ESPN staffApr 25, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
As the first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs shift to the home ice of the underdogs, some teams have been pushed to the brink of elimination.
Will that be the case for the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils or Edmonton Oilers, as they carry 2-0 deficits into Friday?
Game 3 will be an important one. In Stanley Cup playoff history, teams with a 2-0 series lead have gone on to win the series 86% of the time; teams that have taken a 3-0 series lead have gone on to win 98% of the time.
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down in Thursday's games, and the Three Stars of Thursday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
Game 3 (WSH leads 2-0) | 7 p.m. ET | TNT
Strangely, the Capitals have not done well historically after going up 2-0 in a best-of-seven series. They are the NHL's only team with a losing record (4-6) in that situation.
Capitals goalie Logan Thompson didn't play during the Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup run in 2023, and he is more than making up for it with his play in this series. In Game 2, Thompson stopped all 14 third-period shots from the Canadiens to preserve the Caps' lead. Overall, he has a .951 save percentage and 1.47 goals-against average for the series.
Connor McDavid or Connor McMichael? The Caps' winger scored two goals in a Game 2 win, his first career multigoal game. McDavid has more multigoal games in his career but has not had one yet this postseason.
The Canadiens have had three different goal scorers in the series, including first-line forwards Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki, as well as veteran Christian Dvorak. For Dvorak, his goal in Game 2 was the third of his career.
Though Thompson has been a big story for the Caps, Sam Montembeault has been equally vital to the Canadiens. He has made some impressive saves en route to a .921 save percentage and 2.49 goals-against average (rates that a number of other teams would love to see from their goaltenders).
Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
Game 3 (CAR leads 2-0) | 8 p.m. ET | TBS
The Hurricanes continued an impressive streak by winning Game 2 on Tuesday, as they've gone up 2-0 in each of their past five first-round series.
Frederik Andersen made 25 saves in Game 2, earning his 13th playoff win with Carolina, which is one shy of tying Arturs Irbe for the second-most playoff wins in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history.
News flash: Seth Jarvis is good. His goal in Game 2 was his 14th career playoff goal, which ties Sebastian Aho for the most postseason goals scored by a player age 23 or younger in franchise history.
New Jersey is hoping for good news on injured players, as Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon sat out Tuesday's game. Hughes averaged the second-most ice time per game on the team in the regular season (21:09), behind only Brett Pesce (21:19).
Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been solid in two defeats, with 66 saves on 71 shots (.930 save percentage).
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
Game 3 (LA leads 2-0) | 10 p.m. ET | TNT
With the caveat that the Oilers can never be counted out, the Kings now have history on their side as they look to escape the first round: the franchise has a 7-1 series record all time when leading 2-0 in a best-of-seven series.
The Kings' power play continues to drive their success. Including the end of the regular season, they have scored a power-play goal in seven straight games, and are 5-for-10 in this series. That has helped them produce six goals in each of the first two games, a feat that has not been done since the 2014 San Jose Sharks (who did it against the Kings).
In Game 2, Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar became the first duo of Kings players to have four or more points in the same playoff game since Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey in 1992 (coincidentally, also against the Oilers).
After an uneven start to the 2023 playoffs, Stuart Skinner was benched, which seemed to improve his play thereafter. The Oilers are hoping something similar happens here; Skinner gave up five goals on 28 shots in Game 2 before being pulled. He is the third goalie in Oilers playoff history to give up five goals in consecutive playoff games, joining Grant Fuhr (1984, 1985) and Andy Moog (1981, 1983); the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1984 and '85.
The Stars have shown up for Edmonton -- Connor McDavid has four points, and Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl have three apiece -- but the depth scoring has not been there. Could Kris Knoblauch jumble his lines a bit heading into Game 3?
Arda's three stars from Thursday night
1. Pavel Buchnevich
LW, St. Louis Blues
When the Blues needed him, he delivered: a hat trick and an assist in a 7-2 win as St. Louis avoids going down 0-3 to Winnipeg.
2. Kirill Kaprizov
LW, Minnesota Wild
With his two power-play goals in the win over the Golden Knights, Kaprizov climbed an impressive list; according to ESPN Research, only Mario Lemieux and John Druce have more power-play goals in their first 22 playoff games.
3. Nate Schmidt
D, Florida Panthers
With his second straight game-winning goal, Schmidt became the first Panthers defenseman with two game-winning goals in one postseason.
Thursday's scores
Florida Panthers 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 0
FLA leads 2-0
Defenseman Nate Schmidt scored a goal for the second straight game and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 19 shots the Lightning took on goal as the defending Cup champs took another on the road to start their playoff journey. But the biggest story in the aftermath was Brandon Hagel's hit on Aleksander Barkov which resulted in a five-minute major penalty, and knocked Barkov out of the game. Full recap.
0:35
Nate Schmidt's slapshot gives Panthers the early lead
Nate Schmidt scores on a slapshot to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead vs. the Lightning.
Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Ottawa Senators 2 (OT)
TOR leads 3-0
For the second straight game, the two teams needed extra time to settle matters. And for the second straight game, the Maple Leafs emerge victorious, sending the Senators to the brink of elimination. Claude Giroux and Matthew Knies traded power-play goals in the second, followed by Auston Matthews and Brady Tkachuk in the third. Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit scored the game-winner on a seeing-eye shot from distance 1:19 into OT. Recap.
0:36
Simon Benoit's OT winner gives Leafs 3-0 series lead
Simon Benoit nets the overtime winner for the Maple Leafs to give them a 3-0 series lead over the Senators.
Minnesota Wild 5, Vegas Golden Knights 2
MIN leads 2-1
Well, this is an interesting one. In a postseason thus far driven by the favorites taking series leads, the Wild have outpaced the heavily favored Golden Knights through three games of this series. Kirill Kaprizov added a pair of goals this one, giving him four this postseason. The Wild have scored five goals in two straight games, and 12 overall for the series. Recap.
0:30
Marcus Foligno's empty-netter completes Game 3 win for Wild
Marcus Foligno scores with under two minutes left to give the Wild a 5-2 win over the Golden Knights.
St. Louis Blues 7, Winnipeg Jets 2
WPG leads 2-1
St. Louis will not go quietly into the night. The Blues netted three goals in the first period -- including the first two of Pavel Buchnevich's hat trick -- and didn't look back. Buchnevich also tallied an assist, while Cam Fowler (one goal, four assists) and Robert Thomas (four assists) joined him in filling up the box score. Recap.
0:35
Pavel Buchnevich completes his hat trick for Blues
Pavel Buchnevich scores his third goal of the game for a hat trick to put the Blues up 4-1 over the Jets.
