NHL playoffs 2nd-round odds: Leafs pegged as underdogs vs. Panthers
Three of the four conference semis for the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs are set after three first-round battles were settled Thursday night.
The Maple Leafs avoided yet another disappointment by beating the Senators to advance to the second round for only the second time in the last 20 years.
Their reward? A matchup against the reigning Stanley Cup champions and current favorites to win it all - the Panthers, who eliminated the Leafs in five contests in the second round two years ago. Florida also won the 2024-25 season series versus Toronto 3-1.
Despite not having home-ice advantage, Florida is the -175 favorite over Toronto (+150) at theScore Bet/ESPN Bet, implying the Panthers have a 63.6% probability of advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.
The Panthers took care of the Lightning in five outings and moved from +700 to +400 to win the Stanley Cup as a result.
The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, were +1200 to end their 57-year Stanley Cup drought before the playoffs started. Their series victory over the Senators only gave them a 1.4% bump in implied probability, improving their odds to +1000.
The Capitals and Hurricanes will meet in the other Eastern Conference clash.
Both teams won their opening-round series in five games - the Capitals breezed past the Canadiens while the Hurricanes eliminated the Devils.
Carolina is a -165 favorite over Washington, meaning oddsmakers believe we're most likely heading toward a Hurricanes-Panthers Eastern Conference final.
The Capitals have home-ice advantage after earning the top seed in the East, but the Hurricanes are widely regarded as the better team. Carolina has the second-best odds at +450 to hoist the Cup, while Washington's odds are +950.
In the West, the Oilers fell to +360 to advance to the second round, but erased a two-game deficit by winning four straight against the Kings. Edmonton has now ended Los Angeles' season in four consecutive campaigns.
Edmonton made a goalie change after conceding 12 goals in its first two games in L.A. Calvin Pickard took over for Stuart Skinner and averaged three goals against in his four wins.
The Oilers will now face the Golden Knights, where they're slight favorites (-115) to advance to the Western Conference Final.
Despite being favored in the second round, the Oilers' odds to win the Stanley Cup are nearly twice as short. Edmonton is +450 to win it all, while Vegas is +800. For some reason, the Knights' odds remain unchanged despite their first-round win.
The other Western Conference matchup is yet to be determined. The Jets lead the Blues 3-2, while the Avalanche and Stars head to what should be an epic Game 7. The winner between Colorado and Dallas will most certainly be favored over either Winnipeg or St. Louis.