Canucks at Predators Game 6 Odds and Predictions – Free NHL Picks 5-9-11

Free NHL Playoffs Picks and Odds – Game 6 Vancouver Canucks at Nashville Predators Favorite, Moneyline, Total and Predictions 5/9/11: The Predators were quite fortunate to escape Vancouver with a game 5 victory on Saturday night and now will attempt to force a game 7 at home tonight. Nashville showed some grit and fight in their game and Joel Ward stepped up with a huge third period to lift the Preds over the Canucks. The often overlooked Ward scored twice, 5 minutes apart, in the third period which put the music city bunch up 4-3. Pekka Rinne held his own in the frenzy of minutes before the final buzzer; he robbed Hendrick Sedin point blank to preserve the win. For Nashville to steal this series, Pekka Rinne will have to have consecutive all-star performances and be the best player on the ice for the Predators. He has consistently bailed his club out of vulnerable situations but it is coming evident that he might be tiring a bit. In game 5 he was not as lively as in games past, he was also very sloppy with the puck. The ageless Steve Sullivan picked up his game on Saturday night and he was seen actively fore-checking and getting physical on every shift. It will take gritty performances like Sullivan and Ward for the Preds to force a game 7 and then who knows what a game 7 between these two clubs will produce.

Forced to return to Nashville is not what the Vancouver Canucks had in mind on Saturday night, but nevertheless they will seek elimination again tonight on road ice. Roberto Lulongo and the entire Vancouver defensive corp had an off night on Saturday, they gave up countless odd man rushes and Lulongo was not up to his level of play. The all-star net minder allowed 4 goals on 19 shots, his puck movement was atrocious, and he did not control his rebounds. Lulongo will have to come up big in game 6 to avert the risk of another game 7 scenario. On a positive note, Ryan Kesler is on an absolute tare as of late as the American sniper has scored 4 goals in the last three outings. He had no goals to show for through the first 9 games of playoff action, but that is not to say he was unproductive and underachieving. In fact, the 6’3” centre men might have arguably been the best player on the ice for the Canucks on a nightly basis. He is actively getting to the Predators net and causing issues in front of Rinne and he is leading the physical game for the Canucks on a nightly basis.

Tonight we will recommend a play on the Vancouver Canucks(Check the latest NHL Odds at SBG Global Sportsbook) in the music city. We will go back to the well tonight with the Canucks on road ice, we struck out with them on Saturday night with a poor performance across the board on the part of all Canuck skaters. The last thing the Vancouver Canucks want is to return home for another game 7 tilt. Game sevens are so exciting because anything can happen and the Canucks were very close to being eliminated in the first series in a game 7 scenario, so they will be pulling out all the stops tonight to prevent that. Roberto Lulongo rarely has back to back weak performances, so I expect the all-star back stopper to have a solid performance tonight on the road. The home ice advantage for the Predators has been absent all postseason long as both the Ducks and Canucks have owned the Predators in their own digs. The Canucks took both games in the music city last week so there is no hesitancy to produce on the road on the part of Vancouver. In fact, the Canucks almost prefer to play on the road as they are 13-3 SU in their last 16 games on the road. Vancouver is also 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Nashville. Although the Predators have gotten to game 6 with the Canucks they have never really been in this series. When the Canucks are firing on all cylinders the Predators have had no answer for them and Saturday night was not indicative of the Canucks ‘A’ game. Nashville is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Vancouver and is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Vancouver. We will consider the Canucks coming out flying to avert a game 7 tilt and pick up the final blow tonight in the music city. Cheers!

Free Pick: Vancouver Canucks -130(Moneyline)
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