It’s been a strange first round. The series are lopsided yet the hockey hasn’t been as a bad as the results might suggest. Though at the same time playoff hockey is a lot like pizza – even when it’s bad it’s good.
Of the eight series, two have already been settled – the Rangers swept the Capitals while the Panthers sent the Lightning packing in five games. Of the six series yet to be decided, five currently stand at 3-1, with only the Golden Knights-Stars series tied 2-2.
We went into Monday with the prospect of the whole round being settled by Wednesday, which was saved by the Stars beating the Golden Knights to tie the series and assure us of opening round action through at least Friday.
All the 3-1 series means the heightened possibility of 3-1 comebacks, something the First Round of the Stanley Cup playoffs are no stranger to.
Which ones are most likely to see such a rally? Lets rank ‘em.
Predators-Canucks. The Canucks have as flimsy a 3-1 lead as you’ll find. They’re up 3-1 having outscored the Preds just 11-10 overall while being outshot, 100-72. This series is a late Game 4 comeback from being knotted at 2-2.
Verdict: If any series is having a 3-1 comeback, it’s this one.
Kings-Oilers. Stuart Skinner stole Game 4. The Kings put 33 shots on net to the Oilers’ 13 in Sunday’s 1-0 Edmonton win to make it 3-1 in favor of the Oilers. Where we go from here probably looms largely on which Skinner we see – the one that allowed nine goals in the first two games of this series or the one that stopped 60 of 61 shots the last two times out.
Verdict: Sometimes we get a 3-1 rally we never saw coming. Could it be here? I would never bet against a side that has Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty.
Avalanche-Jets. The second this series got established as a track meet was the second you knew the Jets were in hot water. The Avs look like the team that won the Stanley Cup two years ago. Cale Makar has been a man possessed in this series and Nathan MacKinnon has been his usual dominant self. Then you look at their depth – 22 goals from 10 different scorers in the first four games of this series, with Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen pacing it with six and four goals, respectively.
Verdict: Forget this round, if Colorado keeps playing this way they’re going to win their second Cup in three years.
Islanders-Hurricanes. The Hurricanes haven’t played their best hockey but the Islanders haven’t taken advantage of it. The Canes rally from three goals down to win, 5-3, in Game 2 felt like a death blow to the Isles.
Verdict: Don’t see if happening.
Maple Leafs-Bruins. The Leafs look completely discombobulated. They haven’t been able to figure out this Bruins team that continues to be a thorn in their side, nor have they been able to solve goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who has stopped pucks at a .956 rate in three games in this series. I won’t put their chances at zero – all you need is that top group to turn it on and they can rip off three straight easily. But there’s nothing that makes you think that’s going to happen.
Verdict: If the Maple Leafs come back in this series, it’ll be more shocking than the Bruins loss to the Panthers last season.
Puck Watching 