stanley-cup

2026 NHL STANLEY CUP POST-SEASON 1ST ROUND PREDICTIONS

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I think the NHL post-season is one of the best in sports. The Lord Stanley Cup is the best trophy in all of sports. The first round features some epic match ups. This season will not have a repeat of the Panthers and Oilers in the finals. Florida did not make post-season play while the Oilers are not that same team they were the last few seasons. We have selected a winner out of each series. We have thrown in some intel on each series. We even threw in a guess like a dart throw on how many games it take the team to win the first round series. We have some guesses. We have some educated guesses. We have some hunches that may be just a bit outside. I would not bet any money on our predictions. Maybe go the opposite. We may dazzle. We may sink like all the teams that did not make it into Lord Stanley’s post-season. We will predict each round. After the conclusion of each round. Our early thoughts have us getting behind the Buffalo Sabres. We may get ducky about Anaheim especially because we have them knocking off the Oilers of Edmonton. Read it. Enjoy it. That’s all we got.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

(WC 1) BOSTON BRUINS (45-27-10) 100 POINTS VS (D1) BUFFALO SABRES (50-23-9) 109 POINTS

The Boston Bruins have been a regular staple in these Lord Stanley Cup playoffs for years. The Buffalo Sabres broke a 14 year drought as they finally get back to the playoffs. Both teams have played well in the last several months. The Sabres have had one of the best records in the league since the month of December and grabbed the top spot in the Eastern conference. The Bruins have played well since January and have had one of the better records in the league since that time.

In the NHL, a goalie could certainly cool off the other team and help your team get deep into the post-season. The Bruins goaltender needs to get hot as Jeremy Swayman is coming off a career year where he won 30 games.

Everything is a mission for one of the Sabres leaders in Alex Tuch, who has tallied up 33 goals and 33 assists in this magical season for Buffalo. He may be the team’s rally along with being the backbone of this Sabres team.

The Sabres come into the post-season with a lack of playoff experience. The Bruins rookie head coach Marco Sturm will get a taste of his first post-season experience as the man. The Sabres have an elite group of skaters. They have a solid defense and solid goal tending. The Bruins have created a stronger second line by moving Casey Mittelstadt from center to wing. He has played alongside Pavel Zacha and this line has created some noise for the Bruins. I like the Sabres’ Tage Thompson who has at least one point a game this season. He has played in 81 games and has tallied 40 goals while dishing out 40 assists. With the other young skaters the Sabres have and the confidence this team has had, I like them moving on from the first round.

OUR PREDICTION: SABRES IN 5 GAMES

(D3) MONTREAL CANADIENS (48-24-10) 106 POINTS VS (D2) TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (50-26-6) 106 POINTS

The Canadiens and the Lightning are very good at putting the biscuit in the basket. Both teams finished with the same amount of points in the standings. The Lightning average 3.52 points per game. The Canadiens had a monster year from Nick Suzuki who went over the 100 point mark for the season.

Suzuki had 29 goals while dishing out 72 assists for 101 points. You have to go back 40 years since a Montreal player eclipsed 100 points. The Lightning have the Russian Rifle Nikita Kucheron who had 130 points this season. He had 44 goals and 86 assists.

Is 40 year old Corey Perry the lucky rabbit foot to get the Lightning back to finals? The only problem is he has been in the finals 5 out of the last 6 years and his teams have lost them all like the Edmonton Oilers last year. Perry has won a cup in 2007 with the Ducks. Last year he was valuable for the Oilers scoring 10 goals in 22 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Let’s not forget the Canadiens have Cole Caufield who scored 50 goals in the regular season. Montreal is a top 10 scoring team on the power play. The Lightning’s weakness is their power play. The experience goes to the Lightning. The goal tending goes to the Lightning as Andrei Vasilevskiy has been here before and has done very well. I like a long series as Lightning strikes in game seven to end Montreal.

OUR PREDICTION: LIGHTNING IN 7 GAMES

(WC2) OTTAWA SENATORS (44-27-11) 99 POINTS VS (D1)CAROLINA HURRICANES (53-22-7) 113 POINTS

When are the Hurricanes going to get over the hump in these Stanley Cup playoffs? Carolina is probably the team that experiences the most heartbreak losses in the Stanley Cup post-season the last few seasons. They say defense is a great recipe to win in the post-season as the Ottawa Senators have one of the best defensive squads in the tournament. The Hurricanes have the second best overall offense in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. The Hurricanes have talent on defense as well with a few guys that can shut down some of the bigger parts of your opponent’s offense.

The Hurricanes used a tandem unit in the net with Frederik Anderson and Brandon Bussi. Anderson has done a nice job over the last few seasons in the post-season for the Canes. Bussi had 31 wins for the Hurricanes during regular season. He could certainly become a factor.

The Senators have a pair of skaters that have lit the lamp with 30 goals this season. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson makes up the Senators’ two-headed monster on offense for Ottawa.

The Hurricanes have the post-season experience. The Senators come in with a lethal power play. The Hurricanes’ special teams on the penalty kill is a top 10 unit. The Hurricanes have some great skaters in Sebastin Aho who lit the lamp 27 times during regular season. Seth Jarvis can cause problems for the Senators. How will the Senators goalie Linus Ullmark do during this post-season with a legit offense the Hurricanes have? I like defense that could help the Senators goalie play better. My X-factor is the younger Tkachuk Brady, who played for the USA team during the Olympics. His brother is a big deal with the Florida Panthers. I think Brady will come up big in this tournament. This is a series destined to go the full tilt.

