The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers run it back on Wednesday night after an exciting series opener.
The pregame narrative: The Leafs jumped out to a 4-1 lead before drama struck and Anthony Stolarz was removed with an injury. Toronto held on for a 5-4 win, but all eyes will be on the status of the goaltender before Game 2.
Brad Marchand and John Tavares are the targets of my Panthers vs. Maple Leafs prop picks for Game 2 on May 7.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs picks
Best bet: Marchand to register a point (+115)
The Panthers came out flat in Game 1, allowing the Leafs to gain a 4-1 lead before this play that resulted in Stolarz leaving the game.
After that, Florida went on to score three goals in a comeback effort that ultimately fell short.
I do believe that was a shift in momentum for Florida, regardless of the controversy, and a much better effort should be shown out of the gate on Wednesday.
Marchand saw regression this season, tallying just 51 points — his lowest total since 2014-15.
But the Panthers acquired him for the postseason, and he’s met expectations so far:
- 6 games
- 6 points
- 4-2 against this line
Marchand was a big part of Florida’s third-period surge on Monday. He had two assists in the final frame.
And let’s not forget about his extensive success in the playoffs against the Leafs.
Key stat: In 28 career playoff games vs. Toronto, he’s logged 31 points. No player has recorded more playoff points against Toronto during that time.
Game 1 prop prediction
Tavares over 2.5 shots (-112): The former captain isn’t the first option on the Leafs, but he’s a beast down low in the offensive zone. That results in a lot of shot attempts.
In the series against the Ottawa Senators, he recorded 16 shots, going 4-2 on this wager.
He started this round the right way, too. He had four shots on goal in Game 1.
It’s also nice to see that Monday was the most minutes Tavares has seen in these playoffs (21:38). In fact, that’s the most he’s played in a game since Nov. 16.
I don’t think that’s a coincidence, as it appears Craig Berube likes the second-line matchup in this series more than the first.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs prop picks made at 5:01 p.m. ET 05/06/2025.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.