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. The Avalanche have an excellent power play (34.5%) but weaker penalty kill (73.1%). Excellent goaltending. Viewers in the U.S. can stream every NBA playoff game live on SLING TV. We'll highlight the current playoff picture in both conferences, take a look at what the first-round matchups might look like, see who's leading the race for the best odds in the draft lottery and more. Bold prediction: The Penguins go out in the first round, but goaltending isn't the reason. Levy: Rangers in seven Watching all of it from the crease is Vezina contender Jacob Markstrom. We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide the best free NHL expert picks each and every day. The Bruins have just about everything you can want in a contender: a deadly top line, an elite defenseman, and a great goalie. Until he does, it's Casey DeSmith's crease. LA | DAL. How they got here: Defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, defeated Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Brian Boucher: Panthers in six 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. They have depth at forward and are getting excellent play from defensemen like Fox and Trouba. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a place where teams defy the numbers, find an undeniable belief in themselves and create - for lack of a better term - postseason magic. That's the question. Minnesota has been scorching hot since mid-March, going 19-2-3 since March 16, entering the playoffs with a hard-earned swagger. It starts in their own end and being engaged down low. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Boston can be a tough team to play against. 102) of the 2009 NHL Draft, Ekholm has 268 points (62 goals, 206 assists) in 719 regular-season games with the Predators and 35 points (six goals, 29 . 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. The Hurricanes had their best success on high-danger chances, scoring eight high-danger goals against the Rangers goaltender, the second-most allowed in the second round. There's a real calmness that the Lightning have in the toughest moments, a constant belief in their ability to weather any storm. Same with its overall consistency. We're learned that fatigue hasn't yet been an issue for a team that's gone all the way in two straight postseasons -- perhaps because they followed truncated regular seasons? New Jersey Devils (MP) 6. Venue: Dean Smith Center -- Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Coverage: ESPN . Player to watch: Kadri. Editor's Picks. 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. As long as the Oilers' stars are shining that brightly, they'll have a chance to win any series. Brodin is a leader on the ice and anchors the Wild in a way that is crucial to their success. Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in six And, as Nashville's leader in game-winning goals, Forsberg also has the potential to create some must-see drama. But he's expected to miss a few games in the first round due to a lower-body injury. The XFL has entered the second week of its third season under its . The Rangers had their share of breaks. 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. The first round might actually be the hardest for Tampa, knowing how hungry the Leafs are to overcome their checkered playoff past. The Wild's penalty kill is bottom 10 in the league, and their power play sits somewhere in the middle. Biggest flaw(s): Power plays don't always come easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs. 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. Bolden: Hurricanes in six Stream the NHL on ESPN. Weekes: Blues in seven McCarron for choosing his league over the NFL. 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. Free agency is looming, and all eyes will be on Kadri as he chases that elusive championship. Knight: Hurricanes in six The past three postseasons haven't been the greatest for Sid, with six points in 14 games. Team defense has become a part of the equation because that mentality is exhibited by the team's top players (including Matthews). When the trade deadline rolls around, there are always teams caught in the middle of the standings . That formula doesn't generally work in the postseason. Player to watch: Tom Wilson managed not to get suspended during the regular season, to his credit. The next highest scorer, Zach Hyman, had 54 points. Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Lightning in six 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, Who goes to the Stanley Cup Final? The Avalanche will require all hands on deck to keep pace with Edmonton. Heiskanen can set a tone for how the entire team approaches its defensive strategy. In fact, even as he has gotten better as the playoffs have continued -- playing through jitters in the first round that included two games he didn't complete in Pittsburgh -- he has yet to pitch a shutout. A rundown of 1 to 8 in all four divisions, plus the 16-team postseason field for this upcoming season. DiPietro: Avalanche in seven The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs on ESPN presented by GEICO continue into the second round with exclusive doubleheaders this Wednesday, Friday, Sunday and Tuesday on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Deportes. 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. It starts with Bruins-Canes (7 p.m. Edmonton's trio has combined for 26 goals and 67 points in 12 games. Edmonton's top line is stacked, it's slippery and it's been operating at an incredibly high level. Bold prediction: The Flames advance to the Western Conference finals, including a Battle of Alberta win over the Oilers. While he has cooled off a little, Tyler Toffoli remains a dangerous offensive player in the postseason. Obviously, the Lightning would like to see Point back on the ice. 