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Updated 2025 NHL Playoff Bracket, Schedule and Top Highlights from April 23

Andrew Peters
Apr 23, 2025

The NHL playoffs are in full swing and Wednesday saw another slate of exciting games.

The Washington Capitals and Montreal Canadiens played the second game of their series, as did the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers. Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars took on the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their first-round series.

Here's a look at the scores from Wednesday's action.

Wednesday's Scores/Schedule

Game 2: Washington Capitals def. Montreal Canadiens, 3-1 (WSH leads 2-0)

Game 3: Dallas Stars def. Colorado Avalanche 2-1 (DAL leads 2-1)

Game 2: Los Angeles Kings def. Edmonton Oilers 6-2 (LA leads 2-0)

Eastern Conference

Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Ottawa Senators 0 (Game 3 on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET)

Florida Panthers 1, Tampa Bay Lightning 0 (Game 2 on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET)

Washington Capitals 2, Montreal Canadiens 0 (Game 3 on Friday at 7 p.m. ET)

Carolina Hurricanes 2, New Jersey Devils 0 (Game 3 on Friday at 8 p.m. ET)

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Western Conference

Vegas Golden Knights 1, Minnesota Wild 1 (Game 3 on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET)

Los Angeles Kings 2, Edmonton Oilers 0 (Game 3 on Friday at 10 p.m. ET)

Winnipeg Jets 2, St. Louis Blues 0 (Game 3 on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET)

Dallas Stars 2, Colorado Avalanche 1 (Game 4 on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. ET)

Washington Capitals def. Montreal Canadiens 3-1

Solid offense combined with a tremendous outing from Logan Thompson in front of the goal gave Washington enough to take a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series on Wednesday.

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It was a slow first period, but Montreal struck early in the second with a goal from Christian Dvorak off an assist from Josh Anderson.

From there, it was all Washington.

Conor McMichael tied things up later in the second period and Dylan Strome scored moments later to make it 2-1.

After a slow offensive period for both teams in the third, the Capitals sealed the win with an open-net goal from McMichael.

Thompson was tremendous in the win, picking up 25 saves, including a clutch stop on a Montreal breakaway that prevented the Canadiens from tying the game in the third period.

The series will head to Montreal on Friday, where Washington will look to make it 3-0.

Los Angeles Kings def. Edmonton Oilers 6-2

The Los Angeles Kings got one game closer to advancing past the first round for the first time since 2014 with Wednesday's win.

The Kings got off to a hot start with a goal from Brandt Clarke in the first period.

Los Angeles then picked up a comfortable 3-0 lead after goals from Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe in the second period.

But Edmonton managed to stay afloat thanks to a goal from Leon Draisaitl in the second. The Oilers then made it a 3-2 game early in the third period when Viktor Arvidsson found the net against his former team.

After Arvidsson's goal, it was all Kings for the rest of the night. Los Angeles ran away with the game thanks to two more goals from Kempe and one from Anze Kopitar in the third period.

The series is far from over, but after scoring 12 goals in two games, the Kings' offense has all the momentum heading into Game 3 in Edmonton.

Dallas Stars def. Colorado Avalanche 2-1

It was another overtime thriller for the Stars and Avalanche on Wednesday.

Colorado got an early edge on a goal from Valeri Nichushkin in the first period before the Avalanche's offense went stagnant.

It took the Stars a while to answer, but they finally did with just over 10 minutes left in the third period when Jamie Benn evened the score during a power play.

Colorado got a power play late in the third period but failed to capitalize, and the game went into overtime.

Tyler Seguin, who scored in Monday's Game 2, played hero on Wednesday, scoring five minutes into overtime to seal the win for Dallas.

The Stars have now won back-to-back games in overtime, but the series will stay in Colorado on Saturday as Colorado looks to tie things up again.

Gabriel Landeskog to Play 1st NHL Game in 3 Years for Avalanche vs. Stars After Injury

Timothy Rapp
Apr 23, 2025
Colorado Eagles vs Henderson Silver Knights

Gabriel Landeskog is back.

The Colorado Avalanche captain hasn't played since the 2021-22 season due to issues with his right knee, but he'll return to the ice on Wednesday night in his team's Game 3 matchup in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars.

The series is tied at one game apiece.

"I'm thrilled. I think that's so much bigger than than hockey in this series," former Avalance center and current Stars star Matt Duchene told reporters about the possibility of Landeskog returning. "He was up at my cottage right after he had the surgery, showing me the pictures of before and after, all that stuff. And obviously as a guy, we have a good friendship. Our families are good friends, and we've been rooting for him to come back. Obviously, it makes our job harder having a guy like that out there, but on the friends side, the human side and the fellow athlete side, I think everyone's happy to see the progress he’s made."

