With the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights dropping the puck for game one on May 6, all eyes focus on the closest matchup in odds prior to the start of the second round.
Following the Winnipeg Jets’ game seven victory over the St. Louis Blues, the NHL’s 2024-2025 postseason had finally advanced to the second round, where the Toronto Maple Leafs began play by defeating the Florida Panthers 5-4 in game one. The victory came in spite of goaltender Anthony Stolarz needing to be taken out of the game due to a concussion, having been elbowed in the head by Panthers forward Sam Bennett who will receive no disciplinary penalty for the accident. Backup netminder Joseph Woll was able to hold down the fort when handed a 4-1 lead in the third period, although the 5-4 end result does make it appear as if Woll struggled mightily once he entered the matchup.
With Stolarz needing a great deal of medical attention after the game finished, including needing to be taken out of the arena on a stretcher, it may be up to Woll to continue leading the Maple Leafs in the franchise’s efforts to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. Florida, standing as the reigning Stanley Cup champions from 2023-2024, will clearly not be defeated without a fight, as shown by its near comeback despite heading into the third period down three goals.
If Woll can match, or perhaps even outduel, Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky on three more occasions throughout the series, Toronto would be in great position to reach its first Conference Finals in over 20 years. The Maple Leafs have become known as Playoff “chokers” as of late, building great anticipation for the postseason during the regular season only to continuously fall short once the best-of-seven play begins.
When Florida cut the lead to just one goal, a sense of anxiety and worry could be felt in Toronto even through the television screen, as Maple Leafs supporters have come to understand how quickly their franchise can spoil the positivity generated throughout the majority of a season in no time at all. The worry extends to sportsbooks as well, given that bet365 lists the Maple Leafs with odds of -110 to defeat the Panthers and reach the Eastern Conference Finals, but Florida holds equal odds to find the same result and continue on its quest for back-to-back titles. With a 1-0 lead already factored in, Toronto still has plenty of work to accomplish before transforming its identity from a Playoff disappointment into a genuine Stanley Cup Finals contender.
Beginning its own second round series on May 6 will be the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights, meeting for the second time in three postseasons after the Golden Knights defeated the Oilers 4-2 in 2022-2023. The victory propelled Vegas to the Western Conference Finals, eventually defeating Florida in the Stanley Cup Finals to capture the franchise’s first-ever championship, less than 10 years after debuting in the NHL.
Edmonton would surpass Vegas in the postseason last year, albeit without eliminating the Golden Knights itself, but would go on to lose the Finals to the Panthers in a hard-fought seven-game series. On bet365, the odds are essentially as close as possible without being listed at the same price, as Vegas holds -115 odds to reach the Playoffs’ penultimate stage, while the Oilers are listed at -105 to continue on its path back to the Finals.
Vegas and Edmonton both struggled in the early stages of its opening round matchups, falling behind the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings 2-1 and 2-0, respectively. The Golden Knights were able to witness improved play from vital contributors such as Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore as the series progressed, helping the young franchise win three consecutive games on its way to the second round. Edmonton was unable to steal a game in Los Angeles until reeling off four straight victories against the Kings, including two third period comebacks when it seemed as if the Oilers were on the brink of elimination.
Instead, Connor McDavid will move on to face-off with Eichel for a second time in their respective postseason careers, fitting since McDavid was selected first overall in the 2015 NHL Draft whereas Eichel was taken at number two by the Buffalo Sabres. The talented stars have seen their paths cross on multiple occasions, even as recently as February when Eichel and McDavid helped lead the US and Canada squads to the Four Nations Face-Off Final, only for McDavid to score the winning goal in overtime. Eichel will have to hope a similar result does not follow in the 2024-2025 NHL Playoffs, but the two rosters are as evenly matched as possible and the series is sure to be a must-watch for all fans of the sport.
