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B/R Staff 2025 NHL Playoffs 2nd-Round Predictions

B/R NHL StaffMay 4, 2025

The 2025 NHL playoffs have featured drama to the highest extent and the second round will be no different, as heated division rivals face off.

Will Connor McDavid avenge the Oilers' playoff loss against Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights two years ago? Can the Maple Leafs dethrone the defending champion Panthers?

The B/R NHL staff try to answer those questions and more as they provide their predictions.

Disagree with their opinions? Submit your thoughts now in comments section of the B/R app.

Metropolitan Division: Capitals vs. Hurricanes

1 of 4
Washington Capitals v Carolina Hurricanes
Jalen Chatfield, Alex Ovechkin and Frederik Andersen

This is going to be a close, physical and hotly contested series, but the Caps have the advantage in firepower. In a short series, a player like Alex Ovechkin can be the difference and the pick here is that the "Great 8" gets Washington by Carolina

Prediction: Capitals in 6

—Lucky Ngamwajasat

The Capitals eliminated the upstart Montreal Canadiens in five games in a series much closer than the outcome suggests, though their experienced depth won the day. The Hurricanes possess a solid, experienced defense and an offense augmented by young forwards like Seth Jarvis and promising Logan Stankoven. They will take advantage if the Capitals continue to suffer the letdowns they did against the Habs.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 7

—Lyle Richardson

The Hurricanes and Capitals are coming into their second-round matchup after eliminating two of the weakest teams in the playoff field. Both teams did what they had to do and ended up with a gentlemen's sweep, but both teams exposed some flaws that may turn fatal in the second round.


The Capitals took a few too many breaths in the third period way too often in the first round, letting the Canadiens get too close for comfort in all but Game 5. As we just saw in Dallas vs. Colorado, that isn’t going to fly against a better team. The Hurricanes lost starting goalie Freddie Andersen to injury in Game 4, and Pyotr Kochetkov looked shaky at first before ultimately winning Game 5. 

At the end of the day, the Capitals were at the top of the East for a reason: They’ve got strong goaltending, high-end younger players like Connor McMichael, Dylan Strome in a career year, and an Alex Ovechkin-Tom Wilson duo that looks good as new. 

The Hurricanes will be a tougher test than the Canadiens, but Ovechkin looks determined to go for another Cup and he's got the right supporting cast to make it out of the East

Prediction: Capitals in 7

—Sara Civian

A battle of perseverance. The Capitals are one of the best teams in the league at the chip-and-chase game and, when they gain possession in the offensive zone, they are lethal.

The Hurricanes are well-suited to counter this, though. Their neutral zone forechecking is the best in the league, they welcome dump-ins and they're built to resist the Caps' forecheck.

They could be in trouble against a team that can force transition rushes, but I don't think the Capitals are that team. 

Prediction: Hurricanes in 5

—Adam Herman

The way I like to judge any series beyond the first round is to look at how the teams handled business in the opening round.

Washington had some peskiness to fend off from the Canadiens and ultimately it was Tom Wilson who again caused a team meltdown over his presence on the ice as they cruised to a five-game series win.

Carolina similarly won in five games over what wound up being basically half of the New Jersey Devils and part of the Utica Comets and still there was drama to contend with concerning Frederik Andersen's injury and all that.

The Capitals look dangerous and tough, and even after Logan Thompson had his own injury scare, he was brilliant.

Something about how the Hurricanes have played isn't sitting totally right with me, and they're going to have a much harder time dealing with the Caps than they did the Devils.

Prediction: Capitals in 6

—Joe Yerdon

I want to believe in the Capitals. I want to see Ovechkin's record-setting season continue all the way to a series that could net him a second career Stanley Cup.

But I can't see it.

The Hurricanes have been on the cusp for years and remain deep, structured and talented. If the goaltending holds out, I think they're the better team.

Prediction: Hurricanes in 6

—Lyle Fitzsimmons

Atlantic Division: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers

2 of 4
Florida Panthers v Toronto Maple Leafs
Auston Matthews and Aleksandar Barkov.

The Maple Leafs have a bigger, more physical defense, but they had their hands full eliminating the Ottawa Senators. Meanwhile, the champion Panthers steamrolled the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. Expect more of the same against a Leafs team still struggling with a shaky postseason self-confidence.

Prediction: Panthers in 6

—Lyle Richardson

If you weren't already scared of the Panthers, that 6-3 Game 5 series-clinching win over the Lightning should terrify you. Florida turned what should have been an enthralling Battle of Florida into the Mickey Mouse Club as it beat its rival at its own high-scoring game.

The Panthers are stacked and oozing with confidence. 

Meanwhile, the Leafs had a 3-0 lead in a series against the Senators that they went on to win 4-2. Is it better for their confidence that they proved to themselves they could avoid complete implosion, or are they kicking themselves for losing control and sending Leafs Nation into panic mode for a bit?

