Trends and shocking takeaways from the Stanley Cup playoffs' second round

The 2nd circular of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs has passed the midway point, with each but 1 bid done Game 4.

What person been the biggest lessons learned done the archetypal portion of the 2nd round? Which teams and players person amazed (in either a bully oregon atrocious way)? How volition each of it substance erstwhile it comes to the remainder of the postseason?

ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski interruption it each down:

Could a caller playoff inclination beryllium a bully omen for the Stars?

Of course, there's inactive rather a spot that tin alteration successful the Winnipeg Jets-Dallas Stars series. But let's conscionable accidental that the Stars spell connected to triumph the bid and beforehand to the Western Conference finals. It would beryllium their 3rd consecutive league finals appearance, and their 4th sojourn since 2020. While they person yet to triumph the Stanley Cup during that window, does that level of consistency marque them the preeminent squad successful the West?

There's nary shortage of challengers, with the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Cup successful 2023, and the Edmonton Oilers coming wrong a crippled of doing truthful past season. If Dallas makes it to the adjacent round, it volition look 1 of those two.

But what makes the Stars' concern 1 worthy contextualizing is however it compares to different teams' since the NHL moved to the Eastern/Western format successful 1994. Beating the Jets and getting to a 3rd consecutive league finals would marque the Stars conscionable the 4th squad nether the existent format to gain that distinction. The Detroit Red Wings did it archetypal (from 1995 done 1998) and won 2 Stanley Cups. They did it again from 2007 done 2009, winning different rubric successful 2008.

The astir caller squad was the Chicago Blackhawks, who did it from 2013 done 2015 and won 2 Cups. -- Clark

Toronto needs a caller tactic

The Maple Leafs looked similar food retired of h2o successful Game 4 against the Florida Panthers, a brutal 2-0 shutout nonaccomplishment successful which the reigning Stanley Cup champions were successful apical form. Florida smothered Toronto with sustained violative portion pressure, starring the Leafs to instrumentality aggregate penalties and mostly termination immoderate ounce of momentum they tried to generate.

If it weren't for a stellar (wasted) show from goaltender Joseph Woll, the last people would person been a blowout, due to the fact that Toronto had nary answers for Florida's heat.

Unlike earlier successful the series, erstwhile the Leafs were capitalizing connected unreserved chances and virtually spinning Sergei Bobrovsky successful circles, the Panthers battened down the hatches to support Toronto connected the extracurricular portion boxing retired amended successful beforehand of Bobrovsky. If they tin support that, and the Leafs can't marque adjustments, the Panthers are looking astatine a 3rd consecutive Eastern Conference finals appearance.

Should Toronto privation to marque 1 of its own, it's clip to marque immoderate changes, and for its apical skaters to measurement up. Mitch Marner doesn't person a changeable connected extremity since helium scored the victor successful Game 2. Auston Matthews doesn't person a extremity yet successful the 2nd circular and hasn't registered 1 against Florida successful 9 vocation postseason tilts.

Toronto manager Craig Berube said aft Sunday's nonaccomplishment that determination are players the Leafs request much from -- nary names required. It's clear. Both teams person owned location crystal successful the bid truthful far. Toronto has that vantage inactive arsenic this 1 becomes a best-of-three. The question is, what benignant of counterpunch volition the Leafs propulsion present that Florida's claws are retired and sharpened? -- Shilton

Can Hellebuyck beryllium trusted for the Olympics?

The archetypal question Team USA's encephalon spot volition request to reply earlier the 2026 Winter Olympic men's hockey tournament: Are the contests successful Milan considered location games oregon roadworthy games? Because the reply could find its starting goaltender.

At this point, Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck's struggles connected the roadworthy successful the Stanley Cup playoffs person reached the constituent of absurdity. He has won the Vezina Trophy doubly successful his vocation and volition triumph it again this season. He's a finalist for the Hart (MVP). There isn't overmuch debate, statistically oregon anecdotally, that he's the champion goaltender successful the satellite ... successful the regular season.

In his past 20 playoff games, Hellebuyck is 7-13 with a .866 prevention percent and a 3.90 goals-against average. The equilibrium of those putrid numbers person travel connected the road, wherever Hellebuyck has mislaid 8 of his past 9 starts with an .835 SP and a 5.20 GAA.

After the archetypal circular of the playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, the barroom for Hellebuyck was acceptable astatine "can helium get done a roadworthy crippled without being pulled?" The bully quality successful Game 3 against Dallas is that helium cleared that bar. The atrocious quality is that helium mislaid again and wasn't precise good, letting successful a fluttering Roope Hintz changeable for Dallas' archetypal goal, and past scoring what the NHL ruled was an ain extremity connected Alex Petrovic's kicked puck successful the third.

"He had to marque immoderate large stops. Him and [Dallas goalie Jake] Oettinger, they were going benignant of toed to toe," Jets manager Scott Arniel said aft the game. "But we're going to beryllium judged -- not conscionable Connor -- by what happens connected the road. We've got to win."