OUR PREDICTION: SENATORS WIN IT IN 7 GAMES

(D3) PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (43-27-12) 98 POINTS VS (D2) PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (41-25-16) 98 POINTS

It’s the battle of Pennsylvania in the first round between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. You have to always think the Pittsburgh Penguins are a threat in the Stanley Cup playoffs. It’s the first time the Flyers have been in the post-season since 2020. The Flyers were 9 points out of the second wild card spot on March 10th. The Flyers finished the season strong with a 13-4-1 record to get into the tournament. The Penguins head coach Dan Muse has done a solid job in his first year. Muse was never a head coach before and has his team playing the game without free flowing and not a care in the world. The Flyers are a young team & their star have overachieved this season. The Flyers veteran goalie is coming off his best NHL season as well.

Dan Vladar is 28 years of age and has played for three franchises in the NHL. In his 6th season between the pipes, Vladar’s first season as a Flyer won a career high of 29 games as the starting goalie.

The three time Stanley cup winner Sid the Kid Crosby for the Penguins can still light up the lamp as he had 29 goals this regular season.

The Penguins season was on the brink with some injuries. The Penguins General manager made some nice savvy moves to keep this team afloat. The Penguins acquired Egor Chinahov along with Elmer Soderblom. Two guys that helped this team in the second half of the season. The Flyers younger stars get their taste of the post-season which could be a building process for the future. The Flyers have 3 upcoming stars in Porter Martowe, Tyson Foerster and Matvei Michkov could really make a name for themselves in these playoffs. The Penguins have the experience and super powers like Evgeni Malkin who can be dangerous for Vlader, who is inexperienced in post-season play. The Penguins’ highly paid defensemen former Shark Erik Karlsson can do some damage on the offensive side of the ice. I like the experience as a whole for Pittsburgh. I think the Flyers will steal a few games as the Penguins’ goal tending is not very special. The Penguins will be able to dispatch the Flyers rather easily.

OUR PREDICTION: PENGUINS IN 6 GAMES

WESTERN CONFERENCE

(W2) LA KINGS (35-27-20) 90 POINTS VS (D1) COLORADO AVALANCHE (55-16-11) 121 POINTS

It seems like the LA Kings always have to face the best team in round 1. The Colorado Avalanche roster has plenty of depth. Last year the Kings got off to 2-0 over the Edmonton Oilers & then hit the big slide in the game of Chutes and Ladders.

This is the last post-season for the Kings’ long time captain, Anze Kopitar, who is hanging up the skates after one more chance at Lord Stanley’s Cup. He has won two Cups with the Kings.

The Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood this regular season achieved his first 30 win season between the pipes.

The Avalanche have 4 lines that are solid. They have three defensive pairings that can get the job done on defense. They have two solid goalies. They average 3.65 goals per game while allowing the fewest at 2.43 per game. The Kings traded for Artemi Panarin who came over from the Rangers & helped LA playoff push down the threat. Panarin, who played for the three biggest market in the states now, in Chicago, New York and LA, will have to come up big if they can find a way to upset the Avalanche juggernaut. The Avalanche superstar Nathan Mackinnon, unlike in the Olympics, will come up huge in this series to prevent an LA upset.

OUR PICK: AVALANCHE IN 4 GAMES

(D3) MINNESOTA WILD (46-24-12) 112 POINTS VS (D2) DALLAS STARS (50-20-12) 112 POINTS

This match up you have to call it the North Stars series.

How does a hockey team move away from the state of Minnesota where hockey and ice fishing is everything, to the state of Texas? The Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas and dropped the North in their nickname, becoming just the Stars. The Wild would replace the North Stars as an expansion team later on. The Stars of Dallas made it to the Western Conference finals last year and lost to the Edmonton Oilers. The Wild were ousted in the first round by the Golden Knights. Both teams you have to believe improved from last year.

The Wild relied heavily on their defense last year. This year they improved their scoring as they are one of the strongest teams in the offensive zones at lighting the lamp. The team still has a great defense and a tandem of goalies that can get the job done on any night. Or ride the hotter hand. The Wild have two studs between the pipes in Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. They are 4th in the league with 2.87 goals against per games.

The Dallas Stars have finished the regular season with over 100 points in the standings 4 straight years. After the loss to the Oilers, the Stars thought they needed a new direction at head coach and fired Pete DeBoer during the summer. The new hire has already paid off what Pete did last regular season as the new face and head coach is Glen Gulutzan who worked with the Oilers coaching staff. The team that knocked out the Stars. The Stars are hoping with a new face and different post-season adjustments and knowledge of one of the best teams in the conference, it will pay off this go around. Many questioned the move DeBoer made in game versus the Oilers benching their franchise goalie Jake Oettinger.

I think this series may be one of the hardest ones to determine a winner. The Wild are better than last year and could give these Stars an early exit. The Stars are just so talented and have survived plenty of first rounds in post-season and went deep in the playoffs. I see the Stars aligning in survival and somehow coming through in a series that goes the distance like Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed’s epic bout.

OUR PREDICTION: STARS WIN IT IN 7 GAMES

(WC1) UTAH MAMMOTH (43-32-6) 92 POINTS VS (D1) LAS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS (39-26-17) 95 POINTS

This is the first time the Utah Mammoth have made the post-season since the Arizona Coyotes franchise moved to Mormon territory. The Las Vegas Golden Knights have been a staple in post-season since they arrived in the league as an expansion team. The Golden Knights won it all in 2023 and fired the head coach of that team in Bruce Cassidy only weeks ago. They gave the job to John Tortorella, who won 7 out of 8 games down the stretch for Vegas.

The captain of the Mammoth, a guy who played several years with the Coyotes the team that drafted him, had another good year. In year two with Utah he scored 26 goals and dished out 62 assists for 88 points. His leadership with some additional veterans this team added this off-season means they hope can go beyond the first round.

When it comes to the post-season, Mitch Marner does it all for the Golden Knights. He plays heavy minutes. He helps on defense. He averages at least 1 point per contest in the last 3 post-seasons. He scored 24 goals and dished out 56 assists this regular season.

