The Stanley Cup Playoffs may get slept on, but that will not happen here! Bettors may have been stunned by what happened in Dallas on Wednesday night. Never underestimate the importance of special teams. At least, we have a second game of the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes to look at on Thursday night.
What did the two teams learn from Game 1?
Florida And Carolina Do It All Over Again
The Florida Panthers are the one team that can play downhill hockey better than the Carolina Hurricanes. One main difference is that Florida utilizes more movement on special teams and even strength. Carolina can do this, but Sergei Bobrovsky is usually more than capable of shutting the door.
Arguably, this is the difference between Frederik Andersen and Bobrovsky. It is why Carolina has to execute so much better to have a chance of winning this series. The Panthers are one of those teams that can get tilted possession-wise but still find a way to execute. Florida outscored Carolina 3-1 at even strength despite 60-40 possession numbers in favor of the Hurricanes.
Here is why it is vital to watch the key points of games. The third period was a case of Carolina chasing the game and score effects. Much like Game 7 against Toronto, Florida’s second period was something to watch. Yes, the Panthers dominated at the right time. While Carolina made mistakes and lost their cool, Florida kept playing.
The numbers set up for Game 2 much the same way. Can Carolina execute better? If the Hurricanes score first, is Florida in trouble? While the Panthers seem unfazed by deficits, Carolina looked rattled. Put pucks on the net and get Sergei Bobrovsky to overplay pucks. That is how Carolina scored their power-play goal in the third period. This needs to happen more often.
The problem is with Florida’s depth versus Carolina’s depth. When Brad Marchand is roaming around the middle-six, that is a sign. The worst thing Shayne Gostisbehere could have done was fire that puck at Marchand. Florida remembers and will keep remembering throughout this series.
Early Game 2 Bet: Florida Panthers moneyline (+110) via DraftKings
Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Game 2 Prop Bets
Unfortunately, Evan Rodrigues did not score in Game 1, but he did get two vital assists. With shots likely to favor Carolina again, it may be worth looking at a few shot props again. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis combined for 10 shots on Tuesday night. Would anyone be surprised if the duo came close to that again?
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Amusingly, both shot totals are set at 2.5 on BetMGM. Granted, Aho’s over is -110 and Jarvis’ is currently -125, but Jarvis is the better bet. He has 4+ shots in three consecutive games. Florida does not seem to be able to block or alter his shots as well. This partially explains why Florida’s forwards (bottom six) were the only ones with more than two blocked shots.
Also, this is not even about goals. Opportunities and scoring chances tilting to Carolina help some player props. There is no question about it. Shots under 2.5 for Matthew Tkachuk have gone on and off the boards. Right now, DraftKings has this listed at -182. He has had zero shots on goal in three of his previous five games. Keep the hammer on it.
Best Pick: Seth Jarvis over 2.5 shots (-110 via BetMGM).
Let’s Get Wild For Game 2
Unfortunately, I got the wrong Sam again in Game 1. Bennett hits about a 50% rate with this. Anyway, he has seven goals in the postseason. Florida keeps receipts better than any team. They finish plays and sometimes finish a little after the fact.
Carolina does have the ability to take advantage. Again, players like Andrei Svechnikov can easily score multiple goals in a game. See that hat trick against the New Jersey Devils.
If a player from the Hurricanes has the skills to score in several ways, it is Svechnikov. The anytime goal is still +205 via Caesars.
Red Light Special: Andrei Svechnikov anytime goal (+205 via Caesars), 2+ goals (+1700 via FanDuel).
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