NHL playoff predictions

The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are set to begin this Monday, May 2. This is the most exciting time of the year for hockey fans, with the first round filled ...

The Flames will also be playing with a chip on their shoulder, seeking to avenge their 2020 series loss to the Stars and advance past the first round for the first time since 2015. Their depth and goaltending might be too big of a haul for the Stars to overcome in this series. The concern for the Kings in a possible upset is that they’re without their best defenseman in Drew Doughty. Without him their blue line defense isn’t anything great and may have trouble shutting down the Oilers. The experience of Jonathan Quick will help them out a little bit, but not enough to win this series. The Oilers are, in a way, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the west. The Predators are talented enough to win a game in this series, but the Avalanche should be able to efficiently win in this round. The concern for the Stars is their scoring depth past the first line, which is very streaky. The series will go the distance, but the Blues will ultimately prevail on the strength of their special teams. Three players finished with 40 goals in Johnny Gaudreau (40), Elias Lindholm (42) and Matthew Tkachuk (42). In addition, Gaudreau finished tied for second in total points in the NHL with 115. While the Stars’ defense and experience present a solid threat, the Flames should be able to prevail. The Blues have four highly productive players of their own to counter the Wild. Vladimir Tarasenko, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jordan Kyrou have all scored 75 points or more. This includes four in his last start against the very team he’ll be facing in the first round in the Nashville Predators. The Wild are led by the highly productive line of Kirill Kaprizov, Ryan Hartman and Mats Zuccarello. They’ve also benefited from a great rookie season from Matt Boldy, who scored 39 points in 47 games.

The other wild card team takes on the other division winner. The second and third place teams from the divisions battle it out in the other playoff matchups. In ...

I do think the Avalanche will be able to get out of the Western Conference, but maybe not without a scare from the Calgary Flames. Colorado is just too talented at every position, and the team will be on a mission after last season's early exit. If that continues in the postseason, the Bruins are well-equipped to deal with that and keep the Hurricanes off the scoreboard. Chris: Similar to the Hurricanes/Bruins series, a goaltender injury is one of the biggest storylines to watch. Ovechkin is likely going to play in Game 1, but he's going to need to be superhuman for the Capitals to have a chance. Will the third time be the charm for Carolina or will it just be more of the same? To put it briefly, Auston Matthews. The Toronto superstar is on another level than everyone else this season and may very well be the MVP, and he doesn't have a bunch of slouches around him. That is what will make the difference in this series. I do think Darryl Sutter devises a plan to put a lid on Dallas' top line, and Calgary is the much deeper team in this series. Hart Trophy candidate Johnny Gaudreau had the best season of his career for a team that had the second-most points in the Western Conference. In addition, goaltender Jacob Markstrom was a brick wall at times and will be a huge asset throughout the postseason. For a team that didn't make a marquee addition in the offseason, Calgary relied on the star power that they already had in place to build a Stanley Cup contender. The Preds have shown an ability to be a scrappy bunch this season, but grit and sandpaper won't be enough to pull off the upset against this Avalanche squad. For Minnesota, Kaprizov is the engine that powers a deep forward group that includes a nice balance of skill and defensive ability.

That means it's Stanley Cup playoff time — a two-month grind where 16 teams will be whittled down to two, which will end with one champion. Will the Tampa Bay ...

Both the Lightning and Avalanche face treacherous paths to a Stanley Cup Final matchup (for all of the Maple Leafs’ agony, they could absolutely end the Bolts’ repeat bid). Also, Cale Makar enjoyed a more dynamic regular season than MacKinnon, giving me some pause with the playoff MVP choice. I predict Cale Makar and the Avs win an epic series to dethrone Tampa. James: Rangers in 6 Jake: Rangers in 6 Adam: Rangers in 7 James: Panthers in 6

Let the fun begin. Bring on the intensity, the heart-stopping drama and the sheer excitement of the NHL playoffs. Sixteen teams enter, but only one of them ...

But when a game's on the line—and given their series this season, one or more will be—it'll be Minnesota's Dean Evason breathing easier behind the bench. It's the second time in three years that the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars have met in the postseason. But the now-28-year-old lost as many as he won while going 18-14-4 across 37 starts this season and shares the starting role with Ville Husso, who had better regular-season numbers but hasn't played a playoff minute. The entire city of Toronto will panic at any hint of turbulence, and the players will have a tough time ignoring it. They will be prepared for the wattage to get turned up now that the playoffs are here. They weren't an en vogue team to make it through to the Western Conference bracket, but a huge season from Roman Josi combined with bounce-back campaigns from Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen propelled them to the playoffs. Perhaps the most telling aspect of this series will be how Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho perform now that the heat of the playoffs is on. Brayden Point, with only 58 points in 66 games, dropped the "super" portion of his stardom. Ryan McDonagh, a lynchpin who has covered up depth deficiencies in the past, had a letdown season. Nonetheless, the Capitals have a couple of narrow paths to victory. Ah, yes—that it breeds contempt, of which there ought to be plenty once the puck drops in Game 1. Anthony Duclair (30 goals) and Carter Verhaeghe (24) proved that 2020-21 wasn't a fluke, and the team got massive performances from down the depth chart in rookie Anton Lundell and late bloomer Mason Marchment.

The NHL playoffs begin on Monday. Sportsbooks are offering series prices, along with a plethora of other markets to bet.

Wild (-165) vs. Oilers (-250) vs. Flames (-300) vs. Avalanche (-600) vs. Panthers (-350) vs. Rangers (-110) vs. Taking a flier on the Blues to win in seven games at 6/1 is a smart bet. This is going to be one of the more competitive series with both teams sitting near 20/1 to win the Stanley Cup. The Oilers went 3-1 versus the Kings in the regular season, although the goal differential between the two teams was only one. Nathan MacKinnon and Co. are the most well-rounded team in the NHL and while Nashville played them tough in the regular season, expect the Avalanche to make short work of the Predators. . Toronto’s struggles in the postseason are well-documented. The Rangers win this series in six.