The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have boiled down to four teams, each vying for hockey’s ultimate prize. The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes have duked it out in the East, while the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars battle for Western supremacy.
More than scoreboard drama, these matchups reveal how depth charts, tactical tweaks, and sheer will shape postseason success. Ready for an inside look at how each squad is moving the pieces? Here’s the play-by-play on what’s working and what still needs fixing.
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mt2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 u:?2= W!2?E96CD’ w:89\s2?86C r92C86Xk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?mu=@C:52’D @776?D6 92D 364@>6 5@H?C:89E DFC8:42=] %96 !2?E96CD @FED4@C65 r2C@=:?2 `e–c :? E9C66 82>6D[ =62?:?8 @? 2 =628F6\=625:?8 9:89\52?86C D9@@E:?8 A6C46?E286 @7 ba]` A6C46?E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%96:C E9:C5\A6C:@5 6IA=@D:@? :? v2>6 b[ H:E9 7:G6 8@2=D 7C@> AC:>6 D4@C:?8 2C62D :? ;FDE @G6C 7@FC >:?FE6D[ 56>@?DEC2E65 H9J E96J =625 E96 }w{ :? 3@E9 9:89\52?86C 8@2=D WbdX 2?5 677:4:6?4J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m(96? J@F’C6 @FED4@C:?8 @AA@?6?ED 2E H:==[ E96k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^DA@CED3@@<]72?5F6=]4@>^?2G:82E:@?^?9=nE23lDE2?=6J\4FAQmkDA2?m$E2?=6J 4FAk^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m>2C<6E ?@E:46D] %96 !2?E96CD’ 9:89\52?86C 244FC24J AC@>AE65 2 BF:4< C6AC:46 @? E96:C 492>A:@?D9:A @55D[ EFC?:?8 E96> :?E@ @?6 @7 E96 E@A 72G@C:E6D E@ 9@:DE E96 rFA E9:D yF?6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?muC656C:< p?56CD6?’D D2G6 A6C46?E286 5C@AA65 E@ ]fd_ @G6C E96 7:CDE EH@ 4@?E6DED[ AC@>AE:?8 2 DH:E49 324< E@ !J@EC z@496E<@G 7@C v2>6 c] tG6? E92E D92<6FA 42?’E >2D< E96 !2?E96CD’ 56AE9 @? 6G6CJ 7@CH2C5 =:?6] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mxE’D 2 C6>:?56C E92E DFDE2:?65 2EE24< H2G6D[ ?@E ;FDE C2H E2=6?E[ F?56CA:? 2 ECF6 492>A:@?D9:A\42=:36C E62>] x7 E96 wFCC:42?6D 9@A6 E@ 6IE6?5 E96 D6C:6D[ E96J’== ?665 p?56CD6? 2?5 E96:C A6?2=EJ <:== E@ C65:D4@G6C >:5\D62D@? 7@C> 72DE]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m(6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 u:?2= W~:=6CD’ ~776?D6 GD] $E2CD’ $ECF4EFC6Xk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?mt5>@?E@? D6:K65 4@?EC@= :? v2>6 b H:E9 2 e–` C@>A :? s2==2D[ D9@H42D:?8 H9J 7:C:?8 =2?6D E@ E96 D=@E 92G6 364@>6 E96:C 3C625 2?5 3FEE6C] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m|4s2G:5 2?5 wJ>2? 6249 E2==:65 2 A2:C @7 8@2=D[ 2?5 q@F492C5 2?5 z=:?836C8 49:AA65 :? H:E9 E96:C @H? >2C<6CD] v@2=:6 $EF2CE $<:??6C C63@F?565 7C@> 62C=J 4C:E:4:D> E@ >2<6 bb D2G6D[ AC@G:?8 9:D ?6E\>:?5 >2DE6CJ :D ?@ 7=F<6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?ms2==2D DE:== A24<D 2 5:D4:A=:?65 7@C64964< 2?5 2 DE:?8J A6?2=EJ <:== E92E C2?<D 2>@?8 E96 =628F6’D 36DE] |:DD:?8 E@A\=:?6 46?E6C #@@A6 w:?EK E@ 2 7@@E :?;FCJ 92D 56?E65 E96:C 56AE9[ 3FE 4@249 !6E6 s6q@6C’D DJDE6> :56?E:EJ C6>2:?D :?E24E] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mxE’D 2 4=2DD:4 2EE24<\G6CDFD\5676?D6 5F6=] t5>@?E@?’D 3C62<?64< 4C62E:G:EJ 282:?DE s2==2D’D DECF4EFC2= 5:D4:A=:?6] v2>6 c H:== 9:?86 @? H96E96C E96 $E2CD 42? 