This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
The National Hockey League has two more second-round playoff series openers scheduled for Wednesday evening. The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs meet in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, while the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets open their series at 9:30 p.m. ET in the second half of the ESPN doubleheader. We'll put together some parlay possibilities to try and build some bankroll for the rest of the playoffs. Let's get started.
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NHL Playoffs: Panthers vs Leafs & Stars vs Jets Showdown Tonight
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NHL Playoffs Preview: Panthers vs Maple Leafs Game 2 Analysis
It was a wild and unexpected Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Maple Leafs got off to about the best start possible, as William Nylander scored on the first shot on goal just 33 seconds into the game. Max Pacioretty and Jake McCabe chipped in, and the Leafs were off and running.
Nylander was back at 12:51 with his fifth goal of the postseason, as former Panthers rearguard Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Patches notched apples. Seth Jones quieted the raucous crowd with a power-play goal at 16:57, but Morgan Rielly had a goal just 19 seconds later to restore the two-goal lead.
Chris Tanev accounted for the only goal in the second period, but it was anything but uneventful. Sam Bennett made contact with the head of Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz midway through the period, and he was forced to leave. He reportedly was vomiting on the bench, replaced by an ice-cold Joseph Woll, with the EBUG waiting in the wings. Woll stopped 17 of 20 shots in his first action since the regular-season finale.
Stolarz was reportedly hospitalized after Game 1, but he has since been discharged and is recovering at home. Woll is likely to be the starter for Game 2, with perhaps Denis Hildeby serving as the backup.
Nylander ended up with two goals and three points, with Matthew Knies scoring on a breakaway at 14:00 of the third period to give Toronto some insurance. It was much needed, too, as Public Enemy No. 1, Bennett, had a goal at 18:05 of the third period to make things awfully interesting. The Leafs hung on for the win, just their second win in the second round since 2004.
Sergei Bobrovsky ended up conceding five goals on 29 shots in the series-opening loss, under siege from the jump. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe each had two assists as the only multi-point performers for the defending Stanley Cup champs.
Toronto's uncertain goaltender situation heading into Game 2 is problematic, so we'll side with Florida, as it looks to rebound. We should see plenty of offense again, though, so let's go Over in the second installment of this series.
- Panthers ML (-130 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)
- Over 5.5 Goals (-115 at ESPN Bet Sportsbook)
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Dallas Stars vs Winnipeg Jets Game 1 Betting Insights
The Stars and Jets each needed seven games to get out of their respective first-round series, but they were able to get the job done.
Dallas posted a 4-2 win in Game 7 Saturday night as heavy home 'dogs (+145) as the Over (5.5) cashed for the third consecutive game. The Stars' offense was flying in the final three games of the series, going for at least four goals in each game, averaging 4.7 goals per game (GPG) in that span.
Winnipeg was down 3-1 with less than two minutes to go against the St. Louis Blues, but the Jets notched two goals with the extra attacker. Vladislav Namestnikov made things interesting at 1:56 with helpers to Dylan Samberg and Neal Pionk, while Cole Perfetti tipped one home with less than three seconds remaining in the series and season. Winnipeg extended its season with the equalizer, and Adam Lowry hit the game winner in double overtime to give the Presidents' Trophy winners new life.
The Jets won three of four regular-season meetings, including a 4-0 win in Dallas on April 10 in the most recent battle.
Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 25 shots he faced in the Metroplex that night, and the Jets need him to revert to that form. He was just 4-3 with a 3.85 GAA and .830 SV% against the Blues, and he was pulled in all three road games of that series.
Kyle Connor was explosive in the Blues series, going for a team-best four goals, eight assists and 12 points, including three helpers on the power play. Mason Appleton was second with six helpers, too.
The Jets have some injury concerns, as Mark Scheifele missed the final two games due to an upper-body injury, and Josh Morrissey was limited to eight minutes in Game 7 before checking out with a similar UBI.
The Stars also have injury concerns, too, as Jason Robertson has been slow to return from a knee injury. He missed the first-round series against the Avs. Miro Heiskanen is also nursing a knee ailment, as he has been on LTIR since March. The rearguard appears to be trending in the right direction, but he is a big question mark for Game 1.
We'll back the Jets, who have a new lease on life, and let's roll with the Under in the series opener.
- Jets ML (-102 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
- Under 5.5 Goals (+100 at DraftKings Sportsbook)
In-Depth NHL Playoff Odds and Predictions for Tonight's Games
4-Leg NHL Super Parlay (+970 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Panthers ML (-134) at Maple Leafs
- Over 5.5 (-115) - Panthers at Leafs
- Under 5.5 (-110) - Jets vs. Stars
- Jets ML (-104) vs. Stars
2-Leg NHL Sides Parlay (+242 at FanDuel Sportsbook)
- Panthers ML (-134) at Maple Leafs
- Jets ML (-104) vs. Stars
2-Leg NHL Totals Parlay (+256 at Fanatics Sportsbook)
- Over 5.5 (-115) - Panthers at Leafs
- Under 5.5 (-110) - Jets vs. Stars
- * Never risk so much on a singular bet, only as part of a Same-Game (SGP) or multi-leg parlay, especially with promos or boosts.
