logo
FlamesNation has no direct affiliation to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Sports and Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
What’s Going On In The Playoffs: Stars, Oilers, and Panthers return to the Conference Finals
alt
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Ryley Delaney
May 21, 2025, 17:30 EDTUpdated: May 23, 2025, 18:29 EDT
Comments
The Conference Finals have begun.
This is What’s Going On In The Playoffs, where we look at how each series is going so far this post-season. The second round has wrapped up, with one Canadian team left standing. Moreover, three of the four teams were in last season’s final four.
Let’s take a look at what’s happened in the post-season since last Wednesday!

Oilers score overtime goal to clinch series

The Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights played a tight-checking, defensive game in Game 5. With the Knights’ backs against the wall, the score was 0-0 heading into overtime, before Kasperi Kapanen of all players scored the game-winning goal to send the Oilers to the Conference Finals.
This game was Stuart Skinner’s second consecutive shutout, but the question was, who would they face?

Jets fall in six games to the Stars

Last Wednesday, the Jets were down 3-1 in their series after a 3-1 defeat in Game 4. They responded well to force a Game 6, as Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Ehlers (again) scored to give the Jets a 4-0 win.
Before Game 6, Scheifele’s father passed away, but the longest-tenured Jet played anyway, scoring a goal five minutes into the second period.
Unfortunately, the Stars tied it and then won it in overtime when Scheifele was in the penalty box. No matter what team you cheer for, this was a crappy ending.

Leafs collapse at home, lose in seven

The other Canadian team that made it to the second round, the Toronto Maple Leafs, blew a 2-0 series lead to the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Game 5 was in Toronto, and it didn’t go great for the centre of the universe, as the Panthers won 6-1.
With the series shifting to Sunrise, Florida, the Leafs were able to force Game 7 thanks to a game-winning goal from Auston Matthews, the first time he’s scored in the second round. Max Pacioretty scored an insurance goal with just under six minutes left in the third.
That set up a winner-take-all Game 7 in Toronto, which ended in the exact same score as Game 5. The two teams were tied after one period, but the Panthers scored three times in the second for a 3-0 lead. Max Domi scored early in the third to give the Leafs hope, but the Panthers responded with three more goals, iced by a Brad Marchand empty-net goal.

Hurricanes wrap up the series in five

Up 3-1 in the series last Wednesday, the Hurricanes made quick work of the Washington Capitals, defeating them in five games. Game 5 was a 3-1 victory, with the teams trading a goal in the first period. It stood that way until late in the third period, when Andrei Svechnikov beat Logan Thompson with a bad-angle shot. Seth Jarvis added an empty-netter for good measure.

Panthers defeat Hurricanes in Game 1

Sticking with the Hurricanes, their first-round match-up is against the Panthers. Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored in the first period, with Sebastian Aho cutting the lead in half with just 16 seconds remaining in the first.
The Panthers took a 3-1 lead in the second thanks to A.J. Greer’s second of the postseason. In the third, former Calgary Flame Sam Bennett scored to make it 4-1, and then Eetu Luostarinen added a fifth for good measure. Jackson Blake scored late in the game for the Hurricanes, but it wasn’t enough as they fell 5-2.
Game 2 is on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. MT, the start time of every game in this series. The third game shifts to Sunrise, Florida, on Saturday, with Game 4 also in Florida.

Setting up the Oilers/Stars series

For the second consecutive post-season, the Edmonton Oilers and the Dallas Stars play in the Western Conference Finals to determine who goes to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Game 1 is on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in Dallas. Game 2 is on Friday, same time. With the series shifting to Edmonton, Game 3 is an afternoon game, starting at 1:00 p.m. MT, disgusting. Game 4 is on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. MT again.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
Sponsored by bet365:

Editorials

Breaking News