Preview: Cup cases, flaws, bold predictions
The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are here! It took until the final two games of the regular season to determine final seeding for the bracket, but with the puck ready to drop Saturday on our first playoff action, it's time for our jumbo-sized preview.
We've got all the angles covered to get you ready for the playoffs as ESPN hockey reporters Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton take a look at each of the 16 postseason teams, offering the reasons each team could win it all, along with the (potentially) biggest flaws, players to watch and a bold prediction for every contender.
Note: Profiles for the Atlantic and Metropolitan playoff brackets were written by Shilton, while Clark analyzed the Central and Pacific clubs. Also note that wild-card teams are listed according to the playoff bracket in which they're playing (so the Nashville Predators are in the Pacific, for instance).
Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey.
Jump to a team:Atlantic: FLA | BOSTOR | TBMetro: NYR | CARNYI | WSHCentral: DAL | WPGCOL | LAPacific: VAN | EDMVGK | NSH
Record: 52-24-6, 110 points
Case for a Stanley Cup run: Florida was an eleventh hour addition to the postseason field last year and wound up going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. This year's Panthers have been anything but underdogs, and their chances of returning to the Final are better than ever. Florida ran it back this season with nearly the same roster intact -- including 15 skaters from that Cup Final lineup -- and have since added more experience with Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola among others.
Florida's real strength, though, comes through its star performers, and those top-tier skaters can do serious damage. Sam Reinhart had a career year, picking up 52 goals and 92 points, Aleksander Barkov remains an outstanding two-way center; Matthew Tkachuk found his feisty form again; and a rejuvenated Sergei Bobrovsky is Florida's game-changer in the crease. Confidence? The Panthers should be full of it.
Biggest flaws: Florida has top-end scoring talent. But will it make the team too top-heavy? After Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe (with 33 goals) and Tkachuk (with 26), there's a drop-off around who's putting pucks in the net. The Panthers don't have a standout offensive defenseman (Gustav Forsling leads the way there with 10 goals and 38 points) and could be exposed in the playoffs if their elite skaters are neutralized and there's no one behind them to answer the scoring bell.
The Panthers were middle-of-the-pack this season offensively (averaging 3.21 goals per game, 14th overall) and there's a scoring premium in the playoffs for every club regardless of regular-season success.
Player to watch: Aleksander Barkov. There are few players in the league with Barkov's unique skill set. He can win key face-offs, break up passes and execute in seemingly small areas that can make or break a team's outcome. This is when Barkov should be his most powerful.
Bold prediction: Florida will barely survive a first-round series that goes the distance, and fatigue will weigh heavily as the Panthers are ousted from the second round in five games.
Record: 47-20-15, 109 points
Case for a Stanley Cup run: The Bruins showed again this season that they're a resilient bunch, grappling with the loss of key players (i.e., Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci), transitioning to a new leadership group (led by newly anointed captain Brad Marchand) and, despite being among the NHL's older teams, still staying on pace with the younger crowd. The Bruins boast a deep lineup on both sides of the puck that goes well beyond their stars -- like Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy. Coach Jim Montgomery will have an enviable number of options to choose from when formulating Boston's attack.
Boston also secured home-ice advantage to start the postseason, and the local help alone can be an advantage. The Bruins didn't tap into it last season -- losing in the first round to Florida -- but should have learned plenty from their prior disappointment. The Bruins are aware their contending window could snap shut at any time. They squandered a Presidents' Trophy-winning season a year ago by falling flat in the playoffs. That's motivation enough to fuel Boston's next chapter.
Biggest flaws: The Bruins have had issues closing out games. Boston is tied for the league lead in overtime or shootout losses (with eight) when leading after two periods. It's a damning statistic, and Montgomery has talked throughout the season about Boston finding ways to "push through" even when tired at the end of a game. That's especially important in the playoffs, when overtime can extend for hours.
Speaking of emotion, will the Bruins carry any demons from their past failure into this postseason? Boston has repeatedly handled questions about its first-round flop last spring. It's on the veterans who went through that to ensure there are no lingering effects impacting how Boston goes about its business from here on out.
