If the exciting conclusion of the first round is anything to go by, the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs promises intense, edge-of-your-seat action for hockey enthusiasts.
The initial round wrapped up last weekend with two memorable Game 7 matchups where the home teams staged dramatic third-period comebacks from two-goal deficits to advance. The Dallas Stars netted four unanswered goals to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2 on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets, who finished with the Presidents` Trophy as the league`s top regular-season team, scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation to erase a 3-1 deficit against the St. Louis Blues, ultimately winning at 16:10 of the second overtime period thanks to captain Adam Lowry.
These results set the stage for a second-round clash between the Stars and Jets, starting Wednesday at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The Jets held the advantage during the regular season series between these Central Division rivals, winning three of four games and outscoring the Stars 13-5.
In the other Western Conference series, the Pacific Division-winning Vegas Golden Knights are set to face the reigning conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Both the Golden Knights and Oilers eliminated their first-round opponents (Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings, respectively) in six games. Their four meetings in the 2024-25 regular season were split evenly. Vegas`s only prior playoff series against Edmonton was in the second round in 2023, which they won in six games.
In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers kick off their second-round series Monday at Scotiabank Arena. Florida had the upper hand against Toronto in the regular season, winning three out of four games by a combined score of 13-7. Just two years ago, when these Atlantic Division clubs met in the postseason for the first time, the Panthers eliminated the Maple Leafs in five games in the second round.
The other Eastern second-round series begins Tuesday, featuring the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes at Capital One Arena. In their four regular-season meetings this year, the home team won every game between these Metropolitan Division rivals. Their sole previous playoff encounter occurred in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, which the Hurricanes won in seven games.
Interestingly, despite finishing first in their respective conferences, both Winnipeg and Washington are listed as underdogs in their upcoming series, with odds around +140 at most sportsbooks. Toronto, which ended the regular season 10 points ahead of Florida, is considered an even bigger underdog, priced around +150. The series between Vegas and Edmonton is largely seen as a toss-up, though the Golden Knights are slightly favored at -115 by several bookmakers.
Considering the betting value, here are some teams worth looking at for potential series wins in the second round.
Best Bet
Vegas Golden Knights (-105)
Vegas didn`t always look sharp in the first round, falling behind 2-1 to the Wild before winning two games in overtime and sealing the series 3-2 in Game 6. Only four players managed multiple goals, and defenseman Shea Theodore was one of them. Pavel Dorofeyev, the team`s top regular-season scorer with 35 goals, only found the net once in the first five games and missed Game 6 due to injury, making his availability for the Oilers series opener uncertain. However, Brett Howden is playing well, scoring three goals in the first round, including two game-winners, following a career-best regular season (23 goals).
The Oilers narrowly avoided a 3-0 deficit against the Kings in the first round, mounting a four-goal comeback in the third period of Game 3 to win and then taking the next three games. Calvin Pickard took over in net for Stuart Skinner in Game 2 and has started since, but he posted just an .893 save percentage in the series and allowed four goals on two occasions. Leon Draisaitl scored three goals and Connor McDavid had two against the Kings, but neither superstar scored in the final two games. If Edmonton`s top offensive threats don`t elevate their game and Vegas`s forwards find their stride, it`s difficult to picture the Oilers reaching the conference final for a second consecutive year.
Best Longshot
Toronto Maple Leafs (+152)
Betting against the reigning champion Panthers is a tough call, especially after their dominant performance against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, jumped out to a 3-0 lead against the Ottawa Senators but then dropped two straight games, needing a late third-period goal from Max Pacioretty in Game 6 to finally advance. Florida certainly has the goaltending advantage with Sergei Bobrovsky, but Toronto`s Anthony Stolarz was his backup last season and might have picked up some insights into performing under playoff pressure.
Toronto will need a significant offensive contribution from Auston Matthews, a three-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner. He scored only twice in the opening round and has just three goals total in his last 16 playoff games, including none in five games against Florida in 2023. For some reason, there`s a feeling that Toronto has a good chance with head coach Craig Berube at the helm. He worked wonders with St. Louis in 2018-19, guiding them to the Stanley Cup, and in his first year with the Leafs, he led them to only their second division title since the 1999-2000 season.
Elton Marrow