The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is set to begin on Monday with Game 1 featuring the defending champion Florida Panthers taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The series opener will be held at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Toronto advanced to the second round for only the second time in 20 seasons by winning the `Battle of Ontario` against the Ottawa Senators in six games. Meanwhile, Florida secured their spot by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the `Battle of Florida.`
During the regular season, the Panthers held the edge over their Atlantic Division rivals, winning three out of four contests and outscoring the division-leading Maple Leafs 13-7. Florida also boasts a successful playoff history against Toronto, having eliminated the Leafs in five games during their only previous postseason encounter in the second round of 2023.
In the season series, Sam Bennett was Florida`s top goal scorer with three goals and shared the team lead in points with Sam Reinhart, each tallying five. For Toronto, John Tavares also scored three goals, while Mitch Marner contributed three points.
Here are a few player prop bets worth considering for Monday`s opening game of the series.
Recommended Player Prop Bets
Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers – Anytime Goal Scorer (+230, bet365)
Despite not practicing Sunday, Tkachuk is expected to play in Game 1 versus Toronto. The dynamic 27-year-old forward quickly impacted the first-round series against Tampa Bay, scoring twice and adding an assist in Game 1 upon returning from a two-month lower-body injury layoff. He also found the back of the net in Game 3 and will be looking to make a strong impression early against the Maple Leafs.
Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs – 1+ Assist (+190, DraftKings)
Rielly managed only one assist in the first round against the Senators, a contrast to his previous four playoff series where he recorded at least three assists in each. The veteran 31-year-old defenseman showed offensive capability against the Panthers in the regular season, assisting on three of Toronto`s seven goals. Furthermore, Rielly notched an assist in three of the four games when these teams met in the 2023 second round.
Brad Marchand, Panthers – Over 0.5 Assists (+240, BetMGM)
Although this is Marchand`s first playoff series against Toronto as a Panther, he has extensive postseason experience against the Maple Leafs from his time with the Boston Bruins. As a Bruin, the seasoned 36-year-old forward participated in four seven-game series versus Toronto, accumulating 19 assists in 28 games. This season (2024-25), Marchand recorded four assists in six games against the Leafs and also had four assists in Florida`s recent first-round series against Tampa Bay.
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