Open Extended ReactionsThe Stanley Cup playoffs can teach us something, whether it's in success or in failure. Here are eight hard lessons from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs through Monday night's action. There's a reason the Stanley Cup is safe inside the Hockey Hall of Fame: There's no chance of anyone in Toronto ever lifting it. When you think of a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, what score do you imagine? Only eight teams that finished first overall in the NHL since 1986 have gone on to win the Stanley Cup.