The opening round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs concluded with a pair of dramatic Game 7 contests held this past weekend. On Sunday night, the Winnipeg Jets secured a thrilling 4-3 double-overtime victory over the St. Louis Blues. Winnipeg forced the extra period in spectacular fashion, scoring a goal with just three seconds remaining in regulation.
Earlier, on Saturday, the Dallas Stars completed a 4-2 comeback win to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche. This victory featured a notable performance from Mikko Rantanen, who notched a third-period hat trick against his former team.
Recapping the Jets` remarkable win, they trailed by two goals twice during the game: first, a 2-0 deficit in the initial period, and later, falling behind 3-1 with only two minutes left on the clock. Vladislav Namestnikov narrowed the gap to 3-2 with 1:56 remaining, followed by Cole Perfetti`s incredible tying goal with just three seconds left, pushing the game to sudden death. The overtime period itself was lengthy, lasting over 36 minutes before Adam Lowry redirected a shot from Neal Pionk to end the game, making it the third-longest Game 7 in NHL history.
In the other classic Game 7 of the weekend, the Dallas Stars were trailing the Avalanche 2-0 in the third period. Mikko Rantanen sparked the comeback by scoring two goals to tie the game. He then assisted on Wyatt Johnston`s game-winning goal, scored with less than four minutes left in regulation. Rantanen capped off his dominant performance and sealed the 4-2 win with an empty-net goal to complete his hat trick.
Looking ahead, the second round is scheduled to begin Monday night. The reigning champion Florida Panthers will start their series on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Canada, which hasn`t had a team raise the Stanley Cup since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, began these playoffs with five teams but is now down to three: Toronto, Winnipeg, and last season`s runner-up, Edmonton.
Second Round Matchups
- (1) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (3) Florida Panthers
- (1) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Carolina Hurricanes
- (1) Winnipeg Jets vs. (2) Dallas Stars
- (1) Vegas Golden Knights vs. (3) Edmonton Oilers
