NHL playoff sports betting is picking up and so are the injuries to playoff teams. Some of the betting tips being given are to wait until the week before the playoffs to see who is healthy and who is not.

The Chicago Blackhawks are 5 to 1 favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but in the last week they have been racked with injuries on defense. A few days after Alexander Ovechkin violently ended the season of Chicago defenseman Brian Campbell, Anaheim player James Wisniewski took out Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook with a crushing upper body hit that left Seabrook limp on the ice. It is unknown how long Seabrook will be out or if he will miss the playoffs.

In an update on the Brian Campbell hit, Alexander Ovechkin has said that he did not mean to hurt Campbell and is apologetic about the defenseman’s injuries. Ovechkin claims it was a clean hit and he is confused as to why he was suspended. The incident has caused the NHL rules committee to re-evaluate penalties for hits to the head.

High-scoring winger Mikael Samuelsson was knocked out of the game against the New York Islanders after sustaining an upper body check. Samuelsson has 30 goals for the Canucks this season and his offense would be sorely missed in the playoffs.

The goalie injuries keep piling up in Philadelphia. Just a couple of weeks ago starting goalie Ray Emery was lost to the team for the season because of hip surgery. Michael Leighton stepped in and took over the number one spot. In a recent game against Nashville Leighton injured his ankle and is scheduled to undergo an MRI to see how badly he is hurt. It is unknown at this point how long Leighton will be out and the Flyers have him listed as day-to-day.