As Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said: Their problem offensively was not having elite goal-scorers. Their top defensive pairings of Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson along with Chris Tanev and Oliver Kylington have been outstanding. Now, these two teams just went through two second-round series that were markedly different. For the first time since 1991, the Flames and Oilers meet up in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. But the defenseman is battling a core muscle injury and he's still playing over 21 minutes per game, so faulting him too harshly for not performing at his most elite would be misguided. Also note that wild-card teams are listed according to which playoff bracket they're playing in (the Capitals, for example, are in the Atlantic). But if there's a true flaw with the Oilers, it's once again found in the crease. Edmonton's trio has combined for 26 goals and 67 points in 12 games. The opponents are very favourable. After Pavelski, Hintz and Robertson (who all tallied 70 or more points), Dallas' offense has been streaky. And there's the Leafs' excellent special teams, including the NHL's best power play and a penalty kill that is nearly as likely to score short-handed as to get scored on. They aren't going to wilt if the Rangers control the tempo. Colorado has to frustrate the Oilers' top skaters, make it difficult for them to find space or get in a rhythm early. His .925 career playoff save percentage ties him for third all time (minimum 60 games) with Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, among others. Wyshynski: Blues in seven, Allen: Flames in six Tampa hasn't had much downtime since the NHL's bubble tournament two years ago. Kavanagh: Blues in seven Case for a Stanley Cup run: Let's start with the best goalie in the world. Biggest flaw(s): Fatigue. Defenseman Adam Fox said he's looking forward to the battle between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Shesterkin. Hilary Knight: Lightning in seven Bold prediction: Boston uses its shutdown capabilities to bounce a high-octane offensive opponent in the first round. "Obviously, Vasilevskiy has a track record that speaks for itself. Portland Trail Blazers. Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six, Allen: Rangers in seven How they got here: Defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-3, defeated Calgary Flames 4-1. Chandan: Blues in six 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. Can Georgia pull off a repeat? Linda Cohn: Panthers in seven Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. Orchestrating all of it is coach Rod Brind'Amour, for whom the players would skate through a wall. It doesn't help that in front of Bobrovsky, Florida got a little too comfortable late in the season as the Cardiac Cats. 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. Callahan: Avalanche in seven Keith has been on every big stage hockey has to offer. The second round against Calgary couldn't have started any worse with a quick 3-0 deficit for Edmonton in Game 1 and another 2-0 hole to start Game 2. PIT | BOS The Ducks and Penguins have moved back into the playoff race and will face off Monday. The Bruins' goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman deserves credit in this area too, providing consistently good performances that have more than assuaged fears about how the team would move on from Tuukka Rask. We just don't go away, regardless of the score and regardless of where the game is. But that doesn't mean the playoffs haven't enlightened us about some aspects of this Lightning team. Anze Kopitar led the team in scoring. Long playoff runs result in short offseasons to follow. Bold prediction: Shesterkin pitches two shutouts in the opening round as the Rangers advance. Sachin Chandan: Panthers in seven Mleczko: Hurricanes in seven Marc-Andre Fleury has been lights out since arriving at the trade deadline from Chicago. The Avs' Norris Trophy finalist defenseman projects to draw Edmonton's toughest matchups, and as the Oilers proved against Calgary, its top line is tough to contain. Brian Boucher: Panthers in six 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? Some of those came on odd-man rushes, a few on chances on the doorstep. Rantanen's 36 goals led Colorado in the regular season, so seeing him hesitate to shoot the puck and fail to drive play like a $9.25 million-per-year player should in the postseason is odd. Two good goalies coming together. The edge, though, probably belongs to Edmonton. The other thing we've seen from Edmonton is a real commitment to the defensive side of the puck from its top players. 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. Toronto can't hide from its ugly postseason past. The Lightning goalie will have to be better than his best to get Tampa over the hump and back into postseason cruise control. Note: Kristen Shilton previewed the Western Conference teams, while Greg Wyshynski previewed the two clubs from the East. McCarron for choosing his league over the NFL. That said, they'd like more than one goal off 18 shot attempts in 11 games from a player who had 25 goals in the regular season. Biggest flaw(s): Consistency and resiliency. Blake Bolden: Panthers in seven Colorado is fortunate to have dynamic middle-six scorers such as Valeri Nichushkin and quiet contributors such as Artturi Lehkonen who can sneak up and burn opponents unexpectedly. 