On the morning of May 3, there had been three teams in NHL history to overcome a third-period, multi-goal deficit to win a Game 7. By the end of May 4, two teams had been added to that list – the Stars and the Jets after Winnipeg mounted theirs in the final two minutes of regulation and competed it in double overtime to achieve a rare NHL feat.
* Cole Perfetti scored the latest tying goal in a Game 7 in NHL history and Adam Lowry became the second captain in League history to score an overtime tally in a Game 7 to end a thrilling winner-take-all weekend.
* The First Round featured 47 games, no sweeps, 14 tying tallies in the final 10 minutes of regulation and 6.5 goals per game – the second-highest total in an opening round over the past 30 years behind 1995 (6.8).
* The NHL will conduct the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, which determines the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the first round of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft, tonight at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, SN, TVAS). For the first time in its 30-year history, the lottery will feature the drawing live in-studio, allowing viewers to follow along and learn the results in real time.
* The Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Monday when Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs host Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers at Scotiabank Arena for Game 1.
JETS SOAR TO HISTORIC GAME 7 COMEBACK WIN
On the heels of a thrilling Game 7 on Saturday that saw the Stars become the fourth team in NHL history to overcome a third-period, multi-goal deficit to clinch a series, the Jets soared to new heights Sunday by erasing their 3-1 deficit in the final two minutes of Game 7 in regulation as Vladislav Namestnikov scored with 1:56 remaining and Cole Perfetti tied it with three seconds left to set up Adam Lowry’s series-clinching goal 16:10 into the second overtime period. Winnipeg became the fourth team in NHL history to earn a win after overcoming a multi-goal deficit in the final two minutes of a playoff game, joining the Bruins (Game 7 of 2013 CQF), Nordiques (Game 1 of 1993 DSF) and Flyers (Game 4 of 1977 QF). Boston is the only other team to do so in a winner-take-all contest.
* WATCH HERE for full highlights from Blues-Jets Game 7.
* Perfetti scored the latest game-tying goal in a Game 7 in NHL history (59:57), besting Matt Cooke (59:54) in the 2004 Conference Quarterfinals with Vancouver (3-2 OT L). It also matched the second-latest tying goal in postseason history, alongside Dale Hunter (Game 2 of 1993 DSF) and Eric Staal (Game 2 of 2006 CSF). Cooke owns the record at 59:58 (Game 1 of 2003 CSF).
* Kyle Connor (0-3—3) factored on three goals, including the game-tying and winning tally. He became the fifth player to factor on a team’s first four game-winning goals to start a postseason in the past 20 years, joining Nazem Kadri (5 GP in 2020 w/ COL), Valtteri Filppula (4 GP in 2011 w/ DET), Henrik Sedin (4 GP in 2010 w/ VAN) and Nicklas Lidstrom (4 GP in 2007 w/ DET).
* Connor recorded his fifth career three-point outing in the postseason to establish a franchise record, besting former captain Blake Wheeler (4). Connor improved to 4-8—12 this postseason to top another Jets/Thrashers list for most points in a playoff series, surpassing Mark Scheifele (7-4—11 of 2018 R2) and Wheeler (2-9—11 of 2018 R2)
* Neal Pionk (0-3—3), who factored on Lowry’s double-overtime winner, became the fifth defenseman in NHL history with three assists in a Game 7. He joined Jaccob Slavin (2019 R1), Brian Rafalski (2010 CQF), James Patrick (1992 DSF) and Paul Reinhart (1981 QF), all who posted 0-3—3.
* Lowry, who was born in St. Louis, joined Steve Yzerman (1996 CSF w/ DET) as the second captain in NHL history to score an overtime goal in a Game 7. It also marked the second-latest overtime goal in franchise history (96:10), behind only Connor (106:52 in Game 4 of 2021 R1).
* The Jets advanced past the opening round for the third time in franchise history after also doing so in 2018 (4-1 W vs. MIN) and 2021 (4-0 W vs. EDM). They became the fifth Presidents’ Trophy winner over the past six seasons to advance beyond the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, following the 2024 Rangers, 2022 Panthers, 2021 Avalanche and 2020 Bruins.
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* The Stars and Jets are set to meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time after Winnipeg bested Dallas in their 2024-25 regular-season series (WPG: 3-1-0; DAL: 1-3-0). The Stars/North Stars hold an all-time series record of 10-13 when facing a franchise for the for the first time, while the Jets/Thrashers are 3-7 in that scenario.
