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After an interesting opening round of the 2023-24 NHL Playoffs, we have moved on to the second round.
The Boston Bruins barely survived the first one but opened the second round with a huge win on the road in Florida. Tonight, they are visiting the Panthers, who need to step up their game and even the series. The Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks were rock solid to start the playoffs, and tonight, their second-round matchup will see its first chapter. The New York Rangers are perfect after six games in the playoffs, and the Carolina Hurricanes will need to do something about it to stay alive in the playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche came back from the dead in the opening game against Dallas, and the Stars will try to make things even on Wednesday night.
Now let’s take a look at the game breakdowns and NHL betting trends for these four matchups.
Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers
The Boston Bruins barely survived the opening playoff round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, winning Game 7 in overtime, but started with a 5-1 win on the road against the Florida Panthers. The Panthers came into the series after a five-day rest, but that did not help them at all in the series opener.
Matthew Tkachuk put the Panthers on the board in the middle of the first period, but it was all Bruins by the end of the game. Five different players scored for Boston to put the Bruins 1-0 up in the series.
Boston Bruins vs Florida Panthers: NHL betting trends
The Bruins have won the last five games against the Panthers and 5 of the last 6 played in Florida. Boston is 4-2 SU in the last 6 games overall and 5-2 SU in the last 7 games on the road. They have played under the total goal line in 4 of their last 5 games, 12 of the last 16 games against Eastern Conference teams and in 8 of the last 11 games against teams from the Atlantic Division. Florida is 8-2 SU in the last 10 games overall and 8-1 SU in the last 9 home games. They have played over the total goal line in 4 of their last 5 games overall, 5 of the last 7 games against Eastern Conference teams and 5 of the last 7 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
After the Bruins lost Game 7 of the opening round last year to the Panthers, they made sure to make a statement in the opening game of this series. It seems like they don’t want to get anywhere near a similar situation, but the Panthers will definitely recover after the tough loss. Florida will pick up their defense for Game 2, and this game will be much tighter than the first one, staying under 6.5 goals in total.
Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers dominated the Los Angeles Kings in the opening playoff round, winning the five-game series with a total score of 23-12. Connor McDavid was absolutely amazing, with 11 assists and a total of 12 points in the series.
The Vancouver Canucks had to play six games in the series against the Nashville Predators and closed out the series with a 1-0 road win. Brock Boeser scored four goals and had a total of six points for the Canucks, just like JT Miller.
Edmonton Oilers vs Vancouver Canucks: NHL betting trends
The Canucks have won 5 of the last 6 games against the Oilers but Edmonton has won 5 of the last 7 played in Vancouver. The Oilers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games overall and 11-2 SU in the last 13 games against teams from the Pacific Division. They have played over the total goal line in 4 of their last 5 games and in 6 of the last 8 games against teams from the Western Conference while they have played under in 5 of their last 7 games on the road. The Canucks are 6-3 SU in the last 9 games overall and 8-3 SU in the last 11 games against teams from the Pacific Division. They have played under the total goal line in 4 of the last 5 games overall, 9 of the last 13 home games and 6 of the last 9 games against teams from the Western Conference.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Vancouver Canucks have the home court advantage in the series against the Edmonton Oilers, but that may not be much of a help. The Oilers have made five of their last six visits to Vancouver, and their offense is something that the Canucks will definitely have a problem with. Connor McDavid and Leon Drainsaitl are the best offensive duo in the league, and they will prove that tonight by leading the Oilers to a win in the series opener.
New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes
The New York Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the first two home games of the series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Both of the games finished 4-3 in the Rangers’ favor but were pretty different. The Rangers took an early lead in Game 1, and the Hurricanes could not come back in Game 1.
Unlike that, Carolina was the team in front after the first period of Game 2, but the Rangers tied the score by the end of regulation, and Vincent Trocheck scored after 27 minutes of overtime hockey to win the game for New York.
New York Rangers vs Carolina Hurricanes: NHL betting trends
The Rangers are 5-1 SU in the last 6 games against the Hurricanes and 4-1 SU in the last 5 games played in Carolina. They are 8-0 SU in the last 8 games overall and 7-1 SU in the last 8 road games. New York has played over the total goal line in 4 of their last 5 games overall, 15 of the last 20 games against teams from the Eastern Conference and 10 of the last 14 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division. The Hurricanes are 9-4 SU in the last 13 games overall and 5-0 SU in the last five home games. They have played over the total goal line in 4 of the last 6 games overall and 9 of the last 13 games played in May while have played under in 13 of the last 20 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
The first two games of the series were everything that playoff hockey is about. Both teams were fighting strong and had momentum at certain points in the games, but what is most important is that the Rangers have a 2-0 lead. Things will not be easy for New York when the series moves to Carolina, even though they have a perfect record after six playoff games. The Hurricanes came into the playoffs as the favorites to win the Stanley Cup according to the odds, and they will stay alive in that run with a Game 3 win.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars
The opening game if the series was a real rollercoaster. The Dallas Stars took a 3-0 lead in the first period with Ryan Suter, Wyatt Johnston and Jamie Benn scoring but that was all they showed until the end of the game.
Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar cut the deficit to one goal in the second period and Nathan MacKinnon made things even in the first minute of the third one. Miles Wood was the hero for the Colorado Avalanche scoring in the overtime to put them 1-0 up in the series.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars: NHL betting trends
The Avalanche are 5-0 SU in their last five games overall, 5-1 SU in the last six games against the Stars, 5-1 SU in the last six games played in Dallas and 5-1 SU in the last six games against teams from the Central Division. They have played over the total goal line in 11 of their last 13 games overall, in the last five games on the road and 13 of the last 15 games against teams from the Western Conference. The Stars are 14-6 SU in their last 20 games overall and 13-7 SU in the last 20 games played on Wednesday. They have played under the total goal line in 13 of their last 17 games overall, 9 of the last 11 home games and in 12 of the last 16 games against teams from the Western Conference.
Prediction and Conclusion
Game 1 loss was a tough pill to swallow for the Stars after they were up by three goals early in the game. Just like the opening round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Stars have lost their first home game, and there is no way they will allow them to go back 2-0 down like they did against the defending champions. The Stars will step up and take care of business in Game 2, ending the Avalacnhe five-game winning streak.
