With a great first round of hockey wrapped up. We are now onto the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs. We have some spectacular games and teams winding up for a chaotic finish. Each team is trying to impose there will and looking to catch fire now.
The first round had great matchups including 2 game 7s, 3 game 6s, and 3 game 5s. The two teams that won in game 7s will face-off against each-other in the second round of the NHL playoffs as the Winnipeg Jets take on the Dallas Stars. Vegas defeated a good Minnesota Wild team in 6 games to take on The Edmonton Oilers who also won in 6 games against the LA Kings. The Toronto Maple leafs defeated their rivals in Ontario the Ottawa Senators in 6 games and will now face the defending champions the Florida Panthers who beat their rival in Florida the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games. And last but not least, The Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Canadians 4 games to 1 and will now take on the red hot Carolina Panthers who defeated the New Jersey Devils in 5 games as well.
The series I am looking forward to the most is the Toronto Maple Leafs vs the Florida Panthers. I am excited to watch the high powered offense of the Maple Leafs against who I think is the best goalie in the world, Sergei Bobrovsky. I think this series will be a nail bitter and could see it going to 7 games. I think the Panthers will win this.
I am very surprised that the Edmonton Oilers won vs the LA Kings in 6 games after the Kings took a 2-0 lead in the series. But yet again this is the 4th year in a row the Oilers have eliminated the Kings from continuing in the playoffs. But yet again, the Oilers do have some major threats and the best player in hockey right now with Connor Mcdavid. If he is on his A game the rest of the playoffs they will be tough to beat.
A series that I think will be a great one is the Capitals vs Hurricanes. Home ice in the playoffs is a huge advantage. Yes, the capitals have home ice, but I think the Hurricanes are the better team because they have more depth than the young/old Capitals team.
Like I said before, home ice is very important in the playoffs. But after watching the Stars dominance vs a really good Colorado Avalanche team in 7 games. I like the Stars to win over the Jets, even though the Jets have home Ice. The Stars are making some heavy noise in the hockey world right now without there best player in Jason Robertson. If the Stars can get him back later in the series I don’t see a world where they don’t make it to the Stanley Cup Final.
I am not the type of guy to switch up on my picks, but with a good looking Leafs team taking on the Panthers. That series scares me. So I am going to switch up on my earlier picks before the tournament started. I have the Winnipeg Jets vs the Florida Panthers in my Stanley Cup. I am now going to change that and say the the Dallas Stars will play the Carolina Hurricanes in which the Dallas Stars will win it (especially if Jason Robertson is healthy) in 7 games.