Most anticipated matchups of the Stanley Cup playoffs

This series is certain to be an exciting one with no love lost between the provincial foes. It also features plenty of stars, like Toronto's Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, and Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Jake Sanderson.

It's sure to be a physical series as well; both teams are in the top ten in hits (Ottawa ranks fourth and Toronto ranks eighth). It could also feature a fantastic goaltending duel: Linus Ullmark (.910 save percentage) versus Anthony Stolarz (.926 save percentage).

Regular season head-to-head: Ottawa over Toronto 3 games to 0.

Fourth time's a charm: Los Angeles Kings vs. Edmonton Oilers

The Kings and Oilers will meet in the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Edmonton has had Los Angeles' number in the past three meetings, winning each time, in seven, six and five games, respectively. 

Like the Battle of Ontario, these two division rivals share plenty of animosity. 2024's Game 3 matchup saw 82 penalty minutes in the third period. Similarly, this season, the two teams' April 14 game had a combined 69 penalty minutes, 53 of those coming from Edmonton, including this major from Darnell Nurse:

During an intermission interview, Kings forward Phillip Danault further stoked the fire by accusing the Oilers players of trying to injure him and his teammates.

With all this, it's sure to be an intense playoff series.

Regular season head-to-head: Los Angeles over Edmonton 3 games to 1.

The Battle of Florida: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers

Since 2019, the Panthers and Lightning have been two of the most successful teams in the league, ranking sixth and seventh in points, respectively, and winning three Stanley Cups (Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, Florida in 2024).

The two teams will meet for the third time in five seasons: they faced off in the 2021 playoffs for the first time ever, with Tampa Bay winning the series in six games; in the 2022 second round, the Lightning swept the Panthers, and, last season, in the first round, Florida won the series in five games.

The Lightning's incredible forward core includes Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov (121 points), Brandon Hagel (32 even-strength goals, seventh most), Brayden Point (42 goals, sixth most) and Jake Guentzel (41 goals, seventh most). They also have former Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (.921 save percentage, second highest).

The Panthers will counter with former Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov along with three of the best pests in the game: Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand.

Regular season head-to-head: tied at 2 games apiece