Stanley Cup Playoffs: Postseason Preview

Here are the 2018 playoff rankings, based on a final four of Bruins-Capitals and Jets-Sharks with a final of Bruins-Jets and Stanley Cup champ of Bruins. I will group the first-round match-ups by the divisional brackets, making it easier to show the conference semifinals

This year sees six new teams in the playoffs compared to 2017-18. After five of the six Canadian teams made the postseason a year ago, only one (Toronto) returns, joined by Winnipeg. The two "winners" of last year's draft lottery qualified for the playoffs this year. That shows how quickly tides can turn in the league. Reigning champ Pittsburgh aims for its third straight title, while the runner-up, Nashville, aim for its first.

EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Lightning vs. Devils

Lightning

Tampa Bay cruised for most of the season but a late-season, partial swoon nearly cost it the top spot in the division. The Lightning are blessed with top-tier talent up front and on the blue line along with a young goalie who has taken a step forward this season in his first year as a starter.

Offense: Nikita Kucherov took over the team's top player, notching 39 goals and 61 assists after a blazing start to the year. Steven Stamkos added 27 tallies and 59 apples of his own, 33 of those points coming on the PP, but missed the final three games with a lower-body injury but is expected back for the playoffs and practiced Mondau. J.T. Miller seamlessly fit onto that line after coming over from the Rangers at the deadline, posting 18 points in 19 games. Brayden Point quietly posted 32 goals and 34 assists and will likely be joined by Ondrej Palat, despite his struggles this year, and either Ryan Callahan, limited to 67 games by injury, or Yanni Gourde, who broke out with 25 goals and 39 assists in his first full season in the league. Tyler Johnson ended the year failing to score in 11 of his final 13 games of the year but should still be the third line center. Alex Killorn (15 goals, 32 assists) will be on Johnson's left and either Cally or Gourde will skate as the right-winger on that line. Anthony Cirelli burst on the scene late in the year with 11 points in 18 games and should be somewhere in the playoff lineup as either the fourth line center or maybe on the wing to Cedric Paquette, who provides defense at pivot, and joined by four-time Cup winner Chris Kunitz. Adam Erne (injured), Slater Koekkok or Cory Conacher could also get a look.

Defense: Victor Hedman had another stellar season, notching 17 goals, 46 assists, a plus-32 rating, 25:51 per game of ice time with 139 hits and 110 blocks. He likely will be paired with Anton Stralman, whose offensive production declined again, but is still solid defensively. Coach Jon Cooper likely will keep Ryan McDonagh, who came over with Miller at the deadline, and Dan Girardi, another ex-Ranger and McD's old pairmate in NY as a duo. But that pairing did struggle in Tampa and we could see Hedman with G and McD with Mikhail Sergachev, heisted from Montreal for Jonathan Drouin by GM Steve Yzerman. Sergachev posted 40 points as a rookie and never looked out of place. Braydon Coburn is the probable sixth defenseman with Andrej Sustr and Jake Dotchin as additional options.

Goaltending: Andrei Vasilevskiy won 44 games with a 2.62 GAA and .920 SV% in his first as a full-time starter. However, he struggled late, remarking down the stretch as to how mentally and physically tired he was. Cooper rode Vasilevskiy hard, playing him 65 games, but eased him on the throttle late in the year. Vasilevskiy posted a 2.18 GAA and .931 SV% the first half of the season, his final numbers evidencing his second half issues. Louis Domingue came over from Arizona and benefitted from the team in front of him to win seven of 11 games.

Devils

If Colorado is the major surprise playoff team in the West, New Jersey may be the same in the East. Like Philadelphia, a better season was expected after New Jersey moved to the upper portion of the draft but a playoff berth seemed like pipe dream. Taylor Hall put the team on his back, all but willing New Jersey to the postseason, and should receive a copious amount of votes for the Hart Trophy.

Offense: Hall posted 39 goals and 54 assists, playing the hero almost every game. Hischier, last year's first overall pick, had a fine rookie year with 20 goals and 32 assists skating alongside Hall. Kyle Palmieri, who despite missing 20 games with injuries still notched 24 goals, should join those two on the top line. Travis Zajac saw his production fall to 26 points but showed some signs of life late in the year and is on the top PP unit. Patrick Maroon, acquired at the deadline from Edmonton, notched five points the last two games of the season to finish with 13 in 17 contests as a Devil. Jesper Bratt slumped down the stretch after a fine start to the year but could open the playoffs on the second line. If not, Marcus Johansson, limited to 29 games due to a concussion, or Brian Gibbons will slot onto that trio. Pavel Zacha has not yet taken a major step forward but he is the probable third line center, joined possibly by Miles Wood (19 goals and 13 assists) and one of Bratt, Gibbons or Stafford, Brian Boyle, who overcome cancer and other family issues this season, is the fourth line center joined by Michael Grabner, whose speed is a major weapon, and either Blake Coleman or Stefan Noesen.

Defense: Will Butcher, signed as a free agent after failing to agree to terms with Colorado, was New Jersey's best blueliner. Butcher got off to a hot start, hit a rookie wall in the middle, and then closed strong to finish with 44 points, 23 on the man-advantage. The Devils acquired Sami Vatanen during the year from Anaheim for Adam Henrique. GM Ray Shero's big moved showed up a suspect defense, as Vatanen played 22:35 a game, finishing with 28 points in 57 games. Long-time New Jersey d-man, Andy Greene, is a stalwart on the back line, joined by Mirco Mueller, John Moore and Damon Severson with Ben Lovejoy and Steve Santini in reserve.

Goaltending: Cory Schneider came to New Jersey before the 2013 draft for the ninth overall pick that Vancouver used on Bo Horvat. Schneider was brilliant his first two seasons in Newark but regressed last season and lost his starting job this year. Keith Kinkaid rescued New Jersey, playing 41 games and going 26-10-3 with a 2.77 GAA and .913 SV% to carry the devils to the playoffs. Schneider should enter the postseason behind Kinkaid, who won seven of his last eight decisions to clinch a playoff berth. Eddie Lack is the third goalie.

Series Notes

Tampa finished first in goals, 13th in goals against, third in PP success at 23.9 percent but just 28th in PK kill rate at 76.1 percent. New Jersey was 14th in scoring, 17th in goals-against, 10th in PP success and eighth in PK kill rate. The Devils won all three matchups between the teams this year.

Pick

Lightning in 7. Tampa's late-swoon does concern me and I think Grabner has a big series thanks to his speed, but the Lightning's depth up front proves to be the difference. Hedman marks Hall, limiting his effectiveness, but Tampa's issues on the PK hurt the Lightning this series. Kinkaid outplays Vasilevskiy at times, but Tampa's netminder returns to form in the final two games of the series to carry the Lightning forward.

