Getty Chris Kreider, New York Rangers
Monday’s NHL playoff slate will feature the Carolina Hurricanes looking for their second straight win as they aim to force a Game 6 against the New York Rangers, while the Colorado Avalanche look to even their series with the Dallas Stars on home ice.
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 13!
Hottest Props: Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 5
Chris Kreider: Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+120, DraftKings)
Rangers winger Chris Kreider averaged three shots per game during the regular season, but he has only reached that mark in three of New York’s eight postseason games. As a result, our model projects a slight decline below his average in Game 5; still, he is projected to finish above the betting line with 2.75 shots tonight against the Hurricanes.
Teuvo Teravainen: Over 0.5 Points (+100, DraftKings)
Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen was held scoreless through the first three games of Carolina’s second-round playoff series against the Rangers, but he posted his first multipoint performance of the postseason with two assists in Game 4 on May 11. With six points through nine playoff games, Teravainen is now projected to finish closer to his regular-season average of 0.7 points tonight in Game 5.
Brady Skjei: Over 0.5 Points (+120, DraftKings)
Carolina defenseman Brady Skjei is averaging nearly a point per game during these playoffs, and he has points in three straight games against the Rangers. Our model likes him to find the scoresheet in a fourth consecutive contest against his former team tonight, projecting him to finish just above the betting line at 0.54 points in Game 5.
Hottest Props: Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche, Game 4
Mikko Rantanen: Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (+124, DraftKings)
Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen averaged 3.39 shots per game during the regular season, but he has only eclipsed the three-shot mark three times during the playoffs. Most recently, he put four shots on goal in Game 3 against the Stars, causing our model to project a slight uptick in his shot potential – up to 3.62 – tonight in Game 4.
Wyatt Johnston: Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (+105, DraftKings)
Dallas forward Wyatt Johnston averaged 2.63 shots per game during the regular season, but his shot totals have been inconsistent throughout the playoffs; he put as many as eight shots on goal in Game 3 of the Stars’ first-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights, but Colorado held him without a shot on goal for the first time this postseason in Game 2 of the second round. Our model projects a 13% decline below his regular-season average, down to 2.39 shots, tonight in Game 4 against the Avalanche.
Nathan MacKinnon: Under 1.5 Points (+114, DraftKings)
Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is averaging exactly 1.5 points per game during the postseason, but he has been held below his average with just one point in his last two contests against the Stars. As such, our model projects him to finish below the betting line for a third consecutive game with 1.37 points tonight in Game 4.