NHL’s upset-filled first spherical units desk for extra surprises

Chaos is often the secret within the first spherical of the NHL playoffs, with eight collection rolling and loads of upsets. This yr was no totally different.

The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins who set information for one of the best common season in hockey historical past? Gone.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche? Also gone.

The Tampa Bay Lightning who had gone to the ultimate every of the previous three years? You guessed it, gone.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are actually the favorites to win the group’s first championship since 1967, in response to FanDuel Sportsbook, recent off profitable their first playoff collection in almost 20 years.

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are additionally favored to return out of the West in one other bid to finish Canada’s 30-year Cup drought.

With the exception of the 2020 bubble and 2021 season with solely in-division play, the league has bracketed its playoffs and never reseeded after the primary spherical since 2014. That system had led to loads of griping about high groups in the identical division assembly earlier, however upsets this yr have modified the whole face of the playoffs.

More upheaval could possibly be forward within the second spherical, which begins Tuesday and options three first-time playoff matchups – simply the sixth time that has occurred at this stage of the postseason since 1944 and the primary time since 2003.

“I think the second round in some ways is almost the prime time, because you still have the interest of the entire hockey world,” mentioned veteran coach Paul Maurice, whose Florida Panthers knocked off the Bruins in seven video games and subsequent face the Maple Leafs. “Sometimes two months later, people fall off when it comes down to two cities, right? But now, everybody’s still watching.”

PANTHERS vs. MAPLE LEAFS (Game 1: Tuesday, 7 p.m., ESPN)

Fans in Toronto chanted, “We want Florida!” after the Leafs beat the Lightning in Game 6. That was wishful considering on the time – till the Panthers upset the Bruins.

“They got their wish,” mentioned Carter Verhaeghe, who scored Florida’s Game 7-winning aim in additional time.

Toronto now has home-ice benefit within the second spherical and loads of confidence following an emotional collection win towards Tampa Bay. The Leafs’ core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly had misplaced its opening collection six consecutive years.

Matthews referred to as it “a monkey off the back for a lot of us that have been here for quite a long time” and acknowledged, “It only gets harder from here.”

DEVILS or RANGERS vs. HURRICANES (Game 1: Wednesday, TBD)

The Hurricanes are within the second spherical regardless of taking part in with out injured forwards Andrei Svechnikov (torn ACL in March) and Teuvo Teravainen (damaged hand in Game 2 towards the New York Islanders).

They superior with a Game 6 additional time highway victory arrange by Derek Stepan and completed by fellow veteran depth ahead Paul Stastny, who scored the profitable aim.

“It speaks to the depth that we have here,” defenseman Jaccob Slavin mentioned. “(Coach Rod Brind’Amour) trusts everybody out on that ice at any point in the game. … It’s always been a part of our identity, is 20 guys pulling on the same rope. And it was needed there and they came through huge, so it’s awesome.”

Carolina will face the winner of the first-round finale: Game 7 between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils late Monday.

KRAKEN vs. STARS (Game 1: Tuesday, 9:30 p.m., ESPN)

Like the Maple Leafs, Dallas will get dwelling ice due to a first-round upset after defeating Minnesota to maneuver on to the second spherical. The Stars have the most effective goaltenders left within the subject: Jake Oettinger, who had a .929 save share towards the Wild.

Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer wasn’t unhealthy in beating Colorado, his outdated group he left two summers in the past to signal on with the then-expansion Kraken. He made 33 saves within the Kraken’s Game 7 win and is aware of the Stars current one other problem.

“Same thing as Colorado: When you look at the regular season, pretty tight games here, but they’re a really good team and in the playoffs the cards get mixed newly,” Grubauer mentioned. “They’re fresh and they got a couple days of rest, so we’ve got to make sure we prepare ourselves really well.”

OILERS vs. GOLDEN KNIGHTS (Game 1: Wednesday, TBD)

Vegas completed off Winnipeg in 5 video games. Edmonton got here again from a number of collection deficits – and an ill-timed damaged stick – to beat Los Angeles in six.

Now, McDavid and Jack Eichel face off within the playoffs for the primary time since being picked first and second within the 2015 draft by the Oilers and Sabres.

Eichel’s time in Buffalo ended with a commerce to the Golden Knights, and he’s thriving within the desert with Vegas again within the playoffs in Bruce Cassidy’s first season as coach.