Bruins vs. Maple Leafs

Bruins

The Bruins battled Tampa down the stretch to try to earn the top spot in the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division but fell in Game 82 to Florida when a win would've meant home-ice advantage throughout. Once again, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, aided by Patrice Bergeron, who tallied 62 points in 63 games, paced Boston offensively. On the blue line, Torey Krug posted a new career-high in points while Zdeno Chara continues to munch minutes and Charlie McAvoy had a solid rookie campaign. Tuukka Rask won 30-plus games for the fifth straight season.

Offense: Marchand, as I wrote last year, is the modern day version of Ken Linsemen, totaling 85 points for the second straight season, albeit in just 68 games, sitting out 14 contests due to injury and suspension. Pastrnak scored 35 goals after notching 34 last year and upped his helper total from 36 to 45 while playing all 82 games. Bergeron centers the duo, continuing to build towards a bust in the Hall of Fame while a Selke candidate annually. Jake DeBrusk missed eight games late in the season, but returned with a week to go and finished his rookie campaign with 16 goals and 27 assists. David Krejci isn't the weapon he once was, but finished the year with 44 points in 64 games and is locked as the team's second center. Rick Nash, if recovered from concussion that sidelined him the last 11 games of the season and he did practice Monday, will line up to the right of DeBrusk and Krejci. Ryan Donato went from the NCAA to NHL without missing a beat, scoring five goals and eight points in 11 games. He likely centers Danton Heinen (47 points as a rookie) and David Backes (excellent puck possession numbers). The fourth line will be comprised of three from Sean Kuraly (UBI), who practiced Monday and should play, Riley Nash (ear), Noel Acciari, Tommy Wingels and Tim Schaller.

Defense: Krug is still the team's best overall blueliner, but he lines up on the second pairing due to the presence of Chara and McAvoy. Chara, who signed a one-year extension at the end of March, missed nine games with a UBI in March but returned April 1 and will play close to 23 minutes nightly matched up against the opponents' best forwards. McAvoy sat out a month with a strained left MCL, returning to action April 3, and notched 32 points with a plus-22 in 62 games. Boston will be without Brandon Carlo, who fractured his ankle March 31 and will be sidelined 3-4 months. Kevan Miller should line up opposite Krug. The third pairing should be Nick Holden, who came to Boston from the Rangers, and Adam McQuaid with Matt Grzelcyk as the extra d-man, but look for the first four to log major minutes.

Goaltending: Rask posted a 2.36 GAA and .917 SV% and enters the playoffs on top of his game. After playing just 55 games this year, Rask should be more than fresh for the postseason. Anton Khudobin was key early in the year when Rask had his struggles and went 16-6-7 in 31 games. Rask, who won the Vezina Trophy after the 2013-14 season, is the clear starter and Khudobin will only be used in an emergency.

Maple Leafs

Toronto was locked into the three-seed in the Atlantic Division for weeks, due to brilliant seasons from Tampa and Boston. The Maple Leafs edged into the two-seed for a brief amount of time, but Auston Matthews' injury resulted in a slide drop in production, leading to a first round match-up against Boston. Due to their placement, Toronto was bound to face either Tampa or Boston with their opponent decided in Game 82 of the season. The blueprint created by Brendan Shanahan and Lou Lamoriello and executed by Mike Babcock has paid early dividends with the key taking that next step forward to playoff series winner.

Offense: Matthews missed 10 games due to a shoulder injury suffered February 23 when he was crunched between New York's Adam Pelech and Cal Clutterbuck while a pair of other injuries sidelined him an additional 10 contests. Between those ailments, Matthews posted 34 goals, down from the 40 he tallied as a rookie, and 29 assists, matching last year's total. He is bookended by fellow rookies Zach Hyman (whose production from 28 to 40 points) and William Nylander, the eighth overall pick in 2014, who notched 20 goals and 41 assists. The second line of the unsung Nazem Kadri (32 goals and 23 assists) between veteran Patrick Marleau (27 goals, 20 assists in his first year with the buds) and Mitch Marner (22 goals, 47 assists and carried Toronto while Matthews was out) may be the team's best. Tyler Bozek, free agent to be James van Riemsdyk, who led Toronto with 36 goals, and Connor Brown comprise a solid third line. Leo Komarov (219 hits) is joined by deadline acquisition Tomas Plekanec and Kasperi Kapanen on the fourth line, though Babcock could also turn to Matt Martin, Josh Leivo, Dominic Moore or Andreas Johnsson on that trio.

Defense: The blue line is still a work in progress and far from Toronto's strength. Morgan Rielly was to be the team's shut down defenseman, but posted a career-high 52 points, 25 of which came on the man-advantage, while skating 21:36 a night. Veteran Ron Hainsey provides the defensive ballast, blocking 169 shots while notching his highest point total the 2009-10 season. Jake Gardiner is another offensive blueliner, matching Rielly's 52 points, paired by Nikita Zaitsev, who has become much more defensively responsible, causing a decline in his production from 36 to eight points. Travis Dermott, who has a bright future, especially offensively, and Roman Polak, the physical presence of the duo, is the third pair with Connor Carrick the extra defenseman.

Goaltending: Frederik Andersen was acquired from Anaheim in a pre-draft deal in 2016 and immediately inked a five-year, $25 million deal. He won 33 games last season, topping that mark with 38 wins, setting a team single-season for wins, though his GAA rose from 2.67 to 2.81 as his save percentage remain at .918 for the year. Curtis McElhinney was excellent as Andersen's backup, winning 11 of 18 games with a 2.15 GAA and .934 SV%, but will only play if Andersen is strafed or injured. Andersen still needs to prove he can will a team forward in a series.

Series Notes

Boston finished sixth in the league in scoring, third in goals against, fourth in PP success and third in PK kill rate. Toronto was fourth in goals, 12th in goals against, second in PP at 25.0 percent and 11th in PK at 82.4 percent, numbers that mirror their 2016-17 performance. A rematch of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals where Toronto blew a 4-1, third period, Game 7 lead. Toronto won three of four matchups during the season.

Pick

Bruins in 7. Another war of a series between two deep offensive teams. Toronto's defense outplays their more well-known Boston compatriots during the series but Chara had a huge play in Game 7. Marleau provides veteran leadership for the Buds but Toronto falls just short of advancing.

Washington vs. Columbus

Capitals

The Capitals come into the playoffs fresh off winning their third straight division title. After failing to defeat Pittsburgh last year in the playoffs, falling again in the second round, expectations were that Washington would take a step back. That proved to be far from the case, as Alexander Ovechkin tuned back the clock with 49 goals while John Carlson stepped up to have an elite season from the blue line. In net, Braden Holtby struggled and disappointed at times, but Philipp Grubauer more than ably stood in when needed, many times outplaying Holtby during the season. If anything, Washington likely enters the playoffs as a bit of an underdog based on their prior playoff performance and play of other teams during the season.

Offense: Ovechkin failed to score 50 goals for the second straight season, but was far more dominant than last year, putting together a consistent year, Evgeny Kuznetsov, who tallied a career-high 83 points, rebounding from a disappointing 2016-17 campaign. Nicklas Backstrom was his usual assist machine, notching 50 helpers, while T.J. Oshie dropped from 33 to 18 goals. Bridging that gap in scoring was Lars Eller, tallying 38 points, and Tom Wilson, who took advantage of first line placement during the season, playing with Ovi and Kuz, posting 35 points. Brett Connolly and Jakub Vrana each posted 27 points, though more was expected of Vrana, while Andre Burakovsky, limited to 56 games due to a thumb injury, notched just 25 points, but is back on the second line with Backstrom and Oshie. Devante Smith-Pelly skates with Eller and Vrana on the third line while Jay Beagle brings his grit to the fourth line.

Defense: Carlson, following the departure of Kevin Shattenkirk and loss of Nate Schmidt in the expansion draft, took his game to another level this year, posting 15 goals and 53 assists with 32 of those points coming on the man-advantage as he heads into free agency. Deadline acquisition Michal Kempny lines up to Carlson's left. The second line is comprised of Matt Niskanen, who is solid not spectacular, and Dimtry Orlov, whose play warranted the six-year, $30.6 million contract extension he signed with the Capitals last June, tallying 31 points with 128 hits and 116 blocked shots. Brooks Orpik remains the veteran, physical, albeit further slowing, presence from the blue line and he will be paired on the third duo with Jakub Jerabek, Christian Djoos or Madison Bowney,

Goaltending: Holtby saw his goals-against average (GAA) rise from 2.07 to 2.99 and save percentage (SV%) fall from .925 to .907 this year. After three straight 40-plus win campaigns, Holtby won "just" 34, as he saw his games played decline for the third straight year partially due to a rough patch from Feb. 11 to March 6 when he was pulled three times in eight games. Another major reason for both declines was the play of Grubauer, who won a career-high 15 games, posting a .923 SV% and 2.35 GAA. After Nov. 1, Grubauer went 15-7-2, leading the NHL with a .932 SV% and 2.06 GAA. Holtby, who has started 37 straight playoff games, may still be the No. 1 goalie but coach Barry Trotz may go with Grubauer to start the playoffs.

Blue Jackets

Columbus didn't have an easy road to the playoffs; despite five Metro Division teams qualifying as Florida just missed the postseason. But the acquisition of Artemi Panarin for Brandon Saad last off-season proved to be a godsend and an upper echelon, top pairing on the blueline with Seth Jones and Zach Werenski carried much of the weight. Sergei Bobrovsky found his form late, winning 10 of his last 12 games, to help the Blue Jackets edge out the devils for the first Wild Card spot in the East and fall just a point shy of finishing third in the division.

Offense: Panarin kicked his game into high gear when the calendar hit 2018, posting 17 goals and 31 assists in 41 games. From March 1, Panarin was even better, posting 30 points in 18 games, willing the Blue Jackets to the pots-season. Pierre-Luc Dubois had quietly, excellent rookie campaign, taking over as the team's No. 1 center, notching 20 goals and 28 assists on the season. Cam Atkinson, who tallied career-high 35 goals last year, missed a month with a foot fracture in the middle of the season, but still posted 46 points in 65 games and rounds out the top line. Alexander Wennberg fell off from 59 to 35 points while missing missed time with back and upper-body injuries this season, but is solid defensively and the team's No. 2 pivotman. Deadline acquisition, Thomas Vanek, posted 15 points in 19 games in Columbus. Nick Foligno may miss the series with the lower-body injury he suffered March 24 that was to sideline him 2-4 weeks. Boone Jenner, who saw his numbers decline again, and Oliver Bjorkstrand, who limped to the finish, likely joined by Mark Letestu to make up the third line. Brandon Dubinsky slots in at the fourth line center alongside Matt Calvert and possibly Sonny Milano, who bounces up-and-down the lineup.

Defense: Jones is in the Norris Trophy discussion following his 16 goals, 41 assists campaign while skating 24:36 a night. His pair mate, Werenski, saw his output decline 10 points, due to his drop in PPP from 21 to 10, but he more than made that up by his defensive play and alignment on the top pair, playing an additional 90 seconds a game. Ian Cole came over at the deadline to steady the second line, bringing his Cup winning experience from Pittsburgh, skating opposite David Savard, who led the team in hits with 144 and posted 143 blocked shots. Look for that duo to also see major minutes. Markus Nutivaara missed his third consecutive game Saturday and is questionable for the start of the series. If Nutivaara is sidelined, Jack Johnson and Ryan Murray is the likely third pairing with Scott Harrington in reserve.

Goaltending: The Bob saw his GAA rise from 2.02 to 2.37 and SV% fall from .931 to .921, but his recent play indicates he is at the top of his game. As in year's past, for Columbus to win, Bobrovsky needs to be elite. That has not been the case in the postseason, resulting in the Blue Jackets' ouster. Once again, Joonas Korpisalo will only play if Bobrovsky suffers an injury.

Series Notes

Washington finished ninth in the league in scoring, 16th in goals-against, seventh on the power play at 22.5 percent and 16th in PK at 80.3 percent; all of which declined from last season. Columbus was 17th in goals, 10th in goals against, 25th in PP success at 17.2 percent and 27th in PK at a 76.2 percent kill rate. Washington comes into the series lacking the pressure of prior years' due to Pittsburgh going for a third straight Cup and play of Tampa and Boston.

Pick

Capitals in 6. Columbus did peak late and have Panarin, Jones and Werenski but Washington answered every challenge late to win the division. Kuznetsov shines matched by the Blue Jackets' Luc-Dubois. Holtby has a strong series, outplaying Bobrovsky to help Washington outplay Columbus.

Pittsburgh vs. Philadelphia

Penguins

Pittsburgh showed a few more cracks in the armor this, failing to win 50 games while finishing second again in the Metro. Pittsburgh enters the postseason relatively healthy with only key possible injury. Evgeni Malkin was Pittsburgh's best player this season, outplaying Sidney Crosby, and the acquisition of Derick Brassard, who is nursing a lower-body injury, provides the team formidable center depth. Pittsburgh swept the in-state season series 5-0, scoring five goals in each of the wins. This is the seventh playoff matchup and first since 2012 between the two teams, with Philly winning four of the previous six series.

Offense: Sid the Kid finished with 89 points for the second straight campaign, but saw his production fall from 44 to 29 goals. But he closed the year hot, marking the scoresheet in eight of his final nine games for six goals and six assists. Jake Guentzel, brilliant in the postseason, had an uneven campaign, as he did his other wing mate, Bryan Rust. Malkin close the season on a run with 28 goals and 62 points in 42 games since the start of January to finish with 98 points. Patric Hornqvist closed with a rush, potting goals in each of the last five games and 10 of the final 14 contests of the season to finish with 29 markers, 15 of which coming on the man-advantage. Coach Mike Sullivan could use Carl Hagelin as the second line left wing or switch Conor Sheary, who fell from 23 to 18 goals, on that trio. When healthy, Brassard centers the third line, likely joined by Phil Kessel, who notched a career-high 92 points and comes with a playoff pedigree, and either Sheary or Hagelin. Riley Sheahan slides down to fourth line pivot if Brassard is healthy, joined by Zach Aston-Reese or Dominik Simon on the left and Tom Kuhnhackl or Carter Rowney, of healthy, on the right. The top-two lines maybe the best in the league, aided by the previous playoff prowess.

