by Vegas Writer
Saturday, Apr 19, 2025The most exciting postseason is set to begin, as the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs open Saturday, beginning the two-month parade to see who will hoist Lord Stanley's Cup.
That means it's time to delve inside the playoff numbers.
Here are several for you to chew on:
* If you're counting on one of the five Canadian teams to win the Stanley Cup, remember among the 16 teams that qualified for this year's postseason, the four longest waits for a championship belong to teams from north of the border: Toronto (58 years; last 1967), Edmonton (35 years; last 1990), Montreal (32 years; last 1993) and Ottawa (32 years; looking for first Cup)
* If you're wondering which playoff teams have won the most series in the last five years (since 2020), seven teams have won at least six playoff series over the past five years, including four that have won the Stanley Cup:
That means it's time to delve inside the playoff numbers.
Here are several for you to chew on:
* If you're counting on one of the five Canadian teams to win the Stanley Cup, remember among the 16 teams that qualified for this year's postseason, the four longest waits for a championship belong to teams from north of the border: Toronto (58 years; last 1967), Edmonton (35 years; last 1990), Montreal (32 years; last 1993) and Ottawa (32 years; looking for first Cup)
* If you're wondering which playoff teams have won the most series in the last five years (since 2020), seven teams have won at least six playoff series over the past five years, including four that have won the Stanley Cup:
- 11 – Tampa Bay (SC in 2020 & 2021)
- 8 – Vegas (SC in 2023)
- 8 – Florida (SC in 2024)
- 7 – Colorado (SC in 2022)
- 7 – Dallas
- 6 – Carolina
- 6 – Edmonton
* Looking for a Wild Card longshot? Good news! At least one Wild Card team has advanced from the opening round in six of the nine years under that format, including multiple teams four times in a single postseason.
* Who will represent the Eastern Conference? An Atlantic Division team isn't a bad bet for your future wager. To wit: a team currently in the Atlantic Division has reached the Stanley Cup Final in six straight years. In the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Atlantic Division has five of the eight playoff spots in the East: Toronto, Tampa Bay, Florida, Ottawa and Montreal. Here are the Atlantic Division teams who have made the Stanley Cup Final, since 2019:
- 2024 – Florida (Won Cup)
- 2023 – Florida (Lost Final)
- 2022 – Tampa Bay (Lost Final)
- 2021 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup)
- 2020 – Tampa Bay (Won Cup)
- 2019 – Boston (Lost Final)
Here is a glance at the No. 1 trend or stat to think about for each team coming into the playoffs:
- Carolina: The Hurricanes closed their regular-season campaign on a 1-7 slide, and were outscored by an average final of 4.38 to 2.88.
- Colorado: Dating back to Feb. 26, the Avalanche are tied with the Blues for the highest point production, with an average of 3.74 goals-for per game.
- Dallas: The Stars were tied for second-to-last with the New Jersey Devils down the stretch, after losing their seven of their last eight games (1-5-2) since April 2. Dallas was outscored by an average final of 4.38 to 2.88 in that span.
- Edmonton: The Oilers have stayed under in nine of their last 10 regular-season games. The average tally in those games was 4.9 goals per game.
- Florida: The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers closed their regular-season campaign losing seven of their final 10 games. They also stayed under in seven of their last nine.
- Los Angeles: The Kings are 17-5-0 since March 8, a stretch that has seen them rank No. 1 in allowing just 2.00 goals per game.
- Minnesota: The Wild won four of their last five regular-season games to clinch the No. 1 Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. Important to note: the four wins all came in overtime.
- Montreal: The Canadiens won seven of their last 10 games in the regular season, with seven of those games staying under the posted number.
- New Jersey: The Flames landed over the posted number in eight of their last 11 games of the regular season. Those 11 games averaged a final tally of 5.91 goals per game.
- Ottawa: The high-scoring Senators went over the posted number in their last five games with each game landing on seven goals or higher.
- St. Louis: Rank No. 1 in the NHL with 40 points since Feb. 23, having won 19 of its last 25 games of the regular season, going 19-4-2.
- Tampa Bay: The high-flying Lightning closed the regular season going over in five of their last six games, with those contests averaging nearly seven goals per game.
- Toronto: The Leafs won nine of their last 10 games of the regular season and allowed two or fewer goals in seven of those games. Since March 29, the Leafs are the only team allowing less than two goals per game.
- Vegas: The Golden Knights won 19 of their final 28 games, ranking tied for third with 42 points since Feb. 6. They ranked third in that span in allowing 2.32 goals per game.
- Washington: The Capitals, who qualified for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a -36 goal differential, finished with a +57 goal differential this season.
- Winnipeg: Rank No. 1 in the NHL with 57 points since Jan. 11, having won 28 of its final 39 games of the regular season, going 28-10-1.
