Corey Abbott
Golden Knights over Stars in six
Golden Knights have some health concerns, but the team is deeper than the roster that won the Stanley Cup a year ago. Assuming, they are close to full strength, Vegas should be able to pull off the "upset" against the Stars.
Avalanche over Jets in six
The Avalanche don't have the edge in goal against the Jets but the best offense in the league during the regular season should be able to outscore that issue en route to a series win.
Canucks over Predators in five
The Canucks got a boost down the stretch when star netminder Thatcher Demko returned from a knee injury. That along with a more-than-capable offense should result in them making quick work of the Predators.
Oilers over Kings in six
The Oilers' high-powered offense should be able to eliminate the Kings in the first round of the playoffs for a third consecutive year.
Lightning over Panthers in seven
The Lightning have emerged victorious over the Panthers in each of the previous two Sunshine State battles in the playoffs. Another deep run for the Panthers will be a tall order.
Bruins over Maple Leafs in seven
The Bruins have six straight playoff series wins against the Maple Leafs, and each of the last three meetings went the distance. Boston should be able to bounce back from last year's embarrassing first-round exit.
NY Rangers over Capitals in five
The Rangers appear to be a strong candidate to overcome the Presidents' Trophy curse. The team has a favorable first-round opponent in the low-scoring Capitals.
Hurricanes over NY Islanders in six
The Hurricanes added to what was already a deep roster before the trade deadline, and the acquisition of Jake Guentzel, in particular, could help the team go on a lengthy run.
Ryan Dadoun
Stars over Golden Knights in six
A key component of Vegas' 2023 Stanley Cup run was Adin Hill catching fire with a 2.17 GAA and a .932 save percentage across 16 postseason games, but Hill and Logan Thompson can't be counted on to display that level of domination this year after showing inconsistency during the 2023-24 campaign, especially when the first test is Dallas, which ranked third offensively with 3.59 goals per contest during the regular season. Meanwhile, the Stars will be sending out the red-hot Jake Oettinger, who has a 1.54 GAA and a .941 save percentage over his past 11 appearances.
Jets over Avalanche in six
The Avalanche have some amazing stars, but their depth and goaltending are massive question marks that could prevent them from going far in the playoffs. It's been a particular problem for Colorado against the Jets, who are led by a serious Vezina Trophy contender in Connor Hellebuyck and were able to win the season series by outscoring the Avalanche 17-4.
Canucks over Predators in six
There's a chance Juuse Saros catches fire and leads the Predators in an upset, but after posting a 35-24-5 record, 2.86 GAA and .906 save percentage in 64 regular-season contests, he can't be counted on to pull off that feat. In fact, a strong argument can be made for Vancouver having the edge in goaltending now that Thatcher Demko is back from his knee injury, and the Canucks' attack, which ranked sixth with 3.40 goals per game, also appears superior to that of the Predators'.
Oilers over Kings in six
LA's Cam Talbot will have an extremely difficult time against his former team. Although Talbot's overall 2023-24 numbers look good -- a 27-20-6 record, 2.50 GAA and .913 save percentage across 54 games – he was less consistent down the stretch with a 2.88 GAA and a .903 save percentage over his final 29 appearances, which is terrible news when your squad is up against the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Panthers over Lightning in six
Florida took hard lessons from its 2022 4-0 series loss to Tampa Bay and has since built itself around Matthew Tkachuk. The reformed Panthers went all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 and, after claiming the 2023-24 Atlantic Division title thanks in no small part to Sergei Bobrovsky posting a great 2.37 GAA and .915 save percentage in 58 regular-season starts, Florida appears poised to make another lengthy playoff run that will start with some revenge on the Lightning.
Bruins over Maple Leafs in seven
I'm just going to be upfront and admit that I want Toronto to win this series. I can see a path to the Maple Leafs' victory too, especially if Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, who were brought in for this exact scenario, can step up and provide the Leafs with some critical depth and toughness. However, Boston has two amazing goaltenders in Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman while Toronto's duo of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll have been all over the place this campaign, and when that reality is combined with Boston winning its last seven regular-season meetings versus Toronto, it becomes hard to justify picking the Leafs.
