Check out our Panthers vs. Hurricanes Game 2 best bets from our crew of hockey experts for Saturday, May 20.
The 2022-23 NHL postseason rolls on with tonight's Florida Panthers vs. Carolina Hurricanes game (8 p.m., TNT). The Panthers won the teams' quadruple-overtime nail-biter on Thursday.
Below, check out our hockey crew's top picks, including a game total and some player prop picks, for the second game in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Panthers vs. Hurricanes Over 5.5
Ryan Dadoun: In Game 1, the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers showcased their dialed-in goaltenders en route to a 3-2 quadruple-overtime victory for Florida. However, because that contest went on for so long, I think goaltender fatigue will be a big factor in tonight's contest.
There’s a chance that Carolina may rest Frederik Andersen and start Antti Raanta, but Panthers coach Paul Maurice has already committed to starting Sergei Bobrovsky on Saturday, per Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. As good as Bobrovsky has been lately, that’s a lot to ask of the 34-year-old after he spent 139:47 in net Thursday.
If the Canes start Raanta, they’ll at least have a fresh goaltender, but rust would be a concern given that he last played on April 25, so their situation will also be far from ideal.
Additionally, these two offenses are solid, having combined for 6.81 goals per game in the playoffs. With the goaltenders potentially running on fumes, those skilled skaters can make this a significantly different-looking contest than Game 1.
The Pick: Panthers vs. Hurricanes over 5.5 goals (-115 at BetRivers)
Sam Reinhart Over 2.5 Shots (+140)
Greg Liodice: Part of what has made the Florida Panthers so special in these playoffs is their depth. They’re so deep that they have 30-goal scorer Sam Reinhart on the third line. Reinhart has had a really good playoffs with six goals in 13 games, including an overtime winner in game three against Toronto.
What makes Reinhart a threat is his ability on the power play. Both of his power-play points were goals, and he’s the perfect player in the slot. However, the Carolina Hurricanes' penalty kill is the best in the playoffs. It could pose a problem for Florida’s power play since the Canes do an exceptional job keeping the puck on the outside.
Reinhart has averaged 2.3 shots per game and has reached over 2.5 shots five times this postseason. I see no reason why he won’t be able to do it again.
Of course, you can look at Thursday night’s endless game and see that he registered only two shots in 40 minutes. Carolina did a superb job at limiting Reinhart’s chances, but I think he’s poised for a bigger game. His PDO is slightly above the 1.000 mark, which means his luck runs hot and cold. He’s also seventh on the team in scoring chances.
While it may be a risk backing Reinhart to generate shots, the potential payout could be beneficial.
Pick: Sam Reinhart over 2.5 shots (+140) |
Matthew Tkachuk Under 0.5 Points (+230)
Nicholas Martin: Yes, it is difficult to make the case for this prop after Matthew Tkachuk came through with the 4OT winner in Game 1 of the series. Thinking about it logically, though, that was one point in eight periods of play versus the Canes.
I would say that is still a good thing considering the lofty price for this bet.
Tkachuk's offensive play has tailed off slightly since the start of the postseason. He has put up just three points in the last five games. He, Sam Bennett and Nick Cousins were not overly threatening at five-on-five in Game 1. Florida's projected team total in this game is also relatively low.
It might not be a ton of fun to sweat out, but I think this number is just giving a little bit too much respect to Tkachuk in a spot versus an elite defensive team.
The Pick: Matthew Tkachuk under 0.5 points (+230 at BetRivers)
Jordan Martinook Anytime Goalscorer (+430)
Grant White: Depth scoring has been the Carolina Hurricanes' biggest asset this postseason, and they'll have to tap into that in Game 2 against the Florida Panthers. Carolina has a breadth of scoring options the team can turn to, but no one has been more reliable than Jordan Martinook this postseason.
Martinook has been one of the most productive Canes skaters in the playoffs. The former second-round pick leads the forwards' corps in on-ice scoring and high-danger chances, averaging 9.0 and 4.3 per game.
Further, he's been a high-volume shooter for the Hurricanes, ranking third on the team in shots on goal and recording multiple shots in five straight.
More importantly, we've seen a recent surge in Martinook's output. The winger has goals in three of his past five, with all 10 of his points coming over the past six games. After getting skunked on a five-shot effort last time out, we like Martinook to bounce back with another solid effort on Saturday night.
You could play it safe and back the over on Martinook's points prop, but at +430, we like him as an anytime goalscorer.
Pick: Jordan Martinook anytime goalscorer (+430) |
