The Dallas Stars emerged from a seven-game series against Colorado, and the Edmonton Oilers rallied from down 2-0 to eliminate Los Angeles and move on in the NHL playoffs.

Three of the four second-round NHL playoff matchups have starting dates. The Toronto Maple Leafs, who needed six games to knock off the Ottawa Senators in round one, host the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Game 1 on Monday.

The National Hockey League today announced the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round will begin on Monday, May 5, in Toronto, with Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs, at 8 p.

The winner of the upcoming second-round series will take on one of the Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Finals. The Stars advanced past the Colorado Avalanche with a Game 7 victory on Saturday, and they await the winner of Sunday's Game 7 between the Jets and Blues.

Backs against the wall, the Golden Knights and Oilers showed exactly why they’ve been frequent fliers past the first round — and why the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings were first-round fodder once again.