2023 Stanley Cup Playoff Round 2 Eastern Conference Preview

All of the games are set, and I am going to breakdown the matchups in the Eastern Conference. Yesterday, I published the Western Conference preview and the next 4 series matchups should be action-packed. The Devils took Game 7 of the final 1st round contest and it was never really in doubt despite most people expect the Rangers to move on. A lot of people either had the Bruins or Rangers representing the Eastern Conference, so you can't say this year’s playoff hasn’t provided some unpredictability. We’ll see if the next round provides us some more crazy results. My prediction is that the winner of the Cup will come out of the Eastern Conference. It seems like there are more options that are Championship worthy. It is also worth noting that I was 3-5 in my predictions for the 8 First Round matchups, but 2 of those I got the correct game amounts too. I guess we shall find out. In a couple of weeks, we will know a lot more.

NHL

Florida Panthers (R1: def. BOS, 4-3) vs. Toronto Maple Leafs (R1: def. TBL, 4-2)

Wow. Just wow. I don’t know what to say. Hockey is a wild sport and sometimes even the best of teams can get knocked out in the first round. I think I may be convinced that the Presidents’ Trophy may be cursed. The best regular season team hasn’t won since 2013 and the Boston Bruins had the best season in NHL history and were knocked out by the Florida Panthers. The Panthers simply showed up when it mattered. I don’t think they played better, they just got hot at the right time and took advantage of careless play. With that being said, the Panthers will be looking to ride the momentum of taking down the best team in NHL history. It’s crazy that they advanced considering how bad their goalies were. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed 3.94 GPG with an 89.1% save percentage. Alex Lyon allowed 3.26 GPG in 3 appearances. Matthew Tkachuk was the difference maker in the series. He lifted the Panthers through the rough times with his 11 points in the opening round. Both he and Brandon Montour scored 5 goals each. Sam Reinhart chipped in 4 goals himself and Carter Verhaeghe was solid in the first round too. Aaron Ekblad was quiet, so look for him to come alive in this next series. Their offense will have to remain strong because their defense likely will not bail them out.

Toronto appears to have broken their curse, or at least halted it. The Leafs showed out against the Lightning in Round 1 only needing 6 games to advance. Toronto was led by Mitch Marner’s 9 assists and 2 goals to go along with it. Auston Matthews found the back of the net 5 times and John Tavares did 4 times in the series against Tampa Bay. Marner and Morgan Rielly were 1st and 2nd in Plus/Minus for the opening round among playoff teams. Most of their guys showed up and Leafs fans are on the verge of chaos with every win. Ilya Samsonov started in all 6 games for the Leafs and he didn’t have a great series, but clearly did just enough. Saving 90% of shots and allowing 3.14 goals per contest. Tampa took the season series 3-0-1 and I wouldn't be surprised if the 2ndround matchup will match the regular season. I just feel like the Leafs clearly outmatch the Panthers, but I thought the same thing when Florida was taking on Boston. Even though the Panthers should have been eliminated in Game 5, you have to tip your hat to their resiliency. Because without it, they would’ve been taking an early vacation. I think the Leafs will win, but the Panthers won’t make it too easy.

Series Prediction: Maple Leafs in 6

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New Jersey Devils (R1: def. NYR, 4-3) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (R1: def. NYI, 4-2)

The Devils and Rangers was a great matchup and I think a lot of fans wouldn't have minded seeing it later in the playoffs, but we got to see the cross-town rivals duke it out in a 7-game opening round. Even though, they advanced, the Devils weren’t very electric on the attack. Most of their games were either 1 or 2 goal efforts. They looked stout in Game 7 though. The Rangers had no answer for them. They really didn’t have an answer for them after subbing Akira Schmid in to guard the net. The rookie has looked like a veteran goalie in the playoffs so far. He has only allowed 7 goals in 5 games. Vitek Vanecek didn’t perform well in his appearances, and it appears that Schmid will be leaned on against the Canes. The Devils really didn’t show up on the attack until later in the series against the Rangers, so it will be interesting to see if they can continue their hot streak. Schmid was the standout for the Devils, but Erik Haula was the best player on the attack. He had 4 goals against the Rangers. Nico Hischier assisted on 5 goals. Also, Jack Hughes and Ondrej Palat both racked up 5 points in the series. I expect Jack Hughes to be a bigger factor in the upcoming matchup. Timo Meier too, if he is healthy. The Devils had the slight point edge in the season series. They were 2-1-1 as opposed to Carolina’s 2-2-0. One of Carolina’s wins was a shootout win. The Devils had goal advantage during the season series as well, 13-12. It’s gonna be a great 2nd Round matchup.

The Hurricanes looked to take control of the series against the Islanders very early. It was never in doubt. The Isles forced 6 games, but the Hurricanes had firm control of the series. Sebastian Aho took on the role of hero and scored 4 of the Canes 16 First Round goals. Granted, 16 isn't a lot, but the Canes defense showed up against the Islanders. They only allowed 15 goals and if you take away that 5-1 Game 3 loss in New York, it is clear that they were the better team for most of the series. Carolina is banged up right now and Teuvo Teravainen will likely miss this round as well. He broke his hand in Game 3. Brent Burns’ experience was a big help and he is playing like he is 28, instead of 38 out there. Paul Stastny was a big factor in his limited time as he scored 3 meaningful goals in the opening round. I’m looking for Shayne Gostisbehere, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Jordan Martinook to step up a little bit more in the upcoming series as well as Martin Necas. Hopefully Necas can get out of his playoff funk and start playing like he did in the regular season. It will be interesting to see who they put in front of the net though. Andersen started in the series finale and played great, only allowing 1 goal on the road, saving 97.1% of the Islanders Game 6 shots. Raanta looked solid too. He allowed 2.59 GPG in 5 starts, saving 90.6% of shots. If it’s me, I would let Andersen take Game 1 and see if he can ride the momentum, but I also don’t think you can go wrong with either Raanta either. Personally, I thought the Rangers were going to be a worse matchup for the Canes, but I don’t know. I saw a gritty and determined Devils team late in the series. It isn't going to be easy for either team and whoever wins, it has the feeling of a 7-game series. I think the Canes win will though, I think their defense is slightly better.

Series Prediction: Hurricanes in 7

Yacs