Is Gerard Gallant going to get fired?
It's the question many New York Rangers fans want to know after the New Jersey Devils thoroughly dominated the Blueshirts in a decisive 4-0 Game 7 win on Monday.
A pick'em game, the Rangers saw a lot of the action to get the line -110 on each side, as the Devils opened a -120 favorite.
On to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begins tonight in Toronto and Dallas, but not before I send out of the first round with some things to chew on...
- The Panthers overcame a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the team with the best regular-season record in NHL history.
- Seattle, a second-year franchise, dethroned the reigning Stanley Cup champions to win its first-ever playoff series
- Seven of eight teams advanced after facing a series deficit (tied for the most ever). Carolina is the only outlier.
- There was an average of 6.2 goals per game, trailing only 2022 (6.6) as the highest-scoring first-round in the past 28 years.
- The Over was 26-23-1 in the first round, but the Under cashed in 14 of the last 22 games.
- Road teams went 31-19 to set an NHL record for most wins by the visitors in any round.
- Underdogs went 23-27 in the first round, but a $100 wager on the underdog in all 50 games would have turned a profit of roughly $600.
- A total of 14 overtime games were played, and road teams went 11-3 in overtime.
NBA WATCH
While the Phoenix Suns may have fell in Denver by 10 to the Nuggets, dropping to 0-2 in the series, they may have lost even more with Chris Paul leaving the game with groin tightness. Could be over for the Suns, as the most consistent - and underestimated - team in the NBA continues to be the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic scored 39 points and pulled down 16 rebounds one night before we find out the NBA MVP. The Nuggets are now 5-2 ATS in the playoffs, including a 4-1 start in Denver. They're also on a 4-2-1 Over run in the postseason.
In Monday's other game, Philadelphia stole homecourt advantage after James Harden hit a go-ahead, step-back 3-pointer over Al Horford with 8.7 seconds left to help the 76ers to a 119-115 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup. No Joel Embiid? No problem. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris combined to add 44 for the Sixers, who drained 17 3-pointers in the MVP finalist's absence. The Sixers are now 4-0-1 ATS in the postseason, while the Under remains 3-2 despite Game 1 soaring Over.
Two games on the slate tonight, as the Heat and Knicks engage in Game 2, and the Lakers and Warriors open their series in San Francisco.
MLB TEAMS IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
The New York Yankees' demise continued, as they lost their fourth straight, dropping a 3-2 decision at home to the Cleveland Guardians. The Pinstripes are struggling terribly at the plate during a 3-8 skid since April 21, hitting just .214 while averaging less than three runs per game. The Yankees have plated three or fewer runs in nine o those 11 games, and two or fewer in eight. Their pitching staff has a 4.88 ERA during that 11-game stretch. We're also looking at a 3-7-1 mark to the Under in those games, with the Yankees failing to score runs.
Flipside from the left coast, the Los Angeles Dodgers are back where they seemingly belong, on top of the NL West thanks to a four-game win streak after last night's 13-4 destruction of the defending NL champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers have jumpstarted their offensive a bit after averaging 5.0 runs per game over their first 21 outings, as they're averaging 6.0 runs per game during a current 7-2 win streak. They've 15 home runs in that span, since April 22. The Over has cashed in seven times during the nine-game stretch.
All teams are in action Tuesday, with 15 games on the schedule.