Judging by the thrilling conclusion of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the second round promises significant excitement and dramatic moments for hockey enthusiasts.
The opening round wrapped up recently with two epic Game 7 clashes. Both saw home teams erase third-period deficits to advance. The Dallas Stars overcame a two-goal hole to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-2, while the Winnipeg Jets, Presidents` Trophy winners, scored twice late to force overtime before captain Adam Lowry netted the winner in the second extra period against the St. Louis Blues.
These dramatic finishes set up a second-round series between the Stars and Jets, starting Wednesday in Winnipeg. During the regular season, the Jets won three of four meetings against their Central Division rivals, outscoring them 13-5.
In the other Western Conference series, the Pacific Division champion Vegas Golden Knights face the defending conference champion Edmonton Oilers. Game 1 is scheduled for Tuesday in Las Vegas. Both teams won their first-round series in six games (Vegas over Minnesota, Edmonton over Los Angeles). They split their four regular-season games in 2024-25. Vegas previously eliminated Edmonton in the second round in 2023, their only prior playoff encounter.
Turning to the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers kick off their second-round series Monday in Toronto. Florida had the edge in the regular season, winning three of four meetings and outscoring Toronto 13-7. They also eliminated the Maple Leafs in five games in the second round just two years ago, in their first-ever postseason series.
The other East series starts Tuesday, featuring the Washington Capitals and the Carolina Hurricanes. The home team won all four regular-season games between these Metropolitan Division rivals. Their only previous playoff series was in 2019, when the Hurricanes beat the Capitals in seven games in the first round.
Despite finishing first in their respective conferences, Winnipeg and Washington enter their second-round series as underdogs, with odds around +140. Toronto, which finished 10 points ahead of Florida, is an even larger underdog at roughly +150. The Vegas vs. Edmonton series is considered nearly a toss-up, though the Golden Knights are a slight favorite at -115 at some sportsbooks.
Here are some teams offering potential value for prop bets on second-round series victories.Best Bet
Vegas Golden Knights (-105)
The Golden Knights didn`t dominate in the first round, needing overtime wins and a Game 6 clincher after falling behind 2-1 in their series. Offensive production was spread out, with only four players scoring multiple goals and defenseman Shea Theodore among them. Top regular-season scorer Pavel Dorofeyev (35 goals) managed only one goal and missed Game 6, making him questionable for the opener. However, Brett Howden stepped up significantly after a career-best regular season, scoring three goals, including two game-winners. On the Oilers` side, they were close to being down 0-3 against the Kings but rallied. Goaltender Calvin Pickard replaced Stuart Skinner and played well at times but had an .893 save percentage in the series and allowed four goals twice. Star forwards Leon Draisaitl (three goals) and Connor McDavid (two goals) were notably quiet in the final two games. If they don`t elevate their game and Vegas`s forwards find their stride, it`s hard to see Edmonton reaching the conference final again.
Best Longshot
Toronto Maple Leafs (+152)
Betting against the defending champion Panthers is tough, especially after their strong first-round performance against Tampa Bay. The Maple Leafs, conversely, built a 3-0 lead against Ottawa only to lose the next two, needing a late Game 6 goal from Max Pacioretty to advance. While Florida`s Sergei Bobrovsky holds the edge in net, Toronto`s Anthony Stolarz served as his backup last season and might have gained valuable insights into playoff success. Toronto desperately needs a significant offensive contribution from Auston Matthews, a three-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner, who scored only twice in the first round and has just three goals in his last 16 playoff games, including none in five games against Florida in 2023. Despite these concerns, head coach Craig Berube`s influence is a positive factor. He worked wonders leading St. Louis to a Cup in 2019 and guided the Leafs to their first division title since 1999-2000 in his debut season behind the bench, making them an intriguing longshot pick.
