Following the conclusion of Round 1, which saw two series go the distance to Game 7, the matchups for the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are now finalized. Eight teams remain in contention for hockey`s ultimate prize. These teams will compete head-to-head over the next two weeks to determine the Eastern and Western Conference finalists.
In the Eastern Conference, the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers demonstrated their continued dominance in Round 1 and face a formidable challenge against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Washington Capitals, who finished with the best record in the East, are set to battle the Carolina Hurricanes in a Metropolitan Division clash.
Turning to the Western Conference, the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets narrowly avoided an upset in the first round and now face an even tougher opponent in the Dallas Stars. The Stars themselves overcame a 2-0 deficit in Game 7 to defeat the Colorado Avalanche and are now considered favorites to eliminate the Presidents` Trophy winners.
Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights will square off against the Edmonton Oilers in a series that promises intense competition. Vegas advanced by defeating the Minnesota Wild in six games, while Edmonton swept the Los Angeles Kings with four consecutive wins.
As the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs gets underway, our experts offer their predictions for the winner of each series.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs
Series odds: Panthers -184, Maple Leafs +150
Bengel: I made the mistake of picking against the Panthers in the opening round, but I won`t be making the same oversight this time. The Panthers looked like a well-oiled machine as they took down the Lightning in just five games. Star forward Matthew Tkachuk made his return to the lineup and proved to be a key driver for Florida`s offense. The Panthers showcased their balanced attack with contributions from players like Sam Reinhart, Tkachuk, and Aleksander Barkov. It also helps that Florida has a proven playoff goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky, who posted a 2.21 goals-against-average in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will require spectacular performances from their talented core of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares if they hope to defeat the Panthers. They must find a way to consistently score goals to have any chance against Florida. I anticipate this being a very entertaining series, but the Panthers possess too much offensive power and are the reigning Stanley Cup champions for a reason. Pick — Panthers def. Maple Leafs 4-2
Nivison: The Maple Leafs managed to survive a minor scare from the Senators and are back in the second round for the second time in the last three years. The last time they reached this stage, they were eliminated by the Panthers in five games. For a different outcome this time, the `Core Four` plus Matthew Knies will need to maintain their strong play. Those five combined for 12 goals and 20 assists against the Sens.
Of course, the opponent is much more formidable now. What the Panthers did to the Lightning last round was truly impressive. Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov effectively shut down Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel for the entire series. Florida has repeatedly proven their ability to neutralize elite offensive players, and their forward group can match anyone`s scoring. The Leafs will put up a good fight, but Barkov`s impact makes the difference again. Pick — Panthers def. Maple Leafs 4-2
Hurricanes vs. Capitals
Series odds: Hurricanes -160, Capitals +140
Bengel: It`s worth noting that the Capitals faced a significant challenge against the Canadiens despite finishing the series in five games. Still, this is a team that excelled offensively during the regular season, scoring the second-most goals per contest (3.49). While they have been a sensational offensive unit at times, I believe they might rely too heavily on Alex Ovechkin, whereas the Hurricanes have more scoring depth with players like Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and many others.
Although I favor the Hurricanes in this matchup, I predict this will be a long series as these two teams are very evenly matched. Through one round, they rank as the top two teams in the league with the lowest goals-against-average. The Hurricanes are expected to get their starting netminder, Frederik Andersen, back from injury for the start of the series, which will be a significant boost. This series could well be decided by which team`s defense and goaltending perform best throughout the series, and I ultimately back the Hurricanes in a tight affair. Pick — Hurricanes def. Capitals 4-3
Nivison: Both teams were clear favorites in their respective first-round series, and they played like it. As well as these squads played offensively, the goaltenders have been the most impressive. Logan Thompson and Frederik Andersen rank among the top goalies in goals saved above average this postseason.
