The Stanley Cup Playoffs 2025 are underway, and the matchups have been exciting. Multiple series going to game seven and others finishing early gave fans some much-needed intel going into the second round. The favorites in these games are far from a guaranteed win, as the underdogs have proven themselves with shocking victories.
The loud crowds, extravagant light shows, and the upgraded pace of play are what the Stanley Cup Playoffs are all about. This season, 16 teams fought all year to secure their playoff spot, with some teams inching across the finish line. In the East, the Montreal Canadiens battled through the first round in a three-team race for one spot. In the West, the St. Louis Blues caught the last spot after beating out the Calgary Flames because of a higher win total. These two teams and the seven others in each conference would contribute to the great chase for the cup.
Seeding
The regular season came down to the wire for teams that were making a push for the wild-card position. From the first week of April, the St. Louis Blues had what they thought was a comfortable lead to secure a playoff spot. However, after dropping three games in five days, their lead began to slip, and the Calgary Flames took advantage. When the Blues won their final regular-season game, even though the Flames won four in a row to end the season, they secured enough points to capture their wild-card position. Similarly, the Montreal Canadiens held on to their spot after finishing the season 1-3. The Columbus Blue Jackets won their final six games and narrowly missed overtaking the Canadiens.
The Washington Capitals found themselves in the #1 spot in the East, and the Montreal Canadiens were the team they’d square off with in round one. In the Battle of Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs would face off with the Ottawa Senators. The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the Metropolitan Division, setting up a date with the third-placed New Jersey Devils. In the Atlantic Division, the battle for Florida featured the second-placed Tampa Bay Lightning and the third-placed Florida Panthers.
Winners of the Presidents’ Trophy, the Winnipeg Jets set their eyes on the St. Louis Blues out of the wild card. Underneath Winnipeg in the Central Division, the Dallas Stars would take on the Colorado Avalanche. First in the Pacific Division, the Vegas Golden Knights go against the Minnesota Wild from the wild card. The next two in the Pacific under Vegas to face off would be the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings.
First Round Conclusion
There were fireworks all over the first round of the NHL Playoffs, from controversial goals to overtime finishes. The level of play that players rose to showed the world why playoff hockey is not to be overlooked.
In the East, the Capitals made quick work of the Canadiens, taking the series 4-1. Below that series in the bracket, the Hurricanes beat the Devils in five games to advance. The Panthers surprised many by handling the Lightning in five games to head to round two. The only first-round series in the East to go past five games was between the Leafs and the Senators. After Toronto jumped out to a 3-0 series lead, Ottawa crawled back and won two in a row behind their captain, Brady Tkachuk. William Nylander sealed the deal for the Leafs in game six, scoring two to help the Leafs advance.
In the Pacific side of the bracket, the Oilers took care of the Knights in six games after dropping the first two in Los Angeles. The Golden Knights took advantage of their strengths and overpowered the Wild, winning in six games. On the Central side, both series saw game sevens, the two best words in sports. The Avalanche and the Stars went back and forth all series, splitting each two-game stint in each other’s home arenas.
If it wasn’t for Mikko Rantanen’s three-goal third period in game seven, the Stars would not have advanced. The heavily favored Jets struggled in their series with the Blues due to sloppy play on defense and in the net. While they weren’t able to win on the road, Jets’ captain Kyle Connor combined for one goal and five assists in games five and seven to push them forward.
Eastern Conference Second Round
The Hurricanes and the Capitals faced off in the second round of play, and the Hurricanes are showing why they were favored. Their fast, strong offense is overwhelming for the Capitals, as the Capitals struggle to keep the puck out of their zone. The Hurricanes did not let up after game three, winning game four in dominating fashion, 5-2. Their suffocating defense helped them run away with this series, ending it in five games with help from a late goal by Andrei Svechnikov to send the Hurricanes to the conference final.
The heavily favored Panthers, defending Stanley Cup Champions, dropped games one and two in Toronto. Phenomenal play from William Nylander and Max Pacioretty lifted the Leafs in the first two games. However, in Florida, the Panthers stole game three on an overtime winner from Brad Marchand. Games four and five went in favor of the Panthers, as they drove the Toronto defense back, scoring at will. In game six, the Leafs switched the momentum on the Panthers, outskating them and keeping the puck on their side of the ice. Game seven, hosted by Toronto, went terribly for the Leafs after Panthers’ defenseman Seth Jones scored in the first period. The Panthers kept a chokehold on Toronto, holding them to a single goal while scoring six of their own. The Panthers will move on and face the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.
Western Conference Second Round
The series between the Oilers and the Golden Knights has turned some heads in confusion because of the early games. The Oilers took games one and two, even after being down 2-1 in the third period of game one. Captain Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are outskating anyone in their way, proving they’re a massive threat. In game three, the Knights clutched onto a last-second win at home thanks to Rielly Smith’s goal with 0.4 seconds left. The Knights did not find the back of the net the rest of the series, resulting in the Oilers taking the series in five games. A 1-0 overtime win sealed the deal for the Oilers in game five.
The Jets and the Stars split the first two games in Winnipeg, setting the table for an exciting series. Mikko Rantanen continued to cause problems for the Jets’ defense. Struggling Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck stepped up in a big way in the first two games, only allowing two goals combined. In games three and four in Dallas, the Stars combined for eight goals, giving them a 3-1 series lead. Mikael Granlund recorded his first career playoff hat-trick, scoring three in game four. Connor Hellebuyck looked flawless in game five in Winnipeg, recording 22 saves in the Jets’ 4-0 victory. The Jets seemed to be off to a good start in game six in Dallas after scoring first. This would not last long, however, as the Stars scored two unanswered goals, including the overtime winner. They will face the Oilers in the Western Conference Final.
