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USA Today
17-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NHL playoff overtime rules: Postseason hockey bracket brings big change to OT
NHL playoff overtime rules: Postseason hockey bracket brings big change to OT Show Caption Hide Caption Can the Florida Panthers really go back-to-back? With a dominant roster and playoff experience, the Panthers are poised to make a strong run at back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Sports Pulse The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are underway, bringing a major change to the overtime format. No more three-on-three play, no more shootouts after five minutes of scoreless play, as happens during regular-season overtime. There is sudden death, but it could last a very long time. This postseason has seen the third-longest Game 7 when the Winnipeg Jets tied the St. Louis Blues with a furious rally then won it at 16:10 of the second overtime. Two years ago, the Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference final in a game that lasted nearly a full four overtime periods. Florida's Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner with 12.7 seconds left in the period in the sixth-longest playoff game in NHL history. So far in the 2025 NHL playoffs, 16 games have gone to overtime, including three double-overtime games. Here's a primer on playoff hockey overtime: How does overtime work in playoff hockey? If the score is tied after three periods, the teams go to the dressing rooms for 15 minutes while the ice is resurfaced. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until someone scores. It's five-on-five play (barring penalties). If no one scores in the first overtime, the process repeats and continues until someone scores. The teams change sides for each overtime period. The first overtime is the long change to get back to the bench. The NHL Situation Room reviews all goals to make sure they are legally scored. In last year's Stars-Avalanche series, the league upheld a no-goal call on an apparent score by Dallas' Mason Marchment because referees ruled Matt Duchene had interfered with then-Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Duchene later scored the winning goal. What is the longest overtime in NHL history? 1 - Six overtimes (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals, March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner. (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals, March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner. 2 - Six overtimes (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner. (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner. 3 - Five overtimes (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner. (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner. 4. Five overtimes (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner. (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner. 5 - Five overtimes (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner. (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner. 6 - Four overtimes (79 minutes, 47 seconds of overtime) in the 2023 conference finals. Florida 3, Carolina 2. Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner. 2025 NHL playoff overtime goals May 14: Edmonton's Kasperi Kapanen scored at 7:19 of the first overtime for a 1-0 Oilers win against the Golden Knights. May 9: Florida's Brad Marchand scored at 15:27 of the first overtime for a 5-4 Panthers win against the Maple Leafs. May 8: Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl scored at 15:20 of the first overtime for a 5-4 Oilers win against the Golden Knights. May 6: Carolina's Jaccob Slavin scored at 3:06 of the first overtime for a 2-1 Hurricanes win against the Capitals. May 4: Winnipeg's Adam Lowry scored at 16:10 of the second overtime for a 4-3 Jets win against the Blues. April 29: Vegas' Brett Howden scored at 15:55 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Golden Knights win against the Wild. April 29: Carolina's Sebastian Aho scored at 15:43 of the second overtime for a 5-4 Hurricanes win against the Devils. April 27: Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl scored at 18:18 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Oilers win against the Kings. April 26: Vegas' Ivan Barbashev scored at 17:26 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Golden Knights win against the Wild. April 26: Ottawa's Jake Sanderson scored at 17:42 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Senators win against the Maple Leafs. April 25: New Jersey's Simon Nemec scored at 2:36 of the second overtime for a 3-2 Devils win against the Hurricanes. April 24: Toronto's Simon Benoit scored at 1:19 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Maple Leafs win against the Senators. April 23: Dallas' Tyler Seguin scored at 5:26 of the first overtime for a 2-1 Stars win against the Avalanche. April 22: Toronto's Max Domi scored at 16:51 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Maple Leafs win against the Senators. April 21: Dallas' Colin Blackwell scored at 17:46 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Stars win against the Avalanche. April 21: Washington's Alex Ovechkin scored at 2:26 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Capitals win against the Canadiens. Which 2025 postseason players have the most playoff overtime goals? 