So, which goalie will falter first and most often in this series? If Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov maintain their Round 1 performance, it will likely be Thompson. Svechikov rediscovered his scoring touch, and Aho proved he is one of the league`s top two-way centers. For the Caps, Alex Ovechkin scored four goals against the Canadiens, demonstrating his ability to still be a playoff threat. Unfortunately for Ovechkin and the rest of the Washington roster, Carolina and Montreal are not comparable in terms of defensive play. Goals will be harder to come by for the Capitals, leading the Canes to win the series. Pick — Hurricanes def. Capitals 4-2
Stars vs. Jets
Series odds: Stars -165, Jets +140
Bengel: Both teams displayed a flair for the dramatic in the first round but ultimately survived very tough tests. Forward Mikko Rantanen delivered exceptional performances in Games 6 and 7 to propel the Stars past the Avalanche. After a slow start to the postseason, Rantanen accumulated a remarkable four goals and four assists in the final two games of that series. Perhaps even more impressive than Rantanen`s play was Dallas`s ability to win the series without key players like forward Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen for parts of it. Considering the Stars` depth down the middle, they are the team to beat in this series, and I believe they will emerge victorious.
Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, certainly didn`t play like the NHL`s top netminder in the opening round. Hellebuyck registered a surprising 3.85 goals-against-average and a .830 save percentage in seven games against the Blues. He allowed at least three goals in six of the seven games and five or more goals in three contests. Hellebuyck simply must perform better if the Jets hope to keep pace with the Stars and their potent offense, but I don`t see that happening consistently. Pick — Stars def. Jets 4-2
Nivison: These teams appeared to be in trouble in the third period of their respective Game 7 matchups, but both staged dramatic comebacks to advance. The Jets achieved this despite another concerning performance from star goalie Connor Hellebuyck in regulation. His goals allowed above average figure ranked dead last in the playoffs after Round 1.
The big question for me in this series is whether Hellebuyck can build confidence from his strong overtime performance in Game 7. If he can, the Jets absolutely have a chance. If he continues to struggle, the series will be short. The Stars simply have too much offensive firepower, especially with Jason Robertson nearing a return, for Hellebuyck to be letting in soft goals. Furthermore, Winnipeg has little margin for error as both Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey are banged up after that physical first-round series against St. Louis. Dallas is deeper, healthier, and has better goaltending right now. Pick — Stars def. Jets 4-1
Oilers vs. Golden Knights
Series odds: Golden Knights -115, Oilers -105
Bengel: The Golden Knights had a challenging start against the Wild but ultimately relied on their talent to advance to the next round. However, Vegas posted a 3.17 goals-against-average in the first round, which is not ideal performance from a proven playoff goaltender like Adin Hill, especially with the Oilers up next. Hill will need to play more like he did in the final three games against Minnesota. Despite a slow start offensively, the Golden Knights saw star forward Jack Eichel finish the series strongly with five points over the final three games of the opening round.
Meanwhile, the Oilers averaged an NHL-best 4.5 goals per contest in the first round against the Kings, scoring at least five goals in three of those games. Whenever a team has superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, scoring opportunities will always be abundant. However, the Oilers` weakness has often seemed to be their goaltending. Edmonton eventually turned to Calvin Pickard as the starting netminder for the final four games against Los Angeles, all of which resulted in victories. If Pickard can provide serviceable performances in net, the Oilers have a chance, but I think the Golden Knights will do enough to move on. Pick — Golden Knights def. Oilers 4-3
Nivison: Last round, the Oilers once again proved that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can compensate for many team weaknesses. That duo combined for 21 points as Edmonton rattled off four straight wins after falling behind 2-0 in the series. The Kings were arguably as well-equipped as any team to handle the Oilers` star forwards, yet they couldn`t contain them for long.
On paper, the Golden Knights should be up to the challenge, but Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin had very inconsistent performances against the Wild. If that trend continues, McDavid and Draisaitl will feast again. On the other side, the Oilers are still without Mattias Ekholm on the blue line, making them vulnerable to offense from players like Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl. Add in the fact that neither team received stellar goaltending in the first round, and this series could turn into a surprisingly high-scoring affair. If it does, it`s difficult to bet against McDavid and the Oilers. Pick — Oilers def. Golden Knights 4-3
