The best that can be said of them is that the Kings found ways to win: While their divisional rivals flailed about trying to qualify for the postseason, Los Angeles won four straight critical games in regulation down the stretch. Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Penguins crossed the finish line as a playoff team. Bring on the intensity, the heart-stopping drama and the sheer excitement. Colorado's will have less pressure to produce given their second unit is anchored by a guy named Nazem Kadri, who's coming off an 87-point regular season and is averaging a point per game in the playoffs. How they got here: Defeated Nashville Predators 4-0, defeated St. Louis Blues 4-2. Player to watch: Miro Heiskanen. USA TODAY Sports' NHL staffers make their predictions for the second round: Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues Jimmy Hascup: Avalanche in six. He is the Russian Machine, and seeing him play in the first round would not be a surprise, although coach Peter Laviolette said that Ovechkin would not have been able to play had the playoffs started last week. Lawrence-Riddell: Flames in seven Arda cal: Lightning in six This version of Toronto can contend with any team it will face in the playoffs -- but only if the Leafs actually show up as their best selves. Chandan: Flames in six Ferraro: Avalanche in six Ferraro: Flames in seven The Avalanche will require all hands on deck to keep pace with Edmonton. The Lightning had some bumpier stretches in the season's second half. Toronto Maple Leafs. Shilton: Hurricanes in six The Wild's penalty kill is bottom 10 in the league, and their power play sits somewhere in the middle. Bold prediction: The Stars take a powerhouse first-round opponent to seven games. They aren't going to wilt if the Rangers control the tempo. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. But even he was upstaged this postseason by his adorable infant daughter, Maisie. New Jersey Devils (MP) 6. Bold prediction: Nashville shocks the hockey world by going from wild-card entrant to Western Conference finalist. Mika Zibanejad led the way with three points. Carolina Hurricanes 3. They rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits to defeat the Hurricanes. We've already discussed Kuemper. They are firing on all cylinders. Messier: Rangers in six 12:50 PM. Colorado has given up the third-fewest goals against per game (2.70) among remaining playoff teams, and its power play is operating at a crisp 34.5% (best in show throughout the postseason). The NHL offseason formally begins with the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, starting with Thursday's first round (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).. That can't happen again. Levy: Rangers in seven The Panthers repeatedly fell into multiple-goal deficits they were able to erase because, well, see above. For the first time since 1991, the Flames and Oilers meet up in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Minnesota has been scorching hot since mid-March, going 19-2-3 since March 16, entering the playoffs with a hard-earned swagger. The Rangers still aren't an impressive five-on-five team, relying on Shesterkin to bail them out at even strength, which he has. But it'll also take continued contributions from players like Andrew Copp (12 points), Ryan Strome (9) and Frank Vatrano (8); and further damage done by the Rangers' "Kid Line" of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. But right around the trade deadline, the Rangers' play started to pick up and continued to trend upward through the final month of the season under first-year coach Gerard Gallant. Again, the Oilers stayed calm, and refocused. Bold prediction: Shesterkin pitches two shutouts in the opening round as the Rangers advance. Cohn: Rangers in seven He relieves pressure in Edmonton's end, makes smart plays up the ice and is a natural leader from whom few words are required -- but there's no doubt Keith has a "big voice" in the Oilers' room, according to teammates. The Lightning have great depth down the middle of the ice with Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli, electric scoring potential in Nikita Kucherov and an excellent defenseman who leads by example in Victor Hedman. Wyshynski: Flames in seven. They'll need continued offense from Fox, who had 18 points in 14 games. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive duos. The Blues are rightly playing with incredible confidence, and we know from past experience where that can lead them. Yes, Mike Smith has been in a groove during April, with a .948 even-strength save percentage in nine games. After a bumpy road through February and most of March, the Blues caught fire into April and have been unstoppable of late. Complete playoff coverage NHL . The matchups and storylines are set as the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs get underway this week, with the last team standing hoisting the cherished chalice sometime in late June. Victoria Matiash: Panthers in seven While Dallas has every reason to feel good about its top point-getters, in a tight playoff series the secondary scoring often puts teams over the top. Brodin is a leader on the ice and anchors the Wild in a way that is crucial to their success. 