The NHL Playoffs continue with three games on Wednesday. We start things off with Game 2 of Canadiens vs. Capitals with Washington leading the series 1-0. That's followed by Game 3 of Stars vs. Avalanche, where the series is tied 1-1.
The slate wraps up with Game 2 of Oilers vs. Kings, which sees Los Angeles leading 1-0.
I've dug into the latest odds and identified 3 NHL picks for tonight's contests. Continue below for my NHL best bets and predictions for Wednesday, April 23.
NHL Best Bets Wednesday
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 7 p.m. | |
  | 9:30 p.m. | |
  | 10 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Canadiens vs. Capitals
If you’re a Habs fan, all you can do is shrug your shoulders and laugh. Montreal made a fantastic third period comeback to send Game 1 into overtime.
And even then, with all the momentum it had, Alex Ovechkin got his way again. It was the year of the “Great Eight,” after officially setting the all-time NHL goal scoring record.
So, if you live-bet Montreal after that action-packed third period, you had to at least think that may have been coming.
Washington has been among the NHL elite all season. Apart from Ovechkin, the Capitals have gotten insane production out of Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun, and Aliaksei Protas. Goaltender Logan Thompson also set a career year with a 31-6-6 record and a .910 SV%.
Thompson, once again, dominated in Game 1, stopping 33 out of 35 shots taken.
Washington also finished off the season with an insane road schedule, playing eight of its final 12 games on the road – which explains the 4-7-1 record to cap off the season.
I love Montreal’s team and what it’s managed to do this season, but the Habs are overmatched, especially when the Capitals are finally getting some consistent home cooking. I’ll take Washington’s puck line.
Pick: Washington Capitals -1.5 (+140)
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Avalanche vs. Stars
The Stars finally broke the schneid in overtime, after Colin Blackwell netted the overtime winning goal on Monday night.
It was a back-and-forth game for the most part, but every time Colorado threw its best punch, the Stars came right back at it. Goalie Jake Oettinger looked like his old self after the Avalanche socked him in Game 1, stopping 34 out of 37 shots.
Based on what we saw in the first two games, special teams will have a massive effect on this series. 5-on-5 play is pretty tight right now, and leaving the Avalanche with a man advantage is a big mistake.
The total for this game is set at 6.5 and given how tight 5-on-5 play is at the moment, I think it’s totally fair to play the under here.
Dallas can’t take stupid penalties (looking at you, Mason Marchment). As good as the Stars’ penalty kill was during the season, the Avalanche’s power play was that much better. Not only that, letting Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar run wild with free space is a recipe for disaster.
However, Pete DeBoer usually runs a tight ship on the defensive end and I’d have to imagine he will have the penalty kill back to its regular season form.
Pick: Under 6.5 (-110)
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Oilers vs. Kings
It seemed like Game 1 was in the bag for the Kings, entering the third period with a 4-1 lead. However, you can never count the Oilers out. It was almost 4-0 into the third, but a Leon Draisaitl goal with six seconds left in the second made this a game.
Edmonton came into the third strong. In the first two minutes of the third period, Mattias Janmark got things going with a goal to cut the deficit in half, only for L.A. to answer back with a Kevin Fiala power play goal to bring this back to a three-goal game.
The Oilers didn’t give up though, and made this a tie game with 1:28 left. Of course, it’s only right for the game to end in dramatic fashion, as Philip Danault scored the game winning goal with 41 seconds left.
There’s a lot that the Oilers need to figure out. Stuart Skinner will make or break this team. I’ve been long critical of him, as he’s either lights-out or he can’t stop a beach ball.
For as long as Edmonton is alive, Connor McDavid and Draisaitl will keep this team in it, but silly mistakes, paired with Skinner’s inconsistencies have forced the Oilers to become a highly unpredictable squad.
The Kings have been such an underappreciated team this season. They’re loaded with depth, and Darcy Kuemper has played like a Vezina finalist all season.
This is the third consecutive season that these teams have faced off in the first round of the playoffs, and the Oilers have dominated to a large extent, with an 8-2 record. However, it seems as if the Kings have finally figured it out.
Pick: Los Angeles Kings ML (-134)
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