The New York Rangers provided a real shock to the hockey world when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1. Scoring six goals on Andrei Vasilevskiy, they made him look human for the first time since the series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Lightning will aim for the split before heading back to Tampa Bay. This is where you’ll find everything, including team win odds, the over/under, and point spreads.
Mika Zibanejad – Anytime Goal-Scorer (+225)
With five goals in his last six games, Mika Zibanejad is having one of the best runs of his career. He’s growing more confident in each game and remains deceptive when handling the puck. He’s equally as good distributing it as he is shooting, and he’ll keep the Lightning on their toes. He had a career total of 19 points in 31 games before this year’s postseason, and he’s eclipsed it in just 15 games.
It’s hard to bet against such a wonderful player when his team is clicking and scoring at will. Drawing out the first win of the series, the Rangers have rattled Andrei Vasilevskiy, which bodes well for them. They’ll need to keep firing on all cylinders if they hope to head back to Tampa Bay with a 2-0 series lead. Let’s go with Zibanejad scoring again tonight (+225), as the odds are too appealing not to take a risk.
Ross Colton – Player Points (Over 0.5, +130)
One of many reasons why the Lightning are so good in the playoffs is that their third line can outperform most teams’ top six. Ross Colton, the centre of the trio, has eight points in 12 games and gives Tampa Bay an extra dynamic of grit and secondary scoring. They’ll need that from him tonight, especially as the game becomes more intense and heavily focused on puck possession.
He was quiet at the start of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs but then recorded five points in the final five games. His contributions on the third line have helped create room and time for the top-two lines to wreak havoc. If they can get off to that kind of start in Game 2, the Lightning have a chance to tie the series up.
Adam Fox – Player Shots (Over 2.5, +150)
The Rangers’ defense may be at an advantage thanks to the services of Adam Fox, who played 25:11 in Game 1. He led all players in that regard on both teams and looked as sharp as ever in his first Eastern Conference Final. He blasted two shots on net, recorded two assists, and overall played an excellent game. New York couldn’t ask for more from him, but he’ll surely have a lot left in the tank.
At 24, the blueliner plays all situations and never seems fazed by the amount he plays or the quality of opposition he faces. Fox is a rare breed of defenseman who can play superb defense yet provide all the production of an offensive defenseman. Given his excellence on the power play and at five-on-five, it’s hard not to take a gamble on the prop for player shots (Over 2.5, +150). The return is decent for what seems to be a low-risk bet, so consider putting down some loose change on him tonight.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
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