Thursday is a busy night for hockey fans, as two-thirds of the league will be taking the ice. This means hockey bettors will have plenty of teams to look at before putting together their bet slip.
There are four teams in particular who should have bettors very interested, particularly for putting together a nice parlay. Here’s who to look to parlay together for Thursday in the NHL.
Panthers over Stars
Stars vs. Panthers Betting Report
The third contest in a row between these teams is Thursday, and so far, each team has captured a game. But there is reason to think the home team takes this one in Florida.
First, the Panthers are the overall better team than the Stars. Florida is top-five in goals with 3.41 with the second-most shots in hockey, while Dallas is top-10 in goals but take far fewer shots. Even when Dallas blanked Florida 3-0 on Wednesday, just their fourth regular-season loss of the season, Florida put up 43 shots on goal, out-shooting Dallas by 17 shots.
Monday in Florida’s 3-1 win, the Panthers put up a whopping 52 shots on goal while allowing just 25. They also had more faceoff victories and fewer penalty minutes in the game, dominating the contest, the last two periods in particular. Despite the two-game split, the Panthers are putting up big numbers of shots on Dallas and looking like the overall better team.
It will also help that on the second half of a back-to-back, Dallas is likely to put Anton Khudobin on the bench after starting the last game. Khudobin has been standing on his head against Florida, and now rookie Jake Oettinger will be tasked to take on one of the league’s top offenses.
With star power like Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov, a knack for large shot totals, and the luck of playing a rookie goalie, take the Panthers to win this one.
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Capitals over Penguins
Penguins vs. Capitals Betting Report
These two teams have seen each other quite a bit already, and each time it was tightly-contested. However, even though they’ve won just one out of five games against Pittsburgh, take the Caps at home for your parlay.
Three of Washington’s losses against Pittsburgh this year have come in overtime or a shootout. Although they were out-shot in each of those games, the fact those games needed extra time shows that a puck bouncing differently here and there could’ve made a world of difference. Expect the Capitals to get some puck luck this time around.
There is always a risk of the Capitals burying a power-play goal or two. Along with ranking in the top-10 in goals per game overall, Washington’s power-play percentage of 31.9 is fifth in the NHL. They’ve already scored a couple of power-play goals against the Penguins, whose penalty kill ranks just 25th. While they haven’t reached their full potential with the extra attacker against Pittsburgh, that can change in a hurry.
Washington is also nearly-healthy all across the roster, which has been a nice change. Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Conor Sheary, and T.J. Oshie have all missed time this year, but all of them are back and in the regular-season form once again. Look for the Caps to rebound against their rivals and take this one at home.
Canadiens over Jets
Canadiens vs. Jets Betting Report
The Canadiens have had an eventful week, resulting in the firing of head coach Claude Julien. However, they are the third team to add to your Thursday parlay.
Montreal is in a rut, dropping three in a row and five of their last six. However, they’re still the league leaders in shots per game with 34, so they are still able to generate offense and create scoring chances. Winnipeg, meanwhile, is a good-not-great team who the Habs can find a way to score against.
Maybe somewhat surprisingly, the Canadiens have been better on the road than at home. Montreal is 6-0-4 on the road, meaning they’ve earned at least one point every time they’re away from home, the only team in the league to do so. Plus, leading scorers Tyler Toffoli, Jeff Petry, and Nick Suzuki have all scored recently, so it’s not as if their stars aren’t showing off.
It’s also not a cliche to think the Habs get a boost after a coaching change. All the time, teams respond well to hearing a new voice behind the bench, which Montreal should do with Dominique Ducharme, a younger coach with a strong reputation. Take the Canadiens to snap out of their funk on Thursday.
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Oilers over Canucks
Oilers vs. Canucks Betting Report
In another North Division matchup, the Oilers and Canucks are facing off in British Columbia to round out the evening. And although they’re on the road, taking the Oilers in this one is the smart move.
Edmonton has turned a corner about halfway through their schedule. Following a suspect 3-6-0 start, the Oilers have gone 10-2-0 since. Their most-recent victory gives them four in a row, where they overcame an 0-3 deficit to Vancouver to win 4-3.
It’s no secret that Edmonton thrives due to their two former MVPs. Connor McDavid is currently running away with the Art Ross Trophy, scoring 13 goals with 25 assists in 21 games, while last year’s Hart and Art Ross winner Leon Draisaitl has 10 goals and 23 assists. Those two are the life-blood of an offense that is second in goals with 3.62 per game along with a top-10 power play.
Their dynamic offense will be countered by Vancouver, who is entering Thursday with the third-most goals allowed with 3.57 and the fourth-most shots allowed. They also spend more time in the penalty box than any other team in hockey, allowing McDavid and Draisaitl plenty of time on the power play.
Edmonton’s offense is truly elite, while Vancouver has allowed five or more goals nine times in 23 games. Take the Oilers to win this one to complete the parlay.
