At every juncture where past Oilers' teams have misstepped, this group has stepped up. Biggest flaw(s): Consistency and resiliency. Mike Smith has been great for Edmonton in the playoffs, without question, but we haven't seen the best of Kuemper yet. Bold prediction: The Flames advance to the Western Conference finals, including a Battle of Alberta win over the Oilers. Oh, baby. They rallied to beat the Penguins after being down 3-1 in their first-round series. Or was it symptomatic of the Blues' inconsistent attack? Chandan: Hurricanes in five (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. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Tampa knows how to win. Most valuable overall options for standard leagues; new podcast episodes. Bold prediction: Kopitar and Danault do what they can against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but the loss of Doughty proves too much and the Kings fall to the Oilers in six games. We just keep on trying to find our game and playing for each other," said forward Chris Kreider. 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. 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. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. The past three postseasons haven't been the greatest for Sid, with six points in 14 games. The answer should be clear early on against Edmonton. Bold prediction: As happened to Tampa Bay in 2019, the seemingly unstoppable Panthers fall short with a baffling first-round exit. 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. Matiash: Avalanche in six Ferraro: Flames in seven In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. Center Steven Stamkos (eight points) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh have been there in big moments. Mark Messier: Lightning in seven If the season ended today we'd have the Heat . Keith has been on every big stage hockey has to offer. Biggest flaw(s): Fatigue. At 29-31, they . Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive duos. Goalie Tristan Jarry, who had an outstanding regular season, has been sidelined with a broken foot that he's in the process of rehabbing. Player to watch: Miro Heiskanen. 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. Why not Dallas? Bolden: Hurricanes in six PIT | BOS The Eastern Conference finals series is on ESPN and ESPN+, while the Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC and ESPN+. Back in 2019, St. Louis went from flailing to thriving at the end of the regular season and carried a hot streak all the way past Boston for the franchise's first Cup title. 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. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been, and continues to be, Tampa's MVP. Colorado is every bit as good as we thought it was, and could be. John Buccigross: Panthers in seven They'll need every bit of his experience and ability to slow the Avalanche down. The Panthers' depth of electric scoring ability has the potential to carry this team a long way into spring. Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning in six Adam Fox, last year's Norris winner, had a strong encore. Kevin Weekes: Lightning in seven Playoff position: M2 Games left: 3 Next game: vs. Do the Lightning have what it takes to three-peat? There is no such problem for the Lightning. NHL Rush to the Playoffs: Three National Hockey League Games Monday, Tuesday Night, Exclusively on ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu ESPN+ NHL Kevin Ota April 25, 2022 Twitter Monday, April 25 on ESPN+/Hulu: Flyers at Blackhawks Tuesday, April 26 on ESPN: Oilers at Penguins, Blues at Avalanche 38 out-of-market games on ESPN+ this week Callahan: Flames in five Jake Oettinger has played well in net, and Dallas' defense has looked more cohesive lately. As long as the Oilers' stars are shining that brightly, they'll have a chance to win any series. 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. Editor's Picks. 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? Unlike Darcy Kuemper, who has faced the fewest shots among remaining playoff goaltenders, Smith has been peppered with the second-most. Biggest flaw(s): Power plays don't always come easy in the Stanley Cup playoffs. We just didn't go away. cal: Avalanche in five Steve Levy: Panthers in seven NHL Matchups 2022-2023 - Today's Hockey Previews, Scores & Schedules NHL Scores & Matchups Odds Free Picks News & Analysis NHL Contest Stanley Cup Injuries Teams Players Standings. Player to watch: Vasilevskiy. The Oilers are more resilient than some observers previously thought. 2022-23 Fantasy Hockey Ranking & Projections - ESPN hsb.accessibility.skipContent ESPN NFL NCAAF NBA NHL Soccer MLB Watch Listen Fantasy Fantasy Hockey Home Sign Up Fantasy Store. There hasn't been a ton of that for the Oilers; most of their key tallies have come from the same group of four or five guys. NHL playoff fantasy competition is its own brand of compact, focused fun. 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; . The Big Cat's run since 2020 in elimination games is the stuff of legend: 10-0, six of the wins by shutout. Artemi Panarin averaged 1.28 points per game. Bold prediction: The Stars take a powerhouse first-round opponent to seven games. Also on a roll: St. Louis' power play, which has been top three in the NHL since late March. The Eastern Conference finals series is on ESPN and ESPN+, while the Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC and ESPN+. Yes, but that doesn't mean he can't flip the switch when it's time. Biggest flaw(s): St. Louis has had defensive issues all season. Unlike the other two teams on this list, the Portland Trail Blazers are currently on the outside looking in. Alas, he's ineligible, having played more than six games in his first two NHL seasons. You could put Nurse here, and say he hasn't been an obvious difference-maker for the Oilers (to the degree a top-pairing defender usually is). MacKinnon's contributions will be massive for the Avs. Edmonton's trio has combined for 26 goals and 67 points in 12 games. Look for that to change in the Lightning's second season. The image above displays the 2023 NHL Playoff bracket and will be updated after each week. 