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. Ferraro: Hurricanes in six Some nights, the Bruins look impenetrable; the next, they're floundering in their own end. Playoff position: M2 Games left: 3 Next game: vs. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide the best free NHL expert picks each and every day. La Greca: Flames in six Biggest flaw(s): Defense, and goaltending. Hextall: Flames in six We've already discussed Kuemper. Before the NBA resumes play on Thursday night, it is time to answer some big questions. Boucher: Hurricanes in six 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Regular Season Game; North Carolina (17-11, 9-8 ACC) vs. No. Their power play is going to do some damage. The legend of Mike Smith has only grown this postseason. 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. 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. Biggest flaw(s): Depth scoring has been an issue for the Stars. I said in my series prediction . Jarvis might not have the point total to make noise in the Calder Trophy race, but you'll know his name after this postseason. Player to watch: Jonas Brodin. TWDC 2022-23 NHL Game Schedule: Date, Time (ET), Teams, Network/Platform Tue, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m., Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers, ESPN, ESPN+ Tue, Oct. 11, 10 p.m., Vegas Golden. The uptick of physicality in McDavid's game has been well-documented. 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. Player to watch: Tom Wilson managed not to get suspended during the regular season, to his credit. 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. His .925 career playoff save percentage ties him for third all time (minimum 60 games) with Hall of Famer Dominik . 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. Stream the NHL on ESPN. Viewers in the U.S. can stream every NBA playoff game live on SLING TV. Their second-leading scorer is defenseman Victor Hedman, who is doing as Victor Hedman does: He has 10 points in 11 games and is skating 25:03 per game. Kuemper's terrific regular season (37-12-4, .921 SV%, 2.54 GAA) suggests he's up to the task of what's ahead though -- even if his playoff resume to date isn't so dazzling. The past three postseasons haven't been the greatest for Sid, with six points in 14 games. Arda cal: Lightning in six It will all happen on the new NHL TV Networks of ESPN and TNT/Turner Sports. New York Rangers 2. The addition of Hampus Lindholm on the back end has really strengthened the B's blue line and gives them more options to mix and match pairings throughout the playoffs as needed. The Stanley Cup playoffs are back on ESPN and ABC! John Tortorella: Panthers in seven Bob Wischusen: Panthers in seven Player to watch: Kadri. That killer instinct has been a hallmark of Boston's play in the past and hasn't always been at the forefront of late. Colorado's big three has produced 17 goals and 31 points in 10 games. Bold prediction: Toronto shocks the world and wins multiple playoff rounds. Unfortunately, Alex Ovechkin cornered the market on "he can still do that at his age, wow!" McDonough: Flames in seven Levy: Rangers in seven If New York wants this to be a 1-0 goalie duel, the Lightning can win those, too. Los Angeles was 32-19-7 when Doughty went out on March 7. We've graded all 32 teams -- including one A+ and two F's -- and announced the winners of our own batch of awards . Being involved to that degree clearly works for the netminder, and he has thrived under the pressure. 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. Special teams will play a pivotal role. 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. The role players GM Chris Drury added along the way -- such as forwards Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp -- have bolstered the team. Subscribe to ESPN+ These are the playoffs. . Bold prediction: The Flames advance to the Western Conference finals, including a Battle of Alberta win over the Oilers. USA TODAY Sports' NHL staffers make their predictions for the second round: Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues Jimmy Hascup: Avalanche in six. 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. The first round might actually be the hardest for Tampa, knowing how hungry the Leafs are to overcome their checkered playoff past. With the SLING Orange Sports Extra package, get $10 off your first month now with access to ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT and NBATV. Sorting out the optimal defensive pairings will be a task for coach Jared Bednar. They could use some more from him, especially at five-on-five. That wasn't a given before the season and certainly wasn't while Pittsburgh played through its seemingly annual spate of injuries. The team gets contributions from steady veterans (Jordan Staal), stellar young talents (Martin Necas) and other teams' castaways (the divisive but effective Tony DeAngelo). Jonathan Quick's best saves of 2022-23 season (1:58) . Case for a Stanley Cup run: Tampa knows how to win. They are firing on all cylinders. Keep an eye on those little things Brodin can do to put Minnesota over the top. Another matchup against the Dallas Stars, who are a mess right now and Domi just recently torched, could be another interesting game for him. DiPietro: Hurricanes in six We've seen in other series around the league how important timely scoring is from often unheralded or unexpected players. