The Florida Panthers will get to defend their crown. By virtue of the Toronto Maple Leafs beating the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, the Panthers officially punched their ticket to the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This marks the sixth straight trip to the postseason for the Panthers.

The regular season has seen the stirring chase by Washington’s Alex Ovechkin to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL scoring record, a mark that has stood for 31 years and many thought would never be broken. The Capitals have also been one of the best teams in the league, vying with Winnipeg, Dallas and others for the Presidents’ Trophy.

The Florida Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Thanks to losses by the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Florida’s magic number shrunk to zero. This marks the sixth straight year Florida has qualified for the postseason,