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The NHL’s ‘real’ season is here again with high stakes’ first round match-ups and yet another chance for a few Canadian teams to end a 33-year Stanley Cup jinx.
Postmedia’s previews and picks as the games begin Saturday:
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
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Buffalo Sabres (1st Atlantic) vs. Boston Bruins (1st wild card)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Don’t pass up the Pasta, David Pastrnak and his 87 playoff points in 90 games are back for Boston. Jeremy Swayman gives the B’s an edge in goal as well. But rah-rah captain Rasmus Dahlin’s career year puts some meat on Buffalo’s hot wings.
FIRST GLANCE: Winning the division is the way to break an NHL worst 14-year post-season drought. Lindy Ruff’s Sabres have jolted their fan base back to life, but can’t get over-amped at home. A few Bruins are quite familiar with road playoff noise and anxious to flex their own muscles after missing out last year. Boston must also tread carefully, as it was short-handed more than any team this year.
SEASON’S SERIES: The Bruins won three of four, including both meetings at home and two in overtime, but played the Sabres only once during the latter’s second-half surge.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: Last time Buffalo won its division in 2010, the B’s knocked them out, also their last encounter, giving Boston the decision in six of eight series, five of them played between 1982-92.
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DID YOU KNOW: Tyler Ennis had the last playoff winning goal by a Sabre on April 22, 2011 in overtime against the Flyers.
PREDICTION: Sabres in 6
Tampa Bay Lightning (2nd Atlantic) vs. Montreal Canadiens (3rd Atlantic)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Cole Caulfield’s star has risen steadily from 23 goals to this year’s 51, but the buzzsaw Bolts won’t give him much room 5-on-5. Conversely, conference points leader Nikita Kucherov will be a test for the Habs to track. Andrei Vasilevskiy lost both his regular season matches to Montreal, but still dominates young Jakub Dobes in playoff net appearances, 120-3.
FIRST GLANCE: It was unfortunate the Habs’ 106-point season did not earn them home ice or an easier first-round foe. But they’ve overcome a lot more in their return to Cup contention. Not much separating these two, who ranked 1-2 in league road goals, though Montreal did block the league’s most shots this year.
SEASON’S SERIES: Ignore the split in four games and note Montreal won the two most recent meetings by a combined 6-2 score. The Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky had seven points through the four contests.
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ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: A 3-1 advantage for the Lightning, including a sweep of the conference semi-final in 2004 en route to their first Cup. That was the year current Habs’ coach Martin St. Louis had 24 points in 23 playoff games for Tampa. It’s their first clash since the Lightning won in 2021.
DID YOU KNOW: Montreal has 448 franchise playoff game wins, 100-plus more than nearest competitor Boston.
PREDICTION: Lightning in 7
Carolina Hurricanes (1st Metro) vs. Ottawa Senators (2nd wild card)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: In an expected super-tight series, slight edge to Canes’ goaltending tandem of Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen ahead of the streaky Linus Ullmark. Brady Tkachuk will attempt his disruptive tactics and is third in NHL penalties drawn, but Rod Brind’Amour’s team generally holds the line on retaliation.
FIRST GLANCE: The Canes won at least one series the past five years and start at home. Beaten by Toronto in their long-awaited playoff return last spring, the Sens survived early-season distractions to join Carolina as strong, stretch-drive teams. Both have top 10 power play units, Carolina’s led by workhorse Sebastian Aho.
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SEASON’S SERIES: Carolina took two of three, but Ottawa triumphed 6-3 on April 5 at home on two Tkachuk goals.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: First ever meeting, which includes the Canes’ previous existence as the Hartford Whalers.
DID YOU KNOW: The original Ottawa Senators won four Cups between 1920-27.
PREDICTION: Hurricanes in 6
Pittsburgh Penguins (2nd Metro) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (3rd Metro)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: At 38, Sidney Crosby resumes his climb up the playoff points mountain, currently tied for fifth with fellow Penguin Jaromir Jagr at 201. Erik Karlsson remains a danger on the rush, but there’s only one 30-goal scorer in this series, Pittsburgh’s Anthony Mantha. Travis Konecny and Trevor Zegras have combined for 25 Flyers playoff goals and among their half dozen forwards 25 and younger are the dangerous Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone.
FIRST GLANCE: Reborn under coach Rick Tocchet, it’s Flyers’ first post-season gig in five years. It’s also the first test for GM Kyle Dubas’ re-tooled Pens. And an intriguing net matchup, Dan Vladar, hoping to be the answer to the Flyers’ spring goaltending prayers, while mercurial Stuart Skinner seeks some playoff love. If not, it’s up to Arturs Silovs, whose playoff start came under Rick Tocchet in Vancouver?
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SEASON’S SERIES: Their dual 98 points — Pittsburgh had more regulation wins and thus gets home ice — reflected a four-game split, but they’ve not crossed paths since March 7.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: Given a few dormant decades by both since 1967, it’s just the eighth time the Keystone State rivals have tangled, but fifth in the Crosby era. Flyers won the first three, starting in 1989 in the only seven-game series and lead 4-3 overall.
