Forman Faceoff 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Conference Semifinals

Wow! What an utterly ridiculous first round, both of the top seeds in the Conference and all four division winners were eliminated, all four wildcard teams advanced. Just a bonkers 1st round, one that has been entirely full of upsets and the unpredictable. Of the 8 first-round match ups, the only teams that I picked correctly to advance were Colorado and San Jose (2/8). With that being said, here's a look at the 4 Conference Semifinals match ups and how the teams stack up against each other:

1st Round Series Scores:

East:

WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets defeat #1 Tampa Bay Lighting (4-0)

WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes defeat #1 Washington Capitals (4-3)

#2 Boston Bruins defeat #3 Toronto Maple Leafs (4-3)

#2 New York Islanders defeat #3 Pittsburgh Penguins (4-0)

West:

WC #2 Colorado Avalanche defeat #1 Calgary Flames (4-1)

WC #1 Dallas Stars defeat #1 Nashville Predators (4-2)

#3 St. Louis Blues defeat #2 Winnipeg Jets (4-2)

#2 San Jose Sharks defeat #3 Vegas Golden Knights (4-3)

Eastern Conference:

#2 Boston Bruins vs. WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets

Season Series: Boston won the season series 2-1-0

March 12, 2019: Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Boston Bruins 4 
March 16, 2019: Boston Bruins 2, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 (OT)
April 2, 2019: Boston Bruins 6, Columbus Blue Jackets 2

Players to Watch:

Boston: Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Torey Krug, Charlie McAvoy

Columbus: Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, Boone Jenner

X-Factor:

Boston: Tuukka Rask

Columbus: Sergei Bobrovsky

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 4, Matt Duchene (CBJ) - 3
Assists: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 5, Matt Duchene/Zach Werenski (CBJ) - 4
Points: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 9, Matt Duchene (CBJ) - 7
Wins: Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 4, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 4
Goals Against Average: Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 2.01, Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 2.32
Save Percentage: Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - .932, Tuukka Rask (BOS) - .928

Prediction: The Blue Jackets enter the second round after their historic upset of the 128-point Tampa Bay Lightning, and you know John Tortorella will have his team fired up for this series. While I think this will be a very close series and could go either way, I give the edge to the Bruins after their grueling 7-game win over Toronto.

(BRUINS IN 6)

#2 New York Islanders vs. WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes

Season Series: New York won the season series 3-1-0

October 4, 2018: New York Islanders 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1 (OT)
October 28, 2018: New York Islanders 2, Carolina Hurricanes 1
November 18, 2018: New York Islanders 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1
January 8, 2019: Carolina Hurricanes 4, New York Islanders 3

Players to Watch:

New York: Mat Barzal, Robin Lehner, Jordan Eberle, Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Ryan Pulock 

Carolina: Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Justin Williams, Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Petr Mrazek

X-Factor:

New York: Mat Barzal

Carolina: Sebastian Aho

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Jordan Eberle (NYI) - 4, Warren Foegele (CAR) - 4
Assists: Jaccob Slavin (CAR) - 9, Mat Barzal (NYI) - 5
Points: Jacob Slavvin (CAR) - 9, Jordan Eberle (NYI) - 6
Wins: Robin Lehner (NYI) - 4, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 4
Goals Against Average: Robin Lehner (NYI) - 1.47, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 2.54
Save Percentage: Robin Lehner (NYI) - .956, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - .899

Prediction: Talk about two teams coming off historic upsets, the Islanders sweeping the Penguins in 4 games and the Hurricanes knocking off the defending champion Capitals in double OT of game 7. This series is built on two stingy teams that seemed to have found another gear come playoff time, there are a lot of similarities between these two. While I think it is a toss-up, I give the edge Barry Trotz and the Islanders

(ISLANDERS IN 7)


This would have Boston and New York advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals:

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #2 New York Islanders

Western Conference:

#2 San Jose vs. WC #2 Colorado

Season Series: San Jose won the season series 3-0-0

January 2, 2019: San Jose Sharks 5, Colorado Avalanche 4 
March 1, 2019: San Jose Sharks 4, Colorado Avalanche 3
April 6, 2019: San Jose Sharks 5, Colorado Avalanche 2

