Stanley Cup Playoffs Report: Round 1
It’s finally here! The greatest and best round of any sport is the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Just like the first round of March Madness in College Basketball, the Stanley Cup Playoffs always starts off with a bang, and this year is no exception! With lots of series not getting decided until the last few games of the regular season. Detroit, Washington, Pittsburg, and Philadelphia are all going for the last wild card spot. Detroit won in spectacular fashion on Monday night, coming back from 4–1 down in the second period to win in overtime over Montreal. Pittsburg also won on Monday, keeping their slim playoff hopes alive. Philadelphia has to hope that everyone loses and if Detroit wins and the Capitals lose to the Flyers they are in. So lots of things are still to be decided.
Updated from Tuesday! What an amazing ending to the Washington Capitals clinching the last playoff spot! Philly pulled their goalie, not knowing that the Redwings had already clinched a playoff spot, and then Tj Oshie scored an empty net goal to clinch it!
Eastern Conference
New York Islanders vs Carolina Hurricanes
So we do know this series is set and ready to go and will probably be another low scoring affair and a potential snooze fest. That being said the Islanders have to hope for some amazing goaltending from Ilya Sorokin or else this could be a short series. Trying to contain the fire power that the Hurricanes have will be next to impossible if Sorokin doesn’t stand on his head. I think overall the Islanders won’t be able to stop the Canes from imposing their will on them. From past experience alone they have been passive when it comes to the Islanders and have to be more aggressive to make this a short series. If not, the longer this series goes the better chance the Islanders have.
Carolina in Six
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Boston Bruins
It’s official as of Tuesday that Toronto will face a familiar foe in the Bosoton Bruins. This will be a great opportunity for the Leafs to finally exercise some demons and get the best of the Bruins. This will be another hard series, and most likely it goes long. The Bruins have the advantage in almost every aspect of this series. What they are pretty even in is scoring. Austin Matthews is the x factor for Leafs and has to be the best player on both teams for the Leafs to win this series. Anyway you look at it this should be a great series.
Leafs in Seven
Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers
The Capitals made to the playoffs with largest goal differential ever at -37. I would imagine that the Rangers will be smiling from ear to ear with this matchup. Washington’s only hope is if they find a way to get into their heads right away (like winning game one). It’s really their only hope against the President trophy winners.
Rangers in Four
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers
A marquee matchup that could be really close or could be the Panthers steam rolling the Lightning. Both goalies (if they play well) could have a battle for the ages. I think the biggest difference here is Tampa is thin on D. If the Panthers can overwhelm their defense and get timely saves they should be able to win this series.
Panthers in Six
Western Conference
Colorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg Jets
The Avalanche have had one of the most impressive teams in a while. So explosive on offence with Nathan Mckinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar. Their defence however has not been as impressive and that mabye their downfall. The play of Alexander Georgiev has been average at best and that will need to change playing a Jets team that has the ability to shut down the high power offence that the Avs have. The last meeting between these two teams was a drubbing by the Jets 7–0 was the final. Now the Avs will be a different team in the Playoffs but Winnipeg has won every meeting this year and you know they want to have a better showing than last year against Vegas. Colorado will have to hope for great goaltending and that the Jets can’t contain their first line or they might be golfing in early May.
Jets in Six
Nashville Predators vs Vancouver Canucks
After not being allowed to go the Sphere U2 Performance the Predators have been on fire. It was a come together moment for the team and turned their season around. Now they’re in tough against the Canucks. Filip Forsberg had an amazing year with ninty four points and thirty two of those points coming on the power play. Roman Josi and Juuse Saros also had great years and will be a difficult matchup for the Canucks. Great teams always find a way to impose their will on other teams. The Canucks have to do this otherwise they might get bogged down in Nashville’s system. The usual suspects on Vancouver have to be big. Miller, Hughes, Boeser and Demko. But it’s always the third or fourth lines that make the difference. I still think this series will be close but that the Canucks take it.
Canucks in Six
Vegas Golden Knights vs Dallas Stars
Another heavy weight bout that will likely go the distance. Because of the last game of the season, the Knights play the Stars. I would imagine that the Stars would’ve rather played the Kings, but thems the breaks. Dallas has the advantage by a slight margin. Jamie Benn is a big reason for that. Jake Oettinger will need to be amazing as the Knights have so much fire power in Jack Eichel, Johnathan Marchessault, and William Karlsson. Both teams have a great transitional game so this series will be really close.
Dallas in Seven
Los Angles Kings vs Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers can score lots of goals and be as fast as any team in the NHL. One hundred assits by Connor McDavid and over fifty goals by Zach Hyman is just the tip of the iceberg of what this team capable of. What they have struggled with for a while now is positioning in the defensive zone and if they can get solid goaltending from Stewart Skinner. If all that comes together then this should be a pretty easy series for the Oilers who won the season series against the Kings. For the Kings, they would have to contain one of the best powerplays in the league. On top of that they would have to find a way to score more goals than the Oilers. The Kings have some amazing playoff veterans like Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar. But honestly, if the Oilers play their game then the Kings won’t put up much of a fight.
Oilers in Five
So that’s the first round predictions in the books. The second round will be done from France. Good luck to all your teams who are in the first round.
