2024-25 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Round 2 series picks
And then there were eight. An epic first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is in the books. What will Round 2 bring? The Metropolitan Division matchup pits the Washington Capitals against the Carolina Hurricanes; the Atlantic features the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. the Florida Panthers; the Pacific has the Vegas Golden Knights facing the Edmonton Oilers; and the Central series features the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars.
Which four teams will advance to the Conference Finals? The Daily Faceoff predictions panel takes a crack at Round 2. The standings after one round:
Paul Pidutti, 7-1
Jason Gregor, 6-2
Brock Seguin, 6-2
Frank Seravalli, 6-2
Matt Larkin, 5-3
Scott Maxwell, 5-3
Anthony Di Marco, 4-4
Steven Ellis, 4-4
Jonny Lazarus, 4-4
Tyler Yaremchuk, 4-4
Now, the Round 2 picks from the panel:
- Even though the Leafs seem more built for the playoffs than other recent incarnations, and even though they poached three players from last year’s Stanley Cup champion Panthers squad, the panel can’t ignore the difficulty Toronto had putting an underdog Ottawa Senators team away. The Panthers looked like a juggernaut against a superior opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1, and all but one of us expects Florida to reach a third consecutive Eastern Conference Final.
- We’re split down the middle with the Capitals and Hurricanes, neither of whom had a particularly tough test in Round 1. The Caps have the edge in brawn and goaltending, but the Canes’ structure and forecheck form a good counterattack.
- While the Jets’ Game 7 comeback to defeat the St. Louis Blues was an instant classic, the Stars beat a powerhouse Colorado Avalanche team despite not having Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen all series. A strong majority expects them to handle a volatile Jets team.
- The Oilers showed in Round 1 against the Los Angeles Kings that almost no one can stop Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl when they impose their will, but half our voters couldn’t shake the memory of Vegas taking down Edmonton two postseasons ago, so that series is a pick ’em.
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