Best NHL Playoff Prop Bets for Panthers vs. Rangers Game 2 (Matthew Tkachuk Has The Rangers Number)

The Conference Finals began on May 22 with the Florida Panthers defeating the New York Rangers in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. It's time for the Rangers to try and even up the series and avoid going on the road in a 2-0 hole.

The Panthers continued their playoff dominance in Game 1, with Sergei Bobrovsky earning a shutout. Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring in the first period. The game remained 1-0 until Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett added insurance markers late in the third.

Here's how I would attack this crucial Game 2 from a prop perspective.

The odds in this article are via FanDuel Sportsbook

NHL Playoffs Prop Bets for Panthers vs. Rangers Game 2

• Matthew Tkachuk Anytime Goal Scorer
• Vincent Trocheck OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal
• Sam Bennett UNDER 1.5 Shots on Goal

Matthew Tkachuk Anytime Goal Scorer

The Panthers showed in Game 1 that they are the better team in this series, and the analytics would show you the same. They are better in expected goal differential and have a goaltender that can go toe-to-toe with Igor Shesterkin.

If the Panthers win again in this game, they'll need some of their stars to step up, and Tkachuk has been special since coming over from Calgary. He led the team to the Stanley Cup Final last season and scored goals in 11 of the past 20 playoff games.

Tkachuk also fares well against the Rangers, scoring seven in 15 career games against them.

Vincent Trocheck OVER 2.5 Shots on Goal

Vincent Trocheck hasn't let us down yet this postseason and the oddsmakers continue giving us his shot prop at 2.5. Trocheck has gone under that total just once over the last eight games, totaling 33 shots in 11 games this postseason for a perfect three shots per game.

Trocheck surely can't keep going over this prop, but we'll continue taking it until he does have an off-night or the prop rises to 3.5. He was a central part of the Rangers' offense in Game 1, with Artemi Panarin looking disinterested and slow at times. If that continues in this game, Trocheck will get more opportunities and take more responsibility to get the Rangers back in it.

An offensive player like Trocheck playing 22 minutes per game leaves us no choice but to assume he can get three or more shots.

Sam Bennett UNDER 1.5 Shots on Goal

Sam Bennett is a great playoff performer for the Florida Panthers. He steps up for his team with his physical play and forechecking, and we know his impact in the Bruins series with his questionable play on Brad Marchand.

Bennett will continue to be a factor for the Panthers, but that doesn't mean he will generate a lot of offense with shots on goal. Bennett has a weird game log where he started the Bruins series with zero shots in Game 3, had four shots in Game 4, and then put up zeros in Games 5 and 6. Then, he started this series with five shots in Game 1.

Bennett was dealing with a bad hand after getting hit with a shot in the team's first series, which kept him out of the first two games of the Bruins series. It didn't affect him in Game 1, but it could flair up as the series continues.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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