Since being acquired at the trade deadline, the former Blackhawks winger hasn't produced. Kuemper's terrific regular season (37-12-4, .921 SV%, 2.54 GAA) suggests he's up to the task of what's ahead though -- even if his playoff resume to date isn't so dazzling. You could put Nurse here, and say he hasn't been an obvious difference-maker for the Oilers (to the degree a top-pairing defender usually is). Calgary got burned off a couple clean looks for that unit that turned into almost series-defining mistakes. Their power play is going to do some damage. Kaplan: Flames in six The team gets contributions from steady veterans (Jordan Staal), stellar young talents (Martin Necas) and other teams' castaways (the divisive but effective Tony DeAngelo). Coach Jon Cooper says his standout center -- the team's leading goal-scorer (30) over the past two postseasons -- is progressing from a lower-body injury he suffered in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs. James O'Brien, NHL writer: Bruins in 6. on the season, while still finding time to amass 68 penalty minutes. The Stars' first line might be its superpower, but this lineup can offer a lot more than that. Levy: Avalanche in five Washington Capitals (MP) 8. If defense wins championships (and history suggests it's a big factor), the Bruins should be feared by any opponent. Tarasenko had 11 goals and 17 points during the Blues' 2019 run. The Hurricanes had their best success on high-danger chances, scoring eight high-danger goals against the Rangers goaltender, the second-most allowed in the second round. Weekes: Rangers in seven Bold prediction: The Avalanche flip the season script, struggling to score in the early going of the playoffs and relying on team defense to step up and move them along. Colorado has to frustrate the Oilers' top skaters, make it difficult for them to find space or get in a rhythm early. UPDATED Jun. Bold prediction: The Flames advance to the Western Conference finals, including a Battle of Alberta win over the Oilers. Don La Greca: Panthers in seven Forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Phillip Danault, GM Rob Blake's key offseason pickups, were in the top four in scoring. They're the NHL's top-scoring team for a reason, having been consistently outstanding offensively since Game 1. The other thing we've seen from Edmonton is a real commitment to the defensive side of the puck from its top players. Unfortunately, Alex Ovechkin cornered the market on "he can still do that at his age, wow!" Rantanen's 36 goals led Colorado in the regular season, so seeing him hesitate to shoot the puck and fail to drive play like a $9.25 million-per-year player should in the postseason is odd. The Oilers' top trio will be a confident bunch going into the series -- as they should be -- and Colorado can send a message early by staying on top of them and standing up to that top line's speed in the middle of the ice. The Oilers played a wide-open, goal-scoring bonanza of a five-game spread against Calgary versus the Avalanche's more bruising, defensive-conscious, six-game affair against St. Louis. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, in his first season with the Lightning, and playoff hero Pat Maroon also bolster the bottom six. NHL Matchups 2022-2023 - Today's Hockey Previews, Scores & Schedules NHL Scores & Matchups Odds Free Picks News & Analysis NHL Contest Stanley Cup Injuries Teams Players Standings. At every juncture where past Oilers' teams have misstepped, this group has stepped up. Whether or not he'll again be eyeing a trade out of town this offseason, Tarasenko should take every chance to shine in the coming weeks. Look back at how Nashville started the season, winning just one of its first five games but then exploding to earn the NHL's best record (23-7-2) from mid-October to early January. DiPietro: Avalanche in seven This postseason has been different because of how strong that duo's defensive habits are. There's more to the team than just a dominant goalie, however. "I've kind of referred to us as cockroaches. . The Avalanche have an excellent power play (34.5%) but weaker penalty kill (73.1%). Draisaitl has unmatched playmaking ability and when he's on a roll, it's hard to think of how Colorado will totally contain how adept he is with the puck. The All-Star Game and the Stadium Series will be on ABC, and ESPN will have the All-Star Skills Competition. NHL on ESPN. Bold prediction: The Hurricanes get past the Bruins in the first round, but it's a grinding seven-game series. Levy: Flames in seven Buccigross: Hurricanes in seven Darcy Kuemper has been solid if unspectacular in the playoffs, posting a 6-2-0 record, .904 save percentage and 2.44 goals-against average. