We put too much faith in Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers on and it burned us — which is why we had a 3-2 showing last night with our NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs picks.
I’m not sure what was the bigger disappointment in New York hockey on Monday: the Blueshirts’ 7-2 loss to the Penguins or the Islanders inexplicably firing head coach Barry Trotz.
That’s as off-topic as we’ll get ahead of Tuesday night’s slate of playoff games as four Game 5’s are on the docket.
Even more exciting is that each series is tied at two games apiece — which is great for the neutral fan, but a tough lay of the land for sports bettors.
Remember, you don’t HAVE to bet on each game. We are giving you our best bets for every game, but if our analysis isn’t landing with you or you just don’t feel like a bet stands out, it’s fine to give that game a pass. There will always be more games to bet on.
New to betting? Read our Beginner’s Guide to Betting with a glossary of terms.
NHL odds and schedule, May 10
Boston Bruins at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. ET
- Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
- Watch on ESPN
- Full series preview
The Pick:
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Tampa Bay Lightning at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
- Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
- Watch on ESPN2
- Full series preview
The two-time defending champs punched back in emphatic fashion, taking it to the Maple Leafs 7-3 in Game 4 to tie the series up in Tampa.
Three of those goals came within the first nine minutes of the game — a pretty demoralizing showing for a Toronto team that had hung so tough over the first three games.
But the Leafs can hang their hat on heading back to Toronto with a formula already in place for beating the Lightning — so a response should be brewing.
The Pick:
St. Louis Blues at Minnesota Wild, 9:30 p.m.
- Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
- Watch on ESPN
- Full series preview
Back and forth they go as the two Central Division rivals trade punch for punch in this hotly-contested series. While we’re knotted up at two games apiece, the winner of each game has won by at least three goals every time.
The Blues rebounded well from dropping Games 2 and 3 with a 5-2 victory in St. Louis behind two goals each from David Perron and Jordan Kyrou. Jordan Binnington also made the most of his chance in net, making 28 saves.
The Pick:
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m.
- Game 5 (Series tied 2-2)
- Watch on ESPN2
- Full series preview
The Kings aren’t just going to roll over and let the Oilers skate right over them.
After allowing 14 goals over Games 2 and 3, Jonathan Quick was immense in a 31-save shutout. Can he put together two more performances like that with 66% of the potential remaining games in Edmonton?
That remains to be seen, but it’s going to be tough to do that against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with a Kings offense that doesn’t score an abundance of goals.
But it’s not impossible.
The Pick:
