Category: NHL

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers meet in a Game 4 showdown that will shape the rest of this series.

The pregame narrative: A win for Toronto puts Florida on the ropes and gives the former three chances to close out this series. A victory for the latter knots this one up at two and makes it a best-of-three. Very little separates these two after a trio of one-goal games to begin the series.

Brad Marchand and Matthew Knies are the targets of my Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prop picks for Game 4 on May 11.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers picks

Best Bet: Marchand to score 1+ points (+100)

The year is 2025, and Marchand is still tormenting Toronto.

In a different uniform, albeit, he’s still reining terror on the Maple Leafs.

The pesky winger has been Florida’s most productive player. He has four points through three games and firmly entrenched himself with the overtime game-winning goal in Game 3.

Marchand is proving to be worth everything they gave up for him at the trade deadline, as his eight points are tied for first among all Panthers this postseason.

He’s been one of the team’s steadiest sources of offensive opportunities, ranking third among Florida skaters in scoring chances (18), according to Natural Stat Trick.

Anthony Stolarz’s injury also bolsters the Panthers’ offensive outlook. The goaltender still isn’t skating, per head coach Craig Berube, and that likely puts Joseph Woll in the net for another game.

Woll hasn’t impressed in his three appearances, posting a .869 save percentage in the series.

Bet on more production from Marchand.

Key stat: Marchand has a point in five consecutive games (seven total).

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Game 4 prop prediction

Knies to score 1+ points (-125): It’s clear that Toronto has been missing a player like Knies all these years.

His combination of size and skill has been lacking in postseasons past.

Knies has four points through three games, already providing a pair of multi-point efforts in this series.

The case for Knies starts with his deployment in Toronto’s lineup. The winger skates alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner on the team’s first line.

He also plays on the top power play unit with Matthews, Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander.

Where Knies has been very good for the Maple Leafs is getting to the premium scoring areas. He’s tied for second on the squad in the playoffs with 15 high-danger chances.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers prop picks made at 4:20 p.m. ET 05/10/2025.

It’s a Saturday double-header, and I’m looking at three players to strike in my NHL anytime goal picks.

Today’s NHL narrative: Jack Eichel is suffering from bad puck luck, but I expect that to turn around in a must-win contest. Shea Theodore is a consistent offensive threat and is a nice value play. Thirdly, Alex Ovechkin has been unusually quiet, but I like his chances of scoring in Game 3.

Check out the best NHL anytime goal picks for Saturday’s playoff games.

NHL anytime goal picks

Best Bet: Eichel to score (+175)

Goals have been hard to come by for the Vegas Golden Knights’ top forward.

Eichel only has one goal this postseason, although he does lead his team in points with nine.

The centre’s goal-scoring woes aren’t due to a lack of trying, however, as he is routinely producing opportunities for his squad.

Here is how Eichel ranks amongst his teammates in some key categories:

• 24 shots (first)

• 1.86 expected goals (fifth)

• 24 scoring chances (first)

The law of averages suggests that Eichel is due for a correction sometime soon. He has the third-worst shooting percentage of the playoffs among all players with 20-plus shots (4.2).

It’s not like his opponent, the Edmonton Oilers, boasts an unmovable force between the pipes either. Calvin Pickard has an .888 save percentage in the playoffs and an even worse .878 save percentage in this series.

Bet on Eichel to break through in Vegas’ most important game of the season.

Key stat: Pickard has allowed 10 goals in his last three starts.

NHL prop predictions

Theodore to score (+525): These odds are too good to ignore.

I understand that Theodore is a defenceman and that defencemen don’t score as much as forwards, but Theodore is buzzing offensively for Vegas.

The rearguard is tied for third on the team in shots (19) and has a pair of goals this postseason.

Both of Theodore’s goals came on the power play, and I expect that unit to continue rolling in Game 3. Edmonton has the worst penalty kill percentage in the playoffs (59.3%) and has surrendered three goals on seven shorthanded opportunities in this series.

Ovechkin to score (+137): It’s only a matter of time before Ovechkin makes his mark on this series.

The Washington Capitals’ captain has an uncharacteristically low four shots through two games, but he is adjusting to the Carolina Hurricanes’ stingy defence. He notched three shots in Game 2 after just one shot in Game 1.

The case for betting on the greatest goalscorer of all time is a fairly obvious one, but here’s how Ovi has fared among his teammates this postseason:

• 23 shots (first among all Caps)

• 18 scoring chances (first)

• Four goals (tied for first)

Washington needs to steal one of its upcoming away games to regain home-ice advantage, and I expect Ovechkin to be at his best in a pivotal Game 3.

NHL anytime goal picks made at 10:25 a.m. ET on 05/10/2025.

The Edmonton Oilers are back home after taking both games in Vegas from the Golden Knights.

The pregame narrative: Edmonton has now authored six straight comeback victories in the playoffs, thanks to the unbelievable play of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Vegas is an underdog in Game 3 and looks to avoid falling in a disastrous 3-0 hole.

Check out my Golden Knights vs. Oilers prop picks on Evan Bouchard and Zach Hyman for May 10.

Golden Knights vs. Oilers picks

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Best bet: Hyman to record a point (-130)

Oilers fans must be happy with the way Hyman is rounding into form. After all, McDavid and Draisaitl can’t do everything.

The forward has seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight playoff games, finding the score sheet in three straight.

He had an assist, three shots, and was +2 in 21:11 of ice time in Game 2.

Hyman’s line with Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has struggled defensively, but they’re still generating plenty of quality chances.

• The group has 19 high-danger chances (first among all of Edmonton’s lines).

• They have also generated 3.48 xG (second to Draisaitl-McDavid-Corey Perry).

And, perhaps most importantly, Hyman skates on Edmonton’s top power play. That unit is 5-for-6 at home in the playoffs.

Key stat: Hyman has 17 points in 15 home playoff games since the start of last season, cashing this bet 11 times.

Game 3 prop prediction

Bouchard to record an assist (-108): I backed Bouchard on this market in Game 2, and he went pointless.

But thankfully, Corey Perry came through with a point at +125 to make it a profitable night.

I’m happy to turn back to Edmonton’s top defenceman, though, for a few reasons:

• Bouchard is averaging a team-high 26:48 of ice time this postseason (33:44 in Game 2) and has four goals and five assists in seven games.

• He has 10 assists in Edmonton’s last 10 home playoff games and is 2-1 against this line at home in 2025.

• The rearguard is leading the Oilers in chances (63) and is second in shots (26).

Bouchard is happy to fire pucks on net whenever possible, which opens opportunities for this bet to cash on a tip-in or rebound.

He’s also the trigger-man on Edmonton’s power play. Ideally, we can kill two birds with one stone in regards to Hyman.

Bouchard has 31 assists in 33 playoff games since the start of last season.

Golden Knights vs. Oilers picks prop picks made at 2:15 p.m. ET 05/09/2025.

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

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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 (+140): 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.