It’s that time of the year again, with the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs upon us. The focus will be on the Rangers and the Devils, naturally, but we still have a lot of good hockey being played around the league. Edmonton has quietly become the betting favorite to come out of the West. The Islanders are also a dark horse pick to upset the Hurricanes in the first round. Plus Toronto and Tampa meet again.
So with that, here are BSB’s 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs first round predictions:
New York Islanders vs. Carolina Hurricanes
Russ
NYI in 7 – The least exciting of the first round series but one that will almost certainly go the distance. If Andrei Svechnikov was healthy, I’d give this one to Carolina. But with his absence they haven’t looked great. Ilya Sorokin stands on his head, and the return of Mat Barzal provide just enough scoring for the Isles to move onto round 2.
Will
Carolina in 6 – I don’t see this Carolina team as a Cup threat anymore with their injuries, but despite their poor play after losing Svechnikov I still just don’t see them getting upset by a weak Islanders team. Sorokin will steal a game or two to make it relatively close, but it won’t be enough.
Rob C
Canes in 6 – I understand why everyone is picking the Isles here, but Carolina is still a quality team that won enough games even after Svech got hurt to win the division. They’ll figure it out vs. a mediocre Isles team that needed a Pens collapse to even make the playoffs.
Dave
Isles in 7 – This is the Ilya Sorokin series. He was the best goalie in the NHL this season and if I had a vote, would be my top pick for the Vezina. Getting Mat Barzal back to go with Bo Horvat gives the Isles just enough punch to win low scoring games. Carolina has the possession power, but without Svechnikov, they lack finishing depth.
Boston Bruins vs. Florida Panthers
Russ
FLA in 7 – Yes you read that right. Boston has been a juggernaut all year but when the playoffs begin, that all gets thrown out the window. Bruins have all the pressure in the world on them and Florida has been scraping and clawing their way into the playoffs the last few weeks. They’ve basically been fighting for their lives every night. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov have the series of their lives and become Panthers legends when they combine for 22 points in 7 games to lead the Panthers to the biggest upset in NHL history.
Will
Boston in 5 – Florida is a pretty good team with a legit superstar in Matt Tkachuk, and I do think they have upset potential given their high-end talent. But I am not banking on Alex Lyon or Sergei Bobrovsky to stonewall a Bruins team that features high-end scoring talent, including maybe the quietest 60-goal scorer in NHL history.
Rob C
Bruins in 5 – I could see Florida winning game 1, then getting murdered 4 straight times. Boston is scary because of their mentality. They play like they expect to win and it’ll take a lot to knock them off course.
Dave
Bruins in 4 – Florida isn’t the team that derails the Bruins.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Russ
TOR in 6 – This is the year this squad has to break though and if they don’t, Dubas and Keefe will be fired. Its makes or break. Time for Matthews and co. to step up or shut up.
Will
Toronto in 7 – I think on pure talent Toronto should win this series in fewer than 7 games; they are just flat-out better than Tampa this season. Tampa will always make it a tough battle and Vasilevskiy gives them a chance, but I think this is the Leafs’ year to win a series even if it will go the distance.
Rob C
Leafs in 7 – They finally do it, but it won’t be easy, and it won’t leave them in a good place going into round 2. But hey, baby steps right?
Dave
Toronto in 6 – Toronto finally breaks their curse, and in turn Tampa’s run as the East’s favorite comes to an end. There’s too much skill in Toronto and not enough in Tampa. Toronto also (finally) addressed true roster needs at the deadline. Vasilevskiy will steal a game or two, but he won’t win the series for them this year.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken
Russ
COL in 6 – The Kraken will give the Avalanche more problems than they realized but ultimatley the star power of the Avs led by Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen will be too much for a young Kraken team who is still building towards a bright future.
Will
Avs in 5 – Even without Landeskog, this Avalanche team is just levels above the Kraken. I hope Seattle gets a win at home to keep the fans happy but I do not see this series being close.
Rob C
Avalanche in 6 – Colorado hasn’t been impressive most of this season, and repeating as a Stanley Cup finalist (let alone champion) is very difficult to do, but Seattle just doesn’t have enough to knock them out in the first round. Still, excited for Seattle fans to get their first taste of playoff hockey.
Dave
Avs in 7 – This isn’t the same Avs team as last year, and the new kids on the block will give them a run for their money. Seattle likes to outscore their problems, and while they will get some success, it won’t be enough to topple a much more well rounded Avs team, even without Gabriel Landeskog.
