The playoff push for the 2025 Stanley Cup is officially on. The postseason in hockey begins on the 19th of April and there are a couple of teams making strides to lift the silverware and write their names on it, as the NHL tradition commands. The Florida Panthers, last year’s champions, are eager to repeat themselves but will have to contend against the Dallas Stars, who are playing pretty well at the moment. Then, obviously, we have a good bunch of outsiders, ready to spoil the favourites’ party.
Jordan Martinook #48 of the Carolina Hurricanes is airborne after tripping over the skate of Noah Cates #27 of the Philadelphia Flyers and the back of the net.
So, the NHL season is finally entering its decisive phase, with teams battling for a spot in the playoffs and their chance to lift the 2025 Stanley Cup. The top contenders are showing good form, but surprises are always around the corner. As fans analyse performances and key matchups, insights from the betting section on SportsGrid provide a deeper look at the odds and trends shaping this thrilling postseason race. The platform is a destination to go for every bettor. On the site it is easy to keep up to date with news, statistics and every other piece of information needed to follow the NHL playoffs without missing any angle.
Teams to watch
The race for the Cup is particularly heated in the Eastern Conference, where we can find a trio of strong contenders: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers are very close in the standings and the future champions could very well be among these three teams. They are hungry for victory, balanced in their lineup and pretty dominant on the court. The two teams from Florida are based in a State where ice is – obviously – not the most characteristic element but they showed they can play. The Panthers are the defending champions and the Lightning won the Stanley three years ago. The Canadians have been very convincing this season and they would like to sum it up with a great victory, on the biggest stage in hockey.
The regular season in the East has been led by the Washington Capitals, who won the Metropolitan Division and are already looking forward to the playoffs. They lack some postseason experience but can count on a very good roster, able to strike gold in the games that matter. In the West, the top teams are the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars, with the Texans actually in second position but thought to be able to make a deeper run in the playoffs, because of their star power and pedigree. As every hockey fan knows, you can never count Connor McDavid out. The best player in the world recovered from his injury and could very well lead his Edmonton Oilers (currently sixth in the Western Conference) to a playoff spot. Maybe even beyond that.
Beasts in the East
The strongest teams seem to be in the East, where the playoff picture is almost decided (there’s just one last spot vacant) and we can count several powerhouses such as Washington, Tampa Bay and the Panthers. In the West things are still undecided and there are three spots left, with only a week to go before the curtain falls on the regular season. The top dogs can now look for the better regimen looking ahead: should they strike for the top seed? Should they give their starters enough rest to be in top shape once the playoff begins? These are the questions the coaches are asking themselves right now because, after a long season, their players must be as focused and as fit as ever. Every detail now matters.
This is also dark horses’ time to shine and the Maple Leafs could have a superstar in the making in 22-years-old Matthew Knies, who decided the crucial game against the Lightning on Wednesday, 9th of April, with a hat trick, his second this season. Should he stay healthy and gain the trust of Toronto’s coaching staff, we could have the next league darling ready to make strides in the playoffs.
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