2025 NHL playoffs: Previewing Eastern Conference finals - ESPN

Following the Florida Panthers' Game 7 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday, the NHL's final four is official: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals, while the Dallas Stars face the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference finals.

This Eastern matchup is a rematch of the 2023 conference finals, won by the Panthers in a sweep. Can Carolina win this time, or will Florida head back to the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year?

To help get you up to speed before the series begins Tuesday, we're here with key intel from ESPN Research, wagering info from ESPN BET and more.

Paths to the conference finals:

Hurricanes: Defeated Devils in five, Capitals in five
Panthers: Defeated Lightning in five, Maple Leafs in seven

Leading playoff scorers:

Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis (four goals, six assists), Sebastian Aho (three goals, seven assists)
Panthers: Brad Marchand (three goals, nine assists), Eetu Luostarinen (three goals, nine assists)

Schedule:

Game 1: Panthers at Hurricanes | May 20, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Game 2: Panthers at Hurricanes | May 22, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Hurricanes at Panthers | May 24, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Game 4: Hurricanes at Panthers | May 26, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5: Panthers at Hurricanes | May 28, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Game 6: Hurricanes at Panthers | May 30, 8 p.m. (TNT)
Game 7: Panthers at Hurricanes | June 1, 8 p.m. (TNT)

Series odds:

Panthers: -125
Hurricanes: +105

Stanley Cup odds:

Panthers: +250
Hurricanes: +300

The Hurricanes reached the conference finals for the sixth time in franchise history and third time in the past six years. Carolina's three conference finals appearances since 2019 are tied with the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas