The second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs is set to commence Monday as the defending champions Florida Panthers face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto for Game 1 of their series. Toronto advanced to this stage for only the second time in two decades, triumphing over the Ottawa Senators in a six-game “Battle of Ontario”. Florida secured their spot by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games during the “Battle of Florida”.
During the regular season, the Panthers claimed victory in three of the four matchups against their Atlantic Division rivals, outscoring the division-leading Maple Leafs 13-7. Florida also holds the edge in their sole previous playoff encounter with Toronto, eliminating the Leafs in five games during the second round of the 2023 postseason.
Sam Bennett was Florida`s top scorer in the season series with three goals and shared the team lead in points (five) with Sam Reinhart. For Toronto, John Tavares also netted three goals, and Mitch Marner contributed three points.
Here are a few players offering potential value to consider when placing prop bets for the series opener on Monday.
Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers – Anytime Goal Scorer (+230, bet365)
Tkachuk did not participate in Sunday`s practice but is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1 against Toronto. The 27-year-old left winger immediately made a significant impact in the first-round series versus Tampa Bay, scoring two goals and adding an assist in Game 1 after missing two months due to a lower-body injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Tkachuk also found the back of the net in Game 3 of the first round and will be eager to make an early statement against the Maple Leafs.
Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs – 1+ Assist (+190, DraftKings)
Rielly registered just one assist against the Senators in the opening round, despite recording at least three helpers in each of his four prior postseason series. The 31-year-old defenseman was an offensive contributor against the Panthers in the regular season, providing three assists towards the Maple Leafs` total of seven goals. Rielly also recorded an assist in three of the four games against Florida in their second-round meeting two years ago.
Brad Marchand, Panthers – Over 0.5 Assists (+240, BetMGM)
Marchand is facing Toronto in the playoffs for the first time as a Panther, but he is certainly no stranger to the Maple Leafs in the postseason. While playing for the Boston Bruins, the 36-year-old center was involved in four seven-game series against Toronto, accumulating 19 assists over 28 contests. In the 2023-24 season, Marchand tallied four assists in six games versus the Leafs and also recorded four in Florida`s first-round series against Tampa Bay.
