The New York Rangers are the first team into the NHL Playoff’s final four. The Dallas Stars can join them with a win over Colorado on Friday night, as can the Florida Panthers.
It’s our job to figure out who should star in these high-pressure showdowns with a nifty 3-legged parlay, leaning on a couple of guys staring down elimination. Read below for a set of free NHL picks.
NHL playoffs parlay picks May 17
- Marchand anytime goalscorer
- Lehkonen to record a point
- Pavelski to record a point
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Best NHL parlay picks for Friday
NHL parlay pick
Brad Marchand anytime goalscorer
Artturi Lehkonon to record a point
Joe Pavelski to record a point
After an upper-body injury (and an alleged punch to the head) kept him out of Games 4 and 5, Brad Marchand practiced Thursday and should be a go at home in a must-win scenario against Florida.
Marchand had a pair of assists across the first three games of the series, but he’s still tied at the top of the Boston Bruins' playoff scoring lead with Jake DeBrusk with 10 points.
The 36-year-old has yet to score a goal in this series, but if you know his body of work, it’s more likely than not that Marchand lights the lamp. The last time he failed to score a goal in a playoff series was when he was goosed by the Canadiens in 2014.
If you’re counting at home, that's at least one goal scored in each of his last 14 playoff series. As this series could have just 60 minutes of game time left in it, expect the longtime Bruin to make an impact and push this series back to Sunshine.
It was an encouraging sign for the Colorado Avalanche that Artturi Lehkonen got involved in their second-round series against the Dallas Stars. With just a single assist through the first four games of the series, he finally broke through with a goal and a helper as the Avs topped the Stars 5-3 in Game 5.
This is a guy who had a goal in each of Colorado's five games in a series win over the Jets. He currently leads the team in goals these playoffs with six. The performance in Game 5 gave Lehkonen his third multi-point game in the postseason.
He’ll only need a point to keep your parlay going Friday night, and now that he’s awoken in this series, perhaps Lehkonen will up his level of play. He had at least a point in three of their four pre-playoff meetings this year.
Speaking of waking up, Joe Pavelski finally arrived from his postseason slumber. He broke a 3-game pointless streak in the series with a goal and an assist in an eventual 5-3 loss to Colorado. Pavelski, who was the second-leading scorer for the Stars this season, has only an assist to show for his efforts before pivotal Game 5.
This is a guy who, during the regular season, had at least one point in eight of the last 11 head-to-head matchups with the Avs. That includes a run of goals scored in five straight games.
His overall playoff numbers haven't been great, as Pavelski didn’t register a point in Round 1 and has just one goal and two helpers in Round 2 despite logging the fourth-most minutes among Stars forwards.
With a closeout game on the line, I’m banking on the veteran rediscovering that scoring touch and playing an integral part in the Dallas offense as they look to wrap things up on the road.
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Today's NHL same-game parlay picks
Our betting experts have scoured through today's NHL odds to find your best SGP bets for each game on Friday's playoff slate:
Panthers vs. Bruins same-game parlay (SGP)
Panthers moneyline
Jeremy Swayman Over 29.5 saves
Sam Reinhart 3+ shots
It’s difficult to win four in a row in the playoffs, and after the noted slow start in Game 5, the Panthers generated 56.9% of the expected goals and drove possession with a 62.0 CF% at 5-on-5 over the final two periods. Florida’s 60.8 xGF% is also the highest of any team in Round 2, and No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed just seven goals over the past four games.
Panthers winger Sam Reinhart has three or more shots in 15 consecutive games dating back to the regular season, and he’s averaging 4.6 per playoff game. He skates on the top line and No. 1 power-play unit, and he’s posted a rock-solid 60.0 CF% and 61.9% shot share at 5-on-5 against the Bruins in this series.
Stars vs Avalanche same-game parlay (SGP)
Jamie Benn Over 0.5 points
Over 5.5
Artturi Lehkonen Over 0.5 points
Jamie Benn is a beast playing on the top power play and the new first line which should help him point tonight as his linemate, Wyatt Johnston, is on a Conn Smythe run. That was the team's best line at even strength in Game 5.
Both offenses can score 2+ goals or even 3+ goals and the early game script is not that important as both teams have shown they can score in bunches if needed, especially late. Artturi Lehkonen is playing all his shifts with Nathan MacKinnon and with Big Val out, he has taken on a bigger shooting role on the top line and on PP1.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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