After a wildly entertaining season that saw Alexander Ovechkin break the all-time goal record, the introduction of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament and the casual resurgence of the Columbus Blue Jackets — only to fall one win short of a postseason berth — the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway.
The Eastern Conference houses perhaps one of the most intriguing matchups of the playoffs: the Battle of Ontario, consisting of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators. This year marks the first postseason in which the two teams have met since 2004, when the Leafs defeated the Senators in seven games.
In years past, goaltending has plagued the Leafs, particularly in the postseason. Ilya Samsonov did not have the consistent “clutch” factor needed in the postseason, and Joseph Woll was too young to be readily relied upon.
During the summer of 2024, the Leafs signed career backup goaltender Anthony Stolarz to a two-year, $5 million contract. Since arriving in Toronto, Stolarz has been sensational, with his .926 regular season save percentage being the best in the regular season, despite the Leafs’ often uninspiring defensive efforts.
With Stolarz between the pipes, expect a long run from the Leafs this postseason.
The battle for Florida, played between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, does not house the same animosity as the Battle of Ontario does. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how the Lightning hold up against the defending Stanley Cup champions.
The Washington Capitals, filled with seasoned veterans like Alexander Ovechkin and Tom Wilson, will defeat the far younger and inexperienced Montreal Canadiens.
The Carolina Hurricanes, whose physical play and strong defensive core have proved to thrive in the playoffs, are already well on their way to beating the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes are in their prime, whereas the Devils still need to develop into a consistent contender.
Spearheading the Western Conference are the Winnipeg Jets, who won the Presidents’ Trophy with 116 regular-season points. They have beaten the St. Louis Blues in two close games thus far, and with the series heading back to St. Louis, we could see a dynamic change of momentum.
This considered, as long as Connor Hellebucyck, Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey continue their dominant play, the Jets should have no problem with the Blues.
Perhaps the tightest matchup of the first round will be between the Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche. But with Gabriel Landeskog likely returning to the Avalanche lineup after nearly three years of injury, and Mackenzie Blackwood finally finding his footing as one of the best goaltenders in the league, the Avalanche will ultimately defeat the Stars.
As is the case in many playoff matchups, the series between the Minnesota Wild and the Vegas Golden Knights will ultimately boil down to goaltending. For the Wild, Filip Gustavsson has the potential to become one of the best stories of the playoffs, and veteran backup Marc-André Fleury is an invaluable guiding hand and insurance for Gustavsson. The Golden Knights’ Adin Hill lacks the composure and consistent competitiveness that Gustavsson boasts, so expect the Wild to beat the Golden Knights in a close series.
Historically, the Edmonton Oilers have dominated the Los Angeles Kings in the postseason, and this may continue in their first-round matchup. Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner has repeatedly shown his inability to compete at a high level, but the Oilers’ lack of back-end play has the potential to be overwritten by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s potent offense.
With Darcy Kuemper and David Rittich, the Kings also lack the goaltending necessary for playoff success. If you want high-scoring, fast-paced gameplay, this series is the one to watch. Whatever the outcome is, expect neither team to make it past the second round.
Stanley Cup Finals prediction: Colorado defeats Toronto in seven games
Don • Apr 24, 2025 at 8:24 pm
Very good preview Thanks.