The Stanley Cup playoffs will start Saturday with the St. Louis Blues taking over the Winnipeg Jets at 6:00 p.m. EST and the Colorado Avalanche dealing with the Dallas Stars at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Every division winner will face a wild-card group, whereas the second- and third-place groups of their respective divisions will face one another. Let’s check out the three most anticipated matchups on this first spherical.
The Battle of Ontario: Toronto Maple Leafs vs .Ottawa Senators
After successful their first Atlantic division title, the Maple Leafs will face a Senators group that’s again within the playoffs after lacking for seven straight seasons. The groups will renew their rivalry for the primary time since 2004, which noticed the foes face off for the fourth time in 5 years.
This sequence is for certain to be an thrilling one with no love misplaced between the provincial foes. It additionally options loads of stars, like Toronto’s Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, and Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson.
It is certain to be a bodily sequence as nicely; each groups are within the top ten in hits (Ottawa ranks fourth and Toronto ranks eighth). It might additionally characteristic a improbable goaltending duel: Linus Ullmark (.910 save share) versus Anthony Stolarz (.926 save share).
Common season head-to-head: Ottawa over Toronto 3 video games to 0.
Fourth time’s a attraction: Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
The Kings and Oilers will meet within the playoffs for the fourth yr in a row. Edmonton has had Los Angeles’ quantity up to now three conferences, successful every time, in seven, six and 5 video games, respectively.
Just like the Battle of Ontario, these two division rivals share loads of animosity. 2024’s Recreation 3 matchup noticed 82 penalty minutes within the third interval. Equally, this season, the 2 groups’ April 14 sport had a mixed 69 penalty minutes, 53 of these coming from Edmonton, together with this main from Darnell Nurse:
Throughout an intermission interview, Kings ahead Phillip Danault additional stoked the hearth by accusing the Oilers gamers of making an attempt to injure him and his teammates.
With all this, it is certain to be an intense playoff sequence.
Common season head-to-head: Los Angeles over Edmonton 3 video games to 1.
The Battle of Florida: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
Since 2019, the Panthers and Lightning have been two of the most successful groups within the league, rating sixth and seventh in factors, respectively, and successful three Stanley Cups (Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, Florida in 2024).
The 2 groups will meet for the third time in 5 seasons: they confronted off within the 2021 playoffs for the primary time ever, with Tampa Bay successful the sequence in six video games; within the 2022 second spherical, the Lightning swept the Panthers, and, final season, within the first spherical, Florida received the sequence in 5 video games.
The Lightning’s unbelievable ahead core consists of Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov (121 factors), Brandon Hagel (32 even-strength targets, seventh most), Brayden Level (42 targets, sixth most) and Jake Guentzel (41 targets, seventh most). Additionally they have former Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (.921 save share, second highest).
The Panthers will counter with former Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov together with three of the most effective pests within the sport: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand.
Common season head-to-head: tied at 2 video games apiece
