Where are the Canadian teams...lol
@chrishansen was actually onto something about Canadians sucking at hockey.
@chrishansen was actually onto something about Canadians sucking at hockey.
East Finals Preview
The Hurricanes have prided themselves on strong defensive play balanced with a viable offensive attack thus far in the postseason. Carolina has allowed just 2.5 goals per game, the best average out of the remaining teams. Its impressive penalty kill percentage of 84.4% during the regular season has gotten even better in the postseason, sitting at 90.0%. The Hurricanes already ended the season allowing the least amount of goals and now that Frederik Andersen returned to the lineup, he’s posted a 5-0 record in the postseason. The strong play on both sides of the ice is evident but their postseason path has arguably been the easiest path of the remaining teams.
The Panthers’ path through two rounds has been as difficult as it gets after topping the best regular season team in NHL history in the Bruins and one of the most talented squads in the Maple Leafs. Now, the Presidents’ Trophy Curse and Toronto’s playoff history certainly helped Florida’s cause but its impressive offensive play cannot go unnoticed. The Panthers have averaged 3.3 goals per game against some strong defensive teams and have seen their power play percentage rise over five percent in the postseason so far. Florida’s penalty kill has struggled mightily, however, primarily because of its opponents’ strong offensive attacks. Although he’s had his struggles throughout the season, Sergei Bobrovsky has presented glimpses of his former elite goaltending and ranks first in goals saved above expected.
Based on betting odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, this series features two electric offenses both averaging at least 3.3 goals per game. Florida has topped strong teams with elite defenses already but must do it again against Carolina if its offensive attack continues to produce 3.7 goals per game. With current over/under totals for the series goal total set at 33.5 currently, taking the over at -130 odds would likely be a smart and safe play.
Although the odds are favoring Carolina to win the Stanley Cup at +220 odds, Florida has all the tools to continue its postseason success all the way into the finals. Underdogs have posted a 9-3 record in Game 1 so far, making Florida an enticing option when it comes to single-game bets on the Moneyline or Puck Line. The Hurricanes are strong defensively and won’t go down easy but the Panthers are used to that level of play after topping the Bruins and Maple Leafs already.
Carolina’s top-six has been impressive, generating 40 goals so far this postseason but it isn’t as talented and deep as Florida’s at this point. Brandon Montour has generated six goals and three assists thus far but won’t be able to hold down the fort himself in the defensive game so it's clear the Hurricanes will consistently have the edge in that department. Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov lead the offensive attack and have been on fire through 12 postseason games — all posting at least nine points each. It’d be tempting to play it safe and lean toward Sebastian Aho on the favored Hurricanes to finish with the most goals this series but you must consider Florida’s attack with great odds on Verhaeghe (+650) and even Sam Reinhart (+1700).
Eastern Conference Finals Preview
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have prided themselves on strong defensive play balanced with a viable offensive attack thus far in the postseason. Carolina has allowed just 2.5 goals per game, the best average out of the remaining teams. Its impressive penalty kill percentage of 84.4% during the regular season has gotten even better in the postseason, sitting at 90.0%. The Hurricanes already ended the season allowing the least amount of goals and now that Frederik Andersen returned to the lineup, he’s posted a 5-0 record in the postseason. The strong play on both sides of the ice is evident but their postseason path has arguably been the easiest path of the remaining teams.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers’ path through two rounds has been as difficult as it gets after topping the best regular season team in NHL history in the Bruins and one of the most talented squads in the Maple Leafs. Now, the Presidents’ Trophy Curse and Toronto’s playoff history certainly helped Florida’s cause but its impressive offensive play cannot go unnoticed. The Panthers have averaged 3.3 goals per game against some strong defensive teams and have seen their power play percentage rise over five percent in the postseason so far. Florida’s penalty kill has struggled mightily, however, primarily because of its opponents’ strong offensive attacks. Although he’s had his struggles throughout the season, Sergei Bobrovsky has presented glimpses of his former elite goaltending and ranks first in goals saved above expected.