The Mammoth can light the lamp and have many guys that can get the puck in the net. The Mammoth have 6 players that have 20 or more goals this season. They have 10 players that have double figures in goals scored.

Since John Tortorella took over, the Golden Knights save percentage went up. Carter Hart had .887 save percentage for the Golden Knights. Then he made six starts with the new head coach down the stretch & he was stellar in the net with .930 save %.

The Mammoth additions of veterans equals out to 4 Cups and 59 post-season games. The Mammoth are in the top 10 allowing the few shots on net and scoring chances. I feel like the Mammoth will make some noise in this first round by dispatching this Golden Knight team even though they are playing better with the new coach.

OUR PREDICTION: MAMMOTH WINS THIS IN 6 GAMES

(D3) ANAHEIM DUCKS (43-33-6) 92 POINTS VS (D2) EDMONTON OILERS (41-30-11) 93 POINTS

The Edmonton Oilers have lost in back to back Stanley Cup finals two straight seasons. The bright side is they will not have to worry about the Florida Panthers because they did not make the Stanley Cup post-season this year.

It did not take Joel Quenneville very long to get the Anaheim Ducks into the post-season. This is the first post-season action for the former Blackhawks head coach since he was banned from the league. He helped Chicago win three Stanley Cups. Then went to Florida & had to step away from the game because he helped cover up a sexual assault investigation back in his Chicago days.

The Oilers have the best hockey player in the league in Connor McDavid. The supporting cast is in question for this year’s Oilers squad. McDavid is Batman and Leon Draisaitl is a better Robin. However Leon may not be available for this playoff run due to an injury.

Meanwhile the Ducks have built around the youth players like Leo Carlsson who notched 29 goals and dished out 38 assists this season. The Ducks brought in veterans like John Carlson who has done wonders for that Ducky defense. Others they brought in that have made a difference are Mikael Granlund, Radko Gudas, Alex Killorn, Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba.

The supporting cast around the Oilers super heroes is different this season. They have lost veterans like Connor Brown, Evander Kane, Brett Kulak, John Klingberg, and Corey Perry who are all playing elsewhere. The Oilers have dug themselves in holes the last few seasons and others on the roster would step up and help the superstars get back on track. Edmonton may not be so lucky this year. I think the Oilers time is up this season like the Panthers. Joel Q is a mad scientist. His game plan will help the Ducks get by the power of McDavid. They will move on to the second round because they have more depth on their entire roster than Edmonton has to offer.

OUR PREDICTION: DUCKS IN 6 GAMES

CELEBRINI HAS THE SHARKS ON THE VERGE OF RESURFACING INTO THE STANLEY CUP POST-SEASON

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The San Jose Sharks have been around since 1991 and have been a staple most of their existence in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. In 34 seasons the Sharks have made the post-season 21 times. The last seven years the Sharks have not been swimming close to beaches as they’ve been hanging out in deeper waters instead. Last time the Sharks made post-season play was back in the 2018-19 season. This season suddenly the youth have gone wild. The Sharks have added some nice veterans to the mix. This year’s team finds themselves one point behind the Seattle Kraken & LA Kings for the second wild spot in the Western Conference. Last year the Sharks sank deep into the depth of the NHL standings and tallied up only 44 points. This season they have a winning record at 32-28-6 which is good for 70 points. One of the biggest reasons why the Sharks are swimming closer to the coast line this season is because of the rise of Macklin Celebrini. He’s a 19 year old in his 2nd NHL season making an early statement being one of the league’s up-and-coming Superstars.

Macklin Celebrini was drafted number 1 overall in the NHL draft in 2024. In his rookie season Celebrini tallied 25 goals while racking up 38 assists for a total of 63 points. In year two of his NHL career, Celebrini is 5th in the NHL in points. This season the Sharks’ young forward has lit the lamp 35 times which is already 10 goals more than his rookie season. He has dished out 60 assists which is good for 95 points. In two seasons Celebrini has tallied up 60 goals along with dishing out 98 assists for 158 points. He has helped the Sharks franchise speed up the process. He is getting his team to the level of playing meaningful hockey this quickly in his career. The next Connor McDavid was going to be the number 1 draft pick in the 2023 NHL draft from the Blackhawks in Connor Bedard. Bedard has been around 3 seasons in Chicago. In those 3 seasons he has lit the lamp 72 times while racking up 120 assists for 192 total points. Bedard has had some injuries he has dealt with so far in his first three seasons. Celebrini looks closer to McDavid than Bedard. The Blackhawks have tried to add pieces around their young superstar with veterans and trying to develop young draft picks to play alongside Bedard, but it has not worked out. It’s the same ole story for Chicago as they are once again at the bottom of the barrel in the hockey world. While Celebrini was skating with the top line with McDavid for Canada at the recent Winter Olympics. Bedard did not play in the Olympics.

Connor Bedard was drafted by the Blackhawks number 1 overall in 2023. In the same year, the San Jose Sharks selected center Will Smith at number 4 overall in the 2023 NHL draft. Smith came one season earlier than Macklin Celebrini. In two seasons hockey experts compare Smith and Celebrini as that young pair of superstars the last Blackhawks dynasty had in Jonathan Toews along with Patrick Kane. Let’s remember Kane and Toews hoisted three Stanley Cups for the Blackhawks and took that franchise out of the ark ages. In the first few seasons before they hoisted their first one in 2010, they were on the brink taking their team to the post-season. Then the Chicago dynamic duo finally made the Stanley Cup playoffs and shone. Then Chicago added more talent around them and the rest is history with that dynasty. Smith this season has 19 goals along with assists which is good for 45 points and he is only 21 years of age. These two Sharks are growing into Great Whites as we speak.

