Playoff Preview: East
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NEW YORK RANGERS VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
The Rangers captured the Presidents' Trophy with a 53-22-7 record and will take on the struggling Penguins in the opening round of the playoffs. Pittsburgh advanced into the postseason thanks to a 2-0 win over the lowly Buffalo Sabres on the last day of the regular season. However, the Pens won just five of their final 17 contests (5-9-3) to conclude on a rocky note.
New York defeated Pittsburgh in the second round of the playoffs last year en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. The series against the Penguins went seven games after the Rangers battled back from a 3-1 deficit. The Blueshirts also won three of four matches against Pittsburgh during the 2014-15 regular season, with the only loss coming in a shootout.
The Rangers were led by a great bounce-back season from Rick Nash, who racked up 42 goals and 69 points in 79 games. The one-two punch of Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan at center gave the club good depth down the middle, while Martin St. Louis, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes made offensive contributions as well. Henrik Lundqvist missed 24 games because of a throat injury, but Cam Talbot played brilliantly in his absence. Lundqvist still managed to hit 30 wins on the season, while posting a 2.25 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
The outstanding goaltending of the Rangers will be tested by Pittsburgh top guns Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Crosby finished the year third in NHL scoring with 84 points (28 goals, 56 assists) in 77 games. Malkin had 70, including 42 helpers, in 69 appearances. Patric Hornqvist and Brandon Sutter joined Pittsburgh's superstar tandem in the 20-goal club with 25 and 21 markers, respectively. The team will be looking for more from top-six forwards Chris Kunitz and David Perron when the postseason begins.
The Rangers own an impressive blend of offense (third in the NHL with 3.02 goals per game) and defense (third in the NHL with 2.28 goals against per game), which will make them a tough opponent as they look to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Pittsburgh has made it out of the second round once in the past five years since winning it all in 2008-09 and they have been bounced in the quarterfinals twice during that span. The Rangers should be able to add to that. New York wins in five games if the Penguins don't shape up fast, but the series will probably go six.
Note: Line combinations are subject to change going into the playoffs. They also often change on a game-to-game and shift-to-shift basis.
NEW YORK RANGERS
Mats Zuccarello - Derick Brassard - Rick Nash
Chris Kreider - Derek Stepan - Martin St. Louis
Carl Hagelin - Kevin Hayes - J.T. Miller
Tanner Glass - Dominic Moore - Jesper Fast
Ryan McDonagh - Daniel Girardi
Keith Yandle - Matt Hunwick
Marc Staal - Dan Boyle
Chris Summers
Henrik Lundqvist
Cam Talbot
WHO'S HOT
Martin St. Louis sat out eight games with a sprained MCL and he has earned five points in six games since his return. He finished the year with one goal and four assists in his last five outings. Chris Kreider has accounted for 10 points (four goals, six helpers) in his past 12 outings. Rookie Kevin Hayes has generated four goals and nine assists in his past 13 matches, including six points in the last four. Ryan McDonagh has contributed eight points, including seven assists, in his last eight appearances.
WHO'S NOT
Carl Hagelin has produced one goal and three points over his last 11 contests.
NOTES
Rick Nash and Marc Staal weren't in the lineup for the team's regular-season finale because of undisclosed ailments. Nash has missed two straight games, but he's expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs. Staal has sat out the past two contests as well but, he's projected to be available for when the postseason begins as well.
Kevin Klein has been absent for 16 consecutive matches with a broken arm. He will join the team for practice on Tuesday, but it's unclear if he will return for Game 1.
New York has a 41-6-3 record when they score first, which fits in nicely with the team's plus-30 goal differential in first periods and league-leading 84 markers in the opening frame.
The Rangers finished 21st on the power play (16.8%) and sixth on the penalty kill (84.3%).
