The 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs begin on April 19. The Winnipeg Jets are the NHL's top overall seed, having finished the regular season with the most points in the standings, and the Washington Capitals earned the No. 1 seed in the East.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have secured their first win of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. At first, the Florida Panthers looked on track for a third straight dominant win when Matthew Tkachuk opened scoring less than three minutes into the first period. The Lightning answered late in the first thanks to a slick setup from Nikita Kucherov.

This year's first-round matchups feature some key rematches from last season, including the defending champion Florida Panthers facing in-state rival Tampa Bay Lighting and last year's runner-up Edmonton Oilers facing the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth year in a row.