NHL Playoffs (ROUND 1) Previews, Predictions & Betting Odds
It’s that time of the year again! One of the most exciting postseasons in all of sports is about to begin. With a lot of states legalizing sports wagering just recently there are surely a lot of folks out there who may want to get in on the action but are also new arrivals to the NHL landscape. Don’t worry, the Rahl Bets team has you covered! Down below you will see Brandon & I breakdown and predict every series in Round 1. For your convenience, we have also included which Sportsbook offers the best price for each particular team. After you check out the series summaries, keep scrolling and you will find our full playoff predictions, as well as those from Tanner & Shane. Enjoy!
- Eastern Conference previews by Brandon Wamsley
- Western Conference previews by Brock Hartley
EASTERN CONFERENCE R1 PLAYOFF MATCHUPS
M2 – NEW YORK RANGERS (52-24-6) -110 BETMGM
M3 – PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (46-25-11) -105 DRAFTKINGS
This matchup is unique because each team took a turn at the trade deadline, in two very different directions. The Penguins came into mid-March playing much better than anyone expected before the season began. Tristan Jarry was playing levels above what anyone thought he could after last year, Crosby was still Crosby, and even Evgeni Malkin came off an extended injury lay-off and was on fire right out of the gate. Everything was looking great in Pittsburgh and fans were filled with hope (even if it was naive) that a couple moves at the deadline could have them right back in cup contention. Meanwhile, things in New York weren’t so bright.
The Rangers season was hanging on only because of the play of Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin was stealing game after game while the Rangers struggled to score at 5-on-5 early in the season, the on-ice play was sloppy, and the underlying metrics were worse. This led to most everyone in the hockey world writing the Rangers off as an improving but not ready yet team that wouldn’t be a real threat come playoff time. Essentially, if the playoffs started in mid-March, everyone would have a very different prediction for this matchup. Insert Frank Vatrano and Andrew Copp to the Rangers lineup. Two guys, along with much improved team cohesion and on-ice play, changed everything in New York. The Rangers went from bottom 5 in offensive metrics to top 5, an unprecedented change in such a short amount of time. Just to give a quick glimpse into how much better the Rangers have been, from the start of the season to March 1, 2022, the Rangers ranked 31st in CF% (46.18%) and 27th in FF% (47.03%) among the NHL.
From the deadline to now the Rangers rank 5th in CF% (53.91%) and 8th in FF% (53.74%). So, New York went from bottom 5 all the way to top 5 with a couple of additions and more time to play together. Oh, and that Shesterkin guy who single handedly kept them in it while they struggled, he hasn’t fallen off. Igor leads the league in GSAx with a wide 6-goal gap between him and 2nd place Andrei Vasilevskiy. During that time, the Penguins took a sharp turn for the worst. A team playing above expectation came back to earth very quickly. Injuries and an illness circulating the locker room had the lineup constantly changing and leaving the team with little ability for consistency. So, things were bad and got worse with an injury to Tristan Jarry that new reports suggest will keep him out of the beginning of the playoff series and he is DTD to return. At this point I can’t find any phase of the game where Pittsburgh is better than New York. The only thing the Pens have going for them is experience and with the Rangers also having home-ice, I am siding with the Rangers to win what has become a bit of a rivalry matchup.
PICK: NEW YORK RANGERS, 4-2
A1 – FLORIDA PANTHERS (58-18-6) -340 DRAFTKINGS
W2 – WASHINGTON CAPITALS (44-26-12) +270 FANDUEL
The Presidents Trophy winner comes into the playoffs flying high and looking like the best team in hockey just like the trophy suggests. The Panthers have broken countless franchise records this season, most of those records could better be described as shattered rather than just broken. Florida was on a 13-game win streak at the end of the season before finally dropping 3 of 4 to end the season. Go ahead and ignore those last 4 games considering the team had little to play for and had to be tiring after a packed schedule. Let us focus on the 13-game win streak and the overall season, and they are the clear favorite in the East. The most impressive part of that win streak? Every game was won without Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad is not only a star, but a leader in the locker room and the lynchpin to a lethal power play. Ekblad was having an outstanding season and was projected 2nd in the Norris race when he went down and before Roman Josi had an all-time March and April. So, Florida loses their best Defenseman and a top leader, and doesn’t miss a beat. Ekblad is expected to return for the Washington series making an already huge favorite even better, and more importantly giving Ekblad a couple games to shake off the rust and get his legs back for a team that has a Cup or bust mentality.