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
Daniel Winnik - Sidney Crosby - Patric Hornqvist
Chris Kunitz - Evgeni Malkin - David Perron
Beau Bennett - Brandon Sutter - Steve Downie
Nick Spaling - Maxim Lapierre - Blake Comeau
Paul Martin - Ben Lovejoy
Rob Scuderi - Ian Cole
Taylor Chorney - Derrick Pouliot
Marc-Andre Fleury
Thomas Greiss
WHO'S HOT
Sidney Crosby closed out the regular season with 22 points (eight goals, 14 assists) in 20 contests. Patric Hornqvist notched six goals and 13 points in his past 16 matches.
WHO'S NOT
Evgeni Malkin hasn't scored a goal in his past 10 outings and he collected three assists during that span. That cold streak came after he had a seven-game scoring spree. Chris Kunitz has posted one goal and no assists in his past 18 games. He ended the year with no points in six contests. David Perron has only one helper in his past 12 appearances to go with a minus-8 rating. Marc-Andre Fleury had a 28-save shutout against Buffalo in the finale, but he allowed 15 goals in his previous four starts (0-3-1).
NOTES
Kris Letang is out indefinitely with a concussion that he suffered on Mar. 28. It's unlikely that he will return for the playoffs, but his status is unclear.
Derrick Pouliot (upper body) and Christian Ehrhoff (upper body) are both day-to-day. It's uncertain if they will be ready to play in Game 1. Pouliot has missed two contests and Ehrhoff has sat out nine games. In the meantime, Pittsburgh has been dressing five defensemen.
Pascal Dupuis hasn't suited up since Nov. 15 because of a blood clot in his lung and he has already been ruled out for the playoffs. Olli Maatta has been unavailable since Dec. 6 due to shoulder surgery and he isn't expected to skate in the postseason either.
Pittsburgh was three points behind the Rangers and Canadiens for first in the Eastern Conference on Mar. 14, but they posted a mark of 3-9-2 in their next 14 games to fall back in the standings.
The Penguins' power play ranked 10th in the league (19.3%) and the penalty kill finished third (84.8%).
MONTREAL CANADIENS VS. OTTAWA SENATORS
Montreal was just one of five teams to hit the 50-win mark this season. The Canadiens won the Atlantic Division title thanks in large part to a Hart Trophy caliber performance by goaltender Carey Price. The 27-year-old netminder led the NHL with 44 wins, a .933 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average. He also finished in a tie for second in the league with nine shutouts.
Up front, the Canadiens were led by Max Pacioretty's 37 goals and 67 points. Tomas Plekanec and P.K. Subban also reached the 60-point plateau, while veteran blueliner Andrei Markov hit 50.
The Cinderella story of the NHL down the stretch was the Ottawa Senators. The Sens were 10 points back of Boston on Feb. 17 and both of their goaltenders were injured. The team turned to undrafted, 27-year-old rookie Andrew Hammond, who played a starring role in Ottawa's late-season run to qualify for the playoffs in the last game of the year. Hammond lost one game in regulation and he posted a remarkable 20-1-2 record to go with a .941 save percentage and a 1.79 goals-against average.
Erik Karlsson led the Senators and all NHL defensemen in scoring with 66 points (21 goals, 45 assists) in 82 games. Kyle Turris and rookie Mark Stone were Ottawa's most productive forwards at 64 points apiece. Stone tied Calgary's Johnny Gaudreau for first among rookie scorers, while Mike Hoffman led the Senators and all first-year players with 27 goals.
Ottawa and Montreal met in the 2013 NHL Playoffs in a nasty series that the Senators won in five games. Ottawa was the seventh seed that year. The Senators won three of the four meetings between the two teams this campaign, but backup Dustin Tokarski was in goal for the Canadiens for two of those contests.
