Leon Draisaitl and Andrei Svechnikov are my picks to score during Thursday’s NHL playoff action.
Today’s NHL narrative: The Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes won their respective Game 1s on the road. Both teams now have a chance to send the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals on the road down 0-2.
Check out the best NHL anytime goal picks for May 8.
NHL anytime goal picks
Best Bet: Svechnikov to score (+200)
Svechnikov has kicked things into overdrive this playoff with five goals, already equaling a quarter of his regular-season production.
The Russian winger is firing pucks at will, and his line with Jackson Blake and Sebastian Aho has been flat-out dominating.
- The Blake-Aho-Svechnikov line played 14:34 together in Game 1, generating 30 chances and an 85.71% Corsi rate.
- This postseason, Svechnikov is leading all skaters in 5-on-5 chances per 60 (28.57).
Washington has been a mess defensively despite beating the Montreal Canadiens in five games. The Caps are allowing the second-most chances (71.73) and fifth-most shots (29.71) on a 60-minute basis.
Playing on a red-hot line and getting top power-play minutes, Svechnikov seems like a great value to score tonight.
Key stat: Svechnikov ranks fifth in expected goals per 60 (1.54) this postseason.
NHL prop predictions
Draisaitl to score (+125): What can I say about Draisaitl that hasn’t already been said?
The German winger is a scoring machine, potting a league-best 52 goals during the regular season. He’s found the net in four of seven playoff games and is up to 45 career postseason goals in 81 games.
That 0.556 goals/game rate is the eighth-best all-time, and second among active players behind Nathan MacKinnon (0.579).
Draisaitl scored in Game 1, and his line with Connor McDavid and Corey Perry dominated play, generating a 71.43% Corsi rate.
Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill has also been shaky, sporting a 3.01 GAA and .876 SV% this postseason.
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.