Interesting. Hockey betting has done us well, bringing a neato off-ice controversy to augment the already dramatic Penguins vs Capitals odds. The Caps have banned the CBC — the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, a.k.a hockey’s greatest voice — from doing any interviews with them indefinitely. The reason: CBC jotted down and aired the “keys to victory” Caps coach Bruce Boudreau wrote on Washington’s dressing-rooom white board before Game 3.

I love the CBC but I have to say, the Caps are totally in the right here. I specifically remember asking aloud, “are they allowed to do that?” when they printed Boudreau’s gameplan word for word during the Game 3 hockey betting telecast. Who knows if it was relayed to the Pens or seen in their pressbox, allowing them to alter their own strategy and defy the sportsbook odds?

It’s understandable why CBC wanted the information — it prides itself on being the source for Stanley Cup odds coverage and wants to prove it’s still relevant as a public broadcaster in Canada — but this was overkill. What did the producers expect to happen? “Let’s copy the team’s secret plan to beat Pittsburgh and air it on TV.”

Way to stick it to The Man, Caps…now, back to the real hockey betting action tonight and tomorrow!

With all the sportsbook attention devoted to the dwindling Dodgers odds (hint, hint, baseball betting lines followers) and basketball betting, we need to nurture each series in NHL betting with some — you guessed it — playoff musings. Let’s get to it.

- Well, this blog joined the many sport betting online fans who challenged Evgeni Malkin to step up in the Penguins vs Capitals odds…and he did it. With his crazy parents jumping up and down, he was far-and-away the best player on the ice last night, firing about 4.598 shots on sensational Simeon Varlamov and finally scoring a goal. He was the man for sure — but he isn’t out of the woods yet. It’s relatively easy for a slumping superstar to get amped up with 18,000-plus people cheering for him to succeed. How will he respond Saturday when the hockey betting series shfits back to Washington?

- I have to admit, I didn’t expect Eric Staal to be winning the battle with Zdeno Chara in the Hurricanes vs Bruins odds. Hmm. Maybe there’s a chink in Boston’s armor after all — an over-reliance on the big feller? I haven’t noticed Dennis Wideman all playoffs, so you have to wonder if it’s time for the Bruins to pursue another 30-minutes-per-night defender. If I’m Peter Chiarelli I start shopping Patrice Bergeron in the offseason.

- The Wings are gonna be fine. We mortal sportsbook bettors are in a huff over the disallowed goal from Game 3, but these guys are Stanley Cup odds champs. They’ll be over it the moment the pucks drops on Game 4.

- If I’m wrong and the Red Wings odds somehow flop, what does it mean for the Canucks’ Stanley Cup odds if Detroit bows out? I still think there’s plenty of work left to do against Chicago, but some sportsbook oddsmakers could push the Canucks to the top of the heap if the Wings lose.

So far, hockey betting has at the very least treated us to scome scintillating peformances in the Penguins vs Capitals odds. Now it’s time to ask those betting online whether or not we’re witnessing the demise of the Peguins’ 2008-09 season. Is a 2-0 series deficit insurmountable or will the Pens climb right back into the series at home?

I want to say the Pens will bounce back. The Caps’ defense still hasn’t looked great and the Pens’ power play has been fine with Sergei Gonchar playing quarterback. However, aside from Sidney Crosby’s inspired effort (say what you want about his whining re: hats on the ice, but his own hat trick last night was impressive) and Marc-Andre Fleury’s solid if unspectacular play, there isn’t a lot for Penguins odds supporters to cheer about so far in this series.

Do the Pens have depth or “depth”? In round one, the secondary scorers chipped in, but now it seems no one wants to help Sid. Even Evgeni Malkin has disappeared off the face of the Earth and seems “intimidated by Ovechkin” according to some hockey betting pundits.

Time is running out for the Pens to recover in this series. The Caps showed the Rangers that they can be road warriors, Alexander Ovechkin is absolutely flying right now and Simeon Varlamov continues to play with the type of poise that makes you think he may not fully understand the magnitude of the Stanley Cup odds.

Your move, Pittsburgh. More specifically: your move, Evgeni. Will you respond?

Ok, playas. NHL betting rhymes back for the East side, yo. If you thought the NBA odds on Celtics/Bulls were ill, check out these fat Stanley Cup betting riffs. More dangerous than picking the Hatton odds, yo.

Bruins vs Hurricanes odds

CAROLINA MOTHA F*CKAS GONE AND DANCED WIT DA DEVIL

ENDED SERIES ON A HIGH NOTE LIKE MY BOY AARON NEVILLE

ERIC STAAL’S STICK CURVED LIKE A RIPENED BANANA

WRAPPING GOALS ROUND BRODEUR LIKE A GUCCI BANDANA

BUT PLAYIN PUCK IN BEANTOWN AIN’T SO MUCH F*CKIN FUN

CRAZY MOFO NAME OF CHARA BIGGER THAN BIG PUN

BRUINS DEEP LIKE JASON CAMPBELL DOWNFIELD TO MOSS

GONNA STYLE ON THE CANES LIKE EMINEM ON RICK ROSS

(Bruins in seven)

PENGUINS VS CAPITALS ODDS

SPORTSBOOK JUNKIES SAY GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT

MAN UPSTAIRS BLESSING US WITH SID AND ALEX THE GREAT

CAPS CAME BACK ON DA RANGERS LIKE DA WRESTLA MICKEY ROURKE

ROOKIE GOALIE PLUGGIN NETS LIKE A CRISTAL BOTTLE CORK

BUT THE PENGUINS BEEN THERE DONE THAT, GOT GOOD IN A HURRY

GOT KILLA NETMINDA IN MARC-ANDRE FLEURY

SID THE KID UNSTOPPABLE AND MALKIN TOO

SPREADING PUCKS TO THEIR TEAMMATES LIKE THE F*CKIN SWINE FLU

(Penguins in seven)

YES! Forget the Pacquiao vs Hatton odds. I don’t care if Kobe and Lebron go head to head in the basketball betting finals. I’m a hockey betting man, and I know anyone reading this blog is too, so the Penguins vs Capitals odds are a gift from the man upstairs.

OH, the drama! Crosby vs Ovechkin. Ovechkin vs. Malkin. Finally the best young players on the planet go head-to-head and I (not to mention American TV networks) couldn’t be more excited. According to most hockey fans who place sporting bets, the Malkin-Ovechkin feud is over. I heard Ilya Kovalchuk took them out to dinner during the All-Star weekend and smoothed things over. Still — nothing reignites bad blood like the Stanley Cup odds, and I’m betting that we haven’t seen the end of this tension.

Then there’s the Crosby factor! The legions of Ovechkin NHL betting fans finally get to face off against the Crosby supporters in a battle to see who is truly the best right now. You can bet at the offshore sportsbook that both guys will fuel each other’s fire and push each other to play at a level we may have never seen them reach before. This is Jordan vs Bird revisited. Even Gretzky and Mario never got to meet in the playoffs!

Thank you for this gift, hockey betting Gods. May the sports wagering force be with you.