The Sharks record after the Olympic break in the action of the NHL are 5-4-2 which counts that loss last night to Connor McDavid’s Oilers. The Sharks have added some nice veterans to this squad. The last two years Tyler Toffoli has contributed to the Sharks. He’s a 14 year veteran in the NHL and has 18 goals this season. The Sharks do not have a true captain on this team. As they have multiple alternates which includes Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini. Other players on the Sharks that have authority on the team on and off the ice include veteran Barclay Goodrow. Goodrow started his career with the Sharks in the 2014-15 season. The 32 year old winger has been back wearing the teal in his second stint with the team for last two seasons. He comes back to San Jose after winning two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sharks roster also features some younger players which are starting to develop. The Sharks have only made it to one Stanley Cup with all those post-season appearances which was in 2016. Goodrow was on that Sharks team with stars they had like Joe Thornton, Logan Culture, Patrick Marleau, and Brent Burns. That 2016 team did not win the Cup that year as the Penguins knocked out San Jose that season. With a young dynamic duo in place with Smith and Celebrini, the Sharks could be better than those old teams they used to have. If the Sharks make it to post-season this year earlier than projected with all those young guys, it will be a good thing just with the experience they can get.These guys are growing together. Most of the veterans they have now will be gone when this team gets really good. New veteran pieces will be added along with these solid younger pieces they assembled who continue to take another step each season. Celebrini looks legit and will be the one of the next superstars in the NHL for years and years. I hope the Sharks make it to the post-season to see these kids experience their first taste in the Lord Stanley Cup post-season.

DUNCAN KEITH MAKES THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME IN FIRST BALLOT

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Duncan Keith did not get all the glory of the recent Chicago Blackhawks dynasty like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. He was part of the big three on those 3 Stanley Cups the Blackhawks hoisted from 2010 through 2015. You’ve heard of the saying, “flip the script.” Keith flipped the ice on defense not only to clear the puck but to set up the offense and all the weapons the Blackhawks had back then. He was an iron man, a pillar each game & he hardly ever left the ice. He ran the power play like a quarterback. He killed off penalties like a bomb technician. Most importantly he was the last line of defense for the goalie throwing himself in front of 1,896 shots from a puck that can hit speeds of 90 MPH. When you lose ten teeth in a Stanley Cup finals game, most players would call it a night. Keith got back on the ice after looking like he spit out his teeth like spitting out a bad box of Chiclets. He earned the nickname Duncan “Teeth” and throughout 17 seasons he showed the hockey world why he was one of the best defensemen in the game.

Duncan Keith was originally drafted in the second round of the 2002 NHL draft 54th overall by the Blackhawks. He played 16 seasons wearing the Indian Head sweater. He closed out his career in Canada, the lone season he played for the Edmonton Oilers. He scored 106 goals and dished out 540 assists for 646 points in regular season. He played in 1,192 NHL regular season games which came out to 33,495 minutes and 55 seconds. That tells you he hardly came off the ice. He only missed a handful of games in his entire career. Keith was a 3x All-Star. He was a 2x winner of the Norris trophy which is for the league’s top notch defenseman of the year. He won the Conn Smythe trophy in 2014 & ’15 which was MVP in the playoffs those years. He helped his native country of Canada win two gold medals as well. He was named one of the 100 greatest players on the 100th year anniversary of the NHL in 2017. Keith has made his mark as one of the best all-time defensemen with the Blackhawks. He is first with most games played in regular season. He is number two all-time in Blackhawks history with assists and points by a defenseman. He is number three in goals as a defender. His post-season stats were solid. Keith leads all Blackhawks defensemen in 135 post-season games played all-time and 68 assists and 86 points. He is 4th all-time in Blackhawks history with 18 post-season goals as a defender.

Duncan Keith had the hockey smile of missing teeth. His parade speech in 2010 will always be a memory for me when he came up to the microphone and asked the Blackhawks nation: “Anybody know a good dentist?”

Duncan Keith is from Winnipeg, Manitoba & will be the 48th player wearing the Indian Head sweater to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Keith was only 6’1″ tall but he played defense like he was much bigger. He always showed physical dominance around the net. He established his territory on the ice which was between the red and blue line on the ice. He was a master at steering the opponents to the outside because he had quick feet along with a quick stick. He prevented breakaways which have haunted most goalies in their career. He may have been playing on a half a tank his last few years in the NHL. Most of his career he was a guy that you can count on as he showed he was one of the main engine parts of that Blackhawks dynasty. Keith becomes the second player from that dynasty to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Marian Hossa was the first as he played a pivotal role on that dynasty, but he had a decorated career when he signed with Chicago as a free agent. Keith was drafted around the same time as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews as the Blackhawks were assembling a young core of superstars. Before these guys were drafted, the Blackhawks were one of the worst franchises in sports. The front office and more importantly the ownership got their act together and rode the coat tails of all the young talent they got from being very bad for years and years. Seems like the black clouds are back following one of the original six franchises which the Blackhawks are, but things have been looking up. In the meantime how time goes by like a blur, it seems like yesterday Chicago was spoiled with playoff hockey every year and this core getting this team deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs. During questionable times, we get to reflect on remembering all the good memories guys like Duncan Keith gave the city of Chicago and the Blackhawks nation. It’s on my bucket list to go see the Hockey Hall of Fame as I have done both baseball and football. To see all those great Blackhawks players enshrined would be something special. Right now we have to congratulate number 2, Duncan Keith. I’m sure the jersey retirement is being scheduled sometime soon with more to come from others from that dynasty where more celebrations will be had. In Chicago we always love our defenses. Duncan Keith was a guy that brought his lunch pail to the job everyday. He practiced his craft everyday and showed his talent for denying the opposing teams from lighting the lamp. He did it night after night against the best in the game. His play will always be priceless for what he did on the ice and being a solid guy off the ice. That’s why he is a first ballot hockey hall of famer.

