The second Sunday of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs is upon us. While no teams face elimination today, each of the four scheduled matchups is highly important as we move closer to the second round.
A notable trend in these four series so far is that the home team has won every game. Will this pattern continue, or will the teams considered favorites manage to secure road victories and head back home with an opportunity to clinch their series?
Below are previews for each game, including statistical insights from ESPN Research, along with a recap of Saturday`s games and Arda Öcal`s Three Stars from Saturday night.
Matchup Notes
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
Game 4 (Jets lead 2-1) | 1 p.m. ET | TBS
After an extra rest day following their commanding 7-2 victory in Game 3 on Thursday, the Blues face a historical challenge. Teams leading 2-1 in a best-of-seven series win the series 68.6% of the time. Furthermore, the Blues have a historical record of 8-20 when trailing a series 1-2.
On a positive note for St. Louis, Game 3 marked their 13th consecutive home win, including the regular season. They have scored at least five goals in seven of these 13 home victories.
Pavel Buchnevich recorded the first hat trick of his career in Game 3, quadrupling his total career playoff goals (he previously had only one goal in 22 playoff games).
Winnipeg`s goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck, appears to be struggling compared to his regular season performance, although this is not unusual for him in past playoffs. He has conceded four or more goals in nine of his last 12 playoff games.
For Winnipeg to succeed, their top offensive players need to find their scoring rhythm again. Mark Scheifele registered five points in the first two games but was held pointless in Game 3. Kyle Connor also started with four points before failing to score in Game 3.
Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
Game 4 (Hurricanes lead 2-1) | 3:30 p.m. ET | TBS
Despite being a healthy scratch earlier in the series, Simon Nemec emerged as the Game 3 hero, scoring the double-overtime winner. At 21 years and 69 days old, he is the youngest Devil to score an overtime goal in a playoff game and the second-youngest defenseman in Stanley Cup playoff history to achieve this feat, trailing only Andrei Zyuzin (20 years, 97 days in 1998).
The multi-overtime result aligns with the history between these teams: the Devils have now won five consecutive multi-overtime playoff games, while the Hurricanes` record in such games dropped to 1-11, the worst percentage in Stanley Cup playoff history.
Jacob Markstrom has performed well for the Devils this postseason, posting a .929 save percentage and a 2.08 goals-against average through three games, facing an average of 33 shots per game.
The Hurricanes have seen seven different players score goals in the first three games, with contributions from key players like Seth Jarvis and surprising sources like Jordan Martinook (who scored 15 goals in the regular season) and Jalen Chatfield (seven goals in the regular season).
While Markstrom has been impressive for New Jersey, Frederik Andersen has been slightly better for Carolina. Through three games, the Danish goaltender has made 82 saves on 87 shots, resulting in a .943 save percentage and a 1.48 goals-against average.
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
Game 4 (Capitals lead 2-1) | 6:30 p.m. ET | TBS
The six goals scored by the Canadiens in Game 3 were their highest single-game total in the playoffs since May 7, 2015.
With an assist on Cole Caufield`s second-period goal, Lane Hutson now has 63 assists combined between the regular season and playoffs, tying Chris Chelios` record for the most assists by a rookie defenseman.
Alex Ovechkin scored his 75th career playoff goal, surpassing Joe Pavelski for 13th place all-time. He is now just one goal behind Mario Lemieux for 12th.
The status of both teams` starting goaltenders will be closely watched heading into this game. Sam Montembeault left the Canadiens` net during the second period of Game 3, while Logan Thompson was forced out of action in the third period.
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
Game 4 (Kings lead 2-1) | 9:30 p.m. ET | TBS
As part of the Oilers` strong offensive performance in Game 3, Leon Draisaitl extended his playoff point streak against the Kings to 17 games. This is the third-longest point streak against a single opponent in Stanley Cup playoff history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (19 games vs. Flames) and Mark Messier (19 games vs. Kings). That`s esteemed company!
Connor McDavid now has 12 career playoff games with at least one goal and two assists, tying Mark Messier for the second-most in Oilers history. They both trail Gretzky, who had 24 such games. McDavid also tied Jaromir Jagr for sixth place all-time in Stanley Cup playoff history for most games with three or more points. McDavid has achieved this 20 times, trailing Gretzky (59), Messier (30), Jari Kurri (28), Nikita Kucherov (22), and Denis Savard (21).
Kings forward Adrian Kempe has accumulated nine points this postseason, tied for the second-most by any player through the first three games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the last 40 years (one behind Gretzky, who had 10 in 1987).
Anze Kopitar`s six assists through three games are the most by a player in Kings playoff history.
Heading into the postseason, Darcy Kuemper was considered a key strength for Los Angeles. However, through three games, he has an .859 save percentage and a 4.04 goals-against average, significantly lower than his .902 save percentage and 2.57 GAA during the Colorado Avalanche`s Cup run in 2022.
In the Oilers` net, Calvin Pickard started Game 3 after Stuart Skinner posted an .810 save percentage and a 6.11 GAA in the first two games. Pickard finished Game 3 with an .857 save percentage, allowing four goals in the victory. The question remains: who will start Game 4?
Arda`s Three Stars from Saturday Night
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy
G, Tampa Bay Lightning
The “Big Cat” returned to peak form in Game 3, making 33 saves to secure Tampa Bay`s 5-1 win over Florida, bringing the series to 2-1.
2. Ivan Barbashev
C, Vegas Golden Knights
Barbashev recorded two points, including the game-winning goal in overtime, as the Golden Knights tied their series against the Wild with a 4-3 victory.
3. Jake Sanderson
D, Ottawa Senators
The “Battle of Ontario” continues! Sanderson scored the overtime winner for the Senators, keeping their season alive with a 4-3 win in Game 4.
Honorable Mention
Gabriel Landeskog
LW, Colorado Avalanche
Landeskog scored his first goal since returning to the NHL after a nearly three-year absence. His teammates swarmed him in celebration—a truly memorable moment!
Saturday`s Scores
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Florida Panthers 1
Panthers lead series 2-1 | Game 4 Monday
Just as the Panthers dominated Games 1 and 2 in Tampa Bay, the Lightning were dominant in Game 3 in Sunrise. Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring for Florida early, but from that point, it was all Lightning, with goals from Brayden Point, Nick Paul, Jake Guentzel, and Luke Glendening, plus an empty-netter from Anthony Cirelli.
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Minnesota Wild 3 (OT)
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Tuesday
Determined to avoid falling behind 3-1 against the underdog Wild, the Golden Knights scored first with a Shea Theodore power-play goal. The Wild responded with goals from Marco Rossi and Marcus Foligno to take a lead before Nicolas Roy tied the game in the third. After the teams traded goals late, the game went to overtime, where Ivan Barbashev capitalized on a rebound for the game-winning goal.
Ottawa Senators 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
Maple Leafs lead series 3-1 | Game 5 Tuesday
For the third consecutive game in this “Battle of Ontario” series, overtime was needed. This time, the Senators prevailed on a goal from Jake Sanderson with just over two minutes remaining in the extra frame. Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, and David Perron also scored for Ottawa, while John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson tallied for Toronto.
Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 0
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Monday
A peculiar trend in this series is emerging: all Stars wins have been by one goal, while all Avalanche wins have been by four goals. Logan O`Connor and Nathan MacKinnon gave Colorado an early lead with first-period goals. In the second period, Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in nearly three years, and Samuel Girard added his first goal of the playoffs to cap off the scoring.
Rupert Hartwell