Here we go, at long last the Stanley Cup Finals are underway! Tonight the Golden Knights and Hurricanes begin the final test to obtain hockey immortality in Game 1! The excitement among fans is at an all-time high, and here at Fantasy Alarm, we’re dedicated to maintaining that momentum with our Best Bets.

As we move forward in the playoffs, games will get tougher, and goals will be harder to come by. However, we can still identify an advantage; we just need to approach our analysis carefully. Please review the wagers and, if you like the rationale, follow them. You can find all wagers here on the NHL Bet Tracker.

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 🏒NHL Picks, Predictions & Best Bets Today, 6/2

🔥 Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction

It all comes down to this folks, the series to decide who will etch their names into Lord Stanley's Cup is ready to roll! Each team has been overly impressive in their runs to the finals as neither team needed seven games in a single series to get here. The Hurricanes come in as the favorite with their 12-1 record in the playoffs and they are as rested as you could be heading into this clash. On the Vegas side they went 12-4 overall which is still top notch and the four game series sweep win over Colorado is something that will impress me for a long time. With the background now out of the way let's talk about who these teams are at the core and then dive into some picks. 

The Hurricanes are the team they've been the last several seasons as they head into the finals for the first time since 2006. They dominate possession and limit opposing chances and shots on goal as well as anyone. This can be seen looking into Corsi metrics as their 59.39% share at even strength is the best in the NHL during the postseason. They've also generated 34.9 goals expected while allowing just 23.2 goals expected against. Then we get into the narrative that its long been said that this Hurricanes team only needs a good goalie to succeed not a great one. Well they are getting that from Frederik Andersen so far this postseason with his 6.7 goals saved above expected over the past 10 starts and GAA of 1.6. If he can hold steady I think this series is Carolina's to lose and I mean that as someone with Hurricanes futures tickets. 

On the Vegas side its hard to believe they are here again. Three Stanley Cup appearances in nine seasons as a franchise is dumbfounding to me and the rest of the hockey world. This was a team that was under .500 in the regular season but since the hiring of John Tortorella they are 19-4-1 and they have dispatched a tough western conference along the way. Vegas is less impressive analytically than Carolina with 33.2 expected goals for and 32.5 expected goals against but its not mattered to this point as they keep winning. This is thanks in large part to Carter Hart who has locked into form over the past 10 starts with 9.2 goals saved above expected and a 1.9 GAA to boot. Hart is going to have to be exceptional to bring the Cup back to Vegas again, be sure of that. I also want to shoutout Mitch Marner who left the hell hole of Toronto last season and now leads the playoffs with 21 points, good for you kid. 

Alright, so now if you're all still here and obtained my full preview let's get into the bets. The line for Carolina I am interested in is the 3rd group of Jordan Staal, Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Martinook. I think this line will go under the radar as the attention of Tortorella will be on Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. Of the line Ehlers is the one who intrigues me most as he collected five points in the Montreal series and looked dominant again. Ehlers is also on the top powerplay unit with the big guns so let's take him to record a point tonight at tremendous value.

On top of that wager the shot volume is going to be heavy I expect from Carolina. Carter Hart should be up to the task and the line of 27.5 saves, while high, is obtainable tonight. The Hurricanes have averaged 33.6 shots on goal these playoffs, no reason things slow down tonight for them so give Hart the nod on his saves prop. 

Pick: Nikolaj Ehlers (CAR) 1+ Point (+140 on DraftKings)

Pick: Carter Hart (VGK) Over 27.5 Saves (-120 on DraftKings)

 

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