- After an exciting first set of games in which two underdogs won, game two for each game should see adjustments being made.
- The New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Los Angeles Kings are the underdogs for the slate today with odds ranging from +195 to +135.
- Big injury developments could lead to value in specifically the Florida Panthers vs Boston Bruins game.
RALEIGH, N.C. – The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue with a continuation of the opening games that saw the Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings take game one of their respective series. Now entering game two, the Wild and Kings still find themselves as the underdogs while the Hurricanes and Bruins look to live up to their expectations as favorites.
This will also be the last game that the higher-seeded favorites are at home until games five and seven if needed, which usually gives them an edge with shorter odds to win. Similarly, the underdogs will try their hardest to take at least one game off of their opponents before heading back to their home ice, meaning bettors can take advantage of the slightly longer odds on online gambling sites.
| Matchup: | Money Line: | Puck Line: | Total: |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEW YORK ISLANDERS @ CAROLINA HURRICANES | Islanders (+145) vs Hurricanes (-170) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+165) | 5.5 |
| FLORIDA PANTHERS @ BOSTON BRUINS | Panthers (+180) vs Bruins (-220) | Bruins -1.5 (+120) | 6.0 |
| MINNESOTA WILD @ DALLAS STARS | Wild (+135) vs Stars (-160) | Stars -1.5 (+175) | 5.5 |
| LOS ANGELES KINGS @ EDMONTON OILERS | Kings (+195) vs Oilers (-235) | Oilers -1.5 (+115) | 6.5 |
Islander vs Hurricanes Highlight Player Props
In the first game between the Hurricanes and Islanders, we witnessed a gritty low-scoring game that the Hurricanes eventually won 2-1. Firstly, the Hurricanes money line seems like an interesting thought, as they have won four games in a row vs the Islanders heading into this matchup.
However, at -170 odds there are typically better plays on the board. For this, we can look to some of the top players on the Islanders including forward Brock Nelson and goalkeeper Ilya Sorokin.
Nelson sports big +145 odds to go over his shots on goal prop of 2.5, but has performed rather poorly in his last two matchups. Yet, in the four games before that he had three or more in all of them. While this prop is on the riskier side of things, Nelson should see opportunity with at least 20 or more minutes of ice time and is one of the top offensive options on his team.
Sorokin on the other hand is -125 to go over 31.5 saves, taking advantage of Carolina’s shooting that is near the top of the league. Last game, Sorokin managed a big 35 saves and limited the number of goals the Canes put up. With the idea being that Carolina will not slowdown in game two, Sorokin should have his glove full of shots as he defends from the crease.
Big Injury News Gives Panthers Boost
While game one saw the Panthers lose 3-1 at the hands of the all-time great Bruins, injuries are looking to play a big role. For the Panthers, the return of Sam Bennett will prove invaluable, as Florida has struggled mightily without his phenomenal straight line speed threatening odd-man rushes.
While it was also the case in the first game, the Bruins will once again be without Patrice Bergeron and may struggle in the faceoff circle as a result. Bergeron is widely considered to be one of if not the best faceoff specialist in the league and his absence should open up many more opportunities for the Panthers to win faceoffs and convert those chances.
With all this in mind, the Panthers have a great chance to either win outright (+190) or more likely cover the puck line of +1.5 (-140).
Battle of Goaltenders Provides Value in Wild vs Stars
As the title alludes to, the Stars and Wild finished last game with a score of 3-2, but the number of shots totaled an unreal 101. Had it not been for both goalies saving 45+ shots, the game would have likely been much higher scoring. With this in mind, betting on the goaltenders to keep their teams in it, as they have done quite consistently throughout the year should make for a good value.
At the moment, Filip Gustavsson does not have a saves line but would likely be an attractive option when he is likely confirmed. Jake Oettinger on the other hand has a saves prop of 27.5 with -112 odds for the over. With three straight games of 31+ saves against the Wild, Oettinger should have plenty of opportunity to follow-up the massive 45 save game.
The under at NHL gambling sites may also be worth considering at -130 odds as these teams have gone under the total in four out of the last five matchups, but the sheer amount of offensive firepower complicates this if Gustavsson and Oettinger stop a couple less shots than last time.
Kings and Oilers Props Leave Much to Be Desired
Overall, while these two did have an extremely exciting game last time around that saw the Oilers blow a 2-0 lead in the third period and OT, many of their props are devoid of value. This is especially true with the player props, as most have very short odds to go over and are not viable under candidates in a game with two phenomenal offensive team.
A special that may be worth playing is for there to be a power play goal in the first period (+115). With the Oilers having the best power play unit in NHL history and the Kings being below average for penalty kill, this seems like any first period power play should have solid chances to end in a goal. Last game, the Oilers did exactly that and scored a power play goal for their second goal of the first period.
At +115 odds on online sportsbooks, it is worth counting on the top duo in the league of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisatl to cook up a power play goal early and set the tone for the game.