Ryan Hodges
Show Bio
Friday’s slate brought all 4 series’ to 2-1 which is something each game on Saturday’s slate has the potential to bring as well. Just when we think we won’t be surprised by anything, the surprises keep coming; pleasant surprises for some fan bases and unpleasant surprises for others. All underdogs return home Saturday looking to make a statement. Road teams had a good Friday. Will Saturday bring the same? What better way to find out than spending a Saturday watching the NHL playoff hockey and having some action.
If you are looking to combine some picks from these games, look no further than this parlay, which pays out nearly 12/1 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nashville Predators (+195) over Colorado Avalanche
Pittsburgh Penguins (+100) over New York Rangers
Calgary Flames vs Dallas Stars over 5.5 (+120)
Parlay odds: +1198
Nashville Predators (+195) over Colorado Avalanche
The Predators took the season series winning 3 out of the 4 games. They won both games at home, scored 5 goals in each home game, and scored 5 goals in all 3 wins. That’s a pretty solid track record against an odds-on Western Conference favorite and Stanley Cup favorite. After getting romped in Game 1 of their playoff series, the Preds took game 2 into overtime before falling. Nashville has an uphill battle without Juuse Saros, as evident by the first couple games of the series. But they improved game over game and showed a little bit of life.
If there is any game in this series that Nashville will win, their best chance appears to be game 3. Bridgestone Arena has historically been a brutally tough road barn in the playoffs. The Predators will feed off their crowd and the home atmosphere for a little extra jam. They have some added confidence from taking game 2 beyond regulation and the Avalanche are not yet smelling blood in the water after two games, one of which was a close call. Nashville hasn’t played their best hockey yet and will look to do so on Saturday for a home upset.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Nashville Predators vs Colorado Avalanche
Pittsburgh Penguins (+100) over New York Rangers
The Penguins have played good hockey in the first couple games of this series on the road. Their 5-2 loss in Game 2 that tied the series was not indicative of how they played or how the game went. Pittsburgh outshot the Rangers for the second straight game in the series and have taken control for stretches at a time. After a couple solid showings at Madison Square Garden, the Penguins return home to Pittsburgh where they now have home ice advantage in the best of 5 games. They’ll have a short memory and keep the solid play going in the friendly confines.
Casey DeSmith was ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs which leaves net minding duties to Louis Domingue. That’s obviously a lopsided goaltending matchup between Shesterkin and Domingue. But this is something the Penguins will rally around. They won’t sulk and mail it in. They’ll play better in front of Domingue and pick him up. When the leadership group consists of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Jeff Carter, their combined 11 Stanley Cups worth of experience will have that locker room calm and ready to punch back.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers
Calgary Flames vs Dallas Stars over 5.5 (+120)
The start of this series has been a bit bizarre and boring. With 2 shutouts, there have been 3 total goals scored in the first couple games of this series. Both teams have solid goal prevention as evident by their regular season numbers and their start to the playoffs. But the regular season series between Calgary and Dallas finished with 3 game total overs in 3 games. There were 20 goals scored in the 3 head to head matchups which makes games 1 and 2 of this series look like outliers.
Calgary had great goal prevention numbers all season. But they also scored the 6th most goals per game in the NHL in the regular season and had the 3rd most shots on goal per game. The Flames had one of the best lines in the league that hasn’t yet found its stride in the playoffs. But its only a matter of time. Calgary has scored goals in bulk plenty this season and is primed to break out. When they do, Dallas will just have to keep up if they want to win. That is a recipe for an over just like each of their regular season matchups.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Calgary Flames vs Dallas Stars
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