The Toronto Maple Leafs have a chance to exorcise their playoff demons on Thursday, but grizzled veteran Ryan O'Reilly knows it'll be no walk in the park.

"They're going to throw everything they have at us," O'Reilly said of the opposing Tampa Bay Lightning, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "By no means is this series over."

The Leafs lead the series 3-1 after a pair of dramatic overtime victories in Games 3 and 4. O'Reilly has played a critical role throughout, tallying two goals and five assists in four contests. The 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner will be heavily relied upon again on Thursday when the Leafs have a chance to win their first playoff series since 2004.

But a 3-1 series lead is no guarantee for a Round 1 victory. After all, the Leafs blew a 3-1 series lead in the first round two years ago against a heavy underdog Montreal Canadiens club. And while the Leafs were the betting favorite against Tampa Bay, this is largely the same Lightning team that's been to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last three years.

"We've got a lot of experience to lean back on (staving off elimination)," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said, per Postmedia's Lance Hornby. "But it's a different year. The Leafs will have a say in this."

After recording a hat trick in Game 2's blowout win, captain John Tavares has been shut down, failing to record a point in the last two contests. But he's taking a business-as-usual approach to Game 5.

"Just try as best as you can to approach it like every other game," Tavares told Yahoo Sports' Arun Srinivasan. "Obviously, you're aware of the circumstances and where we're at. You just try to be in the moment of getting up, having a good morning."

He added: "We know the job's not done."

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Wednesday was another great night on the ice. We successfully backed a healthy road underdog - this time the Kraken in Colorado - for the third night in a row, while both player props also came through.

We'll look to stay hot with three more plays for Thursday's games.

Jets (+160) @ Golden Knights (-190)

The Jets are in deep trouble. After a surprisingly dominant series-opening performance against the Golden Knights, they're now on the brink of elimination after dropping three in a row.

But the Jets haven't only lost games. Potential Norris finalist Josh Morrissey was knocked out of the series early in Game 3, while the injured Mark Scheifele won't be available in Game 5.

To say those absences are crushing would be an understatement. At five-on-five, the Jets have controlled just 44% of the expected goal share over the past three games. The Golden Knights have really taken charge in this series, and I don't see that changing with a couple of Winnipeg's top players out of order.

Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and the Golden Knights' lead dogs are creating a ton of offense, while the defense is giving the Jets next to nothing. Vegas ranks second in five-on-five expected goals conceded since Game 1.

Winnipeg was never going to be a team that generates a ton of chance volume. The path to victory was opportunistic finishing while getting great goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck.

It's a lot harder to convert on chances without Morrissey (second on the team in points) and Scheifele (first in goals), and Hellebuyck isn't doing enough.

Simply put, the undermanned Jets look vulnerable at both ends of the rink. Expect the Golden Knights to take care of business inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Golden Knights in regulation (-120)

Timo Meier over 3.5 shots (-115)

Meier is piling up shots against the Rangers. He's attempted 32 at five-on-five alone, which is more than all but Nathan MacKinnon (34) this postseason. However, MacKinnon has played five games, while Meier currently sits at four.

Meier's regular-season shot and chance generation rates were higher with Nico Hischier than any other player he spent meaningful time with in San Jose or New Jersey. In the last couple of games, Meier has played on the top line with Hischier from start to finish. The expectation is he'll do that once again in Game 5.

Playing on the Devils' top line in a swing game, Meier should get a healthy dose of ice time. Look for him to take his fair share of shots and go over the number for the third time in four contests.

Kyle Connor over 3.5 shots (-135)

Connor has come to play against the Golden Knights. In a series where the Jets have had problems generating offense, Connor has had little trouble doing so. He's averaged six shots on goal - and nearly 10 attempts per game - through four meetings.

Getting the puck to Connor in shooting position is priority No. 1 for the Jets. With Scheifele and Morrissey sidelined, it'll also be priority Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5.

He's one of the league's more consistent volume shooters. In an elimination game where his team is missing multiple key offensive weapons, there's no doubt he'll play a ton of minutes and fire the puck on goal every chance he gets.

Look for Connor to go down swinging.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Nathan MacKinnon wasn't pleased with the referees for missing a crucial tripping penalty during the Colorado Avalanche's Game 5 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.

MacKinnon was hauled down by Kraken defenseman Will Borgen while the game was tied 1-1 in the second period, but no call was made. Incensed, MacKinnon slammed his stick against the glass and, as a result, was late getting to the bench for a change. J.T. Compher was then late to cover his man, allowing Kraken rookie Tye Kartye to score the go-ahead goal in his NHL debut.

"I get 5 feet on a guy, and he takes my feet out," MacKinnon said after Colorado's 3-2 defeat, per The Athletic's Peter Baugh. "I don't know what to do. It's not 1975. I feel like that's a trip."