Defense: Kris Letang, out last playoffs following surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, played 79 games this season, tallying 51 points, 20 on the PP, with 109 hits and 108 blocked shots in 25:20 per game of ice time. Brian Dumoulin is solid as his pairmate, allowing Letang to roam while filling the role of the defensive d-man on the duo. Justin Schultz struggled much of the season, missing nearly a month with a lower-body injury, while seeing his shooting percentage fall from 7.8 last year to 3.7 this season. But he closed with six assists his last seven games. Olli Maatta played all 82 games for the first time in his career, building on the 25 games he played in the postseason. The Schulz-Maata duo is more than capable offensively and defensively. Jamie Oleksiak is a penalty killing stalwart and will be paired with either Matt Hunwick or Chad Ruhwedel, the third pairing is a weak part of the lineup, as Pitt misses Ian Cole, who was dealt to make room under the cap for Brassard.

Goaltending: Matt Murray backstopped Pittsburgh to a second straight Cup win, aided by Marc-Andre Fleury. With MAF gone to Las Vegas, Murray entered the season as the true No. 1 netminder, but struggled during the year, as his GAA rose by half-a-goal a game and injuries again limited him to just 49 games for the second straight season. Casey DeSmith and Tristan Jarry ably filled in for Murray while he was sidelined with DeSmith the second goalie for the playoffs. Murray enters the postseason winning four of his last six starts but with an .895 SV%.

Flyers

Coming into the season, most, including myself, figured the Flyers would be better this year but finish shy of the playoffs. The addition of Nolan Patrick in the draft, breakout campaign of Sean Couturier and move of Claude Giroux from center to wing all fueled the push for a postseason berth. Add in the maturation of the young defense and Philly had enough to finish third in the division despite uneven play and changes between the pipes during the year.

Offense: Couturier entered 2017-18 viewed as nice second or third-line center that was solid defensively and would likely score you between 34 and 39 points, as he had each of the previous four seasons. He blew that mark out of the water, tallying 31 goals and 45 assists while playing three more minutes each game. Giroux moved to wing, and freed from the additional weight as a pivotman, posted career-bests in goals (34), assists (68) and points (102), 36 of which came on the power play. Michael Raffl will play anywhere from the first to fourth line and could open opposite Cout and G. Patrick, the second overall pick, closed strong to finish with 13 goals and 17 assists. Jakub Voracek also closed strong to finish with a career-best 85 points and could slide back to the top line if needed. Oskar Lindblom, a fifth-round pick in 2014, should skate on the second line with Patrick and Voracek. Travis Konecny, who broke out with 24 goals and 23 assists, will play on one of the top three lines while Wayne Simmonds, who fell from 54 to 46 points and lost some of his dominance this season is still a PP weapon. Valtteri Filppula centers the third line. Some combination from Scott Laughton, Jori Lehtera, Matt Read, Taylor Leier, Dale Weise and Jordan Weal will comprise the fourth line.

Defense: For all the focus given to Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere may be the best defensive pairing in the division. Provorov went from 30 to 41 points and is excellent in his own zone while Ghost rebounded from a down campaign to post a career-high 65 points, 33 on the man-advantage, in 78 games. Travis Sanheim settled in nicely to the second line following his call up after six weeks in the minors paired with Andrew MacDonald, who resurrected his career slightly this year. Brandon manning and Radko Gudas, who goes over the edge too frequently, is the probable third pair with Johnny Oduya, who missed the past 16 games with an LBI, likely available if needed.

Goaltending: The Achilles' heel of the team in years past. Philly signed Brian Elliott to a two-year deal this off-season but he struggled prior to missing nearly two months with a core muscle injury that required surgery. Elliott won both of his starts after his return last week and enters the playoffs as the team's No. 1 goalie. Petr Mrazek, acquired from Detroit, went 6-6-3 with an .891 SV% and 3.22 GAA in Philly, which was just enough to allow the Flyers to make the playoffs. Michal Nuevirth, put with an LBI, and Alex Lyon, now in the minors, each took a turn as the team's starting goalie,

Series Notes

Pittsburgh finished third in league in goals, 20th in goals against, first in PP success and 17th in PK. Philadelphia was 12th in goals, 14th in goals against, 15th in PP success and 29th in PK. A surprising stat is that Pittsburgh dished out 281 more hits than Philly, finishing sixth in the league with 1951 while the Flyers were 21st with 1670 on the year.

Pick

Penguins in 7. Pittsburgh should dominate on their power play while I expect Philly to take advantage of their opportunities despite finishing middle of the pack. Both starting goalies will struggle and the depth up front will have their way at times. But the Penguins will have just enough to edge past their state rivals.

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

Nashville vs. Colorado

Predators

Nashville rose from the eighth spot in the Western Conference last season to the Cup finals. This year, the Predators enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the West. Balanced scoring, an elite blue line and excellent goaltending allowed Nashville to hold off Winnipeg to win the Central Division and finish first in the conference.

Offense: Ryan Johansen is the Predators top-line center, but he fell short of 60 points for the first time in five seasons, though he posted four goals and five helpers the final 11 games of the year. Filip Forsberg, despite missing 15 games with injuries, picked up the slack, notching 26 goals and 38 assists, including nine goals, 13 assists and seven multi-point showings over 19 games dating back to March 1. The first line is completed by Viktor Arvidsson, who posted 61 points for the second straight year and is a bargain on the seven-year, $29.75 million contract he signed the Predators last July. Kyle Turris came over from Ottawa as part of the Matt Duchene deal with Colorado, ably filling the second line pivotman role with 13 goals, 41 points and a plus-22 rating in 65 games. Kevin Fiala, injured against St. Louis last playoffs, posted 23 goals and 25 assists in his sophomore season. Craig Smith added 25 goals and 26 assists as the right winger on that second trio. Colton Sissons-Nick Bonino-Ryan Hartman is a good not great third line, though Calle Jarnkrok, who missed the last 13 games with a UBI, could slide onto that trio on the left side. Mike Fisher re-signed late to man the fourth line, joined by Scott Hartnell or Austin Watson on the right side and Sissons or Jarnkrok on the left. Top prospect Eeli Tolvanen could find a way into the lineup as a top-six winger.

