Forman Faceoff 2021 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - 1st Round

After a 56-game shortened season due to covid we are finally ready to start the quest for Lord Stanley! Despite all the challenges of the past year+ there were some bright moments this season, such as Connor McDavid reaching 100 points in just 53 games or Patrick Marleau passing Gordie Howe for the NHL's all-time leader in games played (1768 games). In this article I will look at the 8 first round match ups and give my preview/prediction of how I think the series will play out:

1st Round Match-Ups:

North Division:

#1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs #4 Montreal Canadiens

#2 Edmonton Oilers vs #3 Winnipeg Jets

East Division:

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #4 New York Islanders

#2 Washington Capitals vs #3 Boston Bruins

Central Division:

#1 Carolina Hurricanes vs #4 Nashville Predators

#2 Florida Panthers vs #3 Tampa Bay Lightning

West Division:

#1 Colorado Avalanche vs #4 St. Louis Blues

#2 Vegas Golden Knights vs #3 Minnesota Wild

NHL Point Leaders 2020/21:

1. Connor McDavid (EDM) - 104 points

2. Leon Draisaitl (EDM) - 83 points

3. Brad Marchand (BOS) - 69 points

4. Mitch Marner (TOR) - 67 points

5. Auston Matthews (TOR) - 66 points

6. Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 66 points

7. Patrick Kane (CHI) - 66 points

8. Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 65 points

9. Mark Scheifele (WPG) - 63 points

10. Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 62 points

NHL Goal Leaders 2020/21:

1. Auston Matthews (TOR) - 41 goals

2. Connor McDavid (EDM) - 33 goals

3. Alex DeBrincat (CHI) - 32 goals

4. Leon Draisailt (EDM) - 31 goals

5. Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 30 goals

6. Brad Marchand (BOS) - 29 goals

7. Tyler Toffoli (MTL) - 28 goals

8. Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) - 27 goals

9. Aleksander Barkov (FLA) - 26 goals

10. Kyle Connor (WPG) - 26 goals

NHL Wins Leaders 2020/21:

1. Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - 31 wins

2. Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 30 wins

3. Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - 26 wins

4. Tristan Jarry (PIT) - 25 wins

5. Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - 24 wins

6. Mike Smith (EDM) - 21 wins

7. Juuse Saros (NSH) - 21 wins

8. Vitek Vanacek (WSH) - 21 wins

9. Semyon Varlamov (NYI) - 19 wins

10. Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA) - 19 wins

North Division Preview:

#1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs #4 Montreal Canadiens

Season Series: Leafs won the season series 7-2-1

January 13, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Montreal Canadiens 4 (OT)

February 10, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Montreal Canadiens 2

February 13, 2021: Montreal Canadiens 2, Toronto Maple Leafs 1

February 20, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Montreal Canadiens 3

April 7, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2

April 12, 2021: Montreal Canadiens 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 2

April 28, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Montreal Canadiens 1

May 3, 2021: Montreal Canadiens 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2 (OT)

May 6, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 5, Montreal Canadiens 2

May 8, 2021: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, Montreal Canadiens 2

Goals Scored in Series:

Toronto: 34

Montreal: 25

Players to Watch:

Toronto: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds

Montreal: Carey Price, Tyler Toffoli, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Tomas Tatar, Jeff Petry

X-Factor:

Toronto: Auston Matthews

Montreal: Carey Price

Season Stat Leaders:

Toronto

Goals: Auston Matthews (41), Mitch Marner (20), John Tavares (19)
Assists: Mitch Marner (47), John Tavares (31), Morgan Rielly (30)
Points: Mitch Marner (67), Auston Matthews (66), John Tavares (50)
Wins: Jack Campbell (17), Frederik Andersen (13)
Goals Against Average: Jack Campbell (2.11), Frederik Andersen (2.96)
Save Percentage: Jack Campbell (.923), Frederik Andersen (.895)
Shutouts: Jack Campbell (2), Frederik Andersen (1)

Montreal

Goals: Tyler Toffoli (28), Josh Anderson (17), Nick Suzuki (15)

Assists: Jeff Petry (30), Nick Suzuki (26), Jonathan Drouin (21)

Points: Tyler Toffoli (44), Jeff Petry (42), Nick Suzuki (41)

Wins: Carey Price (12), Jake Allen (11)

Goals Against Average: Carey Price (2.64), Jake Allen (2.68)

