Saturday night was alright for fighting, as Elton John once famously said. Saturday night is also alright for hockey, as two more games are on the slate. What trends did we see on Friday night?
- Florida clawed back into its series with Toronto through Brad Marchand, as the teams combined for nine goals (three straight overs)
- Winnipeg rode an intense first period to a 4-0 shutout of Dallas
Saturday night starts at 6:00 p.m. ET with a tilt between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. Washington played a spirited first two periods before winning Game 2. Meanwhile, can Vegas find a way to win on the road in Edmonton?
It is time for some puck picks. TNT/MAX carries the coverage in the USA, with Sportsnet up in Canada.
Carolina And Washington Fight For A Series Lead
The scene shifts to Carolina for Game 3 on Saturday evening. Logan Thompson had an easier night on Thursday before a late Hurricanes’ surge. Frederik Andersen labored for a change, and it showed. Washington jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held on for a crucial 3-1 win. That evened the series and sets the stage for a pivotal Game 3 from Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The starting goalies are Frederik Andersen and Logan Thompson. Washington must force more action on the Carolina side of the ice. Even in Game 2, Carolina had more territorial play at 5-on-5. However, the long line change allowed Washington to show off its speed and possession abilities.
If the second period is removed from the equation, Carolina had three scoring chances to every one for Washington (at even strength). The Hurricanes are 2-1 ATS at home in these playoffs, and that one is only because New Jersey had Jacob Markstrom in goal.
Logan Thompson has to keep Washington in the game early. New Jersey could not do that often enough. If Thompson can plant a few seeds of doubt early, that might pay off later.
Carolina must attack and keep shooting from all angles. It is their game, and few teams forecheck like they do. If a few bounces go their way, 30+ shots is almost a certainty, along with covering the 1.5-goal spread.
Best Bets: Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 goals (+136 via DraftKings), Logan Thompson over 27.5 saves (-120 via DraftKings).
Edmonton’s Helter Skelter Creates Headaches
The Edmonton Oilers are up two games to zero on the Vegas Golden Knights by outscoring their problems. Vegas came back in Game 2, forced overtime, and then let Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl take over. The result was predictably an overtime goal.
Game 2 featured 69 combined shots and 31 combined penalty minutes. One burning question is the Edmonton power play. Can they score in this series? So far, they have come up with goose eggs. Vegas has allowed enough chances, however.
Yes, we got Edmonton correct on the moneyline, but the under got steamrolled. One feels the Oilers’ power play should break through at home. While Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are at +120, Evan Bouchard is now +225 via BetMGM for one mere point on the man advantage. The Oilers’ power play is still 27% despite the first two games of this series.
Both teams continue to perplex the experts in different ways. Victor Olofsson has played well for Vegas in this series and could score again on Saturday (+333 via BetMGM). Olofsson’s speed and shot are assets here.
Top Cut Wager: Evan Bouchard Over 0.5 Power Play Points (+225 via BetMGM)
Closing Time
Closing time on Saturday means putting a bow on the bets.
Mikko Rantanen cooled off as Dallas played well in the first and third periods. The problem was the two early goals, and Winnipeg’s defense held Dallas to 21 shots.
Does Carolina and Washington open up as far as scoring? Carolina over 3.5 goals is a considerable risk but worth a look. In the previous round, Carolina scored 4+ goals in three of their five battles with New Jersey.
Closing Time Wager: Carolina Hurricanes Over 3.5 goals (+114 via FanDuel).
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