Best NHL Playoff Prop Bets for Bruins vs. Panthers Game 1: Target Matthew Tkachuk To Shine Against Fatigued Bruins

The Boston Bruins may realize why they should have closed out the Maple Leafs earlier when they travel to take on the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. The Panthers rolled through their first-round series against the Lightning and have been waiting for the winner of the Leafs-Bruins series since last Monday. The best-case scenario happened for Florida, as the series with the most hits extended to seven games.

The Bruins won a tightly contested Game 7 on Saturday night with a David Pastrnak overtime winner. The question now will be if they have anything left to take on the Panthers, or if they can ride the wave of that momentum to get through their first two games on the road. The Bruins want to win one of the two games for a home-ice advantage.

The Bruins took an early 3-1 series lead over the Maple Leafs, and it looked like they had completely ruined the Leafs' spirit. Toronto looked like a defeated team after Game 4, and then news came that Auston Matthews would be out of the lineup due to injury. Matthews missed Games 5 and 6, but the Leafs persevered, pushing the series to seven games.

However, unlike their performance against Florida in last year's playoffs, the Bruins finished the job in seven, advancing to the second round and winning their first close-out game in their previous seven attempts. Now that the burden of choking in close-out spots is off the Bruins' backs, they will try to advance even further and avenge last season's loss to Florida.

The Panthers series with the Lightning was expected to go much like the Bruins-Maple Leafs. Two rivals who don't like each other, battling it out for a lengthy series. The Panthers also got out to a 3-1 series lead but had the killer instinct that the Bruins couldn't find, ending it at home in Game 5.

So, what will happen in this series? The Bruins won all four games against the Panthers during the regular season, but the Panthers have the mental edge of being the team to ruin the Bruins' record-setting season in 2022-23. Will the Bruins avenge last year's loss, or will the Panthers move on to their second-straight Eastern Conference finals?

Let's look at some of the best prop bets for Bruins vs. Panthers Game 1.

NHL Playoffs Prop Bets for Bruins vs. Panthers Game 1

• Matthew Tkachuk OVER 3.5 Shots On Goal
• David Pastrnak OVER 3.5 Shots On Goal
• Carter Verhaeghe OVER 2.5 Shots On Goal

Matthew Tkachuk OVER 3.5 Shots On Goal

Matthew Tkachuk has completely changed the culture of the Florida Panthers. He came over in a trade for Jonathan Huberdeau, a blockbuster but questionable deal. Huberdeau was coming off his best statistical season, but General Manager Bill Zito thought Tkachuk was more likely to help the Panthers reach their goals.

Bill Zito was right. Tkachuk was the Panthers' most valuable player in the comeback in Round 1 last season and led Florida to the Stanley Cup Finals. They continued the success this season, grabbing first in the Atlantic Division late and eliminating their rivals in the first round.

Tkachuk was a star again in Round 1, tallying nine points and 21 shots on goal over the five games. He hit the over in each of Florida's wins but had only two in their Game 4 loss. This shows how valuable Tkachuk is to the team. As he goes, the rest of the team goes, and if the Panthers can shake off the rust and take advantage of the Bruins' fatigue after their grueling seven-game series, I expect Tkachuk to play a major role.

David Pastrnak OVER 3.5 Shots On Goal

David Pastrnak was in a bad spot going into Game 7. Head coach Jim Montgomery called him out after Game 6, saying that his superstar had to be better for the team to succeed. Pastrnak took it in stride and had a better performance through regulation time. However, he saved his best for last, taking a perfectly executed Hampus Lindholm stretch pass and ending the Maple Leafs season in overtime.

Pastrnak acknowledged the callout after the game, blaming himself for his poor play. His confidence may have taken a hit in the first six games, but it has to be at an all-time high going into Game 1.

Pastrnak may not have been at his best, but he still had 16 shots over the last four games. It came after the Maple Leafs changed their strategy to be a more smothering, defensive-minded unit. Pastrnak will still get that treatment against the Panthers, but we've seen him succeed under those circumstances before.

Pastrnak had 14 shots in four games against the Panthers this season, but after starting slow in the first two games, he recorded games of 4 and 6 against them in the new year. In the 2023 playoffs, he had over four shots in four of the last five games of the Panthers series, including Game 7, where he had nine, and Games 3 and 6, where he had seven. 

Carter Verhaeghe OVER 2.5 Shots On Goal

The number is too low for Verhaeghe's shots on goal total. He had three or more shots in the last four games against the Lightning, averaging five per game. The Bruins are a defensive-minded team but don't suppress a lot of shots. They are happy to let people shoot from the outside due to their confidence in both goaltenders.

Verhaeghe will get some non-dangerous looks in this game, and as we saw in Game 5 against Tampa Bay when he recorded eight shots, he isn't afraid to fire them at the net. Verhaeghe also enjoys playing against the Bruins, recording eight points against them in last season's upset, including the Game 7 overtime winner.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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