NHL Playoffs - First Round

[Ref]

First round is always exciting with lots of games and hopefully, lots of overtime to enjoy.

Off the top I think the Jets will win it all this year as they are well rounded, have quality goal tending and have some experience from the last couple of years.

One stat I tend to look at is how teams have fared at home and on the road. If the won/loss records are similar, chances are they are more consistent. Teams that fall into that category are - Toronto, Washington and Edmonton. Winnipeg, Dallas, Colorado, and Vegas also have good home/road records but are much stronger at home.

More often than not a hot goalie can carry a team to the cup. Wonder if that will happen this year...

Anyhow, on to the predictions:

* Toronto over the Sens in 5 games. Regular season favored the Sens, however the regular season is over. Curious to see who the Leafs are play-off wise under Berube.
* Tampa over the Panthers in 7 games. I think Tampa has a stronger defense. Should be fun to watch.
* Washington over the Habs in 5. Hopefully the Habs steal one game for the fans.
* Carolina over the Devils in 7 games. This is really a coin flip. I do think Keefe has been out coached in the play-offs, wonder if he learned from his experience in Toronto.

Per the West...

* Jets over the Blues in 6. The Blues have been playing good hockey down the stretch and will give the Jets a bit of a scare.
* Colorado over Dallas in 7. Another coin flip. Should be a great series to watch. I think the Stars have some key injuries and have limped into the play-offs.
* Vegas over the Wild in 6. Vegas is the much stronger team.
* Edmonton over LA in 6. Still not sold on LA and feel that Edmonton is ready to roll.

Should be another great play-offs.

 

[superstar_88]

Ottawa Toronto will go 7 games. Berube will do his in game magic and Leafs will somehow win a game 7.
Leafs it appears are starting the series with all hands on deck.

Florida fully healthy would beat TB but they're not fully healthy so TB.

Vegas has the playoff pedigree whereas Minnisota does not so Vegas.

Oilers have always beaten LA but Ekholm is injured and Edmonton still don't have a goalie. LA has improved so take LA.

There's always upsets in the 1st round and this one is it. President's Trophy winner Jets will lose to the Blues. Ehlers is injured and Hellebuyck has the potential to be shaky in the playoffs. Binnington beating Hellebuyck in a winner take all Four Nations game counts for something.

Logan Thompson is injured. If they go with Lindgren I suppose Montreal's got a shot. Goaltending advantage is Montreal's only hope. That, and if they bring back the crosschecking is legal rule. If Thompson plays slam dunk go with Washington.

Colorado has playoff pedigree Dallas does not and Robertson is injured, perhaps Heiskanen also, so take Colorado

Carolina vs NJ I don't think either of these teams will win. Carolina has Andersen as their goalie and NJ has Keefe as their coach. Both are detriments. Go with Carolina.

 

[K Douglas]

East predictions
Montreal stuns Washington in 7. The Caps come back to earth.
Toronto defeats Ottawa in 6. Brady Tkachuk is banged up. Ottawa just isn't ready to take the next step.
Tampa defeats Florida in 6. Florida is all kinds of banged up and have not been gelling. TB has better goaltending.
Carolina defeats New Jersey in 5. The Devils have no Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton just returned from over a month injured. This will be a low scoring series.

West predictions
Winnipeg defeats St. Louis in 6. The Jets are solid up and down the lineup. The Blues are a good story but just not enough there.
Vegas over Minnesota in 7. The Wild have gotten healthy and they will give the Knights a run for their money. The physicality of the Knights will give them the edge.
Colorado over Dallas in 6. If Heiskanen were healthy I'd give the Stars a slight edge. Also Landeskog coming back gives the Avs a big boost.
L.A. over Edmonton in 5. The Kings are built for the playoffs. Edmonton's lack of depth and the injury to Draisaitl are a cause for concern. McJesus can only do so much.

 

[tml]

Ottawa over Toronto in 6(I hope I'm wrong).
Washington over Montreal in 5.
Carolina over NJ in 5.
Florida over TB in 7.
Colorado over Dallas in 6.
Vegas over Minnesota in 5.
Winnipeg over St. Louis in 5.
LA over Edmonton in 5.

