The Hurricanes and Rangers face off again in Game 2 of their first-round series, which fortunately began this weekend before Game 7 of the final first-round series dropped the puck.
My apologies to my friend and colleague Murat Ates who raised his fist to the sky this weekendI would much rather have that reality than have to wait until Monday or Tuesday for this series to start.
As for the Avalanche and the Stars, let them fight. In one corner, the Stars seemingly have everything you need to win a Cup these days. High-end players up and down the roster. A solid defensive corps. Goalkeeper (he doesn’t have to be the best man in the world, he just has to show up). In the other? Nathan MacKinnon, all the quinoa pasta you can eat, and the same things I mentioned about Dallas. There is a good chance that whoever comes out of this match will qualify for the Cup final in June.
The chances are PariMGM and live update. Buy tickets to see your favorite team on StubHub.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers – Game 2
How to watch: 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN
Series odds: Rangers -140, Hurricanes +120
• New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad is having a hot streak in the playoffs, currently on a five-game point streak (3 goals, 10 points).
• Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers have yet to lose a game in the playoffs. The Russian goaltender played an important role with a .921 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average.
• Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis is on a three-game goal streak (3 goals, 5 points).
• The opener against the Rangers was the first time Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen allowed more than three goals in a playoff game. It’s something that’s only happened four times in his last 18 playoff appearances. You’d have to go back to 2015, when he was a member of the Anaheim Ducks, to know the last time this happened in back-to-back games (May 25-27, 2015).
Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars — Game 1
How to watch: 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, SN
Series odds: Stars -125, Avalanche +105
• This will be the second time in his career that Nathan MacKinnon will face the Dallas Stars in the playoffs, the first time since the 2020 playoffs. In seven career playoff games against the Stars, MacKinnon has five goals and 12 points.
• Here is the record of Colorado goaltender Alexandar Georgiev in his last four games: 4-0, a save percentage of .932 and a goals against average of 2.00. He seems to be behind that Game 1 performance where he allowed seven goals against Winnipeg in the first round.
• Dallas forward Wyatt Johnston will celebrate his 21st birthday on May 14, which is the legal drinking age in the United States. But he has already played 26 playoff games (8 goals and 13 points) and is coming off a series where he scored four goals and collected seven points in seven games.
• Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger hasn’t allowed more than two goals in his last six Stanley Cup Playoff games (4-2, .942 SV%, 1.61 GAA).
(Photo by Igor Shesterkin: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)