In what is now a best-of-three series, the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Toronto Maple Leafs for Game 5 tonight. The Lightning evened up the series with a convincing 7-3 win in Game 4. This is where you’ll find everything, including team win odds, the over/under, and point spreads.
William Nylander – Team Goalscorer (Anytime, +250)
Last year, William Nylander was the only good thing going for Toronto’s offense. He led the team with five goals and eight points in seven games, and this year he sits on two goals in four games. He’s received a good amount of ice time alongside captain John Tavares, and with David Kampf, the trio had some jam to their game. If Tavares can get going in Game 5, this line might have their best game yet.
Nylander is one of those players who knows how to get into game mode on home ice. He hasn’t registered a goal at home yet this postseason, so he’s certainly due. Last year, three of his five goals came on home ice, and he registered two goals in two home games against Tampa Bay during the regular season. The odds are generous with this one, so consider taking the odds and making some money on Nylander.
Both Teams to Score Goals – 3 or More (Yes, +140)
This one feels like an easy decision to make. Both teams are relentless at scoring goals, and both Jack Campbell and Andrei Vasilevskiy have looked shaky at certain points in each game. Both Vasilevskiy (.888 SV%) and Campbell (.889 SV%) are doing everything possible, but with some of the league’s best weapons upfront, it’s no easy task. Campbell has one shutout at home this postseason, but his last three starts haven’t inspired much confidence.
Both teams are capable of putting up three goals each, as they’ve done so in two of four games in this series. When players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are held to a combined one assist on the night, you know there will be an offensive explosion for both of them. If the game is as infested with penalties as it has been this year, expect both teams’ power-play units to strike often.
Victor Hedman – Player Power Play Points (Over 0.5, +110)
The Lightning are a dangerous team to trade goals with, and with Victor Hedman going, they’re near unstoppable. Of his 85 points on the regular season, Hedman registered 37 of them on the man advantage. He also amassed a whopping 17 points in his final eight games, including 11 on the power play. He’s dynamite when it comes to quarterbacking the Lightning’s first wave, and he’ll look to add to Toronto’s misery in Game 5.
Half of Hedman’s points have come on the power play during this series, and his two-point night in Game 4 is a concern for the Maple Leafs. If there’s one thing they don’t need, it’s Hedman catching steam the longer this series goes on. His ice time has increased with each game, going from 22:41 in Game 1 to 25:03 in Game 4. Head coach Jon Cooper is leaning on his stars to carry the brunt of the offensive production, and getting points from the backend will help the Lightning excel past the Maple Leafs. One point on the power play tonight seems plausible for Hedman, especially if Toronto gets behind the eight-ball early and takes an excess of penalties out of retaliation.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
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