Following a modified 56-game schedule that exclusively featured inter-division matchups, the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about to bring us two more rounds of divisional clashes. RotoWire will bring you a breakdown of each division ahead of the start of postseason play. Kyle Riley will provide a deep dive into the Central Division series below.
Carolina Hurricanes (1) vs Nashville Predators (4)
The Hurricanes dominated the regular-season series between these two teams, winning the first six of eight contests before dropping the final two meetings to the Predators to finish with a 6-2-0 advantage. Carolina also outscored Nashville 24-17 over that span, so many of those games weren't particularly close. The Hurricanes were phenomenal at home this season, finishing the campaign with a 20-3-5 record in PNC arena, whereas the Predators were just decent on the road this year, going 13-13-2, so the fact that Carolina has home-ice advantage could be a determining factor in this series.
Up Front
Hurricanes: The Hurricanes boast a ton of young talent up front, with Sebastian Aho (24 goals, 57 points in 56 games), Andrei Svechnikov (15 goals, 42 points in 55 games) and Martin Necas (14 goals, 41 points in 53 games) leading the way as three outstanding forwards who are all 23 years old or younger. That youthful foundation is complemented by several key veteran pieces, including Vincent Trocheck (17 goals, 43 points in 47 games) and Jordan Staal, who bounced back with 16 goals and 38 points in
Following a modified 56-game schedule that exclusively featured inter-division matchups, the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about to bring us two more rounds of divisional clashes. RotoWire will bring you a breakdown of each division ahead of the start of postseason play. Kyle Riley will provide a deep dive into the Central Division series below.
Carolina Hurricanes (1) vs Nashville Predators (4)
The Hurricanes dominated the regular-season series between these two teams, winning the first six of eight contests before dropping the final two meetings to the Predators to finish with a 6-2-0 advantage. Carolina also outscored Nashville 24-17 over that span, so many of those games weren't particularly close. The Hurricanes were phenomenal at home this season, finishing the campaign with a 20-3-5 record in PNC arena, whereas the Predators were just decent on the road this year, going 13-13-2, so the fact that Carolina has home-ice advantage could be a determining factor in this series.
Up Front
Hurricanes: The Hurricanes boast a ton of young talent up front, with Sebastian Aho (24 goals, 57 points in 56 games), Andrei Svechnikov (15 goals, 42 points in 55 games) and Martin Necas (14 goals, 41 points in 53 games) leading the way as three outstanding forwards who are all 23 years old or younger. That youthful foundation is complemented by several key veteran pieces, including Vincent Trocheck (17 goals, 43 points in 47 games) and Jordan Staal, who bounced back with 16 goals and 38 points in 53 games this season after totaling just eight goals and 27 points in 68 games during the previous campaign.
Predators: Filip Forsberg was by far Nashville's most productive forward with 12 goals and 32 points in 39 games this season, but the rest of the Predators' forward group leaves a lot to be desired. The fact that Calle Jarnkrok finished second among Nashville's forwards with just 28 points in 49 games tells you everything you need to know about the production, or lack thereof, of the Preds' forward corps. The team will once again need to rely heavily on production from the blue line in order to find success versus the Hurricanes.
The Blue Line
Hurricanes: The Hurricanes have one of the NHL's better offensive-minded defensemen in Dougie Hamilton, who finished the season tied for seventh among all blueliners with 42 points (10 goals, 32 assists) in 55 games. Brett Pesce finished second among Carolina's defensemen with 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 55 contests, so he can be counted on to produce the occasional point from the blue line as well. Jaccob Slavin's (lower body) status for Game 1 is currently up in the air, and his availability will be vital for the Hurricanes, as he's developed into one of the NHL's best shutdown blueliners, as evidenced by the impressive plus-22 rating he posted through 52 games this year.
Predators: Roman Josi had a bit of a down year from an offensive standpoint, but his 33 points in 48 games was still enough to lead all Nashville skaters, so his ability to produce points from the blue line will be vital for the Predators against the Hurricanes. Mattias Ekholm also chipped in with the occasional point this season, picking up 23 points in 48 contests, good for sixth most among all Nashville skaters. Ryan Ellis has struggled with injuries this year, but he still finished the campaign with a respectable 18 points in 35 games, so he figures to play a major role in this series.
Between the Pipes
Hurricanes: Petr Mrazek missed most of the season with thumb and lower-body injuries, but he played well in his limited action, going 6-2-3 with a 2.06 GAA and a .923 save percentage, and he appears poised to enter the postseason as Carolina's No. 1 netminder after starting three of the team's last four regular-season contests. He will, however, be on a short leash with outstanding rookie Alex Nedljkovic, who went 15-5-3 while posting an impressive 1.90 GAA and .932 save percentage in 23 appearances, looming.
