Check out my first round predictions here

The first round of the playoffs frustratingly didn’t end before they started second round games so I’m having to push this out now that the Montreal Canadiens have locked up their spot in the second round.

Prediction wise I was pretty close on the games in most series but I got the correct winner 4/8. I got the correct games 3/8.

It’s too bad we’re not getting Dallas or Tampa in the second round but that’s just how these playoff matchups with divisional battles first end up. Two really good teams have to go home. If it was up to me I’d just slip Dallas in over Vegas and Tampa in over Philadelphia. But sadly that’s not the case.

Anyway here we go with the first round.

First Round Recap

President’s Trophy Winning Colorado Avalanche versus Los Angeles Kings

My Prediction: Colorado Avalanche in four games

Result: Colorado Avalanche in four games (!)

Sometimes with the current playoff system we forget it’s still eight teams. It may sound silly but when we had the 1/8 2/7 3/6 4/5 system we always doubted the eighth seed. Now we have this 1/wildcard 2/3 1/wildcard 2/3 system our mind sometimes forgets that the team who squeaked in? They didn’t really belong.

The Western Conference was weak. Maybe the correct way to explain it is they were top heavy. In the West only three teams had 100+ points and five had 90+ points. In the East it was five teams with 100+ and seven with 90+ points. Maybe that just sounds like four extra but there’s only 16 in a conference. Only four teams in the East had under 90 points. The Los Angeless Kings made the playoffs with 90 points. Eight teams were below them.

The St. Louis Blues started the year absolutely terrible and were still four points from the Kings because they had a four game winning streak to end the year. The Nashville Predators had three more wins than the LA Kings but missed the playoffs. I hope this gives you an idea of just how much of a mess the bottom of the West was.

I gave the Kings no chance and I don’t feel bad about it. Next year they will be without Anze Kopitar but have a full season of Artemi Panarin. Kevin Fiala will be healthy this time. Maybe that’ll make it easier to make it but there’s very little to convince me the Kings will be a contender. Also, what happens when Drew Doughty finally retires and there’s nothing left of the Cup winning Kings teams?

Divisional Matchup Dallas Stars versus Minnesota Wild

My Prediction: Dallas Stars in seven games

Result: Minnesota Wild in six games (-1 on series, -1 on wrong team)

I said Dallas had an X-Factor you could never count out in Mikko Rantanen. I guess that’s only when Colorado is either on his sweater or on the opposing team.

Quinn Hughes ended up being the X-Factor for the Wild. The first win for the Wild and the series ender were not close games but everything else was. Dallas losing three straight was a surprise but when you look at game four they were never in it. It just wasn’t enough and Bill Guerin deserves credit for everything he did to stack the Wild for this playoff run. Quinn Hughes, Michael McCarron, Bobby Brink, heck even credit to trading for Jeff Petry who got in a game.

Dallas continues to let me down in the playoffs when I constantly believe in them. Happened last year and has now happened this year. Don’t know what it’ll take for me to believe in them again. They gotta figure out what to do with Tyler Seguin. Gotta re-sign Jason Robertson or trade him. Thomas Harley’s new contract kicks in next season and boy they need a lot more from him at $10.5 million. I forgot they traded for Michael Bunting who wasn’t much for them.

I’m sure Dallas will still be good next season, very good even, but they need to inject some new life in them. This is their Florida Panthers trade for Matthew Tkachuk moment. They need to bring something in.

Pacific Division winner Vegas Golden Knights versus Utah Mammoth

My Prediction: Utah Mammoth in six games

Result: Vegas Golden Knights in six games (-1 on wrong team)

This series was closer than it seemed. Vegas had to win games four and five in OT, both barn burner 5-4 games. I said Mitch Marner wasn’t going to show up after the first four games and he proceeded to assist on the game winning goal in game five and have two goals and an assist in game six. Maybe he finally shed the choking in Toronto?