Rangers over Capitals in six
A case can be made that Washington is the worst playoff squad in quite some time based on its horrible minus-37 goal differential. You could try to spin that into the Capitals being a clutch team by noting their 20-2-11 record in one-goal games or make the case that Darcy Kuemper skewed the Capitals' differential downward with his poor play, which won't matter in the playoffs because Charlie Lindgren, who had a 25-16-7 record, 2.67 GAA and .911 save percentage in 50 regular-season outings, should get all the work going forward so long as he stays healthy. However, those arguments feel insufficient to overcome the obstacle that is the Rangers, who appear to be a better team in almost every respect.
Hurricanes over Islanders in five
With the benefit of hindsight, you have to wonder if Pittsburgh would have squeaked into the playoffs if it hadn't traded away Jake Guentzel. What's done is done, though, and the Hurricanes are the benefactors, enjoying eight goals and 25 points in 17 regular-season contests from the star forward since he was acquired. The 29-year-old joins a strong offensive group that scored 3.65 goals per game over its final 20 games while the largely mediocre Islanders managed just 2.75 goals per contest over the same timeframe.
Michael Finewax
Golden Knights over Stars in seven
This should be the toughest series in the opening round. Dallas was better during the regular season, but the Golden Knights have Tomas Hertl back and with Mark Stone (abdomen) ready to go, that could tip the balance in their favor.
Jets over Avalanche in seven
The Avalanche are better up front but Connor Hellebuyck is far better than either of the Colorado goaltenders in Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen -- that will be enough to tip the series in Winnipeg's favor.
Canucks over Predators in five
The Canucks should have no trouble dispatching the Predators unless Juuse Saros, Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg blow up, and that still might not be enough. The Canucks managed to get Thatcher Demko back in for a couple of games this week after missing time with a knee injury which should help.
Oilers over Kings in six
Edmonton has too much fire power up front with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman. Evan Bouchard put himself among the best offensive defensemen in the NHL this season. The Kings could have some trouble stopping the Oilers unless Cam Talbot stands on his head.
Panthers over Lightning in six
Florida could be the best team in the NHL and while it is expected to be a rough series, I don't think that Andrei Vasilevskiy can handle the Florida offense.
Maple Leafs over Bruins in seven
The Bruins are favored, but Auston Matthews should put together a great playoff round to help propel the Maple Leafs to a series win.
Rangers over Capitals in five
The Rangers are superior to the Capitals at every position. Washington could be lucky to win one game.
Hurricanes over Islanders in six
The Hurricanes split the season series with the Islanders but the acquisition of Jake Guentzel at the deadline makes the Hurricanes much stronger than New York.
Shawn Hutchinson
Rangers over Capitals in five
Top team in the league versus a team with a terrible goal differential – it's self-explanatory. Charlie Lindgren steals a game, but the Capitals' lackluster offense won't be enough to overcome Igor Shesterkin.
Hurricanes over Islanders in seven
On paper, the Hurricanes are a far better team, but the Islanders have enough talent to make this rematch from last year interesting. A tightly played, defensive series that should go down to the wire, with the Hurricanes doing just enough to advance.
Bruins over Maple Leafs in seven
Cheers for an Original Six rivalry, and for the annual viewing event that is watching the Maple Leafs implode in the playoffs. Boston sets the tone early in the series and then, after an epic comeback, the pressure gets to Toronto in Game 7, again.
Panthers over Lightning in six
This series should be up there in regards to neutral-fan watchability – an in-state rivalry with some of the most electric players outside of a major market. Goaltending is a wild-card here, but the Panthers' more reliable depth will allow them to get past the playoff-tested Lightning.
