Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions

 The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs have arrived, and here are my predictions for the entire thing. Let's get into it.

First Round

(M1) Capitals vs (WC2) Canadiens- Capitals win in 4

(M2) Hurricanes vs (M3) Devils- Hurricanes win in 6

The Canadiens are kinda just happy to be here. They haven't had much success in the past, so they have no expectations. Meanwhile the Capitals are Cup contenders. They should win this easily. The Hurricanes have had the Devils' number in the playoffs as of late, and I don't see that changing. They have the all-around better roster. 

(A1) Maple Leafs vs (WC1) Senators- Maple Leafs win in 5

(A2) Lightning vs (A3) Panthers- Lightning win in 5

The Battle of Ontario and the Battle of Florida both should be interesting; the Battle of Ontario contains a famous lovable loser and the Battle of Florida features two recent Stanley Cup Champions. The Maple Leafs have their best shot at a Cup in a long time. Meanwhile, the Senators, much like the Canadiens, are playing with house money, and they have no expectations. I see the Lightning dethroning the reigning champs here.

(C1) Jets vs (WC2) Blues- Jets win in 6

(C2) Stars vs (C3) Avalanche- Avalanche win in 5

The Jets have the best record in the NHL and the Blues are red-hot right now. This should be one hell of a series. On the other side, the Stars are ice cold, coming in as losers of 7 straight. The Avalanche are playing decent hockey as of late, and I see them taking this series no problem. The Blues will give the Jets a fight, but I see them falling short.

(P1) Golden Knights vs (WC1) Wild- Golden Knights win in 4

(P2) Kings vs (P3) Oilers- Oilers win in 6

The Golden Knights have had a great year, and the Wild are good, but not great. The Golden Knights should have this series easily. The Oilers are the defending Western Conference champions, and although they dealing with some injuries, they do have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and that should be enough to knock off the Kings.

Second Round

Capitals vs Hurricanes- Capitals win in 6

Maple Leafs vs Lightning- Lightning win in 7

If it does wind up being Capitals-Hurricanes, that will be a great series, seeing Alex Ovechkin against some incredible talent that the Hurricanes have. Leafs-Lightning will also be a great series, seeing Auston Matthews against Nikita Kucherov. However the Maple Leafs haven't made the conference since 2002, and I don't see that drought breaking. And the Capitals have a more talented roster than the Hurricanes, in my opinion

Golden Knights vs Oilers- Golden Knights win in 6

Jets vs Avalanche- Jets win in 5

A Golden Knights-Oilers series would be incredible to watch. The Golden Knights are loaded, and the Oilers have two of the best players in the league. The Golden Knights take this series, though, due to the talent on that roster. Meanwhile, the Jets have a hell of a team, and I see them taking down the Avalanche.

Conference Finals

Capitals vs Lightning- Lightning win in 6

I just think the Lightning have more talent than the Capitals do. Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jon Cooper, etc. can beat out Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, Tom Wilson, Charles Lindgren, etc. That's just my opinion though.

Golden Knights vs Jets- Golden Knights win in 7

The Presidents Trophy winner hasn't won a cup in 12 years, and I don't think that's changing. The Golden Knights roster, including William Karlson, Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Mark Stone, is high-powered, and can beat Kyle Connor, Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, and more, in my eyes.

Stanley Cup Finals

Lightning vs Golden Knights- Lightning win in 6

Conn Smyth Winner: Nikita Kucherov

The Lightning win the Stanley Cup off the back of Kucherov having a fantastic playoff run. This team is built to make a great run, and I see them bringing another Cup home.

That's my predictions for the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs! I'm excited to see what happens.