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. FiveThirtyEight's 2021-22 NHL forecast predicts the winner of each hockey game and calculates each team's chances of advancing to the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, in his first season with the Lightning, and playoff hero Pat Maroon also bolster the bottom six. It's part of what has made Husso so invaluable; he covers for all manner of ills in the Blues' own end. NHL Predictions 2022- 23 season | NHL Projected Standings 2022-23 Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division 1. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? The Flames' plus-85 trailed only the Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers for the. The 2022-23 NHL regular season is currently at its midpoint, but it's never too early to start thinking about playoffs. Heiskanen missed time this season with illness but is an invaluable asset to Dallas' overall success. Do the Lightning have what it takes to three-peat? Messier: Rangers in six They're finding ways to win, finding ways to survive and I think they do it again here. He knows when to push and when to pull back. Bold prediction: The Stars take a powerhouse first-round opponent to seven games. When the trade deadline rolls around, there are always teams caught in the middle of the standings . If his Game 5 hat trick against the Blues was any indication, "Playoff Nate" is ready to dance toe-to-toe with McDavid & Co. MacKinnon already has eight goals and 13 points in 10 games. The first-round pick is conditional on the Kings making the playoffs and would become two second-round picks (2023 and 2024) if they do not . Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, even as he has gotten better as the playoffs have continued -- playing through jitters in the first round that included two games he didn't complete in Pittsburgh -- he has yet to pitch a shutout. He's a 40-year-old veteran churning out great numbers, including an 8-3-0 record, .927 SV% and 2.70 GAA. Before I reveal every series winner in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs and the exact number of games in which the series will be won, I'd like to just offer a small reminder to establish a baseline . Like, ever. But now that the Penguins are in, with a lineup dotted with familiar names sporting Stanley Cup rings, the best case for a championship run is made by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jeff Carter, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel. Selected by Nashville in the fourth round (No. Lessons from Round 1 reactions, leaving Crosby's incredible season a bit underappreciated. 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! Knight: Avalanche in seven Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven This is when he should shine. The College Football Playoff will pit Georgia against Ohio State and Michigan against TCU in a bid to figure out the next national champion. The Igor Shesterkin that we saw during Round 1 is not the Igor Shesterkin that the Lightning are going to see. But the kids were all right too: Forwards Arthur Kaliyev, Rasmus Kupari and Quinton Byfield, as well as defensemen Mikey Anderson and Sean Durzi, also contributed. At Pickswise we have expert NHL picks for every game of the 2021/22 season. Biggest flaw(s): Well, let's go with "potentially biggest." The Wild's penalty kill is bottom 10 in the league, and their power play sits somewhere in the middle. 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. Jump to a team: Kevin Weekes: Lightning in seven That's by far the fewest among any goalie left in these playoffs. He has added 10 assists to his point total, but Rantanen has still fallen short of expectations to date in terms of output. The Panthers repeatedly fell into multiple-goal deficits they were able to erase because, well, see above. Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven But what we've seen so far in the playoffs is Colorado primarily at its best. In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. The Oilers bought into playing good defense, stuck to their structure and chipped away at Quick until they broke through. After a bumpy road through February and most of March, the Blues caught fire into April and have been unstoppable of late. Ferraro: Avalanche in six Offseason keys for eliminated teams, Sean Allen: Panthers in six If Edmonton can do that again in the conference finals, Colorado's march to the Cup finals will be severely impeded -- and perhaps derailed. 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.