Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
The Stanley Cup playoffs picture grew to turn into necessary clearer after five groups secured berths in the spherical of 16 Friday.
Extra readability for the first-spherical matchups will be equipped Saturday when the smash seeds in every convention will be definite.
Philadelphia and Tampa Bay will square off for the smash scheme in the Japanese Convention, which comes with a first-spherical matchup against Montreal, who knocked out No. 5 seed Pittsburgh in four games.
The winner of the spherical-robin meeting between Colorado and Vegas will accumulate the opposite shock first-spherical participant, 12th-seeded Chicago.
The loser of the Japanese Convention matchup will be penciled in for a matchup with the winner of the Toronto-Columbus assortment, while the No. 2 seed in the West is discipline for a showdown with No. 11 Arizona.
Sunday’s spherical-robin games between Boston and Washington and St. Louis and Dallas will resolve the opposite four first-spherical matchups.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Time table
Saturday, August 8
Round-Robin Sport: Vegas vs. Colorado (3 p.m. ET, NBC)
Round-Robin Sport: Philadelphia vs. Tampa Bay (8 p.m. ET, NBC)
Sunday, August 9
Round-Robin Sport: Boston vs. Washington (Midday ET, NBCSN)
Round-Robin Sport: Dallas vs. St. Louis (3 p.m. ET, NBC)
Sport 5: Columbus vs. Toronto (8 p.m. ET, NBCSN)
Predictions
Lightning Rob Prime Seed In East
Tampa Bay is one victory a ways from claiming the No. 1 seed in the Japanese Convention for the 2d straight season.
The Lightning maintain fought arduous without Steven Stamkos to amass a pair of 1-map spherical-robin games, and they maintain an edge over Philadelphia after successful both frequent-season contests.
In these two victories, Andrei Vasilevskiy turned away 53 shots and shutout the Flyers in the January 11 triumph.
Jon Cooper’s aspect has additionally benefited from scoring depth, as five varied skaters maintain struck for a tally against Washington and Boston.
Tampa Bay additionally has a deep defensive unit headlined by Ryan McDonagh and Victor Hedman that can match up smartly with Philadelphia’s purple-hot line of Kevin Hayes, Scott Laughton and Travis Konecny.
If the solid protection limits these possibilities and Vasilevskiy comes up sizable in rating, Tampa Bay may per chance per chance per chance even maintain the becoming formulation to stable the No. 1 seed, after which, steer clear of a first-spherical upset.
At Least One Double-Digit Seed Goes Distance in 1st Round
Arizona, Chicago and Montreal all maintain one thing in frequent.
Every of the three double-digit seeds benefited from solid goalie play to knock off elevated seeds in the qualifying spherical.
Darcy Kuemper, Corey Crawford and Carey Label are all in a position to extending their produce into the first spherical, nonetheless they’ll want to attain so against extra prolific assaults.
The Coyotes and Blackhawks are taking a stare at capacity matchups with Colorado and Vegas, while the Canadiens will face the winner of Saturday’s Tampa Bay-Philadelphia contest.
The pair of Western Convention facets will be easiest suited to take a first-spherical assortment the space and even safe.
Chicago mute has a handful of gamers on its roster that won championships in the closing decade, considered one of whom is Crawford.
Crawford has a 2.34 targets against moderate and .918 put share in 91 postseason appearances.
Arizona may per chance per chance per chance also budge the unusual hand in Kuemper, who turned away 152 of 163 shots despatched in by Nashville in four qualifying spherical contests.
Kuemper had a 2-1 frequent-season stamp against Colorado and Vegas and conceded two targets in these matchups.
If the Coyotes goalie continues to shine and they accumulate extra out of Taylor Corridor, Phil Kessel and their top-smash attackers, they may per chance per chance even maintain the finest probability to spring an upset.
Apply Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference
