Round one of NHL playoffs officially underway
Potential upsets are already looming with the lower seed winning 6 of the 8 series openers
Every NHL postseason matchup concluded its Game 1 slate as of Tuesday night this week.Beginning on Monday, the first playoff tilts of the season resulted in the lower-seeded teams winning 6 of the 8 matchups. Only the top divisional seeds in the East, Boston and Carolina, won their opening games, and even they have caused for concern: Carolina is without top scorer Andrei Svechnikov going up against the stalwart goaltending of potential Vezina finalist Ilya Sorokin, while the record-setting Bruins have been beset by injuries and illness en masse going into the postseason.Boston captain and Quebec native Patrice Bergeron is already expected to miss Game 2 Wednesday as well.The other Eastern playoff results included a blowout 7-3 win on the road by the defending conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning over the Toronto Maple Leafs in a first-round rematch. The other divisional matchup, a historical rivalry known as the Battle of the Hudson, saw the New York Rangers flexing their experience and depth in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Both series project to be much closer as the games continue.The New York Islanders and the Florida Panthers, despite Game 1 losses, are still very much expected to make some noise against the Hurricanes and Bruins, respectively.In the Western Conference, the lower seeds took the first game in each series, but only one of them was never in doubt, with the 8-seed Winnipeg Jets trouncing the conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights by another 5-1 score. The Jets were a popular upset pick, establishing themselves as a top team in the West early on in the season before an inconsistent second half. The Jets also hold a steep advantage in goal, with one of the best American-born tenders in the league, Connor Hellebuyck, between the pipes. The Knights have faced numerous injuries and setbacks at the position, which led for them to deal for veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick, a Connecticut native, at the trade deadline. Quick did not start in net for the Knights on Monday; former Jet Laurent Brossoit did.Elsewhere, the expansion outfit Seattle Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche in their own building, becoming the first NHL team to win its playoff debut against the defending Stanley Cup champions. The magical run continues for a team that set the record for the largest year-over-year improvement in NHL history following a listless 2021-22 inaugural season. North of the border in the West, the Los Angeles Kings staged a third-period comeback to stun Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers in overtime. Double overtime was required Monday night for the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild matinee, which resulted in a Wild victory for the visitors. The United States’ finest homegrown goaltending talent was also on display in Dallas as young upstart Jake Oettinger continues to cement himself as one of the league’s premier puck-stoppers.Every first-round series has officially opened for business, and as per usual in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the early returns are surprising, exciting, and leave us wanting more. So far, the games have offered a high level of physicality and intensity, as well as an emphatic reminder that anybody can beat anybody in the NHL. In a league that has never been as fast, skilled, or utterly unpredictable, the quest for the hardest trophy to win in professional sports should enthrall die-hard hockey fans and casual sports fans alike.Game 2 slots begin Wednesday evening, featuring New York-Carolina, Boston-Florida, Dallas-Minnesota, and Edmonton-Los Angeles. As 16 teams jostle to advance, only one will be left standing in six weeks’ time.
Every NHL postseason matchup concluded its Game 1 slate as of Tuesday night this week.
Beginning on Monday, the first playoff tilts of the season resulted in the lower-seeded teams winning 6 of the 8 matchups. Only the top divisional seeds in the East, Boston and Carolina, won their opening games, and even they have caused for concern: Carolina is without top scorer Andrei Svechnikov going up against the stalwart goaltending of potential Vezina finalist Ilya Sorokin, while the record-setting Bruins have been beset by injuries and illness en masse going into the postseason.
Boston captain and Quebec native Patrice Bergeron is already expected to miss Game 2 Wednesday as well.
The other Eastern playoff results included a blowout 7-3 win on the road by the defending conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning over the Toronto Maple Leafs in a first-round rematch. The other divisional matchup, a historical rivalry known as the Battle of the Hudson, saw the New York Rangers flexing their experience and depth in a 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Both series project to be much closer as the games continue.
The New York Islanders and the Florida Panthers, despite Game 1 losses, are still very much expected to make some noise against the Hurricanes and Bruins, respectively.
In the Western Conference, the lower seeds took the first game in each series, but only one of them was never in doubt, with the 8-seed Winnipeg Jets trouncing the conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights by another 5-1 score. The Jets were a popular upset pick, establishing themselves as a top team in the West early on in the season before an inconsistent second half. The Jets also hold a steep advantage in goal, with one of the best American-born tenders in the league, Connor Hellebuyck, between the pipes. The Knights have faced numerous injuries and setbacks at the position, which led for them to deal for veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick, a Connecticut native, at the trade deadline. Quick did not start in net for the Knights on Monday; former Jet Laurent Brossoit did.
Elsewhere, the expansion outfit Seattle Kraken defeated the Colorado Avalanche in their own building, becoming the first NHL team to win its playoff debut against the defending Stanley Cup champions. The magical run continues for a team that set the record for the largest year-over-year improvement in NHL history following a listless 2021-22 inaugural season.
North of the border in the West, the Los Angeles Kings staged a third-period comeback to stun Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers in overtime. Double overtime was required Monday night for the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild matinee, which resulted in a Wild victory for the visitors. The United States’ finest homegrown goaltending talent was also on display in Dallas as young upstart Jake Oettinger continues to cement himself as one of the league’s premier puck-stoppers.
Every first-round series has officially opened for business, and as per usual in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the early returns are surprising, exciting, and leave us wanting more. So far, the games have offered a high level of physicality and intensity, as well as an emphatic reminder that anybody can beat anybody in the NHL. In a league that has never been as fast, skilled, or utterly unpredictable, the quest for the hardest trophy to win in professional sports should enthrall die-hard hockey fans and casual sports fans alike.
Game 2 slots begin Wednesday evening, featuring New York-Carolina, Boston-Florida, Dallas-Minnesota, and Edmonton-Los Angeles. As 16 teams jostle to advance, only one will be left standing in six weeks’ time.
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