Sunday marks the second day of action in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. While today`s four games won`t see any teams eliminated, each matchup is crucial as the series move closer to determining the second-round participants.
A notable trend in the series playing today is that the home team has won every game contested thus far. The key question remains: will this home-ice advantage continue, or can the favored teams secure road wins and position themselves for series-clinching games back home?
Below, find detailed previews for each Sunday game, featuring statistical insights from ESPN Research. We also recap Saturday`s results and highlight the top performers chosen by Arda Öcal.
Sunday`s Game Previews
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
Game 4 (Winnipeg leads 2-1) | Time: 1:00 PM ET
These two teams benefited from an extra day off following Game 3 on Thursday, a contest where the Blues secured a decisive 7-2 victory. Despite this recent success, historical playoff data is not on St. Louis`s side heading into Game 4; teams holding a 2-1 lead in a best-of-seven series have historically won the series 68.6% of the time, and the Blues franchise holds an 8-20 record when trailing a series 1-2.
However, St. Louis finds encouragement in their impressive 13-game home winning streak, including regular-season contests. Notably, the Blues have scored five or more goals in seven of these 13 home victories.
Pavel Buchnevich achieved a significant personal milestone with his first-ever hat trick in Game 3, which immediately quadrupled his career playoff goal total; he had previously scored just one goal in 22 playoff appearances.
For Winnipeg, goaltender Connor Hellebuyck seems to be performing below his regular-season standard, although his playoff history includes similar stretches. He has allowed four or more goals in nine of his last 12 playoff games.
Winnipeg`s top offensive talents will need to regain their scoring touch. Mark Scheifele contributed two goals and three assists through the first two games but was held pointless in Game 3. Similarly, Kyle Connor started the series strongly with two goals and two assists but also failed to register a point in the last game.
Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
Game 4 (Carolina leads 2-1) | Time: 3:30 PM ET
Simon Nemec, who was previously a healthy scratch in this series, emerged as the hero in Game 3, scoring the game-winning goal in double-overtime. At 21 years and 69 days old, he became the youngest Devil to score an overtime winner in a playoff game and the second-youngest defenseman in Stanley Cup playoff history to achieve this feat, trailing only Andrei Zyuzin (20 years, 97 days in 1998).
The extended overtime result was not entirely unexpected given the history between these franchises: the Devils have now won five consecutive multi-overtime playoff games, while the Hurricanes` record in multi-OT playoff contests stands at 1-11, the lowest winning percentage in Stanley Cup playoff history.
Jacob Markstrom has been a standout performer for the Devils this postseason, posting a .929 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average through three games, facing an average of 33 shots per game.
The Hurricanes have demonstrated offensive depth with seven different goal-scorers across the three games, including expected contributions from stars like Seth Jarvis alongside surprising production from players such as Jordan Martinook (who scored 15 goals in the regular season) and Jalen Chatfield (who had seven).
While Markstrom has been impressive for New Jersey, Frederik Andersen has been slightly better for Carolina. The Danish goaltender has made 82 saves on 87 shots through three games, resulting in a .943 save percentage and a 1.48 goals-against average.
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
Game 4 (Washington leads 2-1) | Time: 6:30 PM ET
The six goals scored by the Canadiens in Game 3 represented their highest scoring output in a playoff game since May 7, 2015.
With his assist on Cole Caufield`s second-period goal, Lane Hutson`s combined total of assists in the regular season and playoffs reached 63, tying Chris Chelios`s record for the most by a rookie defenseman.
Alex Ovechkin scored his 75th career playoff goal, moving him past Joe Pavelski for 13th place all time. He is now just one goal shy of tying Mario Lemieux for 12th.
Significant attention will be on the goaltending situation for both teams entering this game. Sam Montembeault left the Canadiens` net during the second period of Game 3, while Logan Thompson was forced out of the Capitals` crease in the third period due to injury.
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
Game 4 (Los Angeles leads 2-1) | Time: 9:30 PM ET
As part of the Oilers` offensive outburst in Game 3, Leon Draisaitl extended his playoff point streak against the Kings to 17 games. This ranks as the third-longest point streak against a single opponent in Stanley Cup playoffs history, trailing only Wayne Gretzky (19 games vs. Flames) and Mark Messier (19 games vs. Kings). Elite company indeed!