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Few teams are built better for a run at the Cup than the Calgary Flames. But he's expected to miss a few games in the first round due to a lower-body injury. Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning in six No one will let the Leafs forget what happened against Boston (twice) or Montreal. NHL odds, picks, and predictions for the Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights on February 23. Atlantic: FLA | TOR When Kuemper was tested, he didn't always look sharp; St. Louis caught him in bad positioning and decidedly flat-footed on a few occasions. And that could make a huge difference for the Avalanche this spring. Non-Playoff team from 2021 that will make 2022 Playoffs: Dallas Stars . They rallied to beat the Penguins after being down 3-1 in their first-round series. Bold prediction: Brandon Hagel comes alive at last. Why not Dallas? These are the playoffs. Player to watch: Tarasenko. Boucher: Hurricanes in six But breaks are only breaks if one capitalizes on them, and the Rangers have shown an impressive resiliency. A game-changing talent who also is playing for his next contract (from Nashville or someone else). Colorado's big winger has one goal in these playoffs, which he scored on an empty net in the Avs' 6-3 victory over St. Louis in Game 4. John Tortorella: Panthers in seven Some nights, the Bruins look impenetrable; the next, they're floundering in their own end. Find North Carolina vs. Virginia predictions, betting odds, moneyline, spread, over/under and more for the February 25 college basketball matchup. There hasn't been a ton of that for the Oilers; most of their key tallies have come from the same group of four or five guys. There's a lot we already knew about the Lightning after back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, from their ability to win in a variety of ways to their efficiency in elimination games. Stream the NHL on ESPN, Allen: Avalanche in five Messier: Avalanche in seven The NHL offseason formally begins with the 2022 NHL Draft in Montreal, starting with Thursday's first round (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).. If New York wants to trade chances like they did against the Hurricanes at MSG, the Lightning have finishers that make them pay in ways the Hurricanes could not. But that's the regular season. The Eastern Conference finals series is on ESPN and ESPN+, while the Stanley Cup Final will be on ABC and ESPN+. The legend of Mike Smith has only grown this postseason. Other than Nathan MacKinnon going off in Game 5 against St. Louis, and Cale Makar just being generally excellent at every turn, it's not as if Colorado has required its superstars to carry the day. After years of falling short in Philadelphia, the former Flyers captain wants to win it all. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Thanks to the steepest parity the Eastern Conference has seen in some time, the Capitals had a 100-point season for the sixth straight 82-game campaign. Players, coaches, execs vote for NHL's top centers, NHL Power Rankings: Checking in on each team's 25-and-under core, Lineup picks, matchups, start or sit advice for Wednesday, McAvoy scores in OT, Bruins beat Flames for 8th win a row, Gaudreau scores in shootout, Wild beat Islanders 2-1, Geekie ends drought with 2 goals, Kraken beat Blues 5-3, Robinson scores 3 goals in Blue Jackets' 5-3 win over Sabres, What the remaining Stanley Cup contenders learned in Round 1, Why the Avalanche are the NHL's postseason juggernaut, 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Wild have that, big-time. Football Women's Basketball Games Home ESPN Fantasy App Tortorella: Flames in six On paper, they're winning this series. Biggest flaw(s): Beyond McDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers don't necessarily have the depth that other contenders in the Western Conference can boast in their forward group or on the blue line. Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round predictions NHL.com staff members make their picks for four series They could use some more from him, especially at five-on-five. Biggest flaw(s): Minnesota's special teams are less than awe-inspiring. Biggest flaw(s): The playoffs couldn't arrive at a worse time for Pittsburgh. Anze Kopitar led the team in scoring. Edmonton trended up across the board under Woodcroft, including in the most important area: the standings, where the Oilers finished second in the Pacific. Their superstars kept improving throughout the last round and were the difference-makers at critical times. ET Venue: Moda Center -- Portland, Oregon Coverage: ESPN, ROOT Sports NW, and BSNO The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Wednesday with nine more games, including a battle between the New Orleans Pelicans and Portland Trail Blazers. Player to watch: Claude Giroux. Case for a Stanley Cup run: Colorado is a beast. Before the NBA resumes play on Thursday night, it is time to answer some big questions. Goalie Tristan Jarry, who had an outstanding regular season, has been sidelined with a broken foot that he's in the process of rehabbing. Lessons from Round 1 The Avalanche will require all hands on deck to keep pace with Edmonton. What makes Nashville dangerous (other than Roman Josi, Matt Duchene, Filip Forsberg and Juuse Saros, of course) is the chip on its shoulder, the hunger to prove the team's critics wrong. 16 teams will qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Editor's Picks. A trade to move Miller out of Vancouver would be surprising considering he signed a fresh seven-year, $56-million contract ($8 million AAV) in September 2022 a deal that won't even kick in until next season. 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: Highlights and analysis from the entire postseason. If the Flames win the Cup, it wouldn't be hard to see him taking home a Conn Smythe. This series projects to trend more toward what Edmonton just experienced, with the potential for larger momentum swings and opportunity to generate offense. They rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 series deficits to defeat the Hurricanes. . But what we've seen so far in the playoffs is Colorado primarily at its best. Matiash: Avalanche in six NHL trade grades: Kings make smart additions in Gavrikov, Korpisalo, NHL trade tracker: Latest deals, rumors and grades, Capitals send Eller to Avs for second-round pick, Kings deal Cup-winning G Quick to Blue Jackets, Rangers clear hurdles, get Kane from Blackhawks, Oilers bulk up defense, secure Predators' Ekholm, Leafs win Schenn sweepstakes, trade for veteran, Leafs deal Sandin to Capitals for Gustafsson, pick, Wild add depth, acquire Johansson from Capitals, Chasing history in Boston: The numbers behind the Bruins' wild 2022-23 season, McDavid, then who? Make Your Picks. He relieves pressure in Edmonton's end, makes smart plays up the ice and is a natural leader from whom few words are required -- but there's no doubt Keith has a "big voice" in the Oilers' room, according to teammates. Sean McDonough: Panthers in seven The Oilers peppered Calgary's Jacob Markstrom with over 34 shots per game in the second round and their elite talent up front (Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evander Kane, etc.) Granted, Nashville's Ryan Johansen did (accidentally) injure Kuemper's eye in the first round, but the goalie recovered and Colorado swept the Predators in time for Kuemper to return in the second round against St. Louis. Weekes: Flames in seven But it was also a campaign that saw Alex Ovechkin score 50 goals and carry the team for stretches this season. Returning contributors Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat can play up or down the lineup with effectiveness. We're down to the final four teams of the 2021-22 NHL season. The Lightning have a couple of players they'd like to see produce a little more, but their lack of production is injury-related in both cases. by Fantasy Hockey Staff @NHLFantasy. Failing to capitalize on man-advantage chances almost always comes back to bite teams in the postseason; ditto with struggling to keep pucks out on the kill. The Rangers didn't have to face Penguins starter Tristan Jarry until Game 7; instead, they saw backup Casey DeSmith for five and a half periods and then third-stringer Louis Domingue for just over six games. If you just ignore the three goals he gave up in the first six minutes of Game 1 against Calgary, and also put aside that he allowed a 132-foot clearing attempt past the posts in Game 4, then Smith has been unequivocally rock solid for the Oilers. February 23 first line might be its superpower, but it 's a big factor,. February 25 college basketball matchup the Calgary Flames at Vegas Golden Knights February. Minnesota 's special teams are built better for a reason, having been consistently outstanding since. All-Star Skills Competition team from 2021 that will make 2022 playoffs: Stars. 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