Best NHL Playoff Prop Bets for April 21 (Thatcher Demko Must Outduel Juuse Saros)

The best part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs may be the lineup of weekend games in the first round. We get our first full slate on Sunday, April 21st, with a quadruple-header starting at 12:30 PM ET.

The Battle of Florida starts the day in maybe the most-hyped matchup. The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Florida Panthers after a furious end to the season pushed the Panthers into first in the Atlantic Division. The action moves to Madison Square Garden for the second game, with the -39 goal-differential Washington Capitals looking to keep their luck against the New York Rangers.

The first Western Conference series begins in the third game, with the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Winnipeg Jets. Finally, the Vancouver Canucks play their first home playoff game since 2015 when they host the Nashville Predators in Game 1.

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NHL Playoff Prop Bets for April 21

• Brandon Montour OVER 2.5 Shots On Goal

• Chris Kreider Anytime Goal Scorer

• Gabriel Vilardi Anytime Goal Scorer

• Thatcher Demko OVER Saves (exact line wasn't out on fanduel when i wrote)

Brandon Montour OVER 2.5 Shots On Goal

Montour was a beast for the Florida Panthers in the 2023 playoffs. He took the reins as the team's No.1 defenseman with Aaron Ekblad banged up and, didn't relinquish the opportunity. Montour has been easing back into the lineup after missing the first month with an injury sustained in last year's finals. However, he played 27+ minutes in the Panthers' previous two games, as the team looked to get him ready for an increased playoff workload.

Montour managed to get more than two shots just three times in eight games in April. The oddsmakers want you to take the under here because of that, but playoff Montour doesn't care about his regular season numbers.

Montour hit this number in 12 out of 21 playoff games last season. He failed to hit it in the final two games when it was speculated that his injury occurred. So, Montour's run of 3+ shots in 12 of his first 19 playoff games last Spring is enough to believe he has a good chance of doing it again here. He will likely play 25+ minutes and be involved in Florida's offensive attack.

If you still aren't convinced, Montour played three games against the Lightning this season and tallied 11 shots.

Chris Kreider Anytime Goal Scorer

The Capitals have a solid checking line centered by Nic Dowd. They've done well at shutting down the opposing team's top lines, but they can only check one of the Rangers' top two lines. It's a 1A and 1B situation for the Rangers, and one line will get the better matchup.

We'll assume that Dowd will be assigned Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere. If that's the case, the line of Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Jack Roslovic will have a favorable matchup.

Chris Kreider finished the season with a three-game goal-scoring drought. However, he had a goal in six of seven games before that. Take Kreider in the favorable matchup to get out of his slump and score a clutch goal or two for the Rangers in this game.

Gabriel Vilardi Anytime Goal Scorer

The Winnipeg Jets acquired Vilardi in the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Los Angeles. After one season, it's possible Vilardi alone was worth Dubois. Vilardi missed nearly half the season, but returned to tally 22 goals and 14 assists in 47 games. If he can continue that pace on a deep playoff run, the Jets fans will forget they even had Dubois.

Vilardi scored six goals in eight games in April, but has the highest odds to score on his line. When Vilardi plays on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele he is a major contributor to the offense, and you can expect that to continue against the Avalanche.

The Avalanche's goalies are a big question mark for the team heading into the playoffs. The Avalanche have a potent offensive attack, but their goaltending may not be enough to help them make a long run. They have a combined .839 save percentage and 3.33 goals-against average in their last five games.

Thatcher Demko OVER Saves

This is more of a bet on the Nashville Predators than Demko, as the Predators' up-tempo attack could lend itself to a lot of shots against the Canucks goaltender. The Predators were one of the highest shooting teams in the league this season, averaging 32.2 per game.

Nashville plays a style that has them getting the puck up ice quickly and activating their defensemen. This style of play allows them plenty of scoring opportunities but also has its downside. The Canucks will benefit from being able to counterattack the pinching defensemen.

The Predators will push hard to put the Canucks down 1-0 in the series, and I expect them to come out firing at Demko. If it goes south for the Predators and the Canucks get a lead from the previously-mentioned counterattacking, that also fits the narrative of the Predators funneling shots on net to try and even up the game.

Either way, I expect Demko to see plenty of rubber on Sunday night, and he is up to stopping plenty of them.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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