Hurricanes-Panthers Series Props
Based on betting odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, this series features two electric offenses both averaging at least 3.3 goals per game. Florida has topped strong teams with elite defenses already but must do it again against Carolina if its offensive attack continues to produce 3.7 goals per game. With current over/under totals for the series goal total set at 33.5 currently, taking the over at -130 odds would likely be a smart and safe play.
Although the odds are favoring Carolina to win the Stanley Cup at +220 odds, Florida has all the tools to continue its postseason success all the way into the finals. Underdogs have posted a 9-3 record in Game 1 so far, making Florida an enticing option when it comes to single-game bets on the Moneyline or Puck Line. The Hurricanes are strong defensively and won’t go down easy but the Panthers are used to that level of play after topping the Bruins and Maple Leafs already.
Carolina’s top-six has been impressive, generating 40 goals so far this postseason but it isn’t as talented and deep as Florida’s at this point. Brandon Montour has generated six goals and three assists thus far but won’t be able to hold down the fort himself in the defensive game so it's clear the Hurricanes will consistently have the edge in that department. Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov lead the offensive attack and have been on fire through 12 postseason games — all posting at least nine points each. It’d be tempting to play it safe and lean toward Sebastian Aho on the favored Hurricanes to finish with the most goals this series but you must consider Florida’s attack with great odds on Verhaeghe (+650) and even Sam Reinhart (+1700).
Some betting ideas
With both of these teams being off for over a week, don’t be shocked if we see a little offensive rust and tighter play right off the bat. A more rested Hurricanes team played far tighter games against the Islanders in Round 1, with three of the six games featuring five or fewer goals. The season series between the Panthers and Hurricanes also trended toward the under with each team posting one shutout over the three regular season games they played. Finally, the Hurricanes were also one of the stingiest teams to play against at home this season and as a team hit the third most unders for betting purposes when playing at home.
Despite Florida being a high-powered offense — and Carolina showing much better in the goal-scoring department in Round 2 — the goaltending should also be a difference maker for under bettors with Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen having posted save percentages of .931 and .918, respectively, this postseason. With solid +105 odds and offenses that may lack sharpness, it’s a good time to be contrarian and take the under.
The Hurricanes top line center should play a huge role in this series. Aho averaged over 20:00 minutes a game in the final two games against New Jersey and with us only a series away from the Stanley Cup, I would expect that kind of usage to become the norm going forward. While his shot totals were down against New Jersey it’s worth noting that the Devils were one of the best at limiting shots against both in the playoffs and regular season. However, the Panthers are a different story.
Florida has allowed over 35.0 shots per game against this postseason and nearly 32.0 shots per game during the regular season. Aho totaled 11 shots on net in three games against the Panthers during the regular season and with solid -105 odds is a great over target in this department for Game 1.
The Western Conference series doesn’t start till Friday but that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning out our bets for Game 1 now. Dallas and Vegas have both been extremely up and down in the net this postseason and there is every chance that we once again see those cracks lead to scoring outbreaks in Game 1. Jake Oettinger stepped up with a great Game 7 7 performance against Seattle but has just a .903 save percentage and ranks 23rd among goaltenders in goals saved above expected.
On the other side, Vegas’ rotating goalie situation seems likely to combust at any point with Adin Hill, who has been a backup for most of his career, now manning the net. Five of Dallas’ seven games against Seattle saw seven or more goals scored while Vegas scored four or more goals in each win against Edmonton. The 5.5 total on tap Friday could be underrating the offenses and looks worth going over in Game 1.
Hintz comes into Round 3 of the playoffs averaging 1.46 points per game and leads all non-eliminated playoff scorers in both goals and points. Despite that, he’s been overshadowed a bit in terms of attention by the center on the other side of this series, Jack Eichel — who trails Hintz by five points. Hintz’s path to a potential MVP is also slightly easier than any of the forwards in the Eastern Conference series as his goaltender, Jake Oettinger, has been up and down thus far in the playoffs and has not been nearly as dominant as Bobrovsky or Andersen.
