NHL bets: Two player props for Avalanche-Stars Game 5

We split our plus-money looks here yesterday, and we have just one NHL game on the docket for tonight. Call me crazy, but one game at a reasonable hour sounds just grand to me, and this Colorado-Dallas series certainly offers some prop looks I want a piece of.

It's Game 5 in Dallas, with the Stars up 3-1. They've looked dominant here, but I don't expect the Avs to simply fold and hand them the series.

1u: Artturi Lehkonen over 2.5 SOG (-105 Fanatics)

I was very disappointed to hear about Valeri Nichushkin's continued struggles with whatever it is haunting him. His absence is a massive deal for Colorado, and without their leading playoff goal scorer, the Avalanche seem to be operating on borrowed time here.

While I do think Dallas wins either today or in Game 6 to advance, Nichushkin's absence does open a window of prop betting opportunity elsewhere.

One such name that quickly catches the eye is Artturi Lehkonen, our old friend from Round 1. Lehkonen took Nichushkin's winger spot on the top line alongside Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon, and he finished Game 4 with three shots on goal on five attempts.

That marked the seventh game in the last nine where Lehkonen went over this 2.5 line in a game without Nichushkin playing. He's logged 5+ shot attempts in six of the past seven without Nichushkin, and the last time he played in Dallas this series, he finished with five SOG on seven attempts.

If we project him to once again find 5+ attempts here, his hit-rate suggests some value here. On the year, when Lehkonen shoots the puck five or more times, he's over this 2.5 line in 19 of 21 games (90%), including 13 of his last 14.

That's just something I'm going to have to follow, especially at such a reasonable price.

.75u: Logan Stankoven point (+145 DraftKings)

Here we go, I'm giving Logan Stankoven another chance. Long-time readers of mine likely know of the plight I tend to have with certain value props. That being: I am usually a few games too early, then I give up, and then that prop starts hitting with consistency.

That would most definitely be Stankoven point here, who I bet for a few games, then stopped, and has since piled up three points in his last two games, two of which were goals.

Here I go, setting myself up for some pain in my return to the rookie. I've loved what I've seen from the young winger, and he remains on Dallas's top line. It appears Roope Hintz is out tonight, and early reports suggest Tyler Seguin is joining Stankoven and Jason Robertson on the top line. That's a trio I can get behind.

His recent performance validates both what I've seen with my own eyes and the advanced metrics that suggest he has been logging some of the highest-quality looks for the Stars during even-strength play.

Reward my faith in you, Logan, thanks in advance.