Getty Evan Rodrigues, Florida Panthers
The NHL‘s Eastern Conference Final resumes with a Sunday matinee as the series heads south for Game 3 between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers. After the two teams split the first two contests at Madison Square Garden, New York has its sights set on a feat no team has accomplished during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – handing Florida consecutive losses.
Our AI-powered dfsPro model projects a number of individual performances worth keeping an eye on during Sunday’s matchup. Let’s dive into some of our favorite NHL player props for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final!
Hottest Player Props: Blocked Shots, New York Rangers
Braden Schneider: Under 1.5 Blocked Shots (+120, DraftKings)
Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider blocked a pair of shots in Game 2 against the Panthers on May 24, but he had recorded just one block in each of the previous two contests. Although Schneider is averaging 1.8 blocked shots per game during the postseason, our model projects a 28% decline below his regular-season average to place him below the betting line at 1.16 today in Game 3.
Hottest Player Props: Total Points, Florida Panthers
Evan Rodrigues: Over 0.5 Points (+170, DraftKings)
Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues is averaging just under 0.5 points per game during the playoffs, and he hasn’t found the scoresheet since Game 4 of Florida’s series against the Boston Bruins on May 12. However, our model likes him to snap his four-game scoring drought today, projecting a 42% increase over his average scoring potential up to 0.7 points in Game 3 against the Rangers.
Aaron Ekblad: Over 0.5 Points (+150, DraftKings)
Like Rodrigues, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad hasn’t recorded a point in his last four games. He has four points in 13 postseason contests, and he averaged just 0.35 points per game during the regular season. However, our model projects a 54% increase over his average, placing him just above the betting line at 0.54 points today in Game 3 against the Rangers.
Gustav Forsling: Over 0.5 Points (+154, DraftKings)
The Rangers held Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling without a point in Game 2, but our model likes him to return to the scoresheet in Game 3. He is averaging 0.62 points per game during the postseason; as a result, our model projects a 37% increase over his regular-season average of 0.49 points per game, placing him over the betting line at 0.67 points for today’s contest.
Vladimir Tarasenko: Over 0.5 Points (+135, DraftKings)
Panthers forward Vladimir Tarasenko averaged 0.72 points per game during the regular season, but his postseason average has dropped below the betting line to 0.38. Our model projects a slight decline in his scoring potential as a result, but Tarasenko is still projected to finish above the betting line at 0.66 points today in Game 3 against New York.
Brandon Montour: Over 0.5 Points (+124, DraftKings)
Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour is averaging over 0.5 points per game during the playoffs, but he hasn’t recorded a point in his last five contests. Our model likes him to snap his five-game scoring drought today in Game 3 against the Rangers, however, projecting a 43% uptick in his average scoring potential to place him above the betting line at 0.72 points.