Defense: The Nashville blueline had their coming out party on a national stage last year and did little to slow the hype this season. Roman Josi closed the year hot, finishing with 14 goals and 39 assists with 20 points coming on the man-advantage along with a plus-24 rating. Ryan Ellis, who missed the first 38 games of the year with a knee injury, but still tallied 32 points and a plus-26 rating in 44 contests, joins him on a duo. P.K. Subban tallied career-high 16 goals and just missed his second career 60-point campaign, finishing with 59, 25 of which came on the power play. Mattias Ekholm rounds out the "big four," who should eat up much of the ice time for Nashville, skates opposite Subban and showed last postseason he can scored when needed. Josi and Subban get most of the ink but Ellis may be the best all-around blueliner and Ekholm is no slouch. Alexei Emelin, who came over from Vegas after the Golden Knights, selected the blueliner in the expansion draft, is paired with Matt Irwin as the third pairing. Mattias Ekholm rounds out the "big four," who should eat up much of the ice time for Nashville. Anthony Bitetto and Yannick Weber round out the blueline.

Goaltending: Pekka Rinne was brilliant for the second straight postseason last season, posting a 1.96 GAA and .930 SV%. He carried that fine play into 2017-18, posting a 42-13-4 record with eight shutouts along with a 2.31 GAA and .927 SV% to hold off any possible challenge from Juuse Saros. Saros is a restricted free agent after the season while Rinne's seven-year deal expires after the 2018-19 campaign, so we could see more of a time-share next year, but for now, it's Rinne's net.

Avalanche

Picked by many to finish at the bottom of the conference, Colorado rode a Hart Trophy-esque season from Nathan MacKinnon, a brilliant first line, major production from Tyson Barrie and a steely resolve after trading Matt Duchene to the second Wild Card spot. In addition, Semyon Varlamov, sidelined for the playoffs, and Jonathan Bernier, provided good to at times great goaltending.

Offense: MacKinnon went from 16 goals and 37 assists to 39 and 58 this season, 32 of those points coming on the potent Colorado power play. He was joined on one of the best lines in the league by Gabriel Landeskog, who posted 25 markers and 37 assists, and Mikko Rantanen, going from 20 and 19 as a rookie to 29 and 55 as a sophomore. The remainder of the forwards pales in comparison to those first three. Alex Kerfoot, drafted by the Devils in the fifth round of the 2012 entry draft at 150th overall, signed with Colorado last off-season and made the most of his top-six placement, scoring 19 goals and 24 assists. Tyson Jost, selected 10th overall in 2016, is the second line center with Sven Andrighetto rounding out that trio. Carl Soderberg is by far the best of the bunch, tallying 16 goals and 21 assists, centering a third line of Balke Comeau (13, 21) and Matt Nieto with Gabriel Bourque-J.T. Compher-Colin Wilson as the fourth line.

Defense: Barrie, despite missing 14 games with an injury, posted 14 goals and 43 assists, with 30 points on the man-advantage albeit with a minus-15 rating. He is paired with Nikita Zadorov, who played a career-high 77 games, and notched 278 hits. Losing Erik Johnson at the end of March to a fractured patella that will sideline him six weeks is a huge hit to the blueline. Filling the breach is Samuel Girard, one of the main acquisitions as part of the Duchene trade coming from Nashville, and Patrik Nemeth, who played 68 games with a plus-27 rating. Mark Alt and Mark Barberio are the likely third pair, though Duncan Siemens could opt in.

Goaltending: Varlamov is out indefinitely with a left knee injury and won't play in the Avalanche's first-round series against the Predators. Prior to the injury, Varlamov, who broke in with Washington, posted a 24-16-6 record with a 2.68 GAA and a .920 SV%. Bernier, who ably filled in during the year when Varly was out, will get the nod. He went 19-13-3 on the season with a .913 SV% and 2.85 GAA. Andrew Hammond will back up Bernier.

Series Notes

Nashville tied for seventh in the league in goals, slightly ahead of Colorado in 10th, and 2nd in goals against, while the Avalanche was 15th. The Predators were 14th in PP success and sixth on the PK at 81.9 percent, up from 77.7 percent a year ago, while the Avalanche were 8th and 4th, finishing with an 83.3 percent success rate shorthanded.

Pick

Predators in 5. Nashville's blue line and top talent up front will make life tough for Colorado. The Avalanche big-three struggle and the remaining nine up front can't pick up the slack. Rinne far outplays Bernier in the series.

Winnipeg vs. Minnesota

Jets

The Jets finished just shy of the top seed in the division and the West. Looking for their first playoff series as a franchise, both in Atlanta and Manitoba, the Jets may have the biggest home-ice advantage in the league. Winnipeg has the best home mark at 32-7-2 in the but also went 20-13-8 in posting 114 points, second highest in the division, conference and league.

Offense: It's choose your poison with the Jets. Do you focus on captain Blake Wheeler, who tallied 23 points and 68 assists? Maybe you lean towards Patrik Laine, ho followed up his 36 goals as a rookie to post 44 as a sophomore? Perhaps Mark Scheifele's 60 points, despite missing 22 games with a shoulder injury, is your main target. If not, Nikolaj Ehlers (29 goals and 31 assists) and Kyle Connor (31 goals and 26 assists as a rookie) are key components of your game plan. Then add in Bryan Little (16 goals, 27 assists), Mathieu Perreault (17 goals, 22 assists) and Paul Stastny, 13 points in 19 games a Jet and 53 points overall, and you have three formidable lines to try and mark. Coach Paul Maurice likely will roll with Andrew Copp-Adam Lowry-Brandon Tanev as a fourth line, but Jack Roslovic could replace Tanev and Shawn Matthias is available as well while Matt Hendricks is out until at least the second round with a lower-body injury.

Defense: Dustin Byfuglien didn't score 50 points for the first time in three years, but a late rush enabled Big Buff to hit 45 points in 69 games, the seventh straight full season he has hit that mark. Look for coach Maurice to use Buff for as many minutes needed in the playoffs. Joe Morrow has filled in nicely with both Dimtry Kulikov (back) and Toby Enstrom (lower-body) sidelined with injuries. Trouba, limited to 55 contests this season tweaked an injury Friday but should be ready for the postseason. His pairing with Josh Morrissey may be the team's best duo, as each can rush the puck while playing well defensively in their own and neutral zone. Tyler Myers has not scored since February 13, but still notched 36 points, the most he tallied since his sophomore campaign in 2010-11. Ben Chariot is more of a defensive, defenseman, rounding a solid three pairings, especially when Trouba is healthy.

Goaltending: Connor Hellebuyck rebounded from losing his job in 2016-17 and Winnipeg signing Steve Mason to win 44 games with a 2.36 GAA and .924 SV%. He is the unquestioned starter in net for the Jets. Mason is over his concussion, but will only see time if Helly is bombed or an injury arises.

