Eastern Conference Round 2 series odds: Hurricanes, Panthers favored to advance

The NHL Eastern Conference playoff field has been narrowed to four teams after the Toronto Maple Leafs advanced with a 4-2 series win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night, so that means the matchups, and the odds, have now been set for Round 2.

Let’s take a closer look at these two Eastern Conference matchups and their corresponding odds at bet365.

Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) vs. Florida Panthers (A3)

Stanley Cup odds: Maple Leafs +700, Panthers +400
Series odds: Panthers -180, Maple Leafs +150
Series schedule: TBD

The Maple Leafs will be looking to avenge their Conference Semi-Finals loss to the Panthers in 2023, when they fell in five games to Florida. This time around, the Maple Leafs will have home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series as the winners of the Atlantic Division. However, the defending Stanley Cup champions went 3-1-0 against the Maple Leafs during the regular season, outscoring them by a substantial 13-7 margin.

Toronto hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since 2002, and there’s substantial pressure on the Core Four group to break through and lead a deep run this year. It certainly won’t be easy against a battle-tested squad like the Panthers, who are finally healthy this year and firing on all cylinders.

Pick: Panthers to win in seven games (+450).

Washington Capitals (M1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (M2)

Stanley Cup odds: Hurricanes +525, Capitals +1100
Series odds: Hurricanes -160, Capitals +135
Series schedule: TBD

These two teams have known they’ll square off in the second round since Wednesday night, and it should be an exciting series. Washington will have home-ice advantage by virtue of winning the Metropolitan Division, but the Hurricanes went 2-1-1 against the Capitals during the regular season, outscoring them 14-10. It will be the first meeting between these teams in the playoffs since 2019, when Carolina prevailed in seven games.

Capitals forward Dylan Strome exploded for nine points (two goals, seven assists) in five games against the Montreal Canadiens in the first round to rocket himself into the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation as a viable longshot at +2800 odds. He recorded three points in the four regular-season meetings with the Hurricanes and should be a player to keep an eye on from a props perspective in this series.

The big storyline heading into this series is the health of Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, who went 3-1 and was leading all goalies in the playoffs with a 1.59 GAA and .936 SV% before suffering an injury in Game 4 of the first round against the New Jersey Devils. He’s considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Pyotr Kochetkov, who posted a 2.60 GAA and .898 SV% in 47 regular-season games for the Hurricanes, will be in between the pipes if Andersen isn’t fit to play by early next week.

Oddsmakers aren’t keen on the Capitals’ chances of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Mug by giving them +1100 odds, the ninth-longest odds of winning it all despite Washington recording the second-best record in the league and the best record in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.

Pick: Sebastian Aho most points in series (+475).

Updated Conn Smythe Trophy odds (prior to play on May 2)