Stanley Cup Playoffs Picks and Props for Wednesday, April 26

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Published on April 26, 2023

Just two games on the NHL Playoff slate tonight, but boy are they doozies. The Bruins have the chance to close out the series at home, and the Kraken-Avalanche matchup will break its 2-2 series tie after this one in Denver. Let's get into the best NHL bets for tonight including game picks and player props to keep an eye on.

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NHL Best Bets Tonight

Panthers vs Bruins

If you just looked at the box score for Game 4 in this series, you might be a bit confused. The Panthers outshot the Bruins 44-31 but lost 6-2. But in reality, the B's played the entire game with the lead after scoring the first goal midway through the 1st period and never really looked back. Matthew Tkachuk did some stupid chippy stuff after the whistle to try to swing the momentum for his squad, but that just cost him $5,000 in fines. The Cats gave it their best effort, they really did. They've even looked like an equal opponent at 5-on-5 for most of this series. But the Bruins have just kept getting better and better as the series moves forward and I don't think they've even played a full 60 minutes of Jim Montgomery's version of Bruins hockey. I think they do that tonight. I would expect another barrage of shots from the Panthers, but I think the B's are poised to close out this series on home ice.

Bruins vs Panthers Best Bet

Bruins 60 MIN LINE -150

Panthers vs Bruins Best Player Props

Linus Ullmark (BOS) Over 30.5 saves -120

Brad Marchand (BOS) Over 0.5 points -180

Taylor Hall (BOS) Over 0.5 points +115

Jake DeBrusk (BOS) Over 0.5 points -125

Brandon Montour (FLA) Over 2.5 shots on goal -155

Matthew Tkachuk (FLA) Over 3.5 shots on goal -155

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Kraken vs Avalanche

We got a series here, folks, and it's awesome. Not many people expected this one to be tied 2-2 going back to Denver for Game 5, but the Kraken's relentless forecheck and contributions from every spot in the lineup have given them a meaningful chance to win this series. Seattle will be without their leading goalscorer from the regular season Jared McCann, but that actually exposes the strength of their depth since McCann has yet to score in this series. In fact, of the Kraken's 12 total goals, only 2 of them can be attributed to their top line. In contrast, 10 of Colorado's 12 total goals have come from their top two lines, and one of the remaining goals came from Cale Makar who is suspended for tonight's bout. That puts extra pressure on Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, who have definitely been up to the task though as they have combined for 10 total points through the series' first 4 games. With Makar out, Devon Toews will likely log the lion's share of minutes on defense for the Avs and Bowen Byram will have to step up too. Ball Arena is a tough place to play, but the Kraken were one of the best road teams in the regular season and have already won a game in Denver this series. I like the Kraken tonight, but I also expect the big dogs for the Avs to ball out too. This will be a fun one.