Thursday`s action in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs includes four games. Two teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, are heading on the road with commanding 2-0 leads after securing home ice victories. They aim to tighten their grip on their respective series as they face the Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues in crucial Game 3 contests.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 3 in a series tied at 1-1. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are also in action, traveling to Tampa Bay for Game 2 against the Lightning in the `Battle of Florida`, following their dominant performance in the series opener.
In the `Battle of Ontario`, Toronto decisively won Game 1 against Ottawa with a 6-2 scoreline. However, they had to fight back in Game 2 after losing a two-goal advantage, ultimately securing a 3-2 overtime victory thanks to Max Domi`s goal at 3:09 of the extra frame. John Tavares and defenseman Morgan Rielly each scored in both initial games for the Maple Leafs, who had previously lost their only regular-season visit to Canada`s capital 2-1.
The Presidents` Trophy-winning Jets began their Western Conference series against the Blues with a 5-3 comeback win and followed up with a tight 2-1 triumph in Game 2. Kyle Connor, who led Winnipeg with eight game-winning goals in the regular season, has netted both game-winners in this playoff matchup. Winnipeg had won both their regular-season visits to Enterprise Center in 2024-25.
Minnesota bounced back from a 4-2 loss in Game 1 against Vegas by taking Game 2 with a 5-2 score. Matt Boldy, who scored twice in the first game, opened the scoring in Tuesday`s win, while Kirill Kaprizov contributed two goals. Despite this playoff win, the Wild have lost their last five home games against the Golden Knights, including both meetings during the regular season.
Despite managing only 17 shots in Game 1 against the Lightning, the Panthers were highly effective on the power play, going 3-for-3 en route to a commanding 6-2 victory. Captain Matthew Tkachuk returned to Florida`s lineup for the first time since February 8th and made an immediate impact, scoring two power-play goals and assisting on another.
After successful anytime goal scorer picks over the past three days, here are some players offering good value to consider for prop bets on Thursday`s slate.
Best Bets
Sam Reinhart, Panthers (+225)
While Reinhart`s 39 goals in 2024-25 were 18 fewer than his career high the previous season, he still led Florida in scoring. The 29-year-old finished the regular season strong with two goals against the New York Rangers and also found the back of the net in the Panthers` Game 1 win over Tampa Bay. That goal marked his third against the Lightning in four overall meetings this season, and he also scored three times in Florida`s first-round win over Tampa Bay last postseason. Reinhart boasts an impressive record against the Lightning, with 23 goals in 44 career games (including playoffs) and 22 goals in 56 overall postseason appearances.
Brayden Point, Lightning (+160)
Brayden Point was a rare bright spot for Tampa Bay in their Game 1 defeat. The 29-year-old, who finished the 2024-25 season sixth in the NHL with 42 goals, scored one of the Lightning`s two tallies in the loss. Point had previously scored three goals in four regular-season games against the Panthers this season and has accumulated seven goals in 12 career playoff games against Florida. Overall, he has netted 43 goals in 88 career postseason contests.
William Nylander, Maple Leafs (+220)
William Nylander led Toronto in scoring and finished second in the league overall this season with a career-best 45 goals, marking his third consecutive season reaching the 40-goal plateau. While the 28-year-old, son of former NHLer Michael Nylander, scored only once in his final six regular-season games, he tallied a goal in the Game 1 victory over Ottawa. This brings his career postseason goal total to 21 in 56 games. His goal in Game 1 came on the power play, an area where he tied for the team lead with 12 conversions this season, making him a significant threat whenever the Senators are penalized.
Matt Boldy, Wild (+210)
Matt Boldy finished four goals shy of his career high in 2024-25 but still topped the Minnesota Wild with 27 goals. The 24-year-old forward has been a key offensive contributor for the Wild early in this series, scoring both of the team`s goals in Game 1 and opening the scoring in the Game 2 victory. This means Boldy accounted for four consecutive goals for Minnesota, including the overtime winner against the Anaheim Ducks in the regular-season finale. With only three other players having scored for the Wild in this series so far, Boldy is likely to have ample opportunities to score again on Thursday.
