The Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight. Puck drop at the Lenovo Center is set for 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
The Golden Knights came back to beat the Hurricanes, 5-4, in Game 1 on Tuesday. DraftKings is dealing Carolina as a -162 home favorite on the moneyline with a total of 5.5. 83% of the handle and 71% of tickets are on the Canes to win and even the series.
During a conference call with ABC/ESPN’s on-air team today, analyst Ray Ferraro called this a “must-win” game for Carolina. Teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final are 50-5.
Ferraro noted that Carolina’s top line of Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov has to get back on track if the Canes hope to capture their second Stanley Cup in franchise history.
“If those guys don’t get into the inside of those giant Vegas defensemen, it’s not going to go well for Carolina,” Ferraro said. “I think that’s something to look for, not just for the series but particularly in Game 2. That line has not been a factor in the playoffs.”
Best Bet Golden Knights vs. Hurricanes: OVER 5.5 (-130)
Both goaltenders had their issues in Game 1, which saw a total of nine goals scored in regulation. Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen came back down to earth after a brilliant 12-1 run to start the playoffs.
Andersen only stopped 18 of 23 shots. Vegas goalie Carter Hart turned away 23 of 27 shots, but matched his playoff high for goals allowed at four.
“I think most people thought, because these two teams are so excellent defensively, that it’d be a lot of 2-1 and 1-0,” ESPN play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough said. “I don’t think that’s going to be the case. I don’t necessarily think Game 1 was an aberration because I do think both of these two teams are so good at pressuring the other; they’re going to continue to push them into the mistakes.”
He added, “We had nine goals scored the other night. That would make you think the goalies didn’t play very well. I don’t think either one of them played great, but there weren’t a lot of awful goals either, softies where you just said, ‘Oh my God, that guy is really having a rough night.’ I think we saw a lot of excellent shooting.”
The Hurricanes remain a high-volume shooting team, leading all playoff teams with an average of 33.2 shots per game. In its bid to draw even tonight, expect Carolina to bombard Hart with 30+ shots tonight.
That should help push this total OVER 5.5.
Pick: OVER 5.5 (-130)
Best Player Prop for Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen OVER 21.5 Saves (-125)
Look for Andersen to bounce back in Game 2 after his ugly start against VGK. The Canes suffered a 6-2 defeat to Montreal in the series opener, and then reeled off four straight wins. Andersen was a huge factor in that development.
Andersen remains the second betting favorite in the Conn Smythe Trophy market, but his odds ballooned from +200 to +400 after Game 1. His overall body of work in the postseason has been stellar. Andersen still leads all playoff goaltenders with a 1.65 goals against average.
Best Player Prop for Vegas Golden Knights
Pavel Dorofeyev OVER 0.5 points (-125)
Pavel Dorofeyev didn’t hit the score sheet in Game 1, but he was highly active for Vegas.
Both he and Jack Eichel finished the night with a team-high seven shot attempts and three shots on goal.
Dorofeyev has already put together a six-game point-scoring streak during the playoffs. Only Brett Howden (11) has scored more goals than Dorofeyev (10) for Vegas in the playoffs.
Dorofeyev is also tied with Eichel for the most postseason shots at 45. The two linemates feed off each other, and it’d be no surprise to see both hit the score sheet in Game 2.
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The Carolina Hurricanes host the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final tonight. Puck drop at the Lenovo Center is set for 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The Golden Knights came back to beat the Hurricanes, 5-4, in Game 1 on Tuesday. DraftKings is dealing Carolina as a -162 home favorite
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