Either way, their reward for moving past the first round is a Panthers team at its best. The regular season matchup between the two teams had Florida with the special teams and the "closing out close games" advantages, so all things considered, it’s hard to imagine the Leafs eke this one out.

Prediction: Panthers in 6

—Sara Civian

I just can't see the Maple Leafs winning this series. Then again, I picked the Lightning over the Panthers in Round 1, so you're welcome, Toronto.

The Panthers are battle-tested and and don't have historic pressure on them. With the way they handled Tampa in the last round, the Leafs will need to be on it from Game 1. If not, this series is going to be done early.

Prediction: Panthers in 5

—Lucky Ngamwajasat

The Maple Leafs' philosophy this season has been consistent: Score early and often, then sit back and protect against any high-quality scoring chances as the opposition chases the game.

It worked against Ottawa, but the Senators are a feeble offensive team outside of a few top guns.

The Panthers not only have top talent but also the roster totality, structure and composure to take the Leafs head-on. Florida is not a team against whom the Leafs can sit back for 20-30 minutes, and that's even if they manage to penetrate the Panthers early. Toronto is more capable of generating waves of magic, but Florida is better suited to control play irrespective of the scoreline. It's a tight series, but Florida won't be exploitable like Ottawa was.

Prediction: Panthers in 7

—Adam Herman

The whole thing with the Panthers going into the playoffs was whether they would wake up or not and boy did they ever.

Getting Matthew Tkachuk back turned out to be a massive change for a team that tripped and fell over itself going into the postseason. It's looking creepily similar to the team that went all the way last year and now it's got Seth Jones and Brad Marchand on its side.

It's hard to feel super-confident about the Maple Leafs' chances after witnessing how they performed in Game 5 on home ice where they could have put Ottawa away and instead laid a massive egg before winning Game 6 on the road. They don't look thrilling, they're not playing exciting hockey, they're not even playing the boring kind of hockey that just wears teams out in the playoffs. Not yet anyway.

Everything about this matchup screams Florida and that makes me not want to pick them. On the other side, though, are the Leafs who haven't looked like a team that's ready to silence the haters.

Prediction: Panthers in 6

—Joe Yerdon

They're the champs for a reason.

They're physical. They're nasty. They play the game on the margins. And you know what? They're pretty darn talented up and down the lineup, too.

I chose an Edmonton-Toronto final before the season started, and I'll certainly be hoping that prediction stays alive for another round. But unless the Panthers suddenly show a hitherto unrecognized vulnerability, they're a safe bet here.

Prediction: Panthers in 5

—Lyle Fitzsimmons

Pacific Division: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers

3 of 4
Edmonton Oilers v Vegas Golden Knights
Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid

Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton overcame a 2-0 series deficit to beat the defensively stingy Los Angeles Kings. The Oilers' defense improved as that series progressed.

The Golden Knights eliminated the Minnesota Wild but had difficulty containing Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. Their top line, led by Jack Eichel, struggled in that series.

Prediction: Oilers in 6

—Lyle Richardson

The Wild vs. the Golden Knights first-round matchup highlighted the importance of inches and capitalizing on your luck in the playoffs.

The Wild had the 15-11 edge in five-on-five scoring in the series, and they were able to contain Vegas' first line ridiculously well for the first half. None of it mattered after the momentum changed due to the offside call that negated Ryan Hartman's Game 5 goal.

You will be hard-pressed to find a team better at turning the tide this time of year than Vegas.

Minnesota gave Vegas a much harder time than the Kings gave the Oilers game by game. The Kings had such a short bench that, by the third period, the entire team was gassed and Edmonton's high-octane offense was able to gain confidence and take over. 

The Golden Knights had trouble containing Boldy and Kaprizov, but that matchup decision eventually came back to bite John Hynes as the two struggled to balance defending and scoring in the last two games. 

This one will come down to the little things like the matchup decisions, but the Oilers' rough starts against the Kings are concerning. Vegas is not going to fold as the games go on.

Prediction: Golden Knights in 7

—Sara Civian

This is going to be a fun series featuring two of the game's most dynamic centers in McDavid and Eichel. But Eichel's supporting cast is better than McDavid's, Leon Draisaitl notwithstanding.

Unless Calvin Pickard can raise his game to an elite level, Vegas has the edge in goal and defensively. That's going to be the difference.

Prediction: Golden Knights in 6

—Lucky Ngamwajasat

The Los Angeles Kings were arguably the best defensive team in the NHL this season and the Oilers ripped them apart in Games 3-6 of the first-round matchup.

Vegas is not quite as strong defensively as L.A. but it may be better suited to mitigate the damage Edmonton's star power is capable of. Vegas might have the biggest defense in the league and everyone on their blue line is capable of slowing the speed with which the Oilers can move the puck. Their offense is also a lot better than LA's. But really, the story here is the same as it always is.

