This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks and Parlays: Expert NHL Bets for Monday, April 22
There are four games on the National Hockey League playoff schedule for Monday night, including the series openers for the Vegas Golden Knights and the Dallas Stars, as well as the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, in their Western Conference first-round matchups. Coverage gets underway on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET for Game 2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, wrapping up with that Kings-Oilers game on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. ET. Let's get started!
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Best NHL Picks Tonight
Toronto Maple Leafs 
at Boston Bruins 
The Maple Leafs and the Bruins meet for Game 2 at TD Garden at 7 p.m. ET. The Bruins destroyed the Maple Leafs 5-1 in the series opener, winning for the eighth consecutive time between these Original Six teams.
Some even suggest that the Bruins frittered away the Atlantic Division title on purpose, losing the final two games, to set up what they feel is an easier matchup against the Leafs. We'll leave those conspiracy theories to others, however.
The Bruins (-140) cashed in Game 1, and bettors felt comfortable throughout the game. John Beecher was an unlikely contributor, getting Boston off on the right foot with a goal just 2:26 into the game. The Bruins tacked on three more goals in the second period, including a pair of Jake DeBrusk power-play markers.
To make matters worse for the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, who had 69 goals in the regular season to lead the NHL, took a high-sticking penalty, leading to one of the DeBrusk markers on the man advantage.
The scoring combination for the Leafs in the third period was David Kampf from Connor Dewar and Ryan Reaves. That's not Matthews, Mitchell Marner or William Nylander. The Leafs need their big guys not to do a disappearing act, or the golf course will be calling sooner rather than later.
- Bruins ML (-140 at FanDuel)
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New York Islanders 
at Carolina Hurricanes 
The Hurricanes struck for a power-play goal from Evgeny Kuznetsov just 95 seconds into Game 1, setting the PNC Arena off into a frenzy. The Islanders answered later in the first period, as Kyle MacLean connected for a goal, but that's all the Isles could muster against Frederik Andersen.
The Danish tendy has been on point, allowing just 14 goals in 10 regular-season starts after returning from a months-long blood-clotting issue in early March. He made 33 saves on 34 shots in Game 1, picking up right where he left off, not only in the regular season, but in last season's playoffs when he was ultra-sharp, too.
Hot goaltending is the name of the game in the postseason, and Carolina currently has it. The Islanders will be hard-pressed to get many pucks past him, and therefore the Under is best course of action again in Game 2.
- Under 5.5 (-125 at BetMGM)
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Vegas Golden Knights 
at Dallas Stars 
The defending champion Golden Knights meet the Western Conference's top seed, the Dallas Stars, in an intriguing matchup.
VGK actually swept the three-game regular-season series, including a 6-1 rout in the Metroplex on Dec. 9. However, that's an awful long time ago. And two of three games were decided by a goal, both needing overtime or a shootout, so we could be in for some long games in this series.
These teams met last season in the Western Conference Finals, with the Golden Knights winning in six games. However, three of those games were decided in overtime, including Game 4 in Dallas, a Stars victory. The Under also cashed in two of the three meetings this season, and the total has a slight 6-4 edge in the past 10 in the series. That's the lean here, too.
- Under 5.5 (+105 at ESPN Bet)
Los Angeles Kings 
at Edmonton Oilers 
The Kings and Oilers also play Game 1 at Rogers Place, a rematch of a playoff series last season. In the first round last season, Los Angeles surprised Edmonton 4-3 in OT in Game 1 as a major underdog (+195), and the Kings had a 2-1 series lead after three games. They couldn't hold it, as Edmonton stormed back to win in six games.
However, we had three OT games in the playoffs last season, and four of the six games were decided by a single goal. These teams met four times this season, with Edmonton winning three of four, but one of the wins as a SOW, too.
I expect the Kings, who tend to start a series well, to get off to a hot start. There's something different about the Oilers this season, though. I think Edmonton wins in Game 1, but overtime wouldn't be a surprise. Back Los Angeles on the puck line as an underdog, and hope we get some free hockey or a Kings upset win.
- Kings +1.5 (-178 at FanDuel)
NHL Parlays Tonight
4-Way Big Parlay (+853 at FanDuel)
- Bruins ML (-140) vs. Maple Leafs
- Under 5.5 (-128) - Islanders at Hurricanes
- Under 5.5 (+100) - Golden Knights at Stars
- Kings PL (+1.5, -178) at Oilers
2-Way Eastern Conference Parlay (+205 at FanDuel)
- Bruins ML (-140) vs. Maple Leafs
- Under 5.5 (-128) - Islanders at Hurricanes
2-Way Western Conference Parlay (+205 at FanDuel)
- Under 5.5 (+100) - Golden Knights at Stars
- Kings PL (+1.5, -178) at Oilers
2-Way Under Parlay (+256 at FanDuel)
- Under 5.5 (-128) - Islanders at Hurricanes
- Under 5.5 (+100) - Golden Knights at Stars
