Colorado Avalanche will meet the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of the NHL playoffs on Thursday evening. The home side opened this series convincingly and got back to the winning track. The visitors need to significantly improve their game if they want to be competitive in the post-season.
Colorado got complacent at the finish of the regular season, but it seems they learned the lesson and put a powerful display. They want to pick up where they left off and provide another confident performance. On the other hand, Nashville has a poor start to the series. They were not competitive enough in Game 1 and need to try a different approach this time.
Colorado Avalanche – Will they continue in the same fashion?
The Avalanche bounced back after two straight defeats and booked a comfortable 7-2 victory in the series opener. They showed that pursuit of the Stanley Cup would be their main goal in the playoffs. Although Colorado has been hit or miss at home lately, the previous performance should boost their confidence significantly. The Avs dominated the game, having 20 shots more than their rivals, and it’s not surprising why they booked such a confident win. Colorado converted 40% of their power play opportunities, and everything went well for the hosts on Tuesday evening.
Nathan MacKinnon was the most efficient player with two goals and an assist, while Cale Makar scored once and assisted on two occasions. Mikko Rantanen logged three assists, while four other skaters got their names displayed on the scoresheet. On the other hand, the Avs were killing three out of four opponents’ power-play opportunities. Despite conceding twice, Darcy Kuemper managed to save 23 shots in Game 1.
Expected Line-Up: Darcy Kuemper, Erik Johnson, Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Nathan MacKinnon
with best odds
Nashville Predators – Can they produce a better performance?
The Predators suffered a heavy defeat in the opening match of their post-season campaign. They faced one of the best NHL teams, but everybody expected them to be more competitive. Nashville simply couldn’t cope with the opponent’s strong offense, and they eventually lost 7-2. The Preds haven’t enjoyed their time away from home, as they lost four of their last five away games. Despite winning in Denver in the closing match of the regular season, the playoffs are a different story. If they don’t find a way to improve their game, the Predators will get into big trouble.
Matt Duchene was the only Predators player to enter the scoresheet after hitting a brace. Mikael Granlund logged a pair of assists, but no other Nashville player made a notable contribution to the Predators’ offense. Mathieu Olivier had 12 penalty minutes, while the Preds converted only 25% of their power play opportunities into goals. The visitors missed Roman Josi’s offensive action, as he failed to enter the stats despite producing the most points for the Predators. David Rittich had a terrible evening, conceding five goals and having an abysmal .615 save percentage.
Expected Line-Up: David Rittich, Roman Josi, Alexandre Carrier, Tanner Jeannot, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund
Expert Pick #1 – Colorado Avalanche -1.5 @-140
Although we can see upsets in the post-season often, I expect Colorado to produce another excellent display and win the match. The hosts should move the series to Nashville, having a 2-0 advantage, and I think they can beat the Predators by at least two goals. I’ll dip into the puck line market for the first pick to maximize the value.
Expert Pick #2 – Over 6.5 @-125
The Avs completely outplayed their rivals, and the Over cashed in four of their last five home games. Also, the Predators were involved in high-scoring matches on the previous six occasions, and I’ll take the Over as my second bet.
Expert Pick #3 – Avalanche Over 4.5 @+120
Although the margin in the totals market for the home team is quite high, I see the Avalanche netting at least five times on Thursday evening. I believe the home side is capable of being productive once again, and I’ll take this pick as my second alternative at the plus money odds.