Players to Watch:

San Jose: Logan Couture, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Tomas Hertl, Joe Pavelski, Timo Meier

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, Philipp Grubauer, Cale Makar, JT Compher

X-Factor:

San Jose: Erik Karlsson

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Logan Couture/Tomas Hertl (SJS) - 6, Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 5
Assists: Erik Karlsson (SJS) - 9, Nathan MacKinnon/Tyson Barrie (COL) - 5
Points: Erik Karlsson (SJS) - 9, Mikko Rantanen (COL) - 9
Wins: Martin Jones (SJS) - 4, Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 4
Goals Against Average: Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 1.90, Martin Jones (SJS) - 3.20
Save Percentage: Philipp Grubauer (COL) - .939, Martin Jones (SJS) - .904

Prediction: This to me is the most anticipated 2nd round match up, two high-powered offensive teams going head to head in the 2nd round. The Sharks enter as the favourites after defeating Vegas in a thrilling 7-game series (Barclay Goodrow scoring in OT in game 7), but don't count out the underdog Avs. Colorado looked extremely impressive knocking off top seed Calgary in round 1, and if Nathan MacKinnon continues to play as good as he has been I think they pull off the upset yet again here.

(AVALANCHE IN 7)

#3 St. Louis vs. WC #1 Dallas Stars

Season Series: Dallas won the season series 3-1-0

January 8, 2019: Dallas Stars 3, St. Louis Blues 1
January 12, 2019: St. Louis Blues 3, Dallas Stars 1 
February 21, 2019: Dallas Stars 5, St. Louis Blues 2
March 2, 2019: Dallas Stars 4, St. Louis Blues 1

Players to Watch:

St. Louis: Ryan O'Reilly, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jordan Binnington, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden Schenn, Tyler Bozak

Dallas: Ben Bishop, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alex Radulov, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen

X-Factor:

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington

Dallas: Ben Bishop

Playoff Leaders:

Goals: Jaden Schwartz (STL) - 4, Alex Radulov (DAL) - 4
Assists: Alex Pietragenlo (STL) - 6, Jamie Benn/John Klingberg (DAL) - 5
Points: Alex Pietrangelo (STL) - 6, Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin/Alex Radulov/John Klingberg (DAL) - 6
Wins: Jordan Binnington (STL) - 4, Ben Bishop (DAL) - 4
Goals Against Average: Ben Bishop (DAL) - 1.90, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 2.63
Save Percentage: Ben Bishop (DAL) - .945, Jordan Binnington (STL) - .908

Prediction: I think most people expected both the Predators and Jets to advance past the 1st round, but here we are, and both these teams are very deserving to be here. Both Ben Bishop and Jordan Binnington were excellent for their respective teams in round 1, and these teams are extremely well matched throughout the lineup. This is the closest 2nd-round match up and is a toss-up to predict, but I give the edge to the Blues here.

(BLUES IN 7)


This would have Colorado and St. Louis advancing to the Western Conference Finals:

#3 St. Louis vs. WC #2 Colorado


Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff

Forman Faceoff 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview - Conference Quarterfinals

After an exciting regular season that saw many superstars and rising stars hit career years offensively, the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight! This year has a different feel to it, sure you have the Tampa Bay Lightning who finished 21 points ahead of the next team as the favourite, but there are a bunch of other contenders and some extremely interesting first round match ups. With that being said, here's a look at the Eastern/Western Quarterfinals match ups and how I predict they will play out:

Eastern Conference:

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. WC #2 Columbus Blue Jackets

Season Series: Tampa Bay won the season series 3-0-0

October 13, 2018: Tampa Bay Lightning 8, Columbus Blue Jackets 2
January 8, 2019: Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 0
February 18, 2019: Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 1

Players to Watch:

Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevsky, Anthony Cirelli 

Columbus: Artemi Panarin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Matt Duchene, Cam Atkinson, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Seth Jones

X-Factor:

Tampa Bay: Nikita Kucherov 

Columbus: Sergei Bobrovsky

Team Leaders:

