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The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has begun with a bang in the NHL, with the betting underdogs taking the lead in each of the four series so far. Is that a trend we should expect to continue? We’ll find out as we move beyond the first game of each series, which frankly wasn’t a good predictor of series wins in the first round; where only two of eight series saw the winner of Game One win the series.
Toronto Maple Leafs to beat Florida Panthers & over 5.5 total goals 6/4
The Maple Leafs are heavily favoured to claw their way back into this series with a win in Game Two, but you can improve your payout by also taking a slight over on goals scored between two offensively dynamic teams.
The Panthers controlled play at even strength in Game One, taking it to the Leafs in waves and scoring on the counter attack when the Leafs had their periods of dominance. Like after the first game against the Lightning, you should expect some adjustments from Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, in particular trying to free up Mitch Marner, who was the worst player on the ice in Game One.
Mitch Marner to score 1+ powerplay points 5/4
One area that has to be better for the Maple Leafs in Game Two if they hope to win, is the execution on special teams. The Maple Leafs were dangerous outside of 5-vs-5 situations, bringing their expected goals from 2.3 to 4.46 in just a few minutes, but they couldn’t find a way through Sergei Bobrovsky.
In Game Two, they need something to show for that dominance, and Marner is the vehicle through which most of their powerplay scoring happens. If he can’t set something up for Matthews or Tavares, he’ll have to take the shot himself.
Jason Robertson over 3.5 shots on goal 1/1
Joe Pavelski stole the spotlight for Dallas in Game One with a four-goal game, which the Stars failed to capitalize upon by losing to Seattle. Meanwhile, Robertson had a very quiet game, not managing a point on any of Pavelski’s strikes.
The Stars have seen some big performances from their secondary scorers, and some of their best players too, in this postseason. However, to make it past the Seattle Kraken, who have incredible depth, Robertson is going to have to make his presence felt in a way he hasn’t so far in the playoffs.
Dallas Stars to beat Seattle Kraken and total goals over 5.5 23/10
Like the Leafs, the Stars are heavily favoured to take this game and even up the series, which is natural for a team that has home ice and is favoured to advance. While the Stars weren’t able to win Game One, they were able to solve Philipp Grubauer four times on 35 shots, which is a good sign that they won’t struggle to beat him like Colorado did.
What the Stars will need, though, is a much better performance overall on the defensive side. They can’t be getting outchanced by a road team in a second straight game, and they need Jake Oettinger to give them the same level of play he usually does.