Mark Lammey
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For hockey fans, Saturdays have always been an exciting day — and that continues to hold true during the Stanley Cup playoffs. We have 4 series on the ice throughout the day with teams looking to take commanding leads, if not win their series outright. That also means that we have teams in desperation mode, and they are the theme of our NHL parlay picks for today.
Along with our NHL mega parlay, be sure to check out all of our NHL predictions for today’s action!
NHL Parlay Picks (4/27)
Islanders ML (+154)
Lightning ML (+105)
Stars ML (-102)
Parlay odds +931
New York Islanders ML (+154) over Carolina Hurricanes
In this parlay we don’t need a single team to win by multiple goals or even in regulation, which means we just need outright wins of any kind. In the first game of the day, the New York Islanders are as desperate as it gets. Hopes were heightened when they got to head home to the Empire State for Game 3, but after losing that one they are now on the brink of elimination. After all, the Carolina Hurricanes are the favorites to win it all, but the Islanders can at least extend this series to Game 3 and force it back down south.
I do anticipate that they will still lose the series overall, but they have still been competitive. New York lost Game 3 by just a single goal and was even leading 3-0 in Game 2. The Isles also split the season series with the Hurricanes this season, with both of their 2 wins coming in Carolina. The ‘Canes may relax a bit knowing that even if they fall this afternoon, they have a home game to close things out.
Tampa Bay Lightning ML (+105) over Florida Panthers
Another home underdog — albeit slight — is the Tampa Bay Lightning. In recent years, that would be nothing short of shocking, but the dynasty looks to be over. However, that certainly doesn’t mean that all hope is lost. The veteran experience of Steven Stamkos, elite goaltending of Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov winning the Art Ross Trophy for the most points in the league are all reasons to trust Tampa Bay on home ice. The Bolts just as desperate as the Islanders, as they too are on the brink of elimination.
The Florida Panthers look to be the new powerhouse in the Sunshine State, but we still see this series heading back to South Beach. Let’s not forget that it wasn’t long ago that the Lightning were the ones bouncing the Panthers out of the postseason. As long as they can get Brayden Point in the flow of the game early and have Victor Hedman control the blue line, Tampa Bay is a threat to any team — even one with as much depth as Florida.
Dallas Stars ML (-102) over Vegas Golden Knights
Now it’s time to shift our focus to the Western Conference, where the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights have taken complete control of their opening round series. However, the Dallas Stars are the #1 overall seed in the Western Conference for a reason; I don’t expect them to completely give up hope following just 2 losses. Going on the road is never easy, but perhaps a change of scenario and getting the pressure of the home crowd off their shoulders will bode well for them.
It’s also worth noting that per Moneypuck.com, Dallas comes out victorious over 62% of the time in Game 2. While expectations clearly don’t always translate to reality, it demonstrates that the Stars are still competitive. Their top line of Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski is as strong as it gets, and captain Jamie Benn has been having one of the best seasons of his great career. They may not have the depth to prolong this series enough to advance, but they can bring things to 2-1 tonight.
