NHL playoff picks: Conference Finals beckon for Isles, Knights

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Well, all good things come to an end. With the Stars' loss last night, our 7-0 run came to an abrupt halt thanks to Michael Hutchinson. Go figure.

Let's get back to winning on Thursday.

Philadelphia Flyers (-105) @ New York Islanders (-115)

Staring down the barrel of elimination, the Flyers found their fight. They put in one of their best performances of the series in a losing effort in Game 4 and maintained that rhythm to extend the series in Game 5.

But, even when the going is good, it's never easy against such a resilient Islanders team. Both Philadelphia wins in this series came in games in which it was up two goals going into the final nine minutes of the third period, only to see those leads evaporate and have to get the job done in overtime.

Tuesday's win will have been mentally and physically exhausting for the Flyers. Given how hard they've had to scrap for every inch in this series, there's no doubt they're somewhat intimidated by the hill they still need to climb. The Islanders have yet to lose in this series when they have the final change - as they will in Game 6 - and they are good value to make it a perfect three-for-three at "home" to see out this series.

Pick: Islanders (-115)

Vegas Golden Knights (-230) @ Vancouver Canucks (+190)

The ice has been tilted the entire series, and it's nothing short of a miracle the series is still going. The Knights have bossed play from opening puck drop in Game 1, controlling 64.7% of the expected goal share at five-on-five and 61.1% at all strengths.

For Vegas, the frustration of a stunning Game 5 loss - despite out-shooting the Canucks 43-17 and out-chancing them 39-15 - will have been brewing for the past two days and will come to a head in Game 6.

The last thing Vegas needs is a Game 7, where all sense and logic are out the window and anything can happen - especially if Jacob Markstrom returns. Thatcher Demko put in a heck of a performance Tuesday, to put it lightly, but we're about to see the Knights' best effort. The Canucks can only hope to limit the damage with this team firing on all cylinders.

Pick: Knights -1.5 (+120)

Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.

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