As the Stanley Cup Playoffs heat up, all eyes are on Wednesday's thrilling matchups—and NHL analyst Scott Erskine has pinpointed some player props worth your attention.
First up, the Montreal Canadiens are riding a wave of resilience after surviving a grueling seven-game first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Every single game was decided by just one goal, with four going into overtime. Now, they finally get their shot at consecutive wins as they open their Eastern Conference second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. The Canadiens clinched their spot with a nail-biting 2-1 Game 7 victory, despite managing only nine shots on goal.
Buffalo, meanwhile, is celebrating its first playoff series win since 2007 after dispatching the Boston Bruins in six games. A key shift came when Alex Lyon took over in net from Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen—the Sabres held the Bruins to just five goals over the final four games of that series. The regular-season meetings between these two teams were evenly split, with each winning once at home and once on the road. Keep an eye on Tage Thompson, who racked up seven points against Montreal this season, including a hat trick in a 5-3 home win back in January. For the Canadiens, Cole Caufield has been a spark plug with four goals and two assists in those matchups, while Nick Suzuki leads the team with eight points overall.
Out West, the Anaheim Ducks and Vegas Golden Knights continue their second-round battle with Game 2 at T-Mobile Arena. Vegas is looking to go up 2-0 after a commanding 3-1 win in the opener, fueled by Mitch Marner's goal and assist. But the real story might be Brett Howden, who has been on fire—he scored first in Game 1, extending his goal streak to four games. The 28-year-old center already has five goals this postseason, matching his entire output from the 2023 playoffs when Vegas won the Stanley Cup.
Whether you're tracking Caufield's scoring touch, Thompson's hot hand, or Howden's playoff surge, Wednesday's games offer plenty of player prop value. Stay tuned for more insights as the battle for the Cup intensifies.