Wild

Minnesota cruised down the stretch, fairly locked into the third seed in the division. For all the depth up front and Devan Dubnyk between the pipes, the season-ending injury to Ryan Suter creates a huge hole on the blue line. Others will have to step up; their ability to do so will play a large role on if the Wild can advance.

Offense: If last year was a rebound campaign by Eric Staal, who posted his best total since 2011-12, this season represents a tour de force. Staal torched the nets for the second-highest goal total of his career with 42 and posted his highest point total since 2010-11. Similarly, Jason Zucker showed last year's breakout was no fluke, building on the 22 goals and 25 assists of a year ago with 33 and 31, including 16 points on the man-advantage, this season. Nino Niederreiter, after posting 57 points last season, finishes the regular season with 18 goals and 32 points, which is the lowest output he's had since the 2013-14 campaign, but he did miss 19 games with a lower-body injury. Focusing on just the first line will burn the Jets. Not surprisingly, Zach Parise got off to a slow start in his return to action. But he picked up lately, notching 12 goals and five assists in his last 21 games. Mikko Koivu is no longer a scorer, but he still notched 14 goals and 31 assists on the year. Mikael Granlund very quietly contributed 21 goals and 46 assists on the heels of 26 and 43 last year. Jordan Greenway-Matt Cullen-Charlie Coyle is a third line whose names outweigh their production, though Greenway gets a pass as he went from Boston University to the Wild. Coyle is the big disappointment, as his goal production fell for the second straight season and he lacked the physical presence of years past. Marcus Foligno-Joel Eriksson Ek-Daniel Winnik is a fairly effective fourth line, the latter two listed playing a key shorthanded role.

Defense: Suter's fractured right ankle could sideline him into 2018-19. His absence along with Jared Spurgeon's strained hamstring and Gustav Olofsson's concussion could leave the Wild thin on the blueline. The good news is that Spurgeon is to practice Monday, and if healthy, should see 24-26 minutes of action in all situations. Mathew Dumba went from 26 to 34 points last year but finally had that big breakout this year, rising to 50 points (14 goals, 36 assists) with a plus-15 rating, 136 hits and 112 blocked shots. Jonas Brodin will need to raise his game, and showed signs late, with assists in four of the last five games of the year. Ryan Murphy, Nick Seeler and Nate Prosser are likely the remainder of the blueliner. If Spurgeon or Olofsson are out or Minnesota wants more production from the back line, Louis Belpedio, who tallied two assists in his debut coming over from Miami of Ohio, could be used by coach by Bruce Boudreau.

Goaltending: Devan Dubnyk was solid again, going 35-16-3, but his GAA rose from 2.25 to 2.52 and SV% declined from .923 to .918, though the numbers are in line with the rise of scoring in the league. If Minny is to spring an upset, Dubnyk will need to stand on his head. Alex Stalock was solid as Dunyk's backup, but will only play in an emergency.

Series Notes

Winnipeg finished second in the league is scoring, fifth in goals-against, fifth on the PP and ninth in PK success. Minnesota finished 18th in the league at 20.4 percent on the man advantage, down slightly from 21.0 last year, and 13th on the PK at 81.3 percent down from 82.9 percent a year ago. In addition, they were 11th in goals per game at 3.05 and 11th in goals-against at 2.79 allowed per game.

Pick

Jets in 6. Too much depth up front for Winnipeg proves to be the difference, as Minnesota misses Suter. Dubnyk steals a game, maybe two, but the Jets' wave of scorers outlast a short-handed Wild team on the backline. Helly gets his feet wet in the postseason as Winnipeg wins their first series in franchise history.

Las Vegas vs. Los Angeles

Golden Knights

If Colorado is the surprising story out West, Las Vegas is 1a or the feel-good story of the season. Partially aided by the favorable expansion draft rules coupled with excellent selections by GM George McPhee and breakthrough campaigns by several, Vegas became the first expansion team since 1967 and 1968 to win a division. Of course then, the additional six teams were all in the same division so an expansion team had to win. Vegas broke out of the gate and cruised the first few months of the season before wobbling a bit prior to the end of the season.

Offense: For much of the season, Reilly Smith-William Karlsson-Jpnathan Marchessault was the Knights' top line. Smith, 22 goals and 38 assists, and Marchessault, 27 and 48, came over to Vegas in the expansion draft from Florida while Karlsson, 43 goals and 35 assists, was selected from Columbus. Smith missed nearly a month and 15 games with an undisclosed injury but returned for Vegas' last game of the regular season. Tomas Tatar, a deadline acquisition from Detroit, Erik Haula, a career-best 26 goals and 29 assists, and James Neal, 25 and 19, is the probable second line. That leaves Cody Eakin as the third line center between David Perron, 16 goals and 50 assists, though Perron missed the last two games of the regular season with an undisclosed injury, and Alex Tuch, who tallied 15 goals and 22 assists as a rookie. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Oscar Lindberg and Ryan Reaves could comprise the fourth line, though Reaves adds little and might be replaced by William Carrier.

Defense: Vegas blue line is one where the collective whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Nate Schmidt thrived with the additional playing time after coming over from the Capitals in the expansion draft, scoring five goals with 31 assists in close to seven more minutes a game. Vegas native Deryk Engelland set a career-high with 23 points in 20-plus minutes of ice time a game. Shea Theodore made the most of a full-time role, excelling on the second pairing alongside Colin Miller, who notched 10 goals and 31 assists, including 17 points on the man-advantage. Brayden McNabb racked up 225 hits and 176 blocked shots playing 20:09 each contests with Jon Merrill as the probable sixth d-man. Brad Hunt will likely opt in if Merrill sits.

Goaltending: Marc-Andre Fleury had three Cup championships and became the Face of the Franchise when he joined Vegas in the expansion draft. MAF got off to a strong start, winning his first three starts before sitting for nearly two months with a concussion. Injuries limited Fleury to 46 starts and he finished one win shy of his ninth, 30-win season, but he posted a .927 SV% and 2.24 GAA this season, both of which are career bests. Malcolm Subban saw more than expected duty, posting a .910 SV% and 2.68 GAA, winning 13 of his 22 appearances and only losing four times during regulation. Oscar Dansk and Max Lagace also saw action between the pipes.

Kings

After missing the playoffs last season, Los Angeles returned to the postseason party this year. Let by all-world center Anze Kopitar, the Kings transitioned from a defense first system under coach Darryl Sutter to one more offensive focused under coach John Stevens and GM Rob Blake. That change in philosophy didn't hurt the Kings in their own zone, as Jonathan quick won the Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed. Drew Doughty was dominant again, posting 10 goals and 50 assists, while Dustin Brown turned back the clock several years with 28 goals and 33 assists.

