NHL Game 7 Picks, Bets, Lightning Odds at Maple Leafs, Bruins at Hurricanes, Kings at Oilers

Three 7s games in one day? What a treat for hockey lovers. The first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs was filled with tight strings, the best example being Saturday’s trio of Game 7s.

This is the first time in eight years that three 7 games have taken place on the same day. Moreover, matches are interesting for a number of reasons as well. The blitz would probably be Tampa Bay in Toronto. Toronto hasn’t won a playoff series since 2004 and Tampa Bay is a two-time Stanley Cup champion.

Saturday’s Stanley Cup playoff schedule:

Each day during the Stanley Cup playoffs, Athletic writers will pick their picks straight up. We put our picks, TV broadcast schedule, coverage of all series, as well as the latest possibilities, all in one place so it’s easy for fans to understand and follow. We have in depth NHL Coverage is linked below the footage. For live NHL odds from BetMGM, click here.

Bruins in hurricanes

Game 6: Bruins 5, Hurricanes 2 | The series tied 3-3

Abstract by Sean Gentile

Who was the man? It is safe and boring, probably, to choose Brad Marchand in this place. It’s consistently cool, and it was a quiet Thursday night on the extracurricular side of the street. But it still had a huge impact. He scored first, and it was the first time Boston had made it in the series, and his streak—you’ve probably heard of the other two guys there too—was great.

What was the key? After Marchand’s goal, it was all about the players supporting Boston. It was true for the Bruins a couple of years ago: if they get something out of the middle six, they are a dangerous team. It doesn’t happen regularly enough. On Thursday, though, they got goals Charlie CoyleAnd Eric HolaDerek Forport and Curtis Lazar. If they get it in Game 7, beware, Carolina – and if they get it constantly, beware everyone else.

Basic stats: If Boston wins Game 7, it will be their 16th victory in franchise history, and a tiebreaker with Canadian. If the Hurricanes win Game 7, it would be their sixth in a row, equaling an NHL record recently tied by Rangers in 2015.

Bruins concern meter: 🤪🤪🤪🤪 … Momentum does not transfer from one game to another, but it helps to enter the game 7 of the win.

Hurricanes worry meter: 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯… they sure are should You feel more pressure than Boston; They were one of the top few teams in the league during the regular season and they beat the Bruins every time they met.

Lightning in the Maple Leafs

Game 6: Lightning 4, Maple Leafs 3 (Overtime) | The series tied 3-3

Abstract by Max Bultmann

What was the key? Before we get to it, I’d like to say this: Maple Leafs did much Right on Thursday. They’re back from an early disability once again, and they’ve shown really impressive resilience. For a team whose mental make-up has been called into question in the (somewhat) big moments, it was great to see them turn the 2-0 gap into a 3-2 lead in a tight road match. In an alternate world, this is the story of the game. But two barbed-high penalty kicks midway through the third (one deserved, and one clearly a failed call) gave Lightning 5-on-3. Nikita Kucherov took advantage, tying the match with a treble, and in the end forced overtime. Even then, though, the Leafs had a solid showing in the extra frame, even their bang-bang play – which started with Auston Matthewswho was excellent in the game, blowing a tire – wiped out what should have been a success story.

Key stats? 0 and 8. This is Maple Leafs’ record in closing games since 2017, while maintaining its current core. They have another chance on Saturday to finish this combo. But it’s the stats that will hover above all others until they do.

maple leaf anxiety scale: 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯… They were really there to take it, and they played really well on Thursday. They will also get Game 7 in the house. Bad news? Good that you learned.

Lightning Anxiety Scale: 🥴🥴🥴🥴 …maybe this should be higher, considering they were about to play golf on Thursday. But they have no demons possessed by foliage.

Kings at Oilers

Game 6: Oilers 4, Kings 2 | The series tied 3-3

Abstract by Harman Dayal

Who was the man? To absolutely no one’s astonishment, Conor MacDavid was king with the Oilers on the wall. McDavid opened scoring less than a minute later. He had a zone entry and a secondary pass on game winner Tyson Barry. He put the arc on everything by playing strong defensive play on the back check to strip Andreas Athanasio and send Evander Kane to the insurance mark on the empty net.

From start to finish, the number 97 was the backbone. With McDavid on the ice, the Oilers had 20 shots on target and 3 goals in five against five. The Kings as a whole had 24 shots and one goal in 5-on-5.

Basic stats: Edmonton won the 5v5 fight by 3-1. The Oilers Special Teams have been pretty strong for most of this series but what has outlasted them is how badly they were beaten at every moment – they outperformed 10-2 5 on 5 in their losses. Los Angeles was clinching victories by dominating the battle for marital power. It was critical for Edmonton to at least hold their own at any given moment, they did one better by winning it decisively thanks to McDavid.

Kings anxiety meter:🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯…they have a real chance of winning Game 7, but it doesn’t help that now they’re on the road, McDavid en fuego and Darnell Nurse are back.

Anxiety lubricants meter: 🥴🥴🥴🥴 …they are still 60 minutes away from another possible first-round exit.

Snapshots (until Friday)

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(picture Nikita Kucherov And Justin Hall: Mike Ehrman/Getty Images)