The online betting hockey fans are still scratching their heads trying to figure out what happened to get to this point. If any betting expert would have speculated when the NHL season started that the Phoenix Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings would meet in the Western Conference Finals, questions would have been raised as to the accuracy of that expert’s betting systems. But after two rounds of the NHL playoffs, that is exactly the scenario that we face. The sports betting sites see that the two best teams in the Western Conference are indeed the Los Angeles Kings and Phoenix Coyotes. Now we get to see who will play in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in the team’s history.

Los Angeles Kings
A sports betting sites of the Kings’ roster shows that this team has some scoring power that is just not using right now. To this point, the Kings have been led by team captain Dustin Brown who seems to be scoring the majority of the important goals for the team. But Anze Kopitar, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter are all showing glimmers of hope with each passing game. The Kings already have one of the top goaltenders in the league in Jonathan Quick. If Los Angeles can surround Quick with consistent scoring, then the Kings can live up to its Stanley Cup potential. Los Angeles also has a very active defense in the offensive zone. That is something that the Coyotes have not really had to deal with so far in the playoffs.

Phoenix Coyotes
The betting experts are going to have to give Phoenix its due as one of the top teams in the league. Since the 2009-2010 season, the Coyotes have been a playoff team that has been consistently improving. When Phoenix made the change at goalie from Ilya Bryzgalov to Mike Smith, it elevated the team to a whole new level. Phoenix is one of the top defensive teams in the playoffs and has been extremely stingy in giving up goals. The Coyotes can score, but it has shown inconsistency when it comes to applying sustained pressure. To beat the Kings, the Coyotes are going to have to keep the pressure on Jonathan Quick. To this point, Los Angeles has made that very difficult on every team it has played.

The Bottom Line
The best sportsbook online writers may not like this Western Conference Finals matchup because it does not have the big name scorers or the world famous goaltenders in it. What it does have is two solid teams that are finally going to get the recognition that they deserve. The Coyotes have been steadily improving for years and have shown incredible resiliency in these playoffs. The Kings have proven that the moves it made in the offseason and at the trade deadline were the right ones. Los Angeles could have the best goaltender in the league in Jonathan Quick and that is always a good thing when a team is trying to win a Stanley Cup.

Pick: Los Angeles Kings in six