NHL Monday player props: 3 forwards worth backing

The playoffs are finally here. We have four juicy matchups to get us started Monday night, and there's plenty of value on the board. Let's dive in.

Patrice Bergeron over 3.5 shots (+100)

Patrice Bergeron was a consistent shot generator for much of the season. He cooled off a little bit down the stretch, but that had more to do with usage than anything else.

The Boston Bruins clearly took it easy on their star center to keep him fresh for the playoffs. He played more than 17 minutes just once over the last six games and fell short of 16 minutes in four of those contests. Now that results matter again, Bergeron's usage will undoubtedly go up. Look no further than last year's series against the New York Islanders. Bergeron's lowest ice time came in at 17:55, with the two-way star logging at least 19 minutes in four of six games.

He should see that kind of ice time against the Carolina Hurricanes, making him a very attractive target. The Hurricanes are a strong shot suppression team, but that didn't stop Bergeron from generating eight shots and 13 attempts over two regular-season meetings against them. He's a very efficient shooter at five-on-five, and Carolina takes plenty of penalties. That should help him get there.

Anze Kopitar over 2.5 shots (-114)

The Edmonton Oilers gave up a ton of shots to centers down the stretch. In fact, no team conceded more per game over the last month of the season. It didn't necessarily translate to production, but volume is volume, and that's what we're chasing here.

Anze Kopitar enjoyed success against the Oilers this campaign. He registered at least three shots in three of the four meetings, including both contests played in Edmonton.

The power-play matchup is what makes Kopitar even more enticing. Edmonton spent more time shorthanded than all but two teams over the regular season's final 20 games. The Nashville Predators were the lone side to concede more shots while down a man.

It just so happens that Kopitar led the Los Angeles Kings in power-play scoring chances over the previous 20 contests. He was also one back of the team lead in shots on the man advantage over the same period. Kopitar should be the prime beneficiary in this matchup.

Kirill Kaprizov over 3.5 shots (-112)

Death, taxes, and backing Kirill Kaprizov on home soil. The Minnesota Wild superstar generated at least four shots in 22 of his last 30 home games, good for a 73% success rate.

The St. Louis Blues are a solid team, but they're not one we have to avoid. They ranked 27th in shot attempts against per 60 minutes at five-on-five over the last 10 contests. The Blues give up volume and can be exploited, which Kaprizov showed during the season series.

He hit the over in two of three appearances against St. Louis, falling just one short - while attempting nine shots - in the lone exception.

I see plenty of value at this price.

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