Minnesota Wild (46-25-11) Harrison Barden / Getty Images Sport / Getty 921 save percentage after Columbus traded him to the Kings. also appears to have found an answer in goal with Joonas Korpisalo, who posted a. It didn't go great in 2022, but Los Angeles has four deep lines that can match up well against Edmonton. The Kings are faced with the unenviable task of shutting down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl for the second straight year. Still, Tampa Bay boasts Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and the rest of its playoff-tested core, along with some skilled role players. They tied for 10th in the NHL in regulation or overtime wins and ranked 11th in goal differential while finishing third in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have lost some of their shine. New York has postseason experience after reaching the Eastern Conference Final last campaign, but the Blueshirts will be in tough against the upstart Devils. However, they're built for the playoffs with an elite goalie in Igor Shesterkin and plenty of depth up front and on defense. The Rangers didn't have a dominant regular season. But it remains to be seen if New Jersey's inexperienced core can get it done in the postseason. New Jersey has been near the top of the standings all campaign and has the stats to prove it's legit. The high-octane Devils are back in the playoffs and locked into one of the most intriguing first-round matchups against their biggest rivals, the New York Rangers. New Jersey Devils (52-22-8) Rich Graessle / National Hockey League / Getty Despite being the best in the West in the regular season, the Knights' concerns with their forward depth and goaltending could make them vulnerable to a first-round upset. Vegas tied Toronto for fourth in the league with 111 points in the standings but ranked ninth in goal differential. The Golden Knights won the Pacific Division for the third time since 2018, and they're on the verge of getting two-way stalwart Mark Stone back from injury. Don't be shocked if Dallas makes some noise in the Western Conference bracket. However, the Stars ended their regular season on a six-game win streak while owning the league's second-best goal differential and missing the Central Division title by a single point. Dallas Stars (47-21-14)ĭallas enters the playoffs as a dark horse for some. Aside from durability concerns in goal, the Leafs seem capable of winning a series for the first time in nearly two decades thanks to some added versatility and depth. The Maple Leafs' inability to get past the first round is well documented, and they're up against the same Tampa Bay Lightning team that vanquished them last season. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, and Co. But Colorado won eight of its final 10 contests to claim the Central Division title by a point. The defending champion Avalanche have endured a slew of injuries this season and won't have captain Gabriel Landeskog for a single game in 2022-23. Colorado Avalanche (51-24-7) Michael Martin / National Hockey League / Getty Still, Carolina was the league's best possession team in five-on-five expected goals for percentage. The club also won't have the injured Andrei Svechnikov all spring. But the two-time defending Metropolitan Division champions ranked fifth in regulation or overtime wins and eighth in goal differential. ![]() The Hurricanes had the NHL's second-best regular-season record in 2022-23. He was incredible in last season's playoffs while basically playing on one leg. Plus, Leon Draisaitl is healthy this time around. The Oilers enter the playoffs on a nine-game win streak, Connor McDavid has raised his game to yet another stratospheric level, and Stuart Skinner has given Edmonton some much-needed stability in goal. Can the most successful regular-season team in NHL history overcome the burden of the Presidents' Trophy? Only eight teams have ever won the Stanley Cup after claiming the league's best record, but it would be lunacy to have the mighty Bruins anywhere other than the top spot.
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