(1) Montreal Canadiens vs. (4) New York Rangers
The Canadiens survived a coaching change, which mirrored an earlier change in 2003, to claim the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Carey Price was healthy once again, and as it always seems to be, everything will go through Price. It's not just Price that makes the Canadiens go, as Shea Weber has provided a solid presence on the blue line and while they're still looking for answers up front past Max Pacioretty (think Alex Galchenyuk and his health), the Canadiens are looking to make a deep run.
The Rangers are in this spot thanks to a rather tough Metropolitan Division that sees them get the short straw despite finishing with over 100 points on the season. Sure, Henrik Lundqvist is still in goal, but this is about as offensively driven of a team as you will find, as Mats Zuccarello leads the way. Of course, their defense could be better, as could the consistency of some players such as Michael Grabner, who fell off after a hot start to the season.
Prediction: Canadiens in 5
(2) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (3) Columbus Blue Jackets
It was another wild season for Pittsburgh, as Sidney Crosby continues to lead the way, winning the Rocket Richard for most goals in a season, yet missing out on the Art Ross Trophy (more on the winner in the next piece). For the success though, injuries have played a role in their sometime struggles, as they will be without Kris Letang for the playoffs and both Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray have had bouts of either inconsistency, injury, or both.
Columbus rode a hot streak in the middle of the season to the playoffs, and certainly, a healthy Sergei Bobrovsky was a big reason why the Blue Jackets are back in the playoffs. The Blue Jackets have also bought into coach John Tortorella's system, which explains their second best defense ranking. They will need that if they hope to fend off Crosby and company.
Prediction: Blue Jackets in 7
(1) Washington Capitals vs. (4) Toronto Maple Leafs
The Capitals are going all in this year. Stop if you've heard that one before. Goaltending is a major strength, as Braden Holtby and Phillipp Grubauer hold down the fort there, and in spite of Alex Ovechkin having a down year, the rest of the team has picked up the slack.
The surprise entrant of the playoff picture, the Maple Leafs have been as inconsistent as you would envision them to be, particularly since they're led by a bunch of kids who are not quite of drinking age in the U.S. Auston Matthews has been everything as advertised, but he's had help, too, as Mitch Marner led the team in assists. Defensively, the health of Frederik Andersen is one to watch, as he's been what the Leafs have hoped for. Still, this is a young group, so this may be nothing more than an opportunity to experience hockey at its best.
Prediction: Capitals in 5
(2) Ottawa Senators vs. (3) Boston Bruins
The Senators had a fair amount of adversity, from Craig Anderson taking time away to attend to his ailing wife to late-season nagging injuries to captain Erik Karlsson. While the offense struggled, as they ended up a -1 in goal scoring differential, goaltending and defense were strong, as Mike Condon helped keep the Senators afloat until Anderson came back. Now, with two good goaltenders, it will be up to them to help compensate for an offense that still needs work.
The Bruins were left for dead when they changed head coaches mid-season. However, a late-season surge puts them back into the playoffs. They aren't the same Bruins of earlier this decade, but goaltending has been a strong suit once again. When it comes to scoring, it's now David Pastrnak's team now. This Bruins team is more balanced to the point where they don't need to rely on one aspect to carry them.
Prediction: Senators in 7
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