5 - Corey Perry, Oilers; Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers Corey Perry, Oilers; Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers 4 - Brad Marchand, Panthers Brad Marchand, Panthers 3 - Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers; Brayden Point, Lightning; Jordan Staal, Hurricanes; John Tavares, Maple Leafs; Anze Kopitar, Kings; Matt Duchene, Stars Is NHL overtime first to score? Yes, it's sudden death. Once a team scores (and it's clear it's a good goal), the game is over. How long is NHL playoff overtime? It lasts as long as it takes for a team to score. If no one scores after 20 minutes in the first overtime, there's an intermission, then they play a second overtime, etc. How long is NHL overtime intermission? Intermission is 15 minutes, the same length as it is during regulation time. Players go to the dressing room while the ice is resurfaced.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How NHL overtime works in playoffs: Sudden death, format, rules explained
How NHL overtime works in playoffs: Sudden death, format, rules explained Show Caption Hide Caption Which NHL teams have exceeded expectations this season? Paul Bissonnette weighs in Paul Bissonnette weighs in on which NHL teams have exceeded expectations this season Sports Seriously The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are underway, bringing a major change to the overtime format. No more three-on-three play, no more shootouts after five minutes of scoreless play, as happens during regular-season overtime. There is sudden death, but it could last a very long time. One of those games wasn't that long ago. The Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference final in a game that lasted nearly a full four overtime periods. It came close to going to a fifth overtime, but Florida's Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner with 12.7 seconds left in the period. It was the sixth-longest playoff game in NHL history. So far in the 2025 NHL playoffs, eight games have gone to overtime, including one double-overtime game. Here's a primer on playoff hockey overtime: How does overtime work in playoff hockey? If the score is tied after three periods, the teams go to the dressing rooms for 15 minutes while the ice is resurfaced. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until someone scores. It's five-on-five play (barring penalties). If no one scores in the first overtime, the process repeats and continues until someone scores. The teams change sides for each overtime period. The first overtime is the long change to get back to the bench. The NHL Situation Room reviews all goals to make sure they are legally scored. In last year's Stars-Avalanche series, the league upheld a no-goal call on an apparent score by Dallas' Mason Marchment because referees ruled Matt Duchene had interfered with then-Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Duchene later scored the winning goal. What is the longest overtime in NHL history? 1 - Six overtimes (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals, March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner. (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals, March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner. 2 - Six overtimes (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner. (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner. 3 - Five overtimes (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner. (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner. 4. Five overtimes (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner. (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner. 5 - Five overtimes (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner. (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner. 6 - Four overtimes (79 minutes, 47 seconds of overtime) in the 2023 conference finals. Florida 3, Carolina 2. Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner. 2025 NHL playoff overtime goals April 27: Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl scored at 18:18 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Oilers win against the Kings. April 26: Vegas' Ivan Barbashev scored at 17:26 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Golden Knights win against the Wild. April 26: Ottawa's Jake Sanderson scored at 17:42 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Senators win against the Maple Leafs. April 25: New Jersey's Simon Nemec scored at 2:36 of the second overtime for a 3-2 Devils win against the Hurricanes. April 24: Toronto's Simon Benoit scored at 1:19 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Maple Leafs win against the Senators. April 23: Dallas' Tyler Seguin scored at 5:26 of the first overtime for a 2-1 Stars win against the Avalanche. April 22: Toronto's Max Domi scored at 16:51 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Maple Leafs win against the Senators. April 21: Dallas' Colin Blackwell scored at 17:46 of the first overtime for a 4-3 Stars win against the Avalanche. April 21: Washington's Alex Ovechkin scored at 2:26 of the first overtime for a 3-2 Capitals win against the Canadiens. Which 2025 postseason players have the most playoff overtime goals?