Can Edmonton's star power overcompensate for weak defensive depth and volatile goaltending?

Prediction: Golden Knights in 7

—Adam Herman

If there's a key to keeping the Oilers in check in the playoffs, apparently it's to not challenge one of their goals late in a game. The Kings did that and then promptly lost four straight games and managed to blow leads in all four.

The Kings were really good but one of these years they won't have to play Edmonton in the first round. The Oilers took charge with their talent of McDavid and Draisaitl and then used the power of familiarity to roll.

Vegas had its moments against Minnesota where it didn't look so hot, either, but once Eichel and the gang got rolling, they're just so hard to stop. The Golden Knights are a "boulder going downhill" when they get clicking, and it makes them a scary team in the playoffs.

They're good about not taking penalties and they're good about scoring on the power play when they get them, and those are traits that can help beat the Oilers.

Prediction: Golden Knights in 7

—Joe Yerdon

No Edmonton fan worth their blue-and-orange wardrobe can logically question the Golden Knights and their standing as an elite team in the league.

But you know what? The Oilers are pretty good, too.

Left for dead before the series against a red-hot L.A. team and all but buried after dropping Games 1 and 2, coach Kris Knoblauch's group is nothing if not resilient. And let's not forget that of the nine goals they scored in Games 5 and 6, precisely none were scored by McDavid or Draisaitl.

The lineup is producing top to bottom and Calvin Pickard has steadied the goal crease. If those two things continue, Edmonton wins the rematch.

Prediction: Oilers in 6

—Lyle Fitzsimmons

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Central Division: Winnipeg Jets vs. Dallas Stars

4 of 4
Dallas Stars v Winnipeg Jets

Well, these two teams are prone to drama, no?

The Stars needed to rally from two down to beat the Avs in a Game 7 powered by a Mikko Rantanen hat trick.

The Jets were down two goals with just over a minute to go and managed to survive in a Game 7 double-OT win vs. St. Louis.

Both teams are beaten up after their first-round series and you can expect more of the same in this one.

Connor Hellebuyck was shaky all throughout Round 1 and if he's not on it, the Stars have the weapons offensively to make the Jets pay.

It's close, but gimme Dallas in this one.

Prediction: Stars in 7

—Lucky Ngamwajasat

The Stanley Cup playoffs can sometimes be really unfair, but it's totally fair that the Stars and Jets get to face off against each other after both won exhaustive and incredible seven-game series.

If either team had to deal with a well-rested team in the second round, it would be really easy to pick the more refreshed contender.

Instead, these two teams get to ride their emotional highs into a series against each other in which figuring out who comes in the highest is impossible to suss out.

The Stars beat the Avalanche without Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen and maybe they'll be back for this one? If they're not, maybe it's not such a problem because Dallas figured out how to win without them against a wickedly talented team.

The Jets' stunning win over the Blues in double-overtime of Game 7 in which they were two seconds away from being eliminated in regulation is one never to be forgotten.

Hellebuyck locked it down late and even though the questions about him in the playoffs aren't done, defenseman Josh Morrissey's injury in Game 7 makes things a whole lot dicier for them.

Prediction: Stars in 6

—Joe Yerdon

This matchup features two of the top teams in the Western Conference. It'll also be a survival of the fittest, with both clubs likely to start this series missing some key players.

The Stars enter this series with first-line winger Robertson and top-pairing defenseman Heiskanen sidelined by knee injuries. Meanwhile, Jets first-line center Mark Scheifele missed the last two games of the first round with an undisclosed injury, and first-pairing blueliner Morrissey left Game 7 with an injury.

Goaltending could be the biggest key to this series. Hellebuyck is a Vezina Trophy finalist, but he was wildly inconsistent in the opening round. The Stars' Jake Oettinger was steadier and put up better stats, and his performance could make the difference.

Prediction: Stars in 6

—Lyle Richardson

If these teams were cats, each would be on lives seven or eight at this point.

And seeing how they've both been through long series and needed huge comebacks to even survive, I'll set it back to square one.

I'd have taken the Stars because of their depth and Winnipeg's typically unpredictable goaltending in the spring anyway, so there's nothing I've seen over two weeks that changes that.

Prediction: Stars in 5

—Lyle Fitzsimmons

The winners of the two most exciting series of the first round are due for a Round 2 matchup, because of course they are. "Exciting" doesn't always translate to a win, though: Just ask the Blues and the Avalanche.

The Blues were the hottest team of the second half and riding that momentum is huge in the playoffs, but the Presidents' Trophy-winning Jets played down to them. Their defense, led by Hellebuyck, was a mess far too often.

Meanwhile, the Stars won against a tried-and-true playoff team without their top two players. By the way, those players are set to return at some point this series.

Prediction: Stars in 5

—Sara Civian

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