CAPTAIN TOEWS WILL BE FLYING JETS FOR WINNIPEG AIRLINES

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The Captain, Jonathan Toews, comes back to the NHL & will land him home with the Winnipeg Jets. Toews stepped away from the game for two seasons dealing with health issues. The last two seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was limited to so many games dealing with effects of chronic inflammatory response syndrome. He also dealt with Covid in long stretches. The last time the Captain was on the ice was the 2022-23 season where he played in 53 games. After a 5 week healing journey to India and several months of training, he’s ready to make a comeback at 37 years of age. The Captain had a few suitors, but the Jets who are a playoff team and they play in his home town, would be hard to refuse as he signs a one year deal worth 2 million.

Nicknamed Captain Serious, Jonathan Toews’ 15 year career in the NHL he is decorated like a 20 star General. He played all 15 seasons with the Blackhawks and helped them hoist three Stanley Cups. In 2017 at the NHL Centennial Celebration, he made the list of the best 100 players of all-time. His former teammates, Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane, also made the list. Toews was the number 3 pick overall in the 2006 NHL draft. He is an all around center who shoots the puck from the left side. He has played in 1,067 NHL games and has racked up 883 points. He has scored 372 goals and dished out 511 assists. His home town of Winnipeg will remember the Captains playing in the Olympics for Canada as they won back to back Gold metals in 2010 then again in 2014.

The Winnipeg Jets won the President’s Cup last season. The Jets made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and were knocked out by the Dallas Stars. I really like this move by both parties here. The Jets add a talented piece to the roster with a ton of playoff experience. Jonathan Toews will be playing for a playoff team and not some bottom feeder team trying to put fannies in the seats by signing a has-been player. Is Toews a has-been? The Jets will not be getting the super star version of Toews. His last season in Chicago he had 15 goals and 16 assists in those 53 games. He was dealing with his health issues. If he is healed and perfectly healthy, the Jets should get better numbers from the Captain. Even if he is not the Captain, it is always good to have that experience he has in the general locker room which could help this already talented Jets team. Look at the Florida Panthers trading for 37 year old Brad Marchand during the reason and the results they got in the post-season. Toews will be playing with a chip on his shoulder because his former team irked him after his 8 year contract expired that season in 2023. You never want to see guys like Toews leave your team as he should always be wearing the Indian head sweater, especially after 15 seasons. That will be an exciting game when Toews comes back to play at the United Center in Chicago. It certainly was exciting when Patrick Kane back in the enemy sweater his first trip home to Chicago. I would like to see the Captain hit the 400 goals milestone before he hangs up the skates for good. He needs 28 more goals and doing that in the uniform and team he grew up watching, is a cool ending to a great career for him. The thing about this move is Toews will not be expected to do all the stuff he did with the Blackhawks. He will just play the game and being away from the game for two seasons, you miss playing. The body should be rested and the juices should be flowing and I believe this savvy move here will be worth it. The Jets may need another savvy move or two after this one if they are serious about a Stanley Cup. You know Captain Serious is surely serious about winning another cup.

NHL 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTIONS

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In round two of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I went an even 2-2 in all 4 series I predicted. In round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I went 6-2. That gives me an 8-4 record overall in the NHL playoff series in this 2025 Stanley Cup post-season. I have not done well at predicting the games my prediction won it in. Perhaps I need to pick up my crystal ball from the cleaners. Now we are down to the final 4 teams in the Stanley Cup post-season. We have two playoff series as I try to predict winners of the two conferences championship games. I could just give you the match up from last year between Edmonton and Florida and call it a day. I want you to read them as I did not just go with the same two teams from last year. I will offer one hint as one of the two teams from last year make it back to the Stanley Cup finals. One does not. We will see if I’m right as I roll out my two predictions for the Stanley Cup conference championship games.

THE FINAL 4

WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

DALLAS STARS VERSUS EDMONTON OILERS

Season series: (2-1) favoring the Stars, Playoff history: (6-2) 8 series favoring Stars

Second round results: Stars eliminated the Jets in six games. The Oliers eliminated the Golden Knights in 5 games.

First round Dallas knocked out the Avalanche while Oilers knocked out the Kings

This is the third straight season the Dallas Stars have reached the Western Conference finals. It’s the third time in 4 seasons the Oilers have reached the Western Conference finals. This will be the second year in a row that the Stars and Oilers face off in the Western Conference finals as we know Edmonton prevailed last year.

For the Oilers, this team runs on Connor McDavid, one of the NHL superstars. Every Michael Jordan needs that Scottie Pippen and the Oilers have that in Leon Draisaitl. For most of the post-season, it has been McDavid and Draisaitl carrying this team on their shoulders. The Oilers finally got some other contributors in the last round. Guys like Corey Perry, Adam Henrque, and the degenerate gambler Evander Kane. Finally others are finding ways to score other than Connor and Leon.

MIRO RETURN

In the second round, the Stars got back their best defensive player in Miro Heiskanen who missed the first round. The Stars have solid goal-tending, they have a deep defensive unit, and Miro is the real deal. The Stars on offense have a slew of scoring forwards that have been contributing. Even the man of steel.

In 4th liner, is Sam Steel who has made the best of his playing time so far in the post-season adding his few pucks into the nets.

The Oilers I thought would be knocked out quickly by the Kings in the first round. They then surprised me when they dominated the Golden Knights. I think defense beats offense. The Oilers goaltender, Stuart Skinner, has been stopping the pucks he needs to stop. He’s not letting anything easy get by while the superstars handle the full load on the other side of the ice. The Stars goaltender, Jake Oettinger, has covered up the net up like the blob eating everything that is shot at him.

The Stars have the 3rd best penalty killing team while the Oilers are 3rd worst. I think the Stars will make Skin ole Stuart Skinner alive with shots coming at him from all directions. I feel the Stars can contain the Oilers superpower while policing the other suddenly contributors Edmonton had last series. I feel like I should just stick with the Oilers because they screwed me every time in this post-season so far. I’m that guy that believes better defense can beat the better offense. Count me out on the same match up as last season’s Stanley Cup final.

OUR PREDICTION: STARS WIN IT IN 6 GAMES

EASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS FLORIDA PANTHERS

Season series: (2-1) favoring the Panthers, Playoff history: (4-0) 4 series favoring Panthers

Second round results: The Hurricanes eliminated the Capitals in 5 games. The Panthers eliminated the Maple Leafs in 7 games.

First round Carolina knocked out the Devils while the Panthers knocked out Tampa Bay.

The defending champions, Florida Panthers, now have reached their third straight Eastern Conference championship and looking for the two-peat. The Carolina Panthers are 8-2 in the post-season so far and making it look easy. The Hurricanes have that stingy defense while the Panthers will knock the daylights out of you with that aggressive style of fore checking.

Frederik Anderson has been one of the best goalies in post-season for the Carolina Hurricanes. With his play in the net, the Hurricanes have a plus 16 goal differential in the post-season so far. The Panthers made some nice savvy moves to improve an already championship roster at the trade deadline. A former Boston Bruin is paying off.

Brad Marchland has 12 post-season goals already in the first two playoff series for the Panthers. Could he be the equalizer for Anderson’s net play?

The Hurricanes have been knocking on the door with this group trying to get over the hump into the finals for the last few seasons. The Panthers have been battle tested so far in the first two rounds with the Lightning and Leafs last round. Will the Panthers be worn out after fighting their way back in that series versus Toronto after going down 2 games to nothing? The Hurricanes are one of the best teams at puck handling and possession of the biscuit on the ice. It seems like Florida can do whatever the Panthers do, just better at it. The Panthers goalie, Sergei Bobrovski, turned into the brick wall when needed in that Leafs series in the net. I like the champs experience in general and their team has the depth it needs and can handle adversity. The Canes have had it too easy in the post-season and will find out what adversity is when the Panthers start to put them in their place.

OUR PREDICTION: PANTHERS IN SIX GAMES

NHL 2025 STANLEY PLAYOFFS: SECOND ROUND PREDICTIONS

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In round 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I predicted 6 out of the 8 game series right. I went 6-2 in straight up winners. I did not do well in predicting the right amount of games of my winners winning the series. In the first round I went 1-7 in that category. I will once again throw my two cents into the ring and throw in my hopeful savvy predictions for round two. We have two series in each conference left. I have predicted each series once again with a winner and by the games it will take them to win and move on to the semi-finals. Some of these series could go wither way. That’s why the Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the best post-seasons in sports so we may be surprised if my picks go well or go wonky. I lean on the side of wonky but am still optimistic about my winners. This is why we play the games to see if I end up with egg on my face.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

CAROLINA HURRICANES VERSUS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

Season series: (2-2) Playoff history: Carolina (1-0) 1 series

First round results: Washington eliminated Montreal in 5 games. Carolina eliminated New Jersey in 5 games.

The Capitals and Hurricanes feature two goalies with the highest save percentage left in the tournament. Both goalies were injured in the first round. The Hurricanes’ net minder, Frederik Anderson, is expected to play in this series. Logan Thompson for the Capitals returned in the same game he was injured. Thompson is locked in.

Do the Hurricanes have the recipe to defeat the Capitals with constantly pressure and puck possession? Head Coach of the Hurricanes, Rod Brind Amour, has a system focus on possession on the puck. The Capitals remain one of the top seeds left in the NHL playoffs and will have the home ice. Why do the experts doubt the Capitals getting by the Hurricanes? When the Hurricanes seem the favorite in a series they fold like cheap card table.

The Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov scored 5 goals in the first series versus the Devils. He is tied with the most tallies in the Stanley Cup playoffs so far of the players that teams have survived. This should be a series that goes the distance. I feel it’s the Capitals’ time right now as Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Getzky’s record. He is due to heat up at any time. The Capital have many games where they dominate with the most shots as a team. I think Thompson will stay hot in the next that will decide this series.

OUR PREDICTION: CAPITALS IN 7 GAMES

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS FLORIDA PANTHERS

Season series: (3-1) favoring Florida. Playoff history: Florida (1-0) 1 series

Round 1 results: Toronto eliminated Ottawa in 6 games, Florida eliminated Tampa Bay in 5 games.

I did not think the champs were going to hold off the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers proved me wrong. Matthew Tkachuk, back for the Panthers and playing well in the first round, was the X factor for the defending champs defending their title from last season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs avoided the one and done this go around in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The award is a Panthers team that won it all last year and are another demon in the minds of these Maple Leafs. Yes two years ago the Panthers and Maple Leafs met up in the 2nd round as the Panthers put away Toronto 4 games to 1. The Maple Leafs are a better team than two seasons ago and should provide their fan base a better showing versus the Panthers this round. The Maple Leafs with their net minder Anthony Stolarz could hang with the Panthers. He will need to get red hot to give the Maple Leafs any chance to prevail in this series. The Panthers will throw bodies at Stolarz in front of the net to cause confusion and make sure he has plenty of blind spots. The depth of the Panthers helps as this roster is geared up for another long run. The experience goes the Panthers’ way as well. I believe the Lightning flipped the Panthers’ playoff switch as this team in dialed in for a repeat.

OUR PREDICTION: PANTHERS IN SIX GAMES

WESTERN CONFERENCE

DALLAS STARS VS WINNIPEG JETS

Season series: (3-1) favoring Winnipeg. No playoff history.

Round 1 results: Dallas eliminated Colorado in 7 games. Winnipeg eliminated St. Louis in 7 games.

