NHL Playoffs Round-Up: Panthers and Leafs Close in on Series Wins, Wild and Blues Hit Back at Home
SportsRation presents NHL Playoffs Round-Up as Panthers and Leafs Close in on Series Wins, Wild and Blues Hit Back at Home.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Panthers 2, Lightning 0
East 1st Round – Game 2 | Florida leads series 2-0
The Florida Panthers tightened their grip on the series with a strong defensive display, blanking the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on the road. Nate Schmidt’s powerful slapshot in the first period gave the Panthers an early lead, and they never looked back. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped all 19 shots he faced to record a shutout, while Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy made 21 saves but couldn’t prevent the loss. The Panthers now head home with a 2-0 lead.
Maple Leafs 3, Senators 2 (OT)
East 1st Round – Game 3 | Toronto leads series 3-0
Simon Benoit was the overtime hero as the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Ottawa Senators 3-2 to take a commanding 3-0 series lead. Auston Matthews starred again with a goal and an assist, and Matthew Knies also chipped in with a goal and finished +2 on the night. Ottawa’s Claude Giroux put in a strong effort with a goal and an assist, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Leafs from snatching another win.
Friday, April 25, 2025
Wild 5, Golden Knights 2
West 1st Round – Game 3 | Minnesota leads series 2-1
The Minnesota Wild bounced back with a convincing 5-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights at home to take a 2-1 series lead. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, and Matt Boldy added a goal and an assist despite finishing with a -1 rating. Goalie Filip Gustavsson stood tall with 30 saves and a .938 save percentage. Marcus Foligno sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the closing moments.
Blues 7, Jets 2
West 1st Round – Game 3 | Winnipeg leads series 2-1
Pavel Buchnevich lit up Game 3 with a stunning hat trick and an assist to inspire the St. Louis Blues to a 7-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Cam Fowler was equally brilliant with a goal and four assists, while Robert Thomas added four assists of his own. The Blues dominated the final period, scoring four times to cut the Jets’ series lead to 2-1.