Stars over Golden Knights in six
The Stars are arguably the most complete team in the league, an intriguing mix of veterans and young stars (excuse the pun) with few obvious weak spots. Add in Jake Oettinger playing at his best, and that's my Cup pick, a team that should have no trouble with the Golden Knights in the first round, a rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals.
Jets over Avalanche in four
Jets/Avalanche: Jets in four. I've got serious concerns about Alexandar Georgiev's workload and performance, and that puts an otherwise dynamic Avalanche team in immediate danger against the stingiest team in the league. The Jets look more than ready for the challenge of containing Nathan MacKinnon and Co. in the first round.
Canucks over Predators in five
There's no denying the Predators had a remarkable run to get to this point. That said, they're a one-line team, and the Canucks have enough grit in the lineup to nullify the Predators' hard-nosed style when the Forsberg line is off the ice.
Oilers/Kings: Kings in seven. Firepower versus structure, offense versus defense: call it what you want but it's become first-round tradition this decade. This is the year the Kings finally get over the hump – third time's the charm, after all.
AJ Scholz
Golden Knights over Stars in six
Dallas has been dominant all season long, coming up just one point shy of the President's Trophy, but just look at this Vegas roster. They could potentially put out a third line of Chandler Stephenson, William Karlsson and Mark Stone, a trio that would be a locked-in second line on most other teams if not in the mix for the top line. They've got Tomas Hertl coming over from San Jose having not made the playoffs since 2018-19, clearly with something to prove in addition to Anthony Mantha, who generated 10 points in his 18 contests with the Knights. The Stars are deep, but they aren't deep enough for a Vegas squad that once again has found a way to use LTIR to its advantage.
Jets over Avalanche in seven
Admittedly, I am surprised this is where I landed on this series, especially considering I think Nathan MacKinnon should be walking away with the Hart Trophy at the end of the season as the league MVP. Connor Hellebuyck did stumble a little down the stretch but he is still going to be taking home the Vezina as the league's top netminder. He'll be tested no doubt, as the Avs put 33 shots on net per game during the regular season and were the NHL's the top offense, averaging 3.68 goals per game. Having said that, the Jets have a deeper forward group and aren't as reliant on one blueliner for offense as the Avs are.
Canucks over Predators in seven
Down the stretch, Nashville was one of the best teams in the league, especially considering they were well outside of a playoff spot on Thanksgiving. For its part, Vancouver is sixth in the league in both goals scored per game as well as goals allowed. If there is a knock on the Canucks, it's the team's low volume of shots, just 28.54 per game, but they've made it work thus far.
Oilers over Kings in five
Connor McDavid, full stop, that's the summary. In truth, when you can knock a guy for "only" scoring 32 goals this season and managing "just" 44 points with the power play, that's really saying something. The fact is, for many reasons, McDavid shifted to being more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer this season, racking up 100 helpers in a season for the first time in his career. That doesn't mean he can't score and once he flips that switch, look out NHL. If there is a concern for the Kings, it's a possible regression for Cam Talbot and/or David Rittich – not the best problem to have against this Oilers offense.
Panthers over Lightning in seven
Connor Hellebuyck was basically crowned the Vezina Trophy winner months ago, and while he has had a phenomenal season, consider the fact that Sergei Bobrovsky was just one win behind Helley with 36, trailed in save percentage by .006 and GAA by .02, not to mention finishing ahead of Hellebuyck in shutouts with six. Even a team as star-studded as the Lightning, which averaged 3.51 goals per game during the regular season, is going to struggle to score goals against Bob. The Sunshine State Showdown will almost certainly go the distance, so I'm giving the edge to the Cats due to their home-ice advantage.
Bruins over Maple Leafs in six
The departure of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci was supposed to be the downfall of the Bruins due to a lack of center depth. Instead, they got career years out of Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha, who racked up 60 and 59 points, respectively. Among playoff teams, the Leafs have the second-worst penalty kill in the league at just 76.9 percent. It will likely come down to how often Auston Matthews can find the back of the net but don't forget the Bruins allowed just 2.70 goals per game this season, fifth fewest in the league.
