Ryan Hodges
Show Bio
Friday night’s NHL slate is a solid 4-game pallet cleanser from jam-packed action on Thursday, and a great appetizer to an even more exciting 13-game slate on Saturday. The Penguins, Capitals, and Wild are all middling at best, so these November games have more meaning for them than they would have hoped entering the season. The Lightning have been good but not great, and the Kraken and Stars are looking to sustain early success. These are valuable points early this season and these teams will bring the energy on Friday night.
If you’re looking to have some action, check out our favorite player props for Friday night. Along with our player props, be sure to also check out our NHL picks for each of today’s games.
Auston Matthews over 1.5 points (+140)
After a slower start to the season with 3 points in the first 5 games, Matthews is back up to a point per game. He has 4 goals and 3 assists in his last 5 games. The Maple Leafs’ opponents in that span included the Bruins, Hurricanes and Golden Knights. Among NHL ranks, Vegas, Boston and Carolina rank 1, 2, and 9 respectively in goals allowed. That means Matthews is heating up and coming through against good teams. He isn’t just padding stats by beating up on bad teams.
Matthews, to no surprise, is Toronto’s top-line center and runs the off-wing on the top powerplay. Every time he steps on the ice, he is joined by some combination of Mitch Marner, Alexander Kerfoot, John Tavares, William Nylander and Morgan Reilly among other teammates. With those guys, there is always plenty of room for offense, and Matthews is usually at the heart of it. Matthews has logged at least 19 minutes of ice time and at least 5 shots on goal in 3 of his last 4 games. Matthews’ ice time, linemates and overall recent form make for a good matchup against this Penguins team that is ranked bottom 10 in the NHL in goal prevention.
Be sure to check out our full Pittsburgh Penguins vs Toronto Maple Leafs Predictions
Joe Pavelski over 2.5 shots on goal (+130)
The Stars are off to a bit of a surprising start this season. Not that they were expected to be bad, but they were an underwhelming team last season that was the only one in the playoffs with a negative goal differential. They ranked 21st in goal scoring and 19th in shots on goal. This season is a different story as they are the NHL’s 5th-ranked scoring team. Joe Pavelski has found himself right in the middle of that success yet again. He has 6 goals and 6 assists in 13 games with a +11 rating. Pavelski is one of the most steady, reliable wingers in the NHL, let alone in Dallas.
Pavelski is on the Stars’ top line and top powerplay. His linemates are Jason Robertson and Roope Hintz. Their line has 48 points in a combined 39 games played. There is a good chance that any and all offense Dallas produces runs through these guys. Pavelski plays meaningful minutes with productive linemates and has 5 points in his last 5 games. With a very favorable matchup against a bad Sharks team on Friday, getting +130 for Pavelski to log at least 3 shots in what should be another offensive barrage for the Stars is a good value.
Be sure to check out our full San Jose Sharks vs Dallas Stars Predictions
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