Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round predictions NHL.com staff members make their picks for four series A limited if intense calendar, combined with the reality of losing players every round, and a simpler scoring system set . Cohn: Rangers in seven Leah Hextall: Panthers in seven Jonathan Quick's best saves of 2022-23 season (1:58) . It's part of what has made Husso so invaluable; he covers for all manner of ills in the Blues' own end. Alas, he's ineligible, having played more than six games in his first two NHL seasons. Do the Lightning have what it takes to three-peat? Another matchup against the Dallas Stars, who are a mess right now and Domi just recently torched, could be another interesting game for him. La Greca: Avalanche in five They'll help power what could be a last attempt at a Cup for this aging core, with Malkin, Letang and Rust among the team's pending free agents. The answer should be clear early on against Edmonton. Things aren't trending well for Pittsburgh at the buzzer. Biggest flaw(s): The playoffs couldn't arrive at a worse time for Pittsburgh. Matiash: Rangers in seven Football Women's Basketball Games Home ESPN Fantasy App Jarvis might not have the point total to make noise in the Calder Trophy race, but you'll know his name after this postseason. 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. The rare NHL talent who can agitate you with words, deeds and on the scoreboard. Or was it symptomatic of the Blues' inconsistent attack? McDonough: Flames in seven Heading into the playoffs, Craig Custance gets the lowdown on the Vancouver Canucks from rival players, coaches and scouts. Non-Playoff team from 2021 that will make 2022 Playoffs: Dallas Stars . Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. The first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs was a doozy, including five series going to Game 7 -- and two of those Game 7's going to overtime. 6 Virginia (21-5, 13-4 ACC) . Note: Kristen Shilton previewed the Western Conference teams, while Greg Wyshynski previewed the two clubs from the East. Philadelphia Flyers (MP) Atlantic Division 1. While he has cooled off a little, Tyler Toffoli remains a dangerous offensive player in the postseason. Mark Messier: Lightning in seven 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. The Eastern Conference finals series is on ESPN and ESPN+, while the Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC and ESPN+. 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. ET ESPN, SN; . Are we focusing heavily on the best players in this series? More: Full playoff schedule This postseason, he's 8-3 with a .932 save percentage and has 6.76 goals saved above average to lead all goalies still playing in the postseason. Coach Darryl Sutter has this team primed to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993. The Blues averaged just 26 shots per game at Kuemper, while Colorado was in control averaging 37 shots the other way. They're finding ways to win, finding ways to survive and I think they do it again here. The puck drops on the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN presented by GEICO with 12 first round games on ESPN and ESPN2 over three days beginning on Monday, May 2. That must be what the Hurricanes felt like in 2021-22, as they set a new standard for points in a season, won the Metropolitan Division for the first time and led the league in goals-against average. Tampa Bay is better 5-on-5. While Dallas has every reason to feel good about its top point-getters, in a tight playoff series the secondary scoring often puts teams over the top. will be coming full force. I said in my series prediction . That formula doesn't generally work in the postseason. Levy: Flames in seven In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. What makes Nashville dangerous (other than Roman Josi, Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros, of course) is the chip on its shoulder, the hunger to prove the team's critics wrong. The Rangers goalie has been their best player through the first two rounds -- heck, he has even chipped in three assists on top of his stellar goaltending. Artemi Panarin averaged 1.28 points per game. On paper, the Rangers were out in the first round. The Rangers are playing with house money. Editor's Picks. A trade to move Miller out of Vancouver would be surprising considering he signed a fresh seven-year, $56-million contract ($8 million AAV) in September 2022 a deal that won't even kick in until next season. Bold prediction: The Avalanche flip the season script, struggling to score in the early going of the playoffs and relying on team defense to step up and move them along. He's both their last line of defense and their catalyst, as the Rangers feed off his performances when opponents tip the ice. What Keith does best is bring consistency to Edmonton's defensive effort. Cohn: Oilers in six The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. This season is shaping up in similar fashion. The past three postseasons haven't been the greatest for Sid, with six points in 14 games. LA | DAL. Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn have underperformed much of the season, and the Stars don't get much scoring help from their defensemen (John Klingberg leads Dallas blueliners with six goals). 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. 