May the 4th be with you — and may our NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs picks improve. They did a little bit, as we went 4-3 on our Tuesday-night picks but we got burned for putting too much faith into the NHL-best Florida Panthers, who came out flat in a Game1 loss to the underdog Washington Capitals.
Wednesday night brings four Game 2’s in series in which we learned an awful lot about our postseason combatants. There are plenty of series favorites who will be keen on evening this series up to restore some order to the playoff picture.
But that’s the magic — and treachery, for sports bettors — of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Parity is at an all-time high. So if you have a real gut feeling when betting, go with it.
Remember, you don’t HAVE to bet on each game. We are giving you our best bets for every game, but if our analysis isn’t landing with you or you just don’t feel like a bet stands out, it’s fine to give that game a pass. There will always be more games to bet on.
New to betting? Read our Beginner’s Guide to Betting with a glossary of terms.
NHL Odds and Schedule, May 2
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET
- Game 2 (CAR leads 1-0)
- Watch on ESPN
- Full series preview
The Hurricanes have shown over the past four seasons that they can play practically any style of hockey — especially if it mirrors their own brand of physical, defensive hockey peppered with menacing attacking. It was no different in Game 1 as Carolina cruised to a 5-1 victory with all six goals being scored in the final 23:32 of action.
The Pick:
Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
- Game 2 (TOR leads 1-0)
- Watch on ESPN2
- Full series preview
Who saw that Game 1 coming? The Maple Leafs absolutely took it to the two-time-defending Stanley Cup champions in a 5-0 drubbing on Monday night.
The thing is, we’ve seen this kind of play from the Lightning throughout their run but they haven’t played a high-powered offense like Toronto’s, so the mistakes have to be limited if they don’t want things to get out of hand. They certainly have the pedigree to do so.
The Pick:
St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild, 9:30 p.m.
- Game 2 (STL leads 1-0)
- Watch on ESPN
- Full series preview
Whether the moment was too big for them, the Wild just didn’t have it in Game 1 as they were plagued by a lack of finish, some puck watching, and the superb play by St. Louis netminder Ville Husso, who made 37 saves in the 4-0 Blues win.
If Husso keeps this up, it doesn’t matter how good Minnesota looks, because they created an abundance of chances on Monday. But they need a bit more mettle in front to even up this series. Should they drop Game 2, they’re in deep trouble going to St. Louis down 2-0.
The Pick:
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.
- Game 2 (LAK leads 1-0)
- Watch on ESPN2
- Full series preview
The Oilers did nothing to ease any anxiety surrounding their lack of playoff success during the Connor McDavid era in Game 1, as Mike Smith’s mistake in goal led to the Kings’ game-winner with 5:14 remaining in regulation.
This was always going to be the Achilles heel of Edmonton, though, as a shaky backend seems to be the great equalizer of this series despite the Kings being a low-scoring team.
Granted, the Oilers’ attack should find some success as long as Jonathan Quick doesn’t put on a ridiculous display as he did in Game 1, turning back the clock.
The Pick:
