Free NHL Eastern Conference Finals Picks, Best Bet, and Parlays for 6/1/22

Last night in Denver was definitely not a game for hockey purists. The Avalanche and Oilers put on an offensive show in an 8-6 victory in Game 1 for Colorado. Both goaltenders were replaced and there was a total of 84 shots between the two teams. It reminded me of the NHL All Star game where there is very little hitting and zero defense. We can almost guarantee that the Game 1 tonight in the Eastern Conference will not be the same. Both New York and Tampa Bay will be much more defensive-minded and the goaltending for these two teams has been outstanding. So, we have a contrast between the two conferences which makes for some fascinating hockey.

We cashed our Best Bet yesterday and we took the Avalanche to win Game 1. Our Best Bet of the Day record is now 61-46 since in 2022.

We went 1-0 betting the MoneyLine and our overall record stands at 380-215 since the All-Star break.

Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s game between Tampa Bay and New York and see what Vegas is thinking.

PAPA DUDES BEST BET OF THE DAY: Tampa Bay at New York: The two-time defending champion, Tampa Bay Lightning, invade New York just 8 wins away from winning their third straight Stanley Cup. But they are facing a very resilient and talented New York Rangers’ team. New York has played two straight 7 games series and outlasted their opponents in both of them. Of the 14 games they have played, five were elimination games and they won them all. They played very well in the final two games against Carolina outscoring them 11-4 to get to the Eastern Conference Finals. Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox have combined for 12 goals and 25 assists to lead the Rangers’ scoring. Chris Kreider is the leading goal scorer with 8 goals. But the strength for the Rangers is their defense and the goaltending of Igor Shesterkin. Igor was just average early in the first round against Pittsburgh, but he found his game and limited the Hurricanes to only 13 goals in seven games in Round 2. He is a big key for the Rangers against Tampa Bay. Meanwhile, the Lightning have been idle for 9 days since eliminating Florida in a 4-game sweep in the Conference Semifinals. Sometimes, after a long break like that, a team can come out sluggish in the first game of a series. But, if anyone can handle that layoff, it is Tampa Bay who have seen just about everything in the last two years. The Lightning have a multitude of scoring options and they are deep and experienced. Their ace in the hole, is goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who is the best playoff goalie in the NHL. This should be a terrific series and I’m taking the Lightning in 7. Tonight, I look for Tampa Bay to take awhile to find their game after the extended layoff, and the Rangers are going to take advantage. PAPA DUDES BEST BET: Bet the MoneyLine of New York: +110