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. Under coach Dave Tippett, the Oilers were 13th in the NHL in expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5; under interim coach Jay Woodcroft, who took over Feb. 10, the Oilers jumped to fourth in that category. Now they also have some strong depth, and the versatility to play the Islanders' style if needed. 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. 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. NHL playoff predictions 2022: 1st-round winners, most overrated, dark horse, Stanley Cup champion and more. How to watch They were 27th in goals-against per 60 at 5-on-5 under Tippett; under Woodcroft, they were ninth. If the Flames win the Cup, it wouldn't be hard to see him taking home a Conn Smythe. But he's not unbeatable. . The image above displays the 2023 NHL Playoff bracket and will be updated after each week. Expect more great performances from him. When Kuemper was tested, he didn't always look sharp; St. Louis caught him in bad positioning and decidedly flat-footed on a few occasions. We know Josi is a Norris Trophy-caliber defender, but the rest of Nashville's blue line doesn't exhibit nearly the same consistency. One problem Biggest flaw(s): Ovechkin missed the Capitals' final three games after appearing to injure a shoulder in an April 24 game. While there is a lot of "new" happening in the NHL this season, as far as league predictions go for the upcoming 2021-22 season, there is a lot that will feel familiar. Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in six Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven How they got here: Defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, defeated Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Any notion that the Avs' slide out of the regular season (losing six of their last seven games) was a premonition of poor playoff performance to come was unfounded. Player to watch: Jonas Brodin. How they choose to defend Kucherov's line is going to be a key for the series. But we doubt that's sustainable, and the alternative remains Mikko Koskinen. What do the Stars have to lose? Player to watch: Marner. Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six, Allen: Rangers in seven For all the great stats the Avs have produced this season, they're average on the kill (79%), which could be an issue in the postseason, when it's harder to score and every advantage that goes the other way has the potential to be a backbreaker. What will be the key to solving Igor Shesterkin? Brian Boucher: Panthers in six Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven NHL.com ranks the top 200 overall fantasy hockey players in standard . Heiskanen can set a tone for how the entire team approaches its defensive strategy. Make Your Picks. Daily Fantasy Picks; Projected Lineups; Player Rankings; . Heiskanen missed time this season with illness but is an invaluable asset to Dallas' overall success. DiPietro: Avalanche in seven Once the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round matchups are set, hockey fans worldwide can start creating and submitting brackets outlining their predictions for each playoff series online. . Sorting out the optimal defensive pairings will be a task for coach Jared Bednar. 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. Arda cal: Lightning in six Biggest flaw(s): Minnesota's special teams are less than awe-inspiring. Then, of course, there's the personnel. Nine of the 16 picked. The Avalanche have an excellent power play (34.5%) but weaker penalty kill (73.1%). The Avalanche remember well how Vegas cut through them like butter in the playoffs last year. PIT | BOS The 13th overall pick in 2020, Jarvis had 11 points in a nine-game stretch near the end of the season, running shotgun with Aho for a lot of it. Bold prediction: The Flames advance to the Western Conference finals, including a Battle of Alberta win over the Oilers. It's easy to talk about Minnesota's goaltending and offensive prowess, but Brodin has been helping facilitate all that with locked-in defensive play (and he's no slouch with the puck either, registering a career high in points this season). Venue: Dean Smith Center -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Coverage: ESPN . ESPN revealed its top five most likely playoff . Now, does that reflect a deficiency in Kuemper's game? Biggest flaw(s): Consistency and resiliency. Some nights, the Bruins look impenetrable; the next, they're floundering in their own end. And, as Nashville's leader in game-winning goals, Forsberg also has the potential to create some must-see drama. 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. The Capitals have a veteran group that can play physical hockey and defend well at 5-on-5. Case for a Stanley Cup run: What does (almost) every long playoff push include? He was fourth on the team in goals scored above average. Wischusen: Flames in seven The College Football Playoff will pit Georgia against Ohio State and Michigan against TCU in a bid to figure out the next national champion. How will the Rangers handle Nikita Kucherov? Biggest flaw(s): Depth scoring has been an issue for the Stars. NHL betting best bet and free pick analysis. Sixteen teams entered the postseason tournament, but only four are left in the bracket, as the New York Rangers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the East, and the Colorado Avalanche will square off against the Edmonton Oilers in the West. Callahan: Avalanche in seven The Bruins are one of the league's stingiest teams (averaging 2.69 goals against) and excel at limiting shots against (28.7 per game, third fewest in the NHL) and high-danger chances (first overall). Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, Lineup picks, matchups, start or sit advice for Wednesday, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres, What the remaining Stanley Cup contenders learned in Round 1, Why the Avalanche are the NHL's postseason juggernaut, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. STL | NSH These simulcasts typically involve ESPN's linear television channels and internet streaming platforms, and may . The legend of Mike Smith has only grown this postseason. Hilary Knight: Lightning in seven Why? Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Kreider had two goals, after scoring 52 during the regular season. 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. Yes, but that doesn't mean he can't flip the switch when it's time. Player to watch: Crosby had 84 points this season, which was his best points-per-60 minutes average for a season with at least 68 games played since 2009-10. There has also been more effort on the forecheck. Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2022/23 Season. NHL on ESPN. Victoria Matiash: Panthers in seven Editor's Picks. The Wild have that, big-time. 4 NHL Trade Deadline Sellers Looking to Bounce Back in 2023-24. . While offense can sometimes dry up the deeper we get into postseason play, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the case here. Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Time: 10:00 p.m. That's by far the fewest among any goalie left in these playoffs. Messier: Oilers in six As Crosby said recently: "I think you try to enjoy it as much as you can and try to take it all in because you know that it's not going to last forever. Kucherov has 15 points in 11 games, including seven on the power play. After Makar and Devon Toews, where do the rest of Colorado's defensemen fit? He's an integral part of their success. Ferraro: Flames in seven We've seen in other series around the league how important timely scoring is from often unheralded or unexpected players. Long playoff runs result in short offseasons to follow. We've graded all 32 teams-- including one A+ and two F's -- and announced the winners of our own batch of awards. He received help from familiar Capitals names such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson and Tom Wilson, while Conor Sheary and Anthony Mantha chipped in. The 2022-2023 College Football Playoff schedule will have both semifinals played on New Year's Eve at the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. Colorado is notably multifaceted, capable of beating its opponents in different ways. Coach Jon Cooper says his standout center -- the team's leading goal-scorer (30) over the past two postseasons -- is progressing from a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs. Bolden: Avalanche in six Here is how the Stanley Cup playoffs will play out, from the opening round through the last game of the Final. 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. The last time they did was in the first round, when Crosby's line ran roughshod over them (Crosby had 10 points in six games) -- until a Trouba hit cost No. Wischusen: Avalanche in six Unsurprisingly, Florida has also produced excellent special-teams numbers (including with its top-10 power play). Biggest flaw(s): Well, let's go with "potentially biggest." We just didn't go away. If you just ignore the three goals he gave up in the first six minutes of Game 1 against Calgary, and also put aside that he allowed a 132-foot clearing attempt past the posts in Game 4, then Smith has been unequivocally rock solid for the Oilers. What sort of postseason magic can Kadri create to cap this career season? When the trade deadline rolls around, there are always teams caught in the middle of the standings . The Oilers played a wide-open, goal-scoring bonanza of a five-game spread against Calgary versus the Avalanche's more bruising, defensive-conscious, six-game affair against St. Louis. Ferraro: Avalanche in six Until he does, it's Casey DeSmith's crease. The Avalanche are top three in league scoring, top six in goals against, have a top-five power play and boast enviable depth at forward and on the back end to complement Darcy Kuemper, who has had a resurgent second half in net. Mike Smith has been great for Edmonton in the playoffs, without question, but we haven't seen the best of Kuemper yet. That mindset is critical when every team out there is looking to unseat the champions. Two good goalies coming together. It's time for our experts to go on the record with their predictions on which four teams will make it one step closer to the Stanley Cup Final, which is returning to ABC this season. Hextall: Hurricanes in six Center Steven Stamkos (eight points) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh have been there in big moments. Those matchups are plenty intriguing. And it's not just the Avs' marquee names -- Nazem Kadri, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar to name a few -- who are having an impact. Watching all of it from the crease is Vezina contender Jacob Markstrom. Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Kings, who flaunt one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, had been waiting a few years for their next generation of stars to mature. 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