The AAtJ Preview and Open Post for the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MAY 02: Logan Stankoven #22 of the Carolina Hurricanes shoots the puck for a goal against Nick Seeler #24 and goalie Dan Vladar #80 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Second Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center on May 02, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Cato Cataldo/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images Good morning, everyone. With the first round just about completed (there is one game to be played as of this writing), it is time to make an update to our Stanley Cup Playoffs Open Post.

You can see the original post here , but let’s dive into the new matchups. The Schedule: Here is the Second Round Schedule from NHL. com.

The Preview The Eastern Conference Matchups Carolina Hurricanes (M1/1) vs. the Philadelphia Flyers (M3/8) I could not imagine a more lopsided matchup in the playoffs than the one right here, which should have been a first-round series. Despite the Hurricanes coming off a long rest, the Flyers looked lost against them in Game One, generating only 10 shots at five-on-five with 0.

81 expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick . If that is a sign of things to come for the Flyers, they are doomed to lose in four or five games. Of course, there were concerns that Nikolaj Ehlers and Alexander Nikishin would miss some time in the series, but they were ready for Carolina’s 3-0 shutout in Game One.