Bold prediction: Boston uses its shutdown capabilities to bounce a high-octane offensive opponent in the first round. John Buccigross: Panthers in seven The Avalanche will require all hands on deck to keep pace with Edmonton. Against Carolina, Shesterkin gave up two or fewer goals in six of the seven games in the series and won another Game 7, this time on the road. Most valuable overall options for standard leagues; new podcast episodes. The Lightning will have to convert some of those to beat "Shesty.". We know Josi is a Norris Trophy-caliber defender, but the rest of Nashville's blue line doesn't exhibit nearly the same consistency. He hasn't been that guy for a while, and at 36, he might never be that guy again. Player to watch: Forsberg. How they got here: Defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3, defeated Florida Panthers 4-0. As Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said: Their problem offensively was not having elite goal-scorers. by NHL Public Relations @PR_NHL April 29, 2022 NEW YORK - The National Hockey League today announced the dates, starting times and national television coverage for the 2022 Stanley Cup. The trio of Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson might still be underrated around the NHL, but they carried Dallas up the standings despite critics having panned the Stars' postseason chances. The Predators can score well enough, but how well they can execute team defense and keep the puck out of their own net will be the key. 16 teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. New York Islanders (MP) 7. And of course, there's Boston's core. As Crosby said recently: "I think you try to enjoy it as much as you can and try to take it all in because you know that it's not going to last forever. Kucherov has 15 points in 11 games, including seven on the power play. All we know for sure is that the real winners here are those of us watching the action unfold. For example, we've learned that they've effectively rebuilt their bottom six after the offseason exodus of their celebrated checking line of Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. The uptick of physicality in McDavid's game has been well-documented. 3 in . Hosts Linda Cohn and Emily Kaplan bring their hockey expertise and passion for the sport, discussing the latest news around the league as well as interviewing the biggest names both on and off the ice. There's a lot we already knew about the Lightning after back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, from their ability to win in a variety of ways to their efficiency in elimination games. In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. It starts in their own end and being engaged down low. Biggest flaw(s): The playoffs couldn't arrive at a worse time for Pittsburgh. Are we focusing heavily on the best players in this series? Colorado is every bit as good as we thought it was, and could be. Then, of course, there's the personnel. Lawrence-Riddell: Flames in seven Yes, but that doesn't mean he can't flip the switch when it's time. Wischusen: Avalanche in six Player to watch: Vasilevskiy. This series against Colorado could see each team's top talents canceling each other out. 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. MacKinnon's contributions will be massive for the Avs. 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round predictions NHL.com staff members make their picks for eight series, Cup, Conn Smythe winner NHL.com @NHLdotcom April 30, 2022 The Colorado. 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. Case for a Stanley Cup run: What if a team had its best regular season in franchise history and no one noticed? Some teams have improved, while others went into re-build mode. When Jonathan Quick repeatedly slammed the door in the first-round series, Edmonton didn't panic. Cohn: Rangers in seven Knight: Hurricanes in six That core has been augmented by strong seasons from a supporting cast of forwards Evan Rodrigues and Danton Heinen, and especially defenseman Mike Matheson, who had a career-redefining campaign. That, combined with St. Louis being one of the NHL's worst teams in 5-on-5 possession totals, puts a lot more pressure on Husso -- a rookie appearing in his first postseason -- at the toughest time of year. NHL predictions: Expert picks for both conference final series in Stanley Cup playoffs Our experts reveal their predictions for which two teams will be moving on to the Stanley Cup Final. Did he skid at the end of this season? Not enough has been made of the Blues. Brian Boucher: Panthers in six Boucher: Flames in six The Eastern Conference finals series is on ESPN and ESPN+, while the Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC and ESPN+. Adam Fox, last year's Norris winner, had a strong encore. How they choose to defend Kucherov's line is going to be a key for the series. There is no such problem for the Lightning. STL | NSH The Stars' first line might be its superpower, but this lineup can offer a lot more than that. Oh, baby. There is a winning pedigree in Boston that starts with its leadership, and spreads to David Pastrnak, Taylor Hall, Charlie McAvoy, and on down the list. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide the best free NHL expert picks each and every day. Toronto Maple Leafs. 