Oettinger, by contrast, is 12-11 with a .909 SP and a 2.63 GAA successful his past 23 roadworthy playoff games. That's not great, but it surely isn't getting pulled 3 times successful the archetypal round, either.

The U.S. has a heavy goalie pool, but Oettinger is seemingly the adjacent antheral up, having served arsenic Hellebuyck's backup astatine the 4 Nations Face-Off successful February. His play successful this bid and successful different clutch moments -- similar the Stars' Game 7 triumph against Colorado successful Round 1 -- should spark a speech astir the American's Olympic starter, fixed Hellebuyck's struggles erstwhile the games substance most.

However, it should beryllium noted that Hellebuyck was outstanding astatine 4 Nations, with a 1.59 GAA and .932 SA successful 3 games. Which begs the question: Perhaps you tin spot him much playing successful backmost of an All-Star squad alternatively than the Winnipeg Jets, nary substance wherever the games are played? -- Wyshynski

The extent that has fixed the Oilers beingness could beryllium the decease of the Golden Knights

Seeing Adam Henrique people the archetypal 2 goals successful Game 4 earlier Evander Kane scored different did much than involvement the Oilers to a 3-0 triumph that present has them a triumph distant from a 2nd consecutive Western Conference finals appearance. It erstwhile again reinforced however the Oilers tin trust connected a level of extent that, by comparison, is lacking for the Golden Knights.

The statistic that has made that astir wide is however the Oilers' generational duo of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid person combined to people conscionable 3 of their team's 15 goals. Draisaitl scored successful Game 1, but the remainder of those contributions, including the crippled winner, came from elsewhere successful the lineup. Draisaitl did people the crippled victor successful Game 2, but the erstwhile 4 goals were scored by his teammates. In Game 3, Corey Perry scored the archetypal 2 goals.

Now comparison that to the Golden Knights. The trio of Ivan Barbashev, Tomas Hertl and Brett Howden combined to people 78 regular-season goals. They person been goalless done the archetypal 4 games of their bid against the Oilers. Vegas' six superior defensemen combined to people 35 regular-season goals, with 17 of them belonging to Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore. The radical has lone 1 extremity successful the series.

It's a deficiency of scoring extent that has been further compounded by the information that Jack Eichel, who led the Golden Knights with 94 points successful the regular season, hasn't scored successful the series. Meanwhile, starring extremity scorer Pavel Dorofeyev, who missed the archetypal 2 games with an injury, has besides been blanked since his return. -- Clark

Own goals for everyone?

Fans emotion seeing goals scored arsenic overmuch arsenic players bask scoring them -- but erstwhile it's connected their ain net. And we've seen immoderate doozies successful that second class this round.

There was the ain extremity successful Game 3 betwixt Dallas and Winnipeg connected Sunday, erstwhile Petrovic's go-ahead extremity was recovered (after a lengthy authoritative review) to person gone disconnected Hellebuyck's instrumentality into the net. The nighttime before, it was Draisaitl's instrumentality that enactment a puck past Stuart Skinner to springiness Vegas a buzzer-beating extremity (with 0.4 seconds near connected the clock) and its archetypal triumph of the series.

Morgan Rielly's instrumentality guided a puck successful past Woll successful Game 3 of Toronto's bid against Florida to chopped into the Leafs' 2-1 advantage. Toronto yet mislaid 5-4 successful overtime.

It's not similar there's a good infinitesimal to people connected your ain net, but could the timing connected immoderate of them person been worse? If you've ever wondered wherefore "just enactment pucks connected net" is simply a time-honored hockey cliché, here's your answer: Because thing tin happen. -- Shilton

It's Mikko Rantanen's MVP to lose

Coaching successful his 10th postseason, Dallas Stars manager Pete DeBoer has witnessed immoderate startling idiosyncratic playoff performances from his players. Like Ilya Kovalchuk's 19 points successful 23 games for the Devils successful 2012. Or Joe Pavelski's 14 goals successful 24 games for the Sharks successful 2016.

But thing similar the postseason that Rantanen is putting unneurotic for the Stars.

"It's the champion show I've gotten to witness, lasting wherever I'm standing," DeBoer said aft Dallas' Game 3 win. "But for me, he's conscionable getting started. He's conscionable warming up here. I deliberation he's connected a mission."

Through 10 games, Rantanen leads the playoffs successful goals (nine) and points (18). At 1 point, helium had scored oregon assisted connected 15 of 16 goals for the Stars, dating backmost to the archetypal round. He's the archetypal subordinate successful Stanley Cup playoffs past with 5 three-point games done a team's archetypal 10 playoff games.

"Huge pickup astatine the deadline. He's been awesome for us," defenseman Alexander Petrovic said. "He's a large feline successful the room. He's been connected a tear."

He has done each of this aft a turbulent play successful which helium was traded doubly -- from Colorado to Carolina and past to Dallas -- earlier signing a blockbuster hold with the Stars. He has answered questions astir his violative prowess without having the payment of Nathan MacKinnon connected his team. He entered the playoffs arsenic 1 of the NHL's champion postseason scorers of the past respective seasons. He has blown distant those expectations and is the existent person for the Conn Smythe Trophy (postseason MVP).

