The Montreal Canadiens’ postseason run came to an early end in the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs as they were downed by the Washington Capitals after a 4-1 series defeat. For Montreal, it marks the end of a gutsy campaign for a team that barely scraped its way into the playoffs, eventually securing its spot as the final seed in the Eastern Conference. But despite moments of brilliance, the Bell Centre side struggled to match the Capitals’ firepower and were duly swept aside.
Heading into the playoffs, there was hope that the record 24-time champions could muster up a fairytale run like they did four years ago. Back in 2021, they defied their lowly seeding to upset the Maple Leafs, Jets, and Golden Knights to reach a first Stanley Cup Finals since 1993. Unfortunately, though, that run would end in heartbreak at the hands of the Lightning, and there was to be no Cinderella story in 2025.
Canadiens Bow Out
Game 5 between Montreal and Washington encapsulated the series’ overall narrative. The Capitals struck early, with Ovechkin leading the way with a power-play goal off a faceoff, igniting chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” from the home crowd, just as he has throughout his stellar record-breaking campaign. Just minutes later, Pierre-Luc Dubois’ perfect assist to Jakob Chychrun doubled the lead, leaving the Canadiens in the trenches early.
The hosts’ relentless pace and offensive efficiency kept Montréal pinned down, while their goaltender, Logan Thompson, turned away multiple high-danger chances to keep his side in the contest. Montreal found the back of the net once in the third period through Emil Heineman, but it was too little, too late.
For the Canadiens, injuries to key players like goalie Sam Montembeault and forward Patrik Laine compounded their struggles. Without their star performers, their youthful lineup lacked finishing ability against an experienced Washington outfit led by the greatest goalscorer in NHL history. Still, head coach Martin St. Louis praised his team’s effort, saying, “We can walk out of here with our head held high.”
That much is certainly true. For the Canadiens, expectations were low, and their season was already considered a success in simply reaching the postseason and snapping a three-year playoff drought. But even so, their run has now come to an end, and here are the teams that the bookmakers consider the favourites to go all the way this season.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars enter the second round as the current favourites with online hockey odds providers to win it all, and for good reason. Having survived a nail-biting Game 7 against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets, the latest hockey odds price the Lone Star State outfit as the +450 frontrunners, primarily thanks to a stacked roster that appears primed and ready for success. Led by the offensive brilliance of Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski, Dallas excels at playing a methodical, physical brand of hockey, and that could prove to be just the tonic when it comes to Stanley Cup glory.
In addition to the blistering firepower in attack, Jake Oettinger’s stellar performances between the pipes make the favourites a tough team to beat. The young goaltender has proven to be a difference-maker in tight games, consistently frustrating opponents with his composure under pressure. Even on the off chance his frontline misfires, the 26-year-old could still dig his team out of a hole, and that will be crucial between now and the finals.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes boast not only depth but momentum, following their dominant first-round performance against the Devils. They enter their matchup against the Capitals as slight favourites to advance, as well as being the +500 second favourites to lift the trophy. Riding high on contributions from big-game players like Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, the Raleigh-based side certainly had plenty in their own attacking arsenal.
Defensively, Carolina is a fortress. Goaltender Frederik Andersen locks down the crease arguably better than anyone else in the league, while in front of him, his defence presents one of the best penalty-kill units in the game today. If they can neutralize Ovechkin’s scoring touch, they stand an excellent chance of making it to the Conference Finals.
Edmonton Oilers
Last season, the Edmonton Oilers were considered the overwhelming favourites to emerge with the Stanley Cup for the first time since the days of Wayne Gretzky. Ultimately, that didn’t come to fruition, and now they have to settle for a spot as the +550 third favourite, rather than an outright frontrunner. Featuring arguably the two best players in the world, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they are never out of contention, and if those two are on song, then there remains plenty of hope.
Their superstar duo combined for numerous highlight-reel moments in their first-round series victory over the Kings, but they know that the pressure is on to finally end their 35-year championship wait. Few teams can match the offensive firepower of McDavid and Draisaitl operating in sync, but the Oilers do have defensive vulnerabilities. They’ll need consistent goaltending from Stuart Skinner and support from their depth players to survive a tough second-round matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.