The Stars and the Jets took their first round series to the brink and prevailed in their game sevens to get here. The Stars beat a solid Colorado team who many thought would be a Stanley Cup contender. The Stars did it without guys like Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson. The Jets goalie, Connor Hellebuyck, can finally say he slayed his dragon playoff nightmares winning that game 7. The Jets had to fight and claw their way back in that game with a comeback in game 7. Connor was a brick wall in the two overtimes. Is that enough to believe he and his Jets can use that game 7 to take down this Stars team?

The Stars and the Avalanche – many said the winner gets to the Stanley Cup championship. The Stars stayed poised not rushing their studs back into the stables. Now they will get those two guys back for this second round series. Mikko Rantanen was huge for the Stars in the first round against his former team, the Avalanche. The Jets meanwhile have injuries to Mark Scheirele and Josh Morrissey who could play but will not be 100%. The Stars will give Hellebuyck a new playoff nightmare after this series as he and the Jets will not be able to stop this deep Stars team.

OUR PREDICTION: STARS IN 5 GAMES

EDMONTON OILERS VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

Season series: Even (2-2) Playoff history: Vegas (1-0) 1 series

Round 1 results: Edmonton eliminated LA in 6 games. Vegas eliminated Minnesota in 6 games.

The Edmonton Oilers looked like they were going to be knocked out of the playoffs quickly by the LA Kings who put a beat down on goalie Stuart Skinner. The Vegas Golden Knights were also being battle tested early on in their series versus the Wild. Both teams made adjustments. The Oilers went with Calvin Pickard who saved this Edmonton team in the net. Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy made a line change putting Jack Eichel and William Karlsson on the same line which worked well as the Golden Knights then buried the animals in the dessert. The Oilers team was carried by their two superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. You want your superstars to do the heavy lifting but not everything. It seems like the rest of the team was MIA.

The Oilers will need other members of their team to contribute in round two. The Golden Kights have the golden hair, Thor, the man that can contain Connor McDavid and that is William Karlsson, who has had the best of the Oilers lead scorer. The Oilers have missed the absence of Mattias Ekholm, a guy that can make this Oilers squad a well-oiled machine. The Oilers don’t have enough Roughnecks to keep up with this Vegas squad through a 7 game series. Can you bet against McDavid and Draisaitl? I can count on Calvin Pickard to save the series in the net so I have to go Vegas.

OUR PICK: GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN SIX GAMES

NHL 2025 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: FIRST ROUND PREDICTIONS

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The NHL playoffs are one of the better post-seasons to watch in all of sports. The first round of the 2025 Stanley cup playoffs has some epic match ups on the docket. Unfortunately I do not have a pony in the race as my team has been at the bottom of the barrel in the NHL for years, and there’s no sign of any day light anytime soon.

Maybe I’m in need of adopting a new team in the 2025 playoffs without being one of those bandwagon jumpers. Some solid choices to root for. Everyone has teams or cities you dislike as I do too. Without prejudging any team or city that made the playoff tournament. I threw my hat into the ring and executed a winner out of each series by looking at all the data and going with gut feelings. I am not guaranteeing any epic outcomes in my picks. I may be off my rocker. I may be dead on with my predictions. My gut tells me I’ll end up Even-Steven somehow. We will see as I can’t be the only one to throw darts at each match up and come out smelling like roses. Here we go round one, let the games begin of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

ST. LOUIS BLUES VS WINNIPEG JETS

This series should be a low scoring affair between these two teams. It’s the Jets’ second straight season where they have won over 50 games. For the Blues they won 13-16 games to close the season out. You could say for St. Louis they have been one of the hotter teams in the last 3 months because they play solid defense. Meanwhile the Jets as a team have lit the lamp during regular season 273 times which is tied for 4th in the league. The Jets’ top scorers are Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele who have combined for 79 goals this season.

Can the Blues goalie, Jordan Binnington, relive the magic years back when he got hot and St. Louis went all the way to capture the Stanley Cup? Binnington played a big part in the net for Canada in the Frozen Four tournament this past February. The Jets have one of the best net minders in the league in Connor Hellebuyck. Can the Blues do what the Avalanche did to Hellebuyck last post-season & make him look average?

Hellebuyck suited up for the United States in that face off Frozen Four tournament. I think it’s Connor time here. Jets avenge last year’s post season nightmare and dispatch the Blues who lack true fire power in this match up.

OUR PICK: JETS IN SIX GAMES

DALLAS STARS VERSUS COLORADO AVALANCHE

The Stars vs Avalanche is one of the biggest match ups in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Both teams are Stanley Cup contenders as one of them will be going home after the first round. The Stars have been consistent all year round. The Stars have 8 snipers who can put the puck in the net. Eight guys with 20 or more goals. The Avalanche tinkered with their roster and made some nice solid moves. This may be a better Avalanche roster than they had when they won the Cup in 2022. If this series goes the distance, game seven favors Dallas. About their Head Coach, Pete DeBoer, his teams are 8-0 in series deciders which is game 7’s.

Dallas comes into the post-season with a 7 game losing streak which it’s very hard to flip the switch to post-season. The Stars lack defense as they will have to rely on their goal scoring to win this series. The Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar will not be held back in this series and will have a field day exploiting the Stars’ weakness in front of the castle.

OUR PREDICTION: AVALANCHE IN SIX GAMES

MINNESOTA WILD VERSUS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

The Wild have gone through many injuries this season just to get to this point. The Vegas Golden Knights are in familiar grounds, the post-season, where they thrive even though they were just a expansion team not many moons ago. The Wild will have two of their main guys going in this series: Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson E.K. The Wild ranked 26th in the league in scoring which averages out to 2.74 goals per game. The Golden Knights average 3.34 goals per game which is 5th in the league. The good things for the Wild is their goalie, Filip Gustavsson, who could make any playoff series a tough out. The Golden Knights also struggle on the penalty kill which can help the Wild. The Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel had a monster year with 93 points in regular season.

