We are officially down to the “final four” in the National Hockey League, and this represents the first time this season that teams will cross over divisions to play.
The way the competition drew, the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders will get things underway at 3 PM ET on Sunday in Tampa while the Montreal Canadiens visit the Strip to play the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday at 9 PM ET.
We’ve got some props on these games that we urge NHL bettors to seriously look at.
Canadiens vs. Golden Knights Game 1 Props Picks
Canadiens vs. Golden Knight Betting Report
VEGAS UNDER 2.5 GOALS (+185)
Basically this is a referendum on how well Carey Price is going to play. And is there any question as to whether he has been the hottest goaltender in the NHL playoffs? He was apparently very disinterested in the regular season, resulting in so-so numbers and a 12-12 won-lost record. And he got hurt as well, missing the last 13 games with a concussion.
And frankly, we didn’t give much of a chance for him to bounce back in the postseason with so little lead time. But he has simply been magnificent. Price has allowed eleven goals in the last seven games. Overall he has a .935 save percentage and 1.97 goals-against in these playoffs. He’s stopped all 26 one-timers and 270 of 292 scoring chances. He seems to have responded to Montreal switching goalie coaches from Stephane Waite to Sean Burke. And after being a little overtaxed in the series against Toronto, his defensive corps should be well-rested.
When a goaltender has been so dominant, anything is possible. And if you really want to get daring about it, you may want to consider a tiny nibble on a +1800 prop that he’ll pitch a regulation time shutout.
60-MINUTE LINE: MONTREAL (+335)
This goes hand-in-hand with the prop we talked about above. If Price is effective enough, he’s got his team right in the middle of this game. And the Canadiens, after all, have won seven consecutive playoff games, where they have not trailed at all during that time. If you’re on a roll, you’re on a roll.
MONTREAL: TO SCORE A GOAL IN GAME 1
ERIC STAAL (+475)
NICK SUZUKI (+255)
This could be an “either / or” situation. One of the things that has really stood out about this Habs team in the postseason is that they have had nice depth and balance in their lines.
The fourth line of Eric Staal, Joel Armia and Corey Perry has totaled 20 points in the playoffs. Staal brings the best price. And Suzuki, a former member of the Golden Knights, centers the team’s #1 line,and he’s scored four goals in his eleven games. Hey, Tyler Toffoli, at +210, might not be a bad play either; he led the Canadiens with 28 goals in the regular season.
Islanders vs. Lightning Game 1 Props Predictions
Islanders vs. Lightning Betting Report
ISLANDERS UNDER 1.5 GOALS (+185)
We know that the Islanders didn’t get where they are on an explosive offense. This is a defensive-minded club under Barry Stotz. The Lightning are more well-rounded, and they have an elite goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has posted a .934 save percentage in the playoffs, and has been hot most of the time lately, allowing one goal or less in four of his last six games.
Another thing about him is that he stopped the Isles in last year’s playoff series, posting a 1.83 goals-against.
Sports Handicapping Services Reviews
TB: NIKITA KUCHEROV TO SCORE FIRST (+900)
This guy’s the favorite to score first, and it’s probably justified. Kucherov sat out the regular season after hip surgery, and the Bolts placed him on long-term injured reserve so that they could take advantage of a salary cap loophole that made him eligible for the playoffs.
In effect, the Lightning is $9 million over the salary cap because of it, and Carolina players cried “foul.” But it’s legal. And Kucherov hasn’t shown rust, with five goals and 13 assists in eleven games.
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