Mark Lammey
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Now that tonight’s series have reached Game 3, the venues have switched. The higher seeds who began with home-ice advantage will now have to go on the road to continue their journey to the Stanley Cup. Each of Friday night’s series are tied 1-1 except for one. Expect the games to keep delivering; that should especially be the case with the amount of talent on the ice in Tampa Bay. Along with our player props, be sure to check out our full game previews for tonight’s matchups.
Auston Matthews over 0.5 goals (+100)
It may seem basic to back the league’s top goalscorer, but he reached that mark for a reason. Auston Matthews was the first American-born player to reach 60 goals in a single season, and he did so missing a few of the Leafs’ final games and 9 games overall. He has 2 goals in this series already, and is tied with teammate Mitch Marner for the most points in this young postseason. Matthews is certainly not shy about taking his chances, as he finished the regular season with the most shots on goal with 348. Despite not playing in all 82 games, he still finished above Alex Ovechkin and Connor McDavid.
It may not seem ideal to back Matthews with him and Toronto facing a great goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. However, he’s already proved that even the best goaltenders are no match for him. He found the back of the net twice in Game 1 of this series, but his success doesn’t end there. The last time Matthews faced the Lightning in the regular season was just a month ago, with 3 goals. That game capped off a stretch in which he scored at least 1 goal in 11 of 12 games. That meeting was also in Tampa Bay, where Friday night’s game will take place. It’s clear that Matthews can score regardless of Vasilevskiy’s greatness, and he should do so again with the Leafs trying to retake the series lead.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for the Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning
Steven Stamkos over 0.5 goals (+145)
With the series now shifting back to Tampa Bay, Steven Stamkos should feel right at home to find the back of the net against Jack Campbell and the Leafs. The 2-time Stanley Cup champion has been held goalless for the first 2 games of this series, despite assisting twice in Game 2. It’s his time to shine, even with Nikita Kucherov on the ice. Let’s not forget that Stamkos is also a 2-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner for the league’s top goalscorer. While this season’s winner is on the opposition, Stamkos has proven he can be just as dangerous. Specifically, he’s been lethal against the same Leafs team he faces tonight.
Stamkos ended the regular season with 42 goals, 2 of which came against Toronto. Better yet, he found the back of the net against the Leafs just 2 weeks ago in their last regular-season meeting. Game 2 was also a very rare occurrence in which Kucherov did the majority of the shooting, and Stamkos went shotless. That should not be expected again, as per his previous games against Toronto. In 4 regular-season games he took 3 shots in half of them and 4 in the other. It also benefits Stamkos that defenseman Victor Hedman is showcasing his future Hall of Fame talent with 3 assists in game 2. Those skaters should be able to link up back on home ice. Matthews hit the 60-goal mark this season, but Stamkos has done so as well. He should demonstrate his skills on Friday night.
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