It’s time for the next episode of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, an ensemble drama we’ve all come to love around these parts. The Florida Panthers were walloped in Game 1 by the Boston Bruins, who just came down from the high of winning a series in overtime at the expense of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Speaking of Canadian teams, the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers are battling against each other in Round 2. If you’re on X, you’re thinking the same thing we are.
Hockey Twitter may not survive Edmonton-Vancouver. But I'm here for it.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 4, 2024
As always, we have the odds and key storylines to watch for Wednesday night’s games, plus expert picks from our staff.
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Buy tickets to see your favorite team on StubHub.
Boston Bruins at Florida Panthers — Game 2
How to watch: 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN
Series odds: Bruins -125, Panthers +105
Boston leads the series 1-0
• Sergei Bobrovsky’s Game 1 loss now means he has an all-time playoff record of 5-7 against the Boston Bruins in his career.
• The Game 1 loss was also Carter Verhaeghe’s first game this postseason that he didn’t record a point. He has five goals and nine points in six games this spring.
• Mason Lohrei’s game-winning goal in Game 1 against Florida makes him the fourth-ever rookie defenseman in Bruins history to accomplish the feat. He had one game-winning goal this year, in a regular season game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Feb. 29.
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• Jake DeBrusk continues to produce for the Bruins. He now has four goals and six points in eight playoff games.
Expert picks for Bruins at Panthers
Edmonton Oilers at Vancouver Canucks — Game 1
How to watch: 10 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN
Series odds: Oilers -275, Canucks +220
• Many pundits feel comfortable picking Edmonton to win its series against Vancouver. But the Canucks swept their regular season series against the Oilers, outscoring them 21-7.
• If Vancouver goalie Arturs Silovs has to be the guy again for Vancouver, there’s reason to feel comfortable with him thanks to his 2-1 record and a .938 save percentage — albeit in a small sample size. But this will be the first time Silovs will have ever played against the Oilers, whether in the regular season or playoffs.
• Regular season stats are regular season stats, but it’s still fun to look at Leon Draisaitl’s career splits. He has 22 goals, 30 assists and 52 points in 45 career games against the Vancouver Canucks. Anaheim, Nashville and Winnipeg are the only teams Draisaitl has scored more goals against in his career.
• Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner is off to a good start this postseason with a 4-1 record, a .910 save percentage and a 2.59 goals-against average.
Expert picks for Oilers at Canucks
Picks standings
(Photo of Jeremy Swayman: Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)
