Updated 2025 NHL Playoff clip, schedule and top highlights from April 28th

Monday was a lighter table in the Stanley Cup 2025 playoffs with just two games in the first round, but there was a lot on the line.

In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers had the opportunity to take full control over their series against Tampa Bay Lightning by taking care of the business at home in game 4. A victory would mean a 3-1 series, while a loss would mean that everything had returned to Tampa Bay.

In the Western Conference, the back and forth series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars reached a big turning point with game 5 after the two teams shared the first four competitions.

Here is a look at how everything unfolds.

Game 4: Florida Panthers Def. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-2 (Florida leads 3-1)

Game 5: Dallas Stars Def. Colorado Avalanche, 6-2 (Dallas leads 3-2)

Game 5: Ottawa senatorers at Toronto Maple Leafs (Toronto Leads 3-1), 7 p.m.

Game 5: New Jersey Devils in Carolina Hurricanes (Carolina runs 3-1), 7:30 p.m.

Game 5: Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights (series 2-2), 9:30 p.m.

Game 5: Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings (series bound 2-2), 10 p.m.

What difference can do 11 seconds.

It seemed as if the Lightning even entered their series against the Panthers in two games each against the Panthers when they took the lead in the third period 2-1, and benefited from an offside call that had extinguished Florida's compensation outside the board.

And then chaos broke out.

Aaron Ekblad achieved the binding goal with less than four minutes before Seth Jones took the back of the network for 11 seconds later.

Carter Veraeghe put the game on ice with an empties from there, and the sudden swing put the flash on the edge of the elimination.

Goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 of the 20 shots with which he was faced with the Panthers, despite the gates of Tampa Bay from Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak in striking distance.

This put the stage for the dramatic finish and a night that the amount of Florida will not forget so quickly.

In the second game of the day there was far less drama.

Dallas wasted no time to set the tone with a Wyatt Johnston goal within the first 10 seconds. There was never the lead, which was expanded to 2-0 and 3: 0 after Thomas Harley's first goal when Mikko Rantannen found the back of the network at the beginning of the second period.

Colorado fought back with the next two goals (Arturi Lehkonen and Nathan Mackinnon), just so that the stars could answer in the second half with the gates of Johnston and Mason Marchment.

The 5: 2 point number held a large part of the third period until Roope Hintz added the exclamation mark.

While there was no shortage of offensive fireworks in the competition, the goalkeeper from Dallas Jake Oettinger stood strong for most of the game and turned away 27 of the 29 shots with which he was exposed. His presence was particularly important in the third phase when the home team protected his leadership.

Now the stars in game 6 will complete the series on the street on Thursday.