Biggest flaw(s): Defensive chemistry, and the penalty kill. He hadn't been practicing, but is expected to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Rangers are playing with house money. 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. cal: Oilers in seven Each player had some solid stretches late in the Calgary series, but those four have combined for only five goals thus far in the playoffs. Heading into the playoffs, Craig Custance gets the lowdown on the Vancouver Canucks from rival players, coaches and scouts. Player to watch: McAvoy. Biggest flaw(s): Beyond McDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers don't necessarily have the depth that other contenders in the Western Conference can boast in their forward group or on the blue line. He had just two points in the Pens' six-game series loss to the Islanders last playoffs. Biggest flaw(s): Confidence. After Makar and Devon Toews, where do the rest of Colorado's defensemen fit? Colorado has given up the third-fewest goals against per game (2.70) among remaining playoff teams, and its power play is operating at a crisp 34.5% (best in show throughout the postseason). Wyshynski: Blues in seven, Allen: Flames in six Forward Jason Zucker, who could help, can't stay in the lineup due to injuries. Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in six That's by far the fewest among any goalie left in these playoffs. Can Georgia pull off a repeat? Unsurprisingly, Florida has also produced excellent special-teams numbers (including with its top-10 power play). 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. If that's the case, whose top line will benefit more? Toronto Maple Leafs. A game-changing talent who also is playing for his next contract (from Nashville or someone else). John Tortorella: Panthers in seven Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. He does all the little things, is strong at both ends of the ice and can contribute just about anywhere. Chris Kreider became just the fourth player in Rangers history to top 50 goals. 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. Brehm: Hurricanes 4, Bruins 2. That's been the disconnect before, and those demons won't be overcome until Toronto has success when it matters most. 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. Kuemper came through in that series when the Avalanche needed it, but there wasn't a lot of rhythm to his game. Center Ross Colton, who scored the only goal in their Cup-clinching game last summer against the Canadiens, has played the majority of his minutes with Brandon Hagel, whom the Lightning acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline. I think we're there with the Rangers. He battled back and won a Game 7. That's the question. ET Venue: Moda Center -- Portland, Oregon Coverage: ESPN, ROOT Sports NW, and BSNO The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Wednesday with nine more games, including a battle between the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers. Player to watch: Vasilevskiy. If Edmonton can do that again in the conference finals, Colorado's march to the Cup finals will be severely impeded -- and perhaps derailed. (2:28), Stanley Cup playoffs preview: Breaking down all 16 teams in the NHL postseason, Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline tiers: From elite game-changers to bargain beauties, NHL trade deadline guides for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, cap space, team status. LA | DAL. 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. The Rangers still aren't an impressive five-on-five team, relying on Shesterkin to bail them out at even strength, which he has. The Lightning have a couple of players they'd like to see produce a little more, but their lack of production is injury-related in both cases. They went 12-8-3 after that. And yet, here we are. But that's the regular season. But the Rangers star has only had two signature games in the playoffs: a three-point night in Game 2 against the Penguins and an overtime power-play goal in Game 7 of that series. 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. Then again, Kuemper hasn't been facing a ton of shots. Shilton: Hurricanes in six Goalie Tristan Jarry, who had an outstanding regular season, has been sidelined with a broken foot that he's in the process of rehabbing. Editor's Picks. 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. We've graded all 32 teams -- including one A+ and two F's -- and announced the winners of our own batch of awards . Boucher: Flames in six Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven He's an integral part of their success. Edmonton really performed well against Calgary on the penalty kill too, coming up with critical stops that frustrated the Flames' attack. Weekes: Flames in seven Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; 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 . NHL predictions: Expert picks for both conference final series in Stanley Cup playoffs Our experts reveal their predictions for which two teams will be moving on to the Stanley Cup Final. Obviously not. The winger is having an unbelievable regular season but hasn't scored a playoff goal since 2017-18 and has only eight assists in 12 postseason games the past two years. 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. Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline tiers: From elite game-changers to bargain beauties, NHL trade deadline guides for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, cap space, team status. Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Penguins crossed the finish line as a playoff team. Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the first time since 1991, the Flames and Oilers meet up in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. He relieves pressure in Edmonton's end, makes smart plays up the ice and is a natural leader from whom few words are required -- but there's no doubt Keith has a "big voice" in the Oilers' room, according to teammates. Nine of the 16 picked. Lessons from Round 1 history but they get to host a game . Case for a Stanley Cup run: What if a team had its best regular season in franchise history and no one noticed? The Blues are rightly playing with incredible confidence, and we know from past experience where that can lead them. . 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. 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. But I think Shesty has one that does, too. We just keep on trying to find our game and playing for each other," said forward Chris Kreider. From there, things started falling apart for the Predators; they didn't perform as well at the top of the standings. Adam Fox, last year's Norris winner, had a strong encore. Again, the Oilers stayed calm, and refocused. 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. Team defense has become a part of the equation because that mentality is exhibited by the team's top players (including Matthews). Biggest flaw(s): Depth scoring has been an issue for the Stars. Biggest flaw(s): Well, let's go with "potentially biggest." That could change in a hurry in the postseason, as the Canes flex their impressive depth, stingy penalty kill and offensive power led by Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. These simulcasts typically involve ESPN's linear television channels and internet streaming platforms, and may . Kavanagh: Blues in seven Tampa Bay is better 5-on-5. Washington Capitals (MP) 8. But it's also true that the Lightning haven't faced a goalie like Shesterkin, who is playing out of his gourd right now. If defense wins championships (and history suggests it's a big factor), the Bruins should be feared by any opponent. 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. Draisaitl has unmatched playmaking ability and when he's on a roll, it's hard to think of how Colorado will totally contain how adept he is with the puck. While it's desirable to have the top-end talent Colorado does, it's often the unheralded players who pick up the playoff slack. Wyshynski: Flames in seven. The NHL playoffs get underway Monday, with all four games on ESPN networks. Only four teams had a lower expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 than the Rangers this season: the Sabres, Kraken, Coyotes and Blackhawks. Florida is the only place he wanted to land at the trade deadline. Until he does, it's Casey DeSmith's crease. They're finding ways to win, finding ways to survive and I think they do it again here. Levy: Avalanche in five If the Flames win the Cup, it wouldn't be hard to see him taking home a Conn Smythe. Vitek Vanecek has been wildly inconsistent, while Ilya Samsonov has played to a sub-replacement level this season. The best possible conference finals? That mindset is critical when every team out there is looking to unseat the champions. They aren't going to wilt if the Rangers control the tempo. One of the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, or Edmonton Oilers will be this year's Stanley Cup champion. All that winning is great at the time, but it cuts into recovery. The Footballers (7-9) have the worst record of any playoff team they tied the 2010 Seattle Seahawks for the worst record for a playoff team in N.F.L. Colorado's penalty kill (only 73.1%) and goaltending (see above) have underwhelmed, and would be the most likely potential issues against Edmonton. Pittsburgh Penguins 4. 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. La Greca: Avalanche in five Hextall: Hurricanes in six Kucherov has 15 points in 11 games, including seven on the power play. When Boston is at its best, it is a hard-hitting, back-breaking group to go up against. There was never any doubt that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could score in the regular season, but the playoffs have brought their challenges in keeping up that pace offensively. Knight: Flames in six How well Colorado's back end -- led by Makar, Devon Toews and Bowen Byram -- can manage those assignments will go a long way in determining the series. His playoff struggles are a bit overblown -- his numbers aren't that bad overall -- but the doubts linger. If Cale Makar is the flashy rising star leading Colorado's blue line, Duncan Keith is the veteran grandmaster stabilizing Edmonton's back end. The opponents are very favourable. Chandan: Hurricanes in five Florida has three 30-plus goal scorers, six players with 50-plus points and a Hart Trophy contender in Jonathan Huberdeau, who can go toe-to-toe with any offensive threat in the league. All things being equal, Colorado boasts the deeper team. Biggest flaw(s): Defense, and goaltending. Offseason keys for eliminated teams, Sean Allen: Panthers in six 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). The Igor Shesterkin that we saw during Round 1 is not the Igor Shesterkin that the Lightning are going to see. That's not great news for a Rangers team whose power-play