The Florida Panthers are set to begin their defense of the Stanley Cup tonight as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in the 2025 NHL playoffs. This `Battle of Florida` is the final first-round series to commence. It marks the fourth playoff meeting between the Lightning and the 2024 champion Panthers in the last five years, and the third time they`ve met in the opening round. Tampa Bay claimed victory in the initial two playoff series between these intrastate rivals but were defeated in five games during last season`s first round.
Three other series are also continuing today, with the home teams aiming to establish a 2-0 lead. The Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils after securing a 4-1 win in their opener. The Toronto Maple Leafs resume the `Battle of Ontario` against the visiting Ottawa Senators, having routed them 6-2 in Game 1. Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights look to build on their 4-2 triumph as they welcome the Minnesota Wild.
Logan Stankoven had a memorable playoff debut for Carolina on Sunday, scoring two goals, including the game-winner, against New Jersey. The series opener between the Golden Knights and Wild featured multiple players scoring two goals: Matt Boldy for Minnesota and Brett Howden for Vegas. In the Maple Leafs` victory, six different players found the net, including William Nylander, who finished second in the NHL with a career-high 45 goals during the regular season.
Following a successful night on Monday where several goal scorer bets connected, here are some players offering potential value for anytime goal scorer prop bets today.
Best Bets
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs: A three-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner, Matthews experienced a dip in production this season by his standards, finishing with 33 goals in 67 games, partly due to injuries, after leading the league with 69 goals last campaign. However, the 27-year-old concluded the regular season on a three-game scoring streak and contributed two assists against the Senators in Game 1. With a strong record against Ottawa (25 goals in 35 regular-season games) and seeing multiple teammates score on Sunday, Matthews is poised to find the back of the net himself.
Sam Reinhart, Panthers: Similar to Matthews, Reinhart`s goal tally decreased this season to 39, down from a career-best 57 last year. The 29-year-old forward scored twice in three regular-season meetings against the Lightning and added three goals during Florida`s five-game playoff series win against Tampa Bay last postseason. Reinhart holds a solid scoring history against the Lightning, with 22 goals in 43 career games across regular season and playoffs, and has accumulated 21 goals in 55 total postseason appearances.
Nikita Kucherov, Lightning: Tampa Bay`s roster is stacked with offensive threats, and Kucherov is a likely candidate to score tonight. The 31-year-old Russian right winger has surpassed the 30-goal mark in eight of the last nine seasons. He ended the regular season strongly with three goals in his final three contests and scored twice in four matchups against the Panthers in the 2024-25 season. Kucherov has recorded 21 goals in 38 career regular-season games and five goals in 15 playoff games lifetime against Florida. Despite a recent 10-game playoff scoring drought entering this series, he will be highly motivated to contribute and help the Lightning seek revenge for last year`s first-round exit.
Brandon Saad, Golden Knights: Saad finished this season with just 13 goals over 72 games, his lowest total since 2012-13. The 32-year-old left wing scored six goals in 29 games for the Golden Knights after joining them in late January, having scored seven in 43 games for the St. Louis Blues. A two-time Stanley Cup champion, Saad ended a 15-game scoring slump in his final regular-season game. While he didn`t score in Game 1 against the Wild, he registered an assist and was an active offensive presence. It would not be surprising to see Saad net his first playoff goal since 2022 in Game 2.
