The NHL picks up the pace on Thursday night with a 12-game slate.
The clear headliner is the Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers, but there’s plenty of intriguing matchups with playoff ramifications as teams try to figure out their plans for next Friday’s trade deadline.
NHL Best Bets: Thursday, February 27th
With such a big slate, there’s a smorgasbord of markets for bettors to sink their teeth into on Thursday night:
Editor’s Note: Looking for more hockey content? Be sure to check out our NHL player props article, which is updated daily.
Simon Holmstrom HIGHER Than 0.5 Goals
Simon Holmstrom has quietly been one of the most effective players for the New York Islanders this season. A rangy winger that can play up and down the lineup, Holmstrom has essentially improved every line he’s played on for Patrick Roy.
Roy made a change to his forward group on Tuesday, playing Holmstrom with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. That trio was the Isles’ best line against the Blueshirts and should continue to get good looks against a Bruins team that is missing its two best defensemen.
William Eklund HIGHER Than 0.5 Goals
San Jose is 1-7-2 in its last 10 and a huge underdog against the Montreal Canadiens – far from world-beaters themselves – but they look like a team to target across the market on Thursday night.
Montreal’s defensive numbers have been poor all season and whether they win or lose comes down to their goaltending and if they can outscore their flaws in their own zone.
San Jose has its own defensive warts, but they have the offensive firepower to give the Habs some issues.
There’s a number of players on San Jose you can work with in this spot, but I landed on William Eklund as my favorite play.
Eklund has the cushy gig of playing alongside Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli tonight, and he’s in decent form with eight points and 20 shots on goal in his last 10 contests.
Red Wings/Blue Jackets 1P Under 0.5 Goals (BetMGM)
This is a massive game. The Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets currently sit in the final two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference, but they’re hold on those places is far from secure.
There are currently five teams separated by just four points in the Eastern Conference, so any dip in form could be ruinous.
That should lead to these two teams approaching this contest like a playoff game, and doing everything they can to keep things tidy.
I expect this to be a cagey affair, which puts value on the first period to end nil-nil.