Save Percentage: Jake Allen (.907), Carey Price (.901), 

Shutouts: Carey Price (1)

Prediction: The Leafs and Habs are set to renew a historic rivalry as they meet in the playoffs for the 1st time since 1979. The Leafs enter the series having won the North Division and boasting one of their strongest rosters in a long time, and they are definitely the favourites in this series. While I think people might underestimate Montreal similar to how they did last year against Pittsburgh, I ultimately think Toronto's depth will overwhelm the Habs and they will win the series

(TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 4, MONTREAL CANADIENS 2)

#2 Edmonton Oilers vs #3 Winnipeg Jets

Season Series: Oilers won the season series 7-2-0

January 24, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 4, Winnipeg Jets 3

January 26, 2021: Winnipeg Jets 6, Edmonton Oilers 4

February 15, 2021: Winnipeg Jets 6, Edmonton Oilers 5

February 17, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 3, Winnipeg Jets 2

March 18, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 2, Winnipeg Jets 1

March 20, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 4, Winnipeg Jets 2

April 17, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 3, Winnipeg Jets 0

April 26, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 6, Winnipeg Jets 1

April 28, 2021: Edmonton Oilers 3, Winnipeg Jets 1

Goals Scored in Series:

Edmonton: 34

Winnipeg: 22 

Players to Watch:

Edmonton: Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Mike Smith, Darnell Nurse, Tyson Barrie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Connor Hellebuyck, Nik Ehlers, Pierre-Luc Dubois

X-Factor:

Edmonton: Connor McDavid

Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck

Season Stat Leaders:

Edmonton

Goals: Connor McDavid (33), Leon Draisaitl (31), Darnell Nurse/Ryan Nugent Hopkins (16)
Assists: Connor McDavid (72), Leon Draisaitl (53), Tyson Barrie (40)
Points: Connor McDavid (105), Leon Draisaitl (84), Tyson Barrie (48)
Wins: Mike Smith (21), Mikko Koskinen (13)
Goals Against Average: Mike Smith (2.31), Mikko Koskinen (3.14)
Save Percentage: Mike Smith (.923), Mikko Koskinen (.899)
Shutouts: Mike Smith (3)

Winnipeg

Goals: Kyle Connor (26), Mark Scheifele/Nik Ehlers (21)

Assists: Mark Scheifele (42), Blake Wheeler (31), Neal Pionk (29)

Points: Mark Scheifele (61), Kyle Connor (50), Nik Ehlers/Blake Wheeler (46)

Wins: Connor Hellebuyck (24), Laurent Brossoit (6)

Goals Against Average: Laurent Brossoit (2.42), Connor Hellebuyck (2.58)

Save Percentage: Laurent Brossoit (.918), Connor Hellebuyck (.916)

Shutouts: Connor Hellebuyck (4), Laurent Brossoit (1)

Prediction: All the talk heading into this series is focused on Connor McDavid, and rightfully so, after a historic 104 points in 55 games this season including 22 points in 9 games against the Jets. Both of these teams have a lot of firepower up front and it could make for a very offensive but entertaining series, and if Winnipeg were to win they would need Connor Hellebuyck to play like the Vezina-trophy winner from last season. However I think Connie and the Oilers are rolling right now and they will ultimately advance in this series

(EDMONTON OILERS 4, WINNIPEG JETS 2)

East Division Preview:

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #4 New York Islanders

Season Series: Penguins won the season series 5-2-1

February 6, 2021: New York Islanders 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3

February 11, 2021: New York Islanders 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 3 (SO)

February 18, 2021: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, New York Islanders 1

February 20, 2021: Pittsburgh Penguins 3, New York Islanders 2

February 27, 2021: Pittsburgh Penguins 4, New York Islanders 3 (OT)

February 28, 2021: New York Islanders 2, Pittsburgh Penguins 0

March 27, 2021: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, New York Islanders 3

March 29, 2021: Pittsburgh Penguins 2, New York Islanders 1

Goals Scored in Series:

Pittsburgh: 25

New York I.: 20

Players to Watch:

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Jeff Carter

New York I.: Mat Barzal, Semyon Varlamov, Josh Bailey, Jordan Eberle, Nick Leddy, Anthony Beauvillier

X-Factor:

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby

New York I.: Mat Barzal

Season Stat Leaders:

Pittsburgh

Goals: Sidney Crosby (24), Jake Guentzel (23), Bryan Rust (22)
Assists: Sidney Crosby/Kris Letang (38), Jake Guentzel (34)
Points: Sidney Crosby (62), Jake Guentzel (57), Kris Letang (45)
Wins: Tristan Jarry (25), Casey DeSmith (11)
Goals Against Average: Casey DeSmith (2.54), Tristan Jarry (2.75)
Save Percentage: Casey DeSmith (.912), Tristan Jarry (.909)
Shutouts: Tristan Jarry/Casey DeSmith (2)

New York I.

