Stanley Cup Finals - Game 3

The Flyers were the better team on Monday night, but the best player on the ice was Chicago’s 26-year-old Finnish rookie net minder, and that was the difference. Niemi was a wall, stopping 32 of 33 shots to lead the Hawks to a 2-1 victory in Game 2 and a two game lead in the series. He’ll need to be even better on Wednesday night as the series has shifted back to Philadelphia for Game 3 and with the Flyers in desperation mode, you know they’ll be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Niemi. 

Stanley Cup Game 3 Betting Line:

Chicago Blackhawks (+110) at Philadelphia Flyers (-130)

Broadcast – Wednesday, June 2^st – 8 pm ET (NBC, CBC)

Puckline – Flyers -1 ½ (+220), Blackhawks +1 ½ (-260)

The Hawks’ only offense in Game 2 came on a pair goals from Marian Hossa and Ben Eager late in the second period, just 30 seconds apart, and that was all they needed as they rode Niemi the rest of the way. It was a much different performance than we saw in the first game of the Stanley Cup but it was no surprise to the guys in the dressing room as they all command Niemi’s ability to bounce back and how he never gets rattled. That is going to be tested as the Wachovia Center will be rocking on Wednesday, a place where the Flyers have been deadly, posting a 7-1 mark there during these the playoffs.

It’s the first time a Stanley Cup Final game has been played in Philadelphia since 1997, and if they don’t secure a win in the two game home stand, they’ll have to watch Chicago hoist the cup right out of town.  But if the Flyers can keep the momentum going that saw them clearly outplay the Blackhawks for the last 40 minutes of Game 2, they’ll going to get that all important first win.  The key is going to be getting to Antti Niemi early, and try to get one by him in the first ten minutes. 

Being down 2-0 obviously isn’t the ideal situation, but the Flyers have already overcame a 3-0 series deficit to beat Boston in the second round, so they’ve been here before and have the veteran leadership to stay calm under pressure.  

The game plan for Chicago isn’t going to change much, but they know they have to be better than they were on Monday night if they want to come out of Philly with at least a split. If they get that win tonight, they will be setting an NHL record. A win will give them their eighth consecutive road victory, a serious accomplishment in the playoffs.  They are so convinced that life on the road is the reason for their success, they stayed in hotels before Games 1 and 2. 

Here are some Stanley Cup Betting Trends for Game 3:

• • Home team is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings.
• • Favorite is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
• • Under is 3-1-1 in the last 5 meetings.
• • Under is 5-2-1 in the last 8 meetings in Philadelphia.
• • Blackhawks are 4-13 in the last 17 meetings.
• • Blackhawks are 0-8 in the last 8 meetings in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia knows what they have to do to be successful, and have been doing the small things right to win games as they have power-play goals in each of the first two games and have yet to surrender a goal while shorthanded. They have also held the Hawks much talked about top line of Toews, Kane and Byfuglien scoreless, while all three have a collective minus-7. So it’s just a matter of finding a way to win, and I think they do that tonight at home. Take the Flyers at -130.