The playoffs revealed a few more twists on Thursday night. Maybe Friday night will give us a few more. Here is what occurred last evening.
- Florida wins on the road again, along with Toronto. Ottawa is now on the brink.
- Minnesota continues offensive onslaught, scoring five times versus Vegas.
- St. Louis uses Buchnevich’s hat trick to rout Winnipeg at home 7-2.
Yes, the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs brings its drama. Three games are scheduled, with New Jersey and Carolina on TBS/MAX. Check local listings for the other two contests.
Can Montreal Get Back In The Series?
The Montreal Canadiens have not played poorly in the first two games of their series with Washington. Montreal allowed three goals in both contests and forced overtime in Game 1 after a stirring third-period comeback.
Washington covered in Game 2 behind an empty-net goal with around two seconds left. That was cutting it close. Logan Thompson has looked very healthy in this series for the Capitals, stopping 58 of 61 shots faced. Samuel Montembeault has performed well. In defeat, the Canadiens’ goaltender has turned aside 58 of 62 shots faced.
Now, Montreal and Martin St. Louis get the luxury of the last line change. A big question will be whether the Canadiens can overcome some of their defensive lapses. Several of the forwards for Montreal look out of place too often.
This may be one night where Montreal draws a few more penalties and capitalizes on them. So far, Montreal has only drawn four calls in this series, though Washington has only done so three times. Expect a few more opportunities on Friday, which should boost Montreal’s fortunes.
Best Bet: Montreal on the moneyline at EVEN via DraftKings
Did New Jersey Figure Something Out In Carolina?
Alright, the New Jersey Devils are down 2-0 in their series to the Carolina Hurricanes. Few expect them to make this a series, let alone win. However, the Devils may have figured something out with Carolina. The Devils-Hurricanes contest begins just after 8:00 pm ET.
One of their most significant problems was Game 1, where Carolina went up and down the ice at will. Sheldon Keefe made adjustments to avoid this in Game 2. Other than a five-minute lapse in the second period, New Jersey played well and had the better of the scoring chances on the road.
Shots were far more even in Game 2 (28-26 Carolina). Additionally, like the Montreal-Washington series, the home team could benefit from the extra day of rest. Most pundits forget just how banged up New Jersey truly is. If Luke Hughes and/or Brendan Dillon can get back into the lineup, that would help the Devils immensely.
The home crowd should be a factor. A primetime audience hopes for a better effort and a little more luck. Several New Jersey chances just missed on Tuesday night. Some joked that Frederik Andersen may be a little bit Irish. Either way, the Devils’ biggest stand is expected in Game 3, and a victory is in the cards in 60 minutes.
Timo Meier was among New Jersey’s leaders in goals after March 1st with 11. That included four goals in the final five regular-season games. Meier gets at least one bounce to go his way Friday night.
Top Picks: New Jersey to win in regulation (+200 via BetMGM), Timo Meier anytime goal at +230
Edmonton Against The Wall At Home?
The Edmonton Oilers have been a sieve on defense and in goal in the first two games against Los Angeles. Edmonton allowed 12 goals on the road and, worse, only scored seven times.
The good news is that the Kings are 17-19-5 on the road and have only a 3-8 record against Edmonton from Game 3 onward in the previous three postseasons. That includes several easy Edmonton covers along the way.
Typically, we don’t make it this simple, but our pick is for Edmonton to get back in this series with a convincing win on Friday night at home.
Best Wager: Edmonton Oilers -1.5 goals +189 via Caesars