Goals: Brock Nelson (18), Mat Barzal (17), Jordan Eberle (16)

Assists: Nick Leddy (29), Mat Barzal (28), Josh Bailey (27)

Points: Mat Barzal (45), Josh Bailey (35), Brock Nelson/Jordan Eberle (33)

Wins: Semyon Varlamov (19), Ilya Sorokin (13)

Goals Against Average: Semyon Varlamov (2.04), Ilya Sorokin (2.17)

Save Percentage: Semyon Varlamov (.929), Ilya Sorokin (.918)

Shutouts: Semyon Varlamov (7), Ilya Sorokin (3)

Prediction: A rematch of the 1st round of the 2019 playoffs is one of the most intriguing series in this years playoffs. While the Islanders swept the Penguins 2 years ago this is a much deeper and stronger Penguins team who just got a healthy Evgeni Malkin back and acquired grizzled veteran Jeff Carter at the deadline. The Islanders are a very difficult match up for any opponent with their suffocating defense, and I truly believe this series can go either way. I give the slight edge to Crosby and the Penguins to get some revenge from 2 years ago

(PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 4, NEW YORK ISLANDERS 3)

#2 Washington Capitals vs #3 Boston Bruins

Season Series: Bruins won the season series 4-2-2

January 30, 2021: Washington Capitals 4, Boston Bruins 3 (OT)

February 1, 2021: Boston Bruins 5, Washington Capitals 3

March 3, 2021: Washington Capitals 2, Boston Bruins 1 (SO)

March 5, 2021: Boston Bruins 5, Washington Capitals 1

April 8, 2021: Boston Bruins 4, Washington Capitals 2

April 11, 2021: Washington Capitals 8, Boston Bruins 1

April 18, 2021: Boston Bruins 6, Washington Capitals 3

May 11, 2021: Washington Capitals 2, Boston Bruins 1

Goals Scored in Series:

Washington: 27

Boston: 27

Players to Watch:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, TJ Oshie, Zdeno Chara, Evgeny Kuznetsov

Boston: David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Taylor Hall, Charlie McAvoy

X-Factor:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin

Boston: David Pastrnak

Season Stat Leaders:

Washington

Goals: Alex Ovechkin (24), TJ Oshie (22), Nicklas Backstrom (15)
Assists: Nicklas Backstrom (38), John Carlson (34), Justin Schultz (24)
Points: Nicklas Backstrom (53), John Carlson (44), TJ Oshie (43)
Wins: Vitek Vanacek (21), Ilya Samsonov (19)
Goals Against Average: Vitek Vanacek (.269), Ilya Samsonov (.269)
Save Percentage: Vitek Vanacek (.908), Ilya Samsonov (.902)
Shutouts: Vitek Vanacek (2), Ilya Samsonov (2)

Boston

Goals: Brad Marchand (29), Patrice Bergeron (23), David Pastrnak (20)

Assists: Brad Marchand (40), David Krejci (36), David Pastrnak (28)

Points: Brad Marchand (69), Patrice Bergeron/David Pastrnak (48)

Wins: Tuukka Rask (15), Jaroslav Halak (9), Jeremy Swayman (7)

Goals Against Average: Jeremy Swayman (1.50), Tuukka Rask (2.28), Jaroslav Halak (2.53)

Save Percentage: Jeremy Swayman (.945), Tuukka Rask (.913), Jaroslav Halak (.905)

Shutouts: Tuukka Rask/Jaroslav Halak/Jeremy Swayman (2)

Prediction: This series has all the makings to be a heavyweight clash between the Capitals and Bruins, two teams who have had a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years. The biggest storyline heading into the series is 6'9 Zdeno Chara facing off against his former team, and it's going to be very interesting to see if he mixes it up with any of his former teammates. This series is the hardest to pick in my opinion, I think the Bruins have the edge on offense and in net, while the Caps have the edge on defense and in the size department. Really is a toss up but I think the Caps squeak one out here

