The second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs has begun. With only eight teams remaining, each one comes closer and closer to clinching the coveted cup and championship.

To recap the first round, here were the standings of each series:

– Florida Panthers defeat the Boston Bruins in Game 7: The Florida Panthers led one of the biggest upsets seen in sports in a while, defeating the NHL’s best ever team in the regular season, a dramatic Game 7 overtime win on a goal by Carter Verhaeghe. 

– New Jersey Devils defeat the New York Rangers in Game 7: Despite taking the early 2-0 lead in the series, the Rangers’ faltered as the Devils would rally several comebacks.

– Carolina Hurricanes defeat the New York Islanders: It’s a sad time to support New York hockey, as the Canes would defeat the New York Islanders in overtime of Game 6. 

– Dallas Stars defeat the Minnesota Wild: The Stars would win games 4, 5, and 6 to secure their spot in the second round. Excellent goaltending by Jake Oettinger and big time offensive by center Roope Hintz.

– Edmonton Oilers defeat LA Kings: Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl would prove their star power with unreal stats leading their team to victory over the Kings in Game 6.

– Toronto Maple Leafs defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning: The curse of the Maple Leafs last 19 years of not making the second round of the playoffs, winning in Game 6.

– Seattle Kraken defeat Colorado Avalanche: Another major upset, the newest NHL team would defeat last year’s champion, opening the door for several underdog teams.

– Vegas Golden Knights defeat the Winnipeg Jets: In the fastest win of the first round, the Vegas Golden Knights would win four games straight to advance by Game 5.

Eastern Conference

Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils (CAR wins series 4-1) 

– In the first clinch of the second round, the postseason ends for the New Jersey Devils in Game 5. Although the rookie team was able to best the Rangers, Carolina’s offense (even battling several injuries) proved too difficult for the Devils with a goal from Jesper Bratt in overtime, sending the team to the Eastern Conference finals where they wait to see whether they will face off against the Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs (FLA leads 3-1)

 – The Florida Panthers continue their hot streak with wins in the first three games of the second round, yet the Maple Leafs stave off elimination with a tight 2-1 win Wednesday night. Nylander and Marner tallied the two goals, and prove to be two of Toronto’s most valuable players moving forward, yet have to beat the ever-determined Matthew Tkachuck on the Panthers to continue their postseason quest.

Western Conference

Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers (Series tied 2-2)

– The Oilers and Knights are tied with all high scoring games as each team battles for the spot. Game 5 will prove interesting after Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers is suspended after instigating a fight late into Game 4, of which his team would win. Nurse took Nic Hague of the Golden Knights in a bloody fight, costing his team a 10,000 dollar fine and the loss of his solid gameplay in the last few matches. 

Seattle Kraken vs Dallas Stars (DAL leads  3-2)

– The series has been a constant back and forth, with the Kraken winning Games 1 and 3 and the Stars with Games 2 and 4. Last night, the Stars took the lead with a 5-2 win at home. Key players to watch would be Jaden Schwartz of the Kraken and Joe Pavelski of the Stars.