With two Game 7s officially decided to conclude Round 1, the second-round matchups are now set for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Eight teams remain, continuing their battle for hockey`s ultimate prize. These remaining teams will compete head-to-head over the next two weeks to determine the participants in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.
In the Eastern Conference, the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers, have demonstrated they are still a team to be reckoned with, but they face a very tough test against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals, who finished the regular season with the best record in the East, are set to clash with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division showdown.
Turning to the Western Conference, the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets narrowly avoided disaster in the opening round but will face an even tougher opponent in the Dallas Stars. The Stars also staged a dramatic comeback, overcoming a 2-0 deficit in Game 7 to defeat the Colorado Avalanche, and are now favored to eliminate the Presidents` Trophy winners.
Finally, the Vegas Golden Knights will take on the Edmonton Oilers in what could potentially be a classic series. Vegas advanced to the second round by defeating the Minnesota Wild in six games, while Edmonton secured their spot by winning four consecutive games against the Los Angeles Kings.
Before the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins, here are our expert picks for who will win each series.
Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Bengel: I made the mistake of picking against the Panthers in the opening round, but I won`t repeat it 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 long-awaited return to the lineup and proved to be a key catalyst for Florida. The Panthers showcased their balanced offensive attack with contributions from players like Sam Reinhart, Tkachuk, and Aleksander Barkov. It also helps that the Panthers have a proven playoff goaltender in Sergei Bobrovsky, who recorded a 2.21 goals-against-average in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs will need spectacular performances from their talented group of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares if they hope to defeat the Panthers. They must find a way to score plenty of goals to have any chance against Florida. I anticipate this will be a very entertaining series, but the Panthers possess too much offensive firepower and are the reigning Stanley Cup champions for good reason. Pick: Panthers defeat 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. If the outcome is to be different this time, the Core Four plus Matthew Knies must continue their strong play. Those five combined for 12 goals and 20 assists against the Sens.
Of course, the opponent is significantly more formidable now. What the Panthers did to the Lightning last round was frankly frightening. Gustav Forsling and Aleksander Barkov effectively neutralized Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Brandon Hagel for the entire series. Florida has repeatedly shown its ability to shut down elite offensive players, and their forward group can score with anyone. The Leafs will put up a good fight, but Barkov makes the crucial difference once again. Pick: Panthers defeat Maple Leafs 4-2
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Washington Capitals
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 thrived offensively during the regular season, ranking second in goals per contest (3.49). While they have shown moments of sensational offense, I believe they might rely a little too much on Alex Ovechkin, whereas the Hurricanes boast more scoring depth with Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and many others.
While I favor the Hurricanes in this matchup, I expect a long series as these two teams appear very evenly matched. After one round, these are the top two teams in terms of the lowest goals-against-average. The Hurricanes are expected to get their starting netminder, Frederik Andersen, back from injury to start the series, which will be a huge boost. This series could well be decided by which team`s defense and goaltending rise to the occasion throughout the series, and I`m ultimately backing the Hurricanes in a tight affair. Pick: Hurricanes defeat Capitals 4-3
Nivison: Both of these teams were clear favorites in their respective first-round series and performed accordingly. While these squads played well offensively, their goalies have been the most impressive. Logan Thompson (4.11) and Frederik Andersen (3.93) rank as the top two goalies in goals saved above average this postseason, according to Natural Stat Trick.
So, which goalie will falter first and most often in this series? If Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov maintain their Round 1 form, it will likely be Thompson. Svechikov found his scoring touch, and Aho demonstrated why he is one of the league`s best two-way centers. For the Caps, Alex Ovechkin scored four goals against the Canadiens, proving he can still be a playoff threat. Unfortunately for Ovechkin and the rest of the Washington roster, Carolina`s defense is on a completely different level than Montreal`s. Goals will be much harder for the Capitals to come by, and the Canes will win the series. Pick: Hurricanes defeat Capitals 4-2
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets
Bengel: Both teams had a flair for the dramatic in the first round but ultimately survived some very tough tests. Forward Mikko Rantanen delivered pair of performances for the ages 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 star forward Jason Robertson and defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Considering how deep the Stars are 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 did not play like the NHL`s top netminder in the opening round. Hellebuyck recorded a concerning 3.85 goals-against-average and a .830 save percentage in seven games against the Blues. He surrendered at least three goals in six of the seven games, allowing five or more in three contests. Hellebuyck simply must be better if the Jets are to have any chance of keeping pace with the Stars and their potent offense, but I just don`t see that happening. Pick: Stars defeat Jets 4-2
Nivison: These teams seemed defeated in the third period of their respective Game 7 matchups, but they both mounted dramatic comebacks to advance. The Jets managed to do so despite another problematic performance from star goalie Connor Hellebuyck, at least in regulation. His 9.84 goals allowed above average ranks last in the playoffs, according to Natural Stat Trick.
The big question for me in this series is whether Hellebuyck can gain some confidence from his good effort in overtime of Game 7. If he can, the Jets absolutely have a shot in this series. If he continues to struggle, the series will be very brief. The Stars simply have too much firepower, especially with Jason Robertson nearing a return, for Hellebuyck to be allowing soft goals. Furthermore, Winnipeg has little margin for error because both Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrisey are banged up after their first-round battle with St. Louis. Dallas is deeper, healthier, and receiving better goaltending. Pick: Stars defeat Jets 4-1
Edmonton Oilers vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Bengel: The Golden Knights certainly had a forgettable start against the Wild, but their talent ultimately propelled them into the next round. However, Vegas posted a 3.17 goals-against-average, which is not an ideal performance with a proven playoff goaltender like Adin Hill in net, 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 offensive start, the Golden Knights saw star forward Jack Eichel finish the series strong 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. In fact, they scored at least five goals in three of those games. When a team possesses superstar forwards like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, scoring opportunities are always going to be plentiful. Still, the Oilers` Achilles heel has consistently been the goaltending position. Edmonton eventually turned to Calvin Pickard as the team`s starting netminder for the final four games against Los Angeles, all of which resulted in wins. If Pickard can provide serviceable performances in net, the Oilers have a chance, but I believe the Golden Knights will do enough to advance. Pick: Golden Knights defeat Oilers 4-3
Nivison: Last round, the Oilers once again proved that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl can compensate for many team weaknesses. That dynamic duo combined for 21 points as Edmonton ripped off four straight wins after initially falling behind 2-0 in the series. The Kings were 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 some very inconsistent performances against the Wild. If that trend continues, McDavid and Draisaitl will dominate again. On the other side, the Oilers are still without Mattias Ekholm on the blue line, making them vulnerable to attacks from players like Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl. Add in the fact that neither team received stellar goaltending in the first round, and this could develop into a surprisingly high-scoring series. If it does, it`s difficult to bet against McDavid and the Oilers. Pick: Oilers defeat Golden Knights 4-3
