The NHL’s Friday night playoff slate features 3 series’ that are knotted up at a game a piece. The Lightning and Canadiens will battle in Montreal beginning at 7 PM ET, followed by the Golden Knights and Mammoth in Utah at 9:30 PM ET, then concluded by the Oilers and Ducks battling in Edmonton at 10 PM ET. The Canadiens, Mammoth, and Ducks have already stole home-ice for the remaining best-of-5. Their opponents will look to take it back with strong road performances. What this slate lacks in stature, it will make up for in intensity.
If you will be tuning in on Saturday and want to have some action, I have picked out my 3 NHL best bets for the playoff slate on Friday, April 24, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Also, be sure to check out our NHL predictions for all 3 games tonight and throughout the playoffs.
NHL best bet: Cole Caufield anytime goalscorer (+105)
This series has been arguably the best of the opening round thus far. Despite a lot of action and offensive production, Cole Caufield, Montreal’s top scorer, has not yet found the back of the net. That is not to say Caufield has not produced. In the first 2 games of the series, he has logged 3 assists over 21:11 of ice time in game 1, and 24:50 in game 2. This is a player that is clearly being relied on by his coaches and team, rightfully so.
During the regular season, Caufield’s 51 goals were the second-most in the NHL. Accompanying the goals was 37 assists for 88 points in 81 games played, a +29 rating, 11 power play goals, 12 game-winning goals, and 18:11 in average ice-time. Against the Lightning this year, Caufield now has 2 goals and 5 assists in 6 games played between the regular season and playoffs. It should not be a matter of if Caufield scores. It should be a matter of when. He is thrust into high-leverage situations all game and has come through all year. Look for a little extra jump in front of the home crowd from Caufield, leading to his first goal of the series.
See our analysis of Friday night’s 3-game playoff slate
NHL best bet: Golden Knights money line (112)
The Mammoth have played great in this series. The Golden Knights would be the first to say that. But the experience of this Vegas team makes them difficult to fade. Their roster is littered with Stanley Cup champions who are mostly healthy for a refreshing change. The first road game of a postseason is a key spot where experience matters. In the first home playoff game in Utah Mammoth history, the barn should be rocking, and the Mammoth will be running on a lot of adrenaline. That could backfire.
This Mammoth team is talented, but largely inexperienced in NHL playoff games, or high-leverage NHL games in general. In situations like this where the home team gets really amped up, they have tended to go so hard that they are gassed when it matters. The Golden Knights know exactly how to play to weather a storm, overcome a hostile crowd and energized opponent, and capitalize when there is a mistake. The experience is great, but it also doesn’t hurt that this is a very talented team that has been in great form since the arrival of their head coach. Vegas will play composed and has a good chance to take one on the road.
NHL best bet: Leon Draisaitl over 1.5 points (-105)
Questions around Leon Draisaitl’s health were quickly put to rest by his performance in this series. Even an 80% Leon is better than most fully healthy players in the league. After all, this is a player that has logged 40+ goals and 100+ points in 6 out of the last 8 years, and was on pace to do so again this year before he got hurt. His playoff performances have not deviated from that regular season success either. Draisaitl has averaged well over a point-per-game in his playoff career as well. In 98 career playoff games played, he has 53 goals and 145 points. That is an 82-game average of 44 goals and 121 points.
Draisaitl has carried that excellent playoff pedigree right into this series. In the first 2 games of this series, he has a goal and 3 assists. He logged 22:06 of ice-time in game 1, and 24:56 of ice-time in game 2. Offensive production against the Ducks is nothing new for Draisaitl. In 2 games played against Anaheim during the regular season, he logged 4 points. This time around, he looks healthy and is still producing. That is a dangerous combination for the Ducks. In a high-scoring series on a high-scoring team, Leon Draisaitl is well-positioned to keep the rampant production going.
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