The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers played in an action packed series opener, combining for seven goals and 78 shots on goal in an overtime thriller.
Let’s examine a few plays that stand out from the pack with my NHL picks for Game 2.
Link to NHL picks.
Best Panthers vs Oilers props
Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 shots (+110 at BET99)
Brad Marchand Over 1.5 shots (-135 at BET99)- Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Over 0.5 assists (+120 at BET99)
Panthers vs Oilers player props for June 6
Evan Bouchard Over 2.5 shots (+110 at BET99)
Evan Bouchard was a one-man shooting gallery against the Florida Panthers in Game 1. He recorded seven shots on goal while firing 14 pucks towards Sergei Bobrovsky. Both of those totals led all skaters.
Bouchard teeing off against the Panthers is nothing new. Dating back to last year’s Stanley Cup Final, Bouchard has cleared 2.5 shots in five straight games against Florida.
He has tallied 22 shots on 54 attempts along the way, good for an average of 4.4 shots and 10.8 shot attempts. Insane outputs.
As good as Bouchard is, the Panthers seem willing to let him shoot as much as he wants. They just want to limit volume as much as they can in the middle of the ice, which works in Bouchard’s favor.
He is a more than willing shooter and led all Oilers in ice time in Game 1. If the Panthers are willing to give up point shots, there’s no reason to believe Bouchard will stop taking them.
Brad Marchand Over 1.5 shots (-135 at BET99)
Florida’s 3rd line has taken on some of the heavy lifting against top competition when on home soil.
They tend to spend more time against depth units on the road and that has made a noticeable difference on Brad Marchand’s numbers.
The veteran winger has averaged 1.1 shots on 3.0 attempts in Florida and produced only three points during this playoff run.
His road numbers are from a different world. He has averaged 4.5 attempts per game on the road and picked up 12 points in 11 games.
The Panthers were able to generate more shots and chances than they gave up during Marchand’s minutes in the series opener.
He also recorded five shot attempts, three of which hit the target. Only Sam Bennett and Seth Jones recorded more shots on net amongst Panthers players.
Look for him to have another active offensive performance in Game 2.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Over 0.5 assists (+120 at BET99)
The Edmonton Oilers were the much better team with Nugent-Hopkins on the ice in Game 1. They won the shot on goal battle 18-8 while controlling better than 70% of the expected goals share across all situations.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins spent his 5-on-5 ice split between the top line with Connor McDavid and the 2nd line with Evander Kane, winning the high-danger chance battle by multiple on each unit.
RNH also continued to skate on the top power play unit alongside McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the team’s best players.
After a quiet start to the playoffs, RNH has responded in a big way with 13 assists over his last 14 games.
Whether he’s playing on a line with Kane or McDavid – or a loaded power play – he has legitimate scoring talent by his side every shift. He should have plenty of opportunities to pick up a helper.
Bet on the NHL at BET99!
One of Canada's best sportsbooks for hockey betting, join BET99 and get up to $800 bonus bets back if your first bet doesn’t win when using our BET99 promo code COVERSBONUS!
*Not available in Ontario. 19+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
