Will the criticized Aleksander Barkov recover? A realistic seam for the Stanley Cup

Will the criticized Aleksander Barkov find top form? AOP / USA TODAY SPORTS

The most interesting game of the day

The start of the NHL playoffs this spring can’t be called at least unsurprising and boring. In the first round, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado and Boston, who broke almost all records in the regular season, flew into the chorus. The fall of the last dynasty team, Tampa, was also something of a sign of the times. In addition, the inclination of the NY Rangers, who made acquisitions specifically for this spring, to New Jersey can be considered a small surprise.

The number of teams that are still participating is at a record level, with odds of four being paid for the championship of even the biggest favorite, Toronto. No team is without realistic possibilities, even with Seattle’s odds remaining in the twenties.

This spring, the NHL will almost certainly get a new champion, as the last participating team to win the Stanley Cup was Carolina almost 20 years ago. Toronto advanced to the second round for the first time in 19 years and will thus be able to continue the chase that has been around the club for 56 years.

The NHL can get completely new champions from Vegas, Florida or Seattle. New Jersey and Florida were the clearest improvers in the opening round. If the Florida captain Alexander Barkov gets himself in shape quickly, then a team that has already been condemned to the playoffs many times too loose has a very realistic chance for the championship as well. Without the injury concerns, Carolina would be my number one favorite, but now its task might be too hard as the key players inevitably get (too?) a lot of load.

The most significant observation from Edmonton in the opening round was how well Los Angeles got the team’s superstar Connor McDavid’s to discipline. Only three goals in six games is a pretty poor balance for a striker with 153 points in the regular season. In Dallas, it’s delicious to watch how the entire playoff points market has risen to the top Roope Hintz (5+7=12) continues to support his team.

The best betting tip of the day

The best betting picks for the two games on the opening night of the NHL quarterfinals are somewhat unorthodoxly found in ties. Both the Toronto-Florida and Dallas-Seattle pairs are so evenly matched that the 4.50 (Toronto-Florida) and 4.20 (Dallas-Seattle) promised for the crosses of the first matches are very close to playable in my own estimations. This happened despite the fact that the home teams enjoy rest advantages in these matches. Opponents, on the other hand, certainly have a confidence boost after losing Boston and Colorado.

42 games were played in the quarterfinals of the NHL, of which 14 (30%) ended up in the playoffs. Three of the four regular season meetings between Toronto and Florida required overtime or a shootout. Also, two of the three regular season matches between Dallas and Seattle ended in overtime. Even though the statistics are in favor of draws and the odds of crosses are still a bit high at this point, I only recommend a half bet for these.

Toronto-Florida starts at 2:08 and Dallas-Seattle at 4:30.

Games of the day: –

The total balance of the day’s games for the year: 48/87/93%

Every day Iltalehti chooses the most interesting game of the day and the best game destination of the day. You can always find them in the Betting and Ravit section.