Well, it’s time for another Monday Musings piece on the 2025 NHL postseason, and our second-round guesses did not go as well as our first-round predictions. That is always to be expected, for a myriad of anomalous reasons: injuries, fatigue, x-factors, etc. After all, who knew the Toronto Maple Leafs would lose their starting goaltender in Game 1, thanks to a cheapshot from Florida Panthers punk Sam Bennett?

Well, other than Bennett, perhaps, no one could see that coming. Sad that it paid off for the Panthers, too.

Overall, we went 0-for-4 in our quartet of seven-game series picks, although two matchups did reach seven games. We picked zero winners in the second round, so from here on out, we’re on probation with these prognostications, really. We’re down to four teams now in the Conference Finals: Dallas against Edmonton in the West and Carolina against Florida in the East. If we thought the second round was hard, this is worse.

Dallas vs. Edmonton: This is sentiment, for sure, as the Stars have all the sabermetric edges on the Oilers. Yet … Edmonton may be on a mission after losing in Game 7 of the Finals last year, and the Oilers also played a tougher regular-season schedule—which negates some of the Dallas advantage(s). So much of this matchup comes down to goaltending, and we’re not sure Edmonton is up to scratch here. Edmonton in six.

Carolina vs. Florida: Remember when the Panthers were the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference two years ago but made the Cup Finals, anyway? Yeah, this is a team that doesn’t care about home ice at all. The Hurricanes have that edge in this matchup, as well as the goal-differential and regulation-wins advantages, too. But Florida also was underdog in its first two series against the No. 1 and No. 3 sabermetric teams in the conference. Well, Carolina is No. 4, and the Panthers are No. 5, so we give up; they just win. Florida in six.

[Editor’s Note: We’re not offering odds that Bennett takes out Carolina’s Game 1 starting netminder.]