Predictions for first round NHL playoffs series

We have made it to one of the best times of the year: the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Let’s not waste any time and get into some predictions. This won’t be a winner pick for every playoff series, but rather one for some of the more intriguing series and teams (aside from the Lightning-Maple Leafs as I called my shot in that matchup in the last edition).

Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers

As a Bruins fan, I’m terrified heading into the playoffs. It sounds weird to say that after Boston just wrapped up the best season in NHL history, setting a record for points and wins. They have the likely runner-up for the Hart MVP trophy in winger David Pastrňák, Vezina winner in Linus Ullmark and Coach of the Year in Jim Montgomery. Per Fanduel, their odds to win the Stanley Cup are an absurd +340, giving them about a 22% implied probability of being the last team standing.

All that being said, the Presidents’ Trophy curse is real and we saw it in full force a few seasons ago in 2020, when the Tampa Lightning, who tied the single-season wins record at the time, were embarrassingly swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the opening round.

This first round is an easy choice though. The Panthers play a high-octane game. They rank tied for fourth in the league in goals per game, but are just average on defense. There isn’t a single area where they are better than the Bruins. As a result, Florida will need to play risky and take chances to have any hope at winning this series. Boston is a highly disciplined squad and when those risks do backfire on the Panthers, the Bruins’ counterattack will pick them apart.

Official Prediction: Bruins in five games at the most.

Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders

The Islanders just squeaked into the playoffs, securing their spot with a win over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. They are the epitome of that team no one wants to see. They play a boring style of hockey and I mean that in a good way. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin has the third-best save percentage in the NHL and as a team they post the third-lowest goals against average. New York plays low-scoring, gritty hockey and fewer goals makes it more likely for the underdog to win.

Yes, Carolina is absolutely the better team, boasting the second-best record in the league. However, whichever goalie they choose to go with, the advantage in net will clearly go to Sorokin. The Hurricanes will also be without the offensive punch of winger Andrei Svechnikov, the team’s third leading goalscorer, who had to get season ending surgery due to a knee injury sustained last month. Meanwhile, New York will be getting back two-time All-Star center Matthew Barzal, who missed the last 23 games of the year with a lower body injury. Not to mention UBS Arena will be a rowdy playoff environment, likely resembling the atmosphere of prime Nassau Coliseum.

Official Prediction: The New York Islanders upset the Carolina Hurricanes in six games, closing it out in front of a raucous crowd.

New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils

The last matchup in the Eastern Conference just happens to be the next chapter of one of the NHL’s most storied rivalries. The two teams are in very contrasting places as franchises. New York’s last season is sort of who the Devils might be this year.

The Rangers were better than expected last season and gave their fans a fun postseason run, knocking off the Penguins and Hurricanes before ultimately falling in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning. This year, they set out with high expectations, and after acquiring experienced winners at the deadline like wingers Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, those beliefs have only grown.

On the other side, expectations were pretty low for the Devils, as many predicted them to be mediocre at best. Instead, New Jersey’s young core bulldozed their way through the regular season, playing themselves to the league’s third-best record. They further raised the bar at the trade deadline, bringing in All-Star winger Timo Meier. However, Meier is young with no former postseason experience.

I know I previously said the Devils would jump the Hurricanes for the top seed in the Metropolitan and breeze through the first round, but they fell one win short and circumstances have changed. New York is full of players who have been here before, New Jersey isn’t.

Official Prediction: The Rangers’ experience carries them to a series win in seven games.

Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings

We’ll finish off with what I think is the most intriguing series in the Western Conference. This is a rematch of an electric opening round series last year, in which the Oilers bested the Kings in seven games en route to their Conference Finals run.

Edmonton is sucxh a fun team, namely because they have center Connor McDavid, who is undoubtedly the best player on the planet. It’s not just him though; the Oilers have arguably the second-best player in the NHL in center Leon Draisaitl, who is second in points behind none other than his teammate, McDavid. They also proved that they can translate their fast-paced, entertaining style of play to the postseason environment last year. In the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Oilers had three different players be playoff-leaders in goals, assists and points.

There’s going to be some bad blood on the other end of the ice, as the Kings will be looking to avenge last year’s loss. Los Angeles is a very solid team, but that’s it. They are good at everything, but great at nothing, sitting at tenth-best in the NHL in both goals for and against. Edmonton, however, is spectacular on offense, scoring the most goals in the league by a wide margin. Their defense isn’t anything to write home about, but their offensive aptitude will be too much for the Kings to keep up with.

Official Prediction: McDavid and company spoil the Kings’ playoff hopes again in six games.