Suzuki's Hot Hand and Theodore's Assist Streak: Second-Round Prop Angles in Play

The Montreal Canadiens head into Game 3 of their Eastern Conference second-round series against Buffalo riding a curious rhythm: alternating wins and losses across nine playoff games, the longest such streak to open a postseason in NHL history. After dropping Game 1 to the Sabres 4-1, Montreal bounced back with a 5-1 rout on Friday behind a two-goal performance from Alex Newhook and a goal from Nick Suzuki. The center has now scored in three consecutive contests, a momentum marker that shapes how Sunday's action at the Bell Centre should be viewed through a prop lens.

Suzuki's goal streak is particularly noteworthy because it comes off a slow start. He didn't register a goal in Montreal's first six games against Tampa Bay before finally breaking through in Game 7 of that series. Since then, he's converted twice—a power-play marker in Game 1 against Buffalo and an empty-netter Friday—but remains scoreless at home in the postseason. That creates a narrative vacuum for Sunday. The Sabres, meanwhile, have shown vulnerability on the road after dominating at TD Garden in the first round, surrendering more dangerous chances in hostile environments. For bettors, Suzuki's anytime goal prop becomes especially intriguing given the home-ice advantage and the fact that his line is likely to see heavy minutes in a must-win-one situation.

Out West, Vegas faces Anaheim in Game 4 with an opportunity to close out the series. The Golden Knights' 6-2 victory on Friday masked an important injury concern: captain Mark Stone will miss Sunday due to a lower-body injury sustained in the third period. That opens ice time and shot opportunities for role players, none more relevant than defenseman Shea Theodore. The 30-year-old has recorded assists in four of his last five contests and posted an assist in both second-round games so far. Theodore didn't find the scoresheet until Game 4 of Vegas's first-round run, but once he hit his stride, consistency followed. With Stone's absence potentially elevating his offensive workload, Theodore's over 0.5 assists prop becomes a credible value play.

Josh Doan, Buffalo's 24-year-old right wing, follows a similar pattern: slow playoff burn followed by recent production. He posted an assist in each of Buffalo's first two second-round contests after missing the scoresheet entirely in the opening round. Against a Montreal team that has struggled defensively in home games—all three contests against Tampa went to one goal—Doan's 1+ assists prop represents another data point worth monitoring. The Canadiens's penalty differential and high-event-rate games create environments where secondary pass-first forwards tend to find helpers.

What ties these props together is process: each player is stepping into increased opportunity windows (Suzuki at home, Theodore without Stone, Doan in high-tempo playoff hockey) after demonstrating recent point production. The market hasn't fully priced the shift in role definition that injuries and series momentum create.