The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues on Thursday with a four-game schedule. Two teams that secured 2-0 leads at home will hit the road hoping to take commanding grips on their series. The Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Ottawa Senators, and the Winnipeg Jets travel to face the St. Louis Blues for Game 3 matchups.
Elsewhere, the Minnesota Wild host the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of their series, which is currently tied 1-1. The defending champions, the Florida Panthers, are in Tampa Bay for Game 2 of the `Battle of Florida` against the Lightning, following a dominant victory in the series opener.
Toronto started their `Battle of Ontario` series strong with a 6-2 win over Ottawa in Game 1, but needed overtime to secure a 3-2 victory in Game 2 after losing a two-goal lead. John Tavares and defenseman Morgan Rielly each scored in both of the first two games for the Maple Leafs. Notably, Toronto lost their only regular-season game in Ottawa 2-1.
The Presidents` Trophy-winning Jets opened their Western Conference series against the Blues with a come-from-behind 5-3 win, then edged them 2-1 in Game 2. Kyle Connor, who led Winnipeg with eight game-winning goals in the regular season, has scored the winner in both playoff games so far. Winnipeg also won both of their regular-season visits to St. Louis in 2024-25.
Minnesota bounced back from a 4-2 defeat in the series opener with a 5-2 win in Game 2. Matt Boldy contributed two goals in the first game and opened the scoring in Tuesday`s contest. Kirill Kaprizov added two goals for the Wild in Game 2. Minnesota has struggled against the Golden Knights at home, losing five straight meetings, including both this past regular season.
Despite managing only 17 shots in Game 1 against the Lightning, the Panthers were highly effective on the power play, scoring on all three opportunities en route to a 6-2 victory. Captain Matthew Tkachuk, playing for the first time since February 8, made an immediate impact with two power-play goals and an assist.
Following a successful run of anytime goal scorer picks over the past three days, here are some players worth considering for prop bets on Thursday`s slate:
Best Bets
Sam Reinhart, Panthers
While Reinhart`s goal total in 2024-25 was 18 less than his career high from the previous season, he still led Florida with 39 goals. The 29-year-old winger scored twice in his final regular-season game against the New York Rangers and also found the back of the net in the Panthers` Game 1 win over Tampa Bay. That gives him three goals in four meetings with the Lightning this season. He also scored three times in Florida`s first-round series win over Tampa Bay last postseason. Reinhart boasts an impressive record against the Lightning, with 23 goals in 44 career games (including playoffs), and 22 goals in 56 total postseason appearances.
Odds: +225 (bet365)
Brayden Point, Lightning
Brayden Point was one of the few positives for Tampa Bay in their lopsided series opener loss. The 29-year-old center, who finished sixth in the NHL with 42 goals in 2024-25, scored one of the Lightning`s two goals in the defeat. Point netted three goals in four regular-season games against the Panthers and has seven goals in 12 career playoff contests facing Florida. Overall, he has accumulated 43 goals in 88 career postseason games.
Odds: +160 (DraftKings)
William Nylander, Maple Leafs
William Nylander led the Maple Leafs and ranked second in the league with a career-best 45 goals this season, marking his third consecutive campaign reaching the 40-goal plateau. The 28-year-old, son of former NHL forward Michael Nylander, scored just once in his final six regular-season games but tallied a goal in the Game 1 victory over Ottawa. That goal was his 21st in 56 career postseason appearances. His Game 1 goal came on the power play, where he scored 12 times in 2024-25, sharing the team lead. He remains a significant scoring threat, especially if the Senators take penalties.
Odds: +220 (FanDuel)
Matt Boldy, Wild
Matt Boldy finished four goals shy of his career high in 2024-25 but still led Minnesota with 27 goals. The 24-year-old winger has been a primary offensive driver for the Wild in this playoff series. He scored both of Minnesota`s goals in the series opener and opened the scoring in the Game 2 win. This means Boldy was responsible for four consecutive goals for the Wild, as he also scored the overtime winner against the Anaheim Ducks in their regular-season finale. With only three other Wild players having scored in the series so far, Boldy is highly likely to continue getting scoring opportunities on Thursday.
Odds: +210 (FanDuel)
