Am I nuts picking the road team here? Maybe. But, I think Edmonton wins this. As a large underdog, I'm not going really heavy as Carolina has history on their side. Teams down 1-3 in the Finals just don't win. Number 8 seeds just don't win it all. Road teams in game 7 just don't win. Or do they? I think this Edmonton team can make history. I liked them when the series started thanks to the way they were playing. Then, Roloson goes down. They lose faith and relinquish a 3-goal lead to lose game one. Then, they get creamed in game two 5-0. This was their low point and I'm not sure even they though they had a chance at that point. I mean they are down 2-0 in the series and without their goaltender. And, it had to be hard not to remember that they were the Number 8 seed without home ice advantage. But, then they squeak out a 2-1 victory. Carolina didn't go for the jugular and they may regret it. All of a sudden, Edmonton has a little life. But in game four, Carolina gets their own one-goal victory and the Stanley Cup is all but theirs for the taking. Again, they fail to show the killer instinct and let Edmonton win a very important game game five. That game was the turning point for Edmonton. Carolina had scored three power play goals in that game and got into another one in overtime. But instead of closing out the series, Edmonton scores a short-handed goal! From that point on you could see Edmonton had put all past troubles behind them. They were inspired and confident. They could now taste it. They come out last game and smack down Carolina 4-0. Edmonton now has the momentum. Carolina has all of the pressure. If Carolina collapses here it will be one of the most monumental collapses in NHL history. Edmonton has nothing to lose. They almost didn't make it here. They lost their goalie and were down 3-1. If they lose, they were never expected to win. If anyone is tight, it's the Hurricanes. Edmonton has showed more heart and resiliance than any team in any sport in quite a while. They beat Detroit, the President's Trophy winner, on the road. They drove this to a game 7 after being down 3-1. They've overcome long odds and adversity so far. Why not one more time? I like the underdog, who seems destined, here. I know it's a longshot pick but at 1.5 to 1, I'll take it.
This pick was released to clients on August 06, 2012 at 8:35PM ET.
NHL
Edmonton at Carolina
June 19, 2006
8:05 PM Eastern
1 unit on Edmonton +153 (moneyline) (risk 1 to return 2.53)
Result:
LOSS
LOSS
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