Wyshynski: Hurricanes in five, The Stanley Cup playoffs are back on ESPN and ABC! It breeds confidence, and that's having a huge impact on the Oilers' success in this postseason. After Pavelski, Hintz and Robertson (who all tallied 70 or more points), Dallas' offense has been streaky. It starts in their own end and being engaged down low. That formula doesn't generally work in the postseason. Callahan: Flames in five Expect more great performances from him. And yet, here we are. The Penguins' offense is also struggling, with an ice-cold power play and players such as Rust mired in slumps. Look back at how Nashville started the season, winning just one of its first five games but then exploding to earn the NHL's best record (23-7-2) from mid-October to early January. He relieves pressure in Edmonton's end, makes smart plays up the ice and is a natural leader from whom few words are required -- but there's no doubt Keith has a "big voice" in the Oilers' room, according to teammates. Beyond that, he hasn't won a playoff series since 2015. My other prediction for this series? But the defenseman is battling a core muscle injury and he's still playing over 21 minutes per game, so faulting him too harshly for not performing at his most elite would be misguided. La Greca: Avalanche in five Patrice Bergeron is still Patrice Bergeron. Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey. The Wild's penalty kill is bottom 10 in the league, and their power play sits somewhere in the middle. 3 in . Edmonton's trio has combined for 26 goals and 67 points in 12 games. The opponents are very favourable. Mike Smith has been great for Edmonton in the playoffs, without question, but we haven't seen the best of Kuemper yet. He hasn't been that guy for a while, and at 36, he might never be that guy again. Find North Carolina vs. Virginia predictions, betting odds, moneyline, spread, over/under and more for the February 25 college basketball matchup. Tampa Bay is better 5-on-5. Bolden: Hurricanes in six Player to watch: Mika Zibanejad was back to being a point-per-game center this season, playing the majority of his time with Kreider and assisting on 24 of his goals. Chandan: Hurricanes in five Bold prediction: Boston uses its shutdown capabilities to bounce a high-octane offensive opponent in the first round. Kavanagh: Blues in seven Edmonton's top line is stacked, it's slippery and it's been operating at an incredibly high level. Victoria Matiash: Panthers in seven Bold prediction: The Avalanche flip the season script, struggling to score in the early going of the playoffs and relying on team defense to step up and move them along. In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. Brian Boucher: Panthers in six The conference final round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs is upon us. Emily Kaplan: Lightning in seven He backstopped the Kings to the Stanley Cup in 2012 and 2014, posting an incredible .946 save percentage to win that initial championship. Blake Bolden: Panthers in seven They'll need continued offense from Fox, who had 18 points in 14 games. The edge, though, probably belongs to Edmonton. The Lightning have great depth down the middle of the ice with Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos and Anthony Cirelli, electric scoring potential in Nikita Kucherov and an excellent defenseman who leads by example in Victor Hedman. Viewers in the U.S. can stream every NBA playoff game live on SLING TV. Editor's Picks. Hagel took a puck off one of his feet in Game 2 against the Panthers, though he appeared in Games 3 and 4. We'll highlight the current playoff picture in both conferences, take a look at what the first-round matchups might look like, see who's leading the race for the best odds in the draft lottery and more. Mika Zibanejad led the way with three points. One problem Biggest flaw(s): Ovechkin missed the Capitals' final three games after appearing to injure a shoulder in an April 24 game. Biggest flaw(s): Confidence. The Footballers (7-9) have the worst record of any playoff team they tied the 2010 Seattle Seahawks for the worst record for a playoff team in N.F.L. Knight: Flames in six Nine of the 16 picked. Push for the Playoffs will run every morning through the end of the 2021-22 NHL season. Meanwhile, MacKinnon will be leading the charge up front. Those matchups are plenty intriguing. Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with 15 points in 11 games. This Western Conference finals present a hockey feast for the eyes: Colorado's top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin vs. Kane, McDavid and Draisaitl. TB | WSH The Stars' first line might be its superpower, but this lineup can offer a lot more than that. Offseason keys for eliminated teams, Sean Allen: Panthers in six They're the NHL's top-scoring team for a reason, having been consistently outstanding offensively since Game 1. 2022-23 Fantasy Hockey Ranking & Projections - ESPN hsb.accessibility.skipContent ESPN NFL NCAAF NBA NHL Soccer MLB Watch Listen Fantasy Fantasy Hockey Home Sign Up Fantasy Store. Unlikely contenders emerge year after year. The 24-year-old forward had 103 points and was a plus-58 (!) Ryan Callahan: Panthers in six He had just two points in the Pens' six-game series loss to the Islanders last playoffs. February 27, 2023 by Rob Couch. Coach Jon Cooper says his standout center -- the team's leading goal-scorer (30) over the past two postseasons -- is progressing from a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs. But the players and Gallant all said that their Game 7 win at the Hurricanes was indicative of what a quintessential effort from the Rangers looks like, getting points from 12 different players. In the East, it'll be a battle of the goaltenders with the excellent matchup between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Igor Shesterkin. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. Things aren't trending well for Pittsburgh at the buzzer. Back-to-back tilts against bottom feeders in the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes should produce value. Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. Some of those came on odd-man rushes, a few on chances on the doorstep. Sixteen teams entered the postseason tournament, but only four are left in the bracket, as the New York Rangers will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the East, and the Colorado Avalanche will square off against the Edmonton Oilers in the West. Carolina Hurricanes 3. NHL trade grades: Kings make smart additions in Gavrikov, Korpisalo, NHL trade tracker: Latest deals, rumors and grades, Capitals send Eller to Avs for second-round pick, Kings deal Cup-winning G Quick to Blue Jackets, Rangers clear hurdles, get Kane from Blackhawks, Oilers bulk up defense, secure Predators' Ekholm, Leafs win Schenn sweepstakes, trade for veteran, Leafs deal Sandin to Capitals for Gustafsson, pick, Wild add depth, acquire Johansson from Capitals, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? At Pickswise we have expert NHL picks for every game of the 2021/22 season. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Nashville is a great underdog -- back the Predators into a corner and wait to see some of their best hockey. You could put Nurse here, and say he hasn't been an obvious difference-maker for the Oilers (to the degree a top-pairing defender usually is). That must be what the Hurricanes felt like in 2021-22, as they set a new standard for points in a season, won the Metropolitan Division for the first time and led the league in goals-against average. ESPN will air the entirety of the Metropolitan and Pacific divisions on alternating days, beginning Wednesday, May 18. Washington lives and dies on the performance of its franchise star, especially on the power play. He's a 40-year-old veteran churning out great numbers, including an 8-3-0 record, .927 SV% and 2.70 GAA. Are we focusing heavily on the best players in this series? Those aren't encouraging totals. The Stanley Cup playoffs are a place where teams defy the numbers, find an undeniable belief in themselves and create - for lack of a better term - postseason magic. NHL Rush to the Playoffs: Three National Hockey League Games Monday, Tuesday Night, Exclusively on ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu ESPN+ NHL Kevin Ota April 25, 2022 Twitter Monday, April 25 on ESPN+/Hulu: Flyers at Blackhawks Tuesday, April 26 on ESPN: Oilers at Penguins, Blues at Avalanche 38 out-of-market games on ESPN+ this week For the first time since 1991, the Flames and Oilers meet up in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. Player to watch: Tkachuk's best offensive season arrived, to no one's surprise, as he's headed into restricted free agency this summer. Not too shabby. 2022 NHL playoff fantasy hockey pool guide: Favorites, sleepers and busts. What he's done this year has been insanely impressive. The first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs was a doozy, including five series going to Game 7 -- and two of those Game 7's going to overtime. That, combined with St. Louis being one of the NHL's worst teams in 5-on-5 possession totals, puts a lot more pressure on Husso -- a rookie appearing in his first postseason -- at the toughest time of year. He does all the little things, is strong at both ends of the ice and can contribute just about anywhere. Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes in five NHL Events 2022-23; ESPN, Turner Schedules; . He had 23 goals and 28 assists and led all Capitals forwards in goals scored above average. cal: Oilers in seven Colorado has given up the third-fewest goals against per game (2.70) among remaining playoff teams, and its power play is operating at a crisp 34.5% (best in show throughout the postseason). But forwards Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie saw their offensive output drop during seasons impacted by injuries and illness. Why Rangers-Lightning, Avs-Oilers demand your attention, Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline tiers: From elite game-changers to bargain beauties, NHL trade deadline guides for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, cap space, team status. Brehm: Hurricanes 4, Bruins 2. How they got here: Defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3, defeated Florida Panthers 4-0. The XFL has entered the second week of its third season under its . We just don't go away, regardless of the score and regardless of where the game is. Keeping those three in check starts with good neutral-zone play, limiting their ability to gain speed and forcing play to the outside. What makes Nashville dangerous (other than Roman Josi, Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros, of course) is the chip on its shoulder, the hunger to prove the team's critics wrong. Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, Lineup picks, matchups, start or sit advice for Wednesday, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres, What the remaining Stanley Cup contenders learned in Round 1, Why the Avalanche are the NHL's postseason juggernaut, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Now, these two teams just went through two second-round series that were markedly different. Center Steven Stamkos (eight points) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh have been there in big moments. If the Flames win the Cup, it wouldn't be hard to see him taking home a Conn Smythe. The NHL has passed the mathematical midpoint of the 2022-23 regular season. Center Anthony Cirelli has two points in 11 games but has provided what the Lightning need in the middle after Brayden Point's injury. That's a killer combination. Do you blame us? We've already discussed Kuemper. They went 12-8-3 after that. The Bruins' goalie tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman deserves credit in this area too, providing consistently good performances that have more than assuaged fears about how the team would move on from Tuukka Rask. Free agency is looming, and all eyes will be on Kadri as he chases that elusive championship. He's a dynamic offensive talent who has 11 points in his past 15 playoff games. They had three 40-goal forwards in Johnny Gaudreau, who posted a remarkable 115-point season, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm, with Andrew Mangiapane (35 goals) not far off the pace. How do the Avs slow down the McDavid-Draisaitl-Kane line? Goalie Tristan Jarry, who had an outstanding regular season, has been sidelined with a broken foot that he's in the process of rehabbing. Messier: Rangers in six Another matchup against the Dallas Stars, who are a mess right now and Domi just recently torched, could be another interesting game for him. Alas, he's ineligible, having played more than six games in his first two NHL seasons. Edmonton trended up across the board under Woodcroft, including in the most important area: the standings, where the Oilers finished second in the Pacific. Center Ross Colton, who scored the only goal in their Cup-clinching game last summer against the Canadiens, has played the majority of his minutes with Brandon Hagel, whom the Lightning acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline. In general, Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft has been leaning on the same eight forwards up front and limiting the use of his fourth-liners. Yes, Mike Smith has been in a groove during April, with a .948 even-strength save percentage in nine games. Bold prediction: Nashville shocks the hockey world by going from wild-card entrant to Western Conference finalist. This is when he should shine. The 2022-23 NHL season is the 106th season of operation (105th . Knight: Hurricanes in six Bold prediction: The Penguins go out in the first round, but goaltending isn't the reason. The Wild have had offensive stars emerging throughout the season, from Kirill Kaprizov to Kevin Fiala to Mats Zuccarello. ", Make picks throughout the postseason for a chance at $14,000 in prizes. Matiash: Rangers in seven When the trade deadline rolls around, there are always teams caught in the middle of the standings . Don La Greca: Panthers in seven Listen here . Yes. Daily Fantasy Picks; Projected Lineups; Player Rankings; . New York Islanders (MP) 7. Well, unless it's because of their opponents' goaltending. But teams win with depth in the playoffs, and there's been some falloff here for the Flames. Obviously, the Rangers are going to go as far as Shesterkin takes them. They'll need every bit of his experience and ability to slow the Avalanche down. Goals project to be at a premium for Dallas, so look for the team's top defender to step up in keeping pucks out of the Stars' end -- and out of their net. Matiash: Avalanche in six Bold prediction: The Stars take a powerhouse first-round opponent to seven games. The team also had strong seasons from veterans Trevor Moore, Alex Iafallo, Adrian Kempe and Alex Edler, a resurgent campaign from Jonathan Quick and an outstanding season from Drew Doughty before he went out with a wrist injury. Jump to a team: The Lightning will have to convert some of those to beat "Shesty.". Make Your Picks. Is that a sign that Tampa is losing its legs? Because as good as McDavid has been, Draisaitl might be better (and he's playing hurt, too). Wyshynski: Flames in seven. Football Women's Basketball Games Home ESPN Fantasy App After a bumpy road through February and most of March, the Blues caught fire into April and have been unstoppable of late. Defenseman Jacob Trouba's booming hits took out Penguins star Sidney Crosby for two critical games, and then Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis in Game 7. This version of Toronto can contend with any team it will face in the playoffs -- but only if the Leafs actually show up as their best selves. A limited if intense calendar, combined with the reality of losing players every round, and a simpler scoring system set . Some teams have improved, while others went into re-build mode. Colorado's big winger has one goal in these playoffs, which he scored on an empty net in the Avs' 6-3 victory over St. Louis in Game 4. Also on a roll: St. Louis' power play, which has been top three in the NHL since late March. Maintaining that intensity each night in the playoffs will be a task in itself. All that winning is great at the time, but it cuts into recovery. In today's Morning 3-on-3, we debate whether both are playoff locks -- and a threat if they make it. NHL on ESPN. Case for a Stanley Cup run: History has a funny habit of repeating itself. Edmonton really performed well against Calgary on the penalty kill too, coming up with critical stops that frustrated the Flames' attack. The best that can be said of them is that the Kings found ways to win: While their divisional rivals flailed about trying to qualify for the postseason, Los Angeles won four straight critical games in regulation down the stretch. Again, a criticism of Calgary this season is like using one of those eyepieces to search for a flaw on a gorgeously cut diamond. Kristen Shilton: Lightning in six Anze Kopitar led the team in scoring. (2:28). Subscribe to ESPN+ will be coming full force. 