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It remains to be seen how effective Landeskog will be upon his return, given his lengthy layoff, but if the Avalanche get back the player who has compiled nine seasons with 20 or more goals, two seasons with 30 or more goals and three seasons with 60 or more points, they'll be getting a huge boost.

He was a huge factor for the team that won the Stanley Cup in the 2021-22 campaign, posting 11 goals and 11 assists that postseason, and the Avs won just one playoff series in two seasons without him.

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Nobody is expecting Landeskog to return in top form. But having him back should provide the Avalanche with a boost nonetheless.

"Adding him back into our locker room, he's almost an extension of the coaching staff, but he's still one of the guys and the guy that everyone looks up to," head coach Jared Bednar told reporters Wednesday. "You can't get enough of that this time of the year."

Chris Drury, Rangers Agree to Multi-Year Contract Extension After Missing NHL Playoffs

Scott Polacek
Apr 23, 2025
2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft, Rounds 2-7

The New York Rangers were among the most disappointing teams in the league this past season, but they are maintaining some continuity in the front office as they look to bounce back moving forward.

On Wednesday, the Rangers announced they agreed to a multi-year contract extension with president and general manager Chris Drury.

"I am honored to sign this contract extension and continue in this position with the team I grew up supporting," Drury said. "As I said when I began in this role nearly four years ago, there isn't a more special organization in hockey and I look forward to continuing our work this offseason to help us reach our goals for next season and in the coming years."

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Drury first became a notable name for the Rangers during his playing career when he suited up for New York from 2007-08 through 2010-11.

He also played for the Colorado Avalanche, Calgary Flames and Buffalo Sabres during a career that included a Stanley Cup title and the 1998-99 Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year.

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New York first hired Drury to its front office in September 2015, and he filled various roles such as director of player development, assistant general manager, associate general manager and general manager of the Rangers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

The Rangers promoted him to president and general manager in May 2021 and have enjoyed plenty of success since, despite missing the playoffs in 2024-25.

They reached the 2022 Eastern Conference Final in his first season and again in his third season in 2024. That 2023-24 campaign saw them win the Presidents' Trophy with the best regular-season record in the NHL with 55 wins and 114 points.

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New York also set the single-season franchise records for wins and points that season.

While the Rangers' 193 wins during Drury's four seasons in the role stands as the most victories for a four-year span in franchise history, they will be tasked with turning things around after they finished in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division and missed the playoffs in 2025.

That expectations were so high after reaching the Eastern Conference Final the previous season only served to amplify the disappointing results and put some pressure on the front office to build a contender during the upcoming offseason.

At least that front office knows it will still have the same leader following Wednesday's news.

Stars vs. Avalanche Betting Odds, Player Props and Picks for April 23

Joe Tansey
Apr 23, 2025

Thirteen goals were scored in the first two games of the Western Conference first-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. 

The high scoring from Games 1 and 2 was a continuation of the regular-season series in which the teams combined for 24 goals over three games. 

Nathan MacKinnon’s been the most active offensive presence in the series. He has to be the primary focus of any betting angle for Game 3 at Ball Arena. 

Nathan MacKinnon Over 3.5 Shots On Goal (-168)

Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche-Stars series with 11 shots on goal. 

MacKinnon ripped seven shots on target in Game 1 and followed that up with four attempts on goal in Game 2. 

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Colorado’s top offensive player went over 3.5 SOGs twice in three regular-season meetings with Dallas as well. 

A year ago, MacKinnon had at least three shots on goal in five home playoff games. 

Esa Lindell Over 2.5 Blocks (-142)

Esa Lindell blocked nine shots in Games 1 and 2.

The 30-year-old Finn played the second-most shifts among Dallas defensemen in both games in Dallas. 

He’ll be on the ice at a high rate again in Game 3, and with the way Colorado rips the puck on toward goal, Lindell will have plenty of opportunities to block shots. 

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Dallas defenseman blocked 26 shots from Colorado so far in the series. Stars forwards had 15 blocks on home ice. 

The sheer volume of shots from the Colorado offense sets up for another night full of blocking shots in front of Jake Oettinger for not just Lindell, but the entire Dallas defense. 

Over 6.5 (-105)

The Colorado-Dallas matchup breeds goals. 

Six goals were scored in Game 1 and seven more shots found the back of the net in Game 2. 

Both teams scored at least three goals in the three regular-season meetings, which ended 5-3, 6-3 and 4-3.

