Eastern Conference
(A1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs (WC2) New Jersey Devils: The Lightning are back among the leagues elite teams after a disappointing season a year ago in which they were in the lottery. The Devils are back in the playoffs after five years in the lottery. The Bolts are an elite offensive team led by Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Brayden Point and the Devils are a solid offensive team led by Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, and Kyle Palmieri. The Bolts defense is improved with the trade acquisition of Ryan McDonagh to go with Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, and Dan Girardi to form a nice four-some and the Devils defense is improved as well with the trade acquisition of Sami Vatanen.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has had a good season in net and is a candidate for the Vezina Trophy and Keith Kinkaid has done very well in net for the Devils filling in for Corey Schnieder and Kinkaid will likely be the starter for the playoffs. Hall, who's a Hart Trophy candidate could very well be the best player in this series, but the Bolts are the deeper and better team and have the advantage in net with Vasilevskiy.
Prediction: Lightning in six games.
(A2) Boston Bruins vs (A3) Toronto Maple Leafs: This is the best series of the first round. The Bruins could have been playing the Devils, but they lost their season finale against the Panthers to end up playing the Leafs, who are back in the playoffs for a second straight season. The Bruins are great offensively led by Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pasternak, and trade acquisition Rick Nash. The Leafs are great offensively too led by Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. The Bruins defense is really good led by veteran Zdeno Chara and rookie Charlie McAvoy. The Leafs defense is solid too led by Jake Gardiner and Morgan Reilly. Both teams have solid goaltending with Tukka Rask for the Bruins and Frederick Andersen for the Leafs. The best player in this series could very well be Matthews, but the Bruins are just deeper this time around and I like them to win a classic series.
Prediction: Bruins in seven games.
(M1) Washington Capitals vs (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets: The Caps have won three straight division titles and have home ice in the first two rounds yet again. The Jackets are back in the postseason for the second straight season under John Tortorella. The Caps are still great offensively led by Alex Ovechkin, Nik Backstrom, TJ Oshie, and Evgeny Kuznestov. The Jackets are really good offensively too led by Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, and rookie Pierre Luc-Dubois. The Caps are really good defensively led by John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov as well as the Jackets led by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Brayden Holtby has been mediocre this season and the Caps made a ballsy move by making backup Philipp Grubauer the game one starter. Sergei Brovovsky is a candidate for the Vezina Trophy as he usually is. Despite the goalie change for the Caps, they are the better team led by Ovechkin and I like them to advance.
Prediction: Capitals in six games.
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (M3) Philadelphia Flyers: This is right up there with Bruins/Leafs for the best first round series. The Pens are looking to three-peat as Stanley Cup champions to form a somewhat of a mini dynasty. The Flyers are in the playoffs for the third time in five seasons as they had to take them until the final game of the season to clinch this year. The Pens are still loaded offensively led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel who have all been outstanding this season. The Flyers are also loaded offensively led by Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Sean Couturier. The Pens are still solid defensively led by Kris Letang and Olli Määttä and the Flyers aren't bad defensively either led by Shayne Gostisbehere. Matt Murray is really good in net for the Pens and the Flyers are going to roll with a Brian Elliott and Petr Mrazek platoon in net. This is going to be a classic series and I like Crosby and the Pens.
Prediction: Penguins in seven games.
Western Conference
(C1) Nashville Predators vs (WC2) Colorado Avalanche: The Preds, after losing the Stanley Cup Final a year ago are now President Trophy winners and want to get back to the Final this year. The Avs after being the worst team in the league a year ago are here in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Preds are loaded offensively led by Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, and Ryan Johansen and the Avs are very good offensively too led by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog. The Preds defense is among the best in the league led by Roman Josi and PK Subban. The Avs defense isn't that bad led by Tyson Barrie. Pekka Rinne has been outstanding in net this season for the Preds and the Avs lost Semyon Varlamov for the season with a knee injury and now Jonathan Bernier is their starter. The Preds are just flat out better and I like them to pull off a sweep, although a five game series isn't out of the question.
Prediction: Predators in four games.
(C2) Winnipeg Jets vs (C3) Minnesota Wild: The Jets are back in the playoffs after missing out the last two seasons. The Wild are back in the playoffs yet again for the sixth year in a row. The Jets are great offensively led by Patrick Laine and Blake Wheeler. The Wild are really good offensively too led by Eric Staal, Jason Zucker, and Mikael Granlund. The Jets defense is solid led by Dustin Byfuglien, but the Wild have a really good defense led by Jared Spurgeron and Matthew Dumba, but they did lose Ryan Suter for the season due to the ankle injury. Connor Hellebuyck has been outstanding in net this season and Devan Dubnyk is really good in net as well. This would have been a more interesting series if the Wild had a healthy roster, but I think the Jets sneak by to advance.
Prediction: Jets in six games.
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs (WC1) Los Angeles Kings: The Golden Knights were supposed to be among the leagues worst teams, but here they are in the playoffs. The Kings are back in the postseason after missing out a season ago under new coach John Stevens. The Golden Knights are really good offensively led by William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, David Perron, and Reilly Smith. The Kings are good offensively led by Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Tyler Tofolli. The Golden Knights aren't too bad defensively led by Nate Schmidt and Colin Miller. The Kings are really good defensively led by Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez, and Jake Muzzin. Marc-Andre Fleury has been in big games before in net when he was on the Pens and that will help the Knights. Jonathan Quick has won two cups with the Kings and he's usually good in playoff hockey. This was a tough call, but I like the Kings to pull off somewhat of an upset.
