Getty Sam Reinhart, Florida Panthers
Tuesday’s NHL playoff slate begins with the Boston Bruins aiming to do what the Florida Panthers did to them last spring.
In the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Florida erased a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate Boston en route to an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. Tonight, Boston will look to take the first step toward the same feat – something they have never achieved. Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have the opportunity to even their series at 2-2, or the Vancouver Canucks can move within one victory of advancing to the Western Conference Final.
Our AI-powered dfsPro model projects a number of individual performances worth keeping an eye on during Monday’s second-round matchups. Let’s dive into some of our favorite NHL player props for May 14!
Hottest Props: Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers, Game 5
Sam Reinhart: Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+124, DraftKings)
Florida forward Sam Reinhart averaged fewer than three shots per game during the regular season, but he has put three or more shots on goal in each of the Panthers’ nine postseason contests. As a result, our model projects a 28% increase over his regular-season shots per game average tonight in Game 5 against the Bruins, up to 3.64.
Sam Bennett: Over 0.5 Points (+120, DraftKings)
Reinhart’s fellow Panthers forward Sam Bennett has averaged a point per game during these playoffs and hasn’t been held without a point since Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 23. Our mode, projects a 41% increase over his regular-season average of 0.59 points per game, up to 0.84 tonight in Game 5.
Mason Lohrei: Under 1.5 Blocked Shots (+105, DraftKings)
Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei blocked just over 1.5 shots per game during the regular season, and he has actually exceeded that average during Boston’s second-round series against Florida with 1.75 shots per game. Still, he has finished with just one shot in two of four contests against the Panthers, and our model projects an 18% decline below his average in Game 5. This places him below the betting line at 1.27 blocked shots.
Hottest Props: Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 4
J.T. Miller: Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+100, DraftKings)
Canucks forward J.T. Miller averaged just 2.4 shots per game during the regular season and has yet to put more than two shots on goal in a single game against the Oilers during the second round of the playoffs. However, he put as many as six shots on goal in Game 3 of Vancouver’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators, and our model projects an 18% increase over his regular-season average tonight in Game 5 against Edmonton, placing him above the betting line at 2.83.
Leon Draisaitl: Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+100, DraftKings)
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has put at least three shots on goal in all but one of Edmonton’s eight postseason contests, and he is averaging four shots per game in the second round against Vancouver. Our model projects a 64% increase over Draisaitl’s regular-season average tonight in Game 4, placing him well over the betting line at 4.39.
Mattias Ekholm: Over 0.5 Points (+140, DraftKings)
Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm has five points through eight games this postseason, and four of those points have come in the last three games against the Canucks. He notched his first multipoint performance of the postseason with a goal and an assist in Game 3 on May 12, and our model projects an 11% uptick in his offensive output tonight in Game 4.