Wild vs. Stars Game 1 NHL Playoffs Same Game Parlay (Monday)

The 2023 NHL playoffs get underway on Monday. And there may not be a more intense postseason than the quest for the Stanley Cup.

This year’s postseason should be highly entertaining. The Eastern Conference is headlined by the Boston Bruins, but the conference is loaded with contenders. The West isn’t nearly as stacked, but the conference is truly wide open.

I’ll be providing my same-game parlay picks throughout the entire Stanley Cup playoffs.

Monday’s Best NHL Playoffs Same Game Parlay Bets

All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Minnesota Wild (+120) at Dallas Stars (-140) | Total 5.5

- Leg 1: Under 5.5
- Leg 2: Under 1.5 goals first period
- Leg 3: Filip Gustavsson over saves
- Leg 4: Jake Oettinger over saves

This series has the potential to be one of the lowest-scoring Round 1 matchups. The Wild are a team I’ve been fading down the stretch, but I was hoping for a better matchup to exploit than their Central Division foes.

Minnesota should be healthier after a slew of injuries struck late in the year. And if Kirill Kaprizov is healthy, he’s capable of singlehandedly carrying the Wild to a win. But Minnesota doesn’t have a whole lot of firepower aside from him, Mats Zuccarello, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek. Minnesota has skated to a sub-50% Corsi Percentage and has an xGF% of 44.3% over its last 10 games. The injuries have mattered, but the Wild hadn’t been playing great hockey down the stretch.

Dallas is a slightly better version of Minnesota. They have a handful of high-end scorers and playmakers and a top goaltender. But they don’t have a ton of depth beyond their headliners. The Stars have done a better job at 5-on-5 throughout the year.

The key to Game 1, and perhaps this series, could be the goaltending battle. Filip Gustavsson has emerged as one of the league’s top emerging goalies, and he finished seventh in the league in goals saved above expectation. He’ll match up with Dallas’ Jake Oettinger, who finished 12th in that category.

Goals should be few and far to come by in Game 1, which is why I’m taking both the game and first-period unders. I’m also backing both goalies to have strong games. Gustavsson stopped 62 of 66 shots in two games vs. Dallas, while Oettinger stopped 104 of 111 shots in four starts against the Wild.

If you’re looking to bet a side, I would take Dallas in Game 1.