A pair of elite goal scorers are featured in my NHL picks for May 9.
Today’s NHL narrative: Mikko Rantanen has been on an incredible heater and can be had at plus-money to score against the Winnipeg Jets tonight. Elsewhere, I’m looking at Auston Matthews as the Toronto Maple Leafs head to Florida to take on the Panthers with a 2-0 series lead.
Check out the best NHL anytime goal picks for Friday’s playoff games.
NHL anytime goal picks
Best Bet: Rantanen to score (+150)
Rantanen is on one of the greatest postseason runs of all time.
The Finnish winger has 14 points and eight goals in his last four games, and just became the first player to log back-to-back postseason hat tricks since Jari Kurri in 1985.
- One of those hat tricks was to eliminate his former team, the Colorado Avalanche, from the playoffs.
- The other was a natural hat trick against the soon-to-be Vezina-winning Connor Hellebuyck in Game 1.
So yeah, you could say this guy is a big-game player.
Dallas’ all-Finnish first line of Rantanen, Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund has been unstoppable.
They generated a sizeable 19 chances (shot attempts) in 10:25 of ice time together in Game 1, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Rantanen is also the lynchpin of Dallas’ top power-play unit featuring Hintz, Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley and Matt Duchene.
That unit is clicking at a 32.0% rate, the second-best mark among all playoff teams.
Key stat: Rantanen has cleared this line in four straight games.
NHL prop predictions
Matthews to score (+160): Toronto’s captain is either snakebitten, hurt, or both. But the levee is bound to break soon, and I think tonight is the night.
Matthews is leading the Maple Leafs this postseason in the following categories:
- Shots (29)
- Chances (60)
- High-danger chances (19)
- Expected goals (4.51)
He’s only scored twice so far, but is consistently putting himself in positions to do damage.
I’ll take my chances and bet on a return to form from a guy who potted 69 goals last season.
Sergei Bobrovsky is elite, but is looking like a netminder who’s played 143 games over the last two seasons.
Bobrovsky has allowed 18 goals in his last five starts with an .850 SV%.
Fatigue sets in for even the best, and I think Matthews can take advantage.
NHL anytime goal picks made at 12:27 p.m. ET on 05/08/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.