Panarin to get back to shooting ways Friday vs. Blackhawks

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We put together a disappointing 2-3 record with our bets on Thursday. We split our team plays (side lost, total won) while somehow only David Pastrnak came through in the prop market.

Noah Dobson, who averages nearly an assist per game, didn't record one on any of his team's six goals, while Owen Tippett registered three shots early on and - thanks to five missed shot attempts - was never able to get the fourth.

In any case, we'll take our lumps and look to get back on track with a few props for Friday's card.

Artemi Panarin: Over 3.5 shots

Panarin has gone a little cold of late in terms of getting shots on net, failing to go over his total in three straight games. I think that says more about the opponents than Panarin.

He faced the Senators, Lightning, and Avalanche in that time. Although that stretch doesn't sound overly difficult, Ottawa and Tampa Bay rank top-five in shot suppression over the last 10 games, and Colorado sits eighth overall in that metric this season. It's been a difficult part of the schedule for generating shots.

Panarin finds himself in a much more advantageous spot against one of his former teams on Friday night. The Blackhawks rank 31st in five-on-five shot suppression this season and 27th over the past 10 games. Panarin is the focal point of what's been by far the Rangers' best even-strength line, putting him in prime position to capitalize.

He's also feasted on the Blackhawks in the past, going over in six of his last seven head-to-head matchups - and this is right up there with the worst versions of the team he's faced.

Odds: +105 (playable to -125)

Frank Vatrano: Over 2.5 shots

Vatrano has generated shots at a steady rate all season long. He's gone over his total in 31 of 50 games (62%), including 19 of 26 on home ice (73%). That's remarkable consistency.

The Oilers are a difficult matchup with how they've dominated teams at five-on-five. Even so, I expect Vatrano to have shooting success in this spot.

He's the Ducks' most reliable shooter at five-on-five and is equipped with the ideal linemate for shot generation. Vatrano has averaged more than 20 attempts per 60 minutes with Troy Terry on his opposite wing, the highest shot rate he has with any regular linemate this season.

Terry is a very strong puck distributor who's more than happy to defer to Vatrano. The latter also headlines his own power-play unit, where getting him the puck in shooting position is the team's top priority.

Even against a quality opponent, it's hard to ignore Vatrano's volume and consistency.

Odds: -115 (playable to -130)

Evan Bouchard: Over 0.5 assists

Bouchard is one of the best in-zone quarterbacks in the NHL. He distributes the puck well and generates plenty of assists from rebounds created by his heavy slapper.

He's an efficient contributor at five-on-five and one of the best at piling up assists on the man advantage. Only six defensemen have more power-play assists this season.

That's very important to note heading into a matchup with the Ducks. They're very undisciplined and horrendous at killing penalties. No team has spent more time shorthanded and allowed shots at a higher rate while undermanned.

The Ducks conceded 3.4 goals per game, while the Oilers have averaged nearly 3.75 dating back to the beginning of their lengthy winning streak.

Edmonton should be able to net a few goals in this spot. If that happens, I like Bouchard's chances of picking up an assist along the way.

Odds: +110 (playable to -120)

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

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