By Dom Luszczyszyn, Sean Gentille and Shayna Goldman
The regular season is over and the playoffs are finally here. All of our previews from the first round are here, in one place. Let’s get straight to it.
Eastern Conference
New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
Maybe things will come full circle in Washington and the Capitals will give their best imitation of the 2010 Canadiens, defying the odds just a little longer. It’s more likely than not that this series will end exactly as everyone expects: the Rangers will use it as preparation for a more worthy challenge.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders
If there’s one team that has the potential to do some damage now that they’re in the playoffs, it’s the Islanders. But it won’t be easy against a contender like the Hurricanes. Carolina loves her band for a reason. With a true scorer in the mix, the Hurricanes should be the team to beat.
Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning know what it takes to win and have the motivation from last year’s first-round elimination to fuel it. It’s impossible to eliminate them, but the odds are not in their favor. The Panthers are in a different position than last year: they have been the favorites throughout the season. It’s their series to lose.
Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
If the Bruins win this series, you can imagine how that will play out; Linus Ullmark and/or Jeremy Swayman will get on the lead and the skaters will score enough to get by. If the Maple Leafs win, it will be treated as another example of Auston Matthews and company exorcising their playoff demons – for at least a few more games.
Western Conference
Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights
As our favorite colleague Pierre LeBrun likes to say, this is big boy hockey. There are so many fascinating series in the first round and this one immediately rose to the top of the list once locked. Dallas and Vegas are two heavyweight teams with serious championship aspirations and it wouldn’t be a shock to see either team. go all the way when all is said and done. The sad reality is that this means one of them will be fired early and it might just be the team that won it all last spring.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Jets have the entrenched defensive ability and goaltending to take care of business and the Avalanche are still too close to a one-line team to make this pick a no-brainer. Still, Colorado’s top talent – especially when compared to Winnipeg’s – should ultimately shine.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Nashville Predators
This series is a star-studded showdown between two teams that few expected to get this far at the start of the season. With the way both teams are playing, the entertainment should be up to par for what will likely be a sneaky and fun series. Both teams have a real chance in this series, but only one can win. It’s probably the Canucks – AOP sellers don’t exist anymore.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
Everyone loves rematches, and the Kings shouldn’t necessarily be ruled out, but there are simply too many good things happening with the Oilers to believe the results will be different than in 2022 and 2023. If the expected outcome becomes the real result, maybe the fourth time will be good for Los Angeles
(Top photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)