Stanley Cup Playoffs: Can Canadiens, Devils or Oilers Fight Back in Game 3?

As the first-round series of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs move to the home grounds of the underdogs, some teams are already close to being knocked out.

The Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, and Edmonton Oilers are all 2-0 down heading into Friday’s matches. History shows how important Game 3 can be – teams that go 2-0 up have won the series 86% of the time, and if they go 3-0 up, that rises to 98%.

Here’s a look at the key matchups:

Washington Capitals vs Montreal Canadiens
Game 3 (Capitals lead 2-0) | 7 p.m. ET | TNT

The Capitals have a strange record: they are the only NHL team with a losing record (4-6) after going 2-0 up in a series.

Goalkeeper Logan Thompson has been brilliant for Washington, saving 95.1% of shots and allowing just 1.47 goals per game. In Game 2, he stopped all 14 shots in the final period to keep the lead safe.

Connor McMichael scored twice for the Capitals in Game 2 – his first career game with more than one goal.

The Canadiens have had goals from Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Christian Dvorak. Goalkeeper Sam Montembeault has also played well, saving 92.1% of shots and allowing just 2.49 goals per game.

Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils
Game 3 (Hurricanes lead 2-0) | 8 p.m. ET | TBS

The Hurricanes have a strong record – they have taken a 2-0 lead in their last five first-round series.

Goalkeeper Frederik Andersen made 25 saves in Game 2, bringing him close to the franchise record for playoff wins.

Seth Jarvis scored his 14th playoff goal, tying Sebastian Aho for the most goals by a player aged 23 or under in team history.

The Devils missed Luke Hughes and Brenden Dillon in Game 2 due to injury. Goalkeeper Jacob Markstrom has performed well, saving 93% of the shots he faced despite the two losses.

Los Angeles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers
Game 3 (Kings lead 2-0) | 10 p.m. ET | TNT

The Kings are in a strong position, as they have won 7 out of 8 series after going 2-0 up in the past.

Their power play is working wonders – they have scored a power-play goal in seven straight games, and are 5-for-10 in this series. They scored six goals in each of the first two games, something last done by the 2014 Sharks.

Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar each had four points in Game 2, the first Kings duo to do so in a playoff game since Wayne Gretzky and Paul Coffey in 1992.

Oilers goalkeeper Stuart Skinner struggled, letting in five goals in Game 2 before being taken off. However, the Oilers’ stars like Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl have been scoring – but they need more from the rest of the team.

Top Three Players on Thursday Night

1. Pavel Buchnevich (St. Louis Blues) – Scored a hat-trick and got an assist in a 7-2 win over Winnipeg.

2. Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota Wild) – Scored two power-play goals against the Vegas Golden Knights.

3. Nate Schmidt (Florida Panthers) – Scored a game-winning goal for the second straight game.

Thursday’s Results

• Florida Panthers 2-0 Tampa Bay Lightning (Panthers lead 2-0)
  Nate Schmidt scored again and Sergei Bobrovsky kept a clean sheet. However, Brandon Hagel’s hit on Aleksander Barkov led to a major penalty and Barkov left the game.

• Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 Ottawa Senators (Overtime) (Maple Leafs lead 3-0)
  Simon Benoit scored the winner in overtime as the Leafs edged closer to a series sweep.

• Minnesota Wild 5-2 Vegas Golden Knights (Wild lead 2-1)
  The Wild continued their strong form with Kirill Kaprizov scoring twice.

• St. Louis Blues 7-2 Winnipeg Jets (Jets lead 2-1)
  The Blues fought back strongly with Buchnevich scoring three goals and helping with another.