prowess (fourth in the NHL) far outpaced its even-strength offense (18th). How they got here: Defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-3, defeated Calgary Flames 4-1. Make picks throughout the postseason for a chance at $14,000 in prizes. Whether or not he'll again be eyeing a trade out of town this offseason, Tarasenko should take every chance to shine in the coming weeks. This is when he should shine. Oh, baby. So if there's room for improvement anywhere, it's from some of the Oilers' second- and third-line skaters like Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi. It will all happen on the new NHL TV Networks of ESPN and TNT/Turner Sports. Every first-round Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be available on ESPN or ESPN2. Los Angeles was 32-19-7 when Doughty went out on March 7. We've got all the angles covered to get you ready for the playoffs as ESPN hockey reporters Greg Wyshynski and Kristen Shilton take a look at each of the 16 postseason teams, offering the reasons each team could win it all, along with their (potentially) biggest flaws, players to watch and a bold prediction for every contender. ESPN will air the entirety of the Metropolitan and Pacific divisions on alternating days, beginning Wednesday, May 18. Bolden: Avalanche in six AJ Mleczko: Lightning in seven February 27, 2023 by Rob Couch. CAR (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A. Colorado's will have less pressure to produce given their second unit is anchored by a guy named Nazem Kadri, who's coming off an 87-point regular season and is averaging a point per game in the playoffs. The 24-year-old forward had 103 points and was a plus-58 (!) Not enough has been made of the Blues. Hagel took a puck off one of his feet in Game 2 against the Panthers, though he appeared in Games 3 and 4. Blake Bolden: Panthers in seven Mleczko: Hurricanes in seven 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. The Avalanche remember well how Vegas cut through them like butter in the playoffs last year. (2:28). NHL playoff fantasy competition is its own brand of compact, focused fun. Trail Blazers vs. Pelicans Game Info. Not too shabby. They're tremendous on the power play, as Carolina witnessed. McDonough: Avalanche in seven Same with its overall consistency. 12:50 PM. 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. If New York wants this to be a 1-0 goalie duel, the Lightning can win those, too. That unit shows no signs of slowing, either, and that should give Dallas a confidence boost going into the first round. The All-Star break is over, and we are almost three-quarters of the way through the 2022-23 season. All of those little things add up when they're coming top down through the lineup. The Blues averaged just 26 shots per game at Kuemper, while Colorado was in control averaging 37 shots the other way. The Lightning have great depth down the middle of the ice with Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli, electric scoring potential in Nikita Kucherov and an excellent defenseman who leads by example in Victor Hedman. I said in my series prediction . Forsberg can, and will, challenge any defense the Predators see in coming weeks. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Thanks to the steepest parity the Eastern Conference has seen in some time, the Capitals had a 100-point season for the sixth straight 82-game campaign. After a bumpy road through February and most of March, the Blues caught fire into April and have been unstoppable of late. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Boston can be a tough team to play against. Viewers in the U.S. can stream every NBA playoff game live on SLING TV. Player to watch: Marner. Jake Oettinger has played well in net, and Dallas' defense has looked more cohesive lately. 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. 6 Virginia (21-5, 13-4 ACC) . Linda Cohn: Panthers in seven 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. Edmonton's trio has combined for 26 goals and 67 points in 12 games. Kane is a future Hall of Famer and arguably the best men's American hockey player of all time. NHL Events 2022-23; ESPN, Turner Schedules; 2022-23 Must-See Games; . We've already discussed Kuemper. as well as out-of-market games. The Eastern Conference finals series is on ESPN and ESPN+, while the Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC and ESPN+. The Oilers are more balanced (28.1% on the power play, 85.4% on the kill). So it works in Nashville's favor to not just go into the postseason as a wild-card team, but to know there's an uphill battle ahead to make its time in the playoffs last. Goalie Frederik Andersen had a dominant regular season, finishing third in goals saved above average (38.7). The Oilers' top trio will be a confident bunch going into the series -- as they should be -- and Colorado can send a message early by staying on top of them and standing up to that top line's speed in the middle of the ice. But this was his best season since 2017-18, and there were enough moments of "vintage Jonathan Quick" to make one wonder if there isn't just a little more playoff magic left in him, 10 years after winning the Conn Smythe. They are firing on all cylinders. Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. Weekes: Blues in seven He's both their last line of defense and their catalyst, as the Rangers feed off his performances when opponents tip the ice. 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