The bittersweet time in the hockey calendar is here. The NHL’s regular season has come to a close, but the most exciting playoffs in sports have arrived! The Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday with a phenomenal triple-header beginning with Senators vs Hurricanes, followed by Wild vs Stars and then Flyers vs Penguins. This year, the postseason feels as wide open as any in recent memory. It was a fantastic regular season and fans should expect nothing short of a fantastic postseason.
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 Saturday, April 17th, with lines and odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook at the time of publishing. Also, be sure to check out our NHL predictions for all 11 games tonight and throughout the playoffs.
NHL best bet: Logan Stankoven over 0.5 points (+115)
This is already Logan Stankoven’s 3rd Stanley Cup Playoff appearance in as many seasons in his career. He has been on nothing but good teams and has been an important player. At just 23 years old, Stankoven has cemented himself as a certified top-6 forward and important player on his team. This season, he played in 81 games for Carolina, tallying 21 goals and 44 points with a +12 rating. His production and chemistry with Hurricanes forwards has earned him a role as the second-line center, as well as on the power play.
In addition to playing important minutes with strong players, Stankoven brings solid experience at a young age. Saturday will mark his 34th playoff game played. This time of year, the combination of experience and a cohesive unit is huge. Stankoven is a key player in both facets. It only helps that he and the Hurricanes have a favorable offensive matchup on Saturday. The Senators have struggled for a large part of the season to keep the puck out of the net, and they had the 29th ranked penalty kill in the NHL. The added adrenaline of being at home should only further Stankoven and the Hurricanes’ strong matchup. The plus money for Stankoven to tally a point in this one is great value.
Read our full analysis of Saturday’s 3-game Stanley Cup Playoff slate.
NHL best bet: Wild vs Stars over 5.5 (-125)
Out of 4 matchups between the Wild and the Stars this season, one opponent scored 5 goals in 3 of those games. Unsurprisingly, the over hit in those 3 games as game totals averaged 7.67 goals. Minnesota and Dallas split the season series with 2 wins aside. No matter who won or where the game was played, game totals have been climbing when the Wild and Stars meet. With a game total of 5.5 on Saturday, there is a solid chance the over hits again.Â
Another game total over would continue recent results of both teams. The over has hit in 6 out of Minnesota’s last 9 games, and in 13 out of their last 18 played on the road. The total has also gone over in 4 out of Dallas’ last 5 games. Neither team has played great down the stretch, but that is likely due to their fate being all but sealed for the better part of the last couple of months. The intensity in this one will be felt immediately, though, as these teams get back to their brand of hockey. With that, look for the Wild and Stars to set the tone early with offense and force their opponent to keep up, driving the total higher for another over.
NHL best bet: Flyers vs Penguins over 6.5 (+110)
The game total over has been a common theme in Flyers vs Penguins games. In the last 9 played between these teams dating back over 2 years, the over has hit in 6 games. That includes this season in which the average game total across 4 matchups was 6.75 goals. Another over would only reinforce head to head trends, as well as game total trends for the Penguins specifically. The over has now hit in 6 out of Pittsburgh’s last 7 games, and in 5 out of their last 6 played at home.
The recent high totals in Penguins games contributes to their 47-33-2 overs record on the season, including 24-16-1 at home. In the Flyers’ and Penguins’ respective last 10 games, the over is 12-6-2. Combining Flyers road games with Penguins home games during that stretch, the over is 7-2-1. Considering Pittsburgh scored the 3rd most goals per game during the regular season but ranked 24th in goal prevention, the high totals are not all that surprising. Even at a higher total of 6.5 goals, the plus money odds for this one are solid value for trends to continue.
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