The Penguins are playing postseason hockey right now—a sentence that would have seemed improbable to most people at the start of the season. With a first-year head coach, an aging core, and outside expectations low, Pittsburgh entered the year with little national belief. Inside the room, though, belief never wavered. If you followed the team closely, you knew this group thought differently.

While the Pacific Division has turned into a self-proclaimed "pillow fight," the teams in the Eastern Conference continue to battle for position as the race for the NHL playoffs heats up. Both the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions remain tightly contested, with teams fighting to come out on top while others push to make the final cut.

With the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs just getting underway this past weekend, everyone is chiming in with their predictions and thoughts about the first round matchups and which team they think is going to take home the ultimate prize this season: the Stanley Cup.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: the NHL playoffs are back! The quest for the cup starts on Saturday, April 19, with the St. Louis Blues taking on the Winnipeg Jets, and the Colorado Avalanche taking on the Dallas Stars.