BRACKET SET FOR THE 2025 SECOND ROUND
It took 16 days and 47 games to cut the number of teams in the chase for the 2025 Stanley Cup championship in half as the NHL’s bracket went from 16 teams to eight. The NHL announced the full schedule for the 2025 Second Round, which begins Monday. Click here for details.-05125211.gif)
TRENDS FROM THE 2025 FIRST ROUND
The Jets clinched the eighth and final spot in the Second Round on Sunday night to bring a close to the opening round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Here are some of the most notable trends from the First Round:
* Forty-seven games were played in the First Round, tied for the third most over the past decade behind only the 2022 (51 GP) and 2023 (50 GP) opening rounds.
* The First Round averaged 6.5 goals per game – the second-highest total in any opening round in the past 30 years behind 1995 (6.8) – while at least one team scored five or more goals in each of the first 14 days of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Five of the eight First Round series – which featured no sweeps – required at least six games, including all four in the Western Conference.
* There have been 14 game-tying goals in the final ten minutes of regulation, which is tied for the most through this stage of a postseason (47 GP).
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats: Live Updates from Sunday
* Schenn brothers share embrace in handshake line after Game 7
* Jets fans outside Canada Life Centre celebrate Game 7 victory
* Matthew Schaefer, potential No. 1 pick, ‘pumped’ to see results of NHL Draft Lottery
* Color of Hockey: Oliver Chau ‘rises to the occasion’ with Blues affiliate in ECHL
TONIGHT’S NHL DRAFT LOTTERY TO FEATURE LIVE DRAW FOR FIRST TIME
For the first time in its 30-year history, the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery will feature the drawing live in-studio, allowing viewers to follow along and learn the results at the same time as the Draft Lottery participants. The lottery (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN, TVAS) will determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the first round of the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
* The NHL has produced this animated explanatory video as a viewers’ guide to the live draw process, which will be conducted in two phases. The first draw will determine the first overall pick in the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft and the second will determine the second overall pick.
* In each phase 14 balls, numbered 1 to 14, will be placed into a lottery machine with four drawn. The resulting four-digit series is matched against a look-up table that lists the 1,000 possible combinations to determine which team was assigned the winning combination. The look-up table is available on NHL.com. The table also lists combinations by team.
* As each ball is drawn, odds change and teams are eliminated. The viewing audience will learn who is still in the running in real time. There is a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery can “move up” in the event it wins one of the Lottery Draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds will be eligible to receive the first overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
* The complete rules governing the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery can be found here and a full account of the history of the NHL Draft Lottery since its inception in 1995 is available in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery Interactive Information Guide as well as on Records.NHL.com.
FAMILIAR FOES, FORMER TEAMMATES FACE OFF IN GAME 1 BETWEEN TORONTO, FLORIDA
The Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Monday, with former teammates and familiar foes facing off when the Maple Leafs host Panthers in Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena. This will mark the second all-time playoff meeting between the two clubs, following the 2023 Second Round which saw Florida score the overtime clincher in Game 5 en route to its historic appearance in the Final.
* Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz and Anthony Stolarz, who were acquired by Toronto in the offseason, won the Stanley Cup with the 2024 Panthers and are set to face off against their former club Monday. The only playoff series in NHL history where three players dressed against a team that they captured a Cup with during the previous season was when Kings teammates Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley skated seven contests versus the reigning-champion Oilers in the 1989 Division Semifinals. Gretzky, Krushelnyski and McSorley were dealt to Los Angeles by Edmonton in the “Trade of the Century” on Aug. 9, 1988.
* Auston Matthews leads the Maple Leafs into their Second Round series against Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers after eliminating his brother, Brady, in the First Round, both of whom were his teammates on USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. The Maple Leafs are the first team to earn a series win against a player and then face that player’s brother in the next round since the 2020 Golden Knights (Jordie & Jamie Benn in R2 & CF, respectively).
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* Mitch Marner will clash with several of his 4 Nations Face-Off Canada teammates, including Brad Marchand – a familiar postseason foe of the Maple Leafs. Marner (5-7—12 in 10 GP) needs one point to surpass Mats Sundin (8-4—12 in 12 GP), Borje Salming (3-9—12 in 19 GP) and George Armstrong (8-4—12 in 21 GP) for the third most in Game 1 in franchise history. Meanwhile, Marchand (9-19—28 in 27 GP) is two points shy of becoming the fifth active skater with 30 points in Game 1 of a playoff series – he would join Evgeni Malkin (15-21—36 in 29 GP), Sidney Crosby (14-20—34 in 31 GP), Nikita Kucherov (13-18—31 in 27 GP) and Nathan MacKinnon (13-18—31 in 16 
GP).
