Photo Credit: NHL.com
The NHL playoffs are upon us and four intriguing matchups promise to deliver some of the best hockey of the season. Tampa Bay Lightning will host Toronto Maple Leafs in one of the highlights of the first round. The high-flying offense of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos will face off against Auston Matthews and John Tavares in what is sure to be a thrilling matchup. In addition to this, there’s plenty more to look forward to as the New York Rangers travel across the Hudson River for a showdown with their rivals from New Jersey Devils; Seattle Kraken hit Colorado Avalanche for their first taste of postseason action; and Winnipeg Jets take on Vegas Golden Knights.
All these teams come into play offs in different forms. For example, Tampa Bay Lightning are the highest scoring team in the league and boast an intimidatingly talented roster – but will this be enough to overcome Toronto’s young stars? Meanwhile, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils have met numerous times with the two teams trading punches evenly. Although, Seattle Kraken have only been around for a couple of seasons they still managed to make it into playoffs over their opponents Colorado Avalanche who had an up and down season. Lastly, Winnipeg Jets are looking to take advantage of Vegas Golden Knights who have been struggling as of late due to key injuries that left them shorthanded during this playoff run.
No matter which matchup you watch first round has something for everyone; from veteran leadership and star power to youthful energy. While the form of each team will play a huge role in deciding how the first round pans out, one thing is certain: plenty of surprises are on the way. So make sure not to miss any of these four nail-biting matchups and join hockey fans from around the world as they watch and predict who will take home glory this NHL playoff season.
Key players for each matchup include Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos against Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews and John Tavares; New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox versus New Jersey Devils’ Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier; Seattle Kraken’s Matty Beniers, Jarred McCain and Jordan Erberle against Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen; and Winnipeg Jets’ Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler versus Vegas Golden Knights’ Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo.
Predictions for the first round of NHL playoff games range from Tampa Bay Lightning being a favourite to take the series against Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers having an edge in their rivalry matchup with New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken surprising everyone with a win over Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets taking advantage of Vegas Golden Knights’ injuries to snatch up a victory.
No matter which team you are routing for these four matchups promise to be some of the most exciting games of the NHL playoffs. So make sure to tune in and follow all the action as it unfolds!