Five Contenders to Look out for in the NHL Playoffs

The first, second, and third teams in each of the four divisions with the best record are automatically qualified to play in the tournament. In addition, two additional teams from each conference will be added in the qualifying list by having the highest points among the remaining teams, which will put them as the wild cards. Each series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format. The team with the higher seeding, regardless of point record, will have the home-ice advantage for the whole competition.

It cannot be denied that the Vegas Golden Knights are entering the postseason as the top favorites to win. As the defending champions, all eyes are on the team to ensure that they would get a chance to prove their critics wrong, especially after fumbling hard in their final stretch of the season that saw them plummet down to the wild card spots in the Western Conference. Still, there’s more to expect from the Golden Knights as the expectations are going to mount up for them, and we all know how well the team responds when it comes to playing under pressure – they play their best hockey night in and night out.

The Carolina Hurricanes have always been on the big chase when it comes to the Eastern Conference, and their impressive record on the road has built a new identity that will come in handy when playing against some of the toughest teams in the playoffs. The Hurricanes have struggled to stay afloat in the early stages of the season, but impressive defense and goal-scoring has been their strong suit in the second half of the season, making a dash and even leaping over the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers in mid-March. Now it all comes down to their hopeful push in the offseason now more than ever.

The Dallas Stars are the best in the west for a reason. However, we have seen the Stars crumble when they faced pressure, much like how they lost in their recent trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Still, the maturity for the team has been impressive over the past few months, and they are closing outgames better and are coming with improved wins in shootouts. On top of that, the Stars have clinched the home-ice advantage in the West – a place where they have always thrived well. Let’s not forget that they are also the best team on the road in the league, which makes them a huge threat to play against in the coming games.

Like it or not, the New York Rangers are one of the hot picks to win the Stanley Cup this season. As the best team in the Eastern Conference, it is easy to forget that the Rangers are coming in with one of their most impressive campaigns in the game yet. They have found ways to thrive off Artemi Panarin’s MVP campaign and have translated it into promising victories down the stretch, which says a lot about their impressive goal-scoring this season. Now more than ever, the Rangers will have to prove their worth on the big stage, and this is the perfect time for them to improve their approach in their postseason run.

We all know the storyline about how the Edmonton Oilers are frustrated in their playoff results over the years. However, fans are excited about their chances this year as the squad saw a formation of a new big three with the rise to dominance of Evan Bouchard as a two-way star alongside Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid – two 100-point scoring stars in the team. However, the Oilers will need to brave a challenging Western Conference if they are going to make a deep push in the playoffs and show that they have what it takes to win big for the first time in the Draisaitl-McDavid era.