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason. But it's also true that the Lightning haven't faced a goalie like Shesterkin, who is playing out of his gourd right now. The legend of Mike Smith has only grown this postseason. Case for a Stanley Cup run: It's hard to argue with the Panthers' results this season. Kane is a future Hall of Famer and arguably the best men's American hockey player of all time. The College Football Playoff will pit Georgia against Ohio State and Michigan against TCU in a bid to figure out the next national champion. Bold prediction: The Oilers win their first playoff series since 2017 before bowing out to Calgary. Cohn: Rangers in seven Wischusen: Flames in seven He worked through his emotions during the Rangers' first two games in Pittsburgh, where he was pulled twice. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, in his first season with the Lightning, and playoff hero Pat Maroon also bolster the bottom six. Toronto can't hide from its ugly postseason past. Portland Trail Blazers. Philadelphia Flyers (MP) Atlantic Division 1. Their lineup features solid two-way forwards in Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. NHL playoff bracket 2022: Full schedule, TV channels, scores for postseason | Sporting News Canada -156 BUF -175 LAK -127 Thu, 7:30p CAR DET CHI 2/26, 11:00a NYI WIN 2/26, 12:30p LAK NYR. The Rangers goalie has been their best player through the first two rounds -- heck, he has even chipped in three assists on top of his stellar goaltending. Ferraro: Flames in seven Now we're onto the second round, which features four superb matchups: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche vs. St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames vs. Edmonton Oilers. Rantanen must be exactly that for Colorado in the series ahead. Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Penguins crossed the finish line as a playoff team. Bold prediction: Evgeny Kuznetsov leads the Capitals in scoring, but their stay in the playoffs is limited to one round. Buccigross: Avalanche in seven Artemi Panarin averaged 1.28 points per game. There has also been more effort on the forecheck. Cohn: Avalanche in seven Player to watch: Kadri. Date: Wednesday, March 1, 2023 Time: 10:00 p.m. Stanley Cup playoff picks: Who wins each second-round series? Or will the Toronto Maple Leafs shake off their demons and claim their first Cup since 1966-67? The Igor Shesterkin that we saw during Round 1 is not the Igor Shesterkin that the Lightning are going to see. That's not great news for a Rangers team whose power-play prowess (fourth in the NHL) far outpaced its even-strength offense (18th). Wyshynski's NHL trade deadline tiers: From elite game-changers to bargain beauties, NHL trade deadline guides for all 32 teams: Players, picks in play, cap space, team status. Read on for predictions for every game involving a Top 25 team on the schedule over the next seven days. cal: Rangers in seven FiveThirtyEight's 2021-22 NHL forecast predicts the winner of each hockey game and calculates each team's chances of advancing to the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup. There's a real calmness that the Lightning have in the toughest moments, a constant belief in their ability to weather any storm. The winger is having an unbelievable regular season but hasn't scored a playoff goal since 2017-18 and has only eight assists in 12 postseason games the past two years. Central: COL | MIN Not exactly the best offensive company to keep. What sort of postseason magic can Kadri create to cap this career season? Biggest flaw(s): Minnesota's special teams are less than awe-inspiring. These simulcasts typically involve ESPN's linear television channels and internet streaming platforms, and may . Under coach Dave Tippett, the Oilers were 13th in the NHL in expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5; under interim coach Jay Woodcroft, who took over Feb. 10, the Oilers jumped to fourth in that category. Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche in six It's easy to talk about Minnesota's goaltending and offensive prowess, but Brodin has been helping facilitate all that with locked-in defensive play (and he's no slouch with the puck either, registering a career high in points this season). College Basketball Week 17 Top 25 Predictions Note: Projected winners are listed in bold. Now they also have some strong depth, and the versatility to play the Islanders' style if needed. Colorado has to frustrate the Oilers' top skaters, make it difficult for them to find space or get in a rhythm early. Kreider had two goals, after scoring 52 during the regular season. Florida has three 30-plus goal scorers, six players with 50-plus points and a Hart Trophy contender in Jonathan Huberdeau, who can go toe-to-toe with any offensive threat in the league. Here's a player who requested a trade out