Mark Lammey
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After a huge 14-game Friday night, the NHL would usually leave us with just 2 or 3 games the following day. Thankfully, that’s not the case. We have a solid 9-game slate, so let’s expand on our 10-3 run. We wanted to target a Predators skater for one of our plays, but their game has been postponed. Their arena’s water main break caused a push for one of yesterday’s plays as well. Now that we have the heads up, let’s dive into our 2 plays for the games actually taking place.
Along with our player props, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.
Adam Fox over 0.5 assists (-160)
It’s always nice when we can get our player props started with the first game of the day. The New York Rangers host the Edmonton Oilers in the early afternoon game today. They’re facing off in the Big Apple, and we’re expecting an apple from defenseman Adam Fox. We’re also loving the matchups for other skaters like Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin, but we’re going to break down why Fox is the main target. He’s tied with those other 2 skaters for the team lead with 23 points. Of those 23, 17 have been assists. With goal-scorers like Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, it’s not difficult to see why.
Fox should be able to link up with them to find the back of the net against an Oilers team that is struggling in terms of goaltending. They’re allowing 3.6 goals per game, the 4th most in the NHL, and are just as bad on the road (3.56 goals allowed per game). The Rangers are a well-rested team that is now back at home after their west coast road trip and haven’t played since Wednesday. Fresh skates should have them taking advantage of Edmonton’s goaltending issues, just like Fox has feasted on them in his career. It’s been just 4 meetings, but he’s recorded 5 points in the process, each of which were assists. His 63 last season were the 10th-most in the entire league, and he’s on pace for another incredible year.
Be sure to check out our Edmonton Oilers vs New York Rangers prediction
Aaron Ekblad over 2.5 shots on goal (-150)
Since we can’t target our Predators skater, we’re pivoting to a Panthers player for a different prop. When it comes to Florida, simply choosing which player to pinpoint for a shots on a goal prop can be difficult. With the team leading the NHL with 40.4 shots per game, nearly the entire team is taking their turn sniping the puck. Rather than having to worry about who is on a line who, we’re targeting a defenseman. Aaron Ekblad is nearly always on the ice, and is getting overlooked by superstars like Aleksander Barkov when it comes to this market.
Ekblad has sneakily been the most consistent on the team, hitting this prop in every game he’s played except 3. Now, he gets a prime target in the St. Louis Blues on home ice. They’re allowing the 10th-most shots per game overall, but the 5th-most on the road. To get even more specific, they have been allowing defensemen to roam free. At 10.44 shots per game, the Blues are allowing the 4th-most shots to d-men. Ekblad is on the ice for nearly 24 minutes per game, giving him plenty of opportunity to hit this prop. He did so in both of his games against St. Louis last season, recording 4 and 5 shots on goal in those meetings. We also love teammate Gustav Forsling for the same prop, but we’re rolling with Ekblad for the official play.
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