2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs

We're mostly set, so let's get 'er started.

EAST
Boston (135 points) vs. Florida (92)
Toronto (111) vs. Tampa Bay (98)
Carolina (113) vs. N.Y. Islanders (93)
New Jersey (112) vs. N.Y. Rangers (107)

WEST
Colorado (109) vs. Seattle (100)
Dallas (108) vs. Minnesota (103)
Vegas (111) vs. Winnipeg (95)
Edmonton (109) vs. Los Angeles (104)
* Colorado wins the Central with a win in Nashville tonight; otherwise, Dallas wins the division

My picks
EAST
Boston in 5
Tampa in 7
Carolina in 5
Rangers in 7

WEST
Vegas in 6
L.A. in 7
Colorado in 6
Minnesota in 7

The Panthers actually had a modicum of success against the Bruins this season, winning both matchups in Sunrise (one in OT). That's why I'll give Florida one win in the series, but that's it. ... Devils-Rangers is such a joyous throwback. Tampa-Toronto is going to be spicy. I'm hitching my flag to team Kraken for this postseason but I don't think they'll win their first-round series.

 

Pulling for Seattle too for what should be some obvious reasons in the West. Good story on top of everything else.

 

And eliminating Vegas will make everyone happy.

 

I can't read. Oof. I'll change it.

 

Pretty cool in this neck of the woods with all three NY-area teams in the playoffs for just the fourth time ever and the first time since 2007. Of course, with the Islanders being pretty mediocre and the Rangers and Devils opposing each other, it'll almost surely go from three to one in a series, but still, neat. I think the Islanders can get two wins against the Hurricanes--Sorokin will steal one in the first two games and the Isles will win one at home--but hard to see an upset path for them, even with Barzal back.

 

Any chance they have rests on Barzal being at 100% right away. Horvat was invisible without him (three goals in six-plus games on his line, four goals in the final 23 games w/o him). They have such a small margin for error and there were a lot of nights this year where they looked like an old team aging faster bc of the extra half-season they played in the 2020 & 2021 playoffs. They were so good at slogging the Penguins & Bruins in 2021 but they are struggling to even do that most of the time this year. That third period against Montreal Wednesday was like watching 18 men hanging on by a finger to a rock over a 500-foot drop until Lee scored.

But they absolutely have a chance. They had NO chance against the Bruins. I mean, that one might have been canceled after three games.

 

A team with Sebastian Aho on its roster will win the series.

 

*Playoff

Singular.

 

From NHL.com: 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs 1st-round schedule

Stanley Cup Final is singular