With the 2024/2025 NHL season coming to an end and the Stanley Cup finals starting up, I as an avid hockey fan obviously made my bracket. So, come with me to recap how my predictions compare to what has really happened and what I think the rest of the playoffs will look like.

Starting with my predictions…In the first round I predicted that the Winnipeg Jets would defeat the St. Louis Blues, the Dallas Stars would beat the Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild would beat the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Edmonton Oilers would take down the Los Angeles Kings. Over in the Eastern Conference, I picked the Ottawa Senators over the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Florida Panthers over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Washington Capitals over the Montreal Canadians, and finally the Carolina Hurricanes over the New Jersey Devils. For the second round I predicted Winnipeg defeating Dallas, Edmonton over Minnesota, Florida over Ottawa, and Washington over Carolina. In the Conference Finals I predicted Winnipeg to beat Edmonton in the West, and in the East I had Florida over Washington. For the final round I had the Winnipeg Jets beating the Florida Panthers and becoming the 2025 Stanley Cup Champions.

Now for what really happened, and let me tell you I was pretty wrong…In the first round the Winnipeg Jets did indeed defeat the St. Louis Blues in a tight seven game series, the Dallas stars also defeated the Colorado Avalanche in seven games. We were off to a great start, until the Minnesota Wild were defeated by the Vegas Golden Knights. However, we got back on track when Edmonton beat the LA Kings! Then we got derailed again when Toronto beat Ottawa in six games. Florida met my expectations and beat Tampa Bay in five games. The Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadians in five games (but not without a HUGE brawl in game three), and the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the New Jersey Devils, where both matched my bracket. In the second round, my bracket may as well have been a joke, as the Dallas Stars eliminated the Winnipeg Jets (my predicted champions) in six games. Edmonton moved forward, which aligned with my bracket, as well as the Panthers defeating the Maple Leafs. However, the Capitals did lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games. That makes my record 6/8 series predicted correctly in the first round and 2/4 predicted correctly in the second round.

In the Eastern Conference Final, the Florida Panthers are facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes. This series is still going on at the time I’m writing this but Florida currently leads this series by three games to one and has been dominant overall. The Panthers have been winning most of those games by a landslide, yet somehow Carolina managed to force a game five, although the Panthers remain in control. Over in the Western Conference final, the Edmonton Oilers are battling the Dallas Stars. Edmonton currently holds a two to one game lead. Dallas did manage to take game three and has room to take back the series (which I hope they do because I can’t stand the Oilers) setting the stage for a potential six or seven game series.

Statistically speaking, at the time I’m writing this, the most likely Stanley Cup Final matchup is a repeat of last year with the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. Florida’s consistent playoff experience and solid roster depth make them the favorite in the East. In the West, Edmonton’s star power, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, may prove too much for Dallas if the Oilers continue their current form. My predicted outcome at this stage is Dallas defeating Edmonton (because I literally can’t stand the Oilers or Connor McDavid even though he’s pretty exceptional) against the Florida Panthers, with Dallas taking the Cup (because that would make me the happiest and obviously that’s what’s most important).

While my original bracket had some key issues, especially with Winnipeg making it to the final, my predictions were pretty good overall, particularly in the Eastern Conference. With the Panthers closing in on a return to the Final and Edmonton (unfortunately) thriving, fans are guaranteed an exciting conclusion to an already entertaining playoff run.