The Washington Capitals elevated their play at the end of the season and look like a team that plans to put up a much tougher fight in the playoffs than we would have thought throughout most of the season. Washington was 16-7 since March 1st before dropping 4 straight to end the year. Those 4 straight losses to end the season are a crushing blow to the Capitals hopes of sticking around a little longer in the postseason. Washington was making a late push to pass the Penguins and grab the 3-spot in the metro. This would have been a huge win for the Caps, even though we have already discussed how much better the Rangers are, Washington would have certainly preferred a matchup with New York. The schedule really didn’t help the Capitals in that late season push. First was a West Coast road trip before returning home to face Toronto, the Rangers, and a hot Islanders team twice. That competition paired with tired legs left the Capitals coming up a bit short and being forced to face off with the President Trophy winning Florida Panthers. This matchup is just really bad for Washington.
Florida plays with a speed and pace Washington simply cannot match. I’ve heard a lot about Florida being too flashy for playoff hockey, anyone who has actually watched Florida play knows they bring a ton of physicality to their game when they need to and more size in the right places than most people realize. The only weakness you can find in Florida is the lack of defensive awareness and propensity to give the puck away or allow odd man breaks at times. I don’t see that being any problem in this series considering Florida dominates puck possession and comes into the series with an unprecedented 1st place ranking in: CF%, FF%, goals, shots on goal, and xGF. Simply put, Washington is older and slower and will be forced to play Florida’s game due to the Panthers overwhelming ability to control the play. The one thing Washington has going for them is pedigree and experience, but much like their old rivals in Pittsburgh, it isn’t going to be enough to help them here. Expect Florida to roll on to the second round.
PICK: FLORIDA PANTHERS, 4-0
M1 – CAROLINA HURRICANES (54-20-8) -115 DRAFTKINGS
W1 – BOSTON BRUINS (51-26-5) +102 FANDUEL
The Bruins vs the Hurricanes has become a familiar matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and a rivalry to both teams and any fans involved. This series is a razor thin matchup of two teams both with a primary focus on defense. Starting with the visitors, Boston ranks 1st in the NHL in xGA and other than Minnesota the Bruins have a 20-goal gap between themselves and anyone else. The defense has been noticeably strong in Boston all season and was the only way they had a chance to win early in the season with an anemic offense.
Everything changed in Boston at the turn of the new year. The offense started to pick up and Boston was getting the depth scoring they had been severely lacking in years past. One notable spark in this shift was when Bruce Cassidy moved star David Pastrnak down to the second line to play alongside Taylor Hall and Eric Haula. The decision was met with some initial criticism, after all the combination of Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak was lethal and one of the best top lines in hockey. Cassidy knew, though, one great line isn’t going to matter, and if you can’t score elsewhere, you can’t win come playoff time. The move turned out to be a massive success, sparking an uptick in production from not only Hall and Haula, but from Pastrnak as well. Being able to control the puck more often also brought more bottom 6 scoring for the Bruins and overall offense production skyrocketed from their prior production. Since January 1st, Boston is 1st in the NHL with a 57.53 xGF%. Pairing this new-found offense with already great defense and solid goaltending from both Ullmark and Swayman and Boston is a tough matchup for anyone.
In Carolina things have been much more consistent this year. Carolina has been second in the East for the majority of the year. After a little bit of a skid in April the Hurricanes ended the season with 6 straight victories to secure the Metropolitan Division and home ice for at least the first 2 rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Consistency is a good thing in the case of Carolina, they stayed in or around 2nd in both CF% and FF% most of the season and finished the year at second in each category behind only the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes do things a bit differently than most of the other playoff teams, using a lot more depth scoring and overall team scoring instead of having a plethora of superstars up top. I don’t want to take anything away from Sebastian Aho here, he is an outstanding player having a great year, however behind him the next highest point total is Andrei Svechnikov at 69. That is interesting because it makes Carolina one of only two teams in the playoffs without at least 2 players in the top 50 of scoring (LA Kings). Carolina does an excellent job at controlling the pace of play, and by limiting turnovers they allow their depth scoring to show through and win games. If you had to choose one guy to credit with the biggest impact in Carolina this season it would be Frederik Andersen.
