The 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing! With just the 2 games on the agenda today, we have had plenty of time this morning to research the fixtures in depth and bring you the absolute best predictions. Have a read below for all our NHL picks.
Boston Bruins @ New York Islanders (Round 2 – Game 3) – 7.30 PM EDT
The Islanders pulled one back against the Bruins in game 2 with a huge 4-3 overtime victory, with the series tied up at 1-1 the teams now move to New York for games’ 3 and 4.
The Bruins struck first, with Charlie Coyle finding the back of the net less than 3 minutes in, and it took the Islanders until early in the second term to pull one back, as Josh Bailey capitalised with the man advantage.
Bailey’s goal was the first of three for the Islanders during a dominant second period, with Kyle Palmieri bagging the second, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau rounding out the term with another power play effort.
Pageau has been a surprise package during this postseason, he currently leads the Islanders for points with 9, tied with Anthony Beauvillier, and leads the side with a +/- of 6. Kyle Palmieri was brought in by the Islanders earlier in the season with the playoffs in mind, and his goal marked his 4th of the postseason, the joint most of the team alongside Bailey and Beauvillier.
“Now that the building is almost full, it’s going to be close to as loud as it’s ever been. Us as a team look forward to that, we feed off that and it’s going to be a fun game.”
Ryan Pulock ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TrJuOF8Pkb
— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 2, 2021
After being dominated in the second term the Bruins bounced back in the final period, scoring 2 unanswered goals via their veteran scorers Brad Marchand and Patrice Bergeron, sending the match to overtime, where it took 15 minutes for Casey Cizikas to capitalize on a breakaway and bury the winner for the Islanders.
The Islanders now return to the Nassau Coliseum, which has been a fortress for them throughout the season, boasting the 4th best home record in the league, and a flawless record against the Bruins (4-0).
NHL Pick – New York Islanders (+116)
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Carolina Hurricanes @ Tampa Bay Lightning (Round 2 – Game 3) – 8.00 PM EDT
For a second straight game the Lightning got the better of the Hurricanes on their own turf, claiming a crucial 2-0 lead as the series heads to Tampa Bay for games’ 3 and 4.
Similarly to game 1, Tuesday’s match ended 2-1 the way of the Lightning, with the Tampa side completely dominated for chances by the Canes, taking less than half the shots of the Division Champions.
Alex Killorn opened the scoring midway through the second term with his team leading 5th goal of the postseason, and around the same point in the third term Anthony Cirelli made it 2.
On the crowd in Carolina: “Regardless if the crowd is for you or against you it’s energy in the building.” #CARvsTBL
Alex Killorn: https://t.co/6dMRB0n6at pic.twitter.com/cX65T8rejC
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 2, 2021
With 2 minutes to go Jordan Staal teed up Andrei Svechnikov for a goal to bring the deficit back to 1, but that was as close as the Canes got, failing to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy with any of their other 31 attempts.
It is a nightmare position for the Hurricanes to find themselves in, especially considering how they struggled in round 1 when they travelled to Nashville, winning just 1 of 3 games. The Lightning have looked strong at home this series, losing once in overtime to the Panthers, and winning the other 2 games 10-2 on aggregate.
NHL Pick – Tampa Bay Lightning (-168)
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The 2021 NHL is well underway now! If you want to catch up with all the latest information, make sure you visit our NHL hub page.
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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of FanDuel.
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