2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket
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Maple Leafs' First-Round Playoff Scheduled Against Senators Revealed
The first Battle of Ontario in the postseason since 2004 will begin on Sunday in Toronto.
The schedule for the well-anticipated Battle of Ontario, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators, has been announced.
The series will begin in Toronto on Sunday with Game 1 at 7:00 p.m. ET. Tuesday's Game 2 will start at 7:30 p.m. ET before the series shifts to Ottawa for Games 3 and 4. Below is the full schedule:
Sunday, April 20 - 7 p.m. Ottawa at Toronto
Tuesday, April 22 - 7:30 p.m. Ottawa at Toronto
Thursday, April 24 - 7 p.m. Toronto at Ottawa
Saturday, April 26 - 7 p.m. Toronto at Ottawa
*Tuesday, April 29 - TBD Ottawa at Toronto
*Thursday, May 1 - TBD Toronto at Ottawa
*Saturday, May 3 - TBD Ottawa at Toronto
On Tuesday, Toronto clinched the Atlantic Division title with a 4-0 win against the Buffalo Sabres, also locking in the Battle of Ontario. The Maple Leafs have lost all three games to the Senators this season and were outscored 9-3.
Maple Leafs 'Fairly Confident' Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, David Kampf Will Be Ready For Game 1 Of Playoffs Against SenatorsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are confident they'll have their injured players back for Game 1 of the playoffs against the Ottawa Senators.
"They’re a really good team. They defend well, good special teams, good goalie, their D. They have a lot going for them," Morgan Rielly said on Thursday. "The next couple days will be important as we make a strategy and plan out what we want this to look like."
The last time Toronto and Ottawa played in the playoffs was in 2004. The Maple Leafs eliminated them in seven games before being eliminated by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round.
Since then, Toronto has won just one playoff series, against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.
"It’s been a little while, so it should be really exciting. It’s playoff hockey, you get to play for the Stanley Cup," John Tavares said of the series.
"This is what you work for all summer long, coming into training camp and earn a place in the playoffs, and certainly for us to win the division, put ourselves in a good spot, we’re excited, and that’s what it’s all about."
'It's Going To Be An Absolute War': Maple Leafs Prepare For Intense Battle Of Ontario Playoffs Series Against Senators John Tavares has fond memories of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators in the early 2000s.
Toronto plays its final game of the regular season on Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings. The Maple Leafs will have two days to prepare before playing Game 1 on Sunday inside Scotiabank Arena.
"It’s a good one for sure. I wasn’t around back when it was going on, but we’re excited. That’s a very good team over there, like I told you guys before," Craig Berube said of Ottawa.
"It’s a young team that’s grown together. They added some veterans but overall, they’re a good hockey team with a lot of good skill on the front end and the back end, and they play a gritty game. It’ll be a tough series."
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Golden Knights Open Playoffs Against Wild On Sunday Night, Game 2 Set For Tuesday
LAS VEGAS -- The Vegas Golden Knights will host the Minnesota Wild on Easter Sunday, as the teams open their Western Conference playoff series at T-Mobile Arena at 7 pm pacific.
Vegas, which earned the Western Conference's No. 2 seed, earned home ice, after winning the Pacific Division. The Knights have the home-ice advantage against every team in the conference except the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets.
The Wild are the Western Conference's top Wild Card.
The Golden Knights and Minnesota have played three times this season, with Vegas sweeping the regular-season series.
The first meeting saw the Golden Knights defeat the Wild 3-2 on Dec. 15. The next two meetings were won more dominantly, but the Wild were also without star Kirill Kaprizov.
Vegas turned in victories of 4-1 and 5-1.
Game 2 returns to T-Mobile Arena with puck drop set for Tuesday night at 8 pm.
Games 3 and 4 will shift to St. Paul.
Game 3 will be on Thursday at 6 pm pacific, with Game 4 scheduled for 1 pm.
If Games 5-7 are necessary, they've been scheduled for April 29, May 1 and May 3, with start times to be announced.
Games 5 and 7 would be in Vegas, with Game 6 being played in Minnesota.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-04-18 09:46:45
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Expect Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll to Shine in Net versus Red Wings Despite Toronto Setback
Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll should stay hot, hold game to under but in losing effort to Detroit Red Wings on Thursday
Thursday night is the ultimate opportunity for NHL fans, with a loaded slate of thrilling matchups to end of the season.
The game that sticks out is one with the Detroit Red Wings, who would like to end off their troublesome season on a strong note after missing the playoffs for the ninth straight season.
They will face off against a fierce Toronto Maple Leafs team that will likely be shorthanded after securing the Atlantic Division with their last win on Tuesday and will likely be resting their horses in this one. It should give the Red Wings a good chance to get a win and make for an exciting matchup.
