NHL.com identifies key gameday matchups and players to watch throughout the 2023-24 season
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Note: Betting lines provided by Betway (U.S., Ontario)
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1. Florida Panthers at New York Rangers (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+)
3-way moneyline:
FLA regulation win: +150
Draw at end of regulation: +310
NYR regulation win: +135
The Rangers are tied with the Vancouver Canucks for the best points percentage (.686) in the NHL, while the Panthers are close behind in fourth (.681). The Panthers have won each of the first two games against the Rangers this season and have scored four goals in each game. But Florida has had three straight regulation losses, including a 3-0 home defeat against the Nashville Predators on Thursday. The Rangers had a 5-2 road win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday and have won six of their past eight games. New York is 24-9-0 at home this season, but one of those losses was to Florida on March 4.
Rangers forward Artemi Panarin had four points (two goals, two assists) against the Bruins on Thursday and now has an NHL career-high 97 points (41 goals, 56 assists) this season. New York defenseman Adam Fox has eight points (three goals, five assists) during a six-game point streak, including one goal and one assist Thursday against Boston. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, who scored two goals against the Rangers on March 4, has 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in his past 10 games and is tied with Zach Hyman of the Edmonton Oilers for the second-most goals (48) in the NHL this season behind Auston Matthews (57) of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
2. Edmonton Oilers at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN)
Over 6.5 total goals: -135
Under 6.5 total goals: +110
The Oilers matched a season high with eight goals in their win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday and have earned points in 11 of their past 12 games (9-1-2). The Maple Leafs are playing for the first time since Wednesday, when they had a 7-3 road win against the Washington Capitals. It was the seventh time Toronto has scored at least seven goals in a game this season, the most such games in the NHL. The Maple Leafs rank third in the League in goals per game (3.62), while the Oilers are right behind in fourth (3.58).
Matthews had five points (two goals, three assists) against the Capitals on Wednesday and is approaching his NHL career high in goals (60 in 73 games during 2021-22 season). Matthews has scored 12 goals in 18 career games against the Oilers. Maple Leafs forward William Nylander, meanwhile, leads them with 91 points (38 goals, 53 assists) and has scored goals in four straight games.
Hyman scored two goals for Edmonton against Buffalo on Thursday and has two points (one goal, one assist) and 16 shots on goal in four career games against Toronto, his former team. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has seven assists during a five-game point streak and ranks fifth among NHL defensemen in points (67) this season. Edmonton forward Connor McDavid had four assists against the Sabres on Thursday, giving him 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in his past five games.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSW)
TBL puckline (-1.5 goals): +240
LAK puckline (+1.5 goals): -330
The Lightning have won five straight games, matching their longest winning streak of the season, and have scored 27 goals in the span (5.4 per game) with each victory coming by multiple goals. Tampa Bay has scored at least one power-play goal in each game during its winning streak, going 7-for-20 with the man advantage over those five games (35.0 percent). The Kings have scored six goals in consecutive games and had a 6-0 home win against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. Los Angeles’ power play is 3-for-5 over its past two games.
Lightning forward Brayden Point had three points (two goals, one assist) in their win against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, giving him 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in his past five games. Tampa Bay wing Nikita Kucherov had four assists Thursday, extending his point streak to 12 games (28 points in span), and leads the NHL in points (122) this season. Kings center Anze Kopitar has seven points (five goals, two assists) in his past four games, and wing Viktor Arvidsson had a multipoint game (one goal, one assist) and five shots on goal in his return to the lineup Wednesday.
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