NHL Thursday player props: 3 shooters to target

We split our shot props Wednesday night. Alex Pietrangelo came through with a first-period hit against the Anaheim Ducks, but Nikita Kucherov let us down with a dud at home to the Montreal Canadiens.

We'll set our sights higher as we dig into three standout plays for Thursday night's busy slate of games.

Cale Makar over 3.5 shots (-105)

The Makar train continues to chug along sans Nathan MacKinnon. Makar registered at least four shots on goal in eight of 10 games since MacKinnon went down with an injury. He also hit the over in six consecutive games, averaging nearly five shots in that span.

This hot streak is by no means smoke and mirrors. Makar attempted more than eight shots per game over the last 10, slotting him third in the NHL during that span. Only snipers David Pastrnak and Mikko Rantanen generated more volume in that time.

Makar is a much more prolific shooter without MacKinnon and does his best work on home soil. The Avalanche blue-liner averaged 8.2 attempts per game in Colorado this season, compared to just 6.6 on the road.

Unsurprisingly, he hasn't enjoyed nearly as much success away from home - his hit rate is 15% lower than it is in Colorado.

The Los Angeles Kings are generally not a team to target for shots on goal, but Makar is playing so many minutes - and being asked to carry so much of the offense - that I see value here anyway.

Timo Meier over 4.5 shots (+115)

Meier was seemingly automatic to start the season, recording five shots or more in eight of his first nine home games.

The San Jose Sharks winger hit five shots in just three of 10 home dates since that point, appearing to cool off immensely. However, Meier actually averaged 8.6 attempts per game in San Jose during that span, which is more than his season average at home (8.2).

He's still generating a lot of shots - they just haven't hit the net at the same clip. I doubt Meier magically forgot how to shoot on target, so as long as the volume is there, he's still a priority for me.

What I love about Meier tonight is the matchup. The Philadelphia Flyers rank 25th in shot suppression over the last 10 and, on the road, 29th for the season. They give up a ton of shots, and I expect Meier to be the primary beneficiary.

Jason Robertson over 3.5 shots (-125)

Robertson has some of the most insane home/road splits you'll see, and he's generally not someone to play outside of Dallas.

But tonight, Robertson finds himself in a sneaky spot against the Minnesota Wild. Their games featured a ton of special teams play of late, with the Wild averaging around 46 minutes of five-on-five time over the last 10 games.

Robertson is very reliant on the power play and has the ability to quickly pile up shots in bulk on the man advantage. He has 81 attempts on the man advantage this season, nearly double that of his closest Dallas Stars teammate, Miro Heiskanen (44). Clearly, Robertson is option Nos. 1 through 3 on the man advantage. Against an opponent that's been lending itself to a lot of special teams play, he could do some real damage.

He also has a strong history against this Wild team. Robertson recorded at least six shots in all three meetings against Minnesota this calendar year.

Look for his shooting success to continue.

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

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