Five entertaining potential first round Stanley Cup playoff matchups
The NHL playoff format has caught a lot of shrapnel since the re-alignment more than a decade ago. Shifting from the six-division, 1 vs. 8 traditional playoff system, the league pivoted to a divisional-based postseason format.
There are many reasons not to be a fan of this system, but the NHL’s decision to build rivalries has given us a lot to look forward to come springtime.
With many tantalizing potential matchups on the horizon, let’s look at the top five matchups we could see in these playoffs.
#5: Edmonton Oilers vs. Los Angeles Kings
In what is becoming a yearly tradition, the Oilers and Kings are yet again on a collision course this spring for a first-round series matchup. The Oilers have gotten the one up on the Kings in each bout to this point, but there is reason to believe that the latter may be the favorites entering this year’s clash.
With superstar forwards Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid’s injury uncertainty, along with the team’s overall inconsistent play as of late, the Oilers are not the juggernaut we expected them to be entering the season. The inconsistent goaltending is still a cause for concern, and the forward depth and defense are no sure things, either.
The Kings have been one of the more under-the-radar, feel-good stories of the year. With only five regulation losses on home ice this season, the Kings have become a force to be reckoned with while playing in front of their home crowd. With a four-point lead on the Oilers for second in the Pacific division, the Kings are positioning themselves well to finally slay the dragon they’ve come to know as the Oilers.
#4: St. Louis Blues vs. Vegas Golden Knights
Two of the hottest teams in the NHL are on track to collide for the first time in the playoffs, and it could shape up to be one of the best series. The Blues have been shot out of a cannon in the back half of the regular season, so much so that head coach Jim Montgomery has gotten himself into the Jack Adams trophy conversation. The offer sheets to Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway have paid off in spades, and the Blues have fast-tracked their rebuilding process to be a dark horse to go deep in the playoffs.
As for the Golden Knights, the perennial Stanley Cup contender is once again dominating the Pacific division with no signs of slowing down. With their blueline finally back to full health, the Knights have once again assembled a dominant back end that propelled them to a Cup championship two years ago.
An underlying storyline to this series: the Canadian goaltending showdown between Jordan Binnington and Adin Hill.
#3: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The collision course between the Sunshine State powerhouses seems likely, though the Panthers’ recent skid has put that in jeopardy. But assuming the Panthers can keep themselves afloat to hold onto the third spot in the Atlantic, this will once again be a series to watch.
The Lightning have revamped their forward group to the deepest it has been since the back-to-back Stanley Cup championships four years ago, and the re-acquisition of defenseman Ryan McDonagh has allowed them to replicate a defensive unit that worked during those years. With superstar forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov, to defenseman Victor Hedman and standout goaltender Andrei Vaislevskiy, the Lightning are once again positioned as serious contenders for the Cup.
The reigning champion Panthers desperately need to get healthy – in all areas of their lineup. The Seth Jones addition has been a saving grace on the back end and Sergei Bobrovsky has held up his end of the bargain, but should they not be able to get some crucial bodies back from injury sometime soon, it may be a quick series between the cross state rivals – and not in the favor of the Panthers. Also, what will Brad Marchand bring to this rivalry?
#2: Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
When fans and pundits critique the playoff format, it’s for reasons like this. For two teams as stacked as the Avalanche and Stars are, it truly is a shame that we are getting it in the first round. But better that than never, right?
The Avalanche have turned over half their roster since the beginning of the season, including both of their goaltenders. Making the shocking trade of Mikko Rantanen to adding three centers to restructure their middle of the ice completely, the Avalanche is the deepest they’ve been since winning the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Speaking of Rantanen, the superstar forward’s return to Denver will be a salivating storyline for this series in a clash of the titans. It will be interesting to see how the Stars’ blueline holds up and how Miro Heiskanen will look when he returns from injury, but how they contain the torrid Avalanche attack could decide this series.
#1: Ottawa Senators vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
This was low-hanging fruit, and to be honest, how could anyone say otherwise? For the first time in 20 years, the Battle of Ontario might actually happen.
With the Senators having all but locked up their first postseason berth since 2017, the Steve Staios/Travis Green era has started off with a bang. Some key additions in Dylan Cozens and Nick Jensen have helped insulate the preexisting core, and as long as Linus Ullmark can stay healthy, who’s to say the Senators should be considered underdogs?
For the Maple Leafs, we will see what a brand new defensive core will be able to bring in the playoffs. Brandon Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Chris Tanev will all be in the lineup for the Leafs for the first time in the playoffs, and Craig Berube will get his opportunity to drag something out of this group for the first time during the spring. There’s still a question mark as to who will start in net; one of Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz will eventually have to take the ball and run with it.
The Leafs could end up being division champions for the first time in over a decade (excluding the North division), but if they end up colliding with their provincial rival, could it be possible that they enter this series with all the pressure on them? Either way, the young and hungry Senators will be a tall task for the Leafs.
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