2025 NHL playoffs every day: Previews for Wednesday’s video games

Monday night time, Sport 1 of the Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens collection went to additional time, as did Sport 2 of the Dallas Stars-Colorado Avalanche battle; within the nightcap, the Los Angeles Kings gained with a objective within the remaining minute. These three matchups shall be performed once more Wednesday:

What are the important thing storylines heading into the video games? Who’re the important thing gamers to observe?

Learn on for sport previews with statistical insights from ESPN Analysis, recaps of what went down Tuesday night time, and the Three Stars of Tuesday Evening from Arda Öcal.

Matchup notes

Montreal Canadiens at Washington Capitals
Sport 2 (WSH leads 1-0) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN

Sport 1 was yet one more record-breaking night time for Alex Ovechkin: By scoring two targets and aiding on the Caps’ different tally, he grew to become the oldest participant in Stanley Cup playoffs historical past (39 years, 216 days outdated) to think about on all of his staff’s targets (minimal of three).

The win can also be excellent news for the Capitals, as groups who win Sport 1 in a best-of-seven go on to win the collection 68% of the time.

However this contest was all in regards to the surprising shut margin, and the truth that it took additional time for the Capitals to earn the victory. The Canadiens’ prime line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky led the best way, accounting for each of Montreal’s targets, and rookie phenom Lane Hutson earned an help on each targets. A brand new set of Younger Weapons?

An damage notice for Sport 2 and past, the Capitals shall be with out defenseman Martin Fehervary as a result of knee surgical procedure.

Dallas Stars at Colorado Avalanche
Sport 3 (collection tied 1-1) | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN

It took 77:46, however the Stars evened the collection with their Central Division rivals in Sport 2. At stake in Sport 3 is a transparent jolt of momentum for the winner, and historical past may even be on their aspect shifting ahead: within the 363 prior collection that had been tied after two video games, the winner of Sport 3 gained the collection 66% of the time.

For Colorado, may their first house sport of the postseason even be the return of Gabriel Landeskog to the lineup? The Avs’ captain was activated off of IR Monday, however didn’t play in Sport 2. His most up-to-date sport sporting an Avs sweater was a memorable one, Sport 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Closing, when he skated the Cup round Amalie Area after the Avs’ 2-1 series-clinching victory.

The Stars have a key participant on his (eventual) means again into the lineup as nicely, as star defenseman Miro Heiskanen skated on Monday but in addition didn’t play. A return from Heiskanen would assist remedy some issues for Dallas, and current a brand new problem for Colorado, because the Finnish blueliner was the Stars’ chief in time on ice this season, and a key a part of their energy play.

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
Sport 2 (LA leads 1-0) | 10 p.m. ET | TBS

If there are going to be 11 targets each sport on this collection, signal us up for extra!

With their 6-5 victory in Sport 1, the Kings grew to become the fourth staff in Stanley Cup playoff historical past to blow a four-goal lead and win in regulation, following the 2022 Calgary Flames, 1978 Boston Bruins and 1972 Bruins.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid proceed to climb franchise leaderboards with every subsequent sport, it appears. Draisaitl’s 18th objective vs. the Kings tied Esa Tikkanen for the Oilers’ profession lead in playoff targets towards L.A. In the meantime, McDavid’s four-point sport passes Paul Coffey and Glenn Anderson on the Oilers’ profession leaderboard for four-point playoff video games; he is now fifth.

The Kings will hope that they’ll hold momentum occurring the ability play; they scored twice with the person benefit in Sport 1 after going 2-for-14 within the common season towards Edmonton, and 0-for-12 on the ability play within the 2024 playoff loss to the Oilers. Monday was the playoff debut for Andrei Kuzmenko, and he responded with a objective and two assists. On the opposite aspect of the spectrum are Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty — who’ve performed in 98 and 96 playoff video games for L.A., respectively — and who every had one help in Sport 1.

Arda’s three stars from Tuesday night time

In his first sport again after an damage within the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk scored two targets and added a helper because the Panthers take Sport 1 within the long-awaited Battle of Florida in a 6-2 rout.

The pair of Wild forwards had been electrical in Sport 2, combining for 5 factors because the Wild take the competition by a rating of 5-2, and produce the collection again house to the Twin Cities tied at 1-1.

Domi scored the additional time game-winner over the Senators in Sport 2, giving the Leafs their first 2-0 playoff collection lead in 23 years (!).

Tuesday’s scores

Carolina Hurricanes 3, New Jersey Devils 1
(CAR leads 2-0)

Sport 2 was a greater begin for the Devils than in Sport 1, as Jesper Bratt opened the scoring at 3:51 of the primary interval, and New Jersey carried that lead into the primary intermission. The Canes roared again with two second-period targets (from Shayne Gostisbehere and Jordan Martinook), and that benefit held till Seth Jarvis iced it with an empty-net objective. Full recap.

Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (OT)
(TOR leads 2-0)

The Maple Leafs bought off to a different sturdy begin, scoring one other pair of first-period targets off the sticks of Morgan Rielly and John Tavares. However this time, the Senators scored the following two — one every from Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette — to ship the sport to additional time. Max Domi performed the hero for the house followers in Toronto, scoring the game-winner simply 3:09 into OT. Full recap.

Florida Panthers 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
(FLA leads 1-0)

The Battle of Florida was the final first-round collection to get began, and it was definitely worth the wait — significantly for Panthers followers. Taking part in in his first sport since a lower-body damage sustained within the 4 Nations Face-Off, Matthew Tkachuk scored two power-play targets and added an help on the ultimate objective of the sport (off of Nate Schmidt’s stick) to make it 6-2. Full recap.

Minnesota Wild 5, Vegas Golden Knights 2
(collection tied 1-1)

After a radical defeat in Sport 1, the Wild are usually not going away quietly. Kirill Kaprizov introduced his offensive wizardry to the proceedings, aiding on Matt Boldy’s first-period objective that appeared to set the tone for the competition, scoring a nifty objective of his personal within the second interval, and sealing the cope with an empty-net objective within the third. Full recap.