NHL player props for Stanley Cup Playoffs: Sam Bennett among Wednesday's best bets
SportsLine NHL analyst Scott Erskine gives his thoughts on the top picks in Wednesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers
The reigning champions Florida Panthers make their second attempt at booking their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 5 of the 2025 Eastern Conference Final Wednesday. Florida, which lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final but defeated the Edmonton Oilers last year for the franchise's first title, won the first three games of this series. The Panthers were denied a sweep Monday as Carolina staved off elimination with a 3-0 victory.
Logan Stankoven snapped a scoreless tie midway through the second period while Sebastian Aho and captain Jordan Staal secured the win with empty-net goals late in the third. Frederik Andersen, who sat on the bench in favor of Pyotr Kochetkov in Game 3, returned to the crease and turned aside all 20 shots he faced for his fifth career playoff shutout and second this postseason.
The Panthers scored at least five times in each of their last five wins dating back to their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, amassing a total of 28 goals in those triumphs. They were blanked in their last two defeats. Florida, which is looking to give the Sunshine State a representative in the Stanley Cup Final for a sixth consecutive year, is expected to have Sam Reinhart (lower body), left wing A.J. Greer (undisclosed) and defenseman Niko Mikkola (upper body) back in the lineup Wednesday after all three missed Game 4. Reinhart, who is one of 10 Panthers with at least 10 points this postseason, also sat out Game 3.
Carolina, which has allowed 16 goals in the conference final after giving up a total of 18 in 10 games over the first two rounds of the playoffs, is hoping to take another step toward becoming the fifth team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 series deficit. Only the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings have accomplished the difficult feat.
Here are some players with value to consider when making NHL player prop bets for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Sam Bennett anytime goal scorer (+270, FanDuel)
When something works, it's usually a good idea to stick with it. This is the case with Bennett, who is tied with Mikko Rantanen of the Dallas Stars for the league lead with a playoff career-high nine goals. The 28-year-old center, who netted seven tallies in 19 games during Florida's run to the Stanley Cup last year, has been following a fascinating scoring pattern this postseason, scoring in back-to-back contests and then going two straight games without a goal. This trend began with the Panthers' first two contests against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and if you believe it will continue, Bennett is a lock to convert Wednesday as he failed to score in each of the last two games.
Seth Jarvis 1+ assist (+144, FanDuel)
Jarvis leads Carolina with nine assists in 14 games during these playoffs, notching three of them in the conference final. The 23-year-old center collected nine assists over 26 contests in the previous two postseasons. Jarvis has registered at least one assist in seven of his last 11 games and is a solid bet to record another as long as the Hurricanes are able to solve Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky.
Eetu Luostarinen 1+ point (+175, bet365)
Luostarinen is one of the 10 players with double-digit points for Florida, as he is tied for fourth on the team with 13 in 16 games. The 26-year-old Finnish center amassed the same amount in 40 contests over the previous two postseasons. Luostarinen, who recorded three points - all goals - in three regular-season meetings with the Hurricanes in 2024-25, netted a tally in the series opener but has gone three games without landing on the scoresheet. He has yet to endure a four-game point drought in these playoffs, and I think he'll manage to avoid one Wednesday.
