Free NHL Expert and Computer Picks For Every Game April 20, 2026
PHI
@
PIT
Mon, Apr 20 • 7:00 PM ET
Tyson Foerster o0.5 Goals Scored (+305)
Foerster was dangerous and recorded three individual high-danger scoring chances while skating in a go-to gig alongside Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett in Game 1. The trio dominated five-on-five possession with a 78.6 Corsi For percentage, and Foerster hasn't found the back of the net in five games dating back to the regular season despite recording 10 shots and 1.31 individual expected goals.
u6.5 (-120)
Flyers played elite defense down the stretch with just 2.41 goals against during a 15-5-1 heater, and the attention to detail carried over in Game 1 against the Penguins. Pittsburgh generated just 1.96 expected goals on eight high-danger scoring chances. A trade off for the strong defensive play is Philadelphia doesn’t generate many quality chances, either, and the Flyers finished with just 2.77 expected goals on nine high-danger scoring chances in the opener. Expect more of the same in Game 2.
OTT
@
CAR
Mon, Apr 20 • 7:30 PM ET
Linus Ullmark o25.5 Total Saves (-115)
Ullmark was the real deal in Game 1 with a .931 save percentage and 2.94 goals saved above expected, and I’m expecting him to face plenty of shots again tonight. The Hurricanes paced the NHL Corsi For percentage at five-on-five while averaging a second-ranked 32.2 shots per game during the regular season, and those numbers both climbed on home ice.
Andrei Svechnikov o0.5 Goals Scored (+165)
Svechnikov was a force in the opener with six shots on 10 attempts resulting in a game-high 1.42 individual expected goals. The Hurricanes loaded up their No. 1 line with Svechnikov skating alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, and the trio finished Game 1 with a 67.3 expected goals percentage at 5-on-5.
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MIN
@
DAL
Mon, Apr 20 • 9:30 PM ET
Mikko Rantanen o0.5 Assists (-125)
Mikko Rantanen took his playmaking to a different level this season, producing 55 assists over just 62 appearances. That’s the highest per-game output of his career.
He was at his best in Dallas, picking up at least one helper in 68% of his games – and 73% following a day of rest.
While Rantanen didn’t record an assist in Game 1 against Minnesota, the underlying metrics were very strong. Dallas generated 26 shot attempts, 14 scoring chances, and 1.91 expected goals during his minutes.
The Wild are unlikely to keep Rantanen off the scoresheet if he replicates those numbers.
Wyatt Johnston o0.5 Goals Scored (+145)
Johnston led Stars forwards in time on ice during Game 1 and was one of two Dallas players to generate multiple high-danger looks. He is elite at finding space in the slot, and the Wild ranked 27th in defending that shooting zone this season.
It’s also worth noting Johnston was by far the league’s most lethal power play scorer, and there tends to be more penalties early on in playoff series.
ANA
@
EDM
Mon, Apr 20 • 10:00 PM ET
Leon Draisaitl o0.5 Goals Scored (+125)
Connor McDavid o1.5 Points (-130)
The three-time Hart Trophy winner comes into Game 1 hot, cashing the Over in points in three of his last five appearances. McDavid led the NHL in points in 2025-26, registering 138. He always turns it up a notch come playoff time, and the superstar has dominated the Ducks this season. Across three meetings, he’s grabbed seven points.
MON
@
TB
Tue, Apr 21 • 7:00 PM ET
Alex Newhook o0.5 Goals Scored (+405)
Newhook often gets overshadowed among the myriad of fast, young Habs forwards. While he has just one goal in his last eight games, he's occupying the 2C role, and he'll remain a scoring threat playing alongside a premier playmaker like Ivan Demidov.
Lane Hutson o0.5 Points (-160)
Hutson notched an assist on Juraj Slafkovsky's OT winner in Game 1, giving him six points in six career playoff games. The sophomore blue liner picked up 78 points in his second full NHL season and quarterbacks a deadly Habs power-play unit that scored three times on Sunday.
Ducks vs Oilers Prediction, Picks & Odds for NHL Playoffs Game 1
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