2. The uptick of physicality in McDavid's game has been well-documented. Kavanagh: Blues in seven That bodes well for Edmonton in this series, since Colorado happens to be a high-volume shot team (39.8 per game); if that continues, Smith will be back under a spotlight early and often in the next round. TB | WSH Tortorella: Avalanche in six But that's the regular season. More: Full playoff schedule Levy: Avalanche in five Oh, baby. The Bruins have just about everything you can want in a contender: a deadly top line, an elite defenseman, and a great goalie. Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in six The Lightning have a couple of players they'd like to see produce a little more, but their lack of production is injury-related in both cases. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. I said in my series prediction . Player to watch: Mika Zibanejad was back to being a point-per-game center this season, playing the majority of his time with Kreider and assisting on 24 of his goals. John Tortorella: Panthers in seven That's a killer combination. 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason. What do the Stars have to lose? Toronto can't hide from its ugly postseason past. College Basketball Week 17 Top 25 Predictions Note: Projected winners are listed in bold. Player to watch: Crosby had 84 points this season, which was his best points-per-60 minutes average for a season with at least 68 games played since 2009-10. He backstopped the Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, posting an incredible .946 save percentage to win that initial championship. Like, ever. Do you blame us? Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with 15 points in 11 games. Center Anthony Cirelli has two points in 11 games but has provided what the Lightning need in the middle after Brayden Point's injury. He's a 40-year-old veteran churning out great numbers, including an 8-3-0 record, .927 SV% and 2.70 GAA. Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. With the SLING Orange Sports Extra package, get $10 off your first month now with access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT and NBATV. He had 23 goals and 28 assists and led all Capitals forwards in goals scored above average. Ditto Brad Marchand. A rundown of 1 to 8 in all four divisions, plus the 16-team postseason field for this upcoming season. The Footballers (7-9) have the worst record of any playoff team they tied the 2010 Seattle Seahawks for the worst record for a playoff team in N.F.L. Artemi Panarin quietly had points in the last three games against Carolina, including a great outlet pass that sprung Strome for a critical goal that put them up 3-0. Orchestrating all of it is coach Rod Brind'Amour, for whom the players would skate through a wall. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Welcome to the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs!The first round gets rolling on Saturday with Game 1 of the Washington Capitals-Boston Bruins series.. There's plenty of history in many of these matchups, as the NHL is using an intradivisional format for the first two rounds, before re-bracketing the final four for the semifinals. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, in his first season with the Lightning, and playoff hero Pat Maroon also bolster the bottom six. Subscribe to ESPN+ Will that be the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to become the first team to win the Cup in three consecutive seasons since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to 1983? Note: Profiles for the Atlantic and Central playoff brackets were written by Shilton, while Wyshynski analyzed the Metro and Pacific brackets. Make Your Picks. The 24-year-old forward had 103 points and was a plus-58 (!) 102) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Ekholm has 268 points (62 goals, 206 assists) in 719 regular-season games with the Predators and 35 points (six goals, 29 . Boucher: Flames in six 17 overall, should be able to select . Levy: Flames in seven Bold prediction: The Hurricanes get past the Bruins in the first round, but it's a grinding seven-game series. He had four points in seven games before that. Biggest flaw(s): St. Louis has had defensive issues all season. Center Steven Stamkos (eight points) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh have been there in big moments. He hadn't been practicing, but is expected to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Seeing its dedication pay off with a playoff opportunity should be all the motivation Dallas needs to give each game its best. Biggest flaw(s): Well, let's go with "potentially biggest." Not enough has been made of the Blues. Might the Colorado Avalanche, the top seed in the West and an underachiever the past two postseasons, break through? It will all happen on the new NHL TV Networks of ESPN and TNT/Turner Sports. Here is how the Stanley Cup playoffs will play out, from the opening round through the last game of the Final. That's by far the fewest among any goalie left in these playoffs. Find North Carolina vs. Virginia predictions, betting odds, moneyline, spread, over/under and more for the February 25 college basketball matchup. It's easy to talk about Minnesota's goaltending and offensive prowess, but Brodin has been helping facilitate all that with locked-in defensive play (and he's no slouch with the puck either, registering a career high in points this season). Chandan: Hurricanes in five Physicality gets ratcheted up in the playoffs, and Wilson has shown the ability in the past to turn a series with one big injurious hit. The Avalanche remember well how Vegas cut through them like butter in the playoffs last year. Linda Cohn: Panthers in seven But he's expected to miss a few games in the first round due to a lower-body injury. They're not the Maple Leafs or the Panthers, crushed by the weight of expectations and entitlement. Yet Carolina is not mentioned in the same breath as other Stanley Cup contenders. That formula doesn't generally work in the postseason. Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, Lineup picks, matchups, start or sit advice for Wednesday, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres, What the remaining Stanley Cup contenders learned in Round 1, Why the Avalanche are the NHL's postseason juggernaut, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. How do the Avs slow down the McDavid-Draisaitl-Kane line? The Rangers had their share of breaks. Mark Giordano has helped solidify the blue line, and the Leafs actually have good depth there, for once. by Fantasy Hockey Staff @NHLFantasy. There was never any doubt that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could score in the regular season, but the playoffs have brought their challenges in keeping up that pace offensively. When the trade deadline rolls around, there are always teams caught in the middle of the standings . The Panthers' depth of electric scoring ability has the potential to carry this team a long way into spring. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. Case for a Stanley Cup run: History has a funny habit of repeating itself. On paper, they're winning this series. The Blues do have scoring talents, including Jordan Kyrou and Vladimir Tarasenko, but with more limited chances in tight-checking postseason games, St. Louis will have to really focus on the defensive details to avoid a letdown. The NHL playoffs get underway Monday, with all four games on ESPN networks. No disrespect intended to Sebastian Aho, but the Rangers didn't have to face an elite offensive player like Kucherov in their series against the Hurricanes. Heiskanen missed time this season with illness but is an invaluable asset to Dallas' overall success. How they got here: Defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-3, defeated Calgary Flames 4-1. Let's key on Mikko Rantanen. The Rangers are playing with house money. Those 5-on-5 opportunities can be -- and almost always are -- limited in the playoffs. Or will the Toronto Maple Leafs shake off their demons and claim their first Cup since 1966-67? 3 in . Kucherov has 15 points in 11 games, including seven on the power play. Defenseman Jacob Trouba's booming hits took out Penguins star Sidney Crosby for two critical games, and then Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis in Game 7. Biggest flaw(s): Fatigue. Expect more great performances from him. These simulcasts typically involve ESPN's linear television channels and internet streaming platforms, and may . When Boston is at its best, it is a hard-hitting, back-breaking group to go up against. Colorado has to frustrate the Oilers' top skaters, make it difficult for them to find space or get in a rhythm early. CAR (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A. The Big Cat's run since 2020 in elimination games is the stuff of legend: 10-0, six of the wins by shutout. In general, Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft has been leaning on the same eight forwards up front and limiting the use of his fourth-liners. NHL odds, picks, and predictions for the Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights on February 23. Player to watch: Jonas Brodin. Colorado is notably multifaceted, capable of beating its opponents in different ways. Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, Lineup picks, matchups, start or sit advice for Wednesday, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Wyshynski: My Stanley Cup playoffs bracket, Ranking NHL players who need a Stanley Cup, last two games of the season with a lower-body injury. Bold prediction: The Avalanche flip the season script, struggling to score in the early going of the playoffs and relying on team defense to step up and move them along. He received help from familiar Capitals names such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson and Tom Wilson, while Conor Sheary and Anthony Mantha chipped in. They have depth at forward and are getting excellent play from defensemen like Fox and Trouba. Sure, Penguins center Nick Bonino scored the winning goal against the Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. He heads to New York with 1,225 points in 1,161 regular-season games. Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in six The first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs was a doozy, including five series going to Game 7 -- and two of those Game 7's going to overtime. Biggest flaw(s): Being a top-heavy offensive team is a good problem to have when the top of one's lineup is filled with players who have more than 35 goals. Metro: CAR | NYR There were times when Carolina created chaos around Shesterkin's crease but couldn't find the rebounds he'd leave. AJ Mleczko: Lightning in seven Stream the NHL on ESPN, Allen: Avalanche in five Biggest flaw(s): Minnesota's special teams are less than awe-inspiring. We just didn't go away. The puck drops on the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN presented by GEICO with 12 first round games on ESPN and ESPN2 over three days beginning on Monday, May 2. 