Best NHL Playoff Prop Bets for April 29 (Target Carter Verhaeghe and Brayden Point In The Battle Of Florida)
By Nate Duffett
NHL fans can catch a breather after an action-packed weekend of playoff hockey. There are just two games on the docket for Monday night before we see four possible elimination games on Tuesday. We get just one of those games on Monday, but it's sure to be a dramatic night in Florida and Vegas.
The Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning get the night started with Game 5 back in Sunrise. The Panthers looked destined to sweep their in-state rivals on Saturday afternoon, but the Lightning made a great effort to extend the series one more game.
Everything came together for the Lightning in Game 4, and the return of Mikhail Sergachev inspired them. Sergachev broke his tibia and fibula just two and a half months ago, but he made a miraculous return and registered an assist.
The Dallas Stars entered the playoffs on fire, stealing the first seed in the Western Conference and owning one of the deepest lineups in the league. Unfortunately, they were matched against another one of the deepest lineups when fully healthy, and the injury-riddled Vegas Golden Knights all recovered in time for Game 1.
The Stars dropped both games at home to start the series, but Wyatt Johnson sent the Vegas fans home unhappy in Game 3 with an overtime winner. Dallas is looking to completely swing the momentum by stealing two games in Vegas to head back home tied.
NHL Playoffs Prop Bets for April 29
- Carter Verhaeghe OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
- Brayden Point OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
- Tomas Hertl OVER 1.5 Shots on Goal
Carter Verhaeghe OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
Carter Verhaeghe has been a thorn in the side of the Lightning since joining forces with their rivals. He was a part of their 2020 Stanley Cup-winning team, registering two assists in eight games. However, the Lightning didn't extend him a contract offer after the season and he signed with the Panthers instead.
Verhaeghe had a breakout season in his first year with the Panthers, and the rest is now history. He led the team in points in the 2022 playoffs, then scored the overtime winner in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins to kickstart a run to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Verhaeghe has been a point-per-game player against the Lightning since joining the Panthers and has three goals and three assists in this series. He was held to two shots in Game 1 but has 12 in the last three games. He also hit the Over 2.5 in three games against the Lightning in the regular season, tallying 12.
Brayden Point OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
Brayden Point hasn't had as much success as Verhaeghe in this matchup, but you can expect him to perform in this meeting. Point is a clutch player for the Lightning and usually comes through when the team's back is against the wall. He registered a goal, two assists, and five shots in their Game 4 victory.
Point had two rough outings in Games 2 and 3, which could be attributed to Nikita Kucherov struggling. Tampa Bay's No.1 line relies heavily on Kucherov, and when he goes silent, the rest of the members also falter. Kucherov looked like his old self in Game 4 and will be a huge reason why Point goes Over on this line.
If this game goes as the odds expect them to, the Lightning may be chasing the lead for most of it. Tampa Bay's way of pursuing the lead will be an aggressive-style offense that offers the opportunity for a lot of shot attempts.
There is no tomorrow for the Lightning if they lose, so Point and the first line will get plenty of ice time to hit this over. Point will play upwards of 20 minutes, which gives him plenty of time to register three shots.
Tomas Hertl OVER 1.5 Shots on Goal
Tomas Hertl has been a solid player for the Golden Knights since returning from an injury. Most people expected Hertl to sit until the playoffs for some more LTIR relief when Vegas acquired him at the deadline, but he returned with six games remaining in the regular season.
Hertl tallied two goals and two assists over the six games and saw his ice time steady at around 17 minutes per game. He has one goal in three games this series, but he's been doing enough to hit the Over in Shots on Goal.
Hertl has two shots in each game this series, and going back to the regular season, he hit the Over in three of their last four games. That is two or more shots in six of the past seven games for Hertl, and you can expect that to continue with the Golden Knights needing a win to maintain momentum.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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