The Florida Panthers won the first of two overseas games against the Dallas Stars, scoring just 28 seconds into the game and never surrendering their lead en route to a 6-4 victory.
Many Finnish players were front and center in their home country, with Aleksander Barkov (four points), Anton Lundell (one goal), and Esa Lindell (two points, three shots) making significant impacts offensively.
My Stars vs. Panthers predictions see another Finn shining on Saturday, with Stars blueliner Miro Heiskanen getting more involved.
Stars vs Panthers prediction
My best bet
Miro Heiskanen Over 2.5 shots (+142 at FanDuel)
My analysis
Miro Heiskanen goes through peaks and valleys with his shot volume. Generally, the Dallas Stars defenseman needs a strong matchup to hit his ceiling. The good news is he has one against the Florida Panthers.
Although the Panthers are stingy at preventing shots as a whole, they give up an awful lot on the perimeter. This leads to very high shot volume for opposing defensemen. In fact, no team has conceded more shots per game to the position than the Panthers.
Heiskanen generated two shots on five attempts in the mini-series opener against the Panthers. What that doesn’t show is he also had a couple of shots that were deflected in front and counted for others. The opportunities were there.
With the Stars considered the ‘home’ team in Game 1, head coach Pete DeBoer was able to use the last change to his advantage and get Heiskanen a lot of ice time against Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, and Florida’s top line.
He won’t have such luxury in Game 2, meaning Heiskanen probably won’t play as much against Florida’s top players.
Easier minutes seem to benefit Heiskanen in his effort to generate shots. He has attempted 6.1 shots per game over his last 20 road games, which is a notable difference from the 5.4 he produced over that same span at home.
It’s also worth noting that after this contest, the Stars are off until Thursday. Considering there is a long gap between games, Dallas has no reason to feel the need to preserve Heiskanen.
Having dropped the opener, I expect Heiskanen will get a healthy dose of ice as the Stars look to split the international series and avoid a long flight home empty-handed.
Look for him to make the most of it.
Stars vs Panthers same-game parlay (SGP)
Miro Heiskanen Over 2.5 shots
Carter Verghaeghe Over 2.5 shots
Under 6.5
Carter Verhaeghe is a remarkably consistent shooter. He’s recorded at least three shots in 10 of 12 games this season, including seven straight games.
He has done his best job at home, recording 4.5 shots per game on nine shot attempts. Those are much better marks than he’s managed on the road (3.9 shots, 6.5 attempts).
I’m expecting a lower-scoring, tighter affair in the second leg of the back-to-back. When the Devils and Sabres opened the season in Czechia and played two games within 21 hours, we saw a big dip in chance generation between the two games.
Both Spencer Knight and Casey DeSmith have saved more goals than expected through their first few appearances this season. They are plenty capable of preventing ceiling offensive performances — especially if fatigue sets in and fewer chances come about.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Stars vs Panthers odds
Stars vs Panthers live odds
Stars vs Panthers opening odds
- Puck line: Dallas +1.5 (-265) | Florida -1.5 (+210)
- Moneyline: Dallas -102 | Florida -118
- Over/Under: Over 6.45 (+108) | Under 6.5 (-132)
Stars vs Panthers trend
Verhaeghe has racked up 3+ shots in six of his last seven games. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Panthers.
How to watch Stars vs Panthers
| Location: | Nokia Arena, Tampere, Finland |
| Date: | Saturday, 11-2-2024 |
| Puck drop: | 11:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NHL Network |
Stars vs Panthers latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
