Canadian hockey fans are riding high this season. Earlier this year, they stunned the United States to lift the Four Nations Playoff trophy. It was a stunning display of grit and determination to upset the mighty American team and win the multi-nation tournament. As if that wasn’t enough, the Canadian teams are also having a dream run in the NHL this season. As a result, they created a unique first that hasn’t been achieved in the past 21 years in the league.
With the first round of playoff ties done and dusted, there remain three Canadian teams in the final eight of the Stanley Cup. This is the first time since 2004 that such a scenario has occurred, which shows the growing dominance of the Canadian teams in the NHL. To begin with, the Maple Leafs defeated the Senators 4-2 to enter the second round. Elsewhere, the Winnipeg Jets went past St. Louis in a thrilling tie 4-3, and the Oilers stunned the LA Kings 4-2 to make it three Canadian teams in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup.
For the first time since 2004 there are 3 Canadian teams in the final 8.
— David Amber (@DavidAmber) May 5, 2025
Interestingly, last season, only two Canadian teams made it to the last eight, the Oilers and the Canucks. Canadian fans would have to go over 2 decades back to 2004, when they had three teams in the second round: the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Montreal Canadiens, and the Calgary Flames. Thus, after a long period, we are seeing teams from Canada starting to assert themselves more in the NHL playoffs.
As if this wasn’t enough, America’s Stanley Cup streak has also been put in danger. For the past 32 seasons, an American team has lifted the Stanley Cup, and the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Canadiens in 1993. This season, the chance of a Canadian team winning the NHL is 36%, according to MoneyPuck.com. Further, the Maple Leafs are the best-placed team to lift the trophy according to the latest odds, with a 13.9% chance of winning.
However, the side from Toronto faces an uphill task, as they will be up against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Ahead of their clash, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube made a confident admission on his team’s chances.
Maple Leafs not intimidated by Panthers’ NHL postseason supremacy
Last year, the Panthers defeated the Oilers to lift the Stanley Cup trophy in a thrilling fashion. Additionally, many pundits are betting on the Panthers to defend their title, and they have the highest odds of winning at 16.3%. Despite these facts, the Maple Leafs aren’t intimidated by their opponent’s supremacy, and their coach made a confident admission.
He said, “They play a hard game, I agree. They forecheck hard, they’re physical, they’re in your face the whole game. I don’t necessarily think it’s mean … We’re a physical team too. And we have to be physical ourselves. We have to initiate as much as possible. You’re going to get banged around and they’re going to come at you and they’re going to hit you, and that’s just part of it.”
Even before the start of the tie, Berube has promised to give it back to the Panthers in their own style. Thus, it would be an exciting tie to watch for the fans, with a lot of action and pride at stake.
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