I like the X-San Jose Shark, Tomas Hertl, who is a post- season beast. He’s my X-factor as he has 16 goals & 24 points in 29 post-season games from his days wearing the teal. The Golden Knights have a deeper roster and are more skilled than this Wild squad.

OUR PICK: GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN 5 GAMES

LA KINGS VERSUS EDMONTON OILERS

This is the 4th time in so many years the Oilers and Kings will mix it up in the post-season. The Oilers have won all three series.

Connor McDavid is the top super star of the NHL which will give the Oilers a big advantage in this series. The Kings are no joke in this series. In the last month of regular season, the Kings offense have scored 64 goals which was the most during that time span. The Kings goalie, Darcy Kuemper, is having a great season in his first year in LA. He had 31 regular season wins. What worries me about the Oilers is they will not have their top defenseman. Mattias Ekholm has been ruled out this series. Does LA have an X-factor in X-Oiler Warren Foegele who they can unleash on Edmonton. Foegele had three post-season goals for Edmonton last season. Let’s not forget about Leon.

Leon Draisaitl is another superstar in the NHL who is not talked about enough. The Kings will make this a series. It will go the full tilt. In the end, McDavid and Draisaitl help Edmonton just get by the Kings in the first round.

OUR PICK: OILERS IN SEVEN GAMES

EASTERN CONFERENCE

MONTREAL CANDADIENS VS WASHINGTON CAPITALS

We all are thinking the same thing. Can Alex Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s record and win the Stanley Cup in the same season? In the first round, the Capitals face a rebuilding Montreal team with plenty of youth that can go wild. The Capitals had a monster year this season winning over 50 games. The Canadiens need their net minder to be unstoppable in this series. Can Sam Montembeault have that kind of series?

I can say Logan Thompson for the Capitals could have that epic goalie run in the post-season. Thompson finished with a .910 save percentage and has only allowed 2.49 goals per contest. The focus will be on the Russian. Hiding on the ice somewhere will be Tom Wilson who creates havoc and get under players’ skin. Wilson can put the puck into the net as well as he had 33 goals this season. The Capitals have depth and defense and can score over the inexperience of this Montreal squad.

OUR PICK: CAPITALS IN 5 GAMES

NEW JERSEY DEVILS VERSUS CAROLINA HURRICANES

The Devils’ number one fan is David Puddy from Seinfeld. This series will be very interesting and I can see this one going the distance. The Devils will be without Jack Hughes which can hurt New Jersey’s chances. The Carolina Hurricanes are one of the best 5 on 5 in the league. They also allowed the fewest shots in the league. The Devils are no slouch in their team game. New Jersey has the 3rd ranked power play unit in the league. They also have the second ranked penalty kill. Both teams have solid special teams as the Hurricanes have the top ranked penalty kill in the league. Let’s talk goalies.

The Hurricane’s number goalie is Frederik Andersen who has battled all year through injuries. The Devils allow the 5th fewest goals in the league due to their goalie, Jacob Markstrom. The Devils are not the demon they are without Jack Hughes which has deflated this team. The Hurricanes always seem to get past the first round of these NHL playoffs and I think they continue that tradition and dispatch the Devils which takes game 7 to do so. The Devils will give a good fight, but it all ends in hell for Jersey.

OUR PICK: HURRICANES IN 7 GAMES

OTTAWA SENATORS VERSUS TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

The first question about Toronto: Can they slay their own playoff demons? The Senators have a very nice young core for the Maple Leafs to deal with. It starts with Brady Tkachuk, Jake Sanderson, and Tim Stutzie.

Let’s not forget about the stud Toronto has in Aushon Matthews. The Maple Leafs also have Mitch Marner and Williams Nylander. Toronto has improved their defense this season which could help them get past the first round. The Senators have solid defense and goal tending allowing only 2.80 goals per game. Since the 2004-2005 lock out season, the Maple Leafs have been ousted 8 out of 9 times in the first round. Yikes!!! I think the only way Senators win this series is if the Maple Leafs beat themselves and hand Ottawa the series. This Toronto team is deep, very dangerous, and if they get passed the Senators, they will build up confidence in the second round.

OUR PREDICTION: MAPLE LEAFS IN 5 GAMES

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VERSUS FLORIDA PANTHERS

This is the must watch series of the first round. When it comes to the state of Florida, you think college football rivals. This Florida series has been epic. This is the 4th time in the last 5 years the Lightning and Panthers have met on a date in the Stanley Cup post-season. The Panthers finally slayed the bolts last year and won it all. The Lightning have won back to back Stanley Cups in 2020 and ’21. Can the Panthers defend their title run this season or will fatigue play a role in back to back grinding post-season play? The Lightning have been hot while the Panthers finished the season threading water. The Panthers may be without Matthew Tkachuk who was a big part of why this Florida team went all the way last year. The Lightning still have the stopper in goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who had the most wins with 37 during the regular season. The Panthers acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks during the season. Jones is over paid and will need to find his game he lost years ago to help prevent the Panthers from being derailed early on.

Another X-Blackhawk, Brandon Hagel, had 35 goals this season for Tampa Bay. The Lightning have the fire power as Jack Guentzel’s first year in Tampa Bay he had a 40 goal season. This Lightning team is in the top ten at killing penalties. They are 6th in the fewest goals allowed with an average of 2.40. The Lightning always had the Panthers’ number. Without Tkachuk for the Panthers who is the heart and soul of this team, it will be tough for Florida to overcome. I like the Lightning striking in a long drawn out epic series between these two powerhouses.

OUR PICK: LIGHTNING IN SEVEN GAMES