The ‘Canes absolutely loved the change of scenery in Carolina and was having an all-time season that would have won the Vezina if Igor Shesterkin wasn’t having an all-time season of his own. Andersen posted a .922 SV% and .543 GSAx/60 in 52 games this season and has been a key piece in the Hurricanes success. The problem is, Andersen is out for at least Game 1 of the series and possibly longer. Beyond that, it is hard to predict if he will return to his prior form considering the injury is lower body and seems to really be hindering his mobility. This series is as close as they come and a very difficult prediction to make but I am going with the Bruins and have Boston moving on. Even if Andersen is able to return, missing even 1 game in a matchup this close will be too much for Carolina to overcome.
PICK: BOSTON BRUINS, 4-3
A2 – TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (54-21-7) -120 BETMGM
A3 – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (51-23-8) +100 BETMGM
All eyes will be on Toronto tonight in the most anticipated first round matchup of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. The 2-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning come into Toronto to take on an immensely talented Maple Leafs team that is determined to prove themselves and make this the year they not only finally escape the first round but go much deeper into the postseason. We have to start with the home team here. This matchup is going to have all the attention for 2 reasons.
First is simple, these are two of the NHL’s best and most exciting teams to watch. The second is very Toronto-centric and has a much bigger storyline. The Maple Leafs have managed to lose in the first round of the playoffs an astounding 5 straight years. Despite a ton of talent and much higher expectations last year, the Leafs blew a 3-1 series lead to the Canadiens, who had just squeaked into the playoffs as the 4-seed in the makeshift North Division. The hockey capital of the world became the laughingstock of the NHL. Naturally, the internet hasn’t let Toronto live it down and the Leafs come into the playoffs with everyone on the edge of their seat just waiting, hoping to get to fire off another year of jokes and memes about how bad and overrated the Leafs are. This year Toronto is determined to prove the world wrong. The whispers were bad enough heading into last year’s playoffs, but they were still quiet because Toronto was playing the worst team to make the playoffs and should have had no problem advancing this time around. Then Tavares gets hurt, and the team fails to rally. The fact that not only did the Leafs lose to Montreal, but blew a 3-1 lead in doing so, turned those whispers into a megaphone announcement throughout the hockey world. Toronto has had to deal with being a joke all season and they have been determined to prove everyone wrong this season.
It all starts up top with Auston Matthews. Mathews put up a record breaking 60 goals and amassed 106 points. Linemate Mitch Marner helped with plenty of those and had 35G with 62A in a great campaign for himself as well. Toronto has plenty of talent throughout the lineup in general and can score with anyone – that has never been a problem. The issue in Toronto that has hurt them in the past is a lack of physicality and an unwillingness to defend. This season Toronto has played with a much more physical edge and knows exactly what they need to do in the postseason to not suffer even more embarrassment. I don’t doubt that the Maple Leafs bring a harder, better game into this year’s first round matchup, what I do doubt is the notion that Toronto has reliable goaltending. The Glaring issue in Toronto is goaltending and it has been a problem for a while now. Everyone expected a deadline addition, but the front office decided to stick with what they had, and between Campbell, Mrazek, and Kallgren none have shown consistency. Toronto doesn’t have a single goalie with a positive GSAx. This is a huge problem and if the Leafs do suffer another defeat, it will be because of the difference between the pipes.
