EASTERN CONFERENCE
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers
Game 1 at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL – Tuesday, May 17 at 4:00 PT/7:00 ET on TNT
It was another tough end to the Maple Leafs season after losing at home in game 7. The Leafs looked deflated after giving up the heartbreaking OT goal in game 6. The Lightning took advantage of this and basically played defense for most of game 7 securing them the win. The Panthers are living up to their name as President’s Trophy winners, taking the hard fought victory in game 6 against Alexander Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals. This series could be a fun battle of Florida and could very well go the distance. As I mentioned in the first round preview, the Lightning are basically the same team as they have been the last few years as defending Stanley Cup Champions. The Panthers have looked to be the best team in the Eastern Conference all season. This should be close, but I am going with the defending champs on this one.
Prediction: Lightning win in 7 games
New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 1 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina – Wednesday, May 18 at 4:00 PT/7:00 ET on ESPN
As a Rangers fan, the first round was equal parts stressful and fun to watch. Chris Kreider and company battled back from a three games to one deficit in the series and won in dramatic fashion with Artemi Panarin scoring the OT winner in game 7 at Madison Square Garden. The Hurricanes battled the gritty Boston Bruins with lopsided victories on each side, eventually earning the victory in game 7. I expect this series to be a grind with strong offensive power on each team. The Hurricanes’ organization has made a petty decision not allowing fans entry outside of the state to the home games. There is also bad blood between these two teams, primarily stemming from prior issues with Hurricanes defenseman and former Ranger, Tony DeAngelo. So, expect the sparks to fly on the ice and keep your eye on Rangers’ enforcer, Ryan Reaves. Ultimately, like I said before and I will stick by this here, it’s Igor Shesterkin’s time.
Prediction: Rangers win in 7 games
WESTERN CONFERENCE
St. Louis Blues vs Colorado Avalanche
Game 1 at Ball Arena in Denver, CO – Tuesday, May 17 at 6:30 PT/9:30 ET on TNT
The Avalanche have looked to be the team to beat in the NHL all season and their success carried over into the first round, making quick work of the Juuse Saros-less Nashville Predators in four games. The Blues benefited from a momentum swing after being blown out by the Wild in game 3, taking over the series with three consecutive blowouts of their own. The Blues have been known to upset the competition in prior seasons and these are the Stanley Cup playoffs, so anything could happen. However, I think the Avalanche will be a little too much to handle for Jordan Binnington’s Blues in this series. This will likely be a tighter battle for the Avs than the first round, but they have proven they may be the toughest team to beat in the NHL.
Prediction: Avalanche win in 6 games
Edmonton Oilers vs Calgary Flames
Game 1 at Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta – Wednesday, May 18 at 6:30 PT/9:30 ET on ESPN
This is a series that has hockey fans very excited, the battle of Alberta! The Flames battled deep into game 7 overtime and earned the victory, despite an incredible performance from Dallas’ goalie, Jake Oettinger. The Kings’ goalie, Jonathan Quick looked like the Quick of old and the team held their own in seven games, but Conor McDavid’s Oilers proved to be too much to handle in the end. This may be the series I am most looking forward to in the second round. These two teams have not played each other in the playoffs since 1991. The crowds are going to be hot, the teams are very well matched and this series could really go either way. The top lines of Conor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Kailer Yamamoto against Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk is a recipe for an incredible offensive battle. This is probably the toughest prediction to make, but just solely based on the overall numbers this season, I will give the slightest advantage to Calgary. As hockey fans, we can only hope the games are close and go the distance. This one will be fun to watch!
Prediction: Flames win in 7 games
Check back here in a couple weeks when I will preview the conference finals.
Make sure to check out our new series, Playoff Beards where Adelia Chamberlain and myself break down each series of the first round and give our thoughts on the Stanley Cup playoffs so far. The first episode is available now on the Let’s Get Ready Network podcast feed. Full video is also available to Patrons, and you can become a Patron by clicking here.
