The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue as the Florida Panthers begin their title defense against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series on Tuesday. This `Battle of Florida` is the last of the eight opening-round matchups to commence. It marks the fourth playoff meeting between the Lightning and the reigning champion Panthers in five years, and their third first-round clash. Tampa Bay won the first two postseason series between these rivals before Florida eliminated them in five games in the first round last season.
Three other series resume on Tuesday, with the home teams aiming to take 2-0 leads. The Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils after securing a 4-1 victory in the opener. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue the `Battle of Ontario` against the visiting Ottawa Senators following a dominant 6-2 win in Game 1. The Vegas Golden Knights look to build on their 4-2 triumph when they welcome the Minnesota Wild back to `Sin City.`
Logan Stankoven had a memorable playoff debut for Carolina on Sunday, scoring two goals, including the game-winner against New Jersey. The first game between the Golden Knights and Wild featured multiple players finding the net twice, with Matt Boldy netting both goals for Minnesota and Brett Howden scoring twice for Vegas. Meanwhile, six different players contributed goals for the Maple Leafs in their victory over Ottawa, including William Nylander, who finished the regular season tied for second in the NHL with a career-high 45 goals.
Following a successful night where three of Monday`s four top picks found the back of the net, here are some players offering value to consider for anytime goal scorer prop bets on Tuesday`s playoff slate.
Best Bets
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs (+125, FanDuel)
The three-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner had a relatively `down` season by his elite standards in 2024-25, finishing with 33 goals after leading the league with a career-best 69 the previous campaign. Injuries contributed, limiting Matthews to 67 games. However, the 27-year-old finished the regular season on a three-game scoring streak and notched a pair of assists against the Senators in Game 1. Matthews, who has scored 25 goals in 35 regular-season meetings with Ottawa, watched six of his teammates score on Sunday and is likely eager to get on the scoresheet himself.
Sam Reinhart, Panthers (+210, FanDuel)
Reinhart also saw a decrease in his goal total this season following an outstanding 2023-24, netting 39 after a career-high 57 goals last campaign. The 29-year-old scored twice in three regular-season games against the Lightning and registered three goals during Florida`s five-game series win over Tampa Bay in the first round last postseason. Reinhart has accumulated 22 goals in 43 career contests against the Lightning, including playoffs, and has 21 goals in 55 total postseason games.
Nikita Kucherov, Lightning (+175, bet365)
Tampa Bay`s roster boasts numerous scoring threats, making it possible for various players to score on Tuesday. Nikita Kucherov is a prime candidate, having netted at least 30 goals in eight of the last nine seasons. The 31-year-old Russian right wing recorded three goals over his final three regular-season games and scored twice in four meetings with the Panthers in 2024-25. Kucherov has scored 21 times in 38 career regular-season games and five times in 15 playoff contests against Florida. He enters this series with a 10-game postseason scoring drought and will be highly motivated to help the Lightning avenge last year`s series loss.
Brandon Saad, Golden Knights (+330, DraftKings)
Saad finished the season with just 13 goals over 72 games, his lowest output since scoring 10 in 46 contests with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2012-13. However, the 32-year-old left wing scored six goals in 29 games for the Golden Knights after joining them in late January following his release by the St. Louis Blues. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago, Saad struggled offensively down the stretch but ended a 15-game drought on April 15 against the Calgary Flames in his final regular-season game. While he didn`t score in Game 1 against the Wild, he recorded an assist and was one of the most dangerous forwards on the ice for either team. It would not be surprising to see Saad score his first playoff goal since 2022 in Game 2.
