With the initial 13 games of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs now completed – including the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning finally hitting the ice – each team has had the opportunity to present their postseason form.
Which teams and players have made the strongest first impression? Who still has work to do? How will these early developments influence the remainder of Round 1 and the entire playoff run?
Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton, and Greg Wyshynski from ESPN shared their primary observations from the opening set of games, covering insights from all eight series.
Avs-Stars Series Highlights Importance of Depth Contributions
Just two games into the highly anticipated first-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars, which is currently tied 1-1, the critical role of contributions from the entire roster has been demonstrated.
One player earns just over $1 million this season, while another is nearing the end of a one-year contract worth $775,000. Yet, their actions have been fundamental to the series split.
Logan O`Connor is nearly tied for the postseason scoring lead, while Colin Blackwell`s second-ever playoff goal prevented the Avalanche from taking a 2-0 series lead back to Denver.
This doesn`t diminish the expected impact of premier talents like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Jake Oettinger, and Mikko Rantanen. However, for either team to advance, support from the depth players is essential. The Avalanche are well aware of this, having been hampered by a lack of supporting cast in the previous two years. The Stars faced a similar issue during last year`s Western Conference Finals.
O`Connor`s contribution comes from the Avalanche`s fourth line, featuring Jack Drury and Parker Kelly, which has already produced two goals and seven points. The bottom six forwards overall have accounted for three of Colorado`s eight goals through two games. For Dallas, Blackwell is part of the fourth line with Oskar Back and Sam Steel, which has registered four points, with each forward averaging over 10 minutes of ice time. The Stars` bottom-six unit collectively scored two of their three goals in Game 2.
Can Toronto`s Core Four Finally Dominate in the Playoffs?
Toronto`s “Core Four” have heard the criticisms regarding their past playoff performances, and they`ve begun to offer a response. In Game 1 against Ottawa, Mitch Marner was a standout with three points, while William Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares each added two points. Tavares contributed a goal and an assist in Game 2, and Marner, Nylander, and Matthews also recorded assists.
Marner`s performance was particularly notable given his previous playoff struggles. He managed only three points in seven playoff games last season (another first-round exit for Toronto). In this crucial contract year, Marner has added motivation to prove he can perform at his peak when it matters most.
If Marner and his teammates are finally ready to be major producers in the postseason (as they frequently are during the regular 82 games), then the Maple Leafs might be on track to fulfill their long-awaited playoff potential. Regardless of the strength of Toronto`s goaltending or the improvement in their defensive play, the performance of the Leafs` top forwards has always been the deciding factor.
Where the Core Four leads, Toronto will follow. Or so the hope goes.
The Veteran Star Still Shines Bright
Every time Alex Ovechkin scores, especially at home in Washington, it brings to mind comments from Tom Wilson earlier in the season during the Capitals captain`s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky`s all-time goal record.
“There`s just a little extra excitement every time he scores,” Wilson said. “Everyone [on our bench] kind of jumps through the roof whenever he finds the back of the net, which is fitting because he`s always the most excited guy on the ice when anybody else scores.”
Consider Game 1 against Montreal. When Ovechkin scored on the power play to give the Caps a 1-0 lead, the arena erupted. Look at the celebration from both Ovi and his teammates when he ended the game in overtime—remarkably, the first postseason overtime goal of his legendary career.
From the scoreboard to the locker room and the overall atmosphere, he sets the tone for this team. While the fanfare surrounding his record chase was significant, has there been a more overlooked MVP-level performance in the Hart Trophy race this season than Ovechkin`s?
Here`s what MVPs do: They rise to the occasion in critical moments. The Canadiens are attempting a major upset in the first round. Their strong third-period rally to tie the game against a seemingly too-comfortable Washington team forced overtime. A win in the extra frame could have resurrected ghosts of past playoff failures to haunt the Capitals. Ovechkin is familiar with those specters. He understands the tension that builds in Washington when things go awry against a lower seed. And he closed the door. Remember that if the Capitals succeed in extinguishing this upset bid.
