This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets: Free NHL Picks for Friday, April 26
Big board of NHL playoff action ahead of us on this fine Friday evening. We've got four games going down. The Rangers could take a commanding 3-0 lead with a win in Washington, but the Caps sneakily controlled the underlying analytics in Game 2 so maybe Alex Ovechkin and the boys have more of a push in this one.
The Jets fly into Denver after getting dominated in Game 2. The Avs are notoriously dangerous at elevation, and if Aleksander Georgiev shows up like he did in his last outing, they have an excellent chance to go up 2-1 in the series.
The Canucks travel to Nashville without starting goalie Thatcher Demko, which is a potentially series-shifting injury. The Canucks and Preds combined for a total of 34 shots in Game 2 and weren't much better in Game 1, so perhaps the change of venue sparks more offense in this clash.
Finally, the Oilers are looking to bounce back after squandering Game 2 in Edmonton with the series landing in Los Angeles. Big opportunity for the Kings in that tilt. Lots to love as a hockey fan, and also tons of angles we can take to get in on the action. Here are the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Oilers, Kings over 6.5 (+102 on DraftKings)
Game 1 ended 7-4 in favor of the Oilers and Game 2 ended with an Anze Kopitar goal in overtime to give the Kings a 5-4 win. The over is 4-1 in Edmonton's last five games overall and 3-0 in LA's. Over 6.5 hit in four of the six Round 1 contests played between these two teams during last year's playoffs too. The books are fading the trends putting the over at plus money here, but that's why I love playoff betting: ya gotta gamble!
Jets, Avalanche under 6.5 (-108 on DraftKings)
Is this the game Connor Hellebuyck actually plays like Connor Hellebuyck? He's looked real shaky in the first two contests, surrendering 11 total goals. Over 6.5 hit in both games, with Game 1 ending 7-6 and Game 2 ending 5-2. The Avs are deadly on home ice, and the altitude has been known to get to visiting teams. Aleksander Georgiev doesn't exactly instill a ton of confidence between the pipes for Colorado, and honestly, there are tons of stats that point to the over being the play here. But I'm going against the grain. The last four matchups have gone over 6.5, but three straight went under before that. I think we regress back in the goal column in this one as both teams adjust to the elevation.
Predators ML (-115 on FanDuel)
The Preds have been the better team in this series through two games. If it weren't for a squabble that saw the Canucks score two goals in 12 seconds in Game 1, the Preds would probably be up 2-0 in the series right now. The Canucks will be without Thatcher Demko, and Casey DeSmith is a pretty significant dropoff in quality between the pipes. The Preds jumped out in front on an Anthony Beauvillier goal just over a minute into Game 2 and never looked back on their way to victory. The blocked shots tally ended 30-8 in favor of the Predators in Game 2 as well, and I think that's a sign of the character in that dressing room. Bridgestone Arena is a raucous environment on a random night in January, but the crowd will be next level tonight. In Juuse Saros we trust!
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Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Artturi Lehkonen to record 3+ shots on goal (60 min) (+110 on FanDuel)
Lehkonen's come out guns blazing in this series so far. He's got four points with two goals in 11 combined shots. He's playing over 20 minutes per night and enjoys a spot on the top power play. I expect the Avs to fire on all cylinders in this one as they return to home ice where they play at an exceptionally high level. Lehkonen's hit 3+ shots on goal in six of his last seven against Winnipeg overall too.
John Carlson over 2.5 shots on goal (-110 on DraftKings)
The regular season leader in ice time across the entire NHL has been logging big minutes in this series, and despite his team being down 0-2, he's still making an impact. He peppered five shots on goal in Game 1 and four in Game 2.
Big John's a major reason why the Caps are even in the playoffs in the first place, as he helped will them into the final Wild Card spot in the East with impressive play down the stretch. He's now hit 4+ shots on goal in five straight games, and has hit 3+ in nine of his last 15. They might not win, but I think the Caps mount a better pushback on home ice tonight, so I think Carly will get his looks.
Evan Bouchard over 2.5 shots on goal (+100 on DraftKings)
Bouchard's hit 3+ shots on goal in both games this series, three straight overall, and in six of his last seven games. He's also hit this mark in five of his last six meetings with the Kings, and in seven of his last 10 matchups with them too. The Oilers have been getting their looks en route to scoring 11 goals in the first two games of this series, and I expect them to have a bounce back performance tonight after dropping Game 2. Especially if the Kings get into penalty trouble, Bouchard should get his looks from the blue line.