The Senators match up well against Montreal. It's odd to think that with all the attention that Price is getting for the Hart and Vezina Trophy that the goaltending matchup in this is series may be a wash because of how well Hammond has played. If that's the case then Ottawa may have a slight edge when it comes to scoring depth. The Canadiens have struggled to score all season and will enter the playoffs as the club with the lowest goals per game at 2.61. Montreal also finished 25th in the league with 28.5 shots per game. This will be a much closer series than people in some circles may think and I'm going with the Senators to pull off the upset in six games. Ottawa's late-season surge should be able to sustain them through at least a round, while Montreal's reliance on Price and an ailing Max Pacioretty could be their undoing.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Max Pacioretty - Tomas Plekanec - Brendan Gallagher
Alex Galchenyuk - David Desharnais - P.A. Parenteau
Jacob De La Rose - Lars Eller - Dale Weise
Brandon Prust - Torrey Mitchell - Devante Smith-Pelly
Brian Flynn
Andrei Markov - P.K. Subban
Alexei Emelin - Jeff Petry
Nathan Beaulieu - Greg Pateryn
Carey Price
Dustin Tokarski
WHO'S HOT
Tomas Plekanec concluded the regular season with a four-game point streak (four goals, two assists) and he picked up seven goals and eight helpers in his past 14 contests. P.K. Subban has tallied eight points, including six assists, in his last seven appearances. Jeff Petry's six-game point streak (three goals, four assists) came to an end in Saturday's regular-season finale. Andrei Markov has picked up at least one point in each of his past seven games. He has two goals and six helpers during that time.
WHO'S NOT
Alex Galchenyuk has one goal and six points over his past 18 matches. P.A. Parenteau notched one goal and added four assists during 12 appearances at the end of the season.
NOTES
Max Pacioretty missed the final two games of the season because of an upper-body injury. It's unclear if he'll be ready to go in Game 1, but it is believed to be a possibility. Tom Gilbert has been out of action for two matches as well due to an upper-body injury. He is listed as day-to-day.
The Canadiens scratched Sergei Gonchar, who has played one game since Mar. 12, and Mike Weaver, who has been in the press box often as well, for the last match of the regular season, but they are available if called upon.
Montreal finished first in the league in goals against per game at 2.24 despite finishing 21st with 30.1 shots allowed per contest.
The Habs were fourth in the NHL with a 52.1 faceoff winning percentage. Manny Malhotra led the club at 59.3%, but it's uncertain how much playing time he'll get in the playoffs.
Montreal owned the 23rd-place power play in the league in the regular season at 16.5%. The penalty kill ranked seventh (83.7%).
OTTAWA SENATORS
Clarke MacArthur - Kyle Turris - Mark Stone
Mike Hoffman - Mika Zibanejad - Bobby Ryan
Erik Condra - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Curtis Lazar
Zack Smith - David Legwand - Alex Chiasson
Marc Methot - Erik Karlsson
Patrick Wiercioch - Cody Ceci
Mark Borowiecki - Eric Gryba
Andrew Hammond
Craig Anderson
WHO'S HOT
Mark Stone was a scoring machine late in the season, while amassing eight goals and five assists in a nine-game point streak. He has 47 points in 46 games since the calendar turned to January. Kyle Turris will take a six-game point streak (two goals, seven assists) with him into the playoffs. He has notched seven markers and 18 points in his last 14 matches. Clarke MacArthur has compiled three goals and seven helpers in nine games since he returned to the lineup on Mar. 28 from a concussion. He will go into the postseason with a seven-game point streak.
WHO'S NOT
Bobby Ryan has been snakebitten for a while now. He has gone goalless in 10 straight games and he has one marker in his past 20 matches. He has six assists over those 20 appearances. Mike Hoffman has one goal and one assist in his past 12 outings. Mika Zibanejad has one goal and three points over 10 games.
NOTES
Milan Michalek is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. It's believed that he has a concussion, but he is slated to be cleared for contact soon. Matt Puempel has been sidelined since Mar. 21 because of a lower-body injury. He is also listed as day-to-day.
Chris Neil hasn't played since Feb. 14 due to a broken thumb, but he isn't listed on the team's injured reserve list anymore. It's unclear if he'll be in the lineup for the playoffs, but it wouldn't be surprising if he lands a spot on the fourth line if he's ready to return.
