Who Plays Who in the NHL Playoffs?
It’s that time of year again! The NHL playoffs are upon us, and it’s always exciting to see which teams will be facing off against each other.
But who plays who in the playoffs? And more importantly, who do you think will come out on top?
Check out our blog post to find out who’s playing who in the NHL playoffs, and make your predictions for who will be the Stanley Cup champions!
Eastern Conference
The Boston Bruins will take on the Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The Bruins are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but the Red Wings have proved they can compete with the best teams in the league.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers are two of the most iconic hockey teams in the NHL. They have a long-standing rivalry that is sure to add excitement to any playoff series they may play against each other. The Flyers are currently the better team, but the Penguins always seem to find a way to win when it matters most.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The Lightning are the defending Stanley Cup champions, and they’re looking to repeat this year. The Blue Jackets are a dangerous team, though, and they’ll be looking to upset the Lightning.
Washington Capitals vs. Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes will take on the Washington Capitals in the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 46-29-7 record, good for 99 points and the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals, meanwhile, won the Metropolitan Division with a 48-26-8 record and 106 points. These two teams met four times during the regular season, with each team winning two games.
The Capitals are led by captain Alex Ovechkin, who had 51 goals and 87 points in 81 games this season. Center Nicklas Backstrom was second on the team in scoring with 21 goals and 65 points in 82 games. Goaltender Braden Holtby had a 42-19-5 record this season, along with a 2.82 GAA and a .911 save percentage.
The Hurricanes are led by center Sebastian Aho, who had 30 goals and 83 points in 82 games during his sophomore season. He’ll be joined by fellow young stars Teuvo Teravainen (27 goals, 76 points) and Andrei Svechnikov (20 goals, 37 points) as they try to take down the reigning Stanley Cup champions. In goal, Petr Mrazek was 29-13-3 this season with a 2.39 GAA and a .914 save percentage.
This should be an exciting series between two talented teams. The Capitals are the favorites to win this series, but the Hurricanes have proved they can hang with them this season.
Boston Bruins vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
In the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Boston Bruins will face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins are the first seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Maple Leafs are seeded seventh.
The Bruins are led by center Patrice Bergeron, who had 32 goals and 30 assists during the regular season. Other key players for Boston include winger Brad Marchand (34 goals, 43 assists) and defenseman Torey Krug (14 goals, 45 assists).
The Maple Leafs are led by center Auston Matthews, who had 34 goals and 29 assists during the regular season. Other key players for Toronto include winger James van Riemsdyk (36 goals, 18 assists) and defenseman Morgan Rielly (12 goals, 42 assists).
The Bruins and Maple Leafs last met in the playoffs in 2013, when Boston won in seven games.
Western Conference
The Western Conference is made up of the Central and Pacific Divisions. The top three teams from each division make the playoffs, for a total of six teams from the West. The first round of the playoffs is a best-of-seven series between the divisional winners.
Nashville Predators vs. Dallas Stars
The Nashville Predators will face the Dallas Stars in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
This will be the fourth time these two teams have met in the playoffs, with the Predators winning two of the three previous meetings. The most recent meeting was in 2016, when the Predators won in six games.
The Stars finished the regular season with a record of 42-32-8, good for 92 points. They were the first wild card team in the Western Conference. The Predators finished with a record of 53-18-11, good for 117 points. They were the second seed in the Western Conference.
The Stars are led by captain Jamie Benn, who had an excellent season, scoring 34 goals and adding 45 assists for 79 points. Tyler Seguin is their leading scorer, with 33 goals and 40 assists for 73 points. In goal, Ben Bishop had a solid season, going 27-15-5 with a 2.49 GAA and a .916 save percentage.
The Predators are led by captain Roman Josi, who had an outstanding season on both ends of the ice, scoring 15 goals and adding 56 assists for 71 points. Filip Forsberg is their leading scorer, with 28 goals and 38 assists for 66 points. In goal, Pekka Rinne had another stellar season, going 42-13-4 with a 2.31 GAA and a .927 save percentage
Winnipeg Jets vs. St. Louis Blues
The Winnipeg Jets will take on the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. This will be the first time these two teams have faced each other in the postseason.
The Jets finished the regular season with a record of 47-30-5, good for second place in the Central Division. The Blues, who were third in the division, finished just behind them with a record of 45-28-9.
Both teams have experienced success lately, as the Jets have made it to the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and the Blues have qualified for five straight postseasons. However, neither team has advanced past the second round during that time.
The winner of this series will face either the Nashville Predators or Dallas Stars in the second round.
Calgary Flames vs. Colorado Avalanche
The first-round playoff matchup in the Western Conference is a best-of-seven series between the Calgary Flames and the Colorado Avalanche. The Flames, who are the higher seed, have home-ice advantage and will host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary). The Avalanche will host Games 3 and 4.
The Flames finished the regular season with a 50-25-7 record (107 points), while the Avalanche were 38-30-14 (90 points). This is the first time these two teams have met in the playoffs since 1996, when the Avalanche beat the Flames in six games.
San Jose Sharks vs. Vegas Golden Knights
The Sharks and Golden Knights will face off in the first round of the NHL playoffs. The Sharks are the #2 seed in the Western Conference, while the Golden Knights are the #3 seed. The Sharks finished the regular season with 101 points, while the Golden Knights had 95 points.
This will be the first ever playoff meeting between these two teams. The Sharks and Golden Knights met four times during the regular season, with each team winning two games.