87 a game and a half. If the season ended today we'd have the Heat . Kaplan: Avalanche in six Then again, Kuemper hasn't been facing a ton of shots. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? Bold prediction: As happened to Tampa Bay in 2019, the seemingly unstoppable Panthers fall short with a baffling first-round exit. The College Football Playoff will pit Georgia against Ohio State and Michigan against TCU in a bid to figure out the next national champion. Tampa Bay is better 5-on-5. While there is a lot of "new" happening in the NHL this season, as far as league predictions go for the upcoming 2021-22 season, there is a lot that will feel familiar. Hextall: Flames in six Two good goalies coming together. We know Josi is a Norris Trophy-caliber defender, but the rest of Nashville's blue line doesn't exhibit nearly the same consistency. My other prediction for this series? NHL Matchups 2022-2023 - Today's Hockey Previews, Scores & Schedules NHL Scores & Matchups Odds Free Picks News & Analysis NHL Contest Stanley Cup Injuries Teams Players Standings. Saros missed the last two games of the season with a lower-body injury, and his status is uncertain heading into the postseason. That wasn't a given before the season and certainly wasn't while Pittsburgh played through its seemingly annual spate of injuries. Bold prediction: Evgeny Kuznetsov leads the Capitals in scoring, but their stay in the playoffs is limited to one round. Vitek Vanecek has been wildly inconsistent, while Ilya Samsonov has played to a sub-replacement level this season. There's an argument to be made that Kucherov is the best power-play performer in the NHL, and he has lived up to that with seven points with the man advantage. At 29-31, they . will be coming full force. But if there's a true flaw with the Oilers, it's once again found in the crease. Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in five NHL playoff bracket 2022: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for postseason | Sporting News Canada -156 BUF -175 LAK -127 Thu, 7:30p CAR DET CHI 2/26, 11:00a NYI WIN 2/26, 12:30p LAK NYR. These are the playoffs. Well, unless it's because of their opponents' goaltending. But it's also true that the Lightning haven't faced a goalie like Shesterkin, who is playing out of his gourd right now. That's always been ingrained in the culture of every good team I've been on here. After Pavelski, Hintz and Robertson (who all tallied 70 or more points), Dallas' offense has been streaky. If New York wants to trade chances like they did against the Hurricanes at MSG, the Lightning have finishers that make them pay in ways the Hurricanes could not. 2022 NHL playoff fantasy hockey pool guide - Favorites, sleepers and busts Presented By > ESPN Search Fantasy Men's Basketball Hockey Baseball Sign up and play for free! Their superstars kept improving throughout the last round and were the difference-makers at critical times. NHL playoff predictions 2022: 1st-round winners, most overrated, dark horse, Stanley Cup champion and more. Artemi Panarin averaged 1.28 points per game. That killer instinct has been a hallmark of Boston's play in the past and hasn't always been at the forefront of late. The best possible conference finals? Shilton: Avalanche in seven The team gets contributions from steady veterans (Jordan Staal), stellar young talents (Martin Necas) and other teams' castaways (the divisive but effective Tony DeAngelo). The 2022-23 NHL season is the 106th season of operation (105th . We've graded all 32 teams-- including one A+ and two F's -- and announced the winners of our own batch of awards. Bold prediction: Toronto shocks the world and wins multiple playoff rounds. The Oilers are more resilient than some observers previously thought. It starts in their own end and being engaged down low. It'll be down to the wire, but I like Colorado. Kevin Weekes: Lightning in seven Same with its overall consistency. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Few teams are built better for a run at the Cup than the Calgary Flames. Editor's Picks. reactions, leaving Crosby's incredible season a bit underappreciated. But this was his best season since 2017-18, and there were enough moments of "vintage Jonathan Quick" to make one wonder if there isn't just a little more playoff magic left in him, 10 years after winning the Conn Smythe. Note: Kristen Shilton previewed the Western Conference teams, while Greg Wyshynski previewed the two clubs from the East. At Pickswise we have expert NHL picks for every game of the 2021/22 season. Washington lives and dies on the performance of its franchise star, especially on the power play. He's an integral part of their success. One problem Biggest flaw(s): Ovechkin missed the Capitals' final three games after appearing to injure a shoulder in an April 24 game. Keep an eye on those little things Brodin can do to put Minnesota over the top. But teams win with depth in the playoffs, and there's been some falloff here for the Flames. When things aren't going Boston's way -- when the Bruins struggle to score a goal or give up a bad one -- can they persevere and push back? Biggest flaw(s): Defensive chemistry, and the penalty kill. Colorado is every bit as good as we thought it was, and could be. Player to watch: Claude Giroux. 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