Wow, what a night Tuesday was in the NHL, with all but one matchup ready to rock. Only the Washington Capitals matchup remains a mystery, as either the Montreal Canadiens or the Columbus Blue Jackets can wind up looking to knock off the Eastern Conference’s best team.
As for the seven confirmed matchups? Quite a few of them look promising, so let’s rank the seven confirmed matchups before we discuss a little on the one unconfirmed matchup and its share of possibilities.
Ranking each confirmed matchup in the 2025 NHL Playoffs
7 - Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers
I’ve been saying it for a while, but expect an epic showing of a great offense in the Oilers vs. a great defense in the Kings. That sounds enticing, but it’s going to be a pair of one-dimensional teams here.
6 - Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild
Both teams have something to play for. The Golden Knights would like to reclaim the Stanley Cup, and the Wild would like to send Marc-Andre Fleury out while on top of the hockey world one more time. Again, it’s seemingly entertaining, but does anyone think the Wild has a chance here?
5 - Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues
The Blues played a great game last night to punch their ticket into the postseason, but the Jets look like a team trying to reverse their hard-luck narrative. So, while it’s the best team in hockey vs. an upstart Blues team, this matchup looks like it’ll last no more than five games.
4 - Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils
Neither team has looked impressive when they needed to the most, but the Devils have way too many injuries to overcome. But, things will get interesting should one of these two teams pick up much-needed momentum.
3 - Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators
I’m aware of how much bad luck the Maple Leafs have had since the Expansion Era kicked off. But this isn’t one of those seasons. Still, this is the Battle of Ontario, and an intra-Provincial rivalry will turn this Round 1 matchup up a notch.
2 - Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers
It seems like the defending Stanley Cup Champions have hit a dry spell, and they’ve paled when compared to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Still, it’s an all-Florida matchup here, and one featuring two of the Eastern Conference’s most successful franchises over the last decade.
1 - Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche
Mikko Rantanen or Nathan MacKinnon? It’s one of those matchups where your second-fiddle - Rantanen - is looking to show he’s more than that. Therefore, is there a better matchup taking place around the league than a pair of former high-profile teammates going at it?
Unconfirmed Matchup
Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens
If the Canadiens win or lose in overtime, they’re in, but they need to work their way out of the slump they’ve been in for a while. Maybe it’s just youth taking its toll, but losing three straight games isn’t the best way to snag a playoff berth. The Habs won’t have it easy, either, with the Carolina Hurricanes coming up.
Washington Capitals vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
If I’m the Washington Capitals, I’d rather play the ice-cold team than the red-hot one that needed to win a lot of games just to stay in the conversation. Should the Canadiens lose on Wednesday, Columbus only needs to beat the lowly New York Islanders.