- Aleksander Barkov has even odds to record an assist after recording 51 assists in the regular season
- Connor Hellebuyck recorded over 22 saves in three of seven games against the Blues despite St. Louis attempting the second fewest shots per game in the playoffs
TORONTO – Two Stanley Cup Playoff games will be played Wednesday night in Canada as the Florida Panthers face the Toronto Maple Leafs for Game 2, while the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets will play the opening game of their series.
Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 2 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | -1.5 (+180) | -145 | O 5.5 (-120) |
| Maple Leafs | +1.5 (-220) | +125 | U 5.5 (EVEN) |
The Maple Leafs won Game 1 at home 5-4 in somewhat of a surprise shootout, as none of the regular season matchups between the two teams totaled more than six goals. Legal sports betting sites expect the Panthers to exact revenge in Game 2.
The Panthers had six players record an assist in the first game of the series, none of which came from their leading assist man, Aleksander Barkov.
Barkov recorded four assists in five games of the first round against the Lightning and led the Panthers in assists during the regular season with 51.
He also recorded the most time on ice of any forward for Florida in Game 1, but was unable to record a goal or assist. He scored just 20 goals during the regular season and one during the Panthers’ first round series.
Bet on Barkov to record at least one assist (EVEN), which gives slightly better odds than the odds to record a point (-190).
Stars vs Jets Game 1 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | -1.5 (+220) | -115 | O 6.0 (+105) |
| Jets | +1.5 (-270) | -105 | U 6.0 (-125) |
The Jets had the best record in the NHL this season, going 56-22-4. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck played a big role in securing that record, leading the NHL in goals against average and shutouts, as well as finishing second in save percentage.
However, he has had a rough go of things thus far in the playoffs, with his GAA jumping from 2.01 during the regular season to 3.85 through the first round, as well as his save percentage dropping from .925 to .830 during the postseason.
He had arguably his best game of the playoffs in Game 7 against the Blues in the first round, recording 26 saves on 29 shot attempts.
Legal NHL betting sites set his line for saves tonight at 22.5, a figure he went over in three of his seven games in the first round.
The Stars have averaged 26.57 shots on goal per game this postseason compared to the Blues’ 23.71, the second fewest of any team in the playoffs.
As long as Hellebuyck performs as well as he is capable of, he should be able to record over 22.5 saves.
