Messier: Oilers in six But even he was upstaged this postseason by his adorable infant daughter, Maisie. Hextall: Avalanche in five When Jonathan Quick repeatedly slammed the door in the first-round series, Edmonton didn't panic. The Ducks and Penguins have moved back into the playoff race and will face off Monday. NHL Predictions 2022- 23 season | NHL Projected Standings 2022-23 Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division 1. 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. 26, 2022, at 10:51 PM. Are we focusing heavily on the best players in this series? DiPietro: Hurricanes in six . 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. 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. Buccigross: Flames in six 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. 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. How they got here: Defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-3, defeated Calgary Flames 4-1. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been, and continues to be, Tampa's MVP. Cohn: Avalanche in seven Sean McDonough: Panthers in seven Find North Carolina vs. Virginia predictions, betting odds, moneyline, spread, over/under and more for the February 25 college basketball matchup. If his Game 5 hat trick against the Blues was any indication, "Playoff Nate" is ready to dance toe-to-toe with McDavid & Co. MacKinnon already has eight goals and 13 points in 10 games. That's a killer combination. 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. He battled back and won a Game 7. Granted, Nashville's Ryan Johansen did (accidentally) injure Kuemper's eye in the first round, but the goalie recovered and Colorado swept the Predators in time for Kuemper to return in the second round against St. Louis. Did he skid at the end of this season? One problem Biggest flaw(s): Ovechkin missed the Capitals' final three games after appearing to injure a shoulder in an April 24 game. The Lightning will have to convert some of those to beat "Shesty.". And coach Gerard Gallant is pushing the right buttons when it comes to line combinations. 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. This is when he should shine. There were times when Carolina created chaos around Shesterkin's crease but couldn't find the rebounds he'd leave. We're down to the final four teams of the 2021-22 NHL season. Player to watch: Tom Wilson managed not to get suspended during the regular season, to his credit. . The best possible conference finals? The Blues averaged just 26 shots per game at Kuemper, while Colorado was in control averaging 37 shots the other way. Player to watch: Jonas Brodin. 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. It starts in their own end and being engaged down low. 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. He received help from familiar Capitals names such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, John Carlson and Tom Wilson, while Conor Sheary and Anthony Mantha chipped in. I said in my series prediction . 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. Why Rangers-Lightning, Avs-Oilers demand your attention, 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. Daily Fantasy Picks; Projected Lineups; Player Rankings; . But being that he's Sidney Crosby and he knows this could be the last ride for members of this group, he's absolutely the player to watch for Pittsburgh. 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. Look back at how Nashville started the season, winning just one of its first five games but then exploding to earn the NHL's best record (23-7-2) from mid-October to early January. Might the Colorado Avalanche, the top seed in the West and an underachiever the past two postseasons, break through? Case for a Stanley Cup run: This is Edmonton Oilers Version 2.0. The Wild's penalty kill is bottom 10 in the league, and their power play sits somewhere in the middle. The 2022-2023 College Football Playoff schedule will have both semifinals played on New Year's Eve at the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. Complete playoff coverage NHL . Things aren't trending well for Pittsburgh at the buzzer. That's where depth will come into focus, and the Oilers will want to be sure theirs is on point. Facebook; Twitter; Facebook Messenger; Pinterest; Email; print; Welcome to the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs!The first round gets rolling on Saturday with Game 1 of the Washington Capitals-Boston Bruins series.. There's plenty of history in many of these matchups, as the NHL is using an intradivisional format for the first two rounds, before re-bracketing the final four for the semifinals. Florida is the only place he wanted to land at the trade deadline. Game 6 was a good sign as Erik Haula and Curtis Lazar each scored their first of the playoffs, while Charlie Coyle got his second. Kuemper's terrific regular season (37-12-4, .921 SV%, 2.54 GAA) suggests he's up to the task of what's ahead though -- even if his playoff resume to date isn't so dazzling. Can Georgia pull off a repeat? It doesn't help that in front of Bobrovsky, Florida got a little too comfortable late in the season as the Cardiac Cats. Leah Hextall: Panthers in seven Against Carolina, Shesterkin gave up two or fewer goals in six of the seven games in the series and won another Game 7, this time on the road. The Penguins' offense is also struggling, with an ice-cold power play and players such as Rust mired in slumps. Period. The NHL playoffs get underway Monday, with all four games on ESPN networks. Blake Bolden: Panthers in seven Before I reveal every series winner in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs and the exact number of games in which the series will be won, I'd like to just offer a small reminder to establish a baseline . 