The NHL’s conference semifinals are just around the corner, and the favorites based on the regular season will be skating on thin ice in all four series.
Just another reason the Stanley Cup playoffs rule.
We won’t fully know who will be part of the Central Division series until the end of the weekend, but the trio of matchups certainly are intriguing.
And don’t be shocked if all of the division champions are done and dusted when the league is down to the final four teams.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, who won the Atlantic Division, claimed an intense set against the Ottawa Senators in six games. But this spring is not about the opening round in Toronto. This is a year the Maple Leafs are expected to go on a lengthy run—otherwise, there will be notable changes.
Standing in their way are the Florida Panthers, the defending Stanley Cup champions who look every bit capable of repeating after easily dispatching the Tampa Bay Lightning.
A Toronto-Florida series is destined to be the nastiest of the second round. The Panthers have no problem going with the old-school, beat-them-in-the-alley approach and have plenty of players who will be public enemies in Toronto—namely Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett. The Maple Leafs want to dazzle with talent, but they must answer in kind physically to have a chance. Do they have that ability?
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Division race is down to the Washington Capitals—the Eastern Conference’s regular-season champs—and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals finished one dozen points ahead in the regular season and made short work of the Montreal Canadiens, so they’ll deservedly be favored. However, Carolina made just as short work of the New Jersey Devils and has more playoff experience. Don’t be surprised by an upset, with Carolina’s depth and coaching making the difference.
In the West, the lone matchup that has been set features the Pacific Division champion Vegas Golden Knights against the Edmonton Oilers. Anybody who believes taking the Golden Knights is easy money—the bookmakers in Las Vegas and online want to meet you.
Sure, the Golden Knights finished well ahead of the Oilers and put down the hammer when needed against the Minnesota Wild. But the Oilers were full marks against the Los Angeles Kings, taking their game to a new level when it counted. All of those comeback victories were earned.
Besides, is it wise to bet against Edmonton’s dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, considering how they can explode offensively? This has the makings of an instant-classic series.
That brings us to the final second-round matchup, for which we still don’t know the participants. The regular-season champion Winnipeg Jets are going the distance against St. Louis and may end up as first-round fodder.
Fortunately for the Jets, they’re hosting Game 7 on Sunday and have won all three games in this series when skating before their white-clad fanatics. The bad news for Winnipeg is how the Blues have torched them—especially goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, who isn’t dispelling his reputation for faltering in the biggest moments. The Jets have all the pressure on them.
And that’s only part one of the pending series featuring the Central Division. No surprise, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche have yet to decide a victor in their outstanding first-round meeting, which will be settled Saturday night.
Should the Jets eliminate the Blues, it would be foolish to favor them against the Stars or Avalanche, who both boast far more offensive prowess.
There you have it. Four second-round series are coming, and the favorites had best not feel too comfortable.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Palmeiras hoje tem reforço e desfalque contra o Vasco pelo Brasileirão Série A; saiba mais
Abel Ferreira comanda Palmeiras contra o Vasco, em jogo do Brasileirão Série A (foto: Cesar Greco/SEP) O Palmeiras já desembarcou no Distrito Federal, onde enfrenta o Vasco da Gama. O jogo, válido por mais uma rodada de Brasileirão Série A, está marcado para ocorrer neste domingo (4), a partir das 16h (horário de Brasília), no estádio Mané Garrincha. O Verdão tem um reforço de peso: Raphael Veiga. O meio-campista estava afastado desde abril por causa de uma luxação no ombro. Entretanto, não há certeza de que ele será titular. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Felipe Anderson se destacou na posição durante a ausência de Veiga. O meio-campista Maurício também é opção. Por outro lado, o Palmeiras está desfalcado. Bruno Rodrigues está em transição física. Ele se lesionou no ano passado. Os laterais Mayke e Marcos Rocha também estão em transição. PUBLICIDADE […]
Polonahý Procházka hvězdou v Japonsku. Byl součástí velkolepé show
Zatímco se fanoušci těšili na další třaskavé souboje v bojišti, kousek od prostoru pro nástup bojovníků se odehrávala velkolepá zahajovací show. Mezi sedmičku lidí v popředí byl zvolen také Procházka, který měl před sebou tradiční japonský velký buben a oděn byl coby bojovník sumó. Spolu s ním vystoupili také Mark Coleman, legenda UFC, či Buakaw Banchamek, jeden z nejlepších světových thaiboxerů.„Právě máme po úvodní show. Bylo to výborné. Teď už těším na zápasy,“ promluvil na sociálních sítích dvaatřicetiletý Procházka, muž, jenž se v minulosti stal v elitní japonské organizaci šampionem. Právě z Asie vedly kroky k současnému chlebodárci UFC, kde se v roce 2022 rovněž prodral na tu nejvyšší příčku.„Celý náš tým dostal od organizátorů pozvání na desetileté výročí Rizinu. Je to takové zadostiučinění a uznání toho, že jsme s nimi byli u vůbec prvního turnaje, pyramidy, kde jsme začali naší kariérou. Bereme to jako perfektní gesto,“ přiblížil pro Sport.cz Jaroslav Hovězák, jeden z Procházkových […]
Felipe Melo se encanta com time do Brasileirão: “Gol de videogame!”
