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ESPN staffApr 21, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Five bid of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs person begun, and 2 much volition statesman Monday. Meanwhile, the 2 matchups successful the Central Division are connected to Game 2.
Here's the four-pack of games connected the calendar:
Montreal Canadiens astatine Washington Capitals, Game 1 | 7 p.m., ESPN
St. Louis Blues astatine Winnipeg Jets, Game 2 | 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Colorado Avalanche astatine Dallas Stars, Game 2 | 9:30 p.m., ESPN
Edmonton Oilers astatine Los Angeles Kings, Game 1 | 10 p.m., ESPN2
What are the cardinal storylines heading into Monday's games? Who are the cardinal players to watch?
Read connected for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down past night, and the Three Stars of Sunday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Montreal Canadiens astatine Washington Capitals
Game 1 | 7 p.m., ESPN
You might've heard astir the 2010 playoff matchup betwixt these 2 teams a clip oregon truthful successful the past week.
In that postseason, the overwhelming favourite (and No. 1 seed) Capitals, led by Alex Ovechkin, were upset by the No. 8 effect Canadiens, owed successful ample portion to an epic show successful extremity from Jaroslav Halak. Halak isn't walking retired of the passageway for the Habs this clip astir (we assume); alternatively it'll beryllium Becancour, Quebec, autochthonal Sam Montembeault, who allowed 4 goals connected 35 shots successful his 1 commencement against the Caps this season.
Washington's goaltender for Game 1 has yet to beryllium revealed, arsenic Logan Thompson was injured backmost connected April 2. But there's nary question that determination is simply a disparity betwixt the violative output of the 2 clubs, arsenic the Caps finished 2nd successful the NHL successful goals per crippled (3.49), portion the Canadiens finished 17th (2.96). Can Montreal support up successful this series?
St. Louis Blues astatine Winnipeg Jets
Game 2 | 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
The Blues hung with the Jets for overmuch of Game 1 and adjacent looked similar the stronger squad astatine definite times, truthful pulling disconnected the bid upset remains connected the table. But getting a triumph connected the unfriendly crystal astatine the Canada Life Centre would beryllium of immoderate payment successful shifting momentum earlier the bid shifts to St. Louis for Game 3. The Blues proved that Connor Hellebuyck is not invincible successful Game 1, and they were led by stars Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas, who some got connected the board.
The Jets person a mixed past aft winning Game 1 of a playoff series, having gone 3-3 arsenic a franchise (including the Atlanta Thrashers days) connected specified occasions. Like the Blues, the Jets were led by their stars, Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, but the game-tying extremity came from Alex Iafallo, who has played up and down the lineup this season.
Colorado Avalanche astatine Dallas Stars
Game 2 | 9:30 p.m., ESPN
The Stars mightiness similar a redo connected Game 1 aft the visiting Avalanche fundamentally controlled the festivities for overmuch of the contest. Stars guardant Jason Robertson missed Game 1 due to the fact that of an wounded sustained successful the last crippled of the regular season, and his instrumentality sooner than aboriginal would beryllium fantabulous for Dallas; helium scored 3 goals successful 3 games against Colorado successful the regular season. Also of note, teams that person taken a 2-0 pb successful best-of-seven bid person won 86% of the time.
Slowing down the Avs' stars volition beryllium captious successful Game 2, which is simply a dependable -- if possibly unrealistic -- strategy. With his 2 goals successful Game 1, Nathan MacKinnon became the 3rd subordinate successful Avalanche/Nordiques past to people 50 playoff goals, joining Joe Sakic (84) and Peter Forsberg (58). In reaching 60 assists successful his 73rd playoff game, Cale Makar became the third-fastest defenseman successful NHL past to scope that milestone, down Bobby Orr (69 GP) and Al MacInnis (71 GP).
Edmonton Oilers astatine Los Angeles Kings
Game 1 | 10 p.m., ESPN2
This is the 4th consecutive postseason successful which the Oilers and Kings person met successful Round 1, and Edmonton has won the erstwhile 3 series. Will the 4th clip beryllium the charm for the Kings?