Prediction: Kings in six games.
(P2) Anaheim Ducks vs (P3) San Jose Sharks: This is the first rounds most underrated series. The Ducks are in the playoffs for the sixth straight season and the Sharks are back in the postseason for the third year in a row under Peter DeBoer. The Ducks are very good offensively led by Rickard Rakell, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf. The Sharks are also really good offensively led by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The Ducks are really good defensively led by Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, but Cam Fowler is out for at least this round with a shoulder injury. The Sharks defense is underrated led by Brent Burns and Marc-Édouard Vlasic. Both goalies are underrated in John Gibson for the Ducks and Martin Jones with the Sharks. These teams are evenly matched and with home ice advantage, give me the Ducks.
Prediction: Ducks in seven games.
Prediction: Bruins in seven games.
(M1) Washington Capitals vs (WC1) Columbus Blue Jackets: The Caps have won three straight division titles and have home ice in the first two rounds yet again. The Jackets are back in the postseason for the second straight season under John Tortorella. The Caps are still great offensively led by Alex Ovechkin, Nik Backstrom, TJ Oshie, and Evgeny Kuznestov. The Jackets are really good offensively too led by Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson, and rookie Pierre Luc-Dubois. The Caps are really good defensively led by John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov as well as the Jackets led by Seth Jones and Zach Werenski. Brayden Holtby has been mediocre this season and the Caps made a ballsy move by making backup Philipp Grubauer the game one starter. Sergei Brovovsky is a candidate for the Vezina Trophy as he usually is. Despite the goalie change for the Caps, they are the better team led by Ovechkin and I like them to advance.
Prediction: Capitals in six games.
(M2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs (M3) Philadelphia Flyers: This is right up there with Bruins/Leafs for the best first round series. The Pens are looking to three-peat as Stanley Cup champions to form a somewhat of a mini dynasty. The Flyers are in the playoffs for the third time in five seasons as they had to take them until the final game of the season to clinch this year. The Pens are still loaded offensively led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Phil Kessel who have all been outstanding this season. The Flyers are also loaded offensively led by Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Sean Couturier. The Pens are still solid defensively led by Kris Letang and Olli Määttä and the Flyers aren't bad defensively either led by Shayne Gostisbehere. Matt Murray is really good in net for the Pens and the Flyers are going to roll with a Brian Elliott and Petr Mrazek platoon in net. This is going to be a classic series and I like Crosby and the Pens.
Prediction: Penguins in seven games.
Western Conference
(C1) Nashville Predators vs (WC2) Colorado Avalanche: The Preds, after losing the Stanley Cup Final a year ago are now President Trophy winners and want to get back to the Final this year. The Avs after being the worst team in the league a year ago are here in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Preds are loaded offensively led by Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, and Ryan Johansen and the Avs are very good offensively too led by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog. The Preds defense is among the best in the league led by Roman Josi and PK Subban. The Avs defense isn't that bad led by Tyson Barrie. Pekka Rinne has been outstanding in net this season for the Preds and the Avs lost Semyon Varlamov for the season with a knee injury and now Jonathan Bernier is their starter. The Preds are just flat out better and I like them to pull off a sweep, although a five game series isn't out of the question.
Prediction: Predators in four games.
(C2) Winnipeg Jets vs (C3) Minnesota Wild: The Jets are back in the playoffs after missing out the last two seasons. The Wild are back in the playoffs yet again for the sixth year in a row. The Jets are great offensively led by Patrick Laine and Blake Wheeler. The Wild are really good offensively too led by Eric Staal, Jason Zucker, and Mikael Granlund. The Jets defense is solid led by Dustin Byfuglien, but the Wild have a really good defense led by Jared Spurgeron and Matthew Dumba, but they did lose Ryan Suter for the season due to the ankle injury. Connor Hellebuyck has been outstanding in net this season and Devan Dubnyk is really good in net as well. This would have been a more interesting series if the Wild had a healthy roster, but I think the Jets sneak by to advance.
Prediction: Jets in six games.
(P1) Vegas Golden Knights vs (WC1) Los Angeles Kings: The Golden Knights were supposed to be among the leagues worst teams, but here they are in the playoffs. The Kings are back in the postseason after missing out a season ago under new coach John Stevens. The Golden Knights are really good offensively led by William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, David Perron, and Reilly Smith. The Kings are good offensively led by Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown, and Tyler Tofolli. The Golden Knights aren't too bad defensively led by Nate Schmidt and Colin Miller. The Kings are really good defensively led by Drew Doughty, Alec Martinez, and Jake Muzzin. Marc-Andre Fleury has been in big games before in net when he was on the Pens and that will help the Knights. Jonathan Quick has won two cups with the Kings and he's usually good in playoff hockey. This was a tough call, but I like the Kings to pull off somewhat of an upset.
Prediction: Kings in six games.
(P2) Anaheim Ducks vs (P3) San Jose Sharks: This is the first rounds most underrated series. The Ducks are in the playoffs for the sixth straight season and the Sharks are back in the postseason for the third year in a row under Peter DeBoer. The Ducks are very good offensively led by Rickard Rakell, Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf. The Sharks are also really good offensively led by Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The Ducks are really good defensively led by Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, but Cam Fowler is out for at least this round with a shoulder injury. The Sharks defense is underrated led by Brent Burns and Marc-Édouard Vlasic. Both goalies are underrated in John Gibson for the Ducks and Martin Jones with the Sharks. These teams are evenly matched and with home ice advantage, give me the Ducks.
Prediction: Ducks in seven games.
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