The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this weekend! The first round is loaded with big time matchups as 16 teams embark on their quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. Let’s take a look at predictions for the first round matchups in the Eastern Conference.
(WC2) Washington Capitals vs. (M1) New York Rangers
The Presidents Trophy-winning New York Rangers have a lot going for them heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Artemi Panarin had a career year with 49 goals and 120 points. In addition, they’ve gotten big contributions from all around their lineup, with Chris Kreider’s 39 goals and Vincent Trocheck’s career-high 77 points being most noteworthy. And to cap it all off, they’ve had another great year from Igor Shesterkin behind the crease. These factors, mixed with their innate ability to come from behind, make them a major threat this postseason.
The Washington Capitals were seemingly on a down year until a late season push saw them win the last wild card spot. Charlie Lindgren helped their cause a lot, posting a career-best 2.67 GAA in goal. Dylan Strome led the team in points with 62, and the legendary Alex Ovechkin had his fourth straight 30+ goal season. Along with Ovechkin, several players from the Capitals’ Stanley Cup championship team remain, which will be a major asset to them.
The Rangers and Capitals split their season series at two apiece, but the Rangers should be favored in this series. They’ve dominated in too many facets of the game to believe they’ll lose this early. The Capitals can make each game in this series competitive, but stealing games from this Rangers team is going to be a tall order.
Prediction: Rangers in 5
(M3) New York Islanders vs. (M2) Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes fell just short of the Presidents Trophy, but have continued to be one of the top teams in the East. They have an experienced core with an excellent defensive system and quality goaltending. Sebastian Aho led the team in every offensive category, with the young Seth Jarvis having the best season of his young NHL career. Since last year, they’ve added several big names to their already talented roster, including Dmitry Orlov, Evgeny Kuznetsov and, most notably, Jake Guentzel.
The New York Islanders willed their way to a playoff position after picking up 10 wins across their final 13 games. They did so with the help of three 30-goal scorers in Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri and Brock Nelson, along with a big season from Mat Barzal. A major coaching change from Lane Lambert to Patrick Roy also shifted their momentum in a positive direction. Ilya Sorokin struggled in net, but Semyon Varlamov had a terrific stretch run that’ll likely see him earn the start in this series.Â
In this rematch of last year’s first round matchup, the difference maker is going to be special teams. The Hurricanes excelled in this department, while the Islanders have had their fair share of disorganization. Ultimately, the series result should mirror that of last year’s matchup, with the Hurricanes advancing yet again.
Prediction: Hurricanes in 6
(WC1) Tampa Bay Lightning vs. (A1) Florida Panthers
After surprising the league last year as a wild card team, the Florida Panthers won the Atlantic Division this year. Their core from last year’s Stanley Cup run is still mostly intact with the additions of Vladimir Tarasenko and Kyle Okposo. Sam Reinhart’s 56 goals and Matthew Tkachuk’s 88 points lead the team offensively. They also have one of the best goaltending tandems in the playoffs, with big performances from Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz.
For the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was the usual suspects making their season a success. Nikita Kucherov was an absolute workhorse this season, contributing 44 goals and 100 assists. Brayden Point and Steven Point added 40 goals of their own en route to clinching this wild card spot. Lastly, there’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has been good but not as great as he once was.
This series should be a great heavyweight bout between two quality postseason teams. This series will boil down to which goaltender can outlast each team’s elite offense. It’ll be a long, back-and-forth series that should see the Panthers win given their more consistent goaltending. But don’t be surprised if the Lightning steal this series if Vasilevskiy gets on a hot streak.
Prediction: Panthers in 7
(A3) Toronto Maple Leafs vs. (A2) Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are on a quest for redemption after last year’s first round embarrassment. A lot of what made last year’s team so good still holds true this year. David Pastrnak had another spectacular offensive year and led the team in every offensive category. The likes of Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha were also significant contributors. They were again a top five team in goals against per game, aided largely by the goaltending tandem of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering this postseason still trying to get to a conference final with this core. Like the Bruins, there aren’t many surprises when it comes to what makes this team work. Auston Matthews excelled with 69 goals and was backed by the usual core of William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares. They enter the playoffs with some major goaltending questions, as Ilya Samsonov was inconsistent and had a statistical down year.
Along with their well documented postseason struggles, it makes it hard to choose the Maple Leafs in this series. The Bruins are a motivated, high-quality defensive team that should stifle the opposition. That won’t stop this series from being entertaining and close, but the Bruins have a very clear advantage over the Maple Leafs.
Prediction: Bruins in 6
Featured image courtesy of NHL.com
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