The fight for the greatest trophy in professional sports, The Stanley Cup, begins April 11th, 2018 and there are tons of exciting storylines to look forward to this year. Are the Vegas Golden Knights For real? Who will be left standing in the battles between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia or Anaheim and San Jose. Can Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals finally make it to the Cup finals.
So much discuss, let's breakdown each NHL Playoffs matchup below with our predictions for each series winner.
Round 2 Preview and Predictions is now posted!
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Eastern Conference 1st Round Matchups
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
1st in the Atlantic
54-23-5 (113 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Lightning Lost 0-3-0
Impact Players
Lightning -230 to Win at Bovada
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Wild Card #2
44-29-9 (97 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Devils won 3-0-0
Impact Players
Devils +260 to Win at BetOnline
Lightning vs Devils Series Preview
During the regular season, the Devils won all 3 games. The 3 games were all decided by one goal. Many hockey experts had the Devils fighting for a good draft pick, however the Devils exceeded expectations and qualified for the playoffs. The main reason, and the most likely winner of the Hart Trophy, is Tyler Hall. He had a season that players dream of. Hall achieved over 40 points more then the next player on New Jersey. Literally, any hopes of the Devils advancing past Tampa rides on his shoulders. Tampa Bay is well coached and ready to make a serious Cup run. They made a few key acquisitions at the trade deadline to increase their depth since last year. The Bolts finished with the league’s number one offence lead by Kucherov and Stamkos. They also have arguably the leagues best defenceman in Victor Hedman who led the league with a +32 rating.
Series Prediction - Lightning in 5 Games
Why Tampa Bay Lightning Win This Series
- 1Offence. Tampa Bay has 5 players who scored 20 goals or more lead by Kucherov.
- 2Vasilevskly. He was a workhorse for the Bolts this season. He played 65 games, achieved 44 wins and will not likely lose four games to the Devils.
- 3Defence. No matter what defensive pairing is on the ice, the Bolts are solid offensively and defensively
Boston Bruins
2nd in the Atlantic
50-20-12 (112 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Bruins Lost 1-3-0
Impact Players
Bruins -150 to Win at Bovada
Toronto Maple Leafs
3rd in the Atlantic
49-26-7 (105 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Leafs won 3-1-0
Impact Players
Leafs +137 to Win at BetOnline
Bruins vs Leafs Series Preview
During the regular season, Toronto won 3 of the 4 games to give them a mental edge over the Bruins. The Maple Leafs had a great season and is one of only two Canadian teams to make the playoffs. As always, the pressure is on Toronto to win the Stanley Cup for the city that has been waiting since 1967 to explode into celebration. Auston Matthews will need to play out of his skin to help Toronto advance. Unfortunately for Toronto, they are drawn against one of the Cup favourites in the Bruins. Boston finished the season second in the Eastern Conference despite playing multiple games without Marchand and Bergeron who were out due to injuries. With all key players healthy and Rask in form, the Bruins will be near impossible to beat.
Series Prediction - Bruins in 6 Games
Why Boston Bruins Win This Series
- 1Brad Marchand. Love him or hate him, he is the core of the Bruins. He scored 85 points in only 67 games.
- 2Defence. The Bruins finished with the best goals against in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins do not solely rely on Tukka Rask in goal to shut down the opponents, they also play defence as a team led by captain Chara.
- 3Rick Nash. Picked up at the trading deadline, he will give more balance to the Bruins attack. He will be a spark for the Bruins powerplay.
Washington Capitals
1st in the Metro
49-26-7 (105 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Capitals Won 3-1-0
Impact Players
Capitals -130 to Win at BetOnline
Columbus Blue Jackets
Wild Card #1
45-30-7 (97 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Jackets Lost 1-3-0
Impact Players
Blue Jackets +125 to Win at Bovada
Capitals vs Blue Jackets Series Preview
During the regular season, the Capitals won the series 3 games to 1, with the Blue Jackets winning the last game. Columbus will need other players to help Panarin carry the load offensively. Bobrovsky is one of the better goalies in the NHL but he will need to play better than he ever has, to help the Blue Jackets upset the Capitals. The Capitals playoff curse needs to end at some point, you would think, and this may be the year when no one is looking at them to win. The city, the team and Ovechkin all want the Cup badly, the Blue Jackets are merely a team in their way with very small hopes of an upset.