Updated 2025 NHL Playoff Bracket, Schedule and Top Highlights from April 22

Scott Polacek
Apr 22, 2025

The arrival of Tuesday's NHL playoff schedule means the first round is now completely underway.

The series between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lighting was the final one to start and the headliner in a four-game slate. There were also three Game 2's on the docket as teams continued to jockey for early positioning in the opening round.

Here is a look at all of Tuesday's scores and action.

Tuesday's Scores/Schedule

Game 2: Carolina Hurricanes def. New Jersey Devils, 3-1 (CAR leads 2-0)

Game 2: Toronto Maple Leafs def. Ottawa Senators, 3-2 OT (TOR leads 2-0)

Game 1: Florida Panthers def. Tampa Bay Lightning, 6-2 (FLA leads 1-0)

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Game 2: Minnesota Wild def. Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2 (series tied 1-1)

Eastern Conference

Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Ottawa Senators 0 (Game 3 on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET)

Florida Panthers 1, Tampa Bay Lightning 0 (Game 2 on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. ET)

Washington Capitals 1, Montreal Canadiens 0 (Game 2 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET)

Carolina Hurricanes 2, New Jersey Devils 0 (Game 3 on Friday at 8 p.m. ET)

Western Conference 

Vegas Golden Knights 1, Minnesota Wild 1 (Game 3 on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET)

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Los Angeles Kings 1, Edmonton Oilers 0 (Game 2 on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET)

Winnipeg Jets 2, St. Louis Blues 0 (Game 3 on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET)

Colorado Avalanche 1, Dallas Stars 1 (Game 3 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET)

Minnesota Wild def. Vegas Golden Knights, 5-2

Kirill Kaprizov had the second multi-goal game of his playoff career to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights to even their Western Conference series at one game apiece.

Minnesota wasted no time taking control of things with three goals in the first 17 minutes of the opening period. Kaprizov's first point was on an incredible assist to Matt Boldy, who found the net for the third time already in the series.

The three goals turned out to be enough for the Wild, though they would tack on a goal each in the second and third periods.

Filip Gustavsson had a terrific game to help Minnesota even the series. He stopped 30 of 32 shots. It was a nice bounce-back effort after he allowed three goals in the Game 1 loss.

Carolina Hurricanes def. New Jersey Devils, 3-1

The New Jersey Devils needed a quick start after dropping Game 1, and they received just that thanks to Jesper Bratt's goal in the first four minutes.

However, that initial momentum proved to be short-lived.

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The Carolina Hurricanes answered back with two goals in the second period. The first came from Shayne Gostisbehere, while the second felt like a moment that could resonate over what may prove to be a short series.

New Jersey went on the power play with the chance to take the lead just for Carolina to come away with the short-handed goal. Jordan Martinook broke free seconds into the power play and buried a shot in the back of the net to give the Hurricanes the lead heading into the third period.

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The second-period goals put the onus on the Carolina defense and goaltender Frederik Andersen to preserve the narrowest of leads. The group was up to the task, as the home team turned away a third-period power play and kept the Devils off the board following the initial goal.

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Andersen saved 25 of the 26 shots he faced, and the Hurricanes are now in full control of the series after Seth Jarvis' empty-netter iced it.

Toronto Maple Leafs def. Ottawa Senators, 3-2 OT

The Toronto Maple Leafs cruised to a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators in Game 1, and it looked like Game 2 would be more of the same with a lightning-quick start out of the gates.

Morgan Rielly and John Tavares each scored in the first period with the latter's goal coming on a power-play opportunity and assists from Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews. Tavares scoring a goal that was assisted by Matthews and Marner was one way for the Maple Leafs to show off their firepower, but the Senators battled back this time.

Their defense started playing better after Toronto consistently picked the blue line apart to start the series, which then led to opportunities on the offensive end.

Brady Tkachuk took advantage of one of those chances to cut the deficit in half with a second-period goal, and Adam Gaudette found the back of the net for the equalizer in the third period in front of a stunned Toronto crowd.

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But Ottawa's momentum didn't carry over to the extra period.

Max Domi scored the overtime winner and sent the Toronto crowd into celebration mode as his team took a 2-0 advantage in the series.

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Florida Panthers def. Tampa Bay Lightning, 6-2

Home-ice advantage proved important in the first two games on Tuesday.

Not so much in the opener in the battle for Florida.

The Florida Panthers jumped all over the Tampa Bay Lightning on the way to a 6-2 victory to both seize home-ice advantage and set the tone. Sam Bennett and Sam Reinhart scored in the first period before an offensive onslaught in the second period that saw goals from Nate Schmidt and Matthew Tkachuk.

