Carolina Looks for Some Road Magic
Time is running out for the Carolina Hurricanes after dropping the first two games in the Eastern Conference final at home. There are plenty of NHL betting options heading into the Eastern Conference final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers with the series shifting to Florida for Games 3 and 4.
Florida veteran forward Aleksander Barkov has enjoyed playing against the Hurricanes. After tallying two goals and 13 shots on net in the three games against Carolina during the regular season, he has scored in each of the first two games in the series.
The prop bet of 2½ shots on goal will be enticing for those looking at NHL predictions considering that Barkov has at least three shots on goal in each of the last four games. The price is set at -140 to go over 2½ shots on goal. He is also listed at +1000 to be the scorer of the game’s first goal.
For Carolina, those making NHL picks might want to focus on young forward Seth Jarvis. Jarvis had a goal and an assist with four shots on the goal in the series opener. It was a quieter effort in Game 2 with no points and just two shots on goal. He comes in at -110 to go over 2½ shots on goal.
Carolina is 3-2 on the road in the playoffs and the 88.2% mark killing penalties is second among the 16 playoff teams. Florida is just 2-3 at home. The sportsbook favors Florida to make it 3-for-3 against the Hurricanes.
Game 3 is set for Monday at 8 p.m. ET in Florida. The Panthers are priced at -115 to win, with the total set at 5½. Florida got winger Ryan Lomberg back for Game 2 even though he was last among the Florida forwards in time on ice.
The Hurricanes began the series priced at -130 to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Now, it is Florida at -400 to take the series. The odds are set at +225 for the Panthers to win both games at home and complete the four-game sweep. The best odds are for the Hurricanes +550 to win in seven games.
Carolina to Score First Again
The script has been eerily familiar in the first two games. Carolina opened the scoring in the first period only to have Florida rally to force overtime and then have Matthew Tkachuk take care of the rest with overtime goals.
The team scoring first is priced at -220 to win the game so perhaps the third time will be the charm for the Hurricanes.
Five different Carolina players have recorded the first goal in the game so far in the playoffs. Those who bet online would have been hard-pressed to pick Jalen Chatfield to do the honors the last time out.
Sebastian Aho tops all Carolina players with +900 odds to score the first goal followed by Jesper Fast at +1000, with Martin Necas and Jarvis coming in at +1100. Keep that in mind when it comes to live betting.
While Florida’s Tkachuk has done his best work in overtime, the NHL betting lines list Tkachuk at +850 in the odds to be the first goal scorer.
Matthew Tkachuk scored his third overtime goal of the 2023 #StanleyCup Playoffs, matching Carter Verhaeghe for the most in @FlaPanthers history while also establishing the franchise record for the most in a postseason.#NHLStats: https://t.co/vme4Qxp0VM pic.twitter.com/8F5ljio2zk
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 21, 2023
Sam Bennett led all Florida players with six shots on goal in Game 2 and he could be a bargain at +1400 to be the first goal scorer.
Feeling the Burn
Could this be the last chance for 38-year-old defenseman Brent Burns to lift Lord Stanley’s cup?
Burns played in the 2016 Stanley Cup Finals when he was with the San Jose Sharks, only to see his team fall in six games to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2019, Burns and the Sharks lost in six games to St. Louis in the Western Conference finals. Making it even more painful was the fact that St. Louis would win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title.
Burns has -120 odds to have at least one point. With 71 points in 107 career playoff games and considering what is on the line, don’t be surprised to see Burns deliver, even if he has no goals and one assist in the first two games in this series. Burns had eight shots on goal in the series opener before ending up with only one in Game 2. Those looking at the NHL odds have to like the -110 odds for Burns to top 3½ shots on goal.
Matthew Tkachuk and Brent Burns each get matching roughing penalties 🫢 pic.twitter.com/ea5VjXrLff
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 21, 2023
Ready to Work Overtime?
Between the Florida-Carolina and Dallas-Vegas series, all four games played have headed into overtime. Carolina has seen its last three games require OT.
Florida is 6-0 in overtime in this year’s playoffs. Carolina won its first three games that couldn’t be decided in 60 minutes so it would surprise absolutely nobody to see Game 3 head in the same direction.
Florida’s last four games in the Toronto series were decided by one goal, with two of them heading into overtime. If not for an empty-net goal in Game 6 of the series with the Boston Bruins, nine of the last 10 Florida games would have been one-goal affairs.
Carolina saw four of the six games against the New York Islanders decided by one goal before each of the first four contests against New Jersey ending up being either four or five-goal affairs.
Both teams are priced at +300 to win a one-goal game, according to the Las Vegas betting odds. They both come in at -120 to score the final goal, and with the way this series has played out, that could very well come in overtime.
Time to turn the tides. pic.twitter.com/pLzwllez9c
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) May 22, 2023
Not Looking to be Second Best
There have been six goals scored in regulation in the series and three of them have come in the second period.
During the playoffs, the teams have combined to score 36 goals and allow 27 in the second period. The numbers in the first period fall to 16 goals scored and 16 more given up, while 27 goals have been scored and 28 allowed in the third period.
The price is +280 to have the most goals scored in Period 2 compared to +180 in the third period and +375 in the opening period.
