Nylander to pile up shots vs. Bruins
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We had a solid Monday night on the ice, winning two of our three props. Let's waste no time getting to three more plays for a bunch of do-or-die games.
William Nylander: Over 3.5 shots
Nylander was given a full workload and then some in his return to the lineup, leading all Maple Leafs forwards in ice time (22:24) and shot attempts (eight). Although he fell one shot on goal shy of his total, it was encouraging to see he could handle a steady dose of ice.
I expect Nylander to again clear 20 minutes with ease in Game 5. The Maple Leafs are playing for their season and need all the offense they can get, especially with Auston Matthews questionable to play.
Nylander's averaged 4.4 shots on 8.8 attempts in games where he's played 20-plus minutes this season. That's led to him clearing his total at a 65% clip.
If we move the needle to 22-plus minutes, a milestone Nylander hit in Game 4, he's averaged 4.8 shots on goal per game and cleared at a 71% rate.
Whether Matthews plays or not, head coach Sheldon Keefe will be looking to get Nylander on the ice as much as possible with the season on the line. Expect him to take advantage.
Odds: +120 (playable to -120)
Artturi Lehkonen: Over 2.5 shots
Lehkonen's turned into quite the Jets killer. He's recorded at least three shots in all four games this series, piling up 19 in aggregate. That's almost five per game.
His success against them stems far beyond the playoffs, as Lehkonen's gone over his total in eight of his past nine meetings against the Jets.
He's skating on the second line with an extremely pass-happy center in Casey Mittelstadt. That helps boost his shooting floor and ceiling, as does playing a net-front role on a lethal power play where the Jets have to pay so much respect to superstars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen.
It's also worth noting Lehkonen's recorded three-plus shots in five of six games without Jonathan Drouin while averaging 6.2 attempts. That's strong volume for someone who lives around the net and hits the target at a high clip.
Win or lose, I expect Lehkonen to hit the target a few times in Game 5.
Odds: -130 (playable to -145)
Quinn Hughes: Over 0.5 assists
Few are relied upon to facilitate offense for their team as much as Hughes. Playoffs included, he's recorded 79 assists through 86 games this season. That's remarkable production for any player, let alone a defenseman.
Although Hughes is an efficient producer against seemingly every team, he's hit a different level against the Predators.
Hughes has piled up 15 assists over his last 10 games against the Predators, recording at least one apple in eight of them.
He logs a ton of minutes at even strength and is lethal on the power play. With the Canucks pushing to eliminate the Predators, and get their guys extra rest heading into a likely second-round series against the Oilers, head coach Rick Tocchet will no doubt be leaning heavily on his captain.
This is a spot where Hughes could play 25-plus minutes. Given how much he handles the puck, and the volume of shots he creates for his teammates, that should translate to an assist.
Odds: -125 (playable to -135)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.