Player to watch: David Pastrnak. Boston's stars must be stars. And there is no one who can rise to the occasion for the Bruins quite like Pastrnak. Whether it's scoring a critical goal, elevating his linemates or creating a matchup nightmare, Pastrnak is Boston's jack-of-all-trades who will lead the charge through a tough first-round slog -- and possibly well beyond it.
Bold prediction: Boston will get outworked (again) in the first round and won't be able to match the intensity of a hungrier opponent. The Bruins will fall in six games and head into another long offseason to think about making major changes.
Record: 46-26-10, 102 points
Case for a Stanley Cup run: Toronto took its time finding a sweet spot, where all the elements from consistent scoring to stable goaltending to solid defense came together and steered the Leafs closer to their full potential. That it happened late in the year, right before the playoffs? Well, that just might be Toronto's secret sauce.
Unlike seasons past, when the Leafs could coast at times on the goal-scoring prowess of Auston Matthews or the playmaking magic of Mitch Marner, the Leafs have successfully weathered adversity to emerge as perhaps the strongest collective version of themselves. Sure, GM Brad Treliving actively added some sandpaper to the lineup with Ryan Reaves and a big-bodied defenseman in Joel Edmundson, but it's the overall grit Toronto has earned throughout the year that should help in the postseason.
Another Leafs edge? Their first line -- helmed by Hart Trophy contender Matthews -- has finally found its rhythm. After months of tinkering, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi have combined with Matthews to make their unit elite. That has given coach Sheldon Keefe the opportunity to spread out some of the other top skaters -- such as Marner and William Nylander -- so Toronto isn't as vulnerable to the ebbs and flows of its star performers. Nicholas Robertson has been improving up front lately, and so has Matthew Knies. The Leafs were felled by a lack of postseason scoring in the past, and if they've got that covered now, it could carry them well beyond one round.
Biggest flaws: Toronto has question marks on defense -- including who, exactly, will actually be in the six-man rotation come playoffs. TJ Brodie, once a top-pairing staple, has slipped down the depth chart, and Keefe's been regularly reworking his back end to see what sticks. The Leafs have averaged 3.13 goals against this season and nearly 30 shots against while struggling to defend off the rush. In a tight-checking postseason contest when desperation is at its peak, Toronto's defense could be exposed if it can't find the right mix of players to handle the job ahead.
Player to watch: Ilya Samsonov. Toronto's starter has been through the wringer and came out the other side playing some of his best hockey. The Leafs can only hope Samsonov stays on that path when the playoffs begin. He projects to be their starter in the first round, with rookie Joseph Woll looking over his shoulder, ready to take over.
Bold prediction: Toronto will escape the first round and then explode with a second-round sweep. The Leafs will reach their first Stanley Cup Final since 1967 and finally win it all in a dramatic Game 7 victory.
Record: 45-29-8, 98 points
Case for a Stanley Cup run: Tampa Bay has an unparalleled playoff pedigree, and that's why the Lightning can never be counted out of contending for a Stanley Cup. Yes, the Lightning faltered in the first round last year, but that's still the exception to their rule. Before that, it was three straight trips to the Cup finals, with two victories. Tampa Bay can turn it on when it's time to go.
The Lightning have also woven in some fresh bodies (namely Anthony Duclair and Matt Dumba) and remained fairly healthy, so strong chemistry could build up over time. The results since early March speak for themselves -- Tampa Bay is averaging four goals per game (best in the league); it is top-10 in goals against and top-five on the power play; and the goaltending under Andrei Vasilevskiy is elite once more (.910 SV%, 2.61 GAA). Oh, and Nikita Kucherov? He leads the league in points with 144 and will be a momentum-shifting, series-defining threat.
Biggest flaws: Tampa Bay was dealt a tough blow when top-pairing defenseman Mikhail Sergachev suffered a broken leg in February. He won't return unless the Lightning go deep into the playoffs. Sergachev's absence has left the blue line exposed.
Victor Hedman is carrying the group, but it now includes more up-and-comers (such as Nick Perbix and Emil Lilleberg) than established skaters who have helped the team win in the past. Dumba's been a fine third-pairing guy, but it'll take more than just OK for the Lightning to not be drowned by defensive problems.
Player to watch: Brayden Point. While it's Kucherov gathering the points (and accolades) this season, Point has quietly had a phenomenal season of his own with
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3 of May 2024
