Connor McDavid and Mikko Rantanen help teams move forward in Stanley Cup race

The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs has started, and every team left has a real shot at the Cup. The first round had exciting matchups and close games. No team swept their series, which shows how competitive this year’s playoffs are. Now that we are down to eight teams, let us take a look back at the players who made the biggest impact and helped push their teams into Round 2.

Connor McDavid leads Edmonton Oilers with strong first round performance
There were many shining moments in the game for the Maple Leafs, namely with Auston Matthews and William Nylander stepping up, as well as Anthony Stolarz making fine saves. But it was Chris Tanev's defense that made the difference. The Leafs became more difficult to score on, and Chris Tanev assisted in shutting down Ottawa's best players. He and Jake McCabe were instrumental in controlling tempo in the series.

MIKKO RANTANEN GETS THE HAT TRICK TO PUT THE SERIES AWAY IN A WILD GAME 7 COMEBACK WIN FOR THE STARS!

Sean McDonough (voice cracking): "RANTANEN AGAIN! UNBELIEVABLE! A LEGENDARY PERFORMANCE BY RANTANEN AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM!" 🏒🚨🚨🚨🎙️ #NHL https://t.co/6mYbvkzYAC pic.twitter.com/afbDFMrqkK

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 4, 2025

For Florida, Game 5 belonged to Eetu Luostarinen: one goal, and three assists. His line was deadly at even strength as it sent Tampa Bay home, with Eetu Luostarinen showing he is among the top two-way forwards in the game.

McDavid powers Edmonton to Victory, Mikko Rantanen saves the day for Dallas
Connor McDavid did what he always does, dominate. He accumulated 11 points in six games and relentlessly pushed the Los Angeles Kings. Nobody in L.A. could figure him out. His skill and speed were too much, and he set the tone for the entire series.


In Dallas, Mikko Rantanen waited until Game 7 against Colorado to bring out the best in himself. He provided a hat trick and assisted the Stars in advancing in a very tight series. Mikko Rantanen tallied five goals during the round and was a major factor in Dallas's advancement.


Also Read: Mikko Rantanen Makes NHL History With With Record-Shattering Game 7 Finish