(WASHIGTON CAPITALS 4, BOSTON BRUINS 3)

Central Division Preview:

#1 Carolina Hurricanes vs #4 Nashville Predators

Season Series: Hurricanes won the season series 6-2-0

January 18, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes 4, Nashville Predators 2

March 2, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes 4, Nashville Predators 2

March 9, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Nashville Predators 2 (OT)

March 10, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes 5, Nashville Predators 1

April 15, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes 4, Nashville Predators 1

April 17, 2021: Carolina Hurricanes 3, Nashville Predators 1

May 8, 2021: Nashville Predators 3, Carolina Hurricanes 1

May 10, 2021: Nashville Predators 5, Carolina Hurricanes 0

Goals Scored in Series:

Carolina: 24

Nashville: 17

Players to Watch:

Carolina: Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Andrei Svechnikov, Vincent Trocheck 

Nashville: Juuse Saros, Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Ryan Ellis, Mattias Ekholm, Eeli Tolvanen

X-Factor:

Carolina: Sebastian Aho

Nashville: Juuse Saros

Season Stat Leaders:

Carolina

Goals: Sebastian Aho (24), Nino Niederreiter (20), Vincent Trocheck (17)
Assists: Sebastian Aho (33), Dougie Hamilton (32), Andrei Svechnikov/Martin Necas (27)
Points: Sebastian Aho (57), Vincent Trocheck (43), Andrei Svechnikov/Dougie Hamilton (42)
Wins: James Reimer/Alex Nedeljkovic (15), Petr Mrazek (6)
Goals Against Average: Alex Nedeljkovic (1.90), Petr Mrazek (2.06), James Reimer (2.66)
Save Percentage: Alex Nedeljkovic (.932), Petr Mrazek (.923), James Reimer (.906)
Shutouts: Alex Nedeljkovic/Petr Mrazek (3)

Nashville

Goals: Mikael Granlund/Calle Jarnkrok (13), Filip Forsberg (12)

Assists: Roman Josi (25), Filip Forsberg (20), Mattias Ekholm (17)

Points: Roman Josi (33), Filip Forsberg (32), Calle Jarnkrok (28)

Wins: Juuse Saros (21), Pekka Rinne (10)

Goals Against Average: Juuse Saros (2.28), Pekka Rinne (2.84)

Save Percentage: Juuse Saros (.927), Pekka Rinne (.907)

Shutouts: Juuse Saros (3), Pekka Rinne (2)

Prediction: This might be the most lopsided series in the first round, the Hurricanes had 16 more points and 23 more goals then the Predators in the regular season en route to a division title. The Hurricanes are a very balanced team that can beat you in waves, I think the only question mark is which goalie (Nedeljkovic/Mrazek/Reimer) will play. If the Predators have any chance in this series they need Juuse Saros to continue his stellar play from the regular season. I think Rod Brind'Amour's team is just too much for the Predators and they'll advance to round 2

(CAROLINA HURRICANES 4, NASHVILLE PREDATORS 1)

#2 Florida Panthers vs #3 Tampa Bay Lightning

Season Series: Panthers won the season series 5-2-1

February 11, 2021: Florida Panthers 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 3

February 13, 2021: Tampa Bay Lightning 6, Florida Panthers 1

February 15, 2021: Florida Panthers 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 4

March 21, 2021: Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Florida Panthers 3

April 15, 2021: Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Florida Panthers 2 (OT)

April 17, 2021: Florida Panthers 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 3

May 8, 2021: Florida Panthers 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 1

May 10, 2021: Florida Panthers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 0

Goals Scored in Series:

Florida: 31

Tampa Bay: 24

Players to Watch:

Florida: Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Sam Bennett, Patric Hornqvist, MacKenzie Weegar, Anthony Duclair

Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Ondrej Palat

X-Factor:

Florida: Aleksander Barkov

Tampa Bay: Andrei Vasilevskiy

Season Stat Leaders:

