Two first-round series continue and two others begin when the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs resume with a four-game slate Monday. The Presidents' Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche attempt to take 2-0 leads when they face the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars, respectively. The top seed in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals, host the Montreal Canadiens in the opener of their seven-game set while the Edmonton Oilers begin their quest to return to the Final for the second straight postseason when they visit the Los Angeles Kings.
Winnipeg rallied in the third period Saturday to overcome a deficit and post a 5-3 home victory over St. Louis in Game 1 of their matchup, with Kyle Connor scoring the decisive goal with 1:36 remaining. Meanwhile, Colorado scored twice in the second period and three times in the third to roll past host Dallas 5-1 in its opener. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and set up another for the Avalanche, who are looking to avenge their second-round loss to the Stars last postseason.
After a dynamic regular season during which he scored 44 times in 65 games at the age of 39 and passed the legendary Wayne Gretzky as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer, Alex Ovechkin is ready to help Washington record its first playoff series win since defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. The Russian right wing, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy that postseason, is tied for 15th on the all-time list with 72 career playoff goals and netted five in the Capitals' seven-game series loss to Montreal in the first round of the 2010 postseason.
Edmonton was plagued with injuries down the stretch of the regular season but will have a few players back in the lineup Monday, including high-scoring forward Leon Draisaitl. The 29-year-old German, who has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury since Apr. 3, registered 52 goals this campaign to post the fourth 50-goal season of his career and capture the Maurice Richard Trophy. The Oilers and Kings are meeting for the fourth consecutive postseason, with Edmonton having won the previous three meetings.
Here are some players with value to consider when making prop bets for anytime goal scorer Monday.
Best bets
Leon Draisaitl, Oilers (+155, FanDuel)
Prior to his injury, Draisaitl scored 17 goals in 21 games - including six in his last seven contests. He has been a major force against the Kings the last three postseasons, netting five goals over seven games in 2022, seven across six contests the following postseason and five over as many games in the first round last year. Edmonton's power play has been the best in the NHL over the last three postseasons, converting at a 32.3% clip, and Draisaitl has scored 15 man-advantage goals in that span. Don't be surprised to see him add to that total and continue his overall playoff dominance against Los Angeles.
Nick Suzuki, Canadiens (+230, BetMGM)
Montreal doesn't have a ton of offensive threats, but Suzuki is one of them. The 25-year-old center reached the 30-goal plateau for the second straight season, finishing second on the team with 30. He enters the playoffs having netted eight goals in his last 10 games and scored twice in three meetings with the Capitals in 2024-25. Suzuki has recorded nine goals in 15 career contests against Washington and should be involved in most of Montreal's scoring chances Monday.
Kevin Fiala, Kings (+210, FanDuel)
Fiala was tied with Adrian Kempe for the team lead this season with a career-high 35 goals. The 28-year-old Swiss left wing also enters the postseason on a hot streak, scoring seven times over his last eight games. Fiala scored twice in four matchups against the Oilers during the 2024-25 season and has 11 goals in 21 career meetings against Edmonton.
Mason Marchment, Stars (+400, BetMGM)
Marchment set a career high with 22 goals in 2023-24 and matched it this season. The 29-year-old left wing did not score in the series opener but was one of five members of the Stars to register three shots. He converted twice in two contests against the Avalanche during the regular season and entered the playoffs with two goals in his last four games. With top scorer Jason Robertson sidelined with a lower-body injury, Dallas will be counting on players like Marchment to pick up the slack.