Predators: Pekka Rinne has officially passed the torch to Juuse Saros, who will enter the playoffs as Nashville's unquestioned No. 1 netminder after going 21-11-1 while registering an admirable 2.28 GAA and .927 save percentage in 36 regular-season appearances.
Series Prediction
Nashville will likely steal a game at some point during this series, but I think Carolina has the advantage up front, on the blue line and in goal, which should allow the Hurricanes to make relatively quick work of the Predators. Carolina in five.
Florida Panthers (2) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (3)
The Panthers prevailed in the regular-season series between these two teams, going 5-3-0 while outscoring the Lightning 31-24. Tampa Bay is, however, expected to have two major offensive pieces in Nikita Kucherov (hip) and Steven Stamkos (lower body) back in the lineup for Game 1 versus Florida, adding significant firepower to an already formidable attack.
Up Front
Panthers: The Panthers are stacked up front, with Jonathan Huberdeau (20 goals, 61 points in 55 contests) and Aleksander Barkov (26 goals, 58 points in 50 contests) leading the way for Florida's forward group. However, the Cats certainly shouldn't be characterized as a top-heavy club, as the team's pair of star forwards is complemented by players like Carter Verhaege, who broke out to the tune of 18 goals and 36 points in 43 contests this season, and Patric Hornqvist, who chipped in with a rock-solid 32 points in 44 games. The Panthers also added Sam Bennett at the trade deadline, and he's flourished from the get-go in Florida, racking up six goals and 15 points in 10 appearances with his new squad.
Lightning: Unsurprisingly, Brayden Point racked up the most points among Tampa Bay skaters during the regular season, notching 23 goals and 48 points through 56 contests. Ondrej Palat wasn't far behind with 15 goals and 46 points in 55 games. Yanni Gourde was tasked with taking on three extra minutes of ice time per contest as compared to 2019-20, and he responded with a respectable 17 goals and 36 points in 56 matches. For a second straight campaign, Steven Stamkos missed significant time due to injury, but he was his usual productive self when healthy, racking up 17 goals and 17 helpers through 38 contests. He's on track to return to action for Game 1 after missing the final 16 games of the season with a lower-body injury. The biggest story for the Lightning's forward group is undoubtedly Nikita Kucherov, who is expected to return to action for Game 1 after missing the entirety of the regular season while recovering from hip surgery. Kucherov racked up 33 goals and 85 points in 68 games in 2019-20, so look for him to lead the way for Tampa Bay offensively in this series.
The Blue Line
Panthers: Aaron Ekblad had a fantastic start to the year, racking up 11 goals and 22 points through the first 35 games of the campaign, but he suffered a season-ending leg injury in March and won't be available for Florida during the playoffs. Luckily for the Panthers, MacKenzie Weegar bloomed into a bona fide top-pairing defenseman during the regular season, picking up six goals, 36 points, 101 shots on net and an eye-catching plus-29 rating while averaging over 22 minutes of ice time per contest. Keith Yandle also performed admirably after a tumultuous start to the season during which he was the subject of trade rumors, notching 27 points through 56 contests. That duo of defenders will lead the way offensively from the blue line for Florida during this series.
Lightning: The Lightning have arguably the best defenseman in the league in Victor Hedman, who put together yet another impressive regular season this year, racking up nine goals, 45 points and 136 shots on net while averaging over 25 minutes of ice time per contest in 54 appearances. Hedman is the unquestioned headliner among Tampa Bay's blue-line group, but he's complemented by solid pieces like youngster Mikhail Sergachev, who's picked up 30 points through 56 contests, and Ryan McDonagh, who led all Lightning defenders with a plus-13 rating during the regular season.
Between the Pipes
Panthers: Rookie Spencer Knight was impressive in limited action during the regular season, going 4-0-0 while posting a 2.32 GAA and a .919 save percentage, but the Panthers' net is Sergei Bobrovsky's to lose heading into the playoffs. Bobrovsky went 19-8-2 in 31 regular-season appearances this year, but he also posted an underwhelming 2.91 GAA and .906 save percentage over that span, so he could be on a short leash if he struggles early on against the Lightning.
Lightning: Andrei Vasilevskiy is the odds-on-favorite to win his second Vezina Trophy after going 31-10-5 with a 2.21 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 42 regular-season appearances. He's currently the best goaltender in the NHL and could help propel the Lightning to another trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Series Prediction
The Panthers are unquestionably one of the best teams in the NHL, but they have the unfortunate task of having to take down a reigning Stanley Cup Champion Lightning squad that will be gaining one of the best scorers in the league in Nikita Kucherov for the playoffs. I think this series will be close, but I still have Tampa Bay coming out on top in seven.
