Roller coaster NHL playoffs continue with 3 teams moving into the next round
Two weeks into the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs, 11 of the 43 games played have gone into overtime, highlighting the parity in the top half of the league. Thursday night, May 1, was a rarity as three teams finished off their first-round series to move into the conference semifinals.
Who won the Battle of Ontario?
In the Battle of Ontario, the Toronto Maple Leafs were not only going up against an upset-minded Senators team that had won two straight games but also the demons of past failures in the first round. The Leafs won just their second playoff series since 2004, as Max Pacioretty got a late third-period goal to release all that pressure. After the win, Toronto captain Auston Matthews talked about what kept his team focused.
“Just the confidence in ourselves and, like I kind of talked about, I mean, nothing else really matters,” Matthews said. “All the outside stuff doesn’t really matter. It’s about the 20-25 guys that are in our room and the belief in one another, doing it for one another, and just going out there and competing. So, yeah, this one feels good.”
How did Vegas get past Minnesota?
The Vegas Golden Knights punched their ticket to the next round with a Game 6 win over Minnesota. Jack Eichel and Mark Stone each had a goal and an assist.
The Wild have lost nine consecutive playoff series, tied for the third-longest streak in NHL history. Vegas forward Brayden McNabb said the turning point was a win in game four that tied the series at two wins apiece.
“Game four was a big game for us,” McNabb said. “We came out strong and had a good game there. But yeah, little adversity. You know, you’re going to have in the playoffs, no matter what. So, it can be good for you at times and learn from it and move on to the next series.”
Unbiased. Straight Facts.TM
Out of the 43 games played thus far in the 2025 NHL playoffs, 11 have been overtime finishes. The record for OT games in a single playoff season is 28, set in 1993 (85 total games) and again in 2020 (130 total games).
Who is the surprising star of the playoffs so far?
If you’re curious about how much of a roller coaster the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be, look no further than the series between the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers. The Kings won the first two games in the best-of-seven series. However, Edmonton won four straight from there to eliminate Los Angeles from the playoffs in the first round for the fourth consecutive season.
Calvin Pickard, who replaced Stuart Skinner after a Game 2 loss, is the lone goalie remaining with a 4-0 record and is among the surprises in the first round of the playoffs. The Golden Knights are his next challenge.
“Obviously, a good team, first place in the division,” Pickard said. “Good building to play in, good team off the rush. They’re kind of well-rounded. We got a couple wins against them, I think, this year, and we saw them there towards the end of the year in Vegas. Got a good win. Hard fought, physical and should be a fun series.”
What’s up next in the race for Lord Stanley’s cup?
On Friday night, May 2, the Winnipeg Jets will look to join the group of teams moving on as they take on the upstart St. Louis Blues. The Jets were the top team in the National Hockey League during the regular season, but they’ll have to win game six in St. Louis, where they’ve lost twice in the series by a combined score of 12 to 3.
Saturday, May 3, hockey fans will enjoy the most exciting two words in sports: Game 7. The Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche will match up in Dallas. The Avalanche tied the series Thursday night, May 1, on a fluky goal that went off a Dallas player and into his own net. If the playoffs have proved one thing thus far, it’s that one bounce is sometimes all it takes.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