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
NHL playoff overtime rules: Postseason hockey bracket brings major change to OT
NHL playoff overtime rules: Postseason hockey bracket brings major change to OT Show Caption Hide Caption Wayne Gretzky, Alex Ovechkin speak after latter's record-breaking night Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored all time in NHL history and both legends spoke to fans after the accomplishment. Sports Pulse The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs are back and with that comes a major change in the overtime format. No more three-on-three play, no more shootouts after five minutes of scoreless play, both staples of regular-season overtime. There is sudden death, but it could last a very long time. Witness the 2023 playoffs. The Florida Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final in a game that lasted nearly a full four overtime periods. It came close to going to a fifth overtime, but Florida's Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner with 12.7 seconds left in the period. It was the sixth-longest playoff game in NHL history. During the 2024 playoffs, 15 games went to overtime, including four double-overtime games. Here's a primer on playoff hockey overtime: NHL playoff overtime rules If the score is tied after three periods, the teams go to the dressing rooms for 15 minutes while the ice is resurfaced. Overtime periods last 20 minutes or until someone scores. It's five-on-five play (barring penalties). If no one scores in the first overtime, the process repeats and continues until someone scores. The teams change sides for each overtime period. The NHL Situation Room reviews all goals to make sure they are legally scored. In last year's Stars-Avalanche series, the league upheld a no-goal call on an apparent score by Dallas' Mason Marchment because referees ruled Matt Duchene had interfered with then-Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Duchene later scored the winning goal. Longest NHL playoff games 1 - Six overtimes (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals, March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner. (116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime) in the 1936 semifinals, March 24, 1935. Detroit 1, Montreal Maroons 0. Mud Bruneteau scored the winner. 2 - Six overtimes (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner. (104 minutes, 46 seconds of overtime) in the 1933 semifinals. April 3, 1933. Toronto 1, Boston 0. Ken Doraty scored the winner. 3 - Five overtimes (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner. (92 minutes, 1 second of overtime) in the 2000 conference semifinals. Philadelphia 2, Pittsburgh 1. Keith Primeau scored the winner. 4. Five overtimes (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner. (90 minutes, 27 seconds of overtime) in the 2020 first round. Tampa Bay 3, Columbus 2. Brayden Point scored the winner. 5 - Five overtimes (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner. (80 minutes, 48 seconds of overtime) in the 2003 conference semifinals. Anaheim 4, Dallas 3. Petr Sykora scored the winner. 6 - Four overtimes (79 minutes, 47 seconds of overtime) in the 2023 conference finals. Florida 3, Carolina 2. Matthew Tkachuk scored the winner. Which players in the 2025 postseason have the most playoff overtime goals?
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2025 NHL playoffs series power rankings: Which first-round matchup is best?
Mikko Rantanen will be the center of attention when the Dallas Stars meet the Colorado Avalanche meet in the first round because he starred for the Avalanche before they shockingly traded him. He didn't go straight to the Stars, but the Carolina Hurricanes moved him before the trade deadline and he signed long-term with Dallas. Rantanen is a playoff standout with 101 points in 81 games, the type of production that the Stars hope get them beyond the conference final this year. But first Dallas will have to get past the Avalanche, no small task, even though it did last season. Colorado has reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon and 30-goal defenseman Cale Makar, the 2022 playoff MVP. They added Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline, and captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) could be back for the first time since the 2022 championship. Advertisement The Stars have difficulties beyond their opponent. They followed a seven-game winning streak with a season-ending 0-5-2 slide. No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen remains out and leading goal scorer Jason Robertson limped off the ice Wednesday. The Stars-Avalanche series leads USA TODAY's power rankings of the NHL's eight Stanley Cup playoffs first-round matchups. Here are the rest: NHL PLAYOFFS: Postseason schedule, dates, times, TV 2. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers One of these teams has reached the Stanley Cup Final the past five seasons. Tampa Bay has two titles and Florida is the defending champion. The Lightning beat the Panthers twice in the playoffs and Florida won last year's series. Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy is a clutch goalie, Brayden Point is a clutch scorer and Nikita Kucherov has won the last two scoring titles. This might be the deepest Lightning team since the Stanley Cup days. The Panthers, though banged up and missing suspended Aaron Ekblad for Games 1 and 2, are also loaded with talent. Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and newcomer Brad Marchand could make life miserable for Lightning players. 3. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators You know a series will be intense when it's called the "Battle of Ontario." This will be the first time the teams have met in the playoffs since 2004. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is making his playoff debut a year after brother Matthew won a Stanley Cup. Toronto always faces pressure in the playoffs. Can pending free agent Mitch Marner follow his 100-point season with a big playoff performance? And will new coach Craig Berube, a former Stanley Cup winner, help the Maple Leafs avoid another early exit? 4. Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues Remember the 4 Nations Face-Off final, when Canada's Jordan Binnington made several spectacular saves in overtime before Connor McDavid scored on the USA's Connor Hellebuyck for a 3-2 win? Well, they'll be in opposite creases again in this series. Winnipeg's Hellebuyck is favored to win a second consecutive Vezina Trophy, but he was rocked last season in the playoffs (5.23 goals-against average, .864 save percentage) by the Avalanche. Binnington won the Stanley Cup in 2019 but has missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Washington's Alex Ovechkin drew plenty of attention because he broke Wayne Gretzky's goal record. But that overshadowed the fact that the Capitals had a tremendous season after retooling on the fly. Coach Spencer Carbery made all the new veterans mesh properly, leading to numerous personal bests. The Capitals slipped a little down the stretch, so we'll see if they can turn things around against the Canadiens, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Lane Hutson tied a rookie defenseman record with 60 assists, Nick Suzuki scored 30 goals and Ivan Demidov has shown impressive skills in his two games in the league. 6. Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers This will be their fourth consecutive first-round meeting. Edmonton has won the previous three series, needing seven games the first time, then six, then five last season as the Oilers went on to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. But something feels different this year. The Kings have home-ice advantage and were 31-5-4 at Arena before Thursday's game. Former Stanley Cup winner Darcy Kuemper has provided steady goaltending and the Kings have good secondary scoring, including former Oiler Warren Foegele. Los Angeles won the season series 3-1 and shut out Edmonton twice. The Oilers have star power in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but those two had some injury issues down the stretch and defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss the first round. Considering the series history, though, don't count out Edmonton until the handshake line. 7. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, dipped the following season and won a division title this year, despite losing Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others to free agency. Pavel Dorofeyev took advantage and jumped from 13 goals to 35. This is a deep, dangerous team, especially with Jack Eichel returning from injury on Wednesday. The Wild have one of the league's top players in Kirill Kaprizov, who missed half a season with injury. He scored three points in his return. This will be the last time to watch future Hall of Fame goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, though Filip Gustavsson likely will see nearly all of the action. 8. Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils This series lost some luster because Devils star Jack Hughes had season-ending surgery. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour's teams are a near lock to advance to the second round. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe got out of the first round only once when he was with the Maple Leafs. Carolina beat New Jersey two years ago in the playoffs. Advertisement The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoff series power rankings: 2025 first-round matchup preview
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NHL playoffs series power rankings: Which first-round matchup is the best?