DID YOU KNOW: Philly defender Rasmus Ristolainen makes his playoff debut at age 31 after an 820-game wait.
PREDICTION: Flyers in 7
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Vegas Golden Knights (1st Pacific) vs. Utah Mammoth (1st wild card)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mitch Marner brings more baggage to this tournament than Air Canada at spring break. But despite low numbers in elimination games as a Leaf, he’s got 63 playoff points. Marner, Jack Eichel and Mark Stone will test Karel Vejmelka, already the NHL’s busiest goalie in number of starts. Utah scoring leader Clayton Keller’s decade in the desert has only yielded nine playoff games to date, so he’s pumped.
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FIRST GLANCE: Welcome to a Mammoth playoff launch, now that Utah has a nickname and more street cred in the league. With only one franchise playoff appearance in 13 years as the Arizona Coyotes, they face a Vegas team that was sagging until John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy in a stunning late-season firing and prodded them to a finish of 7-0-1.
SEASON’S SERIES: Logan Cooley had five points in three games, two won by Utah.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: First meeting since the Knights joined the NHL in 2017.
DID YOU KNOW: Vegas used three goalies this season who each won at least 10 games.
PREDICTION: Mammoth in 6
Dallas Stars (2nd Central) vs. Minnesota Wild (3rd Central)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Wyatt Johnston struck on a league-high 27 power plays for the second-best specialty group, helping him tie Jason Robertson for the overall team lead at 45 goals. That’s the same number as Kirill Kapriizov of the Wild, three more than teammate Matt Boldy. But two of the league’s four lowest goals-against teams mostly rely on goaltending, Jake Oettinger for the Stars and either Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt.
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FIRST GLANCE: Thanks to Colorado pulling away with the Presidents’ Trophy, this match-up was on the docket since before American Thanksgiving. Quinn Hughes’ arrival on defence has buoyed hopes the Wild won’t crash out in the first round again, but the Stars have one of the steadiest in the blueline profession, Miro Heiskanen, banged up as he is for Game 1. The Stars will definitely miss injured forward Roope Hintz for the first couple of games.
SEASON’S SERIES: Split 2-2, with a lot of rivalry here from the days the Minnesota North Stars moved to Texas.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: Dallas had a pair of six-game series wins, in 2016 and ‘23.
DID YOU KNOW: Oettinger is the only Minnesota native on the Stars.
PREDICTION: Stars in 7
Colorado Avalanche (1st Central) vs. Los Angeles Kings (2nd wIld card)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: The Kings will have to cover two of the league’s top seven scorers, Rocket Richard Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon and his right winger Martin Necas, with Cale Makar a threat from the rear. Colorado is also solid down the middle with MacKinnon, Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri. L.A., counters with its new jewel forward Artemi Panarin and game-breakers Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield.
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FIRST GLANCE: After giving it their best against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers in many grueling series, this change of partner is no break for the Kings. It’s a lot to ask of 35-year-old goalie Darcy Kuemper, who also goes up against the Jennings Trophy-winning duo of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. But L.A. is always up for a fight.
SEASON’S SERIES: The Avs won it 3-0, the only regular schedule matchup in these playoff matches to be swept.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: Colorado won both seven-game series in 2001 and ‘02, the first one the precursor to its Cup.
DID YOU KNOW? Terry Sawchuk, in goal for Toronto’s last Cup victory in 1967, won the Kings first ever playoff game the following spring, 2-1 over Minnesota.
PREDICTION: Colorado in 5
Edmonton Oilers (2nd Pacific) vs. Anaheim Ducks (3rd Pacific)
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Don’t take your eyes off of McDavid, as the Oilers’ franchise player hits high gear again for another Cup run. Injured Leon Draisaitl is expected to join him early in the series. Cutter Gauthier had 41 goals for the Ducks, who’ve added John Carlson to their defence.
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FIRST GLANCE: The Ducks, like the Sabres and Flyers, can’t have a ‘just happy to be here’ mentality after eight years out, or they’ll be easy first- round fodder. New GM Pat Verbeek’s rebuild is a bit ahead, benefitting from the steady hand of coach Joel Quenneville. If goaltending is adequate, Edmonton can get by one of the NHL’s beefiest teams for a potential third straight trip to the Cup final.
SEASON’S SERIES: Oilers won two of three, the last a McDavid a three-point game that helped deny Ducks home ice in this set.
ALL-TIME PLAYOFFS: It was 2017 when Edmonton made its first appearance in the McDavid era, losing a second-round match to Anaheim in seven games. Oilers did win in ‘06, advancing to the Cup final where they lost to Carolina.
DID YOU KNOW? Quenneville needs two wins to tie New York Islanders Al Arbour for second in playoff wins at 123 – and be exactly 100 behind Scotty Bowman.
PREDICTION: Edmonton in 6
lhornby@postmedia.com
X: @sunhornby
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