Home teams are aiming to tie their respective series at one win apiece as the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continues on Thursday. The Washington Capitals, the top seed in the Eastern Conference, host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2. Meanwhile, in the Western Conference showdown, the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the Edmonton Oilers for their second contest.
Despite winning all three home games against the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, Washington relinquished a third-period lead in the opener of this second-round series, falling 2-1 in overtime to the Hurricanes at Capital One Arena. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin secured the win for Carolina at 3:06 into the extra period. The Hurricanes have now gone to overtime in three of their last four games.
The Golden Knights` home record this postseason dropped to 2-2 after their 4-2 loss on Tuesday. Vegas captain Mark Stone quickly gave his team a 2-0 lead with two goals less than 10 minutes into the game. However, the Oilers narrowed the gap late in the first period and scored three times in the third to take the initial lead in the series.
Edmonton has been on a hot streak, winning five consecutive games after dropping the first two contests of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. The defending Western Conference champions demonstrated resilience in these five wins, trailing in every game and entering the third period either behind or tied in four of them.
Best Bets
Alex Ovechkin, Capitals: Anytime goal scorer (+165, bet365)
The NHL`s all-time leading goal scorer in the regular season couldn`t find the back of the net in the series opener. However, Ovechkin hasn`t gone two consecutive games without a goal since March 11-13 and this has happened only twice since late January. His next goal will be his 77th in the postseason, moving him past the legendary Mario Lemieux for 12th place on the all-time playoff scoring list. The 39-year-old Russian superstar scored twice in three regular-season meetings with Carolina in 2024-25 and netted four goals during their seven-game playoff series in 2019.
Dylan Strome, Capitals: 1+ assist (+100, FanDuel)
Strome achieved a career high in the 2024-25 season with 53 assists and recorded at least one in four out of Washington`s five first-round games against Montreal. The 28-year-old center is currently tied for sixth in the NHL with seven assists this postseason, significantly more than the two assists he amassed over his first 13 career playoff contests combined. Strome registered a pair of assists in four meetings with the Hurricanes during the 2024-25 season and has a total of 11 assists in 22 career regular-season games against Carolina.
Connor McDavid, Oilers: Anytime goal scorer (+165, bet365)
The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner tallied two assists against the Golden Knights in Game 1, marking his fourth multi-point performance in seven games this postseason. However, his goal-scoring drought has reached four games after scoring five goals over seven playoff games dating back to last year`s Stanley Cup Final. McDavid, the 2023 Maurice Richard Trophy winner, scored five times in Edmonton`s six-game loss to Vegas in the second round last year. Having set up six goals over his last four games, he is due to find the back of the net himself.
Leon Draisaitl, Oilers: 2+ points (+122, FanDuel)
Draisaitl is currently tied for fourth in the NHL with 12 points through seven games this postseason. The 29-year-old German recorded his fourth multi-point game in the series opener against Vegas, scoring one goal and adding an assist. Draisaitl has achieved multiple points in 36 of his 81 career playoff games and has accomplished this feat in three out of his seven contests against the Golden Knights.
