The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin on Saturday, Apr. 18.
After winning two Stanley Cup championships in a row, the Florida Panthers are not going to be in the playoffs this season. Florida lost their captain, Aleksander Barkov, early in the season from a knee injury and his absence was felt throughout the team.
This season, some teams find themselves in unfamiliar territory. In the Western Conference, the Utah Mammoth are in the playoffs in just their second season since moving from Arizona. In the Eastern Conference, the Buffalo Sabres are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. This season, they have been arguably the biggest surprise; last season, they finished near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
In an interview with the media after a game, Edmonton Oilers Captain Connor McDavid said, “We’re fortunate to play in this [Pacific] division; it’s a bit of a pillow fight right now. That being said, we need to find a way to win some games here on the road.” This followed a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 21.
Despite that loss, the Oilers didn’t lose any ground in the playoff race. It will be interesting to see how teams in the Pacific Division play against teams in the Central Division later in the playoffs.
The Central Division is stacked with talented teams, one of them is the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs clinched the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s best team by record. Since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks, there hasn’t been a team to win both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup.
Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon is one of the only two players to score over 50 goals this season. The other is the Montreal Canadiens’ Cole Caufield. MacKinnon has always been in the conversation of who the best player in the league is along with Connor McDavid, and Nikita Kucherov, but Cole Caufield has made quite a name for himself this season. Previously, the 25-year-old right winger has only produced a career-high 37 goals.
Western Conference
Colorado Avalanche vs. Los Angeles Kings | Colorado wins, 5 games
The Colorado Avalanche was statistically the best team this season, scoring the most goals and allowing the least. They are expecting to do a lot of damage in the post season. The Kings are one of the weaker teams in the playoffs.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild | Dallas wins, 7 games
These teams are absolutely loaded with talent. The Wild have star defenseman Quinn Hughes, and Kirill Kaprisov who just signed as the highest-paid player in the league. The Stars have home ice advantage which is huge in a series like this. Because they split their season series two games to two, this series has a good chance of going seven games.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Utah Mammoth | Vegas wins, 6 games
The Utah Mammoth has been a bit of a surprise this season, making the playoffs in just their second season since moving from Arizona. They are a young, exciting team that will be dangerous in the future, but Vegas has more playoff experience. Also, The Golden Knights are 7-0-1 under their new Head Coach John Tortorella.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Anaheim Ducks | Anaheim wins, 7 games
Every time the Oilers make the playoffs, one question continues to come up: goaltending. All three goalies are currently under the league average save percentage, and Tristan Jarry — who has played the most games this season — is above the average goals against. Connor McDavid can only do so much, and it might not be enough.
Eastern Conference
Carolina Hurricanes vs. Ottawa Senators | Carolina wins, 6 games
The Carolina Hurricanes are looking to get past the Eastern Conference Final, but they have to get through two teams first. The Ottawa Senators are going to present quite a challenge despite being in the second wildcard spot. The Senators rank 3rd in the NHL in terms of hits and they will make it known in this series. The Hurricanes rank 2nd in the league in terms of shots and goals.
Buffalo Sabres vs. Boston Bruins | Buffalo wins, 6 games
The Sabres have been the biggest surprise this season and they’re looking to continue their run heading into the playoffs. They improved by 30 points from last year and ended up leading the Atlantic Division. Their opponent, the Boston Bruins are another one of the weaker teams in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montréal Canadiens | Tampa Bay wins, 6 games
Montréal has an elite goal scorer in Cole Caufield, but the Lightning have Nikita Kucherov who produced 130 points in 79 games, averaging 1.64 points per game. He has the opportunity to do a lot of damage against the Canadiens, as well as other teams. The Lightning are expecting a deep playoff run this year.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers | Pittsburgh wins, 6 games
The Penguins are looking for one last run with their aging core. The team’s playoff experience will be showcased early in this series, juxtaposing the Flyers’ inexperience.
