The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs has commenced with fierce competition, and the Central Division series is still pending.
What can fans anticipate from the Dallas Stars vs. Winnipeg Jets series? Will the aftermath of Game 1 impact the next game between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs? And what conclusions can be drawn from the initial games in the other two series played on Tuesday?
Continue reading for series previews, statistical insights, a summary of Tuesday`s games, and the three stars named by Arda Öcal.
Series Previews
Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs (Game 2)
Historically in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, winning Game 1 of a best-of-seven series significantly increases a team`s chances of winning the series (68% success rate). The Maple Leafs, specifically, have won their series 57% of the time after winning the first game.
William Nylander`s two goals in Game 1 marked the first time a Toronto player had back-to-back multi-goal games in the same postseason since Wendel Clark in 1994.
A key question for the upcoming game is the status of goaltender Anthony Stolarz, who left Game 1 after stopping 8 of 9 shots due to contact. Joseph Woll finished the game in relief, allowing three goals on 20 shots.
With two assists in Game 1, Brad Marchand reached 31 career playoff points against the Maple Leafs, tying him for fourth all-time with Maurice Richard and Ted Lindsay.
Sergei Bobrovsky had a challenging Game 1, giving up five goals on 29 shots. This contrasts with his strong regular season performance against the Leafs, where he posted a 1.77 goals-against average.
Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets (Game 1)
The Jets held the edge in the regular season series, winning 3-1 with a combined score of 13-5. However, the Stars are favored to win the playoff series.
These two franchises have no prior playoff history against each other.
The series features a goaltending duel between two potential Team USA candidates for the 2026 Olympics, Jake Oettinger of Dallas and Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg. Both are among the busiest goalies in the league; since the 2021-22 season, Oettinger ranks third and Hellebuyck is tied for fourth in total games played (regular season and playoffs).
Stars captain Jamie Benn`s 28 career playoff goals tie him for fourth in franchise history (North Stars/Stars era) with Dino Ciccarelli and Neal Broten, trailing only Mike Modano, Steve Payne, and Brian Bellows.
Kyle Connor`s 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in the first round set a franchise record for the Thrashers/Jets era for points in a single playoff series, surpassing the previous mark of 11.
In his franchise-record 56th career playoff game, Adam Lowry scored his first career overtime goal to win Game 7 against the Blues. He is one of only two captains in Stanley Cup playoff history with a Game 7 overtime winner, the other being Steve Yzerman.
Mikko Rantanen achieved several historic feats late in Round 1, becoming the first player in Stanley Cup playoff history with a third-period hat trick in a Game 7, and also the first to record a Game 7 hat trick against his former team in a Game 7. He also became the first player in NHL history to register a four-point period in back-to-back games.
Arda Öcal`s Three Stars from Tuesday
1. Jaccob Slavin, D, Carolina Hurricanes
Slavin netted his first career playoff game-winning goal in his 77th playoff appearance, helping the Hurricanes secure a Game 1 victory over the Capitals.
2. Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals
Despite the loss, Thompson made 31 saves, keeping his team competitive until the end.
3. Zach Hyman, LW, Edmonton Oilers
Hyman scored the game-winning goal, contributing to Edmonton`s third third-period comeback of the postseason and fifth consecutive comeback victory overall.
Tuesday`s Game Summaries
Carolina Hurricanes 2, Washington Capitals 1 (OT) – CAR leads series 1-0
The game started cautiously, with a scoreless first period. Aliaksei Protas opened the scoring for Washington in the second period with his first playoff goal. Logan Stankoven tied the game for Carolina midway through the third. The game went to overtime, where Jaccob Slavin scored his second career playoff goal just over three minutes in to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 series lead.
Edmonton Oilers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 2 – EDM leads series 1-0
Vegas got off to a strong start, with captain Mark Stone scoring two early goals in the first period. However, Edmonton responded, starting with Corey Perry scoring late in the first to make it a one-goal game. Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and Connor Brown all scored in the third period to complete the comeback. This win marked the Oilers` NHL record fifth consecutive playoff comeback victory.