Chris Phillips has been out of commission since Feb. 5 with an undisclosed injury. He's on injured reserve along with netminder Robin Lehner, who has been out with a concussion since Feb. 16.
Ottawa placed ninth in the league with 2.83 goals per game and finished the season with a 23-4-4 record to reach the playoffs.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Andrew Hammond is the first goaltender to get his team points on the road in each of his first 12 starts (10-0-2).
The Senators ranked 22nd on the power play (16.8%) and 11th on the penalty kill (82.9%).
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS. DETROIT RED WINGS
The Lightning finished second in the Atlantic Division for a second straight season with a 50-24-8 record. Tampa Bay posted 12 victories in their last 19 games of the year, but along the way they were shut out on Mar. 28 by the Red Wings.
Despite the shutout, Detroit owned an 8-10-3 record down the stretch and plenty of question marks surfaced about the team's goaltending. Jimmy Howard was openly criticized by coach Mike Babcock and Petr Mrazek has some consistency concerns.
Tampa Bay's potent offensive attack was led by Steve Stamkos and Tyler Johnson, who both recorded 72 points. Stamkos netted 43 goals to conclude the regular season in second place and Johnson significantly improved on his successful rookie campaign, while forming an excellent second line between Nikita Kucherov (64 points) and Ondrej Palat (63 points).
Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk paced the Red Wings in scoring in 2014-15. Zetterberg was limited to 45 games last season, but he skated in 77 matches this past season and he accounted for 66 points. Injuries continued to be an issue for Datsyuk, as he suited up in 63 matches after he dressed in 45 outings a year ago. Detroit received a team-leading 29 goals by Tomas Tatar, who broke out offensively this campaign with 56 points, and Gustav Nyquist was right behind him with 27 markers.
It's a bad time to be playing the highest scoring team in the NHL when you aren't confident about your goaltending, but that's the situation the Red Wings will find themselves in when they open the playoffs against the Lightning. Tampa Bay won the season series with three victories (3-1-0) and they should prove to be too much for the Wings to handle. This will be Ben Bishop's first time in the playoffs, but he's been excellent in two seasons for the Lightning and it's doubtful that he will suddenly struggle come playoff time. Bolts win in six.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
Alex Killorn - Steve Stamkos - Ryan Callahan
Ondrej Palat - Tyler Johnson - Nikita Kucherov
Vladislav Namestnikov - Valtteri Filppula - Cedric Paquette
Jonathan Drouin - Brian Boyle - J.T. Brown
Brenden Morrow
Victor Hedman - Luke Witkowski
Anton Stralman - Nikita Nesterov
Mark Barberio - Matt Carle
Jason Garrison - Braydon Coburn
Ben Bishop
Andrei Vasilevskiy
WHO'S HOT
Tyler Johnson has produced four goals and seven points in seven games entering the playoffs. He also had a seven-game point streak from Feb. 22-Mar. 10.
WHO'S NOT
Valtteri Filppula has one goal in his last 27 outings, but he has contributed 10 assists during that stretch. However, he has picked up just one helper and a minus-8 rating in his past nine appearances. Ryan Callahan has two goals and one assist over his past eight outings.
NOTES
Braydon Coburn hasn't played since Mar. 10 because of a lower-body injury. However, he has been skating with the team and could be ready for the playoff opener. Alex Killorn is also a possibility to play when the postseason begins after sitting out three games with an undisclosed ailment.
Blueliners Jason Garrison (upper body) and Andrej Sustr (upper body) appear to be further behind in their recoveries. They have been skating in no-contact roles, so it doesn't look like they will be available for Game 1.
Jonathan Drouin was feeling under the weather, so he didn't play in the regular-season finale. He should be ready to make his NHL playoff debut on Thursday.
Tampa Bay led the NHL with 3.16 goals per game and 262 goals for.
The Lightning also own the best home record in the league with a mark of 32-8-1.
The team's power play placed 14th (18.8%) and the penalty kill was ranked ninth (83.7%).
Tampa tied Calgary for the most third-period goals (99) in the league.