Goals: Steven Stamos (TBL) - 45, Cam Atkinson (CBJ) - 41
Assists: Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 87, Artemi Panarin (CBJ) - 59
Points: Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 128, Artemi Panarin (CBJ) - 87
Wins: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - 39, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 37
Goals Against Average: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - 2.40, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - 2.58
Save Percentage: Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL) - .925, Sergei Bobrovsky (CBJ) - .913

Prediction: The Blue Jackets went all in at the trade deadline acquiring Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel, while also holding onto pending free agents Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. They just barely made the playoffs on the final weekend of the season, and are against all odds versus a stacked Tampa Bay team. Lightning win this series easily

(LIGHTNING IN 5)

#1 Washington Capitals vs. WC #1 Carolina Hurricanes

Season Series: Washington won the season series 4-0-0

December 14, 2018: Washington Capitals 6, Carolina Hurricanes 5 (SO)
December 27, 2018: Washington Capitals 3, Carolina Hurricanes 1
March 26, 2019: Washington Capitals 4, Carolina Hurricanes 1
March 28, 2019: Washington Capitals 3, Carolina Hurricanes 2

Players to Watch:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Braden Holtby, Nicklas Backstrom, John Carlson, Tom Wilson

Carolina: Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Dougie Hamilton, Justin Williams, Justin Faulk, Evgeny Svechnikov

X-Factor:

Washington: Alex Ovechkin 

Carolina: Sebastian Aho

Team Leaders:

Goals: Alex Ovechkin (WSH) - 51 goals, Sebastian Aho (CAR) - 30
Assists: John Carlson (WSH) - 57, Teuvo Teravainen (CAR) - 55
Points: Alex Ovechkin (WSH) - 89, Sebastian Aho (CAR) - 83
Wins: Braden Holtby (WSH) - 32, Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 23
Goals Against Average: Petr Mrazek (CAR) - 2.39, Braden Holtby (WSH) - 2.82
Save Percentage: Petr Mrazek (CAR) - .914, Braden Holtby (WSH) - .911

Prediction: The Capitals begin their defense as Stanley Cup champions against the pesky "Bunch of Jerks" from Carolina, who have exceeded expectations under 1st year Head Coach Rod Brind'Amour and made the playoffs for the 1st time in a decade. While I think this series will be closer than people expect, I still think the defending champions will march on here

(CAPITALS IN 6)

#2 Boston Bruins vs. #3 Toronto Maple Leafs

Season Series: Boston won the season series 3-1-0

November 10, 2018: Boston Bruins 5, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
November 26, 2018: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, Boston Bruins 2 
December 8, 2018: Boston Bruins 6, Toronto Maple Leafs 3
January 12, 2019: Boston Bruins 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 2

Players to Watch:

Boston: Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak, Tuukka Rask, Torey Krug, Jake DeBrusk

Toronto: John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, Freddie Andersen, William Nylander

X-Factor:

Boston: Patrice Bergeron 

Toronto: John Tavares

Team Leaders:

Goals: John Tavares (TOR) - 47, David Pastrnak (BOS) - 38
Assists: Mitch Marner (TOR) - 68, Brad Marchand (BOS) - 64
Points: Brad Marchand (BOS) - 100, Mitch Marner (TOR) - 94
Wins: Freddie Andersen (TOR) - 36, Tuukka Rask (BOS) - 27
Goals Against Average: Jaroslav Halak (BOS) - 2.34, Freddie Andersen (TOR) - 2.77
Save Percentage: Jaroslav Halak (BOS) - .922, Freddie Andersen (TOR) - .917

Prediction: Another year, another Bruins/Leafs 1st round match up. The Leafs come in fully equipped after adding John Tavares in the summer, is this finally the year they can get past Boston? Time will tell what happens, this truly is a toss-up and I can see either team winning. While I believe Boston is the favourite, I think Toronto finally slays the demon and moves on to the 2nd round.