The Mammoth just ran out of steam. This was a seventh seed after all. I’m happy for Utah fans getting a playoff series. They have a very good team with a lot of guys in their early to mid 20s like JJ Peterka, Logan Cooley, and Dylan Guenther to keep improving. They made one of the best acquisitions of the trade deadline in Mackenzie Weegar who I think ends up their best defenceman going forward, especially offensively. I like their chances of improving next year, even if the Central is top heavy and they end up a wildcard team again.

Divisional Matchup Edmonton Oilers versus Anaheim Ducks

My Prediction: Edmonton Oilers in seven games

Result: Anaheim Ducks in six games (-1 on games, -1 on wrong team)

IN MY DEFENCE I said, “If the Ducks win this? Please Anaheim fans. It’s not I didn’t believe in you. You deserve this. I just can’t count Edmonton out in the first round.” I also said, “Everything in my body is saying the Oilers should lose this” because I did not believe in any way, shape, or form that the Edmonton Oilers were the better team. I just couldn’t count them out. In fact I am happy Anaheim won this.

Anaheim is young, well coached (by a man who probably shouldn’t be coaching in the NHL anymore but that’s the business), and had advantages up and down the lineup. What they did lack was the incredible star power of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. The fact the Oilers even made it to six is impressive with Connor clearly playing hurt. Leon likely as well.

The Edmonton Oilers are the biggest frauds since the San Jose Sharks of the 2010s. The Sharks also struggled with reliable goaltending while chasing big name players. The Sharks also sacrificed strong back end defence for offensive dynamos. I think Evan Bouchard at $10.5 million is one of the worst contracts in the league. I don’t care how many points he puts up. He’s Erik Karlsson but an even worse defender. Karlsson at least had health issues. Bouchard is just bad.

I’m glad the Ducks won. I’m also glad Connor and Leon called out Oilers management but can we take a second to point out how bullshit it was the Oilers management tried to claim they couldn’t do anything last summer to make the team better? Connor took less money! You signed Andrew Mangiapane to a stupid deal after trading Evander Kane and clearing his cap!

You couldn’t figure out that while Stuart Skinner wasn’t the answer as a starting goalie the move wasn’t to trade him for a worse goalie with a larger cap hit (that can’t be bought out for any savings) but it was to push him down to two and have a better starting goalie. No you trade Skinner for a worse guy, and then make Connor Ingram your starter? You deserve this. Stan Bowman shouldn’t be a GM in this league just like Coach Q shouldn’t be a coach. Accept your fate.

If I’m any of the top Oilers I’d be asking out. I doubt they will. They will run it back.

Eastern Conference

Eastern Conference winner Carolina Hurricanes versus Ottawa Senators

My Prediction: Carolina Hurricanes in six games

Result: Carolina Hurricanes in four games (-2)

Not much to say here. I do recall a lot of Canadian sports media trying to gas up the Ottawa Senators and say they were a big threat this playoffs. I didn’t buy it. The only game I watched was game four and it was one of the worst powerplays I’ve ever seen from a supposedly good team. Passes nowhere near the players intended. Just pure incompetence.

It’s funny I gave Ottawa two wins here and they couldn’t even muster that. Listen, I actually like the build of the Ottawa Senators and don’t think they are that far from being a much better team but they gotta get rid of Brady Tkachuk. Crying about how he keeps getting asked if he wants out. Absolutely pathetic leader. He’s lucky JT Miller is a captain in this league or he’d look even worse.

I would not be surprised if Linus Ullmark asks for a trade to get out of that organization after everything he’s gone through. When he needed them the most when he took a leave it’s clear the team was mad at him for not sucking it up. Well when they needed him the most he showed up when the rest of the team didn’t. In the playoffs. Ottawa doesn’t deserve him. If they don’t get rid of Brady? Linus should say get me out.

Divisional Matchup Philadelphia Flyers versus Pittsburgh Penguins

My Prediction: Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games

Result: Philadelphia Flyers in six games (-1 on games, -1 on wrong team)

I changed my prediction 10 minutes before publishing from Flyers to Penguins and I paid for it.

Flyers nearly swept the Penguins and then Pittsburgh switched goalies and made a run for it. That game six being a 1-0 overtime win for the Flyers what a heartbreaker. It really felt like the Pens would take it to seven.

I did give credit to Philly for being a real good defensive team and that’s honestly what won it for them. It’ll be interesting to see how the Matvei Michkov drama is handled in the second round and beyond. I feel like the Flyers now with Porter Martone have an open door to move Michkov (if anyone wants him) and lessen the backlash knowing Martone is their future offensively.

If Pittsburgh plays Silovs from the start do they win this series? Do they take it to seven? Maybe, but that’s on the coaching staff for trusting Skinner for three games. Should have went to Silovs in game two. Maybe they still lose 1-0 but that’s at least on the offence and not the kind of goals Skinner was allowing. He’ll be interesting as a free agent this summer. I wonder what contender he hops onto to be the backup.

Atlantic Division winner Buffalo Sabres versus Boston Bruins

My Prediction: Buffalo Sabres in five games

Result: Buffalo Sabres in six games (-1)

One of the few times I got the team right but not enough games.

Not much to say here really. I think Boston got really lucky in game five. Sabres defensively shut the Bruins down in games three and four. They squeaked a second goal in game five in OT. Buffalo got them back to their one goal ways after that. Boston scored seven goals in the first two games followed by five in the next four.

A lot of people gave credit to Boston for rebounding after a bad year. I get it. Swayman is a very good goaltender. David Pastrnak is a really good player. One of the best wingers in the league. How has Boston tried to support that? Elias Lindholm, Pavel Zacha, and Casey Middlestadt. If you can’t find a 1C might as well try to acquire three 2C’s. Luckily for Boston they got James Hagens on the way but will Pastrnak be a difference maker by the time he’s ready to be a top forward for them?

Happy to see Buffalo make it to the second round. Their fans deserve this.

Divisional Matchup Tampa Bay Lightning versus Montreal Canadiens

My Prediction: Montreal Canadiens in seven games

Result: Montreal Canadiens in seven games (!)

I’ll say it again. October 1, 2025 I said Montreal and Tampa would play each other in the first round with Tampa in the second divisional seed and Montreal in the third.

Now I nailed the playoff prediction. Habs in seven.

What I did not predict was how much of this series would be a defensive chess match. Jon Cooper effectively shut down the Habs top six to the point where Oliver Kapanen got benched in favour of Brendan Gallagher. The Montreal Canadiens had to scramble their top line for the first time all year. Montreal played better defence in this series than they have all year. I guess they always had it in them.

This ended up the best series of the first round by a large margin, with every game being close until game seven when Montreal’s shot faucet absolutely seized up for 30 minutes but the Habs still won. Only 9 shots. 9!

I’ve talked about the other teams needing to do stuff in the summer. The last thing Tampa needs to do is panic. They lost the closest series we may see in this playoffs, one of the closest series ever. If Tampa won the division they would have wrecked Boston or Ottawa. Montreal was the worst possible matchup. Heck I think they would have beaten the Sabres even.

What happens to Raddysh though? Bjorkstrand? Does Corey Perry retire? Those are some big questions. I was shocked that Bjorkstrand had zero points in his four games because I thought he was deadly on the puck every shift. I always knew when he was out there.

One does wonder though. Point, Cirelli, Guentzel, Cirelli, Cernak, Moser, McDonaugh, and Hedman are all locked up on multiple years. Kucherov’s deal is over next summer. Vasilevskiy has two more years. Maybe they make a change on one of these players? I love Kucherov. Absolutely love him. I would not be shocked if Tampa Bay decided just because he’s one of the best players in the regular season doesn’t mean he’s untouchable. Only a modified 10 team no trade list. If you’re the Dallas Stars, would you give up an RFA Jason Robertson for one year of Nikita Kucherov playing with Mikko Rantanen? Just asking. Probably not, but just asking.

Second Round Predictions

I have to first note that I’m starting this with two games already in the bag. The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 9-6 (reverse nice) and the Carolina Hurricanes shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Not my fault the NHL didn’t wait for Montreal/Tampa to be over.

President’s Trophy Colorado Avalanche versus Minnesota Wild

Colorado is already up 1-0 in the series.

