NHL Playoffs Round 1 recap

Credit: @nhl/x

Just like that, the first series of the Stanley Cup playoffs are over. Here are the teams who will continue pushing for the dream of lifting the cup.

Eastern Conference 

Round 2 Matchups

• Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers

• Washington Capitals vs Carolina Hurricanes

The Battle of Ontario: After a 20 year hiatus, the Battle of Ontario returned. Along with it came passion, chirping, and of course, a bit of drama. 

The Toronto Maple Leafs had the opportunity to sweep the Ottawa Senators with a 3-0 lead in the series. Yet, Brady Tkachuk and his team refused to go down without a fight. 

After winning both games 4 and 5, the Senators were slowly catching up to the Leafs. Fans around the league laughed as they thought Toronto would choke in the first round. 

Game 6 was crucial for both teams, resulting in an intense game. Ottawa managed to tie a two goal deficit, making the heart beats of Leafs fans race. 

Max Paccioretti broke the tie with only 5:39 remaining, and William Nylander secured an extra lead with the game-winning-goal on Ottawa’s empty net. 

Toronto will now move forward to play the Florida Panthers, encountering yet another Tkachuk brother.

The Battle of Florida: The defending Stanley Cup champions secured a ticket to the second round by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in game 5 of the series. 

This is the third time the Lightning have been eliminated in the first round in consecutive seasons. 

Both teams have strong players, but the Panthers managed to out play their fellow Floridians with a 6-3 win, in their final game.

Capitals vs. Canadiens: The Montreal Canadiens are now the second Canadian team to be eliminated after the Washington Capitals won the series in game 5. 

Alexander Ovechkin has now tied Mario Lemieux for 12th most playoff goals in NHL history. Ovechkin continues breaking records but his focus now is on continuing the winning streak with his team in the second round. 

The Washington Capitals will be playing against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

Hurricanes vs Devils: With determination and grit, the Carolina Hurricanes managed to eliminate the New Jersey Devils in game 5. 

The Hurricanes were the first team to advance to the second round after a 5-4 win in double overtime. 

The Devils fought hard, scoring 3 goals in the first period to keep the dream alive. However, the Hurricanes managed to tie the game in the second period. 

Captain Nico Hischier gave the Devils a one goal lead. But Sebastian Aho scored a late goal to tie the game, leading the teams into a double overtime. 

With an overtime powerplay goal, Aho secured the Hurricanes the first spot in the second round. 

Western Conference 

Round 2 Matchups 

• Winnipeg Jets vs Dallas Stars

• Vegas Golden Knights vs Edmonton Oilers

Jets vs Blues: What an intense series it was for the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues. 

The Blues tied the series at home, making it 2-2 with a powerful 7-2 victory. The Jets then took the lead in game 5 but the Blues responded with a 4-2 win, forcing a game 7. 

Even though Winnipeg’s goalie, Conner Hellebuyck dominated in the regular season, fans were afraid he would choke in the decisive game. 

Game 7 was thrilling, to say the least. With a 3-1 lead ending the second period, the Blues were creating ripples in Winnipeg. 

With 1:56 left in the third, Vladislav Namestnikov scored, making it 3-2 for the Jets. Just when the Blues were ready to celebrate, and the Jets thought hope was lost, Cole Perfetti tied the game with 2.2 seconds left. 

The whole building roared, a sea of white jumped up and down as the Jets refused to be eliminated. 

With a double overtime, the Jets emerged victorious after Captain Adam Lowry scored the game winning goal. 

The Jets will now face the Dallas Stars in the second round.

Golden Knights vs Wild: The Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Minnesota Wild traded leads early on in the series. Both game 4 and 5 went into overtime, showcasing how badly both teams were battling for the win. 

However, the Vegas Golden Knights secured a spot in round 2 with a 3-2 win in game 6. This would mark the last NHL game for Marc-André Fleury, Minnesota’s beloved goalie.

The Golden Knights will now face the Edmonton Oilers and battle for a spot in the Conference finals.

Stars vs Avalanche: With an exchange of leads, the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche entertained the fans with an intense series. 

With a win in game 5, the Stars needed one last push to advance. However, Colorado forced a game 7 with a 3-1 win on home ice. 

Needless to say, game 7 was intense. The Avalanche held a 2-0 lead early in the third period. However, Mikko Rantanen, former Avalanche player, tied the game. 

Wyatt Johnston gave the Stars the lead with a power play goal. While Rantanen scored the game-winning-goal in the empty net, completing a hat trick and securing the victory. 

The Stars will now be up against the Jets in hopes of getting to the Conference Finals for the second year in a row.

Kings vs Oilers: The LA Kings started the series strong with a 2-0 lead. 

Many believed this would be the Kings opportunity to defeat the Oilers after four straight years of facing off in the first round. 

They shook the fans with a harmonica rendition of the Stars Spangled Banner by the Koreatown Senior and Community Center in LA. 

Many thought this was the key for their success.However, Connor McDavid and the Oilers went on to win the next four games. 

The Oilers will be moving on to another Pacific matchup for the second round, facing the Vegas Golden Knights.

How are your brackets looking? The next round of the playoffs is sure to be intense. 

Stay tuned for more NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs news.