More Betting:Safe Bets to Close Out the NHL Season: Top Picks for Parlays and Futures
For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 11-4 record on our last 15 picks and our 17-6 record on our last 23 underdog picks.
All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Detroit Red Wings Best Bets:
- Under 6.5 goals (-160)
- Red Wings ML (+136) or Red Wings +1.5 (-188)
- Patrick Kane Over 0.5 points (-125)
Detroit should be more motivated to win this game after missing the playoffs yet again and will want to give their fans something to cheer for. A big gift for the Red Wings faithful is beating one of their longtime rivals in the Maple Leafs.
This will be the 687th meeting between Toronto and Detroit with the Maple Leafs holding the upper hand all-time with a 302-285-93-6 record. Detroit has gotten the better of Toronto lately with wins in five of their last eight matchups with a win Thursday evening up the season series at two wins a piece.
It'll be challenging as the Maple Leafs have a league-best 12-2-1 record over their last 15 games while the Red Wings have a 6-2-1 record over their last nine games. The man who should help Detroit get the job done is none other than legendary winger Patrick Kane, who has been one of the hottest player on the team as of late.
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The three-time Stanley Cup Champion has continued to play like an all-star even into old age with six goals and 12 assists for a team-lead 18 points over his last 17 games.
Kane has also done with historically versus Toronto with three goals and four assists for seven points over his last eight games against the Maple Leafs dating back to 2023.
Woll-y MolyDavid Pastrnak rips one off the post and back into Joseph Woll, but Woll's quick reaction allows him to save the puck from going into the net.Breaking news, ...He should be one of the only Red Wings to score as Toronto's Joseph Woll has been sensational lately with a 5-2-1 record and a 2.49 goals against average over his last eight starts.
The Missouri native has also gotten the better of Detroit in the past with a 1-1-0 record and five goals allowed or a 2.54 goals against average and a save percentage of .900 in two career starts against the Red Wings.
Woll should do enough to keep the game to a low total but I don't expect a high-offensive performance out of Toronto.
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'It's Going To Be An Absolute War': Maple Leafs Prepare For Intense Battle Of Ontario Playoffs Series Against Senators
John Tavares has fond memories of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs take on the Ottawa Senators in the early 2000s.
Just a few years before being drafted first overall into the NHL in 2009, Tavares watched the Leafs and Senators trade hostilities in the 'Battle of Ontario'.
"I remember (Joe) Nieuwendyk's goal, watching that," Tavares said, reflecting on Toronto's Game 7 victory over Ottawa in the 2004 first-round series. "I think Cujo (Curtis Joseph) running into the ref or the linesman there. So the intensity I thought was pretty unbelievable".
The two teams squared off four times in the postseason between 2000 and 2004, creating some epic moments. Tie Domi was part of those teams, and his son, Max, will get to experience that rivalry in the playoffs for the first time.
Part of the series' charm is the dedication of the well-traveled Leafs fans, who will undoubtedly make the trip to Ottawa for road games.
"I think that's going to be key," Domi said. "Obviously, going into a tough building like Ottawa, it's going to be nice to have some support there. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. Every game is going to be tough. It's going to be an absolute war".
This upcoming series reignites a natural hostility already established between the teams. Who could forget when Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was suspended for five games after crosschecking Senators forward Ridly Greig in the head following the player's slapshot into an empty net?
Report: Maple Leafs Defenseman Morgan Rielly's 5-Game Suspension Appeal to Commissioner Gary Bettman to be Heard In-Person on FridayRielly was suspended five games by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for a cross-check to the head of Ottawa's Ridly Greig.
While it's doubtful past incidents like the Rielly-Greig one will resurface, the three intense contests between the clubs this season make it clear they don't like each other, and much will be on the line.
"I think it's just kind of natural intensity just because it's the playoffs and there's more at stake," Rielly said. "You look around at the other matchups, they're all going to be very intense and they're all going to be very competitive. That's what you get this time of year. And that's what makes it fun".
'Good For Hockey': Leafs And Senators Will Be Hungry In The Battle Of Ontario's Newest ChapterThere might not be an NHL first-round series with more built-in emotion than the Battle of Ontario between the Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Senators' entry into the playoffs was somewhat unexpected this season; it's their first playoff appearance since 2017. They are clearly the underdog of the series, despite beating Toronto in all three regular-season contests this season.
"That's a very good team over there," Berube said of the Senators. "It's a young team that's grown together. They added some veterans, but overall they're a good hockey team with a lot of good skill on the front end and the back end, and they play a gritty game. It'll be a tough series"