Florida

Goals: Aleksander Barkov (26), Jonathan Huberdeau (20), Carter Verhaeghe/Frank Vatrano (18)
Assists: Jonathan Huberdeau (41), Aleksander Barkov (32), MacKenzie Weegar (30)
Points: Jonathan Huberdeau (61), Aleksander Barkov (58), Carter Verhaeghe/MacKenzie Weegar (36)
Wins: Sergei Bobrovsky (19), Chris Driedger (14), Spencer Knight (4)
Goals Against Average: Chris Driedger (2.07), Spencer Knight (2.32), Sergei Bobrovsky (2.91)
Save Percentage: Chris Driedger (.927), Spencer Knight (.919), Sergei Bobrovsky (.906)
Shutouts: Chris Drieder (3)

Tampa Bay

Goals: Brayden Point (23), Steven Stamkos/Yanni Gourde (17)

Assists: Victor Hedman (36), Ondrej Palat (31), Mikhail Sergachev (26)

Points: Brayden Point (48), Ondrej Palat (46), Victor Hedman (45)

Wins: Andrei Vasilveskiy (31), Curtis McElhinney (4)

Goals Against Average: Andrei Vasilveskiy (2.21), Curtis McElhinney (3.09)

Save Percentage: Andrei Vasilveskiy (.925), Curtis McElhinney (.875)

Shutouts: Andrei Vasilveskiy (5), Curtis McElhinney (1)

Prediction: This is the best series of the 1st round and it's going to be an absolute doozy to watch. On one hand you have the Panthers fresh off their best season in years, and the other you've got the defending Stanley Cup Champion Lightning eager for a chance to repeat. While I think the Panthers have a deep team and can skate with Tampa Bay, the Lightning (thanks to some BS LTIR loophole) are getting a fresh Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos back for the playoffs and that's better than any traded deadline acquisition you could have. I think the Panthers will keep it closer than people think but the Lightnign will ultimately overpower them

(TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 4, FLORIDA PANTHERS 2)

West Division Preview:

#1 Colorado Avalanche vs # St. Louis Blues

Season Series: Avalanche won the season series 5-3-0

January 13, 2021: St. Louis Blues 4, Colorado Avalanche 1

January 15, 2021: Colorado Avalanche 8, St. Louis Blues 0

April 2, 2021: Colorado Avalanche 3, St. Louis Blues 2

April 3, 2021: Colorado Avalanche 2, St. Louis Blues 1

April 14, 2021: Colorado Avalanche 4, St. Louis Blues 3

April 22, 2021: Colorado Avalanche 4, St. Louis Blues 2

April 24, 2021: St. Louis Blues 5, Colorado Avalanche 3

April 26, 2021: St. Louis Blues 4, Colorado Avalanche 1

Goals Scored in Series:

Colorado: 26

St. Louis: 21

Players to Watch:

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, Philipp Grubauer, Andre Burakovsky

St. Louis: Ryan O'Reilly, David Perron, Vladimir Tarasenko, Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, Brayden Schenn

X-Factor:

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon

St. Louis: Ryan O'Reilly

Season Stat Leaders:

Colorado

Goals: Mikko Rantanen (30), Nathan MacKinnon/Gabriel Landeskog (20)
Assists: Nathan MacKinnon (45), Mikko Rantanen/Cale Makar (36)
Points: Mikko Rantanen (66), Nathan MacKinnon (65), Gabriel Landeskog (52)
Wins: Philipp Grubauer (30), Jonas Johansson (5), Devan Dubnyk (3)
Goals Against Average: Philipp Grubauer (1.95), Jonas Johansson (2.06), Devan Dubnyk (3.26)
Save Percentage: Philipp Grubauer (.922), Jonas Johansson (.913), Devan Dubnyk (.886)
Shutouts: Philipp Grubauer (7), Jonas Johansson (1)

St. Louis

Goals: Ryan O'Reilly (24), David Perron (19), Mike Hoffman (17)

Assists: David Perron (39), Ryan O'Reilly/Torey Krug (30)

Points: David Perron (58), Ryan O'Reilly (54), Mike Hoffman/Brayden Schenn (36)

Wins: Jordan Binnington (18), Ville Husso (9)

Goals Against Average: Jordan Binnington (2.65), Ville Husso (3.21)

Save Percentage: Jordan Binnington (.910), Ville Husso (.893)

Shutouts: Ville Husso (1)

Prediction: The Avalanche enter this series with an NHL-leading 82 points and one of the deepest teams they've had since their GM Joe Sakic was still the Captain. They get a tough opponent in St. Louis, the 2019 Stanley Cup Champions, and it's really going to be a phenomenal series to watch. While I think the Blues will keep it closer than people expect, I think Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs will move on to round 2

