Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin scored 28 goals in just 54 games this season and should play a key factor in the Avalanche bouncing back in Game two.
Tuesday will see if the road teams can respond as four teams look to prevent a 2-0 deficit in the first round. We could see a response from teams like the Avalanche, who are listed as a favourite on the road against the Jets.
It should be an exciting third night of NHL Playoff hockey that has dazzled fans so far and have been very profitable.
We ended the season red hot and have continued our success as of late with a 21-6 record over our last 27 picks. We also rolled our $10 from the Pad Stacking Challenge into $1,010 Monday night which we look to continue to build on.
All betting lines are from BetMGM and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Bet: Lightning Over 2.5 goals (-120)
The Lightning were riding high off the success of Nikita Kucherov’s 100-assist season and win over the Maple Leafs before being downed by the Panthers 3-2 in Game one.
It was a game that Florida controlled with an early third period goal that they used to rode to the end with Tampa Bay luckily covering the Puck line for betters in the last ten seconds of the game.
We predicted a high-scoring affair and were unsuccessful but we think this time around the Lightning will come back with a vengeance and want to respond and get a big win on the road.
Their offense averaged 4.11 goals per game over the last 18 games of the season but were held to just two goals and only landed 19 shots on net.
Tampa Bay will not go away quietly as their group is experienced when it comes to scoring in the playoffs with a 3.10 goals per game average since 2019 which ranks top six in the league.
Bet: Valeri Nichushkin Over 0.5 points (-175), Avalanche Jets Over 6.5 goals (-110)
The Jets and Avalanche combined for an offensive explosion in Game one with 13 goals that culminated in a 7-6 win for Winnipeg. We may not see an offensive output like that again in Game two but we will see a better effort from the Avalanche, who were shell-shocked by their seven goals allowed.
This has become a habit for Georgiev, who has a 5.21 goals against average over his last five starts before the playoffs. If the Avalanche want a chance they will need to keep their offense hot as they are built with playoff performers that have helped them secure the one of the best goals per game average in the playoffs since 2021 at 3.93 over 28 games.
Georgiev’s weak goaltending as of late will make the Over the clear best pick for this one but the player we can expect a big performance from would be Colorado’s Valeri Nichushkin. The Russian winger has been an offensive threat when on the ice with the second-most goals on the team at 28 in just 54 games this season.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNfcoVIpnyI[/embed]
He made his presence felt in Game one with the opening goal and his 15th career Playoff goal. He was a focal point for the Avalanche during their Stanley Cup run in 2021 where he scored nine goals along with 15 points.
He also sees lots of ice time on the teams top powerplay unit and the teams second line, where he has helped 25-year-old Casey Mittelstadt develop his game and become a lethal forward at the centre position.