Tampa Bay comes into the match-up as the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup Champions and look to make a run for a third. The star power up top in Tampa Bay is still there from the championships. Steven Stamkos had his first 100-point season, which is surprising considering he has a storied, future hall of fame career. Victor Hedman scored 20 goals in an 85-point season that somehow went pretty much unnoticed due to what Roman Josi and Cale Makar are doing. Nikita Kucherov scored 69 points in only 47 games and Tampa has tons of talent in the top 6. The one thing Tampa Bay is missing however is the 3rd line from those Cup Championship teams. The third line of Gourde, Coleman, and Goodrow was the catalyst behind those playoff runs and eventual Championships, and they are all gone. Tampa still has depth, but they don’t have that game changing dynamic anymore. This coupled with the fatigue of winning back-to-back Stanley Cups would be the worrisome factors when considering how far you expect Tampa Bay to go this season. They still have Andrei Vasilevskiy in net though, and that alone will make the Lightning a tough out for any opponent. Vasilevskiy was again one of the best goalies in the game. He was voted as the Goaltender of choice if players had to choose 1 guy to win 1 game by an overwhelming margin in the NHLPA players poll, and finished 2nd in the NHL in GSAx (28.4).
So, now comes the most difficult first round prediction for me to make. I am extremely torn here, Toronto is much better in every offensive metric, while being even or very close in defensive metrics, not considering goaltending. That may come as a surprise but Tampa Bay ranks 5th in xGA (153.73) while Toronto is right there ranking 7th (154.9). As far as overall team play, Toronto has the edge. However, goaltending changes playoff series results. Having a good goalie in the playoffs is a must to go deep and that is the biggest discrepancy in this matchup. The history doesn’t bode well for Toronto either. If you plan to bet the series price, Tampa Bay as the underdog is the value play here. That being said, I am taking the Toronto Maple Leafs to end the misery streak and finally advance past the first round with their edge in team play being just enough to outweigh the difference in net. If I am wrong on this one, I have nobody to blame but myself because picking Toronto to win the first round is now the definition of insanity.
PICK: TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS, 4-3
WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF R1 MATCHUPS
C1 – COLORADO AVALANCHE (56-19-7) -600 BETMGM
W2 – NASHVILLE PREDATORS (45-30-7) +450 DRAFTKINGS
Is there cause for concern in Denver? The Avalanche have been perhaps the most dominate team in the NHL over the past 18 months. After winning the President’s Trophy last season, they posted a 56-19-7 record this season, good for 119 points and a 2nd place finish in the President’s Trophy standings. The final two weeks of the regular season were a different story, however. The Avs closed the season out by going 1-5-1 in their final seven. Now there’s always the possibility that the Avs poor play was derived from a lack of urgency since they had home-ice all but wrapped up for a while now, but nevertheless, that is not how you want to be playing when going into the postseason. Especially when there’s a possibility that you get matched up against an opponent who has had your number this year, which ended up being the case when the Preds saw a 4-0 lead collapse against the lowly Coyotes in Game 82, eventually losing the game in regulation and falling into the final wild card slot. The Avalanche are without a doubt the superior team, but hockey is funny – just ask the 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning. This matchup isn’t as concerning as it could have been (we’ll get to that in a minute), but Nashville has performed well against Colorado this season.
The Preds won the season series 3-1, including a game played recently on April 28th. So, the bottom line is that the Avs are coming into the series as a huge favorite against a team that has had success against them. I could have seen that as a recipe for disaster if not for a recent development for Nashville… they will be without the services of Juuse Saros in net. Ouch. That is a huge blow to the Preds. One that quickly dispelled any upset notions I had for this series. Saros was a key component in Nashville’s success. He finished T-2nd in the league for wins and 4th in GSAA. Instead, Nashville will likely turn to David Rittich, who allowed 3.57 goals per game and finished with a .886 save percentage en route to a 6-3-4 record. To say this isn’t ideal for the Predators would be a massive understatement.
It would have been interesting to see how Saros and defenseman Roman Josi performed in the underdog role, but we should still be able to see Josi put on a defenseman clinic with his counterpart Cale Makar. Josi & Makar led the way in defensemen scoring with 96 & 86 points. So, we could see those two trade punches throughout this series, but without a reliable goalie for Nashville, I expect Colorado’s talent will come to surface and take control early in Game 1. And I don’t think they will relent. Furthermore, I believe this series will give the Avs an opportunity to right the ship and get back to the level of dominance which has become their standard, which bodes well for them in the long run.
