The Montreal Canadiens hope to be in the NHL Playoffs for the first time since 2021. The 2021 run was remarkable, as they made a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Finals before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It'll take a miraculous run again in 2025, as if the Canadiens make the postseason, it'll be the last seed in the Eastern Conference. If they do grab that spot, a matchup with the Washington Capitals looms.
16 teams will qualify for the playoffs, while 16 teams will not. Eight teams from each conference, the Eastern Conference and Western Conference, will qualify. The first seeds in each division will face the two wild card teams, with the top point-getter getting the lower-seed wild card team. Meanwhile, the division's second and third place teams will face off.
When do the NHL Playoffs start?
The NHL regular season ends Thursday April 17, 2025. The playoffs probably start Saturday April 19. The last possible day for the playoffs is June 23, which is a day earlier than last season. It gives the general managers an all-important extra day before the draft and free agency.
There will be four rounds of the playoffs: the first round, the second round, the Conference Finals, and the Stanley Cup Finals. There is a best-of-seven format in each round. Details on the playoff format can be foundhere, via nhl.com. The playoffs will continue to run through the end of April, all of May, and much of June. The last possible day for the playoffs to end is June 24.
Last season saw the Florida Panthers defeat the Edmonton Oilers in seven games in the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers were up 3-0 in the series, before the Oilers battled back to make things interesting. They couldn't finish the job, as the Panthers dominated in Game 7.