NHL Thursday player props: 3 snipers to target

Wednesday was an off night for our shot props. Matt Boldy recorded twice as many shots as needed, but Nikita Kucherov and Gustav Forsling came up short.

We'll aim to get back in the win column with three more plays for Thursday's slate.

David Pastrnak over 4.5 shots (-110)

Pastrnak is starting to heat back up after a bit of a shooting dry spell - by his standards, anyway. He's registered at least five shots on goal in four of the last six games, and his attempt volume is unmatched in the previous 10.

Pastrnak has attempted a ridiculous 93 shots during that span, nine more than the next closest player (Alexander Ovechkin). Patrik Laine is the only other forward above 80 shot attempts, so Pastrnak has been in a tier of his own.

Although the Jets are a solid team, they don't dominate puck control, nor are they bulletproof defensively. At five-on-five, they rank 18th in shot attempts against per 60 minutes over the last 10 games. Injuries to Nate Schmidt and Blake Wheeler won't help matters.

Pastrnak should be able to generate some shot volume at full strength, and he's always the primary target on the man advantage.

It's also worth noting that Pastrnak has an extremely encouraging history against the Jets. He's registered at least five shots in five of his last six meetings versus Winnipeg and netted nine goals in the previous nine.

Auston Matthews over 4.5 shots (-110)

Matthews started the season posting low shot totals, especially by his standards. He recorded five shots or more only four times over his first 19 games. As high of a bar as Matthews has to surpass each night (4.5 shots), that's very abnormal for a player of his caliber.

However, he's quietly turned a corner lately. Matthews has five shots or more in eight of his last 11 games and four straight on home ice.

Now Matthews draws an advantageous matchup at home against a bad Philadelphia team. The Flyers are among the worst possession and shot-suppression clubs in the NHL. They spend a lot of time on their heels absorbing pressure in the defensive zone. That should lead to plenty of shooting opportunities for Matthews, who generated eight shots on target in his only other meeting against Philadelphia this season.

Look for No. 34 to stay hot at home.

Kevin Fiala over 2.5 shots (-130)

Fiala is firing on all cylinders. The dynamic winger has registered at least three shots on goal in 11 consecutive home games.

He's averaged 4.36 shots per contest in that span, so he isn't just squeaking by.

Fiala leads Los Angeles with 48 shots, 54 scoring chances, and 73 shot attempts over those 11 games. No other Kings player is within 15 in any of those categories.

The Flames aren't a great team to target for shots at five-on-five, but they take a lot of penalties. That offers extra opportunities for power play shooters to go to work. It just so happens Fiala is also the Kings' go-to guy on the man advantage.

This is a sneaky good spot for him to find success again.

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.