2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Matchup Notes and Recaps

As the opening round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs moves to the home arenas of the lower-seeded teams, some teams are already facing the possibility of elimination.

Will teams like the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Edmonton Oilers, who are currently trailing 2-0 in their respective series, manage to secure a crucial win on Friday?

Game 3 is historically significant. In the history of the Stanley Cup playoffs, teams that have taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win the series 86% of the time. This percentage jumps to 98% for teams holding a dominant 3-0 series advantage.

Below, you`ll find previews for Friday`s games featuring statistical insights, summaries of what happened in Thursday`s matchups, and Arda Öcal`s selection for the Three Stars from Thursday night.

Friday`s Matchup Notes

Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens (Game 3, Capitals lead series 2-0)

Game Time: 7 p.m. ET on TNT

Historically, the Capitals have an unusual track record after taking a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series, being the only NHL team with a losing record (4-6) in this specific scenario.

Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, who wasn`t active during Vegas`s 2023 championship run, is excelling in this series. In Game 2, he stopped all 14 Canadiens shots in the third period to secure the lead. His series stats are impressive: a .951 save percentage and a 1.47 goals-against average.

Connor McMichael, the Capitals winger, recorded his first career multi-goal game in the Game 2 win, scoring twice. While Connor McDavid has significantly more multi-goal games throughout his career, he hasn`t registered one yet this postseason.

Montreal`s scoring has come from three different players so far, including top-line forwards Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, along with experienced forward Christian Dvorak. Dvorak`s goal in Game 2 was his third career playoff goal.

While Thompson has been a key performer for Washington, Sam Montembeault has been crucial for Montreal, making several big saves. His .921 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average are solid numbers that many teams would be pleased with from their netminder.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils (Game 3, Hurricanes lead series 2-0)

Game Time: 8 p.m. ET on TBS

Carolina extended a remarkable streak by winning Game 2 on Tuesday, taking a 2-0 lead in their fifth consecutive first-round series.

Frederik Andersen stopped 25 shots in Game 2, recording his 13th playoff victory for Carolina. He is now one win away from tying Arturs Irbe for second place in franchise history (including the Whalers era) for postseason wins.

Seth Jarvis is proving his value. His Game 2 goal was his 14th career playoff tally, tying Sebastian Aho for the franchise record for most postseason goals scored by a player aged 23 or younger.

New Jersey is awaiting updates on injured players Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon, who missed Tuesday`s game. Hughes was a significant part of their defense, averaging the second-most ice time per game (21:09) during the regular season, just behind Brett Pesce (21:19).

Despite the two losses, Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom has performed well, stopping 66 of 71 shots for a .930 save percentage.

Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers (Game 3, Kings lead series 2-0)

Game Time: 10 p.m. ET on TNT

While it`s never wise to count out the Oilers, history favors the Kings in their quest to advance past the first round; the franchise holds an impressive 7-1 all-time record in best-of-seven series when leading 2-0.

Los Angeles`s power play remains a key factor in their success. They have scored a power-play goal in seven consecutive games, dating back to the regular season`s end, and are currently 5-for-10 in the series. This offensive strength has contributed to them scoring six goals in each of the first two games, a feat not accomplished since the 2014 San Jose Sharks (ironically, against the Kings).

In Game 2, Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar became the first pair of Kings players to each register four or more points in a single playoff game since Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey achieved it in 1992 (also against the Oilers).

Stuart Skinner was benched after a shaky start to the 2023 playoffs, a move that appeared to improve his subsequent performance. Edmonton is likely hoping for a similar outcome now; Skinner allowed five goals on 28 shots in Game 2 before being replaced. He joins Grant Fuhr (1984, 1985) and Andy Moog (1981, 1983) as the only Oilers goalies to give up five goals in back-to-back playoff games; notably, the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1984 and 1985.

Edmonton`s star players are producing – Connor McDavid has four points, and Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl each have three – but the team`s secondary scoring is lacking. Head coach Kris Knoblauch might consider adjusting his lines for Game 3.

Arda`s Three Stars from Thursday Night

1. Pavel Buchnevich, LW, St. Louis Blues

Buchnevich stepped up when the Blues needed him most, delivering a hat trick and an assist in a 7-2 victory against Winnipeg, preventing St. Louis from falling into a 3-0 series deficit.

2. Kirill Kaprizov, LW, Minnesota Wild

With his two power-play goals in the win over the Golden Knights, Kaprizov joined an elite group. According to research, only Mario Lemieux and John Druce recorded more power-play goals in their first 22 career playoff games.

3. Nate Schmidt, D, Florida Panthers

By scoring his second consecutive game-winning goal, Schmidt became the first defenseman in Panthers franchise history to record two game-winners in a single postseason.

Thursday`s Scores

Florida Panthers 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 0 (Panthers lead series 2-0)

Defenseman Nate Schmidt scored his second straight game-winning goal, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for the shutout as the Panthers won on the road. A major talking point after the game was Brandon Hagel`s hit on Aleksander Barkov, which drew a five-minute major penalty and forced Barkov out of the contest.

Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (OT) (Maple Leafs lead series 3-0)

For the second night in a row, the game required overtime. Toronto won again, pushing Ottawa to the verge of elimination. Claude Giroux and Matthew Knies exchanged power-play goals in the second period, while Auston Matthews and Brady Tkachuk traded goals in the third. Defenseman Simon Benoit netted the game-winner for the Leafs with a long shot just 1:19 into overtime.

Minnesota Wild 5, Vegas Golden Knights 2 (Wild lead series 2-1)

This series is proving unpredictable. While favorites have generally dominated so far in the playoffs, the Wild have outplayed the heavily favored Golden Knights through the first three games. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, bringing his postseason total to four goals. The Wild have scored five goals in back-to-back games and have a total of 12 goals in the series.

St. Louis Blues 7, Winnipeg Jets 2 (Jets lead series 2-1)

St. Louis showed they are not ready to quit. The Blues scored three goals in the first period, including the first two of Pavel Buchnevich`s hat trick, and controlled the game from there. Buchnevich also added an assist. Cam Fowler contributed a goal and four assists, and Robert Thomas registered four assists, joining Buchnevich in a strong offensive performance.