Felipe Melo durante treinamento no Fluminense (Mailson Santana - Divulgação) Ativo nas redes sociais, Felipe Melo acompanhou a partida entre Corinthians x Internacional, sábado, na Neo Química Arena, pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão. Em seus pitacos, o ex-volante fez questão de exaltar a categoria técnica e como é bem treinada a equipe gaúcha. No intervalo, quando o Colorado vencia de virada por 2 a 1, o comentarista do Grupo Globo falou rapidamente das qualidades do Inter e porque é considerado um dos favoritos ao título. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “O time do Inter é muito bom, os caras são resilientes. É bola no pé, os caras criam jogadas, o segundo gol foi coisa de vídeo game”, disse Felipe Melo. Inter sofre virada Entretanto, a noite para o Internacional não foi das melhores. A expulsão de Bruno Henrique facilitou as coisas para o […]
Was wohl in Dortmund losgewesen wäre? – Von wie vielen Fans Quasi-Meister Bayern empfangen wurde …
Nach dem 3:3 in Leipzig steht der 34. Meistertitel des FC Bayern praktisch fest. Doch als der Quasi-Meister nach München zurückkehrte, herrschte alles andere als Partystimmung ...Am Trainingsgelände an der Säbener Straße warteten am Samstagabend nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit nur vier Fans und sieben Autogramm-Jäger auf die Stars von Trainer Vincent Kompany (39).Da hatte keiner Lust aufs Feiern!Man stelle sich vor, was in Dortmund oder Frankfurt los gewesen wäre, obwohl der Meister-Matchball zum rechnerisch sicheren Titel vergeben wurde.Die Bayern-Stars Aleksandar Pavlovic (r.) und Leroy Sané auf dem Weg aus dem Team-Bus in die KabineFoto: Dennis Brosda<!-->]-->FC Bayern: Die triste Rückkehr der Quasi-Meister!Nachdem die Bayern mit zwei Privatjets aus Leipzig nach Oberpfaffenhofen (Flugplatz westlich von München) geflogen waren, fuhr der erste Bus mit den So-gut-wie-sicher-Meistern um 21.22 Uhr an der Säbener Straße vor.Keine laute Musik im Bus mit Thomas Müller (35), […]
Buyout to Stanley Cup: Inside Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s comeback from rock bottom to Maple Leafs
On June 16, 2023, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was fired from his job. Or at least that’s how it felt.Ekman-Larsson had just completed his 13th season in the NHL when the Vancouver Canucks, less than two years after acquiring him, bought out the four remaining of his contract.“Obviously people who have got fired, people who have got laid off, they know the feeling,” Ekman-Larsson recalled in a long-winding conversation recently with The Athletic. “I don’t think anybody wants to go through it. But at the same time, it’s on you a little bit too. You can shut it down. You can come back even better and push even more.Advertisement“And I felt like that’s what I did.”How did Ekman-Larsson climb his way out from rock bottom, to the exclamation point of winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last spring, to joining […]
Rudy Gobert’s role, Ant’s intelligence and more takeaways from the Wolves’ triumph
The visitors’ locker room at the Los Angeles Lakers’ arena is notoriously cramped. There is barely enough room for the team to move around in there, let alone when dozens of media members cram in for postgame interviews.To make things easier on everyone, the Minnesota Timberwolves brought the most sought-after players to an interview room across the hall. After eliminating the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday night, Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid sat at a table for a joint news conference.AdvertisementRudy Gobert was a little slower to get ready, so he did his interview alone. It was a fitting way for the night to end, with all of the attention on Gobert after the game of his life. He put up 27 points and 24 rebounds, becoming the first player with at least 25 points and 20 […]
Related
Palmeiras hoje tem reforço e desfalque contra o Vasco pelo Brasileirão Série A; saiba mais
Abel Ferreira comanda Palmeiras contra o Vasco, em jogo do Brasileirão Série A (foto: Cesar Greco/SEP) O Palmeiras já desembarcou no Distrito Federal, onde enfrenta o Vasco da Gama. O jogo, válido por mais uma rodada de Brasileirão Série A, está marcado para ocorrer neste domingo (4), a partir das 16h (horário de Brasília), no estádio Mané Garrincha. O Verdão tem um reforço de peso: Raphael Veiga. O meio-campista estava afastado desde abril por causa de uma luxação no ombro. Entretanto, não há certeza de que ele será titular. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE Felipe Anderson se destacou na posição durante a ausência de Veiga. O meio-campista Maurício também é opção. Por outro lado, o Palmeiras está desfalcado. Bruno Rodrigues está em transição física. Ele se lesionou no ano passado. Os laterais Mayke e Marcos Rocha também estão em transição. PUBLICIDADE […]
Polonahý Procházka hvězdou v Japonsku. Byl součástí velkolepé show
Zatímco se fanoušci těšili na další třaskavé souboje v bojišti, kousek od prostoru pro nástup bojovníků se odehrávala velkolepá zahajovací show. Mezi sedmičku lidí v popředí byl zvolen také Procházka, který měl před sebou tradiční japonský velký buben a oděn byl coby bojovník sumó. Spolu s ním vystoupili také Mark Coleman, legenda UFC, či Buakaw Banchamek, jeden z nejlepších světových thaiboxerů.„Právě máme po úvodní show. Bylo to výborné. Teď už těším na zápasy,“ promluvil na sociálních sítích dvaatřicetiletý Procházka, muž, jenž se v minulosti stal v elitní japonské organizaci šampionem. Právě z Asie vedly kroky k současnému chlebodárci UFC, kde se v roce 2022 rovněž prodral na tu nejvyšší příčku.„Celý náš tým dostal od organizátorů pozvání na desetileté výročí Rizinu. Je to takové zadostiučinění a uznání toho, že jsme s nimi byli u vůbec prvního turnaje, pyramidy, kde jsme začali naší kariérou. Bereme to jako perfektní gesto,“ přiblížil pro Sport.cz Jaroslav Hovězák, jeden z Procházkových […]
Felipe Melo se encanta com time do Brasileirão: “Gol de videogame!”