4=2>A 5@H? @? 9:89\52?86C @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2?5 7@C46 $<:??6C :?E@ 2 =@?86C[ >@C6 2EEC:E:@?2= ?:89E]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?m$A64:2= %62>D 2?5 }6FEC2=\+@?6 r9@C6@8C2A9Jk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?m!@DED62D@? DH:?8D @7E6? DE2CE H:E9 DA64:2= E62>D] u=@C:52’D A@H6C\A=2J F?:E 92D 366? 2>@?8 E96 >@DE A@E6?E E9:D DAC:?8[ 42CG:?8 FA A6?2=EJ <:==D H:E9 4C:DA AF4< >@G6>6?E 2?5 C6=6?E=6DD ?6E\7C@?E EC277:4 :?DA:C65 3J E:89E\:46 E24E:4D @G6CD62D] %96:C F>3C6==2 7@C>2E:@? 7@C46D 5676?56CD E@ 8F6DD[ H9:=6 2 4@>A24E 3@I ?62C E96 92=7\3@2C5D <66AD C63@F?5D :? A=2J]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mr2C@=:?2 92D?’E 7@F?5 :ED C9JE9> H:E9 E96 >2? 25G2?E286] s6DA:E6 4C62E:?8 52?86C@FD 492?46D[ E96:C F?:E 92D F?56CA6C7@C>65[ =62G:?8 E96 ‘r2?6D 492D:?8 E96 D4@C63@2C5 2?5 6IA@D:?8 82AD 2E 46?E6C :46] %92E :?4@?D:DE6?4J @? E96 A@H6C A=2J 92D 7@C465 E96> :?E@ 288C6DD:G6 7@C64964<D 6G6? H96? E96J D9@F=5 36 C68C@FA:?8]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m~FE (6DE[ t5>@?E@?’D DA64:2= E62>D =62? @? 3=F6\=:?6 @G6C=@25D E92E @A6? D9@@E:?8 =2?6D[ H9:=6 s2==2D 72G@CD DE2886C65 D6EFAD 56D:8?65 E@ D?F77 @FE A6C:>6E6C E9C62ED 367@C6 E96J 4C@DD E96 92D9 >2C<D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mx? E96 ?6FEC2= K@?6[ EC25:E:@?2= EC2A 7@C>2E:@?D 92G6 >@CA965 :?E@ >@C6 288C6DD:G6 EH@\7@C64964<6C D496>6D[ EFC?:?8 6G6CJ AF4< C6EC:6G2= :?E@ 2 32EE=6 7@C 4@?EC@=]k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mw@H pF5:6?46D pC6 %C24<:?8 E96 $6C:6Dk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?m':6H6CD9:A EC6?5D D9@H 4@C5\4FEE6CD 8C2G:E2E:?8 E@H2C5 >F=E:\7665 DEC62>:?8 2AAD E92E @776C 2==k^DA2?m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?9=]4@>^?6HD^a_ad\DE2?=6J\4FA\A=2J@77D\4@?76C6?46\7:?2=D\D4965F=6\E6=6G:D:@?\C6DF=EDQmkDA2?m4@?76C6?46\7:?2=k^DA2?mk^2m kDA2?m7665D :? @?6 :?E6C7246] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m$A@CED 32CD :? }w{ 9@E365D =:<6 %2>A2 2?5 t5>@?E@? 92G6 565:42E65 “52E2 H2==D” H96C6 D:56\3J\D:56 25G2?465 DE2ED A=2J @? D64@?52CJ D4C66?D 2=@?8D:56 E96 >2:? 82>6]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m$@4:2= A=2E7@C>D 3FKK H:E9 >:4C@\9:89=:89EDi 2 7@FC\8@2= 7=FCCJ :? #2=6:89 @C 2 $<:??6C DE:4<\D2G6 9:89=:89ED C66=] #25:@ C6E2:?D :ED 8C:A 5FC:?8 4@>>FE6D[ H:E9 7=28D9:A DE2E:@?D @776C:?8 DA=:E 7665D @7 t2DE 2?5 (6DE 82>6D] k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?m%92E >F=E:\492??6= 4@?DF>AE:@? C67=64ED E@52J’D 56>2?5 7@C :>>65:24J 2?5 4@?E6IE] k^DA2?mk^Am
k9a 5:ClQ=ECQmkDA2?mq6J@?5 E96 u:?2= u@FCk^DA2?mk^9am
kAmkDA2?m(96? E96 9@C? 3=@HD @? E9:D C@F?5[ C6>6>36C :E H2D?’E 2== 9:89=:89E C66=D] xE H2D E:89E ?6FEC2=\K@?6 32EE=6D[ EC2A\DEJ=6 7@C64964<D[ 2?5 A@H6C\A=2J 496DD >2E496D E92E 564:565 @FE4@>6D] u2?D 2C6?’E ;FDE DA64E2E@CD 2?J>@C6] %96J 4@>6 2C>65 H:E9 D9@E >2AD[ =:G6 DE2ED[ 2?5 D64@?5\D4C66? 52E2 H2==D] %92E 6G@=FE:@? @77 E96 :46 D92A6D E96 82>6 @? :E] }@H =@4< :? 7@C E96 7:?2= D9@H5@H?[ 3642FD6 E96 E62> E92E 252AED 72DE6DE H:?D :E 2==]k^DA2?mk^Am
kAmkDA2?mk6>mv2>3=6 #6DA@?D:3=J] *@F >FDE 36 a` J62CD @=5 @C @=56C E@ 82>3=6] x7 J@F @C D@>6@?6 J@F <?@H 92D 2 AC@3=6> H:E9 82>3=:?8 96=A :D 2G2:=23=6 2E `\g__\vp|q{t#]k^6>m k^DA2?mk^Am