Predicting the NHL's Conference Finals

Tampa Bay center Brayden Point

Chris O'Meara - Associated Press

Just over a month after getting back on the ice, the NHL playoffs have already reached the conference finals.

Dallas Stars v. Las Vegas Golden Knights

Over in the Western Conference, top-seeded Las Vegas has already found themselves in a one-game hole against the Dallas Stars. The Golden Knights have only been in the NHL for three seasons, but this is already their second trip to the Western Conference Finals, with their first trip coming in their expansion season where they downed Winnipeg 4-1 in 2018.


There were plenty of similarities in the conference semifinals for both teams, as Dallas and Las Vegas jumped out to 3-1 series leads. The Stars and Golden Knights couldn't make quick work of their opponents though, as they needed to go to a Game 7 before securing their spot in the Western Conference Finals.

Las Vegas was cruising agains Vancouver before they ran into back goaltender Thatcher Demko, who was forced into action after Vancouver saw goalie Jacob Markstrom injured in Game 4. Demko resembled a brick wall, allowing just one goal in Games 5 & 6 before Shea Theodore scored the game-winning goal in the third period of Game 7. Theodore is leading the Golden Knights with 16 points so far in the playoffs.

Las Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea TheodoreLas Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea TheodorePaul Sancya - Associated Press

Las Vegas is such a tough team to beat in a seven-game series because of their goaltender depth. Robin Lehner, who was acquired from Chicago before the trade deadline, has seen most of the ice-time between the pipes for the Golden Knights in the playoffs, sporting a 1.99 goals against average and three shutouts in 12 games. 14-year veteran Marc-Andre Fleury has seen some spot starts to give Lehner a rest, and has been solid when called on.

After struggling to find consistent offense during the regular season, Dallas has found their scoring touch in the postseason. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen has 21 points to lead the Stars, while Denis Gurianov and Joe Pavelski have each scored a team-high eight goals. The most impressive performance of Gurianov's career came in Game 6 against Calgary when he notched a hat trick in the second period, and scored another goal in the third period to help the Stars secure a spot in the conference semifinals against Calgary.

Dallas Stars forward Denis GurianovDallas Stars forward Denis GurianovRonald Martinez - Getty Images

Dallas has been able to work around some early inconsistencies at goalie in the playoffs. Starter Ben Bishop was awful early on, allowing 12 goals in three games. That lead head coach Rick Bowness to turn to Anton Khudobin, who has steadied the position a little. Coming into this series, Khudobin had a 2.94 goals against average, which isn't great, but showed how good he can be in the Game 1 shutout of Las Vegas, where he stopped all 29 shots.

The Stars may have stolen the first game, but there is still a long way to go in this series. The Golden Knights have a little too much depth and scoring punch for the Stars to match. Dallas has caught a couple teams in bad spots already in the playoffs, most notably Colorado last round when the Avalanche lost a number of key players due to injury. I don't think they were get as lucky against a strong Las Vegas squad. The Golden Knights win this series in six games.

New York Islanders v. Tampa Bay Lightning

After a short, embarrassing showing in last year's playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning have some unfinished business to take care of this year. The only team standing in Tampa Bay's way from their third Stanley Cup Final appearance is the New York Islanders, who are making their first Eastern Conference Final appearance since 1993.

The Lightning found themselves as the second seed after the round-robin seeding round, which matched them up with the Columbus Blue Jackets, who swept Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs last year. Tampa Bay survived a five overtime thriller in Game 1 against the Blue Jackets, and it has been relatively smooth sailing for the Lightning since, as they have only dropped two games in the first two rounds.

Not many teams can matchup with Tampa Bay, who have stars on offense, defense, and at goaltender. Nikita Kucherov is the reigning NHL MVP, Victor Hedman has been a finalist for the Norris Trophy in each of the last four years. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Vezina Trophy last year, and is finalist for the award again this year.

Brock Nelson led the Islanders during the regular season with 26 goals, and has added seven tallies in the postseason. Mathew Barzal is a playmaker, as evidenced by his 50 assists between the regular season and playoffs.

