The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs has begun with great intensity, although the Central Division series has not yet started.
Fans are left wondering what to expect from the Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets matchups (9:30 p.m. ET). Also, will there be any consequences from the first game between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs in their next meeting on Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET)?
Below, we present the match analyses with statistical data, a summary of what happened in Tuesday’s games, and the three outstanding players of the day, according to Arda Öcal.
Analysis of the matches
Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 2 | 7 p.m. ET
In the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs, teams that win the first game of a best-of-seven series have won the series 68% of the time, including a 6-2 record in the first round this year. The Maple Leafs, specifically, have won a best-of-seven series 57% of the time when they win Game 1.
William Nylander, with his two goals in Game 1, became the first Toronto player with multiple goals in consecutive games in the same postseason since Wendel Clark in 1994.
One of the main questions is the availability of goalkeeper Anthony Stolarz. The player, originally from New Jersey, made eight saves from nine shots before being removed from the game after contact from Sam Bennett. Joseph Woll allowed three goals from 20 shots in relief.
With two assists in Game 1, Brad Marchand has 31 career playoff points against the Maple Leafs, tied for fourth with Maurice Richard and Ted Lindsay.
Sergei Bobrovsky did not have his best performance in Game 1, allowing five goals on 29 shots. In four regular season games against the Leafs, he had a goals-against average of 1.77.
Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets
Game 1 | 9:30 p.m. ET
The Jets won the regular season series between both teams 3-1, with an overall score of 13-5. The Stars are favored to win the series (-175), while the Jets have a +150.
These two teams have never faced each other in the postseason, and the Jets 1.0/Arizona Coyotes also did not face the North Stars/Stars.
Dallas’s Jake Oettinger and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck are the leading candidates to be the goaltender for the United States team at the 2026 Olympics, and both are among the most used goaltenders in the NHL. Since 2021-22, Oettinger is third in games played (including regular season and playoffs) with 274, behind only Andrei Vasilevskiy (277) and Sergei Bobrovsky (275). Hellebuyck is tied for fourth in that period with Igor Shesterkin (270).
Mikko Rantanen set new records towards the end of the first round, becoming the first player in Stanley Cup playoffs history with a hat-trick in the third period of a Game 7 and the first player in history with a hat-trick against his former team in a Game 7. He also became the first player in NHL history (regular season or playoffs) to have a four-point period in consecutive games.
Stars captain Jamie Benn now has 28 career playoff goals, tied with Dino Ciccarelli and Neal Broten for fourth in North Stars/Stars history, behind Mike Modano (58), Steve Payne (35), and Brian Bellows (34).
Kyle Connor’s 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in the first round set a Thrashers/Jets 2.0 franchise record for points in a single postseason series. The previous high was 11, set by Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele in 2018 against Nashville.
Adam Lowry, playing in his 56th postseason game, a franchise record, scored his first overtime goal to win Game 7 against the Blues. He is one of two captains in Stanley Cup playoff history to score an overtime goal in Game 7; Steve Yzerman (1996, also against St. Louis) is the other.
The three outstanding players of Tuesday according to Öcal
- Jaccob Slavin (D, Carolina Hurricanes): Scored the game-winning goal in his 77th playoff game.
- Logan Thompson (G, Washington Capitals): Made 31 saves, keeping his team in the fight until the end.
- Zach Hyman (LW, Edmonton Oilers): Scored the game-winning goal, which meant Edmonton’s third comeback in the third period this postseason and the fifth consecutive comeback victory.
Tuesday Summaries
Carolina Hurricanes 2, Washington Capitals 1 (OT)
CAR leads 1-0 | Game 2 on Thursday
In a tight game, the Canes and the Caps tied scoreless in the first period. Aliaksei Protas scored the first postseason goal for Washington in the second period. Logan Stankoven scored his third playoff goal midway through the third period, and neither team could score the decisive goal in regulation. However, the overtime period didn’t last long, as Jaccob Slavin scored his second postseason goal at 3:06 of extra time, giving his team the victory and leading the series 1-0.
Edmonton Oilers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 2
EDM leads 1-0 | Game 2 on Thursday
The game started well for the Golden Knights, with captain Mark Stone scoring two goals in the first 9:03 of the first period. From there, Edmonton dominated the scoreboard. Corey Perry brought the Oilers within one goal with 3:34 remaining in the first period, before Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Connor Brown scored in the third period. The victory was the Oilers’ fifth consecutive comeback win in the playoffs, an NHL record.
