Ryan Hodges
Show Bio
The Stars were out on Friday both literally and figuratively in the Golden Knights’ Game 1 victory. Dallas’ big names came to play but it was the Golden Knights’ depth that carried them to victory. Between the regular season and playoffs, both teams have flexed strong goal prevention, but goalscoring has dominated this postseason in general and that was reinforced in Friday’s Game 1.
With high-scoring games comes good value in player props and below are a couple of my favorite plays in this afternoon’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals between the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights. You can also check out our NHL picks.
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Joe Pavelski over 0.5 goals (+180)
The bottom 6 of the Golden Knights carried them in Game 1 while it was the top-end talent of the Stars that provided their production. Vegas showed an ability to shut down their opponents’ best players in their series against Edmonton in which they neutralized Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl enough to win. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn got on the board for Dallas but Vegas won. The Golden Knights contained the Stars’ depth pieces and both teams played it safe until they combined for a 4-goal 3rd period. If the Stars’ top players continue to get good looks, Joe Pavelski should absolutely be in the mix to grab a goal.
Pavelski did not score in Game 1, but he was not quiet. He had 2 primary assists which now gives him 12 points in 9 games in these playoffs. Despite missing 5 games this postseason due to a head injury, he has the 2nd-most goals on the Stars and the 3rd-most points. The guy just continues to produce when it matters most. He scored in 3 of the final 4 games against the Kraken which helped to pad his 1.33 points per game pace. Pavelski is on the Stars’ top line with Robertson and Hintz, as well as on the top power play with Robertson, Hintz, Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen. The opportunities should be there for him t0 score. His pedigree and recent performances make this +180 number a great value for Pavelski to convert.
Read our Stars vs Golden Knights Same Game Parlay
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Jonathan Marchessault over 0.5 points (-130)
Jonathan Marchessault is playing very good hockey at a great time for the Golden Knights. He was quiet in the series against the Jets and through the first 2 games against the Oilers, but Marchessault has found some kind of groove since. He has 5 goals and 8 points in Vegas’ last 5 games entering Game 2. He has been all over the net, having tallied 32 shots on goal over his last 6 games — an average of 5.33 per game. After being somewhat absent in the first 7 games of these playoffs, Marchessault is fully back to the player that the Golden Knights need and have grown accustomed to. His production has ramped up as the stakes of the games become higher and he has a great chance to be a part of any offense that Vegas can muster.
The line which Marchessault plays on has had a factor in his recent success as well. He is on the Golden Knights’ top line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, as well as the top power play with Eichel, Mark Stone, Chandler Stephenson and Shea Theodore. Any time those guys are on the ice there will be a good opportunity for offensive production. Game 1 of this series produced 7 goals, which bucked the trend of low totals between the Stars and Golden Knights. But it reinforced the scoring trends in these playoffs which have seen an increase in production from the regular season. If this series brings more of the same, Marchessault should be involved in the uptick in scoring.
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