New York Islanders forward Mathew BarzalBrad Penner - USA TODAY Sports

After the Islanders slumped in the middle of the season and nearly missed the playoffs following the injury to Adam Pelech, the return of the defenseman has seen a spark in play from New York in Toronto. Even with Pelech back healthy, it's hard to see the Islanders keeping the potent Tampa attack off the scoreboard. We saw the problems the Lightning can cause already, as they chased starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov in Game 1 after putting five pucks past Varlamov. Islanders head coach Barry Trotz will have a decision to make on whether he wants to go back to Varlamov, or give backup Thomas Greiss a shot at slowing down the Lightning.

If the Islanders don't make some changes quick, they'll see their season end in the next week. New York can't afford to play from behind against Tampa Bay, as the Islanders won't be able to find the offense to keep up with the Lightning. While it has been a fun ride for the Islanders and their fans, Tampa Bay is a team on a mission right now. The Lightning take this series in five games.

With Football and March Madness in our rear-view window, you must think that there is nothing good to bet on these days. However, there’s so much going on right now that even we are having a hard time keeping up!

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on to help you out.

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  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
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With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, they are offering new users their No Sweat $1,000 promotion. This means you will get up to $1,000 back in Bonus Bets if you lose your first bet!

Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

So March Madness is over, and either you won big or died trying. Whatever the case may be, now that the hoopla of the tournament is behind us, you may be thinking that there’s nothing exciting to bet on before the ramp-up to the NBA Playoffs. However, there’s so much more going on post-March Madness than you might realize.

So, we sent our sports editors to chase down all of the best sports to bet on now that the winning team has been crowned.

First things first, you’ll want to make an account with FanDuel Sportsbook — a legitimate and easy way to put your money where your mouth is and bet on just about every sport, including:

  • NFL
  • NBA
  • MLB
  • NHL
  • UFC
  • and the PGA Tour

With FanDuel, enter your name, credit card, and social security number — that’s to ensure you're not a coach or player. Then you’re good to start placing bets with the most user-friendly sports betting app out there. You’ll find an easy-to-navigate interface and in-depth tutorials on every type of bet you can make. Plus, they are always offering amazing promotions. Right now, when new users bet $5, they get $150 in Bonus Bets, win or lose!

It’s post-March Madness- Here’s what’s heatin’ up:

Basketball: NBA Player Combos

A popular strategy is betting on whether a player will score a certain amount of points, grab a certain amount of rebounds, or dish out a certain amount of assists. For instance, say you bet that LeBron James will hit a PRA (total Points, Rebounds, and Assists in the game) over 44.5. Therefore, if his PRA is 45, you win your bet, but if it is 44, you lose.

Pro Tip: Combine multiple bets on one game with bets on another game for a chance at an even bigger payday using FanDuels Same Game Parlay Features!

Hockey: Total Shots On Goal

A “shot on goal” in hockey refers to a statistic that counts any shot that hits the net or the goalie. So, bet on the number of shots an NHL player will attempt “on goal” in the game. When a player takes a shot and is completely off — missing the net — or the goalkeeper — entirely — this won’t count toward a shot on goal. Did you know there are no regulation-draw markets in pro hockey? A hockey game is held in 3 periods. But when teams are tied at the end of the 3rd period, the winner is decided in overtime or in a shoot-out — which often leads to a nail-biting finish.

Soccer: Total Shots

Bet on the number of shots a soccer player will attempt “on goal” over the course of the game. Just like in hockey, if a player takes a bum shot it’s not counted toward a “shot on goal” or your bet. But there have been some surprising goals that can make you a few bucks.

Golf: Over/Under Birdies

A bet we see a lot lately is “whether a player will achieve “over X / under X” birdies. A birdie is a term for a score of one under par. This is when a player’s golf ball hits the green — close to the hole — in fewer shots than it usually takes to complete the hole. Here’s a hot tip: So, bet on exceptional golfers who you think can complete all 18 holes in under 72 shots, especially at Augusta National!


Baseball: NRFI

Believe it or not, the MLB is home to one of the most popular betting props - the NRFI, the MVP bet for our time. It stands for "No Run First Inning".

With the NRFI, you don't have to waste four hours anxiously waiting to see who the winner is. Instead, you only need six quick outs at the beginning of the game, with 89 percent of the game still remaining.

Simply put, it’s revolutionized how people view baseball. For such a brief time-investment, NRFI transforms the most sleepy sport in the world into the most intense and electric betting out there. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and give you a hit of instant gratification when you win!

Just because March Madness is behind us doesn’t mean your sports betting fun is on pause until ‘24.

Make FanDuel Sportsbook your place of the year, no matter the sport or the game.

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