NHL Tuesday player props: 3 shooters worth backing

We have a massive slate of NHL games on Tuesday night, which means there are a boatload of player props to comb through.

Let's take a look at three that stood out from the rest.

Auston Matthews over 4.5 shots (+100)

Matthews took a while to hit his shooting stride, but he sure seems to have turned a corner. The superstar Maple Leafs sniper has gone over his shot total in five of his last seven games, clearing six shots on four occasions in that stretch.

No. 34 is in a great spot for that success to continue at home to the Ducks. They have been horrendous defensively all season long and yet they continue to reach new lows.

The Ducks have conceded more than 68 attempts, and 37 shots on goal, per 60 minutes of five-on-five play over the last 10 games. Both totals comfortably rank them last in the NHL.

They aren't very good on the penalty kill, either, so Matthews figures to get plenty of looks on the man advantage as well.

Given his shooting trajectory and the fact this putrid Anaheim team is on the latter half of a road back-to-back, there's every reason to expect another active night from Matthews.

Gustav Forsling over 2.5 shots (-135)

The following Florida Panthers have generated more shot attempts than Gustav Forsling over the last eight games:

...

That's right: nobody. Not Matthew Tkachuk. Not Aleksander Barkov. Not Carter Verhaeghe. Not Aaron Ekblad. Nobody.

Forsling has logged nearly 25 minutes per game in that time and made the most of it, generating 55 attempts for an average of just under seven per game. That's more than enough to hit three shots on a consistent basis, which is why Forsling has gone over the number in six of his last seven.

I like Forsling's chances of making it seven hits in eight tries tonight against the Blue Jackets.

Columbus allows a whopping 11.51 shots per game to opposing defensemen. The Coyotes (10.58), Ducks (10.41), and Oilers (10.07) are the only other teams allowing double digits, and the Blue Jackets have distanced themselves from that group quite a bit.

With Forsling logging so much ice time, he should make the most of this advantageous matchup.

Timo Meier over 4.5 shots (+105)

At home, Meier has gone over his shot total in six of the last 10 and two of the last six. Those are not great numbers, especially compared to what we've grown accustomed to seeing from the Sharks forward.

Don't let the results take you off of him, though; the process remains as solid as ever.

Meier has averaged 9.2 shot attempts per game over his last 10 at home. For the season, he has averaged 8.2 attempts at home. So he's actually shooting the puck more than he was earlier in the year, when it felt like he was automatic every night regardless of the game location.

As long as he maintains his attempt volume, it's a matter of time before he gets consistent results again.

As is the case with Matthews and Forsling, Meier finds himself in one of the best matchups you could ask for. The Coyotes struggle to defend at five-on-five and take a ton of penalties, allowing extra shooting opportunities for Sharks players like Meier.

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