The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Thursday with a full night of hockey in store. The Game 1s from this group of teams had a wide array of results, which included a triple OT winner by the Penguins to the absolute domination of the Avalanche over the Predators, winning 7-2. We’ve gone through this set of 4 games and parlayed 3 teams with a payout of just over 10/1 at BetMGM sportsbook.
But before we dive in, be sure to check out all of our picks and previews for every game tonight.
New York Rangers -1.5 (+170)
Washington Capitals ML (+200)
Calgary Flames (-250)
Parlay odds: +1034
Let’s break down each of the legs
New York Rangers -1.5 over Pittsburgh Penguins (+170)
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into Game 2 on Thursday in with a 1-0 series lead over the New York Rangers as they won the longest NHL game in Madison Square Garden history. Although that loss hurts the Rangers, they will even this series thanks the goaltending matchup.
The Penguins top 2 goalies are injured, with game 1 starter Casey DeSmith leaving in the middle of 2nd OT with a lower body injury and is questionable for game 2. This means the 3rd string goalie for the Penguins, Louis Domingue, who came in and stopped 17 shots in relief to get the win in Game 1 will more than likely get the start in Game 2. Opposite of Domingue will be Igor Shesterkin, the frontrunner for the Vezina trophy and arguably the best goalie in the regular season. He continued that brilliance in game 1, stopping 79 of 83 shots, keeping the Rangers in the game. Look for Shesterkin to out-duel 3rd stringer Domingue and take the Rangers puck line.
Washington Capitals ML over Florida Panthers (+200)
The Washington Capitals will look to replicate their success they had on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers for Game 2 on Thursday. The Capitals flexed their playoff muscle in Game 1, showing the same type of play that won them the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Panthers looked like a team that hasn’t had much playoff experience, which they haven’t, as they haven’t won a playoff round since they made the Cup Finals in 1995-1996.
The Capitals simply outplayed the Panthers and can do it again in Game 2. In the first game, the Capitals ranked 6th in expected goals out of the 16 playoff teams, while the Panthers ranked 13th. Even more importantly, the Capitals defense came to play, holding the Panthers to 2 goals while ranking 4th in expected goals against. Look for the upset to happen in this game as well and we are backing the Capitals on the money line.
Calgary Flames ML over Dallas Stars (-250)
The Dallas Stars will try to steal Game 2 in Calgary against the Flames on Thursday as the Flames won the opener. Game 1 saw trends from the regular season from both the Stars and Flames take place on Tuesday. For the Stars, the below average offense didn’t show up. They struggled to apply pressure on the attack, ranking 15th in expected goals out of the 16 playoff teams from game 1, and only generating 16 shots. For the Flames, the top 3 defense from the regular season came to play, shutting out the Stars and ranking 2nd in expected goals against. Expect more of the same, as I have no confidence in the Stars inconsistent offense to break through the Flames’ top-tier defense. For this reason, we’ll be backing the Flames on the money line.
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