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. Toronto can't hide from its ugly postseason past. ET, ESPN), followed by Lightning-Leafs (7:30 ET, ESPN2), Blues-Wild (9:30 ET, ESPN) and Kings-Oilers (10 ET, ESPN2). No one will let the Leafs forget what happened against Boston (twice) or Montreal. And Kane already had a pair of hat tricks in the playoffs. 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. Bold prediction: As happened to Tampa Bay in 2019, the seemingly unstoppable Panthers fall short with a baffling first-round exit. It's hard to imagine the Kings doing anything of consequence in the postseason without Doughty, an accomplished playoff performer who had 31 points in 39 games this season, averaging 25:44 per night. The 2022-23 NHL season is the 106th season of operation (105th . 3 in . Mleczko: Avalanche in six All we know for sure is that the real winners here are those of us watching the action unfold. 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. 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. How they got here: Defeated Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, defeated Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Make picks throughout the postseason for a chance at $14,000 in prizes. They're very ordinary on the back end without him. While offense can sometimes dry up the deeper we get into postseason play, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the case here. 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. 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. Boucher: Avalanche in six But breaks are only breaks if one capitalizes on them, and the Rangers have shown an impressive resiliency. Non-Playoff team from 2021 that will make 2022 Playoffs: Dallas Stars . How much trust should he place in Jack Johnson or Samuel Girard? Maintaining that intensity each night in the playoffs will be a task in itself. Biggest flaw(s): Fatigue. AJ Mleczko: Lightning in seven James O'Brien, NHL writer: Bruins in 6. Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in five NHL on ESPN. A limited if intense calendar, combined with the reality of losing players every round, and a simpler scoring system set . 2022 NHL playoff fantasy hockey pool guide: Favorites, sleepers and busts. Colton and Perry, the latter of whom was acquired as a free agent this past summer, lead the Lightning with five goals each. He's a dynamic offensive talent who has 11 points in his past 15 playoff games. 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. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. Do you blame us? While Florida's offensive talent is its best asset, if the overall team defense can't hold up (especially if Aaron Ekblad isn't able to return to form due to his knee injury), it could make for a shorter run than the Panthers are aiming for. Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six, Allen: Rangers in seven 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. 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. If he finally emerges in this series, that's an edge for the Avalanche as well. Knight: Avalanche in seven CAR (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A. Kuemper came through in that series when the Avalanche needed it, but there wasn't a lot of rhythm to his game. 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! General manager Doug Armstrong took a major risk in allowing. The Lightning have done it the past two seasons, under less-than-ideal pandemic-related circumstances to boot. NHL Events 2022-23; ESPN, Turner Schedules; . 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. Bold prediction: Binnington ends up back in the starter's net, and carries St. Louis deep into the postseason. Player to watch: Forsberg. Jake Oettinger has played well in net, and Dallas' defense has looked more cohesive lately. How to watch 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. We've seen in other series around the league how important timely scoring is from often unheralded or unexpected players. Biggest flaw(s): Depth scoring has been an issue for the Stars. Their power play is going to do some damage. LA | DAL. Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven Shilton: Flames in six 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. The Oilers peppered Calgary's Jacob Markstrom with over 34 shots per game in the second round and their elite talent up front (Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, etc.) That presents a perfect backdrop for Minnesota's run. The answer should be clear early on against Edmonton. He's both their last line of defense and their catalyst, as the Rangers feed off his performances when opponents tip the ice. We just didn't go away. He's the kind of player to watch with your head on a swivel. Yes, Mike Smith has been in a groove during April, with a .948 even-strength save percentage in nine games. Subscribe to ESPN+ Rick DiPietro: Panthers in seven Those matchups are plenty intriguing. TB | WSH Viewers in the U.S. can stream every NBA playoff game live on SLING TV. Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven Los Angeles was 32-19-7 when Doughty went out on March 7. 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). They're not the Maple Leafs or the Panthers, crushed by the weight of expectations and entitlement. Nine of the 16 picked. Case for a Stanley Cup run: What if a team had its best regular season in franchise history and no one noticed? Excellent goaltending. And that could make a huge difference for the Avalanche this spring. Special teams will play a pivotal role. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, in his first season with the Lightning, and playoff hero Pat Maroon also bolster the bottom six. Tim Kavanagh: Lightning in six In general, Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft has been leaning on the same eight forwards up front and limiting the use of his fourth-liners. Physicality gets ratcheted up in the playoffs, and Wilson has shown the ability in the past to turn a series with one big injurious hit. 6 Virginia (21-5, 13-4 ACC) . Ferraro: Hurricanes in six Biggest flaw(s): The fact that the Kings still managed to make the playoffs without Doughty is a testament to how well they played before his injury. NHL.com staff members have made their predictions for the Stanley Cup First Round and Playoffs, and most believe the Honda West Division representative will win it all. Kucherov has 15 points in 11 games, including seven on the power play. The matchups and storylines are set as the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs get underway this week, with the last team standing hoisting the cherished chalice sometime in late June. 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. The Stars are the only team in the playoffs with a negative goal differential. There's a real calmness that the Lightning have in the toughest moments, a constant belief in their ability to weather any storm. 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. 87d ESPN staff. XFL owner Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson shouted out former Alabama quarterback A.J. Here's a player who requested a trade out of St. Louis and instead has thrived there this season. Minnesota has been scorching hot since mid-March, going 19-2-3 since March 16, entering the playoffs with a hard-earned swagger. 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. Weekes: Rangers in seven Kane is a future Hall of Famer and arguably the best men's American hockey player of all time. If the Flames win the Cup, it wouldn't be hard to see him taking home a Conn Smythe. Hosts Linda Cohn and Emily Kaplan bring their hockey expertise and passion for the sport, discussing the latest news around the league as well as interviewing the biggest names both on and off the ice. The opponents are very favourable. ESPN will air the entirety of the Metropolitan and Pacific divisions on alternating days, beginning Wednesday, May 18. 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. The next highest scorer, Zach Hyman, had 54 points. Seven Avs skaters have at least three goals in the playoffs, and five have double-digit point totals. Wyshynski: Hurricanes in five, The Stanley Cup playoffs are back on ESPN and ABC! Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. Their head-to-head matchup will be a primary talking point in the lead-up to Game 1. 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. But it was also a campaign that saw Alex Ovechkin score 50 goals and carry the team for stretches this season. Vitek Vanecek has been wildly inconsistent, while Ilya Samsonov has played to a sub-replacement level this season. UPDATED Jun. Back for 2022 is the usual playoff format with the top team in the conference facing the second wild card, the other division winner playing the first wild card and N. 2 going up against No. Edmonton's top line is stacked, it's slippery and it's been operating at an incredibly high level. That's the question. The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs begin Monday night on the networks of ESPN, . On paper, the Rangers were out in the first round. Lessons from Round 1 Obviously not. Darcy Kuemper has been solid if unspectacular in the playoffs, posting a 6-2-0 record, .904 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average. Stanley Cup playoff picks: Who wins each second-round series? 