The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is set to begin with Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Monday. The defending champion Panthers advanced to this stage by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the `Battle of Florida`. Across the ice, the Maple Leafs secured their spot by overcoming the Ottawa Senators in six games in the `Battle of Ontario`, marking only their second appearance in the second round in two decades.
During the regular season, the Panthers held the advantage against their Atlantic Division rivals, winning three out of four contests and outscoring Toronto 13-7. Florida also has recent playoff success against the Maple Leafs, having eliminated them in five games during the second round of the 2023 postseason.
In the regular season series this year, Sam Bennett led the Panthers with three goals and tied Sam Reinhart with five points against Toronto. For the Maple Leafs, John Tavares also scored three goals, while Mitch Marner recorded three points.
As the series opener approaches, here are some player prop bets that present potential value for Monday`s game.
Player Prop Considerations
Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers – Anytime Goal Scorer
Although he did not participate in Sunday`s practice, Matthew Tkachuk is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1. The impactful left wing quickly made his presence felt in the first-round series against Tampa Bay, scoring two goals and assisting on another in Game 1 after returning from a two-month absence due to a lower-body injury. He also found the back of the net in Game 3 against the Lightning and will be looking to make an early impact against Toronto.
Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs – Over 0.5 Assists
Morgan Rielly registered just one assist in the opening round against the Senators, a notable decrease from his performance in previous playoff series (at least three assists in each of his last four). However, the defenseman was an offensive contributor against the Panthers in the regular season, setting up three of Toronto`s seven goals. He also recorded an assist in three of the four games against Florida in their 2023 second-round playoff series.
Brad Marchand, Panthers – Over 0.5 Assists
While this marks Brad Marchand`s first playoff series against Toronto as a member of the Panthers, he is very familiar with the Maple Leafs in the postseason from his extensive time with the Boston Bruins. As a Bruin, he participated in four seven-game series against Toronto, tallying 19 assists over 28 games. Marchand recorded four assists in six meetings with the Leafs during the 2024-25 regular season and also posted four assists in Florida`s recent first-round victory over Tampa Bay.
