NHL Thursday bets: Beautiful spots on the ice tonight

Edmonton here is for a similar reason. I've got the Oilers down for 3.9 goals per game at home and St. Louis at 3.9 allowed per game on the road. Tack on a really bad Blues PK, and the Oilers should feast on the power play.

Note that this combination is for both teams to score in regulation,  excluding OT.

As I wrote this, I almost feel like this play is too tame. As such, I'm laddering each up to over 3.5 goals together (including OT) in a smaller play. I can't help myself, I really like these looks. 

.5u: Vegas & Edmonton 4+ goals each (+236 DK)

1u: Boston over 2.5 goals in regulation & Columbus-Tampa over 5.5 goals (+101 DK)

Boston is another that should have no issues pouring on goals. Los Angeles is allowing 3.8 goals per game and owns one of the NHL's worst penalty killing rates over the past 10 games. The Bruins average 3.9 goals per game in Boston and sport one of the league's best PP units.

Tampa Bay should do the heavy lifting of scoring here against this horrible Columbus team, but with Brian Elliott in net for the Lightning (3.39 GAA), I find this over 5.5 to be the better second leg.

Similarly to the above play, I feel this is too safe. I'll play these two another way as well.

.5u: Boston & Tampa 4+ goals each (+170 DK)

1u: Aaron Ekblad & Evgeni Malkin over 2.5 SOG (+188 CZR)

This Florida-Pittsburgh game should be a good one, and I like it to turn into a shot-fest on both ends. On the Panthers end, my favorite option is Aaron Ekblad.

The Penguins are allowing 32.7 shots per game on the road and the fifth-most shots per game to defensemen. Ekblad is over 2.5 shots in four straight games and averaged 4.3 SOG/game in three meetings with Pittsburgh last season, hitting this 2.5 number each time.

I'll pair him with Evgeni Malkin, one of the power-play shot leaders for a Pittsburgh team that should see plenty of those chances tonight. Florida is allowing 3.9 power-play opportunities per game over the last ten. 

Malkin has 3+ shots in four straight on the road and had 7 SOG in the one game against Florida last season.

.5u: Cole Caufield over 3.5 SOG (-104 CZR)

I'm going to have grab Cole Caufield here against an Anaheim team allowing 39.3 shots per game on the road this season. Caufield hasn't been the steadiest at hitting his four shots, but he has covered this total in four of his last five at home, averaging 7.8 attempts per game in that stretch.

Caufield easily tops Montreal in power-play shots, and the Ducks have had a proclivity for penalties this year. Caufield should hit this mark, and I like him to score as well.

.5u: Caufield goal (+160 CZR)

.5u: Zach Hyman over 3.5 SOG (+120 FD)

I'm fine to go to Zach Hyman tonight, the man is absolutely rolling — why are we getting these odds? Hyman is over 3.5 shots on goal in five straight and eight of his last 10, and in seven of these games he's hit at minimum five shots. He's just as steady at home as well.

St. Louis is allowing 34.9 shots per game on the road, and Hyman had five shots when they last met. I'll ride the hot hand here in Hyman with a goal. He has four goals in his last two games and has three in his last three against the Blues.

.5u: Hyman goal (+155 CZR)