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. Washington lives and dies on the performance of its franchise star, especially on the power play. Kuemper came through in that series when the Avalanche needed it, but there wasn't a lot of rhythm to his game. Do you blame us? Picks for Rangers-Lightning, Avalanche-Oilers, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Free-agency, draft plans for Avs, Lightning, every other NHL team, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. But the players and Gallant all said that their Game 7 win at the Hurricanes was indicative of what a quintessential effort from the Rangers looks like, getting points from 12 different players. Its defense has been a little better than Edmonton's (giving up a playoff-low 27 shots against per game versus the Oilers' 37.5) and its depth is impressive. The opponents are very favourable. Player to watch: Rookie forward Seth Jarvis has been absolutely outstanding for the Hurricanes. Bold prediction: As happened to Tampa Bay in 2019, the seemingly unstoppable Panthers fall short with a baffling first-round exit. This series against Colorado could see each team's top talents canceling each other out. McDonough: Avalanche in seven Ferraro: Avalanche in six Again, Hagel has done fine in the roles that they've cast him in during the playoffs. Failing to capitalize on man-advantage chances almost always comes back to bite teams in the postseason; ditto with struggling to keep pucks out on the kill. Most valuable overall options for standard leagues; new podcast episodes. Look for that to change in the Lightning's second season. Selected by Nashville in the fourth round (No. Weekes: Rangers in seven Obviously not. The Panthers repeatedly fell into multiple-goal deficits they were able to erase because, well, see above. Biggest flaw(s): Being a top-heavy offensive team is a good problem to have when the top of one's lineup is filled with players who have more than 35 goals. (2:28). Matiash: Avalanche in six The Lightning goalie will have to be better than his best to get Tampa over the hump and back into postseason cruise control. After a bumpy road through February and most of March, the Blues caught fire into April and have been unstoppable of late. Mark Giordano has helped solidify the blue line, and the Leafs actually have good depth there, for once. 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. My other prediction for this series? NHL playoff fantasy competition is its own brand of compact, focused fun. Center Anthony Cirelli has two points in 11 games but has provided what the Lightning need in the middle after Brayden Point's injury. Special teams will play a pivotal role. 2022 NHL playoff fantasy hockey pool guide: Favorites, sleepers and busts. Bold prediction: Binnington ends up back in the starter's net, and carries St. Louis deep into the postseason. Shilton: Flames in six The Blues do have scoring talents, including Jordan Kyrou and Vladimir Tarasenko, but with more limited chances in tight-checking postseason games, St. Louis will have to really focus on the defensive details to avoid a letdown. For example, we've learned that they've effectively rebuilt their bottom six after the offseason exodus of their celebrated checking line of Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Bold prediction: Brandon Hagel comes alive at last. Player to watch: Claude Giroux. Back-to-back tilts against bottom feeders in the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes should produce value. Keith has been on every big stage hockey has to offer. Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in five 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs first-round predictions NHL.com staff members make their picks for eight series, Cup, Conn Smythe winner NHL.com @NHLdotcom April 30, 2022 The Colorado. Hextall: Hurricanes in six Vitek Vanecek has been wildly inconsistent, while Ilya Samsonov has played to a sub-replacement level this season. Campbell-Pascall: Flames in six If he makes it back, Jarry still has to demonstrate his postseason prowess after flopping against the Islanders in their 2021 series. Case for a Stanley Cup run: History has a funny habit of repeating itself. He has added 10 assists to his point total, but Rantanen has still fallen short of expectations to date in terms of output. 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. Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Penguins crossed the finish line as a playoff team. They rallied to beat the Penguins after being down 3-1 in their first-round series. Carolina Hurricanes 3. ESPN Megacast, formerly known as ESPN Full Circle, is a multi-network simulcast of a single sporting event across multiple ESPN networks and serviceswith each feed providing a different version of the telecast making use of different features, functions or perspectives. 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. Editor's Picks. The team also had strong seasons from veterans Trevor Moore, Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe and Alex Edler, a resurgent campaign from Jonathan Quick and an outstanding season from Drew Doughty before he went out with a wrist injury. Colorado's big winger has one goal in these playoffs, which he scored on an empty net in the Avs' 6-3 victory over St. Louis in Game 4. Goals project to be at a premium for Dallas, so look for the team's top defender to step up in keeping pucks out of the Stars' end -- and out of their net. You can say the Rangers haven't faced a goalie like Vasilevskiy, and that's true. New York Rangers. Tocchet, most recently head coach of the Arizona . 2022 NHL playoff fantasy hockey pool guide - Favorites, sleepers and busts Presented By > ESPN Search Fantasy Men's Basketball Hockey Baseball Sign up and play for free! It's part of what has made Husso so invaluable; he covers for all manner of ills in the Blues' own end. Messier: Rangers in six NHL Events 2022-23; ESPN, Turner Schedules; 2022-23 Must-See Games; . They had three 40-goal forwards in Johnny Gaudreau, who posted a remarkable 115-point season, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm, with Andrew Mangiapane (35 goals) not far off the pace. 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