The Florida Panthers were able to scratch and claw their way to the postseason thanks in large part to the emergence of journeyman goaltender Alex Lyon. But in order to pull out the upset over the Boston Bruins, they will likely need Lyon to elevate his game to an even higher level. Bettors looking for some value in Panthers-Bruins Game 2 bets can look no further than one Alex Lyon player prop.
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Best Panthers-Bruins Game 2 Bets: Alex Lyon to Step Up?
Alex Lyon Player Prop: O/U 28.5 Saves
There was no way to put the Game 1 loss on Lyon. The veteran netminder looked poised in the net in his first career Stanley Cup Playoffs game, stopping 26 of 29 shots. But the Bruins (who set regular season records in both wins and points) really did not play their best game.
Boston let the Panthers hang around for most of Game 1 despite being the much more talented team on paper. Florida even out-shot the Bruins, but just could not do enough to overcome an early deficit. The Bruins were ninth in the league in shots on goal (32.95) during the regular season and should benefit from playing a rather weak Panthers defense for the remainder of the series.
All in all, Lyon should expect a bigger test in Game 2. And he proved during the regular season that he was up to the task.
In 14 regular season starts, Lyon posted an impressive 2.89 goals-against average with a save percentage of .914 save percentage. The performance was a big reason why the Panthers went on a late-season surge to earn a spot in the postseason.
Despite having veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky making $10 million this season, the choice to stick with Lyon for the playoffs was an easy one for head coach Paul Maurice.
“When he first came in, he was just pure battle. Now he is a guy who is settled in and very efficient,” he said, per The Palm Beach Post. “Some of that is just confidence — settling your game down and getting back to tracking pucks — so there has been a significant style change for him and some of that is just comfort level.”
If Lyon continues to perform at a high level and the Bruins’ offense gets back to the same form shown during the regular season, the over 28.5 Alex Lyon saves (-125 on DraftKings Sportsbook) will soar past the total. Bettors looking for an edge throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs should use OddsShopper tools for the best value on moneylines, spreads and player props!
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