It's the time of year that every hockey fan loves as after 82 hard-hitting NHL regular-season games, the NHL schedule has wound down and 16 teams will now vie for one of the richest prizes in sports: The Stanley Cup. After a memorable season, it has all boiled down to these two months where some familiar teams get back into the playoff mix while some others end postseason droughts.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions: Western Conference Central Division bracket
It is sure to be an exciting two months of hockey as head-rattling hits, game-changing goals and heart-stopping saves are sure to all be a part of each series as each team comes into the postseason with one goal in mind, hoisting the Stanley Cup.
In the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division bracket, the reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Bruins look to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals but the first obstacle in their way is the Detroit Red Wings, making their 23rdconsecutive playoff appearance while the Tampa Bay Lightning look to overcome injury troubles and do battle with the Montreal Canadiens, looking to expand on last year's results.
NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions: Western Conference Pacific Division bracket
Eastern Conference Atlantic Division Round 1 Bracket
Boston Bruins (54-19-9, 117 points, No. 1 Atlantic) vs. Detroit Red Wings (39-28-15, 93 points, No. 2 wild-card):
In the only Original-Six matchup in Round 1 of the playoffs, Boston enters play hoping to eventually get back to the Stanley Cup Finals while Detroit enters its 23rd straight postseason coming off of a year where they lost in the Western Conference semifinals to the eventual champion Blackhawks.
The Red Wings playoff drought seemed to be in danger during their first season in the Eastern Conference but they were able to fight injuries and claw their way to the final wild-card spot. As a result, they are matched up with the class of the Eastern Conference in the Bruins, a team that earned the President's Trophy and has represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals two out of the last three years.
If there's one advantage for Detroit, it's that the team took three of four games from Boston in the regular-series. Whether or not that translates to the postseason remains to be seen.
The Bruins have great balance throughout their lineup and are one of the deepest teams in the league, making them an instant favorite to hoist the Cup. A top-line of David Krejci centering Milan Lucic and Jarome Iginla has been a catalyst for the Eastern Conference's best team. Krejci led the team in points (69) and assists (50) while adding 19 goals as Lucic went 24-35--59 and Iginla reached 30 goals for the 12th time in his career and tied for the goal-scoring lead on the team while going 30-31--61.
The team's second line is arguably as strong as its first, with Selkie candidate Patrice Bergeron (30-32--62), centering Brad Marchand (25-28--53) and Reilly Smith (20-31--51). Krejci (plus-39), Bergeron (plus-38) and Marchand (plus-36) were the top three in plus-minus in the NHL this season.
The Red Wings will look for a balance of youth and experience to help them slay one of the best teams in the NHL, but it won't be easy. Detroit overcame injuries to Pavel Datsyuk (knee) and Henrik Zetterberg(back) and managed to persevere to keep their playoff appearance streak alive.
With both of those players expected back, Detroit will hope that they'll bring leadership to the playoff series along with Daniel Alfredsson and defenseman Niklas Kronwall, who tied for the team lead with 49 points. Detroit also boasts plenty of youth in players such as Gustav Nyquist, 24, who led the team in goals with 28 while adding 20 assists for 48 points and Tomas Tatar, who finished second on the team by finding the twine 19 times and adding 20 helpers for 39 points.
On defense, Boston's unit is led by Zdeno Chara, while his normal partner Dennis Seidenberg is out for the year with an MCL/ACL injury. Boston has solid blueline help in guys like Torey Krug and Dougie Hamilton as well as Johnny Boychuk. Detroit's top defensive pair consists of Kronwall and Brendan Smith, who is filling in for Jonathan Ericsson (finger), who the team hopes to get back.
