NHL Predictions and Best Bets:

Here are tonight’s NHL predictions and best bets.

Montreal Canadiens (+154) at Tampa Bay Lightning (-190)

Total 5.5 (Over, -130)

Game 2 — 7 p.m. ET

Montreal Canadiens lead series 1-0

The Montreal Canadiens will look to take a 2-0 series lead when the puck drops tonight in Tampa. The Lightning have not had an answer for Montreal’s Juraj Slafkovsky, who led the Canadiens with four goals and seven points versus Tampa in the regular season and became just the second Habs player to record a playoff hat trick in their Game 1 4-3 overtime victory.

Andrei Vasilevskiy, once revered as one of the best playoff goalies, has given up three or more goals in eight of his last 10 playoff games. It doesn’t help that Tampa is without Victor Hedman, whom head coach Jon Cooper said on Monday is doubtful for the remainder of the series. Tampa will also likely be without defenseman Charles-Edouard D’Astous, who was injured in the series opener. For those reasons, I will be on Montreal’s team total, Over 2.5 goals.

Darren Raddysh is one Tampa blueliner you can count on to produce. He has put up three shots on goal or more in five consecutive games and four or more shots in four of his past five games. He has had 11 shots on goal (6, 5) in his last two games against the Canadiens. I will parlay Raddysh for three shots with the Sabres’ Tage Thompson for three shots (in regulation, available at FanDuel).

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Juraj Slafkovsky anytime goal (+205) – .25
Darren Raddysh/Tage Thompson 3+ SOG parlay (+123) – 2 units
Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning Over 5.5 (-130) – 1 unit
Montreal Canadiens/Tampa Bay Lightning second-period BTTS (+144) – .25
Montreal Canadiens Team Total Over 2.5 (-115) – 1 unit
Darren Raddysh 4+ shots (includes OT) +140 – .10
Darren Raddysh 5+ shots (includes OT) +330 – .05

Boston Bruins (+140) at Buffalo Sabres (-170)

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Total 6 (Over, -115)

Game 2 — 7:30 p.m. ET

Buffalo Sabres lead series 1-0

NHL players have told me that you must have a short-term memory in the playoffs, and that has to apply to everyone on the Bruins after they blew a 2-0 lead with eight minutes left in regulation in Game 1. I am passing on both the side and the total and will focus on player props. 

Buffalo’s Tage Thompson, who I have in pocket to lead the series in shots (+170), got off to a great start with seven shots on goal in the opener. He has had five shots on goal or more in six of his last eight games against Boston. Teammate Alex Tuch had four shots on goal in Game 1 and has had at least two shots on goal in 11 of his last 13 games against Boston. He has goals in each of his last three games. Josh Norris was held off the scoresheet in the opener, but I will go back to Norris for both a goal and an assist in hopes he cashes one, if not both props. Norris has four goals in seven games against Jeremy Swayman. Boston’s David Pastrnak has had three shots on goal or more in 13 of his last 16 games against Buffalo. Teammate Morgan Geekie has scored goals in back-to-back and three of the last four games, and in each of those games, he has scored Boston’s first goal. He has scored the Bruins’ first goal 15 times this season.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Josh Norris Over ½ assist (+200) – .25
Josh Norris anytime goal (+320) – .25
Tage Thompson 5+ shots on goal (+195) – .25
Alex Tuch 2+ SOG, David Pastrnak 3+ SOG, Thompson 3+ SOG parlay (+176) – 2 units
Alex Tuch anytime goal (+195) – .25
Morgan Geekie anytime goal (+235) – .25
Morgan Geekie 1st Boston goal (+650) – .05

Utah Mammoth (+130) at Vegas Golden Knights (-155)

Total 5.5 (Over, -134)

Game 2 — 9:30 p.m. ET

Vegas Golden Knights lead series 1-0

The Golden Knights continue to roll under head coach John Tortorella, winning eight of nine games since he replaced Bruce Cassidy as the Vegas bench boss. The Knights entered the third period down 2-1 and rallied for a 4-2 win to take the opening game of the series. Mark Stone scored the tying goal in Game 1 and has goals in five of his last seven games and four goals in six games versus Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka. 

Rasmus Andersson has cashed his shots-on-goal prop (Over 1.5) in five straight and 11 of his last 14 games and 10 of his last 12 meetings versus Utah. Jack Eichel has registered three or more shots on goal in 10 straight games against the Mammoth and in 11 of 13 games overall.

NHL Predictions and Best Bets:
Mark Stone anytime goal (+200) – .50
Rasmus Andersson 2+ SOG/Jack Eichel 3+ SOG — in regulation (+134) – 2 units                                                                                                    

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