Leafs vs Sens, Jets vs Blues and more confirmed matchups

The matchups for the 2025 NHL playoffs are nearly set. After Tuesday night’s action, all but one series has been confirmed.

Let’s start in the Eastern Conference. The top-seeded Washington Capitals are yet to confirm their opponent. The Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets will head down to the wire for the final slot in the 2025 NHL playoffs.

The Blue Jackets’ 3-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers left them two points behind the idle Habs. However, the Habs can clinch the final playoff spot win a regulation or OT/SO win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.

If the Habs lose against the Hurricanes, the Blue Jackets will have an opportunity to take the final wild card spot with a win over the New York Islanders on Thursday night. The Blue Jackets would take the tiebreaker as they would have one more win than the Canadiens.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday night clinched the Atlantic Division for Toronto. As such, the Leafs enter the playoffs as the East’s second seed. That situation sets up a Leafs vs Sens first-round matchup for the first time in over two decades.

Additionally, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers will square off as the Atlantic Division’s second and third-place teams, respectively. In the Metro Division, the Carolina Hurricanes will face off against the New Jersey Devils, in what is shaping up to be a highly entertaining series.

Looking at Western Conference picture for the 2025 NHL playoffs

In the Western Conference, all of the matchups are set. The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets enter as the West’s top seed. They will face the St. Louis Blues who clinched their playoff berth after pounding the Utah Hockey Club 6-1 on Monday night.

The Vegas Golden Knights, winners of the Pacific Division, will face the first wild card team, the Minnesota Wild, in the first round of the 2025 NHL playoffs.

The Dallas Stars will face off against the Colorado Avalanche in what looks to be the best first-round series of the 2025 NHL playoffs. Two juggernaut clubs will lock horns, which will unfortunately leave a Stanley Cup contender on the outside looking in after the first round.

The other first-round series in the West will feature the Edmonton Oilers vs the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings locked up home-ice advantage on Monday night with their 5-0 win over a depleted Oilers squad.

The Oilers and Kings will meet in the first round for the second year in a row. Last season, Connor McDavid’s squad bounced the Kings in five games. This season, the Kings will be looking to get revenge as they attempt to beat the Oilers in the postseason for the first time since 1989.

The 2025 NHL playoffs are set to begin on Saturday, April 19. The league has yet to confirm the official schedule.

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alt=”Nestor Quixtan” height=”72″ width=”72″>

Nestor is an NHL and MLB writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience. Growing up in Toronto, he became an avid Maple Leafs and Blue Jays fan, but also admires the New York Islanders and Los Angeles Dodgers for their dominance in the 80s. Holding an Economics and Education major, Nestor’s passion for writing and sporting events led him to take up reporting about the sport professionally.

Nestor credits the Leafs’ playoff runs in the early ’90s as having a lasting impact on him. His favorite players are Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, as he feels they were tough, talented leaders, while Pat Burns is his favorite coach of all time for always preaching a fast-paced game.

Growing up in Canada, it was natural for Nestor to become interested in ice hockey and he played Minor Hockey as a teenager, which has given him a unique perspective on the sport. Nestor has mastered the art of how to best present facts and he also has a knack for knowing which sources can be trusted, and which can’t for stories.

When he is not writing about Canada’s national passion, Nestor enjoys running and hiking.

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Edited by Nestor Quixtan