The Colorado Avalanche will seek to stave off elimination when they visit the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on May 15 for Game 5 of their second-round series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Avalanche will look to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series for the first time in franchise history (0-5) while the Stars, who own a 12-1 (.923) all-time record when leading 3-1, look to advance to the Western Conference Final for the second straight year.
Our AI-powered dfsPro model projects a number of individual performances worth keeping an eye on during Wednesday’s matchup between Dallas and Colorado. Let’s dive into some of our favorite NHL player props for May 15!
Hottest Player Props: Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar: Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+135, DraftKings)
Colorado defenseman Cale Makar averaged three shots per game during the regular season, but he put as many as five shots on goal in the playoffs, doing so most recently in Game 2 against the Stars on May 11. Our model projects a 26% increase over Makar’s shot average tonight in Game 5, up to 3.77 shots on goal.
Mikko Rantanen: Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+130, DraftKings)
Like Makar, Colorado forward Mikko Rantanen is expected to see a sizable uptick in his shots on goal tonight in Game 5 against Dallas. He has put four shots on goal on three separate occasions during the postseason, most recently doing so in Game 2 against the Stars, and our model projects him to do the same – or more – tonight in Game 5.
Casey Mittelstadt: Over 0.5 Points (+114, DraftKings)
Avalanche forward Casey Mittelstadt is averaging nearly a point per game during the playoffs, but he has just two points through four contests against the Stars. He found the back of the net against Dallas in Game 4 for the first time since Game 1 of the first round, and our model projects an increase in his scoring potential tonight in Game 5.
Hottest Player Props: Dallas Stars
Miro Heiskanen: Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+105, DraftKings)
Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen has put at least three shots on goal in all but one of the Stars’ second-round games against Colorado, and our model likes him to do the same tonight. Heiskanen’s shots-per-game average is just under the betting line at 2.28, but our model projects a 12% increase up to 2.56 tonight in Game 5
Matt Duchene: Over 0.5 Points (+105, DraftKings)
With just four points through 11 playoff contests, Stars forward Matt Duchene has been producing at a clip well below his regular-season average of 0.81 points per game during the postseason. Still, even with a projected 32% decline in his average point production tonight in Game 5, our model likes Duchene to finish just over the betting line at 0.55.
Thomas Harley: Over 0.5 Points (+130, DraftKings)
The Avalanche have held Stars defenseman Thomas Harley to just one point through four games during this series; he recorded an assist on Tyler Seguin’s shorthanded goal in Game 2 on May 11. Harley averaged over 0.5 points per game during the regular season, however, and our model likes him to finish close to that average tonight in Game 5.
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NHL Player Props: AI-Powered Picks for Avalanche vs. Stars