Our staff predictions continue with Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Round 1 was kind of a dud, but there are some tantalizing matchups ahead with a couple juggernauts facing off early.
For funsies, let’s take a look back at our staff’s predictions for Round 1 and see who’s been the most accurate. We’re using Jason M’s system for scoring, which is five points for guessing the correct team, and minus one for each game off the mark. For example, Joe D guessed Florida in six, so he gets four points because the team was correct but he missed the number of games (they did it in five). Let us know how your predictions went in the comments!
Kelly: 31 points
Jacob: 31
Joe D: 28
Jason M: 27
Kurt: 20
Thomas: 20
Cole: 16
Eastern Conference
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
Joe D: This is going to be a heavyweight bout: the President’s Trophy winning Rangers versus a stacked and rolling Carolina team–a second round matchup we were robbed of last year because the New Jersey Devils somehow came to life. Both the Canes and Rangers finished their series in five games or fewer, and will enter this matchup well rested; both teams have elite talent at all positions, but the Rangers have the leg up in net–Igor Shesterkin is a better goalie than either Freddie Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov. There’s a fair bit of drama surrounding Carolina now, with Rod Brind’Amour’s next coaching contract starting to take center stage, and the team’s never made it past the Conference Final under him–they’ve gotta get it done this year, which means insulating their goaltenders and solving Shesterkin. I think they do it, but it takes seven games for Carolina to get there.
Jason M: If Rempe gets more goals than he does penalties Carolina is in trouble. But otherwise I don’t see the Rangers gettingC this to seven games and will be doing well to get it to six. Despite the advantage the Rangers might have in goal I doubt very much it will be enough to steal two or three games outright. Carolina in six.
Jacob: I feel dirty doing this after the Rangers took game one, but I just trust Shesterkin and the Rangers’ rugged style over the Canes’ pure firepower. If I’m personally looking at who has the biggest liability between these two pretty elite teams, I zero in on Freddie Andersen in the Carolina net as a weak point. He could have a good, even great series, but the Rangers are no slouches offensively either, and I think they’ll continue to break through, it’ll be a battle, but I think the Rangers are more built for this. Rags in seven.
Cole: Igor Shesterkin versus Freddie Anderson feels like the matchup of the series, and New York just has such an advantage in that matchup that I think it is the ultimate difference. Carolina is the better team in pretty much every other way, but I can’t help but think Igor goes wild and New York’s high-end talent does just enough to squeak wins out. Going to go Rangers in six.
Thomas: Hell to New York. Hurricanes in five.
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers
Joe D: It took the Bruins seven games to beat this Leafs team? Yeah, they’re not winning this one. The Panthers may be down Sam Bennett (at least to start the series), but they’re deep enough all over the roster to manage. However, Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark are each good enough to steal games, and I think they’ll get one win a piece–Florida in six.
Jason M: This should not be much of a series but the Bruins could put up a bit of a fight. Still, the fact they don’t quite like world-beaters makes this one almost a gimme for the Panthers. Panthers in five.
Jacob: The Bruins are the most uninspiring they’ve been since Brad Boyes was a Calder candidate. I don’t even think they want to play Florida, their Stanley Cup came when they beat the Leafs again. The Panthers, to me, have a pretty easy path to the ECF so long as they don’t trip up majorly, maybe Jeremy Swayman can steal one, but with Bob down in the other net looking solid once again, it might even out anyways. Panthers in four.
Cole: I made the mistake of doubting the Panthers in the first round against Tampa, and I’m not going to make that mistake again. I thought Vasilevsky was going to goalie the Panthers, and the high-flying Florida offense quickly proved me wrong. Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark are certainly up for that task for the Bruins, but I don’t see how the Bruins can skate with the Panthers, especially down the middle. Barkov and Lundell versus Zacha and Coyle feels like such a mismatch, and having said all that, Panthers win this in six.
Thomas: The Bruins are swaggerless. Panthers in five.
