It’s just about go-time for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs and even if you’re not a fan of the NHL, there’s still tons of excitement. We already have 15 teams locked in their slots, matchups nearly finalized, and only one spot left hanging in the balance. By the end of Thursday night — or maybe even tonight if the Habs have their way — we’ll have the full playoff bracket set and sportsbooks will start opening betting lines.
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The postseason officially kicks off this Saturday, April 19, 2025. If you’ve been waiting to flip the switch into hockey mode, now’s the time. It’s about to be the craziest time of the year in terms of hockey.
Here’s everything you need to know before the madness begins.
15 of the 16 playoff tickets have already been punched. The last remaining one? The #2 wild-card slot in the Eastern Conference.
Right now, Montreal holds the edge and can control its own destiny. The Canadiens are sitting at 89 points with a .549 points percentage. The Blue Jackets hold the tiebreaker, so these games are critical.
But don’t count Columbus out just yet. They’re 2 points behind with 1 game to play. If the Jackets win out and Montreal stumbles in regulation — it could flip the script and knock the Habs out and give the Jackets that coveted #2 WC seed.
Montreal controls its own fate for this slot, however. If they can just get to OT tonight against Carolina, they’re in. Anything less, and Columbus has a shot to sneak in with a win over the Islanders tomorrow night.
Why does this matter? Whoever grabs that last spot gets rewarded with a 1st round matchup against the Eastern Conference’s top dog — the Washington Capitals. We’re not sure if that’s a reward as the Caps are absolutely dominant this year, but you get the idea.
Most of the playoff matchups are already in place, and there’s no shortage of storylines.
Washington Capitals (M1) vs. TBD (WC2). Washington gets the winner of the Montreal-Columbus race. The Capitals are entering the playoffs as the East’s top seed, riding a monumental year from Alex Ovechkin and a balanced roster on top of that. They’ll be heavy favorites, regardless of who finishes 8th in the East.
Carolina Hurricanes (M2) vs. New Jersey Devils (M3). This one’s officially set in stone. Carolina and New Jersey will battle it out in a series that’s already shaping up to be highly physical, extremely fast, and high-scoring. The Hurricanes have a slight statistical edge, but anything can happen over a 7 game series. A couple of lucky bounces could turn the table.
Toronto Maple Leafs (A1) vs. Ottawa Senators (WC1). A classic Ontario rivalry, and one with some recent tension. Toronto’s the top seed in the Atlantic, but Ottawa swept the regular-season series. This one could go the distance of all 7 games. That would be epic!
Tampa Bay Lightning (A2) vs. Florida Panthers (A3). The Battle of Florida returns yet again. Tampa holds home-ice with the better seeding, but Florida’s still the defending Cup champ. These 2 teams don’t like each other, and their series last year was a war. We expect more of the same. If you’re going to watch any hockey at all, this is the series to watch.
The West is fully set as of last night. These are going to be some excellent matchups.
Winnipeg Jets (C1) vs. St. Louis Blues (WC2). Winnipeg not only won the Central—they took the Presidents’ Trophy with the NHL’s best regular-season record. The Jets have depth, are stingy on defense, and are hungry to get the Cup. St. Louis snuck in as the #2 wild card, but don’t count them out. This matchup looks lopsided on paper, but the playoffs never follow the script and anything can happen.
Dallas Stars (C2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (C3). This is going to be a Central Division slugfest. Dallas has the home-ice advantage, but Colorado’s postseason pedigree is as strong as ever. These teams split the regular season series. This very well could be one of the tighter matchups in the 1st round.
Vegas Golden Knights (P1) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC1). Vegas has been rolling, and they’ll take on the Wild to open their playoff run. The Knights went 3-0 against Minnesota this year, so they’ll feel confident. But playoff hockey has a way of neutralizing regular-season trends. No matter how this goes, it’s going to be fun to see Marc-Andre Fleury back in Vegas where he really exploded.
Los Angeles Kings (P2) vs. Edmonton Oilers (P3). This is another Pacific Division rivalry you’ll want to watch. The Kings edged out Edmonton for home-ice advantage but these 2 split their season series, and both have top-end skill and goaltending questions. Buckle up because this is going to be a phenomenal series.
Each conference sends 8 teams to the playoffs — the top 3 in each division, plus 2 wild cards. The top division winner faces the #2 wild card. The other division winner gets the #1 wild card. 2nd and 3rd place teams in each division square off.
Unlike some of the other major sports, all series in the NHL playoffs are best-of-seven, with a 2-2-1-1-1 home-ice format. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. The lower seed gets Games 3, 4, and 6.
Keep in mind that home ice is based on regular-season points. Tiebreakers include regulation wins, ROW, total wins, head-to-head points, and lastly the goal differential. If the 2 teams are dead even after all that, a single-game playoff decides it. But that has never happened before, but the rule is in place in case it does happen.
The 1st round begins this Saturday, April 19. TNT has the first broadcast window at 6 p.m. ET, followed by another at 9 p.m. ESPN and ESPN2 will take over Sunday with 4 slots. All games are nationally televised, so you shouldn’t have a problem catching the games. However, we don’t know which teams are playing and when — yet.
The NHL will release the full 1st round schedule right after the final regular-season game tomorrow night, depending on how the Montreal-Columbus race shakes out.
The playoffs are expected to wrap up by June 23, which is the latest possible date for a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final. That gives us a little over 2 months of near-nightly playoff hockey.
Every year brings its own chaos and this is what many tune in for or even head to the sportsbooks for. This year’s got plenty of it baked in already.
Ovechkin’s Next Chapter. Fresh off breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record, Alex Ovechkin is on a mission to get his name etched onto the Stanley Cup for a second time. The Capitals have been consistent all season and look more balanced than they’ve been in years. In fact, they look better than they did in 2018 when they won it last.
Winnipeg’s Breakthrough Year. The Jets have never looked this good. They are the President’s Trophy winners, the top seed in the West, and absolutely loaded up at every position. But ask any fan — they know the regular season doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t get out of the first 2 rounds.
The Champs Face a Test Early. Florida’s back to defend their title, but their path isn’t going to be easy. The Lightning aren’t scared of the Panthers, and their playoff history together adds a layer of bad blood. This is undoubtedly going to be the best series in the East.
Upset Watch. Don’t get too comfortable penciling in favorites. Every year seems to have a 1st round surprise that destroys the bracket. Could Ottawa sneak past Toronto again? Can Columbus — if they get in — shock the Caps? What about St. Louis vs. Winnipeg? 7 games is a long time to hold on.
No Bruins, No Problem. Boston is out of the playoffs for the first time since 2016, Sure, it’s a weird look, but it also means a changing of the guard in the East.
We’re pretty confident other storylines will arise as we work our way through the playoffs. There are always twists and turns during each game.
With only 2 games of regular-season business left to sort out, we’re all but ready to jump into the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The 2025 NHL Playoffs are shaping up to be loaded with massive rivalries, big-name stars, and plenty of unpredictability that is perfect for betting. Whether you’ve been following all season or just jumping in now, get ready. Saturday’s puck drop is just the start.
It’s about to get chaotic in the best way possible.
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