In net, the Bruins turn to Vezina Trophy candidate Tuukka Rask, who had an NHL-best seven shutouts in the regular-season and finished fifth in the league with 36 wins while posting a 2.04 GAA and a .930 save percentage. Detroit counters with Jimmy Howard, who battled injuries, the flu and some inconsistent play this season. Howard went 21-19-11 in 2013-14 with a 2.66 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
The Red Wings will look to make an imprint during their first Eastern Conference playoff series since switching from the Western Conference this season, but the Bruins will likely prove to be too tough. The Bruins top-six is unbelievable and they also have the better goaltender. While Detroit boasts a great mix of youth and veterans, the team will likely steal one game while the Eastern Conference-favorite Bruins march on to the second round.
The Pick: The Bruins over the Red Wings in five.
Tampa Bay Lightning (46-27-9, 101 points, No. 2 Atlantic Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (46-28-8, 100 points, No. 3 Atlantic Division):
Tampa Bay enters the postseason for the first time in three years and hopes to hoist its first Stanley Cup since a decade ago in 2004 when all is said and done in June while Montreal comes into its second Stanley Cup Playoffs in a row looking for much better results than in 2013 when it lost in five games to the Senators in the first round.
The Lightning took three of the four regular-season games from the Canadiens, with most of the contests being decided by one goal.
Hope looked lost for the Lightning when Steven Stamkos went down with a scary leg injury early on in the season, but he was able to bounce back and became the team captain after Martin St. Louis was dealt to the Rangers in exchange for Ryan Callahan. Will the Lighnting be able to advance without the leadership of St. Louis?
Stamkos notched 25 goals and 40 points in 35 games this season for the Lightning.
Tampa Bay boasts a fast and young team, and rookies Tyler Johnson (24-26--50) and Ondrej Palat (23-36--59) were catalysts for the Lightning this season and will look to continue that on success on a grander stage.
The deal for Callahan added grit and playoff experience to the team, and the former Rangers captain scored six goals and notched 11 points for the Lightning since the trade. Valtteri Filppula (25-33--58) also played a big role for Tampa Bay this season.
The Canadiens have found a versatile top line when they acquired Thomas Vanek (6-9--15 Montreal, 27-41--68 overall) from the New York Islanders and put him with David Desharnais who had 16 goals and ranked second on the team with 36 assists and finished third with 52 points and Max Pacioretty, who notched a team-high 60 points off of 39 markers and 21 helpers. His 39 goals ranked fourth in the league.
The team will be without Alex Galchenyuk (lower-body) for the series and hopes to have Brandon Prust (upper-body) back while it will look for secondary scoring from Brendan Gallagher and captain Brian Gionta.
On defense, Tampa Bay has been paced by 6-foot-6 Victor Hedman, who anchors the team's defense and led the whole team with 42 assists while adding 13 goals for 55 points. Reining Norris Trophy winner P.K. Subban leads the Montreal blueline and was first on the team in assists (43) and second in points (53) while adding 10 goals. He forms the top pair with Andrei Markov, who went 7-36--43 in the regular-season.
Goaltending is a question mark for the Lightning as their go-to backstop Ben Bishop is still dealing with an upper-body injury and may not be ready for the season. His 37 wins, .924 save percentage and 2.23 GAA all rank within the Top 10 in the NHL in goaltending, but without him in net the Lightning may falter. Andres Lindback (8-12-2, 2.90 GAA, .891 save %), who has struggled, will take the reins in net if Bishop can't go.
For the Canadiens, Carey Price will man the crease after going 34-20-5 in the regular-season with a 2.32 GAA and a career-best .927 save percentage, which ranked fourth in the league, while boasting six shutouts, good enough for second in the league.
This series could go either way and while the Lightning have home-ice advantage and hold the season-series edge, the fact that Bishop may not be able to play is a huge question mark and gives Montreal the slight edge. This may very well go down to the wire, but in the end the Canadiens should get the nod.
The Pick: The Canadiens over the Lightning in six.
If these finishes hold up, the Bruins would host the Canadiens in a Round 2 best-of-seven series.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs kickoff Wednesday night as the Quest for the Cup begins with 16 teams vying to be the champion of the National Hockey League.
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