NHL Thursday player props: Connor to stay hot vs. Blue Jackets

Our shot props disappointed Wednesday. William Nylander came one shy against the Blackhawks, while Nikita Kucherov took only two of the whopping 47 shots that the Lightning put up in the desert.

Tage Thompson took care of business against the Ducks. However, given how the other games shaped up, it would've been easy to envision another 2-1 or even a 3-0 night.

Nevertheless, we'll look to get back on track with three plays for Thursday's games.

Kyle Connor over 3.5 shots (+105)

Connor is heating up. He's registered at least four shots in six of his last 10 contests, piling up 71 attempts (ninth) and 41 shots on target (eighth) over the stretch.

Connor draws a mouthwatering matchup against the Blue Jackets on Thursday. Columbus ranks 31st in five-on-five shot suppression this season. It'll likely be worse defensively without Vladislav Gavrikov in the lineup due to trade protection, as he's one of the club's better in-zone defenders.

The Jets forward has faced off against the Blue Jackets once this season, generating six shots on eight attempts during the game. With Winnipeg amid a heated division race, it knows every point counts. I expect a purposeful effort here as the Jets try to take advantage of one of the easier opponents on their schedule.

David Pastrnak over 4.5 shots (-110)

While things have gotten a little better lately, the Predators have really struggled defensively for quite some time. Only the Ducks, Blue Jackets, and Canadiens - teams in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes - have allowed shots at five-on-five at a higher clip over the past 25 games.

Nashville's penalty-killing problems only make matters worse. The Preds rank in the bottom 10 in shot suppression over the same period and have spent more time killing penalties than all but nine clubs.

Pastrnak is a strong five-on-five shooter and the focal point of the Bruins' power play. He figures to be the prime beneficiary of Nashville's defensive weaknesses.

The Predators have struggled to slow down opposing right-wingers all season, ranking 30th in shots allowed per game to the position.

This is a good spot for Pastrnak to build off an eight-shot performance last time out.

Alex Pietrangelo over 2.5 shots (+100)

We've frequently targeted Pietrangelo lately, and it's paid off. He's hit the over on his shot total in seven of the past 10 games, including against stout defensive teams like the Stars, Wild, and Rangers.

That's a good sign heading into a game with the Sharks, who are solid at preventing shots and scoring chances. They do a good job of keeping teams to the outside, which should allow for more perimeter looks from Pietrangelo.

That was certainly the case in the Golden Knights' previous meetings with San Jose. Pietrangelo recorded four shots in both contests with the Sharks this season, combining for 14 shots attempts across those meetings.

I expect his success to continue at home this time around.

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

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