Yet though each of this torrid scoring recently, the Jets blanked him successful their Game 2 shutout successful Winnipeg.

"The biggest happening is clip and space," Arniel said. "I cognize that you perceive that a batch successful hockey, but astatine the extremity of the day, the much helium holds onto it, the much he's comfortable, the harder it is to contradict what he's trying to bash next."

But The Moose was backmost connected the escaped successful the Stars' Game 3 win, with a extremity and 2 assists.

"I'm trying to enactment successful the moment. I'm blessed to assistance the squad and effort to support doing that arsenic overmuch arsenic I can, some ends of the ice," Rantanen said.

It's surely Mikko Rantanen's moment. -- Wyshynski

Ovechkin, Perry defying Father Time

Corey Perry volition crook 40 connected Friday, portion Alex Ovechkin volition deed that milestone successful September. Perry and Ovechkin are portion of a five-member radical of players property 39 oregon older who person played much than 1 crippled this postseason. But to suggest Ovechkin and Perry are each having beardown postseason campaigns for players their property lone partially explains what they person done truthful far.

In fact, they're having 2 of the champion postseason campaigns for 2 players successful their age-39 play successful NHL history.

Perry, a Stanley Cup victor who ranks 38th successful vocation playoff goals, has scored 5 times this postseason. Ovechkin, a chap Stanley Cup victor who is tied with Mario Lemieux for 12th successful playoff goals, has four. They're some wrong striking region of the astir playoff goals successful an age-39 season, per Quant Hockey. That people is presently held by Jean Béliveau, with Le Gros Bill scoring six goals successful 1971. -- Clark

But person the Hurricanes solved Ovi?

Some mightiness impeach Ovechkin's crippled of being progressively "one note." But erstwhile played right, it's a damn bully note. And close now, the Washington Capitals are hopeless for much of his contributions to their orchestra, astatine slightest astatine adjacent strength.

Ovechkin's enactment has been stifled by Carolina's defence -- namely Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns -- truthful acold successful the series, and they've had acold less changeable attempts and chances than the absorption astatine 5-on-5. Ovechkin and linemate Dylan Strome particularly thrive connected creating chances disconnected portion entries, and the Hurricanes aren't giving them overmuch successful that respect.

Ovechkin continues to combat for unfastened crystal and does pb the Capitals successful even-strength shots, but that hasn't materialized into thing connected the scoresheet; Ovechkin's lone extremity of the bid has been connected the powerfulness play successful Game 4.

Considering the Caps were conscionable whacked 4-0 successful Game 3 and 5-2 successful Game 4, they are searching for accordant violative contributions to transportation them through. This is erstwhile Ovechkin has to commencement spinning his proverbial straw into golden again astatine afloat strength.

Washington got fortunate successful Game 2 aft it was outshot 33-14 by the Hurricanes but inactive managed to travel distant with a 3-1 victory. If Carolina is uncovering its violative groove present and opening to lick Logan Thompson, past Washington indispensable find ways to make much violative opportunities. That's easier said than done against the Hurricanes' smothering corporate antiaircraft game. -- Shilton

Carolina is nary joke

If you've been pursuing the 2nd round, you've undoubtedly travel crossed a gag oregon 2 (or 10) astir the comparative prime of the Carolina Hurricanes' bid against the Washington Capitals compared to that of the different 3 playoff series. Perhaps you've made a fewer yourself.

Monday night's Game 4 was the outlier successful what has different been a grinding, tight-checking bid successful which 4 oregon less full goals were scored successful each of the archetypal 3 games, including a 4-0 shutout by goalie Frederik Andersen successful Game 3.

The Hurricanes are the Hurricanes. Coach Rod Brind'Amour couldn't attraction little astir the amusement worth of this bid oregon immoderate series. His team's ngo is to vampirically suck the beingness retired of opponents with a operation of puck possession, antiaircraft portion coverage, reliable goaltending and elite punishment killing. Through 4 games, it has been ngo accomplished.

Brind'Amour was asked astir fans and media from different markets boiling down the Hurricanes' virtues to simply being a monotonous "shot volume" team.

"It's lazy. It's lazy. Because you're not truly watching the crippled then. You're picking retired portion of it," helium said. "But there's a method to each of it. It doesn't irk me."

When the Canes don't person the puck, they're preventing shots: Carolina is allowing an mean of 24.6 shots per crippled this postseason, 3rd champion among progressive teams.

"There person been times done this bid erstwhile I've thought successful my head, 'shoot the puck.' But past we person to get that puck through," Washington manager Spencer Carbery said.

Again, this is what the Hurricanes do. This is what the Hurricanes person done. And this is what they'll proceed to bash successful the Eastern Conference finals unless the Capitals person a rally successful them. Which would beryllium exciting. But the Hurricanes aren't astir that excitement.

"You don't privation to springiness them immoderate beingness oregon springiness them immoderate hope," Canes winger Seth Jarvis said of Thursday's Game 5 backmost successful D.C. -- Wyshynski