L.A. went 3-1-0 against Edmonton this season, including shutouts connected April 5 and 14. Quinton Byfield was peculiarly beardown successful those games, with 3 goals and an assist. Overall, the Kings were led successful scoring this play by Adrian Kempe, with 35 goals and 38 assists. Warren Foegele -- who played 22 playoff games for the Oilers successful 2024 -- had a career-high 24 goals this season.
The Oilers participate the 2025 postseason with 41 playoff bid wins, which is the 2nd astir among non-Original Six teams (behind the Flyers, with 44). They person been eliminated by the squad that won the Stanley Cup successful each of the past 3 postseasons (Panthers 2024, Golden Knights 2023, Avalanche 2022). Edmonton continues to beryllium led by Leon Draisaitl -- who won his archetypal Rocket Richard Trophy arsenic the league's apical extremity scorer this play -- and Connor McDavid, who won the goal-scoring rubric successful 2022-23 and the Conn Smythe Trophy arsenic MVP of the playoffs past year, adjacent though the Oilers didn't triumph the Cup.
Arda's Three Stars of Sunday
Toronto's Core Fore
Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares
For the past respective seasons, overmuch of the postseason communicative for the Leafs has been the deficiency of accumulation from the Core Four. So this was a imagination Game 1 against Ottawa for Marner (one goal, 2 assists), Nylander (one goal, 1 assist), John Tavares (one goal, 1 assist) and Matthews (two assists) successful Toronto's 6-2 triumph implicit Ottawa.
Logan Stankoven
C, Carolina Hurricanes
Stankoven's 2 goals successful the 2nd play enactment the crippled retired of reach, with the Canes winning 4-1 successful Game 1. Stankoven is the 2nd subordinate successful Hurricanes/Whalers past to people doubly successful his archetypal playoff crippled with the nine (the different was Andrei Svechnikov successful Game 1 of the archetypal circular successful 2019)
Brett Howden
C, Vegas Golden Knights
Howden had 2 third-period goals successful the Golden Knights' triumph implicit the Wild successful Game 1, including a buzzer-beating empty-netter to marque the last people 4-2.
Sunday's results
Hurricanes 4, Devils 1
Carolina leads 1-0
The Hurricanes came retired inspired acknowledgment successful portion to the raucous location crowd, and took a speedy pb disconnected the instrumentality of Jalen Chatfield astatine 2:24 of the archetypal period. Logan Stankoven -- who came implicit successful the Mikko Rantanen commercialized -- scored a brace successful the 2nd period, and the Canes ne'er looked back. On the Devils' side, injuries forced Brenden Dillon and Cody Glass retired of the game, portion Luke Hughes near successful the 3rd play but was capable to return. Full recap.
0:44
Logan Stankoven's 2nd extremity gives Hurricanes a 3-0 lead
Logan Stankoven notches his 2nd extremity of the crippled to springiness the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead.
Maple Leafs 6, Senators 2
Toronto leads 1-0
The archetypal skirmish successful the Battle of Ontario goes to the location side, arsenic the Leafs ne'er fto the Senators get precise adjacent successful this one. Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Mitch Marner scored successful the first, John Tavares and William Nylander tallied successful the second, portion Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies enactment the crippled distant successful the third. Drake Batherson and Ridly Greig -- scorer of a controversial empty-net goal against Toronto successful 2024 -- scored for Ottawa. Full recap.
0:42
William Nylander zips location a extremity to pad the Maple Leafs' lead
William Nylander zips the puck past the goalie to springiness the Maple Leafs a 4-1 lead.
Golden Knights 4, Wild 2
Vegas leads 1-0
In Sunday's nightcap, the 2 teams played an evenly matched archetypal 2 periods, arsenic Vegas carried a 2-1 pb into the third. Then, Brett Howden worked his magic, scoring a extremity to pad the Knights' pb 2:28 into that frame, and putting the crippled to furniture with an empty-netter that bushed the buzzer. The Wild were led by Matt Boldy, who had 2 goals, some assisted by Kirill Kaprizov. Full recap.
0:31
Brett Howden buries Wild successful Game 1 with buzzer-beating goal
Brett Howden sends the Minnesota Wild packing successful Game 1 with an empty-net extremity for the Golden Knights successful the last second.
