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2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Series Predictions (The Hockey Writers)

Raz’s Series Predictions: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Round 2

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Raz Devraj | Last updated May 5, 2025 4:15 PM ET

Creating a bracket for this year’s playoffs was probably the hardest it’s been in years. The parity in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is at its highest, especially in the Western Conference, which saw three Game 7s. And after Round 1, the unpredictability that was expected came to fruition.

Going 3-for-8 in my first round predictions is less than ideal and the worst I have ever done, but that’s the beauty of playoff hockey; it’s the least predictable sport. Now that the first round is over, it’s time for me to redeem myself with another opportunity to predict which teams will make it to the conference finals.

Western Conference

Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P3)

Golden Knights in 7 games

The Oilers were well on their way to getting swept in the first round, but because of Jim Hiller and the inability to hold leads, the Los Angeles Kings gave the Oilers enough life for them to win four in a row and walk away with the series. The Oilers were given Games 3 and 4 and didn’t look back from there, finding their game and playing their best hockey for Games 5 and 6. They’re leaking with confidence now, and that’s one thing the Golden Knights should be worried about. Their depth stepped up late in the series, along with the continued dominance from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but there are still some very massive question marks on the back end and in goal.

The Kings were able to expose both areas for most of the series, and with the weapons the Golden Knights possess offensively, it should be even easier for them to do it. Vegas’ defensive group is one of the strongest and a big reason why they were able to knock off the Minnesota Wild in six games. Adin Hill, on the other hand, had some trouble, just like Calvin Pickard and Stuart Skinner. Goaltending hasn’t looked too good for either side, but because the Golden Knights’ defensive group can mask their goaltending worries more than the Oilers can, I’m giving them the edge in this series. That being said, betting against McDavid and Draisaitl is rarely a good idea, but because of how the Oilers won Round 1, I’m not as confident in their ability to move on to the WCF.

Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs. Dallas Stars (C3)

Stars in 5 games

The Stars just survived what was a bloodbath of a series against the Colorado Avalanche without Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. That was essentially the Western Conference Final because it’s hard to imagine any other team being able to take down the Stars. They snuck through without a couple of their top players and now have given those players more time to get healthy enough to return. Not only were the Stars not fully healthy, but with a depleted roster, they were able to solve a team that had Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, a Mackenzie Blackwood that gave the Avalanche their best goaltending performance in a long time, and their captain, Gabriel Landeskog, back.

The Jets, on the other hand, weren’t fully healthy as well. They were missing Gabe Vilardi for a lot of the series, as well as Mark Scheifele for a bit. Still, the Presidents’ Trophy winners were taken to double overtime in Game 7 against the WC2, St. Louis Blues. The Jets’ many defensive breakdowns, combined with Connor Hellebuyck’s continued unreliability (second-worst save percentage in Round 1) in the playoffs, make this Round 2 matchup look like a walk in the park for the Stars. Playoff Jake Oettinger is playing like playoff Jake Oettinger, and they have all the talent upfront to expose Hellebuyck and the Jets’ questionable defense. I would be very surprised if the Stars don’t finish this series relatively quickly.

Eastern Conference

Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) vs Florida Panthers (A3)

Maple Leafs in 7 games

On paper, I don’t know how much I like the Maple Leafs in a series against the Panthers, considering how they walked over Andrei Vasilevskiy and the Tampa Bay Lightning, but something tells me that after not pulling a classic Maple Leafs to the Ottawa Senators and not allowing that series to go to seven games, that this may be the year they do something meaningful. There are quite a few things that are different about this year’s Maple Leafs, and it starts in goal with Anthony Stolarz, who was phenomenal in Round 1, especially throughout the first three games. The Maple Leafs’ stars didn’t go quiet this time around as well.

Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares all finished with five-plus points, and their defensive group also contributed on the scoresheet. The Panthers are looking to repeat, and their grind-you-out style of game has continued to work. They don’t let you breathe and are constantly humming and forechecking, and it causes the opposing teams to make a lot of mistakes. Sergei Bobrovsky reaches a different level in the playoffs, and he’s done that again this season. This is going to be another tight series, but with home-ice advantage, the most stable goaltender they have had in what feels like forever, and the big boys producing, it just feels like this is the year the Maple Leafs go on a long run here.

Washington Capitals (M1) vs Carolina Hurricanes (M2)

Hurricanes in 6 games

The Hurricanes are just a well-oiled machine, and nothing about how their Round 1 against the New Jersey Devils went raises any concerns or showed any deficiencies. The only concern they have right now is what the status of Frederik Andersen is. Throughout the four games he played, he looked terrific, and although the Canes were able to get the job done in five games, his absence was noticeable when Pyotr Kochetkov replaced him. That could be the difference maker in Round 2 for the Hurricanes. If Andersen, who is projected to return for Round 2, ends up being available, I think the Canes will be well on their way to another Eastern conference finals appearance.

The Capitals were also able to knock off their opponent, the Montreal Canadiens, in five games, but if we are being honest, they had the easiest first-round matchup out of any team. If the Capitals allowed that series to go on any further, it would have been concerning. The Hurricanes have gotten more production from more of their top players than the Capitals have and they are going to need Sebastion Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis to continue to produce at a high-rate along with secondary scoring from players like Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake if they want to get past a Capitals team that has Logan Thompson playing at an unreal level. The same thing goes for the Capitals, who are going to need more from everyone not named Dylan Strome (who had nine points in Round 1) if they are going to break a stingy Hurricanes team that is projected to have their starting goaltender back. It’s close, but the Hurricanes are stronger on paper and should be able to get the job done in Round 2.