NHL weekend preview: Panthers to grab series lead in Washington
After a slow start to the week with our best bets, we've gotten on track with four wins on five plays over the last couple of days.
Let's carry that success forward into what should be a fun and action-packed weekend of playoff hockey.
Hurricanes (+110) @ Bruins (-130)May 6, 7 p.m. EST
The Boston Bruins have had a miserable time against the Carolina Hurricanes this season. Boston has paid the price on off nights, and even when the team's mostly playing well, Carolina has seemingly capitalized on every single opportunity.
I know how the season series has gone, and I know the Hurricanes have stomped the Bruins on the scoreboard through two playoff games. But I expect the tune to change on Friday - at least for one night.
Despite what the scoreboard suggests, Boston has played decent hockey this postseason. Don't get me wrong, the team's made its share of mistakes defensively and hasn't capitalized on anything with the puck. But it is worth noting the Bruins have controlled 62.98% of the expected goals and outshot the Hurricanes 54-36 at five-on-five en route to a -4 goal differential.
Carolina has gotten big save after big save no matter who is in net, while Linus Ullmark has been hit and miss. Jeremy Swayman should be able to provide more for Boston.
The Bruins are going to come out desperate for a result in this game. If they don't get one, the series is over - and the club surely knows that.
I expect Boston will get the better of the chances, and the squad could score on *checks notes* more than 4% of them with any luck - and perhaps even get better than .830 goaltending.
Bet: Bruins (-130)
Panthers (-180) @ Capitals (+150)May 7, 1 p.m. EST
It took some time, but the Florida Panthers have apparently figured the Washington Capitals out.
Although the Panthers led for the majority of Game 2, they were not playing at the top of their game. Florida was struggling to cleanly break out of the defensive zone and spend any sustained time on offense. But that changed in the second period, as the Panthers scored three goals while winning the chance battle 14-8.
Florida really flexed its muscles in the third, putting the pedal to the metal and dominating the puck for the entirety of the 20-minute frame. The squad won the high-danger chance battle 10-0 while holding a 17-3 shot advantage. It was a demolition.
I don't know if I'd expect that level of domination moving forward, but the Panthers have clearly figured out how to succeed against the Caps' style of play.
The floodgates have opened, so to speak, and Washington's going to have a difficult time closing them. The team just doesn't have the talent, speed, or depth to keep up with this Panthers side.
The Caps are going to need world-class goaltending to get another win. Considering only the New Jersey Devils had a worse team save percentage over the last 25 games of the season, I'm not sure they're going to get it.
Look for the Panthers to carry the momentum forward and put together a solid 60-minute showing en route to a relatively clean win.
Bet: Panthers in regulation (-110)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.