This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Best Bets: Stanley Cup Playoff Picks Tonight
We've got four decisive games on the board tonight that pose some juicy storyline. The Bruins could send the Leafs packing with a win on home ice, where the Leafs have only won once in their last six trips to TD Garden. The Hurricanes head home too after blowing their chance at a sweep with a Game 4 loss in double overtime. Do the Isles carry any momentum from that victory into tonight's tilt?
The Avalanche have looked like the scariest team in the field so far with three straight dominating performances over the Jets. Can Rick Bowness's club figure out how to stay alive tonight, or do they exit the first round in five games after winning the first one for the second consecutive year?
Then we got a Canucks team that basically stole Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the series after a late-game, multi-goal comeback with their third-string, no-name netminder between the pipes. How do the Preds respond after essentially giving away Game 4?
Loving some of the matchups this deep into each series too, so let's dive into the best NHL bets and player props tonight!
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Best NHL Bets Tonight
Avalanche ML (-115 on FanDuel)
Outside of Winnipeg's 7-6 Game 1 victory, this series hasn't even been close. The Avs have completely dominated the last three games, outscoring the Jets 16-5. Connor Hellebuyck has an 5.22 GAA and .870 SV& which are both unprecedented for a man that is likely to win the Vezina again this year.
Colorado's big guns of Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar look unstoppable, so much so that Mikko Rantanen's six points look pedestrian. But the supporting cast of forwards anchored by Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin has given the Jets fits, and the Avs D corps beyond Makar is as stout as can be.
How can we bet against this team right now, even with Winnipeg totally underperforming from their regular season form that saw them sweep the regular season series over Colorado? We can't, and -115 on the moneyline is too good to pass up.
Predators ML (+105 on DraftKings)
I think tonight is Nashville's night. Games 2 and 3 IN NASHVILLE were supposed to be their nights too. The Preds mercilessly outshot the Canucks 30-12 in Game 3, but somehow Vancouver stole a 2-1 victory.
The Canucks had to trot out Arturs Silovs in net for Game 4, their third-string netminder who no one expected to even learn the name of with Vezina finalist Thatcher Demko as the top option and Casey DeSmith as a solid backup. But both Demko and DeSmith are out with injuries, so Silovs stepped in and stopped 27 of 30 shots in Vancouver's come-from-behind 4-3 overtime win.
The bounces and what we call "puck luck" have just gone Vancouver's way the past two tilts, but I think the Preds have enough juice to force this one back to Nashville.
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Best NHL Player Props Tonight
Artturi Lehkonen to record 3+ shots on goal (-125 on FanDuel)
This guy's been a matchup nightmare for Winnipeg. He's got seven points in the series so far and has registered 19 shots on goal. He had seven in Game 1 and four in Game 2, so playing on the road didn't phase him in those contests.
I'd keep an eye on his points props tonight too, but Connor Hellebuyck always has a chance to become himself again and if he does the goals might not be as plentiful. I don't think the Jets will have miraculously figured out how to slow down the Avs' torrential offense, so Lehkonen should be getting plenty of looks again tonight too.
Martin Necas over 0.5 points (-110 on DraftKings)
The stat columns aren't anything to write home about in this series, but Necas has been consistent. He's got four points and only went scoreless in Game 3. Rod Brind'Amour has been shuffling the lines so Necas' minutes have fluctuated a bit, but I don't think that matters since his speed and skill are a matchup problem for the Isles no matter where he is in the lineup.
The Hurricanes shouldn't have lost Game 4, so I think they raise their level tonight and take care of business on home ice. Necas should be a part of that.
