Welcome to the opening tour of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, two of the best weeks of the annual sports calendar.
Welcome to intense conflicts, exciting goals, shining savings, and even a few sorrows.
Now that the NHL’s normal season is in the books, the chase for the second season and the magnificent cup starts with eight first round series.
All these meetings are worth watching carefully, but three people we are interested in seeing how they play:
Dallas Stars etc. Colorado avalanche
Call it Mikko Rantanen Bowl. Dallas defeated avalanches in six games last year, and this was almost forgotten at the meeting and contains two clubs that ended in the first eight of the rankings.
The stars were loaded into a race, including the acquisition of Rantanen, who started to sign in Denver before they were exchanged to Carolina Hurricanes and then to Dallas.
This is just a story. The stars, who won only one of the three normal season meeting, will be the best defender Miro Heiscrene to start the series, and Jason Robertson, a player who scored goals, was imitated in the normal season finals.
The avalanche has rebuilt Rantanen beyond re -built, the keys Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Charlie Coele and Jack Drury and the new Goaltenders in Mackenzie Blackwood – and the new GOALTENDERS and Scott Wedgewood. Captain Gabriel Landeskog can go back after missing about three full seasons since he took his team to the cup.
Tampa Bay Lightning etc. Florida Panthers
April 2, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, Box; Florida Panthers Brad Marchand (63) put forward skates against Toronto Maple Leafs in the Scotiabank Arena. Compulsory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images Florida War. For the fourth time in five years, Sunshine State Clubs meet each other. Tampa Bay won the first two meetings – in 2021, on the way to win a second crown and the second in 2022 before losing the finals. Panthers won their titles in five games last year, and a team -based team -based championship tour.
Clubs separated the season series 2-2 and both teams did their best to rise and upload to the play-offs.
Panthers, especially to Matthew Tkachuk and The best defender is suspended to Aaron EkbladThis will keep him out for the first two games. Florida has dropped all three of the last 10 matches, which ended with 5-1 defeat in Lightning’s hands.
The competition will be undisputed to a new level this season.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa senators
13 April 2025; Ottawa, Ontario, Box; OTTAWA Senators Central Tim Stutzle (18) controls the disk during overtime against Philadelphia Flyers in the Canadian Tire Center. Compulsory Credit: Marc Desrosiers-Imagn Images While talking about competitors, Ontario War has been entering the playoffs for the first time since 2004. Maple Leafs won all the four playoff meetings.
Toronto will be unquestionably preferred, not only progressing in the ranking, but will also have much more experience. However, this meeting is a study on the pressure and effect.
As of the game 1, Toronto’s season would always be evaluated with playoff success – or lack. Maple Leafs and their star further nucleus – Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares – have a chance to win before changes arrive. For the franchise, who never reached the third round of the playoffs, another early exit will mean an intensive examination, and these stars know it.
On the other hand, Otawa, who won all of the three normal season meetings, is a team playing with House Money. The senators suffered a seven -year -old playoff drought, and they knew that they were Great Underdogs with a young and talented group that slowly built until this moment.
An additional bonus will see how Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk performs in his first playoffs and follows his brother’s abuse closely.