Is This Mark Scheifele`s Best Playoff Version?
Few teams have faced the level of scrutiny and questions that have surrounded the Winnipeg Jets for years, largely because the team has advanced past the first round only twice since 2011. The Jets` 2-1 victory on Monday in Game 2 against the St. Louis Blues gives them a 2-0 series lead for the first time since the 2021 postseason, which was also their last series win.
Now, a new question emerges: How dominant can Mark Scheifele be this postseason?
Consistency has been a hallmark of Scheifele`s career as a responsible, two-way center, marked by 10 consecutive seasons of over 20 goals and 60 points. This season, he achieved a career-high 87 points, and his 39 goals were his second-highest total.
Through two games against the Blues, Scheifele has either scored or contributed to all but two of the Jets` seven goals. Only Kyle Connor has logged more 5-on-5 ice time among Jets forwards, and by a mere 31 seconds. The Blues have failed to score at 5-on-5 when Scheifele has been on the ice, and they`ve generated only two high-danger scoring chances during that time.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of his performance? He is just one point shy of matching his total from last year`s playoffs, when the Jets were eliminated in five games, and two points short of his combined total from the past two postseasons.
It`s a Tkachuk World
History was made on Tuesday night: For the first time in NHL history, two Tkachuk brothers competed in Stanley Cup playoff games on the same evening and both scored goals.
Matthew Tkachuk is a familiar face in the postseason, having played 72 career playoff games with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, including 45 over the last three seasons. His brother, Brady Tkachuk, had to wait seven seasons for the Ottawa Senators to qualify. He made his playoff debut in Round 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Brady Tkachuk scored his first playoff goal in Game 2, redirecting a pass that went in off an opponent`s skate. Despite the Senators rallying to force overtime, Toronto secured a 2-0 series lead with a goal in the extra frame.
“There`s no ounce of panic or doubt in this locker room. We`re looking forward to getting home,” Brady commented. “Things happen. You`re not always going to get the bounces. So be it. It`s just going to make it that much sweeter.”
Matthew Tkachuk played his first game since an injury in February`s 4 Nations Face-Off and immediately impacted his team. Initially, it was a negative impact: taking a roughing penalty that led to a game-tying goal for the Lightning. However, he more than redeemed himself with consecutive power-play goals in the second period, extending Florida`s lead to 5-1. He also added an assist on another power-play goal in the third.
“What was on display was the hands. He has an incredible set of hands,” said Florida coach Paul Maurice, though he felt Tkachuk “wasn`t in the rhythm of the game” after his time off.
This implies there`s room for improvement, which is a concerning thought for the Lightning.
The NHL playoff format could see the Tkachuk brothers facing each other in the second round if the Panthers advance past the Lightning and the Senators manage to upset the Maple Leafs. One outcome seems much more likely currently. But never count out a motivated Tkachuk.
Carolina`s New Additions Integrating Seamlessly
While the Hurricanes may have parted ways with an All-Star forward in Mikko Rantanen (trading him to Dallas, as noted earlier), the skaters GM Erik Tulsky has acquired and retained are already making their presence felt.
Logan Stankoven was a key piece received in the Rantanen trade, and the promising young player scored two goals against New Jersey in Game 1. Even before the playoffs, Stankoven appeared to be a perfect fit for the Hurricanes` style. The 22-year-old plays with relentless battle, forechecks aggressively, and possesses playmaking skill. The way Stankoven has naturally built chemistry with Jordan Staal is everything Carolina could have hoped for upon his arrival. The fact that Stankoven is providing depth scoring, an area that has been a weakness in past playoff runs, is ideal. And he`s not the only newcomer providing value.
Tulsky also acquired veteran forward Taylor Hall midseason, and his early playoff performance has been encouraging. Hall`s line with Andrei Svechnikov and Jesperi Kotkaniemi was excellent in Game 1, generating 12 shots on goal and out-chancing the Devils 20-6, even without hitting the score sheet. They could become a significant offensive weapon for the Hurricanes as the playoffs progress.