 

[seanzo]

If I had to pick a team to win the cup this year I'm going with Washington. Being a Habs fan I'd obviously prefer it if they won. The last time they made they playoffs they had no business being there but ended up in the finals regardless but I'm clear eyed about their odds and am merely happy they made it. The only prediction I'm going to make about the other teams is that Toronto goes out in the first round because choking in the playoffs is what they do best

 

[roddermac]

Las Vegas Tampa Bay final. First round upset will be the Blues over the Jets in 7.

 

[tml]

A couple of interesting things I heard, I assume they are true:
--this is the first year in NHL history in which none of the "original six" American based teams made the playoffs.
--Calgary set a NHL record for most points by a team that didn't make the playoffs(96).

 

[bullitt]

Ottawa in 7, Carolina in 6, Habs in7,Florida in 6. Colo in 6, KIngs in 7, Jets in 6, Vegas in 6.

 

[K Douglas]

Pierre McGuire is picking Avalanche to beat the Leafs in the Stanley Cup final. He also thinks the Blues upset the Jets in round 1. Then again he also thought Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was Craig Billington
The other expert in the beginning of the video, Alan May, thinks the Kings will take out the Capitals in the final. That's an interesting take no doubt.

 

[glamphotographer]

A couple of interesting things I heard, I assume they are true:
--this is the first year in NHL history in which none of the "original six" American based teams made the playoffs.
--Calgary set a NHL record for most points by a team that didn't make the playoffs(96).

That is correct.

 

[dirtydaveiii]

Pierre McGuire is picking Avalanche to beat the Leafs in the Stanley Cup final. He also thinks the Blues upset the Jets in round 1. Then again he also thought Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was Craig Billington
The other expert in the beginning of the video, Alan May, thinks the Kings will take out the Capitals in the final. That's an interesting take no doubt.

the Leafs last time winning 2 rounds was 23 years ago. Since then they have only won twice

 

[northofsixty]

My lifetime track record at playoff predictions is 50 percent at best - but my hope for this year is a Montreal / Toronto conference final (with the same outcome as in 2021)
Given Montreal just squeaked in, and Toronto's historical playoff woes likely continuing, the probability of that happening approaches zero

I hope a Canadian based team wins the Cup and I feel Winnipeg has the best chance at making that happen.

 

[K Douglas]

My lifetime track record at playoff predictions is 50 percent at best - but my hope for this year is a Montreal / Toronto conference final (with the same outcome as in 2021)
Given Montreal just squeaked in, and Toronto's historical playoff woes likely continuing, the probability of that happening approaches zero

I hope a Canadian based team wins the Cup and I feel Winnipeg has the best chance at making that happen.

I think that would be great for hockey if they did. Also as a Leafs fan I'd want my revenge for 2021.

 

[dirtydaveiii]

I think that would be great for hockey if they did. Also as a Leafs fan I'd want my revenge for 2021.

Gary Bittman doesn't believe canadian teams winning is good for thr NHL.

 

[bullitt]

Pierre McGuire is picking Avalanche to beat the Leafs in the Stanley Cup final. He also thinks the Blues upset the Jets in round 1. Then again he also thought Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was Craig Billington
The other expert in the beginning of the video, Alan May, thinks the Kings will take out the Capitals in the final. That's an interesting take no doubt.

i think Mquire picked up the wrong script from the pharmacy, IMHO .

 

[tml]

In the current political climate, wouldn't a Washington/Ottawa conference final be interesting?

 

[roddermac]

i think Mquire picked up the wrong script from the pharmacy, IMHO .

Nah Pierre McGuire has always been a tool.

 

[K Douglas]

Nah Pierre McGuire has always been a tool.

I don't know about that, he used to be a GM. But as a color commentator he was a tad hyperbolic lol.

 

[Insidious Von]

Does Pierre Maguire still have an active stick.

Maybe we can use Chucker to get rid of Ron McLean. If The Round Mound of Rebound tells him to fan culo he cant hide behind Don Cherry.

Guaaarneteeeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[K Douglas]

Does Pierre Maguire still have an active stick.

Maybe we can use Chucker to get rid of Ron McLean. If The Round Mound of Rebound tells him to fan culo he cant hide behind Don Cherry.

Guaaarneteeeed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He may still do work down in the US for ESPN/TNT