Check out our NHL best bets for Golden Knights vs. Stars Game 3 from our crew of hockey experts for Tuesday, May 23.
The 2022-23 NHL postseason rolls on with a pivotal Game 3 for the Stars, who are in a 0-2 hole to the Golden Knights as they return to Dallas for the continuation of the Western Conference Finals.
Below, check out our hockey crew's top picks, including an array of player props for Golden Knights vs. Stars tonight.
Brayden McNabb Over 2.5 Blocked Shots (-110)
Greg Liodice: Being a defensive defenseman can sometimes be a thankless job. If you’re doing your job right, your name hardly gets mentioned, and after the game, you’ll be icing whatever part of your body took a beating that night.
Brayden McNabb has made a career out of doing just that. After 650-plus games (and 77 playoff games), he’s still the force that the Vegas Golden Knights can’t afford to lose.
For years, McNabb has placed among the league leaders in blocked shots, and this year is nothing new. Among teams that are still alive in the playoffs, McNabb is ranked fourth, averaging just a little more than 2.5 blocked shots per game. Since the second round, he’s been eating rubber like it’s no one’s business, averaging just a smidge over the 2.5 total that FanDuel is offering.
The Dallas Stars are a high-octane offense, and they’ll fire an abundance of shots, especially on their home ice. Which gives McNabb a ton of opportunities to step in front of Adin Hill. At -110, I think it’s more than feasible that McNabb gets over 2.5 blocked shots, and a solid opportunity to benefit from his hard work.
Pick: Brayden McNabb over 2.5 blocked shots (-110) |
Jack Eichel Under 3.5 Shots on Goal (-125)
Nicholas Martin: Dallas played an excellent team game defensively in Game 2, and it allowed the Knights next to nothing in front goal. Through regulation, Vegas had just 22 shots on target.
The Stars could likely bring a similar performance in tonight's matchup, and I don't expect a lot of opportunities in front of goal for Vegas. That has me interested in playing some Knights shooters to go under. Jack Eichel has recorded seven shots on goal in the opening two games, coming from only nine shot attempts.
Things will get tougher for Eichel on the road as he should spend more time playing against Miro Heiskanen's defensive pairing, and either the Hintz line or the Faksa shutdown unit.
Dallas is a tremendous defensive team and has not been offering much Eichel's way at even strength. Under 3.5 at -125 is a good way to take advantage of that.
The Pick: Jack Eichel under 3.5 shots on goal (-125 at DraftKings)
Tyler Seguin Anytime Goalscorer (+260)
Grant White: The Conference Finals have been nothing, if not tight-checking. But with the Western bracket shifting to the Lone Star State, we're expecting a more robust offensive effort from the host Dallas Stars. Tyler Seguin has been a fundamental part of the team's success, and we like him to snap out of his funk against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Although he has not found the back of the net since Game 2 against the Seattle Kraken, Seguin remains a dominant offensive force. Through the first two games of the Western Conference Finals, the former second-overall selection has delivered eight shots on target. Moreover, he's recorded shots in every game this postseason, but he's seen his on-ice PDO dip to .941. That makes Seguin a natural progression candidate as his PDO works back up towards the average of 1.000.
The Stars deploy Seguin in the attacking zone 51.9% of the time, also giving him time on the power play. The Stars forward has responded by generating 10.1 scoring and 4.5 high-danger chances per game across all strengths.
At +260, we're betting Seguin snaps out of his seven-game goalless drought and helps the Stars battle back against the Knights.
Pick: Tyler Seguin anytime goalscorer (+260) |
Jonathan Marchessault Anytime Goalscorer (+240)
Tony Sartori: The Dallas Stars return home after dropping both road games to open this series against the Vegas Golden Knights. In Game 2, Vegas forced overtime after Jonathan Marchessault found the back of the net with just under three minutes remaining, a game it went on to win thanks to a Chandler Stephenson overtime goal.
Marchessault's goal was his second point of the game as he continues to dominate during these Stanley Cup Playoffs. Over his past eight games, Marchessault has logged six goals while adding four assists.
Part of the reason for this success is his relentlessness in shooting the puck. Over that same stretch, he has averaged 4.9 shots on goal per game.
Can Marchessault keep it going in Game 3? After another dominant regular season, goaltender Jake Oettinger has been surprisingly inconsistent during this playoff push.
Over his past nine starts, he is 4-5 with a .880 SV% and 3.49 GAA. The more troubling aspect of these numbers is Dallas' strong two-way play in front of him, which is confirmed by Oettinger's poor underlying metrics.
Having the second-worst postseason (in terms of metrics) out of all playoff-starting goaltenders, Oettinger ranks 15th in goals saved above expected per 60 minutes (GSAx/60) at 5-on-5 with a mark of -.425. If he does not turn things around, then it would not be shocking if Marchessault continues his red-hot performance in this contest, especially considering his willingness to shoot the puck.
Pick: Jonathan Marchessault anytime goalscorer (+240) |
