The Vancouver Canucks will look to build a 2-0 lead over the Boson Bruins, which would solidify their Stanley Cup betting odds significantly. The Canucks took the first game with the only goal of the game coming with under 20 seconds to play in regulation. Their goalie, Roberto Luongo, was terrific, but Vancouver would like to put up a little more offense moving forward in this series. Vancouver opened up the Stanley Cup finals as solid NHL picks favorites , but after their victory in the opener, the Canucks are now listed as -420 favorite to win the series. Tim Thomas also displayed great goal-tending and even though most people assumed that he would be overpowered by the Sedin twins, he held his ground in game 1. Game 2 is set for Saturday 8:00pm ET on NBC and should prove to be every bit as exciting as the opener.

Since being benched for the start of Game 6 in the Canucks' first-round tilt with Chicago, Luongo has gone 10-4 with a 1.75 goals-against average, a .942 save percentage and two shutouts. If he continues performing this well, the Canucks will win this series quicker than most people expected. The much-maligned goalie stopped all 36 shots he faced to win Round 1 of his duel with fellow Vezina Trophy nominee Tim Thomas. As defensive as game 1 turned out to be, it is safe to say that this game will feature a bit more offense. The NHL lines at Bodog.com have the Canucks listed as a -200 betting odds favorite to take a 2-0 lead in the finals, and although Boston showed Vancouver that they are going to make this a very tough series, I would be very surprised to see Boston steal game 2; so I'm going with Vancouver again on Saturday night.

Boston managed to reach its first Stanley Cup final since 1990 despite a playoff-long struggle with the man advantage. The troublesome power play was a factor in Game 1, as the Bruins failed to convert on both a two-man advantage and a four-minute 5-on-4 and finished 0-for-5 in the game. The power play was the biggest disadvantage between these two teams heading into the series. If Boston cannot figure out how to convert on more power plays, that is going to pose a problem. Head over to PreGame Sports Service and check out their 2011 NHL Stanley Cup picks before casting your final decision for game 2. I'm sticking with my guns , as I am still confident that Vancouver will take the title in 5 games.

If you’re looking for the inside edge, subscribe to our free sports picks newsletter and get the insight you need to make an informed decision from the top NHL handicapping experts before every sports wager.