The Florida Panthers commence their defense of their inaugural championship tonight as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This “Battle of Florida” marks the last first-round series to begin, pitting the reigning champions against the Lightning for the fourth time in five postseasons, and the third time in the opening round. Tampa Bay claimed victory in the first two playoff encounters between the state rivals, while Florida won their first-round series in five games last postseason.
Meanwhile, three other series are back in action today, with the home teams hoping to extend their leads to 2-0. The Carolina Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils following a 4-1 win in their opener. The Toronto Maple Leafs continue their `Battle of Ontario` against the visiting Ottawa Senators after a commanding 6-2 victory in Game 1. The Vegas Golden Knights aim to follow up their 4-2 triumph when they welcome the Minnesota Wild.
Individual performances stood out in the initial games. Logan Stankoven had an impressive playoff debut for Carolina, netting two goals, including the decisive winner against New Jersey. The Golden Knights` victory over the Wild featured two players scoring twice: Matt Boldy for Minnesota and Brett Howden for Vegas. In Toronto`s rout, six different players scored. Among them was William Nylander, who finished the regular season second in the NHL with a personal best of 45 goals.
After several player bets paid off in recent games, here are some players with favorable odds to consider for anytime goal scorer wagers today.
Best Bets
Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs
While he had a reduced goal tally this season compared to his league-leading 69 the prior year (finishing with 33 in 67 games due in part to injuries), the 27-year-old concluded the regular season with a three-game scoring streak. He provided two assists in Game 1 against the Senators. Matthews boasts a strong record against Ottawa historically, with 25 goals in 35 regular-season meetings. After seeing six teammates score in the opener, he is likely eager to find the net himself in Game 2.
Sam Reinhart, Panthers
Similar to Matthews, Reinhart saw a dip in his goal scoring this season (39) after a stellar 57-goal campaign previously. However, the 29-year-old scored twice in three regular-season matchups against the Lightning and recorded three goals in Florida`s five-game playoff series win over Tampa Bay last postseason. Reinhart has accumulated 22 goals in 43 career games against the Lightning (including playoffs) and 21 goals in 55 overall postseason contests.
Nikita Kucherov, Lightning
Tampa Bay`s roster includes numerous scoring threats, and Kucherov is among the most prominent. He has reached the 30-goal mark in eight of the last nine seasons. The 31-year-old Russian winger scored three goals in his final three regular-season games and added two in four games against the Panthers during the 2024-25 season. Kucherov has 21 goals in 38 career regular-season games and five goals in 15 playoff games against Florida. He is looking to break a 10-game playoff scoring drought in this series and contribute to avenging last year`s loss to the Panthers.
Brandon Saad, Golden Knights
Saad`s goal production was lower this season, finishing with 13 goals in 72 games. He joined Vegas in late January after being released by St. Louis. A two-time Stanley Cup winner, he struggled to find the net late in the season before scoring in the final regular-season game. While he didn`t score in Game 1 against the Wild, he registered an assist and was noted as one of the more dangerous forwards. It wouldn`t be surprising to see Saad net his first playoff goal since 2022 in Game 2.
