The second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues with a pair of matchups Thursday as the Carolina Hurricanes aim to cut their series deficit against the New York Rangers in half as games shift to Raleigh, while the Dallas Stars aim to even their series against the Colorado Avalanche at home.
Our AI-powered dfsPro model projects a number of individual performances worth keeping an eye on during Thursday’s second-round matchups. Let’s dive into some of our favorite NHL player props for May 9!
Hottest Props: New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 3
Igor Shesterkin: Over 30.5 Saves (+105, DraftKings)
Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin has a perfect 6-0 record so far in these playoffs, boasting a 2.01 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage. Prior to the Rangers’ double-overtime win in Game 2 on Tuesday, when he faced 57 shots, Shesterkin hadn’t faced more than 30 shots a any of his first five games of the postseason. However, our model projects the Hurricanes to turn up the heat on Shesterkin when the series returns to Raleigh tonight for Game 3, peppering him with 40 shots against. Our model projects Shesterkin to make 37 saves on those 40 shots, nearly 40% more than his average of 26.64 saves per game.
Vincent Trocheck: Over 0.5 Assists (+100, DraftKings)
Vincent Trocheck was the hero for the Rangers in Game 2, scoring the winning goal against his former team in double overtime. It was his 10th point in six playoff games, and he has found the scoresheet in each of the Rangers’ contests so far this postseason. Trocheck has recorded a goal and an assist in each of the first two games of the series against Carolina, and our model projects a 12% increase in his potential to dish out at least one assist tonight in Game 3.
Hottest Props: Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars, Game 2
Nathan MacKinnon: Under 4.5 Shots on Goal (+100, DraftKings)
Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon has found the scoresheet in each of Colorado’s six games this postseason, recording multiple points in all but one of them. His shots on goal have been slightly less consistent, however, ranging from two to eight in the Avalanche’s first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets. MacKinnon put four shots on goal in Game 1 against the Stars on Tuesday, and our projections indicate that he will not exceed that total tonight in Game 2. Specifically, our model projects a 10% decline below his regular-season average of 4.94 shots per game for tonight’s contest, putting him just below the betting line at 4.42.
Cale Makar: Under 1.5 Blocked Shots (+150, DraftKings)
Defenseman Cale Makar has been an offensive force for the Avalanche during these playoffs with 12 points through six games, but he has also blocked 13 shots during that span. His single-game high this postseason is currently four blocked shots in Game 2 against Winnipeg, but he only recorded one in Game 1 against Dallas. Our model projects a 26% decline from his average, down to 1.43 blocked shots tonight in Game 2.
Wyatt Johnston: Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (+130, DraftKings)
Stars forward Wyatt Johnston averages 2.63 shots per game, but he managed to score a goal on just two in Game 1 against the Avalanche Tuesday. Our model projects an 11% decline below his average tonight in Game 2, placing him just below the betting line at 2.35 shots on goal.
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