(LEAFS IN 7)

#2 New York Islanders vs. #3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Season Series: Season series tied 2-1-1

October 30, 2018: New York Islanders 6, Pittsburgh Penguins 3
November 1, 2018: New York Islanders 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 2 (SO)
December 6, 2018: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, New York Islanders 2
December 10, 2018: Pittsburgh Penguins 2, New York Islanders 1 (SO)

Players to Watch:

New York: Mat Barzal, Robin Lehner, Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Ryan Pulock, Jordan Eberle

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, Matt Murray, Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel

X-Factor:

New York: Mat Barzal

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby

Team Leaders:

Goals: Jake Guentzel (PIT) - 40, Anders Lee (NYI) - 28
Assists: Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 65, Matt Barzal (NYI) - 44
Points: Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 100, Matt Barzal (NYI) - 62
Wins: Matt Murray (PIT) - 29, Robin Lehner (NYI) - 25
Goals Against Average: Robin Lehner (NYI) 2.13, Matt Murray (PIT) - 2.69
Save Percentage: Robin Lehner (NYI) - .930, Matt Murray (PIT) - .9l9

Prediction: The biggest surprise of the 2018/19 season was the New York Islanders, who went from 80 points last year to 103 points (4th highest in the NHL) under new head coach Barry Trotz this year. The Penguins and Islanders have fought in the playoffs several times in the past few years, while Pittsburgh is usually the favourite this series has a different feel with Trotz-coached Islanders stellar defense. I think this series goes the distance and Crosby becomes a hero in game 7.

(PENGUINS IN 7)

This would have Tampa Bay, Washington, Toronto and Pittsburgh advancing to the next round. The match ups would be as follows:

#1 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. #3 Toronto Maple Leafs

#1 Washington Capitals vs. #3 Pittsburgh Penguins

Western Conference:

 

#1 Calgary Flames vs. WC #2 Colorado Avalanche

Season Series: Calgary won the season series 3-0-0

October 13, 2018: Calgary Flames 3, Colorado Avalanche 2 (OT)
November 1, 2018: Calgary Flames 6, Colorado Avalanche 5
January 9, 2019: Calgary Flames 5, Colorado Avalanche 3

Players to Watch:

Calgary: Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Mark Giordano, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund 

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Philipp Grubauer, Tyson Barrie, Erik Johnson

X-Factor:

Calgary: Johnny Gaudreau 

Colorado: Nathan MacKinnon 

Team Leaders:

Goals: Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 41, Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) - 36
Assists: Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) - 63, Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 58
Points: Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 99, Johnny Gaudreau (CGY) - 99
Wins: David Rittich (CGY) - 27, Semyon Varlamov (COL) - 20
Goals Against Average: David Rittich (CGY) - 2.61, Philipp Grubauer (COL) - 2.64
Save Percentage: Philipp Grubauer (COL) - .917, David Rittich (CGY) - .911

Prediction: With Bill Peters behind the bench in Calgary, the Flames had their highest point total in franchise history with 107 to lock up 1st seed in the Western Conference. While this team is extremely dangerous offensively, they have a lot of question marks in net with Mike Smith/David Rittich. The Avs come in as underdogs after squeaking into the playoffs again, and putting my Avs fan bias aside I believe they can upset the Flames here.

(AVALANCHE IN 7)

#1 Nashville Predators vs. WC #1 Dallas Stars

Season Series: Nashville won the season series 3-2-0

November 10, 2018: Nashville Predators 5, Dallas Stars 4 (OT)
December 27, 2018: Dallas Stars 2, Nashville Predators 0
February 2, 2019: Dallas Stars 3, Nashville Predators 1
February 7, 2019: Nashville Predators 3, Dallas Stars 2 (OT)
February 19, 2018: Nashville Predators 5, Dallas Stars 3

Players to Watch:

Nashville: Pekka Rinne, Filip Forsberg, Viktor Arvidsson, Ryan Johansen, Roman Josi, PK Subban 

Dallas: Ben Bishop, Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Alex Radulov, John Klingberg, Miro Heiskanen

X-Factor:

Nashville: Pekka Rinne

Dallas: Ben Bishop

Team Leaders:

Goals: Viktor Arvidsson (NSH) - 34, Tyler Seguin (DAL) - 33
Assists: Ryan Johansen (NSH) - 50, Tyler Seguin (DAL) - 47
Points: Tyler Seguin (DAL) - 80, Ryan Johansen (NSH) - 64
Wins: Pekka Rinne (NSH) - 30, Ben Bishop (DAL) - 27
Goals Against Average: Ben Bishop (DAL) - 1.98, Pekka Rinne (NSH) - 2.42 
Save Percentage: Ben Bishop (DAL) - .934, Pekka Rinne (NSH) - .918

Prediction: The series has the potential to be a tough, physical series between two of the biggest teams in the NHL. The key matchup to follow will be in net between Ben Bishop and Pekka Rinne, both goalies capable of stealing a series for their teams. I think if the Seguin/Benn/Radulov line can get hot the Stars can upset Nashville here, but I think the Predators have the edge.