DETROIT RED WINGS
Henrik Zetterberg - Pavel Datsyuk - Darren Helm
Tomas Tatar - Riley Sheahan - Gustav Nyquist
Drew Miller - Luke Glendening - Landon Ferraro
Teemu Pulkkinen - Joakim Andersson - Stephen Weiss
Niklas Kronwall - Jonathan Ericsson
Danny DeKeyser - Alexey Marchenko
Kyle Quincey - Marek Zidlicky
Brendan Smith
Petr Mrazek
Jimmy Howard
WHO'S HOT
Henrik Zetterberg started warming up before the end of the year with one goal and four helpers in four contests. Prior to that, he had put up just two assists over nine matches. Pavel Datsyuk piled up 28 points in his last 24 games of the season. He has three goals and four helpers in his past five. Darren Helm concluded the campaign with a point in four straight games.
WHO'S NOT
Riley Sheahan has generated only one goal and one assist in his last 10 matches. Jimmy Howard posted an .890 save percentage and a 3.25 goals-against average in 11 games in March. He was a little better in three outings in April, but he didn't play well in his last appearance of the season against Montreal.
NOTES
Justin Abdelkader (hand) was on the ice before practice on Saturday, but he sat out for a fourth consecutive time. His status is uncertain for Game 1.
Erik Cole has a spinal cord contusion that will keep him on the shelf for the entirety of the playoffs and Johan Franzen has been sidelined since Jan. 6 with a concussion. Jonas Gustavsson has been limited to seven appearances this season and he hasn't played since Mar. 8 due to a concussion.
Brendan Smith was the odd-man out in Saturday's finale and he could be scratched again in favor of Marchenko when the playoffs start. Don't be surprised if Daniel Cleary and Tomas Jurco return to the press box for Game 1. It also wouldn't be a shock if Petr Mrazek was the starter in goal, but the Wings haven't announced that yet. It's likely that both goalies will see action during the series. Zetterberg and Datsyuk will probably see time together and apart depending on the game situation.
Detroit's power play was second in NHL (23.8%) and the Wings led the league with 70 goals on the man advantage. The penalty kill was 17th (80.9%).
WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS
The Capitals and Islanders have not faced each other in the postseason since 1993, but they will be opponents in an intriguing match-up in Round 1 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs. That 1993 series has the dubious distinction of being known for the cheap shot that Dale Hunter laid on Pierre Turgeon. However, this time around the series has everybody interested because superstars Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares will be taking center stage.
Ovechkin ran away with the NHL goal-scoring title with 53 in 81 games. He had 10 more goals than his next-closest competitor, which was Tampa Bay's Steve Stamkos. Ovechkin also potted a jaw-dropping 25 goals on the power play and he ended up in fourth in scoring with 81 points. John Tavares placed second overall with 86 points in 82 appearances. He nearly won the Art Ross Trophy, but a four-point night by Jamie Benn in Dallas' regular-season finale snatched the award from Tavares' grasp.
The offense for Washington runs through Ovechkin in Washington just like it does for New York when it comes to Tavares. Ovechkin has Nicklas Backstrom to feed him the puck and two of them have been an excellent tandem for years. Backstrom reached 60 assists for the fourth time in his career and he led the league in that category this season.
On Long Island, Tavares is the catalyst for getting his teammates the puck as well as getting it into the net himself. He paced the club with 38 goals and 48 assists. Kyle Okposo surpassed the 50-point mark despite skating in 60 games, while Ryan Strome, who also hit 50 points, enjoyed a successful first full season in the NHL.
New York was one of the NHL's most improved teams in 2014-15. The team finished 14th in the Eastern Conference last season, but they moved into fifth this past campaign. The Capitals were just outside of the playoff picture in 2013-14 and they improved to fourth in the East. Washington will have home ice in the series because of New York's 5-4 shootout loss to Columbus in the last game. The two teams split their four games in the regular season with each win coming on home ice.
