HIGHLIGHTS
- Second Round Starts Monday, May 5
- Panthers & Stars favored to win East & West
- Predictions for each Round 2 series
The first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs did not disappoint. There were comebacks, Game 7 heroics against a former team, and plenty of rough stuff throughout the eight series.
There are now just eight teams left standing vying for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
The Toronto Maple Leafs host the Florida Panthers on Monday night to drop the puck on the second round.
Here are our Round 2 predictions for the 2025 NHL Playoffs:
Western Conference Round 2 Predictions
Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars Prediction
The Dallas Stars came back from down 3-2 in the series and 2-0 in the third period of Game 7 to shock the Colorado Avalanche in the first round. Mikko Rantanen had a hat trick and four points in the 4-2 win after a four-point second period in Game 6 to force the win-or-go-home contest.
Dallas did all of that without top goalscorer Jason Robertson (35 goals, 45 assists in 82 games) and top defenseman Miro Heiskanen. Both of those top players are expected back sometime in Round 2 after recently being upgraded to day-to-day.
The Avalanche could’ve very well been the Stars’ biggest test en route to the Stanley Cup, even with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets on tap.
The Jets staged an incredible comeback late in the third period of Game 7 to even advance to the second round. Connor Hellebuyck has been shaky at best, Mark Scheifele is dealing with an upper-body injury after a high hit, and Josh Morrissey left Game 7 in the first period.
The Stars are rolling and getting reinforcements while the Jets could be missing two of their most important pieces.
- Prediction: Stars in 6
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers Prediction
The Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers both came back from trailing in their Round 1 series. The Knights were down 2-1 to the Wild before winning three straight games, and the Oilers dropped the first two games to the Kings before rattling off four straight victories.
Something has to give.
It looked like the Kings would finally exorcise their Edmonton demons before falling apart in Game 3 and Game 4, so the Oilers are beatable, and the Knights might just take them down.
Cal Pickard took over in net for the Oilers, and even though he was good enough to win four games, he has to regress to his career .903 save percentage at some point.
The Knights’ depth is their biggest strength both on forward and defense. As long as they can keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl somewhat in check, their middle-six should be able to outplay Edmonton’s lower-tier forwards.
McDavid will carry the Oilers to at least a win or two, but the Oilers overplaying their big guns will come back to haunt them later in the series.
- Prediction: Golden Knights in 6
Eastern Conference Round 2 Predictions
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers Prediction
The Toronto Maple Leafs have won a playoff series for the second time in three years, but once again, they face a tough task of the Florida Panthers in the second round. The Cats took care of business against the Leafs in five games in 2023, and we could be looking at a similar outcome here.
The Florida Panthers are stacked with depth and are better at every single position than the Ottawa Senators, who pushed the Maple Leafs to six games, including two overtime wins for Toronto.
The Cats had little trouble in the first round, outscoring the Lightning 19-12 in the five-game series. Sergei Bobrovsky is on his game and the Panthers’ penalty kill kept Tampa Bay in check.
This does feel like a different Maple Leafs team this time around with Craig Berube behind the bench and Anthony Stolarz in net, but the Panthers know how to win in the playoffs and look poised for another Stanley Cup Final appearance.
- Prediction: Panthers in 6
Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes Prediction
The Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes both made quick work of their Round 1 opponents, advancing in five games with just one road loss each.
The Capitals pulled away from the Canadiens as the series went on. The Caps outscored the Habs 9-3 in the final two games while the Canes went to double overtime twice against a beat-up Devils squad.
The Canes have always been a great regular season team but have come up short in the playoffs. They’ve lost in the second round in three of the last four years and were swept in the Eastern Conference Final in the other postseason.
The Hurricanes are favored in this series despite the Capitals having home-ice advantage, and that’s going to be a huge difference-maker here. The Capitals were about the same at home (26-9-6) and on the road (25-13-3) in the regular season, but the Hurricanes are much better at home (31-9-1) as opposed to on the road (16-21-4).
- Prediction: Capitals in 7
