Check out our NHL best bets from our crew of hockey experts for Thursday, April 13.
With just two days remaining in the NHL regular schedule, we now know which teams will be part of the 2022-23 NHL postseason. But some regular-season hockey remains.
Check out our hockey crew's top picks, including moneyline and puck line bets, for today's massive 15-game lineup.
Penguins vs. Blue Jackets Puck Line
Ryan Dadoun: The Penguins suffered an embarrassing 5-2 loss to the lowly Blackhawks on Tuesday, and they’re now mathematically eliminated from the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06. With their core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang all at least 35 years old, it’s fair to wonder if this marks the symbolic end of an era of Penguins hockey.
I’m betting on the idea that the Penguins’ pride will push them to make a statement in their final game. Their efforts will be helped by the fact that the Blue Jackets will be dressing something in between an AHL and an actual NHL squad.
Patrik Laine (triceps) and Boone Jenner (back), who usually represent two-thirds of the first line, are unavailable. Columbus will also miss forwards Lane Pederson (upper body), Mathieu Olivier (leg), Eric Robinson (upper body) and Justin Danforth (shoulder).
On defense, Nick Blankenburg (ankle), Zach Werenski (shoulder) and Erik Gudbranson (shoulder), who might have served as three-fourths of Columbus’ top-two pairings if healthy, are expected to miss the game, as well. Further impacting the blue line depth is the loss of Jake Bean (shoulder).
Samuel Knazko, Tyler Angle, Mikael Pyyhtia and Stanislav Svozil are all projected to make their NHL debut as the Blue Jackets scramble to put together a team. In the case of Svozil, he’ll be jumping up straight from the WHL.
All those prospects on the ice looking to make an impression will make it a fun game for Columbus, but I don’t think it’ll be enough for the Blue Jackets to keep pace with an angry Penguins squad.
Hurricanes vs. Panthers Moneyline
Greg Liodice: The Carolina Hurricanes head to South Florida to take on the Panthers for their final regular-season game. The Panthers come in as a slight favorite at -106, which makes sense since there's a lot at stake. Should Florida win, it solidifies itself as the first wild-card team, and plays the Canes in the Spring Classic.
This game is important for the Hurricanes, too. The Rangers are confirmed as the third seed in the Metro, and the Canes went 1-3 against them all season. It would be best served for them to play the Islanders, who they went 3-1 against.
Carolina is an elite team, and despite the Hurricanes going 4-5-1 in its last 10 games, they were second-best with a 57.29 xGF%. Not only that, but they were third-best defensively with a 2.19 xGA/60 in that span, along with a second-best 84.3% penalty kill.
Florida has gotten hot when it needed to, going 6-3-1 in its last 10. It’s been sending out career AHLer Alex Lyon as the goalie, and he’s uplifted them. Lyon has played to a .916 SV% and a +7.7 GSAx. Of course, it’s a factor in relying on him to carry the load, who is still too risky to trust.
While the Hurricanes are missing a key part of their roster in Andrei Svechnikov, you’d be hard-pressed to find a deeper team. Florida, on the other hand, has been too volatile for my liking. Yes, the Panthers got hot at the right time, but who’s to say that won’t end at the snap of a finger?
I think Carolina wins here as it gets in a good rhythm for the playoffs.
Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (-108) |
Wild vs. Predators Moneyline
Nicholas Martin: If ever a team deserves to finish the season with its head held high despite missing the playoffs, it's Juuse Saros and the Predators.
They will catch the Wild in a good spot tonight, as Minnesota is locked into the third spot in the Central and will likely rest some key bodies in game No. 82.
Nashville was a seller at the trade deadline and has suffered a wealth of key injuries on top of that, but the Predators have succeeded by playing a well-structured team game in front of Saros, who has been incredible recently.
Nashville has played to a 21-14-4 mark on home ice, and tonight's game should be another excellent atmosphere.
I am not expecting a letdown from this team over the next two nights, and I do believe we will see the young talents that have driven this recent success continue to play well.
Pick: Predators (-106) |
Flyers vs. Blackhawks Player Prop
Tony Sartori: It was announced this morning that tonight will be Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews' final game rocking the famous red sweater inside the United Center. In what will be an emotional send-off for one of the most pivotal and successful two-way centers of the 21st century, No. 19 will surely get his flowers and plenty of ice time tonight in front of his home crowd.
We saw a similar storyline play out in Patrick Kane's last week for Chicago, potting seven goals while adding three assists over a dominating four-game stretch in his farewell to Hawks fans. While such an offensive outburst is unlikely for Toews, recording at least one point is not too much to ask for, especially at DraftKings, where his price to do so is just -105.
Earlier this season, Toews registered a goal and added an assist to record a two-point night in his lone appearance against the Flyers this season. In fact, he has recorded at least one point in each of his last three games against Philadelphia.
While goaltender Carter Hart, who is projected to start between the pipes for the Flyers, is one of the very few bright spots for this organization, the team in front of him often makes his life difficult on a nightly basis. At five-on-five this season, Philadelphia ranks in the bottom half of the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
In a rare two-unit play for me, -105 is far too generous to pass up for Toews to record just one point in his farewell game at the United Center.