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. Subscribe to ESPN+ Will that be the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to become the first team to win the Cup in three consecutive seasons since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to 1983? A game-changing talent who also is playing for his next contract (from Nashville or someone else). Everyone knows anything can happen once the playoffs begin. Pacific: CGY | EDM It's part of what has made Husso so invaluable; he covers for all manner of ills in the Blues' own end. The best that can be said of them is that the Kings found ways to win: While their divisional rivals flailed about trying to qualify for the postseason, Los Angeles won four straight critical games in regulation down the stretch. Some of those came on odd-man rushes, a few on chances on the doorstep. The first round might actually be the hardest for Tampa, knowing how hungry the Leafs are to overcome their checkered playoff past. 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. La Greca: Flames in six How they got here: Defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3, defeated Florida Panthers 4-0. Wischusen: Avalanche in six What he's done this year has been insanely impressive. 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. He backstopped the Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, posting an incredible .946 save percentage to win that initial championship. NHL Predictions 2022- 23 season | NHL Projected Standings 2022-23 Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division 1. TB | WSH Tampa hasn't had much downtime since the NHL's bubble tournament two years ago. In the East, it'll be a battle of the goaltenders with the excellent matchup between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin. Linda Cohn: Panthers in seven New Jersey Devils (MP) 6. La Greca: Avalanche in five Sure, Penguins center Nick Bonino scored the winning goal against the Sharks in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. They have depth at forward and are getting excellent play from defensemen like Fox and Trouba. Kuemper came through in that series when the Avalanche needed it, but there wasn't a lot of rhythm to his game. This version of Toronto can contend with any team it will face in the playoffs -- but only if the Leafs actually show up as their best selves. Player to watch: Tom Wilson managed not to get suspended during the regular season, to his credit. 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. The Flames' plus-85 trailed only the Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers for the. He had four points in seven games before that. 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. This is when he should shine. 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. This season is shaping up in similar fashion. For all the great stats the Avs have produced this season, they're average on the kill (79%), which could be an issue in the postseason, when it's harder to score and every advantage that goes the other way has the potential to be a backbreaker. Bold prediction: Toronto shocks the world and wins multiple playoff rounds. Subscribe to ESPN+ That core has been augmented by strong seasons from a supporting cast of forwards Evan Rodrigues and Danton Heinen, and especially defenseman Mike Matheson, who had a career-redefining campaign. If the Flames win the Cup, it wouldn't be hard to see him taking home a Conn Smythe. Nine of the 16 picked. Vitek Vanecek has been wildly inconsistent, while Ilya Samsonov has played to a sub-replacement level this season. Because he picked this opportunity. Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven Shilton: Hurricanes in six Mleczko: Avalanche in six The team gets contributions from steady veterans (Jordan Staal), stellar young talents (Martin Necas) and other teams' castaways (the divisive but effective Tony DeAngelo). Bold prediction: The Oilers win their first playoff series since 2017 before bowing out to Calgary. Bold prediction: The Hurricanes get past the Bruins in the first round, but it's a grinding seven-game series. Not exactly the best offensive company to keep. 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 Lightning goalie will have to be better than his best to get Tampa over the hump and back into postseason cruise control. With a healthy Ovechkin, they can be in any series. If he's diminished, so are the Caps' Cup chances -- significantly. Or will the Toronto Maple Leafs shake off their demons and claim their first Cup since 1966-67? Igor Shesterkin led the NHL in save percentage and goals saved above average, carrying the Rangers for the first two-thirds of the season as New York was near the bottom of the league in even-strength analytics. But breaks are only breaks if one capitalizes on them, and the Rangers have shown an impressive resiliency. What will he bring to the table to help make it happen? Let's key on Mikko Rantanen. 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. 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. Seeing its dedication pay off with a playoff opportunity should be all the motivation Dallas needs to give each game its best. Both stood out late in the second round with an individual highlight performance (MacKinnon with his Game 5 hat trick, McDavid with the overtime game-winner in his own Game 5). And coach Gerard Gallant is pushing the right buttons when it comes to line combinations. Brian Boucher: Panthers in six John Buccigross examines the historical run the Tampa Bay Lightning have had over the past two seasons. 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. Shilton: Flames in six Once the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round matchups are set, hockey fans worldwide can start creating and submitting brackets outlining their predictions for each playoff series online. Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Penguins crossed the finish line as a playoff team. NHL playoff series odds: St. Louis Blues vs. Minnesota Wild Odds provided by BetMGM Blues +130 vs. Wild -150 Easily the most polarizing series in the Western Conference, both St. Louis and. Weekes: Blues in seven Greg Wyshynski: Panthers in six, Allen: Rangers in seven The other thing we've seen from Edmonton is a real commitment to the defensive side of the puck from its top players. Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Lightning in six These are the playoffs. Heiskanen missed time this season with illness but is an invaluable asset to Dallas' overall success. James O'Brien, NHL writer: Bruins in 6. The format is a set bracket that is . Washington lives and dies on the performance of its franchise star, especially on the power play. His .925 career playoff save percentage ties him for third all time (minimum 60 games) with Hall of Famer Dominik . Lawrence-Riddell: Flames in seven Coach Darryl Sutter has this team primed to bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since 1993. This series against Colorado could see each team's top talents canceling each other out. Every first-round Game One of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be available on ESPN or ESPN2. Offseason keys for eliminated teams, Sean Allen: Panthers in six We crunch the numbers, analyze the data, and provide the best free NHL expert picks each and every day. We're down to the final four teams of the 2021-22 NHL season. Shilton: Avalanche in seven How will the Rangers handle Nikita Kucherov? The Rangers still aren't an impressive five-on-five team, relying on Shesterkin to bail them out at even strength, which he has. Saros missed the last two games of the season with a lower-body injury, and his status is uncertain heading into the postseason. Unfortunately, Alex Ovechkin cornered the market on "he can still do that at his age, wow!" The edge, though, probably belongs to Edmonton. 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. For the first time since 1991, the Flames and Oilers meet up in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Tarasenko had 11 goals and 17 points during the Blues' 2019 run. Brodin is a leader on the ice and anchors the Wild in a way that is crucial to their success. Biggest flaw(s): Can the Predators keep it together in their own end? That's a killer combination. Now we're onto the second round, which features four superb matchups: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers. 6 Virginia (21-5, 13-4 ACC) . Ryan Callahan: Panthers in six 2022 NHL playoff fantasy hockey pool guide: Favorites, sleepers and busts. Now they also have some strong depth, and the versatility to play the Islanders' style if needed. Bold prediction: Boston uses its shutdown capabilities to bounce a high-octane offensive opponent in the first round. Portland Trail Blazers. 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. Marc-Andre Fleury has been lights out since arriving at the trade deadline from Chicago. Callahan: Hurricanes in six 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. He hadn't been practicing, but is expected to play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. 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. They're tremendous on the power play, as Carolina witnessed. Sean McDonough: Panthers in seven New York Rangers 2. Listen here . Ray Ferraro: Panthers in seven Wyshynski: Flames in seven. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? A limited if intense calendar, combined with the reality of losing players every round, and a simpler scoring system set . They are firing on all cylinders. The Lightning had some bumpier stretches in the season's second half. Period. 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. cal: Rangers in seven The 2022-2023 College Football Playoff schedule will have both semifinals played on New Year's Eve at the Peach Bowl and Fiesta Bowl. But don't underestimate the drive of MacKinnon and McDavid to really show off here. And yet, here we are. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. Then again, Kuemper hasn't been facing a ton of shots. Bold prediction: Evgeny Kuznetsov leads the Capitals in scoring, but their stay in the playoffs is limited to one round. 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Regular Season Game; North Carolina (17-11, 9-8 ACC) vs. No. Case for a Stanley Cup run: What if a team had its best regular season in franchise history and no one noticed? Boudreau totaled a 50-40-13 record, missing the playoffs in 2022. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. Tim Kavanagh: Lightning in six The Rangers are playing with house money. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. 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. Biggest flaw(s): The playoffs couldn't arrive at a worse time for Pittsburgh. Obviously, the Lightning would like to see Point back on the ice. That unit shows no signs of slowing, either, and that should give Dallas a confidence boost going into the first round. Watching all of it from the crease is Vezina contender Jacob Markstrom. February 27, 2023 by Rob Couch. (2:28). The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs begin Monday night on the networks of ESPN, . 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. Hextall: Hurricanes in six But I think Shesty has one that does, too. Mika Zibanejad led the way with three points. Then, of course, there's the personnel. TWDC 2022-23 NHL Game Schedule: Date, Time (ET), Teams, Network/Platform Tue, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m., Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers, ESPN, ESPN+ Tue, Oct. 11, 10 p.m., Vegas Golden. When things aren't going Boston's way -- when the Bruins struggle to score a goal or give up a bad one -- can they persevere and push back? They're not the Maple Leafs or the Panthers, crushed by the weight of expectations and entitlement. 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). A healthy Brayden Point obviously bolsters their advantage. Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. 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 Avalanche are excelling in the ways they should, getting timely goals and playing to their strengths. The NHL offseason formally begins with the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, starting with Thursday's first round (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).. Cohn: Rangers in seven Tampa Bay is better 5-on-5. ET, ESPN), followed by Lightning-Leafs (7:30 ET, ESPN2), Blues-Wild (9:30 ET, ESPN) and Kings-Oilers (10 ET, ESPN2). We know Josi is a Norris Trophy-caliber defender, but the rest of Nashville's blue line doesn't exhibit nearly the same consistency. Their head-to-head matchup will be a primary talking point in the lead-up to Game 1. Hilary Knight: Lightning in seven My other prediction for this series? Edmonton really performed well against Calgary on the penalty kill too, coming up with critical stops that frustrated the Flames' attack. 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. Matiash: Flames in seven Case for a Stanley Cup run: It's hard to argue with the Panthers' results this season. Philadelphia Flyers (MP) Atlantic Division 1. That killer instinct has been a hallmark of Boston's play in the past and hasn't always been at the forefront of late. 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