Tkachuk scored twice in the period, which was all the more impressive because it was his first game back since he suffered a lower-body injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

He looked as fresh as ever and spearheaded Florida's high-octane attack.

The Panthers weren't done, as Schmidt scored his second goal of the game in the third period just for good measure. It was a statement performance, and they surely hope it carries over to the next contest.

Senators vs. Maple Leafs Betting Odds, Player Props, Picks for April 22

Joe Tansey
Apr 22, 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs' top two lines controlled Game 1 of their first-round series with the Ottawa Senators. 

Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares all had two points each in the 6-2 win. 

The same level of dominance will carry over into Tuesday’s Game 2, especially with the second line led by Nylander and Tavares. 

Ottawa doesn't have the overall firepower to keep up with the Nylander-Tavares line, or the top unit led by Matthews and Marner. That sets up for the Leafs to take a 2-0 lead on home ice. 

William Nylander Over 2.5 Shots On Goal (-135) 

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Nylander had 53 more shots on goal at home compared to the road in the regular season. 

The 28-year-old only had two attempts on target in Game 1, but that is more of an outlier to his overall playoff trend. 

Nylander is 19-4 to the over 2.5 SOG in his last 23 playoff games dating back to the start of the 2022 postseason. 

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The Swede is more than capable of producing those attempts at even strength, but he will also get a boost from shots on the power play. Toronto had six power-play opportunities in Game 1 against an Ottawa team that had the fourth-most penalty minutes in the regular season among playoff teams. 

John Tavares Over 0.5 Points (-142) 

Tavares' point prop is a bit cheaper than Nylander at -175, so that's the target, even though both players will likely get on the score sheet. 

Tavares had six shots on goal in Game 1, but that's on the high end compared to his recent playoff history.

If Nylander is ripping shots toward the Senators net, Tavares will likely be part of the setup to get him the puck. 

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Tavares is also on Toronto's top power play unit with Matthews, Nylander, Marner and Matthew Knies. 

With Ottawa's propensity to commit penalties still in play, Tavares will get a few chances to record a point on the man advantage, as well as with Nylander at even strength. 

Toronto Money Line (-166) 

Toronto's top six forwards were too good for the Senators in Game 1. 

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Those players combined to contribute on five of the six goals on Sunday night, with three of those tallies coming on the power play. 

Ottawa just doesn't have the talent to keep up with the Leafs if their top six is playing at that high of a level. 

The Senators as a whole, not just Brady Tkackuk, have to prove they can rise to Toronto's level. If not, the Senators will be one of the first teams eliminated from the postseason.

Lou Lamoriello Won't Return as Islanders President, GM for 2025-26 NHL Season

Julia Stumbaugh
Apr 22, 2025
2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft - First Round

The New York Islanders are parting ways with Lou Lamoriello after seven seasons as president and general manager.

The Islanders announced Tuesday the franchise will not renew Lamoriello's contract this summer and will "immediately" begin a search for a new GM.

"The Islanders extend a heartfelt thank you to Lou Lamoriello for his extraordinary commitment over the past seven years. His dedication to the team is in line with his Hall of Fame career," the team said in a statement.

Lamoriello, 82, was hired by the Islanders in 2018. The Isles missed the playoffs this spring after finishing the 2024-25 campaign with a 35-35-12 record.

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The team's .500 points percentage was the worst finish the team has had since before Lamoriello's hiring.

Lamoriello started out his tenure on Long Island by hiring Barry Trotz away from the reigning champion Washington Capitals and navigating the franchise's split from former captain John Tavares.

The Islanders earned a playoff bid that spring and opened the 2019 playoffs by sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins before getting eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.

That strong start didn't lead to the playoff success the Islanders were hoping for.

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The team went on two deep postseason runs under Lamoriello's tenure, in large part thanks to his acquisitions of key players like Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri and extensions of Brock Nelson and Jordan Eberle.

Those players helped lead the Islanders to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2020 and brought the team one win short of the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. But the Isles haven't made it past the first round since then.

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Lamoriello's influence will still continue to shape the Isles' future, particularly through his signing of goaltender Ilya Sorokin to an eight-year deal in 2023. That contract kicked in this year and runs through the 2031-32 campaign.

Lamoriello previously served as general manager of the New Jersey Devils from 1987 to 2015. The Devils made it to five Stanley Cup Finals and won three championships over that span, and Lamoriello was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2009.

He then served as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons prior to joining the Islanders.