By NNL Sports Desk
A Whole New Rink of Dreams
Thunder Bay, get ready—this year’s NHL playoffs are serving up more plotlines than a playoff overtime thriller. The torch has officially been passed as all U.S.-based Original Six teams—Boston, Chicago, Detroit, and New York—are golfing early this spring. It’s the first time ever that not one of them will see playoff action.
But north of the 49th? Oh baby, it’s a renaissance. Five Canadian squads are headed to the dance, and with a nation still buzzing from its Four Nations Face-Off win, the dream of bringing Lord Stanley’s mug home for the first time since 1993 is alive and well.
Let’s take a whistle-to-whistle tour of the matchups and storylines heating up the 2025 postseason.
🧨 Eastern Conference Fireworks
🇨🇦 Montreal Canadiens (2WC) vs. Washington Capitals (1M)
Can the Kids Crash the Party—Again?
Back in the playoffs with a chip on their shoulder and the youngest roster in the dance, Montreal is looking to rekindle the ghost of 2010—when they stunned these very Capitals. With Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and rookie phenom Lane Hutson lighting the lamp, and the Bell Centre finally back to full volume, the Habs have nothing to lose and everything to prove.
Meanwhile, Ovechkin—the all-time NHL goals leader—is back hunting another Cup ring. With 72 playoff goals under his belt, he’s the elder statesman in this clash of youth vs. experience.
📅 Game 1: Monday, 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet
🍁 Toronto Maple Leafs (1A) vs. Ottawa Senators (1WC)
Battle of Ontario: The Grudge Match Returns
For the first time in 21 years, Toronto and Ottawa are squaring off in the postseason—and Leafs fans are hoping history repeats itself. Toronto is 4–0 lifetime against the Sens in playoff series and has finally clinched a full-season division title for the first time since 1999.
But don’t count out the upstart Sens. They swept the regular-season series and are skating with house money. With playoff debuts for Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot and a new bench boss in Travis Green, Ottawa is rolling into enemy territory looking for revenge.
📅 Game 1: Sunday, 7 p.m. ET on CBC and Sportsnet
🌴 Florida Panthers (3A) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (2A)
Sunshine State Smackdown IV
The Battle of Florida has turned into a playoff tradition—and a launchpad. The winner of each previous in-state series has gone all the way to the Cup Final. Can Florida do it again?
Tampa Bay’s playoff pedigree is unmatched, but Florida’s big cats are fierce, with Bobrovsky, Tkachuk, and trade deadline splash Brad Marchand out to defend their title.
📅 Game 1: Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet 360
🌪 Carolina Hurricanes (2M) vs. New Jersey Devils (3M)
Storm Warning vs. Jersey Grit
Rod Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes are a model of consistency, and they’ve had the Devils’ number in past postseasons. But New Jersey, led by Jack Hughes and ex-Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, are fast, fearless, and have a veteran goalie tandem that’s playoff-tested.
📅 Game 1: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET on Sportsnet
🌾 Western Conference Warfare
🛫 Winnipeg Jets (1C) vs. St. Louis Blues (WC2)
Presidents’ Trophy Pressure vs. Playoff Spoilers
The Jets soared to their best season ever—but now comes the real test. Can Connor Hellebuyck carry them deep, or will Jordan Binnington and the streaking Blues play spoiler like it’s 2019?
📅 Game 1: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET on CBC and Sportsnet
🎰 Vegas Golden Knights (1P) vs. Minnesota Wild (WC1)
Stanley Cup Royalty vs. Minnesota Misery
Vegas has never missed a beat in the postseason. Minnesota? Not so much. They haven’t won a series in a decade. Can Kaprizov and company flip the script, or will Vegas keep dealing playoff daggers?
📅 Game 1: Sunday, 10 p.m. ET on Sportsnet
🌟 Dallas Stars (2C) vs. Colorado Avalanche (3C)
Stars and Scars: A Heavyweight Clash
It’s déjà vu as two Cup contenders collide again. Dallas took out the Avs last year, but with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and maybe even a returning Gabriel Landeskog, Colorado isn’t going quietly. Keep your eyes on Rantanen—now wearing green after a blockbuster move.
📅 Game 1: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet 360
🛢 Edmonton Oilers (3P) vs. Los Angeles Kings (2P)
Hollywood Drama Meets Prairie Firepower
Another round of McDavid vs. L.A., and the stakes are sky-high. The Kings finally have home-ice advantage, but Edmonton is playoff hardened and fueled by Draisaitl’s 52 goals and McDavid’s eighth 100-point campaign. Throw in the possible return of Evander Kane, and this series could be a thriller.
📅 Game 1: Monday, 10 p.m. ET on Sportsnet
🔥 NetNewsLedger’s Final Take:
With Thunder Bay hockey fans glued to their screens, there’s no shortage of Canadian content to cheer for—five teams north of the border, a nation fired up from international glory, and the chance to snap a 32-year Cup drought. Strap in. This postseason might just be legendary.
