Playoff hockey is always fun, but betting on the game makes it even more fun

This is a strong time of year for the sports calendar. We get both the NBA and NHL playoffs, but we also have baseball every day. The WNBA has started, and there is even talk about the upcoming NBA draft. The only thing with soft news is the NFL, and that still dominates the conversation. Tonight we have the Western Conference Finals in the NHL.

The Vegas Golden Knights have once again found their way to the Conference Finals. This team hasn't been around for a long time, since 2017-18. In those nine seasons, they have reached the Conference Finals five times. They only missed the playoffs once when they were there. This has been a solid season for Vegas, and they have a chance to make it even better.

The Golden Knights went 39-26-17 in the regular season, but struggled a bit on the road. In the play-offs he was very good. It won 4-2 against Mammoth in the first round. In the second round, they again went 4-2, beating the Ducks. Now they have to face the toughest team in the Western Conference, but they already took the opener 4-2. They will have Carter Hart in net again. He had a strong postseason with a .920 save percentage and allowed just 2.35 goals per game.

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The Colorado Avalanche are the top team in the NHL and have been favorites to lift the Stanley Cup for most of the season. They are so good that it seems their third line may be as good as the first lines of many other teams. They compiled an impressive record of 55-16-11 in the regular season, and were even better at home with a record of 26-9-6. Now they're just two series wins away from a shutout, but they're still behind in the series, so there's work to be done.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar talks to players during the third period of an NHL game against the Calgary Flames in Denver on April 9, 2026. (David Zalubowski/AP)

The Avalanche have had an easy run this postseason. They swept the Kings in the first round. Two games were close – the first two of the postseason were 2-1 wins. In the second round, Colorado won 4-1. These games were not very close. The team won three out of four games with three goals. The final game was a 4-3 overtime win. They should have Scott Wedgewood in net tonight. He was the league's leading goaltender with a 2.02 goals-against-per-game average and a .921 save percentage. His save percentage dropped to .911 in the postseason.

In Game 1, the Avalanche struggled to get things going offensively. They still had 10 more shots than the Golden Knights, but couldn't find a goal. They won in almost every statistic except the most important one – goals scored.

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Scott Wedgewood backstopped the Colorado Avalanche to the President's Trophy, but it wasn't enough to make him a finalist for the Vezina. (Photos by Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn)

Today in Game 2, expect a crazy Avalanche team. They have never lost two games in a row this postseason, and during the regular season, they only lost two or more games in a row six times. I don't back them on the puck line or money line because I don't like the odds. Instead, I take goals below 6.5. Both goalkeepers were very strong and should continue to shut down here. Give me less.