painting. The magic of reuniting with a former Devils employee might just be enough to carry the Coyotes back to LA. For some perspective, I first met them when the Devils went on that amazing, near-playoff run last season from the depths of the Eastern Conference. Anything is possible.

The Kings are favored on the road against a team that just beat them in every way. The Coyotes completed dominated the Kings, who showed little signs of life in a desperation game for Phoenix. Mike Smith had a shutout, the Kings had few real chances, and the Coyotes took control. GRANTED, the Kings did hold the Coyotes to only a few really good chances of their own. One Coyotes goal was a deflection off the draw and another was a good individual effort – both from the captain of the Coyotes.

The Coyotes got the win behind the best players on their team. Mike Smith came up big but was not relied on heavily throughout the game. Doan is a hero. Ray Whitney could be poised to match the effort and the defense finally looked solid. This was a tight series in the regular season and could easily get tight again. The Coyotes only need one road win and they win the series. On home ice, behind one of the coolest “white out” crowds in hockey, with the season hanging in the balance – I ask only this:

Why not?

The Coyotes proved they can hang with the Kings in a convincing Game Four win in LA. Phoenix won the Pacific division and is very familiar with their rivals from Hollywood. Most importantly, Jonathan Quick has been almost human this series. I like the Coyotes for small money, but see this game as more of a toss up than anything else. Were it baseball, I’d advise to stay away. Since it’s hockey and I bet every hockey game all year, I advise a small ML bet on the Coyotes because this series might be about to get really fun.

I know the Kings have been red hot this series, but based almost exclusively on Game Four, the Coyotes have a shot here.

Coyotes 3 – Kings 1

Confidence: 1/6
Value: 2/6