Series Prediction - Capitals in 5 Games
Why Washington Capitals Win This Series
- 1Alex Ovechkin. One of the greats of the game. Alex the Great has never won Lord Stanley and this might be his last real chance to do so. Expect Ovechkin’s play to be out of this world during this series, he knows his window is closing.
- 2Braden Holtby. He has been consistently one of the better goalies, each year, in the regular season. Now he is ready to perform in the playoffs.
- 3Team Depth: Backstrom, Kuznestov and Oshie are all ready to take the next step and take some pressure off Ovechkin. This will distribute the scoring and pile on pressure for the Blue Jackets to take their eye off Ovechkin, which can only spell disaster for Columbus.
Pittsburgh Penguins
2nd in the Metro
47-29-6 (100 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Penguins Won 4-0-0
Impact Players
Penguins -190 to Win at Bovada
Philadelphia Flyers
3rd in the Metro
42-26-14 (98 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Flyers Lost 0-4-0
Impact Players
Flyers +195 to Win BetOnline
Penguins vs Flyers Series Preview
During the regular season, Pittsburgh have won all 4 games against Philadelphia. The battle of Pennsylvania is revived for this firs time since their last epic series in 2012. The Flyers are led by Giroux, one of the hottest players down the stretch, who carried the Flyers to 3rd in the Metropolitan. The downside for the Flyers is that now the Penguins know who, specifically, they need to shut down. Back from injury, Elliott has returned in goal for the Flyers, in time for the playoffs, but will he back to form? Pittsburgh are one of the modern-day dynasty teams led by a very powerful line-up including Crosby who most consider still the best in the game. The only question mark on a possible three-peat - is Murray. Without Fleury to back him up, can he return to the heights of last year’s playoffs? Time will tell.
Series Prediction - Penguins in 6 Games
Why Pittsburgh Penguins Win This Series
- 1Sidney Crosby. He has been driving this franchise ever since he joined the Penguins. Sidney is a proven winner who has won countless individual awards and he has won many team awards including three Stanley Cups, two Olympic Gold Medals, a World Championship, a World Cup and the World Juniors. Hard to bet against greatness.
- 2Evgeni Malkin. He could be the Jari Kurri of this generation. If Malkin played on any other team, there is no doubt that he would be the main man. This season he led the Penguins in scoring and come playoff time has at times even out-performed Crosby. That's a lethal combination to stop.
- 3Experience: The Penguins are the defending back to back Stanley Cup Champions. This team knows how to win and what needs to be done to win. The shot at 3 in a row is a huge motivating power.
Western Conference 1st Round Matchups
Nashville Predators
1st in the Central
53-18-11 (117 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Predators Won 4-0-0
Impact Players
Predators -250 To Win at Bovada
Colorado Avalanche
Wild Card #2
43-30-9 (95 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Avalanche Lost 0-4-0
Impact Players
Avalanche +395 To Win at BetOnline
Predators vs Avalanche Series Preview
During the regular season, the series went in favour of Nashville 4-0. Colorado need to get healthy as Johnson and Varlamov are not 100%. Mackinnon will be the best player on the ice and quite possibly the Hart Trophy winner this year. Nashville were in last year’s Stanley Cup final and they are likely to be there again as this team is once again built for a long run. We know the Predators defence will be solid, but they will need Johansen and Forsberg to step up and take control of the offense. Nashville will win this series because they are the stronger team, from top to bottom.
Series Prediction - Predators in 5 Games
Why Nashville Predators Win This Series
- 1Defensive Depth. The Predators have the best defensive core in the NHL. A strong keeper in Rinne and a well-balanced attack that has propelled them to the Presidents trophy.
- 2Home Ice. The Nashville home crowd is intimidating for the visitors and a massive support for the home team. You can say they are an extra man on the ice.
