Trailing 2-1 in its respective series against the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes, both franchises need a victory on May 12 to avoid being placed on the brink of Playoff elimination.
Following victories by the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers on May 11 to create intrigue among its respective second round series, the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals will look to even its series at two games apiece, or face having to win three consecutive games in order to reach the penultimate stage. Dallas managed to take a 2-1 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets off yet another incredible performance from winger Mikko Rantanen, who added a goal and two assists to an already stellar 2024-2025 Playoff campaign. Florida accomplished what Vegas and Washington hope to do on May 12, tying its series with the Toronto Maple Leafs with two victories each and preparing to head north for a pivotal fifth matchup.
On bet365, the Panthers have odds of -200 to close out the Maple Leafs over the next three games compared to Toronto’s odds of +165, while the Stars are a heavy -340 favorite to the Jets’ underdog odds of +270, despite having won the President’s Trophy this regular season. The Stars seem too talented and deep to not find itself in the Western Conference Finals once again, but Winnipeg just needs to defeat Dallas in game four in order to reclaim home ice throughout the series. Florida are the reigning Stanley Cup champions and proved many doubters wrong by taking the Tampa Bay Lightning out in five games, creating a stronger sense of confidence in the franchise to repeat in 2024-2025, holding odds of +425 to do so from the operator.
For the games slated on May 12, the Capitals are +225 underdogs to the Hurricanes for game four, compared to Carolina’s odds of -275 to go up 3-1 in the series and essentially send Washington home. While the Capitals were a force throughout the regular season, its style of play has not translated to the postseason, as operators such as bet365 always seemed to favor franchises such as Florida and Carolina to come out of the east. Much of the 2024-2025 regular season had also been dedicated to helping Alexander Ovechkin succeed Wayne Gretzky as the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, perhaps leading to a lack of motivation on Washington’s side.
While that by no means is trying to say the Capitals don’t care about reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, for a team that features such youth among its most talented stars, watching Ovechkin celebrate the record may have felt like an early reward to what hockey is all about. At +500 to win the series despite only being down 2-1, the confidence in Washington as a serious Finals contender has clearly waned, and it’s more likely Carolina reaches its second Eastern Conference Finals in three years than to see the Capitals make an unexpected comeback.
Much of the NHL world continues to be heavily focused on the Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers, which have played three incredible games on the way to Edmonton holding a 2-1 series lead prior to game four on May 12. On bet365, the Oilers are strongly favored at -260 to win the series after taking both games in Las Vegas, but failing to stop Reilly Smith from scoring with 0.4 seconds left to clinch a Golden Knights victory in game three and reignite interest in the matchup. At +210, there may not be a more favorable time for bettors to take Vegas to win the series, given that falling down 3-1 would realistically end the Golden Knights seasons, needing three straight victories to pull off what would be an epic comeback.
Ahead of game four, bet365 favors the Oilers with odds of -115, while the Golden Knights remain close behind at -105, showcasing the difficulty sportsbooks have had in determining which of the two franchises could advance to the Western Conference Finals. The matchup on May 12 will play a large factor in which team eventually moves on to play either Dallas or Winnipeg, as momentum could significantly swing in either direction with a victory for each. Tying the series at two games apiece would do wonders for the Golden Knights’ mentality heading back to Las Vegas for game five, whereas taking a commanding 3-1 lead would light a fire in the Oilers to put its Pacific division rivals away early.
As the second round of the 2024-2025 NHL Playoffs continues to wind down, many of the league’s most talented franchises have separated itself as true Stanley Cup Finals contenders, but only two can play for the league’s ultimate prize come June. Whether it be Dallas, Edmonton, Vegas or Winnipeg from the west, no series may be as entertaining as the two featured on this side of the bracket. Meanwhile, Florida and Carolina may seem destined for an Eastern Conference Finals matchup, but Toronto and Washington will not make any victory easy for either favorite.
