2022 Division Semifinals Preview
Previewing the opening round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs
It's here! The greatest quest in all of professional sports has arrived: the Stanley Cup Playoffs! Be prepared for high levels of excitement, clutch moment, and most of all, high blood pressure! In all seriousness, the Stanley Cup Playoffs never fail to incite all sorts of emotion, and it's a guarantee that this year will be no different.
Regarding the format, this is the ninth year of the current format that sends the top three teams in each of the four divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific) to the playoffs, while the remaining spots in each conference are decided via a Wild Card format. The current playoff format debuted in the 2013-14 season, which saw the number of divisions reduced from six to four, and a set bracket used for the first time since the 1992-93 season. However, this year will be the first time that the current format will be used since the 2018-19 season, as the last two seasons have used different formats due to the seasons being impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The eight Division Semifinal series are now set in stone for the 2022 playoffs, and they are as follows:
Atlantic Division
Panthers vs Capitals: In the current format, the top division champion faces the lower of the two Wild Cards, while the other division champion will face the better of the two Wild Cards. The 2nd and 3rd place teams in each division face each other as well. The standings could see one or both Wild Cards cross over to the other division if need be, and in the case of the East this year, both Wild Cards will swap divisions for this year's playoffs. The Florida Panthers won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history, and they will face the Washington Capitals in the Atlantic Division Semifinals.
We know the story regarding the Panthers: they haven't won a series since their Cup Final run in 1996. With players such as Aleksandar Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau leading the way, along with the acquisition of Claude Giroux, as well as Sergei Bobrovsky being in net, the Panthers look to destroy that narrative. As for the Capitals, they are looking to prove that their 2018 championship was no accident, but they face a terrible speed bump: in the form of possibly being without Alex Ovechkin during some part of the opening round.
Maple Leafs vs Lightning: This is the more intriguing of the Atlantic Semifinal series, as each team has their own story. The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to finally reach the Elite Eight for the first time since 2004, because despite the fact that Florida's drought is eight years longer, it's the Leafs' drought that gets more scrutiny. It's a dream season for the Leafs; franchise record in wins and points, Auston Matthews scoring 60 in a season (becoming the first Leafs player and U.S.-born player to reach that number), and the Leafs have home-ice advantage in this series.
As for the Tampa Bay Lightning, they have the obvious story: a chance a three in a row. No team has won three straight Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders' won four straight to kick off the 1980s. Tampa Bay's season has been a bit rocky, but so were the last two, and look what happened. It still amazes me that all of this came after they were embarrassed by the Blue Jackets in 2019, but it is what it is. This is another first time playoff matchup, and the Lightning are Toronto's fourth different opponent since their last series win (after the Capitals, Bruins, and Canadiens).
Metropolitan Division
Hurricanes vs Bruins: The Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins just can't get enough of each other. This meeting in the Metropolitan Division Semifinals will be their third playoff matchup in the last four seasons. It was in the 2019 Eastern Conference Final that the Bruins swept the Hurricanes, and they would defeat Carolina again in the 2020 Toronto bubble. The Canes are making their fourth straight playoff appearance after going nearly a decade without postseason hockey, and they are doing so as division champions for the second straight year (Carolina finished first in the localized Central Division in the 2020-21 season).
As for the Bruins, each year that passes could be their last chance at another Cup. We know Boston's main problem: if the Perfection Line (Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak) don't really produce, they don't win. It's also their first playoffs without Tuukka Rask in net, which should make their attempt at a run quite intriguing.
Rangers vs Penguins: The New York Rangers are eight years removed from their amazing run to the Stanley Cup Final, but after returning to the Final Four a year later, it's been hard luck for them. From what we've seen, the Rangers have been a well-oiled machine this season. Chris Kreider having a career year, Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin being forces, and Igor Shesterkin making a very bold case for the Vezina Trophy. They will face the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time since 2016, but the Penguins do have concerns of their own.
By Sidney Crosby's own admission, this could be their last chance at a Cup with that core, which also consists of Evgeni Malkin, Jake Guentzel, and Kris Letang. The Penguins are in the playoffs for the 16th straight year, the longest current streak in professional sports. However, the memories of their recent back-to-back Cup wins in 2016 and 2017 are fading, as the team has won only one series since then.
Central Division
Avalanche vs Predators: How well do I remember the only other time that the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators faced each other. It was 2018; the Preds were coming off their Cup Final appearance, while the Avalanche went on an improbable tear to get the last playoff spot in the final day. That was a fun series, even though it didn't end well for the Avalanche. The reason why I remember it fondly was because the Avs making it was a bit of a shocker, and they did make it a series against the Preds. It was a "happy to be there" moment for Colorado. My, how things have changed.
It's four years later and the Avalanche are among the favorites, finishing first overall in the Western Conference. As for the Predators, they are the fun "scratch and claw" team this year, as they fought their way to a Wild Card spot. It's basically a battle of heavyweights; Colorado has Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, and Gabriel Landeskog, while Nashville has Filip Forsberg, Roman Josi, Ryan Johansen, Matt Duchene, and Mikael Granlund. I think this will be another fun series.
Wild vs Blues: The first of the eight series to be set was the Minnesota Wild facing the St. Louis Blues, and it took the final day to decide who would get home-ice in that series, with Minnesota earning that distinction. The Wild finished what is clearly their best season in their 22-year history, and it's led by the dynamic young superstar known as Kirill Kaprizov. Obtaining Marc-Andre Fleury at the deadline also helped them, as they now have a goalie with a lot of Stanley Cup history under his belt, making them quite dangerous.
As for the Blues, they are three years removed from winning the Stanley Cup, but their last two postseasons have not ended well for them. Defeated in a stunner by the Vancouver Canucks in the bubble in 2020, and thoroughly thrashed by the Colorado Avalanche in 2021. The Blues are quite strong themselves, and this should be a typical gritty and close Central Division series.
Pacific Division
Flames vs Stars: I remember the last time the Calgary Flames and the Dallas Stars faced each other in the playoffs. It was the 2020 playoffs in the Edmonton bubble, and it was a series that saw Calgary lead two games to one, and they even led with mere seconds left in regulation. However, Dallas ended up tying the game and winning in OT, and it opened the floodgates, as Dallas went on to win the series in six--part of their run to the Stanley Cup Final.
It was the latest playoff woe for the Flames, and it came a year after they were badly eliminated in Round 1 after capturing the Western Conference's top record. The Flames have been tearing it up this season; Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Elias Lindholm each scored 40 goals, while Jacob Markstrom has been a huge force in net. As for the Stars, they have a young dynamo in Jason Robertson, and they have the usual suspects in Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin, and Joe Pavelski. This is the only series to feature two teams who missed the playoffs last season.
Oilers vs Kings: The Smythe Division is back! The Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings will face each other in the Pacific Division Semifinals this season; a series that is truly a blast from the past. In the old Smythe Division in the 1980s and early 1990s, the Oilers and Kings faced each other in the playoffs nearly every year; a lot of history between the two clubs, which includes being the first teams that Wayne Gretzky played for (should be interesting to hear The Great One's thoughts on this series). This is the first playoff meeting between these teams since the 1992 Smythe Division Semifinals.
Of course, the Oilers have the two-headed monster known as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way, and we've seen Mike Smith go on a winning tear in net to end the regular season. The Kings have a mix of young stars (Adrian Kempe being their biggest one) to go along with that core from their Cup runs in 2012 and 2014. However, the core will be down one after this year's playoffs end: Dustin Brown recently announced that he will retire after this year ends.
And there you have it; the eight Division Semifinal series are all set! Regarding TV rights, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, TNT, and TBS will air the opening round games, as this is their first season under the joint deal between ESPN and Turner Sports. For ESPN, they returned to airing NHL games when this season started, having last aired NHL games in the 2003-04 season. As for Turner, this is their first year airing NHL games; the first of a seven-year deal. Also, for the first round only, games will air on the participating American teams' respective regional sports networks, while in Canada, the entire playoffs will air on Sportsnet nationally. It has been a thrilling regular season, but now, it's time for the real fun to begin!
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