NHL Hockey News

Shea Weber inexplicably escaped a suspension for his end of game head bashing of Henrik Zetterberg at the end of game 1 of the Predators/Red Wings playoff series. Here is the hit:

Weber received a fine of just $2,500 — the maximum fine allowed for the play but no suspension. This is remarkable in that the NHL, as well as many other sports, have a large problem with head injuries and concussions, but Weber received the equivalent of a slap on the wrist.

“This was a reckless and reactionary play on which Weber threw a glancing punch and then shoved Zetterberg’s head into the glass,” said Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s chief disciplinarian. “As is customary whenever Supplemental Discipline is being considered, we contacted Detroit following the game and were informed that Zetterberg did not suffer an apparent injury and should be in the lineup for Game 2.”

On the first night of the NHL Playoffs, the two teams favored to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals both lost at home to fall behind 1-0 in their best-of-seven first round series. The Pittsburgh Penguins blew a 3-0 lead before falling to the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime. The Vancouver Canucks, owners of the NHL’s best record in the regular season, fell 4-2 to the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Kings.

The Flyers don’t seem to have any problem playing from behind early — they’ve led after the first 10 minutes in only four times in their last 56 games. On Wednesday, the Penguins scored all three of their goals in the first period, while Danny Briere scored Philadelphia’s first two goals to ignite the Flyers rally. “He’s a difference-maker,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette has said of Briere. “The bigger  the circumstances, the bigger the performance. Since I’ve been here, that’s my take on Danny. Give him something to thrive in, and he thrives.”

The NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoff start Wednesday night, with 16 teams fighting for hockey’s ultimate prize. On Monday, we took a look at each team’s odds of reaching and winning the Stanley Cup Finals — today we examine the favorites in all eight first-round playoff series. Higher seeds are favored to advance in six of the eight first-round pairings, with the closest series expected to be Red Wings-Predators.

Here are your 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round Series odds:

Eastern Conference

#5 Philadelphia Flyers +190 vs. #4 Pittsburgh Penguins -230 (Series Starts Wednesday)
#6 New Jersey Devils -200 vs. #3 Florida Panthers +170 (Starts Friday)
#7 Washington Capitals +185 vs. #2 Boston Bruins -225 (Starts Thursday)
#8 Ottawa Senators +190 vs. #1 New York Rangers -230 (Starts Thursday)

Western Conference

The NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Wednesday with 16 teams fighting for the right to hoist the sport’s ultimate prize. Vegas oddsmakers give the Pittsburgh Penguins the best chance to win it all, and the Vancouver Canucks the best chance to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. The biggest longshot: the Ottawa Senators, the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here are the 2012 Stanley Cups odds for all 16 NHL playoff teams, as well as regular season records and first-round playoff matchups:

• 1. Pittsburgh Penguins +400 to win the Stanley Cup, +190 to win the Eastern Conference -  No. 4 seed in the East, Regular Season Record: 51-25-6; play the Flyers in the first round starting Wednesday
• 2. Vancouver Canucks +550 to win the Stanley Cup, +190 to win the Western Conference – No. 1 seed in the West and overall, 51-22-9; play the Kings in the first round starting Wednesday