NHL Playoff Update

 

NHL Playoff Update 

        Currently, the National Hockey League is in their playoffs. I created a bracket for fun to see how well I could predict who would win each series. The first round just finished yesterday, and I was surprised by some of these series. 

        Let's kick things off in the west. Avs versus the Kraken. I had the Avs winning this series quickly because the defending champ was against a team who had never been in the playoffs in franchise history. Kraken won in seven. 

        The next series is Stars vs. Wild. I predicted the Stars to ultimately take this series due to their exceptional goaltender and high-flying offense. The Stars won in six. 

        The Knights against the Jets. I predicted the Knights to win this in four because the Knights are extremely deep in all positions. Winnipeg is banged up. Unfortunately, didn't have health on their side. The Knights won that series in five. 

        The last series, and my favorite in the West, is the Oilers up against the scrappy Kings. I predicted this series to head to game seven because they have numerous great players on each side. The Oilers won this series by six. So in the West, I went three for four in the series. 

        Let's shift over to the East. The top seed in the East is the mighty Bruins going up against the Panthers. Where do I begin? The Bruins blew it. They secured the best record in the regular season ever in NHL history. I predicted the Bruins to win in five. The Panthers stunned the hockey community and beat the Bruins in seven games. 

        Maple Leafs and Lightning are up next. The Leafs have been cursed without a first-round playoff series win for nineteen years. In six games, they would break the curse this year and take the series against the lightning. I had them winning in seven.

        The Islanders disappointed me by losing to the Hurricanes. The Hurricanes were buzzing in every game. It seemed once the Islanders would get some momentum, the Canes would fight back and tie it. I predicted the Islanders to win in six, and boy, was I wrong. The Hurricanes took the series in five games. 

        The last series on the Eastern side is the Devils versus the Rangers. I predicted the Rangers to win this in six games. The Devils, with the younger core, came to play after game two. The Rangers took a three-to-one lead in the series, and the Devils managed to come back and win in seven. 

        After the first round, I went four of eight. The eastern side really screwed me over, and I can't wait for round two. Have you all been watching the NHL playoffs? If so, who do you think the favorite is to win the playoffs now that the Bruins lost?