PICK: COLORADO AVALANCHE, 4-0
C2 – MINNESOTA WILD (53-22-7) -148 FANDUEL
C3 – ST. LOUIS BLUES (49-22-11) +135 BETMGM
I’m extremely excited for this series. It very well may be one of the most underrated series in Round 1. There is no surprise that a lot of eyes will be on Toronto vs Tampa Bay over in the Eastern Conference, but this series could end up providing just as much entertainment value, and I’ll tell you why. For starters, there are a lot of storylines & moving pieces to follow here. When Minnesota acquired Marc-Andre Fleury at the deadline, it was assumed that they brought him in to be the guy that they can depend on to get deep into the playoffs. Well not so fast, because Cam Talbot had something to say about that. Since March 21st Talbot has gone 8-0-3, allowing 2.27 goals per game, and has posted a save percentage of .925. Fleury hasn’t been as good, but his numbers are respectable since joining the Wild. In his 10 starts, MAF has gone 8-2-0, allowing 2.90 goals per game, with a save percentage of .905. This means Dean Evason has a decision to make. Do you go with the hot hand, or do you go with the veteran netminder who was brought in because he’s been to the Stanley Cup Finals 5 times in his Hall of Fame career? My guess is we see Talbot in Game 1, but whoever it is, they will undoubtedly have a very short leash.
The Blues opened the season with a similar situation, however now it is pretty clear cut. Jordan Binnington and Ville Husso began the season splitting the time in the crease, but Husso has separated himself over the course of the season, so it would appear that the net is his. Binnington, however, already won the Cup back in 2019, so we know that he has the ability to get it done in the postseason. So just like Minnesota, I would assume that the goaltending situation for the Blues will also be fluid. Second, I genuinely do not know to expect this series to be high or low scoring. One thing is certain, it should be fraught with scoring chances, but whether or not they result in red lights is another matter, as both teams roster goaltenders that can steal the show.
These teams are the top two teams in the league in shooting percentage (STL 10.42%, MIN 10.17%). The Blues give up the 7th most high-danger chances per 60 minutes, so the Wild’s shooters should have a chance to shine. The Blues, on the other hand, don’t have the jaw-dropping offensive metrics that you might expect from the top shooting team in the NHL, but this is by design. The Blues like to generate their chances through seam passes and by switching the side of the ice off the rush. A lot of these plays won’t show up on the stat sheet, but they result in dangerous opportunities. Finally, this matchup features two of the hottest teams in the league at the moment. Since the start of April, both the Blues and the Wild are 12-2-2, with St. Louis scoring 5 goals in 9 of the games, and the Wild scoring 5 goals in 7 of theirs. It’s worth mentioning the the Blues won all 3 games in the season series, with 2 being OT victories. However, the playoffs are a different animal. I expect this to be a close series filled with entertaining games, but with the home-ice advantage I think the Wild are more likely to control the pace of the game, which is why I’m giving them a slight edge.
PICK: MINNESOTA WILD, 4-3
P2 – EDMONTON OILERS (49-27-6) -230 FANDUEL
P3 – LOS ANGELES KINGS (44-27-11) +200 BETMGM
The popular pick to come out of this series will surely be Edmonton. After a tumultuous season filled with extreme highs and lows, the Oilers certainly finished on a high note, going 11-2-1 in the month of April. Plus, it’s extremely difficult to pick against a team that rosters Connor McDavid & Leon Draisaitl. When you think of the Oilers, you think of goals – lots of them. You think of their powerplay, which can heat up at any moment and score at a record-breaking pace. Now when those things come to mind, you undoubtedly expect that team to win, so there should be a lot of Edmonton backers out there. But the question is are they the right pick? Let’s try to answer that question by diving into some of their opponent’s underlying metrics.
The Kings may have the most surprising advanced stats in the league. When you think of LA Kings hockey chances are you think about defense, structure, and goaltending. That’s how the Kings won their two most recent championships after all. Now they still have a solid tandem in goal, they still play very solid defense, and they still structure their forecheck to be tough to play against. This year’s Kings squad, however, also boasts some impressive offensive numbers. The Kings are in the Top 10 in the following stat categories: CF/60, CF%, FF/60, FF%, SF/60, SF%, xGF/60, xGF%, SCF/60, SCF%, and HDCF/60. That’s a long list. Now if you’re saying to yourself “How can they be in the Top 10 of all those categories, but only be ranked 20th in goals?”, that would be a valid question. The answer is finishing. The Kings rank dead last in shooting percentage, scoring on only a measly 6.97% of their shots. They are also dead last in goals scored above expected at -32.62. To put into perspective just how bad that is, the 2nd worst team sits at -26.13. When the Oilers struggled this season a lot of the blame could be laid at the feet of the man in the blue crease. When things went bad for Oilers goalies, they went bad. There was a stretch this season where they allowed 62 goals in 15 games, going 2-11-2 in the process.
