The second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is off to a ferocious start, and the Central Division series has yet to begin.
What should fans expect out of the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)? Will there be any fallout from Game 1 of Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs in the next clash Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)? And what should we make of the initial showdowns in the other two series that transpired Tuesday night?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Tuesday’s games and the three stars of Tuesday from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 2 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
In Stanley Cup playoff history, teams that have won Game 1 in a best-of-seven series have won the series 68% of the time, including a 6-2 mark in Round 1 this year. The Maple Leafs specifically have won a best-of-seven series 57% of the time when winning Game 1.
William Nylander’s two goals in Game 1 made him the first Toronto player with consecutive multigoal games in the same postseason since Wendel Clark in 1994.
The big question looking ahead is the availability of goaltender Anthony Stolarz. The New Jersey native made eight saves on nine shots before being knocked out of the game after contact from Sam Bennett. Joseph Woll allowed three goals on 20 shots in relief.
With two assists in Game 1, Brad Marchand is up to 31 career playoff points against the Maple Leafs, tied for fourth most with Maurice Richard and Ted Lindsay.
Sergei Bobrovsky didn’t have his best night in Game 1, allowing five goals on 29 shots. In four regular-season games against the Leafs, he had a 1.77 goals-against average.
Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets
Game 1 | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
The Jets won the regular-season series between the two teams 3-1, with an aggregate score of 13-5. The Stars are favored to win the series (-175) by ESPN BET, while the Jets are +150 to win.
These two franchises have never met in the postseason, and the Jets 1.0/Arizona Coyotes never met the North Stars/Stars franchise either.
Dallas’ Jake Oettinger and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck are the top candidates to be Team USA’s goalie at the 2026 Olympics, and both are among the most-used goalies in the NHL. Since 2021-22, Oettinger is third in games played (including regular season and playoffs) with 274, trailing only Andrei Vasilevskiy (277) and Sergei Bobrovsky (275). Hellebuyck is tied for fourth in that span with Igor Shesterkin (270).
Mikko Rantanen set a few new benchmarks for his heroics late in Round 1, 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, which is tied with Dino Ciccarelli and Neal Broten for fourth most 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 vs. Nashville.
Playing in his franchise-record 56th career postseason game, Adam Lowry scored his first career overtime goal to win Game 7 against the Blues. He is one of two captains in Stanley Cup playoff history to score an OT goal in Game 7; Steve Yzerman (1996, also against St. Louis) is the other.
Öcal’s three stars from Tuesday
Slavin scored his first career playoff game-winning goal in his 77th career playoff game as the Canes outlasted the Capitals to take Game 1.
In defeat, Thompson made 31 saves, giving his team a chance to win the entire way until the very end.
Hyman scored the game winner as Edmonton pulls off its third third-period comeback this postseason, and fifth straight comeback win overall.
Tuesday’s recaps
Carolina Hurricanes 2, Washington Capitals 1 (OT)
CAR leads 1-0 | Game 2 Thursday
Like two prizefighters, the Canes and Caps measured one another out in a scoreless first period before Aliaksei Protas notched his first goal of the postseason to get Washington on the board first in the second. Logan Stankoven notched his third goal of the playoffs midway through the third period, and neither club could score the decisive goal in the final regulation frame. The overtime period did not last long, however, as Hurricanes defensive whiz Jaccob Slavin scored his second postseason goal 3:06 into OT to send the D.C. faithful home unhappy and give his squad a 1-0 lead in the series. Full recap.
Edmonton Oilers 4, Vegas Golden Knights 2
EDM leads 1-0 | Game 2 Thursday
The game started off well for the host Golden Knights, with captain Mark Stone scoring two goals within the first 9:03 of the first period. Thereafter, though, the scoring was all Edmonton. Corey Perry brought the Oilers within one goal with 3:34 left in the first, before Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown all scored in the third. The win was an NHL record fifth straight comeback playoff victory for the Oilers. Full recap.
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