It is the first Thursday of the NHL playoffs, so let's find some winning NHL props. It's the fourth day of the Stanley Cup playoffs and there are four games on tonight's schedule, which gives us some interesting options when looking for some winners. I've taken my time to carefully look over every matchup tonight, and I think I've found a few props that can win us some money. The research is done, the picks are in, and now it's time to watch some hockey!

Below, I highlight three player props that stood out to me for tonight's games. Hopefully, I can start the playoffs on the right foot and sweep the board tonight!

Nathan MacKinnon – Over 4.5 Shots (-135)

Somewhat surprisingly the Colorado Avalanche dropped Game 1 at home to the Seattle Kraken, and you know MacKinnon is going to come out like a man on fire for game two. Even though the Avalanche dropped Game 1, and only mustered one goal in the process, MacKinnon was still able to rack up seven shots. His ability to rack up shots in the playoffs is proven by his average of 5.90 shots per game over his last 21 playoff games, a staggering amount. Also, going back to the regular season, he is averaging 6.40 shots per game over his last five, an average I think he will continue to hit moving forward. He has also been winning this bet at home a lot recently, recording at least five shots in seven of his last nine home games, that's a good sign with the Avalanche at home tonight. Look for MacKinnon to put the team on his back tonight and don't be surprised if his shot total nearly hits double digits.

Nico Hischier – Over 2.5 Shots (-143)

Nico Hischier was one of the lone bright spots for a New Jersey Devils team that got thumped on home ice by the New York Rangers in game one. Hischier was one of the few Devils players creating scoring chances and was taking the puck to the net hard all game, I expect more of the same from the Devils captain in game two. The Devils were only able to fire 28 shots on net all game, and Hischier's strong game led to him recording five of those shots himself. Hischier also had success versus the Rangers in the regular season, where he averaged 3.25 shots per game in four games versus the Rangers. He was also quite good on home ice in the regular season, averaging 3.29 shots per game at home, which bodes well for us tonight with Devils at home again. If you want to get a little bit weird with it, Hischier averaged 3.82 shots per game over 17 games on Thursdays during the regular season, his most productive day of the week, and if I'm not mistaken, today is Thursday. I expect Hischier to have another strong game tonight, the Devils captain will continue to lead by example and take the puck to the net every chance he gets.

Ryan O'Reilly – Over 0.5 Points (-120)

Even if the Toronto Maple Leafs haven't performed in the playoffs recently, one thing is for certain, Ryan O'Reilly is a playoff performer to the bone. Over his last 59 playoff games, O'Reilly has recorded 56 points for an average of 0.95 points per game, and I expect him to find the scoresheet again tonight. As proven in game one, the Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning don't like each other very much which can lead to a lot of penalty minutes. In game one O'Reilly logged over three minutes of powerplay time, and I imagine game two might be even chippier, which should lead to O'Reilly getting even more powerplay time. Also to note, Erik Cernak will miss tonight's game, while Victor Hedman will be a game-time decision, those would be two massive losses to the Lightning's defensive play. Look for O'Reilly to continue his fantastic play in the playoffs tonight as the Leafs try to even up the series.