Night two of the first round, and this slate features some of the best offensive teams in the league. Both No. 1 seeds will be in action tonight, and they will deliver a high-powered offense that will put them at a huge advantage. There are some key injuries to pay attention to, especially behind the net, that will make it tough for some of these teams to pull off an early win.
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Bet $10, Win $200 if Either Team Scores a Goal >>
Pittsburgh Penguins (+115) vs. New York Rangers (-120)
(Puck Drop: 7:07 p.m. ET)
This is a good Rangers squad that had one of the best seasons in team history. Their 52 games this season were tied for second-most in team history with their Stanley Cup-winning 1993-94 team, and the 110 points is the third-most in team history.
They became the first team since 2012 to have 50 wins, 100 points with a 50-goal scorer (Chris Kreider, 52), a 90-point scorer (Artemi Panarin, 96), and a goalie with at least 36 wins (Igor Shesterkin, 36). They played well against the Penguins this year, going 3-1-0. While most of the time, you can throw that out the window during the playoffs, it should still give the Rangers confidence.
Pittsburgh comes with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, all battled-tested in their many years together with three Stanley Cups. This could also be the last run for this tandem as Malkin and Letang will be unrestricted free agents next year.
When you look at goaltending, the Rangers hold the clear advantage. Igor Shesterkin is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goalie this season, and he’s been in the national discussion for the Hart Trophy, given to the NHL’s most valuable player. Shesterkin leads the NHL with a 2.07 goals-against average and .935 save percentage, going 36-13-4 with six shutouts in 53 games (52 starts).
The Pens will be without starting goalie Tristan Jarry, who has a lower-body injury. Casey DeSmith is expected to start at least the first two games of the series. DeSmith went 11-6-5 with a 2.79 GAA, .914 save percentage, and three shutouts in 26 games and played well in his last five starts 2.24 GAA and .940 save percentage.
The big thing to look at in this game and series will be the Power Play. New York is one of the best teams on both sides as they were fourth in power-play percentage (25.2) and second in penalty kill percentage (82.3). Pittsburgh is not too far behind with an 84.4 penalty kill percentage but in the middle of the pack at 20.2 power-play percentage.
Shesterkin had a .943 save percentage and 1.33 goals-against average in four games against the Penguins this season. He should be the x-factor for the Rangers to win Game 1.
Leg 1: Rangers ML
Washington Capitals (+185) vs. Florida Panthers (-230)
(Puck Drop: 7:37 p.m. ET)
The President Trophy-winning Florida are looking good as they roll in Game 1.
This Panthers team is an offensive nightmare for their opponents as they led the league with 337 goals and had four forwards finish with 30 or more goals in Aleksander Barkov (39), Sam Reinhart (33), Anthony Duclair (31), and Jonathan Huberdeau (30). They're dangerous as each shift has players that have the ability to put one behind the net. All are fast skaters and with power, which will be a tough task for the Capitals.
If one team is up for the challenge, it's undoubtedly Washington that still has the core of their 2018 team that raised Lord Stanley. Alex Ovechkin should be ready for Game 1 as he missed the last three games with an upper-body injury. It was another brilliant season for Ovechkin as he tied Wayne Gretzky with his ninth 50-goal season and should.
What will be an x-factor in this game is the goaltending. For the Caps, both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek struggled massively in the season’s final month. Samsonov had an ugly .884 save percentage in his last eight games with a 3.35 goals-against average. In his previous seven games, Vanecek had a save percentage of .875 and a goals-against-average of 3.21. Head coach Peter Laviolette said he plans to keep his decision quiet till the very end of who will get the start in Game 1
Sergei Bobrovsky finished tied for the league lead with 39 while posting a 2.67 goals-against average, .913 save percentage, and three shutouts. The two-time winner of the Vezina Trophy has a history of struggling in the playoffs with a 13-23 record, 3.24 goals-against-average, and a .899 save percentage in 41 games.
Bobrovsky doesn't need to have a perfect game when he has the league’s best offense in front of him. The struggles of Washington's goaltending will be a massive factor on the road in Game 1
Leg 2: Panthers ML
Nashville Predators (+265) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-340)
(Puck Drop: 9:37 p.m. ET)
The Avalanche and their top seed in the west are heavy favorites in this series, but Nashville did go 3-1-0 against them this season.
Colorado was one of the best offensive teams in the league as they were fourth in goals (3.76 GPG) and a league-leading 67 power-play goals. Their lineup will get even more potent as Gabriel Landeskog, who's third on the team with 30 goals, will return after being out since March with a knee. Nazem Kadri, who was fourth with 28, has missed practice with a non-COVID illness, is questionable to play.
The Preds will be without goaltender Juuse Saros for at least the first two games due to a left leg injury. It will be either David Rittich, who has a .886 save percentage and 3.67 GAA in 17 games, or Connor Ingram, with a .879 save percentage and 3.71 GAA in three games.
That's a tough task for two young goalies on the road against this Colorado lineup.
Leg 3: Avalanche -1.5
Total parlay odds on DraftKings: +349
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts
Whether you're new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section - including 10 Sports Betting Tips for Beginners - or head to more advanced strategy - like Key Numbers When Betting Against the Spread - to learn more.