With three of the eight second-round teams determined, four more first-round series can come to an end Thursday as the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue with three Game 6s in the Western Conference and one in the Eastern Conference.
The Toronto Maple Leafs attempt to wrap up their series and set up a second-round showdown with the reigning champions Florida Panthers when they visit the Ottawa Senators. Toronto was the only playoff team to take a 3-0 lead in its first-round matchup but has watched the Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals advance in the East as has been outscored 8-3 in back-to-back losses to Ottawa.
In the West, the Vegas Golden Knights look to move on when hit the road to face off against the Minnesota Wild. The 2023 Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights trailed 2-1 in the series before posting a pair of overtime victories, with Brett Howden scoring his third goal of the matchup just over four minutes into the extra session of Game 5 Tuesday.
The Colorado Avalanche hope to force a decisive seventh game when they host the Dallas Stars. Colorado shut out the Stars 4-0 at home in Game 4 to even the series but was routed 6-2 on the road Monday as Wyatt Johnston scored his first two goals of the postseason and added an assist to help put Dallas one win away from advancing.
Finally, the reigning Western Conference champions Edmonton Oilers aim for their fourth consecutive victory when they welcome the Los Angeles Kings to Rogers Place. After allowing six goals in each of the first two games of the series – both losses – in Los Angeles, the Oilers replaced Stuart Skinner in the crease with Calvin Pickard and have given up a total of eight tallies in winning three straight contests.
After three of Wednesday’s four best bets cashed, here are some players with value to consider when making prop bets for Thursday’s playoff games.
Best bets
Kirill Kaprizov anytime goal scorer (+120, FanDuel)
The Wild scored 17 goals over the first five games of the series against the Golden Knights, and Kaprizov has recorded nearly one-third of them. The 28-year-old Russian left wing is tied with teammate Matt Boldy, Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon of the Avalanche for the playoff lead with five tallies. Kaprizov, who scored twice in his only regular-season game against Vegas, has posted a pair of two-goal performances in this matchup and also converted in Game 5 Tuesday.
Anze Kopitar 1+ assist (+122, FanDuel)
Age has not slowed down Kopitar as the 37-year-old Slovenian center is tied for third in the league with seven assists in these playoffs, matching the amount he notched in 11 games over the previous two postseasons. It is the second-highest total for one postseason of his career, as he racked up 21 across 26 contests during Los Angeles’ run to its second Stanley Cup championship in 2014. The Kings’ captain failed to set up a goal in just one of the first five contests of this series against the Oilers.
Connor McDavid anytime goal scorer (+150, BetMGM)
McDavid has been more adept at setting up goals in the series against the Kings, as he is tied with St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler for the playoff lead with eight assists. We all know the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner is more than capable of tallying himself. McDavid scored in two of the first three games against Los Angeles and is 22nd on the all-time list of players that have recorded at least 20 career playoff goals with an average of 0.49 over 79 contests, with only three active players ahead of him. Even though he didn’t convert in his last two games, it’s never a bad idea to bet on the three-time Hart Trophy winner to net a goal.
Best longshot
Matthew Knies anytime goal scorer (+320, bet365)
After scoring 15 goals as a rookie in 2023-24, Knies nearly doubled that total this season, finishing with 29 – including his first two NHL hat tricks – to rank fourth on the Maple Leafs. The 22-year-old left wing has continued to produce in the series against the Senators, as he is even with John Tavares for the team lead with three tallies. Toronto is looking to bounce back from a shutout loss and avoid a Game 7, and Knies is a good longshot to consider getting on the scoreboard for the club.
This news was originally published on this post .
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