(PREDATORS IN 6)

#2 San Jose Sharks vs. #3 Vegas Golden Knights

Season Series: Vegas won the season series 2-1-1

November 24, 2018: Vegas Golden Knights 6, San Jose Sharks 0
January 10, 2019: San Jose Sharks 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2
March 18, 2019: Vegas Golden Knights 7, San Jose Sharks 3
March 30, 2019: San Jose Sharks 4, Vegas Golden Knights 3 (OT)

Players to Watch:

San Jose: Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Evander Kane

Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury, Mark Stone, Johnathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Paul Stastny, Max Pacioretty

X-Factor:

San Jose: Brent Burns 


Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury 

Team Leaders:

Goals: Joe Pavelski (SJS) - 38, Johnathan Marchessault (VGK) - 25
Assists: Brent Burns (SJS) - 67, Johnthan Marchessault/Rielly Smith (VGK) - 34
Points: Brent Burns (SJS) - 83, Johnthan Marchessault (VGK) - 59
Wins: Martin Jones (SJS) - 36, Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - 35
Goals Against Average: Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - 2.51, Martin Jones (SJS) - 2.94
Save Percentage: Marc-Andre Fleury (VGK) - .913, Martin Jones (SJS) - .896

Prediction: Everyone remembers the historic run the Vegas Golden Knights went on last year in their inaugural season, and no one is going be taking them lightly this year. Certainly not the San Jose Sharks, who lost to Vegas in 6 game in the second round. This series is probably the closest 1st round match up of the 8 series, and believe it's a toss-up that will go 7 games. I give the slight edge to Jumbo Joe and the Sharks.

(SHARKS in 7)

#2 Winnipeg Jets vs. #3 St. Louis Blues

Season Series: Winnipeg won the season series 3-1-0

October 4, 2018: Winnipeg Jets 5, St. Louis Blues 1
October 22, 2018: Winnipeg Jets 5, St. Louis Blues 4 (OT)
November 24, 2018: Winnipeg Jets 8, St. Louis Blues 4
December 7, 2018: St. Louis Blues 1, Winnipeg Jets 0

Players to Watch:

Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien, Patrik Laine, Connor Hellebuyck, Kyle Connor

St. Louis: Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O'Reilly, Jordan Binnington, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, Brayden Schenn

X-Factor:

Winnipeg: Mark Scheifele 

St. Louis: Jordan Binnington

Team Leaders:

Goals: Mark Scheifele (WPG) - 38, Vladimir Tarasenko (STL) - 33
Assists: Blake Wheeler (WPG) - 71, Ryan O'Reilly (STL) - 49
Points: Blake Wheeler (WPG) - 91, Ryan O'Reilly (STL) - 77
Wins: Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - 34, Jordan Binnington (STL) - 24
Goals Against Average: Jordan Binnington (STL) - 1.89, Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - 2.90
Save Percentage: Jordan Binnington (STL) - .927, Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) - .913

Prediction: The Central Division is loaded with big, talented teams and this Jets/Blues 1st round series is proof of that. Much like the Vegas/San Jose series above, this is two evenly matched teams that makes for a very exciting series. While I do believe the Blues have what it takes to pull off the upset, I'm giving the slight edge to the Jets.

(JETS IN 7)


This would have Colorado, Nashville, Vegas and Winnipeg advancing to the next round. The match ups would be as follows:

#1 Nashville Predators vs #2 Winnipeg Jets

#2 San Jose Sharks vs WC #2 Colorado Avalanche

Here is a look at the full playoff bracket:

Playoffs begin at 7pm tonight. Best time of the year!

Joel Forman - The Forman Faceoff