NHL Thursday player props: 2 shot totals to attack

We have 11 games on tonight's NHL slate, which means there's a ton of value on the board.

Let's dive into some of my favorite shot totals.

Brad Marchand over 2.5 shots on goal (-140)

We've seen a big uptick in Marchand's shot volume lately. He recorded 57 shot attempts and 37 shots on goal over his last 10 games. He registered at least three shots in eight of the last nine, including four shots in seven of those games.

As I pointed out when I wrote up the Bruins forward in his last game, he's not just hitting the number - he's consistently finishing above it. He's also clearly a better individual shot generator when a volume shooter like David Pastrnak is off the top line.

I expect Marchand to go over again in an advantageous matchup with the Wild.

Minnesota has some key absences - especially on defense - that really hurt its level of play. Normally a stout defensive side, the Wild have given up five-on-five shots at a higher rate than all but one team over the last 10 games.

Jonathan Huberdeau over 2.5 shots on goal (-120)

Huberdeau has been a cheat code for what feels like months. After a slow start to the campaign in terms of shot generation, he's taken it up five notches.

He registered at least three shots on goal in 16 of the last 20 games - an 80% hit rate.

While I don't expect the Panthers forward to sustain that kind of shot productivity the entire season, I do like him to stay hot against the Stars - even in a mediocre matchup.

With Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart out of the lineup, Florida is missing two of its best weapons. Bennett's absence, in particular, leaves more shots up for grab, which Huberdeau generally claims.

Huberdeau recorded 15 shots in the three games Bennett missed over the last few months, hitting the over on each occasion.

Look for that trend to continue in Dallas.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.