NHL Playoff Game 2 expert picks, odds: Kraken vs. Stars and Maple Leafs vs. Panthers

Seattle and Florida have taken early leads in their second-round series against Dallas and Toronto, respectively. It’s way too early to think about this, but let’s think about it: how would you feel if those two teams were the final two teams in the Stanley Cup Final next month? When you consider that the field’s most recent winner is from 2006, the Carolina Hurricanes, you invite potential matchups such as those. It would be total chaos and anything next to anarchy. A playoff field that started with teams like Boston, Tampa Bay and Colorado decimated by those upstart teams? That would be insanity.

We could also get Edmonton-Toronto, too. That would be a sick Stanley Cup Final matchup, I can’t lie to you.

Let’s get to the picks.

During the Stanley Cup playoffs, The Athletic’s writers will make their straight-up picks. You’ll find picks, coverage and the latest odds here. Our in-depth NHL coverage is linked below the picks.

All odds from BetMGM and update live. 

Game 2 – Panthers at Maple Leafs

Florida leads series 1-0

7 p.m. on TNT, SN, CBC

Matthew Tkachuk is going to be a handful for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it is on head coach Sheldon Keefe to figure out how to gameplan against him, especially with Game 2 on their own ice and them having last change. It looked that through the first 20 minutes against Toronto in Game 1. He ended the game with three assists. The Panthers can bump and run with anybody with their forechecking and resiliency. As long as Sergei Bobrovsky gives them suitable goaltending, the Panthers have a great chance to take a 2-0 series lead back to their home state.

There isn’t a great deal of panic around the Leafs, however. The team has reached territory they haven’t touched in almost 20 years, and fans are still coming down from the high of the first round. For what it’s worth, the Leafs lost Game 1 in that series too. A better game is expected for players like Mitch Marner, but that is still in play. As long as their big guns are active as they were in Round 1, the Maple Leafs will be in decent shape in this series.

Game 2 – Kraken at Stars

Seattle leads series 1-0

9:30 p.m. on TNT, SN

Can we take a moment and acknowledge Joe Pavelski, at the age of 38, putting the Dallas Stars on his back and nearly winning Game 1 for them over Seattle on his own? The Internet, notably our very own Dom Luszyczyszyn, says he scored a “meat trick.” It’s probably for the best that you look that up on your own. The Stars tried to match the Kraken goal for goal, but they’ll need more from their primary and supporting casts in Game 2. Pavelski a.k.a. Captain America can’t be counted on having four-goal performances every game. It would be pretty sweet though.

In the meantime, even if our predictions for tonight’s game don’t reflect it, we need to put some respect on their name. They’ve got a balanced team up and down the lineup and can stay in games. They got three goals in about a minute in the second period as a true sign of their power. Had it not been for Pavelski’s heroics, they emerge with a clean Game 1 win. Fortunately, they have Yanni Gourde. But we may have more confidence in the Victory Green-clad Stars for Game 2.