NHL Games Today (May 5, 2025): Previews and Playoff Updates

The Stanley Cup Playoffs continue on Monday, May 5, 2025. In the only game scheduled today, the Eastern Conference second-round series opens with the Florida Panthers visiting the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena (Game 1, 8:00 p.m. ET)nhl.com. Toronto and Florida dominated the Atlantic Division during the regular season – together they held first place on 174 of 178 daysnhl.com – and now clash again just two years after their 2023 Round 2 meeting (a 5-game Florida series win)nhl.com. Both teams have hot offenses NHL Games Today: Toronto averaged over 3.5 goals per game, led by captain Auston Matthews (33 goals, 45 assists, 78 points in 2024‑25)espn.comespn.com, while Florida countered with star winger Matthew Tkachuk (brother of former Leafs’ winger Brady Tkachuk) and playmaker Aleksander Barkov. In fact, Leafs fans were already chanting “We want Florida!” during Toronto’s first-round win over Ottawaespn.com, knowing they would draw the defending-champion Panthers in Round 2 – a rematch the players themselves hardly view as the same series in 2023espn.com. (Toronto did beat Ottawa – and young Brady Tkachuk – in Game 7 of Round 1, only to immediately face Matthew Tkachuk and the Panthers nextespn.com.)

With first-round series decided, we can also set the rest of the playoff picture. In the West, St. Louis at Winnipeg resumes tonight in a decisive Game 7 (7 p.m. ET) – home team Winnipeg is a slight favoriteespn.com; the winner will take on the Dallas Stars, who rallied past Colorado in seven games (thanks to a 3-goal Game 7 by former Avs star Mikko Rantanen)espn.com. Meanwhile the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Edmonton Oilers series begins Tuesday (Game 1, in Las Vegas)espn.com; Edmonton is coming off a Stanley Cup Final appearance last year. On Tuesday the other semis open: Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington faces Carolina (both won Round 1 in five games)espn.com.

Maple Leafs vs. Panthers (East 2nd Round Game 1)

• Regular-season form: Toronto finished 52-26-4 (108 pts), Florida 47-31-4 (98 pts)nhl.com. In four regular-season meetings Florida won 3–1 (including a 3-1 victory on April 8)nhl.comespn.com. Toronto took only one of those games (an 8–2 win on Nov. 27) and went 1-3-0 against Florida overallespn.com. Florida enters on a hot streak: after losing five straight, they beat Toronto 3-1 in early Aprilespn.com and then rallied past Tampa Bay in five games to reach Round 2. Toronto won a hard-fought series over Ottawa in seven games, as star center John Tavares racked up 37 goals on the seasonespn.com.
• Injuries and lineup: Florida’s veteran center Aleksander Barkov (out 3 games with an upper-body injury) is back in the lineupespn.com. However, the Panthers also have concerns: forward Sam Bennett is out for the rest of the season (upper-body injury) and Matthew Tkachuk is still recovering from a lower-body injuryespn.com. Defenseman Aaron Ekblad is serving a suspension. On Toronto’s side, the lineup is healthy and deep; key returnees like defenseman Morgan Rielly and winger Mitchell Marner are all set. Toronto’s offense features Auston Matthews (78 points, 30th in NHL scoringespn.comespn.com), Mitch Marner and William Nylander (each with 72+ points), plus centers John Tavares and William Karlsson. Florida counters with Tkachuk (81 points), Barkov, and a strong defense led by Gus Forsling and MacKenzie Weegar. Both teams employ experienced coaches: Paul Maurice (Florida) vs. Craig Berube (Toronto).
• Matchups & keys: Florida’s style is built on a suffocating defense and veteran savvy. Last round they limited Tampa Bay to only 12 goals in 5 games (2-for-18 on the power play)nhl.com. Toronto’s challenge will be to crack that defense – it will be “up to Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares to find ways to solve the pressure and aggressiveness of the Florida defense”nhl.com. Special teams could decide early momentum: Toronto’s power play (27.0%, 2nd in NHL) vs. Florida’s penalty kill (86.7%, 6th in NHL). Toronto also has a slight road advantage in this series format: they won 27 road games this season (most in NHL)espn.com, showing they can handle tough environments. Florida, as back-to-back Cup finalists, knows how to win tight games, especially under goalie Sergei Bobrovsky (17 saves in the April win vs. Torontoespn.com) and on home ice.
• Key Players to Watch:
  • Toronto: Captain Auston Matthews (33G, 45A)espn.comespn.com, winger Mitch Marner, and center John Tavares (37 goals)espn.com. Veteran forward Zach Hyman and defenseman Morgan Rielly will also log big minutes.
  • Florida: Stars Matthew Tkachuk (82 points), Aleksander Barkov, and rising winger Sam Reinhart (75 points). Emerging defender Brandon Montour and veterans Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad anchor the blue line. Goalie Bobrovsky has been steady in net.
  (See Key Stats below for full league leaders.)
• Game Outlook: NHL Games TodayGame 1 is in Toronto, where the Leafs enjoyed home success (27-13-1). Florida is a slight underdog (Toronto -125) but those odds mainly reflect Florida’s missing pieces. The series winner advances to play either Washington or Carolina in the East Final. Whatever the outcome, this rematch renews a fierce rivalry: last meeting in Round 2 saw Florida win, and now Toronto’s veterans are eager for redemption.