Rangers over Capitals in four
Washington limped into the postseason with an 82nd-game victory that was partially predicated on the fact the Flyers had to pull their goalie early despite being tied in the third period. The Caps also don't put a lot of shots on net, just 26.5 per game, so Rangers' netminder Igor Shesterkin shouldn't see too much rubber. The Blueshirts have stars on both offense and defense while also being one of the deeper teams in the league. The Rangers probably would have stood a good chance of sweeping whichever team secured that second wild-card spot, it just happens to be Washington.
Hurricanes over Islanders in five
Since returning from a blood clotting issue, Canes' netminder Frederik Andersen is a ridiculous 9-1-0 in 10 games with a 1.30 GAA, three shutouts and a .951 save percentage. Even if those numbers dip a little when he has to play every night, it should still be more than enough to keep Carolina in games late. Add in the fact the deadline-acquisition Jake Guentzel has proven to be one of the premier postseason players -- he's put up 34 goals and 24 assists in 58 playoff appearances-- and you have a dangerous combination of great scoring and goaltending.
Kyle Riley
Stars over Golden Knights in seven
While Tomas Hertl's return late in the regular season (two goals, four points over the last six games of the campaign) and Mark Stone's (abdomen) probable return for Game 1 will make Vegas a far more formidable than it appeared to be at times over the final month of the season, I think Dallas' well-rounded attack and superior goaltending situation with Jake Oettinger in net will help the Stars prevail in a tough-fought, seven-game series.
Avalanche over Jets in seven
Connor Hellebuyck was the best netminder in the NHL during the regular season. On the other end, Alexandar Georgiev posted a sub-par 3.02 GAA and .897 save percentage through 63 appearances for the Avalanche. Even with the lopsided matchup in goal, I think Colorado's high-powered offense -- the Avs averaged 3.68 goals per game during the regular season, best in the NHL -- led by Nathan MacKinnon will help the Jets edge out Colorado in a series that will likely go the distance.
Canucks over Predators in six
Thatcher Demko will be well rested heading into this series having missed a month of action from March 13 to April 13 due to a knee injury, and Juuse Saros could be dealing with some fatigue after making a whopping 22 appearances over the final two months of the campaign in order to help secure a playoff spot for the Predators. That, coupled with the fact the Canucks went 3-0-0 while outscoring Nashville 13-6 in the team's regular-season matchups, points to Vancouver taking care of business in this one.
Oilers over Kings in six
Edmonton went 3-1-0 over LA during these team's four-game, regular-season series and the Oilers' offense led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl should prove to be too much for the Kings to handle.
Panthers over Lightning in seven
The Panthers could be the best team in the NHL depsite finishing four points behind the Rangers for the President's Trophy, and Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn't been himself this season, posting a 2.90 GAA and a .900 save percentage through 52 appearances, the worst ratios of his 10-year career. I still see this series going the distance as Tampa Bay has been a thorn in the side of the Cats in recent years, but Florida finally should be able to get over the hump in a thrilling, seven-game series.
Maple Leafs over Bruins in seven
Even though Boston won all four regular-season games between these two teams, if Auston Matthews is able to continue his torrid scoring pace -- he racked up 15 goals through 18 games over the final month of the season -- I have a feeling the Maple Leafs will finally be able to get the monkey that has been the Bruins off their back, winning their first playoff series over Boston since 1959.
Rangers over Capitals in five
The Capitals really don't feel like a team worthy of the playoffs, and the President Trophy-winning Rangers should make quick work of them.
Hurricanes over Islanders in four
The only sweep I'm predicting in the first round, Frederik Andersen was fantastic down the stretch after returning from a blood clotting issue in early March, going 9-1-0 while posting an exceptional 1.30 GAA and .951 save percentage. He should carry that momentum into the postseason and help the Hurricanes easily dispatch an Isles squad that averaged only 2.99 goals per game during the regular season, 22nd in the NHL.
