NHL: Picks & Preview for Leafs vs Flyers, Panthers vs Hurricanes, Rangers vs Lightning

Leafs Back in Action After Lengthy Break

Through an odd blip in the NHL schedule, in the heart of a playoff race to determine positioning when the post-season starts, the Toronto Maple Leafs (37-19-8-82, 3^rd in the Atlantic Division) are coming off a five-day break and are in Philadelphia tonight to take on the Flyers (34-24-8-76, 3^rd in the Metropolitan).

The powerhouse Florida Panthers (45-17-4-94, 1^st in the Atlantic Division) travel to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes (39-20-6-84, 2^nd in the Metropolitan Division), fresh off acquiring F Jake Guentzel in that big trade last week with the Pittsburgh Penguins. And the first place New York Rangers (43-18-4-90, 1^st in the Metropolitan Division) are in the Sunshine State to play the Tampa Bay Lightning (34-25-6-74, 4^th in the Atlantic Division). 

NHL Schedule: Game Details

Game 1: Leafs vs. Flyers Insights

An advantage the Leafs have – D Joel Edmundson, the stay-at-home defenceman they picked up last week in a trade with the Washington Capital, has had some time now to acclimatize himself with the Leafs’ system. We’re not saying Edmundson was the type of defenceman the team should have traded for – we were hoping they would pick up a Top 4 D-man – but Edmundson is still the exact type of defenceman the team needs going into the last 20 games, then the playoffs – big, mean, someone who will make it very difficult for opposition players to hang around the crease. The team has slowly become grittier, and that’s how you win when the games get real.

F Connor Dewar was acquired from the Minnesota Wild to play fourth-line minutes and boost a porous penalty kill unit. 

The Leafs are going with Ilya Samsonov (17-5-5, 2 shutouts, 3.10 GAA, .887 SV%) in net, and there’s been no arguing the turnaround in his season since being sent down to the minors after Christmas (he stopped 29 of 31 shots in their last game, a 3-2 over Montreal Saturday night). 

🏒 Bet on Maple Leafs vs. Flyers at DraftKings 🏒

The Flyers are countering with Samuel Ersson (19-11-5, 3 shutouts, 2.61 GAA, .899 SV%). Philly is 17-13-3 at home, and they are seventh in the NHL in penalty minutes – averaging 4.2 per game. The Leafs are 19-7-6 on the road. 

Leafs F Mitch Marner is day-to-day with a lower body injury (TSN reports he didn’t take part in practice yesterday). The Leafs moved D Mark Giordano (concussion) to LTIR Monday, according to CapFriendly. For the Flyers, D Nick Seeler (lower body) is out, as is D Jamie Drysdale (upper body), D Ryan Ellis, D Rasmus Ristolainen and G Carter Hart.

Leafs vs. Flyers Player Props

According to DraftKings, Auston Matthews Anytime Goalscorer (1.91), Matthews First Goalscorer (6.50), Bobby McMann Shots on Goal Over 2.5 (2.30). Travis Konecny Over 0.5 Points (1.69) are most bet player props as of this morning.

According to BetMGM, Calle Jarnkrok (starting on the No. 1 line with Matthews tonight) To Score a Goal (5.25), John Tavares Over 0.5 Power Play Points (4.60), and Matthews Over 3.5 Shots (1.57) are the most bet player props there.

Game 2: Panthers vs. Hurricanes Insights

The Panthers are winners of two straight, coming off a two-goal game by Aleksander Barkov in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Carolina is 21-9-4 at home; the Panthers 24-8-2 on the road.

F Sam Reinhart has had a torrid ten games for Florida – seven goals and three assists in that time span. F Sebastian Aho has 25 goals to lead the Hurricanes on the season.

There’s not much to separate the teams – Florida is 8-2-0 in their past ten, the Hurricanes 6-3-1. Injuries are a factor – Guentzel has an upper body issue the team says and is day to day, but media reports this morning say he is “likely” to make his Hurricanes debut tonight.

🏒 Bet on Panthers vs. Hurricanes at FanDuel 🏒

The Panthers will be without D Aaron Ekblad, out with that knee issue after a collision with newly acquired Vladimir Tarasenko last weekend, a situation that could have been a lot worse for Ekblad. C Evan Rodrigues is day to day. C Jack Drury (lower body) is day-to-day with Carolina.

Sergei Bobrovsky (32-13-2, 4 shutouts, 2.30 GAA, .918 SV%), a Vezina Trophy candidate, is listed as likely starter in net, as is Freddie Andersen (6-1, 2.49 GAA, .904 SV%) for the Hurricanes.

Panthers vs. Hurricanes Player Props

On the NHL sports betting front, at DraftKings, Aho First Goalscorer (10.50) and Evgeny Kuznetsov Under 0.5 Points (1.67) are most bet player props.

At BetMGM, leading the way are Sam Bennett to Score a Goal (2.80), Kuznetsov Over 0.5 Points (2.15) and Aho Over 2.5 Shots (1.83).

Game 3: Rangers vs. Lightning Insights

The Rangers have been on a roll, winners of three straight (including two shutouts), while the Lightning are coming off a 7-0 pasting of the Flyers Saturday night, so they are well rested.

The two Russians are listed as probable starters in net – Igor Shesterkin (28-13-2, 3 shutouts, 2.54 GAA, .914 SV%) for the Rangers and Andrei Vasilevskiy (22-16-1, 2 shutouts, 2.96 GAA, .896 SV%) for Tampa – two of the elite goalies in the league.

The Lightning are 20-9-4 at home, where the Rangers are 20-10-4 on the road. New York has been the hotter team in the past ten games – 7-2-1, while the Lightning have gone 4-5-1. D Jacob Trouba is out with a lower body issue, while the Lightning’s team site says LW Tanner Jeannot is likely to return tonight.

Rangers vs. Lightning Player Props

According to DraftKings, Nikita Kucherov Over 0.5 Assists (1.57) and Mike Zibanejad Anytime Goalscorer (3.00) are most bet player props.

At BetMGM, leading the way are Michael Eyssimont to Score a Goal (6.00), Zibanejad Over 2.5 Shots (2.00), and Adam Fox Over 0.5 Power Play Points (3.30).

Our NHL Picks Today 

Big time edge in money bets is on the Leafs at BetMGM (85 per cent), and we are counting on a big game from Matthews, so we are going to take the Leafs ATS at BetMGM. Yeah, the Flyers have the third-best penalty killing in the league (84.8% efficiency), but the Leafs’ power play, tied for second in the NHL (27.2%), despite slowing a bit of late, is overdue to bust out. Yes, they are likely missing Marner, but they are rested.

With Rangers and Lightning, with those two goalies, and the Rangers, with the way they’ve been playing of late, plus averaging 2.9 goals per game over the past ten, giving up just 1.5 per game, we like the Under 6.5 Goals at 888 Sport. 

Panthers-Hurricanes is a more challenging call. This one should be a battle, and you know Guentzel is going to be jacked in his first game with his new team, at home to boot. Daily Faceoff has him at LW on the second line with Kuznetsov and Martin Necas. 

Still, the Panthers, the hottest team in the league, at plus money? Take the Panthers on the Moneyline at TonyBet. In Bobrovsky we trust.