Nylander, Rielly to make noise at home vs. Bruins

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There are three elimination games scheduled over the next couple of nights in the NHL.

Here are the best ways to attack them.

William Nylander: Over 3.5 shots

Nylander hit the ground running after returning to the Maple Leafs' lineup. He recorded eight shots and 20 attempts in two games while logging 22-plus minutes in each.

That's nothing new for Nylander, who's cleared his shot total at a 65% clip when playing 20-plus minutes this season. That number spikes to 72% when moving the needle to 22 minutes or more.

I expect Nylander to continue getting as much ice as he can handle in Game 6. The Leafs are struggling to score goals, and they'll need their 98-point man - who has historically done a good job of producing in the playoffs - to help buck that trend.

Auston Matthews' status shouldn't have much of an impact on Nylander, who generally skates on the second line with John Tavares and the No. 1 power play.

Odds: -106 (playable to -120)

Morgan Rielly: Over 0.5 assists

Rielly's the No. 1 defenseman on the Maple Leafs and their only truly gifted puck mover. He plays a ton of minutes as a result, often behind the star-studded top two lines.

He's been on the ice for 125 shot attempts, 61 shots on goal, 26 high-danger scoring chances, and 5.78 expected goals at five-on-five. Those totals are good for first among all players on either team.

He also has a great role as the quarterback of a highly talented power play, even though it hasn't looked the part thus far.

Rielly's a talented player who plays a ton of minutes - almost exclusively with the team's top players - in every key offensive situation. His usage will only be ramped up further with the Maple Leafs playing for their season.

Considering his role on the team and that his hit rate is 24% higher when playing on home ice, I like backing Rielly for an apple in this do-or-die game.

Odds: -115 (playable to -130)

Quinn Hughes: Over 0.5 assists

Note: Canucks play Friday at 7 p.m. ET

Hughes is a cheat code when it comes to creating goals. He picked up 75 assists in the regular season and has five through five games against the Predators.

Although the series has been low-event and tightly contested, the Predators do like to open things up when they can, and that style seems to benefit Hughes.

Playoffs included, the dynamic defenseman has recorded 11 assists through eight games against the Predators this season. The location doesn't matter, either, as Hughes has five assists spanning four games in Nashville.

The Predators are a good team, but I think the Canucks have the edge in high-end talent and expect them to put Nashville away Friday night.

Given how many minutes Hughes plays as a puck-dominant offensive catalyst, he should be able to record an assist along the way.

Odds: Playable to -130.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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