Offense: Kopi rebounded from last year's disappointing season by scoring 90-plus points for the first time in his career. Brown closed the year out in style, scoring four goals in LA's final game of the regular season to finish the year with a career-high 61 points. Tanner Pearson (15 goals, 25 assists) rounds out the first line. Jeff Carter, sidelined from Oct. 18 to Feb. 24 due to an ankle injury, closed the year strong with 13 goals and six assists in the 21 games following his activation. Tyler Toffoli (24 goals, 23 assists) and Tobias Rieder, who came to LA from Arizona before the trade deadline, are Carter's two wingers. Adrian Kempe (16 goals, 21 assists) centers Kyle Clifford and Trevor Lewis on the third line, though when Alex Iafallo (upper body) is ready to go, either he, Pearson or Rieder will play on this trio. Nate Thompson-Michael Amador-Andy Andreoff is a less than inspriing fourth line.

Defense: Doughty is the Kings' best blueliner by far but that doesn't mean LA isn't talented on the back line. Jake Muzzin missed the last five games of the regular season with an upper-body injury yet still posted a career-best 42 points while playing 21:39 on average. Alec Martinez fell from 39 to 25 points but dished out 100 hits and blocked 206 shots. Dion Phaneuf lacks foot speed, but his physical presence fit in well on the Kings' blue line, as he averaged 19:28 of ice time. Derek Forbort was injured with two games left in the regular season and likely will miss the opening round with a lower-body injury. Kevin Gravel could opt in for Forbort opposite Chritan Folin, who played 65 games. If Gravel isn't in the lineup, Paul LaDue is next in line followed by Oscar Fantenberg and Daniel Brickley, who joined the Kings for their final game of the tear after racking up 35 points in 40 games for Minnesota Sate-Mankato.

Goaltending: Quick was brilliant this year, racking up 33 wins with a 2.40 GAA and .921 SV% in 64 games. An injured groin limited Quick to just 17 games lat season but he showed that still is an elite goalie this season. Darcy Kuemper opened the season as Quick's back up and was playing excellent hockey before he was dealt to Arizona for Rieder. Jack Campbell is backing up Quick.

Series Notes

Vegas finished fifth in the league in goals for and eighth in goals against. They were 11th in PP success at 80.2 percent and 12th on the PK at 81.4 percent. Los Angeles finished 16th in goals, first in goals-against, 17th in PP success and first in PK success.

Pick

Kings in 7. Call it a hunch but LA's solid defense with Quick between the pipes stifles the balanced Vegas attack. Brown continues his resurgence and gets under the skin of the Knights', many of which lack playoff experience.

Anaheim vs. San Jose

Ducks

The Ducks went 8-1-1 down the stretch to just nudge out San Jose for the two-seed in the Pacific Division and Los Angeles for the first Wild Card spot. Last season, Anaheim waited until game 82 to win their fifth Pacific Division title, closing with an 8-0-2 stretch to hold off the hard-charging Oilers. The Ducks swept the Flames and defeated the Oilers in seven games before falling in six to the Predators. After winning the Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed last season, Anaheim, once again was strong on the penalty kill, finishing fifth in the league after third and first place finishes the prior two seasons, while the power play scuffled again, dropping from 17th to 23rd in the league.

Offense: Rickard Rakell continued his rise in stature on the Ducks, leading Anaheim in scoring with 34 goals and 35 assists. A facial injury cost captain Ryan Getzlaf 25 games and six weeks. When on the ice, Getzlaf was more of a facilitator than scorer again, dishing out 50 assists while falling to 11 markers. The Robin to Getzlaf's Batman, Corey Perry missed 11 games earlier in the season with a knee injury. When healthy, Perry's numbers were similar to last year, scoring 17 goals and 32 assists in 71 games, but a far cry from his former heights. Jakob Silfverberg failed to take that next step forward; dropping from 49 to 40 points but still is stellar defensively. Andrew Cogliano notched just 12 goals on the year, but four of those tallies came in the final six games of the season. Ryan Kesler was limited to just 44 games this year, and the veteran's season debut was delayed until Dec. 27 because of a hip injury. He never regained his prior form, notching just 14 points, but has the playoff pedigree to be a difference maker. Kesler's and Getzlaf's injuries all but forced Anaheim to acquire another pivotman. The Ducks' depth on D enabled the team to trade Sami Vatanen for Adam Henrique, who notched 20 goals, thanks to a ridiculously good shooting percentage (19.6), and 16 assists in 57 games as a Duck. Ondrej Kase (20 goals, 18 assists) and Nick Ritchie (10, 17) bookend Henrique, who also can play wing if need be. Troy Terry, who just came over from the college ranks, could replace Ritchie on the third line, with Ritchie landing on a fourth trio with Derek Grant and Jason Chimera or Antoine Vermette.

Defense: Anaheim's blue line depth, already without Vatanen because of the Henrique trade, will open the playoffs for the second straight season sans Cam Fowler. This time a shoulder injury sidelines the mobile d-man anywhere from 2-6 weeks. Josh Manson, who was brilliant early and then faded before rebounding late, will assume even more responsibility. Opposite Manson is Hampus Lindholm, who notched a career-high 31 points but his real value is in his ability to match up against the opposition's top players in a shut-down role and still drive possession. Brandon Montour saw three extra minutes of ice time a game, tallying 32 points. His line mate to start the playoffs likely will be the venerable Francois Beauchemin. If Kevin Bieksa's hand is healed folliowing mid-March surgery, look for the veteran to get back in the lineup. If not, Marcus Pettersson- Andy Welinski is the probable third pair with Korbinian Holzer as the extra d-man.

Goaltending: John Gibson missed the final three games of the season with an upper-body injury suffered April 1. Prior to the injury, Gibson won a career-best 31 games with a 2.43 GAA and .926 SV%. Gibson's status for Game 1 has yet to be determined. If he is sidelined, Ryan Miller will be between the pipes. Miller, a former No. 1 goalie in the league, was more than solid in spot duty, notching a 12-6-6 record with four shutouts, 2.35 GAA and .928 SV%. He won Anaheim's last four games of the year to help the Ducks clinch a playoff berth and still can rise to the occasion when needed.

Sharks

San Jose had a very uneven year, a far cry from the first four months of 2017-18 when the Sharks dominated the league. Joe Thornton missed the final 35 games of the year with a knee injury, Joe Pavelski got off to a nightmarish start, Brent Burns scuffled during the year and Martin Jones lost his starting job at times. But, the acquisition of Evander Kane at the trade deadline proved to be a godsend and San Jose edged out LA for the third seed in the Pacific.

