The long and emotional journey for the 2006 Stanley Cup begins Friday, and this year’s playoff extravaganza figures to be extra exciting, considering the Cup wasn’t handed out last year due to the lockout. We take a look at all 16 teams vying for the title, their playoff histories, key stats, and more. We also offer up our predictions.
Since the intensity and the overall play in the NHL Playoffs has generally dwarfed that of the regular season historically, much of the daily stat and trend analysis becomes less a part of the overall handicapping scheme. In fact, in many cases you’ll find that the lines are so over-inflated towards these trends, that the mere essence that made them valuable in the regular season is gone. Consequently, the bettor is left to sorting through other angles, such as situational systems, bounceback theories, momentum swings, and other aspects that have helped in past playoffs. The truth is that analyzing past postseason action can prove quite valuable. Be careful though, as unlike the NBA, the NHL playoffs have been historically less predictable, and upsets are normally commonplace in any round but the finals.
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