(COLORADO AVALANCHE 4, ST. LOUIS BLUES 2)

#2 Vegas Golden Knights vs #3 Minnesota Wild

Season Series: Wild won the season series 5-1-2

March 1, 2021: Vegas Golden Knights 5, Minnesota Wild 4 (OT)

March 3, 2021: Vegas Golden Knights 5, Minnesota Wild 1

March 8, 2021: Minnesota Wild 2, Vegas Golden Knights 0

March 10, 2021: Minnesota Wild 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3

April 1, 2021: Minnesota Wild 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2 (SO)

April 3, 2021: Minnesota Wild 2, Vegas Golden Knights 1

May 3, 2021: Minnesota Wild 6, Vegas Golden Knights 5

May 5, 2021: Vegas Golden Knights 3, Minnesota Wild 2 (OT)

Goals Scored in Series:

Vegas: 24

Minnesota: 24

Players to Watch:

Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo, Jonathan Marchessault

Minnesota: Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, Cam Talbot, Jordan Greenway, Mats Zuccarello, Jared Spurgeon

X-Factor:

Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury

Minnesota: Kirill Kaprizov

Season Stat Leaders:

Vegas

Goals: Max Pacioretty (24), Mark Stone (21), Alex Tuch/Jonathan Marchessault (18)
Assists: Mark Stone (40), Shea Theodore (34), Max Pacioretty (27)
Points: Mark Stone (61), Max Pacioretty (51), Jonathan Marchessault (44)
Wins: Marc-Andre Fleury (26), Robin Lehner (13) 
Goals Against Average: Marc-Andre Fleury (1.98), Robin Lehner (2.29)
Save Percentage: Marc-Andre Fleury (.928), Robin Lehner (.913)
Shutouts: Marc-Andre Fleury (6), Robin Lehner (1)

Minnesota

Goals: Kirill Kaprizov (27), Kevin Fiala (20), Joel Eriksson Ek (19)

Assists: Jordan Greenway (26), Kirill Kaprizov/Mats Zuccarello (24)

Points: Kirill Kaprizov (51), Kevin Fiala (40), Mats Zuccarello (35)

Wins: Cam Talbot (19), Kaapo Kahkonen (16)

Goals Against Average: Cam Talbot (2.63), Kaapo Kahkonen (2.88)

Save Percentage: Cam Talbot (.915), Kaapo Kahkonen (.902)

Shutouts: Cam Talbot/Kaapo Kahkonen (2)

Prediction: After just missing out on the Presidents Trophy and 1st place in the division, the Golden Knights get a very tough test in round 1 with the stingy Minnesota Wild. Both these teams are very exciting to watch, especially excited to see what inevitable Calder Trophy-winner Kirill "The Thrill" Kaprizov will do in his 1st playoffs. While I think Vegas certainly is the favourites in this series and probably have the edge in net thanks to the savvy veteran Marc-Andre Fleury, my gut says the Wild will not be an easy out and will pull off the upset here

(MINNESOTA WILD 4, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3)

This would have the 2nd round matchups as:

#1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs #2 Edmonton Oilers

#1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs #2 Washington Capitals

#1 Carolina Hurricanesvs #3 Tampa Bay Lightning

#1 Colorado Avalanche vs #3 Minnesota Wild

Lastly, here's a look players with multiple playoff OT goals in their careers (only players in playoffs):

Corey Perry (MTL) - 5 OT goals

Nicklas Backstrom (WSH) - 4 OT goals

Patrice Bergeron (BOS) - 4 OT goals

Kyle Turris (EDM) - 3 OT goals

Nick Bonino (MIN) - 3 OT goals

Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 2 OT goals

Brayden Point (TBL) - 2 OT goals

Kevin Fiala (MIN) - 2 OT goals

Matt Calvert (COL) - 2 OT goals

John Tavares (TOR) - 2 OT goals

Alex Galchenyuk (TOR) - 2 OT goals

Travis Zajac (NYI) - 2 OT goals

Alec Martinez (VGK) - 2 OT goals

Tyler Johnson (TBL) - 2 OT goals

James Neal (EDM) - 2 OT goals

David Krejci (BOS) - 2 OT goals

Playoff time is the best time of the year! 

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff