RADIO
There are four games in the National Hockey League tonight. Check out some props and win with Monkey Knife Fight.
None of the matchups are particularly exciting but the new-look Toronto Maple Leafs, having traded for goaltender Jack Campbell and winger Kyle Clifford, are at home to face the Anaheim Ducks. The Columbus Blue Jackets get a shot at the worst team in the league, the Detroit Red Wings, playing in the second half of a back-to-back.
The Buffalo Sabres are fading fast, and lost to Detroit last night, so they are vulnerable when the visit the Rangers in New York. Finally, the Dallas Stars are at home against the Minnesota Wild, not the most exciting matchup, but all of those games offer opportunities to win.
Here are some angles to check out when making Friday’s hockey prop picks on Monkey Knife Fight.
DETROIT-COLUMBUS
MORE OR LESS
Jimmy Howard MORE THAN 28.5 SAVES – He’s had an awful season and has a .866 save percentage on the road this season, yet the Red Wings are likely to give up quite a few shots on the second night of a back-to-back. As poorly as Howard has played, he has recorded at least 30 saves in each of his past five starts.
Seth Jones MORE THAN 3.5 SHOTS + BLOCKS – A dominant two-way defenseman playing against the worst team in the league, this seems to be a favorable matchup for Jones who has recorded at least four shots plus blocks in eight of his past nine home games.
RAPID FIRE
Dylan Larkin +0.5 points vs. Pierre-Luc Dubois – Even if this season hasn’t been quite as productive for Larkin, he does have 20 points in 27 road contests this season. Dubois has 17 points in 28 home games which isn’t nearly enough to like him giving up a half point to Larkin.
BUFFALO-N.Y. RANGERS
MORE OR LESS
Alexandar Georgiev LESS THAN 29.5 SAVES – The Rangers aren’t a great defensive team but the Sabres aren’t going to generate a bunch of shots either. Counting on Georgiev to stop 30 shots when the Sabres are averaging 29.4 shots per 60 on the road, well, it’s asking a lot.
Artemi Panarin MORE THAN 0.5 ASSISTS – Considering that Panarin has 26 assists in 27 home games this season, it’s virtually automatic to like Panarin to pick up an assist against a reeling Buffalo squad.
RAPID FIRE
Jack Eichel +0.5 points vs. Artemi Panarin – This number is actually pretty reasonable given the circumstances. Panarin has 40 points in 27 home games while Eichel has 24 points in 25 road games. Nevertheless, the Rangers aren’t so strong defensively that Eichel should be kept off the board and if he scores, Panarin would need multiple points to cover.
ANAHEIM-TORONTO
MORE OR LESS
Ryan Miller MORE THAN 29.5 SAVES – The veteran Ducks netminder has made on start in the past three weeks and stopped 46 shots in that effort. He has averaged 29.5 saves per 60 on the road but the Maple Leafs ought to generate enough chances to push this towards the over.
Mitchell Marner MORE THAN 0.5 ASSISTS – Toronto’s playmaking winger has 28 helpers in 25 home games. Against a Ducks team that is below average, that’s easily enough to like Marner to come up with at least one assist.
RAPID FIRE
Auston Matthews -0.5 points vs. Ryan Getzlaf – Matthews is a dominant scorer, but especially so at home, where he has 41 points in 27 games. Getzlaf doesn’t have a lot of help and has just 15 points in 27 road contests so that’s enough to like Matthews as the favorite.
MINNESOTA-DALLAS
MORE OR LESS
Devan Dubnyk MORE THAN 26.5 SAVES – It’s been a tough season for Dubnyk and he’s still averaging 29.8 saves per 60 minutes on the road. The Stars aren’t a great offensive team but it would be easy enough to see them generate at least 30 shots which gives Dubnyk lots of room to hit the over.
RAPID FIRE
Mathew Dumba +0.5 shots + blocks vs. Tyler Seguin – Neither player has had the kind of season that they had hopes but Dumba has put up nearly four shots plus blocks per game and that’s tough for Seguin to overcome as a favorite.