Mike Smith has since found his form, finishing the season by allowing only 10 goals over his final 8 starts. The fact remains, however, that at any moment the flood gates could open. All 3 of Edmonton’s primary goalies have given up their share of egregious goals over the course of the 82-game season. The fact that Los Angeles’ poor shooting percentage could be negated by the allowance of soft goals makes me lean toward the Kings. But here is the clincher – do you remember that loooong list of offensive metrics that the Kings rank Top 10 in? And do you remember that potent Edmonton offense that I was talking about earlier, the one that makes you think of goals the second they are mentioned? Well, the Kings also finished above Edmonton in every single one of those offensive categories. Give me the Kings at plus money.
PICK: LOS ANGELES KINGS, 4-3
P1 – CALGARY FLAMES (50-21-11) -300 BETMGM
W1 – DALLAS STARS (46-30-6) +270 DRAFTKINGS
I’m gonna get less analytical with this series, and instead I’m going to examine a question that I’m about to pose to you… how much pressure is on this Calgary team and how will that affect their on-ice play? To try and find answers to that question let’s go back to last season. Calgary underachieved in a huge way. They were thought to be contenders to win the all-Canadien makeshift division, but they missed the postseason altogether. Then the rumor mill started churning out some fat to chew on. There were rumors that the Flames could be deadline sellers. There were rumors that Gaudreau was on the market. There were also rumors that Matthew Tkachuck was unhappy in Calgary and didn’t see himself as part of the Flames’ long-term future. The deadline seller rumor appeared to have some substance after the Flames dealt Sam Bennett to Florida a month after firing head coach Geoff Ward and hiring Daryl Sutter.
Coming into this season Matthew Tkachuck, Johnny Gaudreau and Andrew Mangiapane were all entering the final year of their contracts, with Gaudreau set to become a UFA. Naturally, many expected this to be the year where the Flames would deal some high-end talent. Daryl Sutter didn’t get that memo. I’m not sure what he did during this past offseason, but it worked. The Flames have played a skillful, structured game this season, earning 111 points, enough to win the Pacific Division. They went from a non-playoff team to a Stanley Cup contender in short order. They are backstopped by an elite goalie in Jacob Markstrom, and they have a fast-moving defensive philosophy that’s designed to help generate offense while limiting the opposition’s possessions, which is working. Calgary’s offensive and possession metrics are stellar. They have shown throughout the course of an 82-game season that they can play with anyone.
So again, how much pressure is on this team? My guess is not a ton, and I think that’s a good thing. When you become a championship contender overnight, you don’t feel that need to succeed as much as a team like Toronto, for example, is feeling right now after getting raked over the coals for yet another bow out in Round 1 last season. The Flames are playing with house money this season, and when you do that, you are relaxed, and find it easier to go out there and play your game. My guess is that it shouldn’t take Calgary very much time to establish their brand of hockey against their opponent… which brings me to the Dallas Stars. The team from Texas was flirting with a playoff spot all season and locked one up in Game 81.
The Stars should feel somewhat fortunate to find the postseason considering they didn’t receive the type of production they’ve come to expect from Jamie Benn & Tyler Seguin. Instead, a new top line emerged for the Stars with the trio of Roope Hintz, Joe Pavelski & second year player Jason Robertson, and they have been as balanced as they are potent. The three forwards have combined for 105 goals and 127 assists. However, for Dallas to come out of this series they will need to see Benn & Seguin start manufacturing some goals again, as well as some major contributions from defensemen Miro Heiskanen and John Klingberg, as Calgary also has a formidable top line. In fact, they were the most productive line in hockey per Left Wing Lock. Here are their numbers: Gaudreau (40g, 75a), Tkachuck (42g, 62a), Lindholm (42g, 40a). As you can see, those numbers are just… staggering. Even if Benn & Seguin are able to go out there and make hay, I just see Calgary as being too deep, with a better system, and a clear edge in goal. They can go out and play loose and force their opponent to play Flames hockey, which should result in a difficult series for the Stars.
