As a service to fans who have a general interest in the National Hockey League but have no idea what has happened since the Florida Panthers raised the Stanley Cup by defeating the Edmonton Oilers last June,

Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to get underway on Saturday with the top 16 teams in the league set to compete to hoist Lord Stanley's Cup. Expectations surrounding the various Cup contenders are different on a team-by-team basis,

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin Saturday with two matchups in the Western Conference First Round, beginning with Game 1 between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues at 6 p.m. ET followed by the series opener between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche at 8:30 p.m. ET.