Thursday`s schedule features four games in the opening round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, including two teams holding 2-0 series leads who will play on the road. The Toronto Maple Leafs, having secured two wins at home, travel to face the Ottawa Senators in Game 3, aiming to extend their lead. Similarly, the Winnipeg Jets head to St. Louis for Game 3 against the Blues after winning their first two contests at home.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 3 of their series, which is currently tied 1-1. The reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers also face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa Bay for Game 2 of the `Battle of Florida`, following a dominant victory in the series opener.
Toronto controlled the first game against Ottawa with a 6-2 win in the `Battle of Ontario`, but they let a two-goal advantage slip away in Game 2 before Max Domi secured a 3-2 overtime victory. John Tavares and defenseman Morgan Rielly each scored in both initial games for the Maple Leafs. Their only regular-season visit to Canada`s capital resulted in a 2-1 loss.
The Presidents` Trophy-winning Jets came back to win 5-3 against the Blues in the first game of their Western Conference series and narrowly escaped Game 2 with a 2-1 win. Kyle Connor, who scored eight game-winning goals in the regular season, has netted both game-winners in this series for Winnipeg. The Jets had won both their games at Enterprise Center during the 2024-25 season.
Minnesota bounced back from a 4-2 defeat in the first game by winning Game 2 with a 5-2 score. Matt Boldy, who scored twice in Game 1, netted the opening goal in Tuesday`s game, and Kirill Kaprizov added two goals for the Wild. Minnesota has lost five consecutive home games against the Golden Knights, including both matchups this past regular season.
Despite recording only 17 shots in Game 1 versus the Lightning, the Panthers were highly effective on the power play, scoring on all three opportunities en route to a convincing 6-2 win. Captain Matthew Tkachuk, playing for the first time since February 8th, made a significant impact, scoring two power-play goals and assisting on another.
Following a successful run of anytime goal scorer bets over the past three days, here are some players worth considering for prop bets on Thursday`s slate.
Best Bets
Sam Reinhart, Panthers (+225, bet365)
Although Reinhart scored 18 fewer goals in 2024-25 compared to his career high the previous season, he still led Florida with 39. The 29-year-old forward scored twice in his final regular-season game against the New York Rangers and also found the net in the Panthers` Game 1 victory. This goal gives him three goals in four total meetings against the Lightning this campaign. He also scored three times when Florida eliminated Tampa Bay in five games in the first round last postseason. Reinhart has a strong record against the Lightning, with 23 goals in 44 career games (including playoffs), and has scored 22 goals in 56 overall postseason appearances.
Brayden Point, Lightning (+160, DraftKings)
Brayden Point was one of the few positives for Tampa Bay in the lopsided series opener. The 29-year-old, who finished sixth in the NHL with 42 goals in 2024-25, scored one of the Lightning`s two goals in the tough loss. Point scored three goals in four regular-season games against the Panthers and has seven goals in 12 career playoff games versus Florida. Overall, he has accumulated 43 goals in 88 postseason contests.
William Nylander, Maple Leafs (+220, FanDuel)
Nylander topped the Maple Leafs in scoring and finished second in the entire league this season with a career-high 45 goals, marking his third consecutive season reaching the 40-goal milestone. The 28-year-old, son of former NHL forward Michael Nylander, scored only once in his final six regular-season games but tallied a goal in the Game 1 win against Ottawa. This gives him 21 goals in 56 career postseason games. His goal in Game 1 came on the power play, where he scored 12 times in 2024-25, tying for the team lead. He poses a significant threat whenever the Senators incur penalties.
Matt Boldy, Wild (+210, FanDuel)
Boldy finished four goals shy of his career best in 2024-25 but still led Minnesota with 27. The 24-year-old has been a key offensive player for the Wild in this series so far, scoring both of the team`s goals in the first game and opening the scoring in the Game 2 victory. This sequence means Boldy was responsible for four consecutive goals for Minnesota, including the overtime winner against the Anaheim Ducks in the team`s final regular-season game. Only three other players have managed to score for the Wild in the series to date, suggesting Boldy will have ample opportunities on Thursday.
