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NHL playoffs bracket 2024: What are the second round series in Stanley Cup playoffs?

jace evans, usa today
·4 min read
5

The first round of the NHL playoffs is (nearly) complete, but good news hockey fans: We still have three more rounds of postseason goodness before the Stanley Cup is awarded.

And we get a pair of Game 7s in the first round after it looked like we were due for a bunch of short series. The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime Saturday night in the first Game 7. A Sunday showdown in Dallas between the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights and the top-seeded Stars will determine the final entrant to the second round.

Here's the quick scoop on every second round series in the NHL playoffs:

Eastern Conference

New York Rangers (Metro 1) vs. Carolina Hurricanes (Metro 2)

First round: Rangers defeated Washington Capitals 4-0; Hurricanes defeated New York Islanders 4-1

The Rangers cast aside the Capitals with ease, earning their first sweep since 2007. The Hurricanes needed just five games to dispatch the Islanders after dropping Game 4 in double overtime. Their tune-up matchups now out of the way, the two best teams in the Eastern Conference this season square off in a heavyweight showdown. These teams mirror each other in so many ways: the Rangers scored 282 goals this season (sixth in league), while the Hurricanes put up 279 (seventh); the Rangers gave up 229 goals (seventh), while the Hurricanes yielded 216 (fourth); and both squads boast top-three units on both the power play and penalty kill. The Rangers probably have more gamebreakers but you could also argue the Hurricanes have better depth. This one may go the distance.

The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes square off in the second round of the playoffs.
The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes square off in the second round of the playoffs.

Florida Panthers (Atlantic 1) vs. Boston Bruins (Atlantic 2)

First round: Panthers defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1; Bruins defeated Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3

This is a rematch of last year's shocking first-round series, which saw the Panthers complete a comeback from 3-1 down to knock off the record-setting Bruins in overtime of Game 7. But the shoe is on the other foot this time around. It is the Panthers who are the higher-seeded team with greater expectations to win. Both teams come into this matchup riding high. The Panthers finally took down the big brother Tampa Bay Lightning in their third playoff meeting. The big guns for Florida shined with Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov combining for 23 points in the Panthers' five-game series win. The Bruins also looked poised for a short series after Boston jumped out to a 3-1 series lead. But the Maple Leafs fought back, taking a pair of 2-1 decisions to force Game 7 in Boston. The Bruins pulled it out in the end, winning Game 7 in overtime on a goal by David Pastrnak.

Western Conference

Dallas Stars (Central 1) vs. Colorado Avalanche (Central 3)

First round: Stars defeated Vegas Golden Knights 4-3; Avalanche defeated Winnipeg Jets 4-1

The Avs reminded everyone in their first round series that they're one of the most talented teams in the league. The 2022 Stanley Cup champs poured in an astounding 28 goals in just five games ... against a Jets squad that entered with the NHL's best defense and the likely Vezina Trophy winner in net. Dallas knocked out the defending champions after losing the first two games at home. Jake Oettinger had a 4.74 goals-against average and .863 save percentage during the regular season against Colorado while Alexandar Georgiev was 3.51, .892 vs. Dallas.

Vancouver Canucks (Pacific 1) vs. Edmonton Oilers (Pacific 2)

First round: Canucks defeated Nashville Predators 4-2; Oilers defeated Los Angeles Kings 4-1

The Canucks were forced to turn to their third-string goalie and their first-round series against the Predators turned into a bit of a grind. But dramatic wins on the road in Games 4 and 6 helped Vancouver earn its first playoff series win with fans actually in the building since its Stanley Cup Final run in 2011 (the Canucks reached the second round in the 2020 bubble). The Oilers took out the Kings in the first round for the third consecutive year, finding multiple ways to win. The stars showed up in a big way: Connor McDavid scored just one goal ... but dished out 11 assists; Leon Draisaitl had five goals and five assists; defenseman Evan Bouchard put up nine points; and Zach Hyman scored seven goals.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Stanley Cup playoffs bracket 2024: Second round series in NHL playoffs