NHL Insights: 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview

Welcome to another edition of NHL Insights as we look at the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Welcome to another edition of NHL Insights. The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Monday and it only took to the final week of the regular season before we got the 16 teams qualifying to faceoff for the Stanley Cup. In addition, it took until the final night of regular season play to get the matchups set in the Eastern and Western Conferences. There will be some teams like the Vegas Golden Knights wondering what could have been when the playoffs begin on Monday. But now the field is set, it is time to dive into the preview of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs as we quickly look at each series.

NHL Insights: 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs

East

Florida vs Washington

Entering this series all the pressure is on the Florida Panthers. The Panthers have not won a playoff series since 1996 and there are high expectations. Washington is playing with house money as they have nothing to lose. Many people did not expect them to be here. For the Panthers, it is all about their power play clicking. Last year, the Panthers were hurt by not having Aaron Ekblad. He is back for this series, so they know what they have to do. Sergei Bobrovsky has pressure to live up to the expectations of that contract with Spencer Knight right there waiting. The Panthers have the team to go far. However, it is always tough to finally get that monkey off your back.

Toronto vs Tampa Bay

A series a lot of people will be watching is the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning are looking for a three-peat, while the Maple Leafs are trying to win a playoff series for the first time since 2004. Tampa Bay knows what it takes to win. Does Toronto? That question will be answered against the champs. This group has faced a lot of heartbreak over the past several years. Can they turn it into success similar to what the Lightning did in 2020? We will find out. The pressure is on Mitch Marner and John Tavares to get it done. Tampa Bay clearly knows how to turn it on and each team has a deadly power play. It will be the depth scoring and goaltending that will be the difference in this one. The Lightning clearly have the edge with Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Carolina vs Boston

This feels like Boston could pull the upset in this series as Carolina is dealing with goaltending issues to begin Game 1. No Frederik Andersen for the Hurricanes as the Bruins come to town. Boston has won the last two playoff series against the Hurricanes. So history is on their side, however, outside of the first game of the regular season, the Hurricanes handled the Bruins pretty well. Carolina did what everyone expected them to do, as they won the Metro Division. This is not an easy series, to say the least. The Bruins know what it takes to win, but if there is a team people are sleeping on heading into the playoffs it is the Hurricanes.

New York vs Pittsburgh

Heading into this series, it feels lopsided in favour of the Rangers. And rightfully so, the Rangers dominated the season series 3-1. Igor Shesterkin has been lights out all season and is the front runner for the Vezina Trophy. Gerard Gallant has pushed all the right buttons during the regular season. The added depth but Chris Drury has made this team harder to play against. New York has the perfect balance on offence and defence against Pittsburgh. There are so many question marks surrounding the Penguins. It starts in between the pipes with Tristan Jarry. If he can’t go the Penguins will rely on Casey DeSmith. That doesn’t scream confidence. This could be the final run for Sidney Crosby and this group with so many free agents this summer. With the way the Penguins whimpered out over the last two playoffs, this has the makings of a short series.

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West

Colorado vs Nashville

The Colorado Avalanche have been the best team in the Western Conference if not the NHL the whole season. That does not change heading into the playoffs. Colorado holds the edge over Nashville in every category except maybe goaltending. But if Juuse Saros can’t play in the playoffs, then Darcy Kuemper has the edge. Colorado has so much depth at every position and Nathan MacKinnon is ready to flip the script as he said after last year’s playoff exit. A big question for the Avalanche will be can Nazem Kadri be able to finish out a series? He has the talent, but his head has taken him out of three out of the last four playoff series. If he can keep it ?together, he will be an x-factor in this series.

Minnesota vs St. Louis

The most anticipated playoff series of the first round is the St. Louis Blues taking on the Minnesota Wild. This will be a hard-hitting, physical series. The likes we haven’t seen in a while. St. Louis won the regular-season series, so they hold the edge coming into this series. This Blues team has a feel of the team that won the whole thing back in 2019. They have four lines that can score and are very physical on the puck. Defensively they are rock solid as well. Not only that the Blues have a two-headed monster in between the pipes with Ville Husso and Jordan Binnington. But so Minnesota with Marc-Andre Fleury and Cam Talbot. Bill Guerin acquired Fleury for this reason. The Wild have to make a deep run this season as it will be tough the next few seasons as they are up against the salary cap. All eyes will be on this series.

Calgary vs Dallas

The Calgary Flames are taking on a familiar foe in the Dallas Stars. Dallas knocked out the Flames back inside the bubble in 2020, but that was a different Flames team. Head coach Darryl Sutter has this team playing like the Los Angeles Kings that won the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014. The Flames have a great goaltender in Jacob Markstrom and four lines that can score. And with the physicality ramped up in the playoffs, Milan Lucic will be right there in all the action. We have seen this Flames team fizzle in the past because they are not physical enough, but there is something different this year with Sutter at the helm. If the Flames are able to stop the top line of the Stars, which has provided close to 60 percent of the offence, they will win the series. Dallas will need more if they want to win.

Edmonton vs Los Angeles

This is an intriguing series because it is Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl versus Phillip Danault and Anze Kopitar. If Todd McLellan just wants Danault to play shut down defence like he did last year, then Edmonton will be in trouble. However, the Oilers have a secret weapon in Evander Kane, who is showing why he is an elite player in the league. He gives the Oilers a more balanced lineup and the Oilers don’t have to rely on just McDavid and Draisaitl. The Kings are a stingy team that can pull the upset because of Jonathan Quick. While Mike Smith has turned back the clock and looks rested, he is still a question mark. And will the Oilers defence be at 100 percent? Darnell Nurse is still banged up. He is vital to the Oilers success. That does it for this edition of NHL Insights as we look at the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs and who has the edge in each matchup. NHL Insights will go away for a little bit but will be back next year. Stay tuned for the first 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs notebook of this year next week.