Breaking down the next round of the NHL playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
Western Conference capsule2. San Jose (46-27-9) vs. WC 2. Colorado (38-30-14)
When: Series opens Friday in San Jose
Season series: Sharks won all three meetings
Sharks leaders: Brent Burns (16-67-83), Tomas Hertl (35-39-74), Logan Couture (27-43-70), Joe Pavelski (38-26-64)
Goalie: Martin Jones (36-19-5, .896, 2.94)
Avs leaders: Nathan MacKinnon (41-58-99), Mikko Rantanen (31-56-87), Gabriel Landeskog (34-41-75)
Goalie: Philipp Grubauer (18-9-5, .917, 2.64)
The skinny: After getting past Vegas in a wild Game 7, the Sharks might be the favorite in the West to reach the Stanley Cup Final. The high-powered Sharks feature four 30-goal scorers in Joe Pavelski, Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier and Evander Kane. Pavelski, however, will not be ready for Game 1 after suffering a head injury in the third period of the series finale against the Golden Knights. … Colorado, which barely sneaked into the playoffs, eliminated top-seeded Calgary in five games. This is the first time the Avs are in the second round in 11 years. Colorado must utilize its outstanding team speed and not get intimidated by a bigger, tougher San Jose squad.
Prediction: Sharks in 6
Eastern Conference capsule2. N.Y. Islanders (48-27-7) vs. WC 1. Carolina (46-29-7)
When: Series opens Friday in New York
Season series: New York won three of four, one in OT
Islanders leaders: Mathew Barzal (18-44-62), Brock Nelson (25-28-53), Anders Lee (28-23-51)
Goalie: Robin Lehner (25-13-5, .930, 2.13)
Hurricanes leaders: Sebastian Aho (30-53-83), Teuvo Teravainen (21-55-76), Justin Williams (23-30-53)
Goalies: Curtis McElhinney (20-11-2, .912, 2.58); Petr Mrazek (23-14-3, .914, 2.39)
The skinny: Apparently, it's time to take the Islanders seriously. Top to bottom, New York features one of the best defensive squads in the league and proved it by allowing just 6 goals to Pittsburgh during a four-game sweep. Robin Lehner (. 956 save percentage, 1.47 GAA vs. the Penguins) has been a steady force in net, but all six Isles' D-men average at least 16:16 of ice time. … The Hurricanes fought back from a 3-1 deficit in Game 7 and eliminated the defending-champion Capitals with a 4-3 double overtime victory Wednesday. Former Blackhawks Teuvo Teravainen (3G, A in playoffs) and D-man Trevor van Riemsdyk (15:24 TOI) are playing significant roles. Carolina had 13 players with 10 or more goals this season. If the Hurricanes are going to pull off the upset, they're going to need many of them to figure out a way to solve Lehner. For those who love defense, this should be an entertaining series with plenty of close games.
Prediction: Islanders in 7
- John Dietz