of St. Louis and instead has thrived there this season. Chandan: Blues in six They are firing on all cylinders. Biggest flaw(s): Depth scoring has been an issue for the Stars. So it works in Nashville's favor to not just go into the postseason as a wild-card team, but to know there's an uphill battle ahead to make its time in the playoffs last. Kaplan: Flames in six Yet Carolina is not mentioned in the same breath as other Stanley Cup contenders. For all the great stats the Avs have produced this season, they're average on the kill (79%), which could be an issue in the postseason, when it's harder to score and every advantage that goes the other way has the potential to be a backbreaker. Hextall: Flames in six Chandan: Flames in six . He's the club's leading scorer, averaging more than a point a game, and eats important minutes. The 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs begin Monday night on the networks of ESPN, . Stream the NHL on ESPN. NHL Predictions 2022- 23 season | NHL Projected Standings 2022-23 Eastern Conference Metropolitan Division 1. Bring on the intensity, the heart-stopping drama and the sheer excitement. I said in my series prediction . Again, the Oilers stayed calm, and refocused. Complete playoff coverage NHL . All of those little things add up when they're coming top down through the lineup. When Jonathan Quick repeatedly slammed the door in the first-round series, Edmonton didn't panic. Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven They have depth at forward and are getting excellent play from defensemen like Fox and Trouba. Tortorella: Flames in six The Oilers bought into playing good defense, stuck to their structure and chipped away at Quick until they broke through. The Avalanche remember well how Vegas cut through them like butter in the playoffs last year. With the 2023 All-Star Game and skills competition approaching on Feb. 3-4, we turn our focus to the collective bold predictions from our ESPN hockey family. If defense wins championships (and history suggests it's a big factor), the Bruins should be feared by any opponent. Might the Colorado Avalanche, the top seed in the West and an underachiever the past two postseasons, break through? Rush to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Colorado is every bit as good as we thought it was, and could be. Obviously not. John Tortorella: Panthers in seven Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the greatest postseason goaltenders in NHL history. So if there's room for improvement anywhere, it's from some of the Oilers' second- and third-line skaters like Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Kailer Yamamoto and Jesse Puljujarvi. Other than Nathan MacKinnon going off in Game 5 against St. Louis, and Cale Makar just being generally excellent at every turn, it's not as if Colorado has required its superstars to carry the day. And of course, there's Boston's core. 2022-23 NCAA Basketball Regular Season Game; North Carolina (17-11, 9-8 ACC) vs. No. 6 Virginia (21-5, 13-4 ACC) . He is the Russian Machine, and seeing him play in the first round would not be a surprise, although coach Peter Laviolette said that Ovechkin would not have been able to play had the playoffs started last week. The team gets contributions from steady veterans (Jordan Staal), stellar young talents (Martin Necas) and other teams' castaways (the divisive but effective Tony DeAngelo). Before the NBA resumes play on Thursday night, it is time to answer some big questions. The Rangers had their share of breaks. A healthy Brayden Point obviously bolsters their advantage. Your Home For Free NHL Expert Picks For The 2022/23 Season. The answer should be clear early on against Edmonton. Seven Avs skaters have at least three goals in the playoffs, and five have double-digit point totals. Once the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round matchups are set, hockey fans worldwide can start creating and submitting brackets outlining their predictions for each playoff series online. Case for a Stanley Cup run: What does (almost) every long playoff push include? Case for a Stanley Cup run: Let's start with the best goalie in the world. The Lightning had some bumpier stretches in the season's second half. Colorado's penalty kill (only 73.1%) and goaltending (see above) have underwhelmed, and would be the most likely potential issues against Edmonton. The second round against Calgary couldn't have started any worse with a quick 3-0 deficit for Edmonton in Game 1 and another 2-0 hole to start Game 2. Weekes: Flames in seven A trade to move Miller out of Vancouver would be surprising considering he signed a fresh seven-year, $56-million contract ($8 million AAV) in September 2022 a deal that won't even kick in until next season. At every juncture where past Oilers' teams have misstepped, this group has stepped up. Their superstars kept improving throughout the last round and were the difference-makers at critical times. as well as out-of-market games. The format is a set bracket that is . Player to watch: Miro Heiskanen. The Stanley Cup playoffs are back on ESPN and ABC! Editor's Picks. But breaks are only breaks if one capitalizes on them, and the Rangers have shown an impressive resiliency. View the updated NHL Playoff Predictions here to see playoff matchups and predicted Stanley Cup winner.. With the Seattle Kraken expansion draft and a salary cap that is not going up, a lot of players this summer have changed teams..
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