The competition for the Stanley Cup is narrowed down to eight teams remaining. nhl playoffsall the best the league has to offer.
The eight players remaining in the second round were among the top nine in the regular season standings.New winners are guaranteed after that too defending champion vegas has been eliminated by Western Conference top seed Dallas. Closest opening game of the series.
Florida, which reached the finals last year, and Edmonton, led by the reigning three-time MVP. conor mcdavid and German star Leon Draisaitlis a joint favorite. BetMGM Sportsbook Carolina, Dallas and the New York Rangers were next to hoist the Cup.
This remains the case even after the team favored to win each first round series wins. One of the most open postseasons in recent hockey history.Everyone stood and left. have a chance to win it allthere's a lot of new blood: Colorado (2022) is the only season in the past 12 seasons where they won a title.
match
In the East: New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes And that Florida Panthers vs. Boston Bruins. New York swept Washington. Carolina defeated the Islanders in five games. Florida defeated Tampa Bay in five games, Boston nearly blew a 3-1 lead, but Toronto was eliminated in seven games.
In the West, Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers. Dallas defeated Vegas in seven innings. Colorado bounced back from a crazy Game 1 and defeated Winnipeg in five games. Vancouver defeated Nashville in six games, Edmonton defeated Los Angeles in five games, and for the third straight season the Kings were eliminated in the first round by the Oilers.
How to watch
All Stanley Cup Playoff games will be broadcast nationally in the United States and Canada and available on streaming platforms. NHL schedule here And the streaming guide here. Games will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN, TNT, or TBS in the United States, and on CBC or Sportsnet (English) or TVA Sports (French) in Canada.
Who should watch it?
mcdavidWidely regarded as the best hockey player in the world, he led all players with 12 points through the first round, closely followed by Draisaitl with 10 points, including two game-winning goals. McDavid is on track to become the fifth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a season.
Rangers center Vincent Trocheck was arguably one of the most dominant players early on, and he and his teammates look like legitimate contenders for Cup play, thanks in large part to: Goaltender Igor Shesterkin, stopped 94 of 101 shots against the Capitals.Colorado's Nathan McKinnon, Top candidate to replace McDavid The Hart Trophy winner has already been in top form in the playoffs, picking up nine points through five games.
While McDavid, Draisaitl and MacKinnon are in their primes, there are plenty of others. Old people putting down roots From Dallas' Joe Pavelski to Carolina's Brent Burns to Colorado's Zach Parise, these players have yet to win a Cup.
Who is your favorite?
The favorites to win the Stanley Cup are Florida and Edmonton at 9 wins and 2 losses, and Carolina, Dallas and New York at 11 wins and 2 losses. Bet MGM Sportsbook.
When is the Stanley Cup Final?
The playoffs begin on April 20, with the second round starting on Sunday before the finals are scheduled to begin in early June. If all goes well, Game 7 could be played by June 24th.
even deeper
Now that the playoffs have begun, the scoring creativity hasn't stopped, with several goals coming out of the goaltender's mask. it's an art form Shooters continue to improve on getting the puck into the net during the most difficult time of the year.
meanwhile Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless. It will be his first appearance on the series in his nearly 20-year career in North America, but this postseason will feature a number of Russian players, including Shesterkin and the Rangers. artemi panarin to Karolina Andrei Svechnikov and Valeri Nichushkin of Colorado.
The Hurricanes have won six straight seasons under coach Rod Brind'Amour, the 2006 Cup-winning captain. Created a culture of winning. He could become a free agent this summer, and there are several vacancies around the league. his contract status It has become quite a hot topic.
Dallas, the top seed in the West, defeated the Golden Knights. in the mix How veterans and young players click at the right time. The Stars will face a challenge from the Avalanche in the second round. Highest scoring team In the playoffs, he scored over 5.5 goals per game.
Buildings across the continent are full, from Boston to South Florida to Denver to Vancouver. New record for attendance And this season, the arena was 97% full.This is another result of NHL's booming business.
My favorite fan is battle on ice Brawls have been on the decline in recent years and are a rarity in the postseason. Like a tradition?Rest assured: NHL has no future plans Changes to the 16-team playoff format.
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This article has been corrected to say McDavid is the fifth player to record 100 assists in a season. He is not the fifth player to score 100 points in a season.
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