NHL Playoff Preview

The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are finally here, and for the first time since the league went with a regional alignment, the Eastern Conference saw all eight of its teams finish at or above 100 points. It was an enormous accomplishment, but it was only possible because six teams in the East are currently in the middle of a rebuild, one - the Philadelphia Flyers - which should be, and one - the New York Islanders - that got off to an horrendous start. 

Another incredible accomplishment is that of the sixteen teams in the tournament, no fewer than eleven have a legitimate shot at winning the Cup; seven in the East and four in the West. Below is a preview of the first round, beginning with the New York Rangers. As with most of my predictions, take them with a grain of salt.

Eastern Conference:

New York vs. Pittsburgh: Since the Penguins last won the Stanley Cup in 2017, they have been eliminated in the first round every year but one - 2018 - when they lost to the eventual Cup champion Washington Capitals. While they still have a potent offense, the loss of Tristan Jarry for at least the first two games of the series will hurt in goal where the Rangers already enjoy a huge edge with Igor Shesterkin.

The keys to a Rangers win will be 1) how well they fare on the power play, which was one of the best in the NHL during the regular season, but failed to convert once over the last three games; 2) whether Artemi Panarin and Andrew Copp are 100 percent after sustaining injuries; and 3) whether the "kid" line of Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko can provide enough offense to keep the opposition honest.

Both teams ostensibly play the same style of hockey, which means we will likely see the stars - Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider and Fox vs. Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel and Letang - decide the winner. That should be good news for the Blueshirts who, despite the additions Chris Drury made over the off season, are still susceptible to teams that are aggressive on the forecheck, i.e., the Carolina Hurricanes and the Islanders. One additional note: since the trade deadline, the Rangers have been one of the best 5v5 teams in the league. 

I expect an exciting series, with both teams winning at least one game in the other's building, one that could go the full seven. But in the end, the Rangers should emerge on top. Rangers in six.

Florida vs. Washington: Even with a fully healthy Alex Ovechkin, this was an uphill battle for the Caps. If he's unable to play or hobbled by his shoulder injury, this could get out of hand quickly. The Panthers are not a particularly strong defensive team, which will no doubt be exploited at some point during the postseason, but not in this series. Panthers in five.

Carolina vs. Boston: To be honest, I've been impressed with the season the Bruins have had without a legit 2C and no Tuukka Rask in net. Credit head coach Bruce Cassidy for squeezing every last ounce of talent out of this bunch. The problem for Bean Town is that the Hurricanes have their own outstanding head coach in Rod Brind'Amour who just happens to have a much deeper team. Hurricanes in six.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay: Auston Matthews will be the best player in this series. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, that's the only advantage they will have going for them. The Lightning are just too deep and too experienced. They also have the best goaltender on the planet in Andrei Vasilevskiy. Bolts in six.

Western Conference:

Colorado vs. Nashville: Imagine busting your ass over a full 82 game schedule just for the privilege of facing the Avalanche in the first round. The hockey gods are cruel indeed. The only way the Preds keep this close is if Roman Josi - a lock for the Norris trophy - plays like a maniac, and Juuse Saros steals a game or two. Otherwise, this could be a sweep. Avs in five.

Calgary vs. Dallas: And Joe Pavelski stayed for this? The Stars have the thinest roster of any team in the postseason, and that includes the Caps. Talk about a mismatch. Darryl Sutter has coached two Stanley Cup winning teams - both in LA. Calgary could be his third. Flames in four.

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles: If Jonathan Quick rediscovers his past magic, the Kings could make this an interesting series. But that's a tall order against the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Another lopsided series. Oilers in five.

Minnesota vs. St. Louis: Only a league as inept as the NHL could have two of the best teams in one conference meet in the first round. Seriously, either one of these teams could go to the finals, that's how good they both are. The Blues have nine 20 plus goal scorers - the most in the league - while the Wild have Kirill Kaprizov up front and Marc-Andre Fleury in goal. Wild in seven.

I'll make my predictions for round two when round one is over. No sense spoiling the anticipation.