Offense: Thornton, out since Jan. 23, notched 36 points in 47 before he was sidelined, looking more like he did in 2015-16 then he did last season. No clear timeframe has been determined for his return. With the bearded pivotman out, Pavelski is the new No. 1 center. After a very slow start and despite a major decline in shooting percentage, Joe Pav still notched 22 goals and 44 assists; the fifth straight season he scored more than 20 goals and 60 points. Kane, playing for a new contract, posted nine goals and 14 points in 16 games since joining the Sharks at the deadline, and is joined on the top line by Joonas Donskoi (14 goals, 18 assists after just 17 points last year). Logan Couture potted a career-best 34 goals and is joined on the second line by Tomas Hertl, a career-best 22 goals, and resurgent Mikkel Boedker, 20 of his 37 points in the final 26 games of the season. Timo Meier took a step forward with 21 goals in his sophomore season and skates on the third line with Chris Tierney and Kevin Labanc, 17 of his 40 points coming on the man-advantage. Marcus Sorensen-Jannik Hansen-Joel Ward is the probable fourth line but Eric Fehr and Barclay Goodrow, both injured, may be ready to return to the lineup

Defense: Burns was far from the same dominant force he was a year ago. One season after scoring 29 goals and 76 points, he finishes this season with just 12 goals and 66 points along with a career-worst minus-18 rating. But Burns posted 27 points on the power-play while playing 25:15 a game. Paul Martin is Burns' pair mate after spending most of the season in AHL, dressing the final 14 games of the season. Marc-Edouard Vlasic raised his game close to his 2015-16 play and skates opposite Justin Braun. Each are physical blueliners that can contribute offensively; both scoring over 30 points. Brenden Dillon, who closed the year with an offensive rush, and Dylan DeMelo, more of a stay-at-home, physical blueliner, is the third pairing with Joakim Ryan the extra d-man,

Goaltending: Martin Jones saw his win total drop for the second straight season, from 37 to 35 to 30, while his GAA rose similarly, going from 2.27 to 2.40 to 2.55 in 2017-18. After winning seven straight, Jones lost four of five to end the year, costing San Jose home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Jones was nearly replaced as the No. 1 during the year by Dell, whose ratios rose, but he posted a 15-5-4 record, 2.64 GAA and .914 SV%. Despite Jones' struggles, he is the No. 1 heading into the playoffs.

Series Notes

If Thornton comes back during the series that lengthens the San Jose lineup, making the Sharks an even tougher out. Their run last season may have been their dénouement. San Jose was 13th in goals and just ninth in goals against. Their power play was just 16th in the league while their penalty kill rose from 17th last year to second in the league this season.

Pick

Sharks in 7. Kane has a big playoff series, providing the Sharks with a first-line sniper. Thornton returns late in the series to give San Jose another option up front. His addition allows the Sharks to match center-for-center against the Ducks, who are led by Henrique. Fowler's absence proves too hard to overcome.

CONFERENCE SEMIFNALS

Boston vs. Tampa

This matchup looked to be a fait accompli for the past several months. A Lightning and Bruins series could be an Eastern Conference Finals rather than a divisional final and conference semis. Tampa limped to the finish a bit while Boston failed to take advantage of the opportunity afforded to win the division and conference. Both teams are well acquainted with each other, so few surprises should exist. Top-end talent is on display all over the ice, from goal line out, Stamkos, Kucherov, Point, Hedman, Vasilveskiy are a few names for the Lightning with Marchand, Pastrnak, Bergeron, Chara and Rask for Boston. Those names not mentioned may be the ones that take over a series. For Tampa, look at Gourde, and for Boston, DeBrusk. The Finnish goalie barely outplays the Russian netminder, as Boston wins it in overtime on a goal by Rick Nash, exorcising some of the demons from his days in New York. Bruins in 7.

Washington vs. Pittsburgh

The teams meet for the 10th – and third straight - time in the postseason. Pittsburgh jumped to 2-0 and 3-1 series but Washington rallied to win two in a row to force a Game Seven. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots to propel Pittsburgh to a 2-0 win on their way to the Cup. Crosby and Malkin against Ovechkin and Backstrom. But that is not the full story by far, as both teams have a lot of weapons, which is why they finished third and ninth in league scoring. As divisional rivals, there will be few surprises in the series, as each team knows what the other likes to do as well as any weaknesses that might exist. Like many playoff series, matchups will make the difference, as Washington will want to get their top-four out against the Penguins' top-two lines, while Pittsburgh will be able to match either of their top-two defensive pairings against the Caps' top line. Even if Ovi is shut down, Kuznetsov should have a big series and look for Oshie to put his disappointing season behind him to help the Capitals to the conference finals for the first time since 1997-98. Capitals in 7.

Nashville vs. Winnipeg

The Predators are the experienced playoff team in this matchup, as the Jets have no history in this current iteration in Winnipeg and hadn't won a playoff series in 31 years. Despite that lack of success, the Jets are no push over. Depth up front and on the blueline coupled with a top-tier goalie make the Jets a tough out. Nashville just held off Winnipeg to win the division and is playoff tested after their run to the Cup Finals last season. The Predators' blueline is a major weapon and for the Jets to advance, their third line will need to be difference makers. Look for Perreault and Little to outscore their bigger name teammates while Faria makes up for missing last year's run with a big series. The nation learns Hellebuyck's name as he outplays Rinne to win the series. Jets in 7.

Los Angeles vs. San Jose

Each team has their own grizzled vets, with Kopitar and Carter in LA and Getzlaf and Perry in Anaheim. Both squads also have their teeth-missing blue liner in Doughty and Burns. Quick has a pair of Cups, backed up by Jones in 2013-14, so the San Jose netminder is very familiar with many of the Kings. Brown continues his rebound campaign in this series with Muzzin providing secondary blue line scoring for LA. For the Sharks, Hertl is the difference maker up front, aided by Meier and Boedker while Braun supplements from the blue line. This should be a fun series to watch, with both teams taking the body, so expect lots of hard-hitting. The student barely outplays the master, with Jones winning game 7 on the road. Sharks in 7.

CONFERENCE FINALS

Boston vs. Washington

The Hub vs. the Beltway. Washington last advanced to the Conference Finals in 1997-98 and has never won a Cup while Boston six Cups, last winning the title in 2010-11. Very few expect the Capitals to be in this round, while for Boston, getting past Tampa was viewed for several months as the major impediment. Ovi gets a chance to shine on the national stage while America gets to learn all about Pastrnak. Boston's depth up front and excellent first-two defensive pairings make the difference while Rask outplays whoever mans the nets for the Capitals. Bruins in 6.

Winnipeg vs. San Jose

What are the odds in Vegas – sorry Golden Knights – for this matchup? Two teams that most wouldn't have in this round meet to represent the West in the Cup Finals. For Thornton, this maybe his last chance at a title after falling in 2015-16 to Pittsburgh. San Jose is a formidable opponent, but the Jets ride home ice advantage and roll three dangerous lines to move forward. Laine has a monster series, supplemented by Ehlers and Big Buff to carry the jets into their first ever Stanley Cup Finals. Jets in 7.

STANLEY CUP FINALS

Boston vs. Winnipeg

The Stanley Cup heads back to Boston. Wheeler does his best to torment his former team but the Bruins gets balanced scoring and excellent play from the blue line and goalie to win the series. Bergeron caps his tour-de-force postseason with brilliant play on both ends of the ice to win the Conn Smyth Trophy. Bruins in 6.