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The NHL picks up again on Saturday with a three-game slate following a two-day hiatus. On the last night of hockey we split our picks once again, hitting the Lightning moneyline, but losing with the under.
Staying away from unders here, let's get the 2-0.
Philadelphia Flyers (-110) @ New York Islanders (-110)
Not to diminish the point of the two-day pause by using it to cap games, but the fact of the matter is the couple of days off halted any momentum the Flyers built up in Game 2. And the Islanders are feeling it right now: despite losing the last game in overtime, they sure didn't make it easy, tying the game after falling into a 3-0 hole in the first period.
It's got to be a daunting feeling playing against New York right now. When they get up a couple goals it's essentially game over, and when they fall behind by a few they still find a way back. You just can't kill this team off.
In the Game 1 win, the Isles controlled 59.62% of the expected goal share, and they controlled 59.85% of the share in Game 2 despite the loss. This team is just playing better in every area right now - including in goal where Semyon Varlamov has an absurd .954 save percentage at five-on-five since the restart - and there's no conceivable logic to truly justify taking the Flyers in a pick'em.
Pick: Islanders (-110)
Vegas Golden Knights (-200) @ Vancouver Canucks (+170)
No matter what you throw at them, these Canucks won't go down easy. They survived another onslaught in Game 2 to even the series, this time getting the goaltending they've become accustomed to from Jacob Markstrom. Timely scoring - which has been a theme for the Canucks in these playoffs - played a key role in the win, but against a team like the Knights, who are stronger and deeper, it's hard to consistently rely on that.
Over a seven-game series the cream usually rises to the top, and while the Canucks did well to steal Game 2, it won't be a common theme. Vegas dominated the expected goals share outside of the first period of Tuesday's loss, and frankly that should come as little surprise.
Expect a spirited response from the Knights here following the loss. They were caught a bit flat out of the gate in Game 2 after a dominating display in Game 1, but that won't be the case here as they strike first and set the tone for another convincing win.
Pick: Knights -1.5 (+140)
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.
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