Felipe Melo durante treinamento no Fluminense (Mailson Santana - Divulgação) Ativo nas redes sociais, Felipe Melo acompanhou a partida entre Corinthians x Internacional, sábado, na Neo Química Arena, pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão. Em seus pitacos, o ex-volante fez questão de exaltar a categoria técnica e como é bem treinada a equipe gaúcha. No intervalo, quando o Colorado vencia de virada por 2 a 1, o comentarista do Grupo Globo falou rapidamente das qualidades do Inter e porque é considerado um dos favoritos ao título. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADE “O time do Inter é muito bom, os caras são resilientes. É bola no pé, os caras criam jogadas, o segundo gol foi coisa de vídeo game”, disse Felipe Melo. Inter sofre virada Entretanto, a noite para o Internacional não foi das melhores. A expulsão de Bruno Henrique facilitou as coisas para o […]
Was wohl in Dortmund losgewesen wäre? – Von wie vielen Fans Quasi-Meister Bayern empfangen wurde …
Nach dem 3:3 in Leipzig steht der 34. Meistertitel des FC Bayern praktisch fest. Doch als der Quasi-Meister nach München zurückkehrte, herrschte alles andere als Partystimmung ...Am Trainingsgelände an der Säbener Straße warteten am Samstagabend nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit nur vier Fans und sieben Autogramm-Jäger auf die Stars von Trainer Vincent Kompany (39).Da hatte keiner Lust aufs Feiern!Man stelle sich vor, was in Dortmund oder Frankfurt los gewesen wäre, obwohl der Meister-Matchball zum rechnerisch sicheren Titel vergeben wurde.Die Bayern-Stars Aleksandar Pavlovic (r.) und Leroy Sané auf dem Weg aus dem Team-Bus in die KabineFoto: Dennis Brosda<!-->]-->FC Bayern: Die triste Rückkehr der Quasi-Meister!Nachdem die Bayern mit zwei Privatjets aus Leipzig nach Oberpfaffenhofen (Flugplatz westlich von München) geflogen waren, fuhr der erste Bus mit den So-gut-wie-sicher-Meistern um 21.22 Uhr an der Säbener Straße vor.Keine laute Musik im Bus mit Thomas Müller (35), […]
Buyout to Stanley Cup: Inside Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s comeback from rock bottom to Maple Leafs
On June 16, 2023, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was fired from his job. Or at least that’s how it felt.Ekman-Larsson had just completed his 13th season in the NHL when the Vancouver Canucks, less than two years after acquiring him, bought out the four remaining of his contract.“Obviously people who have got fired, people who have got laid off, they know the feeling,” Ekman-Larsson recalled in a long-winding conversation recently with The Athletic. “I don’t think anybody wants to go through it. But at the same time, it’s on you a little bit too. You can shut it down. You can come back even better and push even more.Advertisement“And I felt like that’s what I did.”How did Ekman-Larsson climb his way out from rock bottom, to the exclamation point of winning a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last spring, to joining […]
Rudy Gobert’s role, Ant’s intelligence and more takeaways from the Wolves’ triumph
The visitors’ locker room at the Los Angeles Lakers’ arena is notoriously cramped. There is barely enough room for the team to move around in there, let alone when dozens of media members cram in for postgame interviews.To make things easier on everyone, the Minnesota Timberwolves brought the most sought-after players to an interview room across the hall. After eliminating the Lakers in Game 5 on Wednesday night, Julius Randle, Anthony Edwards and Naz Reid sat at a table for a joint news conference.AdvertisementRudy Gobert was a little slower to get ready, so he did his interview alone. It was a fitting way for the night to end, with all of the attention on Gobert after the game of his life. He put up 27 points and 24 rebounds, becoming the first player with at least 25 points and 20 […]
Be the first to leave a comment