If Dallas gets through Vegas and Hintz continues to lead the league in playoff scoring, there is a great chance he’ll move into one of the top two favorite positions for this award — and potentially offer a great hedging opportunity as well if there’s a clear favorite on the other side. Hintz’s odds are still inflated at the moment just due to the Stars being underdogs against the Golden Knights but if they get out fast in this series, you’ll likely see them get shorter. Now is a great time to jump on Hintz, especially if you like the Stars to get past the Golden Knights.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Florida Panthers
Under 5.5 goals
With both of these teams being off for over a week, don’t be shocked if we see a little offensive rust and tighter play right off the bat. A more rested Hurricanes team played far tighter games against the Islanders in Round 1, with three of the six games featuring five or fewer goals. The season series between the Panthers and Hurricanes also trended toward the under with each team posting one shutout over the three regular season games they played. Finally, the Hurricanes were also one of the stingiest teams to play against at home this season and as a team hit the third most unders for betting purposes when playing at home.
Despite Florida being a high-powered offense — and Carolina showing much better in the goal-scoring department in Round 2 — the goaltending should also be a difference maker for under bettors with Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen having posted save percentages of .931 and .918, respectively, this postseason. With solid +105 odds and offenses that may lack sharpness, it’s a good time to be contrarian and take the under.
Sebastian Aho over 2.5 SOG -105
The Hurricanes top line center should play a huge role in this series. Aho averaged over 20:00 minutes a game in the final two games against New Jersey and with us only a series away from the Stanley Cup, I would expect that kind of usage to become the norm going forward. While his shot totals were down against New Jersey it’s worth noting that the Devils were one of the best at limiting shots against both in the playoffs and regular season. However, the Panthers are a different story.
Florida has allowed over 35.0 shots per game against this postseason and nearly 32.0 shots per game during the regular season. Aho totaled 11 shots on net in three games against the Panthers during the regular season and with solid -105 odds is a great over target in this department for Game 1.
Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights
Over 5.5 goals -110
The Western Conference series doesn’t start till Friday but that doesn’t mean we can’t start planning out our bets for Game 1 now. Dallas and Vegas have both been extremely up and down in the net this postseason and there is every chance that we once again see those cracks lead to scoring outbreaks in Game 1. Jake Oettinger stepped up with a great Game 7 7 performance against Seattle but has just a .903 save percentage and ranks 23rd among goaltenders in goals saved above expected.
On the other side, Vegas’ rotating goalie situation seems likely to combust at any point with Adin Hill, who has been a backup for most of his career, now manning the net. Five of Dallas’ seven games against Seattle saw seven or more goals scored while Vegas scored four or more goals in each win against Edmonton. The 5.5 total on tap Friday could be underrating the offenses and looks worth going over in Game 1.
Roope Hintz MVP +900
Hintz comes into Round 3 of the playoffs averaging 1.46 points per game and leads all non-eliminated playoff scorers in both goals and points. Despite that, he’s been overshadowed a bit in terms of attention by the center on the other side of this series, Jack Eichel — who trails Hintz by five points. Hintz’s path to a potential MVP is also slightly easier than any of the forwards in the Eastern Conference series as his goaltender, Jake Oettinger, has been up and down thus far in the playoffs and has not been nearly as dominant as Bobrovsky or Andersen.
If Dallas gets through Vegas and Hintz continues to lead the league in playoff scoring, there is a great chance he’ll move into one of the top two favorite positions for this award — and potentially offer a great hedging opportunity as well if there’s a clear favorite on the other side. Hintz’s odds are still inflated at the moment just due to the Stars being underdogs against the Golden Knights but if they get out fast in this series, you’ll likely see them get shorter. Now is a great time to jump on Hintz, especially if you like the Stars to get past the Golden Knights.
NHL Totals by Nationality ‑ 2022‑2023 Stats
NHL Totals by Nationality - 2022-2023 Regular Season Stats
www.quanthockey.com
yup Canadians suck at hockey lol!
Stars captain suspended 2 games for cross-check against Knights
Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn received supplemental discipline Wednesday for cross-checking Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
www.reviewjournal.com
