Wyshynski: Hurricanes in five, The Stanley Cup playoffs are back on ESPN and ABC! Game 3: Florida Panthers at Washington Capitals 1 p.m. And if Boston is going to turn its defensive advantages into a lengthy playoff run, it will be McAvoy leading the way. Sixteen teams entered the postseason tournament, but only four are left in the bracket, as the New York Rangers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the East, and the Colorado Avalanche will square off against the Edmonton Oilers in the West. Biggest flaw(s): Being a top-heavy offensive team is a good problem to have when the top of one's lineup is filled with players who have more than 35 goals. Non-Playoff team from 2021 that will make 2022 Playoffs: Dallas Stars . Keith has been on every big stage hockey has to offer. When things aren't going Boston's way -- when the Bruins struggle to score a goal or give up a bad one -- can they persevere and push back? To help get you up to speed before the puck drops on Game 1 of the West matchup Tuesday night, we're bringing you a mega-preview, breaking down each team in five different categories and offering our predictions on which clubs will head to the Stanley Cup Final. NHL playoff predictions 2022: 1st-round winners, most overrated, dark horse, Stanley Cup champion and more. Tim Kavanagh: Lightning in six The College Football Playoff will pit Georgia against Ohio State and Michigan against TCU in a bid to figure out the next national champion. NHL on ESPN. Biggest flaw(s): Can the Predators keep it together in their own end? When Kuemper was tested, he didn't always look sharp; St. Louis caught him in bad positioning and decidedly flat-footed on a few occasions. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Toronto has got the talent in all three phases of the game. The opponents are very favourable. McDonough: Flames in seven Not enough has been made of the Blues. NHL Rush to the Playoffs: Three National Hockey League Games Monday, Tuesday Night, Exclusively on ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu ESPN+ NHL Kevin Ota April 25, 2022 Twitter Monday, April 25 on ESPN+/Hulu: Flyers at Blackhawks Tuesday, April 26 on ESPN: Oilers at Penguins, Blues at Avalanche 38 out-of-market games on ESPN+ this week They'll need continued offense from Fox, who had 18 points in 14 games. There were times when Carolina created chaos around Shesterkin's crease but couldn't find the rebounds he'd leave. From there, things started falling apart for the Predators; they didn't perform as well at the top of the standings. But it's also true that the Lightning haven't faced a goalie like Shesterkin, who is playing out of his gourd right now. That core has been augmented by strong seasons from a supporting cast of forwards Evan Rodrigues and Danton Heinen, and especially defenseman Mike Matheson, who had a career-redefining campaign. Defenseman Adam Fox said he's looking forward to the battle between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Shesterkin. In today's Morning 3-on-3, we debate whether both are playoff locks -- and a threat if they make it. The answer should be clear early on against Edmonton. Football Women's Basketball Games Home ESPN Fantasy App All we know for sure is that the real winners here are those of us watching the action unfold. Seven Avs skaters have at least three goals in the playoffs, and five have double-digit point totals. The Wild have had offensive stars emerging throughout the season, from Kirill Kaprizov to Kevin Fiala to Mats Zuccarello. Adam Fox, last year's Norris winner, had a strong encore. The Stars are the only team in the playoffs with a negative goal differential. Make Your Picks. But teams win with depth in the playoffs, and there's been some falloff here for the Flames. 2. While Florida's offensive talent is its best asset, if the overall team defense can't hold up (especially if Aaron Ekblad isn't able to return to form due to his knee injury), it could make for a shorter run than the Panthers are aiming for. Now they also have some strong depth, and the versatility to play the Islanders' style if needed. Because he picked this opportunity. Bring on the intensity, the heart-stopping drama and the sheer excitement. Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in six All things being equal, Colorado boasts the deeper team. The 13th overall pick in 2020, Jarvis had 11 points in a nine-game stretch near the end of the season, running shotgun with Aho for a lot of it. Complete playoff coverage Forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault, GM Rob Blake's key offseason pickups, were in the top four in scoring. In general, Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft has been leaning on the same eight forwards up front and limiting the use of his fourth-liners. After Pavelski, Hintz and Robertson (who all tallied 70 or more points), Dallas' offense has been streaky. He's a dynamic offensive talent who has 11 points in his past 15 playoff games. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Let's start with the best goalie in the world. Biggest flaw(s): Confidence. What will be the key to solving Igor Shesterkin? Case for a Stanley Cup run: History has a funny habit of repeating itself. When Boston is at its best, it is a hard-hitting, back-breaking group to go up against. Lawrence-Riddell: Avalanche in six So it works in Nashville's favor to not just go into the postseason as a wild-card team, but to know there's an uphill battle ahead to make its time in the playoffs last. Buccigross: Avalanche in seven Minnesota has been scorching hot since mid-March, going 19-2-3 since March 16, entering the playoffs with a hard-earned swagger. Here are the current standings in the East, with the bottom four seeds lining up for the Play-In Tournament. Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2022/23 Season. The trio of Joe Pavelski, Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson might still be underrated around the NHL, but they carried Dallas up the standings despite critics having panned the Stars' postseason chances. Shilton: Hurricanes in six But what we've seen so far in the playoffs is Colorado primarily at its best. Messier: Avalanche in seven Don La Greca: Panthers in seven Wyshynski: Flames in seven. Mleczko: Flames in six NHL playoff bracket 2022: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for postseason | Sporting News Canada -156 BUF -175 LAK -127 Thu, 7:30p CAR DET CHI 2/26, 11:00a NYI WIN 2/26, 12:30p LAK NYR. We don't roll out the term "juggernaut" for just anyone around here. The Panthers' depth of electric scoring ability has the potential to carry this team a long way into spring. He's the club's leading scorer, averaging more than a point a game, and eats important minutes. The 2021-22 season has been incredibly bizarre for Colton Parayko, who has been a puzzling player since the Blues won the Cup in 2019. But breaks are only breaks if one capitalizes on them, and the Rangers have shown an impressive resiliency. Biggest flaw(s): Defense, and goaltending. The Rangers didn't have to face Penguins starter Tristan Jarry until Game 7; instead, they saw backup Casey DeSmith for five and a half periods and then third-stringer Louis Domingue for just over six games. The conference final round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs is upon us. Pittsburgh Penguins 4. will be coming full force. The 2022-23 NHL season is the 106th season of operation (105th . Forsberg can, and will, challenge any defense the Predators see in coming weeks. A limited if intense calendar, combined with the reality of losing players every round, and a simpler scoring system set . There's more to the team than just a dominant goalie, however. Coach Jon Cooper says his standout center -- the team's leading goal-scorer (30) over the past two postseasons -- is progressing from a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs. And there's the Leafs' excellent special teams, including the NHL's best power play and a penalty kill that is nearly as likely to score short-handed as to get scored on. There is no such problem for the Lightning. Yes, Mike Smith has been in a groove during April, with a .948 even-strength save percentage in nine games. Did he skid at the end of this season? We're learned that fatigue hasn't yet been an issue for a team that's gone all the way in two straight postseasons -- perhaps because they followed truncated regular seasons? Florida is the only place he wanted to land at the trade deadline. La Greca: Avalanche in five Weekes: Rangers in seven Marc-Andre Fleury has been lights out since arriving at the trade deadline from Chicago. Luckily for the Blues, that deja vu high they're currently riding is a good one. They're the NHL's top-scoring team for a reason, having been consistently outstanding offensively since Game 1. That's not great news for a Rangers team whose power-play prowess (fourth in the NHL) far outpaced its even-strength offense (18th). How well Colorado's back end -- led by Makar, Devon Toews and Bowen Byram -- can manage those assignments will go a long way in determining the series. Their top defensive pairings of Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson along with Chris Tanev and Oliver Kylington have been outstanding. NBA Playoff Picture: Eastern Conference. Chandan: Flames in six But being that he's Sidney Crosby and he