Once again hockey fans are spoiled with a busy night of NHL action as 20 teams hit the ice on Thursday night. The Pennsylvania rivalry between the Penguins and Flyers gets the evening started and the action continues throughout the night. Be sure to check out our picks for all of Thursday’s NHL matchups.
But right now let’s break down our three-team mega parlay:
Philadelphia Flyers -1.5 (+185)
Winnipeg Jets ML (+130)
Chicago Blackhawks ML (+185)
Parlay odds: +1768
Philadelphia Flyers -1.5 over Pittsburgh Penguins (+185)
The Philadelphia Flyers fell 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of 2800 fans on Tuesday night. The Flyers played better than the scoreboard would indicate aside from a seven-minute stretch of the third period where they slipped up and allowed three quick goals. Aside from the Flyers had plenty of scoring chances and outshot the Penguins 42-27. The one area you can expect an improvement for on Thursday night is on the power-play. Philadelphia went 0-5 with the man advantage which is a bit of a surprise considering the Penguins’ poor penalty kill rate of just 74 percent. The first two times these teams met this year the Flyers were able to win both games thanks to three power-play goals.
The Flyers rank fifth in the league in goals per game while the Penguins rank fifth last in the league for goals against. Look for Sean Couturier to carry the Flyers to a win as he is on a torrid streak for February. In his seven games this month Couturier has five goals, six assists, and is a plus-eight. The Penguins will be without their leading scorer as Sidney Crosby was recently placed on the COVID-19 protocol list. Take the Flyers -1.5.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Philadelphia Flyers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins.
Winnipeg Jets ML vs Montreal Canadiens (+130)
The Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets are two teams that are currently heading in opposite directions. The Canadiens have just three wins in their last 10 games while the Jets have seven wins in their last ten games. The Canadiens now have three games under their belt since they fired Claude Julien as head coach and are a 1-2 so far under Dominique Ducharme, with both losses coming against the Jets.
The Jets’ offense has been impressive averaging 3.36 goals per game which ranks fourth in the league. Mark Scheifele has been a big reason for this success as his 31 points has him tied for fifth in league scoring. Defensively the Jets have been strong as well allowing just 2.64 goals per game which is outstanding considering the high-scoring games we are seeing in the North division.
Connor Hellebuyck is expected to start for Winnipeg and he has been one of the best goalies in the entire league. He’s currently 10-6-1 with an impressive 2.59 GAA and .915 SVP. He’s helped defeat the Habs twice already this season; in his most recent game against them, he saved 40 of 41 shots. Take the Jets!
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Montreal Canadiens vs. Winnipeg Jets.
Chicago Blackhawks ML over Tampa Bay Lightning (+185)
The Chicago Blackhawks will host the defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the first of a three-game series on Thursday. Nobody is surprised to see the Lightning on top of their division but the Blackhawks continue to impress just about everyone with their stellar start to the season. The Blackhawks are exceeding expectations thanks to the brilliance of their star players and some incredible goaltending.
Patrick Kane continues to be one of the most dynamic and offensively gifted players in the league. His eleven goals and 23 assists have him as a serious contender for the league MVP award. Kane’s 34 points lead the entire Central division by a wide mark with the next closest player being his teammate Alex Debrincat with 25 points. While Kane has his eye on the Hart Trophy his young rookie goalie is on pace to challenge for the Calder Trophy. Lankinen is off to a 9-3-3 start with a 2.55 GAA and .924 SV%.
Chicago has the number one ranked power-play in the league and if they are able to gain a goal in the special teams department that might be enough to bring this big dog home. As good as the Lightning have been this year, much of their success has come on home ice. Take the value on the home underdog.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Chicago Blackhawks.
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