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. Biggest flaw(s): Consistency and resiliency. We've also learned that two straight Stanley Cups haven't made the Bolts fat and happy; the hunger to win another, and the killer instinct to close out teams, remains for Tampa. The image above displays the 2023 NHL Playoff bracket and will be updated after each week. Buccigross: Flames in six Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; 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 . 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. The 24-year-old forward had 103 points and was a plus-58 (!) We'll highlight the current playoff picture in both conferences, take a look at what the first-round matchups might look like, see who's leading the race for the best odds in the draft lottery and more. DiPietro: Hurricanes in six As long as the Oilers' stars are shining that brightly, they'll have a chance to win any series. Offseason keys for eliminated teams, Sean Allen: Panthers in six Cam Talbot, solid all season, has improved even further riding shotgun with the newcomer. What sort of postseason magic can Kadri create to cap this career season? The rare NHL talent who can agitate you with words, deeds and on the scoreboard. This is when he should shine. Seven Avs skaters have at least three goals in the playoffs, and five have double-digit point totals. That's not great news for a Rangers team whose power-play prowess (fourth in the NHL) far outpaced its even-strength offense (18th). Subscribe to ESPN+ What makes Nashville dangerous (other than Roman Josi, Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros, of course) is the chip on its shoulder, the hunger to prove the team's critics wrong. Note: Kristen Shilton previewed the Western Conference teams, while Greg Wyshynski previewed the two clubs from the East. The Big Cat's run since 2020 in elimination games is the stuff of legend: 10-0, six of the wins by shutout. Chris Kreider became just the fourth player in Rangers history to top 50 goals. Back in 2019, St. Louis went from flailing to thriving at the end of the regular season and carried a hot streak all the way past Boston for the franchise's first Cup title. He's a 40-year-old veteran churning out great numbers, including an 8-3-0 record, .927 SV% and 2.70 GAA. Wyshynski: Flames in seven. Jonathan Quick's best saves of 2022-23 season (1:58) . Forward Jason Zucker, who could help, can't stay in the lineup due to injuries. Sure, Penguins center Nick Bonino scored the winning goal against the Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. The Hurricanes had their best success on high-danger chances, scoring eight high-danger goals against the Rangers goaltender, the second-most allowed in the second round. Non-Playoff team from 2021 that will make 2022 Playoffs: Dallas Stars . For the first time since 1991, the Flames and Oilers meet up in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. He hadn't been practicing, but is expected to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Vitek Vanecek has been wildly inconsistent, while Ilya Samsonov has played to a sub-replacement level this season. Those matchups are plenty intriguing. This series projects to trend more toward what Edmonton just experienced, with the potential for larger momentum swings and opportunity to generate offense. Those types of intangibles are impossible to quantify in the unknowable season ahead. I apologize in advance for spoiling the next two months for you, as obviously all of . This season is shaping up in similar fashion. 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. The XFL has entered the second week of its third season under its . La Greca: Avalanche in five We've seen in other series around the league how important timely scoring is from often unheralded or unexpected players. But that's the regular season. Boucher: Hurricanes in six His .925 career playoff save percentage ties him for third all time (minimum 60 games) with Hall of Famer Dominik . Bob Wischusen: Panthers in seven Central: COL | MIN The team gets contributions from steady veterans (Jordan Staal), stellar young talents (Martin Necas) and other teams' castaways (the divisive but effective Tony DeAngelo). But he's expected to miss a few games in the first round due to a lower-body injury. Yet Carolina is not mentioned in the same breath as other Stanley Cup contenders. 2021-22 NHL Predictions Updated after every game. When Boston is at its best, it is a hard-hitting, back-breaking group to go up against. You could put Nurse here, and say he hasn't been an obvious difference-maker for the Oilers (to the degree a top-pairing defender usually is). The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs begin Monday night on the networks of ESPN, . Biggest flaw(s): Power plays don't always come easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He's both their last line of defense and their catalyst, as the Rangers feed off his performances when opponents tip the ice. It nearly did not happen, as both teams were pushed to the brink in the first round. Playoff position: M2 Games left: 3 Next game: vs. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Few teams are built better for a run at the Cup than the Calgary Flames. . 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. The Avalanche remember well how Vegas cut through them like butter in the playoffs last year. Lightning will have to convert some of those to beat `` Shesty. `` magic. Series, Edmonton did n't panic numbers, including seven on the power play of ESPN, games... 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