Tank's Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Predictions (updated for Avalanche vs Stars

Eastern Conference 

• (A1) Florida Panthers vs. (A2) Boston Bruins
• Panthers in Six

A rematch from last season sees the Florida Panthers taking on the favorites role against the Boston Bruins. Last year, the Panthers rallied from down 3-1 to stun Boston in seven games. The Bruins had set records for points and wins in a season. The Panthers would go on to ride the hot goalie to the Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers are coming off an impressive five-game victory over their nemesis from Tampa, while Boston survived a seven-game series with Toronto, nearly blowing a 3-1 lead again. The Bruins looked old at times during the series with the Maple Leafs, as they had trouble scoring over the final three games. The Panthers appear to be firing on cylinders, with Carter Verhaeghe, Matthew Tkachuk, and Aleksander Barkov providing a brilliant scoring punch. At the same time, Sergei Bobrovsky could be ready for another deep playoff run in goal. 

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• (M1) New York Rangers vs. (M2) Carolina Hurricanes
• Hurricanes in Six

Each of these teams in the Metropolitan Division had easy first-round wins as the New York Rangers swept the over-the-hill Capitals. The Carolina Hurricanes needed five games to beat the Islanders, but it was nearly as easy, as the only blemish was an overtime loss in Game 4. Carolina was often explosive in their series win, scoring two goals in nine seconds in Game 2 and two goals in eight seconds in Game 5. The Rangers win over Washington was nearly too easy as they were untested, while the Hurricanes showed an ability to come from behind. The Rangers won the President's Trophy. It has been nine years since a team that won the Presidents Trophy made it to the Conference Finals. That trend will continue, as the Hurricane's ability to play tough physical hockey and score in bunches will be too much for the Rangers to overcome.  

Western Conference

• (P1) Vancouver Canucks vs. (P2) Edmonton Oilers
• Oilers in Five

Word of warning to the NHL. The Edmonton Oilers are getting good goaltending. Already possessing two of the league's most explosive goal scorers, the Oilers Achilles has been their defense and goaltending in the playoffs. Stuart Skinner is coming off a brilliant series with a .910 save percentage against the Kings. This includes a 1-0 win in Game 4. Connor McDavid has 12 points in the Oilers' five-game win, with only one goal, as he has been an expert playmaker, with Leon Draisaitl scoring five times and Zach Hyman having seven goals. The Vancouver Canucks survived a six-game series against the Predators despite losing Thatcher Demko to an injury in Game 1. Demko could return early in the series, but it will not be enough as the Oilers look like they could finally have the pieces to make a run at the Stanley Cup. 

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• (C1) Dallas Stars (C3) Colorado Avalanche
• Stars in Seven

The Dallas Stars dropped the first two games against the Golden Knights at home and faced overtime in Game 3 as their season was on the brink. Rather than fold, the Stars dug deep and won to turn the series around, beating the defending Stanley Cup champions in a seven-game battle. The Avalanche, meanwhile, buried the Jets and came into the series with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Miko Ratanen all putting up nine points in five games. While the Avalanche look like the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022, the Stars' ability to battle adversity will be useful in this series. Look for another seven-game battle, with the Stars' ability to smother top offense becoming crucial in winning the series.