Penguins vs. Kings Recap: Laferriere Fires 7 Shots, Three Props Cash

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 in regulation. Tommy Novak scored twice early in the 1st, at 1:52 and 5:10, to put Pittsburgh up 2-0. Corey Perry got one back for Los Angeles at 9:55, but Egor Chinakhov scored on the power play at 19:31 of the 1st to make it 3-1 after one. Alex Laferriere cut it to 3-2 with a power-play goal at 3:07 of the 2nd. Sidney Crosby restored the two-goal lead at 17:13 of the 2nd and added an empty-netter at 18:44 of the 3rd. The Kings outshot the Penguins 28-19, but Sergei Murashov stopped 26 of 28. Darcy Kuemper made 14 saves on 18 shots for Los Angeles. Each team scored once on 3 power plays. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game, all on Kings skaters.

What cashed

Alex Laferriere 2+ shots on goal (-370 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Laferriere cleared 2+ shots on goal in 12 of 14 games this season, averaging 2.6. - What happened: He had 1 G, 0 A, 7 SOG in 18:39 (3:52 on the power play), clearing the line by 5.5. One of those shots was the power-play goal at 3:07 of the 2nd that made it 3-2. - Worth watching: Seven shots was the most of the three Kings skaters here and well above his season average. At -370 the price is steep, so the shot volume has to keep showing up to make it worth a look.

Artemi Panarin 3+ shots on goal (-138 at FanDuel, -135 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Panarin had 3+ shots on goal in 8 of his last 10 and 11 of 14 games this season, including 4 of his last 5. - What happened: He had 0 G, 1 A, 3 SOG in 21:12 (3:52 on the power play) and cleared the line by 0.5. He also had the second assist on Perry's goal at 9:55 of the 1st. - Worth watching: At -138 the price was reasonable, and he needed all three shots to clear. His 21 minutes give him the chances, but a 3+ line leaves no room for a quiet period.

Brandt Clarke under 1.5 shots on goal (-125 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Clarke had 1 or fewer shots in 8 of his last 10, all of his last 5 and 10 of 14 this season, even while playing 18-22 minutes a night. DraftKings at -125 implied 56%. - What happened: He had 1 SOG in 18:29 with no power-play time, staying under the line by 0.5. He also blocked 3 shots. - Worth watching: He played over 18 minutes but none of it on the power play. A low shot rate on big minutes is the kind of under worth checking again, as long as the price stays near even.

How the game played out

Pittsburgh made the most of a small shot count. The Penguins scored 4 goals on 18 shots against Kuemper, and Crosby's 4-2 goal at 17:13 of the 2nd came after the Kings had pulled within one. Murashov kept Los Angeles from catching up, allowing just the two goals on 28 shots.

Trends to watch

• Laferriere took 7 of the Kings' 28 shots on goal in 18:39. That volume backs up his shots prop.
• Panarin and Laferriere both played 3:52 on the power play, while Clarke played 0:00 on it.
• Kuemper faced only 18 shots and allowed 4 goals. Murashov handled 28.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. More at NHL picks, NHL recaps and how implied probability works.