Brace yourselves: The cutthroat second round of the National Hockey League playoffs ramps up
The second round of the NHL playoffs is upon us, kicking off on Monday, with no sweeps in the books and a couple of series going the distance to reach this point. The Stars, fueled by historic performances, have survived Colorado, while the Oilers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to eliminate Los Angeles.
The Western Conference will prove grueling, as the Stars face either Winnipeg or St. Louis, and Connor McDavid and the Oilers face Vegas. Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference showcases a rematch between defending champions Florida and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have not reached this stage since 2002.
And it's not just the star-studded matchups that excite fans—these games are set to be hard-fought battles, as Spencer Carbery, coach of the Washington Capitals, predicts a more settled and focused playoff atmosphere in contrast to the high-energy, rowdy start.
Leading the pack are the Florida Panthers, touted as odds-on favorites (over 4-1 on BetMGM Sportsbook) to repeat their victory. Not far behind are the Oilers, Hurricanes, and Stars. Edmonton, favored to win the West, seeks a rematch with Florida in June.
But there's still plenty of competition, with the Central Division bracket yielding the longest series thus far. The Dallas Stars put on a show, thanks to a heroic third-period hat trick from former Avalanche standout Mikko Rantanen, becoming the first player in league history to achieve such a feat in a Game 7.
Dallas faces a tough test in the second round, with prominent players like Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson expected to return from injury. The team is confident, with goalkeeper Jake Oettinger in top form, having stopped 25 of 27 shots in Game 7.
Las Vegas and Edmonton meet for a second time in three years, with the Golden Knights having claimed victory in their previous encounter on their way to capturing the Stanley Cup in their seventh season. The Oilers boast Connor McDavid and MVP finalist Leon Draisaitl, while Vegas found success with their top line consisting of Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and captain Mark Stone.
The Panthers and Leafs have largely remained similar since their 2023 showdown, though neither team plays quite the same way. Toronto's strength lies in its devastating power play unit, with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies joining forces. The Panthers bolstered their penalty kill unit at the trade deadline, making key acquisitions like Brad Marchand and Nico Sturm.
Games between the Capitals and Hurricanes can be expected to be high-paced, physical affairs, with both clubs packed with fast, muscular athletes. Capitals winger Tom Wilson expects little time and space on the ice, promising a tense battle fitting for the playoffs.
Sources:
- SportsGraph
- The Hockey News
- NHL.com
- ESPN
- The Associated Press
- The Oilers, led by Connor McDavid and MVP finalist Leon Draisaitl, will face a daunting challenge in the Western Conference as they square off against Vegas, seeking a rematch from their previous encounter in 2022.
- The Panthers, favored to win the Stanley Cup, will try to repeat their victory in the Eastern Conference, with Chicago or Tampa Bay standing in their way.
- The Dallas Stars, after an ultracompetitive Game 7 against Colorado, will have to rally again against a strong opponent in the second round, with Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson expected to return from injury.
- In the Eastern Conference, the rematch between defending champions Florida and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who haven't reached this stage since 2002, promises to be an exciting one, with Toronto relying on their devastating power play unit.
- Despite not being the betting favorites, the Hurricanes, like the Capitals, boast a roster of fast, muscular athletes, ensuring that their games will be high-paced, physical affairs.
- The Vegas Golden Knights, looking to avenge their loss to Edmonton in the previous playoffs, will be strengthened by a top line consisting of Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and captain Mark Stone, while Edmonton can count on Jalen Green's contributions in addition to McDavid and Draisaitl.
