The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an unparalleled 2020 playoffs, with 24 of the NHL’s 31 groups heading to Canada to stage a summer bubble occasion that did no longer raze except the Tampa Bay Lightning lifted the Stanley Cup on Sept. 28.
The 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs will most certainly be a step towards normalcy, however there are silent about a contemporary format wrinkles that we have got no longer seen in most up-to-date years.
This year’s playoffs, starting about a weeks later than identical previous following a 56-game lunge of a season, sees the return of the 16-team self-discipline and supreme four rounds. But as groups were doing all year, play in the first two rounds will defend within the divisions — a format the NHL employed for the length of the massive majority of the 1980s and early 1990s.
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The semifinals will then be reseeded, however the divisional play in the early rounds gives some groups a theoretically much less difficult path to the Cup than others.
With that in suggestions, we place out to infamous all 16 playoff groups in maintaining with their probabilities to maintain the Stanley Cup:
1. Colorado Avalanche: The Avs accept as true with what may perchance perchance perhaps be basically the most dominant first line in hockey in Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. Colorado can overwhelm opponents with its league-leading offense that posted by far the true Corsi For proportion in the NHL, per Natural Stat Trick. The Presidents’ Trophy winners are taking a peep to get rid of the soar after falling in Game 7 of the 2nd spherical each of the past two seasons. A matchup with Vegas may perchance perchance look forward to in the West’s 2nd spherical.
2. Carolina Hurricanes: A balanced neighborhood with sturdy team protection and elite puck possession numbers all over all over again, the Canes did themselves a gargantuan settle on by winning the Central Division — delaying a matchup with either Florida team except the 2nd spherical. They gain the Preds as an various.
3. Vegas Golden Knights: The Knights are certainly one of many deepest groups in the NHL, with seven gamers with no no longer up to 14 dreams. Top-5 in dreams for and the No. 1 team in dreams towards, the Knights’ operate is determined: it is Stanley Cup or bust after falling in the Closing in 2018 and the convention finals remaining season. No team won more video games this year, however the Knights gain themselves the West’s No. 2 seed, squaring off towards a expansive Wild team, as a consequence of the Avs owning the “regulation wins” tiebreaker.
4. Toronto Maple Leafs: The core of the North Division champs are no longer early life anymore, and the stress is on to maintain the team’s first playoff series since 2004 and parlay that correct into a deep traipse. NHL leading operate-scorer Auston Matthews must abet in that endeavor because the Leafs originate up with a playoff series towards the Canadiens for the first time since 1979.
5. Pittsburgh Penguins: The 2nd absolute most realistic-scoring team in hockey overcame moderately about a boundaries on their draw to winning what may perchance perchance perhaps need been the toughest of the NHL’s non permanent divisions. The Pens have not won a playoff series since 2018, however Sidney Crosby and Co. seem battle-hardened by this marketing campaign and accept as true with the prospective of but another deep traipse.
6. Boston Bruins: The predominant line of David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand accept as true with all hit the 20-operate ticket, the driving force of certainly one of many real puck possession groups in the league. Including Taylor Hall to lift secondary scoring has confirmed fruitful. The B’s accept as true with the flexibility to carry out a deep traipse, however face a stiff distress on the twin carriageway in Washington.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning: Injuries are a gargantuan distress for the reigning champs as they originate up their repeat show. Nikita Kucherov, remaining year’s leading playoff scorer, has missed the total season, captain Steven Stamkos has been absent a month and stalwart defenders Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh are banged up, a distress particularly when going thru the high-powered Panthers.
8. Edmonton Oilers: This team will doubtless race as far as Connor McDavid can lift it — which may perchance perchance be slightly far since McDavid is in the midst of certainly one of basically the most impressive particular particular person seasons in most up-to-date reminiscence after getting to 100 formula in supreme 53 video games. The Oilers lift a 7-2 season series support over the Jets, whom McDavid has lit up this year.
9. Florida Panthers: The Panthers boast certainly one of many head offenses in the NHL and are experiencing the true season in team historical past by formula proportion. The reward for their efforts is a matchup with the defending champion Lightning in the first all-Florida playoff series.
10. Washington Capitals: This older team silent has a couple of skill however has had real damage considerations down the stretch and there are silent wide questions in operate. The Caps accept as true with dwelling ice however a advanced matchup towards the Bruins in the first spherical.
11. New York Islanders: The Islanders stumbled thru the remainder month of the season however Barry Trotz’s protection-first draw has brought a couple of playoff success the past few years — including in 2019 when the Isles swept the Penguins team they’ll be playing in the first spherical.
12. Minnesota Wild: Maybe basically the most magnificent team in the NHL this season, the Wild had been rejuvenated by the appearance of their leading scorer and doubtless rookie of the year winner Kirill Kaprizov. Facing the Golden Knights will most certainly be a distress, as Minnesota won supreme three of eight matchups this season — and supreme one in regulation.
13. Winnipeg Jets: The Jets are heart of the twin carriageway in supreme about all the pieces. Fortunately for them, Connor Hellebuyck has all over all over again been expansive because the busiest goalie in hockey (he’s led the NHL in total saves three years in a row). If they distress the Oilers, he’ll be why.
14. Nashville Predators: The Preds had been impressive in turning their season around after a depressed originate up and can be a laborious out in the playoffs with goalie Juuse Saros playing at the head of his game. They have not fared successfully towards the Hurricanes this year, though.
15. St. Louis Blues: The Blues regarded to be in the risk zone moderately as soon as or twice for the length of this season however did ample to snag the West’s final playoff anxiety. They had been in the bottom 11 in dreams in incompatibility season and are going thru the NHL’s absolute most realistic-scoring offense in the Avs, which would no longer bode successfully for a protracted postseason defend.
16. Montreal Canadiens: As has kind of been a theme in most up-to-date seasons, the Habs are certainly one of many head puck possession groups in the league however lack the high-raze ending skill to flip that into dreams. That’s regularly their undoing towards the vastly more-proficient Leafs.
