Wild vs. Capitals Recap: Leonard and Eriksson Ek Shot Props Cash

Minnesota beat Washington 5-1 in regulation, but it was a one-goal game deep into the 3rd. The Wild scored twice in the first 5:27 of the game, the Capitals answered with a tip-in at 19:54 of the 2nd, and then it sat at 2-1 until the final three minutes, when Minnesota scored three times. Minnesota outshot Washington 29-27, with one of those shots going into an empty net. Jesper Wallstedt stopped 26 of 27 for a .963 save percentage, while Logan Thompson made 24 saves on 28 shots. All five Minnesota power plays came in the 3rd, and the Wild scored on two of them. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

Ryan Leonard 2+ shots on goal (-220 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Leonard had put at least two shots on goal in every game this season, 32 SOG through 12 games for 2.7 per night. We wanted the floor on a forward who keeps shooting. - What happened: Leonard finished with 3 shots on goal in 12:18 of ice time, with 0:00 on the power play, plus 2 hits and 1 blocked shot. That is 1.5 over the 1.5 line. His first shot came at 12:17 of the 1st, the second at 9:22 of the 2nd cleared the line, and he added one more at 14:24 of the 3rd. All three came at even strength and Wallstedt saved all three. - Worth watching: He got there at even strength on modest minutes with no power-play time, so the shots did not depend on a special-teams role. At -220 the price is steep, so it only makes sense when the minutes look steady.

Joel Eriksson Ek 3+ shots on goal (-145 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Eriksson Ek came in with 3+ shots in 8 of his last 10 and 51 SOG across 15 games, never under two in that recent stretch. The volume pointed to the over. - What happened: He had 3 shots on goal and 2 assists in 19:33, including 3:47 on the power play, and finished plus-1. That is 0.5 over the 2.5 line, so it went down to the last shot. He put two on Thompson in the 2nd, at 4:10 and 14:17, and got the third just 0:09 into the 3rd. He also assisted on the power-play goal at 17:37 and the empty-netter at 19:02. - Worth watching: Nearly 20 minutes plus real power-play time is the usage we want behind a shots prop. A half-shot margin is thin, so the -145 price is the line we would want to see again, not a lot worse.

How the game played out

Minnesota built the lead early, with goals at 3:42 and 5:27 of the 1st, and held Washington to 5 shots on goal in that period. Washington pushed in the 2nd, outshooting Minnesota 11-8, and Justin Sourdif's tip-in with six seconds left cut it to 2-1. The 3rd turned on special teams. Washington had all five of its minor penalties in that period, and Maxim Shabanov broke it open on the power play at 17:37. Thompson went to the bench for the extra attacker, the Wild hit the empty net at 19:02, and Danila Yurov added a slap shot on the power play at 19:35.

Trends to watch

• Eriksson Ek's 3:47 on the power play was the third-most among Minnesota forwards. All three of his shots came at even strength here, so the power-play time is a second route to volume.
• Leonard reached three shots on 12:18 of ice time with no power-play minutes. If his role grows, the shot floor gets easier.
• Wallstedt saw 27 shots and allowed one. Washington outshot Minnesota in the 2nd but only beat him with a tip-in, so his save numbers are worth tracking in the next start.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more, see the NHL board, the NHL recaps and our guide to the player prop.