knows this could be the last ride for members of this group, he's absolutely the player to watch for Pittsburgh. Editor's Picks. Those 5-on-5 opportunities can be -- and almost always are -- limited in the playoffs. We've also learned that two straight Stanley Cups haven't made the Bolts fat and happy; the hunger to win another, and the killer instinct to close out teams, remains for Tampa. Colorado's penalty kill (only 73.1%) and goaltending (see above) have underwhelmed, and would be the most likely potential issues against Edmonton. CAR (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 100% Tragic number: N/A. Against Carolina, Shesterkin gave up two or fewer goals in six of the seven games in the series and won another Game 7, this time on the road. Under coach Dave Tippett, the Oilers were 13th in the NHL in expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5; under interim coach Jay Woodcroft, who took over Feb. 10, the Oilers jumped to fourth in that category. There was never any doubt that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl could score in the regular season, but the playoffs have brought their challenges in keeping up that pace offensively. Bolden: Avalanche in six Buccigross: Flames in six No one will let the Leafs forget what happened against Boston (twice) or Montreal. The Avalanche remember well how Vegas cut through them like butter in the playoffs last year. But he's not unbeatable. Mark Giordano has helped solidify the blue line, and the Leafs actually have good depth there, for once. Yes. And Kane already had a pair of hat tricks in the playoffs. While it's desirable to have the top-end talent Colorado does, it's often the unheralded players who pick up the playoff slack. Biggest flaw(s): Fatigue. If he's diminished, so are the Caps' Cup chances -- significantly. It breeds confidence, and that's having a huge impact on the Oilers' success in this postseason. Again, the Oilers stayed calm, and refocused. It'll be down to the wire, but I like Colorado. Ferraro: Hurricanes in six Before the NBA resumes play on Thursday night, it is time to answer some big questions. But it'll also take continued contributions from players like Andrew Copp (12 points), Ryan Strome (9) and Frank Vatrano (8); and further damage done by the Rangers' "Kid Line" of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko. Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, Lineup picks, matchups, start or sit advice for Wednesday, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Wyshynski: My Stanley Cup playoffs bracket, Ranking NHL players who need a Stanley Cup, last two games of the season with a lower-body injury. Forward Jason Zucker, who could help, can't stay in the lineup due to injuries. Meanwhile, MacKinnon will be leading the charge up front. In over 500 minutes of game action this postseason, Kuemper has faced only 218 pucks. Weekes: Blues in seven ET, ESPN), followed by Lightning-Leafs (7:30 ET, ESPN2), Blues-Wild (9:30 ET, ESPN) and Kings-Oilers (10 ET, ESPN2). Unlike the other two teams on this list, the Portland Trail Blazers are currently on the outside looking in. 16 teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. NHL Predictions 2022- 23 season | NHL Projected Standings 2022-23 Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division 1. Campbell-Pascall: Flames in six Case for a Stanley Cup run: Nashville is a great underdog -- back the Predators into a corner and wait to see some of their best hockey. Complete playoff coverage NHL . He was fourth on the team in goals scored above average. And it's not just the Avs' marquee names -- Nazem Kadri, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar to name a few -- who are having an impact. La Greca: Flames in six ESPN Megacast, formerly known as ESPN Full Circle, is a multi-network simulcast of a single sporting event across multiple ESPN networks and serviceswith each feed providing a different version of the telecast making use of different features, functions or perspectives. Portland Trail Blazers. That's the question. The Avalanche will require all hands on deck to keep pace with Edmonton. Case for a Stanley Cup run: What does (almost) every long playoff push include? Washington lives and dies on the performance of its franchise star, especially on the power play. Kaplan: Hurricanes in seven The Bruins are one of the league's stingiest teams (averaging 2.69 goals against) and excel at limiting shots against (28.7 per game, third fewest in the NHL) and high-danger chances (first overall). McCarron for choosing his league over the NFL. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. 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