Best NHL Player Prop Bets to consider for Thursday, March 14 Ilya Sorokin New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has had a great season statistically, even if it hasn’t always translated into wins. Sorokin enters Thursday night’s game at Buffalo with a .910 save percentage, and if the Islanders had played better defensively, his record would be much better than 22-14-11 right now. There’s no doubt that Sorokin is a top NHL goaltender, but even the best ones need good defensive-zone support. The Sabres will be eager to test an Islanders defense that is allowing the league’s seventh-most shots on goal this season. That mean Sorokin will have to answer the call on Thursday.

The Pick: Ilya Sorokin over 26.5 saves (-134)
Sidney Crosby The struggling Pittsburgh Penguins host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night, and this is one game that should not cause problems for a Pens team that has lost seven of its last eight games. That’s because these 2023-24 Sharks are historically bad. Check out the NHL team statistics this season, and you’ll notice that San Jose ranks at the bottom -- or very close to the bottom -- in nearly every category. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will look to get his team back on a winning track, of course, but just about any forward on this Pittsburgh team is capable of scoring against the terrible Sharks defense on Thursday.  San Jose is allowing both the NHL’s most goals and shots per game this season. While Crosby has only exceeded his current prop total for shots once over his last five games, he will get back on track against this inferior Sharks defense on Thursday night.

The Pick: Sidney Crosby over 3.5 shots on goal (+110)
Adin Hill The Vegas Golden Knights have been dealing with a rash of injuries to key players, but most of those injuries had affected offensive-minded players. When the Knights began struggling defensively, head coach Bruce Cassidy did not mince words in saying that his players had no excuse for giving up so many goals. Vegas is on the other side of the border on Thursday night to face a Calgary Flames team that has been very aggressive -- and often lethal -- on offense this season. With two straight wins, the Golden Knights have started to get back to the kind of high-scoring hockey that produced last year’s Stanley Cup championship, but they are still yielding far too much in their own zone. Look for Vegas goaltender Adin Hill to have to have a great night on Thursday because his entire team will emphasize good defense in its effort to get a third straight win.

The Pick: Adin Hill over 28.5 saves (-111)

Alex Ovechkin Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals’ 38-year-old captain, is beginning to turn back the clock. He has continued to fire pucks at the net and has managed to do a much better job of putting those pucks into it over the second half of this season. Although he has only one goal in his last five games, he’ll know that he needs to come up with one in Seattle on Thursday because the Kraken are one of the league’s top 10 teams in terms of fewest goals allowed. If Washington plans to win this road game, it will need its future Hall of Famer’s help. Give me Ovechkin to find the back of the net in Seattle on Thursday night.

The Pick: Alex Ovechkin anytime goalscorer (+140)

Odds are subject to change*

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