Crucially, Carolina no longer feels overly reliant on its top players. The Hurricanes have stumbled in previous long playoff runs due to diminishing offensive contributions. However, the way their new faces are fitting in puts Carolina on a promising trajectory for greater playoff success.
Which Version of the Kings Will Appear in Game 2?
Despite the progress made by the Los Angeles Kings under Jim Hiller in his first full season, there was uncertainty heading into the postseason.
And in some ways, that uncertainty persists, despite the Kings holding a 1-0 series lead following their 6-5 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1. After establishing a comfortable four-goal lead against the team that has been both a literal and figurative obstacle in the past three postseasons, the Kings were reminded why no lead exceeding two goals feels safe when playing the Oilers in the playoffs.
Why? Because 12 of the 18 playoff games between the Oilers and Kings over the last three years have been decided by less than two goals. Perhaps that`s what made Monday`s game simultaneously jarring and familiar.
However, witnessing the version of the Kings that rallied to win Game 1 with a Phillip Danault goal in the final minute? It`s something the Kings have done before against the Oilers, in both the 2022 and 2023 postseasons… only to ultimately lose the series.
Are the Kings destined for a similar outcome once again? Or could they finally possess the answers needed to overcome their perennial tormentors and advance to the second round?
Special Teams Taking Center Stage Early On
The Vegas Golden Knights drew the fewest penalties of any team in the regular season and earned the second-fewest power-play opportunities. Despite this, Vegas boasted the second-best power play in the league.
How? Just ask the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild took only two penalties in Game 1 against the Golden Knights and were penalized by the power play on both occasions. That`s characteristic of how Vegas operates: they spot an opportunity and seize it.
This trend of special teams playing a significant role has been a theme in the early first-round action. There has been considerable power-play activity, and it has been a decisive factor in several game outcomes.
Toronto scored three power-play goals to win Game 1 of their series. Colorado and Dallas have each scored two power-play goals already. Los Angeles also has two. St. Louis has three power-play goals, although that hasn`t yet translated into a victory against Winnipeg. Interestingly, the Jets have only one power-play goal through two games but are tied for the most goals scored at even strength (five).
So, to what extent will special teams continue to influence these matchups? Toronto`s coach Craig Berube quickly stated his team shouldn`t expect to rely on multiple power-play goals per game. Will teams be able to tighten up defensively and take fewer penalties? And even if they do, will those limited man-advantage chances continue to decisively shift momentum, as they did so completely for Vegas in Game 1?
It`s not guaranteed that regular-season success in any category will carry over to the postseason, but the early results demonstrate how effectiveness in special teams can continue to propel some contenders forward.
Kirill Kaprizov Against the World
The Wild have scored seven goals in their series against the Vegas Golden Knights. Kirill Kaprizov has been involved in five of them, including a three-point performance in Game 2 that helped Minnesota tie the series 1-1 heading back home.
In Game 1, he provided the primary assist on both of Matt Boldy`s goals, which brought Minnesota within one goal before Vegas sealed the 4-2 win with an empty-netter.
In Game 2, Kaprizov connected with Boldy again to open the scoring with a spectacular saucer pass.
“That might have been the best pass I`ve ever seen. It was unbelievable,” Boldy remarked. “He is a special player.”
The Wild built a 3-0 lead after the first period. Kaprizov`s goal early in the second provided crucial insurance as Vegas attempted a comeback. He later secured the win with an empty-net goal, completing his two-goal night.
There`s a certain poetic justice in Kaprizov emerging as an early playoff standout, considering his regular season was limited to 41 games due to a lower-body injury requiring surgery. Before his injury, he was leading ESPN`s Awards Watch. It`s entirely conceivable that, without the injury, “Kirill the Thrill” could have been a Hart Trophy finalist.
Instead, he`ll have to settle for being Minnesota`s offensive leader in the playoffs, helping orchestrate a potential upset over the division champion Golden Knights. The atmosphere in the Twin Cities should be electric for Game 3.
Rupert Hartwell