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. All that winning is great at the time, but it cuts into recovery. Now, these two teams just went through two second-round series that were markedly different. The Flames' plus-85 trailed only the Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers for the. Jump to a team: If defense wins championships (and history suggests it's a big factor), the Bruins should be feared by any opponent. Mika Zibanejad led the way with three points. Beyond that, he hasn't won a playoff series since 2015. I think we're there with the Rangers. Keeping those three in check starts with good neutral-zone play, limiting their ability to gain speed and forcing play to the outside. What Keith does best is bring consistency to Edmonton's defensive effort. Player to watch: McAvoy. Center Steven Stamkos (eight points) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh have been there in big moments. His .925 career playoff save percentage ties him for third all time (minimum 60 games) with Hall of Famer Dominik . They'll need continued offense from Fox, who had 18 points in 14 games. Hextall: Flames in six That, combined with St. Louis being one of the NHL's worst teams in 5-on-5 possession totals, puts a lot more pressure on Husso -- a rookie appearing in his first postseason -- at the toughest time of year. There has also been more effort on the forecheck. McDonough: Avalanche in seven 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. Kevin Weekes: Lightning in seven Shilton: Avalanche in seven Case for a Stanley Cup run: It's hard to argue with the Panthers' results this season. After years of falling short in Philadelphia, the former Flyers captain wants to win it all. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Boston can be a tough team to play against. Well, unless it's because of their opponents' goaltending. NHL odds, picks, and predictions for the Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights on February 23. Now, does that reflect a deficiency in Kuemper's game? Luckily for the Blues, that deja vu high they're currently riding is a good one. But I think Shesty has one that does, too. Wischusen: Flames in seven But I have a lot of faith in Shesty," he said. It nearly did not happen, as both teams were pushed to the brink in the first round. The Oilers will have to settle for Bouchard logging 19:46 in average ice time and being part of a successful pairing with Duncan Keith, which is not something Edmonton fans would have predicted before the season. Unlike the other two teams on this list, the Portland Trail Blazers are currently on the outside looking in. Kreider had two goals, after scoring 52 during the regular season. . He knows when to push and when to pull back. 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. But he's not unbeatable. The Wild have had offensive stars emerging throughout the season, from Kirill Kaprizov to Kevin Fiala to Mats Zuccarello. While it's desirable to have the top-end talent Colorado does, it's often the unheralded players who pick up the playoff slack. New York Rangers 2. Bold prediction: Boston uses its shutdown capabilities to bounce a high-octane offensive opponent in the first round. 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. How they got here: Defeated Nashville Predators 4-0, defeated St. Louis Blues 4-2. The Rangers didn't have to face Penguins starter Tristan Jarry until Game 7; instead, they saw backup Casey DeSmith for five and a half periods and then third-stringer Louis Domingue for just over six games. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Colorado is a beast. Again, the Oilers stayed calm, and refocused. Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Time: 10:00 p.m. Calgary got burned off a couple clean looks for that unit that turned into almost series-defining mistakes. Colorado's penalty kill (only 73.1%) and goaltending (see above) have underwhelmed, and would be the most likely potential issues against Edmonton. Like, ever. Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2022/23 Season. My other prediction for this series? Tampa's lineup remains as intimidating as any in the league. The Oilers bought into playing good defense, stuck to their structure and chipped away at Quick until they broke through. We don't roll out the term "juggernaut" for just anyone around here. In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. Levy: Avalanche in five Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 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. 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. NHL trade grades: Kings make smart additions in Gavrikov, Korpisalo, NHL trade tracker: Latest deals, rumors and grades, Capitals send Eller to Avs for second-round pick, Kings deal Cup-winning G Quick to Blue Jackets, Rangers clear hurdles, get Kane from Blackhawks, Oilers bulk up defense, secure Predators' Ekholm, Leafs win Schenn sweepstakes, trade for veteran, Leafs deal Sandin to Capitals for Gustafsson, pick, Wild add depth, acquire Johansson from Capitals, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? 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