Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
The 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing, and hockey fans are on the edge of their seats as teams play in the first round. Here’s a breakdown of the current standings from both the Eastern and Western Conferences.
In the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals have emerged as the top seed. Their dominance has been evident, and they currently lead their first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. The Canadiens, who secured the final Wild Card spot, beat the Leafs by one goal in game three. They have an uphill battle against the Capitals if they hope to stay in contention.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, another powerhouse in the East, hold a 3-1 lead against the Ottawa Senators. Ottawa’s goaltending has been lacking, with Linus Ullmark’s stats being way behind Toronto’s Anthony Stolarz. Historically, in the NHL, teams that go up 3-1 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win that series 90.8% of the time. Unless Ottawa steps up, the chances of them continuing are slim.
While they haven’t been the best team in the league, the Carolina Hurricanes are holding a 2-1 lead over the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes’ goalie, Frederik Andersen, seems to be the biggest issue for the Devils. In game three, it took a double overtime effort for New Jersey to finally sneak a goal past Andersen. While that goal secured them a win, it still showed the difficulties the Devils must work through to try and advance to round two.
For the Western Conference, the Winnipeg Jets have claimed the top seed after an impressive regular season. They currently lead their series against the St. Louis Blues 2-1. The Jets are looking to capitalize on their Presidents’ Trophy-winning campaign and make a deep postseason run.
The Dallas Stars and the Colorado Avalanche are locked in a tight 2-2 tie. In game four for the Avalanche, Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in three years after being out due to an injury. The crowd erupted in excitement for Landeskog, and they won 4-0 for that game. This goal could bring a level of confidence to Landeskog’s game and possibly give the Avalanche what they need to advance to the next round.
The Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild are also stuck at a 2-2 tie. Ivan Barbashev scored at 17:26 of overtime allowing the Knights to beat the Wild 4-3 in game four, evening their first-round playoff series. Both teams are a tough matchup, making it unclear as to which team will pull ahead.
The Los Angeles Kings have taken a 2-1 lead against the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers must step up for game four of the series to avoid the Kings taking a 3-1 lead.
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