Despite disagreeing with the call, MacKinnon admitted he has to remain more composed in such a situation.

"I've got to keep my cool there better," MacKinnon said. "I can't get upset. It's on me there."

It's easy to understand why frustration may be building for the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Avalanche entered Round 1 as heavy favorites against the NHL's newest franchise, but they now find themselves on the brink of elimination, trailing the series 3-2.

MacKinnon and Co. are being pushed to their limits, as the star center played a game-high 27:01 in the regulation defeat yet still produced a goal and an assist. But it's a clear sign that if the Avs are going down, head coach Jared Bednar will do so with his best players logging heavy minutes.

"Do we get to a point where (MacKinnon) runs out of gas? Maybe," Bednar said. "But we're facing elimination. We'll play him 30 if we have to."

Game 6 is set for Friday, when the Avalanche will get Cale Makar back from his one-game suspension.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Seattle Kraken are one win away from eliminating the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Seattle defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 in Game 5 on Wednesday to take a 3-2 series lead. The Avalanche didn't face elimination in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After a goalless first period, Morgan Geekie opened the scoring in the second frame. Seattle has tallied the first goal in all five games of the series.

Nathan MacKinnon responded immediately for the Avalanche. But Tye Kartye - who was making his NHL debut - gave Seattle a lead it wouldn't surrender later in the period.

Yanni Gourde scored the eventual game-winning goal for the Kraken less than two minutes into the third period. Evan Rodrigues got Colorado back within one after the Avalanche pulled their goaltender for the extra attacker.

Former Avalanche netminder Philipp Grubauer made 26 saves in the victory.

The series shifts to Seattle for Game 6, where the Kraken will have an opportunity to win the first series in the young franchise's history on home ice.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matthew Tkachuk had a message for his team's naysayers after he extended the Florida Panthers' season with the overtime winner in Game 5 against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

"We were supposed to get swept in this series, right? Everyone's saying so," he said following the Cats' 4-3 victory, per Bally Sports Florida. "I don't think anybody really gave us a chance after losing two games in a row at home. Coming here in a back-against-the-wall type game, it just seemed like the series was over before that game even started.

"For us to come out with the start we did speaks a lot about our team, our preparation, and our belief in each other."

The Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy and set records for most wins (65) and points (135) in a campaign. The Panthers, meanwhile, made the playoffs by a single point just one season after they took home the Presidents' Trophy.

Forty-three points separated the two teams in the standings. Florida entered Game 5 in Boston staring down a 3-1 series deficit after losing back-to-back matchups on home ice.

The Panthers never trailed in Wednesday's back-and-forth contest, but they never held a multi-goal lead, either. Tkachuk ultimately capitalized on a rare turnover from goaltender Linus Ullmark to put the game to bed.

Head coach Paul Maurice heaped praise on Tkachuk after his overtime heroics kept Florida's season alive.

"That guy is a - and then you put a long string of profanity - gamer," he said. "Is he not a gamer?"

However, Maurice posited that Sergei Bobrovsky made his own case to be named the game's MVP. The veteran netminder made 44 saves in just his second start of these playoffs.

"(Bobrovsky) needed to carry that weight. Like Matthew Tkachuk carries the weight, like (Aleksander) Barkov does, the leaders carry the weight of your team," Maurice said, according to team beat reporter Jameson Olive.

The puck drops on Game 6 on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Sunrise.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Boston Bruins will have captain Patrice Bergeron back in the lineup for Wednesday's Game 5 of their first-round series against the Florida Panthers.

The Presidents' Trophy winners hold a 3-1 series lead and can send their Atlantic Division rivals packing with a victory at TD Garden.

Bergeron missed the first four contests of the matchup. He exited during the Bruins' regular-season finale on April 13 against the Montreal Canadiens with an upper-body injury.

Boston head coach Jim Montgomery said Friday that he didn't regret putting the veteran forward in the lineup for game No. 82, noting the team wanted its roster regulars to use the last two regular-season contests to ramp up for the playoffs.

After practicing with his teammates Tuesday, Bergeron said his absence from the lineup was "frustrating."

"You want to be out there with the boys and battle and compete," he said. "You go through a full season, and you work hard to get to this point. ... Now we're here, and the boys have done a great job."

The Bruins have made the playoffs 15 times since Bergeron's debut season in 2003-04, totaling 181 postseason contests. The five-time Selke Trophy winner has missed only 14 of those games.

"It was definitely different," he said of watching the Bruins battle the Panthers from the sidelines. "It felt like it was a little bit more nerve-racking than when you're on the ice or on the bench, (where) you feel like you can actually do something about it.

"I don't know if helpless is the right word. ... I was cheering and screaming at the TV a few times."

Prior to Wednesday's clash, Bergeron amassed 49 goals and 78 assists in 167 playoff games.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.