A game-changing talent who also is playing for his next contract (from Nashville or someone else). Read on for predictions for every game involving a Top 25 team on the schedule over the next seven days. The Igor Shesterkin that we saw during Round 1 is not the Igor Shesterkin that the Lightning are going to see. DiPietro: Avalanche in seven There's a lot we already knew about the Lightning after back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, from their ability to win in a variety of ways to their efficiency in elimination games. Can Georgia pull off a repeat? Messier: Avalanche in seven 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. But he's expected to miss a few games in the first round due to a lower-body injury. La Greca: Flames in six Everyone knows anything can happen once the playoffs begin. Those types of intangibles are impossible to quantify in the unknowable season ahead. They're very ordinary on the back end without him. Kuemper came through in that series when the Avalanche needed it, but there wasn't a lot of rhythm to his game. He battled back and won a Game 7. 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. Wyshynski: Hurricanes in five, The Stanley Cup playoffs are back on ESPN and ABC! Matiash: Avalanche in six Most valuable overall options for standard leagues; new podcast episodes. Biggest flaw(s): Can the Predators keep it together in their own end? If he makes it back, Jarry still has to demonstrate his postseason prowess after flopping against the Islanders in their 2021 series. Washington Capitals (MP) 8. Expect more great performances from him. His .925 career playoff save percentage ties him for third all time (minimum 60 games) with Hall of Famer Dominik . Obviously not. Now, does that reflect a deficiency in Kuemper's game? Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has been, and continues to be, Tampa's MVP. Do you blame us? New York Rangers 2. Central: COL | MIN Callahan: Hurricanes in six by Fantasy Hockey Staff @NHLFantasy. We've already discussed Kuemper. 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason. 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? The Panthers repeatedly fell into multiple-goal deficits they were able to erase because, well, see above. What do the Stars have to lose? His playoff struggles are a bit overblown -- his numbers aren't that bad overall -- but the doubts linger. Bold prediction: Shesterkin pitches two shutouts in the opening round as the Rangers advance. That unit shows no signs of slowing, either, and that should give Dallas a confidence boost going into the first round. With a healthy Ovechkin, they can be in any series. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. The Bruins' top blueliner hasn't garnered the same attention as some of the league's flashiest defenders this season, but he has been excellent in his own right. This season is shaping up in similar fashion. 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? 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. How do the Avs slow down the McDavid-Draisaitl-Kane line? That mindset is critical when every team out there is looking to unseat the champions. Bold prediction: The Penguins go out in the first round, but goaltending isn't the reason. Deadline decisions: What will Avs, Kraken and others do? Alas, he's ineligible, having played more than six games in his first two NHL seasons. All that winning is great at the time, but it cuts into recovery. 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. When Boston is at its best, it is a hard-hitting, back-breaking group to go up against. The Kings have had strong underlying numbers under coach Todd McLellan all season, including placing fifth in expected goals per 60 minutes and fifth in percentage of shot attempts at 5-on-5. 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 . Jump to a team: I said in my series prediction . Case for a Stanley Cup run: It's hard to argue with the Panthers' results this season. Goalie Tristan Jarry, who had an outstanding regular season, has been sidelined with a broken foot that he's in the process of rehabbing. In over 500 minutes of game action this postseason, Kuemper has faced only 218 pucks. Shilton: Flames in six View the updated NHL Playoff Predictions here to see playoff matchups and predicted Stanley Cup winner.. With the Seattle Kraken expansion draft and a salary cap that is not going up, a lot of players this summer have changed teams.. Portland Trail Blazers. 6 Virginia (21-5, 13-4 ACC) . The opponents are very favourable. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive duos. Defenseman Jacob Trouba's booming hits took out Penguins star Sidney Crosby for two critical games, and then Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis in Game 7. ESPN revealed its top five most likely playoff . That formula doesn't generally work in the postseason. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. The Big Cat's run since 2020 in elimination games is the stuff of legend: 10-0, six of the wins by shutout. Non-Playoff team from 2021 that will make 2022 Playoffs: Dallas Stars . Center Ross Colton, who scored the only goal in their Cup-clinching game last summer against the Canadiens, has played the majority of his minutes with Brandon Hagel, whom the Lightning acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline. Colton and Perry, the latter of whom was acquired as a free agent this past summer, lead the Lightning with five goals each. 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. Under coach Dave Tippett, the Oilers were 13th in the NHL in expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5; under interim coach Jay Woodcroft, who took over Feb. 10, the Oilers jumped to fourth in that category. Shilton: Hurricanes in six 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. FiveThirtyEight's 2021-22 NHL forecast predicts the winner of each hockey game and calculates each team's chances of advancing to the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup. It doesn't help that in front of Bobrovsky, Florida got a little too comfortable late in the season as the Cardiac Cats. Obviously, the Lightning would like to see Point back on the ice. Complete playoff coverage AJ Mleczko: Lightning in seven After Makar and Devon Toews, where do the rest of Colorado's defensemen fit? 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. McCarron for choosing his league over the NFL. It was once again the Connor and Leon show, as McDavid had 123 points and Draisaitl had 110. . 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. In the East, it'll be a battle of the goaltenders with the excellent matchup between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin. He does all the little things, is strong at both ends of the ice and can contribute just about anywhere. 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. Oh, baby. Messier: Oilers in six Colorado's will have less pressure to produce given their second unit is anchored by a guy named Nazem Kadri, who's coming off an 87-point regular season and is averaging a point per game in the playoffs. While he has cooled off a little, Tyler Toffoli remains a dangerous offensive player in the postseason. Listen here . Let's key on Mikko Rantanen. I think we're there with the Rangers. With the 2023 All-Star Game and skills competition approaching on Feb. 3-4, we turn our focus to the collective bold predictions from our ESPN hockey family. The Bruins have just about everything you can want in a contender: a deadly top line, an elite defenseman, and a great goalie. ET ESPN, SN; . 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. Player to watch: Claude Giroux. 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. He's both their last line of defense and their catalyst, as the Rangers feed off his performances when opponents tip the ice. The edge, though, probably belongs to Edmonton. 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? Shilton: Avalanche in seven 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. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. Did he skid at the end of this season? But we doubt that's sustainable, and the alternative remains Mikko Koskinen. Bold prediction: Brandon Hagel comes alive at last. Biggest flaw(s): Confidence. 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. 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. On ESPN and ABC once the playoffs begin his performances when opponents tip the....: I said in my series prediction, but goaltending is n't the reason overall but! 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