Ryan Hodges
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The first night of the NHL playoffs did not disappoint. Fans are in for a treat for the second day as there are 4 games on tap beginning at 12:20 pm ET and going all through the afternoon, evening and night. With a couple of Eastern Conference matchups and the same in the Western Conference, there is not much more fans could ask for. This is a great way to end the weekend and hopefully you can find your favorite seat and watch.
Let’s get into my 3-leg NHL parlay for today’s playoff action, and you can also find out our experts’ NHL predictions for tonight’s big matchups.
Panthers ML and Over 5.5 (+180)
Rangers -1.5 (+120)
Canucks ML (-148)
NHL parlay odds: +932
Panthers ML and Over 5.5 (+180)
The Panthers ended the season on a 4-game winning streak as part of a stretch of 5 wins in 6 games. The only loss during that stretch was an overtime loss to a great Bruins team. This is a good team in good form facing a rival that has 2 wins in their last 6 games. Look for the Panthers to set the tone in Game 1.
The over gives this pick good value considering the Panthers are just -170 money line favorites. The Lightning scored 6 goals last game and allowed 4 goals in each of their last 3 games. Before that, Tampa Bay either scored or allowed 4+ goals in 6 out of its prior 7 games. Given the upside and recent inconsistency of the Panthers, the pure matchup of these teams looks good for the over.
Read our full analysis of Sunday’s NHL playoff slate.
Rangers -1.5 (+120)
Respectfully, the Capitals are a bit fortunate to be here. At the end of the day, they got the job done. So that initial statement is not all that fair. However, for all intents and purposes this looks to be a lopsided matchup. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy while the Capitals barely squeaked into the playoffs.
The Caps finished the season with a -37 goal differential, which is by far the worst in this season’s playoffs. Meanwhile, the Rangers have been stellar all season long, have won 10 out of their last 13 games and have won 4 out of their last 5 games at home. With a nice plus-money value, this should be all Rangers.
Canucks ML (-148)
This looks to potentially be as good of any series as any this postseason. What looks good for Vancouver in Game 1 is solid recent form, a deeper overall team, and home-ice advantage. The Canucks have been just okay down the stretch. But as they have shown since the first drop of the puck this season, their ceiling is very high.
Vancouver dominated the season series with 3 wins in as many matchups by a combined score of 13-6. The Canucks have proven that they match up well against the Predators and now have a fire lit under them. There is an element of the Canucks’ domination leading to them being on auto-pilot which led to a just-okay stretch. This is a great team in a now-meaningful game.
