The Boston Bruins came into the playoffs as the top-seeded team in the Eastern Conference. The Carolina Hurricanes placed 6th and came oh-so-close to losing to New Jersey in the opening round of the playoffs and now have a shot at winning their second Stanley Cup in four years. But first…they have to get past the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Detroit Red Wings 4, Anaheim Ducks 3
Thanks in large part to Dan Cleary's goal with about 3 minutes left in the game, the Detroit Red Wings are off to the Western Conference Finals for the third straight year.

"Most teams that have won the Stanley Cup don't even get here," Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. "For us to be in this situation is a real positive, but we have a hungry Chicago team waiting for us."

So…for the Western Conference Final you've got Detroit vs. Chicago. For the Eastern Conference Final you've got Carolina vs. Pittsburgh. Get all your 2009 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Odds at the Bodog Sportsbook!

Last year the eighth-seeded Bruins came back from another 3-1 deficit and tied top-seeded Montreal before losing Game 7.

The Bruins have lost all 20 series in which they trailed 3-1. But they never made it to a seventh game in the first 19 and won only one game in 18 of them. Get all your NHL playoffs odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.

Defenseman Aaron Ward is a question mark after he was dropped to the ice in the final minutes of Game 5 by a right cross from Carolina's Scott Walker, who was not suspended but was fined $2,500 by the league.
The heat is on the underdog Hurricanes to close out the series on home ice.

They would prefer not to make another trip to Boston for a winner-take-all Game 7, a matchup in which they'd face the pressure of possibly blowing a 3-1 series lead. Get all your NHL playoffs odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.

Back in the postseason for the first time since 2006, they've come up with a list of fantastic finishes while eliminating New Jersey in Round 1 and taking a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with Boston.

The Bruins are trying to rediscover the rhythm that carried them to five straight wins, including a first-round sweep of Montreal, to open the postseason.

Can the Hurricanes, who are listed at +900 to win the Stanley Cup, put the Bruins on the brink of disaster?

One thing is for sure, there will be some goals tonight. The over is 17-5-3 in the last 25 meetings in Carolina.

LaRose had career-highs of 19 goals and 31 points during the regular season, then kept it up in May with a team-best six assists in the playoffs.

On the team, only Eric Staal has more points this postseason than the eight recorded by LaRose, who has been shuttled through Carolina's line combinations.

Before Carolina's 3-0 Game 2 victory, Boston had won its first five playoff games by a combined score of 20-7, and didn't allow more than two goals in any playoff game.

They'll have to get back to what worked so well during Game 1, when they dominated play throughout and took advantage of several Carolina miscues in a 4-1 victory. Get all your NHL playoff odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.

As for the Canadiens' task for Game 4, it is plain and simple. They have to win, or pack it in. Montreal was without defenseman Mathieu Schneider and left wing Alex Tanguay on Monday night, both key players sidelined by upper-body injuries. Top defenseman Andrei Markov has been out with a lower-body injury that cost him the last four games of the regular season.

Can the Habs fight off elimination and send the series back to Boston, or will the Bruins sweep and move on? With the Bruins being 8-0 in the last eight meetings, the odds seem good for a sweep.

The Boston Bruins, meanwhile, are rolling. The Bruins scored three power-play goals Saturday night before the Canadiens enjoyed their first and only man advantage late in the second game.  Boston has converted four of nine power-play opportunities so far in the series.

The Bruins have successfully killed each of Montreal’s three power-play opportunities through the first two games, including both in Thursday’s 4-2 win in the series opener.

Carey Price started both games in Boston, though he was pulled Saturday after allowing five goals in the first two periods. Jaroslav Halak stopped five shots in the third.

One thing the Habs have going in their favor is the Bruins are only 7-20-1 in the last 28 meetings in Montreal. Bet on NHL hockey with Bodog today.

But if you follow historical trends, they favor Montreal, which has won 24 of 31 playoff series between the two Original Six clubs, including the last three.

A year ago the Canadiens needed seven tough games to beat the Bruins in the postseason.

The Bruins are a big team with seven players with more than 20 goals. They have the league's leading goalie in goals-against average and save percentage in Tim Thomas, and a Norris Trophy candidate in Zdeno Chara. The underdog Canadiens likely start the series without their best defenseman Andrei Markov after barely scraping into the playoffs.

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The Bruins still have goalie Tim Thomas holding down the fort as he remains second in the NHL with a 2.00 goals-against average.

Whoever is in net for Boston could have a light day of work. The Blues have scored just one goal in three of their last four games, with the club going 1-2-1 over that span. St. Louis is also 1-9-0 on the road since the beginning of December. Hockey betting? Bodog's got it.

Not only have the Bruins scored a league-high 130 goals, but they've allowed an NHL-low 76. Their 2.11 team goals-against average easily leads the league, and goalies Manny Fernandez and Tim Thomas rank second and third in the NHL in GAA.

Even though Evgeni Malkin leads the NHL with 59 points and Sidney Crosby is tied for second with 49, Pittsburgh has just three goals in their last three games, losing two of them.

Boston went 2-1-1 overall against the Penguins last season.