Braden Holtby started a league-leading 72 games and he could be the difference in what should be a hard fought series. The Washington netminder had a great bounce-back season, while sporting a 41-20-10 record with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage. He also had nine shutouts. Jaroslav Halak played well in his first season with the Islanders, but he had some clunkers down the stretch and ranked 23rd with a .914 save percentage and a 2.43 GAA. The goaltending edge and home ice make Washington my choice here. Pick the Capitals in six games.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Joel Ward
Marcus Johansson - Nicklas Backstrom - Troy Brouwer
Curtis Glencross - Brooks Laich - Jason Chimera
Andre Burakovsky - Michael Latta - Tom Wilson
Brooks Orpik - John Carlson
Karl Alzner - Matt Niskanen
Tim Gleason - Mike Green
Braden Holtby
Justin Peters
WHO'S HOT
Alex Ovechkin has potted six goals and two assists in his past seven matches. John Carlson has produced one goal and added seven helpers in seven games. In nine outings, Marcus Johansson has three markers and five assists.
WHO'S NOT
Nicklas Backstrom hasn't found the back of the net for 23 consecutive games, but he does have 15 assists over that span. Joel Ward has generated four points over 11 contests and they all came during a three-game span from Mar. 29 to Apr. 2. Curtis Glencross has no goals and one assist in his past 11 appearances.
NOTES
Tom Wilson has sat out the last two games with an upper-body injury, but he could be ready to go in Game 1. The Capitals have returned Stanislav Galiev, who was up on an emergency basis, to the minors, which is a good sign for Wilson.
Eric Fehr has been out for three matches due to an upper-body ailment and he's listed as day-to-day. Jay Beagle hasn't played since Mar. 11 because of what is believed to be a shoulder injury. Both of them stand a good chance of being available for Game 1, which could bump Latta and Burakovsky from the lineup.
Dmitry Orlov is ready to play as well, but he hasn't dressed with the Capitals all season because of a broken wrist that he sustained in the World Championships last spring. His only action so far this year came during his three-game conditioning stint in the minors, where he earned three assists and a minus-3 rating.
John Erskine underwent neck surgery back in October and he hasn't played all season.
Washington led the league with an .860 winning percentage when they scored the first goal of the match.
The Capitals owned the best power play (25.3%) in the league and the 14th-best penalty kill (81.2%).
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
Nikolay Kulemin - John Tavares - Kyle Okposo
Brock Nelson - Ryan Strome - Anders Lee
Michael Grabner - Josh Bailey - Cal Clutterbuck
Eric Boulton - Casey Cizikas - Tyler Kennedy
Calvin De Haan - Brian Strait
Nick Leddy - Johnny Boychuk
Thomas Hickey - Lubomir Visnovsky
Jaroslav Halak
Michal Neuvirth
WHO'S HOT
John Tavares ended the year with a six-game point streak over which he generated four goals and eight helpers. Nick Leddy collected eight assists in the final six games of the season.
WHO'S NOT
Brock Nelson has notched two goals and four points in his last 16 outings. In 13 contests, Anders Lee has produced two goals and one assist. Both of those goals were scored on Apr. 7 against Philadelphia.
NOTES
Matt Martin (undisclosed) and Frans Nielsen (undisclosed) sat out three games each to conclude the campaign, but they could be ready to play in Game 1 depending on how Monday's practice goes. Mikhail Grabovski is projected to skate as well. He hasn't played since Feb. 19 because of a concussion.
Travis Hamonic missed the regular-season finale with an undisclosed injury. He may not be ready for the start of the playoffs. New York will be calling up Griffin Reinhart as an extra defender.
The Islanders finished fourth in the NHL with 2.99 goals per game and 252 in total.
New York had the best winning percentage (.545) in the league when trailing first.
The Isles led the league with 2,685 hits. Matt Martin was first in the NHL with 382 and Cal Clutterbuck was second with 343.
New York ranked 16th in the NHL on the power play (18.7%) and 26th on the penalty kill (78.0%), which is the worst of any team in the playoffs.