PICK: CALGARY FLAMES, 4-2
Rahl Bets’ 2022 NHL Playoff Predictions
BROCK’S PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
ROUND 1
FLORIDA OVER WASHINGTON, 4-2
TAMPA BAY OVER TORONTO, 4-2
CAROLINA OVER BOSTON, 4-3
NEW YORK OVER PITTSBURGH, 4-0
COLORADO OVER NASHVILLE, 4-0
MINNESOTA OVER ST. LOUIS, 4-3
CALGARY OVER DALLAS, 4-2
LOS ANGELES OVER EDMONTON, 4-3
ROUND 2
FLORIDA OVER TAMPA BAY, 4-2
CAROLINA OVER NEW YORK, 4-2
COLORADO OVER MINNESOTA, 4-3
CALGARY OVER LOS ANGELES, 4-2
CONFERENCE FINALS
FLORIDA OVER CAROLINA, 4-2
COLORADO OVER CALGARY, 4-2
STANLEY CUP
COLORADO OVER FLORIDA, 4-2
BRANDON’S PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
ROUND 1
FLORIDA OVER WASHINGTON, 4-0
TORONTO OVER TAMPA BAY, 4-3
BOSTON OVER CAROLINA, 4-3
NEW YORK OVER PITTSBURGH, 4-2
COLORADO OVER NASHVILLE, 4-1
MINNESOTA OVER ST. LOUIS, 4-3
CALGARY OVER DALLAS, 4-1
EDMONTON OVER LOS ANGELES, 4-2
ROUND 2
FLORIDA OVER TORONTO, 4-2
NEW YORK OVER BOSTON, 4-3
COLORADO OVER MINNESOTA, 4-2
CALGARY OVER EDMONTON, 4-2
CONFERENCE FINALS
FLORIDA OVER NEW YORK, 4-3
COLORADO OVER CALGARY, 4-1
STANLEY CUP
COLORADO OVER FLORIDA, 4-3
TANNER’S PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
ROUND 1
FLORIDA OVER WASHINGTON, 4-1
TAMPA BAY OVER TORONTO, 4-3
CAROLINA OVER BOSTON, 4-2
PITTSBURGH OVER NEW YORK, 4-3
COLORADO OVER NASHVILLE, 4-1
MINNESOTA OVER ST. LOUIS, 4-1
CALGARY OVER DALLAS, 4-1
EDMONTON OVER LOS ANGELES, 4-2
ROUND 2
FLORIDA OVER TAMPA BAY, 4-2
CAROLINA OVER PITTSBURGH, 4-2
COLORADO OVER MINNESOTA, 4-2
CALGARY OVER EDMONTON, 4-3
CONFERENCE FINALS
CAROLINA OVER FLORIDA, 4-3
COLORADO OVER CALGARY, 4-2
STANLEY CUP
COLORADO OVER CAROLINA, 4-2
SHANE’S PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
ROUND 1
FLORIDA OVER WASHINGTON, 4-2
TAMPA BAY OVER TORONTO, 4-3
BOSTON OVER CAROLINA, 4-2
NEW YORK OVER PITTSBURGH, 4-1
COLORADO OVER NASHVILLE, 4-1
St LOUIS OVER MINNESOTA, 4-3
CALGARY OVER DALLAS, 4-3
EDMONTON OVER LOS ANGELES, 4-2
ROUND 2
TAMPA BAY OVER FLORIDA, 4-2
BOSTON OVER NEW YORK, 4-2
COLORADO OVER ST. LOUIS, 4-3
EDMONTON OVER CALGARY, 4-3
CONFERENCE FINALS
COLORADO OVER EDMONTON, 4-3
TAMPA BAY OVER BOSTON, 4-2
STANLEY CUP
COLORADO OVER TAMPA BAY, 4-3
