We are getting down to the nitty gritty of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with just a handful of teams remaining. There are a pair of games on the docket for Thursday night, as the Canadiens will face the Sabres in Game 5, and the Golden Knights will take on the Ducks in Game 6. We’ll take a betting glance at both NHL games below.
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres
Series score: Series tied, 2-2
The two games the Canadiens won in this series have been relative blowouts as the Habs took Game 2, 5-1, and Game 3, 6-2. In response, Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff made the adjustment of replacing goaltender Alex Lyon with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen for Game 4. Montreal got 30 shots on net in Game 4 Tuesday night, with Luukkonen turning away 28 of them. It was Luukkonen’s first start for the Sabres since he was pulled late in Game 2 of Buffalo’s first round series against the Bruins. It’s likely that Ruff gives Luukkonen the keys again on Thursday night. Luukkonen and Lyons had the exact same number of starts for the Sabres in the regular season, as both started 34 games.
The Sabres are -120 on the moneyline at Fanatics Sportsbook for Game 5 Thursday night in Buffalo.
Buffalo has been better on the road than at home so far in the postseason, as the Sabres are just 2-3 at KeyBank Center but are 4-1 away from their home ice. The Canadiens have also been road warriors this spring as they are 4-2 on the road so far in the playoffs.
Buffalo’s Tage Thompson has the best anytime goal-scorer odds at Fanatics for Game 5 with a +145 price. Monteal’s Cole Caufield is +170 to find the net.
Vegas Golden Knights at Anaheim Ducks
Series score: Vegas leads 3-2
It’s been the definition of a back-and-forth series so far for the Golden Knights and Ducks. Vegas took Game 1 (3-1), lost Game 2 (3-1), won Game 3 (6-2), lost Game 4 (4-3), and then won Game 5 (3-2 in overtime).
Game 6 will take place at the Anaheim “Pond,” where the Ducks are 4-1 this postseason. Vegas is 3-2 on the road so far in the playoffs. One of those Golden Knights road wins came in Game 3 in Anaheim last Friday when they lit the lamp six times. Anaheim coach Joel Quenneville pulled Lukas Dostal in the first period of Game 3, but Quenneville went right back to Dostal in Game 4 and it proved to be a wise decision. Dostal had 18 saves on 21 shots in a Game 4 Ducks win, and 29 saves on 32 shots in Tuesday night’s 3-2 OT loss to Vegas.
For the Golden Knights, netminder Carter Hart has been mostly strong this series, outside of Game 4 when he allowed 4 goals on 23 Anaheim shots. For the playoffs thus far, Hart has a 2.49 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 11 games. With the 3-2 OT win in Game 5, Hart is now 5-0 in playoff overtime in his career.
Fanatics Sportsbook has the Golden Knights as a slim -115 road favorite for Game 6.
Anaheim’s Cutter Gauthier has the most likely anytime goal odds for Game 6 as he is +160 to score. Jack Eichel is the most likely Vegas player to score at +190.
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