All four second-round series are officially underway, with the sense of all eight clubs, after the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets playing Game 1 on Wednesday. Will the two home teams on Tuesday night reverse the course after losing Game 1?
First up was the Washington Capitals, losing 2-1 to the Carolina hurricane. These two squares on ESPN Thursday at 7pm at 7pm. Nightcap features the Vegas Golden Knights, hosting the Edmonton Oilers (9:30pm, ESPN) after a 4-2 victory for visitors on Tuesday.
Read the game preview with statistical insights from ESPN Research. Here’s a 3 star summary of what went down in Wednesday’s game and Wednesday from ArdaÖcal.
Matchup Notes
Washington Capitals’ Carolina Hurricane
Game 2 | 7pm ET | ESPN
The odds shifted sharply after the cane got Game 1 in DC. The odds for the opening series were Hurricane-195 and Capitals +165. Now it’s Hurricane-425 and Capital +300.
Editor’s Pick
2 Related
Jaccob Slavin won the OT game in Game 1, his first career playoff victory goal. The history of the Hurricane/Whalers franchise included three other defenders with playoff overtime targets: Niklas Warlin (who won three), plus one each of Tim Gleason and Ian Cole.
The cane allowed 14 shots in goal in Game 1. It has the lowest teams in the playoffs this season, and the second fewest allowed by Carolina in a playoff game in franchise history (1st round vs. Islanders in 2024).
Alex Ovechkin scored one shot in goal in Game 1 and snapped a 18-game (regular season and playoffs) streak with multiple shots into goal. It was last year’s playoff series against the Rangers that he scored one or fewer shots in goal in consecutive games.
Pierre-Luc Dubois is currently playing 10 games without scoring goals (going back to the regular season). His final goal? April 10th against the Hurricane.
Edmonton Oilers of the Vegas Golden Knights
Game 2 | 9:30pm ET | ESPN
The series opened as PickM, with both teams winning by -110 odds. After the Oilers’ Game 1 victory, they are now a favorite of -225, with the Golden Knights at +190.
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Conor McDavid’s 39 playoff goals are the seventh in Oilers’ history, following Jali Krilli (92), Glenn Anderson (81), Wayne Gretzky (81), Mark Messier (80), Esa Tikkanen (51) and current teammate Leon Draysithle (45).
Edmonton defender Evan Bouchard scored six goals on a run for the Oilers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup final, and he already has four goals throughout seven postseason games.
Having achieved two goals in Game 1, Mark Stone has had 36 playoff goals since joining the Knights since 2018-19. This is tied with Edmonton’s Zach Hyman in NHL fifth in the NHL during that period, behind Nathan McKinnon (50), Draysithle (39), Micco Lantanen (39) and Brayden Point (37).
According to Stathletes, Stone’s line, Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev have allowed (7) more scoring chances than they generated during the playoffs (6). In the regular season, the three differences on the ice were 112-77 courtesy of Vegas.
3 stars in Öcal on Wednesday
Another NHL record for “Mousse.” He became the first player in NHL history to have two single fox hat tricks in the same postseason. There were only three other players in his career with multiple playoff hat tricks: Weigletsky (3), Maurice Richard (3), and Timker (2).
The former Canadiens captain scored his first goal and added an assist for William Nylander’s second goal. He has his first three game streak since 2021.
The Panthers tied the score, earning Game 2 and scored a third-term goal for the clutch 17 seconds after giving the Leafs a 2-0 series lead.
Wednesday Summary
Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Florida Panthers 3
Tor leads 2-0 | Game 3 Friday
Game 2 was another close final result, as neither team was trying to give an inch. The Panthers were the first to attack with this one via a first-series powerplay target from Alexander Barkov. Old Maple Leafs Nemesis Brad Marchand scored second in 15 seconds, with William Nylander notching the sixth postseason at 4:18. The score remained tied up until Max Domi scored his first playoff regulatory target. Anton Landell painted the Panthers 3-3 early in the third time, but his new father, Mitch Marner, scored the game-winning goal just 17 seconds later. Complete summary.
play
1:27
Mitch Marner answers the Panthers’ bond goals to clinch Game 2
Anton Randell and Mitch Marner score 17 seconds apart as Toronto keep the lead.
Dallas Star 3, Winnipeg Jets 2
Dal leads 1-0 | Game 2 Friday
As happened in many Game 1 of this postseason, the two teams went scoreless in the first period and measured each other for the fight. Winnipeg’s Nino Nie Del Writer started the party at 3:30, the second time the Miccolantanen show began. The Finnish forward scored a natural hat trick – it’s two straight games with hat tricks – raised the star to 3-1. Mark Shayfele took third in the postseason in the second tail end, but the Jets were unable to get an equalizer despite their third furious effort. Complete summary.
play
1:09
Star desperately protects the net in the Jets’ third-generation onslaught
Jake Oetittinger and the company are gathering a goal to keep the Jets from linking their scores.