2025 NHL playoffs series power rankings: Which first-round matchup is the best? Show Caption Hide Caption Alex Ovechkin passes Wayne Gretzsky for most goals in NHL history Alex Ovechkin reached a career milestone, scoring his 895th goal. We recently asked Washington Capitals fans where Ovechkin ranks among the NHL greats. Mikko Rantanen will be the center of attention when the Dallas Stars meet the Colorado Avalanche meet in the first round because he starred for the Avalanche before they shockingly traded him. He didn't go straight to the Stars, but the Carolina Hurricanes moved him before the trade deadline and he signed long-term with Dallas. Rantanen is a playoff standout with 101 points in 81 games, the type of production that the Stars hope get them beyond the conference final this year. But first Dallas will have to get past the Avalanche, no small task, even though it did last season. Colorado has reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon and 30-goal defenseman Cale Makar, the 2022 playoff MVP. They added Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle at the trade deadline, and captain Gabriel Landeskog (knee) could be back for the first time since the 2022 championship. The Stars have difficulties beyond their opponent. They followed a seven-game winning streak with a season-ending 0-5-2 slide. No. 1 defenseman Miro Heiskanen remains out and leading goal scorer Jason Robertson limped off the ice Wednesday. The Stars-Avalanche series leads USA TODAY's power rankings of the NHL's eight Stanley Cup playoffs first-round matchups. Here are the rest: 2. Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers One of these teams has reached the Stanley Cup Final the past five seasons. Tampa Bay has two titles and Florida is the defending champion. The Lightning beat the Panthers twice in the playoffs and Florida won last year's series. Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy is a clutch goalie, Brayden Point is a clutch scorer and Nikita Kucherov has won the last two scoring titles. This might be the deepest Lightning team since the Stanley Cup days. The Panthers, though banged up and missing suspended Aaron Ekblad for Games 1 and 2, are also loaded with talent. Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and newcomer Brad Marchand could make life miserable for Lightning players. 3. Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators You know a series will be intense when it's called the "Battle of Ontario." This will be the first time the teams have met in the playoffs since 2004. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is making his playoff debut a year after brother Matthew won a Stanley Cup. Toronto always faces pressure in the playoffs. Can pending free agent Mitch Marner follow his 100-point season with a big playoff performance? And will new coach Craig Berube, a former Stanley Cup winner, help the Maple Leafs avoid another early exit? 4. Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues Remember the 4 Nations Face-Off final, when Canada's Jordan Binnington made several spectacular saves in overtime before Connor McDavid scored on the USA's Connor Hellebuyck for a 3-2 win? Well, they'll be in opposite creases again in this series. Winnipeg's Hellebuyck is favored to win a second consecutive Vezina Trophy, but he was rocked last season in the playoffs (5.23 goals-against average, .864 save percentage) by the Avalanche. Binnington won the Stanley Cup in 2019 but has missed the playoffs the past two seasons. Washington's Alex Ovechkin drew plenty of attention because he broke Wayne Gretzky's goal record. But that overshadowed the fact that the Capitals had a tremendous season after retooling on the fly. Coach Spencer Carbery made all the new veterans mesh properly, leading to numerous personal bests. The Capitals slipped a little down the stretch, so we'll see if they can turn things around against the Canadiens, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Lane Hutson tied a rookie defenseman record with 60 assists, Nick Suzuki scored 30 goals and Ivan Demidov has shown impressive skills in his two games in the league. 6. Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers This will be their fourth consecutive first-round meeting. Edmonton has won the previous three series, needing seven games the first time, then six, then five last season as the Oilers went on to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. But something feels different this year. The Kings have home-ice advantage and were 31-5-4 at Arena before Thursday's game. Former Stanley Cup winner Darcy Kuemper has provided steady goaltending and the Kings have good secondary scoring, including former Oiler Warren Foegele. Los Angeles won the season series 3-1 and shut out Edmonton twice. The Oilers have star power in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but those two had some injury issues down the stretch and defenseman Mattias Ekholm will miss the first round. Considering the series history, though, don't count out Edmonton until the handshake line. 7. Vegas Golden Knights vs. Minnesota Wild The Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, dipped the following season and won a division title this year, despite losing Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson and others to free agency. Pavel Dorofeyev took advantage and jumped from 13 goals to 35. This is a deep, dangerous team, especially with Jack Eichel returning from injury on Wednesday. The Wild have one of the league's top players in Kirill Kaprizov, who missed half a season with injury. He scored three points in his return. This will be the last time to watch future Hall of Fame goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, though Filip Gustavsson likely will see nearly all of the action. 8. Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils This series lost some luster because Devils star Jack Hughes had season-ending surgery. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour's teams are a near lock to advance to the second round. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe got out of the first round only once when he was with the Maple Leafs. Carolina beat New Jersey two years ago in the playoffs. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
