This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Bets Today: Expert Picks for Bruins vs Panthers and Canucks vs Oilers
Gotta love the drama in tonight's tilts. I definitely did not have Edmonton blowing a 4-1 lead to lose in Game 1 on my bingo card. The Bruins beating the Panthers in Game 1 wasn't too surprising considering the trend of teams coming off a Game 7 beating teams jumping back into action after a shorter series. But how do the B's respond to Matthew Tkachuk's Game 2 ragdolling of David Pastrnak?
Playoff hockey is always laden with some juicy drama, but I think the betting angles are even juicier on this fine Friday evening. Let's sink our teeth into the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Panthers, Bruins - Goal in First Ten under 0.5 (+105 on DraftKings)
This series has already had its fair share of fireworks with each team winning a game by a decisive margin. No goals have been scored in the first ten minutes of either contest thus far. We didn't get our first goal in Game 1 until the second period, and with the series shifting back to Boston tonight, I think there will be another tight start for both teams.
Sergei Bobrovsky and Jeremy Swayman are playing lights-out in net right now. There's a chance Boston goes back to Linus Ullmark tonight, but even if they do, I think they play smart defensively to protect the house. The Bruins haven't exactly been lighting it up offensively in these playoffs either, so I expect a tough, hard-nosed defensive first period with not a lot of scoring.
Oilers ML (-130 on ESPN BET)
Like I said in the opener, I definitely did not have Edmonton blowing a 4-1 lead to lose Game 1 on my bingo card. That's a massive momentum boost for the Canucks who came into this series as a massive underdog, and they have a great chance to send the series back to Edmonton up 2-0 tonight.
Leon Draisaitl and Adam Henrique are both game-time decisions for the Oilers. That's not great. Draisaitl is one of the most effective playoff performers of all time (true story: look it up) and Henrique was acquired at the trade deadline to add much-needed depth to the forward group. These injuries definitely keep this line at a reasonable price, but that's why I love it even more.
Draisaitl accounted for 2 assists in Game 1, and while he's irreplaceable, the Oilers have been getting so much production out of guys like Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard that I still love their depth. And don't forget about that guy named Connor McDavid. He had just one assist in Game 1. Expect him to put the team on his back tonight.
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Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Connor McDavid to record 2+ points (-130 on FanDuel)
#97 will not be slowed down two games in a row. The fact that a 1-assist night is a bad performance for this guy says a lot. He'll lead all forwards in ice time tonight, especially if Draisaitl is out or just hobbled in any way. If the Canucks get a lead, McDavid will turn up the heat to claw his team back.
Even without Draisaitl, the Oilers have a legendary power play, and the Canucks only gave them one chance to showcase it in Game 1. If they have a few more kicks at the power play can tonight, Connor gets to 2+ points easily.
Zach Hyman over 3.5 shots on goal (+100 on DraftKings)
We're riding the Oilers hard tonight. Hyman's a workhorse up front. He led the team in shots and shot attempts in the regular season and has four shots on goal in each of his past two games. He had NINE (9) in Game 1 against the Kings, so he's always capable of having an obnoxious output like that. I love him in this even-money spot tonight with Draisaitl and Henrique battling injuries. It will be a McDavid-Hyman show for sure.
