NHL Quick Hits: Potential Playoff Matchups, Revisiting Preseason Predictions & More

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The playoff picture in the NHL is starting to take shape. There are a few things up in the air with three teams fighting for one playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division and a handful of Western Conference teams still fighting for the final wild card spot.

Otherwise, the playoff matchups are around the corner and there are plenty of fun First Round possibilities. Some will make for on the ice greatness while others are great in the big picture but to each their own.

The Best Pittsburgh Penguins First Round Matchup

The Penguins are locked into the second spot in the Metropolitan Division and have three possible opponents. The Philadelphia Flyers would provide a battle of Pennsylvania and plenty of history between Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Rick Tocchet, and the two teams. The games itself would also be fun considering the Penguins are a fast-paced team that love running up the score while the Flyers play more structure and win from the net out.

The Washington Capitals meanwhile are probably the best possible matchup from a TV or viewership perspective. It would be Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin for possibly the last time with a playoff run on the line.

Then there are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who would be an under-the-radar matchup. The Blue Jackets and their fans have waited years to return to the playoffs and have a team that is built to go far if they get in. They are the sleeping giants of the Eastern Conference and they would face a closeby Penguins team, who would be the reawakened giants in the conference.

Which Atlantic Division Matchup Would Be The Best?

Between the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Tampa Bay Lightning, anything is on the table. All three teams can clinch the top spot in the division and face the Boston Bruins or Ottawa Senators. Likewise, we’re poised for a matchup in the First Round between two of the above-mentioned teams.

A Canadiens against Sabres series would pit two great hockey markets against each other. Montreal provided a glimpse into what playoff hockey looks like last year but this time around, things are different. They snuck in as a wild card last season and now, the expectations are a Stanley Cup title for a fanbase that used to expect that every year. The Sabres meanwhile are back and have waited 14 years to host playoff hockey. Expect that first game to be a wild one.

Speaking of the Sabres, a matchup between them and the Lightning would be incredible. The regular season games between the two teams were an indication of it. The only question is whether both teams will have enough skaters by the end of the series (although presumably, the refs will be on top of things from the opening puck drop).

What about a Canadiens against Lightning series? This would provide plenty of high-scoring and back-and-forth contests. The two teams average over 3.4 goals per game and have plenty of skill in their lineups. Ironically, the Thursday night game between these two teams was 2-1 and felt like good ol’ playoff hockey.

Stars-Wild is the Series We’re All Waiting For

Since Bill Guerin made the Quinn Hughes trade, this was the matchup everyone saw coming and was just counting down the days until it arrived. The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are two of the best teams in the NHL and this is a Stanley Cup Final matchup in the First Round.

It’s also worth adding how much is at stake for both teams. The pressure is on the Stars to get over the hump after coming up short in the Western Conference Final three years in a row. The Wild meanwhile haven’t won a playoff series in over a decade and the clock is ticking for them to do so as they are in win now mode and have Hughes on an expiring contract (after next season).

The Ducks Will Give Their Opponent Fits

The Anaheim Ducks are a flawed team, one that won’t win multiple playoff runs. But, they can score. It makes them a tough out for the Edmonton Oilers or the Vegas Golden Knights and also, a fun team to watch in the playoffs.

There’s still a chance they miss the playoffs with 90 points and only three wins in their last 10 games. There’s also a chance they win the division. So, that’s all still up in the air.

Preseason Predictions: Where We Were Right & Where We Were Wrong

With the season wrapping up, this is a good time to look at the preseason predictions, some of which were made by the fine folks here at Hockey Hot Stove. Let’s look at what the hockey world got right and what it got wrong.

Hit One: The Carolina Hurricanes win the Metropolitan Division

This is about as chalk a pick as it gets. The Hurricanes winning the division is a given at this point and the struggles of the teams below them only further cemented them as the top team. The question for them is whether things are different or if they’ll run into the same problems in the playoffs.

Miss One: Florida Panthers win the Atlantic (and Toronto Maple Leafs finish in the top three)

The Panthers never recovered from the injuries and after three long playoffs runs, they couldn’t keep up this season. The Maple Leafs meanwhile were a mess from the start and face an uncertain future with a new general manager coming in and questions about whether they can retool or rebuild. All in all, the division was turned on its head with the Bruins and Sabres surprising us.

Hit Two: Zach Werenski wins the Norris Trophy

It’s a tight race for the Norris Trophy and it’s not a given that Zach Werenski wins it. That said, a lot of people picked him to win before the season and he’s in the running. This was an accurate prediction, unlike the next award that flopped for many.

Miss Two: Dustin Wolf wins the Vezina

This season was a sophomore slump for him and a rough one for the Calgary Flames in general. Dustin Wolf was second in the Calder Trophy voting a year ago but was overworked and never recovered this time around.

Hit Three: The Canadiens, Ducks, Flyers, and Mammoth are sleeper teams to watch

All four teams took significant strides and exceeded expectations.

Miss Three: The Canucks, Devils, and Rangers will bounce back

None did. They all fell apart.

Quick Hits

Scott Oake had his final After Hours segment on Saturday night, at least of the regular season. Oake is a staple of the Hockey Night in Canada scheduling and in many ways puts a bow on every week in hockey. His retirement leaves a void for hockey fans that will be tough to replace.

Wyatt Johnston is having the quietest 40-goal season in the NHL with 44 including 26 on the power play. In fairness, the 51-goal season by Cole Caufield has overshadowed many of the 40 or more scorers. Jason Robertson has 44, Matt Boldy has 42, Dylan Guenther and Steven Stamkos have 40. These names are worth keeping in mind for the playoffs because they can add a goal or two in a big game and surprise everyone except the fans who’ve followed them all season.

The Islanders will miss the playoffs despite the late-season Pete DeBoer hire. Ironically, they didn’t get the new coach bump, losing two of three games under the new head coach. The fascination with the Islanders is that this season should be a success but expectations changed as the season went on and missing the playoffs leaves the fans disappointed.

The Sunday game between Crosby and Ovechkin was the 100th meeting between the two rivals and possibly the last. The pregame photo is one that indicates it’s the final meeting. It’s been quite the rivalry and in an era that has shifted to star players over teams, they led the way into the new era.