It’s a tough road for Minnesota. They had to beat the Dallas Stars and now they have to beat the Colorado Avalanche. Montreal can relate. But this is the NHL playoffs and you gotta do what you gotta do to win.

Colorado is well rested and on easy street after a win against the Los Angeles Kings so I think they have a lot of advantages when it comes to this series. I also think Minnesota will make it hard on them. I just don’t know how hard they can overcome the Avs.

I think Colorado wins this series but the Wild push them as hard as they can.

Colorado Avalanche in six games

Pacific Division Winners Vegas Golden Knights versus Anaheim Ducks

This will be a very tough series to figure out.

My first instincts is to give the advantage to the Anaheim Ducks. I think they are better in goal, their defence has more snarl, and they have a better bottom six. The Vegas Golden Knights however proved to me their playoff experience is a playoff advantage, and now with Mitch Marner not being usual Leafs Marner? They could absolutely get to the conference final.

This is also a series between two teams I didn’t pick to make it to the second round, though I wanted the Ducks to do it.

I’d hate to see Carter Hart with another playoff series win but I’m going to go with the Vegas Golden Knights. Again, Ducks fans? It’s not I have something against anyone other than Coach Q on your team, and trust me I hate Hart a lot more. I just think Vegas wins this one. Prove me wrong again please.

Vegas Golden Knights in six games

Eastern Conference Winners Carolina Hurricanes versus Philadelphia Flyers

Carolina is already up 1-0 in the series

Honestly? Hurricanes could sweep this. I didn’t see anything in the Flyers first game. This is Carolina feasting on the Southeast division like they once did 20 years ago.

I can’t go with a full sweep though. I’ll go with the “gentleman’s sweep” and say Philly wins a game at home. Carolina cruises to the Conference final to play an Atlantic division team that just survived a war. Maybe even two wars.

Carolina Hurricanes in five games

Atlantic Division Winners Buffalo Sabres versus Montreal Canadiens

Don’t be shocked if this is the best series in the playoff round again. Montreal having another war everyone is watching.

The games between these teams were fun this year. They went 2-2 with pretty close games, all four having empty net goals scored. Alex Lyon was in net for the two Sabres losses while Jakub Dobeš was in net for the two Habs wins. That’s a good sign for Montreal, but Buffalo already proved in the Boston series that the regular season doesn’t really count.

I honestly like the chances of both teams. It’s really hard to choose. Going another seven games for Montreal feels like the cowards way out so I’m going to say this. Cole Caufield is considered Mr. Saturday Night. Montreal didn’t play a single Saturday game against Tampa Bay. This series? There will be one. Game six. I think Montreal closes it out in game six.

Montreal Canadiens in six games

This would give us a top of the division battle against Colorado and Vegas in the west (the last two Western Conference teams to win the Cup as well) while Montreal and Carolina meet in the east.

The Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche only met once in the playoffs in that weird pandemic year where they won in six games in 2021. The last time a Presidents trophy team made the Stanley Cup final was the last time a Presidents Trophy team won the Stanley Cup, the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013. It was still 1/8 and Chicago got to feast on a weak 8th seed Minnesota Wild, about to crash Detroit Red Wings in the 7th seed, and Los Angeles Kings in the 5th seed. The Avalanche, should they make the Cup final, would have a much harder route. The Kings would be considered an 8th seed, Minnesota a 3rd seed, and Vegas the 4th seed.

Carolina and Montreal last met in the playoffs 20 years ago. They also played each other in 01-02. Carolina won both series. Prior to moving to Carolina, the Hartford Whalers never beat the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs. Funny that. Maybe the Canadiens can convince Carolina to wear the Hartford colours every game.

I’d love a Montreal versus Colorado Cup final. If I can’t have that? Give me the best in the east versus the best in the west in Carolina versus Colorado. Haven’t had a matchup like that in a while.

“Colorado Avalanche at Seattle Kraken – 2023-04-24 – Round 1 Game 4 – Yanni Gourde and Josh Manson shoving (52852174496)” by Jenn G from Seattle, WA is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .