Hopefully you were able to relax with the 4-game Monday slate, because we have a loaded 11-game slate to dive into tonight. We'll have plenty of analysis for you across the board, such as our player props. After another 2-0 night, we’re on a solid 11-2 run and we've already analyzed today's matchups. After doing so, we've found our favorite 2 spots for skaters to shine.'
Along with our player props, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today's action.
Evgeni Malkin over 0.5 assists (-120)
Before we dive into our first play, it's worth noting that we love Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the same prop. The 'other guy' seems to always work out, so we wanted to make sure to suggest that off the top. As for his teammate and fellow future Hall-of-Famer, Malkin is also having an incredible year. He's 2nd only to Crosby on the team in terms of points, as he has 44 through 46 games. Of those 44 points, 28 have been assists. He and the Pens will be back on home ice where they generally perform much better and will be looking to avenge their recent overtime loss to the very strong New Jersey Devils.'
They should be able to do so against a Florida Panthers team that is on the 2nd night of a road back-to-back. Pittsburgh beat them 4-2 down in South Beach last month, where Malkin had a goal and an assist. The Panthers allow the 6th-most goals per game on the road, so more success should be in store. Similarly, Florida commits the most penalties in the entire NHL by a landslide, which should provide the Pens with several power play opportunities. That makes Malkin should be able to find a volume shooter like Jake Guentzel to find the back of the net and help him notch this assist.'''''