- 3Coaching: The x-factor who can change this series, in favour of the Avalanche, is Nathan MacKinnon. Nashville's coaching staff knows this and with the experience and depth on defence, the Preds will neutralize him.
Winnipeg Jets
2nd in the Central
52-20-10 (114 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Jets Won 3-1-0
Impact Players
Jets -170 to Win at Bovada
Minnesota Wild
3rd in the Central
45-26-11 (101 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Wild Lost 1-3-0
Impact Players
Wild +190 to Win at BetOnline
Jets vs Wild Series Preview
During the regular season, the series went in favour of the Jets 3 wins to 1. The Wild had another solid season in a very strong Central division. Without Suter in the line-up, the rest of the defensive core will be under waves of pressure. From the start it was obvious that Winnipeg was going to make the playoffs and the Wild will not be the team to stop them from advancing. Winnipeg has one eye on Nashville already and that will be one hell of a series.
Series Prediction - Jets in 5 Games
Why Winnipeg Jets Win This Series
- 1Connor Hellebuyck. Hellebuyck has been a pleasant surprise for the Jets this season. Hellebuyck will be involved in the Vezina Trophy discussion and will be the main reason the Jets get past the Wild in round one.
- 2Forward Depth. After adding Paul Stastny to the roster at the trading deadline, the Jets had a solid number two centre. Jets now have three elite centres.
- 3Big Buff: Dustin Byfuglien’s hard hitting no nonsense defence will shut down the Wild’s scoring.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
1st in the Pacific
51-24-7 (109 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Knights Tied 2-1-1
Impact Players
Knights -129 at BetOnline
LOS ANGELES KINGS
Wild Card #1
45-29-8 (98 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Kings Tied 2-1-1
Impact Players
Kings +120 at Bovada
Golden Knights vs Kings Series Preview
During the regular season, the series was tied at two wins each, with both having an overtime win. Las Vegas will need Fleury to be even hotter than he has been all year if they want to move past the Kings. With the pressure of the playoffs now setting into the team, the Golden Knights lack of NHL experience will start to show cracks. The Kings will follow the lead of potential Hart Trophy candidate Anze Kopitar. They are a balanced team who have been playoff hockey style for about a month now. When the Kings win this series, they will be staying in California for the next round.
Series Prediction - Kings in 6 Games
Why LA Kings Win This Series
- 1Anze. Anze Kopitar was one of the hottest players in the NHL down the stretch. Kopitar was the driving force to put the Kings into the playoffs and will be hard to contain.
- 2Experience. The Kings have many players left from the Stanley Cup runs and know how to win under pressure. The playoffs are their time, they are built to win every year.
- 3Carter. He is getting older, but this guy knows how to score the big goals in a big game. He came back from an injury late in the season and looked in playoff form already.
ANAHEIM DUCKS
2nd in the Pacific
44-25-13 (101 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Ducks Lost 0-3-1
Impact Players
Ducks -125 to Win at BetOnline
SAN JOSE SHARKS
3rd in the Pacific
45-27-10 (100 points)
Head to Head Matchup
Sharks Won 3-0-1
Impact Players
Sharks +130 to Win at Bovada
Ducks vs Sharks Series Preview
During the regular season, the Sharks won the series 3 games to 1 with Anaheim winning their only game in overtime. The battle of California will be a great series to watch. One goal decided three of their four regular season games. If Gibson gets hot in goal and Getzlaf/Perry can turn back the clock, this series will hit a new high. The Sharks should have won the Cup on a few occasions over the last five to ten years and this year is no different. Their time is running out and they need to win won soon or they will miss their window.
Series Prediction - Sharks in 7 Games
Why San Jose Sharks Win This Series
- 1Burns. Brett Burns is one of the best defenceman in the NHL and will be a force at both ends of the rink, despite a rather quiet regular season for him.
- 2Center Depth. A great one/two punch up the middle with Pavelski and Couture. This balance of attack will be hard to keep in check.
- 3Joe. He might not start for the playoffs but that will only motivate the rest of the team. When he gets healthy and comes back into the line-up, he will once again raise the team on the powerplay.
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