Dallas Stars vs. Minnesota Wild
Russ
DAL in 7 – This is going to be a fun one that I can also see absolutely going either way. I think the x-factor here is Jake Oettinger, who has been absolutely lights out this year. Robertson, Pavelski, Benn, Hesikenan vs. Kaprizov, Zuccarello, Boldy… buckle in folks.
Will
Wild in 7 – I think this is a really interesting series. Dallas is the more well-rounded team, but the Wild have a couple of high-end scoring players, phenomenal team defense, and great goaltending. They rounded into form in the second half of the season and will provide a stern test: coin flip series for me.
Rob C
Stars in 7 – These teams profile very similarly: stingy defensively, very good power plays, not particularly high scoring. Give me the home team with the better goalie.
Dave
Wild in 7 – Minnesota is looking more complete these days and playing better team defense with better goaltending. Jake Oettinger and the Dallas top line will make things interesting, and perhaps it’s enough for Dallas to win the series. It’s a true coin flip and probably one of the more entertaining series.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Winnipeg Jets
Russ
VGK in 5 – Jack Eichel’s playoff debut, the return of Mark Stone and Vegas’ deep lineup prove too much for a Jets team who really did have a good year. I would love to see the jets make it more of a series but Hellebuyck can only do so much on his own.
Will
Knights in 6 – The Jets have some legitimate high-end talent but they fell off during the second half of the season. Could be a close series but I think Stone’s return pushes Vegas ahead relatively comfortably.
Rob C
Jets in 7 – Vegas is getting “healthy” (aka, pulling guys off LTIR now that the cap doesn’t exist), but Winnipeg has been kinda sneaky good all year, and Vegas is sneaky mediocre. Also, Hellebuyck > the Knights 4-headed goalie monster.
Dave
Vegas in 6 – Unsure why the Jets are so popular. Aside from Hellebuyck, they are a very ‘meh’ team that has many holes and flaws. Jack Eichel’s first trip to the playoffs and the return of Mark Stone put Vegas over the top for me. Remember, Vegas put together a 111 point season.
Edmonton Oilers vs. LA Kings
Russ
EDM in 4 – A sweep you say? Connor McDavid is the best player on the planet and just scored over 150 points this season. This year is when we see him take the Oilers far into the playoffs. McDavid, Draisaitl, and Nugent-Hopkins prove wayyy to much to handle for an LA Kings team on the rise who will take a gut punch from Edmonton.
Will
Edmonton in 6 – The Oilers have been on a roll and the Kings need to stay out of the box if they want to have a chance. At even strength, I can see this being fairly even, but the increase in penalty calls in round one is going to be a huge advantage for the Oilers.
Rob C
Oilers in 6 – The era of “lol Oilers” is – at least temporarily – over. Other than the Bruins, a lot of the public analytics-based models give the Oilers the best chance of winning the Cup. Phillip Danault is an elite shutdown C, but he’ll be no match for McDavid.
Dave
Edmonton in 5 – I don’t think people realize how good the Oilers have been since the trade deadline. Ekholm was exactly who they needed on defense. Goaltending is a giant question mark, but the rest of the Oilers are very, very good.
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
Russ
NYR in 6 – The Rangers experience comes through in a ferocious battle of the Hudson. The Devils will give the Rangers issues and their speed will be hard to contain but ultimately, the stars do what they need to do, Igor Shesterkin stands tall and the Rangers send Hughes and co. to the golf course.
Will
Rangers in 6 – There will be some hairy moments, but I think the Rangers have consistently shown they can battle hard with the best teams. The Devils’ speed will cause problems but I can see Igor frustrating them early in the series – powerplay and bottom-6 winning their shifts are the keys for the Rangers.
Conall
Rangers in 6 – Its going to be right the whole way and I think whoever wins this will go the conference final. Goaltending and depth win this for the rangers. A timely goal from kid line and 4th line will go a long way.
Rob C
Rangers in 6 – The series is a coin flip, but I do like the Rangers’ chances of finding another gear after weeks of near meaningless hockey. The question is, can NYR flip the switch? I think they can. Also, there’s a small chance this is a short series if Igor really goes crazy.
Dave
Rangers in 5 – This has nothing to do with the quality of the Devils, as they are a very good team. I just think the Rangers will do enough at even strength to limit rush chances against, then rely on Igor and the powerplay to get them over the top. The winner of this series likely comes out of the Metro. It will be interesting to see how the refs call the series too. More penalties favor the Rangers, as it likely means a much tighter game.
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