Check out our NHL Game 2 best bets from our crew of hockey experts for Thursday, April 20.
After Game 1 matchups earlier this week, we now enter the Game 2 clashes for the 2022-23 NHL postseason.
Below, check out our hockey crew's top picks, including plays for Rangers vs. Devils and Jets vs. Golden Knights, for tonight's Stanley Cup Playoffs games.
Rangers vs. Devils 3-way Moneyline
Greg Liodice: Game 1 in Newark was a disaster for the New Jersey Devils as the New York Rangers blew them out in their own building 5-1. However, how much can that be attested to playoff jitters? Playoffs can be different for every new team. Some can react great like Seattle did, or some can let up a clunker.
New Jersey was a dominant fixture in the East all season, and I think Tuesday’s debacle is nothing short of an outlier. Throughout the season, the Devils had the second-best even-strength offense at 55.8 xGF% (expected goals) and a decent 22% power play. Not only that, but in Tuesday's game, the Devils did a good job at driving play with a 54.36 xGF% – close to their season total.
Their defensive game was also strong. Out of all playoff teams, the Devils had a second-best 1.97 xGA/60. The penalty kill struggled, letting up two goals out of three chances, which isn’t like them. New Jersey typically has a strong foundation on the PK, but the Rangers have a ton of experience and a deadly power play.
I don’t expect this trend to continue. As good as the Rangers are, they’re not exactly the best during even-strength play (49.5 xGF% all season). They’re a team that relies on lethal goaltending and a strong special teams core. I can see the Devils recuperating and splitting the series heading back to Manhattan.
Pick: Devils 3-way Moneyline (+115) |
Kraken vs. Avalanche Player Prop
Nicholas Martin: The Avalanche will look to bounce back from a very disappointing Game 1 loss to the Kraken tonight, and I expect their best player to continue peppering shots on net in this big spot.
As expected, Colorado was losing the bottom six matchups in Game 1 further down the lineup, and it does appear MacKinnon and the Avs' top stars will need to carry lots of weight in this first-round matchup.
After seven shots on goal in Game 1, MacKinnon has now averaged 5.95 shots per game in the 21 playoff games since the start of last year's run. He has cashed the "over 4.5" in 15 of those 21 games.
MacKinnon entered the playoffs in better form than anybody not named McDavid and is playing incredible hockey.
I expect him to play big minutes in a bounce-back victory for the Avs tonight.
Jets vs. Golden Knights Player Prop
Ryan Dadoun: Vegas didn’t just lose its series opener versus Winnipeg, it got embarrassed. The Golden Knights managed just 17 shots as the Jets cruised to a 5-1 victory.
I think the Golden Knights will even the series tonight, but even if they don’t, they should at least be motivated to test Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck at every opportunity after what happened last time.
Jack Eichel will likely be at the forefront of that as one of Vegas’ best offensive players. He led the team with 3.33 shots per game during the regular season, so finishing with at least four shots tonight would represent just a mild improvement from the norm. Even in Game 1 with the Golden Knights mostly silent, Eichel still managed to record two shots.
It’s worth noting that Tuesday’s loss was also his playoff debut, so the 26-year-old will have extra motivation to prove himself after that game didn’t go according to plan.
You can find this bet for Eichel to record 4+ shots under the "Jack Eichel – Star Player Props" menu at BetMGM.