Western Conference
Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
Joe D: God, I wish these games were on earlier. Dallas started their series against Vegas slow, but were more or less clinical by game seven; the Avs had a rough game one against the Jets and then pinned five goals or more per game against the best goalie in the league. The Stars are not a fraudulent Jets team, though, so this series could go the distance–and since Dallas is my Cup pick, I say the Stars get it done in another seven games.
Jason M: The Stanley Cup final in the second round? Well some might argue Dallas was already in two this playoff year. Regardless, this should be the class of the second round with Nathan MacKinnon and company trying to get through Dallas and their near flawless well-rounded team. This should go seven games easily barring a slew of injuries on either side but I think Dallas gets the nod. Stars in seven.
Jacob: Zero idea which way this one will swing, two absolute titans here, both capable of going on cup runs, both with high powered offenses, even if they do it a little differently. Dallas can’t match the starpower (pun intended) of the likes of Makar and MacKinnon, but they counter that with wave after wave of rock solid forward trios and D pairings. Against Vegas, Dallas really grew into their own as the series went on, and with some shaky goaltending in the between the pipes in Colorado, it might prove to be too much. I expect the Avs to maybe take game one, but the Stars to get it done in six.
Cole: On paper, we have perhaps the two best teams in the entire league, and we are getting it in the second round. I wonder, if after a slugfest with Vegas, there’s a slight bit of fatigue for the Stars in the early goings of the series. Against a fresh Avalanche team, I’m not sure if the Stars can afford a slow start in this series, or to not have their legs in any part of it. It’s all about the little things, since the rosters are so even, as the Stars top to bottom depth matches the raw power of MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar. The goaltending mismatch could prove to be a difference, but I have a feeling the Avs win in six.
Thomas: Both teams are just fine. It can go either way. Avalanche have Nathan MacKinnon, though. Colorado in seven.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Vancouver Canucks
Joe D: This should be a cakewalk for Edmonton. If you watched any of the Predators/Canucks series, you’ll have noticed that Vancouver was not playing all that well and is using their third string goalie Artur Silovs while Thatcher Demko is injured and Casey DeSmith is…Casey DeSmith. The Oilers, meanwhile, have been resting after a thorough stomping of the LA Kings. If the Canucks fail to find their game, they’re going to get shellacked–but Jack Adams finalist Rick Tocchet may still have a trick or two up his sleeve (including an early return for Demko, if they’re lucky). The Canucks probably squeeze out a game or two, but ultimately fall to the offensive onslaught of McDraisaitl and friends. Oilers in six.
Jason M: Hockey Night In Canada’s dream and nightmare all rolled into one: two Canadian teams good, one Canadian team leaf in the West afterwards bad. If the Canucks make this a series or somehow are able to take advantage of home ice in the first two games then they’ve got a puncher’s chance. But a split isn’t going to be enough. Also it looked like Corey Perry was injured in the final game against the Kings which might make the Oilers a little less pestering. Canucks in seven.
Jacob: We stand on guard for thee…
Nobody should have to lose this one, in my opinion. But if I had to choose, it feels like the Oilers have so much more to offer in this series. McDavid and Draisatl are clicking as usual, while Elias Pettersson had a horrible time of it against Nashville in round one. The Canucks in general struggled to score against the Predators, something they will have to do in bunches if they want to keep pace with the high-powered Oilers. Add in the fact that Edmonton now possesses the more proven goalie after the injury to Thatcher Demko, and this really shouldn’t be that close. The Canucks are good, the Oilers may just be great. Edmonton in five.
Cole: The Canucks have that weird magic that I’m done betting against. They got outworked and outchanced in most of that Nashville series, and somehow got through on the back of their third string goalie, Artur Silovs. Sure, McDavid and Draisaitl are a step up from Nashville, but I like the odds that Petterson gets it going in Round 2. The Oilers might be better in almost every way, but the Canucks seem to have the hockey gods on their side right now. Their luck lasts one more time, and the Canucks win this in seven.
Thomas: I think I hate the Oilers more than any team in existence. Canucks in four.
