Makar lifts Colorado to a 2-0 series lead
The Colorado Avalanche scored on their first and last shots of the game Thursday night, as the top seed in the Western Conference took a two-game lead in this series with the Nashville Predators.
It was quite the difference from the opening game of the series, when the Avalanche scored five goals in the first period. The Avalanche are the only Western Conference team to win the first two games.
After combining for three power-play goals in the opener, the Predators and Avalanche were both 0-for-4 with the man advantage in the second game.
The Las Vegas odds Moneyline for Colorado winning the second game by a goal only paid +300.
Colorado (even) is the heavy favorite to represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup finals.
Let’s check the latest NHL lines, stats, injury reports, and NHL odds for Predators vs Avalanche. We’ve plenty of NHL picks and predictions.
Makar keeps on shooting for the Avalanche
There are NHL defensemen who will go an entire playoff series without registering 12 shots on goal.
Norris Trophy candidate Cale Makar fired 12 shots on Nashville goalie Connor Ingram in the second game of the series. The last one eluded the rock-solid Ingram, as the Makar overtime game-winner gave Stanley Cup favorite Colorado a 2-0 lead in the series.
Makar, who led all NHL defensemen with 28 goals during the regular season (including a half-dozen game-winners), has a goal in each of these games. He is the third defenseman in franchise history with an overtime goal in the postseason.
Cale Makar became the third defenseman in @Avalanche / Nordiques history to score an overtime goal in the playoffs. The others: Sandis Ozolinsh (Game 6 of 1996 CSF) and Uwe Krupp (Game 4 of 1996 SCF). #StanleyCupPlayoffs #NHLStats: https://t.co/ozZPqa5baU pic.twitter.com/C8kapzPb0m
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 6, 2022
Makar has played in 37 Stanley Cup playoff games.. and of his nine career goals in the postseason, four of them have been game-winning tallies.
“We felt like we were on them the whole third period,” Makar said. “Most of the time, the hockey gods are going to reward you for that hard work. For us, we were able to get a lucky one in overtime.”
Counting the regular season, Colorado is 20-4-2 when Makar has at least one goal this season.
There’s plenty of hockey left to be played, but at the current time, Makar (+1200) has the third-lowest odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Keep an eye on the status of forward Andrew Cogliano, who’s injury (upper body) has him listed as questionable for Saturday’s game.
Something to consider for those who bet online, an “under” has been the results in four of Colorado’s last five road games..
Ingram is a shining star for the Predators
While nobody expected the Colorado Avalanche to score seven goals in the opening game of the series, there was a time when it looked like the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference wouldn’t even get to two goals in Game 2.
After Colorado’s first two shots of the game were blocked, Nathan MacKinnon not only registered the Avalanche’s first shot on goal in Thursday’s contest, he also opened the scoring.
Facing a goalie that came into this season with no career NHL games to his credit, it figured to be easy pickings for Colorado. However, Connor Ingram stopped the next 49 shots before defenseman Cale Makar had the winner.
Ingram appeared in three games during the regular season, and figured to be the third option in goal coming into the playoffs. However, starting goalie Juuse Saros was unavailable when the series started and David Rittich struggled in the opening game. Ingram stopped 30[-of-32 shots in relief of Rittich. He then made his first career postseason start one to remember. continually denying Colorado.. A total of 32 saves came against standouts MacKinnon, Makar, Nazem Kadri and Valeri Nichushkin.
“This is what you dream about as a kid, to get a chance to do it and play in front of a crowd like that,” Ingram said after the game.
There’s a chance that Saros could be available for Saturday’s game, but if he is less than 100 percent, does the Nashville coaching staff go back to the hot hand and put Ingram back between the pipes?
The NHL betting lines total has gone “over” in six of Nashville’s last seven games.
Avalanche vs Predators Head-to-Head
The visiting team had won the last three playoff games between these teams before Colorado took the first two games of the series in Denver. .
The teams have played four one-goal games in eight meetings in the playoffs with each team winning twice.
Five of the last six games between Nashville and Colorado have gone over the total.
In the last seven games between the teams in Nashville, there have been five one-goal games. The Predators have won nine of the last 13 games against the Avalanche in Tennessee.
Colorado’s odds to win the Stanley Cup slipped slightly to +275 following Tuesday’s domination. However, Nashville’s odds went from +4000 before Game 1, +6600 before the second to +10000 now, highest of the 16 playoff teams.
The series price for the Predators stands at +1800.
Avalanche vs Predators Game Information
- Game: Avalanche (56-19-7 in the regular season) vs Predators (45-30-7)
- Location: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- Day/Time: Saturday, May 7th. 4:30 p.m. ET
- Avalanche vs Predators Live Stream: NHL.TV
Avalanche vs Predators Betting Lines
Avalanche vs Predators Prediction
Since the franchise relocated to Colorado, the Avalanche have won 14 of the 16 series when taking a 2-0 lead.
While Saturday’s game might not be officially a must-win game, there’s no reason to think it isn’t for the Predators. A loss and it’s probably time to dust off the clubs.
Colorado lost four straight games late in the regular season, but by that time the Avalanche entered cruise-control mode having already secured the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
Nashville is just 4-6 in its last 10 home playoff games.
If Nashville doesn’t find a way to keep Makar from shooting as he pleases, all the improbable saves in the world won’t help. Nashville may have a chance to keep things close as it did in the last game, but Colorado has a chance to take total control of this series.
Pick: Colorado Avalanche (-240)
Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1½ Goals (+110)
Parlay: Colorado Avalanche (-240) & Colorado Avalanche -1½ Goals (+110) at +197
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