The first round of the NHL playoffs intrigued and entertained many viewers. The Capitals were the first team to advance to the second round after eliminating Montreal. Toronto won a gritty series in the Battle of Ontario. Florida easily won the Battle of Florida. Carolina proved they can take care of business with depth scoring regardless of who starts in net. Four fantastic teams will show audiences why they made it this far, but only two will go to the conference championship. It’s time to predict which two have the best chance of advancing to round three.
#5 Florida Panthers v. #2 Toronto Maple Leafs
Florida and Toronto impressed viewers with their first round wins. While the Maple Leafs finally played like a championship caliber team unfazed by challenges, the Panthers snapped into playoff mode and made fast work of their Sunshine State rival. This could be the most fun series of the second round as many expect the winner to represent the eastern conference in the Stanley Cup finals.
While the Maple Leafs took mature steps to beat the best teams in their conference, there’s no doubt which one is favored in this series. The Panthers have everyone back healthy and from suspension. That means Toronto has to find answers for defenseman Aaron Ekblad, newcomers Seth Jones and hated rival Brad Marchand, and Florida’s relentless (brother of Ottawa’s captain) Matthew Tkachuk. The Maple Leafs will be a championship threat, just not this year.
Prediction: Panthers win series 4-1
#4 Carolina Hurricanes v. #1 Washington Capitals
This is the hardest series to predict because of prior injuries to both starting goaltenders last round. Washington has the most injuries while Carolina has to make sure backup goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is better prepared to play at some point in the series.
As noted in prior discussions, a big development will be how Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry adjusts and plays his lines since this is his first time leading a team in the postseason. Rod Brind’Amour is no stranger to leading the Hurricanes in the playoffs whether he was team captain or as a coach. Unless Frederik Andersen and injuries take a toll for Carolina, it will be hard to see how Washington can win four games against Brind’Amour’s deeper roster. The Capitals struggled with Montreal more than expected last round. Expect the Hurricanes to implement similar tactics but with more hungry veterans wanting to return to the conference finals.
Prediction: Hurricanes win series 4-2
Eastern conference first round playoffs record: 2-2
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