NHL Wednesday best bets: Panthers, Flames to cook at home

Our best bets were a mixed bag Tuesday night. The Toronto Maple Leafs came through for us on home soil but, unfortunately, the Minnesota Wild fell apart down the stretch against the St. Louis Blues.

We'll aim for better results with two plays for Wednesday night.

It took some time, but the Florida Panthers are starting to come into their own in this series. They're generating chances at a higher rate than earlier on, which is scary considering all the weapons they have in their arsenal.

Florida should have some extra pep in its step following a comeback victory in Game 4. The Panthers should also be encouraged by their improved five-on-five play. Florida is at a point where the team is controlling the overall run of play at full strength.

The Panthers' expected goal share sits at nearly 54% through four games. The Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames, and Wild are the only teams that have fared better in that game state. Of that group, only Minnesota trails in its series.

It goes without saying that a team with as much star power and depth as the Panthers is going to come out on top more often than not when they have edges in the chance department. That should continue to be the case in this game as Florida generated shots, chances, and goals at a higher rate on home ice during the regular season than every other team in the league.

The Capitals have put up a good fight to this point, but I think the Panthers are going to hit another level and put Washington on the brink.

Bet: Panthers in regulation (-145)

This is the most lopsided 2-2 series you'll see. The Flames are rolling the Dallas Stars at five-on-five, giving up nothing defensively while generating very efficient shots.

Calgary's share of the expected goals sits at 59.56% at five-on-five. For perspective, the Avalanche posted a 59.66 xGF% in their sweep over the Nashville Predators.

It's not an exaggeration to say the only reason the Stars are in this series is the play of Jake Oettinger. He owns a .960 save percentage through four games, with .943 being his worst showing thus far.

As good as Oettinger is, though, it's unrealistic to expect him to perform at that kind of level while seeing such large workloads. He'll hit a wall - perhaps sooner than later - and then the Flames will run away with the series.

Calgary was a dominant home side all season long. The team has started to separate itself from the Stars in this series, and I think that'll continue in Game 5.

Look for the Flames to win inside 60 minutes, putting them in position to advance to the second round as early as Friday.

Bet: Flames in regulation (-130)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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