Western Conference: Round 1 Climax & Upcoming Semifinals

• Jets vs. Blues (WCF, Game 7): Western Series 1 (Jets-Blues) goes to Game 7 tonight in Winnipegespn.com. The home team has won every game so far. Winnipeg (the No. 1 seed) is a -175 favorite for Game 7espn.com. The winner will face the Dallas Stars next round.
• Stars vs. Avalanche (WCF, Stars win): The Stars rallied to beat the Avalanche in 7 games. In Saturday’s Game 7, Dallas overcame a 2-0 deficit in the third period behind a hat trick from Mikko Rantanen (the former Avalanche star)espn.com. This upset denies Colorado a semifinal berth; Dallas moves on to face the Jets or Blues as the West’s No. 2 seed. (Notably, Stars coach Pete DeBoer will soon welcome back injured stars Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen for the next roundespn.com.)
• Vegas vs. Edmonton: The West’s second semifinal will be between the Golden Knights and Oilers. Game 1 is Tuesday in Las Vegas (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)espn.com. Edmonton, led by MVP Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, lost last year’s Final to Florida, so they are highly motivated. Vegas, the West’s top regular-season team, is co-favored to win that conference semifinal (Vegas +750 to win Cupespn.com).
• Washington vs. Carolina: In the East, Game 1 is Tuesday in Washington (7 p.m. ET). The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals (most regular-season points) take on the Carolina Hurricanesespn.com. Both teams were 5-game winners in Round 1, and this series is expected to be tightly contested.

No other NHL Games Today occur on May 5, but fans can follow NHL live scores and playoff updates on official sites (NHL.com, ESPN, Sportsnet) and apps throughout the day.

Key Standings & Contenders

• Final Regular-Season Standings: In the Atlantic Division, Toronto (108 pts) finished atop Tampa Bay (102) and Florida (98)espn.com. Winnipeg won the West; Dallas and Vegas also had over 110 points. These standings set home-ice advantages: Toronto and Winnipeg were the top seeds in their conferences.
• Stanley Cup Contenders: According to odds, the Florida Panthers are slight favorites to win the 2025 Cup (at +400)espn.com. Close behind are Carolina (+450) and Edmonton (+450)espn.com, reflecting their star talent and playoff success. The Dallas Stars (+500) and Vegas Golden Knights (+750) are the next-strongest picksespn.comespn.com. (Toronto’s Cup odds are +800espn.com.) Veteran players like Bobrovsky, Matthews and McDavid feature prominently in MVP (Conn Smythe) betting as well. In fact, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid – who won the Hart Trophy – is in the Conn Smythe futures list (+800)espn.com, underscoring his impact if the Oilers advance deep.
• League Scoring Leaders: Among NHL Games Today top scorers this season, Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov led with an astonishing 121 pointsstatmuse.com. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon had 116statmuse.com, followed by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (106)statmuse.com. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid finished with 100 pointsstatmuse.com, and Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor had 97. (Among playoff teams, Auston Matthews was the top Leaf with 78 pointsespn.comespn.com.)
  • Top NHL Scorers (2024-25 Regular Season):
    • Nikita Kucherov (TBL) – 121 pointsstatmuse.com
    • Nathan MacKinnon (COL) – 116 pointsstatmuse.com
    • Leon Draisaitl (EDM) – 106 pointsstatmuse.com
    • Connor McDavid (EDM) – 100 pointsstatmuse.com
    • David Pastrnak (BOS) – 106 points (for context, just behind Draisaitl).
    • Auston Matthews (TOR) – 78 pointsespn.comespn.com.

These stats underscore why players like McDavid, Matthews, and Tkachuk (79 points in the season) are key names to watch as the playoffs progress.

Injuries & News

• Florida Panthers: Injury updates are critical. Sam Bennett is done for the season, and Matthew Tkachuk (ribs) is still recoveringespn.com. Aaron Ekblad begins the playoffs under suspension (eligible after Game 2). This could limit Florida’s depth scoring early in the series.
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Toronto’s lineup is healthy. Captain John Tavares scored 37 goals in the regular season (including 1 vs. Florida on Apr 8espn.com) and is ready for Round 2. Defenseman Morgan Rielly and winger Mitchell Marner (new father) are all listed as available.
• Other notes: Across the league, top players are ready for Round 2 – for example, the Dallas Stars expect to have Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen back after missing Round 1espn.com. Meanwhile, it’s worth watching Winnipeg’s goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who had stellar numbers all season (and is even among Conn Smythe favorites at 30-1espn.com), as he tries to cap Game 7 at home.

Fans can check NHL standings and live playoff scores at NHL.com or ESPN. Stay tuned as the Stanley Cup Playoffs 2025 ramp up: today’s pivotal game and the series it starts may well shape the list of Stanley Cup contenders for 2025.

Sources: Official NHL and sports news outletsnhl.comespn.comespn.comstatmuse.com (ESPN, NHL.com, etc.).