Each of the 8 Stanley Cup playoffs of the first round has finished their first match. And so far, it turns out we’re looking for exciting playoffs.
There was a five-hour overtime game, with the Tampa Bay Lightning surviving the Columbus Blue Jackets for a marathon victory. The overdue completion made the first game of the Boston Bruins-Carolina Hurricanes series one day, and that game doubled in overtime on Wednesday, with Boston winning.
The two No.6 seeds opened with victories in their quest to win the surprises of the first round when the New York Islanders reunited for a victory behind the road over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, a day after the Calgary Flames beat the Dallas Stars. . .
And the first game ended Wednesday night with the St. Louis Blues, the protective champions of the Stanley Cup, with a loss to the No. 5 seeded Vancouver Canucks.
Thursday’s schedule, odds
Game 2: Columbus Blue Jackets No. 7 to Tampa Bay Lightning No. 2 (-1.5), p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 2: Chicago Blackhawks No. in Vegas Golden Knights No. 1 (-1.5), 5:30 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network
Game 2: Carolina Hurricanes No. Five vs. Boston Bruins No. Four (-1.5), 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
Game 2: Calgary Flames No. 6 vs. Dallas Stars No. (-1.5), 10:0 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
Odds received By Caesars Palace
Thursday’s predictions
Lightning is winning again, faster this time
In the game The Moment, Lightning and Blue Jackets are unlikely to play five overtime. Tuesday’s marathon clash was the fourth-longest game in Stanley Cup playoff history, ending only when Brayden Point nevertheless scored 10 minutes, 27 moments after the extra fifth time, propeling Tampa Bay to a 3-2 victory.
Last year, Columbus became the first No. 8 seed to sweep a No. 1 seed in Stanley Cup playoff history by beating Tampa Bay in four games. Lightning will be motivated to return the favor this season and make sure they never miss the series by winning the first two games.
Tampa Bay beat Columbus 88-63 in the first game, so expect him to maintain offensive tension once again, even if Steven Stamkos remains absent with a lower body injury. The Lightning proved that he can still play the offense well in his absence.
The Golden Knights will roll offensively in Game 2
After leading 3-0 and scoring 15 goals in their all-against-all games, the Golden Knights continued to be an offensive force in their Game 1 victory over the Blackhawks, beating the Blackhawks in a 4–1 victory. Don’t look any more of the same in Game 2.
Reilly Smith scored twice in the first game, while Shea Theodore and William Carrier also discovered the network for Vegas, which beat Chicago 34-20. And while the Golden Knights are in their third season in franchise history, they seem to have discovered a team technique that already works in the playoffs.
“We have disks on the network and we check for weighs,” Smith said, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). “Playoffs, that’s where dirty goals are scored, so we have to keep doing it.”
The Blackhawks are an experienced team, but the Golden Knights are the best. They win the series easily and will continue to bet on their lead early Thursday.
Hurricanes return after 2OT defeat in Game 2
In last year’s Eastern Conference finals, the Bruins swept the Hurricanes to advance to the Stanley Cup finals. Although Carolina had an impressive playoff run, beating New York and Washington, she ended disappointing as she scored five goals in total while wasting four games against Boston.
In the first game of this year’s first round between the two teams, the Hurricanes have already shown that they are a bigger team than the one they lost unevenly 3 times at last season’s convention finals. They spoke twice after the Bruins took the lead at the time and third, and played 21:13 in overtime before Boston’s Patrice Bergeron even though it was all over.
Even though it was another playoff loss to the Bruins, the Hurricanes played a competitive game. Now, through the game two days in a row, it will be vital for them to recover and even the series, which they will do in a competitive Game 2 on Thursday.
Carolina played a physical competition in the first game, recording 51 hits. If you can play a little more defensively and turn that into more shots at the other end, you can change the result to the other side.
So the prediction here is that Hurricanes react and make it one of the maximum competitive series in the first round.
Flames bring victory closer to a hectic series
Stars can collide with flames at that moment. Not only has Dallas had offensive problems (3 goals in their last 3 games), but veteran goalkeeper Cam Talbot and the Calgary defender have also played well, allowing 8 goals in their first five playoff games.
Talbot’s supplies delight the lead and playoffs for the Flames, who had won only one playoff game in the last four seasons before this year. He made 24 saves in the first game’s victory over Dallas, and his two goals were in nine moments in the moments. Eliminate that momentary gap, and the 33-year-old almost perfect.
Although the Flames are the sixth seed in this series, they may be about to take control. They will take a 2-0 lead with a victory at the time of the game, and will return depending on a forged defense and a forged attack to win.
After scoring a purpose in Calgary’s circular qualifying victory over the Winnipeg Jets, Dillon Dube scored a couple of opposite-Dallas purposes in the first game. Expect him to score at the time of the game, proceeding with the necessary momentum to lead the Flames’ offense.
Hurricanes HC fined for commenting on arbitration after first defeat
Our selections for opening series