5 Expert Picks
It's not like the first round (especially late in that round) ...
The Hurricanes face a must-win game vs. the Rangers. ...
The Carolina Hurricanes return after two one-goal losses...
"If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it's probably ...
Colorado stormed back down 0-3 to take Game 1. ...
Past Picks
The 6.5s are vanishing…..grab it now. I don’t see Vancouver scoring crazy here…last 5 games they have 1,1,4,2,1 goals. Fade the 7th goal
This game looks tempting….then again so does that 4th slice of pizza. Let’s hope this is a better idea. Too much firepower for the better team. I’ll pay to find out if Vancouver is better than advertised.
Totally kicking myself for Game 1 as I had Bruins locked and loaded at +1.5 ... and then changed my mind at the last second and took Florida ML. If this were an MLB game, Boston +1.5 would be priced very reasonably and I'd totally play it here. But -190? I expect the Panthers to shake off any rust they had in the opener. But no result surprises me at this point in the postseason. My NHL betting interest definitely goes down this time of year because it's almost impossible to find value on the main game odds. Props are a different story.
Like the first period under (which we gave out and cashed in game 1) but instead I’ll pivot to the home team to get even…..anything under -175 is ok to play
It looks like a course correction in the Stanley Cup playoffs, at least on the "totals" side. The second round has started differently than the end of the first round, where low-scoring games would abound; not so much thus far in Round 2, as all three games thus far have landed on the "over" side. Florida wasn't as much involved in the spate of "unders" in the first round vs. the Lightning, but nonetheless saw the Bruins explode for three goals in a seven-minute span of the second period on Monday en route to a 5-1 win. The Panthers didn't lack for chances, firing 39 shots at Jeremy Swayman, and too much firepower on ice here for the teams not to score. Play Bruins-Panthers "Over"
The oddsmakers seem to be assuming that the NHL zig-zag will resurface in this Game 2 at Sunrise. Except that the zig-zag hasn't worked all that well in this postseason, and all of the pressure is on the host Panthers not to fall behind 2-0 before heading to Boston later this week. The Bruins can play loose again tonight with a 1-0 series lead, and they looked quite enthused on Monday with a chance to redeem themselves from last spring's bitter playoff exit vs. Florida. Jim Montgomery might be well-advised to keep sticking with GK Jeremy Swayman, too, as he's posted a 1.42 GAA in seven playoff starts. Play Bruins on Money Line
I was hoping to lock this in at 6, but I was a little late. Still, I feel good about this game getting to 7+ goals. The Avs were incredible on the offensive end in their first round series, and Val Nichuskin has added another layer to an already lethal attack. Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon are as good as any trio in the league, and they completely embarrassed the best goalie in the NHL this year, in Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck. Colorado's goalie situation is unclear heading into Game 1, and I do expect Dallas to have plenty of success on that end as well. Getting this number at plus-money is an added bonus. Bonus: I'll post my SGP on Twitter this afternoon.
Alexandar Georgiev wasn't on the ice for Colorado's morning skate, so there is a bit of uncertainty on the Avs' side. Still, there is A LOT to like about Colorado's chances here. The Stars went seven games (G7 was on Sunday) against a physical Vegas team, while the Avs have had a full week of rest. Colorado was dominant against the Jets in Round 1 and look like a team that is dialed in and motivated to make another deep run. Plus...the Avs want revenge for Dallas knocking them out of the playoffs in the second round in 2020.
This is by far the series I'm most excited to take in, as both of these sides most definitely can win the Stanley Cup. I'm expecting goals here to get us going, Game 1s have been a bit more wide open this postseason while both sides figure each other out. The Avalanche's three road games in these playoffs have averaged 9.67 goals per game, and six straight meetings between these two have yielded 6+ goals, averaging 8.67 goals per game Enjoy the show, this series should be a treat.
Momentum is hard to quantify, and the Stars will try to keep the hot hand after a hard-fought seven-game series win against Vegas. This is the shortest price on the Stars at home against Colorado this season, and I believe oddsmakers are overvaluing the Avs' rest advantage. Dallas' depth was on full display as Peter DeBoer leaned into all four lines to play a valuable role in erasing a 2-0 deficit in the opening round. Colorado has star power in spades, but the Avs' blue line leaves much to be desired and I still have questions about Alexandar Georgiev especially after a layoff. I look for Dallas to pick up where it left off Sunday and get a big series-opening victory.