Monday marked the start of the 2025 NHL playoffs for four teams and the continuation of two other series with multiple Game 2 matchups.
Here is a look at Monday’s scores and the upcoming schedule for each series as the teams compete for early momentum in the road to the Stanley Cup Final.
Monday’s Scores/Schedule
Game 1: Washington Capitals def. Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 OT (WAS leads 1-0)
Game 2: Winnipeg Jets def. St. Louis Blues, 2-1 (WPG leads 2-0)
Game 2: Dallas Stars def. Colorado Avalanche, 4-3 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 1: Los Angeles Kings def. Edmonton Oilers, 6-5 (LAS leads 1-0)
Eastern Conference
Toronto Maple Leafs 1, Ottawa Senators 0 (Game 2 on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers (Game 1 on Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. ET)
Washington Capitals 1, Montreal Canadiens 0 (Game 2 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET)
Carolina Hurricanes 1, New Jersey Devils 0 (Game 2 on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET)
Western Conference
Vegas Golden Knights 1, Minnesota Wild 0 (Game 2 on Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET)
Los Angeles Kings 1, Edmonton Oilers 0 (Game 2 on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET)
Winnipeg Jets 2, St. Louis Blues 0 (Game 3 on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Colorado Avalanche 1, Dallas Stars 1 (Game 3 on Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. ET)
Washington Capitals def. Montreal Canadiens, 3-2 OT
The Washington Capitals’ playoff journey could only start one way.
Alex Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer this season and fittingly played the role of hero with the overtime goal in Monday’s 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
His first goal came when he fired a wrist shot from distance from the left in the first period and quickly sent the crowd into celebration mode:
That wasn’t the only celebration he facilitated Monday, as he also assisted on Anthony Beauvillier’s second-period goal. That gave Washington’s defense some breathing room heading into the final period, which proved important.
Montreal came storming back with goals from Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki in the final 10 minutes of regulation to force the extra period. After controlling much of the game, Washington suddenly found itself at risk of losing home-ice advantage right away.
Until Ovechkin made sure it didn’t.
As if there was ever a doubt who would win it, the league’s all-time leading goal scorer buried the game-winner early in the overtime period.
Winnipeg Jets def. St. Louis Blues, 2-1
The Winnipeg Jets finished with the most points in the Western Conference during the regular season and have looked the part of a Stanley Cup contender while seizing control of their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues.
They are now up 2-0 in the series thanks in large part to heroics from Kyle Connor and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.
Connor broke a 1-1 tie in the first two minutes of the third period with a timely wrist shot, which put St. Louis in comeback mode for the remainder. And that was not the mode it wanted to be in with Hellebuyck between the pipes.
He turned away 21 of the 22 shots he faced to preserve the narrowest of leads.
The only goal he allowed came in the first period when Jimmy Snuggerud found the back of the net on a power play. It answered the opening goal from Mark Scheifele and gave the Blues a chance to compete throughout, but they didn’t have another answer to Connor’s winner.
Los Angeles Kings def. Edmonton Oilers, 6-5
The Los Angeles Kings grabbed a Game 1 victory and a 1-0 series lead with a well-rounded performance, as five different players found the back of the net in a commanding win over the Oilers on home ice.
Andrei Kuzmenko opened the scoring for Los Angeles with a brilliant tip-in, set up by Kevin Fiala and Adrian Kempe, giving the Kings a 1-0 edge.
Quinton Byfield then extended their lead to 2-0 with a powerful wrist shot, assisted by Drew Doughty and Mikey Anderson, as the Kings dominated the first period.
Just over five minutes into the second, Adrian Kempe added to the lead with a slick backhand goal, courtesy of Andrei Kuzmenko and Anze Kopitar, making it 3-0.
The Kings weren’t done yet—Phillip Danault fired home a wrist shot, assisted by Byfield, pushing the advantage to 4-0.
But Edmonton responded late in the period, with Leon Draisaitl blasting a slap shot past the goalie, with helpers from Connor McDavid and Evan Bouchard, cutting the lead to 4-1 as the period came to a close.
Kevin Fiala unleashed a powerful slap shot, assisted by Adrian Kempe and Andrei Kuzmenko, to extend Los Angeles’ lead to 5-2, further solidifying their dominance in the game.
Shortly after, Edmonton’s Corey Perry delivered a clutch wrist shot past the goalie, cutting the deficit to 5-3 and giving the Oilers a glimmer of hope with just under eight minutes remaining.
Momentum shifted when McDavid and Zach Hyman netted back-to-back goals, tying the game at 5 with just over 90 seconds left in regulation.
Danault had the final say, burying the go-ahead goal with under a minute to play to seal a dramatic 6-5 win for the Kings.
Dallas Stars def. Colorado Avalanche, 4-3 in O.T.
The Dallas Stars knotted the series at 1-1 with an overtime thriller, as Colin Blackwell played hero by burying the game-winner in front of a roaring home crowd.
Nathan MacKinnon wasted no time getting the Avalanche on the board, ripping a wrist shot for his third goal of the postseason and giving Colorado an early 1-0 edge. Cale Makar and Jonathan Drouin picked up the assists on the opening tally.
Tyler Seguin answered back for Dallas later in the first, blasting home a slap shot to tie things up at 1-1. Mason Marchment and Jamie Benn helped set up Seguin’s first goal of the postseason.
The Stars took their first lead early in the second when Thomas Harley wired a wrist shot past the netminder for his first playoff goal, assisted by Sam Steel and Oskar Bäck to make it 2-1.
The Avalanche evened the score once again in the second period when Jack Drury fired a wrist shot to the back of the net for his first postseason goal. Logan O’Connor and Ryan Lindgren notched the helpers.
O’Connor came through with the go-ahead goal late in the second, cashing in on a slick backhand finish off feeds from Artturi Lehkonen and Samuel Girard to put Colorado back on top, 3-2.
Evgenii Dadonov came through in the clutch for the Stars, blasting a snap shot past the goalie to level the score at 3-3, with Wyatt Johnston providing the setup for the crucial goal halfway through the final period.
A late hooking penalty by Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen nearly handed the Avalanche a golden opportunity to claim the game-winning goal, but a key save by Stars goalie Jake Oettinger kept Colorado at bay, sending the game into overtime.
In overtime a slap shot by Martin Nečas looked like it was good, but Oettinger stood tall and made a jaw-dropping save to keep the game tied at 3-3.
After nearly 18 tense minutes of overtime, Blackwell buried the game-winner to seal a 4-3 victory and even the series at 1-1.