Connor McDavid has now recorded 12 career playoff games with at least one goal and two assists, tying Mark Messier for the second-most such games in Oilers history. Both trail Wayne Gretzky, who had 24. McDavid also tied Jaromir Jagr for sixth place all time in games with three or more points in a Stanley Cup playoff game. McDavid has accomplished this 20 times, behind Gretzky (59), Messier (30), Jari Kurri (28), Nikita Kucherov (22), and Denis Savard (21).
Kings forward Adrian Kempe has accumulated nine points this postseason, tying him for the second-most points by any player through the first three games of a series in the past 40 years of the Stanley Cup playoffs (one point behind Gretzky, who had 10 in 1987).
Anze Kopitar`s six assists through three games are the most by any player in Kings playoff history at this point in a series.
Entering the postseason, Darcy Kuemper was expected to be a significant strength for Los Angeles. However, through three games, his performance includes an .859 save percentage and a 4.04 goals-against average, figures significantly lower than the .902 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average he posted during the Colorado Avalanche`s Cup run in 2022.
In the opposing net, the Oilers opted to start Calvin Pickard in Game 3 after Stuart Skinner struggled in the first two games with an .810 save percentage and 6.11 goals-against average. Pickard posted an .857 save percentage while allowing four goals in the Game 3 victory. The question of who will start Game 4 remains open.
Arda’s Three Stars from Saturday Night
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy
G, Tampa Bay Lightning
Known as `The Big Cat`, Vasilevskiy was back in top form during Game 3, stopping 33 shots in Tampa Bay`s convincing 5-1 victory against Florida, bringing the series score to 2-1.
2. Ivan Barbashev
C, Vegas Golden Knights
Barbashev contributed two points, including the decisive overtime winner, as the Golden Knights secured a 4-3 victory over the Wild to tie the series at 2-2.
3. Jake Sanderson
D, Ottawa Senators
The intense Battle of Ontario continues! Sanderson scored the overtime winner for the Senators with just over two minutes left in the extra frame, keeping their season alive with a 4-3 win in Game 4.
Honorable Mention: Gabriel Landeskog
LW, Colorado Avalanche
Landeskog netted his first goal since returning to the NHL after an absence of nearly three years. His teammates` jubilant reaction highlighted the significance of this moment.
Saturday`s Scores
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Florida Panthers 1
Florida leads series 2-1 | Game 4: Monday
Following the Panthers` dominant wins in Games 1 and 2 in Tampa Bay, the Lightning responded with a equally dominant performance in Game 3 in Sunrise. Matthew Tkachuk opened the scoring early for Florida, but Tampa Bay controlled the game from there. Goals by Brayden Point, Nick Paul, Jake Guentzel, and Luke Glendening put them ahead, with Anthony Cirelli adding an empty-netter to seal the 5-1 victory.
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Minnesota Wild 3 (OT)
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5: Tuesday
Determined to avoid falling behind 3-1 against the underdog Wild, the Golden Knights struck first with a power-play goal from Shea Theodore. Minnesota took the lead with goals from Marco Rossi and Marcus Foligno before Nicolas Roy tied the game for Vegas in the third period. After exchanging goals later in the third, the game went to overtime, where Ivan Barbashev was perfectly positioned to bury a rebound and secure the game-winning goal.
Ottawa Senators 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
Toronto leads series 3-1 | Game 5: Tuesday
For the third consecutive game in this intense Battle of Ontario series, overtime was required. This time, the Ottawa Senators prevailed, with Jake Sanderson scoring the winning goal with less than three minutes remaining in the extra period. Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, and David Perron also scored for Ottawa, while John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson found the back of the net for Toronto.
Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 0
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5: Monday
A peculiar pattern has emerged in this series: the Stars have won each of their games by one goal, while the Avalanche have secured both of their victories with a four-goal margin. Colorado established an early lead with first-period goals from Logan O`Connor and Nathan MacKinnon. Gabriel Landeskog scored his emotional first goal in nearly three years during the second period, and Samuel Girard completed the scoring with his first goal of the playoffs.
